One of the most successful streetball teams in New York City—year after year after year—is the Sean Bell All-Stars, coached by Jamaica, Queens, native Raheem “Rah” Wiggins. A decorated new short film, Bring Your Name, reminds viewers of the story behind the team’s name.

Sean Bell was a former high school baseball star from Queens celebrating his impending marriage in November, 2006, when he was shot by plain-clothes police officers. He died that night at age 23. Wiggins was a childhood friend of Bell’s who had been inspired to become a basketball coach by New York-area legends Jimmy Salmon and Tiny Morton. Wiggins was already entering streetball tournaments under the team name DDN (Dat’s Dem N—s), but he renamed the squad in honor of his fallen friend. And the team—not a high school AAU squad but a collection of adults, often with pro experience like Lance Stephenson or Tyshawn Taylor—has been a powerhouse ever since.

“We’re the best team in the city,” Wiggins says in the film, which takes you up close and personal to a game at Brooklyn’s Gersh Park. “People ask when I’m gonna walk away? As long as when I lose, people make a big deal out of it, I gotta come back.” He adds later, of the significance of the team’s name: “That’s my job, to keep [Sean’s] name to the public ear.”

Bring Your Name is directed by Raafi Rivero, the filmmaker and artist behind the ongoing Unarmed project, which exists “in memoriam of Black victims of police violence.” Rivero also worked on an upcoming docuseries around the 2024 NBA postseason that will air on ESPN.

Bring Your Name will make its world premiere at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia in August. From there, Rivero hopes to screen it at playground basketball venues in New York City as well as at other film festivals. And what does Rivero want viewers to take away from the film? “I hope they are inspired,” he says, “by the everyday heroism of people like Rah Wiggins.”

Portraits by Jon Lopez.

The post New Short Film Bring Your Name Details How the Sean Bell All-Stars Are Honoring the Memory of the Late New York Hooper appeared first on SLAM.

Cam Thomas has always gotten his buckets in bunches…a lot of buckets in bunches.

He led the entire Hampton Roads area in scoring as a freshman at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, VA. He left Oak Hill Academy as the program’s all-time leading scorer despite having only played there for his junior and senior seasons. He then led all NCAA DI freshmen in scoring during his sole season at LSU. It didn’t matter who Cam played with or against. His responsibility was always the same: score, score and score some more.

That all changed when he fell into the Brooklyn Nets’ lap at pick No. 27 in the 2021 NBA Draft. Not only would he be joining an organization with championship-or-bust expectations, but he was also joining a roster that wasn’t hurting for scoring. Do the names Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden ring a bell?

On one hand, Cam had first-class access to work with and learn from three of the best offensive players in hoops history. On the other, he had to wait his turn and deal with inconsistent playing time, something he’d never experienced at that point in his young career. Even then, Cam never lost even the smallest bit of confidence. It was tested, but that confidence is what got him here. And there’s a tad bit of “crazy” mixed in there, too. All the greats have it. But we know how the phrase goes: It’s only crazy until you do it.

In the sparing minutes he was given, Cam showed flashes of his scoring brilliance. Yet, on any given night, he could play anywhere from four minutes to 17 minutes or even have a DNP. It was like this for most of his first two years in the League.

And then, in February 2023…he erupted. Amidst the Nets moving on from their big three of KD, Kyrie and Harden and trying to figure out what direction they’d move in, Cam got a few more windows of opportunity. And he took full advantage. With Harden long gone, Kyrie just traded to Dallas and KD in trade rumors, Cam was unleashed. It all came together as he made history, becoming the youngest player to score 40-plus points in three straight games. And these 40-pieces were efficient, the works of a true professional scorer.

This past ’23-24 season, it started to slowly but surely all come together. Cam started in 51 of the 66 games he played in, averaging 22.5 points in about 31 minutes per game, a 12-point increase and 15-minute increase from the season prior.

And now we’re here. The Nets just completed a massive trade, and there are many questions about which direction the team is headed. There’s also an entirely new coaching staff, including Jordi Fernandez at the helm. But even with all the questions, there’s one thing that is for certain. The Nets have a more than capable number one scoring option in Cam Thomas.

It’s a warm Friday afternoon in July at SLAM HQ in New York, and the 6-3, 22-year-old combo guard who sits across from us is on the brink of what will be, one way or another, a defining season in his career. He sat down to discuss his offseason, proving doubters wrong, his love for Kobe Bryant and more.

SLAM: How’s the offseason been going?

Cam Thomas: It’s been good. Just laying low, resetting, getting ready for next season. It’s been real good.

SLAM: Have you developed some sort of routine, or do you approach each offseason differently?

CT: I usually try to go with a clean slate because you never know. Stuff changes from year to year, like coaches, schemes, etc. This summer was probably the longest I took off—about two or three weeks. Then I got right back to it.

SLAM: You’re mostly known for your ability to score at the highest level, and you’ve improved as a scorer each year since entering the League. Are there any specific things you’re focused on improving for next season?

CT: Nah, not really. I just want to keep working on everything. Last summer, I tried to put more emphasis on catch-and-shoot shooting, and I think I was way up in the League percentage-wise on catch-and-shoot [this past season]. So, just continue to work on that and fine-tuning the skills I had coming into the League, like my off-the-dribble stuff and finishing around the basket, [while] still improving on catch-and-shoot, trying to have the best percentage in the League.

SLAM: The Nets were part of one of the biggest moves this offseason when Mikal Bridges went across the bridge to the Knicks. This positions you for the biggest role of your career thus far. How have you begun to approach and prepare for this increased role, not only physically but mentally?

CT: Just knowing that and embracing it. Attacking it head-on. I’ve kind of been having those roles [as the leader of the team] ever since I was in high school and college. So, I’m not really worried about it. I’m just excited to get it going and to try to do it in the League. I’m not really worried about it at all; I’m just ready.

SLAM: You’re on a short list of the most talented young guards in the NBA. What do you think you need to do to get to that next level?

CT: Just doing everything—doing it consistently. I had the biggest jump in points from my second year to my third year. I was at 22.5 [points per game], so I think trying to get into that 25 ppg range, upping the playmaking and just trying to keep improving my all-around game. And hopefully, it leads to wins.

SLAM: Are you inspired by the doubters, or would you say you’re completely self-motivated?

CT: It’s a little bit of both…I don’t really worry about the doubters because I’ve always had them. Nobody really believed in my talent and scoring ability—even at Oak Hill, and even in college, and even in the League. So, I’m used to it. Now, it’s really just self-motivation. Even down to sliding in the draft all the way down to pick 27. I still carry that chip on my shoulder. And even with the Nets, not playing consistently my first two years. I have that in my back pocket so I can keep growing and keep improving…to show why you should have played me in my first two years.

I’m not focused on trying to prove myself anymore. Everybody knows I’m one of the top young scorers—top young guards—in the League now. So, it’s really just trying to maximize my ability, see where I can take it and become the best player I can be, this year, and for years to come.

SLAM: There’s clearly a lofty confidence you must have to be an elite scorer in the League, let alone as an undersized guard. What do you think is the main source of that mentality?

CT: I’d probably say growing up in [the Hampton Roads area]. It’s physical there. Everybody’s fighting for the same goal, sports-wise. I feel that helped me in a way. And really…Kobe Bryant. Just reading his mentality and idolizing him, that’s a part of it, too. That’s really how I shaped my mentality: Kobe and my hometown. At the same time, that’s just in me.

SLAM: Do you have any specific individual or team goals for next season? Are you concerned with All-Star, All-NBA and those types of individual accolades?

CT: Individually, I just try to stay in the moment. Whatever happens, happens. If I get it, I get it. If I don’t, I don’t. I just want to keep improving. As far as the team, the goal is to be better every day and try to win as many games as we can. Honestly, we don’t know what our team could look like going into next season. But whatever it looks like, we just want to be the best team we can be and try to put a good product on the floor for Brooklyn.

SLAM: What should Nets fans and Cam Thomas fans expect next season?

CT: Excitement. Entertainment. [I’m] hoping everything leads to wins at the end of the day. We’ll see. It’s different in the League. But I’m prepared, not worried at all. I’ve done it in the League, but I want to take it to another level, for sure.

Portraits by Marcus Stevens. Action photos via Getty Images.

The post Moment of Clarity: Brooklyn Nets Guard Cam Thomas Discusses His Offseason, Staying True to Himself and Proving the Doubters Wrong appeared first on SLAM.

June 26, 2024. NBA Draft Night. We’re in NYC, where else? AJ Storr is on a Zoom from… Athens, Greece!?! We’ll explain all that in a second. More importantly, he knows the meaning of tonight as a prelude to his future.

“Literally one year from tonight, is it crazy to think you will be up on the stage…” we say before Storr interjects excitedly, “…in a suit and tie!”

Ten points for honesty with this one. Storr, now a rising junior for the world-famous Kansas Jayhawks and a projected 2025 NBA Draft pick, is not dancing around a topic many college players with eligibility remaining play hot potato with. “Yes,” Storr confirms, “I’m planning to be in the draft next year.”

Now that we have that very logical business decision covered, let’s backtrack and share one of the most unique and thoroughly modern basketball journeys of any high-profile player in the world.

We’ll start with the world business. Storr is in Greece at the moment because the Bahamian national team, of which he recently made the roster (pending some lingering paperwork), is playing a couple of exhibition games before an Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain that will determine if the small island nation with the increasingly outsized basketball talent advances to Paris.

The 6-7 Storr, a smooth-shooting, scoring guard tied to The Bahamas because his father was born there, is excited to be in Greece. Partly for the experience of what he calls his “world tour,” but even more so for the chance to play with folks who have gotten where he wants to go. Bahamas basketball has quietly built an explosive roster featuring current NBA players Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon, Buddy Hield, Kai Jones and Isaiah Mobley, as well as other talented college and pro players. The squad is coached by longtime Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco.

“It is a really great experience to be out there with all these pros,” Storr says, a day after scoring 15 points (on 7-9 shooting) in a 93-80 loss to Montenegro. “I played a couple of games with them last summer and then we had training camp in Houston earlier this month, and now I’m playing real games with them. It’s great to be around all this talent.”

Whenever The Bahamas’ run ends, the world is on notice that it’s a program to watch out for in the future, and then Storr will have more time to spend in his latest “home”—Lawrence, KS. And what a home it is. Perhaps the most storied program in all of college basketball—“I hadn’t known that James Naismith founded the program here. That’s who founded basketball!” Storr exclaims—and a program with typically high expectations for the ’24-25 season. As ESPN’s Jeff Borzello put it in his recent “Way-Too-Early Top 25,” the Jayhawks are No. 1 after Bill Self responded to a disappointing ’23-24 “with the most loaded roster in the country. He went into the portal and landed AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and Rylan Griffen (Alabama); then, All-American big man Hunter Dickinson opted to return for another year.”

It says here that Storr, with a shooting touch that the Jayhawks sorely missed last season, may be the biggest piece of the puzzle. As for all the places he’s been before Kansas, that unfolds like a bit of a puzzle in its own way.

This young man is in the sweet spot for a proper SLAM profile because he’s “big” enough—thanks to playing one year in New York City and another year going viral as the athletic leading scorer for B1G power Wisconsin—to be heard of but without his full story being known because he was not a super high-profile recruit. We’ll tell you the story now so you’ll be in the know when he blows up even more at Kansas and then flies into the NBA in 12 months.

Storr grew up in Rockford, IL, a city of nearly 150,000 about 90 minutes west of Chicago. It’s most relevant in modern hoops as the home of current Houston Rocket Fred VanVleet. AJ came up alongside one older sister, Ambranette, who scored more than 2,900 points in her high school career before playing in college, and five younger brothers, raised primarily by his mother, Annette Brandy—a former Chicago high school star who played in college as well—and his stepfather.

AJ attended Rockford Lutheran as a high school freshman, showing promise as a hooper who was still just 6-1. After that, a ride started that has yet to end. The family moved to the South Chicago suburb of Kankakee when his mom, a teacher, got a better job offer, and AJ spent his sophomore and most of his junior year at Kankakee High. Then Covid hit. As Brandy explains, it was time to make some decisions. “The whole state of Illinois shut down. He had some offers—Chicago State, IUPUI—but he still hadn’t gotten major looks. We knew he was a Power Five kid, he just hadn’t been seen,” she says. “His dad lived in Vegas, and AJ was hesitant about it, but I convinced him to go. Build a relationship with your dad and put yourself out there with basketball.”

It worked. Storr started playing for Vegas Elite and Bishop Gorman High School and his exposure—and ranking—skyrocketed. He was set to play his senior season for Bishop Gorman and then…Clark County, NV (which includes Las Vegas) announced there would be no winter sports due to Covid. “After Vegas shut down, he transferred to AZ Compass and they made it all the way to the GEICO Nationals,” his mom says. “By then he had gotten a lot of offers, but I thought he needed to mature a bit.”

So it was off to renowned IMG Academy in Florida for a post-grad year that went great. In the end, AJ had attended five high schools in five years, albeit for reasons that were outside his control. When the time came to make his official college choice, Storr enrolled at St. John’s, firmly hitting the (admittedly biased) radar of the #SLAMfam’s college fans by putting together a Big East All-Freshman campaign highlighted by 40 percent shooting from three-point range, 9 ppg and an exciting style of play. Alas, the Johnnies fired Mike Anderson and Storr decided to transfer back to the Midwest, putting together an All-B1G Second Team season (17 ppg, 4 rpg, 1 apg) in Madison and establishing himself as a future pro. Storr flirted with entering this year’s draft before instead deciding to transfer one more time. To the best team in the county. 

“Playing for all the different teams has really helped my IQ. I’ve learned different plays, different coaches, different cultures,” Storr says, explaining the benefits of his journey. “Off the court, every school has welcomed me and made it like a family. I’ve got friends from every school.”

In Storr’s mind, the ascension from unknown high schooler to likely first-round NBA pick is not because he recently got good at the sport. For better or worse, exposure still matters. “I’ve been pretty good at basketball my whole life, but I had to get around the right platform and coaches and take advantage of the opportunities,” he says. “St John’s is in a great conference. Then I went to the Big Ten and the Badgers, who have made Final Four runs and are known worldwide. Being there helped me a lot. Now I’m looking forward to taking my game to another level at Kansas.”

Storr describes himself as very coachable and has learned bits and pieces from all the coaches he’s played for, but none of them have been around him consistently enough to have developed a deep mentorship. For daily support as he pursues his dream, Storr points to the people who have been around the longest. “I’ve got a team with my mom, my sister, my management,” he says. “It takes a team to accomplish your dream. You can be the most talented player, but if you don’t have the right people around you, you’re not going to make it.”

For her part, Mom could not be prouder. “I’m so excited for him,” says Brandy, who recently got a new job—and bought a house—back in Rockford. “He has put in so much work to get here.”

And to reiterate, Storr himself views his varied experiences as a positive. “My game translates to a lot of different places,” he says. “I know how to buy into a program. I respect all my coaches. I’m a great teammate. Once you step on that court or in the weight room, you become brothers. Where I’m trying to go, you gotta be prepared. In the NBA, guys get traded all the time. So this could be an advantage.”

Portraits via Missy Minear Kansas Athletics.

The post From Undiscovered to Unrivaled, AJ Storr Has His Sights Set on the League After Transferring to Kansas appeared first on SLAM.

A little over 24 hours before being drafted 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, Dalton Knecht was in our office getting up shots on the mini hoop.

While the SEC’s scoring average leader from last season made his way around to the 10 designated shooting spots we’ve laid out across the floor, we realized that the final sticker got swept up in the hustle of the day. So instead, we gave him the option to shoot from anywhere on the floor. He could go back to the faux free-throw line, try another from the couch or hit a simple layup. Instead, with a pure shooter’s mentality, Knecht took several steps back into the hallway, putting at least 25 feet of distance between himself and the hoop that’s bolted to the opposing cement wall and netted the shot.

“I felt that confidence arise from the moment I touched a basketball,” Knecht says. “My parents have always made me super confident, always told me [to] trust your hard work. I always felt like that. So no matter what, when I step on that court, I’m gonna be the most confident player on that court.

Knecht is a gym rat, whether that’s on a regulation-sized hoop or not. He’s drawn to the hardwood and its sights and sounds; the screeching of herringbone traction patterned outsoles, the smell of repolished floors and the sound of the leather ball falling through aged nets. It’s an obsession that he’s fostered meticulously over the past five years while on a journey exclusive to him and him alone. 

“I’d say it’s just kind of like home. When you’re in the gym, playing your own music, whatever you want, and you just go out hooping, either with some friends or just by yourself, you just go there to fall out of reality, just being on your own, flow on your own stuff,” Knecht says.

Hailing from Thornton, CO, the 6-6 23-year-old, in a purely figurative sense, lit the Thompson-Boling Arena ablaze every single night as a fifth-year transfer at Tennessee. From JUCO to the Big Sky to playing under head coach Rick Barnes, Knecht stormed into the SEC with a chip carved into his shoulder this past season, averaging a team-high 21.7 points and 4.9 boards a game while shooting a ridiculous 39.7 percent from deep. He dropped a 40 burger on Kentucky in early March, became the first player in the SEC since Shaquille O’Neal to score back-to-back 35-pieces and took home SEC Player of the Year in unanimous fashion.

Knecht’s story is the annual reminder that there are guys all throughout mid-major programs who belong on the biggest stage in college basketball. All they need is a sliver of opportunity. And Knecht snatched his in an instant.

Without an influx of offers after graduating from Prairie View High School in 2019, Knecht elected to go the junior college route. Surrounded by acres of prairie fields in the high plains of Sterling, CO, he poured his days into the gym. After two seasons and a first-team NJCAA All-American selection to his name, he set his sights on the Power Five conferences. And then the pandemic happened. So he adjusted, transferring from Northeastern Junior College to Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Conference. 

As a junior, Knecht acclimated himself to DI competition amidst a nagging injury and a stacked roster filled with upperclassmen. Enter his senior year, where his 8.9 points per game from the season prior erupted into 20.2 alongside the Big Sky scoring title, only confirming what he’d believed for years: betting on himself was worth it. So he decided to do it again.

On March 23, 2023, with a year of eligibility remaining, Knecht entered the NCAA transfer portal. Colorado, Oregon, Indiana and Tennessee all came knocking. But there was a glaring difference between the Volunteers and the rest of the pack: head coach Rick Barnes had coached Knecht’s favorite player of all time, Kevin Durant.

Knecht will be the first to admit he’s painstakingly combed through all of KD’s highlights on YouTube. He may not have the same funky warm-up routine as the two-time NBA champ, yet Knecht has drawn an affinity between their games.

“I tried to apply as much as I can to my game, and it kind of just carried on to watching—at Tennessee with Coach Barnes—a lot of Kevin Durant’s highlights, as well as Devin Booker’s,” Knecht says. “So, I just try to take as many players as I can and put it in my game.”

Throughout the year, Barnes and his starting guard sat in the film room and dissected Durant’s highs and lows from his lone season in Austin. They studied his cadence with the rock, his mastery of time and possession and his fluidity in iso scenarios. But mainly, they’d watch Durant’s monumental game against Texas Tech that featured 37 points and 23 rebounds.

It didn’t even take a full game before Knecht started amassing his own mix of highlights that Barnes will surely show to his pupils in the future. “I’d say that dunk was Coach’s favorite memory.”

“That dunk” was actually a full-on poster. With 15 minutes left in the second half of a “friendly” exhibition against Michigan State in late October, Knecht found himself pushing the pace up the backcourt. In a moment’s notice, he turned on the jets, lost his defender with a clean wrap-around the back at the three-point line, took two steps, rose up with the ball cradled in his right arm and threw down a silencing dunk on another Spartan defender. Straight filthy. The epitome of a body.

“The first thought was…I don’t even know. To be honest, I can’t even remember. But I just know before the game, one of my coaches, Rod Clark, he told me to go punch it on somebody if you get the chance. And I had the chance in the first half and I didn’t,” he says. “Then the second time, you kind of saw what happened, and to see my teammates’ reactions, like Josiah [-Jordan James] running up to me, was priceless. It was fun, just putting on a show and showing what I could do to the world.”

The poster heard from East Lansing to the Rocky Top set the standard of what was to come from No. 3 in Knoxville. Knecht has a knack for leading conferences in scoring. Go ask the NJCAA, Big Sky and SEC. Lights out shooting was a constant, curls in the midrange were automatic, putback dunks came and went and dusting defenders at the three-point line while finishing contested lays became routine.

“He also taught me on the offensive side about showing where gaps are and reading my secondary guy, ’cause Coach [Barnes] always told me you can get by your guy at any time, you just gotta worry about the secondary people,” Knecht says.

With around 20 hours between him and his hometown, Knecht scored tons of buckets night after night, helping to lead the Volunteers to the Elite Eight, where they fell to Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers, despite Knecht dominating with 37 points and cashing in 6 threes.

After long years spent honing his craft and waiting for the opportunity to place his bet, Knecht saw decades of self-belief and confidence validated by the highest entity in hoops on June 26, when the Lakers snagged him with the No. 17 pick.

Some say he came out of nowhere last season, but the good people of Thornton, Sterling, Greeley and Knoxville have been tapped in for years. Meanwhile, Rob Pelinka told reporters that new Lakers coach JJ Redick has already started drawing up pindown and ATO actions for his rookie sharpshooter.

“My journey’s not like everybody else’s, and that’s OK,” Knecht told reporters in his first press conference as a Laker. “Just creating my path is something special, and a lot of kids will look up to it. It’s really cool to write my own story.”

Portraits by Eli Selva. Photos via Getty Images.

The post Knecht Four: Lakers Rookie Dalton Knecht Talks About His Rise From Junior College, to Tennessee to the League appeared first on SLAM.

When asked how this story should start, Sienna Betts was a little taken aback as she prepared her answer. She emphasized how important one specific year was to her journey. In 7th grade, Betts decided to walk away from soccer and focus on her true passion for basketball. “Something switched, and I realized what I wanted to do,” she says. The eagerness to be better pushed her to understand what was needed in order to be one of the greats. “If I want to succeed in basketball, I need to focus.” It was a pivotal moment that would define the next year for her as she began training.

All it took was for her to be in the right place with the right people. Sienna’s trainer, Derek Griffin, saw potential in her at an early age, challenging her to see that her dream school, UCLA, was more than possible. “He made me realize what I could possibly become in the future and he brought me to that,” she says.

During the pandemic, Betts would stay in the gym day in and day out, working on her game from every angle. As an 8th grader, she was practicing with Colorado royalty: Raegan Beers, Sam Crispe and, of course, her older sister Lauren.

The amount of accolades Sienna and Lauren have brought to their home state is remarkable. At Grandview High School, they delivered two state championships and four Gatorade Player of the Year awards. With Lauren currently at UCLA and Sienna committed to the program, the future duo is bound to do incredible things together in Westwood.

How does Sienna scout her own game? “I would describe my game as versatile, high IQ, and specialized,” she says. “My whole goal [in the game] is I don’t care about my stats or anything like [that]. Whatever I can do for a win, that’s what I’m going to focus on.”

From the development of her handles to her strong footwork, Sienna has found her rhythm and has yet to let up. The recipe for success has been to keep her feet planted in the moment and maintain her confidence—because she has prepared for this. In a year’s time, Sienna went from a role player off the bench to leading in every statistical category for the Hardwood Elite club team.

Speaking about the year Sienna went all-in on basketball, Michelle Betts, her mother, says, “She wanted to do it, so she did it.” Painting the picture of that moment back in 7th grade, Michelle remembers Sienna saying, I don’t want to just be the girl who goes in to play defense and blocks shots. I want to be a great player.”

She became just that. “All of a sudden, all the things she said she wanted to do, she could do them and then some,” Michelle says. “She went and grinded and became all the things she wanted to become, which I think is incredible.”

The outpouring of support for Sienna has fueled her. “My dad sends me a reminder text before every game,” she says. His most recent text before the FIBA AmeriCup Championship was: Just run the floor, rebound, I love you so much. You’re amazing. The impact of the text was huge. “I repeat this to get it in my head, and throughout the game and halftime, I repeat it to myself,” Sienna says.

As a gold medalist, two-time Gatorade Player of the Year and state champion, the 7th grader who made the decision to take basketball seriously and is now the top post player in the country is simply “just playing my game.”

“I’ve worked to be here,” Betts says. “I should have confidence in what I do.”

Portraits via Garrett Ellwood.

The post The Rise of Sienna Betts: The No. 2 Player in the Class of 2025 Talks Accolades, Her Work Ethic and What’s to Come Next Year at UCLA appeared first on SLAM.

Like any young hooper, Caleb Wilson tended to look to the most obvious sources for inspiration. “When I was younger, I used to only look at the stars—LeBron, Kobe, the big names,” he explains. “But my dad brought it to my attention that there were a lot of people I didn’t know about.”

A willingness to accept his father’s guidance helps explain how, when asked to name some of the players whose games he admires, the 18-year-old rattles off a list of guys who would impress any hoop-savvy dad—and probably a lot of grandfathers, too. “I watch Tracy McGrady, Penny Hardaway, John Stockton, Steve Nash, David Thompson, Alex English. I watch Clyde Drexler, Rick Barry, Chris Mullin and Run TMC, Nique, young Shaq in Orlando, and then the Lakers—I could go on and on about Magic and Kareem…”

He smiles. “I can keep going. I know a lot about basketball.”

Of course, his appearance in this magazine means Wilson is more than just a well-informed fan. The 6-9, 205-pound forward at Atlanta’s Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School is also a consensus top-10 prospect in the 2025 class, with a game informed both by that multigenerational collective of NBA greats and current stars like Nikola Jokic. With the game’s positionless revolution firmly entrenched, it only makes sense that a dude like Wilson would look far and wide for inspiration. “I feel like every player has aspects you can learn from,” he says, “especially the great ones.”

Wilson has a long way to go before he hears his name mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned All-Stars and Hall of Famers, but then he’s already come a long way. He was a relatively late bloomer compared to most of his peers near the top of the rankings, and the memories of how far he felt from the game’s elite provides ample motivation now that he’s among the best high schoolers in the country. “I feel like a lot of younger kids look up to me because of that, so I want to talk about my humble beginnings, my struggles as a young player,” he says. “I remember not being the best player—it sticks with me. Just because you’re not good at something now doesn’t mean you can’t be good at it later.”

Wilson’s rise is proof of that, as evidenced by his production at Holy Innocents (he averaged 21 points, 15 rebounds and over 4 blocks last season) and on the Nike EYBL circuit, as well as his invite to this summer’s USA Basketball U18 junior national team camp. Of course, big-time programs have noticed. As we went to press, Auburn, UNC, Stanford and Duke were among the favorites to bring him to campus in 2025.

Low-key off the court—“I like to play video games, I watch a lot of TV, especially anime, and sometimes I do Legos,” he says—Wilson is committed to the game and usually in the gym. Still somewhat raw offensively, he’s athletic and savvy enough to still get his points or get teammates involved, and as those blocked-shot numbers attest, he’s got the potential to be a game-changer on D. Talent and motivation go a long way, of course, but ultimately, Wilson says the foundation of his game comes down to nothing more complicated than holding himself accountable and putting in work.

“I feel like it’s just discipline and commitment,” he says. “Once you tell yourself, I’m gonna do something, and you follow through with it, you build trust with yourself. I became true to myself about that: Caleb, you’re going to dribble every single day for 30 minutes, you’re going to do push-ups, you’re going to do sit-ups every single day. It allows for belief that you can do better. You’re competing with yourself.”

Portraits via Omar Rawlings.

The post Caleb Wilson Studied the Legends of the Game, Now He’s Channeling Their Wisdom as He Makes His Own Mark as a Top 10 Player in the Class of 2025 appeared first on SLAM.

Do you know the first basketball players ever to win five Olympic Gold medals? Here’s a hint: they’re former college teammates, NCAA champions, best friends and, at one point during their careers, were super competitive rivals. But when they suited up alongside each other in the red, white and blue, they were magic. Did you figure out who it is yet? Nah, they’re not men. Think again.

“Sue joined the national team at the 2002 World Championship, and I joined in 2004. We were the young kids in Athens,” Diana Taurasi told USA Basketball. “It’s very special to have gone through it together, because we went through the same experiences at the same time.”

