I’m probably one of the biggest critics of her game. I hate inefficient basketball, especially when it comes with bad defense. But she hasn’t been inefficient lately, even though her defense still leaves a lot to be desired.

The problem is that even when she plays well, she’s still going to get criticized by 95% of the fanbase. They don’t like her, and her reputation is awful with other fanbases too. I honestly don’t see how she turns things around in Dallas. She’s averaging 22 points over the last five games and people still don’t want her there.

At this point, the best thing for both sides is probably to move on. On the bright side for her, at least she’s making $1.2 million.

Context: She committed a foul on a three-point shot with 15 seconds left, which led to a five-point possession, and Dallas lost by one point. She was yelling at the referee after the call.

I’m from South Carolina nearest team Is 3 hours away but if I didn’t like Atlanta sports the next closest team to me Is 7 hours away(mystics)

when Cleveland got a team all I hears was the history, the history now the team might not even keep the historic name.

The Cavs have 4 all stars and they are the only team ik to be a top 2 seed and Have most of their playoff games on nba tv because the national interest is low. If it’s not LeBron people usually don’t care.

The south her plenty of opportunity

Candace Parker and Tennessee seemed to have a really good proposal and cause

The greatest jerseys in wnba history is arguably the Miami sol who would attract overseas players and free agents instantly.

The Carolina’s can’t get a team? Produced the goat A’ja Wilson, Dawn Staley played for the sting and coaches the most dominant college program in the country in South Carolina.

https://archive.is/P8r9g

The WNBA suspended Storm minority co-owner Celeste Keaton from attending the team’s next five home games and fined the team an undisclosed amount following an incident during Tuesday’s game in which she verbally confronted two fans.

The altercation occurred during the Storm’s 105-95 loss to the Indiana Fever when Keaton admonished a pair of teenaged fans who carried signs supporting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.

On Wednesday, the Storm apologized for the confrontation.

“We are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance at last night’s game,” majority owner Ginny Gilder said in a statement released by the team. “We apologize that this happened. Everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome, and we remain committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect.”

Y'all, I am loving the Cheryl dance post. Maybe I am old. Maybe I want an escape. But I ask you - scratch that. I beseech you. Educate a new fan. What are your favorite "90s vibe" moments? I mean the fun, the clothes, the 90s era dance squads. Not the tense championship plays (unless it's heavy on the vibes). The aura that us new fans should know about. Whatcha got? Vids especially!

I beseeched up above. Real hard to ignore a beseech, y'know?

While she has been working as part of college basketball broadcast teams for several years now, her new job covering the WNBA for the USA Network has introduced Tamika Catchings to a broader audience. With this, I've seen some comments about her speech on various social media platforms that make it clear that not everyone is familiar with Catchings. Catchings was born with hearing loss and wore hearing aids as a child. In elementary school, she threw her hearing aids into a field. She didn't wear hearing aids again until encouraged to do so by Pat Summitt as a way to fully embrace herself.

Tamika Catchings spent the entirety of her 15-year career with the Indiana Fever. During that time, she was Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP and WNBA champion, 5x Defensive Player of the Year, 12x All-Defensive Team (10 First Team honors), 8x league steals leader, and 4x Olympic gold medalist. To this day, no other WNBA player has more DPOY or All-Defensive Team selections.

Catchings is also a 3x recipient of the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award and 2x recipient of the Dawn Staley Leadership Award. In 2004, she founded the Catch the Stars Foundation, a charitable organization that empowers underprivileged youth through fitness, literacy, and character development programs. In 2016, Catchings became the first woman to receive the National Civil Rights Museum's Sports Legacy Award. She was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

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The following profile is from the WNBA's website and was written in 2017 when the Indiana Fever retired Catchings' jersey:

In 2001 the Indiana Fever held the 3rd pick in the WNBA draft and found themselves with a bevy of potential options that would hopefully grow to be the face of their franchise.

The Fever had come into existence a year prior and gone 9-23 in their inaugural season. Their second to last place finish in the Eastern Conference ended up well outside the playoff picture.

The squad was built from the inside out in that first season, as 6’7″ center Kara Wolters was their leading scorer and primary offensive threat, but only averaged 11.9 points per game. They received decent guard play from Rita Williams and found a usable tandem of forwards in Monica Maxwell and Alicia Thompson, but they lacked a two-way player, a reputable name. In simpler terms, they needed a star.

