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WNBA Rookies Shine in Preseason Debut

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April 30, 2016

In the first preseason game of the 2017 WNBA season the San Antonio Stars hosted the Dallas Wings Saturday afternoon. On display were five top ten draft picks, including the #1 pick Kelsey Plum who many were anxious to see in her WNBA debut. Plum did not disappoint as she scored her first basket less than a minute into the game. Plum went on to score 19 points and dished out 5 assists. She was able to score in many different ways; getting to the basket, coming off screens and knocking down three point shots. She even got to the free throw line more times than anyone on the Stars where she went seven for seven from the stripe. If there were any doubts as to whether Plum would shine in this league that was certainly put to rest yesterday. Plum wasn’t the only rookie to impress on the Stars. No. 5 pick Nia Coffee was very efficient in almost 20 minutes of play. Coffee was relentless on the boards where she pulled down five rebounds and went 6-10 from the floor to finish second in scoring with 17 points. Rookie Briana Day out of Syracuse scored 10 points on 4-7 shooting.

Dallas Wings rookies were also very impressive in their debuts. Allisha Gray led the way for the Wings scoring a team high 15 points. Gray was aggressive with the ball as she attacked the basket and got to the line eight times. Although Gray was not as efficient from the floor, her tenacity fits right in with Dallas style of play. South Carolina teammate Kaela Davis held her own in Saturday’s contest as well. Davis finished with 13 points 6 rebounds and 3 assists her her WNBA debut. She was able to get to the basket and use her size and strength to finish shots. No. 3 pick Evelyn Akhator was a little more quiet in her debut as she finished with four points and four rebounds in 15 minutes of play. In the end the San Antonio Stars hung on the win 87-81 to give Vicki Johnson her first win as a WNBA head coach.

All in all these rookies had a fine showing in Saturday’s game. For it to be their first time in a WNBA uniform, they showed poise and skill that will definitely be beneficial to both teams who were at the bottom on the league standings for the 2016 season. The Stars and the Wings will rely heavily on their young talent to lead the way this season. As they continue to adjust to the size and speed of the WNBA, these young players will continue to develop and be huge contributors to the success of their respective clubs.

2017 WNBA Full Preseason Schedule!

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April 26, 2017

WNBA training camps are underway throughout the league. Although many players are still competing in European leagues, preseason games are scheduled to begin this weekend. We will finally get the chance to see #1 draft pick Kelsey Plum in action as the San Antonio Stars take on the Dallas Wings on Saturday at 2:30 PM ET. Also suiting up for the first time in a WNBA uniform with be Dallas Wing’s number 3 and 4 overall picks Evelyn Akhator and Allisha Gray. Check out the full preseason schedule below. 

2017 Euroleague Championship Highlights!

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April 17, 2017

On Sunday Russian League’s Dynamo Kursk won their first Euroleague Women’s championship. Kursk capped an undefeated Euroleague season with a win over Turkey’s Fenerbahce. Angel McCoughtry lead the way scoring 20 points against her former team and was named MVP of the Final Four. Nneka Ogwumike finished with a double double of 19 points and 10 rebounds and  Epiphanny Prince filled up the stat sheet with 18 points, seven assists and four steals.

Change the Venue Back! WNBA Draft 2017…

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April 14, 2017

When the WNBA announced that the 2017 draft would be held in New York City at Samsung 837, the brand’s experiential flagship and cultural hub there was much excitement around a welcomed change to the format and venue of past drafts. The venue was described as a “digital playground [that] boasts three levels of experience zones including a VR Theater and three-story multimedia screen.” Sounds pretty cool right? Yea, I thought so too. The WNBA draft had been held in Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun for the past three years. Connecticut is home to the league’s broadcast partner ESPN who provided coverage and home to a very large women’s basketball fan base who faithfully follow the UCONN Huskies. Connecticut is also home to the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. Many didn’t know what to expect with the change in venue but the league assured us all that “Samsung 837 will provide a setting unlike any the WNBA Draft has featured before.” The league was right, this was a setting unlike any before, unfortunately, in this case, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

