Emma Hruby
Jun 24, 2024
The New York Liberty are now the top team in the WNBA, leading the league with a franchise-best 15-3 start to the season.
Breanna Stewart leads the team in points (19.9), while Jonquel Jones leads in rebounds (8.7), and Sabrina Ionescu in assists (6.4). On Sunday, Ionescu had her fifth career game with 25+ points and 10+ assists.
Meanwhile, Connecticut stumbled over the weekend, suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season. They’re now tied for second in the league with a 13-3 record.
Las Vegas's win over Connecticut began a two-win run for the reigning league champs, who look to regain their rhythm with the return of starting point guard Chelsea Gray. The team also became the first team in WNBA history to sell out all of its regular season home games.
"I do think that the growth is just the beginning," Aces chief operating and chief financial officer Matt Delsen when asked about the surging ticket sales. "And I think that, you know, the viewership can and is going to continue to grow because these athletes are the best in the world at what they do."
On Sunday, the Chicago Sky got the tight 88-87 win over Indiana while Angel Reese posted a career-high 25 points and 16 rebounds in the win. Caitlin Clark was also impressive despite the loss, scoring 17 points and a franchise-record 13 assists, as well as six rebounds and four steals.
"This is what I do: I come out and perform," Reese said after the game. "I do what it takes to win every single day."
A number of celebrities were spotted enjoying the matchup inside Wintrust Arena, including Chance the Rapper, Jason Sudeikis, Sheryl Swoopes, and Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
"It's good for the game, good for women's basketball, but also good for women's sports," Reese said of the buzzy crowd. "You see NBA players, rappers, legends that played in the league for a great long time come out and show support. You know everybody's watching right now.
"I think this is one of the most important times right now, and we just continue to keep putting on. I think both teams tonight did an amazing job putting on a show. It was fun. I had a great time, I'm sure the other team had a great time. I'm just happy we won tonight."
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Emma Hruby
Jun 28, 2024
Wimbledon will begin on Monday, with French Open-winner Iga Swiatek looking to take her first grass court major title.
Others looking to challenge her include Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, and 2023 Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova.
Grass isn't the strongest surface for some of the world’s heaviest hitters, including Swiatek, Gauff, and Sabalenka. Jabeur, meanwhile, will be looking to win her first Grand Slam singles title after falling short in last year’s final.
But the tournament’s proximity to the Paris Olympics — combined with the fact that the Olympics will be played on clay courts — has resulted in a number of key players dropping out of the Summer Games.
Sabalenka, Jabeur, and American Madison Keys are among a group of top players declining to participate in the Summer Games, citing health and fitness concerns in relation to a tight schedule played on multiple surfaces.
"We have decided that the quick change of surface and the body’s adaptation required would put my knee at risk and jeopardize the rest of my season," Jabeur posted on social media regarding her Olympic withdrawal.
"It’s too much with the scheduling," Sabalenka echoed. "It’s just too much. I made the decision to take care of my health."
Both Swiatek and Gauff, who excel on clay courts, are still planning to participate this summer in Paris.
Emma Hruby
Jun 28, 2024
Despite a recent slump, the Aces are off to a three-game winning streak following Thursday’s 95-83 victory over Chicago.
Star point guard Chelsea Gray, who spent the first part of the season rehabbing from a lingering injury suffered in last year's WNBA Finals, has provided some much-needed depth in her return to the starting lineup. A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum all scored 20+ points in the win, with Wilson extending her league record of consecutive regular season games with 20+ points to 20.
But all was not lost for Chicago rookie Angel Reese, who tied Candace Parker's WNBA record for longest double-double streak in a single season with her ninth double-double in a row.
Compliments abound for the Aces after the whistle blew on what was Theresa Weatherspoon and Becky Hammon’s first WNBA matchup as head coaches. The WNBA legends played together on the New York Liberty from 1999 to 2003.
"Look at [Hammon's] team," Weatherspoon told reporters in a joint press conference with her former teammate. "What they’re doing, where they’re going, how they play, and how much fun they have — that’s how we play. It’s beautiful to see, and of course a measuring stick."
Emma Hruby
Jun 28, 2024
The returned to action on Thursday, with track stars Sha’Carri Richardson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone both in the mix.
Richardson is competing in the 200-meter after winning the 100-meter and securing her spot on the Olympic team. McLaughlin-Levron, meanwhile, is competing in the 400-meter hurdles — an event in which she currently holds the world record.
McLaughlin-Levron won Thursday's heat handily, and will now advance to Saturday's semifinal. Her time of 53.07 bested Anna co*ckrell's second-fastest time by 1.64 seconds.
"[That] felt good," she told NBC after the win. "I'm honestly excited to be out here and shake off the nerves. My stride pattern felt good. Just getting the feel of the rounds again; I really feel good."
Richardson also made light work of Thursday's heats, winning the 200-meter hurdles with a time of 21.99 — the second-fastest recorded this year — and advancing with ease to the semifinals.
"I’m really just focusing in on executing the curve to make the straightaway much, much easier," she told reporters. "Any time I touch the track it's an opportunity for me to work on my best self."
Elsewhere, discus throwerValarie Allman confirmed that she too would defend her Tokyo medal in Paris this summer, winning her event on Thursday by more than eight meters.
Emma Hruby
Jun 27, 2024
Nominees for the ESPY Awards dropped Wednesday, with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark topping the list with three nods, followed closely by Aces' A'ja Wilson with two.
Both Wilson and Clark snagged Best Athlete in Women’s Sports nominations, alongside Coco Gauff and Nelly Korda. Clark was also nominated for the Best Record-breaking Performance for breaking Pete Maravich’s record to become the NCAA DI all-time scoring leader. Joining her in that category is newly retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, who became the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history this year.
LSU gymnast Haleigh Bryant and USC basketball player JuJu Watkins was nominated in the Best Breakthrough Athlete category, while superstars Simone Biles and UConn's Paige Bueckers are among the nominees for Best Comeback Athlete.
Boston College lacrosse player Kayla Martello and Gotham FC’s Midge Purce received nominations for the Best Championship Performance.
In addition to the nominations, ESPN announced that South Carolina coach Dawn Staley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for her work in advocating for cancer research and bone marrow donors as well as her advocacy for women’s sports. Past recipients include Dick Vitale, Kay Yow, and Liam Hendriks.
"I’m grateful to ESPN for their coverage and the honor of this award," Staley said in a statement. "We’ve come a long way, and we will continue to move the women’s game forward and push for equity and visibility for our sport."
