The 2025 WNBA season will be here before we know it, and based on these matchups, the level of competitiveness is going on another level. Speaking of matchups, teams across the W recently announced the official schedule in, arguably, the most creative way we’ve ever seen on social.

From cinematic movie scenes with Ellie to the Suspect trend, here’s a roundup of every announcement, and schedule, that was all over our feeds.

Oh, and here’s some key dates for you to remember. The official schedule can be found here.

April 14:  WNBA Draft

April 27: Training Camp Begins

May 16:  Regular Season Begins

Atlanta Dream

Despite immense cookout vibes brewing in the A, we know food isn’t the only thing cooking. Rhyne Howard, Tina Charles and the Atlanta Dream are definitely in the lab and they’re coming for more in ’25.

Chicago Sky

Suspect knows Kamilla and Angel will dominate together next season. With a new head coach and a full offseason together, expect the Sky to fly.

Connecticut Sun

With the forecast predicting sunny conditions in 2025, Connecticut fans have a reason to smile. One of the grittiest teams in the league are ready to run it back, and this time they think it’s their moment to shine.

Dallas Wings

Teaming up with THE Keith Lee for your announcement is next level. We absolutely need a Dallas food tour next starring him, Arike and, perhaps, the Wings’ future No. 1 pick…

Golden State Valkyries

What can we expect from the W’s newest team? Only time will tell, but definitely tune in to the expansion draft on December 6…

Indiana Fever

With back-to-back Rookies of the Year, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, and an entire squad, this Fever team is going to be as fun to watch as Pictionary with their mascots. Oh, and you already know we’re hyped about them facing off against the Sun at TD Garden.

Las Vegas Aces

The Aces have always been a fun and electric team to watch, and their social media team brought that same energy by making their own W-version of Key & Peele’s Obama Meet & Greet skit. We can’t wait to watch the U’animous MVP and her squad of All-Stars ball out this year.

Los Angeles Sparks

LA is home to some of the biggest record labels and musicians (that new Kendrick album goes crazy) and the Sparks perfectly captured that in their announcement, which was set at a record store. If they can bounce back from injuries and remain together, it’ll be music to their ears that they’re going to get after it next season.

Minnesota Lynx

Speaking of music, the Lynx’s announcement was for the culture. After having their best record in franchise history (30-10), this season will be about carrying that momentum into the new year.

New York Liberty

The Libs said, Oh we’re doing season announcements? Bet, let’s make a MOVIE.

After bringing their first-ever championship to the Mecca, all eyes will be on the Liberty to run it back and dominate next year. With a stacked roster, we know they’ll show out. No lies detected…

Phoenix Mercury

Remember when you’d go to take family portraits at the department store? Well, the Mercury brought back a timeless tradition and delivered these hilarious photos with Tasha, Kah and Sophie.

With looming uncertainty surrounding Diana Taurasi’s retirement, it’s unclear what the future will hold yet for next year’s roster, but still, remaining together will be key.

Seattle Storm

With a roster full of young talent that show out on the court and in the tunnel, the Storm are looking to make next season a movie. Get the popcorn ready…

Washington Mystics

It’s giving music video. The Mystics are ready to hold their own, and with talent like Ariel Atkins and Aaliyah Edwards, the District is bound to turn up on the hardwood next season.

The post 2025 WNBA Season Schedules: Every (Hilarious) Announcement From Each Team appeared first on SLAM.

So the brands adapted. With an impeccable roster headlined by Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Jewell Loyd, Nike began releasing their player’s exclusive colorways to the public. 

Bird and Loyd, each known for their affinity with Kyrie Irving’s former Nike signature shoes, received a number of colorways in the marketplace, with Bird headlining the “Keep Sue Fresh” collection that spanned from the Kyrie 4 Low to the Kyrie Infinity. 

Out in Phoenix, DT began repping ‘Bron’s signature series, from the LeBron 9 and LeBron X to the LeBron 19—she even had compiled an extensive Mercury-colored collection of LeBron PEs, including the LeBron 18 “La Cabra”—which translates to the GOAT in Spanish.

In Washington, six-time All-Star Elena Delle Donne was paying homage with her PE rotation, dawning a Swoopes I-inspired colorway of the Nike Hyperdunk 2017 alongside a steady influx of KD 12s. But at the tail end of the 2019 season, Delle Donne flipped the script, electing to wear a lace-less model, the Nike Air Zoom UNVRS. Constructed around the brand’s newest technology, Flyease provided wearers with a hands-free, easy-access design geared toward those with disabilities. The latter would serve as a three year-long smoke signal of what was to come. 

In October of 2022, Nike and Elena Delle Donne officially released the Nike Air Deldon. While the high-top model wasn’t specifically marketed as a signature offering, the silhouette was as close to one as you could get. Built with Flyease technology at its foundation, the Air Deldon was inspired by the two-time MVP’s younger sister Lizzie, who is disabled. The model represented several aspects of Delle Donne’s personal journey, detailing her battle with Lyme disease on one colorway while joining Nike’s BE TRUE initiative that heralds the LGBTQIA+ community with a rainbow-treated installment.  

Then there’s Sabrina Ionescu. Before the legend of Caitlin Clark arose, Ionescu captivated the nation in college—breaking national and school records at the University of Oregon with a flashy play style and an unstoppable pull-up three. 

While standing on the shoulders of the legends that came before her, Nike announced Ionescu would be the eighth women’s signature athlete in Nike Basketball history. After 17 years, The Swoosh had returned in full to the women’s game and they flooded Sabrina’s business with support. An expansive marketing campaign, a full release schedule featuring more than a dozen colorways, a full unisex apparel collection and intricate storytelling that ran throughout the model. 

Touted as the first-ever unisex signature basketball shoe, the Nike Sabrina 1 sold out the first handful of colorways during the late summer. Then it took things to another level when the model was added to Nike’s customizable Nike By You platform. With layers of detailed fabrics, stitching and panels, the Sabrina 1 brought out the platforms’ full potential, allowing fans of the already praised silhouette to create their own 1-of-1 versions.

Custom Nike Sabrina 1s engulfed social media in the following months, with creators drawing inspiration from their favorite colorways of past signature models like the “Bruce Lee” Kobe 5. Some designs even stuck and were replicated at mass, like the titular rendition dubbed the “What The” colorway—inspired by Nike Basketball’s mid-2010s run of taking every colorway from one signature shoe and compiling it into one loud, expressive and surprisingly cohesive ensemble.

From the W and the NBA to men’s and women’s college basketball and the G-League, the Nike Sabrina 1 exploded in popularity. As soon as the 2023-24 season tipped, the low-top model quickly became a go-to for many Nike-endorsed NBA players with Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Tyler Herro and others customizing their own PEs at a frantic pace.

This time around, Sabrina’s sneaker won’t be a one-and-done: she confirmed during this year’s New York Liberty training camp that her second signature is currently in the works. 

And then there’s the long awaited announcement of the Nike A’One. As the first Black woman to receive a signature shoe with the brand since Sheryl Swoopes, A’ja Wilson continues to cement her legacy as not only a great, but a player deserving of the utmost recognition and respect. After headlining the Nike Cosmic Unity last season and dawning a regal black and gold LeBron 21 PE during the 2023 Finals, two-time WNBA Champion and New York Times Best-Selling Author A’ja Wilson has been positioned for an insanely bright future, and arrival of the A’One in the Spring of 2025 was met with top-tier marketing: Wilson posted a flick of herself wearing an iconic hoodie that read, Of Course I Have a Shoe Dot Com with the caption: “The answer to the question.” It was just as iconic as Wilson and her illustrious career. 

Wilson and Nike aren’t just only releasing a signature sneaker though—the two-time WNBA champion and MVP has been working for over a year now on a full apparel collection and signature slides, too. She’s been heavily involved in each step of the process, consistently checking in with the brand and going as far as to suggest satin-lined hoods so women wouldn’t have to wear a bonnet during travel days. 

As for other stars, in the summer of 2021, Jordan Brand announced the largest women’s roster in the brand’s history, signing Dearica Hamby, Satou Sabally, Jordin Canada, Aerial Powers, Te’a Cooper, Crystal Dangerfield, Arella Guirantes and Chelsea Dungee. Joining an established core of Kia Nurse and Asia Durr, the Jumpman went out and put pen to paper with Rhyne Howard, Dana Evans, Isabelle Harrison and Gabby Williams over the next year and a half. 

Picking up the legacy of the since-retired Moore, Jordan’s revamped athlete roster has brought a fresh perspective to the brand’s once-reserved approach to the ladies’ side of the game. Player Exclusive colorways have flooded WNBA hardwoods as a result. Kia Nurse’s Toronto Raptors-treated Tatum 1, Satou Sabally’s international-inspired Air Jordan 37 and Isabelle Harrison’s butterfly-coated Jordan Luka 2—in homage to her late sister—have each extrapolated a piece of the respective athletes’ journeys. In turn, sneaker blogs and team social media accounts have begun to add another element of storytelling to the WNBA’s atmosphere. 

Even though signature silhouettes and exclusive colorways continue to draw headlines, both Nike and Jordan have been cultivating their next generation of partners in the backdrop through the new possibilities presented by NIL. Mirroring the selectivity of their signature lineup, Nike has signed reigning National Freshman of the Year Juju Watkins, former AP Player of the Year Paige Bueckers and top high school sophomore Jerzy Williams to NIL deals. 

In the same realm, Jordan Brand has signed Rutgers-bound guard Kiyomi McMiller, LSU’s SEC Freshman of the Year Mikaylah Williams and UCLA point guard Kiki Rice. 

While it’s yet to be officially announced, Caitlin Clark has reportedly signed an endorsement deal with The Swoosh as well. Clark was one of the brand’s first NIL signings before her senior year at Iowa. 

This is just the beginning, and with investment, attention to detail, and unwavering support for women’s basketball, the renaissance continues.

Feeling nostalgic? Here’s a history lesson on how past WNBA legends paved the way in the sneaker game.