First of all, the event was not open to the public which wasn’t the greatest idea since New York City is the home of the Liberty who have one of the larger fanbases in the WNBA. But if the draft was not open to the public who were all those random people floating around in the background hardly paying attention to what was going on in front of them? From my television screen, the players seemed to be crammed into a small area where they shared high school style lunchroom tables. Come on now, can a player soon to be drafted into the greatest women’s league in the world get her own table with her family? Not only that, was there any kind of rehearsal for the players? When Kelsey Plum was drafted #1 to the San Antonio Stars she looked confused as to what to do next? Should she go somewhere like on a stage where she could take a picture with her new jersey and president of the WNBA Lisa Borders? Or should she just stand there and wait for an interview with a bunch of noisy people in the background? That didn’t look good AT ALL.

Secondly, I am a huge fan of Dawn Staley and was very excited to see her win her first National Championship but why did she announce the first pick in the draft? I mean, I get it, we want to honor her success but it just didn’t work for me. Did it work for you? Furthermore, why did Sheryl Swoopes announce the second pick? Where was the continuity? So Staley announced the first pick, she had just won the national championship, Swoops announced the second pick but why? Swoops didn’t just win a championship but maybe it was because she headlines the 2017 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductees? Still don’t get it. So that was it? Two people other than the WNBA president announced the first two picks of the draft and that was it? You might as well had each and every pick announced by some former player who had recently been celebrated. I mean you could hardly see President Borders who was huddled up in some random DJ booth as she announced the picks. Where was Lisa Borders? We love Lisa! We want to see you!

When we got to the #7 pick in the draft and the Atlanta Dream selected Brittney Sykes from Syracuse, she was nowhere to be found. You know why? Because the league decided it was a good idea to only invite ten prospects to attend the draft. Your name was called #7 on the biggest day of your basketball career and you couldn’t even be there to celebrate! That’s wrong. It’s sad that these young ladies missed out on a real draft experience where they would hear their names called, walk on stage and receive their new team jersey, take a picture with the president of the league and then head over to be interviewed about their experience. They deserved that. Instead, they just stood up at their shared lunch table and were rushed through a quick interview. What did we learn about Samsung 837? Unless I missed something, I didn’t see much more than a few people seated in some sort of simulated virtual experience. Was there something else?

Breanna Stewart was selected #1 in the 2016 WNBA Draft.

I welcome the change in venue for the WNBA draft, why not have it in the mecca of basketball NYC, but give these girls a better experience, give the world who’s watching something to look forward to. Please don’t go back to the Mohegan but if we have to sit through what we did last night, I’d gladly take the casino over virtual reality. Either way, congratulations to all the young ladies who were drafted last night. Welcome to the greatest women’s basketball league in the world. Despite the shortcomings of a well-intentioned draft experience you are about to embark of some of the greatest times of your lives. Cherish these moments and appreciate the process. Hoping for an even better 21st WNBA season! Let us know what you thought of the 2017 Draft? Did you enjoy the new venue? What did you like or didn’t like about it all? We would love to hear your thoughts.

WNBA Announce 2017 Draft Attendees!

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April 6, 2017

Earlier today the WNBA announced the 2017 WNBA Draft Presented By State Farm attendees. The draft will be held in New York City on April 13th at Samsung 837. Beginning at 7pm, ESPN2 will provide live coverage and analysis with the last two rounds moving over to ESPNU. Coverage will also stream live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Ten of the top draft prospects were invited to this year’s draft in NYC which was revealed via twitter. In a change from recent WNBA drafts, where at least enough players to cover the first round were invited, the league seemed to only invite those who are shoo-in’s to be drafted in the first round. Even still, there are several notable players left off of the invite list. It will be odd to see at least two players unable to hear their names called in the green room and head on stage to take pictures with WNBA president Lisa Borders with their new team’s jersey. Either way, the change in venue is a refreshing change to good ole’ Mohegan Sun Arena.

