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

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

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

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

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

Portraits by Jon Lopez.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SLAM: How’s the offseason been going?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portraits by Marcus Stevens. Action photos via Getty Images.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portraits via Missy Minear Kansas Athletics.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portraits by Eli Selva. Photos via Getty Images.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portraits via Garrett Ellwood.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portraits via Omar Rawlings.

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

SLAM 251 featuring Alyssa Thomas + DeWanna Bonner is available now. Shop here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It won’t happen,” Alyssa fires back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

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

Challenges were few and far between before a trip to Connecticut early in the campaign. It was exactly what the ball club needed in order to realize what it was going to take in order to return to where it was last year.

The entire team, ignited by Hammon’s statement following that game made it a mission to take that next step defensively. From June 11 on, nobody has been better.

That theme of a relentless resistance has been paramount to this postseason run so far. While scoring over 90 in three of their last five games, the Aces have not allowed an opponent to net more than 85 points since August 28 at the New York.

With a berth to the Finals on the line, the Aces dug in. The ball pressure was tremendous. With help rotating over led by A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas held one of the W’s most elite scorers, Arike Ogunbowale to just 25 percent shooting in the final 10 minutes.

Up by one with under 1:30 remaining, the defending champions pieced together multiple special defensive possessions. All five players were communicating, and working in unison. It was Hammon’s dream. The Wings did not make a single field goal in the final 4:58 seconds of the contest. The Vegas coach could not help her excitement. Her smile postgame was of a proud coach that saw her team accept the challenge and dominate.

Hammon kept it real after grinding out the close out game on the road. “It just shows you that we can win with our defense. It’s not always going to be a pretty one. These are the ones you actually have to find ways to win.”

She continued, “When the ball’s popping and we’re scoring 90 and 100 points, those are easy ones for us. When we have to win like this and really prove to ourselves that we can win like this, that it’s not about the offense all the time, it’s about rebounding and defense, which we did very well down the stretch.”

If Vegas can continue this kind of defensive efficiency, it will become the second team since 2015 to own a playoff defensive rating under 90. The versatility on this end of the floor starts and ends with back to back WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Wilson. The former South Carolina star was the only player in the W to average two or more blocks per 40 minutes.

You can see it live in action, her emotions on the floor explain to the world truly how much defense means to her. She is on you defensively like your mother with a camera on a family vacation.

It does not stop at No. 22.

Remember the 2020 Seattle Storm championship team? Current member of the Aces, Alysha Clark was a key piece to that side’s success, especially defensively. Bringing in the 2020 All-Defensive First Team forward was an early sign Hammon wanted to focus on defense. It has more than paid dividends. Clark has done everything Vegas has asked of her coming off the bench.

Guess who was the main defender on Satou Sabally in the final 10 seconds of Game 3? It was the Middle Tennessee product.

Don’t sleep on Kiah Stokes either. The 2023 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year tied her career high in steals, and recorded more than 0.9 blocks per game for the first time in three years. Stokes and Clark were the only two Aces’ players with a defensive rating under 96 in more than 20 games played in 2023.

It is all accompanied by Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young. The three perimeter players cause constant havoc. Both Young and Plum increased their steals total from 2022 while the “Point GAWDDD” matched last season’s total.

It is the true definition of a complete team. Hammon’s team managed to do that for the most part against Dallas, but the challenge becomes even tougher with the Liberty on tap.

This year’s WNBA Finals and going to be a match up for the ages. We’re hyped, you ready?

Action photo via Getty Images. Portraits by Atiba Jefferson.

The post The Aces’ Defensive Identity Has Elevated This Team to Another Level appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Sun Star Alyssa Thomas is Shining Brighter Than Ever This Season and Rewriting WNBA History Books appeared first on SLAM.

Disgust. Disappointment. Frustration. Embarrassment.

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

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

Hype. Excited. Gratified. Proud.

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

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

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

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

To this day, DB still has that bag.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photos Via Getty Images.

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

September 11, 2022

Aces 67—Sun 64

Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For Aces fans, this was only the beginning.

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

Game 2

September 13, 2022

Aces 85—Sun 71

Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game 3

September 15, 2022

Sun 105—Aces 76

Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT

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

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

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

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

Game 4

September 18, 2022

Aces 78 – Sun 71

Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photos via Getty Images.

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

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

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

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

— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) September 16, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

— Howard Megdal (@howardmegdal) September 16, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vandersloot has spent her entire career in Chicago, while Quigley joined the franchise in 2013 after a trade. The two have become synonymous with the franchise and played a significant role in Chicago winning its first title in 2021. Quigley is reportedly contemplating retirement, while Vandersloot is reportedly thinking about joining Seattle and ending her career close to her hometown of Kent, WA.

“Every single day, we are all committed, 100% invested into winning a championship and making history,” Vandersloot said per ESPN. “We fell short, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. It wasn’t for lack of commitment.”

Sloot said #skytown pic.twitter.com/x7fRG0cTLM

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) September 9, 2022

Quigley followed up by reflecting on her time in Chicago and expressed gratitude to the city and the franchise for helping her find her eventual wife in Vandersloot.

“I never imagined it ending up like this or having the career I had,” Quigley said. “Especially being able to do it in Chicago with my family, meet my wife, it’s unbelievable. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

This was a Vanderquigs-produced bucket#skytown pic.twitter.com/COXCID4U6f

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) September 9, 2022

The offseason has just begun in Chicago, with exit interviews set to begin soon. It remains to be seen what Quigley, Sloot, and Parker will do, but regardless of their decision, their status as franchise legends has been stamped after helping build the Sky franchise into must-see TV for WNBA fans.

The post Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot Contemplating Basketball Future appeared first on SLAM.

The Sky’s loss in a winner-take-all Game 5 against the Sun can be narrowed down by the fact that Chicago’s shot abandoned them during the biggest game of the season. Chicago ultimately shot 34.3 percent from the field and 32 percent from beyond the arc on Wednesday. They also squandered a 10-point lead going into the fourth quarter, missing their final eight shots of the night.

“We haven’t had a quarter like that, and to end the season off it, (that) didn’t display what we’ve actually done,” Coach James Wade said per ESPN. “I just wish I could’ve got them a bucket, and I just couldn’t. It’s just a tough feeling.”

While the defending champs struggled to get anything going, the Sun came together and had the perfect response to Chicago’s Kahleah Copper getting in the face of Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner. Instead of allowing the tense moment and jaw-jacking to get in their head, the Sun responded by putting an 18-0 run on Chicago’s head over the final 4 minutes to cement their place in the WNBA Finals.

All five Connecticut starters were double-digit scorers, led by Bonner and Jonquel Jones, who scored 15 points apiece. Chicago was led by Cooper (game-high 22 points.) Emma Meesseman (14 points and six rebounds) and Courtney Vandersloot (12 points, three assists, three steals) combined for 26 points. Candace Parker could only muster seven points, nine boards, three steals, and four blocks on 2-7 shooting.

“It’s tough,” Wade said per the Chicago Tribune. “It’s probably one of the biggest disappointments that I’ve had professionally — It’s hard to put into words right now. This is going to hurt me for a long time. Felt I could’ve done a better job of getting them a bucket. I couldn’t get them one.”

Chicago will look to figure out how to address their free agency concerns with Parker, Vandersloot, and Allie Quigley headed into free agency and possibly retirement for Parker. Meesseman is also set to hit free agency after her one-year deal expires.

The post Coach James Wade Calls Game 5 Loss ‘One of the Biggest Dissapointments’ of His Professional Career appeared first on SLAM.

The journey to get to the championship stage has been challenging for Coach Curt Miller and the Sun. They lost Jasmine Thomas to a torn ACL early in May. Miller’s mom passed away in August. During the series-clinching Game 5, the Sun fell behind 10 points. But as it has been all season, Connecticut’s grit and resilience helped them defy the odds.

That resilience, DeWanna Bonner’s refusal to back down from Kahleah Copper specifically, was the catalyst to Connecticut reeling off a game-defining 18-0 run that helped them upset the defending champs and stamped their ticket to their

“Everybody has stories across this league,” Miller said per ESPN. “Ours — it just seemed like one thing after another that we had adversity this season in and out of that locker room. It’s remarkable that this group just refused to use it as excuses.”

Chicago’s elimination guarantees there will not only be a new champion, but whoever wins will be winning their first-ever title. A new coach will also win their first-ever championship as well.

When Connecticut takes on the Las Vegas Aces, they’ll be taking on the top seed of the playoffs led by DPOY and recently crowned two-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Sixth Player of the Year and All-Star guard Kelsey Plum, fellow All-Star and SPOY Dearica Hamby, the most dangerous closer in the playoffs, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young, the reigning Most Improved Player. Don’t forget rookie Coach Becky Hammon, who won Coach of the Year two weeks ago.

“Not many people will pick us against Vegas either, and that’s OK,” Miller said. “We’re going to prepare and try to make it a Connecticut Sun style of game.”

The Sun and Aces start the WNBA Finals on Sunday at noon on ABC.

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The loss has put some things into perspective for Candace Parker, who expressed that she’s open to retiring during the lead-up to the 2022 campaign. Although Parker will tell you she doesn’t feel like she’s dominating like she once did, the two-time MVP did have a career postseason run and has been praised by her teammates and head coach for her leadership and “urgency” to win back-to-back championships

Parker posted five double-doubles during the playoffs, including four straight from Games 1-3 against New York and in Game 1 against Connecticut. Her 27 playoff double-doubles tie Tamika Catchings for most in playoff history. She also became the all-time leading rebounder in WNBA playoff history during Game 4 of the semifinals.

Parker ends her latest playoff run averaging 15.9 rebounds, 11.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game on 44.9 percent shooting from the field.

Despite her individual success, Parker revealed that she is once again contemplating if she wants to walk away from basketball. She reiterated that she will take her time to weigh her options and that she has no intentions to “cheat the game.”

