WNBA

[Vrede too]

Threatening, anti-gay email sent to wife of Liberty's Breanna Stewart

... In Game 1 on Thursday, Stewart missed a free throw that would have given New York the lead with 0.8 seconds remaining in regulation, and she later misfired on a layup that would have tied it at the end of overtime.

The series is now tied 1-1 after Stewart and the Liberty bounced back in Game 2 in Brooklyn....

The incident comes as many WNBA players have said they've experienced an uptick of racist, misogynistic, anti-gay and otherwise vitriolic behavior directed toward them in a season where the league has exploded in popularity and growth.

DiJonai Carrington and Angel Reese are among players who have said they've been on the receiving end of threatening messages....

We're becoming as bad as South American soccer, even with women's sports. Many people say it's due to the national expansion of gambling, including prop bets. Sheesh, it's just sports and they're supposed to be fun. If your gambling makes you angry, you have a gambling problem.

Or an anger problem.

I wonder which works better, Gamblers Anonymous or anger management.

[Vrede too]

Breanna Stewart seems to be channeling her anger over the attack on her wife into the games. She led NY with 21 in the Game 2 win. Then tonight:
9-20 FGs, 10-10 FTs!, 11 REBs!, 4 BLKs!, 30 PTs!
Only the third 30-10 double double ever in the Finals (playoffs?) and she has one of the other two
Then, Sabrina Ionescu was the ultimate hero with a near-walkoff looong 3-pointer,
Game 3: New York 80, Minnesota 77, NY leads series 2-1
Napheesa Collier got 22 points for the Lynx.

I don't have a favorite, but I'm happy to see Breanna Stewart doing well.

[Jasmine]

There is absolutely no place for any kind of racist or sexual orientation attack in any sport.

That goes both ways, of course. This past season, there has been quite a bit of vitriol aimed at Caitlin Clark because she happens to be white and straight. The WNBA is sort of unique because it seems at least half of the league’s players are gay, and the majority are black.

I’m chalking this up to growing pains. Both the WNBA players and fans need to embrace the league’s new popularity and recognize what a great opportunity this is. When the new TV deal comes together and salaries are elevated for everyone, I think that will help a lot.

[O Really]

Several sports have a high percentage (or majority) Black, including the NBA and NFL, but the number of gay players does seem higher than might be expected.

[Vrede too]

Several sports have a high percentage (or majority) Black, including the NBA and NFL, but the number of gay players does seem higher than might be expected.

Idk what the actual proportion is or what should be expected. A hetero feminist friend told me to expect lesbian basketball players . . . in the early 1990s . . . on the University of Montana team! It had never occurred to me I never asked about soccer or tennis, but I would not have been surprised by the rugby women.

[Vrede too]

Sunday - GAME 5!!!
8:00 PM ESPN
Minnesota Lynx 30-10 @New York Liberty 32-8 (-5.5)

[Jasmine]

Congratulations to the New York Liberty for winning their first-ever WNBA championship!

The Liberty won despite their two stars - Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu - having horrible shooting nights. They were a combined 5 for 34 from the field. Ionescu was an unbelievable 1 for 19!

Defense does win championships!

[Vrede too]

Congratulations to the New York Liberty for winning their first-ever WNBA championship!

The Liberty won despite their two stars - Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu - having horrible shooting nights. They were a combined 5 for 34 from the field. Ionescu was an unbelievable 1 for 19!

Defense does win championships!

67-62 OT!

[Vrede too]

The Liberty were the only original WNBA team to have not won a championship. They lost in the Finals 5 times!

[O Really]

There's been a WNBA for 28 years? I really did not know that.

[Vrede too]

There's been a WNBA for 28 years? I really did not know that.

That's older than many of the players.


WNBA announces the name of its new Canada team



I like it.

... More than10,000 people submitted name suggestions for Canada's first-ever WNBA team and now the official moniker has been revealed - the Toronto Tempo.

"Tempo is pace. It's speed. It's a heartbeat. And it's what you feel when you step into the streets of this city," Teresa Resch, the team's president, said in a press release....

With the addition of the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA now has 14 professional teams.

The creation of the Toronto franchise is part of a larger expansion by the league, which is hoping to grow to a total of 16 teams by 2028....

