No pressure, friends, but this is national, not-cable, T.V.: ABC, 3:30pm.
Mechelle, ESPN: Mystics must look to have an early answer for Storm in Game 2
It’s not that the Washington Mystics were unprepared for the intensity of Friday’s Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Washington coach Mike Thibault said. But once things started getting away from them, it escalated fast. And in a building as full of fan energy as KeyArena was for their beloved Seattle Storm, it felt a little like an avalanche.
Thibault said the Mystics have to make some X’s and O’s adjustments for Sunday’s Game 2 (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET) after their 89-76 loss Friday. But there’s more to it.
ESPN: From undersized post to defensive stopper, Alysha Clark remakes her game
But making it in the WNBA was a more challenging prospect. She was a “tweener”: a 5-foot-11, back-to-the basket, post player in college trying to adjust to being a wing facing the basket and needing to develop guard skills. Drafted in the second round at No. 17 overall by San Antonio in 2010, Clark didn’t get on a WNBA roster that year nor in 2011.
Watch the game with Renee (again). (WNBA Players Association Inks Deal With Sports Streaming ICO)
WATN? Team USA Gold Medalist, WNBA Player Lisa Willis Joins TC Williams As Head Coach
H.P.H: Katie Smith, Tina Thompson enter Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
International
And the young (and tall) shall lead them: U.S. women overcome 16-point deficit, beat Canada in exhibition
A’ja Wilson had 15 points and 10 rebounds to help the U.S. women’s national team rally from a 16-point first-half deficit and beat Canada 74-68 on Saturday night in an exhibition game.
The U.S. was shockingly down 16 in the first quarter and trailed 56-48 heading into the fourth quarter before finally getting going. Wilson, who was the AP WNBA rookie of the year, along with her Las Vegas Aces teammate Kelsey Plum, keyed the change in the fourth.
“Everyone is used to seeing us blow teams out, and obviously that didn’t happen tonight,” Staley said. “This helps build chemistry. It helps me as a coach to see who we can call on.”
A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) answered the call by leading the team with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Wilson, Napheesa Collier (Connecticut), Elizabeth Williams (Atlanta Dream) and Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces) played the entire fourth quarter. Layshia Clarendon(Connecticut Sun) played seven of the 10 fourth-quarter minutes.
Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks)
Was that a good test for the team?
Oh, no doubt. That was a great test. The first quarter wasn’t exactly ideal. But, coach Dawn’s composure helped us maintain ours. But, I also really liked that we were able to get some of the new faces out there to develop the chemistry that we need. Today was a really good test. I’m really happy we won, but I’m happy with how we won. It’s also how we won that we should be proud of.
Sporting News: Canada Women’s Basketball comes close to upset, but can’t defeat USA in pre-World Cup exhibition
“It was a battle out there and I think that was something that was great for us as a team” said Nurse. “We’ve only had our 12 in the last two games that we played [against Japan Friday and USA Saturday]. To get that chemnistry, to get that battle in this game, in a test like that, was great for us.”
Hartford Courant: US Women’s Basketball Team Beats Canada, But It Wasn’t Easy
Fortunately for Dawn Staley and Co., a few weeks still remain before the games start counting for real.
Saturday’s tune-up against Canada served as an important reminder for the U.S. Women’s National Team that there’s still significant work to be done leading up to the FIBA World Cup, which tips off later this month in Spain.
Washington, born in 1898, is considered by many experts as the greatest female athlete of her era. She not only excelled in basketball, but she was a sensational tennis player as well.
Her basketball and tennis talents were honed at the YWCA in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. She started her basketball career in the fall of 1930 playing for the YMCA-sponsored Germantown Hornets. In 1931, after compiling a 22-1 record, the Hornets claimed the national championship.
In 1932, she became a member of the Philadelphia Tribune Girls basketball team. For the next decade, the barnstorming Tribunes were the top Black team in the nation, and Washington was the team’s major star.
Off sport, on topic
At U.S. Open, power of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka is overshadowed by an umpire’s power play
Williams abused her racket, but Ramos did something far uglier: He abused his authority. Champions get heated — it’s their nature to burn. All good umpires in every sport understand that the heart of their job is to help temper the moment, to turn the dial down, not up, and to be quiet stewards of the event rather than to let their own temper play a role in determining the outcome. Instead, Ramos made himself the chief player in the women’s final. He marred Osaka’s first Grand Slam title and one of Williams’s last bids for all-time greatness. Over what? A tone of voice. Male players have sworn and cursed at the top of their lungs, hurled and blasted their equipment into shards, and never been penalized as Williams was in the second set of the U.S. Open final.
And, for those of us trying to have “that conversation” with family and friends: #LoveSerenaHateRacism A Discourse On Western Attitudes Towards Serena Williams
“I could not believe what came out of his mouth…he said some awful things… and as an African-American I’m not going to stand for it”, she said as she approached the umpire pointing in the direction of a middle-aged man sitting at the stadium. She continued, “I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. I had to do a double take. I think I hit a double-fault on that point.” After sitting down, she put the towel on her lap and spoke on, “He was harassing me throughout the match, and I should have said something sooner. He was saying things he shouldn’t have and it was totally unethical. It was derogatory.”
This incident took place in March 2007 during a match between Serena Williams and Lucie Safarova at the Sony Ericsson Miami Open. The middle-aged man watching the match had just yelled at Serena, saying, “Hit the ball into the net like any nigger would.” In response, Serena approached the umpire to complain and to have him ejected from the match. Six years after this event, the racial slurs directed at Serena still continue although they have become more polished and less obvious.