“I’m going to go back and reevaluate whether I’m able to continue to play at the level that I hold myself to,” Parker said. “And I think that’s the biggest thing; I don’t ever want to cheat the game. I won’t cheat the game.”

“So when I’m not able to go out and play and be the Candace that I want to be, I won’t play,” Parker said. “And I think that comes in the offseason.”

"I won't cheat the game"

After yet another dominate season for @Candace_Parker, she speaks on what the off-season will look like and talks about always wanting to play at her highest level pic.twitter.com/Q01tKqFJpE

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 9, 2022

During Game 5, Parker posted seven points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and four blocks.

Her three-pointer and Kahleah Copper’s three-point play gave Chicago a 10-point lead entering the fourth, but Chicago went cold and missed their last eight shots of the night. A scuffle between Copper and DeWanna Bonner led to the Sun reeling off a decisive 18-0 run to win Game 5 and stamp their date to the WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday.

“Of course, it was not intentional, but maybe we stopped attacking,” Courtney Vandersloot said. “(Maybe) we were scared to lose, rather than trying to win. But I feel like we got good looks; we just didn’t knock them down.”

The post Candace Parker On Her Decision to Play Next Year: ‘I Won’t Cheat the Game’ appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

This is everything we’ve worked for.

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

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) September 9, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/okMfP4EUGG

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 9, 2022

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

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

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

Definitely Hiedemans night pic.twitter.com/3uEsdqzqGj

— WSLAM (@wslam) September 9, 2022

The WNBA Finals will begin on Sunday.

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

We won. Serena won.

Today was a good day.#skytown #ReCrownSkytown pic.twitter.com/ozppJ4dRsB

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) September 1, 2022

Parker headlined Chicago’s five double-digit scorers with a 22-point, four-rebound, four-assist, and three-block performance. Emma Meesseman poured in 14 points, seven rebounds, and three dimes, and Allie Quigley contributed 13 points, followed by 10 points, four boards, and two assists from Kahleah Cooper. Courtney Vandersloot rounded out Chicago’s double-digit scorers with 10 points, eight helpers, one block, and one steal.

“When you have generational talents (like Parker), they’re just too good, too dominant,” Coach James Wade said per the Chicago Tribune. “Great wine just ages well. — You can’t put an age on that. What did Aaliyah say? Age ain’t nothing but a number.”

Parker also held the Sun to just six second-chance bucks on seven total offensive boards. Wade contributed that effort to Chicago’s will and physicality. Parker summed it up as Chicago simply making “shots hard” for the Sun.

Candace Parker helped Chicago get the DUB:

22 points
4 rebounds
4 assists

Series is tied 1-1 pic.twitter.com/K1WPbLwKz2

— WSLAM (@wslam) September 1, 2022

While the win ties up the semifinals at 1-1 between the Sky and Sun, Ace wants to see Chicago follow up the success with a better effort in Sunday’s Game 3. Playing your best basketball when your backs against the wall is a needed quality, but being able to dominate and establish your will from the beginning is even better.

“I think after a win is when we need to be even more focused,” Parker said per ESPN. “Come ready to play, come focused and come with the right mentality. I don’t think we had the right mentality in Game 1.”

The Sky responded well to Coach James Wade premonition that the team was “going to make shots” after shooting 35.3 percent in Game 1. On Wednesday, Chicago came out the gates, hitting six of their first 10 shots of the game, and finished the night shooting 32-63 from the field and 6-15 from beyond the arc. Chicago also hit 15-22 free throws.

Chicago held Connecticut to 45.7 percent shooting from the field. They also held DeWanna Bonner and Courtney Williams to eight points on a combined 3-16 shooting from the field. Jonquel Jones (23 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks) and Natasha Hiedeman (14 points and three assists against three turnovers) were the only double-digit scorers for the Sun. Connecticut never led after Jones hit a triple on the game’s first possession.

Wade also gave Parker props for her consistency and veteran leadership with championship experience since signing with Chicago last summer. Wade said he’s noticed that Parker has been especially ardent in her belief that Chicago can be the first repeat champs since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002.

“She wants to do everything in her power to get another championship,” Wade said. “And so that’s where I think you see, I wouldn’t say desperation, but urgency.”

Connecticut will host Game 3 and 4 on Sunday and Tuesday.

The post James Wade Speaks on Candace Parker’s Championship ‘Urgency’ appeared first on SLAM.

During the regular-season, Chicago swept their regular-season series with the Sun 4-0. A continuation of their 3-1 series over Connecticut on the way to the Sky winning the 2021 WNBA title. So the Sun leaving Wintrust Arena with a 68-63 win over the Sun was even more rewarding. The Connecticut Sun hopes that it can be a precursor of things to come.

“This is just about whoever wants it more,” Azurá Stevens said per the Chicago Tribune. “Because they have beef with us from last year. … That’s the type of series this is going to be: Who wants it more, who’s not going to let the ball go.”

Candace Parker finished Game 1 with 19 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, four steals, and six blocks. With that statline, Ace became the first player in WNBA history to post at least 15/15/5 and five blocks. She fell short of the second ever 5×5 game in League history, a feat she achieved as a rookie in 2008.

Looking at the positives, CP3 had an All-Time GREAT performance.

Now we move to Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/D8J0ou8xz4

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) August 29, 2022

Stevens lauded Parker for the historical performance and gave CP3 props as the walking bucket and security blanket that the defending champs can lean on.

“She was able to keep us alive, especially in the second half,” Stevens said. “It was almost like whenever we needed a bucket, she answered.”

CP with the 3#skytown pic.twitter.com/ib9OMf7o0R

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) August 29, 2022

Chicago opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run to take a 57-56 lead with 5:13 seconds left on the clock. From then on, the Sky and Sun traded leads, with the critical moment coming after the Sun forced Sky into a shot-clock violation in the final minute of Game 1. The Sun took a 66-63 lead with 17.1 seconds remaining after a clutch bucket from DeWanna Bonner (15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists).

The final dagger of Game 1. @athomas_25 @DEEBONNER24 | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/NdClTBzftw

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) August 29, 2022

Parker had a chance to play hero one more with 7.4 seconds left, but she missed, and the Sky is down 1-0 for the second time in these playoffs.

The Sky didn’t lose on that moment alone, though. The Sun forced Chicago to shoot 35.3 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from beyond the arc. Kahleah Copper and Emma Meesseman were the only Sky players to score in the double-digits. Courtney Vandersloot (five points and two assists) didn’t score until the third frame, while Stevens, Allie Quigley, and Rebekah Gardner combined for 13 points.

The Sky will host Game 2 of the semifinals Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena before traveling to Connecticut for Games 3 and 4.

The post Azura Stevens on Candace Parker’s Historic Performance: ‘Whenever We Needed a Bucket, She Answered’ appeared first on SLAM.

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

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) August 25, 2022

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

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

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

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

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 25, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I wanted it to be authentic and real,” Anigwe tells WSLAM. “I wanted to teach people how to style themselves through my brand.”

Focused on empowering individuals to find pieces that combine style and comfort, this collection has a deep foundation in Kristine’s personal experiences. Looking at the collection, you see so many details that have a significant meaning in her life.

“Being from Nigeria, the Nigerian flag is green, there’s a lot of nature,” the designer says. “I really did a lot of deep healing, a lot of self-healing. I figured out that nature really does call me in ways that other things don’t. So I use a lot of colors to stimulate the mind. A lot of my colors that I’ve used in this collection are colors from nature, colors that are calming and healing. And make you breathe and feel very sexy, chic, confident.”

In just two years, she’s already created and launched her vision, all of which came from a situation many wouldn’t be able to make the most of. But Kristine did.

“I had gotten waived from L.A., and it was like, I have all this free time, why not just start a company that liberates other women and helps people elevate their style? So, I created KA Originals.”

The process continued as she went on to play her first few seasons overseas in Turkey just as the pandemic hit. With travel brought to a halt, she used the time to scour local markets for fabrics and find what made sense to help bring her vision to life.

With help from her best friend and her mom, Kristine learned how to design, sew and produce her first pieces. When it came time to launch her brand, there was no better fit to model her clothing than her fellow WNBA teammates and friends.

“When I see DeWanna Bonner, I’m like, Woah, she’s beautiful. Jasmine, Tiffany, the models that I chose. I’m like, well, These people are beautiful,” Anigwe says. “They’re real models and real people. That’s why I love my prints so much because there’s nothing fake about it. It’s authentic. It’s real.”

The players in the W are much more than talented athletes. They’re also  beautiful women who exude what Kristine’s collection is about: authenticity.

The collection has already made waves, but this is just the beginning for the young designer.

“I’m really excited for everything,” Kristine says. “I really want to push the standard of beauty I want to include. I want to get more athletes involved. I want to show the sports world that you can do both. You can be a successful business owner, you can be an athlete and you can be an advocate for just basic human rights.”

WSLAM 2 is available now. Get your copy here.

Photos Courtesy of Getty Images and KA Originals.

The post Kristine Anigwe is Promoting Body Positivity and Equality with Her Brand, KA Originals appeared first on SLAM.

This is the year, right?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well…almost.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WSLAM 2 is available now. Get your copy here.

Photos via Getty Images.

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

 There was no playbook at that point in terms of what to do. “How could this happen?” Swoopes said in her 2013 documentary. 

Would she still have a job come that summer? Was her playing career over? What comes next? All questions that women, not only in basketball, have feared in one way or another when it comes to becoming a mother. 

 She eventually told her agency, team and the WNBA, all of which supported her through that journey.

 “I don’t know if anyone thought that was possible until [Sheryl] did it,” Houston teammate Tina Thompson discussed in the Swoopes ESPN documentary. “Once she did, then it became pretty normal.”

 “The day [Sheryl] came back was a big deal,” Swoopes director Hannah Storm shared with The Atlantic in 2013. “No one had ever done that before—especially not on a team sport.”