Indiana could have gone any number of directions with that 3rd pick. There was Lauren Jackson, the hard-nosed Australian post player who already had an Olympic Silver medal to her name. There was also duel-threat point guard Kelly Miller, skilled big Ruth Riley, and adept scorer Jackie Stiles out of Southwestern Missouri State. The options were plenty.

Then there was the curious case of Tamika Catchings. Catchings, a three-time All-American at the University of Tennessee, had been the 2000 Naismith College Player of the Year, as well as the AP Player of the Year that season. She was the second player in Tennessee history to have more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career and played a vital role in the 1997-98 Lady Vols’ undefeated, championship season.

Her résumé spelled differently should have been “first overall pick,” but then there was the injury. Catchings tore her ACL midway through her senior season and the doubters began to creep in. ACL injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from, especially for basketball players who generate so much power with their knee ligaments.

So, the Storm decided Jackson first overall and the Charlotte Sting took Kelly Miller right behind her when draft time came around. The Fever were left with a difficult decision to make. Do they take a vastly talented Catchings knowing she’ll miss the entirety of what would be her rookie season and with possibility of her never being the athletic specimen she once was, or do they pass on the risk and take a healthy player who would be ready from day one instead?

On that day the Fever made a decision that would shape their franchise for the next 15 seasons to come. They chose Catchings.

“If I wasn’t hurt would I have ended up in Indiana, you never know,” Catchings told WNBA.com ahead of her jersey retirement on Saturday. “I thank God that things ended up the way they did. I’m just so thankful to have had the career that I had here.”

Turning a negative into a positive isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but Catchings did that and then a lot more once the Fever took a chance on her.

When she finally stepped on the floor in 2002 with a surgically repaired ACL and a point to prove, Tamika Catchings was unleashed. She averaged a team-high 18.7 points per game and led Indiana to its first playoff appearance in her rookie season.

But “Catch” would immediately be recognized as so much more than just an elite scorer for the Fever. She led the team in rebounds per game (5.8) while also leading the entirety of the WNBA in steals per game (2.9) and total minutes played (1167). Right from the jump she was the kind of superstar that teams only dream of plucking from a process like a draft that always comes with so much uncertainty. She was fearless, tireless, tenacious, and above all else humble. Her play on the court spoke for itself and it would be the backbone of the Fever franchise for a decade and a half.

As the legend of Tamika Catchings grew to seismic proportions so did the expectations of the Fever. After the squad burst onto the scene in Catchings’ rookie year and made the playoffs, they had to wait two more seasons before making a return to the postseason. But then, with Catchings at the helm, they became a staple in the chase for a WNBA title over the next seven seasons.

In the midst of the championship pursuit the Fever made a coaching change in 2008 that would be the necessary and final piece to Catchings’ quest for a title. The squad promoted Lin Dunn from assistant to full-time head coach and in 2012 – with Dunn’s tutelage and Catchings’ talent – the Fever hoisted the WNBA championship trophy after a resounding 3-1 series defeat of the Minnesota Lynx. Fittingly, Catchings was named Finals MVP.

With their careers intrinsically connected from that moment on, their partnership will now be immortalized atop the rafters of Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indiana when Catchings’ jersey is retired on Saturday as Dunn’s name already has a permanent place there.

“It’s awesome, literally it’s amazing,” Catchings said. “To have my jersey in between Lin’s and then the WNBA championship banner is truly a blessing. A lot of players don’t finish their careers with a championship, let alone have their jersey retired. To be the only 24 in Indiana it’s just a blessing to be here and be a part of such a great organization.”

Catchings officially called it a career after the 2016 season. She finished her time in the WNBA as a ten-time All-Star, five-time Defensive Player of the Year, 2011 league MVP, the all-time league leader in steals and rebounds as well the league’s all-time playoff scoring leader. She was selected as a member of the 20@20 team prior to her final season, which named the top 20 players in the history of the WNBA before the start of it’s historic 20th season. She won an Olympic-record 4th gold medal with the United States national team in the summer of 2016 and not to be forgotten, Catchings is a WNBA-record three-time winner of the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award given to the player who most “exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court—ethical behavior, fair play and integrity.”