The post Today’s WNBA Legends Are Shifting Sneaker Culture  appeared first on SLAM.

W LEGENDS OF THE PAST

From the first woman, ever, to grace the cover of SLAM to the icons that changed the game. 

COP COVER TEE

W LEGENDS OF THE PRESENT

Breaking boundaries. Defying any and all expectations. For these women, limits don’t exist.

COP COVER TEE

W LEGENDS OF THE FUTURE

From the legendary impact of Dawn Staley to college basketball’s brightest stars—including Juju, Angel, Flau’jae, Paige, Azzi and Cameron—women’s hoopers don’t just have next, they have right now.

COP COVER TEE

SHOP THE WOMEN’S HOOPS COLLECTION

The post Celebrating the W Legends of the Past, Present and Future  appeared first on SLAM.

With a standout freshman already logging big-time minutes and a roster that’s equipped with five juniors and five seniors, plus French graduate student Kenza Salgues, who played at Miami and made her Gators debut earlier this season, it’s looking like this team will be holding its own in the SEC this year. 

After finishing 19-15 last season and making the NCAA tournament in 2021-22, the Gators will look to improve upon a first-round exit to UCF. If they do, they’ll make history: the last time the Gators made it to the second round was in 2014, and they’ve yet to advance past the Elite Eight. Things are already looking up, though. With head coach Kelly Rae Finley at the helm, the Gators had their first 20-win season since 2015-16 under Finley’s guidance, going 21-11 in 2021-22.

They’ve also got SEC legend—and former SLAM cover star—Rhyne Howard on staff as an assistant coach and director of player personnel this year. The Atlanta Dream star also comes from Gator royalty. Her mom, Rhvonja, played for the team from 1987-91 (captain in ’90-91) and still holds multiple program records, including top-10 in career steals. 

“I always knew at some point that I would have the connection back with this school, and just to be here and to be loved and to feel how much of a family it is already just confirmed all that,” Howard said in an official school press release. 

The Gators are already off to a fantastic start; as we went to press, they were 6-2, their only losses coming from a combined 7 point differential. Their spark, as Kyle said after the team’s season opener, largely comes from sixth-year senior guard Zippy Broughton, who is back after being out for the past 20 months due to a shoulder injury. The former Rutgers transfer persevered through the rehab process and has returned as not only a pivotal scorer, but a leader. 

“She brings a different kind of spark to our team,” said Kyle, via an article on FloridaGators.com.

Adds Coach Finley: “Her ability to fight through adversity when a lot of people might choose to hang it up…I’m just excited and happy she’s chosen our team to chase her dreams. She’s doing so fearlessly every day. It means a lot to our program that she is willing to have great determination to get back on the court.”

That spark is exactly what the Gators will need this season to take them on what could be a potentially deep postseason run.  

The post The 2023 Jumpman Invitational: The 2023-24 Florida Gators Women’s Basketball Team is Ready to Make some Noise appeared first on SLAM.

“Like Joël said, I’ve worked on a lot of game shoes,” Lefferts, the embroidery expert, says. 

“Materials have such an emotional impact, especially in Jordan. If you look at the AJXI, patent leather. It also has to feel, like, instinctively like it’s Jordan, which, to me, this did.”

The post The Air Jordan 38 is Woven Through History by Expert Craftsmanship appeared first on SLAM.

“Shooters shoot.”

That was the explanation provided by Rhyne Howard when asked how she became the Atlanta Dream’s half-court maestro.

A staple of WNBA culture for as long as anyone can remember, half-court shot contests have become a League-wide social media phenomenon. These competitions, which generally follow team shootarounds, come with cash prizes posted by a coach or executive.

Every team flaunts a wide array of shooting styles. Take the New York Liberty. Jonquel Jones lofts underhanded shots at the rim. Nyara Sabally stands on the sideline and chucks one-handed bullets at the backboard. Courtney Vandersloot—perhaps the most prolific half-court shooter on the team—opts for a set shot. 

“The best is Allie [Quigley],” says Vandersloot of her wife, who’s sitting out the 2023 season. “She shoots, like, 50 percent, I swear.” 

When Vandersloot played for Pokey Chatman in Chicago, the competitions got more lucrative as the team stacked wins. If the Sky were on a four-game winning streak, the pot grew to $400. A loss reset it to $100. Cheyenne Parker recalls the pot once growing to $800. For players like Vandersloot and Parker, who were then on rookie contracts, that was a significant chunk of change.

“I don’t make many,” says Parker, “but when I make it, I be geeked.” 

Not all coaches are so generous. Tiffany Mitchell, now a wing on the Minnesota Lynx, remembers a coach who shall not be named offering just $25 to the winner.

In Atlanta, the prize is paid by head coach Tanisha Wright or general manager Dan Padover. Wright, who played in the WNBA from 2005-19, has observed this cherished tradition grow.

“This is definitely part of WNBA culture,” says Wright with a chuckle. “Believe me, if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be giving up my money every game. It’s just a fun thing that the W has adopted over the years, and the tradition should stick.”

To Wright’s left sits Dream guard Aari McDonald, who had won that day’s half-court contest. Smiling, the third-year pro chuckled: “I look forward to taking T or Dan’s money every game day.”

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Inside the WNBA’s Ultra-Competitive Half-Court Shooting Contests appeared first on SLAM.

Calling PlaymaKer, UnFazed Dove and UnbreaKable to the front of the line! 

PlaymaKer…aka WNBA champion, Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Most Valuable Player and South Carolina’s finest! You’ve been called to the line for your resilience and the grit you’ve shown in your community, as your statue reigns in the city that you’ve given so much to, proving that you were built for this moment. 

UnFazed Dove, you’re here for a reason! You’ve conquered every challenge and shown up in moments we all knew you were ready to stand up tall against. No. 1 overall pick, WNBA All-Star as a rookie and Rookie of the Year—you pushed the limits for us. 

UnbreaKable, you’ve weathered the storm and remained true to yourself! You were well prepared for this moment, as you’ve known for a long time that this journey wouldn’t be easy, but it would be worth it. Two-time SEC Player of the Year, “Superwoman,” the one who took a chance and proved why you were called to be here on this stage. 

A’ja Wilson, Rhyne Howard and Tiffany Mitchell represent the W as leaders of the game, but all three have cemented their legacies on and off the court as women of the Divine Nine. 

“Divine Nine means culture and history,” says the Aces’ Wilson, who became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. “[Divine Nine] laid the foundation down for me and my generation to continue to strive and have a seat at the table.”

The Divine Nine is the term used for the group of nine Black Greek organizations. Repping your chapter is a sacred moment, a badge of honor, from the pearls to the letterman jackets. The sisterhood/brotherhood is the pinnacle of who we are as a community. 

“We stick together through ups and downs, working to bring the best out of each other,” Mitchell, also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, says. “You make bonds with different women from all walks of life and come together to bond over a common goal and likeness.” 

The Divine Nine has given a voice to Black students across the country to feel seen, heard and recognized. Mitchell and Wilson embody the Alpha Women and Rhyne Howard exemplifies what it means to be a Zeta. 

“The W family is special,” Howard, a member of Zeta Phi Beta, says. Comparing the Divine Nine sororities to the W, Howard says, “Each chapter within itself is a family, but all together, it’s like a family reunion.”

With 12 W teams and four sororities within the Divine Nine, there’s a unique competitiveness among the group. 

“Being able to have that ‘rivalry’ with other organizations is fun in itself,” Howard says, “but also knowing we are all fighting for the same thing, having this space and being around people who are going to fight for the things you’re fighting for is greatness within itself.”

The parallels are unmatched. And to be a part of something so special, deemed a trailblazer and champion of the League, is a privilege. “It shows the versatility of the W,” Mitchell says. “We don’t take it for granted.”

Whether you call out PlaymaKer or A’ja Wilson, their character is the same. “That’s what I loved the most about it. I could take my leadership aspect that I have for my team and then I could put it to my line,” Wilson says. “That was the beauty of it. It’s like my worlds all collide.”

The Divine Nine couldn’t be more proud of how Wilson, Howard and Mitchell have represented themselves across the League and continue to push for more positive change in the space. 

The only question left is…who will be the next players to join?

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Inside the WNBA’s Sisterhood of the Divine Nine: A’ja Wilson, Rhyne Howard and Tiffany MitchellI appeared first on SLAM.

As for the talent level, well, there’s a reason why your favorite celebrities pull up to their games to watch them drop buckets. Before they go compete at top programs in college, we’re hyped to announce our 2023 HS All-Americans.

Jadyn. Jada. Mikaylah. Hannah. Juju.

Isaiah. Matas. Jared. DJ. Justin.

This story appears in SLAM 244

Featuring cover stars Rhyne Howard, Scoot Henderson and Paolo Banchero, SLAM 244 spotlights the standouts and rising stars who have next, and right now.

Photo credits for entire series include Jineen Williams, Jamal Martin, Jon Lopez. Marcus Stevens, Getty Images, Matt Odom. // Design by Erica Davis.

The post The Future: SLAM Announces 2023 High School All-Americans appeared first on SLAM.

“To finally be able to call myself a champion after nine long months there [means a lot],” says Howard, who’s basking in a rare break between seasons, Jordan Brand promos and her other commitments. “All that hard work that we put in. Also, being a champion meant that it was time to come home. I was extra excited about that.”

The feeling of confetti on her face is something Howard would like to experience with the Dream. “We were only one game out of the playoffs,” says the silky 2-guard, who averaged 16.2 points and 4.5 boards while knocking down a rookie-record 85 three-pointers. “This year, I expect us to be a playoff team and make a good run.”

Rhyne Howard is the future of the WNBA. Get your copy of SLAM 244.

To better its chances of seeing the postseason for the first time since 2018, Atlanta went out and got Allisha Gray from Dallas. The team also selected Stanford star Haley Jones and South Carolina forward Laeticia Amihere in the 2023 WNBA Draft. With the revamped roster, Howard sees the Dream’s future starting to take shape. “A lot of people are still questioning if we have enough [talent] or if we have that chemistry,” she says, “but I’m definitely excited about what we have in store.”