Sheryl returned to the court just five weeks after giving birth and helped the Comets to their first WNBA championship that same year (the first of four consecutive titles in the years to come). 

 She created the playbook for the future of the League, one filled with dynamic women who have dreams of having both a career and a family. 

WSLAM 2 is out now featuring Napheesa Collier and Dearica Hamby.

Do you remember when you first realized your mom was a superhero? When you’re little, it’s difficult to grasp exactly how much our mothers do for us. When you get a bit older, the teen angst starts kicking in and clouds our ability to see anything of reason. And when you’re older, you start to understand just how much our moms sacrifice for us. 

I remember I was always a dad’s girl. I loved basketball and played lots of sports. It bonded me and my dad. Didn’t seem quite fair to the woman who carried me for nine months to be a dad’s girl, but nonetheless, when I got older, I started really comprehending just how much she did for me. I learned about her hardest moments. I started realizing that there were likely things I’d never know about and began to understand the struggles she went through personally while doing her best for me. It’s what moms do. 

They get you to practice, stay up to make you dinner, check on your schoolwork, teach life lessons and do their best to protect you from the world. All while dealing with their own lives. They hold it down when it seems nearly impossible. 

Imagine balancing all those things on top of being a professional athlete. A job that at one point felt impossible to maintain once you became a mother. 

Nearly 26 years after Swoopes gave birth to her son Jordan, there are two young moms in the WNBA at different stages of motherhood for whom Sheryl set the stage. 

Dearica Hamby is in her eighth WNBA season, a mother to Amaya and a two-time Sixth Woman of the Year winner. Napheesa Collier, who was the 2019 Rookie of the Year, is now in her fourth WNBA season and just gave birth to 1-month-old Mila. 

Two moms on two journeys that were initially unexpected. 

Dearica had just averaged 6.1 points per game in her first season, with about 17 minutes of playing time per game, and she was ready to prove herself in year two when she found out her life was about to change.

How am I going to play basketball? How am I going to tell my coaches? Dearica thought to herself after she found out she was pregnant. 

“I was in my second year. I had a decent first year until my injury. I felt like I was back in redemption mode the second year, and I knew that this was a possibility that I was going to have to sit out once I told my coaches and the organization that I was expecting,” she tells WSLAM.

Napheesa’s journey has been a little different. She came into the League with a splash, averaging 13 points a game and taking home the ROY award. Just as her third season wrapped up, she took a test after being a few weeks late when the tiny plus sign appeared. 

“I feel like I didn’t have a lot of emotions at first because it’s just thing…I don’t know. It was just such a huge thing,” Napheesa shares. “That your life is going to change forever when that happens. So, it was just processing that. One of my first thoughts was, OK, I have to call my coach because I’m not going to be able to play, at least in the beginning of the season next year.” 

It’s that exact thought process that led WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike and the rest of the council to negotiate the elevation of resources for mothers of the League. Those new resources include a full salary while on maternity leave, a new annual child care stipend of $5,000, two-bedroom apartments for players with children and workplace accommodations that provide a comfortable place for nursing mothers, to name a few.

“I am so thankful that I came into the League when I did, because it was right on the tails of the new CBA, which gives so many things to new mothers that we didn’t have before,” Collier says. “You get so many things that allow you to come back and be a working mom, that the men obviously don’t have to worry about.”

These changes have been vital in empowering the women of the League to pursue their dreams of a career, and their dreams of having a family. Dreams that society has doubted. 

There’s an archaic mentality that women can’t be good mothers and  top-tier professionals. It’s a mentality that’s caused a lot of the fear and anxiety around pregnancies like Sheryl’s in ’97, to now with Phee and Dearica. 

“I think it exists because women are naturally caretakers and nurturers, and when you have a kid, you want to give all of that to the kid. I think there’s this fear that if I’m emotionally invested in this, I can’t also emotionally invest in basketball. But that’s just false,” Hamby says. “Personally, for me, I come to work, I do my job for the time allotted that I’m supposed to do my job, and then I go home and I’m a full-time mommy. I can separate the two.”

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The reality of working mothers extends well beyond the hardwood. Who could forget Beyoncé’s 2011 VMA performance of “Love on Top,” when, after holding nothing back as she poured her heart and soul into every word, B dropped the mic and hugged her stomach, revealing to the world that she was pregnant with her first child. Keep in mind, too, that she was wearing heels for her performance. Yet another example that women can truly do it all.

For every working woman, there are a ton of questions faced before and after giving birth. How much time can I take off? Will my boss be OK if I want to take some extra time? Will my job still be there for me when I come back? For professional athletes, one of the biggest questions on their minds is a scary one: Will I be able to come back and play at the same level as before?

Pregnancy naturally changes women’s bodies, immensely. Weight fluctuates, hormones increase, breast size changes, post-birth back pains are possible, just to name a few. The road back is not easy, but it’s not impossible. 

“I gave birth to her [Amaya] February 5, which was three weeks prior to my original due date,” Dearica recalls. “Those extra three weeks saved me, and I was able to get in shape in time for the season.” 

Returning to the court just about six weeks after giving birth, Dearica came back even better than before. She averaged 9 ppg, solidifying her spot on the then-San Antonio Stars roster, and in the seasons since has continued to elevate her game. 

“The most difficult part was training and thinking I would be OK from being away from her. I nursed, and so when I was gone, I really missed her,” the Aces star says. “When I was at workouts, it’d be like, Alright, hurry up and do this hour and a half workout. I don’t think I changed my clothes in time. I was sprinting back home to get to her. I just wanted to hold her.”

The sacrifices she made to make it work led her to some of her best seasons and two Sixth Woman of the Year awards. Now she’s on the No. 1 team in the League, a team that looks like the favorite to win a championship. 

Napheesa is just at the beginning of her comeback journey. Her daughter, Mila Sarah Bazzell, was born on May 25th of this year, and just a few weeks out, she’s now eyeing her return to the floor.

“I plan to approach my comeback really [with my] feet hitting the ground, running, trying to get back as soon as I can,” Collier says. “Especially because Sylvia Fowles is one of my favorite people ever. I would love to be able to play a couple games with her if I can. Since this is a short season, time is not on my side, but I really want to push my body as much as I can while still being healthy.”

There’s no doubt in our minds that Phee will return back and better than ever. Sheryl showed us the blueprint, and since then, Candace Parker, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Tianna Hawkins, Bria Hartley, DeWanna Bonner and many more have continued to inspire. 

Dearica is following their lead, and Phee’s got next.  It’s that momma strength. That little bit extra that these women have. 

“Honestly, I think it’s this mom [thing] that elevates players after they give birth, in my opinion,” Hamby says. “People will tell you all the time, I’m a different player than I was before I gave birth to Amaya. Just the toughness that I play with and the hunger and the drive and the heart that I play with, I think it comes from giving birth. You become a mom and it’s different.”

It also takes a village to raise a child, and one of the most beautiful things about the WNBA is how there’s a support system of 144 women who are there for them. To help them raise their children and to be there for one another. 

We see that with Amaya, whether it’s her prank wars with the Aces’ Kelsey Plum or her role as the unofficial team mascot. She’s always on the sidelines with a jersey cheering on her mommy and her friends (Hamby’s teammates). It’s evident just how special Amaya and Dearica’s bond is, but it’s even more so in the moments we don’t see. 

“Her teacher left me a message a few weeks ago and I happened to read it right before the game, which probably was a bad idea, but she said, Amaya’s so proud of you and she talks about you. You should see the way she glows when the students ask about you,” Dearica says with tears slowly welling in her eyes. “I think sometimes I’m hard on myself because I feel bad during the season that I’m not with her as much. For her teacher to say that and send me that, it meant a lot.”

It may be tough to not share as many mom-daughter moments as Dearica would like, but 5-year-old Amaya loves that her mom is a WNBA superstar. She gets to see what she could aspire to be one day and even share that with her friends at school.

Now Napheesa has the same opportunity to share the game that she loves with her newest No. 1 fan.

“I’m excited for the experiences that we’re going to have together,” the former ROY says. “Obviously, I hope she likes to play sports. But if she doesn’t, it’d be so cool to see what she’s interested in. Does she want to play an instrument? What’s she going to be like? What are her interests going to be? Maybe she’ll introduce me to new things that I’ve never tried before.”

That’s the beauty of motherhood. The journey, the unknown and the things you get to experience together for the first time. 

For Dearica and Napheesa, it’s not always going to be easy. There are going to be hard times and setbacks, but that’s not going to stop them from doing what they have to do to create the best life for their daughters. They’ll hold it down through those tough times and show their daughters that there are no limitations to what a woman can do. 

And to Mila and Amaya, you may not realize it yet, but your moms are superheroes. Not just to you, but to women everywhere. 

Napheesa Collier portraits by Lawrence Bryant, Dearica Hamby portraits by Alex Woodhouse // Action photos via Getty Images.

Napheesa’s hair: Cameron Myers, makeup: Tara Lowery // Dearica’s hair: Sabrina Jackson, makeup: Heather Bates

The post Napheesa Collier and Dearica Hamby on Balancing Basketball with Motherhood While Inspiring the Next Generation appeared first on SLAM.

We recently caught up with WNBA standout DeWanna Bonner to learn more about how she’s been able to balance motherhood and her pro hoops career simultaneously. In 2017, the two-time WNBA champion gave birth to twins, and only a year later, she made her second All-Star appearance. In this Q&A, we talked with Bonner about how she made the transition from motherhood back to hoops and what the 12-year-veteran expects going into this upcoming season with the Connecticut Sun. 

WSLAM: How’s overseas play been this year for CBK Mersin Yenisehir? 

DeWanna Bonner: I didn’t get here until January. I decided to take the first half off and only play a couple months because I wanted to be with [four-year-old twin daughters, Cali and Demi]. I’m pretty much wrapping up my career overseas pretty soon because it’s been hard for me these last two times to leave. Basketball-wise, it’s been amazing. This organization is great, one of the top organizations in Europe, so that’s been pretty cool. 

