Stewart and Collier plan to start a new women's league to play in WNBA offseason
WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are starting a new womenโs basketball league to give top players another option to play in the U.S. in the offseason once the leagueโs prioritization rules go into effect next year.
Young beats buzzer, Aces top Storm 110-98 in OT in Game 3
Jackie Young sent the game in overtime with a buzzer-beating basket and then Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum hit big shots in the extra session to help the Las Vegas Aces beat the Seattle Storm 110-98 to move within a victory of advancing to the WNBA Finals.
College players will need to opt-in to upcoming WNBA Draft
The WNBA and the Players' Association have agreed to an opt-in process for this season's draft, the league confirmed to The Associated Press, late Sunday, March 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)NEW YORK โ The WNBA and the Players' Association have agreed to an opt-in process for this season's draft, the league confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday night. In the past, players who have run out of college eligibility are automatically entered into the draft. While this is a new situation in the WNBA, itโs unclear what the NCAA will do as far as allowing players to pull out of the draft. The NBA implemented similar rules, making players opt-in for the draft.
Liberty get Howard, Samuelson to Storm, 1st pick to Dallas
The New York Liberty acquired Natasha Howard from the Seattle Storm as part of a tree-team trade Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)NEW YORK โ The New York Liberty acquired Natasha Howard from the Seattle Storm as part of a three-team trade Wednesday. 1 pick didn't stay in Seattle long as the Storm traded it to Dallas for Katie Lou Samuelson and the Wingsโ second-round pick in 2022. โWe have the privilege of welcoming multiple-time WNBA champions Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb to Brooklyn,โ general manager Jonathan Kolb said. โI am very excited to be a part of the New York Liberty organization,โ she said.
Stewart and Storm could be poised to win more WNBA titles
Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm never really got a chance to defend their 2018 championship because of key injuries. โI donโt know if any of us are thinking that way,โ Stewart said after the Storm completed a three-game sweep of the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night by setting a WNBA Finals record with a 33-point win. The 26-year-old won a second WNBA Finals MVP as a unanimous choice and was nearly unstoppable in the championship round. Bird, who turns 40 next week, has been a part of all four of the Storm championships during three decades. I just kind of start working out and see how I feel,โ said Bird, who averaged 11 assists in the WNBA Finals.
Stewart leads Seattle to 2nd WNBA title in 3 years
Stewart scored 26 points and Seattle completed a sweep of the Las Vegas Aces with a 92-59 rout Tuesday night. It was the biggest margin of victory in WNBA Finals history. Seattle had pretty much the same core group that won the 2018 championship back for this year, led by Stewart, Bird and Jewell Loyd. Seattle has now won a record 11 games in a row in the WNBA Finals, dating to the team's first championship in 2004. She led the Dream to three WNBA Finals appearances but the team was swept in each one.
Stewart, Bird help Storm rout Aces; go up 2-0 in WNBA Finals
The team had 33 assists to set a WNBA championship round record as the Storm had a more balanced offense. Las Vegas couldn't respond. A'ja Wilson had 20 points to lead Las Vegas while Angel McCoughtry and Emma Cannon added 17 each. The Storm, who had 17 assists on their 18 baskets, built the lead to 13 before Las Vegas rallied to the six-point halftime deficit. ... Stewart had her fifth consecutive 20-point game in the WNBA Finals spanning back to the 2018 season.
Aces hope for winning hand in Game 2 of WNBA Finals
โYou impose on them it's a five-game series, even if you lose one game so what? โHe trusts us and knows what weโre capable of.โThe Aces feel that they have fixable problems. It was also the first finals for many of the Aces players, including Wilson and Jackie Young. Stewart had a career-high 37 points โ one short of the WNBA Finals record. The biggest thing is to make them contested shots," Wilson said.