While Sue Bird retired from the game just two years ago, DT is still out there dropping buckets and taking names against any and every opponent in the WNBA as the League’s all-time leading scorer. She’s been hailed as the GOAT, a moniker that not only encompasses her career thus far on the Phoenix Mercury, but on the international stage, too: throughout the past 23 years she’s spent suiting up for USA Basketball, aside from Bird, she has the largest collection of Gold hardware, including five Olympic Golds, three FIBA World Cup Golds and a FIBA World Cup Bronze medal. It’s an honor she doesn’t take lightly, and in her own words, representing USA Basketball is a commitment that she holds to the highest regard.

“I just think we take this really seriously,” Taurasi told The Athletic. “We don’t look at it as a four-year thing. We look at it as a career.”

Taurasi is part of a illustrious legacy that the USA Basketball Women’s National Team has always embodied. Dating all the way back to 1984, when the women’s team won their first-ever Olympic Gold medal, they’ve consistently put together the most dominant and successful squads ever assembled. Look no further than the past seven consecutive Olympic Gold medals they’ve won, or the fact that the United States is already the favorite in Paris, currently ranked No. 1 in the 5×5 tournament and No. 2 going into the 3×3 tournament.

This year’s roster is full of champions, MVPs, All-Stars, Rookies of the Year and legends. DT will suit up alongside fellow Olympic teammates and Gold medalists, including Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson, as well as Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young (both of whom won Gold in the 3×3 tournament in 2021). The roster also includes a handful of standouts who will be making their Olympic debut: Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Sabrina Ionescu. Led by a coaching staff that features some of the most brilliant minds in the game—head coach Cheryl Reeve, assistant coaches Kara Lawson, Joni Taylor, Mike Thibault, scouts Curt Miller and Tanisha Wright—the 2024 USA Women’s National Team is locked in and ready to run it back. Three years ago in Tokyo, the U.S. cooked the competition and defeated Japan, 90-75, to win Gold. DT was on that squad, as were Loyd, BG, Chelsea, Stewie and A’ja. Now, add Alyssa, Kahleah and Sab in the mix. That’s a whole lot of bucket-getters on one team.

How did all of these stars come together? The obvious answer is a multi-year selection process that includes training camps and games. But, in the words of Taurasi, there’s more to the roster than just names on a list. It’s about chemistry, problem solving and bringing together a group of competitors who can, and will, execute.

“Once you get to the second training camp, you kind of can see the Olympics from afar,” DT said in an episode of USA Basketball’s “The National Team” series, which is accurately titled, How the Sauce Gets Made. “At least, training camp has become that much more important. Trying to find groups that play well together, that figure out problems pretty quickly together. I think the one thing from all these Olympics that I’ve learned is it’s the best combination of players who can get to a certain place pretty quickly.”

Players are competing for a spot on the 12-person roster, which means setting aside egos and simply showing that you’ve got what it takes.

Taurasi elaborated: “You have to put your best foot forward, that’s the only way you can make an impact—by being here and by buying into what we’re trying to do as a team. Every person who’s put that jersey on so far has made that commitment, and I think that means a lot to the selection committee, to the coaches.”

The selection process is ultra competitive, and while there’s an abundance of talent in the WNBA, Taurasi is spot on. As selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti told the Associated Press in April: “We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It’s got to be a combination of an entire body of work.”

The final roster is the epitome of just that. Aside from DT, Griner is one of the most experienced Olympians on the team. A two-time Olympic Gold medalist, BG’s USA Basketball résumé also includes being named 2018 World Cup Gold medal game Player of the Game and named a 2014 FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team honoree. A powerhouse in the paint and a shot blocker, BG’s presence on the team will also bring a sense of resiliency and strength that extends well beyond the hardwood. Then there’s Gray, who was drafted into the WNBA just a year after Griner, and has been a vocal leader. The three-time WNBA champion is the go-to voice on the Las Vegas Aces, even over head coach Becky Hammon. “I’m her assistant,” Hammon once told the media. “I tell them [the Aces] all the time, if Chelsea calls something and I call something, you listen to Chelsea.”

As for her game, Gray brings an unmatched versatility: she’s a scorer who can hit clutch shots, a playmaker with crazy court vision and a savant with a high basketball IQ who can make reads and set her teammates up. Oh, and she knows how to perform under pressure, as the world saw when the Aces went back-to-back and won another WNBA championship last year. What’s even scarier is that Gray will be suiting up alongside the very teammates she just won the ’chip with, including two-time MVP Wilson and All-Stars Young and Plum. If you think the Aces have slowed down at all since they dominated in 2023, think again. Wilson’s star power has only continued to ascend to another level this season and, as we went to press, she set a WNBA record against the Dallas Wings as the first player, ever, to have at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals. Which, might we add, is her 10th career game with at least 30/10. She’s also the first to post at least 35 points and 5 steals in multiple games. Wilson is competitive, fearless and true to herself and what she’s about, on and off the court. Hammon said it best. Wilson is “the best in the world.” As for KP and Young, both are lethal guards who know what it takes to hold their own on the international stage. Back in 2021, they both won Gold in the U.S. Olympic 3×3 Women’s tournament. So, yeah, good luck to other countries that gotta go up against part of the Aces’ core.

The other most experienced Olympian is the reigning WNBA MVP. Stewie is a certified winner, so much so that she’s just one of the 11 players, ever, to have won an Olympic Gold medal, FIBA World Cup Gold medal, WNBA title and NCAA title in her career thus far (Griner and DT are also part of that list). Stewie’s been showing out for USA Basketball since high school—in 2011, she was the youngest member and only high school athlete to compete in the Pan American Games, where she started all four games and led the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), rebounds (11.3) and blocks (1.1). Poised and primed for greatness since the beginning, Stewart is coming off a WNBA career-high scoring average last season (23.0 ppg) and the momentum of helping lead the New York Liberty to the WNBA Finals for the first time since ’02. With her suiting up alongside the same players she faced in the Finals, the U.S. team has got to be a scary sight for opponents this summer.

The rest of the roster is stacked with scorers and playmakers. Napheesa Collier was part of that 2020 Olympic Gold medal-winning team, and since then has only leveled up her game. Phee is currently dominating on the Lynx and averaging a double-double (a second-career best 20.0 points and a career-high 10.2 rebounds). Then there’s Loyd, who led the League in scoring last season with a career-high 24.7 points and is an Olympic and three-time FIBA World Cup/3×3 Gold medalist. Another member of that 2022 FIBA World Cup squad is Thomas, a consistent and crazy efficient walking triple-double who will be making her Olympic debut. She’s also the first former Maryland Terrapin to play on the U.S. Women’s National Team since Vicky Bullett, who won Gold in ’88 and Bronze in ’92.

AT brings a decade of WNBA experience and veteran leadership, and she’ll fit right in with her USA Olympic teammates. Then there’s Kahleah Copper, who brings a dynamic scoring prowess and tough Philly mentality that makes her certified. After winning a ’chip with the Chicago Sky in 2021, she elevated her game, too. The three-time WNBA All-Star, who has been dropping 30-plus point games on any given night this season, will bring that same energy on the international stage in her first-ever Olympics, too.

Last, but certainly never least, is Sabrina Ionescu. It doesn’t matter whether she’s going up against opponents in the W or the greatest shooter of all time, Sab, with one furrow of her brow and space at the three-point line, is guaranteed to shoot the lights out of the gym, no matter what gym it is. Oh, and she’s also averaging a career-high this year, her fourth season with the New York Liberty. Experience is one thing, but game always speaks for itself.

And there you have it. If they win it all, the 2024 USA Women’s National Team will make history by bringing the eighth consecutive Gold medal, and lucky No. 10 overall, back to the States. Legends of the past instilled greatness, but this squad has what it takes to carry that legacy and more.

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Photos via Getty Images.

The post Olympic Dominance: Previewing the 2024 USA Women’s National Team appeared first on SLAM.

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An uplifting energy was flowing throughout our office on a Monday morning in late June. After a two-and-a-half hour drive from Connecticut to NYC, all that can be felt and heard is an abundance of love and laughter shared by the couple as they pose for photos at their first-ever SLAM cover shoot.

Rocking their bright orange Explorer Edition uniforms, both Alyssa and DeWanna are fully present in the moment, while creating pockets of time where they fall into a world all to their own. They’re holding staring contests while we snap flicks and poking fun at their height difference.

“I love playing with Alyssa. She’s one of the hardest working competitors in the League, so it kind of makes me want to go harder,” DeWanna says. “Even at my age, I’m like, I’ve got a little bit more in there to give because I see her going just as hard.”

The two have been dating for the past few years, and during 2023 All-Star Weekend out in Las Vegas, Alyssa proposed to DeWanna underneath the shade of palm trees accented by candles and hundreds of roses. They started off as competitors and still are in some ways. DeWanna drafted to the Phoenix Mercury in 2009. Alyssa drafted to the New York Liberty and immediately traded to the Connecticut Sun in 2014. Ahead of the 2020 bubble season, a blockbuster trade sent the two down the path of a relationship as teammates that eventually turned into partners.

The past five seasons have been a journey of ups and downs: new teammates, new coaches, new positions, new responsibilities. And yet, the two remain anchored to the culture they’ve instilled since they first teamed up four years ago. It’s a culture that has the Sun sitting at 18-6 as the second-best team in the W with both DeWanna and Alyssa dominating, again. The wedding’s gonna have to wait ’til after the Olympics, though.

Before the morning of June 11, Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner had never been inside the Connecticut Sun offices. As Alyssa walked down the hallway with DeWanna closely behind, the four-time All-Star peered through the frosted glass of the room to her right. She instantly dropped her head to the side as the emotions began to build. A familiar figure stood in the room, Connecticut Sun president and USA Basketball’s Women’s National Team Committee Chair Jen Rizzotti. In her hands were Alyssa’s deep red, white and blue USA Basketball threads, honoring her with a spot on the 2024 US Women’s Olympic team.

“Honestly, they told me I had a meeting,” Alyssa says. “I turned the corner and I see her [Jen] through the glass and my heart kind of just dropped that it’s finally happening. I’m probably the second-oldest on the team at 32, and I’m getting my first opportunity to be on a team like this—it meant a lot to me.”

In the video posted to USA Basketball’s Instagram, the loudest voice in the room is DeWanna’s, cheering and clapping for her person with pride. “It’s funny because I think I was more anxious than her during that waiting process. I’m just like, When is it going to happen?” she says. “So for me, I’m just so proud of her, I’m so happy for her. It’s something that she really, really worked hard for, like she said, at 32. Yeah, we’ll be in Paris.”

Throughout her 11-year career in the WNBA, Alyssa’s offseason timeline has rarely matched up with the Olympics. She prefers to recoup her mental and physical in what little downtime there is between the season ending and the start of her overseas schedule. The 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021 due to Covid) were at one point an option, but the rehab process for a torn Achilles that she suffered in January took priority.

AT was back on the court nine months later. And when the season wrapped, Cheryl Reeve convinced Alyssa to suit up for her and Team USA in the 2022 FIBA World Cup. Winning Gold has been an inescapable feeling ever since.

Just three days before our shoot, the first voting update for the 2024 WNBA All-Star roster was revealed. DeWanna ranked in the top 10. Knowing the festivities this season will see the USA Basketball roster face off against the WNBA All-Stars, the two are already looking forward to playing opposite one another in Phoenix. “Oh, I’m gonna whoop her up,” DeWanna chimes in immediately.

“She’s not scoring. She’s not getting a bucket,” Alyssa interrupts.

“Shut up,” DeWanna says in a playful tone as Alyssa laughs out loud. “Please. I don’t care where I am, I don’t care how crazy of a shot it is, I’m going to try and make it. And if I make it, oh, I’ve won a championship. If I make one shot on her, it’s over.”

“It won’t happen,” Alyssa fires back.

The back-and-forth is more than just a great sound bite—it’s a peek into their unique dynamic, one filled with love, teasing and a very, very healthy amount of competitiveness.

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“We almost had the opportunity to do that overseas, but I got hurt, which I was happy about,” DeWanna says about playing against each other. “I was a little nervous playing against her, because Alyssa is a little rough and I’m not. But in this environment, where it’s not too much on the line, it can be friendly. But I promise you,” she says looking right at AT, “I’m trying to bust you up.”

“It’s not friendly at all. It’s all business,” Alyssa replies.

For the past five seasons, it’s been just that: straight business. After DB was traded from the Phoenix Mercury—where she won two championships and was a three-time Sixth Woman of the Year—to the Sun, the two quickly formed one of the most dominant duos in the history of the W.

Under their purview, sustained success has become routine out in Uncasville, CT. Numbers 24 and 25 have led the Sun to four straight semifinal appearances plus a trip to the 2022 Finals. They’re insurmountable in high-low actions, transition and half-court defensive schemes. In the midst, a list of collective and individual accolades has been running longer than the Susquehanna River.

“They really are the heart and soul of this franchise,” head coach Stephanie White told the AP. “You think about not just what they do on a day-to-day basis, but the consistency with which they’ve done it since they’ve been here.”

Unstoppable doesn’t even begin to describe AT’s game. She’s a point-forward who sets the game to easy mode for everyone while leading the team in assists, rebounds and steals. This season, she’s putting up 11.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and a League-high 7.9 assists a game. And to start the season against the Indiana Fever, she threw down a 13/13/10 triple-double. Yeah, last season wasn’t just a one-off.

In her 15th season, DeWanna has only continued to expand the mastery of her offensive repertoire. The midrange is lit up with hot spots like a Christmas tree for DB. Transition treys stick to the net and post-up fadeaways sing of swishes. She uses her length to snatch steals on the defensive end, plugging up gaps and sending shots into the third row. As of press time, the 6-4 bucket-getter is pouring in a team-high 17.1 points, pulling down 6.3 boards and swiping 1.3 steals a game.

“I always say we have to be that much better than other teams. We’re not a super team or anything of that sort, so our margin for error is a lot smaller than other teams,” Alyssa says. “And just trying to get everybody to buy into that and understand that there are no off days. There’s no relaxing or taking plays off. We’ve got to go hard for 40 minutes.”

This season, the two have been clocking in overtime. Alyssa’s already popped off for two triple-doubles and DeWanna’s posted eight 20-pieces. Between Alyssa, DeWanna and two-time All-Star Brionna Jones, the only other constant that resides in Connecticut is change. The past five years have seen a revolving door of coaches, players and front office personnel.

“I think that’s just the nature of the beast in Connecticut,” Alyssa says. “It’s not a favorable market for people that like to do the other things, be in the spotlight, things like that. It’s a quiet area, you’ve got to be a different type of player to come there. We don’t have all the bells and whistles that other people do, so it’s really about the basketball for us.”

The 2024 campaign has been filled with even more adjustments. DeWanna and Alyssa spent the majority of last season surveying the paint at the 4 and 5. With center Brionna Jones back from a torn Achilles, they’ve dipped back into their typical roles while infusing elements of last year’s success. They’re developing chemistry with the new backcourt pairing of DiJonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris, who have stepped in to the starting guard positions. The newest additions of Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson coming off the pine have been an added piece to juggle, too.

“I don’t want to say we started over again, but it’s implementing new people and trying to get them to understand the system. But in the same way, reworking it to fit everybody’s style of play and get the best out of everyone,” Alyssa says. “We’ve had our ups and downs so far, and it’s still a work in progress, but it’s going to come down to us and the coaches coming together and figuring out what is best for this team. That’s why it’s a long season and it’s about playing your best basketball come playoff time.”

The playoffs are still a bit in the distance, but in June, the Sun were already in midseason form, posting an early 13-1 record and becoming just the seventh team in League history to win 13 of their first 14. All six of those previous squads reached the Finals, and four of them won it all. We’re not saying it’s destiny, but history has a way of repeating itself.

“We’ve been right there on the cusp, so now this year, I think we’ve kind of taken the fun out of it a little bit, but we’re trying to get that back,” DeWanna says. “It’s championship or bust for us. That’s where we are.”

As seamless as the highlights look, the couple warns that playing basketball every single day with your partner isn’t as magical as one might think it is. There are angles, reads and passes that Alyssa may see that DeWanna doesn’t, and vice versa.

“It’s like a gift and a curse. You’re playing with somebody that’s the best in the world and she’s also your partner, so you get to bounce ideas off of each other, you talk basketball. But also, it’s competitive; we go at it on the court as well,” DeWanna says. “But I still want to bust her up on that court.”

“It’s mostly that she wants to bust me up on the court,” Alyssa responds. “Nine times out of ten.”

“Tune in! When is the [All-Star] Game? July 20th. Vote me in, ’cause tune in,” DeWanna exclaims.

“Drinks on me the night before,” Alyssa says with a laugh.

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Power Couple: Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner Talk The Olympics, Their Engagement and Building A Winning Culture With the Connecticut Sun appeared first on SLAM.

The sign, according to CBS 17, was created by the players. It’s not only a reminder of the task at hand—to make it all the way to the Final Four for the first time since ’07—but the type of time they’re on before they even step foot in the locker room. It’s a sentiment UNC head coach Courtney Banghart embraces. 

“If that’s what you want, this, this, this and this aren’t good enough. But I also don’t want to squash their dreams. You shouldn’t come to the University of North Carolina if you’re afraid to try to win a national championship,” Banghart told CBS 17. 

The Tar Heels are led by four returning seniors who know what it’s like to play on the brightest stage: Deja Kelly, Alyssa Ustby, Anya Poole and Alexandra Zelaya were all part of the squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2022. The Tar Heels held their own against the eventual champs (South Carolina), as Kelly led the way with a smooth 23 points. Despite the 69-61 loss, it was the first time the Tar Heels had made it that far in the postseason since 2015. 

After falling to Ohio State in the second round of the 2023 NCAA tournament, UNC is back. It’s still early, but their standout seniors Ustby and Kelly were named to the John R. Wooden Award
Watch List; Kelly was also named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Watch List. The Texas native, who led the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game as a junior, had quite the offseason. When Kelly wasn’t training and working on her game, she was hosting her very own show with WSLAM, The 411 with Deja Kelly, where she interviewed some of the biggest names in the game, including Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas and Liberty standout Betnijah Laney right in the SLAM HQ studio in NYC. She also attended WNBA All-Star Weekend and was deemed one of the “NCAA stars ready to lead the WNBA’s next generation” by Just Women’s Sports.

So, yeah, she’s been booked and busy. The standout guard returned to Chapel Hill for her final season poised and ready to embrace her role as one of the team’s vital pieces, and leaders, on the Tar Heels. “I’m the oldest on the team now by age. I don’t think it’s hit me yet. But yes, we’re starting to feel it a little bit, but I don’t think it’s fully hit us yet, until, like, Senior Night comes around. But I think we’re carrying that veteran role now,” she told CBS 17.

As of this writing, UNC is 5-3. Don’t sleep, though, they’ve got a talented squad that can hold its own on both ends of the floor. From Kelly knocking down midrange jumpers and dishing out dimes and Ustby snagging boards in the paint to the addition of transfer Lexi Donarski, who was the 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at Iowa State, where she spent the past three seasons, there’s no end to the skill on this squad. 

Whether the Tar Heels will achieve their mission is yet to be determined, but best believe, they have every intention of making it all the way.

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Alyssa Thomas is having a season like no other player in the W. Two years after rupturing her Achilles tendon while playing overseas, the Connecticut Sun forward is dominating every facet of the game and stuffing stat sheets on a nightly basis. AT is averaging a career-high in points (15.5), leads the League in rebounds (9.9) and ranks second in assists (7.9). 

“It was super hard,” Thomas, who’s in her 10th season, says about away from the game. “That whole process—that was my first major injury, which I needed surgery on. I was playing some really great basketball. There’s always that in the back of your mind that you won’t be the same player…It was a very hard recovery mentally and physically for me.”

The stigma that comes with suffering an injury of that magnitude—whether she’d return to normal form—crept in the back of her mind, but Thomas knew she couldn’t sulk despite feeling like she hit rock bottom. During that dark period, DeWanna Bonner, her All-Star teammate and fiancée, came to her aid to let her know there was a light at the end of the tunnel. 

“She came to see me after I had my surgery, I hadn’t left my room and she wasn’t having it,” Thomas says with a laugh.” She made me come out of my room and took me out. From that moment on, that jump-started me to getting my stuff together and attacking the rehab.”

On the eve of the playoffs, AT has a League-record 27 double-doubles and is the first player in WNBA history to lead the League in total rebounds (394) and assists (316) in the same season. Thomas also became the first player to post 25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals in a game. She joined A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart in the MVP race. 

“It’s huge,” she says of the recognition. “I think that’s the highest accolade you can get as an athlete in this sport. For your name to go down as an MVP, that’s something that stands forever. With so many great players that are playing now and have gone through this League to be an MVP, and [to] stand with all other MVPs—like I said, the hugest honor you can accomplish.”

Thomas acknowledges that she likes to let her game do the talking and doesn’t get caught up in all the hoopla of the MVP race, rankings and championship favorites from outsiders. 

“For me, it’s a lot,” she says. “I’m not one that’s big on social media and all the attention, so the fact that there’s something with people talking about the race or interviews asking why you should be the MVP—I’m definitely ready for the MVP [talk to be over] so I can focus on the playoffs.”

Despite being an MVP contender and leading the No. 3-ranked Sun to a 27-13 regular season record, Thomas feels she and the team have been overlooked throughout the season. 

“When you look at the preseason rankings, we were nowhere near the top,” she says. “So many people talked about [the fact] that we lost [in the WNBA Finals] and kinda forgot about what we did have. We really are a contender, and I don’t think anyone’s been talking about us.”

Whether she’s named MVP or not, AT has her sights set on something bigger than individual accolades: a WNBA championship. After falling short in 2019 and last season, the do-it-all forward is hungrier than ever and focused on bringing the franchise its first-ever title come October. 

“The one thing about me is that my game is different,” she says. “I bring a different look to the game, yet I’m playing hard each and every game—the same intensity and energy level. The biggest thing is I’ve never changed who I am as a player, made my style or how I play basketball fit into this League. I think that’s a huge reason why I’m having a season that has never been seen before.”

Photos via Getty Images.

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Disgust. Disappointment. Frustration. Embarrassment.

All words one could use to describe the look on the face of a 14-year veteran sitting on the bench for the final nine minutes, watching her team on the brink of defeat after a season low 5-point performance against the defending champions (who, by the way, won that championship in the very same building they’re in right now).

Forty-eight hours later, on the same court, against the same team, a different player emerged. Coming out of the gate with 18 points in the first half, it was clear that the previous game was in the rearview mirror. A message needed to be sent…and it was sent in historic fashion. With 2:52 left on the game clock and a 20-point lead, the forward dribbled the ball down the court, stopped at the three-point line and let the record-setting ball fly, nailing the shot that would etch her name in the Connecticut Sun history books.

Hype. Excited. Gratified. Proud.

All words one could use to describe the look on the face of a 14-year veteran who just posted 41 points—a Sun franchise record—for the first time in her career while handing the defending champions their first loss of the 2023 season.

DeWanna Bonner’s championship pedigree was instilled in her DNA from day one. Entering the WNBA as the fifth overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in 2009, DB spent the first 10 years of her career alongside stars like Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor and Cappie Pondexter, part of the squad that won a championship in 2007. The 6-4 Auburn standout played a pivotal role in her team’s success early on, scoring 16 points in her first-ever regular season game and making the 2009 All-Rookie Team. Her accomplishments didn’t stop there, as she eventually went on to win the 2009 Sixth Woman of the Year (an honor she would earn again in 2010 and 2011) and contribute 13 points in a decisive Game 5 that gave the Mercury their second title in three years. Phoenix secured their third ring in 2014.

The elevation of Bonner’s game during her time in Phoenix gained her the reputation of being one of the most versatile players in the women’s game. She often talks about how the vets on those early Mercury teams pushed her to become that kind of player and challenged her to be the best version of herself from the moment she walked into training camp, “[The vets] weren’t going to let me fail,” she says. “They supported me, but also pushed me. I learned so much, so fast.”

She once wrote in The Players’ Tribune about how Diana Taurasi practically bribed her with a designer bag if she racked a double-double in the team’s next game. “I had no idea if she was serious or not, but I wasn’t going to risk it. After that conversation, you better believe I went out that night and balled my brains out and got the double-double.”

To this day, DB still has that bag.

It makes sense that her experiences with Taurasi and Taylor, as well as playing alongside Brittney Griner, shaped Bonner into that same kind of leader for the younger players on her current Connecticut Sun team. She’s vocal in the huddles. She brings the energy on the court after every incredible play. She encourages her teammates to excel when she’s on the bench. And she’s also the one to call a players only meeting when there’s additional motivation needed that may be too raw for TV or too real for the coaches to share. But the Sun wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The team loves her,” head coach Stephanie White says of Bonner. “She’s a leader for our group.
She sets the tone.”

The year 2020 was an unprecedented time in sports. The WNBA entered into a then-groundbreaking CBA, while the pandemic was raging around the world. Questions as to whether a WNBA season would even happen surfaced early on, but eventually, the W approved a shortened 22-game season to be played at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL.

Before any talks about possibly canceling the season took place, the Sun had been making moves to ensure a return to the WNBA Finals after losing to the Washington Mystics in 2019. The team
orchestrated a trade for Bonner, sending the seventh and 10th picks in the 2020 WNBA Draft and a first-round pick in the 2021 Draft to Phoenix. Bonner, who was facing personal challenges that forced her to reconsider her role as a member of the Mercury, felt this was a great opportunity.

“I was really going through a tough time in my personal life and that really played into my decision to leave Phoenix,” she says. “It was all about timing. I loved it there. It was a great atmosphere, a family atmosphere, everything about it was amazing, but I felt it was time for a change. “Connecticut was coming off a Finals run, and I really wanted to play with a team where I could bring my own new identity, so I was very open to adapting to Connecticut,” she continues. “I was ready for something new. A fresh start is what I wanted, and that’s what I got.

Things got off to a rocky start, as the Sun opened the 2020 season 0-5, but they wouldn’t be down for long. Winning 10 of their final 14 games, the team ended the regular season 10-12 and secured a No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Despite the slow start and playing without their franchise player Jonquel Jones, who opted out of the bubble, Connecticut moved on to face the Las Vegas Aces in a semifinals matchup to remember, eventually losing the series 3-2. Bonner led the team in scoring at 19.7 ppg and, looking back on it, says she used that season as an opportunity to get to know her teammates better and solidify her place within the organization.

“[There] was always something about the chemistry with this team that drew me to it,” Bonner explains. “I knew coming off of a Finals run, this team wasn’t rebuilding. It was competitive and that’s what I wanted—to play with a competitive team, because I came from a championship caliber organization. I know we have yet to win a championship, but I can honestly say I’ve been on some great teams here in Connecticut and I do want to bring a championship here.”

Reminiscing on the start of her career as a member of the Sun makes the 41-point performance feel even more special. “To do that here in Connecticut at this stage in my career is a huge honor,” Bonner says.

DB took in the 2017 WNBA season the same way that fans did—on television. Missing the entire season due to pregnancy, the All-Star felt for the first time in a long time what life without basketball was like. Upon returning to the game, Bonner won the 2018 Comeback Player of the Year award and had one of the best seasons of her career. But giving birth to her twins allowed her to experience something much bigger than basketball: motherhood.

Being a mom and an athlete is not the easiest job in the world, but for Bonner, “mom” is one of the most fulfilling roles she undertakes. Her twins, Cali and Demi, who will be turning 6 this summer, now have a better understanding of what her job as a basketball player entails.

“It’s pretty cool now because one of my twins, Cali, really loves basketball, so she’s always watching the games and wanting to be at the games and the gym, so that’s really, really cool,” says Bonner.

She credited Cali for giving her “superpowers” before the record-setting game against Las Vegas. And if you look really closely during breaks, timeouts and subs when the girls are at Mohegan Sun, you can see Bonner giving a thumbs up to the crowd behind the Connecticut bench. While it may appear like she’s just showing love to the fans, she’s really checking on her kids to ensure they are OK. It reaffirms the cliché that a mother’s job is never done, even when she’s playing in the WNBA.

Yet, after five years, Bonner’s soft spot is still the challenge of having to leave them behind on travel days. The two-time champion still gets emotional having to say goodbye. “It’s always hard leaving them, especially when I have to go overseas or on long road trips,” she says. “Most recently, I had to take them to Texas because we were about to go on this long west coast trip. Of course, they cried because they didn’t want me to leave, and that makes me all sad. But at the same time, they are getting older now and starting to understand mommy is going to play basketball and will be back. When they realize that, then they’re OK.”

