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<div>Angel Reese: I post pictures of myself in a bathing suit but, multiple times people have made AI pictures of me naked. My family members are sending it to me, uncles are like, &lsquo;Are you naked on Instagram ? It sucks to see that and it&rsquo;s really hard that I have to go through that</div>
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<div>Interviewer: So when you were talking about being sexualized, a lot of people we like, &lsquo;Well, she asked for it.&nbsp;</div>
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<div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQHRqOnDVui/?igsh=ZHUzNHA1NzFxM3Mz">Angel Reese: I don&rsquo;t get what that means. I&rsquo;m a beautiful woman. I&rsquo;ve been posting pictures in my bikini. I have a wonderful body and I work hard for it. And if I want to post a picture in my bikini I should be able to without being sexualized.&nbsp;</a></div>
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<div>I reposted this video clip along with commentary from Adrian Ewing and was surprised to see some of the comments in my comment section&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Seeing grown men justify why Angel Reese somehow deserves to be sexualized is depressing to see. But it wasn&rsquo;t just these cats in my comment section, people in the media like Jason Whitlock (who never misses an opportunity to bash Black People for his MAGA audience) and David Portnoy, founder of barstool, doubled down on his hatred for Angel Reese.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>I showed these my daughters volleyball carpool and this is what they had to say,&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Imani&nbsp;</div>
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<div>&ldquo;Who said anything about Onlyfans ? Why would he jump to that ? She just did something that no other athlete has done before. Why do they care so much about her ? Why does it matter so much to them ? She is just living her life. So they don&rsquo;t want her (or any other WNBA player) so they chastise them for their Pay Us What You Owe us stance, but then they don&rsquo;t want them to earn money through any marketing opportunities or any other way either ? She comes out with her own shoes they mad. She breaks record on the court they mad. She says she doesn&rsquo;t want to talk to the media they mad. She criticizes her organization they mad. Why don&rsquo;t they both mind their business and let her live her life&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Baby Sierra&nbsp;</div>
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<div>So where are all the men standing up for her ? I saw Shaq said something one time awhile ago but that&rsquo;s it ? Just you and Shaq ? Nobody else says anything ? Well I&rsquo;m glad you said something. Thank you for standing up for us&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Addy</div>
<div>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really weird that they are so focused on her. &nbsp;Don&rsquo;t they have any other topics to talk about ? Why are they so fixated and infatuated with her ? Do they focus this much on any other WNBA player not named Caitlin Clark ? It&rsquo;s just weird how much they are locked in on Angel Reese&nbsp;</div>
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<div>All valid points made by the Carpool&nbsp;</div>
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<div>To David Portnoy I ask:&nbsp;</div>
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<div>What could this 23 year old young woman possibly have done to make you this upset with her ? So much so that you say you &ldquo;hate&rdquo; her ? You can&rsquo;t be still bent out of shape because she beat yall great white hope Caitlin Clark back in college so what is it ? Is it just a natural jealous and hatred of Black Women not needing your approval or consent to live their lives ? Or the fact that she has brilliantly taken the Caitlin Clark Mob&rsquo;s hatred toward her and transformed it into 7 figure earnings for herself and her brand ?&nbsp;</div>
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<div>Angel Reese just made history as the first professional athlete ever to walk at the Victoria Secret&rsquo;s Fashion Show. That means no other athlete in the history of athletes has ever done this before and as Rep Jasmine Crockett said,&nbsp;</div>
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<div>&ldquo;The only people that are crying are the mediocre white boys that have been beaten out by people that historically have had to work so much harder,&rdquo;</div>
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<div>Unfortunately, it&rsquo;s not just mediocre white boys who are doing the bashing. Almost all of the comments I showed earlier from my Instagram comments section were by Black Men. Not just people like Jason Whitlock whose schtick is bashing the Black Community so he can continue to get pats on the top of his head from a MAGA audience that can then point to him and say,&nbsp;</div>
<div>&ldquo;See I&rsquo;m not racist, here&rsquo;s a Black Man saying this&rdquo; But regular everyday Black Men who actually justified Angel another Black Woman being sexualized.&nbsp;</div>
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<div dir="ltr">A few days ago, Angel Reese responded to a viral post that put her side-by-side with Sid. She called the comparison rude and completely out of line.&nbsp;</div>
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<div dir="ltr">People keep asking me why I post about Angel Reese so much ? Well, I&rsquo;ll tell you why. Ever since she beat Caitlin Clark in college, there has been an onslaught of criticism hurled her way. She became the villain. Public enemy number one (to a certain specific demographic) And as a Black Man, whenever I see what sometimes seems like the entire basketball world bashing a young Black Woman, I&rsquo;m suppose to come to her defense.&nbsp;</div>
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<div dir="ltr">People don&rsquo;t understand that young Black Girls see the criticism that Angel Reese receives and understand how it is a microcosm of life. This is how they are treated in their schools and how they will be treated as they grow up in this society. They will be judged more heavily, and criticized more heavily, and a higher expectation and standard will be placed on them than their white counterparts&nbsp;ie Stephen A. Smith ridiculing Rep Jasmine Crockett but having no issues with Trump&rsquo;s presentation.&nbsp;</div>
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<div dir="ltr">So when my daughters and her teammate in our carpool tell me, &ldquo;Thank you for standing up for us&rdquo; I know, I&rsquo;m doing what I&rsquo;m supposed to be doing.&nbsp;</div>
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<div>&ldquo;The most disrespected person in America is the Black Woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman."</div>
<div><span style="color: #020518; font-family: Google Sans, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;~Malcolm X</span></div>
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Angel Reese Doesn’t “Deserve” To Be Sexualized. No Woman Does.

Angel Reese Doesn’t “Deserve” To Be Sexualized. No Woman Does

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alyssa Thomas has never been ordinary. She has never conformed to the traditional archetypes that have long defined basketball positions, nor has she allowed physical limitations &ndash; most notably two torn labrums in her shoulders &ndash; to dictate her game. Instead, she has rewritten the rules of what a forward can be, becoming the WNBA&rsquo;s most unique playmaker, a relentless competitor whose power and precision leave indelible marks on every contest.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, Thomas stands on the precipice of the one achievement that has eluded her: a WNBA championship. With the Phoenix Mercury, she is no longer just one of the league&rsquo;s most distinctive stars &ndash; she is the heartbeat of a team that has fought its way past both of last year&rsquo;s finalists, the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx, to sit just one series away from hoisting the trophy.</span></p>
<p><strong>The one-of-a-kind blueprint</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thomas&rsquo; game is a study in contradictions. Listed at 6-foot-2, she is undersized compared to most dominant forwards, yet she plays with a ferocity that makes her feel much larger. She has no jump shot to speak of &ndash; her chronic shoulder injuries have left her unable to lift her arms fully above her head &ndash; yet she is among the WNBA&rsquo;s most creative offensive engines, manufacturing buckets through brute force, footwork, and finesse around the rim.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What sets her apart, however, is her vision. Thomas operates as a point forward in the truest sense, initiating offense with the instincts of a guard while anchoring the interior with her strength. No player in league history has more triple-doubles than Thomas, who has piled them up not through chasing numbers, but by simply playing the only way she knows: involving everyone, rebounding relentlessly, and attacking mismatches with precision.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thomas is the ultimate connector, and when she is on the floor, everyone gets easier looks. Thomas is going to wear you down on both ends, and there&rsquo;s really no one else like her in the league.</span></p>
<p><strong>Phoenix&rsquo;s resurgence this season</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mercury have long been defined by legends, from Diana Taurasi&rsquo;s scoring brilliance to Brittney Griner&rsquo;s dominance in the paint, Phoenix&rsquo;s championship pedigree has always been tied to its superstars But this season, it&rsquo;s Thomas&rsquo; tenacity and versatility that have become the foundation of the Mercury&rsquo;s title pursuit.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the quarterfinals, Phoenix knocked out the New York Liberty &ndash; a team that spent much of the season viewed as the championship favorite. Thomas imposed her will throughout the series, controlling tempo, dictating matchups, and ensuring Phoenix never wilted against a roster loaded with talent.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then came the Minnesota Lynx, last season&rsquo;s runner-up, in the semifinals, a team known for physicality and defensive toughness. Once again, Thomas proved to be the difference, her relentless motor overwhelming Minnesota&rsquo;s interior presence while her passing picked apart their rotations.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, Phoenix sits at the doorstep of a championship. Thomas has emerged as the Mercury&rsquo;s lodestar &ndash; the player whose fingerprints are on every possession and whose competitive fire fuels the group &ndash; along with capable star teammates Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper.</span></p>
<p><strong>Redefining greatness and the reflection of a leader</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thomas&rsquo; rise to this moment is about redefining what greatness looks like in the WNBA. For decades, the league&rsquo;s superstars have often been bucket-getters &ndash; high-scoring guards or dominant post players who could bend games with sheer offensive output. Thomas represents a different mold.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her greatness is measured in the connective tissue of the game: the rebound that sparks a fast break, the no-look pass to a cutting teammate, the defensive rotation that prevents a layup. She is the star who doesn&rsquo;t need the spotlight, the engine whose work is most felt in the way her teammates shine brighter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And yet, Thomas herself has built a resume that cannot be ignored. She is the WNBA&rsquo;s all-time leader in triple-doubles, a perennial All-Star, and a force who consistently pushes her teams to overachieve. Still, for all her accolades, the absence of a championship has loomed large. With Phoenix, that narrative has a chance to finally change.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is no coincidence that Phoenix&rsquo;s postseason surge has mirrored the very qualities Thomas embodies. The Mercury have played with resilience, grit, and selflessness &ndash; the same hallmarks of Thomas&rsquo; game. Every possession feels like a battle, and every victory has been earned through effort rather than ease.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This title run is about Thomas validating a career defined by sacrifice and unconventional brilliance. Few players would have thrived without a jump shot in today&rsquo;s game, but Thomas has carved a path by emphasizing everything else: defense, rebounding, playmaking, and leadership. She has shown that dominance comes in many forms, and that sometimes it is not just about the one filling up the scoring column, but the one making sure everyone else is in position to succeed.</span></p>
<p><strong>Legacy in the making</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mercury&rsquo;s journey is not complete. A championship series looms, either with the Indiana Fever or 3-time MVP A&rsquo;Ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces, and with it, the most difficult test of all. Opponents will key in on Thomas, daring Phoenix to find answers elsewhere. But Thomas has spent her entire career proving doubters wrong, overcoming obstacles that might have ended others&rsquo; careers, and finding ways to impose her will regardless of circumstance.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This, perhaps, is her ultimate chance to etch her name alongside the greats. Not just as the triple-double queen, not just as the league&rsquo;s most unique forward, but as a champion.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If Phoenix completes this run, it will be impossible to tell the story of the 2025 WNBA season without Alyssa Thomas at its center. She has already changed the way the game is played and understood, expanding the definition of stardom and forcing observers to appreciate the value of versatility.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, with the Mercury one step away from glory, Thomas is poised to add the ultimate chapter to her legacy. For a player who has done everything except win it all, the moment has arrived. And if the past few weeks are any indication, she is more than ready &ndash; because Alyssa Thomas has never been ordinary &ndash; she has been extraordinary in every sense of the word.</span></p>

Alyssa Thomas, the WNBA’s triple-double queen, is powering the Phoenix Mercury’s title run.

WNBA triple-double queen Alyssa Thomas ready to lead Phoenix Mercury to a title

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Superstardom in basketball often comes wrapped in fireworks. The game&rsquo;s biggest names make their presence known through show-stopping moves, deep three-pointers that ignite crowds, or sheer force of dominance that leaves opponents powerless. Caitlin Clark electrifies arenas with logo-range bombs and flair; A&rsquo;Ja Wilson overwhelms foes with two-way dominance that commands respect every trip down the floor; Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier anchor their teams with consistent excellence, night after night.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then there&rsquo;s Paige Bueckers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her game does not scream &ndash; it whispers, it slices, it dissects. Watching her on the floor is less like witnessing an explosion and more like marveling at a surgeon&rsquo;s steady hand. Every dribble, every step, every release feels intentional, deliberate, and clean. The impact is undeniable, even if it doesn&rsquo;t come with the same flash. In her own quiet way, Bueckers is staking her claim as one of the league&rsquo;s next great superstars &ndash; and perhaps its most efficient.</span></p>
<h3><strong>The silent assassin</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bueckers&rsquo; style of play is surgical. For a rookie, she looks far too calm, too assured, too unbothered by the chaos around her. She is often described as a &ldquo;silent assassin,&rdquo; and it&rsquo;s easy to see why. She doesn&rsquo;t pound the ball endlessly to create a shot, and she doesn&rsquo;t force the issue. Instead, she glides to her spots, punishes defenses with midrange precision, and makes the right play look effortless.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That simplicity is what makes her lethal. There&rsquo;s no wasted motion, no overcomplication. Just a commitment to the fundamentals, elevated by elite shot-making. If Clark&rsquo;s game is fireworks on the Fourth of July, Bueckers&rsquo; is a perfectly composed symphony &ndash; less noise, more harmony.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And when the time comes, she knows how to deliver a performance that can&rsquo;t be ignored.</span></p>
<h3><strong>A record-breaking Night</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The night Paige Bueckers truly announced herself to the league will be etched in WNBA history: Forty-four points. That was the most ever by a rookie in a single game. The most points scored by any player in the league this season. And she did it with surgical efficiency &ndash; 17-for-21 from the field, a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">No rookie had ever scored 40 on 80% shooting. No player, period, had ever combined that level of volume with that level of accuracy. It wasn&rsquo;t just a scoring explosion &ndash; it was a masterclass in efficiency.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was the kind of performance that silenced even the staunchest skeptics. The league is used to rookies flashing brilliance in spurts, maybe stringing together a few highlight games. What Bueckers did was different. It wasn&rsquo;t a fluke; it was the kind of controlled, methodical dominance that signals something greater.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For her, it was another step toward validating the superstar whispers that have followed her since her UConn days. For the league, it was the beginning of something that feels inevitable.</span></p>
<h3><strong>Rookie of the Year, but just the beginning</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The accolades have already started piling up, Bueckers has won rookie of the year in a relatively loaded class. A record-breaking scoring outburst and a seat at the table with the league&rsquo;s biggest names &ndash; but what&rsquo;s more striking is how early in her career Bueckers is already shaping the narrative around her.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlike some rookies who burst onto the scene with loud declarations, Paige is building her case brick by brick, possession by possession. Her rookie campaign has been defined less by empty flash and more by a sustainable, repeatable style that screams longevity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The comparisons to Clark, Wilson, Stewart, and Collier are natural &mdash; and instructive. Clark draws eyes with her audacity and range. Wilson establishes control by bending both ends of the court to her will. Stewart and Collier embody steadiness, a relentless rhythm of production.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paige is carving her own lane. Efficiency is her weapon and precision is her calling card. Her game doesn&rsquo;t demand your attention, but it earns it.</span></p>
<h3><strong>More than just the numbers</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What makes Bueckers&rsquo; rise so compelling is that her impact stretches beyond box scores. People talk about her composure, her ability to settle games when the pressure mounts. Coaches praise her basketball IQ, her uncanny ability to make the right reads. Fans, whether long-time WNBA followers or newcomers drawn by the league&rsquo;s surge in visibility, are seeing in her a different kind of star power &ndash; one that doesn&rsquo;t need theatrics to shine.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That contrast is important for the league. In an era where personalities and highlight reels often drive narratives, Bueckers provides balance. She shows there&rsquo;s room for a quieter kind of greatness, one that speaks through results rather than volume.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And yet, there&rsquo;s no mistaking the emotional pull of her story. To watch Paige play is to witness someone making the extraordinary look routine. That subtlety can be easy to overlook &ndash; until the records pile up, the accolades accumulate, and the wins keep coming.</span></p>
<h3><strong>A superstar in the making</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Superstar trajectories are rarely linear, but Bueckers&rsquo; feels inevitable. She has the pedigree, the poise, and the production. More importantly, she has the unique ability to captivate audiences not by trying to be anyone else, but by leaning into exactly who she is.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The WNBA is in the midst of a golden era, with a wave of talent redefining what the league looks like. Clark, Wilson, Stewart, Collier, and others are pushing boundaries in different ways. Bueckers is right there with them &mdash; her rise just happens to sound more like a whisper than a roar.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And maybe that&rsquo;s the point.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the end, superstardom isn&rsquo;t always about volume. Sometimes it&rsquo;s about precision. About making the difficult look simple. About showing the game in its purest form, without the extra noise.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paige Bueckers doesn&rsquo;t need to scream to be heard. She&rsquo;s proving, possession after possession, that there&rsquo;s more than one way to define greatness. And in her own, quiet way, she&rsquo;s already making her case as the next face of the league.</span></p>