Does anybody have some gum? The images of Howard spinning a ball on her finger at the SLAM photo shoot are dope, but something’s still a little bit off. Rhyne’s mom, Rhvonja “RJ” Avery, says it’s gum that’s missing. Rhyne loves blowing bubbles when she spins. Someone finds the Dream star a few pieces of Bubblicious. The pics immediately start poppin’. Moms just know these things. 

Howard smiles when she chews gum and, really, just in general. But you’d never know it based off an on-court persona that comes off stoic and standoffish to some. Yeah, she’ll give you the Griddy on TikTok, but you won’t get much else during a game. “Say less, play more” has long been her MO.

But just because Howard doesn’t flex on ’em doesn’t mean she’s without emotion. “She comes off as very shy, but the kid is not shy,” says second-year Atlanta Dream head coach Tanisha Wright. “She has a funniness and humor about her that’s pretty cool. She’s not loud and she’s not boisterous, but she has a quiet competitiveness that comes out when it needs to come out at game time.”

When Howard hears of her coach’s comments, she adds, “I am shy. It affects how [people] talk to me. They’ll be scared to come up to me. I’m very open. I will talk to you. I won’t speak first, but I’ll have a conversation with you. I’ll joke and laugh. But I am going to feel you out a little bit just to see. But I feel like a lot of people are intimidated because I always look straight-faced.” 

Most parents know if their child has what it takes to be a standout in a sport. Avery certainly knew way back in the day when Howard was hooping as a child. When the other kids were frantically doing jumping jacks in front of the inbound passer, Rhyne’s mom was watching her daughter patiently scan the scene, looking to see how she could make a steal. 

“When she was 7, we were living in Virginia,” says Avery. “I was watching her play in a co-ed rec league. She’s already surveyed everything, trying to be one-up on [the opponent]. You can’t teach that.” 

By the time Howard was in eighth grade and living in Cleveland, TN, she was good enough to be on the high school varsity team. The squad’s first game of the season was the same night as the eighth-grade dance. Howard skipped the formal to suit up for the game. Even though she never put on a dress, she was still named queen of the dance. She didn’t have to make a choice between playing ball and going to one in high school. Different times of the year. She went to the prom. Won queen again. 

Though Purdue, South Carolina and Florida (where Avery herself once played) were attractive options for Howard’s next stop, Kentucky just felt different. Like her mom said, “It was far enough away, but not too far from home. It was a great fit for her because she could go in and make her mark.” With then-UK women’s head coach Matthew Mitchell at the helm, the locker room had a familial feel, too. Howard dug that. The Wildcats went 84-37 with three NCAA Tournament appearances while she was there.

It was at Lexington where Howard also befriended Terrence Clarke, the talented shooting guard out of Massachusetts. The two hit it off instantly. “When a men’s player comes to Kentucky,” Howard explains, “most likely they’re going to be one and done. They’re not going to have a lot of time and not going to have a lot of friends to hang out with. The first time I met [Clarke] was actually in the training room. He came in singin’ and stuff. I was like, Keep going. Go ahead. He actually ended up telling me that I was one of the first people besides his teammates to actually talk to him and be his friend.”

Howard continues, “They were having a rough season at the time. We were having a rough season. We would just go to the mall and just hang out and be there for each other and just talk and figure out what’s going on. Just being that ear, being that friend that we both needed.” She was big sis. He was lil’ bro. 

Clarke tragically passed away in April 2021 in a car accident only a few months before the NBA Draft. “It really hit hard when he was gone,” says Howard. “But I keep him alive when I play. I keep him alive all the time. I talk to his mom, too, just to check in on her. I’m actually going to send her this jersey and this magazine when it comes out. Just being able to have him as a part of my life, even for just a short amount of time, was a blessing. I wish everybody could find somebody like that.”

With her rookie season over and the franchise’s future in her hands, Howard knows that her voice may need to get louder in team huddles. Jones and Amihere are certainly going to lean on her for first-year guidance. Just about everybody in the Dream’s Gateway Center Arena will be depending on No. 10 when the team is down in crunch time.

“It makes your life easier as a coach because you know you have a player that’s capable of doing things that can help you win basketball games,” Wright says about Howard, who scored 20+ on 11 occasions her rookie year. “She definitely makes my life easier. But at times, you rely on her and you forget that you’re a team. That’s always an important piece that you have to keep in mind. We can’t just wait around and watch her go to work. We have to do it as a collective.”

One area where Coach Wright will be watching Howard more is on defense. An SEC All-Defensive Team member in 2020 and top five in the WNBA in steals a year ago, Howard can be a dawg on that end, too. “I’d love to see her utilize more of her tools,” says Wright. “She’s gotta expect more from herself on that side. She’s capable of doing much more than just catching and shooting.”

Howard agrees. “[Playing] overseas showed that I can be way more active than what I have been,” she says. “For the most part, I just use my length and my IQ to get a steal or get in the passing lane. But overseas, I was actually guarding the other team’s best player and doing a pretty good job, if I have to say so myself.”

Her mother takes things a step further. “She actually set her sights on doing what Candace Parker did,” says Avery, alluding to Parker’s ridiculous ’08 rookie campaign where she won almost every conceivable award, including League MVP. “I think she could be on that path to exceed Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart. She loves all of them, but she’s so competitive that she’s going to work to compete and be better.”

This whole magazine is dedicated to what’s next in the sport, right? When this generational talent gets her defensive game to match one of the most complete offensive packages in the League, mark our words: The future looks bright for the Dream and downright nightmarish for the rest of the WNBA. 

“I want to continue being that dog on the court that everyone says I am,” she says. “Continue to take accountability and have that consistency that I’ve been having. It only goes up from here.”

AVAILABLE ON SLAMGOODS

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard is Going to be a Nightmare in the WNBA appeared first on SLAM.

Our latest issue of SLAM 244 is stacked and spotlights the rising young stars that are showing out, cool as hell and making waves on and off the court as the face of their own brands and team franchises. As for the style icons of the NBA, the entire LeagueFits Award list is featured in this magazine, as well as classics like SLAMadamonth, Kicks and more. Stay tuned for more.

Emerging star Scoot Henderson has been a pro since he was 17, so trust that he’s ready. Ready for the spotlight. Ready for the pressure. Ready for the League.

If you thought WNBA Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard’s first season was scary, wait until you see what’s next.

Fresh off one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in recent memory, Paolo Banchero has just one goal in mind: bring a winning culture back to the Orlando Magic. 

The post The Future Issue: Scoot Henderson, Rhyne Howard and Paolo Banchero appeared first on SLAM.

The WNBA superstar’s release has garnered reactions across the W and the women’s basketball world. From her Phoenix Mercury teammates to her many supporters, here’s what the hoops community has said about her return home.

Phoenix Mercury

No more days. She’s coming home pic.twitter.com/HsjbdPfdn5

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) December 8, 2022

Brianna Turner

Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive #WEAREBG https://t.co/Ltx4PEFqAK

— Brianna Turner (@_Breezy_Briii) December 8, 2022

Kia Nurse

BG is coming home!!!!!

— Kia Nurse (@KayNurse11) December 8, 2022

Shay Peddy:

Went from FREE BG to BG is FREE!! Won’t he do it!

— Shey Peddy (@SheyP11) December 8, 2022

Lexie Brown:

Brenna Stewart

Dearica Hamby

Rhyne Howard:

Chelsea Gray

A’ja Wilson:

Jonquel Jones:

Sue Bird:

Eric Wheeler

Sydney Colson:

Griner’s alma mater, Baylor University, also celebrated her release. Kim Mulkey, who coached BG at Baylor, told ESPN: “God is good. Prayers are powerful. Brittney is on her way home, where she belongs. Our prayers remain with her and her family as they recover and heal together.”

Current Baylor coach Nicki Collen added, “After nearly 10 months, we are thrilled and relieved to hear the long-awaited news of BG’s return. Today is the day we’ve been praying for, and we will continue to pray as she reunites with her family and begins recovering from her experience. Baylor family, she’s coming home!”

In addition to players in the W and BG’s former coaches, a range of women’s basketball trailblazers and supporters reacted to the news of her release.

Dawn Staley:

Chiney Ogwumike:

Swin Cash:

Holly Rowe:

Ari Chambers:

The NBA and WNBA also made official statements about Griner being released and heading home to be with her family.

Cathy Engelbert:

The following statement was released in regards to Brittney Griner's return home: pic.twitter.com/p0D0nhaNDW

— WNBA (@WNBA) December 8, 2022

Adam Silver:

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver today issued the following statement regarding Brittney Griner: pic.twitter.com/9QFqWIn1a4

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 8, 2022

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Typically attracted to Russian leagues by the combination of high salaries and valuable resources and amenities, it has become evident that the costs of going to Russia this season outweigh the benefits. Nearly a dozen WNBA players competed in Russia last year; none are returning.

MVP runner-up Breanna Stewart played alongside Griner in Russia on UMMC Ekaterinburg.

“Honestly, my time in Russia has been wonderful,” Stewart told The Guardian. “But especially with BG still wrongfully detained there, nobody’s going to go there until she’s home. I think that you know, now, people want to go overseas, and if the money is not much different, they want to be in a better place.”

Stewart is headed to Turkey to play for Fenerbahçe this offseason. 

It has been 214 days since our friend, Brittney Griner, has been wrongfully detained in Russia. It is time for her to come home. @WhiteHouse @potus @vp , we are paying attention and we are counting on you. #WeAreBG

— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) September 20, 2022

Joining Stewart in their choice to not return to Russia are Jonquel Jones of Finals runners-up Connecticut Sun, Courtney Vandersloot of the Chicago Sky, and Emma Meeseman of the Chicago Sky. Vandersloot will suit up in Hungary, while Jones and Meeseeman will compete in Turkey.