Bonner would be the first to say, “I’m old.”

At 35, she realizes there are more years behind her than in front. Her desire to win has not subsided, and with White now at the helm for the Sun, Bonner is feeling good about her ability to continue to play at a high level in the team’s new offense.

“I’m still having fun and really enjoying this team,” she says. “I never thought that this far along in my career, there would still be things to learn, but there are. I’m learning something new every day and still finding my role with this team.”

Coming into the 2023 season, after losing stars Jonquel Jones and Jasmine Thomas to free agency, as well as former Coach of Year Curt Miller, this Sun team went from being regarded as Finals contenders to “they’ll probably be a first round playoff exit.” But the women who comprise this team share a sisterhood that allows them to thrive. They never gave up on each other and started this season as one of the hottest teams in the League. Like her teammates, Bonner puts no stock in the talk…or lack thereof.

“It doesn’t bother me. I know how good we are,” she says. “I get to play with players like Alyssa [Thomas], who’s so good. It’s funny, I said to her the other day, Dang, I don’t think I even realized how good you were before we started playing together.”

Bonner is in the top two in many all-time categories for the Mercury and leads the franchise in total rebounds. She just recently passed Lisa Leslie on the WNBA’s scoring list and is just points aways from sitting in the top 10 all-time. The future Hall of Famer has admitted that she’s thought about what retirement might look like. That being said, she’s still very much locked in to being present on the court and helping Connecticut win its first title.

“When I retire, that’s when I’ll pat myself on the back and say, OK, you did some things. But right now, I’m still having fun and I’m just going to enjoy this moment,” she says. “As long as I’m still having fun, I’ll still play.”

Photos Via Getty Images.

The post DeWanna Bonner Has Solidified Her Legacy as One of the Most Dominant Players in the WNBA—And She’s Ready for More appeared first on SLAM.

• Extended, the USA record for most consecutive games, won to 29
• Became the first team to hold an opponent under 50 points in a World Cup semifinal game
• Recorded the largest margin of victory (40 points) in a World Cup semifinal game with 40 points

While Canada was No. 4 in the FIBA world rankings, they quickly became another victim of Team USA’s onslaught in the Cup this year.

Following their sub-par performance against Serbia on Thursday – when they trailed in the first and second quarters for the first time during the tournament – Team USA’s starters came out with a chip on their shoulder. A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jewel Lloyd, Chelsea Gray, and Alyssa Thomas began the game on a 15-0 tear, holding Canada to only seven points In the first quarter. 

“I think that we weren’t happy with the way that we started yesterday against Serbia,” Breanna Stewart said per ESPN. “There were moments that we played well, but there were a lot of moments that we didn’t, and really making sure that that was the point of emphasis today. It was the way that we started the game, especially with our starters, that five, we wanted to make sure that we set the tone for the entire game.”

Draymond layup package!? High off the glass. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/tR0g1jE6PE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) September 30, 2022

Team USA followed the starter’s lead, doubled down on their defensive focus, and held Canada to an eight-point third quarter and 22 percent shooting from the field. The explosive trio of Stewart (17 points), A’ja Wilson (15 points, 12 rebounds), and Kelsey Plum (14 points) outscored Canada 46-43 by themselves.

“I was really pleased with our team’s attention to detail in the scouting report. Canada’s had a terrific tournament,” Coach Cheryl Reeve said. “I wanted them to make sure they understood what they just did and how hard they made it for Canada to score the ball…that was a quality win for us. Our goal is to win a gold medal, and we’re in position to do that.”

The women’s national team will compete for a gold medal Saturday at 2 a.m. ET against China. Team USA won their group play battle with China, 77-63. They are seeking their fourth consecutive World Cup championship.

The post USA Women’s Team Set to Play China in World Cup Final appeared first on SLAM.

However, Team USA has won three straight World Cups for a reason. After Kahleah Cooper went down with an undisclosed injury, the U.S. reeled off a decisive 20-0 run and ultimately beat Serbia, 88-55, to cement their spot in the World Cup semifinals.

“I think that was kind of a moment where we really had to lock in,” A’ja Wilson said of Copper’s injury. “That first quarter kind of stumbled us a little. I know I was kind of caught off guard. We can’t have that. So I think for us and for the rest of the way, we’ve really got to lock in from the jump and understand that we can get whatever we want, we’ve just got to stay the course.”

Semi-Final update

Canada USA will be the first game of the day tomorrow, at 17:00 Sydney time (GMT+10)!#FIBAWWC pic.twitter.com/AZ0WQye1bQ

— FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWWC) September 29, 2022

Serbia, the No. 10 team in FIBA’s ranking, succeeded in executing its game plan to clog up the paint and make the game a grind-it-out physical matchup. Team USA ver Team Servia marked the first time that the Americans were outscored in the pain, 28-26. Kelsey Plum (17 points admitted that Serbia was “more physical than we’ve seen in the whole tournament.”

Team USA’s struggles with Serbia’s physical defense was illustrated by their 17 turnovers, the first time they turned the ball over more than their opponent during the World Cup.

“They had a lot of bodies in the paint,” Alyssa Thomas (13 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists) said. “Rightfully so, with us scoring 94 points in the paint [against Korea], I would do the same. But they focused on that, and we really had to knock down outside shots.”

Instead of relying on the paint to beat the Serbians, Team USA knocked down 11 three-pointers and hit 2-12 free throws. The Americans closed the first half with a 12-0 run to grab a 50-33 lead, and started the second-half with an 8-0 run. Team USA also held Serbia scoreless from the 3:39 mark of the second frame to the 5:15 mark in the thrid, allowing Serbia to score seven points the rest of the third quarter.

“I think we needed this push,” Wilson said. “I think we needed that first quarter to kind of wake us up a little bit because that’s what we’re going to see. It’s going to get tougher from here on out. So I think it was a good game for us to have. It’s also a good game for us to kind of see and toughen it out.”

Team USA will face Team Canada on Friday for the right to play in the gold medal game. The winner of the US-Canada game will play the winner of the Australia-China semifinal.

The post A’ja Wilson: Team USA ‘Needed This Push’ From Serbia Ahead of World Cup Semifinals appeared first on SLAM.

September 11, 2022

Aces 67—Sun 64

Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV

From the time you set foot inside the Michelob ULTRA Arena, the atmosphere is electric enough to raise the hair on your arms. A sea of fans in black are headed in the same direction, ready to see a moment fans across the nation had been waiting for all year long: the start of the WNBA Finals. 

In a sold-out house of 10,135 fans, a record crowd at Michelob ULTRA, the Las Vegas Aces came out on fire, building up an early double-digit lead against the Connecticut Sun.

Out of the gate, A’ja “M’VP” Wilson showed us why she is currently being big-upped as the new face of the W. She was a vital piece of the Aces puzzle, scoring 6 of the team’s first 9 points within two minutes. Wilson finished the night with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks on 6-11 shooting from the field. Although Chelsea Gray didn’t have her strongest postseason performance, the point gawd still got it done, securing 21 points, while Jackie Young put up 11. 

On the flip side, the Sun may have not had the strongest start, but they would go on to redeem themselves in the second and third quarters, building an 8-point lead. Shortly after the Sun had their fun, LV picked the momentum back up and recaptured the lead.

In what went on to become a gritty, physical fourth quarter, Alyssa Thomas came through with back-to-back steals and layups to cut it to a 3-point game. 

Here’s an obvious take: Alyssa Thomas is really good at basketball. 

But her efforts were no match for the Aces. On the final possession, and with seconds dwindling down, DeWanna Bonner had a chance to take it to overtime but missed a three at the buzzer. Former MVP Jonquel Jones finished with 15 points, 9 boards and 2 assists, and AT finished with a double-double: 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.

For Aces fans, this was only the beginning.

SLAM 240 featuring A’ja Wilson and the Aces is out now.

Game 2

September 13, 2022

Aces 85—Sun 71

Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Game 1 gave the impression that this was going to be a back-and-forth series, but Game 2 proved the opposite. The Aces came out hungry in the first quarter and really never looked back. A’ja Wilson hit her stride and was able to continue doing what A’ja Wilson does: knocking down shot after shot. Like the 1-2 punch that kept teams struggling during the regular season, Wilson and Chelsea Gray continued their domination. Gray started hot, setting up the offense which had properly adjusted after Game 1. It was evident from the start that Connecticut’s defense couldn’t find a way to slow down the Aces’ offense, a huge credit to Becky Hammon’s coaching. 

The real x-factor, though, was Kelsey Plum. “I told her she needed to get her shit together,” A’ja Wilson shared in the post-game press conference. And get her shit together she did. Kelsey was aggressive in the second quarter and showed flashes of the player she’s developed into. “I know it sounds harsh,” Wilson continued. “But KP is a pro and she went out there and took care of business.” 

But then the third quarter came around and Connecticut looked to be on the verge of a major comeback. Alyssa Thomas hit her stride and Jonquel Jones knocked down a three, cutting the deficit to 3. 

And then Kelsey Plum happened. And then Chelsea Gray happened. And suddenly, the Aces were back up by 10. Then they were up by 14. Then they were up by 20. 

Wilson finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and went 10-13 from the floor. Gray closed out the game with 21 points and 8 assists, and Plum finished with 20 points and 7 assists in 35 minutes. “I appreciate that this organization believes in me, coaches believe in me, I believe in myself,” Plum shared in her post-game press conference.

It was a game that spoke volumes to the Aces’ ability to adjust on defense, holding Connecticut’s star DeWanna Bonner to just 2 points. And the win led them to a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3

September 15, 2022

Sun 105—Aces 76

Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT

Win or go home. If one thing was for certain in Game 3, it was that Connecticut really, really wanted to push the series to a Game 5, and they used playing on their homecourt at Mohegan Sun Arena to their advantage.

You know when the Sun heat up, Jonquel Jones will be right there. The former MVP showed that she still has that fight in her, finishing the night with 20 points, 5 boards and 4 dimes. It was a low scoring game throughout, but the Sun shot 84.2 percent from the floor in just the first quarter, starting off with a 15-point lead. 

Alyssa Thomas again proved that she is very good at basketball. She notched a triple double (16 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists), placing her in good company with OG Sheryl Swoopes and the Chicago Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot as the third player in League history to have done so in the playoffs. 

The Aces had spurts where it looked as if they were catching momentum, but it just was never enough. The closest they cut the deficit to was 6, with Jackie Young leading their squad with 22 points with A’ja Wilson close behind with 19, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Sun from living to fight another day.

Game 4

September 18, 2022

Aces 78 – Sun 71

Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT

Going into Game 4, it felt like it really could’ve gone either way, thanks to the momentum Connecticut had gained in Game 3. But then the game tipped off. 

After getting off to a 16-6 start, it looked like Vegas came to this game ready to bring the trophy home. Everyone was scoring. Chelsea, A’ja, Kelsey and Riquna Williams all got on the board early before the end of the first quarter. Connecticut was able to close the gap before the end of the first half behind Courtney Williams and Natisha Heideman, and most importantly, DeWanna Bonner started knocking down shots. The Sun closed the first half down by just 2. 

The third quarter was when it really felt like we were heading back to Vegas for Game 5. The Sun started the second half by tying the game and after a Jonquel three, and they even took their first lead. But Becky Hammon rallied her team back on track offensively. 

With three minutes left in the game, Courtney Williams hit a free throw to tie the game and then a jumpshot to give the Sun the lead. Enter Riquna Williams.

Williams took over the game in the final minutes, hitting three consecutive shots and finishing with 17 points overall, and helping the Aces hold a 75-71 lead. With 25.2 seconds left, it was Kelsey Plum who delivered the final dagger, extending the lead to 6. As the clock wound down, it was clear that the Las Vegas Aces would earn the franchise’s first-ever WNBA championship. 

When WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stepped to the mic to announce the Finals MVP, there was no doubt that Chelsea Gray’s name would be called. She averaged 18.3 points, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field in the four games.  

“I worked so hard for this,” Gray said to Holly Rowe while fighting through tears. 

The Aces showered each other with champagne in the locker room, celebrating many firsts, including Becky Hammon’s first WNBA championship in her first year as a head coach. While it may have been their first, we won’t be surprised if they run it back next year.

SLAM 240 is available now in this exclusive gold edition. Shop now.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post WNBA Champion A’ja Wilson Covers SLAM 240 appeared first on SLAM.

• 2020 Olympics
• 2020 Women’s National Team
• 2018 World Cup
• 2016 Olympics
• 2015 Women’s National Team
• 2014 World Cup
• 2011 Women’s National Team

In honor of BG, no one on the USWNT will wear No. 15 during the 2022 FIBA World Cup. Players traditionally wear Nos. 4-15; however, they will don Nos. 4-14 and 16 this year. 

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Although they were missing WNBA champs members Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson, and Chelsea Gray, the USA Women’s team opened the World Cup with a decisive 87-72 win over Belgium. Alyssa Thomas nearly finished with a triple-double, recording an impressive stat line of 14 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Breanna Stewart poured in 22 points, almost trying her World Cup record, as well as three blocks and three steals. 

The USA Women’s National Team continues its World Cup run against Puerto Rico tonight at 8:30 ET.

The post Honoring Brittney Griner: No One Wearing No. 15 for USA Women’s Basketball National Team appeared first on SLAM.

The 2022 All-WNBA First Team:

• A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
• Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
• Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
• Skylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix Mercury
• Candace Parker, Chicago Sky

Heading the first team are unanimous selections A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. A’ja Wilson adds her All-WNBA selection to her MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards. She averaged 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game this season.

Rounding out the first team are Wilson’s teammate Kelsey Plum, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Candace Parker. Plum received her first All-WNBA honor, while Parker received her seventh All-WNBA selection, tying Tamika Catchings and Lauren Jackson for the third most First-Team appearances of all time.

The 2022 All-WNBA Second Team:

• Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun

• Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
• Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx
• Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks
• Jonquel Jones, Connecticut Sun

With her Second Team selection, Sabrina Ionescu makes her first All-WNBA team in just her second full season in the W. To cap off her iconic career, Sylvia Fowles received her eighth All-WNBA honor. 

A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces and Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones of the Connecticut Sun continue to battle for the WNBA championship. Tune in to watch Game 4 on Sunday, September 18, at 4 pm ET.

The post A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart Headline 2022 All-WNBA Teams appeared first on SLAM.

Connecticut dominated Game 4 thanks to Alyssa Thomas’ historic triple-double outing and their ability to dominate the paint. The Sun scored a Finals record 64 points at the rim, while holding Las Vegas to 26 points. The Sun also recieved a resurgent performance from DeWanna Bonner, who contributed 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals for her best Finals performance yet.

Jonquel Jones followed that up with a team-high 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 8-12 shooting from the field, including 14 points in the paint. When asked about her dominance at the rim, Jones said that “that’s been the M.O. of the playoffs,” while also admitting that Lisa Leslie basically told her that dominating inside will help Connecticut win a championship.

“That’s been the M.O. of the playoffs,” Jones said per the AP. “Even the Chicago series, the team that won the paint, won the game. That’s where it’s done. A long time ago, I talked to Lisa Leslie and she said to win a championship you have to win the paint. I see it now and feel it now. I can go back to that and see she was right.”

Jonquel Jones on advice she once received from WNBA legend Lisa Leslie:
“To win the championship you gotta win the paint.”

— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) September 16, 2022

When Coach Becky Hammon was asked about what Connecticut did differently to beat her Aces, she could only say that nothing was different, “they just did it harder.”

“They didn’t do a whole lot different,” Hammon said. “They just did it harder.”

She also described Connecticut as a “physical and very resilient,” team that came into Game 3 with a “battle-type mentality.” Hammon also straight up admitted that Connecticut “kicked our ass in every way possible.” on Thursday.

“If you could encapsulate Connecticut, it’s physical and very resilient,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said of the Sun. “They have kind of a battle-type mentality, and we didn’t match that tonight, in any category. They just kicked our ass in every way possible.”

"They didn't do a whole lot different. They just did it harder." – Becky Hammon @TheNextHoops #WNBAFinals

— Howard Megdal (@howardmegdal) September 16, 2022

Connecticut will look to tie their best-of-five series up against Las Vegas on Saturday at 4 P.M EST.

The post Jonquel Jones Dominates Game 3 Thanks to Lisa Leslie’s Advice ‘to Win the Paint’ appeared first on SLAM.

Thomas finished Game 3 with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Sun has now won all four of their elimination games in the postseason, beating Dallas in the first round, beating Chicago in Games 4 and 5, and have now beaten Las Vegas in Game 3 to force Game 4.

“We’ve been struggling offensively, and we finally got a game back at home, and my teammates were hitting shots,” Thomas said per the AP. “None of this would have been possible without them.”

Alyssa Thomas gets the first-ever TRIPLE-DOUBLE in WNBA Finals history pic.twitter.com/ps4YVUbsqq

— WSLAM (@wslam) September 16, 2022

When Coach Curt Miller was asked about Thomas and her performance, he lauded Thomas’ toughness and her consistent effort as well.

“What’s remarkable, you guys, is that’s every day. She doesn’t know how else to play,” Miller said. “So if we’re playing and we’re not going 75 percent, or we’re not skeleton, or we’re not doing something 50 percent, if we’re not playing, that’s how AT plays, and that’s what’s different. She’s probably the toughest player I’ve ever coached, but she’s the most consistent player in terms of effort that I’ve ever been around. I know what I’m gonna get every single day. That show she plays, and that’s what makes her special she doesn’t know how to play other than that way.”

“She’s probably the toughest player I’ve ever coached”@CurtMillerWBB speaks about the toughness of @athomas_25 after she erupted for a 16 PTS, 15 REB and 11 AST triple-double #MoreThan pic.twitter.com/r5k4qngheO

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 16, 2022

After Las Vegas got off to a quick start scoring nine of the game’s first 11 points to force a quick Connecticut timeout, that timeout from Miller settled the Sun in and helped Connecticut outscore the Aces 32-10 the rest of the first quarter, including 25 of the opening frames’ final 29 points.

The Sun dominated the paint on Thursday, scoring a Finals record 64 points at the rime while holding Las Vegas to 26 points. Connecticut used that advantage to lead Las Vegas 53-34 with 1:44 left in the second quarter before the Aces reeled off a 9-0 run, including a buzzer-beating triple from Kelsey Plum from just inside half-court. After halftime, Connecticut took the momentum after a quick 5-0 run to grab a 16-point lead they wouldn’t give up.

“Connecticut came in with a better mental approach than we did,” Coach Becky Hammon said. “I don’t know if we thought we were just gonna show up and they were gonna lay down and hand us the trophy, but we should know better by now that’s a team that is very resilient. If you could encapsulate this team, it’s physical and very resilient — and they have a kind of battle-type mentality, and we didn’t match that tonight.”

Las Vegas leads the best-of-five series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Connecticut.

The post Connecticut Forces Game 4 Behind Alyssa Thomas’ Historic Triple-Double Outing appeared first on SLAM.

The Sun has been in the WNBA Finals as recently as 2019, but they lost in the semifinals the past two summers. In fact, with 36 franchise playoff wins, the Connecticut Sun has the most playoff wins of any WNBA franchise without a championship. The Sun has a history of being knocked down, but more importantly, they also have a legacy of getting back up.

Last week the Connecticut Sun faced elimination in back-to-back games, down 2-1 against the reigning champion Chicago Sky. DeWanna Bonner asked Coach Curt Miller if she could hold a players-only meeting after Connecticut couldn’t win Game 3 despite playing their signature “messy” style of play. The Sun may have mucked up the lane and made life miserable for Chicago, but the Sun had an equally tough time on offense, shooting a dismal 39 percent at the rim.

As the lone champion on the roster, Bonner said she saw a Sun team holding on to some nervousness that made them play tight. She saw that the Sun was playing not to lose and not to make mistakes. The meeting reportedly “rekindled an air of levity and belief that saved Connecticut’s season.”

“DB is a champion,” teammate Natasha Hiedeman said of Bonner. “She’s been there. She knows what it takes. Her speeches have been on point lately, so we’ve been feeding off of that — She’s leading the way, and we’re following.”

Following their meeting, they defeated the Sky in Game 4 in a 104-80 drubbing. They then capitalized on their confidence from their Game 4 win and clinched their path to the WNBA Finals after unleashing a game-sealing 18-0 run to win Game 5, 72-63.

The Sun won after refusing to back down when Kahleah Copper got into Bonner’s face after Bonner knocked down a potential and-1 layup.

“I just sat everybody down, I said, ‘Come on, this is not us,'” Bonner said per ESPN. “‘Let’s just play like whatever happens happens. They kicked our ass anyways, so why not just play?'”

“We weren’t ourselves the first couple games of the [semifinals]. As a matter of fact, the whole playoffs, I felt like we just weren’t ourselves.”

The Finals are now underway, and despite losing Game 1 on Sunday, the Sun know they can do anything as long as they stay together and communicate. A task that isn’t difficult for a veteran core headlined by Bonner and 2021 MVP winner Jonquel Jones. With Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones, and Courtney Williams on the court, the Sun has a lineup that knows how to utilize their teamwork and camaraderie.

“I don’t even know if we found that confidence at all in the playoffs until we won that Game 4,” Bonner said. “And then it was like, ‘All right, let’s go,’ This is how we want to play. We want to have fun. We can’t have fun if we’re playing uptight.'”

Bonner is averaging 12.7 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 3.8 assists per game in the 2022 WNBA Playoffs. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST.

The post DeWanna Bonner Details Playoff-Defining Player-Only Meeting That Led to Connecticut’s Finals Appearance appeared first on SLAM.

The Aces were led by A’ja Wilson (24 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and four blocks) and Chelsea Gray (21 points, two rebounds, and three assists).

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Dearica Hamby made her on-court return from a regular-season-ending knee injury for Game 1, contributing two points, three boards, and two dimes in 11 minutes of action off the bench. Jackie Young was the only other double-digit scorer for the Aces after she scored 11 points and grabbed three rebounds.

“Coming from being swept and actually getting one. Pretty happy about this one,” Wilson said. “Not going to dwell on it long as we have a really tough Game 2 coming up.”

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Despite being down by four at halftime, the Aces rallied in the second half, outscoring the Sun 33 to 26. Hamby was pivotal in helping get Las Vegas back in the game in her spurt of action. She grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds, scored a put-back under the basket, dished two dimes, and got a steal to help the Aces turn a six-point deficit into a two-point advantage in the fourth quarter.

“We had to lock in,” Wilson said during a TV interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “We let them some things get away, and you can’t do that against a Conn team like that. I had to reel my team in, I don’t know what we were thinking, but I really had to use my voice this time and just say, “get with it, get with it, or we gon lose.”

“So at the end of the day, we just had to really come together and buckle in cause Conn gon give us all that they got and we gotta do the same.”

The Aces had to fend off a late rally from the Sun to take Game 1. Connecticut was in the process of erasing a seven-point deficit with 1:24 left after Alyssa Thomas (19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals) knocked down back-to-back clutch shots to pull the Sun to within three. However, the comeback fell short after DeWanna Bonner’s (three points and five dimes on 1-9 shooting from the field) game-winning three-pointer fell short.

Game 2 between Las Vegas and Connecticut is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST in Michelob Ultra Arena.

The post A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Grey Leads Las Vegas to Franchise-First Finals Win appeared first on SLAM.

DeWanna Bonner knocked down the hoop and the harm despite a hard foul from Kahleah Cooper (game-high 22 points). The latter took exception to Bonner’s celebration of the potential and-1 bucket and pushed Bonner as the two veterans began to jack their jaws in each other’s faces.

The tense interaction didn’t draw any technical fouls, but it did inspire the Sun to unleash a game-defying 18-0 run that eliminated the Sun, 72-63, and set a WNBA Finals date with the Aces. During postgame interviews, it was clear Bonner not backing down from Copper was pivotal for the Sun; when Jonquel Jones was asked about it during her TV interview with ESPN, she said the Sun “locked in” afterward and decided “we’re not about to be bullied.”

“That was our moment to settle it down,” Bonner said per YahooSports. “Yeah, we got fired up. We just looked up and was like, ‘Oh, there’s a lot of time left.’ That was all the fire needed.”

This is everything we’ve worked for.

Sun fans, see you in the Finals #CTSun pic.twitter.com/fNBI4BwHSE

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) September 9, 2022

The Sun held the Sky to five points in the fourth quarter, the fewest scored in the fourth quarter of a winner-take-all game in WNBA history and the second-fewest in any playoff game. Connecticut also held Chicago to 34.3 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded the former champs 43-28.

All five Connecticut starters scored in double-digits, led by Bonner (nine rebounds and five assists) and Jones (10 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks), who scored 15 points apiece. Natasha Hiedeman posted 14 points and four assists, followed by 12 points apiece from Courtney Williams (six rebounds and five assists) and Alyssa Thomas (10 rebounds and eight assists).

“We wanted this one bad,” Bonner said. “We come up here every year, and Chicago kicks our ass. They do; that’s just what it is. We’ve lost to them like seven times in a row like we couldn’t figure it out. I think that in Game 4, we figured it out and came here and came here with a little more confidence. Cause usually we come here, and we look up at the first score when we play Chicago, we’re down 20.”

“And that time, I think we figured it out at home; I think we wanted it a little bit more (At Wintrust Arena).”

12-0 run for the @ConnecticutSun, they lead the @chicagosky 66-63 with 1:02 left in the 4Q

ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/okMfP4EUGG

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 9, 2022

The Game 5 win also helped Connecticut exercise their Chicago demons. The Sky swept the Sun 4-0 in the regular-season and eliminated Connecticut in the first round of last year’s postseason before claiming the 2021 title.

It would’ve been easy for the Sun to fold after allowing Chicago to outscore them by 18 during the second and third quarters, but this playoff-tested Connecticut team needed a moment like that Bonner-Copper action to inspire them to greater heights. Connecticut’s series-clinching 18-0 run is the longest to close out a WNBA playoff game in League history.

“When adversity hits, sometimes we fold,” Hiedeman said. “Not no more, we’re not folding no more. As you all saw (after) the third quarter, we picked up right back up once again. Now we’re going to the championship. Job not done yet.”

Definitely Hiedemans night pic.twitter.com/3uEsdqzqGj

— WSLAM (@wslam) September 9, 2022

The WNBA Finals will begin on Sunday.

The post DeWanna Bonner On the Exchange That Led to Decisive 18-0 Run: ‘That Was Our Moment to Settle It Down’ appeared first on SLAM.

HOW DOES IT FEEL, SUN FANS??? #CTSun pic.twitter.com/3twme5dlRy

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) August 25, 2022

DeWanna Bonner led all scorers with 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Alyssa Thomas followed up with 13 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. Jonquel Jones dropped 11 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists, and Natisha Hiedeman rounded out Connecticut’s double-digit scorers with 11 points, two boards, and two dimes.

Bonner also became the 10th player in WNBA history to knock down 300 career field goals and passed Angel McCoughtry in the process of doing so.

“Our team is incredibly confident in what they do and who they are,” Sun Coach Curt Miller said, per ESPN. “We’re back to the semis for four straight years. This group wants to take another step, and there’s not one person that’s going to pick us to beat Chicago. So we’re going to go with the underdog mentality and give it our best shot.”

.@DEEBONNER24 with a BIG 21-5-5 Game 3 to lead the @ConnecticutSun to the Semifinals of the #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @google pic.twitter.com/eJAZpTCFrM

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 25, 2022

Marina Mabrey posted a team-high 20 points, Veronica Burton contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and four dimes, and Teaira McCowan followed up with eight points, 12 boards, and two blocks.

The Sun won Game 3 after holding the Wings to perhaps the worse scoring effort of the season. Connecticut held Dallas to 22 points in the second half, and their final tally of 58 was a season-low. Dallas shot just 6-27 from the field in the second half and turned the ball over 11 times.

Part of Dallas’ offensive struggles could be attributed to Isabelle Harrison suffering an ankle injury in the first-quarter that she wouldn’t come back from. Not even Arike Ogunbowale’s short-lived return from abdominal surgery could spark Dallas’ stagnant offense. The former national champ went scoreless in six minutes, going 0-3 from the field and 0-2 from beyond the arc.

Bonner credited Connecticut’s defensive clinic to second-year guard DiJonai Carrington. The 35-year-old forward believed Carrington’s “defensive pressure was unbelievable,”, especially in the last 20 minutes of the game.