Fresh off winning WNBA Rookie of the Year, Paige Bueckers is making her superstar case in her own, quiet way. Read how, here:

WNBA: Paige Bueckers is making her superstar case in her own, quiet way

<p>Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season. She has spent the majority of the season injured and going through a tumultuous rehab process coupled with failed attempts to return. She hasn't played since July 15 .&nbsp;</p>
<p>Clark, the 2024 No. 1 pick, had been limited to 13 games this season when she suffered a right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever's win over the Connecticut Sun.</p>
<p>Caitlin Clark announced on social media&nbsp;Thursday night&hellip;</p>
<p>"I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season," Clark posted. "I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn't a big enough word to describe how I am feeling."</p>
<p>&ldquo;This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Now it&rsquo;s time to close out the season and claim our spot in the playoffs.&rdquo;</p>
<p>This brought a swift reaction from many of the Caitlin Clark mob.</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/5-etan-thomas-2_690w.jpg" alt="" /></p>
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<p>Here are the facts that not surprisingly, only actual WNBA fans will acknowledge, it would&rsquo;ve been very foolish for Caitlin Clark to risk further injury. In fact, if the Indiana Fever elected to treat Caitlin Clark with the same level of medical malpractice that the Indiana Pacers did with Tyrese Haliburton, and she came back and played and injured herself worst like Tyrese Haliburton did, and would have to miss the entire season next year like Tyrese Haliburton will, that would&rsquo;ve been even more of a catastrophe&hellip;&hellip;as it is for Tyrese Haliburton.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/5-etan-thomas-8_690w.jpeg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Of course CC wants to play, just as Tyrese Haliburton wanted to play in the NBA finals but it&rsquo;s not up to them. Any player is going to want to play that&rsquo;s the way Athletes are wired no matter what age or level. If you ask a middle school basketball player if they wanted to try a play in a big game even though they&rsquo;re injured nine times out of 10 they&rsquo;re going to say yes. It&rsquo;s ingrained in athletes to throw caution to the side, and sacrifice your body and health for the good of the team.&nbsp;</p>
<p>On the walls of many high school weight rooms, coaches love to put quotes like,</p>
<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;Pain Is Weakness Leaving Your Body&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Or&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Pain You Feel Today Will Be The Strength You Feel Tomorrow&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Or&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;You Either Quit Or You Keep Going. They Both Hurt&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Or&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;That which does not kill us will only make us stronger&rdquo;</p>
<p>(Attributed to 2Pac or Nietzche whichever will drive home the gladiator, ignore your body and sacrifice for the team message)&nbsp;</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s such a ridiculous argument that people make when they say Tyrese Haliburton said he wanted to play or RG III said he wanted to play or Jayson Tatum or Kevin Durant said he wanted to play. Of course they are going to want to play. That&rsquo;s what athletes have been programmed to do.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But in every case, the medical team should have never cleared any of them to play. They are the doctors, the trainers, the medical professionals and they didn&rsquo;t do their job and they should all be held accountable just as when any profession doesn&rsquo;t do their job and catastrophe happens because of their negligence.</p>
<p>If someone goes to a doctor, and tells the doctor that they don&rsquo;t like taking medicine, and the doctor signs off on them not taking the medicine, and the person dies as a result of it, would it be ok because the patient said they didn&rsquo;t like taking medicine ? No. It&rsquo;s the doctor&rsquo;s job to give their medical, professional, diagnosis and recommendation, what they went to years of medical school and are being paid to do. Only in sports do people say, &ldquo;The athlete wanted to play&rdquo; &nbsp;It&rsquo;s your job to say, &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t matter what you want, you are not cleared to play&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>When Caitlin Clark came back in July and played in that game against the Connitcuit Sun, and re injured herself, it appeared as though they were trying to get her back for the big game against the NY Liberty, and you had all star wknd coming up, and they had the TV ratings to be concerned about. But she didn&rsquo;t look right even before she re injured herself.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But real Caitlin Clark fans should be relieved that the Fever &nbsp;aren&rsquo;t risking her long term health for a short sighted goal of the current playoff position. Especially when even if they did somehow squeak into the playoffs would be facing one of the best if not the best teams in the WNBA, the Minnesota Lynx and, let&rsquo;s be honest&hellip;&hellip;their chances of making it past them are slim to none. Maybe even less than that&nbsp;</p>
<p>Caitlin Clark fans should breathe a sigh of relief that the Indiana Fever aren&rsquo;t electing to treat their franchise player as dispensable. We have seen that script before with RG3 and it ruined his entire career.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/5-etan-thomas-9_690w.jpeg" alt="" /></p>
<p>However, the Caitlin Clark mob doesn&rsquo;t care about her actual health or about her as a person. If they did they would&rsquo;ve listened to her multiple pleas with them to not use her to promote racism, hate, or bigotry. But just like her health, her opinion doesn&rsquo;t matter to them. Their only concern and desire is to be able to weaponize her as the symbol of white grievance, white supremacy, the great white hope, as the white damsel in distress who needs protection from all of the Black WNBA players who want to harm her because they hate her so much and are jealous of her. Now, they can&rsquo;t run with any of those narratives anymore. At least not until next season.&nbsp;</p>
<div>And for media people like Dick Vitale, Christine Brennan, Frank Isola, and Jason Whitlock, there&nbsp;will be no fouls to inflate into morality plays or on-court moments to twist into evidence of persecution, so they will have to find new narratives to promote&hellip;..</div>
<div>Or they will completely ignore a sure to be exciting WNBA playoffs with multitudes of ultra talented players altogether. Pay close attention to which one they choose.</div>

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season.

The Caitlin Clark mob is upset they can no longer weaponize her this season

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In recent years, Japan has started to solidify its place on the global basketball map. The steady ascent began with Rui Hachimura making waves as a lottery pick and has since been sustained by the lengthy presence of Yuta Watanabe in the NBA. But the next chapter in Japan's basketball story is being authored by two rising stars with very different paths in young stars Keisei Tominaga and Yuki Kawamura.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each player represents a different style, personality, and journey, but their shared goal is clear: to make a name for themselves in the NBA while pushing Japanese basketball into its most promising era yet and a chance to dominate Asia for years to come. Together, they are leading the next wave of Japanese basketball, a movement that could define a golden era for the nation&rsquo;s hoops culture.</span></p>
<h3><strong>Keisei Tominaga: From Nebraska star to NBA dreamer</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nicknamed the &ldquo;Japanese Steph Curry,&rdquo; Keisei Tominaga became a sensation at the University of Nebraska with his deep range, fiery swagger, and clutch shooting. Whether it was a pull-up three in transition or a quick-trigger release from the corner, the crowd inside Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska always knew when the ball left his hands that it had a real chance of going in.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though Tominaga went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft, he quickly landed a spot on a G-League roster and continued to work toward his NBA dream. His shooting alone makes him a prospect worth watching, but his personality and work ethic make him even more compelling.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That electricity was on full display at the 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore. It was last September that I had the opportunity to interview Tominaga, where he drew thunderous applause every time he launched a three. His team had just wrapped up a game, and even though he wasn&rsquo;t entirely pleased with his performance, he still flashed that signature optimism and drive. There, I caught up with him to talk about the experience and his aspirations.</span></p>
<p><strong>Q: Every time you shoot a three, fans are anticipating the ball coming in. You made a three and the arena went crazy. How was it like playing here in Singapore and with your fans in Asia and the love that they showed you out here?</strong><strong><br /></strong><strong>Tominaga:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &ldquo;You know, it means a lot to me. You see, you hear the crowd when I make the shot. I&rsquo;m super happy for it but I gotta be better for everything. But you know it was a great, great experience for me.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><strong>Q: Obviously you&rsquo;ve struggled shooting the ball, but how would you rate your performance personally in this tournament?</strong><strong><br /></strong><strong>Tominaga:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I did a good job, you know, the way enough the way I wanted it to be. But I think that&rsquo;s a great experience for me, I could get better from it. You know, I could learn from it a lot. So, I&rsquo;m excited to keep going.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><strong>Q: After this tournament, what&rsquo;s next for Keisei Tominaga? Where will we see you play, any future plans?</strong><strong><br /></strong><strong>Tominaga:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &ldquo;You know, I&rsquo;m trying to get into the league (NBA) so, you know I&rsquo;ll keep showing what I can do out there on the court and hopefully I can make it to the NBA soon.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even during a down shooting performance, Tominaga&rsquo;s energy was palpable. His confidence in the long-term goal didn&rsquo;t waver. And why should it? With every deep three, every off-ball relocation, every step-back jumper, he proves he's not just a novelty act&mdash;he&rsquo;s a legitimate offensive weapon.</span></p>
<h3><strong>Yuki Kawamura: The gritty playmaker with a huge heart and growing fanbase</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While Tominaga&rsquo;s game is built around flash and finesse, Yuki Kawamura's path is defined by toughness, hustle, and high basketball IQ. At just 5-foot-9, Kawamura has never been the biggest player on the court, but that&rsquo;s never stopped him from standing out.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Currently suiting up for the Memphis Hustle, the G-League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, Kawamura has carved out a role as an impactful guard who plays with heart on both ends. As of this writing, Kawamura is averaging 12.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting an efficient 46.5% from the field and 38.2% from deep.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What makes Kawamura special isn&rsquo;t just the stats, it&rsquo;s about the impact. On multiple occasions, the Grizzlies have featured him in NBA games, and every time, the fan reaction has been electric. A behind-the-back dime in transition. A fearless drive into the paint against players a foot taller. A clutch corner three that sends social media into a frenzy. Kawamura is a fan favorite, not just in Japan, but globally.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The NBA itself has embraced Kawamura as part of its broader international movement. His highlights often get featured on NBA social media channels, and with every appearance, more fans begin to root for the undersized guard with a never-say-die mentality.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, Kawamura and the Grizzlies have qualified into the 2025 NBA Playoffs and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in round one, a feat that Kawamura is definitely proud to be a part of.</span></p>
<h3><strong>A shared dream and legacy in the making</strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tominaga and Kawamura couldn&rsquo;t be more different on the court. One is a gunner who thrives on spacing and movement. The other is a floor general who thrives on angles and decision-making. But their journeys intertwine in a bigger narrative, one that could shape the next decade of Japanese basketball.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe helped begin, Tominaga and Kawamura are set to continue. The duo&rsquo;s growth also coincides with the rise of Japan&rsquo;s national team, which made waves at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having multiple Japanese players active in the G-League and flirting with NBA rosters is no longer an anomaly. It&rsquo;s becoming part of a trend, and that trend points to a possible golden era of hoops in Japan. The country is now poised to be one of the top contenders for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2025, and Tominaga and Kawamura are leading the charge for the Akatsuki.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The significance of this moment can&rsquo;t be overstated. For decades, Japanese basketball lagged behind Asian neighbors like China and the Philippines in terms of global impact. Now, the script is changing, and these two young stars are helping flip the page.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keisei Tominaga continues to chase his dream with a shooter&rsquo;s tunnel vision - focused, steady, and fueled by every made shot and every miss. His love for the game and his country is clear every time he hits the floor.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yuki Kawamura, meanwhile, has proven that height may be a limitation on paper, but not in heart. He&rsquo;s already winning over teammates, coaches, and fans alike with his skill and spark.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the road to becoming a full-time NBA player is steep for both, what they represent is already larger than the game. They are not only athletes but symbols of Japan&rsquo;s potential on the world basketball stage.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the end, whether or not they make a permanent home in the NBA isn&rsquo;t the only story. The real victory lies in how they inspire a nation, empower a new generation, and redefine what&rsquo;s possible for Japanese basketball.</span></p>

From Tominaga's three-point flair to Kawamura's fearless playmaking, both are knocking on the NBA and inspiring Japan.