Although she admits her club treated her well, and she formed strong relationships while in Russia, Vandersloot put it plainly:

“The thing about it is, we were treated so well by our club and made such strong relationships with those people, I would never close the door on that,” Vandersloot said. “The whole situation with BG makes it really hard to think that it’s safe for anyone to go back there right now.”

Once again, as long as their sister and teammate are wrongfully imprisoned, Russia is off the table as an off-season destination for WNBA players. In addition to vets like Stewart, Jones, Vandersloot, and Meeseman refusing to return to Russia, young players are electing for other overseas opportunities. Rhyne Howard, the 2022 Rookie of the Year, chose to play in Italy, stating that “everyone’s going to be a bit cautious seeing as this situation is happening”.

Following the 2020-21 season, more than 60 percent of the WNBA’s rostered players went overseas during the offseason. Traveling overseas to supplement their salaries takes players away from their homes and families and puts them at injury and safety risk. With plans to play a record-high 40 games next season and increase postseason bonus pools of money, the League continues to step toward making staying home a possibility.

Visit WeAreBG to learn more about what you can do to help.

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The 12

Our 2022 USA Women’s World Cup Team to chase a fourth consecutive gold medal in Sydney!

#USABWNT x #FIBAWWC pic.twitter.com/WnewsZsuw1

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) September 20, 2022

Ariel Atkins and Jewell Loyd are the only other Team USA players besides Wilson, Gray, and Stewart that will play in the World Cup that also played on the Tokyo Olympics teams. Plum will play on her second World Cup team after leading Team USA to Olympic gold with the 3×3 group. Stewie will play on her third World Cup team after winning World Cup MVP in 2018. Wilson and Loyd were members of the 2018 World Cup team.

The World Cup team will be the first in over 20 years not to feature Sue Bird or Diana Taurasi on the roster.

The two WNBA and UConn legends led Team USA to five of its seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and a combined nine World Cup medals. Sylvia Fowles and Tina Charles will also be left off Team USA due to retirement or moving on from national team obligations. Brittney Griner is another notable absence while the United States looks to negotiate her release from Russian prison due to illegal drug possession.

“After we won gold, [Bird] was like, ‘All right, it’s your turn now,'” Wilson told ESPN about Bird passing the Team USA torch, per ESPN. “I’m like, ‘Huh?’ When you really think about it, it’s me and Stewie. Everyone’s gone.”

“I don’t know who’s going to be talking in the timeouts now,” Wilson followed up. “We’ll be figuring it out. But, no, it’s a great thing. They’ve laid a great foundation for us to step in as the next-gen to carry the torch. I am probably terrified, but I’m excited as well just to get back out there with other greats. Let’s go get this gold.”

Shakira Austin, Kahleah Copper, Sabrina Ionescu, Brionna Jones, and Betnijah Laney are Team USA’s newest members for the Olympics or World Cup. Austin is the youngest member of the team and the only player to make it amongst her rookie class and college phenom and defending national champion Aliyah Boston.

The USA Basketball Women’s National Team Committee selected the roster, which Connecticut Sun president Jen Rizzotti chairs.

“We’re in a little bit of a transition,” Stewart said. “But it really gives an opportunity for young players to come in and show what they’ve got and help take USA Basketball to the next level — and understand that everybody wants to beat us.

“Nobody wants us to win gold. And still, our goal every time that we are playing is to win the entire thing.”

God is so great to meI made the USA World Cup Team bro….BLESSED

— Shakira Austin (@Theylove_kira) September 20, 2022

Boston, Diamond DeShields, Stefanie Dolson, Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith, and Jackie Young are amongst the most significant final cuts from the women’s national team roster.

“We have been eagerly anticipating the 2022 FIBA World Cup and welcome the opportunities and challenges this competition presents as we face the world’s best teams,” 2021-24 national team head coach Cheryl Reeve said in a news release. “The U.S. roster features some of our game’s brightest stars, and I’m excited to lead this team with the goal of winning a fourth consecutive World Cup for the USA. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who was part of our highly competitive training camp and hope to work with many of them again in the future.”

The Women’s World Cup runs Sept. 22-Oct. 1 in Sydney. Team USA starts group stage play against Belgium on Wednesday at 9:30 P.M. E.T.

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What happens when you look to blend the best of speed and flight? Jordan Brand asked that question, and the answer was the Air Jordan 37.

Jayson Tatum and Satou Sabally are what we call, in the new age of positionless hoops, the ultimate hybrid. The Prince of Boston coupled with that suave demeanor is smooth yet shifty. He’ll cross you with ease and bully you on the block with his 6-10 frame, fresh out of bed.

Sabally, third-year forward for the Dallas Wings, is brilliantly versatile; her game reads like poetry. The J? Silky. Handles? Filthy. Spin cycle? Gracefully elegant. Chase down blocks? Loads of ’em. 

Two of the most multifaceted hoopers on Jordan Brand’s expanding roster of basketball brilliance not only have the type of games that general managers salivate over, they’re leading the Brand into a new era of sustainability and peak performance.

Built for the future of the game and its athletes’ multi-directional play, Jumpman has always kept the visceral sense of rising through the air with blistering speed at the forefront of its discussions when dropping one of the most coveted performance sneakers on the market. The 37th iteration of Jordan’s signature line isn’t any different in that respect. 

“We wanted to create this pretty much one-of-one system that really no other basketball player could feel other than in the shoe; that really celebrates the best of speed, and the best of flight,” Chad Troyer, Senior Product Line Manager at Jordan Brand, tells KICKS.

And with a roster featuring players of nearly every build in men’s and women’s professional basketball, the 37 needed to be able to blend a myriad of properties to support their athletes; from the debut of a Jordan-only foam, evolving the Leno-weave upper and delving into the three phases of a jump, all while maintaining their commitment to sustainability (but more on that later). 

Nearly four decades of basketball history and heritage reside in Jordan Brand’s upcoming hybrid. So when constructing a lightweight support system that functions with the natural movements of the foot, Troyer and the Brand swung their gaze straight to the Air Jordan VII’s interior make up. 

While serving as a wink to the VII during its 30th anniversary, the buffed-up ankle collar, underlying forefoot pattern and familiar geometric color blocking on the outsole all seek to evoke 1992 nostalgia. 

Bam Adebayo, Rui Hachimura and Dearica Hamby all need both distinctive and effective support while wreaking havoc on the block and drawing defenders out to the midrange. The Leno-weave upper takes direct inspiration from the exoskeleton construction of the famous Nike Air Huarache and the targeted areas of protection of ankle straps and tape. 

Blending Tinker Hatfield’s past innovations with modern-age performance served as an empowering anchor of inspiration throughout the 37’s process. “We’re just wanting to make it newer and better now,” Troyer adds.

From the inner paneling of the VII to the carbon fiber shank’s return for the first time since the 32, the new aesthetic created by merging the structural design with the Leno-weave upper has excited Troyer the most.  

Yet the evolution of the upper is seen in a whole new space with the 37, “allowing the structure to be very strong where you need it,” says Troyer, “and then opened up and lightweight and flexible when you don’t.”  

Allowing varying light and colors to poke through the panels of the forefoot, the introduction of a specialized TPE yarn amidst the tooling of the zoned upper– crafted out of a single fiber of monofilament called Arkema—pays direct homage to the meticulous craftsmanship displayed in West African basket weaving.

“You can really see inside, you can see your sock, you can see the insole. It’s just going to become a unique aesthetic where we haven’t been before,” Troyer adds.

We’re not talking about picking and pulling random ideas and influences just to be sorted 
out later down the line here, we’re talking going into the deepest depths of the bottomless bag of Jumpman’s creative and technological capabilities.

The bevy of His Airness’ insurmountable athletic feats on the hardwood provide Nike’s Sport Research Lab in Beaverton with a scientific treasure trove of jumping sequences to dissect and translate toward designing footwear for the future. The result was an amalgamation of modern sports research and a contemporary treatment of reductive layering. 

The basis of Jumpman’s newest modernization is rooted in NSRL’s study of the three stages of jumping: load, launch and crash. So while the ultimate goal is to create lightweight products, Troyer and the Brand knew in order to achieve their ultimate realization, a little bit of additional weight and structure was necessary—enabling them to remove copious amounts of weight from the upper by way of the Arkema threads. 

The Load Phase acts as a conduit for transferring motion from the heel through the forefoot. By way of the AJ XI’s staple carbon fiber shank underneath the midfoot and the inclusion of Formula 23 foam, which is being debuted in the Jordan Luka 1, the users’ second-long movement of loading is instantaneously softened. 

“It’s more responsive, more comfortable, and also more sustainable than any foam that we’ve been able to use,” Troyer tells KICKS. “So it has performance properties that are great just to provide new solutions.”

The Launch Phase may mistakenly feel like the final stage of the process, but by creating additional protection for the heel and landing, athletes are much more inclined to “engage the rest of the system and ultimately jump higher,” Troyer says. 

Affixed with full-length Zoom Strobel alongside an additional Zoom Air unit in the forefoot for increased responsiveness and the sensation of a double-stacked propulsion, the inserted rebound technology is placed as close to the foot as possible.

The Crash Phase, the instantaneous deceleration of the jump, is an aspect rarely traversed within performance sneakers, but no longer. 

“It’s really integrating those aspects and creating the system based on the insights and asking if we can help athletes crash harder, meaning protecting their heel and allowing them to put more force into their jump, then they’re going to be able to engage the rest of the system and ultimately jump higher,” Troyer says.

The sleek and structured heel features a TPU mold that encases the Brand’s proprietary foam technology, ultimately acting as a crash-landing pad for the energy and force the wearer exudes when striking the court. 

“It’s totally a balance,” Troyer adds.

His Airness was the ultimate hybrid on the court. Just like his game, his 37th signature is a quintessential blend of strength and grace, of dominance and modernism. 