WSLAM: I’m a twin as well. I have to ask how giving birth to Cali and Demi was. 

DB: Cali was born first. She came out around probably 20 minutes, and Demi was two hours later. They were born at 34 weeks and were very chunky and healthy babies. Now they are two totally different human beings. Demi is into baby dolls and Cali is into skateboards and playing basketball or soccer. It’s crazy to see how they grow up so differently. Demi says, “Mom, I’m going to be a cheerleader for Cali.” 

WSLAM: Was it always in the cards for you to give birth personally?

DB: I was married to Candace [Dupree] and after we got married, that was the next step. Actually, when I got pregnant, I was like, “Oh my God, I’m pregnant!” It’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done… giving birth to twins and turning around and starting training to play basketball. I didn’t have a trainer. I just did everything on my own. I played my way back into shape. I felt like I never played basketball a day in my life. I couldn’t jump. I lost all my hips. Building that up was my biggest focus. 

WSLAM: What’s co-parenting been like for you?

DB: Candace didn’t play overseas this year so it worked out perfectly. The girls can be in Florida with her. As of right now, she’s not playing WNBA, so it’s working out perfectly, and I can play and they have someone at home. This is the first time one of us have been playing and one of us has been at home. 

WSLAM: Did giving birth to them and returning to the WNBA give you a whole new outlook on basketball?

DB: I think it made me understand I’m not going to have this forever. That was the first time basketball was taken away from me and I couldn’t play. I’m gonna love this with everything I have because it’s not going to last forever. I know the feeling of having it for nine months and not being able to play. I actually went through a whole WNBA season and I had to watch on TV and it was really tough. 

WSLAM: What do Cali and Demi know about your career?

DB: They were there last year with me in Connecticut. They know I’m playing but they’re more into the mascot. “What’s Blaze doing?” When I do lose a game, it’s the same loving spirit. I come off the court and nothing changes from them. I can play the worst game of my life and they still love me as a mom. 

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WSLAM: Have they asked you any funny questions? 

DB: Cali called me one day and said, “I’m not going to school today. I’m coming to Turkey.” I said, “You’re doing what?” They don’t know quite where Turkey is but they know I’m here. They know I’m playing basketball…I’ll ask Cali, “Can you drive and see us?” And she’ll say, “No we have to fly!” 

WSLAM: You have two WNBA championships under your belt (2009, 2014) and four All-Star awards (2015, 2018, 2019, 2021). What are you most proud of? 

DB: Now being a mom, I would say coming back and playing the way I have been playing. I didn’t think I’d get back to the level I was before. Before I got pregnant, I was competing at a very high level. I had competed for a Euro League Championship, playing against the great Diana Taurasi and lost by three points. I felt like I was at the peak of my game so when I got pregnant, I thought, “Is this the right choice? Is this the right decision?” Then when I came back, I made the All-Star Game that year. 

WSLAM: What helped you to rebound in 2018 after giving birth?

DB: When I came back to Phoenix, I was playing with the greats. Diana Taurasi. Brittney Griner. When you come back to an organization like that, you’re expected to be at a standard, so I was going to fight back to get to that same level. They’re dependent on me like I was dependent on them. Just coming back and knowing what kind of player I needed to be to help the team kept me motivated for sure. 

WSLAM: Can you talk about that transition from the Phoenix Mercury to the Connecticut Sun?
DB: I spent ten years in Phoenix. I felt like I had my own identity but when you think of Phoenix, you think of Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, so I think that was my time to step out and see how much I’ve grown. Connecticut was an opportunity that presented itself in free agency. Every team wanted me to come to their team but I just liked the chemistry Connecticut had. They were that close to winning a championship that year. We’re still working on it but I definitely want to bring the first championship to Connecticut.

WSLAM: What’s pushing you this upcoming season with Connecticut? 

DB: I want to win a championship in Connecticut. We’re really, really close as a team. I think that’ll top my career off and I’ll probably be done. 

WSLAM: What’s different about this team for you?

DB: The youthfulness for me. When I was in Phoenix, Leilani had a kid. Diana had Leo at the time. Everyone would go to practice and go home to be with their families or loved ones. Here, they all want to hang out, laugh and go party. This is fun again. Not that I didn’t have fun in Phoenix, it was more like we were grown adults. 

WSLAM: What’s your relationship with your sister [Erica McCall] like? 

DB: Now that we’re both in the WNBA, we talk and bounce ideas off each other. Her path is so different from mine. Of course I was drafted, been on the same team for ten years, and she’s been on different teams. In the bubble, she changed teams over and over. She looked up to me and I admired her. She still has this great personality. She just plays a role and I don’t know how many people can have that strength and the mindset to do that. I think I admire her a little bit more but she always says she admires me.  

WSLAM: When Cali and Demi look at you now, what do you want them to see?

DB: I don’t know if I want them to look at me as someone who was a good athlete or a good basketball player. A loving mom is the only thing that can come to my mind. I’m a confident, “be you,” type of person. I hope one day I give them that same confidence. As far as being an athlete or anything like that, I don’t know if I want them to feel that way because sometimes I feel like when kids have parents who played basketball, they get that pressure. Basketball is my happy place. If it was to be their own happy place, I’d want them to find their own paths. 

WSLAM: I hear you’re pursuing teaching in your free time, too!
DB: I only have one class left! Then I’ll officially have my master’s in education. I’m pretty excited about that. I’ve been pursuing it my whole time overseas. I actually want to coach but I want to coach basketball for young children. I feel like that’s the part we’re missing—especially for girls. I don’t think they get the same proper guidance that a little boy would get. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post How DeWanna Bonner is Balancing Motherhood While Playing Overseas in Turkey appeared first on SLAM.

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

EAST

1. Chicago Sky

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

2. Connecticut Sun

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

3. Washington Mystics

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

4. Indiana Fever

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

5. Atlanta Dream

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

6. New York Liberty

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

WEST

1. Seattle Storm

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

2. Phoenix Mercury

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

3. Las Vegas Aces

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

4. Los Angeles Sparks

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

5. Minnesota Lynx

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

6. Dallas Wings

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

—

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

Photos via Getty.

The post 2020 WNBA Season Preview appeared first on SLAM.

It’s unclear at this stage what the Wings will be bringing back in the deal but the Mercury loaded up in draft picks yesterday when they traded DeWanna Bonner to Connecticut.

Diggins-Smith will join a Mercury squad led by the iconic Diana Taurasi and anchored by Brittney Griner, by going along with a sign-and-trade pact she’s able to sign for a greater salary.

Diggins-Smith sat out the 2019 campaign after the birth of her child but represented the U.S. in the Olympic qualifiers earlier this year. In 2018 she averaged 17.9 points and 6.2 assists per game.

The post Phoenix Mercury Acquire Skylar Diggins-Smith appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ATLANTA DREAM

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

CHICAGO SKY

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

CONNECTICUT SUN

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

DALLAS WINGS

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

INDIANA FEVER

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

LAS VEGAS ACES

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

LOS ANGELES SPARKS

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

MINNESOTA LYNX

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

NEW YORK LIBERTY

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

PHOENIX MERCURY

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

SEATTLE STORM

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

WASHINGTON MYSTICS

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

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

During that career, she’s been the game’s best player. Third all-time in scoring, fifth in assists, second in total threes, only 15th in total minutes. A scoring and passing threat on offense, a ballhawking stopper on defense, the ultimate leader everywhere in between.

Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury struggled to a 16-18 record this season, finishing with the eighth and final spot in the playoffs. Injuries and in-season roster changes played a part in that record, but the Mercury also had games where they just didn’t show up. But they’ve been impressive when it’s counted.

In the W’s new playoff format, the Merc have had to play two single-elimination games. They beat the Fever in Indiana before they stormed into Madison Square Garden to take on the Liberty this past weekend.

Before the game tipped, Taurasi hugged Liberty associate head coach Katie Smith. She waved to fans. She even rebounded a few of Penny Taylor’s shots. She was loose, making almost all of  her own warmup shots. She was ready for the challenge, focused and relaxed at the same time, in a way that only Taurasi can be.

New York is the Mecca of basketball. Liberty crowds are ruthless. The team is led by Tina Charles, one of the game’s best players. Their core group of guards fires up the fanbase with crossovers and deep triples. They finished with the third best record in the league, often scaring opponents into losses.

But they couldn’t intimidate Taurasi. These are the games she lives for.

She repeatedly stuck the knife into the Liberty and their crowd. She drained threes against the Liberty’s guards and took the bigs to the bucket. She dropped 30 in the WNBA’s toughest environment, strategically picking her spots to maximize the amount of pain she could inflict.

Until the fourth quarter, she went back and forth between her off-court personality—laughing and playfully talking trash to the Liberty players—and the cold-blooded killer she can become on the court. Her ability to seamlessly switch between the two is scary.

With 1:30 left, Mercury up 90-86, Taurasi dribbled toward her right into a wide open three from the top of the key. There was no doubt, from anyone in the building, that Taurasi would put the final nail in the Liberty’s coffin with the shot.

“Yeah, we expect that,” Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner said after the game. “That’s what she do. Greatest player of all time right there.” She gestured across the locker room to where Diana sat, smiling. “When the game’s on the line, we definitely want her on our team.”

After all the pressure packed moments of her Hall of Fame career (three national titles in college, four Olympic Golds, three WNBA titles), Taurasi was just out there doing what she loves; playing ball and breaking people’s hearts.

“That’s just the kindhearted asshole in me,” she said. “I just love to play and these are the moments when you’re playing, you love to play in them. You just do. Either you’re scared to play in them or you love to play in them and I’ve never really been scared to play in these moments where it shrinks a lot of people.

“This year prepared us for this moment,” she continued. “It hasn’t been easy, it’s been up and down. But we’re here now.”

