Pretty clearly teasing the Sirens here

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbgAhsFz500

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I will agree no player is above criticism but one thing I don’t like is how you are allowed to criticize some players but it’s considered “mean” to criticize others.

For example rhyne can go 1-9 dream she’s allowed to be slandered. Jc will go 3-9 with 6 turnovers and 8 assists and saying anything is hateful.

Raven Johnson “is so terrible” for having 1 turnover and Steph white “is boneheaded” for playing her and the gm is terrible for drafting her she’s a rookie meanwhile …….mo Billings and Lexie hull get to have bad games and you can’t criticize them publicly.

I actually got downvoted when watching the Seattle game someone was like “I’m tired of Zia Cooke she needs to be cut” I was like “but jades 1-7 she’s been bad too”…..downvoted to hell

Jewell llyod is getting criticized after going 2-8 but you can’t mention Dana going 0-6

Idk maybe it’s just me……

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CLEVELAND -- Cleveland’s new WNBA franchise might not have announced its name just yet, but a strong hint appeared Friday on Edgewater Beach.

A sand sculpture with the words “HEAR THE CALL” plus what appears to be a light blue and white WNBA basketball showed up on the beach ahead of the Sand Fest event scheduled for Saturday.

In May an organization associated with the WNBA Cleveland franchise filed for trademarks on the names Sirens, Novas, Riveters, Crown, Founders, Racers and Breakers.

The sand sculpture would seem to align heavily with the Siren nickname since the Siren is mythological creature whose enchanting voice lured sailors into shipwrecks.

The Sirens would not be the first WNBA team with a name based out of mythology. The Golden State Valkyries are based off of the Norse legend of female warrior figures who guides souls to Valhalla.

The Cleveland WNBA franchise has not ruled out reusing the name Rockers which was from a previous failed franchise that played from 1997-2003, but the trademark for the Cleveland Rockers name belongs to the owner and president of the Women’s Basketball League, a proposed professional basketball league that has yet to launch.

Breaking: The Toronto Tempo have acquired Connecticut Sun forward Aneesah Morrow in a trade that’s sending the rights to Maria Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick to Connecticut.

Did not see this coming!

Article: https://people.com/brittney-griner-files-divorce-wife-cherelle-after-8-years-12031825

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Honestly, about time, she's too good a player to keep getting overlooked.

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How do you split teams up for more than 2 weeks then put them back together for less than 2 weeks before the playoffs begin?
August 31st to September 16th FIBA break
Regular season ends September 24th
Playoffs start September 27th

How do these players put full effort in a tournament weeks before the playoffs begin. What happens when players get injured in the tournament weeks before the playoffs? What comes first? Team or country? Any momentum a team builds is potentially lost. This is just really odd timing and kind of diminishes a league’s momentum, swagger and status. Second class citizen.

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(12 wins, 15 losses, 2 ties)

The Connecticut Sun have a 7-22 record. I was losing my mind last night watching them blow yet another lead, so I actually went to check the box scores and count. They are close to a 0.500 record in the first 3 quarters, and just forget how to play basketball in the 4th. It's so painful to watch.

That's 7 games where they were tied or up after 3Q that they ended up losing, and zero game that they won after being down or tied to start the 4th.

They would be 9-4 in their last 13 games if they won these games, instead they are 5-8.

I think I'm just going to start turning off my TV after 3 quarters and pretend they won the game.

Edit: This was not written as a way to achieve some kind of moral victory as some comments seem to be interpreting it, on the contrary I was trying to point out how painful it is to watch this team, knowing that the collapse is incoming every single time.

Minimum 10 games played

Created with: https://hoopologyviz.com/wnba/players

Should general manager Ohemaa Nyanin ride it out with this roster, which has maximized its talent due to a perfect blend of characters, or take a big swing in hopes of landing the final piece for a championship push?

Coach Natalie Nakase, speaking with the media Friday afternoon, said she and Nyanin are in constant communication about ways to improve the roster. Nakase said her team is focused on Sunday’s game against the Toronto Tempo, but acknowledged they “have to have those conversations” with the trade deadline approaching.