Beefing up their roster with the additions of Paolo Banchero, Rhyne Howard and Isabelle Harrison this summer, the Brand is able to bring their young athletes behind the curtain of crafting the model early in their careers. “They’re really along with us on the journey throughout, before it’s even done,” Troyer says. 

And among the first few flavors of the silhouette to drop—including “Beyond Borders” in September and “The Hare” this Fall—are both Tatum’s and Sabally’s PEs. 

“Now that we have this new roster of young exciting talent,” Troyer says, “we’re really learning from them as well to help inform what the ultimate hybrid means.” 

Photos courtesy of Nike.

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Rhyne went CRAZY this season @howard_rhyne is your 2022 Kia @WNBA ROY pic.twitter.com/ZP9Dcblhti

— WSLAM (@wslam) August 25, 2022

Howard led the Dream (14-22) to a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings. The former Kentucky All-American averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on 36.1 percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc. She was the only rookie to be nominated to the 2022 All-Star Game. She also made history after she became the sixth rookie to score 30+ points in her first four games.

Howard earned 53 votes out of a possible 56 votes she could’ve gotten from WNBA media members and broadcasters. Howard also headlines the All-Rookie team that features NaLyssa Smith, Queen Egbo, Shakira Austin, and Rebekah Gardner. Austin received two ROY votes, and Smith received one. Howard is the second Dream player to win the RY after Angel McCoughtry received it in 2009.

Howard entered the WNBA after a legendary career at Kentucky. Her accolades include earning First-Team All-American honors twice and winning the Freshman of the Year award from the WBCA, USBWA, and SEC. Her SEC accolades include earning the back-to-back Player of the Year awards, four All-SEC nominations, including three First-Team nods from 2019-2021, and an All-Defensive team nod in 2020.

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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.

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All in. High accountability. Positive energy. “We” over “Me.” 

These are just a few characteristics that rookie head coach Tanisha Wright hopes her Atlanta Dream squad embodies.

Often known as a defense-first coach in previous stops as an assistant at the UNC Charlotte 49ers and Las Vegas Aces, Wright is positioning the Dream as a defensive fortress with up-and-coming young stars. The Dream are currently the only team to limit an opponent to 90 points per 100 possessions and also rank second League-wide in rebounding. In May, the Dream netted their first win against the Mercury in four years thanks to the team’s 20 assists.

“Any time you have the chance to start from the ground up, you have a chance to put your stamp on things,” Wright says.

After a transformative offseason in which the Dream swapped out the infamous Kelly Loeffler for an ownership group that includes Renee Montgomery and new president Morgan Shaw-Parker, Atlanta is buzzing with a 8-8 record.

Wright’s retooled Dream squad relies on defensive toughness and mentorship. As a WNBA champion player herself, Wright is taking lessons from the greats she played with such as Sheryl Swoopes and Swin Cash, and those she mentored later in her career like Tina Charles and Brittany Boyd.

“I wanted to be a coach that gave life to players,” Wright tells WSLAM. “Rather than breaking them down, I want to build them up but still hold them accountable.”

She’s doing just that and then some. Her defensive tenacity has merely transformed into words of wisdom from the bench and even a little trash talking, especially with likely Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard. Her favorite jab to her budding superstar? “I would’ve locked you up if I was out there.”

WSLAM 2 is available now. Get your copy here.

Photos via Getty Images.

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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.

Howard leads a standout rookie group in scoring (15.1 points per game), assists (2.7), and steals (1.5) and is second in minutes (30.6 per game) for an Atlanta team poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018. She was also the only rookie to be named to the 2022 All-Star Game. Although Howard has hit the rookie wall, she became the seventh rookie to score at least 100 points in her first five games (20.4 points per game during that span).

Austin is averaging 8.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game on 53.8 percent shooting (ninth-best in the W)from the field, good for fifth-best and second-best on the Mytcis, respectively. Coach Mike Thibault has praised Austin’s ability to make plays and be a strong contributor on the court despite not having any plays run for her. She does that by doing the small things, setting solid screens, and crashing the glass.

Need a midweek pick-me-up?

Well, @Theylove_kira‘s block will give you the energy you need!#Mystics25 // #TogetherDC pic.twitter.com/91SJrJ3Wzj

— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) July 20, 2022

What sets Austin apart from Howard, though, is her defensive abilities. Although she doesn’t lead the team in steals or blocks, Ariel Atkins called Austin the “safety of the (Mystics) defense.” As of Wednesday, the Mystics hold the second-best defensive rating behind the Seattle Storm.

Thibault believes that he thinks the former Ole Miss Rebel will be a “mainstay on the (all) defensive team at some point in her career.”

“One of the best attributes of a post player defensively is to be able to direct traffic and call out coverages on pick and rolls and things in the lane,” Thibault said per ESPN. “When we watched her in college, she was a really good communicator with her teammates on defense, calling out screens loud, coverages, blocking out, knowing when to help and when to get back. She just has defensive instincts.”

“It’s hard enough, I think sometimes at any level, to get your whole team talking and communicating the right way. But if you have a rookie that can come in and do some of that stuff on the first day, it’s really helpful.”

It’s the confidence for me #JapaneseHeritageDay // @Theylove_kira pic.twitter.com/cGQmuk1lMr

— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) July 17, 2022

At this point, Howard and Atkins are neck-and-neck in win shares per Her Hoop Stats — 2.5 and 2.4, respectively. However, Austin (0.17) slightly edges Howard (0.14) in win shares per 40 despite only playing 21.0 minutes per game. That’s good enough to place her in third-place in the League behind Breanna Stewart and Ezi Magbegor, who are DPOY candidates.

For what it’s worth, Atkins believes that the fifth-place Mystics (16-11) aren’t in this position without Austin playing well while Elena Delle Donne missed nine games.

“We wouldn’t be,” Atkins said.

“She’s a big part of what we do. I don’t think we necessarily drafted someone to come in and have to do the things that she’s doing. But she stepped up to the plate and showed us that she was capable of doing it. So that’s something that we expect of her every night — and I’m excited to see what she’s going to give us the rest of the season.”

The Mystics are slated for a Thursday morning contest with the Liberty. The Dream is set for a Thursday afternoon matchup with the Sparks.

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When asked to describe Alysha Clark, former coaches and teammates use the word “tough.” Her finishes are tough and her defense is tough. She’s carried that grit throughout her career as a basketball player and it remains one of the driving forces that forged her WNBA career ahead.

Current New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello, who drafted Clark back in 2010 when she was head coach of the San Antonio Silver Stars, reveals that what makes Clark so special is her ability to find her niche and vastly transform her game. “She was the best scorer from college, played as a post player and how she kind of didn’t play as a post [in the WNBA] but came in and found her niche,” Brondello tells WSLAM. “She found a niche in Seattle and just grew her game, became a better outside shooter, but also defensively.”

But upon signing a new two-year deal in Washington with the Mystics in 2021, Clark, the person who’s always played with so much toughness, was suddenly afraid. Afraid that she’d fail in a new environment after spending nine seasons in Seattle and winning two championships with the Storm. Once again she had to find her niche. Where would she belong, not only on this Mystics roster, but in the city, the District of Change? And how would a serious lisfranc injury to her right foot impact who and what she desired to be in the next phase of her career?

When Clark signed with the Mystics during the W’s free agency period in early February 2021, the team sold her on an offer she couldn’t refuse. Washington could offer her an opportunity to become an even more complete and versatile player along with a dynamic city that would give her countless opportunities to grow off the court. She had the chance to discover if cooking could become a professional path for her after her playing career. She also had a chance to participate in philanthropic- and social justice-related activities such as interacting with and mentoring the young people in the DC community.

For the Mystics, after coming off an underwhelming and challenging Wubble season following their 2019 championship, signing Clark signaled that Washington was confident in their position to be competing for a championship right now.

“It was kind of a no-brainer to go after her,” Eric Thibault, the Mystics Associate Head Coach says. “We just thought she was a great fit for our group. She gave us another elite perimeter defender and was kind of a seamless fit offensively, and had been on a team that played similarly to us. So we didn’t think there would be much adjustment time for her working in.”

Around two months later, Clark injured her foot while playing in Lyon, France and learned she’d need surgery, sidelining her for the entire 2021 WNBA season. Clark, a self-proclaimed creature of habit, had to adjust to even more: not just a new team and a new city but now her first serious injury playing professional basketball.

An intrinsic quality of Clark is her willingness to give to others. She’s the friend, the sister, the aunt and the player who always checks in on those around her. Her friend and former Storm teammate Sami Whitcomb expressed that Clark has checked in with her multiple times so far during this W season. Clearly Clark shows up, but leading up to surgery, she wasn’t used to having to be the person who asks for help. She thought she was a burden to her closest friends and family, assuming that her best friend who’s a stay-at-home mom with a toddler wouldn’t be able to keep her company following her surgery. It was a struggle for Clark to give the people who mean the most to her the opportunity to be there for her.

But following surgery, when she had to begin recovery and rehabilitation and introduce herself to the Mystics team she couldn’t play with in 2021, she was at a crossroads. And she was without the game she loved that would be the vehicle she needed to get to know the new players around her.

“I essentially lost my support system,” she tells WSLAM.  “For so long for so many seasons, I’ve been around these other women, this other organization and I knew, like, we knew one another and so it’s in a way like coming here, I didn’t have that anymore. So it’s all new. I had to relearn that to regain that trust with new people. And so yeah, it gave me a chance to be able to feel supported through a tough time.”

Meanwhile, the Mystics were dealing with the most tumultuous season head coach and general manager Mike Thibault had ever been a part of during his entire coaching career. Elena Delle Donne was limited to three games all season and the team never recorded a clean injury report. Players were in and out with illness and injury as the team struggled to attain consistency. How would Clark manage the emotions of her own recovery along with the impulses she had to pour into her team? The giver was inclined to give.