The Mercury are in the conference finals, getting ready to square up against the defending champion Minnesota Lynx tonight. They’ll need every ounce of Taurasi to win, even if that means being an asshole.

“I think I’m the nicest person on earth, I don’t know why they’ve chastised me with being the villain. I’ve never hurt anybody.” Taurasi looked around, searching for someone to laugh at her joke. She smiled quickly. “But yeah, I love it.”

The post Cold Blooded appeared first on SLAM.

“We’re a family, number one,” Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello said after her two superstars chopped it up with the opposition. “Every team says that, but we’re like that.”

Every team hasn’t had its core together for six seasons and two titles, though. Turnover in the 12-team WNBA is common. Most players don’t stay with the same squad for a long time, which is what makes what Phoenix has done truly special.

Since Taurasi’s first season in ’04, the Merc have won three chips—2007, 2009 and 2014. She and Taylor are the only ones to be around for all three of them.

That ’09 win included a rookie-year DeWanna Bonner, averaging 8 points and 4 rebounds during Phoenix’s playoff run. Bonner has evolved into one of the W’s most lethal weapons. At 6-4, she can handle, pass, come off screens and create her own shot. She patrols passing lanes and hits the glass, too. She’s now second in scoring and rebounding for the Mercury.

“We have a damn good starting five,” 10-year vet Candice Dupree said. Dupree was the fourth member of the current starting five to come to Phoenix, and by far the chillest member of that group. With Taurusi and Bonner’s all-world trash talking skills, Taylor’s worldwide fame and Brittney Griner’s other-worldly presence (more on BG coming up), Dupree consistently takes a backseat, often being forgotten about by the defense. But she’s the guiding light that steers the whole ship.

Though it’s impossible to measure everything Dupree does on the court (‘And the awards for best Screen Setter and best Box Out Technique go to… Candice Dupree!’), her IQ is clear after watching her play for a second. She smoothly glides around the court, finding open spots for duck-ins and O-boards. She directs traffic from the backline. Even though Bonner has three inches on her, Dupree plays the 4. Plus she has a mid-range game that looks like Karl Malone.

“These days, we’re feeling pretty good,” Dupree said. “We got the tallest player in the league on our team, the best player in the world, one of the other top players in Penny, and DB has been playing her butt off.”

The tallest player in the league came to them with the No. 1 draft pick back in 2013. At 6-8, 200 pounds, Brittney Griner is the most physically imposing player in the W. And she knows it. During the game against the Liberty, she bullied Carolyn Swords on the block. She swallowed up two shots. She attacked the rim, daring a New York defender to stop her.

In her ear the whole game is Taurusi. The 34-year-old constantly high-fives Griner, encourages and yells at her. Each member of the Mercury’s core five is important, but Taurasi is still the face of this franchise and its best player.

“Taurasi is a very clutch player,” Liberty head coach Bill Laimbeer said after the game. “She’s tall, she’s big and strong and she’s smart.”

And she loves to play the villain. Once the fourth quarter and overtime come, Taurasi is the one to stick the knife in the Liberty with big shots, time and again. D doesn’t only talk to Griner the whole game. Nah, she talks to everyone. She barks at the refs and talks shit to Sugar Rodgers. She smiles at injured Liberty guard Epiphanny Prince, who sits in the stands. She argues with with a teammate at least once a quarter.

The youngest member of the starting five is Griner, 25, who has played in pressure packed situations her whole life, as the team’s best player. But she isn’t the Mercury’s best player. And neither is the 28-year-old Bonner, the 31-year-old Dupree, or the 35-year-old Taylor. Taurasi, 12 years into her Hall of Fame career, will be the one to take this wildly experienced group as far as possible.

The playoffs will be a formality for the Mercury, who stand at 6-9. In a season where two teams have set new records for wins, Breanna Stewart is dominating headlines and the league is celebrating 20 seasons, the Phoenix Mercury just continue to plug away, under the radar, as the best team.

“Early in the season, we didn’t necessarily show that but we’re getting things rolling now,” Dupree said. “Things are falling into place and we’re feeling good.”

Do you feel any pressure to get things turned around quickly?

“Pressure? Nah, no pressure.”

The post Here They Come appeared first on SLAM.

Eastern Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

Western Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post 2015 WNBA Preview appeared first on SLAM.

by Christian Mordi / @mordi_thecomeup

With the All-Star break over and games back in full swing, players will look to push their teams into the playoffs and cement themselves as MVP candidates.

The star-studded weekend event in Connecticut was dominated by forward Candace Parker, who put on one of the best All-Star performances of all time with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Parker has been spectacular all year, and sits atop of the MVP rankings for yet another week. The race is much closer than many would think, as Angel McCoughtry and Tamika Catchings are nipping at Parker’s heels with their great all-around play.

1. Candace Parker, L.A. Sparks, forward

Parker has been out since the All-Star break with a wrist injury, but her performance in the All-Star game was one of the best ever. Parker dominated the exhibition game with 23 points and 11 rebounds, locking in the MVP of the game as well. The Sparks are 3.5 games out of first, and will look to make a push for first place and home field advantage in the playoffs upon Parker’s return.

2. Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream, guard

Atlanta lost a tough one against Phoenix on Saturday, but McCoughtry did all she could to put her team in position to win. The Louisville alumna was unstoppable against the Mercury, pouring in 33 points and 8 assists in the game. Atlanta is 5-5 in their last 10 games, but has suffered injuries to key players in Tiffany Hayes and Sancho Lyttle. Look for the Dream to rebound and McCoughtry to make a push at the MVP trophy as the season progresses.

3. Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever, forward

The Fever started out the season 1-7 but held strong and have turned things around. The have won seven of the past 10 games and sit at third in the East. A lot of the credit for this team’s turnaround can be given to Tamika Catchings. If the Fever can get hot and lock in a top 2-seed, Catchings may be bring home the MVP trophy. Her impact on both sides of the floor puts her team in position each game. Last game against the Sky, Catchings filled up the stat sheet with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals and a block as the Fever won 64-58 in Chicago. The only knock against Catchings at the moment is that she shoots a tick under 40 percent from the field, but with players slowly coming back from injury, the former Lady Vol will be able to pick and choose her spots better. Expect her percentages to rise and look for the Fever to make a run in the upcoming weeks.

4. Sylvia Fowles, Chicago Sky, center

All eyes are on Elena Delle Donne, but center Sylvia Fowles may have the biggest impact on the Sky. Fowles is super efficient offensively, shooting 57 percent from the field and when she’s on the floor, the Sky are +23. On the glass, Fowles is unstoppable, averaging 11.7 rebounds per night—4 of them come on the offensive glass. The extra chances the center gives the Sky make this team very hard to slow down.

5. Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx, guard

The Lynx are 17-3 and undefeated at home this year. Whalen has led the charge at the point this year for the Lynx. When Seimone Augustus went down, Whalen was the one to step up offensively and put the team on her back. The crafty wing is averaging 16 points per game, but also keeps her teammates involved dishing out close to 6 assists per contest. All eyes will be on Whalen to see if she can keep up this scoring now that all pieces are back on the floor.

6. Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury, guard

Taurasi has been on a tear this year, as she leads the league in scoring and is top-five in assists. Unfortunately this hasn’t led to as many wins as projected, which is why she sits so low on the list. Taurasi has also struggled to make an impact on the defensive end, as she is well below her career averages of a steal and a block per night. One of the biggest issues may be the fact that the Mercury are horrible at home, currently sitting at 4-6 on the season. For the UConn alumna to be considered seriously as an MVP candidate and the Mercury to solidify themselves as contenders, Taurasi will have to find ways to take the team to another level. With recent injuries to DeWanna Bonner and Brittney Griner, a lot of pressure will be on Taurasi the next couple of games.

7. Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky, forward

Delle Donne has had the biggest impact of all rookies this year. It was sad to see her go down with a concussion right before the All-Star game, but hopefully the time off allowed her legs to get some much needed rest, as Chicago makes a push heading into the second half of the season. Delle Donne returned last game, but looked a little rusty with 12 points and 2 rebounds in a loss against Indiana. The explosive wing will find her groove again as she catches up to game speed via practice and upcoming contests.

8. Cappie Pondexter, New York Liberty, guard

The Liberty found themselves down 14 last with 8 minutes left in the fourth against the Washington Mystics. Pondexter led the charge with a key four-point play, sparking a 93-88 comeback victory for New York. Pondexter made the game look easy all night long, with 21 points and 8 assists in the contest. The Chicago native has shown great balance in her game as of late, mixing up the jumper while getting to the rim at will. Against Washington, Pondexter shot 5-12 from the field, but got to the line 12 times putting in 10 of the attempts. The Liberty sit at the 4-seed and are fighting to hold on to the last spot, holding a half game lead against the Mystics. If the Liberty are to make the playoffs and make a deep run, Pondexter will be lead the charge.

9. Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx, forward

Moore has stepped it up across the board in offensively and defensively for the Lynx. The smooth wing is averaging 17 points and 6 rebounds, yet still many were expecting more from Maya this year. All of the physical tools are there, but sharing the ball with two other explosive players in Lindsey Whalen and Seimone Augustus hinder us from seeing her on attack mode all night long. Moore is content with sharing the load, which has led to back-to-back finals appearances.

10. Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun, center

Charles has stepped it up a tick offensively this year and on the glass, averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds per game. Unfortunately for Sun fans, this hasn’t led to nearly as many wins as it did last year. Charles’ biggest step back has been her shooting percentages, as she went from shooting 48 percent last year (in an MVP season) to 41 percent this year. The good news for Connecticut is that there is plenty of basketball left to be played, and they only sit two games out of the last playoff spot.

Previously:
WNBA MVP Rankings: Candace Can
WNBA MVP Rankings: Angel On Fire

The post WNBA MVP Rankings: The CP3 Show appeared first on SLAM.