Stewart lifts Storm to Game 1 WNBA Finals win over Aces
Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart (30) celebrates after the team defated the Las Vegas Aces during Game 1 of basketball's WNBA Finals Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)BRADENTON, Fla. โ The Seattle Storm's lead down to two with a quarter left, Breanna Stewart took over. The big-game player scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter and finished with 37 to help the Storm beat the Las Vegas Aces 93-80 on Friday night in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. She was a point short of the WNBA Finals record set by Angel McCoughtry. McCoughtry scored 20 points to lead Las Vegas, which was playing in the WNBA Finals for the first time since the franchise moved to the Nevada city three years ago. Eight players had reached 11 assists in a finals game before Bird's record performance.
Game on! Seattle, Minnesota set to start WNBA playoff series
The Seattle Storm and Minnesota Lynx will take the court Tuesday night, two days after Game 1 of their WNBA playoffs semifinals was postponed because of inconclusive COVID-19 tests. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said three players on the Storm had inconclusive results Sunday from tests they took the day before, so the league decided to postpone the scheduled opener of the best-of-five playoff series. โWe are closely monitoring the situation and are coordinating with medical specialists.โThe Storm players had undergone additional testing and two of the three had been cleared to rejoin the team. The league said all players and staff remaining in the playoffs will continue being tested under the health and safety protocols. While those players had to miss a game, no contests were canceled until Sunday's because of coronavirus fears.
WNBA: Recap of the three matchups on Wednesday
Half the league went head to head on Wednesday with three teams adding a win to their win column. Connecticut Sun 70, Dallas Wings 66DeWanna Bonner scored 18 points and Alyssa Thomas added 17 as the Connecticut Sun defeat the Dallas Wings. Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 19 points and Allisha Gray had 15 points and eight rebounds. Chicago Sky 89, Phoenix Mercury 71Allie Quigley scored 20 points and Kahleah Cooper poured in 15 points as the Chicago Sky get an impressive win over the Phoenix Mercury. Sophie Cunningham and Skylar Diggins-Smith led the way for Phoenix with 15 points apiece.
WNBA: Recap of the three games on Monday
The WNBA had three competitive games on Monday and has a even sharper line up of games on Tuesday. DeWanna Bonner scored 12 points for Connecticut (2-6), and grabbed nine rebounds to move into 20th on the WNBA career list. Brittney Griner had 22 points and 13 rebounds while Briana Turner added 13 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix. Sami Whitcomb added 17 points for Seattle and Ezi Magbegor scored 13 points and Alysha Clark had 12 points. Allie Quigley led Chicago with 13 points andCheyenne Parker added 12 points.
WNBA: Recap of the three games from Tuesday
Six teams went head to head in WNBA action on Tuesday, but only three came out on top. Aja Wilson had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Kayla McBride scored 15 points for Las Vegas. Rookie Crystal Dangerfield added 12 points and Napheesa Collier had eight points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota. Myisha Hines-Allen led Washington with 12 points while Tianna Hawkins and Emma Meesseman each scored 10 points. Candace Parker added 16 points for Los Angeles while Brittney Sykes scored 15 points and Nneka Ogwumike poured in 11 points.
WNBA: Recap of the 3 Thursday night games
Jewell Lloyd added 20 points and Jordin Canada poured in 14 points for the Seattle squad. Carter became the first rookie in Dream history to score 25 or more points in two straight games. Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 17 points, Isabelle Harrison added 12 points and Tyasha Harris scored 10 points. Phoenix Mercury 96, Chicago Sky 86Diana Taurasi and Brittany Griner each scored 22 points as the Phoenix Mercury defeat the Chicago Sky. Courtney Vandersloot led the Sky with 21 points, Kahleah Copper added 18 and Allie Quigley poured in 13 points for the Chicago squad.
WNBA: Previewing all three Tuesday night games
Three WNBA games are scheduled for Tuesday, with most teams going into their third or fourth games of the season. Dallas Wings vs. Chicago Sky -- 6 p.m. ETThe Sky (3-1) got a huge 88-86 victory over the defending WNBA champion Washington Mystics on Saturday. Courtney Vandersloot, Cheyenne Parker, Gabby Williams and Diamond DeShields will be relied upon to get Chicago a win against a young Wings team. The Sun will need its young talent to step up to secure a win against a tough Storm team.