At first she tried to offer whatever words of wisdom she could to the Mystics. Her leadership and communication skills were also reasons the front office was so attracted to sign her in the offseason. While at first she wanted to think about another situation aside from her own, the issues her team had began to overwhelm and she had to take a step back. She had to make a choice and was selective about how and who she’d provide her counsel to. Clark put her foot on the brake and allowed her teammates to approach her when they wanted or needed something. Younger guards Ariel Atkins and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough would come over to her apartment to watch film and pick Clark’s brain on defensive strategies and player tendencies.

But following the season, one where the Mystics didn’t make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, Clark was now mostly alone in DC. During the rest of her 2021 calendar year, she began to deal with a wave of depression, working through depressive episodes that slowed her down when she had no one to give her attention to. It didn’t help that her rehab wasn’t linear. She began to shame herself for not accomplishing the initial goals she set. She feared that she was failing in all aspects of her life.

“A lot of time, whether it’s like a to-do list or whatever, it’s like, Oh, if I don’t do the to-do list I failed for the day,” she says. “And it eats away at me. Or if I need to clean up my apartment and get everything done, it weighs on me. And so I had to really learn how to be like, It’s OK that you didn’t get to your bedroom today. You can do it tomorrow. It’s OK that you didn’t feel good enough to be able to do your calf raises today. It’s OK.”

Once she got past the heart of her depression at the top of the new year, it was full speed ahead toward training camp. She, Eric Thibault and her physical therapist coordinated on how Clark would approach her developmental skill work such as ballhandling and adding some shiftiness to her game in conjunction with making sure they weren’t pushing her foot in the wrong direction. The key was executing the plan they put together cautiously. If something didn’t feel strong or comfortable, Thibault didn’t want to push it.

“So I’m sure she would have liked to have been back to full strength a little bit earlier,” Thibault says. “But the most important thing was having her be fully healthy, not having any major setbacks. I think we did a pretty good job integrating all of the different parts of her rehab.”

While she continued rehabbing and growing her game, she began to delve into the interests that brought her to DC. A personal imperative in signing with the Mystics was to make sure she established her portfolio off the court. As a reserved person, she’s had to put herself out there and take her ideas and put them into actual action.

Since February, she’s been working on figuring out a way to educate young people on the books that have been banned across the country. She wants young people to have a space to have dialogues that inform them on the mistakes that have been made in the US, so they can be encouraged to have empathy for those who are different. She also earned her first contract with adidas.

“I’m really, really proud of myself for not letting fear have the reins anymore,” she says.

And fear is loosening up on the reins on the court, too. She began the season a bit hesitant while trying to find her way after not playing in a live pro game in over a year. And then shortly after she played a major role in stopping Atlanta Dream rookie sensation Rhyne Howard, Clark got Covid. She had finally got into a rhythm and was hit with yet another bump in the road.

But on June 8 against the Chicago Sky, she felt like herself again after passing through health and safety protocols. She showed off some new ball handling skills in her 18-point, 7-9 shooting performance in her team’s 84-82 win. She’s beginning to find her way in Washington, and her teammates whom she didn’t know that well when this journey began are really happy that she chose DC.

“Yeah, I’m just really thankful that she decided to come here,” Atkins said about Clark following the win. “AC is a good human, too, and those are the type of people we want in our locker room. She makes those cupcakes on our birthdays.”

How did she find her new niche? By being herself.

WSLAM 2 is available now. Get your copy here.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The Art of Growth: How Alysha Clark Persevered Through it All to Make Her Return to the Mystics 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.

The New York Liberty are trading AD (@A_Hooper25) to the Atlanta Dream for Megan Walker and the rights to Raquel Carrera, sources tell @TheNextHoops.

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) June 8, 2022

They averaged 9.7 points per game as a rookie in 2019 but missed back-to-back seasons due to a long-haul battle with COVID-19 before they were cleared to play this season. In their first season back in action, AD put up 1.4 points and 0.4 assists per game.

Walker is averaging 3.3 points and 0.8 per game. According to Rachel Galligan of Just Women’s Sports, the Liberty will be waiving Walker and Crystal Dangerfield from her hardship contract, but the Liberty reportedly intends on re-signing her to the roster.

The New York Liberty are expected to waive Megan Walker. @justwsports

— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) June 8, 2022

Jackie Powell of The Next Hoops reported that New York is finalizing a deal to sign Marine Johannès. Walker’s spot reportedly opens up a roster spot for the French guard. Johannes scored 7.2 points on 37.9 percent from deep in 2019.

The New York Liberty are finalizing a deal to sign Marine Johannès, a league source tells @TheNextHoops. https://t.co/s0YoG74z9C

— Jackie Powell (she/her) (@ClassicJpow) June 8, 2022

The Dream (7-5) plays the Phoenix Mercury (3-8) in Phoenix on Friday. The Dream hopes to pair AD with No. 1 overall pick Rhyne Howard and Erica Wheeler.

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Howard erupted for 17 points in the first-quarter of action to start her historic evening, the most a rookie has ever scored in the first quarter in WNBA history. She shot 9-18 from the floor and knocked down three triples from downtown.

Howard has 83 points through her first four games, averaging a whopping 20.8 points per game for the Dream.

In a matchup where we saw the first two picks of the 2022 WNBA draft go head-to-head with Howard and NaLyssa Smith, who left the game with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. Before tip-off, Howard told reporters how proud she was of Smith and all her success.

“I applaud her for everything she’s done,” Howard said of Smith before the game. “I’m very proud of her. Just to see her out here excelling in her dream is just great, and I love that for her. But going against her, it’s all business on the court, but afterwards, it’s all love.”

The Dream will be back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to the Fever on Tuesday at 7 pm.

The post Rhyne Howard Makes WNBA History After Scoring 33 Points In Fourth Game appeared first on SLAM.

When Smith left the game, she was working with a season-high 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists on 6-16 shooting from the floor, including knocking down three triples. The Fever ultimately fell short to the Dream, 85-79.

According to James Boyd of the IndyStar, Fever Coach, Marianne Stanley did not indicate how severe the injury was.

“It’s swollen,” Stanley said of Smith’s ankle.” But I don’t know how serious it is right now.”

Meanwhile, fellow rookie Rhyne Howard finished the game with 33 points, including a WNBA rookie record of 17 points in the first quarter. Howard shot 9-18 from the floor, including 3-8 from beyond the arc. The former Kentucky Wildcat added three rebounds, there steals, and two assists in 32 minutes of action.

The Fever will host the Dream again on Tuesday at 7 pm.

The post NaLyssa Smith Leaves Game Against Atlanta Dream With Right Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

“To join such an elite company is amazing,” Howard said in a statement. “Overall, just super stoked to be a part of a family that cares about you on all levels in life.”

BREAKING: WNBA #1 pick Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream has signed a multi-year shoe deal with Jordan Brand. pic.twitter.com/uMXYtimf7x

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) May 5, 2022

Isabelle Harrison of the Dallas Wings and Dana Evans are the other two recent Jordan Brand signees. Evans is the first NBA or WNBA player that has won a championship in Chicago to sign with the brand since Jordan himself.

“I was always a sneakerhead, and now understanding that Jordans are a symbol of excellence and being a part of the Jordan Brand Family is everything I thought it would be and more,” Evans said.

Howard will make her professional debut on May 7, when the Dream takes on the Wings in College Park Center.

The post No.1 Overall Pick Rhyne Howard Signs Multi-Year Deal With Jordan Brand appeared first on SLAM.

The 26th annual WNBA Draft was held at Spring Studios in New York and was broadcasted on ESPN. The 2022 WNBA Draft was the first in-person W draft since 2019.

Kentucky legend Rhyne Howard went No. 1 overall to the Atlanta Dreams. NaLyssa Smith of Baylor went second off the board to Indiana followed by the Mystics’ decision to draft Shakira Austin third overall out of Ole Miss.

FIRST ROUND:

No. 1 Atlanta Dream: Rhyne Howard — Kentucky

No. 2 Indiana Fever: NaLyssa Smith — Baylor

No. 3 Washington Mystics: Shakira Austin — Ole Miss

No. 4 Indiana Fever: Emily Engstler — Louisville

No. 5 New York Liberty: Nyara Sabally — Oregon

No. 6 Indiana Fever: Lexie Hull — Stanford

No. 7 Dallas Wings: Veronica Burton — Northwestern

No. 8 Las Vegas Aces (From Minnesota): Minnesota Lynx

No. 9 Los Angeles Sparks: Rae Burrell — Tennessee

No. 10 Indiana Fever: Queen Egbo — Baylor

No. 11 Las Vegas Aces: Kierstan Bell — Florida Gulf Coast

No. 12 Connecticut Sun: Nia Clouden — Michigan Sun

Second Round

No. 13 Minnesota Lynx: Khayla Pointer — LSU

No. 14 Washington Mystics: Christyn Williams — UConn

No. 15 Atlanta Dreams: Naz Hilmon — Michigan

No. 16 Los Angeles Sparks: Kianna Smith — Louisville

No. 17 Seattle Storm: Elissa Cunana — NC State

No. 18 Seattle Storm: Lorela Cubaj — Georgia Tech

No. 19 Los Angeles Sparks: Olivia Nelson-Ododa – UCon

No. 20 Indiana Fever: Destanni Henderson — South Carolina

No. 21 Seattle Storm: Evina Westbrook — UConn

No. 22 Minnesota Lynx: Kayla Jones – NC State

No. 23 Las Vegas Aces: Aisha Sheppard — Virginia Tech

No. 24 Connecticut Sun: Jordan Lewis — Baylor

Third Round

No. 25 Indiana Fever: Ameysha Williams-Holiday — Jackson State

No. 26 Phoenix Mercury : Maya Dodson — Notre Dame

No. 27 Los Angeles Sparks: Amy Atwell — Hawai’i

No. 28 Minnesota Lynx: Hannah Sjerven — South Dakota

No. 29 New York Liberty: SIka Kone — Mali

No. 30 Dallas Wings: Jasmine Dickey — Delaware

No. 31 Dallas Wings: Jazz Bond – North Florida

No. 32 Phoenix Mercury: Macee Williams — IUPUI

No. 33 Seattle Storm: Jade Melboure — Australia

No. 34 Indiana Fever: Ali Patberg — Indiana

No. 35 Las Vegas Aces: Faustine Aifuwa — LSU

No. 36 Connecticut Sun: Kiara Smith — Florida

RELATED: After an Illustrious Career at Kentucky, Rhyne Howard is Ready for the WNBA

The post 2022 WNBA Draft: Complete Results of Every Pick appeared first on SLAM.