The WNBA season, now at its halfway point, has been full of intense battles with old rivalries and fresh faces. Angel McCoughtry has been a force this year and is making a strong case for MVP. Former MVP Tamika Catchings has put the Fever on her back early in the season, and despite a roster full of injuries, Indiana holds a playoff spot. The best in the west has been Candace Parker, who has maintained her reputation as one of the most versatile and dominant players in the WNBA.

Many expected the “3 to See” to take the league by storm, but not to the extent of a member of the trio being a MVP candidate. Elena Delle Donne has emerged as a legitimate force and will be making the push in the second half of the season toward Rookie of the Year as well as MVP.

1. Candace Parker, L.A. Sparks, forward

The versatile forward has been locked in offensively this year. The Sparks have been a great regular-season team the past couple of years, but unable to get over the hump in the postseason. Sparks fans are hoping for a change in the trend this year. Parker will play a huge role in this team making it to the Finals. This is the Illinois native’s second straight healthy season and she has showcased her full arsenal, averaging 18 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists per game. On defense the former Lady Vol is just as impressive averaging 2 blocks and a steal per game.

2. Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream, guard/forward

The Atlanta Dream wing has been an unstoppable force this year on the court. Angel is top 5 in scoring, yet still manages to keep her teammates involved, as she is also top five in assists. The last time she was playing this well was the years Atlanta went to back-to-back WNBA finals. Angel was spectacular against Connecticut this week, scoring 22 points while dishing out 6 assists. McCoughtry has been a terror on the defensive side as well, averaging 3 thefts per game. With a strong push in the second half, the Louisville alumnae could grab hold of the MVP trophy.

3. Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky, forward

The smooth wing suffered her first real setback of the season in a loss against the Mystics. Delle Donne not only shot 2-25 from the field, but also left the game with a concussion. Outside of this most recent game, Delle Donne has been sensational for the Sky, turning a team that had a top-three pick a year ago into a legitimate title contender. It should be no surprise that with averages of 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks per game, she led all in vote-getters for the All-Star game. Look for the Delaware native to get much-needed rest this All-Star weekend and to make a strong push in the second half toward the MVP trophy.

4. Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury, guard

The UConn alumna has bounced back with a vengeance this year for Phoenix. The electric wing was spectacular against the Sparks dropping 32 points, 6 assists and 7 rebounds in a 90-84 victory. With weapons like Brittney Griner, DeWanna Bonner and more alongside her, it will be hard for teams to lock in on Taurasi and slow her down.

5. Slyvia Fowles, Chicago Sky, center

The crafty center is healthy for the first time in years and has been dominant in the post for the Sky. Fowles shares the rock with two scoring machines in Epiphanny Prince and Delle Donne, but makes each shot count, averaging 15 points per game. Fowles has been a terror on the glass this year for opponents, snatching close to 12 rebounds per game. The Sky are on their way to their first playoff appearance in team history, and poised for a deep run with a healthy Fowles on board.

6. Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever, forward

The Fever have been decimated by injuries since the start of the season, and yet they still hold a playoff spot going into the All-Star break. At the halfway point of the season a valid argument can be made that no player has faced as much pressure as Tamika Catchings. The former MVP has delivered for the Fever, averaging 16.8 points 6.5 rebounds and three assists per contest. Defensively, the former Lady Vol has been a force as well swiping 3 steals and block per game.

7. Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx, guard

When Seimone Augustus went down, many expected the Lynx to slip. Instead the team has been just as efficient due to the strong play of Whalen. Lindsey is still finding teammates, but has stepped up her scoring average to 16 points per game this season. Whalen also is shooting a career high from the field at 49 percent. Whalen’s scoring may take a slight dip upon Augustus’ return, but her assists will rise as well.

8. Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx, forward

Moore has found great balance in her game this season for the Lynx. Like Taurasi, Moore plays alongside another superstar in Seimone Augustus and All-Star Lindsey Whalen, but still contributes big time numbers. Moore and company are locked in as the No. 1 seed in the West. The only knock against Moore is that she may not be aggressive enough offensively. Nonetheless, the former Huskie is still efficient and can fill is up without taking a lot of shots.

9. Cappie Pondexter, New York Liberty, guard

The Liberty have had many ups and downs this year, but Pondexter has been a steady force since day one. The Liberty needed a win badly against the Fever this week to stay in arm’s reach of the last playoff spot, and Pondexter delivered a strong performance. The explosive wing filled up the stat sheet with 24 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in a 77-72 road victory against the defending champs. Look for the Liberty to turn things around in the second half of the season.

10. Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun, center

The Sun are struggling to get wins this year, but Charles has done all she can to put them in position to win games. Connecticut is playing the year without starting power forward Asjha Jones, and has missed Kara Lawson for extended parts of the season. Even amidst the pressure, Charles is still averaging 18 points and close to 11 rebounds a game. The Sun will get a much-needed rest and look to get more healthy bodies around Charles.

Previously:
WNBA MVP Rankings: Angel On Fire

The post WNBA MVP Rankings: Candace Can appeared first on SLAM.

She may never make it to the NBA, but training with one of the League’s greatest players is not a bad consolation prize. Brittney Griner learned the art of the hook from the master, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Per the AP: “After getting a crash course in professional basketball from some of the WNBA’s best players over the past week, Griner was given the lesson of a lifetime on Wednesday with a one-on-one session on the skyhook with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. One of the NBA’s greatest players teaching the nuances of perhaps the most unstoppable move in any sport? Yeah, that’s pretty cool. ‘I went to legend school today and it was awesome,’ Griner said at the Phoenix Mercury’s practice court inside the US Airways Center. Griner had gone through a rapid learning curve during her first week of training camp, getting a firsthand look at how physical the WNBA really is while being taught things like the pick-and-roll and how to avoid being called for illegal defense. The intensity ratcheted up when Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor, DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree, some of the best players in the WNBA, joined the team after playing overseas. Wednesday’s session was something different entirely. […] ‘I was star struck right there,’ Griner said. ‘You know it when I don’t talk; I like to talk and you know I’m star struck when I’m just listening. I hit you with the yes sir, yes ma’am, I’m definitely star struck.’ The tutorial was put together by Mercury Vice President Ann Meyers Drysdale, who asked the NBA office to see if Abdul-Jabbar would be available to address the team and work with Griner. He accepted and spent Wednesday’s practice watching from a perch above the court with his oversized feet — though a size smaller than Griner’s men’s 17 — poking through the rail. Once practice ended, Abdul-Jabbar walked down to the floor and addressed the team before taking questions from the players and coaches. After a group photo, he peeled off his sweat jacket, took off his blue UCLA hat and met Griner under one of the baskets. […] ‘She’s a very talented athlete,’ Abdul-Jabbar said. ‘She’s not just tall, she has some skills. She runs the court very well, she’s active. I think she’s going to have a great career.'”

The post Brittney Griner Worked on Her Skyhook With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appeared first on SLAM.

by Christian Mordi / @mordi_thecomeup

I sat there shocked at the news that popped across my screen. When the ticker read that MVP candidate Angel McCoughtry was suspended indefinitely, doubt was immediately cast over the Atlanta Dream franchise.

Who will pick up Atlanta’s scoring load? Will they change their style of play? Will the Dream be able to maintain their Playoff spot without their star player?

Thankfully, we wont have to go without AMac, as she cleared things up with Atlanta and is back on the floor. Two more Playoff teams stamped their ticket to the postseason in Connecticut and Indiana. With the end of the season rapidly approaching, it will be interesting to see which players fade and which rise to the occasion when it matters most.

1. Candace Parker, L.A. Sparks (Last Week, 1)

Parker does it all on the court, and at an elite level. CP3 can fill it up and quick. Sure, she’s around her career average in points, but she has been dominant on the boards, flirting with close to a double-double average on the season. The Illinois native has picked up her play on the defensive side of the floor as well, averaging close to 2 steals and 3 blocks per night. It amazes me how she can deliver such gaudy defensive numbers while only giving 2 fouls per night, which is a testament to her athleticism.

2. Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun (Last Week, 3)

Tina is peaking at the right time for the Sun. The NY native has delivered some of her best games against some of the better teams in the league the past week. She dominated against Sylvia Fowles with a 24-point, 14-rebound effort against the Sky and followed that up with a 20 and 10 night against the Silver Stars. Let’s hope Charles can take this momentum into the postseason for her team.

3. Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream (Last Week, 2)

AMac may have missed time, but her game is still razor sharp. In her first game back from suspension, Angel poured 24 points on the Sun, in just 19 minutes of play. Angel is leading the league in scoring and the team lives and dies by her sword, so Atlanta fans will continue to pray she stays hot the rest of the way.

4. Kristi Tolliver, L.A. Sparks (Last Week, 4)

Tolliver stays high in the rankings with her sizzling hot play. The former Lady Terp was the hottest player in the WNBA in the past month, with 19 points or more in the past 10 games. Tolliver combines her smooth jumper with razor-sharp ball handling and X-ray court vision, pushing 5 assists per game. It won’t be long before Kristi is top three in the MVP race.

5. Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever (Last Week, 5)

The former Lady Vol has carried her success in the Olympics back home to the Fever. Catchings is hot right now, as she has pushed herself into the top five in scoring. Tamika is filling it up across the board as well, averaging close to 8 rebounds. The Fever are one of the hardest teams to beat not only due to their tough defense, but the clutch offensive play of TC.

6. Cappie Pondexter, New York Liberty (Last Week, 9)

The top feels so much better than the bottom, so much better. At one point in the season the Liberty looked doomed, they couldn’t buy a bucket and the defense-first mentality wasn’t working. Kudos to the Liberty for sticking with it this year, as this team has pulled themselves back into the playoff race, currently holding down the 4-seed. A large part of the re-emergence of the team has been due to their leader, Cappie Pondexter. The combo guard has been unstoppable as of late, attacking the rim with reckless abandon each possession. Cappie is starting to play a little point during some parts of the game, freeing up Leilani Mitchell, so look for her assists to go up as well.