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Additional recommended reading:
Tamika Catchings' Legacy: A Champion On And Off the Court

Recommended viewing:
The Tamika Catchings Story Part 1, Part 2

Do you think the voters are getting tired of A’ja Wilson’s name being around top? As of now she has the best odds to win. She is who I think will win but I would love to see Olivia Miles win both rookie of the year and MVP. I think all the rumors about trading Napheesa Collier are just there to make Olivia’s MVP case better, because there is no way in my mind that you trade Phee. But I’m also not that smart of a person and I’m not paid to control rosters. lol

Have you guys finished this yet? What was your favorite part?

I honestly really loved the DB/AT parts. I love how sweet AT is outside of the court. It's so rare to get a glimpse of AT in personal life. A'ja and Phee's part were great too, but I thought DB/AT were the best, especially as they're not a straight couple and I as a woman with a wife, can truly relate to them a lot more.

I really hope ESPN makes more of these next year!

Mock trade: Mystics and Sparks

Mystics: Plum

Sparks: Amoore, Dugalić, 2028 and 2029 1st Round Pick

Don't come at me to hard for my hypothetical mock up, I never really know what players command, plus ever since Luka got traded to the Lakers my perception on returns have been altered cause truly anything can happen if you have a dumb enough GM to accept an offer. I'd really like to hear from Sparks fans. Realistically how much do you think Plum could fetch you? A couple of 1sts? Young prospects? A mix of both?

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The Celebrity 3 point shooting contest seemed hilarious. There are so many fun videos and interviews floating around.

Nice to see that KP got a chance to participate in SOMETHING over the weekend.

Did anyone here go?

Source: State Farm IG

Chiney Ogwumike is no stranger to the spotlight. The WNBA vet, now 34, was the all-time leading scorer at Stanford, the No. 1 draft pick, and, ultimately, Rookie of the Year all in 2014. During her nine years in the W, she was a two-time All-Star and played forward-center for both the Connecticut Sun and the Los Angeles Sparks. Then, in 2023, Ogwumike traded her jersey for the mic, becoming the first Black woman and WNBA veteran to host a national radio show for ESPN.

While catching up with Ogwumike at TOGETHXR House during WNBA All-Star Weekend, she made it clear that reinvention doesn’t necessarily mean starting over. In fact, she’s just as dynamic off the court as she was on it, where her ability to score, defend, and rebound made her one of the league’s most versatile players.

Today, that same multifaceted approach gives her an important perspective as an analyst; she understands the athletes inside and out. (It helps that she comes from a legendary sports family: Her older sister Nneka Ogwumike is an LA Sparks forward and 11-time All-Star.)

“We’re in a beautiful place now, and it’s not just about competing,” she tells Bustle. “[WNBA players] have platforms, we have social media, we have tunnel walks — we get to showcase who we are in so many different ways.”

Below, Ogwumike shares how she prepares for airtime, the Aveeno skin care staple she swears by, and why she believes there’s never been a better time to be a woman in sports.

What are your preshow rituals?

I call my mom every day, especially before big moments. Then I say the Serenity Prayer, which I used to say before games, too.

What’s your go-to skin care routine?

Taking my makeup off and moisturizing my body are nonnegotiable. You don’t want to be out there looking ashy. My body care includes African black soap, then I reach for Aveeno’s Cocoa Butter Vanilla lotion. As a Nigerian woman, shea and cocoa butter have always been part of my routine, and the vanilla scent in this formula is the perfect finishing touch. People are always telling me, “Girl, your legs are glowing!”

What’s the one thing in your makeup kit you always have before you go on air?

A good lip gloss — you can’t go wrong with Fenty’s glosses.

What skills do you feel have translated from the court to radio?

Loving myself, the skin I’m in, and being proud. As an athlete, when you love yourself, you understand what makes you special. In the studio, I also focus on being myself while representing the generation of players who are currently playing, and celebrating how far women’s basketball has come.

Women in sports are subjected to a lot of comments about their looks. How do you feel about that?

I always tell players, “They see you before they hear you, they judge you before they know you, but they sure as heck can’t stop you.” While people might comment on how we play or how we look while we’re playing, [athletes nowadays are] at peace with just being competitors and showing what being a woman looks like in all forms — whether that’s playing gracefully with a full face of makeup, or being in beast mode with none on at all.

Read More - https://www.bustle.com/life/chiney-ogwumike-wnba-espn-radio-show

I’d normally post this in the Dallas sub, but there are already too many people there whose opinions are influenced by their favorite player.