The list of invited players and their families are filled with recent NCAA champions, All-Americans, a conference player of the year, and the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s history. South Carolina will have three players at this year’s WNBA draft.  Four time All-SEC center and 2017 national champion Alaina Coates will be in attendance along with teammates Kaela Davis and Allisha Gray representing the Gamecocks. Northwestern standout Nia Coffey, who is the first player in program history to score 1,000 points and pull down 1,000 rebounds, will be on hand. The lone player from the state of Texas, which is home to two WNBA franchises, Alexis Jones from Baylor was invited. The Maryland Terrapins will have two players in NYC, Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. Jones was named the 2017 Big Ten Player of the Year and First-Team All-American while Walker-Kimbrough is the Big Ten all-time career leader in 3FG%. Stanford’s forward Erica McCall has been invited to the draft. McCall is the half-sister of WNBA all-star Dewanna Bonner. Oregon State’s four-time all PAC12 player, Sydney Wiese will be at Samsung 837. And finally, the player who most certainly will be the #1 draft pick to the San Antonio Stars, Washington’s Kelsey Plum will be the first player on stage in New York City. Plum is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s history. And for the first time for as long as I can remember the University of Connecticut will not have any players in the green room at the WNBA draft. For once, head coach Geno Auriemma gets a chance to take a break from the cameras. 

 

WNBA Highlight Critical Role Men Play in Achieving Gender Equality

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March 28, 2017

The WNBA along with the NBA, NBPA, and LeanIn.org have partnered to highlight the critical role men play in achieving gender equality. This campaign comes at a time where gender equality issues are at the forefront. Most recently, the U.S women’s hockey team began a boycott earlier this month seeking “a living wage from USA Hockey.” Although male U.S. hockey team players do not get paid any more than the women players they do have extra benefits that are not afforded to the women. Not to mention, the majority of male national team hockey players play in the NHL where they make millions of dollars and do not necessarily need wages from U.S. hockey unlike the women. It’s been reported that the U.S. men’s national team could boycott the World Championships to show support for the women’s team which is great and what LeanIn.org is all about! This is an ongoing dispute that looks to be resolved in the next few days.

LeanIn.org announced a public campaign with a PSA and online videos featuring NBA players Devin Booker, Kyle Lowry and Jrue Holiday who all share very personal stories and encourage fans to share their own stories on social media using the hashtag #LeanInTogether. Although we have come a long way in gaining gender equality in the workplace, women still lag far begin men when it comes to high positions in business and in government. LeanIn.org co-founder and president Rachel Thomas looks to change this with the influence of NBA players. “Our continued partnership with the NBA is a powerful tool for engaging men about gender equality through the eyes of players,” Thomas said. This is the third year that the WNBA has been involved with the LeanIn campaign as the league is one of the leaders in gender equality achievement. Visit LeanIn.org to learn more.

 

 

Dallas Wings’ Point Guard Tiffany Bias Chats with Steph Lecor (Video)

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March 21, 2017 

Fourth year Dallas Wings’ point guard Tiffany Bias is interviewed by singer Steph Lecor during South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. During the #HERTAKE interview, Bias dishes about fashion, sneakers, some her personal struggles and gives advice to young players about what it takes to be successful. Lecor ends the interview with a fun Q & A called ‘This or that’. Find out if Tiffany chose Lisa Leslie or Sheryl Swoops, Jordan 1’s or Jordan 11’s and much more! And if you’re a Tiffany Bias fan you can also check out her BIAS athletic gear with Hoop Cred here.

 

Perception is Real: Candice Wiggins Truth

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February 21, 2017

On Monday, the San Diego Union-Tribune released a candid interview with recently retired WNBA player Candice Wiggins entitled ‘Wiggins: WNBA’s ‘harmful’ culture of bullying, jealousy’. From the moment the article was released social media was in an uproar about the claims Wiggins makes about her experiences during her eight-year career in the WNBA. From current players calling the article “just disappointing” or finding it “hard to believe”, to former players flat out saying “It’s both bullshit and it’s EXTREMELY problematic.” Many simply referred to it as #FakeNews.

In the article Wiggins proclaims that her entry into the WNBA, as many would assume, was not a dream come true and that in fact “it was quite the opposite.” She describes the culture of the WNBA as “very very harmful” and claims that she was bullied throughout her career. Wiggins continued to take digs at the 20 year old league, calling it a “survival league” that she said still struggles for attention and legitimacy. “Nobody cares about the WNBA. Viewership is minimal. Ticket sales are very low. They give away tickets and people don’t come to the game.”