7. Sue Bird, Seattle Storm (Last Week, 6)

There have been many ups and downs and players rotating in and out for the Storm, but there has only been one steady force: Sue Bird. Bird can kill you by picking your defense apart or lighting you up from downtown. The Storm will have all chips riding on their point to lead them to the promised land this year.

8. Sophia Young, San Antonio Silver Stars (Last Week, 8 )

The former Lady Bear has started to heat again and the timing couldn’t be better for the Silver Stars. The small forward went on a tear last game with 32 points and 8 rebounds against the Mercury, showcasing her crafty ball handling and smooth mid-range game.

9. Sylvia Fowles, Chicago Sky (Last Week, 7)

The Sky are falling in the standings and for the first time, this has an affect on Fowles’ ranking in the MVP race. Reason being, Fowles has been unreliable of late, losing grip on the rebounding title in the process. Let’s hope her 14-point, 9-rebound game against the Sparks is a step in the right direction.

10. DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury (Last Week, NR)

Last week, SLAMonline ran a Q+A with the rising star, and here again I will shoot praises for Bonner’s game. The clever wing has filled in nicely for Diana Taurasi and currently sits as the second leading scorer in the WNBA. Bonner isn’t just an offensive-minded player though—she loves to mix it up, getting dirty in the paint and fighting for boards. Last game, Bonner scored 24 points, but also contributed 9 rebounds. Look for Bonner to make a push for All-WNBA this year.

The post WNBA MVP Race, Week 11 appeared first on SLAM.

By Stephen Litel / Photo by Matthew Fleegel

The WNBA regular season tips off tonight with a matchup between the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm. As a new feature here at SLAMOnline, we will be doing a weekly power rankings of the WNBA teams. Agree or disagree with the rankings, let me know in the comments below or give a follow on Twitter @stephenlitel to discuss.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the first 2012 WNBA power ranking:

1. Minnesota Lynx
The reigning champs only got better in the off-season, bringing everyone back from their championship squad except for Charde Houston and Alexis Hornbuckle. In their place comes rookie Devereaux Peters and veteran Erin Thorn. They ran through the League during both the regular season in 2011 and are clear favorites to bring home the title again in 2012, believing only the injury bug could stop them on their “road to repeat.” The top spot is theirs until other teams show they are capable of dethroning the champions.

2. Connecticut Sun
Last year, the Sun showed they have the talent to play with any team in the WNBA and are definitely a team with a promising future. Well, the future begins now and they must take the next step in their development as a championship-contending squad by learning how to win on the road. They have that ultimate mix of young talent—like Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery and Kelsey Griffin—to go along with veteran leaders who can still play at a high level, such as Kara Lawson and Olympian Asjha Jones.

3. Indiana Fever
Losing Tangela Smith hurts, but the Fever were able to get even deeper with the additions of Roneeka Hodges and rookie Sasha Goodlett. This is a veteran team that knows how to win in the WNBA consistently and also know how to utilize the Olympic break to their advantage. After all, this is a team that may very well have represented the Eastern Conference in the WNBA Finals last year had it not been for an injury to the reigning MVP Tamika Catchings.

4. Seattle Storm
When you think of the WNBA postseason, the Seattle Storm come to mind. Winning two titles and looking to play in the Playoffs for a record ninth straight year, the Storm have challenges in doing so, but are also a veteran team who knows how to win. Trading away Swin Cash and Le’Coe Willingham was a tough call, but having the opportunity to bring in Tina Thompson will help while Lauren Jackson sits out. Coach Brian Agler always seems to get the most out of his team when everyone is doubting them, like some are doing entering the year without Lauren Jackson, but don’t ever bet against Agler and his point guard, Sue Bird.

5. Los Angeles Sparks
It was an excellent off-season for the Los Angeles Sparks. They added a ton of talent to their team, such as Alana Beard, Nicky Anosike, Marissa Coleman and the No. 1 in the Draft, Nneka Ogwumike and, on paper, should have a great season. There are two questions surrounding this team heading into the year though. First, can they stay healthy? All indications from camp are that Alana Beard looks ready to regain her place as one of the best perimeter players in the WNBA, but has a health history that is well-documented. Obviously, this team revolves around Candace Parker, who also has her own injury history. Second question is how consistent can their point guards—Kristi Toliver and Sharnee Zoll—be this year?

6. Phoenix Mercury
Losing Penny Taylor is huge, but the Mercury, like Seattle, know what it takes to win in the WNBA. They have plenty of players capable of stepping up and doing their best to make up for the loss, most notably DeWanna Bonner and new addition Charde Houston, who should fit in very well with Phoenix’s style of play. Some question the depth at point guard heading into the year, but with how much Diana Taurasi handles the ball, the transition should go smoothly, especially for rookie Sammy Prahalis. To doubt this team due to Taylor’s loss for the season, especially with how easily they score the ball, would be a big mistake.

7. Atlanta Dream
The Dream has represented the Eastern Conference in the WNBA Finals the past two seasons, but have been unable to bring home the hardware. This season will be a great challenge without Alison Bales, who retired, and Erika de Souza, who is out for the Olympics. Already a team that likes to run, Angel McCoughtry and company added Ketia Swanier and rookie Tiffany Hayes. This will be a team who looks to run even more and should have a lot of success because of their depth on the perimeter, but if games slow down to a halfcourt game, they will have some issues.

8. San Antonio Silver Stars
In last season’s playoffs, the San Antonio Silver Stars were the only team to post a victory against the Minnesota Lynx. They followed up another solid season in 2011 by improving their roster by bringing in Tangela Smith, Shameka Christon and front-runner for Rookie of the Year Shenise Johnson. The problem San Antonio faces is they play in the Western Conference, which is stacked. This feels like another typical season for San Antonio, where they are up and down all season, fighting for a playoff berth right down to the wire. This is a team overlooked by many because they don’t have the same big-name players as Minnesota, Seattle or Los Angeles—outside of Becky Hammon, of course—but the Stars are a really good team and one to watch all year.

9. Chicago Sky
With the additions of veterans Swin Cash, Ticha Penicheiro, Ruth Riley and Le’Coe Willingham, center Sylvia Fowles finally has more help. After a solid rookie season, one which brought an All-Star nod, from Courtney Vandersloot, the Chicago Sky seem poised to finally reach the postseason. They upgraded their roster significantly, but how quickly do they find their style of play and mesh on the court? With the championship-winning veterans on the roster accustomed to winning games, if they find the ability to work together, they will be scary heading into the 2012 playoffs.

10. New York Liberty
This was a playoff team in 2011, winning a game against the Indiana Fever. Cappie Pondexter is an amazing talent, but she needed more help heading into 2012. The Liberty did little to improve their team in the off-season, even raising eyebrows by drafting Kelley Cain as high as they did. Kara Braxton had a remarkable preseason—averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds—and if she can continue that throughout the regular season, the Liberty will compete for a playoff berth right down to the wire.

11. Washington Mystics
Without question, the Mystics improved in the off-season, adding players such as Noelle Quinn, Michelle Snow, Ashley Robinson and drafting Natalie Novosel. Crystal Langhorne looked amazing in the preseason, averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds, but one of the biggest reasons for hope is the return of Monique Currie, who averaged 15.5 points in the preseason after missing most of last season. This team will be better this season, but it’s very difficult to see a playoff berth with the level of teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference.

12. Tulsa Shock
No Cambage is a shame, but things still look up for the Tulsa Shock. Make no mistake, they are still going to be one of teams in the WNBA which struggles the most, but they have taken that first, most important step. They have a coach they want to listen to and play hard for at all times. They have an incredibly young team and individual players are working towards improving their personal game while helping the team compete. After all, the elder statesman on this team now is Temeka Johnson. Rookies Glory Johnson and Riquna Williams will add some excitement to the games and hope for the future.

Let the debate begin, WNBA fans. Which teams do you believe are too high or too low on this list?

Hit Page 2 for our WNBA Preview from SLAM 159.

The post 2012 WNBA Season Preview appeared first on SLAM.

Seattle and Phoenix are clearly the class of the West, and now that Nolan Richardson extended his largesse to the Mercury, Phoenix has a much better chance to knock off the Storm in the Western Conference finals. But like Seattle, the Mercury have almost no depth and cannot afford an injury to any of their key players, so staying healthy is really job one.

For the rest of the West, it’s as much about Maya Moore, the prize of the 2011 Draft, as it is about losing in the first round of the Playoffs. One thing to remember, though: Just one playoff game can generate significant income, and a team that makes it to the conference finals can turn red ink to black with just those two or three extra games. So even though fans may be thinking, “What’s the use? We can’t beat Seattle anyway,” the accountants are a lot more concerned with this year’s bottom line.

Seattle (21-2, first): The Storm are the class of the league – so far, and so healthy. Their fragile stars (Swin Cash, Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird) have all battled injuries in their careers, and so Brian Agler’s biggest concern has to be balancing their minutes. After all, all are 29 or 30, and all have played year-round for most of their careers. So does Agler cut back on their minutes (they all average 32.2 mpg or more) and go to his non-existent bench this last month, or does he try to keep the momentum of the brilliant start going? There’s really only crucial game, against Phoenix, and that’s on August 20, the second-to-last day of the season. Presumably Agler could focus on managing minutes and set the rotation up so that the big three are all ready to play 33 minutes a game on that date, and in the Playoffs – or he could just play to win every game from here on out and hope everyone stays healthy. It’s a tough call, and there’s no necessarily right answer: If Bird, say, twists her ankle and is 75 percent for the Playoffs, a 30-4 record won’t mean that much. But if Seattle backs off, finishes 26-8 and goes into the Playoffs with a loss to Phoenix, that’s not a good answer either.