Keisei Tominaga, Yuki Kawamura lead golden era of Japanese Basketball

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SINGAPORE INDOOR STADIUM, SINGAPORE &ndash; After a dominant showing all tournament long, Spanish squad Unicaja Malaga got the job done as they beat the NBA G League United 75-60 in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2024 title game Sunday night here.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unicaja were phenomenal throughout the entirety of the FIBA ICC, having an average winning margin of 21 points per game. They defeated Angola&rsquo;s Petro de Luanda and Lebanon&rsquo;s Al Riyadi Beirut in the group stages before finishing off the Americans in the championship match.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Spanish side started out strong, converting on all of their shot attempts, to jump out on an early lead in the first quarter. Dylan Osetkowski got going early, and ended up finishing with 15 points to lead his team in scoring. Four players scored in double figures for Unicaja as they distributed the ball well leading to 25 total assists to GLU&rsquo;s 16.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For his efforts, Osetkowski was named the MVP of the Tournament.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;As you see in all three games, I think there&rsquo;s multiple guys in double figures; there&rsquo;s multiple guys shooting threes and driving to the basket. We play a very team-oriented game of basketball offensively &ndash; everybody&rsquo;s touching the ball, everyone has an opportunity to score ,&rdquo; Osetkowski said to BasketballNews.com in the post-game press conference when asked about the way Unicaja plays. &ldquo;Everybody can play a role and have an opportunity to be the top scorer &ndash; for this tournament it was myself, you replay the tournament maybe it could be somebody else. So, we have a very deep team that has the ability to play the game of basketball which is team oriented.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;The main key of this team is the team chemistry,&rdquo; Unicaja coach Ibon Navarro added. &ldquo;One day Dylan [Osetkowski] can shine, then the next one it could be anyone, so it&rsquo;s not easy to choose one star or MVP from our team because we got many players that give their best to make their team win.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the final score, both teams went back and forth in the first half, the two teams, trading make after make. The first quarter ended up 22-17 with Unicaja leading by 5 and 38-32 at the half, still Unicaja with the lead.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, a furious start to the third quarter by the Spanish had them erecting a lead to as large as 18, 52-34, halfway through &ndash; unleashing a 14-2 run that United wasn&rsquo;t able to overcome in the end.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NBA GLU tried to mount one last comeback attempt with just two minutes to go but it was not enough as they ran out of time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Still, it was a great effort for the United, who were just formed just two weeks before the tournament. G League United coach Paul Hewitt lauded Unicaja for outplaying them.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&ldquo;I thought we had enough talent to win this whole thing even with our minimal preparations. I think they [Unicaja] are well-drilled. They just played better than us tonight. There have been shots we missed in the first half, that could&rsquo;ve really tightened the game up and maybe given us the lead going into the locker room, but like I said our guys played well but they played better.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A late Keisei Tominaga moment was a bright spot in United&rsquo;s tough loss as he stole the show with under a minute left &ndash; and the crowd roared to the delight of his first made three-pointer in the game.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tominaga, a rising Japanese star who just recently joined Curry Brand, struggled from the field for NBA GLU with just 1/5 shooting from three.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Spanish side proved to be too much to handle as they ran away with the lead in the 4th quarter, and clinched the title. According to FIBA, it was Europe&rsquo;s 23rd championship overall in the intercontinental meet between the champions of each continent, 11 of which were produced by teams from Spain.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Earlier in the day, Australia&rsquo;s Tasmania JackJumpers won the bronze medal match against Al Riyadi Beirut, 80-75. They made history by becoming Oceania&rsquo;s first ever medallists in the history of the tournament.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Petro de Luanda, Africa&rsquo;s champion, closed out their campaign strong by winning against South America&rsquo;s champion Quimsa from Argentina, 70-64, to clinch 5th place in the tournament.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The final standings from this year&rsquo;s FIBA Intercontinental Cup:</span></p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Unicaja (Spain)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> NBA G League United (USA)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Tasmania JackJumpers (Australia)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Al Riyadi Beirut (Lebanon)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Petro De Luanda (Angola)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Quimsa (Argentina)</span></li>
</ol>

After a dominant tournament, Spanish squad Unicaja Malaga got the job done as they beat the NBA G League United to claim the FIBA ICC championship Sunday night at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2024: Spain’s Unicaja defeats NBA G League United to claim title

<p><span lang="EN-US">Today, the NBA and Zignia announced that the NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will feature the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic playing a regular-season game at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Thursday, Nov. 9.&nbsp; The matchup will mark the league&rsquo;s 32nd&nbsp;game in Mexico since 1992, more than any country outside the U.S. and Canada.&nbsp;<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">The Magic will be playing its fourth game in Mexico since 2012 and currently features 2022 No. 1 overall pick and 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, 2021-22 NBA All-Rookie First Team member Franz Wagner, and 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz.&nbsp; </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">The Hawks, who will be playing their first game in Mexico, are coming off their third consecutive playoff appearance behind two-time NBA All-Star Trae Young and 2022 NBA All-Star Dejounte Murray.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">&ldquo;With the Magic having been to London twice, Japan, China, Brazil and Mexico City previously, we love representing the NBA and the City of Orlando when we have the opportunity to play in these Global Games," said Magic CEO Alex Martins. "We&rsquo;ve had the opportunity to be in Mexico City before, and we know the passion of the fans and are really looking forward to bringing our team back to Mexico City to play.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">&ldquo;It is always a privilege to showcase our team, the city of Atlanta and the NBA in the Global Games," said Hawks CEO Steve Koonin. "We had an incredible time last year starting the season in the first NBA Abu Dhabi Games and we are excited to connect with the fans in Mexico City and experience the wonderful culture there.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will air live in Mexico on ESPN, Star+, TUDN and NBA League Pass, the league&rsquo;s premium live game subscription service available on the NBA App, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories&nbsp;</span><span lang="EN-US">on television, digital media and social media</span><span lang="EN-US">. In addition</span><span lang="EN-US"> to t</span><span lang="EN-US">he NBA Mexico City Game 2023</span><span lang="EN-US">,&nbsp;</span><span lang="EN-US">the league and its partners will conduct NBA Cares community outreach initiatives, Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming and interactive activities that will bring the NBA experience to fans in Mexico City.&nbsp;<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">To conclude the week-long celebration of basketball in the country, the Mexico City Capitanes will host the Osceola Magic on Friday, Nov. 10 as part of the NBA G League&rsquo;s Showcase Cup schedule.&nbsp; Additional details about the 2023-24 NBA G League season will be available at a later date.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">&ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited to welcome the Hawks and Magic to Mexico City next season and give our passionate fans the opportunity to see some of the brightest young stars in the game," said NBA Mexico Vice President and Managing Director Raul Zarraga. "There is so much momentum around basketball in Mexico, and this game and the surrounding events will serve as the ultimate celebration of the NBA for fans across the country and throughout Latin America.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">The game and surrounding events will be supported by a roster of NBA marketing partners, including AT&amp;T, Gatorade, Hisense, Michelob ULTRA, Nike, Tissot and Wonder as well as Zignia&rsquo;s associate partners Banco Azteca and TotalPlay. Additional partners will be announced in the coming months.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US">Beginning today, NBA ID members interested in attending the NBA Mexico City Game 2023 can register their interest in tickets and receive access to an exclusive ticket pre-sale that will take place Aug. 14-15 by visiting </span><a href="http://www.nbaenmexico.nbaid.mx/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.nbaenmexico.nbaid.mx&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3iFCuhxfH0EJnuN_HZ5qrp"><span lang="EN-US">this site</span></a><span lang="EN-US">. Tickets for the game will go on sale to Banco Azteca card holders from Aug. 16-18 and to the public on Aug. 19. Special ticket packages offering premium access, VIP experiences, hospitality and local hotel accommodations are available for purchase at </span><a href="https://nbaexperiences.com/nba-mexico-city-game-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://nbaexperiences.com/nba-mexico-city-game-2023&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0FHra0Wvi4LYlOnDrJWkB_"><span lang="EN-US">here</span></a>.</p>
<p><span class="m_-711682262460760815bumpedfont15"><span lang="EN-US">Fans in Mexico can find more information</span></span><span lang="EN-US">&nbsp;about the NBA at&nbsp;</span><a href="http://nba.com/Mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://NBA.com/Mexico&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3RDeoUuYjsl81AvmiLZ2rK"><span lang="EN-US">NBA.com/Mexico</span></a><span class="m_-711682262460760815MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-US">,</span></span><span lang="EN-US">&nbsp;by downloading the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://global.nba.com/nba-apps/index.html?_branch_match_id=811567537499273278&amp;_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MvJzMvWy0tK1EvOz9UH0kAxAF91y5sfAAAA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://global.nba.com/nba-apps/index.html?_branch_match_id%3D811567537499273278%26_branch_referrer%3DH4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MvJzMvWy0tK1EvOz9UH0kAxAF91y5sfAAAA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Lkj6NKq6NfRyPJNCju-QY"><span lang="EN-US">NBA App</span></a><span lang="EN-US">, and on Facebook (</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NBAMexico/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/NBAMexico/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3eDMVn5p5OHnPAfbI3uxxf"><span lang="EN-US">@nbamexico</span></a><span lang="EN-US">), Tiktok (</span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@nbamex" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.tiktok.com/@nbamex&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2VI8mtyeHRh5nJmRe6D-9T"><span lang="EN-US">@nbamex</span></a><span lang="EN-US">), Twitter (</span><a href="https://twitter.com/NBAMEX" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/NBAMEX&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Hjjd6eX8OFrcgbwCgk-Cv"><span lang="EN-US">@nbamex</span></a><span lang="EN-US">), YouTube (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/NBAMexico/featured" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/user/NBAMexico/featured&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0aqa1qSUkw385nECaz2B2B"><span lang="EN-US">NBA M&eacute;xico</span></a><span lang="EN-US">) and Instagram&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nbamex/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/nbamex/?hl%3Den&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw15R7OZhTHc26bKeQ6olM9s"><span lang="EN-US">(@nbamex</span></a><span lang="EN-US">). Fans can also purchase official NBA merchandise online at&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nbatienda.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nbatienda.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3DwZWTfnYo9g9umEsTAacU"><span lang="EN-US">NBATienda.com</span></a>&nbsp;<span lang="EN-US">and at the Arena CDMX on game night.</span><u></u><u></u></p>

The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will feature the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic playing a regular-season game at the Arena CDMX.

Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic to play regular-season game in Mexico City