According to wnba.com, the WNBA’s historic 20th season “scored its highest attendance in five years and included record marks for WNBA digital, social media and retail.” 

Wiggins says that she experienced jealousy because of the way she looked and played and that players deliberately tried to “hurt her all of the time” because of this.“There were horrible things happening to me every day,” she said. The extensive interview then took a turn for the worse when Wiggins equated her mistreatment to her sexuality.

“Me being heterosexual and straight, and being vocal in my identity as a straight woman was huge,” Wiggins said. “I would say 98 percent of the women in the WNBA are gay women. It was a conformist type of place. There was a whole different set of rules they (the other players) could apply.

Wiggins had enough of the toxic and jealous culture of the WNBA and thus decided to retire after eight seasons in the league. A storied professional career, riddled with numerous injuries, where she won a WNBA championship with the Minnesota Lynx in 2011, Wiggins has moved on to other career aspirations, one being an author where she plans on releasing an autobiography based on her journals as a player. Although this interview caused quite the stir, maybe, just maybe, these experiences were real. 

Let’s talk about the pink elephant in the room. Everyone knows the WNBA has a lot of players that identify as gay. 98%? It’s fair to say that’s a stretch, however, it’s also fair say that during a span of eight years in the WNBA there were possibly more gay players than non-gay players. Does this matter in the grand scheme of things? No. But it does matter to someone that is not in the majority. Perception is real. We all live in our own realities by virtue of how we perceive and understand things and for Wiggins, this was her reality.

What if the tables were turned? How does the one or two gay people feel in a locker room full of heterosexuals? Perhaps this is why there are no “out” male professional athletes in the NBA or the NFL. If Wiggins perceived her maltreatment to stem from her femininity in a league that “encouraged women to look and act like men in the NBA,” if she was bullied because she was “proud to be a woman,” then these feelings are real and we cannot discount what she felt. This was her perception.

What does it feel like to be in the minority? Although the WNBA is one of the most deliberately accepting and engaging professional leagues in the world, Wiggins felt like a minority and thus alienated. This could be her own doing but again, this is how she felt. If Wiggins was reminded daily (People were deliberately trying to hurt me all of the time), that she was different, that can be discouraging and even embarrassing. “My spirit was being broken,” Wiggins said and perhaps we need to make sure that no player ever has to go through what Wiggins went through. Yes there is competition, probably some jealousy too, but this is sports! It’s a competition.

But before she gets a pass for bashing the very league that gave her the platform to even make her feelings relevant, before she makes statements that some would call false and stereotypical statements about a group of women who sacrifice year-round to uphold the values and legacy of the WNBA, Wiggins needs to check her privilege at the door, and not group her very unfortunate personal experiences on an entire group of women and in the next breath say but um “I’m not trying to crush anyone’s dreams or aspirations, or the dreams of the WNBA. I want things to be great…” If you want things to be great then start with accountability first and maybe ask yourself what did I do to make the atmosphere better for future players.

I can say in my eleven seasons in the WNBA I’ve never witnessed the kind of bullying Wiggins describes in her interview. This does not mean it did not happen but I’m proud to be apart of a league that supports inclusion and celebrates all players regardless of their race, religion or sexuality. We are a family made up of players that love and respect the game of basketball. We are dedicated to growing the game and our league through integrity, honesty and hardwork. I feel awful that Candice had these experiences while playing in the WNBA but I encourage her to not only speak out about the negative aspects of her career but also shed light on how we can prevent this from ever happening again. The WNBA gave you a platform to emerge as an advocate for HIV/AIDS in which you have a very personal connection. The WNBA supported you, worked with you, gave you a voice. Why now? Why bring down the league you say you want to be successful? Why not uplift, advocate, and encourage young women to be themselves as you were during your playing days. Let young girls know that it’s ok to be “different”, teach them how to overcome, how to survive and to come out on top. Your voice will be much more appreciated and received that way.