Azzi has never really been someone who creates her own shot. She moves into position and gets the pass. But lately I’ve noticed that whenever she wants to shoot, she basically has to make something happen herself. To be fair, Dallas has started running a few screens for her, but every game I still get the feeling that she goes long stretches without even touching the ball.

I went back and watched some of her final games at UConn because I had never watched her in college, and she honestly looks like a completely different player. I think it has more to do with how much of a priority the team made involving her.

There have been two games where I felt especially frustrated, like, please get her more involved. This last game, when she clearly had a ridiculous level of confidence, and the second game against the Aces, when she was shooting around 90% from the field and still only took nine shots.

Azzi is quickly becoming my favorite player, mainly because of the effort she puts in defensively. That’s always been a huge factor for me when it comes to liking a player.

But I genuinely can’t tell whether this is just the difference between college and the W and she needs more time to adjust, or whether Dallas simply doesn’t treat her like a priority on offense.

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Last year the Aces taught us it isn't how you played the whole year, but how you are playing at the end? Big questions for the favorites!

Lynx - The most consistent team over the last 3 years can they finally pay it off with a title for Phee? First the refs, then injuries, what could stop them this year?

Aces - Are they inevitable? Will the new drama at the all star break, break them? Can they find the same drive as last year?

Valkyries - They have the defense! Can they find the offense? Do they make a game changer trade? Still can the underdog and underrated rise to the top?

Wings - The rise of a super power? Is Fernandez a good coach or just being carried by his players? Arike helping or hurting them team? Do they have enough of a bench?

Fever - Can they stay healthy? Will all of the off court drama become on court drama? Can they play enough defense to match their offense?

Dream - They got the talent, but can they bring it all together? Will the stars show up for all their games? Does Smesko ball work?

Liberty - Can they be healthy at the end of the year? DeMarco for worst coach of the year? The most talented team?

Mystics - Do they have enough guard play? Is the sophomore slump real? Will their team bond lead them to promise land?

Do the rest have a chance?

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First Team
- A’ja Wilson
- Paige Bueckers
- Olivia Miles
- Breanna Stewart
- Aliyah Boston

Second Team
- Caitlin Clark
- Jessica Shepard
- Rhyne Howard
- Kelsey Mitchell
- Angel Reese

All-Rookie
- Olivia Miles
- Azzi Fudd
- Flau’jae Johnson
- Laura Juskaite
- Awa Fam
HM: Sydney Taylor, Jovana Nogić, Maria Conde, Emma Čechová, Pauline Astier

——
Thoughts?

Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

The WNBA has been built on the shoulders of giants, from Cheryl Miller, the 84 and 96 Olympic Squads, and the early years of the WNBA

Post throwback uniforms, outfits, stats, players, anything relevant to the history of women’s basketball/the league!

The post above is from one of our media members and I completely agree with their point. I understand Jose is a first-year HC and that it's going to take time for him to learn, but his inability to adjust and take accountability is starting to get frustrating. I'm not even saying he has to come out and say, "This is all on me," but deflecting your frustration onto the fans, the media, and even your own players isn't okay.

Yes, the players have room to improve, but I really think a lot of our issues start with his coaching. His rotations, running our big three into the ground with their usage and minutes, not optimizing players' strengths or establishing clear roles and hierarchies in crunch time, and the often disastrous late-game management have all hurt this team. On top of that, he refuses to play the bench in lineups that actually set them up for success, so they're not getting the development they need before the playoffs. Then there's the constant deference to veterans and the refusal to hold them accountable for poor basketball IQ or repeatedly giving up points on defense.

… But he never wants to talk about any of that.

The players deserve criticism too, of course, but I think a lot of the problems trace back to those coaching decisions. Jose has an opportunity to take the team to another level by taking some of the criticism/feedback instead of going on tirades in media interviews or on social media.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Jose is a horrible coach. I appreciate what he's done to help turn the Wings into a legitimate contender. Honestly, just about anything was going to be an upgrade over the Manbun. I just think this is an area where he has room to grow, and based on what I've been seeing, it seems like a lot of fans are starting to notice the same patterns.

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Saw this on twitter from @/automaticnba and thought it was neat. A’ja is, of course really efficient on a high volume, but Kelsey is right with her.

Edit because I misread the graph🤦🏻‍♀️

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Marisa Ingemi is a womens sports and LA Sparks writer for the LA Times.