<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">DENVER (AP) &mdash; Some might say Stan Kroenke and his family would be pulling off the impossible by bringing a long-awaited NBA title to Denver.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Less discussed &mdash; at least these days &mdash; was their willingness, in 1999, to dive into a messy acquisition process for a largely irrelevant franchise that had been considered a relocation prospect as the 21st century approached.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">All of the talk of them relocating no longer exists.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Now, the conversation is about how the Nuggets were able to reach their first NBA Finals thanks to the stubborn patience displayed by the Kroenkes, who have taken an unorthodox route toward assembling an unorthodox winner. Denver hosts the Miami Heat in Game 2 Sunday night after&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-denver-nuggets-nba-sports-755531bae7f944958c4225f8d5f54bad">winning the Finals opener</a>.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Kroenke&rsquo;s deal to purchase the Nuggets, along with the Colorado Avalanche and their home arena for $450 million, included a clause that tethered the NBA franchise to Denver for the ensuing 25 years. These days, the Nuggets are estimated by Forbes to be worth $1.93 billion.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">&ldquo;One thing I know about Stan is that when he sets his mind to doing something, and when he thinks he&rsquo;s right, he&rsquo;s going to fight for that,&rdquo; said Wellington Webb, who was Denver&rsquo;s mayor in 1999 and helped broker the deal that closed a year later between Kroenke and the Nuggets.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Though Kroenke married into money &mdash; he wed Walmart heiress Ann Walton in 1974, a few years after meeting her during a ski trip to Aspen &mdash; he had already honed his business chops. His first deal: Taking a $1,500 loan at 6% interest from his dad so he could buy part of a clothing shop with his friend.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Not long after, he got into the real estate business, building shopping centers with a developer who was tight with Walmart founder Sam Walton.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Real estate and sports are, these days, almost intertwined &mdash; a reality Kroenke grasped quickly.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">&ldquo;I always thought I&rsquo;d enjoy (owning a sports franchise) because the professional sports business is part business and part sports,&rdquo; Kroenke told the Columbia (Missouri) Daily Tribune in 2022, &ldquo;and I love both of them.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Kroenke&rsquo;s representatives did not return messages left by The Associated Press seeking an interview.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">His first major jump into sports was his partnership with Rams owner Georgia Frontiere. In the mid-1990s, Frontiere was chafing at the inability of Los Angeles to build a new stadium, She was looking for partners to bankroll a move to St. Louis. Kroenke bought in, and when Frontiere died in 2008, he exercised his right to purchase a majority stake in the team.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">The sad irony is that it was Kroenke, the Missouri native, who moved the Rams out of St. Louis and back to LA where they are the main tenant in his $5.1 billion stadium. His connection with Denver &mdash; much different.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">&ldquo;One of my dreams was to be involved in a professional basketball team,&rdquo; Kroenke told The Denver Post, shortly after closing the deal for the Nuggets. &ldquo;This is a dream I&rsquo;ve had for a long time.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">There is, in fact, a strong argument that the basketball trophy might be the most meaningful for a family that has amassed three Stanley Cup trophies with the Avalanche, a Super Bowl trophy with the Rams and is still looking for glory with Arsenal, the Premier League soccer team it has had a controlling interest in since 2011.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Kroeke&rsquo;s son, Josh, was a standout basketball player in high school and played at University of Missouri. He now runs the Nuggets.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">&ldquo;I thought that you could bring a championship to Denver,&rdquo; Josh said in a recent interview on team-owned Altitude Sports Radio. &ldquo;Trying to do something that&rsquo;s never been done before, it&rsquo;s not always easy, and it&rsquo;s usually met with a lot of resistance. ... We&rsquo;re mostly excited for the city to get to experience this. But the job&rsquo;s not done.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">The Nuggets were parked squarely in NBA purgatory when the team went on the block in 1999, having not sniffed relevancy since their mid-80s heydey, when the teams were highlighted by coach Doug Moe&rsquo;s uptempo offense. Their situation off the court wasn&rsquo;t much better. In the late &rsquo;80s, then-owner Sidney Shlenker had toyed with the idea of moving the team to Memphis.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">His sale to a media conglomerate that was never truly hot on owning sports teams did nothing to tamp the idea that the Nuggets were a team that might be available to move. And teams were moving; Between 2001-08, Memphis (from Vancouver), Oklahoma City (from Seattle) and New Orleans (from Charlotte) all adopted existing franchises in a flurry of NBA reshuffling.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">When Denver went on the block, the highest bidder, billionaire businessman Donald Sturm, came in with a $460 million offer, but balked at the idea that he couldn&rsquo;t move the team.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">In stepped Kroenke, who had no problem with the arrangement. A side note: To close the sale, Kroenke had to outmaneuver another group fronted by none other than John Elway.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">&ldquo;It was clear Sturm wasn&rsquo;t going to work out,&rdquo; Webb said. &ldquo;And my only question was, &lsquo;Is the new guy going to be supportive of the team winning?&rsquo; Because if the arena is full, not only do the owners make money, but city makes money, as well.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">The Kroenkes have answered Webb&rsquo;s question with their willingness &mdash; increasingly rare in pro sports &mdash; to play the long game, both on the roster and on the bench.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">The roster was built in workmanlike,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-nuggets-jokic-murray-malone-18329e13dfecae50834ebc06d409027c">no-drama fashion</a>,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-nikola-jokic-denver-nuggets-mvp-lebron-lakers-8e668572f9f43942175ded63e7a61832">highlighted by Nikola Jokic</a>, who entered the league as an unheralded second-round pick from Serbia. The coach, Michael Malone, was hired in 2015, and there was never much talk of making changes after disappointing finishes to their seasons in 2018, 2019 and even last year.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Today, Malone sits behind only Gregg Popovich (Spurs), Erik Spoelstra (Heat) and Steve Kerr (Warriors) &mdash; who have a combined 11 championships on their coaching resumes &mdash; in terms of longevity among the NBA&rsquo;s 30 head coaches.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">&ldquo;That has a ton to do with where we are today,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t be more thankful for working for an ownership group that is not impatient and is not trying to find the next great thing, but is saying &lsquo;Hey, listen, let&rsquo;s let this grow and marinate into something special.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Despite his family&rsquo;s large role in the Denver sports scene &mdash; the Kroenke business also owns the MLS Colorado Rapids, and the National Lacrosse League&rsquo;s Colorado Mammoth, who lost the deciding game in that league&rsquo;s title series Saturday &mdash; Kroenke has still taken his fair share of criticism around town.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">It&rsquo;s a byproduct of his 2004 move to bundle his teams&rsquo; TV rights and air them on company&rsquo;s new regional television network, Altitude.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">In 2019, the region&rsquo;s biggest cable operator, Comcast, stopped carrying Altitude due to a disagreement over fees the cable giant was charging to carry the network. The ensuing legal battle has kept the Nuggets off the local airwaves in millions of homes for the last four seasons. The battle between billion-dollar companies has left many average Nuggets fans feeling like the only real losers in the equation.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">But whatever bitterness lingers from the cable dispute has mostly been set aside over the past few months. All the playoff games have been on national TV.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">Meanwhile, Kroenke stays firmly in the background. He can make it from his apartment at the top of Ball Arena through some back passageways and into his luxury suite to watch games in less than two minutes. Sometimes he brings his German Shepherd along.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-81 p Component-p-0-2-71">&ldquo;I think that not only is he a good businessman,&rdquo; Webb said, &ldquo;but he also feels he has something special in Denver. And I think it&rsquo;s always been his goal to do right by Denver.&rdquo;</p>

Some might say Stan Kroenke and his family would be pulling off the impossible by bringing a long-awaited NBA title to Denver.

Kroenke bought Nuggets, kept team in Denver, now hoping to deliver title

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

<p><strong>FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash;</strong> Big 12 scoring leader Jalen Wilson was struggling with his shot for third-ranked Kansas, and standout freshman Gradey Dick didn&rsquo;t score again after reaching 19 points only two minutes into the second half.</p>
<p>The Jayhawks, in pursuit of their 21st Big 12 regular-season title, still never trailed after halftime and extended the league&rsquo;s longest active winning streak to five in a row, beating 24th-ranked TCU 63-58 on Monday night.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve said all along, we&rsquo;ve got five guys that can all go out there and play and take over the game. And that&rsquo;s the beauty of our team,&rdquo; said Wilson, who had 13 rebounds while making only 3-of-11 shots for seven points, more than 13 below his season average. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all going to have some type of effort to win. ... That&rsquo;s part of a championship team.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Damion Baugh missed a potential tying 3-pointer with five seconds left for TCU (18-10, 7-8 Big 12). Shahada Wells missed a follow-up layup before Kevin McCullar, who finished with 15 points, was fouled and made two free throws to seal it for the Jayhawks (23-5, 11-4).</p>
<p>Kansas began the night tied with idle eighth-ranked Texas for the conference lead. Coach Bill Self&rsquo;s reigning national champions have won seven of eight games since a three-game losing streak that included a 23-point home loss to the Horned Frogs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t accomplished jack, but we&rsquo;ve put ourselves in a favorable position to maybe do something,&rdquo; Self said. &ldquo;Everybody talked about our sky&rsquo;s falling when we lost three in a row. In this league, that can happen easily. But we&rsquo;ve recovered pretty good since then.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Not even an appearance from Heisman Trophy runner-up Max Duggan could get the Frogs over the hump. They were within 56-53 with 6:07 left when the four-year starting quarterback, still in his tuxedo after receiving the Davey O&rsquo;Brien Award in a ceremony about four miles from campus, waved the crowd into a frenzy while going to a courtside seat.</p>
<p>&ldquo;He looked good tonight with the tux on,&rdquo; Self said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just glad he didn&rsquo;t get here any earlier.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Neither team made a field goal in the final 4:19. TCU missed its last six shots over that span, while the Jayhawks were 0-for-4 in the final 4:45.</p>
<p>The Frogs tied the game at 48 with 10:13 left when Jakobe Coles made a tough leaner while being fouled, but missed the free throw that would have put them in the lead.</p>
<p>Mike Miles Jr. had 13 points for TCU, which has lost five of its last six games. The first four of those losses came when the guard was out with a hyperextended right knee. Coles added 12 points and Baugh had 11.</p>
<p>It was only the second game Miles and big man Eddie Lampkin played together for the Frogs since their 83-60 win at Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 21. That was the second-worst home loss for Kansas in Self&rsquo;s 20 seasons.</p>
<p>With both of them starting again, TCU beat Oklahoma State 100-75 at home Saturday to end a four-game losing streak while hitting the century mark in a Big 12 game for the first time. Lampkin, who missed four of six games after a high left ankle sprain in the first meeting against the Jayhawks, had two points and eight rebounds in the rematch.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s disappointing how we played and how we executed and how we handled the situation,&rdquo; TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. &ldquo;Obviously played good in our last game, excited about having our guys back. But we just didn&rsquo;t carry it over.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>BIG PICTURE</strong></p>
<p>Kansas: The Jayhawks reached 11 conference wins for the 29th consecutive season, a streak that began in 1994-95 and is the longest active in Division I. They have three regular-season games left, two at home before the finale at Texas.</p>
<p>TCU: After shooting a season-high 68.6% against Oklahoma State two days earlier, the Frogs were a season-low 30.3% (20 of 66) from the field against Kansas. They missed their first eight shots in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the game, then missed their last six shots before the break. TCU missed nine of it last 10.</p>
<p><strong>UP NEXT</strong></p>
<p>Kansas is home Saturday to play West Virginia.</p>
<p>TCU travels to Texas Tech on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

The Jayhawks extended the league’s longest active winning streak to five in a row.

No. 3 Kansas gets fifth win in a row, 63-58 over No. 24 TCU

<p>The biggest domino of the WNBA offseason has fallen.</p>
<p>Breanna Stewart &mdash; with a resume that includes two titles and Finals MVPs, an MVP, five All-WNBA selections (four-time First Team, one-time Second Team), four All-Defensive Team selections, four All-Star appearances and a Rookie of the Year award &mdash; plans to sign with the New York Liberty.</p>
<p>The source on that blockbuster news? Well, a video posted by Breanna Stewart.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="und">🗽 <a href="https://t.co/6Sg28YnCPz">pic.twitter.com/6Sg28YnCPz</a></p>
&mdash; Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) <a href="https://twitter.com/breannastewart/status/1620829634349928450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<p>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</p>
<p>It's hard to overstate how big of a shift this is for the league &mdash; and for the Liberty.</p>
<p>Stewart is, at the absolute worst, the second best player in the league right now. She led The W in scoring last season (21.8 points per game), while also grabbing 7.6 rebounds, dishing out 2.9 assists and racking up 2.5 stocks (1.6 steals, 0.9 blocks) a night.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Stewart is an offense onto herself, able to generate good shots for herself from anywhere, while also being a good enough passer to punish defenses for sending extra help. She can bend defenses as the ball-handler or screener in pick-and-rolls, feast on size mismatches on the block and fly off screens and let it rip from three. (It's worth mentioning she drained nearly 38% of her threes on career-high volume [5.2 attempts] last season.)</p>
<p>This is all while being one of the best defenders in the sport. Stewart had a legitimate case for Defensive Player of the Year last season. Her massive wingspan and instincts as a help defender allow her to toggle through multiple assignments&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;</em>clean up messes with ease. There's enough lateral quickness to defend 1-through-3, and enough length and strength to battle with 4s and some 5s.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Stewart's two-way prowess would make virtually any team an instant contender. That the Liberty are adding her two weeks after <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-trade-rumors-news-connecticut-sun-star-jonquel-jones-traded-to-the-new-york-liberty-sabrina-ionescu-dallas-wings-natasha-howard-kayla-thornton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trading for another MVP</a> in Jonquel Jones is patently absurd.</p>
<p>Games aren't played on paper, but there's only one frontcourt in The W that could conceivably match the collective talent that Stewart and Jones have &mdash; A'ja Wilson and Candace Parker, now (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-aces-are-signing-candace-parker-though-its-hard-to-be-excited-right-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and somewhat controversially</a>) in Las Vegas.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Stewart's ability to space, shoot or attack closeouts should vibe well with Jones' interior dominance. And Jones' ability to shoot from multiple platforms should unlock plenty of space for Stewart to work with.</p>
<p>Both of them can serve as how-do-you-guard-this screening partners for Sabrina Ionescu, who's fresh off the first All-WNBA (second team) and All-Star season of her young career. A big three of Stewart, Jones and Ionescu is unheard of and, at least among Eastern Conference teams, unrivaled.</p>
<p>If this team is able to stay healthy and gel, it's hard not to envision a deep playoff run for this group &mdash; this year, and for many years to come.</p>
<p>
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Nekias Duncan breaks down the news of Breanna Stewart joining Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu on the New York Liberty.

WNBA Free Agency: Breanna Stewart to sign with the New York Liberty

<p><strong>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash;</strong> Draymond Green dribbles the ball up court and takes charge of Golden State&rsquo;s backups, directing two-way teammate Anthony Lamb on the wing, dishing the ball to Donte DiVincenzo or finding Jonathan Kuminga down low.</p>
<p>The move Warriors coach Steve Kerr made with Green in November to boost the defending champions&rsquo; then-struggling second unit has worked out well, especially considering those players have been needed in a big way due to injuries over the past month.</p>
<p>Green, who continues to play significant time with the reserves, is regularly praised by coaches around the league for his willingness to sacrifice his starter minutes to help the overall balance, something other stars are also doing around the NBA.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the modeling part for those guys that&rsquo;s very helpful for them in their game,&rdquo; said Rockets coach Stephen Silas, who called Green &ldquo;one of the most cerebral players in our league who has a voice that those guys will listen to.&rdquo;</p>
<p>In Dallas, Luka Doncic is relied upon to play key stretches with each unit. With Nets star Kevin Durant sidelined by a knee injury, Kyrie Irving is also spending more of his minutes with the Brooklyn backups as coach Jacque Vaughn is forced to get more creative with his lineups.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Some nights we&rsquo;re going to put points on the board very easily, guys are feeling good,&rdquo; Irving said of adjusting without Durant, &ldquo;and some nights we&rsquo;re going to have to really rely on our poise, really rely on our defensive pressure, and let that lead us to wins.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Rick Carlisle recalls fondly how former Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki also used to play with the backups. And when Carlisle played, the now-Pacers coach always cherished the minutes Hall of Famer Bill Walton played with him and the Boston backups.</p>
<p>Hawks coach Nate McMillan took on that role at times, too. McMillan used to play key stretches with the youngsters &mdash; and the stars -- in Seattle, taking great pride in making the others shine, &ldquo;because that was the strength of my game.&rdquo; Gary Payton would move to the wing and McMillan might run the point on the floor with Hersey Hawkins, Sam Perkins and Detlef Schrempf.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I was the guy that would come in and really be that coach out on the floor,&rdquo; McMillan recalled. &ldquo;I was that guy who was initiating and making sure that we set up. Very similar to Draymond, I wasn&rsquo;t providing a lot of scoring but the defense was going to be there, moving the ball, getting the ball to those shooters, all of that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Those versatile players mean so much, to both the starters and the backups, for their ability to make everyone on the roster better. The Warriors are counting on the experience gained by the young players now making them a far better team come playoff time in April and May.</p>
<p>To this day, Carlisle treasures the time he spent on the court with Walton.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When I was a young player we traded for Bill Walton when I was in Boston and I was a hell of a lot better player when I was on the floor with Bill Walton,&rdquo; Carlisle said. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t very good but now when you&rsquo;ve got a chance to be on the floor with a Hall-of-Fame-type player like that who has major impact on defense and offense, it&rsquo;s going to change you.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Green gets that. He wants to be part of helping his teammates build a better NBA future by serving as an on-court guide. He has the championship pedigree.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s definitely very important and I think guys do appreciate it. Ultimately, you have to understand a guy&rsquo;s situation and how they fare in their minutes. How the team fares in their minutes can determine their future, so for me I take it very seriously, because how that group turns out is very important,&rdquo; Green said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;So I just view it from a different standpoint of life. I honestly view those minutes even more important than my starter minutes because those guys aren&rsquo;t just set in what their careers are going to be.&rdquo;</p>
<p>These rotations don&rsquo;t work everywhere. Depth is a key part of the success if you ask Hornets coach Steve Clifford &mdash; not to mention the ability to adapt on the fly over the course of a long season with all the ups and downs and tough travel days.</p>
<p>&ldquo;To have long playoff runs like that you&rsquo;ve got to be versatile and flexible in your lineups. I think also part of it has to do with what kind of team you have and what kind of depth you have,&rdquo; Clifford said. &ldquo;You have to have good players, like really good players off the bench, if you can play with only one starter. Usually it&rsquo;s more veteran that way, when you&rsquo;re playing a lot of younger guys usually you&rsquo;re going to have to have a couple starters out there when they&rsquo;re in the game.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Warriors assistant Jama Mahlalela credits Green for doing whatever is needed for the betterment of the team.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s not a chore for the 11th-year veteran Green.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The way I look at it is you can help impact someone&rsquo;s life,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and I take that seriously.&rdquo;</p>

Draymond Green continues to play significant time with the reserves and is regularly praised by coaches around the league.