In a world where we are already so divided I think it is important for people to tell their stories and to share their experiences. It’s equally important for people to listen and to care. I commend Candice Wiggins for telling her story and I look forward to seeing how she uses her experiences to to ensure this never ever happens to anyone again.

—Monique Currie

Moriah Jefferson in new Adidas Commercial

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February 17, 2017

Adidas has always done a great job marketing it’s athletes. More recently they’ve taken things a step further by including WNBA sponsored athletes in their visual campaigns. In the past, you would always see NBA, NFL, MLB and soccer players in sports commercials but it was rare to see WNBA players getting ad time. Recently we saw LA Spark’s forward Candace Parker featured in the Adidas ‘Unleash Your Creativity’ campaign and now you can see Moriah Jefferson of the WNBA’s San Antonio Stars help introduce the new adidas running AlphaBOUNCE AMS. Other brands should take notice and market their WNBA players as much as they do their male counterparts.

WNBA Free Agency So Far…

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February 11, 2017

WNBA Free Agency is well underway and we have seen a ton of action around the league. Making some big changes are the Washington Mystics who signed two major free agents in Elena Delle Donne and Kristi Toliver instantly boosting their chances of bringing their first WNBA championship to D.C. It may be a bit too early to start talking about raising banners but we must admit that Washington should make a lot of noise this summer.

Defending champions LA Sparks took a hit losing Kristi Toliver but they’ve resigned some major players from last season’s championship run. Essence Carson and Alana Beard will be back with the Sparks while Candace Parker signed an extension with the team. Ogwumike, Lavender and Gray are all under contract. Riquna Williams will make her debut for the Sparks after missing last season due to injury. LA will have to figure out who will make up their bench.

The Lynx have been fairly quiet other than the signing of Plenette Pierson, a veteran power forward who will definitely bring great energy and effort to a team who needed to bolster their bench and give their starters some rest.

Phoenix picked up an all-star point guard in Danielle Robinson but had to send away their young post player Isabelle Harrison and the #5 draft pick to the San Antonio Stars. They’ve also signed several free agents but haven’t made any big moves just yet.

San Antonio signed veteran center Erika DeSouza. Jayne Appel retired after last season so DeSouza’s services are much needed inside. Kayla McBride will return to the lineup after missing almost all of last season with a broken foot. The Stars also have the #1 and #5 picks in this years draft.

Seattle picked up Carolyn Swords in a three team trade and re-signed Crystal Langhorne. They also signed Nikki Green and Samantha Whitcomb to training camp contracts. Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd will continue to lead this squad as they add pieces to complement these two.

We haven’t heard much from Dallas besides the signing of Tiffany Bias. I’m sure we will hear more from them in the coming weeks.

Atlanta will be an interesting team this season playing without their star Angel McCoughtry who announced that she would sit out this season to rest. Resigning Layshia Clarendon was major as the trade for her paid huge dividends.  Look for some of their younger players to step up to fill the shoes of their missing leader.

New York acquired some great talent in Kia Vaughn and Bria Hartley who came from Washington. They also resigned Sugar Rogers who had a breakout season in 2016. Australian guard Rebecca Allen will also return to the team this summer.

Connecticut resigned Camille Little, Alex Bentley and Jasmine Thomas all huge players on the Sun’s roster. A lot of young talent playing in the Mohegan Sun that will continue to improve.

Indiana will miss Tamika Catchings who was everything to that franchise. With a new head coach in Pokey Chatman, she will begin created a new legacy in Indiana. The fever made sure to bring back Erlana Larkins who plays a pivotal role on the team. They’re also bringing back Erica Wheeler. The Fever still have a huge void to fill but the show will go on.

Chicago has been the talk of the town after it was announced that Delle Donne wanted out. The Sky did the best they could do with the hand they were dealt bringing in all-star center Stefanie Dolson and Kahleah Copper. They will also pick second in the WNBA draft. Losing Delle Donne was a huge blow to the Sky but they have a nice core of young talent that new head coach Amber Stocks will love growing with.

Be sure to keep up with 2017 WNBA Free Agency Movement here.