“I knew I was gonna be good, but [to] get all the way here and achieve all these goals, to [have] everyone look at Kentucky and think, Rhyne Howard, that’s big,” she tells WSLAM. “I have a huge smile on my face right now, just even thinking about that. It is very exciting and I’m super happy that I’ll be able to leave a legacy.” 

Throughout her four-year career, Howard has not only solidified herself as one of the coldest scorers in college basketball but one of the greatest to ever rock a Kentucky uniform. Even with her quiet demeanor, the Cleveland, TN (yes, it exists), native lets her game do all the talking. She was named SEC Freshman of the Year, and as a sophomore, she was second nationally in scoring with 23.4 points per game, winning back-to-back conference POY awards then and as a junior. 

This past January, she continued to make history by becoming just the third Wildcat ever (men’s or women’s) to score 2,000 career points in 100 games or less, earning her a shout out from one of her favorite players, Klay Thompson, who congratulated her in a video. “I lost my mind,” she says of her reaction.

Despite the Wildcats’ difficult run this year, Howard made the most of her senior season and tried to keep her team encouraged. It’s that leadership that led the Wildcats on a magical run to the NCAA tournament. Just a few weeks after her interview with WSLAM, Howard and the Wildcats defeated No. 1 South Carolina in the SEC Championship game, marking their first conference title in 40 years. After the win, Howard was spotted rocking a paper crown with her name on it as she held the trophy in her hand. The crown, in many ways, is symbolic of her legacy—the team has been using the slogan #CrownHer for years now.

Howard, who majored in Digital Media and Design, even has crowns on her own merch as well as her header on Twitter. “It’s like, never put your head down [or your] crown is gonna fall off,” she says. 

Tonight, she’ll add yet another lifetime achievement to her already illustrious career at the 2022 WNBA Draft, where she’s projected to be selected as high as No. 1. Having worked out with pros like Tiffany Hayes of the Atlanta Dream and Shavonte Zellous in past summers, Howard says she feels like she’s “got the skill set to be able to play with them” in the W. 

“For it to actually be coming true, and to be as high of a prospect as I am, is like, Wow,” she says. “I’m mind-blown. Like, I was just trying to make it, but now I’m at the top of everyone’s lists. It’s a dream come true.”  

Photos via Getty Images.

The post After an Illustrious Career at Kentucky, Rhyne Howard is Ready For the WNBA appeared first on SLAM.

No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Mercer

UConn will be going against Mercer in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Mercer enters the competition with an impressive 23-6 record after coming off a win over Furman in the Southern Conference Championship. The Bears are led by senior guard Amoria Neal-Tysor, who averages 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting at 43.4 percent from the field. Alongside her is fellow guard Shannon Titus and senior forward Jaron Dougherty, who average 11.7 and 10.9 points per game respectively.

As for the UConn Huskies, this is far from their first time in the tourney. Their win over Villanova in the Big East championship game gives the Huskies the necessary momentum entering the tournament. The Huskies have relied on several contributors, including Christyn Williams and Olivia Nelson-Ododa while Paige Bueckers missed most of the season due to a knee injury—Williams is currently averaging 14.6 points per game, with Nelson-Odada adding on 9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Princeton

It wouldn’t be a proper preview without respectfully acknowledging the incredible game-winning shot by Wildcats’ own Dre’una Edwards. Edwards, who averages 16.9 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, banked in the buzzer-beater three-pointer to upset No. 1 South Carolina in the SEC Championship, marking their first title since ’82. Hoopin’ alongside Edwards is senior guard Rhyne Howard, who is continuing to solidify herself as one of Kentucky’s greats. She averaged 20.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.4 dimes, and 2.4 steals per game this year season.

On Princeton’s side are guards Abby Meyers, who is averaging 17.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, and Julia Cunningham, who adds in 13.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists to the team’s depth. With both teams coming in hot off conference championship wins, look for one of these two teams to play this year’s Cinderalla in the national tournament. There’s no telling who will come out as the winner in a matchup of this magnitude.

No. 5 Virginia Tech vs. No 12. FGCU

“I’m surprised where we’re seeded, but we’re excited to be in the tournament. We know Virginia Tech has an excellent program and is really well coached. We can’t worry about the seedings; we know we’re capable of winning games away from home,” said head coach Karl Smesko.

After holding their own throughout the ACC Tournament, ultimately losing to NC State, Virginia Tech enters the tournament with a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. For the Hokies, this makes it their 11th appearance in the National Tournament, entering with a 23-9 overall record (13-5 ACC). They’re led by junior center Elizabeth Kitley, who averages a team-high 17.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Then there’s graduate student guard Aisha Sheppard, who is posting 13.4 points in 30.8 minutes per game and 2.6 assists.

With the 69-54 victory over Jacksonville State on Saturday night, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles now have their eighth ASUN championship title. They’re led by Kierstan Bell, an All-American candidate who is now averaging 23.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, as well as Kendall Spray and Tishara Morehouse, who average 11.1 and 15.0 points per game, respectively.

No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 South Dakota

For South Dakota University, this trip to the NCAA Tournament marks their third consecutive appearance under head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. South Dakota (27-5) is led by Summit League Player of the Year Chloe Lamb, who averages the Coyotes with 15.9 points per game. Playing alongside her is Hannah Sjerven, a three time Summit League Defensive Player of the Year who is averaging 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. The league’s Sixth Woman of the year, Grace Larkins, brings along 6.8 points per game.

On the other hand, Ole Miss (23-8) (10-6 SEC) is a force to be reckoned with. The Rebels will be entering this matchup with a 23-8 record, and are led by senior center Shakira Austin. The 6’5 forward is averaging 15.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Alongside the two-time First Team All-SEC honoree is senior Angel Baker, who is averaging 10.7 points per game. The Rebels finished fourth in the SEC.

The post SLAM’s March Madness Preview: Women’s Basketball Matchups You Won’t Want to Miss appeared first on SLAM.

There are a few new changes this time around, though:

For the first time since the tournament’s inception in 1982, the NCAA has decided to feature the historic March Madness branding for the 2022 tournament, while the increased 68-team pool will be seeded for the first time this Selection Sunday on March 13. 

The first four games of the tournament will take place on Wednesday and Thursday of this week while the first and second rounds begin on Friday and run through next Monday the 21st.

The Heavy Hitters

This year’s No. 1 Seeds: South Carolina, Stanford, NC State and Louisville are stacked to the brim with talent, as we take a deep dive into how the heavy hitters got to the first round of the tournament.

Led Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks (29-2) are equipped with an array of talent, including the frontrunner for National Player of the Year, Aliyah Boston. The Gamecocks will make their 18th national tournament appearance since ’82 through the Greensboro Region. Throughout the 2021-22 season, the Gamecocks have remained favorites to cut down the nets in Minneapolis. Despite suffering only their second loss (29-2) on the season to Kentucky in the SEC tournament final, South Carolina leads the nation with 11 wins over ranked opponents, facing off against the winner between Howard (20-3) and the Incarnate Word Cardinals (13-16).

The Stanford Cardinal (28-3) cruised their way to their second-straight Pac-12 championship with wins over Oregon St., Colorado, and Utah, behind the tournament’s Player of the Year in Haley Jones. With 6-4 conference Defensive Player of the Year and the Pac-12’s leading rebounder Cameron Brink commanding the paint, the Cardinal are coming off of a 20-game win streak heading into the Spokane Region. First, though, they’ll have to take care of business against No. 16 Montana (22-12).

The ACC has been one of the strongest conferences top-to-bottom this season—boasting eight teams from the conference making the big dance—as both NC State and Louisville round out our heavy hitters. The Wolf Pack added to what’s already been a historic season after securing the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament for the first time in 32 years. Led by first-team All-ACC center Elissa Cunane, NC State makes their 27th national tournament appearance.

This list is nowhere near short of star-power, and that’s where Hailey Van Lith and Louisville (25-4) round out our heavy hitters. Finishing second behind NC State in the ACC, the Cardinals are set to make their first national tournament appearance since 2019. They’re set to match up against No. 16 Albany (23-9) in the first round.

Best Not Be Sleeping

They may not be the highest-seeded teams, but you just can’t be caught sleeping when it comes to Kentucky, Miami, DePaul, and the Michigan Wolverines.

Coming off of the stellar play of All-SEC First Team forward Rhyne Howard and standout Dre’una Edwards, the Kentucky Wildcats upset the No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks in historic fashion for the SEC Championship, the program’s first since 1982. Riding a 10-game win streak into the Bridgeport region, the No. 6 Wildcats had a sub .500 record less than a month ago, and yet, they’ll enter the first round of the tournament with possibly the most momentum in the tournament. But first, they’ll have to go through Princeton (24-4) to keep on dancing.

The Canes have been synonymous with upsets during March, stunning Louisville in the ACC quarterfinals courtesy of Destiny Harden’s buzzer-beating turn-around jumper and Notre Dame in the semis. The No. 8 Miami Hurricanes (20-12) arrive in the Greensboro region after advancing to the program’s first-ever ACC Championship game.

The No. 3 Wolverines (22-6) enter the fold in the Wichita region with a first-round matchup against the No. 14 seeded American Eagles (23-8). Their resume includes quality wins over Baylor in late December—the program’s first win over a top-five team—Maryland in January and Iowa in early February. Led by projected top-five pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, Naz Hillmon, the Wolverines will be looking to make history once more in March.