Warriors’ Draymond Green, others sacrifice minutes to boost backups

<p>It would appear the Connecticut Sun aren't done making moves.</p>
<p>Not even 24 hours after reportedly agreeing to trade superstar Jonquel Jones to the New York Liberty as part of a three-team deal, the Sun have moved another franchise staple.</p>
<p>Jasmine Thomas, who has spent the last eight years of her 12-year career in Connecticut, is being traded to the Los Angeles Sparks, per Khristina Williams of Girls Talk Sports. In return, the Sun are getting a three-player package headlined by former UConn star Olivia Nelson-Ododa.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Sun will receive: <br /><br />Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Jasmine Walker, and the rights to Kianna Smith.<br /><br />The Sparks receive:<br /><br />Jasmine Thomas, and Connecticut&rsquo;s 2023 first round draft pick (No.10 overall). <a href="https://t.co/kYTq2IXUi1">https://t.co/kYTq2IXUi1</a></p>
&mdash; Khristina Williams (@Khristina) <a href="https://twitter.com/Khristina/status/1615016958734245896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
<p>
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<p>Thomas has long established herself as one of the best guard defenders in WNBA history, with five All-Defensive team selections under her belt to boot. She only appeared in five games last season, with her campaign being cut short by an ACL injury. In her last full season (2021), Thomas averaged 10.6 points, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals while converting 40% of her threes (3.1 attempts).</p>
<p>Even accounting for some slippage, Thomas should be a positive two-way contributor for the Sparks next season. With multiple guards set to hit the market this offseason -- Brittney Sykes, Jordin Canada and Lexie Brown are unrestricted free agents -- Thomas' acquisition also serves as a bit of a buffer if any of them leave for greener pastures.</p>
<p>Though it's a late first-round pick, snagging the No. 10 overall pick is no small thing for the Sparks. They didn't have a first this year, with their selection (No. 4 overall) currently residing with the Washington Mystics (from the Atlanta Dream) due to the <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/02/05/report-la-sparks-to-acquire-chennedy-carter-in-blockbuster-trade-with-atlanta-dream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chennedy Carter trade last offseason</a>.</p>
<p>For the Sun, this deal serves as another example of prioritizing younger (and versatile) talent. Honoring Jonquel Jones' trade request helped open the door to use the core designation on Brionna Jones, effectively ending her free-agency tour before it began.</p>
<p>In this deal, I'm enamored by the potential of Nelson-Ododa. Due to injury and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-liz-cambage-set-to-leave-the-los-angeles-sparks-chiney-ogwumike-olivia-nelson-ododa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a contract divorce</a>, the Sparks' frontcourt rotation was a bit of a revolving door last season. That opened up playing time for Nelson-Ododa, who showcased fun flashes on both ends of the floor.</p>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<p>Across her last seven games (six starts), she averaged 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists (though that undersells her high-post passing), 1.6 blocks and 0.7 steals in a shade over 25 minutes.</p>
<p>The Sparks used her as a connector offensively, letting her handle the ball on the perimeter to flow into handoffs or to pick out the occasional cutter. She showcased solid feel as a screener, often doing a good job of getting her ball-handler and herself open.</p>
<p>What's encouraging is the scoring. Nelson-Ododa was intentional about looking for her own offense as the year went on. That's seemingly continued in overseas play, where she's averaging 11.3 points (65.3% from the field) in the WNBL right now. Despite being slight, she looks more comfortable using her body to create openings for interior shots.</p>
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/bymreu" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<p>The defense mostly speaks for itself. The former Big East co-Defensive Player of the Year is long and rangy, allowing her to defend quicker forwards in space. Even if traditonal centers can move her off her spot, her length allows her to alter shots anyway. I'm already excited to watch her and Alyssa Thomas wreck worlds whenenver they share the floor.</p>
<p>(The spacing issues between those two might not be as pronounced as it sounds on paper. Thomas is a wicked post threat and aggressive sealer; Nelson-Ododa's passing can be utilized higher on the floor, generating enough room for both to exist in the half-court.)</p>
<p>Jasmine Walker hasn't quite found her footing in The W, but her ability to stretch the floor -- she drilled roughly 37% of her threes during her <a href="https://rolltide.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jasmine-walker/6426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four-year college career</a> -- and put the ball on the deck is worth monitoring. Kianna Smith appeared in 11 games for the Sparks last season, with heavier bench minutes coming during Carter's absence from the rotation.</p>

Nekias Duncan examines the four-player trade between the Los Angles Sparks and Connecticut Sun.

WNBA trade: Sparks acquire former All-Star Jasmine Thomas from Sun

<p>Brittney Griner&rsquo;s loved ones and extended basketball family were ecstatic when news broke Thursday about her release from a Russian prison and that she was on her way back to the United States.</p>
<p>It has been nearly 300 days since the WNBA star was arrested at Moscow&rsquo;s Sheremetyevo Airport in February, when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison in August. Now four months later, she&rsquo;s headed home after the U.S. and Russia had a high-level prisoner exchange Thursday. The exchange did not include the return of another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Today, my family is whole but as you all are aware, there are so many other families who are not whole,&rdquo; said Brittney&rsquo;s wife, Cherelle Griner, at a White House briefing. &ldquo;BG and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul, whose family is in our hearts today as we celebrate BG being home.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Griner, who turned 32 in October, was going back to Russia in February to play for her overseas team, UMKC Ekaterinburg. She went to Russia to supplement her WNBA salary, earning over $1 million to play in Russia.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;There has not been a day over the past 10 months where we all haven&rsquo;t had Brittney Griner on our minds and in our hearts, and that has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief knowing that she will soon be reunited with her family, the WNBA player community, and her friends,&rdquo; said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who admitted to being very emotional when she heard the news this morning. &ldquo;BG has shown extraordinary courage and dignity in the face of enormous adversity.&rdquo;</p>
<p>While it&rsquo;s unclear right now if Griner wants to ever play basketball again, she would be welcomed back with open arms by both the WNBA and USA Basketball. The WNBA season begins May 19. Engelbert said she&rsquo;d give Griner and her family some space and time before any discussion about her return to the league.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long, horrible ordeal and we really look forward to her return and hearing her voice,&rdquo; Engelbert said.</p>
<p>South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has been a prominent advocate for Griner&rsquo;s return. Staley, who coached Griner on the 2020 Olympic team, feels that playing again could be helpful to the dominant center.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a place in which we can block out everything else, join arms with our teammates. Listen to the incredible crowds that support our game. There&rsquo;s so much love that the basketball community has for Brittney that they want to show her,&rdquo; Staley said. &ldquo;We want her back in her happy place. So I hope that Brittney laces them up. But if she does not, I truly would understand why. We&rsquo;re still going to support it. We&rsquo;re still going to lift her up.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Staley said she broke down with tears of joy when she heard the news Thursday morning. Like Staley, WNBA players have done their best to keep Griner&rsquo;s name in the national spotlight over the last eight months by talking about her in interviews and posting about her on social media.</p>
<p>On Thursday, they flooded social media with their joy.</p>
<p>&ldquo;My heart is really singing with joy right now. Our sister is finally free,&rdquo; WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike said. &ldquo;This is a monumental moment for everyone who has shown compassion for our WNBA sister over the last 294 days since BG was wrongfully detained.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Griner is under contract with the Phoenix Mercury, who were allowed by the league to pay her full salary of nearly $228,000 last season without it counting against their salary cap.</p>
<p>The team was thrilled that their eight-time All-Star was coming home.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Miraculously, mercifully, the count of days detained has ended at 294, and our friend, our sister is headed back home where she belongs,&rdquo; the Mercury said in a statement. &ldquo;The emotions for our organization, just like for our fans and so many across the world, are those of joyous celebration, deep gratitude, grief for the time lost, and sincere hope for all families still awaiting the return of a loved one. BG&rsquo;s strength in this process, her unwavering belief that resolution would come, and the hope she displayed every day is what kept all of us believing this day would come.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Griner&rsquo;s agent, Lindsay Colas, pledged that &ldquo;BG and our coalition of activist athletes&rdquo; will be lending their voices to help free other Americans detained abroad, including Whelan.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Throughout this ordeal, BG has carried herself with courage, grace and grit; and President Biden made us a promise, and then kept his word and did what was necessary to bring her home,&rdquo; Colas said in a statement. &ldquo;We are forever grateful for his follow-through on that commitment.&rdquo;</p>

Brittney Griner’s loved ones and basketball family were ecstatic when they learned she was released and on her way back home.

Brittney Griner’s release celebrated by basketball world

<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; The Connecticut Sun made no secret about wanting revenge against Chicago in the teams&rsquo; WNBA Playoffs semifinal series, especially after the Sky sent them packing from the semifinals in 2021 while on the way to the title.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;We come up here every year and Chicago kicks our (butt),&rdquo; Sun forward DeWanna Bonner said of the Sky, who swept all four regular-season meetings.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Jonquel Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds and the Sun overcame an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, beating the Sky 72-63 on Thursday night in the decisive fifth game. The Sun scored the final 18 points to overcome a 63-54 deficit with 4:46 remaining.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">All the Sun starters scored in double figures and Connecticut advanced to the Finals for the third time overall and first time since 2019.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Connecticut will face the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces for the WNBA title. The first game of the series is Sunday in Las Vegas.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;There will be a new champion in this league,&rdquo; Sun coach Curt Miller said. &ldquo;There will be a first-time franchise champion. There will be a new coach, once again, that will be a first-time champion.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Chicago was attempting to become the first team to repeat as WNBA champions since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Jones scored inside to put the Sun ahead with two minutes left, hitting an ensuing free throw for a three-point lead. A pull-up jumper by Courtney Williams with 47.5 seconds remaining gave the Sun a five-point cushion, and DeWanna Bonner knocked down four free throws to put the game out of reach.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Connecticut outscored Chicago 25-5 in the fourth quarter, recovering from a disastrous third period in which it scored eight points and turned the ball over seven times.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;When adversity hits, sometimes we fold,&rdquo; Natisha Hiedeman said. &ldquo;Not no more, we&rsquo;re not folding no more. As you all saw (after) the third quarter, we picked up right back up once again. Now we&rsquo;re going to the championship. Job not done yet.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Kahleah Copper led the Sky with 22 points on 8-for-19 shooting, including 3 of 5 from long distance, and added four steals.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Bonner chipped in with 15 points, Hiedeman added 14 and Williams and Alyssa Thomas each added 12 for Connecticut.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Emma Meesseman, who finished with 14 points on 6-for-14 shooting and six rebounds, gave the Sky an 11-point lead with 7:20 to play.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Chicago coach James Wade called the late collapse &ldquo;one of the biggest disappointments&rdquo; of his professional career.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t had a quarter like that, and to end the season off it, (that) didn&rsquo;t display what we&rsquo;ve actually done,&rdquo; Wade said. &ldquo;I just wish I could&rsquo;ve got them a bucket and I just couldn&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s just a tough feeling.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">In the opening half, the Sun continued the torrid shooting they had in Game 4, when they made 56.9% of their shots. But that slowed in the third quarter, as the Sky defense tightened.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Candace Parker buried a 3-pointer and Copper followed with three-point play to give Chicago a 10-point lead entering the fourth. But Chicago&rsquo;s shooting went cold and the Sky missed their last eight shots.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;Of course it was not intentional, but maybe we stopped attacking,&rdquo; Courtney Vandersloot said. &ldquo;(Maybe) we were scared to lose, rather than trying to win. But I feel like we got good looks, we just didn&rsquo;t knock them down.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Parker finished with seven points and nine rebounds.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167"><strong>DOUBTERS BEWARE</strong></p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Miller called the Sun&rsquo;s fourth quarter performance &ldquo;historic,&rdquo; but he is well aware his team will once again be considered underdogs in the final against Vegas.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;Not many people will pick us against Vegas either, and that&rsquo;s OK,&rdquo; Miller said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to prepare and try to make it a Connecticut Sun style of game.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">To do so, he&rsquo;ll rely on more stellar post play from Jones, Thomas and Brionna Jones.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;(Parker) is an incredible, all-time great in this league,&rdquo; Miller said. &ldquo;But I hope that someone writes (about how) the combination of JJ, AT and Bri Jones have knocked her out three of the last four years. I hope that post group gets credit for what they do, night in and night for us.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167"><strong>PARKER&rsquo;S DECISION</strong></p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Parker once again finds herself with a difficult decision about retirement after the 36-year-old decided to hunt back-to-back titles this year with Chicago.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to go back and reevaluate whether I&rsquo;m able to continue to play at the level that I hold myself to,&rdquo; Parker said. &ldquo;And I think that&rsquo;s the biggest thing, I don&rsquo;t ever want to cheat the game. I won&rsquo;t cheat the game.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Just as in 2021, Parker will take her time weighing her options during the offseason.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;So when I&rsquo;m not able to go out and play and be the Candace that I want to be, I won&rsquo;t play,&rdquo; Parker said. &ldquo;And I think that comes in the offseason.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167"><strong>WINDOW CLOSED?</strong></p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Parker, Vandersloot and Quigley all indicated they would make decisions about their basketball futures during the offseason.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">All three of their contracts are set to expire. The same goes for Belgian forward Meesseman, who joined the Sky on a one-year deal in February.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;Every single day, we are all committed, 100% invested into winning a championship and making history,&rdquo; Vandersloot said. &ldquo;We fell short, but it wasn&rsquo;t for lack of effort. It wasn&rsquo;t for lack of commitment.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Quigley reflected on her tenure with the Sky and expressed gratitude for how she and Vandersloot, now married, came to meet in Chicago.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">&ldquo;I never imagined it ending up like this or having the career I had,&rdquo; Quigley said. &ldquo;Especially being able to do it in Chicago with my family, meet my wife, it&rsquo;s unbelievable. I couldn&rsquo;t ask for anything better.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167"><strong>TIP-INS</strong></p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Connecticut&rsquo;s 18-0 scoring run to end the game is the longest scoring run any WNBA team has mounted to finish a playoff game. ... Chicago averaged over 40 points in the paint throughout the season, but scored just 24 on Thursday. ... Parker added nine more boards to extend her all-time WNBA playoff record to 609 rebounds. She surpassed Tamika Catchings (598) on Tuesday.</p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167"><strong>UP NEXT</strong></p>
<p class="Component-root-0-2-177 Component-p-0-2-167">Chicago will face the top-seeded Aces in Las Vegas in the opener of the WNBA Finals on Sunday afternoon.</p>

Connecticut will face the top-seeded Las Vegas for the WNBA title. The first game of the series is Sunday in Las Vegas.