Carrington was so successful as a defensive pest that she got into a squabble with Mabrey midway through the fourth. The two guards were jaw-jacking as Mabrey set up to inbound the ball from the sideline.

“Forget all that; the credit to this game goes to DiJonai Carrington,” Bonner said. “I think she was the difference maker for us this whole game. Her defensive pressure was unbelievable; she kinda jump-started us the whole game. So take the ball out of my hands and give it to her cause tonight was all about her and her pressure. She definitely jump-started us that second-half, and (I’m) definitely so proud of her.”

The semifinal matchups will start on Sunday, with Las Vegas and Seattle kicking off the action at 4 p.m EST on ESPN. The Sun and Sky will play at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN 2. The Sky swept their regular-season series with the Sun, 4-0, winning by an average of 4.5 points per game.

The post Connecticut Advances to Second-Rounds After 73-58 Rout Over Dallas appeared first on SLAM.

Allisha Gray led the Wings with 17 points and five rebounds, followed by a 13-point, five rebounds, and three assists outing from Tyasha Harris. Marina Mabrey contributed 11 points, and four rebounds, and Satou Sabally rounded out Dallas’ double-digit scorers with 10 points, two rebounds, and two dimes in 15 minutes of action.

SUN TAKE GAME 1

— WSLAM (@wslam) August 19, 2022

Created to create separation in the third quarter after going on a 13-0 run that helped build a 20-point cushion in the third seed’s favor. The Suns kept the Wings scoreless for over five minutes, leading to the Sun closing out the third quarter with a 17-5 run that gave them an 18-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

After the tough Game 1 loss, Coach Vickie Johnson told assembled reporters that she didn’t “recognize” who the Dallas Wings were on the hardwood and noted that some players were noticeably “complaining” and “not taking accountability.”

“The first thing I told my team is ‘I didn’t recognize my team tonight.'” Johnson said. “If we can think we can do it individually and beat Connecticut, it’s not gonna happen.”

Vickie Johnson: "The first thing I told my team is 'I didn't recognize my team tonight.'"

Said players were "complaining," "not taking accountability."

"If we can think we can do it individually and beat Connecticut, it's not gonna happen."

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) August 19, 2022

Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas’ leading scorer, is still not healthy enough to play due to an abdominal injury she aggravated during the final days of the regular-season.

It’s really that simple for DB pic.twitter.com/do0bk85mpV

— WSLAM (@wslam) August 19, 2022

The Wings will look to tie the series up with a Game 2 win over the Sun on Sunday.

The post Vickie Johnson Didn’t ‘Recognize’ Dallas Wings Team That Lost Game 1 appeared first on SLAM.

Cheryl Reeves is the head coach of the World Cup team and will be joined by Mike Thibault, Kara Lawson, and Joni Taylor as her assistant coaches.

The training camp will take place September 6-12 in Las Vegas. An intrasquad Red-White game will headline the camp on Sept. 10 before the final roster comes out for the FIBA World Cup that runs Sept. 22-Oct. 1 in Sydney, Australia.

The following is a complete list of expected training camp participants: Ariel Atkins, Shakira Austin, Boston, Kahleah Copper, Elena Delle Donne, Diamond DeShields, Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray, Chelsea Gray, Dearica Hamby, Myisha Hines-Allen, Natasha Howard, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, Brionna Jones, Betnijah Laney, Jewell Loyd, Kayla McBride, Angel McCoughtry, Arike Ogunbowale, Kelsey Plum, Aerial Powers, NaLyssa Smith, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, Courtney Williams, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young.

Invitees will report “pending the conclusion of their WNBA seasons and the progression of the national team selection process,” USA Basketball said in a release.

“I am looking forward to welcoming this amazing group of athletes to a productive training camp as we prepare for the 2022 FIBA World Cup,” national team coach Cheryl Reeve said in a release. “These athletes will report to camp having just completed their WNBA seasons, and it says a lot about their competitive drive and commitment to USA Basketball that they will come to Las Vegas prepared to participate at the highest level.”

Atkins, Chelsea Gray, Loyd, Stewart, and Wilson won gold with Team USA in Tokyo. Alisha Gray, Dolson, Plum, and Young — members of the gold-medal-winning 3×3 team — will be headed to Vegas. Wilson, Stewart, Delle Donne, Loyd, Plum, and Young were members of Team USA’s World Cup team that won gold in Spain in 2018.

Delle Donne and McCoughtry didn’t play in Tokyo due to injuries but were contributors to the 2016 Olympic team in Rio de Janeiro. McCoughtry had appeared in three WNBA games in two years due to knee injuries and is currently a free agent after the Lynx bought her contract out before the season started.

This will be the first Team USA roster that won’t feature Sue Bird, and Sylvia Fowles is retiring. Tina Charles, Diana Taurasi (season-ending quad injury), Skylar Diggins-Smith (personal reasons), Napheesa Collier (played one week of basketball after giving birth in May), and Brittney Griner, who is controversially imprisoned in Russia due to drug possession and smuggling charges.

The post Aliyah Boston Headlines Invitees Tor Team USA Training Camp appeared first on SLAM.

It was a close race between Stewart and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, as the two nearly split the 10-member media panel vote. Stewart just edged out Wilson, winning six votes to four. Wilson averaged 19.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game on 50.1 percent shooting for the Aces, who finished the regular season tied with the Chicago Sky for the best record in the League.

Stewart posted 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game on 47.2 percent shooting from the field during the regular season to lead Seattle to the No. 4 seed in the WNBA Playoffs. It’s been a big year for Stewart, who, on top of her on-the-court accolades, became the first woman to have a signature sneaker in a decade with the reveal of the PUMA Stewie 1 in July.

“It’s an honor to be recognized as the best in the league,” Stewart told the AP. “Since I started in the WNBA in 2016, just trying to get better. Elevate myself and the team, the League as a whole. A big honor, but we’re motivated by more, and that’s trying to win a championship.”

However, Wilson didn’t leave empty-handed, as the four-time All-Star was awarded AP Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 1.9 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. Her Aces teammate Jackie Young received Most Improved Player while Atlanta Dream head coach Tanisha Wright became the first former WNBA player to win AP Coach of the Year.

Other award recipients included a pair of Connecticut Sun teammates, Brionna Jones and Alyssa Thomas. Jones, who averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, earned Sixth Woman of the Year honors. In comparison, Thomas won Comeback Player of the Year after averaging 13.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists following an Achilles injury.

Atlanta Dream forward Rhyne Howard rounded out the list of winners, as the former No. 1 overall pick racked up 16.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season.

The WNBA Playoffs begin on Wednesday, starting with the No. 2 seed Sky facing off against the No. 7 seed New York Liberty at 8 p.m. The No. 1 seed Aces will then face the No. 8 seed, Phoenix Mercury, at 10 p.m.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Breanna Stewart Named AP WNBA Player of the Year appeared first on SLAM.

Fowles, who dropped 10 points and 12 rebounds, left the game to a standing ovation at Mohegan Sun Arena and was embraced by teammates and coaches. She has retired as the only player to lead two franchises (Chicago and Minnesota) in career rebounding and the only WNBA player to record 4,000 rebounds. 

Fowles also received a standing ovation during her final home game Friday night at the Target Center, where she and fellow WNBA legend Sue Bird (who Fowles won four Gold Medals as members of Team USA) shared a moment after the game.

The Lynx could not pick up the victory despite Fowles” 193rd career double-double and a combined 48 points from Lindsay Allen and Aerial Powers Sunday night, as Connecticut’s Jonquel Jones, Natisha Hiedeman, Courtney Williams, Alyssa Thomas, and Brionna Jones all finished in double-digits. But the moment of Fowles’ final game took center stage after Minnesota’s season-ending loss.

“In typical Syl fashion, she just thanked us for being her teammates and supporting her throughout the season and then the staff and the coaches and all of that,” Allen said, per ESPN. “She was just very grateful to be able to do it with us this season through the ups and downs and everything that the season entailed.”

An eight-time All-Star, two-time WNBA Champ, two-time Finals MVP, 2017 League MVP, and four-time Defensive Player of the Year, Fowles achieved it all during her illustrious 13-year career in the W. The 36-year-old, who is arguably the greatest center in WNBA history, took time after the game to reflect on her legendary career.

“I learned that this team is going to be different and a little more challenging, so I had to do things that were out of my comfort zone, which I’m gratefulI’mhappy that I stepped out of my comfort zone for this team,” Fowles said “But also just appreciating the love that I got from the fans this year. It put things into a different perspective for me. I never got that in my first 14 years of playing, and so to see that all come together in my last year, I’m very grateful.”

One of the greatest to ever play the game, the memories Fowles brought basketball fans will last a lifetime. From two championships to winning the League MVP to throwing down a one-handed slam at the most recent WNBA All-Star game, Fowles’ legacFowles’live on for years to come.

Photos via Getty Images

The post Slyvia Fowles Plays Final WNBA Game in Loss to Connecticut Sun appeared first on SLAM.

“You can teach (rebounding) technique. You can teach a lot of things about boxing out. But at the end of the day: See ball, get ball, and that’s Sabrina.”@charlottecrrll on how crucial @sabrina_i20‘s rebounding is for @nyliberty and her own success: https://t.co/Hu9MDougLP

— The Athletic WBB (@TheAthleticWBB) July 29, 2022

This season, Ionescu is averaging 17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds. and 6.2 assists per game. As of Friday, the Oregon legend leads all guards in rebounding, and her 6.2 rebounds per contest rank seventh overall in the League. Ionescu has recorded two triple-doubles to this point of the season as well. Ionescu’s AAU and high school coach, Kelly Sopak, said that Ionescu’s ability to attack the boards came after he played up in age and wouldn’t get the ball unless she did rebound.

Since Ionescu is such a rebounding magnate, she is the only primary ballhandler for a team who ranks in the top 20 for rebounds this season. Ionescu herself said competing with a higher level of hoopers that are more physical has been a “learning experience” but something that she’s going to do to help Liberty win games.

“First and foremost, she cares,” Sopak told The Athletic. “You can teach (rebounding) technique. You can teach a lot of things about boxing out. But at the end of the day: See ball, get ball, and that’s Sabrina.”

Her nose for the ball has impressed many players around the League, including Allie Quigley, who said that Ionescu’s “competitiveness and her fearlessness.” stand out the most about the young guard.

Candace Parker is another guard who has been impressed by Ionescu’s ability to record points, board, and dimes and see’s her versatility as part of the game’s evolution. Ionescu and Parker have recorded two triple-doubles, while Moriah Jefferson and Alyssa Thomas have one each. That’s six out of the 11-ever triple-doubles in the history of the WNBA.

“I think it’s the new age of players, but I also think it’s the way the game is played now,” Parker said. She’s tied with Ionescu for most triple-doubles in league history with three total. “It’s more fast-paced now. Now, you’re seeing 90s and 100 scores. They’re setting the record for 3-point shots. So it’s more like made shots. When we were coming to into the League, I don’t know what the average was for points, but I’m sure it was way less than it is now. So you have more shooters, so you’re going to have more assists, and your playmaking is better. So I think it’s just a combination of, yes, the skill set of the players like Sabrina, but also, I think it’s the skill set of those that are around her that are able to knock down shots.”

The Liberty (10-17) is set to return to action with a Friday night road game against the defending champion Chicago Sky (21-7).

The post How Sabrina Ionescu Has Become the WNBA’s Biggest Triple-Double Threat appeared first on SLAM.

This is the year, right?

With 2021 Coach of the Year Curt Miller at the helm, this must be the year the Connecticut Sun translate their regular-season success into playoff glory…right?

Championship windows don’t linger for long, so the pressure is on for the Connecticut Sun. A premier team in the League for the past three years, the Sun was labeled the early season favorite and predicted by many experts as the team most likely to be the last standing at the end. But, in reality, the Sun has come up short of the ultimate goal in the final moments in each of those seasons. With the League growing more and more competitive, and the parity in the WNBA reaching an all-time high, Connecticut must make good on its promise to grab what the franchise has yet to capture in its 20-year existence: a WNBA title.

After losing 3-2 in a thrilling five-game series against the Washington Mystics in the 2019 Finals, the team fell short of reaching the Finals the following year. With the big free agency signing of DeWanna Bonner ahead of an unprecedented time in not only sports, but in our country’s history, the Sun found themselves in a semifinals losing battle with the Las Vegas Aces during the 2020 bubble. However, last season’s early exit seemed the most disappointing.

After earning the No. 1 overall seed and claiming a bye through the first and second rounds, and posting 14 straight regular-season wins going into the postseason, Connecticut failed to hang a banner at the end of one of the franchise’s best seasons. 

“We feel like we fell short,” reigning MVP Jonquel Jones says in reflection of last season. “We understood what we were able to do, and it’s just been a lot of talk about that.”

Head coach Curt Miller echoed those sentiments. “It’s a fine line between wins and losses in our League,” he says. “You look back at that series and you think about all the little things that could have been done differently.”

In hindsight, there were a myriad of things that could have been “done differently.” Executing on a missed open layup in Game 3 from Briann January that could have ended the game in regulation for the Sun is one such play that comes to mind. The team never seemed to find their groove in that series against Chicago, which presented arguably the toughest matchup Connecticut had seen all season. One could see in that series, as late as being on the brink of elimination, how much the Sun yearned to finish their season as champions. Miller even said then that there were moments where their desire to win overshadowed their execution and took them out of character. The team would be overpowered, outplayed and outcoached by the Sky and eventually lose the series 3-1. Chicago would continue on to defeat the Phoenix Mercury and eventually become the 2021 WNBA champions.

“There are lessons learned in every situation,” Miller continues, “but that fine line just serves as a reminder that all the little things matter in a game that make or break a loss, and you have to show up in the smaller moments just as you do in the biggest moments.”

A franchise that has been knocking at the door of a championship but can’t seem to find their way in, Connecticut believes this is the right team and the right season to push the needle forward. With the abrupt end to their previous season in the rearview mirror, the Sun are looking to this season as the one where all the pieces will finally fall into place.

Well…almost.

After returning most of their core players this season and re-signing Courtney Williams from Atlanta, a key component to the 2019 Finals run, Connecticut was expecting to have a year where the Fteam could finally have all their stars healthy and on the court. After playing without Jones in 2020 and without Alyssa Thomas (out with an Achilles tear) for all but a few games in 2021, the Sun once again find themselves having to tinker with their lineup now that point guard Jasmine Thomas has been ruled out for the season after tearing the ACL in her right knee near the end of May.

“Disappointing. Heartbreaking. [J. Thomas] is an iron woman. She doesn’t miss games,“ Miller stated after Thomas’ injury. “It’s difficult. And quite frankly, I’m tired of having to figure out how to play without a starter. But sometimes injuries can equal opportunities.”

Without J. Thomas in the lineup, the team has seen the other Thomas, who has an incredible comeback story of her own, put her versatility on display. “I feel like a utility player has always been my role,” Alyssa Thomas says.

There’s no telling where you’ll see her on the court and in what position. With Thomas’ flexibility to switch to the 1 guard, it creates an opportunity for Miller to use a larger lineup on the floor, which has really given defenses a tough time in the paint. Since returning from an injury, Alyssa has eased back into the form that made her the engine for Connecticut. She’s become an even more unstoppable force in how she facilitates the offense, from passing the ball to getting her teammates involved to driving to the basket and creating plays for herself. 

The absence of J. Thomas has also led to the emergence of Natisha Hiedeman. The 5-8 guard out of Marquette has been one of the most energetic role players for Connecticut since joining the team in 2019. As her game has continued to grow, so have her opportunities to play in other places. But Hiedeman is aware of how close this team is to the dream that all WNBA players share.

“I love playing with this team and learning from my teammates,” Hiedeman tells WSLAM. “Of course I’d rather have Jas healthy and on the court, but I’m ready for any situation. I got the opportunity to learn and grow from Jas and Bri and maybe I could go and play somewhere else, but why would I? We’re a good team and of course we want to win a championship.”

Hiedeman has been displaying more confidence in her three-point shooting this season and using her ability to draw contact and generate points from the free-throw line. The consistency and inside dominance of Brionna Jones, who’s averaging double figures as the sixth woman off the bench, is another bright spot. With all these pieces, the Sun remain in prime position to vie for a championship, despite the growing parity in the WNBA.

Connecticut knows the assignment this season, but the League is far more dangerous this year than in years past. With the change in the postseason format and the elevation of teams like the Dallas Wings and the Atlanta Dream, who are thriving under new head coach Tanisha Wright and rookie sensation Rhyne Howard, the separation between the top tier teams is thinning. But according to Jones, this Sun team doesn’t shy away from the notion that they are no longer the underdog lacking the respect they rightfully deserve. Remember disrespeCT? The increased competition in the W hasn’t distracted the Sun from the mission at hand.

“This year, we want to embrace being the hunted,” Jones says. “We understand that people are going to kind of come at us, and we have all the necessary pieces. So we’re ready. The desire is definitely there. [I guess] the best way to describe it is just hunger. We’re hungry.”

Connecticut is feeding off this craving to be the team crowned champions when it’s all said and done. 2022. This could be the year…right?

WSLAM 2 is available now. Get your copy here.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The Connecticut Sun are Hungrier Than Ever for a Title appeared first on SLAM.

The excitement wasn’t just in the win itself, but the way Sun players Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones, and DiJonaiCarrington worked together to secure the dub. It was a special day for Carrington in particular, who reached her career high of 18 points in just 18 minutes of playing. Carrington also secured seven rebounds and one steal.

Carrington’s prior career-high came against the Liberty back in September; Carrington scored 14 points.

Jones tied her season high of 21 points, and Thomas followed up with 18 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and a season-high of six steals.

By the fourth quarter, the Suns had pulled away from the Liberty with a 27-5 run and an 80-57 lead. In the last ten minutes, the Liberty scored 13 points, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Sun.

Even though the Sun was without Jonquel Jones, who averages 15.1 points and nine rebounds, the Sun’s defense held the Liberty to 36.4 percent shooting and 18 turnovers.

The Sun is expected to play against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday.

The post DiJonai Carrington Reaches Career-High With Win Against the New York Liberty appeared first on SLAM.

The players selected include Ariel Atkins, Kahleah Copper, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Dearica Hamby, Natasha Howard, Rhyne Howard, Jewell Loyd, Brionna Jones, Emma Meesseman, Arike Ogunbowale, Alyssa Thomas, and Courtney Vandersloot.

2022 WNBA ALL-STAR RESERVES:

Ariel Atkins, Kahleah Copper, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Dearica Hamby, Natasha Howard, Rhyne Howard, Jewell Loyd, Brionna Jones, Emma Meesseman, Arike Ogunbowale, Alyssa Thomas, Courtney Vandersloot. #WNBA |

— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) June 28, 2022

Howard, the rookie out of Atlanta, will make her All-star game debut while the Chicago Sky send a mob over with their championship core all making an appearance. The Sky will be represented this year by Kahleah Copper, Courtney Vandersloot, Emma Meeseman, and Candace Parker, who was voted in as a starter. 

The All-Star starters were announced on June 22, including Candace Parker, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Nneka Ogumike, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu. The captains for the All-Star Game are A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. WNBA legend Sue Bird joins Team Wilson as a co-captain, while Sylvia Fowles will join Team Steward.

Wilson and Stewart pick their teams on Saturday afternoon, with the starters chosen first and then the 12 reserve players. Since Wilson led in fan voting, she will have the first pick on Saturday. 

The post Kahleah Copper, Skylar Diggins-Smith Headline 2022 WNBA All-Star Game Reserves appeared first on SLAM.

Those who were there from the beginning will tell you that Kevin Garnett didn’t want to make a documentary solely about himself. They’ll tell you that as a storyteller, he simply wanted to be a character who was part of a larger story, and everything he’s ever done, every basket he’s scored (or blocked, or rebounded) are domino pieces stacked within a long trail of other dominos. One decision led others to fall, and the story of Kevin Garnett, the story that will be told in Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible, is a visual representation of that domino effect. 

Co-directed and produced by Eric Newman and Dan Levin, along with producers Mike Marangu, Marc Levin and Brian Bennett—KG’s partner at his production company, Content Cartel—the documentary is a look at KG’s past, diving deep into the impact he’s had on the League and the legacy he’s currently leaving as a Hall of Famer.

Garnett had expressed his interest in filmmaking way before the documentary even came to fruition. Stephen Espinoza, president of SHOWTIME Sports, recalls the first time he met KG, back in 2014 while on a flight from New York to China. SHOWTIME, one of the Barclays Center sponsors, was invited to join the Nets on the trip, and Espinoza recalls chatting with KG on the plane about boxing as well as Kevin’s post-career plans and goals. 

“We ended up talking so long that eventually, they had to separate us because we’re keeping everyone else in the cabin awake talking and laughing,” he says. “When we finished that conversation, I remember thinking that if there was ever an opportunity to do a project with him, I would jump at it because he is such a great dynamic, peripatetic personality and has really been an icon and a trailblazer in the League and in the culture for a long, long time.” 

Marc Levin, who first met KG during a Super Bowl LIII party, remembers having earlier conversations with him about his interests in exploring filmmaking and production. Garnett, who had seen Levin’s earlier film, Gang War: Banging in Little Rock, was intrigued by notorious gang leader Larry Hoover and interested in telling his story. 

Garnett also shared his interest in documentaries with Mike Marangu, who had previously worked with Levin on a number of sports documentaries, including Freeway: Crack in the System, along with being a producer on Iverson. The two had been introduced in 2018, just two years after KG retired, by Brian Bennett. 

No shade to other sports docs, but having grown up in the era of hip-hop and the heavy influence of Nas, Tupac and Biggie, KG told Marangu that he wanted his own documentary to be, in his own words, some “gangster shit.”

“When you’re talking to him and he’s literally acting it out, he can’t just tell you a story,” Marangu says on a Zoom call. “He’s full sweat, acting out and imitating everyone’s voices. He’s just an amazing storyteller and he always says that came from hip-hop…from day one he was like, I don’t do anything soft. I see what other players are doing, and I love those guys and all that, but I just want to do all gangster shit.” 

After that conversation, Marangu reached out to Levin, who reeled in Newman—who at the time was building his work as a filmmaker and producer covering sports. Newman had served as a producer on both The Legend of Swee’ Pea and created the vision and executive produced the DeMarcus Cousins film, The Resurgence, with SHOWTIME. Together, Newman, with Dan and Marc Levin created the concept of what Kevin’s documentary would be and put together the dense story deck that was presented in the pitch meeting with SHOWTIME.

“I tend to go mad scientist mode with story decks, and I took this to a different level,” Newman recalls. That includes “The Butterfly Effect,” a diagram he created, which was inspired by an earlier conversation he had with KG, that shows just how much KG impacted the League, the culture and how he paved the way for future generations.

The first meeting with SHOWTIME took place in June 2019, during the NBA Finals. KG, Marangu, Bennett, Newman and Brian Dailey, SVP of SHOWTIME Sports, all sat in one of SHOWTIME’s West Hollywood offices, while the Levins called in. 

The initial pitch meeting went well and led to another one getting scheduled in July at SHOWTIME’s office in New York. Newman and Garnett spent nearly the entire day together, getting breakfast and bouncing around the city. Newman shared his own story about how basketball has played a huge role in his life, a moment of vulnerability that he feels helped create a level of trust and respect between the two early on. 

During that meeting, everyone was ready to execute the pitch to the SHOWTIME Sports team. But, as soon as the meeting began, the plan went out the window and the 15-time All-Star immediately took the reins. Garnett had something to say and went into full KG mode. He knew what he wanted this film to be, and just as with anything involving Kevin Garnett, everyone simply watched with amazement. 

“He was so animated and couldn’t sit still. He’s going from sitting straight across from me staring at me to leaning back in his chair to his feet up, to getting up pacing the room, to getting in a defensive stance,” says Newman. “He was like, I want to make this about the domino effect of going from high school to the pros. I don’t want this to just be about me. I want this to be about all of the other elements and lanes. We kind of had to bring him back and be like, Hey, we’re going to cover all of that!”

When Garnett and everyone who was in the room that day (physically and virtually) shook hands and officially greenlit the film, they knew that not only were they about to produce the first documentary about him, but they were going to create an important body of work with cultural significance. Kevin had never gone into tons of detail about his past, simply telling bits and pieces to the media: growing up in South Carolina, moving to Chicago, playing in a pickup game that included Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, witnessed by Isiah Thomas, having a heart-to-heart with Thomas about his future. This film would dive deeper into all of it and then some. 

“Garnett was always the ultimate story to tell from my generation,” says Newman, who grew up rooting for the Boston Celtics and, as a former high school coach and basketball clinic director, was deeply impacted by that ’08 championship team. “Our senior year of high school was his rookie year in the NBA, so watching that leap while also having a very meaningful basketball experience of my own was very impactful. Just thinking back on that time, part of our story is looking at this magical 25-year framework—which was launched by his decision and everything else that came with it.”

The film, produced by Blowback Productions, Content Cartel and SHOWTIME, is centered around Garnett’s impact and journey during this 25-year period. Garnett wanted to keep it real for the film, and for the first time, he opens up about his accomplishments in one-on-one interviews and is honest about the moments that have made him who he is. 

“Kevin was drawn by a range of SHOWTIME documentaries,” Dailey says. “Kobe, Iverson, most recently Ron Artest, DeMarcus Cousins, the Shut Up and Dribble project with LeBron [James]—there is a connection between all of those subjects. This resonated with KG, and he wanted to be part of our brand of storytelling: bold, unfiltered unapologetic.”

“The bar was set high,” adds Espinoza, about SHOWTIME’s array of films on legendary players around the game. “And Kevin was a trailblazer. I think part of what also makes this film special is to celebrate his career, the competitor that he was, what he brought to the League. Part of it is to sort of show respect and recognize the contributions he’s made on a cultural basis, on a sports basis and even on an individual basis with a range of young players today.”

Life is oftentimes unexpected, and so was the filming of the documentary, right from the very start. Two days into production, which began in January 2020, the Levins, Newman, Marangu and the rest of the crew joined KG on a beautiful beach in Malibu where he often enjoys working out, meditating and clearing his thoughts. None of them could have known then that nearly 10 miles away, a devastating tragedy would take place 24 hours later on January 26. The news was unimaginable: Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and her teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash.

Kevin’s demeanor changed from that moment on. He had lost his little brother and friend.

“[Kevin and Kobe] came in around the same year,” Marangu reiterates. “Kevin ’95, Kobe in ’96. Kobe and [Allen] Iverson were the youngsters that looked to Kevin like, Hey, you made it. What’s the NBA like? [Kevin] was really downloading all those guys that came in that ’96 year about making the jump, so [Bryant’s passing] hit him pretty hard.”

“Everything felt different after that, the world was different, he was different after that,” Newman adds.

Stream KEVIN GARNETT: Anything Is Possible on SHOWTIME. 

During All-Star Weekend in Chicago last year, the crew joined KG on a trip to visit his former high school, Farragut Academy. They saw the banners, the trophies, the glass windows Garnett often refers to, and, most notably, the star reuniting with his old coaches and laughing and joking as though no time had passed. The producing team saw firsthand just how much that time he spent in Chicago shaped who Garnett is, and the documentary will show a side to him that not many have ever seen before.

“You felt from the moment he had that reunion with his coach and the assistant coach that, that experience [and] that one year at Farragut really is what made him Kevin Garnett. You felt it. You saw his picture in the gym and all the trophies and the retired jerseys,” says Marc Levin. “This country kid, who obviously was incredibly talented, was just a [boy] from South Carolina thrown into [an environment like] west Chicago. The gangs, Farragut [had] students fighting every day, and [Kevin] was just thrown into that. Then, [he has] this incredible moment where he made this decision that he was going to take a chance at going pro—it was all palpable, emotional and I had never realized that his high school year was such a crucible in terms of forming who he was.”

While the trip to Chicago had its celebratory moments, including the announcement of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalists, a dark cloud also lingered. The world was still mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant.

“The Hall of Fame press event was at All-Star Weekend in Chicago and that became a whole Kobe tribute, so that affected him, and [it seems like] he still hasn’t been able to really talk about it,” Marangu says. “That’s the most impactful thing during production that happened.”

“Chicago was supposed to be a celebration of 25 years, but instead it was this somber, reflective [moment] on Kobe. [Kevin] did two hours on ALL THE SMOKE and it was almost like therapy…which made the Farragut visit that much more meaningful. He was really reflective after that. We finished and did that exit shot of him leaving the building and to me, it was so much more than filming a guy leaving the building. The whole day was really impactful.”