While they finished fourth in the Big East, the Blue Demons earned quality wins over Kentucky and Northwestern. Led by double-double machine Aneesah Morrow, the conference’s Freshman of the Year, DePaul (22-10) will match up against No. 11 Dayton.

Games You Can’t Miss

After all 68 teams were seeded on Selection Sunday, the opening round matchups are set. Here’s some games that you’ve got to tune into this weekend.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s 2022 Women’s March Madness Preview appeared first on SLAM.

The bucket that sealed the deal @KentuckyWBB pic.twitter.com/e9rlNtlPNZ

— WSLAM (@wslam) March 6, 2022

The Kentucky women’s basketball team outlasted the No. 1 ranked South Carolina 64-62 to win the SEC tournament title for the first time since 1982. Dre’una Edwards provided a huge three-pointer with five seconds left to finish off a 27 point, nine-rebound afternoon to preserve the Lady Wildcats’ shocking upset.

The 7th seeded Wildcats won four games, beating the three top seeds in the tournament that included South Carolina, No. 2 LSU, and No. 3 Tennessee after beating No. 10 seed Mississippi State in the first round.

Since winning their previous title in 1982 over Tennessee, the Wildcats had lost four SEC finals from 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

Kentucky punched their ticket to March Madness with a ten-game winning streak that wiped out a 2-8 record in the SEC and a 9-11 record overall just a month prior.

SHOWTIME SHOWING OFF WITH ANOTHER 3! @IAmRobynnnn

@espn
https://t.co/KWHV25XEYt#CommitToIt x #SECWBB pic.twitter.com/q7CRzcAUaX

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) March 6, 2022

Two-time SEC player of the year, Rhyne Howard started a 14-2 run with a huge three-pointer with 5:30 left in the game to showcase why the Wildcats have turned around as the NCAA tournament inches closer and closer.

“We started having fun,” Howard told ESPN of Wildcats’ dramatic turnaround. “When things were getting tough, basically we acted like we didn’t want to be there. That’s how it looked and how it appeared to our fans.”

“We had a team meeting where we were like, ‘This is it. We cannot end like this.’ Especially with a lot of us being seniors. We knew we had to get it together.”

Wildcats Coach Kyra Elzy never doubted that things would turn around.

.@UKCoachLZ helped lead the Cats to a @SEC regular season title in 2012 as an assistant coach.

10 years later, she gets to cut the net again as a head coach#CommitToIt x #SECWBB pic.twitter.com/wv1d3WZ367

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) March 6, 2022

“We had been put in situations when our back was against the wall, and we had enough to step up,

“We’re a talented team.”

The post Kentucky Wildcats Women’s Basketball Crowned SEC Champions for the First Time in 40 Years appeared first on SLAM.

Smith is a 6-2 forward who plays bigger than that, with a wingspan that allows her to make life uncomfortable at the defensive end for 4s and 5s alike. Her ability to finish at the rim has been pro-ready since she stepped on the floor to replace injured teammate Lauren Cox and carried her Bears to the 2019 title.

But in Mulkey’s system, the many talents of Smith weren’t necessarily on display. Mulkey likes her bigs playing at the rim, period. The offense is simplified. And quite frankly, it worked well. However, NaLyssa Smith is capable of doing the kinds of things that make for superstars at the next level, not just the latest center to occupy space for Baylor. So the initial conversation she had with Collen—a tinkerer and players’ coach—reflected a new reality for the certain lottery pick.

“I remember explaining to her how I just want to spread the floor,” Smith says. “I want to spread the floor and make things more available for me, how I want to shoot the ball a lot more than I did last year. Because last year, I remember I was in the post, mainly. This year, I wanted to expand my game to the three-point line and the free-throw line extended.”

This was great news to Collen, whose free-flowing offensive schemes helped earn her the 2018 WNBA Coach of the Year honors with the Atlanta Dream, before an offer too good to refuse took her to Waco this past spring. Collen had an advantage coming in—she’d spent a lot of time breaking down film of Smith in her role with the Dream, knowing there was a good chance Atlanta would be in this year’s lottery. But even so, there were unanswered questions inherent in the system Baylor had been playing.

“I just really wondered, honestly wondered: How good can she be on the perimeter?” Collen recalls. “How good is her handle? Because you just didn’t see it. You saw these explosive moments. You’re on an alley-oop, you bought an offensive rebound on a turnaround pull up, like actions around the rim.”

So, armed with goals that not only would benefit the Baylor Bears but are set to change Smith’s trajectory, the two of them got into the gym for summer workouts. And that’s when Collen got a chance to get to know the real Smith, the one who has to be on any shortlist for 2021-22 NCAA Player of the Year, and whose season has WNBA talent evaluators dreaming of selecting her in April.

The good news is that playing the kind of versatile big role that the League demands is nothing new for Smith. In fact, it was a departure from her entire basketball life to get marooned in the paint for three years at Baylor. 

“I kind of played like the 3 for my whole life,” Smith says. “So back at AAU, I was bringing up the ball, shooting threes, free-throw line extended baseline jumpers. It’s nothing that’s really new to me, right? It’s just, freshman to junior year, I just wasn’t in that position…Coach Kim [Mulkey], she put me mainly on the block, because she felt like that’s where I could excel the most. So coming into this new offense, because of Coach Nikki, it’s more freedom.”

The daughter of Rodney Smith, who once played a versatile guard/forward role for University of Texas-San Antonio, and high school sprinter Nikki Smith, NaLyssa has always been the kind of player who can crush opponents in a variety of ways.

Usually, the story for collegiate superstars comes down to being asked to do it all. Smith, frankly, has a higher ceiling for how much she’s been able to accomplish already without getting the opportunity to show her entire repertoire.

The elite recruit came to Baylor for the 2018-19 season and performed admirably as a reserve big behind future pros Lauren Cox and Kalani Brown, averaging 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Yet a better sense of her immediate impact comes in two ways: her rate stats, where she finished the season grabbing a higher percentage of rebounds than either Brown or Cox, and her performance coming off the bench in the title game against Notre Dame, scoring 14 points on 7-9 shooting in a contest decided in the final moments, after Cox left the floor in obvious pain.

Simply put, the Baylor Bears don’t win a championship without Smith stepping up, unexpectedly, when they needed her.

“I always feel like you’ve got to always be one step ahead,” Smith says, when asked how she was so prepared for the bright lights. “Like, you can’t wait until the day comes for you to want to shine. So I’ve always been in the gym, always working…transitioning from high school to my freshman year—that’s where I put in the most work I ever did in my life, because I just knew it was gonna be a big transition. So I just knew I had to be ready for that moment. When the moment did come, I feel like I was ready for it.”

All of which speaks to how effectively she’s navigating this transition, too. Collen is asking her to do a lot more, but it isn’t affecting her efficiency one bit. In her first 10 games, her overall shooting percentage actually rose from 56.1 to 57.1, and that understates the work she put in—hitting trail threes, stretching opposing defenders out along the baseline, with a touch inside 15 feet that Collen said compares favorably to any big she’s ever coached.

Nor is it affecting the other major goal that Smith and Collen set out in their first meeting: averaging a double-double.

“The points are going to come,” Smith says, “but the rebounding is really where I feel like, that’s where I’m going to take it to a new level this year.”

She’s not wrong. Smith averaged 8 rebounds as a sophomore and 8.9 as a junior. Through her first 10 games this season, she’s checking in at 13.2 rebounds per, leading the country in rebounding—again, with an offense that often pulls her away from the hoop. Well, grab 30.5 percent of the defensive boards, and you can make up for it, although she’s improved on her offensive rebounding numbers, too.

There’s leadership skills here for Smith, some by example, like the effort it takes to be such an elite rebounder, and other, less box score-driven ways.

Take Sarah Andrews, a sophomore guard and elite playmaker, who’s become close with Smith. Not a day goes by, Andrews says, when they aren’t on FaceTime together, talking basketball and life.

It’s allowed Andrews to flourish Andrews said she decided she wanted to go to Baylor the night Smith took over the 2019 championship game. Andrews figured she’d rather be on Smith’s team than have to play against her.

“I think you just see Lyss handling the ball more overall, like, you see in our game, just flourishing,” Andrews says. “And, you know, it’s something that I do enjoy to watch. I see her developing her game fully for the next level, honestly.”

That’s the part that’s always been on Smith’s radar, too: finding ways to become the best—in high school, in college, and then, she hopes, the top overall pick in 2022. 

There’s competition for that spot: Rhyne Howard of Kentucky was the early leader among WNBA talent evaluators, and both Naz Hillmon of Michigan and Mississippi’s Shakira Austin have their supporters as well. All of which makes Smith’s evolution this season—or really, her return to what her game has always been, now with professional refinement—so important. It’s essentially a one year head start with a WNBA coach in her corner. You see it in moments like her game against Maryland, one of the elite teams in the country with future pro Angel Reese in the middle. Maryland won, but Smith was the dominant force in the  game with 30 points and 15 rebounds.

“I think she’s showing and having moments where you say, Wow!” Collen says. “I don’t think anyone could watch the versatility of her game against Maryland, and not be like, OK, that looks like a number one pick. So I think she’s gonna show moments of it. It’ll be when she shows the consistency of it. Then there will be less question marks on whether she’s one or two in my mind.”

That is the final set of markers the duo laid down. Collen, at Big 12 Media Day, called her, flat-out, “the best player in the country.”

So as Smith envisions what that moment will be like next April—all dressed up, her parents and her brother, Rodney Jr, by her side, her future laid out before her and a WNBA team’s hat handed to her—she sees it as that final, unequivocal answer to everyone who ever questioned her.

“I probably won’t even sleep that night,” Smith says. “Because when something big happens, it’s hard for me to sleep. So I know the night before draft night, I just know I might not sleep because I’m gonna be so anxious…I feel like draft night, that’s when it’s really going to hit me—that my time is coming, finally.” 

Photos via Getty Images.

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