Sun rally in 4th, beat Sky 72-63 to advance to WNBA Finals

<p>The Las Vegas Aces just can't stop winning.</p>
<p>They finished the regular season with the best record in the WNBA (26-10). They snatched the Commisioner's Cup, an in-season tournament the league introduced during the 2021 season, in convincing fashion this year. Their playoff run has been a successful one thus far, with a two-game sweep over (what's left of) the Phoenix Mercury and a thrilling 3-1 series win over Breanna Stewart's Seattle Storm.</p>
<p>Then, there are the awards.</p>
<p>Kelsey Plum, who's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wnba-playoffs-screen-time-kelsey-plum-las-vegas-aces-becky-hammon-aja-wilson-seattle-storm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">done a little bit of everything</a>, won All-Star Game MVP with a record-tying 30-point performance. Chelsea Gray, in the midst of one of the most ridiculous shot-making runs in <em>basketball </em>history, was named MVP of the Commisioner's Cup championship game. WNBA legend and first-time head coach Becky Hammon was awarded Coach of the Year earlier this month. Two-way forward Jackie Young, who <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1567559975261569030?s=20&amp;t=AhANKxl5GkIxjfNNRuqrkw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">came up huge</a> during the Aces' series-clinching 97-92 win on Tuesday night, won the Most Improved Player award.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Future Hall-of-Famer A'ja Wilson won her first Defensive Player of the Year award &mdash; she'd probably have my vote for Most Valuable Defender if the award existed &mdash; and was named to the All-Defensive First team (her second All-Defensive selection of her career).&nbsp;</p>
<p>And now, you can add another MVP to Wilson's trophy case.</p>
<p>Wilson &mdash; with per-game averages of 19.5 points (fifth), 9.4 rebounds (second), 1.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks (first) &mdash; received 31 first-place and 24 second-place votes for the award. She edged out Breanna Stewart and teammate Kelsey Plum to round out the top-three.</p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/image-4.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>With her second MVP award (first in 2020), she becomes the seventh player in WNBA history to win multiple MVPs. Look at the legends she finds herself in the room with now:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets (1997, 1998)</li>
<li>Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets (2000, 2002, 2005)</li>
<li>Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks (2001, 2004, 2006)</li>
<li>Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm (2003, 2007, 2010)</li>
<li>Candace Parker, Las Angeles Sparks (2008, 2013)</li>
<li>Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky/Washington Mystics (2015, 2019)</li>
</ul>
<p>It doesn't stop there. Wilson joins Jackson (2007), Leslie (2004), Swoopes (2000, 2002), and Yolanda Griffith (1999) as the only players to win MVP and DPOY in the same season. Suppose the Aces are able to finish the job against the Chicago Sky or Connecticut Sun in the Finals (we'll have the matchup late on Thursday night) &mdash; Wilson could join Swoopes (2000) as the only players to win MVP, DPOY and a championship (and possibly Finals MVP) in the same season.</p>
<p>Naturally, Wilson was the engine that made the Aces go on both ends of the floor. While it's easy to point to the Aces finally embracing modern basketball offensively &mdash; and Wilson played a role in that, shooting 37% from three on moderate volume &mdash; their spread, read-based offense wouldn't work without Wilson as a presure point.</p>
<p>Wilson's work as a roller and popper in ball-screens helped unlock Gray, Young and Plum. Her ability to self-create in the mid-post or lower put defenses in a bind. She could overpower smaller frontcourt players, or blow past larger ones. Defenses either had to let Wilson cook 1-on-1, or send help and open up opportunities for her teammates to attack tilted defenses in the process.</p>
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/o73xkc" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<p>The Aces posted a 109.6 Offensive Rating <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=OFF_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during the regular season</a>, the best mark in the league and second highest clip in WNBA history (112.9 by the 2019 Mystics). They were even more prolific when Wilson was on the floor, with their scoring efficiency <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/wnba?TeamId=1611661319&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1628932&amp;OnlyCommonGames=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rising to 114.3</a>.</p>
<p>They were more diverse offensively, but their versatility really stood out defensively. They were comfortable playing at the level of ball screens, or outright trapping them. Zone was sprinkled in. Switching was something they went to often during the second half of the season. Drop coverage was utilized, but higher up to take away obvious pull-up pockets for opposing guards.</p>
<p>That versatility wouldn't have been possible without Wilson holding things down at the 5. With the departure of Liz Cambage, Wilson slid down a position and didn't see a meaningful hit in field goal percentage allowed at the rim (64% <a href="https://www.positiveresidual.com/shiny/wnba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last season</a>, 63% <a href="https://www.positiveresidual.com/shiny/wnba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this season</a>) or defensive rebound rate (75.8% <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DREB_PCT&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2021&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last season</a>, 74.5% <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DREB_PCT&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this season</a>). The box score stats &mdash; 7.6 defensive rebounds (second) and a league-leading 1.9 blocks per game &mdash; tell a bit of the story, but Wilson unlocked so much more than her basic stats would indicate.</p>
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<p>It's fitting that Wilson receives this award now. Though MVP is a regular season award, Wilson is on one heck of a postseason run. After a subpar Game 1 against the Storm, Wilson averaged 30.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 2.3 blocks in three straight victories to punch a ticket to the Finals. Oh, and Wilson played roughly 123 (122:44 for the nerds) of a possible 125 minutes during that stretch.</p>
<p>What. A. Baller.&nbsp;</p>

Nekias Duncan breaks down A'ja Wilson's MVP season with the Las Vegas Aces.

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson adds second WNBA MVP to her collection

<p>Sue Bird just knows how to win. That&rsquo;s what she does. It&rsquo;s what she has always done. Few in sports can rival the success the point guard has had in women&rsquo;s basketball. Bill Russell and Serena Williams come to mind.</p>
<p>Still, despite decades of success the G-O-A-T narrative is relatively new.</p>
<p>The Greatest Of All Time chatter seemed to pick up traction about the time the 5-foot-8 unselfish floor general stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight a few years ago.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Sue to me in some ways is an example, or is an illustration of how the league has grown. she came in when it was just a few years old and there was no social media then and Sue was a much more private person then,&rdquo; Storm owner Ginny Gilder said. &ldquo;Sue really has found her voice in the last five or six years, and the league has found its voice.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Bird&rsquo;s career came to an end Tuesday night with the Seattle Storm&rsquo;s 97-92 home loss to Las Vegas in Game 4 of the semifinal series. The 41-year-old Bird had eight points and eight assists.</p>
<p>Bird has been more outspoken off the court on various issues, including social justice, LGBTQ issues and women&rsquo;s rights over the last few years since she started dating her fiancee, soccer great Megan Rapinoe.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I felt like I was open. Everyone in my life knew. I just hadn&rsquo;t had this conversation with a reporter,&rdquo; Bird told The Associated Press in 2018 about her sexuality. &ldquo;I understand now by saying it publicly you can have an impact. That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re talking about right now.&rdquo;</p>
<p>People have a history of listening to what champions have to say &mdash; Russell won 11 NBA titles and Williams has 23 grand slam tennis titles &mdash; particularly when they win the right way.</p>
<p>Bird captured two college national titles at UConn, four WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm and five Olympic gold medals with the U.S. That doesn&rsquo;t include the countless titles she won while playing overseas in the Russian league during WNBA offseasons or the five FIBA World Cup championships she won.</p>
<p>One of the most beloved players in women&rsquo;s basketball, the guard with the nerdy sense of humor doesn&rsquo;t have the public swagger of her friend and fellow basketball superstar Diana Taurasi.</p>
<p>Bird also doesn&rsquo;t have an MVP trophy, though her value has never been questioned. Her greatness comes from putting teammates in position to do great things. The Storm saw it and they drafted her No. 1 in 2002, and she has spent her entire WNBA career in Seattle.</p>
<p>Bird is part a rare club; a group of professional basketball players to play 20-plus years with the same organization, including Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The bond she has with Seattle, that is a very special thing,&rdquo; said Dan Hughes, who coached Bird for a couple of seasons as well as on the Olympic team in 2021. &ldquo;In a major league city that has football, had basketball, has baseball has all those kind of sports. has a university close, there&rsquo;s nothing quite like what she&rsquo;s created.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In that community, there are people that all have their Sue Bird story. People identify with her in Seattle and that doesn&rsquo;t happen very often. When it does it&rsquo;s pretty special.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Like other aging champions in Serena, who indicated she is done with competitive tennis, and Allyson Felix, the track star who also retired this year, Bird didn&rsquo;t let her career end without putting up a fight.</p>
<p>She hit a 3-pointer in Game 3 that gave Seattle the lead with 0.8 seconds left only to see Las Vegas hit a shot at the buzzer to send the game to overtime where the Aces pulled away for the win.</p>
<p>Bird had a rough finale to her career scoring just eight points on 3 of 8 shooting.</p>
<p>The loss ended a ride she has shared with Taurasi, also a UConn alum.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Looking back on it, it&rsquo;s been incredible to be in a job with your best friend for 20 years,&rdquo; Taurasi said. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t get to do that, most people don&rsquo;t get to do that in any job, let alone basketball. So, it&rsquo;s been an incredible journey.&rdquo;</p>
<p>One that has made Bird &mdash; the WNBA&rsquo;s career assists leader &mdash; one of the most popular and respected players to ever play in the league.</p>
<p>After Bird announced this would be her final season, fans flocked to watch her play one last time. Storm road games routinely drew the largest crowds of the season for the host team, including 14,162 who came to see Bird&rsquo;s final game in Phoenix against Taurasi.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s an admiration that carries over to her peers.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When you play with her and are in her presence as a teammate, you have an appreciation of so much for what she brings,&rdquo; said Jen Rizzotti, who coached her on the 2021 Olympic team. &ldquo;She is so well respected, the players in the league talk so highly about her and look up to her.</p>
<p>And of course, the way Bird carries herself would make any parent proud.</p>
<p>&ldquo;To see what she&rsquo;s accomplished, I can&rsquo;t say enough about her,&rdquo; said Bird&rsquo;s mother, Nancy. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing, she&rsquo;s always loved the sport.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Bird has managed to literally share her love of the game with others.</p>
<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo; treated people the right way and led the right way,&rdquo; Rizzotti said. Bird &ldquo;has been so unselfish in a way that made other players look really good, it&rsquo;s hard for anyone to dislike her.&rdquo;</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP Sports Writer Tim Booth contributed to this report.</p>

Sue Bird’s career came to an end Tuesday night with Seattle’s 97-92 home loss to Las Vegas in Game 4 of the semifinal series.