The logo for the Tempo, which was created to reflect the team's values, according to the franchise, shows a basketball with a "T" in the centre.

Extending from the logo's ball are six sharp lines "representing the five players on the court and the sixth player in the game: the fans", the press released said, as well as the city's six boroughs....

The Toronto Tempo's arrival, considering basketball was invented by a Canadian, is seen as a significant moment for women's sports in country.

Will the league also change its name to WIBA?

[O Really]

Sure, right after the NBA and NHL do.

[Jasmine]

The Indiana Fever have significantly retooled their roster for the upcoming season. Last year’s starting five - led by young All-Stars Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell - had ZERO games of playoff experience heading into the playoffs last season. This off-season, Indiana added DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sydney Colson to the roster. Combined these three players have won five WNBA titles. Bonner and Howard are perennial All-Stars in their own right.

The Fever also traded for Sophie Cunningham, who had tons of playoff experience with the Phoenix Mercury.

It’s been a crazy free agency period for the league, with several top players finding new teams.

[O Really]

Go Caitlin! Champs next season.

[GoCubsGo]

Admittedly I don't know enough about the WNBA to have much of an opinion, but if these women are anywhere near their prime it will be Caitlin's league.

[Jasmine]

DeWanna Bonner is pretty old - she’ll be 38 by the time the season ends - but she’s still made the All-Star team in three of the last four seasons. She and Natasha Howard (age 33) are considered excellent defensive players, which is exactly what Indiana needs.

New head coach Stephanie White says Caitlin Clark has bulked up a bit and gotten stronger. She is also working to improve her defense, which was her weakest attribute as a rookie. At times, it seemed she couldn’t guard a folding chair.

In the end, I think it will all depend on how the team jells together. Exactly half of their roster will be different from last season.

[GoCubsGo]

Give the Fever some credit for going for win now.

Of course salary cap isn't a consideration, they're all underpaid.

[Jasmine]

The 2025 WNBA season is still about three months away - the regular season begins on May 16 - but the anticipation for it is already building. I present to you five reasons to watch the WNBA this year:

1. CAITLIN’S WORLD
Caitlin Clark is easily the biggest draw in the league. It will be interesting to see how well she does in her second year. She averaged more than 19 points and eight assists as a rookie. With Indiana’s influx of veteran All-Star talent, I actually expect her scoring average to dip a bit. But if everyone stays healthy, I expect the Fever will win more games and challenge for the league championship.

2. FAMILIAR FACES IN NEW PLACES
Kelsey Plum is now with the L.A. Sparks. DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham are now members of the Indiana Fever. Britney Griner has joined the Atlanta Dream. Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas are now in Phoenix. NaLyssa Smith and DiJonai Carrington are now in Dallas. Courtney Vandersloot has returned to Chicago. And Jewel Loyd is now in Las Vegas. Whew! That’s a lot of talent finding new homes!

3. TURNING THE PAIGE
Unless she has a change of heart, UConn’s Paige Bueckers is expected to declare for April’s WNBA Draft. She will undoubtedly be the No. 1 pick. While some will try to compare her to Clark, I think they are two very different players. Paige is a better defender and the owner of the best mid-range jump shot in the game. She won’t score in bunches like Caitlin can, but she’ll be an excellent floor leader and distributor. Dallas will have the No. 1 pick, and it would be shocking if they don’t draft Paige.

4. A GOLDEN ARRIVAL
The Golden State Valkyries will tip off their inaugural season. Not much is expected from this team, of course, since their initial roster is full of hand-me-downs and lower-level free agents. Still, it’s going to be fun to watch this franchise develop!

5. MORE ROOKIES
While Paige Bueckers is clearly the marquee name available in this year’s draft class, there are other rookies who should bear watching. Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron, for example, will be fun additions to the league.

Rookies 2 Watch:

[O Really]

With strong personalities and good name recognition, they're gonna pick up a lot of new followers.

[Jasmine]

Pretty cool: The Chicago Sky moved their two home games against the Indiana Fever to the United Center, which can seat almost 21,000 fans. Their usual arena (Wintrust Arena) has a capacity of about 13,400 fans.

Well, apparently both of these games sold out in just minutes!