Stewart, Hines-Allen named first WNBA players of the week for 2020 season
Myisha Hines-Allen, of the Washington Mystics, and Breanna Stewart, of the Seattle Storm, have been named the first conference players of the week for the 2020 WNBA season. Hines-Allen averaged 17 points, nine rebounds and two assists to earn Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Last season, Hines-Allen averaged two points per game, but this season that has jumped to 17 points per game. Stewart, the 2018 MVP, averaged 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists to earn Western Conference Player of the Week. Stewart is in her third year in the league and has bounced back tremendously after rupturing her achilles last season.
WNBA: Recap of the weekend action
The weekend was full of WNBA action, both on Saturday and Sunday with teams getting into the swing of things. Chicago Sky 88, Washington Mystics 86Gabby Williams and Cheyenne Parker each scored 16 points as the Chicago Sky barely beat the Washington Mystics. Jewell Loyd added 17 points, Jordin Canada poured in 16 points and rookie Ezi Magbegor had a career-high 12 points for Seattle. Diana Taurasi had 18 points, nine assists, three steals and two blocks and Brittney Griner added 16 points for Phoenix. Kia Nurse led the Liberty with 16 points while Layshia Clarendon added 12 points and Amanda Zahui B. scored 11.
Liberty rookie Sabrina Ionescu injures ankle against Dream
According to NBA TV, Ionescu sprained her ankle and underwent X-rays. After the game, Liberty coach Walt Hopkins said Ionescu was still being evaluated. She helped the Ducks win the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles as a senior while averaging 17.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds. She was named the conferences most outstanding player of the tournament and of the regular season. The 5-foot-11 guard was also named AP Player of the Year and won the Wooden Award, the Naismith Trophy and Wade Trophy.
WNBA: Recap of the four games on Tuesday
Alyssa Thomas scored 28 points and 11 rebounds while DeWanna Bonner had 29 points and nine rebounds for the Sun. Cheyenne Parker added 12 points and Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot and Gabby Williams scored 11 each for Chicago. Seattle Storm 90, Minnesota Lynx 66Breanna Stewart had 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Seattle Storm defeated the Minnesota Lynx. Damiris Dantas led Minnesota with 18 points. Sylvia Fowles finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but also passed former teammate and current Lynx assistant coach Rebekkah Brunson on the all time rebounding list.
WNBA: Four games set to tip off the weeks action
Coming off a successful opening weekend, the WNBA tips off four games to begin the weeks action with some of the top teams in the league. Washington Mystics vs. Connecticut Sun, 7 p.m. EST MondayThe Mystics are coming off a win against the Indiana Fever on Saturday. Myisha Hines-Allen, Emma Meesseman and Aerial Powers of the Mystics will be relied upon for the Mystics to get a second win. Naphessa Collier and Sylvia Fowles lead the way for the Lynx squad in the first game and will be needed to capture another win. All-Stars Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird of Seattle will need to rally the team together to get a victory over the Lynx.
WNBA begins season with weekend of triple headers
The leagues season will take place in Bradenton, Florida at IMG Academy in what some players call the Wubble. WNBA season gets underway on July 25 with 2018 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm meeting 2020 No. The weekend also will highlight the leagues new social justice platform, The WNBA Justice Movement, with a special focus on the Black Lives Matter movement. Additionally, throughout the season, players will wear warm-up shirts that display Black Lives Matter on the front and Say Her Name on the back. Black Lives Matter will also be prominently displayed on courts during games.
Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm sit atop AP WNBA power poll
NEW YORK The Seattle Storm are healthy to begin the season with Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird back in the lineup and sit atop the preseason Associated Press WNBA poll. 1 in the preseason since the AP has been doing the poll. You have to go out there and play the games, said Bird, who missed last season while recovering from knee surgery. Connecticut and Washington, who met for the WNBA title last year, were sixth and seventh in the poll. The first regular season power poll will be released on Tuesday, July 28___Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg
WNBA announces 2020 season is dedicated to social justice
The mission of the Social Justice Council is to be a driving force of necessary and continuing conversations about race, voting rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and gun control amongst other important societal issues. Players will lead Justice CouncilThe work of the Social Justice Council will be led by players such as Layshia Clarendon, Sydney Colson, Breanna Stewart, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, Aja Wilson and Satou Sabally, among others. The expanded list of Social Justice Council members, advisors, and programming will be announced at a later date. Players to wear social justice messagesThroughout the season, players will wear NIKE-branded warm-up shirts that display Black Lives Matter on the front. We are incredibly proud of WNBA players who continue to lead with their inspiring voices and effective actions in the leagues dedicated fight against systemic racism and violence, said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
WNBA: 7 players test positive for COVID-19
NEW YORK CITY With the WNBA planning to begin its season later this month, teams along with personnel had to get tested before entering training camp. With almost 140 players being tested in that timeframe, only seven tested positive for COVID-19. According to the WNBA, players who have tested positive will remain in self isolation until she has been cleared by a physician and has followed public health protocols. Players and staff will be arriving at the bubble location, which is IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The 12th team -- the Indiana Fever -- will not be arriving for another five days due to CDC health protocols.
Here are the latest WNBA team power rankings for the upcoming season
Player-wise, none of the squad has opted out and they will be returning WNBA veteran Sue Bird. With a 22-12 record in 2018, the Sparks added some new faces to the squad including WNBA star Kristi Toliver, Tea Cooper and Reshanda Gray. The team signed WNBA star Skylar Diggins-Smith creating the leagues Big 3 which is comprised of the all-star along with WNBA veteran Diana Taurasi and center Brittney Griner. The squad brings back Victoria Vivans, who had a good rookie season in 2018 but was out last season due to a knee injury. The team added newcomer Layshia Clarendon, whos entering her eighth WNBA season.
WNBA: Washington Mystics will be tested in matchup against Seattle Storm
Looking for their fifth straight win, the Washington Mystics will face the Seattle Storm on Friday. The Mystics, who are currently 13-6 under the leadership of star forward Elena Delle Donne are looking to end their four-game losing streak to the Storm. The Storm is looking for its fourth straight home victory and to bounce back after a recent loss to the Las Vegas Aces. Jewell Lloyd, Natasha Howard and Alysha Clark have been keeping the Seattle squad afloat without injured stars Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird. The first time these two teams met it was a close matchup, with the Mystics losing only by three points.
WNBA: Sparks, Aces and Mercury all get wins before All-Star break
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 27: Kelsey Plum #10 of the Las Vegas Aces is guarded by Jordin Canada #21 of the Seattle Storm during the Aces' inaugural regular-season home opener at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 27, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Three games of WNBA action on Tuesday result in wins for the Phoenix Mercury, Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks. Nneka Ogwumike had 24 points, nine rebounds, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt scored 23 points while Chiney Ogwumike added 15 points and Chelsea Gray chipped in 10 points for the Sparks. Monique Billings scored a career-high 16 points and Tiffany Hayes came back from injury and scored 15 points for the Dream. Las Vegas Aces 79, Seattle Storm 62The Las Vegas Aces get their sixth straight home win with five players scoring in double digits. Phoenix Mercury 95, Indiana Fever 77Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner each scored 22 points and the Phoenix Mercury handed the Indiana Fever their sixth straight loss.