Appreciation: Sue Bird gives basketball lasting assist

<p>"We need a three!"</p>
<p>As head coach Becky Hammon calls out instructions for her players during a timeout, the desire for a three-pointer is repeated. The Las Vegas Aces, who have controlled things for most of the afternoon, find themselves down 89-85 with 11.3 seconds left in the game.&nbsp;</p>
<p>It would be easy to get lost in the "how" of the current situation. How a 15-point lead through the second quarter was suddenly a deficit in third. How Breanna Stewart, cold for most of the game, had hit three bleep-you shots in the past minute in a half to give the Seattle Storm a late-game edge.</p>
<p>There was no time for those thoughts though. The Aces needed a three, which means they needed to rely on Kelsey Plum.</p>
<p>Well, sort of.&nbsp;</p>
<p>You'd think the play was being called for Plum. She's one of the best shooters in the world, fresh off a season where she led the WNBA in three-pointers made (3.1 on average, 113 total) and doubled as one of five players to convert at least 40% of their threes while taking 5 or more attempts per game.</p>
<p>Hammon had different plans.</p>
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<p>Instead of using her shooting ability, Hammon leveraged Plum's gravity and toughness to help pry open Riquna Williams &mdash; an unabashed gunner off the bench who'd made several big shots in the quarter.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"You're screening for A'ja [Wilson]," Hammon tells Plum before the players break the huddle.</p>
<p>"Jackie [Young] is ripping through. KP screens [for] A'ja; A'ja, come around and screen for Bay (Riquna Williams)."</p>
<p>Sure enough, the Aces execute the play perfectly.</p>
<p>Young cuts through the middle of the floor and relocates to the right corner. Plum sets a solid screen on Ezi Magbegor. Stephanie Talbot, Plum's defender, is caught in a bind. She doesn't want to switch onto Wilson for obvious size and skill reasons, leaving a gap. Thanks to the Wilson screen on Sue Bird, Williams is able to run into that gap and fire up an uncontested three-pointer.</p>
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<p>From that point on, madness ensued.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Tina Charles missed a pair of free throws. Wilson gave the Aces a lead with a tough drive, though it's hard to look past the missed travel call. Bird nearly rendered the discussion moot by draining a go-ahead three with 0.8 seconds remaining. The Aces countered by drawing up a play for Young, who converted a layup over the outstretched &mdash; well, the <em>not-stretched</em> &mdash; arms of Magbegor to send the game into overtime.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Aces would outscore the Storm by 12 in the overtime period to snag a 2-1 series lead.</p>
<p>If I can re-center the conversation on Plum, it's worth putting more spotlight on her. She's fallen by the wayside in a sense, though it's somewhat understandable due to the historic performances that Wilson and Gray are in the midst of.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Plum hasn't been at her regular season level; her per-game and efficiency numbers are slightly down. It's important to note that it hasn't shifted the way she's been defended. She's carefully watched off the ball, and occasionally trapped when she has it.</p>
<p>Despite her shot not falling at an elite clip right now, she's remained impactful because of her gravity. And as the play above showed, she hasn't been afraid to get her hands dirty when necessary.</p>
<p>The fun part? The rugged screening we saw from Plum in this game isn't a new development. It's been an under-the-radar staple of the Aces' half-court offense. I don't think it's hyperbole to call Plum one of The W's best screeners, regardless of position.</p>
<p>It would appear that Plum agrees.</p>
<p>"I feel like you see me," Plum told Basketball News with a laugh when asked about her screening after practice on Saturday.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ask basketball questions and good things usually follow lol <a href="https://t.co/sUwQxFn3he">https://t.co/sUwQxFn3he</a> <a href="https://t.co/CotaVrj90J">pic.twitter.com/CotaVrj90J</a></p>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1566176708528570368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>When asked if there was a coach that pushed her to grow as a screener, she pinpointed former Aces head coach &mdash; and Detroit Pistons Bad Boy &mdash; Bill Laimbeer as an influence.</p>
<p>"Honestly, I learned that from Bill," Plum said. "We did a lot of block-to-block screens, so I was setting more Flex screens. Becky has me setting more back screens and cross screens."&nbsp;</p>
<p>We'll take a brief pause here to showcase some examples. Plum has done a tremendous job of prying her teammates open, from a variety of angles.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Plum doesn't go half-speed when she's asked to screen someone open. She relishes the contact, and manages to toe that line without committing fouls that often.</p>
<p>"I definitely try to stick 'em," Plum says.</p>
<p>"I know, especially with Seattle, they're gonna stay on me. If I can give A'ja just a second, I really try to [make contact]. My family played football, so I feel like I have a little of that in me."</p>
<p>Plum likened herself to a linebacker trying to thump a ball carrier; I may lean more towards a fullback with the duality of lead blocking or slipping out and becoming a threat herself.</p>
<p>The Aces now find themselves in the red zone, if we want to carry the cross-sport comparison forward. With a 2-1 lead heading into Tuesday night's Game 4, they now have a pair of shots to punch their ticket to the WNBA Finals.</p>
<p>Following their overtime thriller, the momentum is certainly on the Aces' side right now.</p>

Nekias Duncan breaks down the impact Aces guard Kelsey Plum is having beyond her scoring.

Screen time: Highlighting Kelsey Plum's not-so-hidden talent

<p>Over Alex Caruso's six seasons as a professional basketball player, he has navigated through a shifting landscape of teams, roles and expectations.</p>
<p>His career began as an undrafted rookie with the Oklahoma City Blue. Then, he burst into the Hollywood spotlight with the Los Angeles Lakers and played a significant role while winning his first NBA championship. And after earning a lucrative contract from the Chicago Bulls, Caruso has now taken on the responsibility of major minutes on a retooled playoff contender in the Windy City.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Injuries, plus the physical and mental toll of playing in the league, can jostle a player out of a rhythm. When Caruso needs to recalibrate, he often hones in on a different type of shot.</p>
<p>"Golf is the great analogy for anything in life to be honest," Caruso told Basketball News. "[Because of] how much stress there is on that and how much mental fortitude you have to have &mdash; patience, [and] the ability to take in a bunch of information and create or formulate a game plan and try and act on it. But the thing for golf, for me, is just really to get away. It's kind of one of my only hobbies."</p>
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<p>Caruso's second sport is well-documented. He's&nbsp;<a href="https://uproxx.com/dimemag/alex-caruso-bulls-interview-fashion-style-golf/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played with his father at Pebble Beach</a>, and he competed in the American Century Championship this summer. Caruso says that, like developing a swing in golf, basketball is all about muscle memory and disciplined repetition. When your shot is off &mdash; just like in golf &mdash; sometimes you just have to lean on what works for you.</p>
<p>"Something that I realized, through golf swings sometimes, is if I'm poking the ball or I'm slicing it too much, getting back to the basics and just having more of a feel sometimes [works]. I apply that to my basketball games," Caruso said. "If I feel like I'm forcing something too much or things aren't going my way, I just try to get back to the basics [and] get back to what feels right. My natural abilities got me to a really good spot in life and with this game, so that's something I always kind of fall back on."</p>
<p>Like with his golf game, Caruso believes the Bulls have to rediscover what "feels right."</p>
<p>Chicago is running back a largely similar roster from their first season of an overhaul in 2021-22. Given their late-year fade, sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and quiet first-round exit from the playoffs, the Bulls may appear to be sitting on their hands on the surface. However, Caruso emphasized that when Chicago was healthy and locked in, as they were in the first stages of last season, the roster had palpable success.</p>
<p>The Bulls were on top of the East standings for 47 days, second only to the Miami Heat, and held the first seed as late as Feb. 25. They had the NBA's 10th-ranked defense through the end of the 2021 calendar year; that fell to 22nd by the end of the regular season. To Caruso, a return to the top means reemphasizing the details of what had the Bulls clicking last winter.</p>
<p>"Obviously, we had a little bit of bad luck with injuries last year. That doesn't help," Caruso said. "I think in the beginning of the year, we were first in the East, we had a great Defensive Rating [and the] offense was doing everything they needed to do as far as moving the ball, creating open shots. And then, through a little bit of adversity in the year, we dropped a little bit of discipline in certain areas of the game.</p>
<p>"I think that's something that, if you're trying to win &mdash; and win in the postseason &mdash; those are things that you got to be consistent at."</p>
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<p>Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. are back, Patrick Williams has a full summer after an injury-riddled second season, and Andre Drummond is joining the fold to back up Nikola Vucevic. Caruso says those guys all make a defensive difference, and even leading scorers DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine represent an athletic presence. But when everyone's healthy, the first line of defense comes from two ex-Laker teammates in Caruso and Lonzo Ball.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Caruso averaged a career-high 1.7 steals per game in his first year as a Bull. Had he played enough games, he likely would have warranted All-Defensive consideration. He deflected the ball 3.4 times per game in 2021-22, tied for fourth-most among all NBA players. Chicago was 8.5 points stingier per 100 defensive possessions with Caruso on the floor too &mdash; a differential in the 96th percentile of all players, per Cleaning the Glass.</p>
<p>The now-veteran guard has this remarkable, innate ability to visualize a tree of outcomes on any defensive possession. He describes his defense like he's accounting for a multiverse, then whittling down the possibilities until he reaches the branch he wants. The <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/bulls-alex-caruso-details-how-defense-fuels-his-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pacing of the shot clock</a>, the rhythm of an opponent's dribble and the locations of his teammates (as he alluded to in the below video) all help Caruso wade through uncertainty.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe title="Alex Caruso Breaks Down How to Guard The NBA&rsquo;s Best Scorers" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RyA_wTOzza4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>"[In the] professional game, the more information you can have and understand before a play takes place, the better chance you have of a successful stop, or offensive possession, whatever it is," Caruso explained. "The court is so big and the three-point line's so far away. And, nowadays, everybody's playing pace-and-space offense where they're trying to spread everybody out and take advantage of 1-on-1 matchups.</p>
<p>"For me, it's just about creating advantages for myself. These guys are already so good; if I try to play them 1-on-1, just head-up, I could play the best defense of my life and they still might score. So for me, it's just trying to create advantages as much as I can. The best advantage you have on defense is your teammates, so I try to use them as much as possible, whether they're even aware of it or not."</p>
<p>Pesky screen navigation had become a tool for defenses to gunk up today's pick-and-roll-happy attacks. Caruso excels as a screen irritant, using patience and precision to read a ball-handler's choices. He revels in the finer points of defending screens and, after six seasons as a pro, has built up an encyclopedia of tricks and tendencies.</p>
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<p>"[It takes] a little bit of anticipation [and] being able to control the ball-handler," Caruso said. "If he has a chance to reject you, and you try to get skinny and get over the top of the screen, then it's just going to increase that 2-on-1 advantage that they're trying to get with the pick-and-roll. It's just about anticipating, but then, trying to be like a defensive back in the NFL. I'm trying to mirror what they're doing. I'm not trying to necessarily beat them to the spot. I just want to make sure that I'm in their hip pocket, moving as they're moving.</p>
<p>"Then, once we get to the point of the screen, I just connect to their body &mdash; hip-to-hip, chest-to-chest &mdash; and just try to get skinny and get through the screen. So, it comes with a lot of practice too. For years, I've been fighting over ball-screens trying to get better at it, and it's been useful for me."</p>
<p>Of course, the second challenge is literally getting through that screen, set by some of the league's most imposing physical obstacles. Caruso quickly lists Steven Adams and Jonas Valanciunas, two notorious bruisers, among the league's toughest screen-setters.</p>
<p>His third choice &mdash; after some thought &mdash; is Draymond Green.</p>
<p>"Just because he sets illegal screens and they let him get away with it," said a smirking Caruso, who concedes that he, too, tries to push referees' tolerance.</p>
<p>"On defense, I probably foul a little more than I should, but the refs can't call a foul every single time," Caruso added. "So it's like &mdash; Draymond's gonna get Steph [Curry] open eventually. He's gonna run into you and the refs aren't going to call it. So just his ability to be physical and get guys open is pretty good."</p>
<p>Caruso reunited with Ball last season, and the two immediately clicked. Ball was similarly effective when healthy and placed just behind Caruso with 3.2 deflections per game. In the 460 minutes the duo played together, it outscored opponents by 9.5 points per 100 possessions.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Ball is currently recovering from a torn meniscus and his return date <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bulls-optimistic-on-lonzo-balls-injured-knee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is still up in the air.</a>&nbsp;But Caruso can't wait to have him back on the floor, saying that they "see a lot of the same stuff on the court." After two years apart, Caruso believes Ball has rediscovered his own strengths and seems more comfortable as a pro.</p>
<p>"I think he started playing his game a little more, and I think he might have tried to fit into a role a little bit in L.A . &mdash; and you kind of have to when you have superstar players around you for that last year like he did," Caruso said. "I think he got the chance in New Orleans to play his game the same way he's played from high school, to college, to get into the pros.</p>
<p>"There's a reason he was the No. 2 overall pick and got to where he was. He's an elite player at the stuff that he does, and I think he's doing things that he does best. He's able to do those with us and the Bulls. I'm excited for him to come back and have a good year."</p>
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<p>While Caruso and Ball battled injuries, Ayo Dosunmu stepped into the fray as a rookie second-round pick and flashed defensive promise. The Bulls hope to further bolster the backcourt stoppage with Dalen Terry, their No. 18 overall selection from this year's draft. Caruso recognizes that learning defense in a trial-by-fire environment can be challenging, and he was impressed with how Dosunmu handled the burden.</p>
<p>"Ayo was, basically all last year, just playing off the feel," Caruso said of his young teammate. "Your first year in the league, you don't understand concepts really. You don't understand coverages. You're seeing guys play, and you're playing against guys for the first time. You're seeing their best moves for the first time; they're probably going to beat you most of the time. So for him to be able to compete the way he did last year on defense is a great sign for a guy in his first year."</p>
<p>That's the lesson Caruso is learning, and teaching, as he grapples with the pro lifestyle. There's no textbook answer to playing defense in the NBA, winning at the highest level or even maintaining a consistent golf game. Sometimes it all comes down to building a knowledge base and feeling out the right path.</p>
<p>Learning what "feels right" can also be an experimental process. Caruso's mastery of the on-court intricacies has already set him apart as a defender. Those nitty-gritty details are also helping him learn how to evolve his nutrition habits and stay best attuned to the wear-and-tear of the NBA schedule.</p>
<p>Caruso is currently teaming up with ZENB, a plant-based food brand centered in Chicago, and is competing in a cooking competition against former LA Sparks guard Te'a Cooper. The pair will make four dishes out of plant-based alternative foods, and Caruso has been taking careful notes from chef Monti Carlo.</p>
<p>"It's just a fun experience to learn from Chef Monti, who's been in cooking shows herself and has experience, and to just learn some, tricks and trades and figure out some stuff to help myself to be a better cook in the future," Caruso said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The 28-year-old averaged 28.0 minutes per game last season, by far a career-high. Caruso's hard-nosed aggression is a signature strength; he's also in the thick of action that can (and did) result in injuries. In 2021-22, he fractured his wrist and missed six weeks, and also missed games due to a foot sprain, concussion and minor hamstring and back issues.</p>
<p>Caruso says he currently feels fine physically, and has gotten in some productive workouts this offseason. But his minute uptick has also forced him to reflect on his habits &mdash; be it an increased focus on recovery with massages, cold tubs and lift sessions or altering his diet. Caruso has looked at shifting toward more plant-based foods with inspiration from ZENB. He's also staying regimented with his four meals per day, and, over time, has learned to carefully monitor his hydration.</p>
<p>"Hydration, I think, is one of the things that I overlooked a lot as a young professional," Caruso said. "It's something now that I've realized, when I get the right sugars and salts back into my body through sports drinks [and] electrolyte packets, as well as water, I just have better sleep, [and] I have better workouts the next day... I'm already a slim guy as it is, so for me to be able to maintain weight through an 82-game-plus season, it's something that I've really tried to hone in on and perfect for myself."</p>
<p>In the grand scheme of the NBA, these minute details might seem insignificant. But they've helped Caruso blossom from an undrafted rookie into a defensive fulcrum, and they'll help him and Chicago reach the next tier of contention.</p>
<p>"It's just little things... that I've had to tweak," Caruso said. "Experience is the best teacher, so it's stuff that I've learned from and can hopefully take and put into my regimen moving forward."</p>

Ethan Fuller chats with Alex Caruso about his strategy behind defending NBA players, his thoughts on the Bulls, nutrition and more.