One tragedy practically led straight into another. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and production was halted for three months. Once it started back up in June, everyone felt like they were making a different type of film with a handful of uncontrollable factors: loss, tragedy and a global pandemic. Everything felt different, and even Kevin—with all of his bubbly energy and excitement—wasn’t the same person from the beginning of the year.

“Kevin needed, and I’m comfortable saying this, Kevin just needed time,” says Newman, looking back. “Everything that’s happened in our world weighs on us all differently and these things were weighing on him, and a lot of the times I have to remind myself, OK, this film is obviously very, very important to the people making it, it’s very important to the subject, but it’s not the only thing that he’s conscious of every day when he wakes up. He’s a father, he’s launching different things, he’s involved in different ventures and projects, so when the timing is right to pick it up, it’ll be right and thankfully that happened in June.

The crew eventually had to conduct some of the interviews virtually and had to administer COVID tests when filming in-person at Dream Magic Studio in L.A. Still, they were able to interview Kevin’s former teammates, friends and peers, including Paul Pierce, Sam Cassell, Ronnie Fields, Doc Rivers, Rajon Rondo, Isiah Thomas, Danny Ainge, and even Snoop Dogg—all of whom shared stories and insight into who the big man is and the impact he’s had on so many people.

Garnett also opened up more and more as production continued and showed moments of vulnerability. 

Last October, they all traveled back to KG’s old stomping grounds in Minnesota. While there, they took time to pay respect to and mourn the loss of George Floyd. It was then that both of them saw just how impactful these moments they spent with Garnett were. Making a documentary about him was one thing, but in many ways, it felt like 2020 was another character in the film. 

“It would be A, foolish and B, completely irresponsible, to ignore what is going on in the world,” Dan Levin says. “Whether it’s Kobe, whether it’s social injustice, police brutality, all of these things and how they affect us—how we were going to do that remained to be seen but we knew we weren’t going to shy away from it when the cameras were rolling.”

Subjects, in all their glory and accomplishments, are simply humans who have done extraordinary things, but they’re also multi-faceted rather than one-dimensional. Many know Kevin Garnett as the dominating, all-imposing and destructive force that he was on the court, with an intensity that oftentimes followed him off of it. That’s the KG we’ve all seen, cheered for and marveled at. He’s honest, energetic, personable and entertaining all at the same time, someone who will tell you like it is. Newman, Marangu, Bennett and Marc and Dan Levin have described him as a one-man show, someone whose magnetic personality commands a room. Yet they’ve also seen him get somewhat uncomfortable with having the spotlight be entirely on him. From the start, Garnett was intensely passionate and hungry for storytelling, ready for the next chapter in his career. 

In his own words, Garnett wants this film, and his production company, to keep it just as real as he does. “He was like, Everything I’m watching is soft! Man, it’s all treble. I want this to be about the BASS,” Marangu recalls Kevin saying. 

“It has to be about bass.” 

Photos courtesy of KEVIN GARNETT: Anything Is Possible.

The post Behind the Scenes of the Making of Kevin Garnett’s Documentary ‘Anything Is Possible’ appeared first on SLAM.

Thomas practiced with the Sun on Tuesday, where coach Curt Miller felt excellent about her return this week, per ESPN’s Kelly Cohen.

“She had a good practice again today, so I’ll put it that way,” Miller said. “We are very optimistic.”

Sun teammate Beatrice Mompremier, talking to a reporter after Coach Millers’ comments, spoiled her surprise return to Sun Center, saying she “can’t wait” to see Thomas take the floor.

Thomas was overseas playing for the Czech Republic team, where she suffered a torn Achilles tendon injury. The Sun later confirmed the injury, giving a timetable of 9-12 months for her return.

Having played the majority of her career with Connecticut, the two-time All-Star averaged 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game in the 2020 season. She’ll be making her return at an excellent time, with the Sun currently on a 12-game winning streak and locking up a first-round bye with the start of the 2021 WNBA Playoffs just a week away.

The post Sun’s Alyssa Thomas Likely to Return From Achilles Injury Against Liberty appeared first on SLAM.

The season tips off on Saturday, July 25 at noon ET with the Storm against the Liberty. Below is our 2020 preview to get you ready for the action. Let’s go.

EAST

1. Chicago Sky

If there’s one team everyone in the League should fear this upcoming season, it’s the Sky. This Chicago group is one of the youngest in the League, so it’s no surprise that they are also one of the most athletic. Behind prolific scorers in two-time Three-Point Contest champion Allie Quigley and Diamond DeShields, the Sky were second in scoring last season, just behind the champion Washington Mystics. Not only that—they were also  second in assists, in large part due to Courtney Vandersloot, the record holder for most assists in a single season. In keeping core pieces like Stefanie Dolson, Cheyenne Parker and Gabby Williams, while also picking up Sydney Colson and Azura Stevens, Sky Town has a lot to look forward to in the 2020 campaign.

2. Connecticut Sun

Connecticut came just short of the championship in 2019 with one of the strongest rosters in the WNBA, but this year’s roster looks slightly different. Although they’ll be without leading scorer Jonquel Jones, who has chosen to sit out over health concerns due to COVID-19, they won big time in acquiring DeWanna Bonner during free agency. Along with veteran guards Alyssa Thomas and Jasmine Thomas, Bonner will help fill the major scoring void. The big question for the Sun revolves around team chemistry, having lost on-court leader Courtney Williams, as well as having picked up multiple free agents this offseason.

3. Washington Mystics

The reigning WNBA Champions will aim to defend their title in 2020, although they’ll be without some major pieces. They took a big hit during free agency in losing Point God Kristi Toliver, and will be without 2019 MVP Elena Delle Donne and free-agent signee Tina Charles due to health concerns over COVID-19. Washington added vet Essence Carson to help fill the void of Natasha Cloud, who has chosen to sit out the season in order to focus on the fight for social justice. Even without some serious offensive pieces, they still have last year’s Finals MVP Emma Meesseman, who will need to step up once again if the Mystics are to make another deep playoff run.

4. Indiana Fever

Indiana has struggled since their last playoff appearance in 2016, but this new squad could be considered the sleeper of the League. With lottery picks in the most recent drafts, the Fever are now young, quick and hungry to win. Indiana’s biggest strength is their talented bigs, including Natalie Achonwa, Teaira McCowan and the 2020 No. 2 overall pick Lauren Cox. They also have strong young guards in Kelsey Mitchell and Victoria Vivians, who returns this season after missing last year due to a knee injury. Behind the veteran leadership of Candice Dupree and Erica Wheeler, as well as former Mystics assistant and new head coach Marianne Stanley, Indiana’s ceiling is extremely high.

5. Atlanta Dream

Having lost Angel McCoughtry during free agency, Atlanta has a lot of question marks around this upcoming season. With significant movement in the offseason, the Dream’s roster has several new faces playing together for the first time. Courtney Williams and Shekinna Stricklen join the team after a WNBA Finals run with the Sun last season, and therefore will need to provide leadership in the locker room. Additionally, their frontcourt crew of Elizabeth Williams, Glory Johnson and Kalani Brown is extremely strong. The future definitely looks bright for the Dream, as they also picked up scoring sensation Chennedy Carter in this year’s Draft.

6. New York Liberty

The team with the most unknowns is the new Brooklyn crew. With one of the most inexperienced rosters, new head coach Walt Hopkins will need to rely on veterans Layshia Clarendon, Amanda Zahui B and Kia Nurse to help transition the rookies into the pros. That being said, the Liberty have some of the best prospects from this year’s draft, including NCAA phenom Sabrina Ionescu and former Husky Megan Walker. If Sabrina, Megan and the rest of the rookies are able to adapt quickly, the Liberty could have a surprisingly successful season. New York will be without Asia Durr, though, who decided to opt out of the 2020 season due to health concerns over COVID-19.

WEST

1. Seattle Storm

The 2018 championship team is finally back together after a year of many injuries, and we have a feeling they’re about to pick up right where they left off. Stewie is back, Sue is back, and the best part is that a lot of the younger players now have more experience to help take Seattle back to the top. We witnessed Jordin Canada and Jewell Loyd really come into their own in 2019, leading Seattle to the second round of the playoffs. With last year’s Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard, as well as new additions in Morgan Tuck and Epiphanny Prince, the Storm are destined for another title run.

2. Phoenix Mercury

Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi are the new “Big Three” of the WNBA, and they’re likely to take the Mercury near the top at IMG this summer. Phoenix already had a stacked roster and the addition of one of the best scoring guards in the League only makes them that much better. With Bria Hartley and 2019 champion Shatori Walker-Kimbrough joining the mix, there’s no doubt that Phoenix has the deepest roster in the League. Diana “The GOAT” Taurasi is back this year after missing most of last season due to injury, which makes Phoenix one of the early favorites to win it all. 

3. Las Vegas Aces

The Las Vegas Aces are one of the top teams to watch in 2020. In another major free agency move, Vegas picked up Angel McCoughtry, who adds the experienced guard play they have been missing. Although they’ll be without Liz Cambage (due to health concerns over COVID-19) and Kelsey Plum (due to a torn achilles suffered in the offseason), the Aces roster is still strong. With some of their major players missing, 2018 Rookie of the Year A’ja Wilson is set to have another breakout season and potentially be an MVP candidate.

4. Los Angeles Sparks

You know the competition in the West is great when the Sparks are somehow in the middle of the pack, even though they have one of the greatest players ever hooping for them. The big question for L.A. this year is how Coach Derek Fisher implements his offensive system with top scorers Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike, Chelsea Gray and Riquna Williams. The Sparks also picked up Brittney Sykes and longtime rival Seimone Augustus. If Coach Fisher and his staff are able to put together a game plan that gets everyone on the roster involved, the Sparks could be the team to beat in the West.

5. Minnesota Lynx

Cheryl Reeve’s Lynx look a lot different than most years, as they continue their rebuilding period. Their leader, Maya Moore, has continued her inspiring path of pursuing social justice reform, which leaves Sylvia Fowles as the veteran in the locker room. The Lynx have lots of promising young talent on the roster, including 2019 Rookie of the Year Napheesa Collier. They also picked up some strong prospects in this year’s Draft with Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Crystal Dangerfield. With sharpshooters Rachel Banham and Lexie Brown, the Lynx still have a chance at a solid season that could help develop a lot of their talent for the future.

6. Dallas Wings

Dallas has the most inexperienced roster in the West, but don’t let that fool you—they have some true bucket-getters on their squad who are poised to have big seasons. All eyes will be on 2019 Rookie of the Year runner-up Arike Ogunbowale, who averaged 19.1 points per game in her first season. Most exciting, though, is their pickup of Katie Lou Samuelson, who didn’t see much playing time with Chicago last year. As a UConn product, you know she’s bound to be a sponge and learn quickly how to be implemented into the offense, especially under head coach Brian Agler. With the addition of top prospects Satou Sabally and Bella Alarie, the Wings are low-key our favorite to shock the League this season, potentially even clinching a playoff spot.

—

Camille Buxeda is a Senior Content Producer at SLAM. Follow her on twitter @CamilleBuxeda.

Photos via Getty.

The post 2020 WNBA Season Preview appeared first on SLAM.

In exchange for Bonner, who spent the first 10 years of her career in Phoenix, the Mercury will bring back a total of three first-round picks, including the No. 7 and No. 10 choices in next April’s draft.

As part of the deal, Bonner will sign for the full $215K max permitted when players sign with their existing team. Had she signed straight up through unrestricted free agency she would have only been entitled to $185K.

Bonner will join a Connecticut squad that competed into the WNBA Finals and she’ll round out a loaded frontcourt that already includes the likes of Jonquel Jones and Alyssa Thomas.

The post Connecticut Sun Acquire DeWanna Bonner appeared first on SLAM.

Anigwe entered the league fresh off a dominant run in the NCAA – including a 30/30 game during her senior season at California – but never got consistent minutes during her stint in Connecticut.

She’ll now join a Dallas squad that sits last in the Western Conference but has turned their attention to the future with high profile rookies Arike Ogunbowale and Megan Gustafson already aboard.

In Plaisance, the Eastern Conference-leading Sun will get an established veteran. The 27-year-old has averaged 6.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for the rebuilding Wings and will help round out a Connecticut frontcourt that already includes the likes of Jonquel Jones and Alyssa Thomas.

The post Wings Acquire Kristine Anigwe In Trade With Sun appeared first on SLAM.

Entering its 23rd season, the WNBA has more talent than ever before, making final roster cuts even more excruciating for teams.

The WNBA season will tip off tonight with the Wings visiting the Dream at 7:30 p.m. EST. Check out the 12-player, opening-night rosters for every WNBA team below!

(NOTE: Some opening-night rosters do not include players on the temporary suspended list while injured, sitting out or fulfilling overseas commitments.)

ATLANTA DREAM

Alex Bentley (G)
Monique Billings (F)
Jessica Breland (F)
Maite Cazorla (G)
Nia Coffey (F)
Marie Gülich (C)
Tiffany Hayes (G)
Angel McCoughtry (GF)
Renee Montgomery (G)
Haley Peters (F)
Brittney Sykes (G)
Elizabeth Williams (C)

CHICAGO SKY

Kahleah Copper (GF)
Diamond DeShields (G)
Stefanie Dolson (C)
Jamierra Faulkner (G)
Chloe Jackson (G)
Jantel Lavender (FC)
Astou Ndour (C)
Cheyenne Parker (F)
Allie Quigley (G)
Katie Lou Samuelson (GF)
Courtney Vandersloot (G)
Gabby Williams (F)

CONNECTICUT SUN

Kristine Anigwe (FC)
Rachel Banham (G)
Bridget Carleton (GF)
Layshia Clarendon (G)
Bria Holmes (G)
Jonquel Jones (FC)
Brionna Jones (C)
Shekinna Stricklen (GF)
Alyssa Thomas (F)
Jasmine Thomas (G)
Morgan Tuck (F)
Courtney Williams (G)

DALLAS WINGS

Kaela Davis (GF)
Skylar Diggins-Smith (G)
Allisha Gray (G)
Isabelle Harrison (F)
Tayler Hill (G)
Glory Johnson (F)
Brooke McCarty-Williams (G)
Imani McGee-Stafford (C)
Arike Ogunbowale (G)
Theresa Plaisance (FC)
Azura Stevens (FC)
Kayla Thornton (F)

INDIANA FEVER

Natalie Achonwa (FC)
Candice Dupree (F)
Shenise Johnson (G)
Paris Kea (G)
Betnijah Laney (G)
Stephanie Mavunga (F)
Erica McCall (F)
Teaira McCowan (C)
Tiffany Mitchell (G)
Kelsey Mitchell (G)
Asia Taylor (F)
Erica Wheeler (G)

LAS VEGAS ACES

Liz Cambage (C)
Sydney Colson (G)
Dearica Hamby (F)
Kayla McBride (G)
JiSu Park (C)
Kelsey Plum (G)
Sugar Rodgers (G)
Carolyn Swords (C)
A’ja Wilson (FC)
Tamera Young (F)
Jackie Young (G)

LOS ANGELES SPARKS

Alana Beard (GF)
Kalani Brown (C)
Chelsea Gray (G)
Alexis Jones (G)
Marina Mabrey (G)
Nneka Ogwumike (F)
Chiney Ogwumike (FC)
Candace Parker (FC)
Tierra Ruffin-Pratt (GF)
Maria Vadeeva (FC)
Sydney Wiese (G)
Riquna Williams (G)

MINNESOTA LYNX

Seimone Augustus (G)
Lexie Brown (G)
Karima Christmas-Kelly (F)
Alaina Coates (C)
Napheesa Collier (F)
Damiris Dantas (F)
Sylvia Fowles (C)
Danielle Robinson (G)
Jessica Shepard (F)
Odyssey Sims (G)
Stephanie Talbot (F)
Shao Ting (F)

NEW YORK LIBERTY

Rebecca Allen (G)
Tiffany Bias (G)
Brittany Boyd (G)
Tina Charles (C)
Asia Durr (G)
Reshanda Gray (F)
Bria Hartley (G)
Kia Nurse (G)
Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe (FC)
Tanisha Wright (G)
Han Xu (C)
Amanda Zahui B (C)

PHOENIX MERCURY

DeWanna Bonner (F)
Essence Carson (G)
Arica Carter (G)
Sophie Cunningham (G)
Brittney Griner (C)
Briann January (G)
Camille Little (F)
Sancho Lyttle (F)
Alanna Smith (F)
Diana Taurasi (G)
Brianna Turner (F)
Yvonne Turner (G)

SEATTLE STORM

Sue Bird (G)
Jordin Canada (G)
Alysha Clark (F)
Natasha Howard (F)
Anriel Howard (F)
Crystal Langhorne (FC)
Jewell Loyd (G)
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (F)
Courtney Paris (C)
Mercedes Russell (C)
Sami Whitcomb (GF)
Shavonte Zellous (G)

WASHINGTON MYSTICS

Ariel Atkins (G)
Natasha Cloud (G)
Elena Delle Donne (F)
Tianna Hawkins (F)
Myisha Hines-Allen (F)
Kiara Leslie (G)
Emma Meesseman (F)
Kim Mestdagh (G)
Aerial Powers (F)
LaToya Sanders (FC)
Kristi Toliver (G)
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (G)

The post WNBA Opening-Night Rosters Set for 2019 Season ✅ appeared first on SLAM.

Each of the past two seasons, the Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx have battled in the WNBA Finals after finishing with the two best records in the League by far.

But dynasties, even concurrent ones, don’t last forever, and among several rising WNBA squads, the Connecticut Sun are first among those aspiring to overtake the Lynx and Sparks some day—perhaps as soon as this season.

“I think we’re trending very positively,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller told SLAM when asked about that goal. “And I think we overachieved last year, so we got to do it without a lot of pressure and a bulls-eye on our back. This year the expectations are higher.”

The numbers bear out Connecticut’s status as the next WNBA title team in waiting. While the Lynx finished first and the Sparks second in both offensive and defensive rating, respectively, only the Sun also managed to grab a top-four spot in both metrics last year. The Sun finished 21-13, and as Miller pointed out, they did it without franchise big Chiney Ogwumike, who missed the season due to an Achilles tendon injury. That opened the door to a starting five that presented opponents with endless matchup problems.

At the 5, Jonquel Jones built on a strong rookie season by blossoming into an All-Star, finishing fifth in the League in player efficiency rating, third in win shares and first in rebounding percentage. Next to her was Alyssa Thomas, whose work as secondary facilitator at the 4 (her assist percentage of 24.3 trailed only point guard Jasmine Thomas’ 24.9 among Sun rotation members) and defender earned her an All-Star bid as well. Courtney Williams combined elite athleticism with a knack for the big shot at shooting guard, and the veteran among the group, small forward Shekinna Stricklen, shot 41 percent from three to stretch the defense.

Stricklen won’t turn 28 until July 30. Not one expected rotation member is going to be as old as 30.

If anything, Miller’s biggest problem coming into 2018 isn’t figuring out where he’ll get production at both ends of the floor. It’s determining what his best lineup will be, working Ogwumike back into a group that looks like it has ample room to grow. Miller has a little time to get it right, saying Ogwumike has told him, “I want you to be patient with me,” as she returns to the League, but a healthy, talented Ogwumike is a player no team wants to waste on the bench, either.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that Alyssa Thomas guarding a 3 and putting the length of JJ and Chiney on the floor together is exciting to us defensively, but we lose the spacing and scoring and shooting of Stricklen with her off the floor,” Miller said. “But if Alyssa’s out of the game and you’re playing Chiney and JJ together, if you’re down the stretch with a lead you have better foul shooters. You keep a really good foul shooter like Stricklen on the floor, you keep the spacing, but you may not be quite as good defensively.”

That doesn’t even take into account a frontcourt stalwart like Morgan Tuck, third overall pick in the 2016 draft, who drained threes in droves playing overseas this past offseason and appears ready to take on the facilitator/perimeter work that allows a 4 in Curt Miller’s offense to shine. Nor does it mean regular time right away for the Sun’s first-round pick, Lexie Brown, a capable two-way point guard out of Duke who will need to battle Jasmine Thomas, Courtney Williams and super sub (and former All-Star herself) Alex Bentley just to get on the floor. Miller did not sugarcoat that to Brown.

“He told me I might be a role player for a little bit and if I could handle that,” Brown said shortly after getting picked. “Absolutely I’ll be able to handle that.”

Ultimately, Miller believes the path to a championship comes more from how much better his top eight can be than the enviable depth he has 1-12 and beyond entering training camp. He wants Jones to supplement her diverse offensive game and unparalleled rebounding with better rim protection, and thinks Ogwumike lineups will help on that score.

Miller had been thinking 2018 would be the playoff breakthrough for the Sun. It came a year ahead of schedule, before the Sun lost a one-game playoff to the Phoenix Mercury. Can a championship run show up early, too?

“Getting back to the playoff was a start,” Miller said. “We now understand that pressure. So I’m not saying we can’t, but we all know there’s still growth and there’s still steps that a lot of this team has hasn’t experienced yet.”

—

Howard Megdal is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @howardmegdal.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The Future is Bright for the Connecticut Sun ☀️ appeared first on SLAM.

“No one’s gonna outwork him,” Sun assistant coach Steve Smith says. “He’s a tireless worker. But he has a true passion for coaching. It’s not really work, it just comes natural to him.”

The Sun have the third best record in the WNBA, sitting at a comfortable 19-10. Miller’s making use of a talented roster of young players, led by first-time All-Stars Jonquel Jones, Jasmine Thomas and Alyssa Thomas.

“Coach Miller has the philosophy that he brought to the organization–championships are won in the locker room. It begins with character first,” Smith says. “He’s done a great job of implementing all of that and getting the players to buy into it.”

Across the country, the Minnesota Lynx have also gotten their players to buy in. Head coach Cheryl Reeve’s best ability, according to her long-time assistant Shelley Patterson, is getting through to their roster.

“She helps the players to believe in themselves, no matter what’s happening in the media, no matter what people are saying,” Patterson says. “The literature on us is that we’re old, we’re slow, we shouldn’t be where we are right now. But one of the things she does well is make them believe in themselves. Inspire them to do more than they think they can. That’s what good teachers do. That’s who she is.”

Like the Sun, the Lynx are currently on fire. However, unlike the Sun, the Lynx have had consistent greatness for the last eight years. Patterson traces that back to Coach Reeve.

“One of the things that’s impressive, for seven seasons, we’ve won 20-plus games,” Patterson says. “You have to be very creative to be able to motivate players like that every single season. Every single motivational speech she gives is something different. In eight seasons, I have not heard her say the same thing twice. Our players, they just weigh on her every word.”

Reeve has found the winning formula. She’s got the Lynx atop the league, yet again, with a 22-6 record. It’s become the norm in Minnesota. Since Reeve and Patterson have been on-staff, the Lynx have captured three championships. They’re trying to avenge last season’s close loss in Game 5 of the Finals against Los Angeles.

“When you’ve been in a marriage, if you will, with most of the core players for eight seasons now, you have to change some things,” Patterson continues. “You can’t always be the same. But at the same time, you also have to keep things exciting. That’s just like any kind of relationship. Most marriages don’t last eight years without something being different and having to bring about change. Making it exciting, making the words that you say continue to motivate you year in and year out.”

Reeve and Patterson have faced new challenges in 2017. Even though Sylvia Fowles is playing like an MVP candidate, and even though Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus are still devastating on the wing, Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen have missed games with injury.

Coach Miller’s also missing one of the key players on his roster. Chiney Ogwumike, the 2014 Rookie of the Year, hasn’t played at all this season due to an Achilles injury. It’s the second time she’s missed an entire campaign— she sat all of 2015 after undergoing microfracture surgery in her right knee.

Smith says that Coach Miller’s been able to replace some of what Ogwumike, a high-basketball IQ player, brings to the table.

“He’s very, very talented,” Smith says. “One of the most talented coaches I’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching with. In terms of the complete approach to the game, being able to anticipate what opponents are going to do, being able to put our players in position to have success, being able to have the foresight to, anticipate the gameplan that really makes it difficult for opponents to have success against us.”

More often than not, it’s the Lynx and the Sun that are having success against their opponents this season. With Reeve’s steady winning and Miller’s upstart youngsters, it’s also more likely than not that the Coach of the Year trophy’s ending up in either Minnesota or Connecticut.

—

Max Resetar is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @maxresetar.

The post Lean On Me appeared first on SLAM.

The rest of the Western Conference reserves are Seimone Augustus, Chelsea Gray, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brittney Griner, who will miss the game with injuries to her ankle and knee.

The Eastern Conference reserves are Layshia Clarendon, Stefanie Dolson, Candice Dupree, Allie Quigley, Alyssa Thomas and Elizabeth Williams.

Along with three first-time All-Star starters, Stewart, Clarendon, Gray, Quigley, Thomas and Williams have all made it for their first time.

The reserves were selected by the W’s coaches.

During halftime of Saturday afternoon’s game, five players will compete in the first WNBA three-point contest in eight years.

Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Sugar Rodgers, Quigley and Jasmine Thomas will shoot for the three-point title.

The ASG tips off at 3:30 ET on ABC on Saturday, July 22.

Related
2017 WNBA All-Star Game Starters Announced

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EASTERN CONFERENCE — EARLY RETURNS LEADERS

Backcourt: Tiffany Hayes (Atl) 4,288; Tiffany Mitchell (Ind) 4,202; Kristi Toliver (Was) 3,498; Sugar Rodgers (NY) 3,480; Courtney Williams (Con) 3,239; Cappie Pondexter (Chi) 2,967; Tayler Hill (Was) 2,794; Jasmine Thomas (Con) 2,696; Shavonte Zellous (NY) 2,128; Ivory Latta (Was) 2,042; Allie Quigley (Chi) 1,939; Briann January (Ind) 1,531; Erica Wheeler (Ind) 1,507

Frontcourt: Elena Delle Donne (Was) 19,280; Tina Charles (NY) 12,055; Jonquel Jones (Con) 10,585; Candice Dupree (Ind) 4,965; Stefanie Dolson (Chi) 3,170; Alyssa Thomas (Con) 3,038; Kiah Stokes (NY) 2,567; Tamera Young (Chi) 1,924; Morgan Tuck (Con) 1,740; Imani Boyette (Chi) 1,730; Natalie Achonwa (Ind) 1,385; Bria Holmes (NY) 1,320

WESTERN CONFERENCE — EARLY RETURNS LEADERS

Backcourt: Sue Bird (Sea) 16,139; Diana Taurasi (Phx) 15,207; Skylar Diggins-Smith (Dal) 11,462; Seimone Augustus (Min) 11,198; Lindsay Whalen (Min) 10,131; Jewell Loyd (Sea) 9,639; Allisha Gray (Dal) 5,766; Alana Beard (LA) 5,003; Kelsey Plum (SA) 4,221; Chelsea Gray (LA) 3,975; Moriah Jefferson (SA) 3,823; Kayla McBride (SA) 3,034; Jantel Lavender (LA) 2,002

Frontcourt: Maya Moore (Min) 19,949; Candace Parker (LA) 17,127; Sylvia Fowles (Min) 15,159; Breanna Stewart (Sea) 13,793; Nneka Ogwumike (LA) 13,563; Brittney Griner (Phx) 12,818; Rebekkah Brunson (Min) 6,236; Glory Johnson (Dal) 5,680; Ramu Tokashiki (Sea) 2,653; Karima Christmas-Kelly (Dal) 2,651; Alysha Clark (Sea) 2,517; Crystal Langhorne (Sea) 2,046

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A prized recruit out of Houston, Bone packed her bags for Columbia, SC, to play for Dawn Staley’s upstart program at South Carolina. After a freshman season in which she was named the SEC’s Newcomer of the Year, Bone decided to transfer to Texas A&M in order to be closer to her family.

“That decision,” she says. “It’s been six or seven years now, but it’s still probably the hardest decision that I’ve ever made in my life.”

Bone had to sit out the following season due to NCAA transfer rules, and in twist of fate, could only to watch as the Aggies won the National Championship in 2011.

The title only added fuel to Bone’s fire when the 6-5 center finally took the court and proved that she had the chops of a premiere post player.

Bone eventually entered the 2013 WNBA draft and was selected fifth overall by the Liberty. She endured an 11-win rookie season before New York sent Bone, along with two first-round picks, to Connecticut for former MVP Tina Charles on draft-night trade in 2014.

