Listen up! Burn it All down is a must listen.
Gene at WaPo: Washington Mystics carry momentum and lessons learned into semifinals vs. Atlanta Dream
“I mean, we were in this last year with the Lynx, and we saw how quickly they were able to go up two games on us, and it ended so fast,” Mystics leading scorer Elena Delle Donne said. “So we know the importance of every single game, every single possession, and we’ve been through it, and we were on the losing side, so I feel like we were able to learn a lot from it.
“We will all make sure that everybody is ready and locked in.”
Also: Old Friends Taurasi, Birds as Storm faces Mercury
.com: Mercury Advance to WNBA Semifinals, Three Wins Away from WNBA Finals
Michelle: Inside The W: The Top WNBA Playoff Semifinals Storylines
.com: WNBA Playoffs 2018 Semifinal Preview: (2) Atlanta Dream vs. (3) Washington Mystics
WPVI TV: Matt O’Donnell with WNBA Superstar Elena Delle Donne on The Travel Mug Podcast –
Yup: Breanna Stewart named WNBA MVP
Seattle forward Breanna Stewart had two things on her mind entering this season: get the Storm back to the top of the league standings and be the WNBA’s MVP. She has done both.
Stewart was named MVP on Sunday and will receive her award later in the day as the Storm host Phoenix in a semifinal series opener at KeyArena (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The top-seeded Storm are 26-8, their best record since going 28-6 and winning the 2010 WNBA title.
Stewart wins the honor at age 23 (she turns 24 Monday). Another former UConn standout, the Liberty’s Tina Charles, also won the MVP at 23 in 2012 when she was with the Sun. The WNBA’s two youngest MVPs were 22: former Seattle star Lauren Jackson in 2003 and current Sparks forward Candace Parker, the only rookie to win MVP, in 2008.
Sue Bird, Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: This is an importnat name on his award, in case you’re not a long time fan of the W:
The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is presented each season to a player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, including ethical behavior, fair play and integrity. The award is named for the late Kim Perrot, who helped guide the Houston Comets to their first two WNBA championships before passing away in August 1999 after a seven-month battle with cancer.
Natasha Howard, Most Improved.
No Pressure: Natasha Howard holds the keys to a Storm run to the Finals
Also: Connecticut Sun’s Jonquel Jones Named 2018 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year
AZ Central: Mercury back in WNBA semifinals for 6th straight year, seeking 1st Finals berth since 2014
The Phoenix Mercury are in the WNBA semifinals for a sixth consecutive year.
But they haven’t won a game at this stage since 2014, going a combined 0-8 against Minnesota (2015-16) and Los Angeles (2017).
This season, though, the WNBA defending champion Lynx were eliminated in the first round and the Sparks in the second. So the Mercury have no ghosts haunting them heading into a best-of-five semifinal series Sunday at Seattle.
Dreams face Mystics with Coach of Year, but Missing McCoughtry
Didja catch this? Minneapolis Star Tribune: Connecticut Sun point guard Jasmine Thomas: More than a basketball player
Komo: Storm’s Stewart named AP Player of Year, says ‘weight lifted’ after sharing #MeToo story
Minneapolis Star Tribune: Lynx star Maya Moore was less this season
Listen up: The Cheryl Reeve Show 16 – Lynx changes, WNBA picks
Columbus Dispatch: Rookie season in WNBA an eye-opener for Kelsey Mitchell
The Guardian: Liz Cambage earns devoted US fanbase after season of points, freedom and memes
Las Vegas Review Journal: Aces embark on WNBA offseason with eye on improvement
Bleacher Report: Skylar Diggins-Smith on WNBA, NBA Wage Gap: ‘I’m at a Loss for Words Sometimes’
The Sixer Sense: Philadelphia 76ers: It’s time to bring a WNBA franchise to Philly (hint, hint)