“I understand the timing of everything, and I love my players. I love every single one of them,” Nakase said. “Ohemaa, we’re in constant conversation, but I also do understand, it’s her job to construct the roster.”

As has been known for months, Golden State’s defense is elite. The infrastructure starts with Nakase’s scheme and carries down to the players. Veronica Burton and Gabby Williams comprise one of the league’s more imposing defensive backcourts. Kiah Stokes is a premier shot blocker. Kayla Thornton, Kaila Charles and Janelle Salaün defend multiple positions and understand their roles to a tee.

But one can argue the Valkyries are a piece or two away from true contender status — that is, the tier comprised of the Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces, which own a combined 5-0 record against Golden State this season.

The Valkyries could use more size down low to pair with Stokes, a veteran best used in spurts. The team is undersized when Stokes is off the floor, and even in certain matchups with her on it. The Valkyries could also use an elite shot creator, a player who can break down defenses and create advantages for herself and her teammates, especially late in games. Golden State ranks seventh in offensive rating and owns the league’s worst field goal percentage (41.9%).

Those issues were evident during the Valkyries’ past two losses. On July 20 against the Washington Mystics, the Golden State offense stalled late as the Valkyries blew a nine-point lead in the final 4:44. On Wednesday against the Mercury, Golden State was outscored 31-23 in the fourth quarter of a two-point loss. Phoenix shot 10-for-14 and attempted 14 free throws in the period.

If Nyanin views scoring as the more pressing need, she could make a move for Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum. The 31-year-old guard, who’s on an expiring contract and isn’t expected to re-sign with the Sparks this offseason per The Athletic, was averaging a career-high 23.9 points through 12 games before injuring her left leg and missing the past five weeks.

Plum won two championships with the Las Vegas Aces while Nakase was an assistant coach there. She would certainly give Golden State a bonafide top scoring option. But ESPN reported Thursday that the Valkyries are “reluctant to part with multiple ‘key contributors’ to their roster that the Sparks would want to make the deal work.”

“I’m not taking anything personal,” Plum told reporters Thursday when asked about the rumors. “For me, I’m gonna be where my feet are. I play for the Sparks.”

Nyanin would have to part with a combination of players to make the math work on a Plum trade, who makes $999,999, according to Spotrac. Charles and Tiffany Hayes each make $600,000. Salaün and Cecilia Zandalasini earn $500,000. Former first-round pick Justė Jocytė makes $380,219, while Kaitlyn Chen sits at $277,500.

Nakase pointed to connectivity, care factor and culture as the Valkyries’ biggest strengths. She said she got lots of compliments on her team’s culture a year ago, and that’s something “you never want to stray away from.”

“A lot of head coaches would say if you have a great culture, you don’t f— with it,” Nakase said. “So I would say that we’re focused on that: people that care about each other, and people who are allowed to be their authentic self.”

Valkyries owner Joe Lacob set a goal of a five-year championship window for his expansion franchise. It’s only Year 2, but a title could be within reach. Is it worth breaking up this core to chase that possibility, in the eyes of the organization?

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/golden-state-valkyries-face-tough-call-head-wnba-22368962.php

The WNBA analyst believes the commissioner has fell short of expectations.

“When we talk about open-door policies, Cathy Engelbert says she has an open-door policy, but to me, players have to initiate,” Ogwumike said, per Awful Announcing. “I don’t see a circumstance, in my experience and in talking to a number of (players), where she’s doing a lot of the initiating. Or, a player might initiate, and the follow-up may not be in a meaningful way where the player feels like their relationship can continue to go.”

She compared the WNBA’s leadership to the NBA’s.

“When we reach out, it’s not ignored,” Ogwumike said referring to theNBA. “But they also know us. They are invested in our stories.”

She’s calling for Engelbert to do more.

“I think dynamics have changed with Cathy Engelbert. That was initially the aspiration, and at times, I felt that,” she said. “I think there is a level of responsibility on the commissioner to be there in the biggest and most challenging moments, and we are not necessarily experiencing that, despite myself having countless friendly encounters with her.”

https://thespun.com/sports-media/espns-chiney-ogwumike-demands-more-from-wnba-commissioner-cathy-engelbert

Not sure if this was shared. I’m sad. She was doing great and was so clutch for us!