Whereas Bone’s role in New York was murky, the Sun clearly wanted Bone to be a part of their exciting young core.

“To be able to go into a situation where there were other younger players and they were trying to make us a core and build a team around us,” says Bone, “that was very exciting.”

Last season, Bone proved her worth, averaging 15.4 ppg (seventh in the WNBA) on 50.8 percent shooting (seventh) with 6.3 rpg (13th) en route to her first All-Star selection and winning the WNBA’s MIP award.

With a new head coach and up-tempo system in place this season, Bone will still be terrorizing opponents in the paint, but she’ll be deploying a new element to her game—a three-point shot.

“I think you can look forward to that,” she laughs. “I’m still going to get on the block, and I’m still going to love that contact. That’s still going to be my bread and butter, but I am looking to add a little bit more versatility.”

We sat down with the fourth-year center prior to WNBA training camp. Here’s the full conversation:

SLAM: What did you take from watching Tina Thompson as a young kid?

Kelsey Bone: The biggest thing for me was the type of competitor that she was. She didn’t back down from anything. She was always ready to fight. She was a post player who could knock down the three. She could knock down the mid-range game. She was just so versatile. For me as a young player trying to find my way in the game and figure out if it’s I really what I wanted to do, it was great to have that kind of role model right in my backyard.

SLAM: When did you take the game seriously and decide it was something you wanted to focus on?

KB: Around the time I was about 12, going into maybe the seventh grade. Up until then, I played, but I wasn’t very good. I didn’t really like it, but I did it because my mom kind of forced me to do it. And then one day the light bulb kind of clicked, and I decided that if I was going to be forced to do it, I might as well try to be good at it. It was something that didn’t come quite naturally to me. To have the opportunity to work at something and become what I have and do the things that I’ve done, that means a lot to me.

SLAM: Were you always taller than most kids?

KB: Yeah, I was always huge [laughs]. I was always tall, and that was pretty much the reason why my mom steered me toward basketball. By the time I was in the fourth grade, I wore a size 10 shoe and I could fit in my mom’s clothes. And so she said, “We got to find something for you to do because cheerleading is not going to cut it.” So I was forced into the sport because of my size.

SLAM: You got a chance to watch Lauren Jackson play in Seattle when you were in high school. Was she a big influence to you as well?

KB: Absolutely. I was in Oregon for a Nike camp, and we went to the Seattle game. After the game, we got to talk and meet with the players, and she actually ended up giving me a pair of her shoes that I still have. Again, just another post player who didn’t mind getting dirty on the block, who could knock down the outside shot, who never backed down, and at the end of the day was a winner and champion at every level that she played on. To see her retire; the last few years of her career had been plagued by injuries. It’s tough on our bodies as professional athletes, especially in women’s basketball because we have to play year-round. But for the type of career that she’s had, and the legacy that she is, and the name that she’ll always have, and how her name will ring here in America, she has definitely been an influence on my career.

SLAM: You faced off against Brittney Griner in the state playoffs in high school. Can you talk about that rivalry and how competitive those games were?

KB: The funny thing about that rivalry is that we only played against each other twice in high school in our senior year. When you’re talking about the two best players in the nation, being from the same city, being in the same backyard, we always bring out the best in each other. Since then we’ve played in college, we’ve played against each other as pros. That’s a rivalry that will last forever. We will be forever bonded by that rivalry. It’s a very competitive rivalry, but it’s also a very friendly one. Just being able to say that we were the best two players in the country at that time, and we were both from the same city. It’s always been about that for us—making sure that our city is recognized for what it is with women’s basketball.

SLAM: Was it difficult to see the Houston Comets fold as a franchise? Do you think a franchise will come back to Houston?

KB: It was definitely difficult to see the Comets fold. I think when you’re talking about the hotbed Houston is for women’s basketball, it’s hard because now the kids growing up don’t have that influence right here. There’s still the WNBA, there’s still teams in other cities, but the way he had it growing up, to be in our city, it’s something that you can’t recreate. I hope that the league can get another franchise here just because of the hotbed that is, the fan base that is here that’s hungry for a team. I think when you start talking about the Ogwumikes, when you talk about Brittney, when you talk about myself, when you talk about Karima Christmas, Lindsey Harding. When you start talking about all of the players in the WNBA who have been top-five draft picks that are from Houston, it’s a lot. So for me, I do hope to see a team here again.

SLAM: When it became time for you to pick a college, you had your list narrowed down to Texas A&M, Texas, South Carolina and Illinois. How tough was it to choose a school?

KB: It was the toughest decision of my life [laughs]. Being from Texas and all, my family wanted me to go to A&M. But me wanting to play for an Olympian in Dawn Staley and the staff that she had put together, it was really hard for me to go against the grain. At 17, I made a decision, and I didn’t factor in all of the pros and the cons like most 17 year olds do. So when I got there, and I was far away from home and I was far away from my family, I had to make a tough decision to leave when it was the best decision, but it wasn’t the decision that I necessarily wanted to make. I knew that I had to be back home in order to be comfortable and be successful and be the best me that I can be. That decision, it’s been six or seven years now, but it’s still probably the hardest decision that I’ve ever made in my life.

SLAM: And then when you transferred to Texas A&M, you had to sit out a season and watch as your team won the NCAA Tournament. How much motivation did that add for you to show what you can do?

KB: Oh man, just my luck. The year that I can’t play, we win a National Championship. What a lot of people don’t realize about kids who transfer is that that year sitting out is probably their first time not playing basketball for 365 days. And so I was so motivated. I was so ready to get back on the court and play, and I was behind because I hadn’t played in a game in over a year. It took me a while to get back adjusted, to get back acclimated, to understand the speed. You can practice, and you can work out, but when you’re not playing in basketball games for a whole year, you feel that. To be able to have the luxury of that transition and figuring it out, it was helpful for me. I was one of the lucky ones because we returned so many players from that national championship team that it didn’t all fall on my shoulders. So I had time to get back acclimated and back in sync with the game.

SLAM: During that transfer season, you kept busy doing a basketball show and writing a blog. Is broadcasting and media something you’re interested in doing after your basketball career?

KB: Absolutely. I love to talk. Anybody who knows me knows that I never shut up, and I love basketball. So those are two areas for me that I’m totally interested in. When you start talking about working for ESPN or even Primetime on ABC—my ultimate goal is to work for Good Morning America, I’ll be completely honestly with you. I am in love and I am fascinated by Robin Roberts. She is like my favorite person in the world, and I really hope to meet her one day. I have a huge interest in broadcasting and journalism, and for me, being able to talk all day and talk about basketball and just talk in general, it excites me.

SLAM: You decided to enter the 2013 WNBA draft with a year left of eligibility. Looking back now, would you have stayed another year?

KB: No, I would have made the same decision because I was able to play on one of the best teams in Europe (during the WNBA offseason). I played for Galatarsay in Turkey. In my first year, we won Euroleague, and we won the Turkish League and we won the Turkish Cup.

SLAM: Everything.

KB: Yeah, we won everything [laughs]. And I still benefit from that experience to this day. To have that opportunity in my first year in Europe, to win Euroleague—it’s people who have played in Europe for 10, 15 years who have never done that. And so to do that at 21, 22—no. I got a chance to play for a great coach in Europe, I got to play with some of the best players in Europe. So for me, the experiences that I’ve had as a professional, from playing for Bill Laimbeer, to playing for Anne Donovan, playing with Katie Smith, Cappie Pondexter, Katie Douglas, being coached by Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Barbara Farris. Those are things that have helped shape me into the person that is now blossoming and becoming now. So for me, no, I would definitely make the same decision because I do think that experience is the best teacher.

SLAM: After your first season overseas, you and Alyssa Thomas were involved in a big draft-day trade involving Tina Charles. Did you have any idea that it would happen, and how did you feel about the trade at the time?

KB: I’m very aware of my surroundings and things that are going on. I knew New York was looking to shake some things up and make some moves. And I knew that there was a possibility that I would have to be a part of something for that to happen. When it happened, the way it happened, I wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t surprised I was a traded. The whole draft-day dramatics and all that stuff, that was pretty interesting to me. But other than that, it didn’t really catch me by surprise or catch me off guard. When you’re dealing with professional sports, it’s a business first. I wasn’t too surprised, but I was excited to still have an opportunity to play in the WNBA.

SLAM: Was it exciting in a way because you had the opportunity to be part of a young, talented core group in Connecticut?

KB: Absolutely. In talking to our GM Chris Sienko, and even talking to Anne [Donovan] when I first got there, they wanted me. They said, “If the trade was going to go down, you had to be a part of it.” So having support and belief and to be able to go into a situation where there were other younger players and they were trying to make us a core and build a team around us, that was very exciting.

SLAM: Coming into that first season with Connecticut, you arrived to training camp late due to overseas obligations. The following season, you were able to return early and the results showed. Do you think that was a major key for you in having a breakout season?

KB: Absolutely. I got to that first training camp in Connecticut about three days before our first game. I was learning everything on the fly, I was trying to figure things out, I was trying to get chemistry down, trying to get off European jet lag—it was just a lot. And so to be able to come into training camp last year on time with everybody from day one, I was a lot more comfortable. And I’m a creature of habit. I love being comfortable. I do understand there are times when you’re not going to be comfortable, but I am at my best when I’m able to relax and just go with the flow and get into a rhythm. To be in training camp on time and to see everything from day one, it was a big help. And it helped that I had already played in the same system, so it was good.

SLAM: You played with an upstart team in Turkey this past season. How was that experience?

KB: That was rather interesting for me. The good thing was I was able to play with Alyssa [Thomas], so we were teammates again. We also had Tiffany Hayes on our team. It’s interesting when you go and play in Europe because sometimes you can end up on any kind of team with any kind of coach with any kind of anything. At the end of the day, it was a really good, growing experience for me because it’s the first time I’ve been on a team in Europe that wasn’t very successful. We qualified to stay in the league, but be did not make the playoffs. To go from the two previous years winning the entire league to not making the playoffs was really interesting to me. But it helped me understand that you have to persevere. You have to keep fighting, you have to keep going to work every day no matter what. And I struggled, and we had a coaching change in the middle of the season, and there were a lot of different things going on. It helped me understand the other side of basketball overseas. And so, I’m home. I’m actually home in Houston now, so I will be returning to training camp on time again this year. So I’m really excited about this season.

SLAM: Are we going to see you shooting threes a little bit this year?

KB: [Laughs] I think you can look forward to that. I’ve talked to our coach Curt [Miller], and he’s kind of said, “We’re going to need you to step out and knock it down a little bit.” So I have been working on that. I’m still going to get on the block, and I’m still going to love that contact. That’s still going to be my bread and butter, but I am looking to add a little bit more versatility and ultimately, getting us over that hump and getting us into the playoffs. It’s been a long time, and our fan base is so loyal and so deserving of the postseason. If they need to run through a wall or sit on the goal, that’s what I’m doing so we can get into those playoffs.

SLAM: Have you and Coach Curt talked specially about what your role will be this year?

KB: Yeah. He’s super energetic about this season, and that’s so refreshing. He’s really excited. He’s ready to get the ball rolling. We talk a couple times a week. He wants us to be an up-and-down, high-scoring team. He loves the fact that I can get on the block and that’s where I want to be. We had a couple conversations about me shooting the three. But overall, we’re trying to get this team to the playoffs. And that’s our goal, and that’s our focus, and we’re going to take it one day at a time. We know it’s a marathon, not a sprint, but at the end of the day, that is the goal.

SLAM: The team started off hot last season and was eventually derailed by injuries. Do you think this team, now that it’s healthy, can have a breakout year this season?

KB: Absolutely. When you talk about the way we started last season, and then we were derailed by injuries. But at the end of the day, we’re still young. We’re probably still the youngest team in the league. We’re a lot more experienced now. We have a lot more experience playing together. We understand each other. And to add a couple key pieces in this draft, with this draft class, we’re going to be right on the right path. If we can all stay together and stay focused and, god willing, we’re injury free, we’ll be fine.

The post Q+A: Kelsey Bone appeared first on SLAM.

Kiah Gillespie, straight out of Meriden, CT, is wrapping up her senior year at Capital Prep and will be heading to the University of Maryland in the fall to play under Coach Brenda Frese. She looks to follow in the footsteps of hoopers like Kristi Toliver, Alyssa Thomas and Crystal Langhorn, all former Terrapins who are now playing in the WNBA (Toliver and Langhorn being a part of the 2006 National Title team). Gillespie hopes to cement her own legacy however, and definitely has the skill-set to make a great one.

Standing at 6-3, Gillespie has the build of a forward with the skills of a guard. She is able to play in the post but also has the ability to sink it from midrange or behind the arc. She handles the ball very well, and is an excellent shooter from the free throw line. Among the honors under Gillespie’s belt are Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015, and an invitation to the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game. In the Class L Connecticut State Championship game, she led her Capital Prep Trailblazers to their third straight state title (second in Class L), defeating Northwest Catholic 87-59. She had 42 points and 22 rebounds in that game.

With all of those accomplishments and more, it would be expected for one to be feeling themselves just a tad bit. Gillespie, however, is as humbled as one can be. On the court, no sense of entitlement or superiority, only the mindset needing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

As great of a player as she has become, she did not always think that she would excel so much in the sport. “I didn’t really think it was for me,” says Gillespie. “I had to reflect on myself, I thought I was going to be a swimmer or something, but when I got to high school and started playing to my potential that’s when I realized, you know, this could really be it for me.”

And she has definitely molded that potential well.

Her motivation on the court has always been to do her part to get her team the victory. After losing the state championship her freshman year at Capital Prep, she realized she never wanted to experience that feeling of disappointment again.

“I lost the state championship my ninth grade year, and it took a lot out of me,” recalls Gillespie. “And from that day forward it kind of motivated me to never be on that losing side.”

She went on to win the state championship every year since.

With her skill-set and personality, she is every coach’s dream.

Chez Williams, head coach of the girls’ team at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High school in Brooklyn, NY and of New Heights, an AAU program in New York City for which Gillespie has played for, will be the first to speak on how much of a pleasure is to have her on the team.

“My experience coaching Kiah is one of the greatest coaching experiences that I’ve had,” said Williams. “Not only is she a good basketball player, she’s a great person, and coaching somebody like that… you don’t get kids like that.”

When Williams talks about her value to his team, it isn’t even about her on-court production. “The value she’s been to my team? Showing my girls how to stay humble even when you’re in a high place. My kids admire her. She’s not one of those kids you have on the team and thinks it’s all about Kiah.”

Taking that humble and winning mentality with her to College Park in the fall, Gillespie is ecstatic to go up against the likes of Iowa and Rutgers in the tough Big 10 conference. “I’m excited!” she says. “I actually watched them play a lot this year and they just looked good–they looked like they were having fun and especially against that great competition.”

Of course, every player that plays collegiate ball wants to win that coveted National Title, and Gillespie is no different. For now, she can only hope to give Breanna Stewart and UConn a run for their money.

“Honestly, if we work together as a team and we play like we did last year but just a little bit better than in that Final Four game, then I really think it’s possible,” Gillespie says. “But we have to work because UConn is UConn.”

With her high school career in the books, the five-star prospect looks to hone her skills in the offseason, as she prepares to embark on her biggest basketball challenge yet.

The post 1 on 1 with Maryland’s Kiah Gillespie appeared first on SLAM.

Eastern Conference

1. Washington (16-18, tied for second): In a conference filled with questions, the Mystics may have the fewest. Emma Meesseman is an emerging star (just 22) at power forward, the backcourt is solid, Kia Vaughn is serviceable at center, and if either Armintie Herrington or Kalana Greene lay claim to the small forward spot, Mike Thibault has enough pieces to maneuver his way to a first-place finish.

2. Atlanta (19-15, first): Wisdom says the most important position is PG, and the Dream jettisoned theirs, Jasmine Thomas, who got most of the minutes last year. Word is Celine Dumerc will not return to the league. That leaves rooks Samantha Logic (is she quick enough?) and Brittany Hrynko (is she consistent enough?) to run things. The rest of the lineup, led by Angel McCoughtry, is quality, so a solid performance at point guard from Shoni Schimmel (pg. 62) should put the Dream back on top.

3. Indiana (16-18, tied for second): The Fever have a lot of players in their prime but the question is whether that prime is good enough to get Indiana back over .500. One reason for the uncertainty is that the team’s best player, Tamika Catchings, waved goodbye to her prime long ago, and this will be her last season as she turns 36 in July. Like ATL, though, the pieces could fall into place, and Indiana could surprise. Or not.

4. Chicago (15-19, tied for fourth): Will she or won’t she? It says here Sylvia Fowles won’t return (she supposedly wants a trade), and that pushes the Sky down a notch. With the 6-5 Olympian, Chicago would have been the heavy favorite in the East and had a good shot at a title. Elena Delle Donne is one of the best, Cappie Pondexter could be rejuvenated by a return home, and the rest of the roster has enough juice to give the stars room to work.

5. New York (15-19, tied for fourth): Bill Laimbeer got two first-round picks, but it’s unclear if either (Brittany Boyd and Kiah Stokes) will be difference-makers this year, or ever. Otherwise, the Liberty have Tina Charles, tremendous when motivated, Epiphanny Prince home (when she’s not fulfilling overseas obligations) and well, not much else.

6. Connecticut (13-21, sixth): If Chiney Ogwumike hadn’t hurt her knee in Europe, the Sun would be in the mix. Without her, though, they need to have Chelsea Gray make her delayed debut (she sat out last year with an injury) in grand style, and some pretty good players (Alyssa Thomas, Alex Bentley, etc.) figure out how to be very good. It could happen, but without Ogwumike and consistent outside shooting, the Sun could find it hard to rise.

Western Conference

1. San Antonio (16-18, tied for third): Dan Hughes always gets the most out of his teams, and this year, he has a lot of pieces in place for a surprise run. Kayla McBride, Danielle Robinson and Jia Perkins are very good; Jayne Appel, Danielle Adams and Sophia Young-Malcolm do their part up front; and if Alex Montgomery can again shoot better than 40 percent from three, the Stars could shine very brightly.

2. Los Angeles (16-18, tied for third): The big question is when Candace Parker will return—and forgive Sparks’ fans if they replace “when” with “if,” as CP3 doesn’t need the money, has a bad knee and like all the other elite players, knows she won’t get any time off in 2016, an Olympic year. Even without her, though, this is a very strong team, with solid Jantel Lavender and exceptional Nneka Ogwumike up front, good guards (Kristi Toliver, Erin Phillips and Temeka Johnson) and a vet in Alana Beard.

3. Minnesota (25-9, second): The Lynx have been blessed with incredible injury luck in recent years: Only once in the past three seasons has a starter played fewer than 29 games, but all those starters, except Maya Moore, are now 31 or older. Healthy, this is the best team here; but the law of averages says that the Lynx are due to be unhealthy in 2015.

4. Tulsa (12-22, tied for fifth): The Shock have been giving youngsters big minutes in recent years, and the growing pains are evident, but it looks like they’ll give that scenario another whirl by tossing No. 2 overall pick Amanda Zahui B. into the mix. Courtney Paris is fine at that spot but limited enough that the combination of Skylar Diggins, Odyssey Sims and Glory Johnson aren’t quite enough to challenge the league’s best. But if Zahui is indeed wowie, the Shock could live up to their name.

5. Phoenix (29-5, first): That thud you hear is the mighty Mercury coming back to earth. Taurasi is taking the summer off (with financial encouragement from her Euro team), Aussie vet Penny Taylor is doing the same and Erin Phillips is in L.A. Yes, Phoenix still has the very great Brittney Griner and the very good Candice Dupree, but unless 6-5 DeWanna Bonner can play all three perimeter positions, it’s going to be a long summer.

6. Seattle (12-22, tied for fifth): The basketball gods smiled on the Storm, gifting them Jewell Loyd with the No. 1 pick, but new coach Jenny Boucek still has little to work with. Sue Bird is 35 with bad knees, Lauren Jackson isn’t playing, Camille Little is gone, and only undersized Crystal Langhorne is a quality player in her prime. Then again, Breanna Stewart awaits the lottery winner next year, so maybe the skies aren’t completely dark.

The post 2015 WNBA Preview appeared first on SLAM.

Minutes after picking Chiney Ogwumike with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on Monday night, the Connecticut Sun traded disgruntled forward Tina Charles to the New York Liberty in return for the fourth overall pick (Maryland forward Alyssa Thomas), center Kelsey Bone and New York’s 2015 first-round pick. Charles reportedly told the Sun that she’d sit out the season if she wasn’t traded. From Swish Appeal:

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The Connecticut Sun went 10-24 in 2013. It was a miserable season for a team with no chemistry. It was obvious that change needed to come, and not just by trading Kara Lawson and adding Katie Douglas.

The Sun made a major splash during Monday’s WNBA Draft at Mohegan Sun Arena, trading 2012 MVP Tina Charles to the New York Liberty and a 2015 third round pick for Kelsey Bone, a 2015 first round pick and the rights to Monday’s fourth overall pick, Alyssa Thomas.

Connecticut had the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, which it used on Stanford star Chiney Ogwumike, and then added Duke’s Chelsea Gray at No. 11 and Kentucky’s DeNesha Stallworth at No. 25.

Vice president and general manager Chris Sienko said that Charles’ agent told them about two weeks ago that the former UConn star would not be playing for the Sun this season.

The post Connecticut Sun Trade Tina Charles, Select Chiney Ogwumike No. 1 in WNBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

The ACC’s back-to-back Player of the Year, Alyssa Thomas, will be linking with SLAMonline throughout the season, as her eighth-ranked Maryland Terrapins aim to reach the Final Four.—Ed.

by Alyssa Thomas / @athomas_25

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We went to Puerto Rico as a team to play in the San Juan Shootout. We got some free time on Thanksgiving Day and we had our choice of going to the beach or going zip lining. Most of us went to the beach and jet skied. We had so much fun just enjoying our downtime.

It was fun playing in a different environment. The gym was not at all what we are used to. The locker rooms were small, the arena was small, and it was not as elaborate as we typically see. It was also really great to come out with two wins.

We’ve had some close games already this year, but the best part is that we’ve all made plays when we’ve needed to. On Wednesday vs Ohio State, they cut it to three late and we never panicked, just kept making plays on both ends, even though it wasn’t our best shooting night. Lexie [Brown] hit a big three to hold them off and Tierney [Pfirman] had her career-high 10 rebounds.

A cool thing about that win over Ohio State is that we are the only team in the Big Ten or ACC to be undefeated in the Challenge. We’ve had some pretty fun games in the Challenge in my four years. Freshman year, we won by one point at Purdue after being down eight in the second half. Sophomore year we beat Michigan at home, and last year we won at Nebraska in front of a full house. Those are the type of environments we love.

We have a few games before finals and our six days off to go home for Christmas. It will be so nice to take some time apart and chill with our families. Right after New Year’s, we open at North Carolina, so we’ll jump right into the full swing of conference play.

The post Alyssa Thomas, Diary 2 appeared first on SLAM.

The back-to-back ACC Player of the Year, Alyssa Thomas, will be linking with SLAMonline throughout the season, as her eighth-ranked Maryland Terrapins aim to reach the Final Four. Her first entry spans the Terps’ the first three games of the ’13-14 season—including a disappointing loss to defending champion UConn. But the Pennsylvania native is already looking toward the team’s next challenge. Catch the diary below for exclusive info on the team’s journey and their shoutout from the President and First Lady.—Ed.

by Alyssa Thomas / @athomas_25

This year has already been action-packed for us, and we’re only three games in. We started off at USF, who went to the NCAA Tournament last year, and we all struggled with the new rules and foul calls. I got in some foul trouble and spent most of the game in my least favorite place ever—the bench. We were all really proud of our freshmen and teammates coming back from injuries to step up and hold off USF. It was really great to see that we have players who can take over and make plays when it matters most.

I’m sure most of the basketball world saw our game against UConn on Friday. Not the result we wanted or expected, but I do think there were positives to take away from it. We are only three games in and as Coach B said beforehand, this game would not make or break our season, no matter which way it went. I think we saw things we definitely need to work on and we saw things that worked for us too.

I think the bottom line for us right now is to blend everyone together and take care of business on the court. We have so many options and so many people who are great enough to help us be where we want to be. It’s so awesome to see previously injured teammates back and ready to contribute like we all know they can.

We had something really cool happen to us this week. President Obama and the First Family came to Comcast Center to see our men’s team play Oregon State Sunday night. We had Secret Service men around all week scoping things out. We were told that they might use our locker room and team lounge for a private VIP meet and greet with the President. The President and the First Lady both left us notes! (Check out the gallery above—Ed.) So cool to find that Monday morning. It’s really neat to live so close to, DC and how many people can say the Obamas came to their locker room?

We’re all looking forward to our trip to Puerto Rico next week over Thanksgiving and closing out November strong!

The post Alyssa Thomas, Diary 1 appeared first on SLAM.

With the “3 to See” having moved on to the WNBA, there are plenty of new kids on the block and teams ready to emerge as elite powers in college basketball. UNC boasts a recruiting class with four top-25 players coming in. Maryland is led by Alyssa Thomas, who may be the most complete player in college basketball. UConn are the defending champs and will start the season atop the rankings, as they return most of their rotation.

POWER RANKINGS

1. Connecticut

The defending champs start out the season with a rigorous schedule, consisting of matchups against Stanford, Maryland, Penn State and Ohio State. Their first matchup is against Stanford. This game will be a rumble in the paint as Stefanie Dolson and Chiney Ogwumike will slug it out down low.

Games this week: November 9 vs Hartford, November 11 vs Stanford

2. Duke

The Blue Devils have made it to three straight Elite Eights and will be looking to get over the hump with this year’s team. Duke returns floor general Chelsea Gray, whose season ended early due to an injury. The team bought in four top 50-ranked freshmen to an already deep rotation. This team may take some lumps early, but come tourney time, will be a serious title contender. The Blue Devils look to show off their depth early in a matchup against Pac 12 titan California.

Games this week: November 8 vs Long Beach State, November 10 at California

3. Tennessee

The Lady Vols have one of the most physical teams in the nation, and will look to impose their will on teams from the door. Standout forward Bashaara Graves is joined by the nation’s No. 1-ranked freshman Mercedes Russell. This team may be young, but come tourney time will be a hard out due to their sheer size and ability to dominate the paint. The Lady Vols will get an early test as they take their talents on the road against North Carolina.

Games this week: November 8 at Middle Tennessee State , November 11 at North Carolina

4. Maryland

Maryland has one of the most intriguing rosters in the nation. They have a nice blend of upperclass players and talented freshmen. The Terps are led by back-to-back ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas. The Pennsylvania native is one of the most versatile players in the nation, averaging 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists last year. The only issue with the Terps is that they have been plagued with huge injuries. If Laurin Mincy and Brene Moseley can stay healthy, the Terps may have a team that can go all of the way.

Games this week: November 8 at USF, November 10 vs Loyola MD

5. Louisville

The Cardinal were the darlings of last year NCAA Tournament, knocking off defending champs Baylor en route to the championship game. The Schimmel sisters return alongside former Christ The King standout Bria Smith looking to press teams the second they step on the floor. With their ability to knock down shots from deep and get teams to turn over the ball at a high rate no game is out of range for the Cardinal.

Games this week: November 9 at Loyola Illinois

6. Notre Dame

Skylar Diggins isn’t going to walk through the doors of South Bend and suit up again for Notre Dame, but with an emerging star in Kayla McBride, the Irish may be OK with that. Alongside McBride are former McDonald’s All-Americans Michaela Mabrey and Jewell Loyd. The Irish just got a bit of bad news as forward Natalie Achonwa just went down with a injury which will hold her out for 4-6 weeks. The Irish will receive their first challenge this week as they play Michigan State.

Games this week: November 9 UNC Wilmington, November 11 vs Michigan State

7. Stanford

The season is the beginning of the last ride for Chiney Ogwumike. The Cardinal can defend and can take care of the ball, but when they struggle when facing teams that force them to play at a faster pace. Ogwumike is a force in the paint, but can only do so much against teams that want to play games in the high 70s. The Cardinal have added more depth in top-20 recruits Erica McCall and Kailee Johnson. How quickly they adjust to the speed of the college game will be a huge factor in how far this team goes.