Alex Caruso is nailing down the details with the Chicago Bulls

<p class="p1">The WNBA playoffs just started, and we've already had our fair share of unforgettable moments.</p>
<p class="p1">The New York Liberty boast a pair, with guard Marine Johannes' ridiculous Game 1 pass and her star teammate Sabrina Ionescu's five-point burst in five seconds. I'm still not over the overwhelming defensive possessions from the Chicago Sky to close out Game 3 against the Liberty. Chelsea Gray and the Aces set a three-point record in Game 2 of their series against (what's left of) the Phoenix Mercury; the tactical warfare of the Seattle Storm-Washington Mystics matchup was too good for a first round series.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">As if there isn't enough to talk about, regular season awards are beginning to drop. On Monday, Chicago Sky head coach and general manager James Wade was named Executive of the Year for his offseason work. We'll be getting word on the rookies &mdash; Rookie of the Year and the All-Rookie team &mdash; on Thursday. You can see the rest of the schedule for announcements <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/wnba-announces-new-process-for-selecting-all-wnba-teams-and-unveils-end-of-season-awards-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p class="p1">Before the official awards are announced, here's who I would've chosen on my fictitious ballot. Part I will be focused on first batch of awards: Rookie of the Year, the All-Rookie team, Coach of the Year, and Most Improved Player.</p>
<p class="p1">(If someone from The W's league office is reading this: Hi, hello, I'd love to vote next season if you'll have me!)</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (AUGUST 25)</strong></p>
<p class="p1"><em>Honorable Mention (HM): Rebekah Gardner &mdash; Chicago Sky</em></p>
<p>Gardner's averages (8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists) don't scream off the page, but she's one of the league's best role-players. She's a spirited driver with a blend of physicality and graceful footwork that allows her to bully weaker defenders. Her nose for the ball is uncanny for a guard; she's good for at least one "Where did she come from?" rebound in a crucial point of a game.</p>
<p>And then there's the defense.</p>
<p>She led all rookies in steals per game (1.4), but that honestly doesn't do her justice. Gardner is a&nbsp;<em>nasty&nbsp;</em>screen navigator, and she pairs that with an unrelenting motor. Turn on a Sky game and you'll see her hounding the opposing team's best perimeter player to the point of needing screens in the backcourt. Here's&nbsp;<em>some&nbsp;</em>of the work she did in the Liberty series &mdash; and note that the last clip is a&nbsp;<em>bad&nbsp;</em>foul call.</p>
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<p>Her quickness, aggression, and ability to anticipate help make her one of The W's best defenders. Spoiler alert: She got an All-Defensive First Team nod from me because of her work.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>3. NaLyssa Smith &mdash; Indiana Fever</strong></p>
<p class="p1">I don't begrudge folks for looking at the Indiana Fever's record (5-31) or their score differential (minus-11.1) and deciding to pass on watching 20-plus games of theirs. This was an incredibly young team that also went through an early season coaching change. They ended the season on an 18-game losing streak; trust me, I get it.</p>
<p class="p1">But man, there was some fun in there if you gave them a chance. The play of NaLyssa Smith was certainly one of the bright spots.</p>
<p class="p1">Though listed at 6-foot-4, Smith doesn't operate much like a true big. There's a fluidity and shiftiness present that makes her a matchup nightmare. Players her size shouldn't be able to use their handle to get to spots at a whim&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;</em>shoot from distance if given the space.&nbsp;</p>
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<p class="p1">Smith led all rookies in rebounds (7.9) and ranked second in scoring (13.5) behind Atlanta Dream wing Rhyne Howard (16.2). Smith racked up eight double-doubles on the season; the rest of the rookie class combined for <em>nine</em>.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>2. Shakira Austin &mdash; Washington Mystics</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Rookie bigs aren't supposed to be as good as Austin is defensively. To be a key cog as a rookie is wildly impressive; to be a key cog on the best defense in basketball &mdash; the Mystics had a sterling 96 defensive rating &mdash; is absurd, frankly.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Austin was tasked with banging with post brutes like Sylvia Fowles while also being asked to play multiple coverages against ball screens. Her activity and footwork pops in space. She was a shortlist All-Defensive team candidate for me (ultimately didn't make it) this season, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if she becomes a mainstay moving forward. She's <em>that&nbsp;</em>good already.</p>
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<p class="p1">The offensive flashes are intriguing. The same footwork she displays defensively allows her to be a productive roll threat offensively. She's already flashed the ability to make short roll reads, and she's comfortable putting the floor on the deck for a dribble or two. I'm not sure if the finishing or the jumper expands first, but growth in either area would take her to another level offensively. The fact that there's a pathway to&nbsp;<em>both&nbsp;</em>happening ... the Mystics have a good one on their hands.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>1. Rhyne Howard &mdash; Atlanta Dream</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Though I wouldn't be opposed to Austin winning the award, I think the answer is Howard.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Leading all rookies in scoring is an easy thing to point to. The efficiency numbers &mdash; 37.9% from two-point range, 34.3% from three, 48.9% True Shooting &mdash; are an easy counter for people who think Austin should win it. I think either argument is missing the forest for the threes.</p>
<p class="p1">In year one, Howard was good enough to be the number one option on a just-missed-the-playoffs team. She got the opposing team's best defender from day one while playing in an offense lacking multiple dribble-drive threats for most of the season.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">The context wasn't easy, and Howard found a way to score at a high clip, display in-season growth as a creator,&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;</em>be a plus-wing defender at the same time.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Howard is a pull-up artist, a moving target off the ball, a willing passer against aggressive ball screen coverages, and someone who closed the year getting to the rim at a high clip. Over her last seven games, she averaged 8.6 three-point attempts (35% efficiency) and 7.7 free throw attempts. That is <em>incredibly&nbsp;</em>difficult for someone in her position to do.&nbsp;</p>
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<p class="p1">I can't wait to see her with more offensive talent around her. The foundation for Howard is already strong.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>ALL-ROOKIE TEAM (AUGUST 25</strong>)</p>
<p class="p1">Rhyne Howard, Shakira Austin, NaLyssa Smith, Rebekah Gardner, Queen Egbo (Indiana Fever)</p>
<p class="p1">Egbo (and her frontcourt teammate Emily Engstler) got less attention than Smith, but it's hard not to be excited about the defensive prowess. Egbo has pretty wild timing as a shot-blocker. She generally leaves the floor after her opponent goes up, giving her a cleaner window to swat shots.</p>
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<p class="p1">I'm a fan of her mobility, and I think there's real potential for her to be a scheme-diverse weapon once she cleans up some of her technique. Foul trouble was a bit of an issue, and a large part of that was because she coudn't contain herself when asked to play more aggressively in PnR. She'd often run into the ball-handler when hedging out, or swipe down at the ball and get caught with her hand in the cookie jar.</p>
<p class="p1">A year of seasoning will do her some good, as would gaining some upper body strength to help with her finishing and post defense.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>COACH OF THE YEAR (AUGUST 26)</strong></p>
<p class="p1"><strong>3. James Wade &mdash; Chicago Sky</strong></p>
<p class="p1">You have to give Wade, The W's Elevator Emperor, his coaching chops, too.</p>
<p class="p1">The Sky led The W in assist rate (70.7% of field goals assisted) by a healthy margin and posted a top-three offensive rating (105.8). Their high-octane defensive system led to an elite mark once again (99.7 defensive rating). The only player on the roster to appear in all 36 games was new addition Emma Meesseman, and Wade made sure her versatility was highlighted in his inverted offensive attack.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>2. Becky Hammon &mdash; Las Vegas Aces</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Hammon will likely win the award, and it'll be <em>well&nbsp;</em>deserved if/when she does. Though there was plenty of talent on the Aces roster when she took over, it is&nbsp;<em>not&nbsp;</em>easy to implement drastic scheme changes on both ends of the floor. It takes a high-level of trust and buy-in to make that happen; for Hammon to garner that much respect in her rookie* season as head coach is outstanding.</p>
<p class="p1">The Aces went from a team that infuriatingly ignored the three-point line (ranked last in three-point rate in each of the past four seasons) to one that bombed away (4th this season). A'ja Wilson was&nbsp;<em>finally&nbsp;</em>empowered (I'm not mad, I promise) to fire from deep, and she answered the bell with a 37.3% clip on moderate volume. The freedom given to Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray was on full display all season long. Jackie Young was trusted with more responsibility.</p>
<p class="p1">Quietly, the defense arguably looked more different than the offense did. Gone were the consistent deep drops against ball screens as a way to encourage pull-ups and wall off the paint. The Aces ramped up the pressure this year.</p>
<p class="p1">To begin the year, their bigs were tasked with playing at the level of the screen. That shifted to more drop coverage towards the middle of the season, but the drop was maybe a step below the screen -- still much higher than last season.</p>
<p class="p1">We saw more switching, and scram-switching to get smaller guards out of mismatches. The result wasn't always clean, but we saw a level of versatility from this group that was nearly unheard of under the previous (and to be fair, pretty successful) regime.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>1. Tanisha Wright &mdash; Atlanta Dream</strong></p>
<p class="p1">It's hard to overstate just how much of a mess the Dream were last season. On the court, they were rough; they finished with the second-worst record in the league (8-24) while finishing ninth in offense (97.5 ORTG) and defense (104 DRTG). Off the court, it was even worse.</p>
<p class="p1">They cycled through multiple head coaches last season and faced front office turnover. There was a Chennedy Carter...suspension? Erasure? Placement in purgatory? We're still not 100% sure what happened. There was video of a fight posted that featured several members of the Dream roster. Last season was an absolute mess.</p>
<p class="p1">For Wright to come in and help establish structure and culture &mdash; on and off the floor &mdash; impressed the heck out of me. She was tasked with building an offense around a rookie (Howard), and managed to do so while also empowering Cheyenne Parker as a post hub. It's hard to stress how few rim threats Wright and the Dream had to work with; Aari McDonald, 11 games of Tiffany Hayes (who then left <em>during the playoff push</em>) and 15 games of AD Durr was the best she had.</p>
<p class="p1">I think there would be more of a groundswell of support for Wright's case if the Dream made the playoffs. Missing out by a game isn't enough to deter me, though.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>MOST IMPROVED PLAYER (AUGUST 29)</strong></p>
<p class="p1"><em>HM: Sophie Cunningham (PHX), Aari McDonald (ATL)</em></p>
<ul>
<li class="p1">Speaking of McDonald, she deserves flowers for her work as a driver, improved shooting, and fiesty point-of-attack defense. It's pretty hard to lose her because of her speed and ability to navigate screens. She's also (annoyingly) good at drawing fouls/selling contact. I'm excited for Year 3 Aari.</li>
<li class="p1">Cunningham saw her role change midway through the season. Suddenly slotted <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/sophie-cunningham-giving-phoenix-a-lift-at-the-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as a small-ball 4</a>, Cunningham thrived as a spacer, embraced on and off-ball screening, and punched above her weight defensively.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p class="p1"><strong>3. Sabrina Ionescu &mdash; New York Liberty</strong></p>
<p class="p1">I went back and forth with Cunningham and Ionescu for the third spot. Do you reward Ionescu's bump in production with a healthier campaign, or do you reward Cunningham's bump in production due to the heightened role?&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">I landed on Ionescu, who saw increases in virtually everything; no, seriously, the only box score stat that didn't improve (or decrease, when it comes to turnovers) from last year was her foul rate (1.8 to 2.1 this season).&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">She was a first-time All-Star with averages of 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. Spoiler: she was the only player in The W to average at least 17-7-6 this season, and only the second player in W history (Candace Parker, 2015) to accomplish the feat.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Ionescu is one of the most dynamic ball screen operators in the sport. She's a daring passer, aggressive driver, and fearless pull-up shooter. When the latter is going, there isn't much you can do with her.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>2. Ezi Magbegor &mdash; Seattle Storm</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Don't let the Seattle Storm's midseason addition of Tina Charles &mdash; and her insertion into the starting lineup eight games after her debut &mdash; throw you off the scent. Ezi Magbegor balled out this year.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="p1">Magbegor was a Day 1 starter for the first time in her career and flourished with more playing time. Her defensive prowess <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ezi-magbegor-cares-not-for-your-space" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was evident early on</a>, making life incredibly difficult for her foes. Because of her length and timing, teams didn't have much luck challenging her at the rim. And because of her mobility, attacking her in space &mdash; either with ball screens or in isolation &mdash; wasn't a fruitful endeavor, either. She was building out a legitimate DPOY case through the first month of the season.</p>
<p class="p1">That dwindled as the year went along. While she was and is more disciplined than she was last season, Magbegor still dealt with bouts of foul trouble. Bulkier centers can still move her on the block when given those matchups. Overall, Magbegor remains a high-level defedner that should be in DPOY or All-Defensive team talks for years to come.</p>
<p class="p1">What's gone under the radar is her growth offensively. She became a more willing jump-shooter, though the volume isn't at the point where teams have to worry altering her gameplan against her yet. I found myself floored by some of her self-created shots this season.&nbsp;</p>
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<p class="p1">Color me intrigued moving forward.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>1. Jackie Young &mdash; Las Vegas Aces</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Young's case is pretty straightforward -- her numbers <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/y/youngja01w.html#per_game0">jumped across the board</a>, she defended at an All-Defense level for a large chunk of the season, and she's turned herself into a reliable shooter. The latter point, her shooting growth, has spearheaded a lot of what she's now able to accomplish offensively. Aside from Sixth Player of the Year, this may be the slam dunk-iest award selection of the season.</p>
<p class="p1">For a deeper dive into her on and off-court growth, I'd highly <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/the-journey-of-jackie-young/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommend this piece</a> from my guy Mark Schindler of WNBA.com.</p>

Nekias Duncan gives his award picks for Rookie of the Year, the All-Rookie team, Coach of the Year, and Most Improved Player.