Phoenix (10-13, second): If Temeka Johnson and/or Tangela Smith start shooting well, the Mercury’s offense could get better – that’s a frightening thought, but neither Johnson or Smith are shooting as well as they have in the past. Add Kara Braxton, a huge upgrade over Nicole Ohlde despite her inconsistency and erratic ballhandling, and Phoenix isn’t that far behind Seattle and Indiana. In short, the Mercury are still a serious threat for a WNBA title, and any team that underestimates the core of Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor, Candice Dupree and DeWanna Bonner could find itself giving up 110 and losing by 20. Of course, should any of that quartet get hurt, the Phoenix bandwagon will fall apart very quickly. Thanks to salary cap issues, there’s just not much behind the big four.

San Antonio (8-15, third): The two most important games on the Silver Stars’ schedule are this Friday, and Friday, August 13. Those are the two San Antonio games left against Tulsa, and Silver Stars simply must win both of those games. They also have two against Minnesota, and they must win one to get the head-to-head advantage against the Lynx. That would be three wins, which would put San Antonio with 11 victories – and in the West, only a couple more should take the Silver Stars out of the Maya Moore sweepstakes. Maybe Washington (on the schedule twice)? Phoenix (three games, but one is the last game of the season, which probably won’t matter to the Mercury)? It says here they get it done – and are rewarded with a third-place finish.

Los Angeles (8-16, fourth): Two wins against Tulsa, and one against Minnesota, and the Sparks are sitting pretty. The latter would give them the tiebreaker against the Lynx, the first two would put the pressure on Minnesota to beat two teams from the East. And you know, it might not be a bad idea for L.A. to finish fourth rather than third, as the Sparks appear to match up better against Seattle than Phoenix, especially now that Kara Braxton is in the desert. Of course, there are those who say fifth would be even better, as the friendly ping-pong balls might well deliver Maya Moore to Los Angeles, especially if New York makes the Playoffs in the East. (The WNBA would be far better served with Moore in L.A. or NYC than in Tulsa or Minneapolis.) Then again, the Sparks might as well go as far as they can this year, because their aging roster, with or without Moore and Candace Parker, isn’t built for the future.

Minnesota (7-15, fifth): Here’s the problem: The Lynx have already played Tulsa five times. That’s four of Minnesota’s wins, and the Lynx don’t get to play the Shock any more. Instead, they’ve got two against Seattle, and one each against Connecticut, Washington and Indiana. So what that means is that the Lynx must simply sweep both games against San Antonio and both games against Los Angeles. Otherwise, they will lose the tiebreaker against both, which would make a difficult task that much harder. Minnesota also needs to find a couple more wins (New York at home August 8?) or a season that began with such promise will end as it always does in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes: Hoping for some luck in the lottery.

Tulsa (4-20, sixth): It’s just too easy to bash the Shock and its franchise-killing general manager/coach, so let’s shift the focus to a couple of players who have managed to thrive despite Nolan Richardson’s erratic leadership. Given minutes, second-year post Chanté Black has shot well (52.4 percent), rebounded well (7.3 rpg, 12.8 rebounds per 40 minutes of court time) and blocked shots (1.8 bpg). Now why Scholanda Robinson has taken nearly twice as many shots despite shooting just 41.7 percent is another question, but Black has certainly shown she can play in the league. Veteran guard Kiesha Brown, now 31, has also shown well (46.6 percent shooting, 1.6 A/TO), but otherwise the Shock roster has pretty much played (down) to expectations. A bigger concern, of course, is where win number five will come from, and home games Friday against San Antonio and August 14 against L.A. look like the best bets. The problem, though, is that every team but Seattle is locked into a Playoff hunt, and cannot afford to take Tulsa lightly. But it says here that the Shock, somehow, manage two more wins to finish a gaudy 6-28.

The post Shining a Light on the West appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s what you probably know about Candice Dupree:

• She has the smoothest shot in the WNBA.

• Her ability to rebound the basketball is invaluable.

• She is one of the most consistent and efficient players in the league.

• She maintains a calm persona on and off the court.

Unlike other high-profile superstars, we really don’t know much about Candice Dupree; but she likes it that way. She doesn’t have the magnetic personality of a Diana Taurasi or the flashiness of a Cappie Pondexter. What she does have is an innate ability to play at a superstar level while, somehow, flying under the radar for the majority of her career.

Just like Tim Duncan.

Soft-spoken, reserved, collected; that’s a fair description of the known Dupree. But beyond that wall lies a genuine, humble, and gracious woman willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team. Typically, her name doesn’t carry the weight in the mainstream media with the Taurasi’s, the Bird’s, or the Hammon’s but that isn’t what matters most to Dupree.

It’s all about winning, and winning now.

“I just want to win,” Dupree said. “I’m not always looking to be the star on the team.” Yet, inevitably, she does become a star; not consciously, but by letting her game speak for itself. A staple of consistency in the WNBA over her four years in the league, Dupree holds career averages of 15.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1 bpg, while shooting 45 percent from the floor. To date, Dupree has only missed one game in her already illustrious career.

But Dupree’s value goes beyond mundane statistics. Like Duncan in the NBA, Dupree’s quiet and stoic demeanor often allow her to become overshadowed in favor of some of the more outspoken superstars. “I’m more composed,” Dupree said about her personality. “I am more the quiet type. I’m really looking forward to working with Diana [Taurasi] on and off the court. It’s going to be fun. But even I let loose every once in a while.”

Perhaps one of Dupree’s most overlooked aspects is her ability to fit in and mesh with any style of play. With the fast-paced tempo Phoenix plays at, this quality has never been more significant or poignant for Dupree. And don’t think gelling with such a dynamic team like the Phoenix Mercury is an easy task; it takes commitment, sacrifice, and the ability to check your ego at the door. Dupree has an exceptionally high basketball IQ and understands the flow of the game better than most. Hence, her addition to the Mercury should be seamless; like Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Upon receiving news of the trade, many Mercury fans were seemingly worried the team’s chemistry would go awry with Cappie Pondexter now a member of the New York Liberty. Who can blame them? With two championships in the last three years, I’d be more concerned if they didn’t worry about Pondexter’s absence. Though, any anxiety Mercury fans have should be immediately put to rest. “Our offense is set up for a dominant scorer down low,” Mercury head coach Corey Gaines said. “We played Penny [Taylor] there but that really isn’t her position. Candice [Dupree] gives us something we never had. Our offense needs to evolve and before we were playing more outside-in, now we have the ability to play inside-out. Candice will create a lot of double-teams which will leave our shooters open on the perimeter.”

If you had to guess which Mercury player was the first to congratulate Dupree on coming to Phoenix, who would it be? Diana Taurasi? Tangela Smith? Penny Taylor? “It was DeWanna Bonner,” Dupree said. “She was the first one to send me a message on Facebook. I don’t do that Twitter stuff [laughs].” In many ways, second-year player DeWanna Bonner could benefit the most with Dupree as a member of the Mercury. The amount of poise Dupree plays with, and her ability to shoot the ball so effectively, could be key towards Bonner’s growth as a player. “I think there is potential for that, sure,” Dupree said of mentoring Bonner. “I think that will be determined once we get into training camp and see how everything goes.”

Dupree and Duncan share an ability few post players do well – pass the ball. Dupree’s passing ability was an enormously attractive quality when the Mercury began looking to replace Pondexter. Dupree averaged about 2 apg during her time in Chicago, and that was with a team who sorely missed outside shooters. Now, with the Mercury, Dupree has 5-7 legitimate threats along the perimeter to pass to when the inevitable double-team comes from opposing teams. “I’ve never had that,” Dupree said when asked about being on a team with so many shooters. “I’ve maybe had 1-2 in college but I’ve never played with the amount of shooters the Mercury has. It makes the game so much easier and takes a lot of pressure off me down low. I’m just excited to get into training camp.”

If there was one area the Mercuy wanted to improve on in the off-season, it would be difficult to argue against rebounding. Though, in order to rebound consistently, you need size; Dupree provides that for Phoenix. Similar to Duncan, Dupree isn’t the biggest player on the court but she unquestionably is one of the smartest. With Nicole Ohlde injured most of the 2009 season, the Mercury were left with a gang-rebounding mentality that became increasingly difficult against teams with size and length. Dupree not only gives the Mercury size in the paint but also boosts the team’s overall basketball IQ and reserve. “It’s an asset for us to have Candice down low,” Corey Gaines said. “It will only make us better.”

For Dupree, basketball has always been about taking care of business. Like Tim Duncan, you won’t see her out in the club in the early morning, on a myriad of commercials, or even many endorsement deals — Dupree keeps to herself. It is certainly not from a selfish or egotistical standpoint; that’s just the personality she and Duncan share. In doing so, they differentiate themselves from a personal standpoint and get overlooked on the basketball court. “Working hard isn’t really anything I think about, it just happens,” Dupree said. “It has been that way since I was young. I can get intense at times but that’s only when I feel an impact needs to be made.”

Like Duncan, Dupree goes about her business on the basketball court in a composed demeanor notching double-doubles on a nightly basis. To date, they still don’t get the credit they truly deserve.

It is unfortunate, because Candice Dupree is one of the most talented basketball players the WNBA has ever seen.

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The Mercury beat the Fever last night, 94-86, to close out the WNBA Finals with a 3-2 series victory. The Mercury were led by Diana Taurasi, who had 26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal as DT—one of the freshest players in the world, regardless of sex, in my opinion—took home the Finals MVP.

It was the second title in three years for the fast-paced Mercury, who won it in front of a sold-out crowd at America West Arena. From the Arizona Republic:

After the game, just before the purple and yellow confetti fell, DeWanna Bonner, Tangela Smith, Diana Taurasi, and Cappie Pondexter all stood on top of the scorer’s table to celebrate with the sellout crowd of 17,313. It was fitting. All four had a hand in the victory that clinched the championship.

“I never, never want to give it back,” Taurasi said. “It was such a nice feeling when that buzzer went off. For all of us. When the buzzer rang, we knew we did something special. We did it as a group.”

Congrats to the Mercury.

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