WNBA: Liberty face Sun; Lynx take on the Mystics
The SeattleTwo games are in action before the WNBA All-Star break. Connecticut will have a pair of players in Saturday's All-Star game, center Jenquel Jones and forward Alyssa Thomas. Washington Mystics vs. Minnesota Lynx Preview (tipoff 1 p.m. EST)The Washington Mystics are obviously at their best with Elena Delle Donne on the court. Delle Donne, averaging 16 points and 8 rebounds, fractured her nose early against Los Angeles on July 7. Collier was added to the All-Star game this week, replacing injured Aces forward A'ja Wilson.
WNBA: Dream take on Sky; Wings face Mercury; Storm match-up with Lynx
Atlanta Dream vs. Chicago Sky Preview (tip-off 12 p.m. EST)Coming off a win against the Dallas Wings, the Chicago Sky are looking to continue their three-game win streak in a noon battle against the Atlanta Dream. The Mercury hope for a much better outing than their first meeting with the Wings this season on June 20. Griner and Bonner were held to a combined 20 points as Phoenix shot 24.6 percent and was outrebounded 49-28. The Dallas Wings are looking to avoid a third straight loss as they square off with the Phoenix Mercury. Sims, meanwhile, totaled 20 points in those two contests.
WNBA: Wings vs. Liberty; Indiana vs. Phoenix; Sky vs. Storm
PHOENIX, AZ - AUGUST 31: Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury during game three of the WNBA Western Conference Finals against the Seattle Storm at Talking Stick Resort Arena on August 31, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. Dallas Wings vs New York Liberty Game Preview (7:30 p.m. EST tip-off)Coming off a victory over the league's best team, the Wings again are looking for their first road win of 2019 when they face the New York Liberty tonight. Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury Game Preview (10:00 p.m. EST tip-off)Indiana is coming off a loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Coming off a strong win against the Los Angeles Sparks, the Phoenix Mercury are looking to continue in their winning ways. Chicago Sky vs. Seattle Storm Game Preview (10:00 p.m. EST tip-off)Coming off a loss, the Chicago Sky are looking to win as they take on the Storm.
WNBA: Recap of last night's games; Lynx vs. Fever and Storm vs. Aces
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 27: Kelsey Plum #10 of the Las Vegas Aces is guarded by Jordin Canada #21 of the Seattle Storm during the Aces' inaugural regular-season home opener at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 27, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Two teams came out victorious in two very highly anticipated WNBA games last night. Minnesota Lynx 78, Indiana Fever 74The Lynx held on last night to beat the Indiana Fever by four points. The beginning of the game belonged to the Lynx, but the Fever went on an impressive 24 point run in the second half. Through the rest of the game, the Fever only scored three points and ended up falling to the Lynx. Las Vegas Aces 60, Seattle Storm 56The Las Vegas Aces now take the No.
WNBA: Lynx face Fever; Aces take on defending champion Storm
(Photo byThe Las Vegas Aces look to take on the defending champions of the Seattle Storm, while the Indiana Fever looks to take on the Minnesota Lynx in WNBA action. Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm Game Preview (10pm EST tip off):Coming off a win against the Dallas Wings, the Las Vegas Aces are in second place in the Western conference behind the Seattle Storm. The defending WNBA champions, the Seattle Storm, have a talented and seasoned squad. Indiana is coming off of a loss to the defending champions of the Seattle Storm. You can follow all the action tonight on CBS Sports Network for the Lynx and the Fever, and on Twitter for the Storm and the Aces.
WNBA: Lynx face Fever; Aces take on defending champions of Storm
(Photo byThe Las Vegas Aces look to take on the defending champions of the Seattle Storm, while the Indiana Fever looks to take on the Minnesota Lynx in WNBA action. Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm Game Preview (10pm EST tip off):Coming off a win against the Dallas Wings, the Las Vegas Aces are in second place in the Western conference behind the Seattle Storm. The defending WNBA champions, the Seattle Storm, have a talented and seasoned squad. Indiana is coming off of a loss to the defending champions of the Seattle Storm. You can follow all the action tonight on CBS Sports Network for the Lynx and the Fever, and on Twitter for the Storm and the Aces.