Games this week: November 9 at Boston College, November 11 at UConn

8. Kentucky

The Wildcats lose back to back SEC player of the year and SLAM diarist A’dia Mathies, but may have their most talented team in a decade. Kentucky brings in a top-five recruit at point guard in Linnae Harper, who is an absolute bulldog on the court. The team’s balance at all positions will make it a hard to guard. DeNesha Stallworth and Samarie Walker are two transfers seniors primed for a breakout this year.

Games this week: November 8 at Marist, November 10 at Wagner, November 13 vs Georgia Southern

9. California

California broke out last year with steady wing play and an anchor in the post with Gennifer Brandon. They lost a big contributor to the NBA in Layshia Clarendon, but Brittany Boyd seems poised for a breakout year for the Bears. The electric wing is expected to fill up the box scores this year, and should challenge Ogwumike for Pac-12 Player of the Year.

Games this week: November 10 vs Duke

10. North Carolina

The Tar Heels had one of the nation’s top-five recruiting classes which includes four top-25 players led by No. 3-ranked player in Diamond DeShields. They may be without their head coach who is currently battling leukemia and is on leave until further notice, but expect spirited play from the Tar Heels in her absence. With WNBA All-Star Ivory Latta as an assistant coach, the team has someone who has great in-game feel and will help this team make proper adjustments. Expect Latta’s presence to help the learning curve of these players speed up and for them to be a force come tourney time.

Games this week: November 8 vs Air Force, November 11 vs Tennessee

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kayla McBride, Notre Dame: K-Mac has been Robin to Skylar Diggins’ Batman for the past three years. With Diggins out of South Bend and in the WNBA, it’s time for McBride to step into the limelight as the leader of the Irish. The PA native has all the tools to be the best shooting guard in the nation, and McBride has great range on her jumper and is fearless attacking the rim. With a good season, McBride can push herself into the top five of the WNBA Draft next year.

Bria Hartley, Connecticut: The UConn senior has battled an assortment of injuries in the past couple years, but was still a force for the Huskies. A healthy Hartley with all the weapons around her is poised for a breakout year.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Stanford at UConn

The Huskies are a year older and more experienced. Wings Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and sensational sophomore Breanna Stewart will lead a relentless UConn offense that will look to get up and down the floor. Stanford will look to play a ball control offense, keep the score low lock in on defense. When in need of a bucket the Cardinal will call on All-American forward Ogwumike. The contrast of styles make this game must-see TV in week one.

The post Women’s College Power Rankings: Week 1 appeared first on SLAM.

We try to avoid the obvious, and last year we just had a feeling Baylor wouldn’t repeat. UConn, of course, won it all, just as we predicted, but once again, we refuse to follow the herd. Eventually we know we’ll get picked off by a lion, or a Husky, but an influx of talented freshmen and five legit title contenders will make for a most interesting season.

1. Notre Dame

Key Players: Natalie Achonwa, Jewell Loyd, Kayla McBride

The Skinny: Skylar Diggins got a lot of media love (if not lust), but she’s the only significant piece missing from last year’s 35-2 team—and coach Muffet McGraw has another slew of talented freshmen coming in. In short, Irish haters are in for another long season.

2. Connecticut

Key Players: Stefanie Dolson, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Breanna Stewart

The Skinny: It’s just too easy to pick UConn. Everyone but Kelly Faris is back from the national champs, which is why so many people are sure Connecticut will get another title. But it says here the Huskies are too thin up front to repeat.

3.Tennessee

Key Players: Bashaara Graves, Ariel Massengale, Meighan Simmons

The Skinny: Tennessee lost eight games last year, but the Volunteers have the same trio of key players back, and are one more year removed from the emotional Pat Summitt fallout. They also have a great freshman class, plus point guard Andraya Carter, who missed last year with injury.

4. Duke

Key Players: Chelsea Gray, Haley Peters, Elizabeth Williams

The Skinny: The Blue Devils lose no one of importance from a 33-3 team, and this could be the year that coach Joanne McCallie breaks through at the Final Four, but elite point guard Chelsea Gray needs to completely recover from her torn ACL sooner rather than later.

5. Maryland

Key Players: Laurin Mincy, Brene Moseley, Alyssa Thomas

The Skinny: Maryland loses just one key player from a very good team—but in addition, the Terps return two major talents from injury. If Moseley and Mincy are close to 100 percent, Maryland can be as good as anyone, assuming of course the injury bug doesn’t bite again.

6. Kentucky

Key Players: Bria Goss, DeNesha Stallworth, Samarie Walker

The Skinny: Just like Notre Dame, Kentucky lost its marquee player (A’dia Mathies) and no one else. And just like Notre Dame, the Wildcats have a great freshman class. The problem? Somebody has to make a jump shot.

7. Louisville

Key Players: Sara Hammond, Shoni Schimmel, Bria Smith

The Skinny: Last year’s Cinderella will be this year’s leading lady, as the Cardinals return pretty much the whole roster and are clearly one of the big dogs in the women’s game. The keys, though, will be Shoni Schimmel discovering consistency and sophomore Sara Hammond stepping into a starring role.

8. Penn State

Key Players: Candice Agee, Maggie Lucas, Dara Taylor

The Skinny: Do you believe in freshmen? If so, the Nittany Lions are the team to watch, as they need their talented youngsters to play well enough to allow vets Agee and Taylor to take major steps forward. It also doesn’t hurt that Penn State plays in the relatively weak Big Ten.

9. Dayton

Key Players: Amber Deane, Andrea Hoover, Ally Malott

The Skinny: If you want to take a flyer on a mid-major that might crack the top 10, Dayton is your best bet. The Flyers were 28-3 last year and if Jim Jabir can find a point guard, a similar record is not only possible, but likely.

10. Stanford

Key Players: Sara James, Chiney Ogwumike, Amber Orrange

The Skinny: What would a pre-season top 10 be without Stanford, the pride of the West Coast? This year, though, it’s a precarious ranking because the Cardinal don’t have much to go with Ogwumike, who’s the presumptive top pick in next spring’s WNBA draft.

The post Women’s NCAA Preview appeared first on SLAM.

The end of the regular season is near, but there are still some tough battles left to be played before we get into conference tournament play. Possibly the biggest game of the season will ensue this week with Baylor traveling to UConn for a clash of two of the nation’s top teams.

Two stars—Bria Hartley and Odyssey Sims—will be going at it in the backcourt. Sims’ numbers may be down from last year, but that may be due to her nagging injury earlier this year and the lack of minutes due to Baylor’s many blowouts. Hartley is an All-American herself who battled a couple injuries earlier this year. Both are healthy at the right time. This will be a very entertaining contest.

POWER RANKINGS

1. Baylor (Last Week, 1)

Texas Tech did all it could to not let Brittney Griner drop 40 on them again, yet Baylor still made it look easy with an 89-47 victory in Waco. Griner was still a force with 10 points and 11 rebounds. “I did not think they would challenge us in man-to-man like they did in Lubbock, where Griner pretty much dominated,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. “We’ve seen it all. You won by more tonight than you did with Griner getting 40 because you shared the wealth. And there’s lots of scoring on that sheet.” The Bears may have cruised to victory against the Red Raiders, but the team will have to bring their best game to beat UConn this week.

2. UConn (Last Week, 2)

Stefanie Dolson was sensational last game against a solid DePaul team. Dolson led the way for the Huskies with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. The defense of UConn smothered the Blue Demons on defense, holding them to 16 baskets and 17 second half points. UConn will need to bring that same defensive intensity next game, as they will face the nation’s No. 1 team in Baylor.

3. Notre Dame (Last Week, 3)

The Fighting Irish won its 18th straight game in a dominant fashion with a 93-64 victory against 10th ranked Louisville. Natalie Achonwa was a force down low for the Irish with 22 points and 12 rebounds in the game. Senior point guard Skylar Diggins navigated through the Cardinal defense with ease with 21 points on 9-13 shooting from the field.

4. Duke (Last Week, 4)

Chelsea Gray led the way with 28 points to help the Blue Devils beat 7th-ranked Maryland, 71-56. Duke remains undefeated in conference play at 12-0 on the season. This game was not one for the faint of heart, as both defenses bought a great effort in the contest. Duke was held to 37 percent shooting, but knocked down 21-22 free throws in the game, which made a huge difference.

5. Stanford (Last Week, 5)

Stanford’s role players are beginning to show signs of life with a nice overall team performance against Arizona State, winning 60-45. Chiney Ogwumike was sensational as always with 26 points and 14 rebounds, but Bonnie Samuelson was also a force with 19 points in the game. If the Cardinal can get consistent contributions on the offensive end, this team will become a much more dynamic unit.

6. Kentucky (Last Week, 7)

Senior guard A’dia Mathies scored a season-high 28 points, including 5 three-pointers, as Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 75-53 on Sunday. Despite a record of 21-3 the Wildcats sit at third in the conference with a 9-2 record against conference foes. Kentucky also will have five of their final seven games on the road the year. Kentucky will look to ride the hot hand of their star player during this tough road stretch.

7. California (Last Week, 6)

The Golden Bears won a high-scoring affair against Arizona, 91-86. California is in the midst of its longest winning streak in four years with nine-straight Ws. “It’s cool when you see your hard work pay off,” said senior center Talia Caldwell, who shot 7-9 from the floor. “It’s really cooler getting those wins. I knew I would break open.” The Golden Bears are competing for first Pac-12 title and are in first place in the conference.

8. Penn State (Last Week, 9)

Penn State continues to put the upset against Wisconsin behind them with a solid victory against Michigan State, 71-56. Senior point guard Alex Bentley was locked in with 24 points in the game. Maggie Lucas also added 19 points as the Lady Lions won their 18th straight home game and built a two-game lead in the Big Ten Conference with that last victory. Bentley hit the Penn State record books by becoming only the fourth Penn State player to make 300 steals and the fourth player in the Big Ten to score 1,500 points, record 500 assists and have 300 steals in a career.

9. Maryland (Last Week, 8 )

The Terps couldn’t buy a bucket all night in Durham. Reigning ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas was 2-15, and yet Maryland was still in the game until the final minutes. The Terps couldn’t find a way to get to the line and get easy baskets, as Chelsea Gray of Duke alone shot more free throws than the whole Maryland team combined. Senior forward Tianna Hawkins finished with 6 points on 3-11 shooting and 7 rebounds, which was well below her season averages of 19.6 points and 9.9 boards. Look for Maryland to find ways to get easy baskets next time around against Duke.

10. Louisville (Last Week, 10)

The Cardinal took a tough loss against Notre Dame earlier this week, losing 93-64. Louisville shot the ball fairly well from the field at 43 percent and also knocked down more threes, but the huge (and I mean huge) discrepancy was at the free-throw line. Louisville got to the line for only 7 attempts while Notre Dame made camp at the charity stripe with 26 attempts in the contest. “I thought we came out, we attacked and we went at them inside,” said Louisville coach Jeff Walz. “We get to the line seven times, and I thought we attacked and went hard at the basket. Somehow they got to the line 26 times. Stuff happens, I guess.” It will be interesting to see these two teams lock up again when there is more balance in that aspect of the game.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Chelsea Gray, Duke, guard

The Duke guard was unstoppable in the biggest game of the season for the Blue Devils, with 28 points against Maryland. The 5-11 point guard is usually known for her ability to create easy shots for others, but she showed her scoring prowess against the Terps.

Gennifer Brandon, California, forward

Brandon has been a force for the Golden Bears all year in the paint. Last game against Arizona, Gennifer operated with ease down low with 22 points and 14 rebounds in the contest.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Baylor vs UConn

This game will be a battle of wills on both ends of the floor. Baylor will look to pound the ball down low to Griner, while UConn will look to get this game in transition and feed off the energy of their home crowd. The match-up of guards Bria Hartley and Odyssey Sims will be worth the price of admission alone. On paper, this has the potential to be the best game this season in women’s college basketball.

The post Women’s College Basketball Recap: Week 15 appeared first on SLAM.

Coming into the season, the expectations were high for Maryland. The team had a smooth blend of upperclassmen and young budding stars. Maryland also had reigning ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas. A trip to the Final Four, at minimum, seemed in grasp for the Terps before a bucket was dropped.

Then a wrench was thrown in the plans. Point guard Brene Moseley was hurt early and lost for the season. And just when New Jersey native Laurin Mincy began to make the transition, she was hurt and lost for the season as well.

No one would have blamed Maryland for letting up this year. Excuses were placed at their fingertips, instead the Terps have dug in and found a way to win games. Tianna Hawkins has been sensational. Alyssa Thomas has stepped up her play and showcased her full offensive repertoire by not only scoring and rebounding, but creating easy shots for others.

This week, Maryland will play their biggest game of the season against Duke. A win would tie them for first place in the ACC. To be in this situation is a testament to the great coaching and hard work of their players. Going into the postseason, the expectations are still sky high for Maryland.

POWER RANKINGS

1. Baylor (Last Week, 1)

Baylor continues to shut down top-tier talent, as they held All-American point guard Angel Goodrich to only 2 points in an 85-46 rout. Brittney Griner continues to make her mark as one of the all-time greats in women’s college basketball by moving into 10th all-time on the Division I scoring list last game with a 26-point effort.

2. UConn (Last Week, 2)

The Huskies pulled out a tough victory against St. John’s but at a high cost, as point guard Brianna Banks is out for the season with a torn ACL. The sophomore point guard was averaging 7.3 points in 17 minutes of play this year. The injury will mean a boost in minutes most likely for freshmen point guard Moriah Jefferson. Look for UConn to workout the kinks in the new rotation before a big late-season matchup against Baylor soon.

3. Notre Dame (Last Week, 3)

I don’t know which thing made coach Muffet McGraw happier: remaining undefeated in conference play, or winning her 700th game. Either way, it was a good day for the Irish faithful as they beat Villanova 59-52. “You know, I feel so blessed, I’m so incredibly lucky to be coaching at Notre Dame and to be surrounded by such class people, all of the players who have come through the last 25 years, the administration, all of the assistant coaches, everyone at Notre Dame has treated me so well,” said coach McGraw. Natalie Achonwa continues to be a beast on the block, with a 19-point, 11-rebound effort against the Wildcats.

4. Duke (Last Week, 4)

Duke needed to add a ranked win to their resume, and they got it in a big way dominating North Carolina in an 84-63 victory. Despite a 21-point victory, the final box score doesn’t show how ferocious the Blue Devils were. Before calling off the dogs at half, Duke was up 50-19 at half. Sophomore center Liz Williams was a steady force down low for the Blue Devils with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Chloe Wells posted a career high 18 points while draining six of seven threes in the contest.

5. Stanford (Last Week, 6)

Chiney Ogwumike posted her sixth straight double-double against Oregon State in a 65-46 road victory. Ogwumike was unstoppable down low with a career-high 32 points and 18 rebounds against the Beavers. Outside of Chiney, only two other Cardinal players graced double figures in the contest. Stanford, in order to avoid upsets, will need to find ways to get the role players more involved offensively.

6. California (Last Week, 8 )

The Golden Bears have been building momentum beating their past three opponents by an average over 20 points. The defense has played a major role in their current success. California may have only shot 40 percent against Oregon, but they held the Ducks to only 26 percent in the game as well. “I think this game looks the way it looks on the scoreboard because of the intensity and focus our players played with,” said Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb. California remains tied for the top spot in the Pac-12 with Stanford.

7. Kentucky (Last Week, 5)

Kentucky stumbled in the second half against Georgia, as the Bulldogs pulled off the upset 75-71. The Wildcats were up 40-30 at half, but a huge factor in the game was shooting under 70 percent from the free-throw line at home. The seven missed free throws were a difference in the contest. Kentucky was still relentless on defense, forcing 26 turnovers, but couldn’t turn those turnovers into easy lay-ups in the second half. Kentucky will look to rebound next game against Arkansas.

8. Maryland (Last Week, 10)

Tianna Hawkins has been sensational this year for Maryland. Hawkins continued to shine bright against Boston College with 26 points and 6 rebounds in the 85-62 victory. Alyssa Thomas continues to showcase her versatile skill set with a chunky stat line of 24 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in the game. The Terps are playing their best ball of the season heading into their biggest matchup of the year against ACC rival Duke this upcoming week.

9. Penn State (Last Week, 8)

The Nittany Lions won a tough in-conference battle against Purdue, 69-61. Maggie “Machine Gun” Lucas led the way with 17 points and 6 rebounds for Penn State. The Lions needed this victory against a ranked opponent after losing a big upset against Wisconsin the previous contest 63-61. Penn State will look to continue to build upon last games success next game against Indiana.

10. Louisville (Last Week, NR)

Louisville was locked in on defense with a solid victory against Georgetown, 74-60. Against the nation’s leading scorer Sugar Rodgers, the Cardinal were able to hold her 2-17 shooting in the game. Antonita Slaughter led the way for Louisville with 22 points and 7 rebounds.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Maggie Lucas, Penn State, guard

Penn State was able to pull off their biggest victory of the year against Purdue, and Maggie Lucas was a huge X-factor in the contest. Lucas scored 17 points, but she showed a willingness to mix it up in the paint with 6 rebounds.

Elena Delle Donne, Delaware, forward

Delle Donne is back and the floor and has been a superstar for Delaware in conference play. Against Hofstra, Elena dropped 35 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the Bob Carpenter Center. In the previous game against Georgia St., Delle Donne had 19 of her 25 at half, two less than the whole Georgia State team.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Maryland vs Duke

Maryland has been one of the most impressive teams in all of college basketball this year. It is amazing how solid they have been despite losing both backcourt players early in the season. In the next game against Duke, with a victory they have a chance to sit atop the ACC, quite an accomplishment. Duke will look to use their depth to their advantage against the Terps. This game will showcase a great battle between Maryland forward Tianna Hawkins and Duke center Liz Williams.

The post Women’s College Basketball Recap: Week 14 appeared first on SLAM.

“When Brittney came four years ago I told everybody, You better buy tickets. You’ll never see anything like her again,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said.

It’s hard to think of a young player to have the impact on the college game like some of the Goliaths in women’s college basketball. The greats like Diana Taurasi, Rebecca Lobo or Cynthia Cooper, are put so high of a plateau it’s hard to think anyone can be as dominant as they once were. Whether you want to admit it or not, Brittney Griner has changed the landscape of women’s college basketball.

Griner may be the most exciting player to watch since Candace Parker at Tennessee. What makes Griner special is her dominance on both sides of the floor. Last week, she became the NCAA’s all-time leader in blocks. She followed that up with a 40-point performance, making her the Big-12 all-time leader scorer. To put icing on the cake, she threw down another two-handed jam, extending her all-time dunk record to 12.

You’ll never see anything like her again…

I hope you’re wrong Coach Mulkey, because I love where women’s basketball is going because of players like Griner.

POWER RANKINGS

1. Baylor (Last Week, 1)

Baylor center Britney Griner now is in the record books as the all-time leading shot blocker. Against Oklahoma, the 6-8 center swatted 8 shots to break the record, which was held by former St. Mary’s player Louella Tomlinson. Even more impressive, is that while achieving this feat, Griner has only fouled out twice in her career. I guess breaking the all-time block record wasn’t enough for Griner, who followed up the next game with a 40-point performance, which cemented her place as the all-time leading scorer in Big 12 history.

2. UConn (Last Week, 2)

The Huskies went seven minutes without a bucket against Villanova, and still won by 33. Either there was a huge lead going into that drought, or there was some amazing defense on display during that time period to hold up such a lead. The Huskies are one of the most dynamic teams on both sides of the floor, and balance will be a key if they will be able to bring home another Championship this year. UConn looks to continue to dominate conference play before a mid-season slugfest with Baylor in the two weeks.

3. Notre Dame (Last Week, 3)

Skylar Diggins plays some of her best ball on the biggest stages. Last game against Tennessee she led her team to another tough road victory, 77-67. Diggins was on fire in the contest, posting a career high 33 points against the No. 9 Lady Vols. The Fighting Irish remain undefeated in conference play, and will look to continue that trend against Cincinnati and Villanova this week.

4. Duke (Last Week, 5)

The Blue Devils continue to dominate the ACC with their 34th straight victory against conference foes. Duke was relentless on defense last game against Boston College, forcing 15 turnovers. “Duke’s hands were so good,” said Boston College coach Erik Johnson. ”They got deflections everywhere. Our drive-and-dish game, our ability to create shots for others, was clearly disrupted.” Duke will have that winning streak tested this week against rival UNC.

5. Kentucky (Last Week, 4)

The Wildcats were held 30 points under their average in a loss against No. 18 South Carolina, 55-50. Despite the fact Kentucky shot under 33 percent from the floor, they were still winning the game before a 16-4 run late by the Gamecocks. The Wildcats seemed to have learned from mistakes in their following game, with a 73-60 victory against LSU. Reigning SEC Player of the Year A’dia Mathies led the way with 15 points and 5 rebounds in the contest.

6. Stanford (Last Week, 7)

The Cardinal continues to rebound from their loss to California with back-to-back wins last week. Stanford got the win against No. 20 Colorado, but suffered a scare when All-American Chiney Ogwumike collided with a Colorado player in the game. Chiney came up hobbling and left the game to get her ankle taped, but returned to action later in the contest. Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said she just tweaked the ankle and will be fine.

7. California (Last Week, 8 )

The Golden Bears continue to sweep through the Pac-12 with a victory against Utah, 71-54. Layshia Clarendon had 23 points in the contest. Reshanda Gray was on a tear for the Bears with 19 points before leaving in the second half with a hamstring injury. California will have to find a way to replace her energy down low if she is forced to miss time.

8. Tennessee (Last Week, 6)

Even though the Vols were able to remain undefeated in conference play beating Vanderbilt, they suffered a small setback against No. 2-ranked Notre Dame, 77-67. Tennessee was able to take away the interior presence of the Fighting Irish by keeping Natalie Achonwa on the bench most of the game, but was unable to slow down Skylar Diggins. The senior point guard navigated too easily against Tennessee, as she scored 33 points in the contest. Diggins’ performance spoiled what was otherwise a good night that was dedicated to Pat Summit. Former players Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings were on the sidelines to show support for their former coach who is battling early onset dementia.

9. Penn State (Last Week, 9)

The Lions pulled off a strong road win in Columbus, 71-56. Despite being down 38-27 at half, Penn State came out the gates swinging in the second half with a 43-19 scoring edge. Maggie Lucas and Alex Bentley combined for 34 points in the contest. Penn State will face their first big in-conference matchup against 14th-ranked Purdue this week.

10. Maryland (Last Week, NR)

The Terps made sure there was no question on who was the better team between them and UNC in the 85-59 rout in their rematch last week. Maryland is unbeaten since their last loss against North Carolina on January 3. Reigning ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas fell two assists shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists in the contest. Tianna Hawkins continues to open eyes as well with her stellar play with 25 points and 8 rebounds in the game.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Angel Goodrich, Kansas, guard

The senior guard was able to force overtime with a three-pointer with 16 seconds left, against No. 23 Iowa State. Her late-game heroics continued in overtime as she scored 7 of her team’s 13 points while leading them to victory. Angel finished the game with 24 points, 10 assists, 5 steals and 5 rebounds.

Brittney Griner, Baylor, center

This week belonged to Griner, as she shattered the record books with her big performances. The 6-8 center was dominant in both of her games last week, the last game against Texas Tech Britney had 40 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Duke vs North Carolina

This game is for all the bragging rights in Carolina. Duke needs this win badly if they want to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Outside of California, the Blue Devils haven’t beaten any other ranked opponents, which is very alarming. North Carolina will look to build upon a solid campaign and protect their home court in the game.

The post Women’s College Basketball Recap: Week 13 appeared first on SLAM.

Boom Shaka Laka. Brittney Griner continues to show the world why this year’s draft class may be the most exciting in WNBA history. “How many times is a fan going to go to a women’s basketball game and get to see a dunk?” said Baylor coach Kim Mulkey. “She pretty much dunked it…it wasn’t just over the front of the rim. She took one step and, bam, it went down.”

Above the rim play and SportsCenter highlights are becoming a regular occurrence with Women’s college basketball. Even better is that it doesn’t come at the price of a trend of players being less fundamentally solid. Look for the season to go to another level with conference play beginning this week.

POWER RANKINGS

1. UConn (Last Week, 2)

UConn forced their will upon Stanford, winning in dominant fashion in the Maples Pavilion, 61-35. Despite being the away team in a huge game, the Huskies were cool as a cucumber under pressure. They shot over 90 percent from the free-throw line, and at one point, extended the lead to 27 points. To add icing on the cake, the victory put an end to the nation-leading 82 home game winning streak of Stanford.

2. Baylor (Last Week, 3)

It was business as usual for the Bears, cruising early against TCU, until Brittney Griner woke the crowd up with a rim-rattling jam six minutes in. Quite a way to welcome TCU to the Big 12, huh? Baylor continues to build momentum after the early season loss to Stanford, and now have a nine-game winning streak. Next game is against 11th ranked Oklahoma State, which will be looking to make some noise in the national spotlight.

3. Duke (Last Week, 4)

Duke continues to rise up the rankings with a loss by No. 1 Stanford. Despite riding an 11-game winning streak, Duke is still a work in progress, as they are working All-American center Liz Williams back to 100 percent. While bringing along Williams slowly another star has emerged in Chelsea Gray. “Chelsea, I think, is the best point guard in the country,” Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “She is because she does everything. That productivity day in and day out is something she takes a lot of pride in.”

4. Kentucky (Last Week, 5)

The Wildcats have been vicious on the defensive side of the ball, which has fueled their 11 game winning streak. Last game against Marist, Kentucky forced 26 turnovers.The Wildcats have been balanced on offense as well, as their three-guard offense has been virtually unstoppable off the dribble this season. The Wildcats will look to keep the ball rolling at home next game against Florida.

5. Stanford (Last Week, 1)

Last game’s film against UConn will definitely be tough to watch for the Cardinal. Outside of the steady hand of Chiney Ogwumike, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds, the rest of the team crumbled under the pressure defense of UConn, shooting 19 percent during the game. Chalk this game up as a learning experience for Stanford, and hopefully they will use this game as fuel for the rest of the season.

6. Notre Dame (Last Week, 6)

The Fighting Irish have made great strides in their team game since the loss to Baylor on December 5. Since then, Notre Dame has a six-game winning streak, two against top-25 opponents. The last top-25 victory was a big win against 11th-ranked Purdue, 74-47. Natalie Achonwa was a beast down low against the Boilermakers with 15 points and 17 rebounds in the contest. Notre Dame has a chance to redeem their early season loss against another top-5 ranked opponent against No. 1 UConn on Saturday.

7. Maryland (Last Week, 9)

Maryland has been riding its frontcourt players in their six-game winning streak. Last game Maryland beat a solid Hartford team 72-40 winning the championship of the Terrapin Classic. Tianna Hawkins scored 16 points, earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honors. The Terrapins improved to 96-5 in non-conference games at Comcast Center. A regained confidence will be key for Maryland, as they head into ACC play. Their first conference game will be today against a tough UNC team.

8. California (Last Week, 10)

California gets its first victory against a top-20 opponent, beating 19th-ranked Kansas, 88-79. The Golden Bears were able to overcome a team that shot the ball better across the board with the hot shooting of Layshia Clarendon. The senior guard scored a season-high 28 in the contest. California has a tough stretch coming up playing 20th-ranked Colorado and back-to-back games against fourth-ranked Stanford.

9. Penn State (Last Week, NR)

They dynamic duo of Alex Bentley and Maggie Lucas continue to reign terror on opposing backcourts this season. Last game against NJIT they forced 15 turnovers—six caused by Bentley—which led to a 44-9 lead at half. The Lions begin conference play this week with a game against Northwestern.

10. Tennessee (Last Week, 7)

The Vols may be 9-3, but they have played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation. Last game, they put forth a dominant performance against Rutgers winning, 66-47. Tennessee played stifling defense against the Scarlet Knights, holding them to 34 percent shooting from the field. Tennessee begins conference play with a tough game against 18-ranked South Carolina tonight.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, UConn, forward

Kaleena has really stepped her game up offensively as of late for the Huskies. At Stanford, Mosqueda-Lewis shot the ball well with 19 points on 7-13 shooting. Against Oregon, the sophomore forward kept the ball rolling with 19 points and 5 rebounds in limited minutes due to a blowout victory.

Alyssa Thomas, Maryland, forward

The Pennsylvania native continues to be a jack-of-all-trades for the Terps. Against Brown, Thomas posted a chunky box score of 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The next game against Hartford, Thomas took her game to another level with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals. Thomas seems to be a lock this year for back-to-back ACC Player of the Year.

GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 5 Notre Dame vs No. 1 Connecticut

There is a lot riding on this game for the Fighting Irish. If Notre Dame wants any chance at locking up a No. 1 seed come March, this will be a game people will look back on to determine if they are one of the elite teams. UConn is on a tear and are at home for this big game, but have struggled as of late against Diggins. It will be interesting to see if the best point guard in the country can lead her team to victory against the swarming defense of UConn.

The post Women’s College Basketball Recap: Week 9 appeared first on SLAM.

Chiney Ogwumike is ready to stand on her own two feet. To many, she is known as “Nneka’s little sister,” but this year, she has worked to get out of her big sister’s shadow. Many had doubts on whether Chiney could shoulder the load and expected a drop off this year with the Cardinal. Instead, Stanford has been unstoppable this year. Chiney has to show she’s is a prime-time player, and with the big victory against Baylor, she has Stanford locked in as the No. 1 team in the nation.

The past week saw Penn State take a loss to UConn, and Louisville, Maryland and others rebound from tough out of conference losses. It will be interesting to see Tennessee play its first big test of the season against Baylor, and how coach Holly Warlick sets up her gameplan to slow down Griner.

POWER RANKINGS

1. Stanford (Last Week, 1)

The Cardinal may not have played much the past week, but they were dominant nonetheless in their last game against Gonzaga, winning 69-41. Chiney Ogwumike continues to dominate opponents, with 21 points and 11 rebounds against the Bulldogs. This week they play Pacific and an undefeated South Carolina team.

2. UConn (Last Week, 2)

UConn had a week of rest after their last contest against Penn State, a 67-52 win. Look for coach Geno Auriemma to add some new dimensions on both sides of the floor and try them out against Oakland in preparation for top-ranked Stanford in two weeks.

3. Baylor (Last Week, 3)

Baylor kept the 44-game home winning streak alive with a victory against Oral Roberts, 94-56. Odyssey Sims continued to show why she is the best point guard in the nation with 27 points, 6 assists and 6 steals in the contest.

4. Duke (Last Week, 4)

Duke continued its stellar play on the road with a nice non-conference victory against St. Johns, 60-42. All-American Liz Williams was a force on the defensive end with 5 swats in the game.

5. Kentucky (Last Week, 5)

The Wildcats are on a roll with a seven-game win streak. Outside of the close game against in state rival Louisville, Kentucky is beating their opponents by and average of 30 points or more, which warrants them this high ranking. The relentless defense of Kentucky has caused 20 turnovers against DePaul and 33 against Middle Tennessee.

6. Notre Dame (Last Week, 8 )

The Fighting Irish took their frustrations out on Utah State beating them 109-70 after a tough loss to Baylor last week. All-American Skylar Diggins can score at will, but in order for Notre Dame to reach their goal of a championship, she will need to create easy points for others as well. Look for Jewell Loyd to be a key player for the Irish as the season progresses.

7. Maryland (Last Week, 10)

The Terps may have lost a lot of punch in the backcourt, but they have found ways around the lack of guard depth and be successful. Lets give credit to Alyssa Thomas for showing different facets of her game when needed, facilitating the offense and keeping other involved. Hopefully for Maryland, sharing the ball and getting the best shot available will become contagious team-wide.

8. Georgia (Last Week, 6)

The Bulldogs are undefeated, but fall in the ranking due to the strength of schedule in non-conference play. Close to 10 games into the season, questions are still left unanswered of how this team will react when they face a team that is on the same level talent-wise.

9. Louisville (Last Week, 7)

The Cardinal rebounded well by a one-point loss against Kentucky with a big victory against Valparaiso 96-40. The Cardinal are still bringing along Monique Reid slowly, and will need to up her minutes as they head into conference play. Next game, they play an underrated team in Colorado.

10. Penn State (Last Week, 9)

The Lions caught the Hoyas slipping and jumped to a 28-point lead at half, which led to a 97-74 victory. Maggie Lucas had a poor outing against UConn, but made up for lost time with a 39-point game against Georgetown. Lucas was on fire with seven threes in the game and 10-11 from the line.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

1. Alyssa Thomas, Maryland, forward

The Terps may be down both starters in the backcourt for the rest of the year, but the reigning ACC Player of the Year is ready to shoulder the load offensively. Thomas was dominant against George Mason, with a triple-double consisting of 11 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

2. Tayler Hill, Ohio State, guard

The Buckeyes are on a 28-game home winning streak, and a big reason for that success has been Tayler Hill. The senior guard continues to roll offensively this year with 19 points in limited action against Lafayette.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Tennessee vs Baylor

Since the season opener slip up against Chattanooga, the Lady Vols have been sensational, winning six straight and beating three top-25 opponents. Baylor, since the lost against Stanford, has been on a tear as well, beating its past six opponents by 25 points or more. This will be the first big game for new coach Holly Warlick, it will be interesting to see how she handles the matchup against Brittney Griner.

The post Women’s College Basketball Recap: Week 6 appeared first on SLAM.

“This is the best point guard in the country, “ Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said as she looked over at Odyssey Sims. “You can put that in your notes.”

It was a bold statement from the Baylor coach, but Sims, after her fourth career head-to-head matchup against Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins, came out on top.

This past week in college basketball was full of intense matchups. UConn and Maryland collided and in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville also faced off in a nail-biter. The action will continue this week as more top-25 teams face off, looking to bolster their non-conference schedule with impressive victories.

POWER RANKINGS

1. Stanford (Last Week, 1)

Stanford stays atop the rankings with a convincing victory against a much-improved Gonzaga team. Taylor Greenfield was hot in Spokane, as she hit 6 threes against the Bulldogs. Chiney Ogwumike was steady as always with 21 points and 11 rebounds. The Cardinal will face South Carolina in a tough away game. The Gamecocks are on the top-25 radar as they are undefeated so far in the season.

2. UConn (Last Week, 3)

The Huskies were ferocious in the Jimmy V Classic against Maryland. They took advantage of the Terps—who were without their starting backcourt—forcing 26 turnovers. Despite the turns, UConn only scored 63 points. Look for the Huskies to be more aggressive in transition to get easy layups against Penn State tonight.

3. Baylor (Last Week, 2)

Little Wayne may have shown up to see Skylar Diggins play, but Baylor stole the limelight in South Bend last night. Brittney Griner was a smooth operator in the post with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Baylor played with a chip on their shoulder last night, and it seems as if the loss against Stanford woke them up.

4. Duke (Last Week, 4)

Duke jumped on No. 10 California early with a 22-2 run to start the game and coasted to a 77-63 victory in Durham. Tricia Liston was a force in the game with 22 points. Liz Williams continues to dominate on the defensive end with 4 swats in the contest.

5. Kentucky (Last Week, 9)

Kentucky made a huge statement with a comeback victory against in-state rival Louisville. The Wildcats showed a lot of heart, battling back into the game. Freshman Janee Thompson showed poise as she hit the game-winning three with 8 seconds left. The Wildcats have shown they can win the high-scoring events or the slow half court games.

6. Georgia (Last Week, 10)

The Bulldogs continue to rack up wins with an impressive victory against in-state rival Georgia Tech, 60-50. Georgia is off to its best start since 2009 and have won by an average of 27 points each game. Georgia has great depth and goes 10 deep on many nights.

7. Louisville (Last Week, 5)

Louisville was up at one point in the fourth, but let the lead slip away late in the game against Kentucky. Louisville shot 38 percent and turned the ball over 23 times due to the Wildcats’ smothering defense. Even so, the Cardinal had a chance to win the game. Look for Louisville to learn a lot from this game and rebound against Valparaiso.

8. Notre Dame (Last Week, 6)

The Fighting Irish had Baylor on their heels early in the game, but they couldn’t hold off the Bears, falling 73-61. The Irish will have to find a way to free up Diggins in these big games, as she has shot the ball poorly against Baylor. Notre Dame will attempt to right the ship against Utah State on Saturday.

9. Penn State (Last Week, 8 )

Penn State stumbled against a tough Miami team last week, losing 69-65. Penn State will look to take a step in the right direction against a tough foe in UConn. Look for the dynamic duo of Alex Bentley and Maggie Lucas to lead the attack offensively against the Huskies.

10. Maryland (Last Week, 7)

Maryland suffered more than a tough loss against UConn. The Terps lost their second backcourt starter, junior Laurin Mincy, for the season with a knee injury. The pressure will be on Alyssa Thomas to fill the void even more the rest of the way. Next up for Maryland is a game against ACC foe, Virginia.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Odyssey Sims, Baylor, guard

Odyssey was a force against the Fighting Irish in South Bend on Wednesday night. Sims may have struggled with turnovers, but we can chalk that up to rust with her coming off a hamstring injury. Sims got her shots to fall when it mattered most with 16 points and 6 assists. The most impressive part of her game against Notre Dame was shutting down Skylar Diggins, as she held the star to 4-19 from the field.

Kelly Faris, UConn, forward

The things that most coaches covet the most don’t show up on the stat sheet, like consistently boxing out or being a good screener. A lot of games, Kelly Faris may now fill up the box score, but her impact on the game is undeniable. But against the Terps, her effect was accurately reflected in the box score. Against Maryland’s tough frontline, Kelly posted a chunky statline of 8 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and a whopping 8 steals in a victory against No. 9 Maryland.

GAME OF THE WEEK: UConn vs Penn State

Penn State looks to join the land of the elite in college basketball with a victory against Uconn tonight in Storrs. The Lions hit a minor roadblock in a loss last week against unranked Miami, and badly need to beat Uconn (or have a great showing) to bolster their non-conference schedule victory list. Problem is, UConn is rolling with a huge victory against Maryland. This game will be fun to watch, as it will be a fast-paced game full of highlights.

The post Women’s College Basketball Recap: Week 5 appeared first on SLAM.

The State Farm College SLAM Dunk & 3-Point Championships will pop off tomorrow with as loaded a field as has been seen in recent memory. Here’s all the info via our friends at InterSport:

Missouri’s Marcus Denmon and Duke’s Miles Plumlee highlight the 2012 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, Intersport announced today. The 24^thannual event will air live at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT Thursday on ESPN. The event will take place at Fogelman Arena on the campus of Tulane University. Doors open at 7 p.m. CT. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.collegeslam.com.

Denmon will be competing in the 2012 Hampton Hotels Men’s 3-Point Championship. Other contestants include: John Shurna (Northwestern); Juan Fernandez (Temple); Chace Stanback (UNLV); Bradford Burgess (VCU); Casper Ware (Long Beach State); Ryne Smith (Purdue); and Nick Barbour (High Point).

The roster for the 2012 State Farm Women’s 3-Point Championship includes: Brittany Rayburn(Purdue); Jessica Jenkins (St. Bonaventure); Ashley Corral (USC); Becky Burke (Louisville); Taylor Alton (Michigan State); Courtney Ingersoll (Toledo); Markeshia Grant (South Carolina); andAlyssa Shoji (Santa Clara).

After the men’s and women’s competitions, the winner from each event will participate in the Pure Protein Battle of the Champions to crown an overall 3-point winner.

Plumlee will be competing in the 2012 Denny’s Slam Dunk Championship. Additional contestants include: Kenny Gabriel (Auburn); DeQuan Jones (Miami); Bryan Narcisse (Clemson); David Kyles (Wichita State); Olu Ashaolu(Oregon); William Mosley (Northwestern State); and James Justice (Martin Methodist).

Of note, Justice was named the “2012 Dark Horse Dunker” after hundreds of thousands of votes were cast to determine which under-the-radar dunker deserved the last roster spot in the Denny’s Slam Dunk Championship. To find out more about the Facebook campaign, visit www.facebook.com/CollegeSlam.

The celebrity judges panel for the Denny’s Slam Dunk Championship will include: former Duke University point guard, two-time national champion and alum of the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships Bobby Hurley; current New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas; current New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham; and four-time NBA Champion John Salley.

The “Fifth Judge” of the Denny’s Slam Dunk Championship will be the fans, who will be able to vote via Twitter. For the first time in the history of the event, fans will help decide which dunkers move on each round by using #CollegeSlam, followed by the player’s name and a score of one through 10 (E.g. #CollegeSlam #Smith10). From there, Mass Relevance, the technology leader in social curation and integration, will calculate all fan scores and deliver an average rating via their platform. That rating will be paired with the four celebrity judges’ scores to make up each player’s total score.

Alumni of the event include: Gary Payton (Oregon State), Steve Nash (Santa Clara), Allan Houston (Tennessee), Kendall Gill (Illinois), Jason Terry (Arizona); Kristi Toliver (Maryland) and Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers). Additionally, six current members of the Harlem Globetrotters have competed in this event: William Bullard, Darnell Wilks, John Williams, Herb Lang, Kris Bruton, and the 2011 Denny’s Slam Dunk Champion Jacob Tucker.

General admission tickets are $15, a Family Four Pack is $40 and groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $8 per ticket. Visit www.collegeslam.com to purchase tickets.

The ESPN broadcast team includes Brad Nessler, Dan Dakich, Jimmy Dykes and Shannon Spake. The program will have numerous encore airings on ESPN networks. Check local listings.

The post State Farm College Slam Dunk Rosters Announced appeared first on SLAM.

Maryland women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese’s always-intense facial expression turns from energetic to emotional when asked about “Team Tyler.”

Last fall, members of the Terrapins’ 2006 national championship team got together to form the foundation in response to Frese’s two-year old son, Tyler Thomas, being diagnosed with leukemia in September of 2010.

The Team Tyler Foundation aims to raise money for leukemia research and patients at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. In a Jan. 6 matchup vs. Georgia Tech, Maryland celebrated Leukemia Awareness Night. Within the last few months, Tyler has been clear of leukemia cells.

“It was overwhelming,” said Frese. “It was very special to have that ’06 team develop the foundation. Now, to be a part of it—bringing awareness to cancer and leukemia, to help make a difference, is what it’s all about.”

Frese was taken back by the gesture from her former players, but was hardly surprised by their family-like outpouring.

“That team will always have a special place in my heart,” Frese said. “It helps you realize that it’s about more than basketball, and those are the type of players that we bring in here—that type of character, when they’re selfless and care so much about others.”

While Frese gets emotional talking about her national title team, she becomes elated talking about her current squad, which is in the mix this season for another national title.

Maryland (18-2, 5-2 ACC) is off to a dazzling start, going 16-0 before losing its first game at Miami on Jan. 12.

Following a year that saw a young Maryland team finish 24-8 overall and 9-5 in ACC play, the Terps (No. 7 in the Coaches Poll, No. 8 AP) return a bulk of talent and have shown Frese early signs of maturity and unique cohesiveness.

“What I like about this team and what I think separates them is their chemistry. Just from top to bottom, they play for each other,” Frese said. “They’re hungry and unselfish—really coachable. You talk about this team and what they’ve been able to do up to this point, it shows the experience we have back, it shows that they’re growing up.

“The exciting thing about our team this year is that every player came back (from the offseason) better. This summer, they all stayed here in College Park and were committed to getting better.”

Maryland gets a heavy dosage of leadership from fifth-year senior point guard Anjale Barrett, who’s dishing out 5.6 assists a game and led the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio last season. Joining her in the backcourt is sophomore Laurin Mincy (13.9 points a game, 4.2 rpg), who provided a 20-point, five-assist performance in Maryland’s win over Virginia on Jan. 16.

The Terrapins’ scoring monster is last season’s ACC Rookie of the Year, Alyssa Thomas, who goes by the nickname, the “Smiling Assassin.” The 6-foot-2 versatile forward, averaging 17.2 points and 7.7 rebounds a game, has grown into one of the best players in the country in her sophomore campaign. She scored 24 points against North Carolina and her reverse layup forced overtime before Maryland beat the Tar Heels 78-72 at Chapel Hill.

“The team drew up a play for me to get the ball and just take it to the basket. They had all the confidence in me, so I knew I had to make that shot,” Thomas said of her late-game heroics.

Versatility was the focus for Thomas in the offseason, Frese said.

“We challenged (Thomas) on her outside shot,” Frese said. “She’s shown some range this season and that’s made us better.”

Junior Tianna Hawkins is averaging a double-double (11.5 ppg, 10 rpg) for the Terrapins and she recently set a school record after she plucked 24 rebounds while adding a game-high 18 points in Maryland’s dominating win over Wake Forest on Jan. 19.

Maryland’s depth has been key this season with senior center Lynetta Kizer (11.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg), an All-ACC second teamer, and freshman guard Brene Moseley (8.1 ppg) providing a huge spark off the bench.

But it’s been the three sophomores—Thomas, Mincy and Alicia DeVaughn (7.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg)—who have taken the most strides. Last season, they were a highly-touted freshman class. This season, they’re grown-up sophomores.

“I think with that group, the biggest difference this year comes with experience,” Frese said. “They’ve been through the wars, they know what it’s like. To go out in the ACC, they know every game is a battle at this level.”

Perhaps the biggest indication to Frese that her team has grown up comes with the team’s resiliency. Maryland trailed Georgia Tech by 20 points but fought back to claim a 77-74 win on Jan. 6.

“What I love about the spirit of this team is that they’ll fight for each other, and they know they’re never out of a contest,” Frese said. “It’s very comforting, obviously, as a coaching staff when you see players who believe so much in each other.”

And then after losing its first game of the season in a road contest against Miami, the Terps bounced back with an ugly-but-pretty win over Virginia.

“You don’t ever want to lose, but you want to see how your team is going to respond,” Frese said.

“We just wanted to prove that we could bounce back after a loss,” Mincy said after the Virginia win.

Maryland will battle No. 5 Duke for the ACC regular season crown. The Terps lost to Duke recently in a Jan. 22 matchup but get another stab at the Blue Devils on Feb. 19.

This season, like in years’ past, Maryland has been one of the best rebounding teams in the country. The Terps have led the ACC in rebounding five of the last six seasons. Currently, they’re the third best rebounding team in the country, outrebounding opponents by over 16 a game.

With multiple second-chance opportunities, the Terps’ opponents get headaches.

“That’s the best offensive rebounding team I’ve ever seen,” Wake Forest Coach Mike Peterson said.

That’s where Maryland excels—on the glass. Frese said “taking care of the basketball” and limiting turnovers is an area her team will need to work on in order to improve on its second round exit in the NCAA tournament last year.

“I think losing against Georgetown (in the NCAA tournament second round) last year hurt, but it gave us perspective, made us work harder,” Frese said.

When it comes time for March Madness, Frese is confident the experience factor won’t be an issue.

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Before Robin Thicke had me hating on him for wife-ing the extraordinarily beautiful Paula Patton, I was actually a fan of his father’s work on “Growing Pains.” Once a week Alan Thicke was able to keep his family together and calmed whatever storm the mischievous Mike Seaver brewed up without laying finger or belt on his ass. (My ass, on the other hand, done felt rolled up newspapers, leather and plastic belts, numerous kinds of chancletas — flexible plant, that snap back like whips once you tear the leaves off, which grew out of the concrete for some reason — and the more traditional, open-hand palms.) As cool as a father Alan Thicke was, it was the Mike Seaver show. He was the star… until a blonde hair, blue eyed boy came and stole the show for a season.

Even back then when I first saw how strong his dramatic presence was on a comedy show, I knew Leonardo DiCaprio was destined for stardom. And not that weak stardom that Scott Baio (at least he smashed Pamela Anderson) or Fred Savage was destined for (I still have a crush on Winnie Cooper), but the kind of superstardom that Johnny Deep was in for after “21 Jump Street.” Sure there’s been the occasional Alyssa Milano and Jason Bateman, whose ’80s celebrity still lingers like gold rope chains and gold fronts, but nothing like Leo or Johnny. They’re the Shelltoes of the game. Still relevant and still in demand.

And though I’ve never been a real huge fan of his work — The Quick and The Dead was eh, Basketball Diaries was disturbing, Romeo + Juliet was Tim Thomas, and Titanic was adorable at best — I always knew he could be the man when he wanted. Leo killed it in Gangs of New York, and The Departed was so butter it had people putting down the popcorn just so they wouldn’t miss a beat. But the man who was once a part of the Seaver household took it to the next level with Inception. Applaud this man and director Christopher Nolan for keeping me from looking at my date’s awesomely exposed cleavage for 2 and a half hours (a true accomplishment on its own).

Inception’s concept was similar to the ’80s cult classic Dreamscape, where people use dream invasion methods to complete whatever objective is assigned.  In the ’80s the technique was being used for high profile political assassinations, but don’t sweat that — it’s 2010 and that’s played out. In Inception, the dream invasion is being used to steal secrets from the subconscious minds of business moguls and tycoons. But this fat cat named Saito ups the ante and wants Cobb (Leo) to invade the mind of his business rival, Robert Fischer Jr. (Cillian Murphy), not to steal any secrets, but to plant the idea of dissolving his father’s business once he inherits the resigns. The reward? A clean slate back in the U.S., where Cobb’s a wanted man. Why’s he on the run? Can’t say without spoiling it, but clues are given as the movie goes on as to why he can’t set foot on American soil and be safe. He should’ve got a tan and tried creeping on a boat filled with Cubans. Hey, you never know.

Anyway, aching to see his children again, Cobb agrees and leads a team of mind rapists and architects that includes Arthur (Joseph Levitt aka The Riddler in Batman 3?), and Ariadne (Ellen “Not sure if she’s hot or not” Page) through various imaginative dreamlands where life can be lived in seconds, minutes, hours and years — all in the same moment, depending how deep in the game you’re in (the science and math of it all was next level bananas). But, there’s one problem: Cobb’s past. It haunts him to no end and even poses a serious threat to his team when they’re in a dreamscape. Can’t go in it too deep blowing up the spot, but just take my word for it, it’s bad.

For two hours and change, I have to say, I was lost in Chris Nolan’s imagination. Through dialogue, cinematography and anticipation, the man who blessed the world with a classic movie which featured a psychotic clown who terrorized Gotham City two years ago once again proves that imagination and great writing can indeed create a fantasy world that can be relate-able and enjoyable at the same time. And while I dream of the day that someone can do an inception on James Dolan and convince him that if he really loves the Knicks, he’d sell them to Spike Lee and Diddy, I have to live with the reality that Chris Nolan has subjected me to: It’s only a movie.

4.5 Gangstas (out of 5)

The post Review: Inception appeared first on SLAM.

9. But one thing that ain’t even a debate is Hedo Turkoglu getting
robbed. Numerous game winning shots, 19 PPG, 6 RPG, 4 APG…He’s the
much improved x-factor on a slept on Magic team and Rasheed Wallace
getting the nod over him was unfair. Don’t trip, I got much love for
the homie Sheed. He gives the refs George Jefferson hell, left
Portland in a cloud of (weed) smoke and pissed off E-40 enough to have
a whole verse written about him (see “Record Haters”, 1996). But the
bottom line is the NBA loves the Pistons. All good Hedo keep your head
up, if the Magic match up with the Pistons in the playoffs, it should
be a decent series. Dwight Howard is “Supermanning that hoe”.

8. Speaking of DH12, I’m not even gonna mention him reinventing the
dunk comp -he THREW the ball DOWN into the hoop!- but I will say it
took a lil edge off when I heard that the Superman routine was
influenced by that awful terrible God awful song. And the thought of a
seven foot beast with a Robocop physique doing that dance that goes
with it…that’s like catching David Stern doing the Rockaway to
“Chicken Noodle Soup With A Cola On The Side” or whatever that shit
was called. That’s when you realize that DH is only 22. Ouch. To all
upcoming big men, I’m sorry in advance. Still, 22 is 4 years too old
for that song.

7. A message to future dunk comp contestants…step your game up!
Gerald Green’s “Birthday Cake” was creative and dunking in your socks
is much harder than it looks, but the rest of em…I’ve seen that in
high school warm-ups. Athletic, yes. Entertaining, no. May as well
co-ed the shit and go get Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie for a dunk
off. I’d seriously be more into that.

6. Devean George blocked a blockbuster trade?! Devean George?! Devean
George. That Devean George? You sure? The one that was on the Lakers
brickin threes back in the day? He’s still in the NBA? Dawg, you’re
lucky to be playing. Get the over to NJ and just play the game.
Jeeeeeeeeezzzzuuus! Last time I saw him ballin was in the movie Sunset
Park. He got crossed up by Fredro Starr. Then after all that
hootenanny he shot 0-11 in the next game. That Devean George? You’re
positive?

5. Damn Devean, see what you did? Now because of you Keith Van Horn is
returning to the NBA…and the Nets for that matter. Ah man, that guy
has lulled the Atlantic conference to sleep for years. The good news
is he ain’t playing. The bad news is he’s making 4.3 million dollars
to recline and eat fruit roll-ups for a month at the Izod Arena. Well,
now that I look at it, KVH is a bo$$ tycoon, gotta respect that. On
some Eazy-E (RIP) gettin paid off sales of The Chronic shit. Fuck it,
its the American way. Get your money Keith, 80 % of the Knicks did the
same thing, albeit the playing time.

4. Speaking of the Knicks -who lost by 40 to Philly last week- at
least we still have the top defensive player and rebounder in the NBA
in Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry….Just wanted to make sure yall were
still awake. And by the way, if Zach and Nate woulda fought on the
bench after that water bottle incident…let’s just say that’s a David
and Goliath KO for my man Lil Nate. Just ask Denver. He gave em
flashbacks of an Onyx video.

3. I’m not too sure about some of these trades. The Lakers-Grizzlies
trade was probably the most lopsided in NBA history. The Lakers went
from a 7 seed to a top 3 seed (pending injuries) and The Grizzlies
went from NBDL to B-Divison PSAL. Kwame Brown for Pao Gasol? Kwame
Brown. That Kwame Brown? You sure? The one that had 7 turnovers in
about 15 minutes awhile back? He’s still in the NBA? You sure? Yikes!
Yes, it’s obvious the Grizz are outta there. Vancouver to Memphis
to…

2. Chicago, congrats. You got a double double dude and a streak
shooter in Drew Gooden & Larry Hughes and only lost Joe Smith (very
underrated player) and a few others. It’s crazy how Big Ben went from
defensive player of the year to one of the “few others” in 3 years.
Maybe it was the enviornment, Scott Skiles, I 90-94 traffic, too much
good food at Wishbone or not being able to wear the headband for a
while, but its being completely objective to say he stunk it up in the
Chi. I went to one game at United Center and he got no love from the
crowd (and finished with about 4 and 7 to Dwight Howard’s 18 and 23).
Will he give LeBron some help or will he prove that he’s been exposed
and Detroit made him look good? Big Ben, the clock is ticking (no pun
intended).

1. Jason Kidd finally made it back to Dallas. What does this do? The
Future Hall of famer is from Oakland, grew up on Too $hort. You don’t
hear a peep outta his loudmouth ex wife these days do you? Kidd is a
goon! He brings some toughness and leadership to the backcourt, but I
think people underestimate how badly losing DeSagana Diop hurts them.
Dampier by himself can’t stop Shaq & Amare, Duncan & Thomas or Gasol,
Odom & Bynum. Who’s gonna get in the paint and really make a
difference? The Mav’s tallest player floats softly around the
perimiter in his ice cream truck selling Sno Cones, singing David
Hasselhoff tunes & shooting threes. I admit, he mixes it up a little
more inside this year but Dirk can’t help out with that inside game. I
don’t see the Mavs doing much in the way the west is stacked.

And Houston…damn. No Yao= no post season. At least it won’t be
another first round exit for T-Mac. They were killin it as of late
too. Oh well, it’s fishing rod time.

The Miami-Phoenix trade gets Marion more shine in terms of being
recognized as an individual talent, but having Shaq is a big push for
the Suns. A lot of people disagree, but I think this will work if Shaq
does his little 15-20 minutes per game. That way they have the option
of putting Amare at the 5 and running you out the gym or putting in
Shaq to slow it down, they have options. A 5 game skid can kill you in
the west, so anything goes.

I say the conference finals are Magic or Pistons vs. Celtics for the
East and Spurs vs. Lakers for the West. If Bynum returns, Kobe’s
finger doesn’t croak and everybody can stay healthy, don’t count the
Lakeshow out for taking it all. As good as the Hornets are, I think
they’re a little too young to ride that far. But I will say Chris Paul
is the best PG in the NBA hands down, no debates. Sorry Stephon.

—
http://www.myspace.com/jzoneoldmaid

The post J-ZONE’S TOP 10 RANDOM NBA THOUGHTS appeared first on SLAM.