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WNBA Week 13: The Aces Visit the White House, The Mercury and Storm Miss the Playoffs

Feature image photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

It’s WNBA crunch time. Two teams were eliminated from playoff contention this week, and two more aren’t far behind. The Aces and Liberty are still vying for that top seed, and they meet again this week in New York to take it head-to-head. The Aces also visited the White House this week, charming the hell out of everyone, including us (as usual).

Natalie: Since we talked last week, two WNBA teams β€” the Phoenix Mercury and the Seattle Storm β€” have played themselves out of the playoff race, despite having 5/6 games left to play on the season. I thought we’d start with those teams this week.

The Phoenix Mercury are currently sitting at 9-25 for the season and face a lot of question heading into the post-season. Will Diana Taurasi come back? Will Brittney Griner come back? Do the Mercury keep Nikki Blue in the role of head coach? Looking back on this season, what were the high points and the low points for the Phoenix Mercury…and what would you like to see them do so they can get better?

Heather: I’m so glad you started here. I really wanted to talk about this and offer fans of both teams some encouragement, and also just W fans in general. If you’d said, two years ago, that both the Storm and the Mercury wouldn’t be in the playoffs in 2023, I’m not sure I would have believed you. Phoenix had the longest running playoff streak at ten years, and the Storm had been seven years in a row. On the flip side of that, I wouldn’t have believed you if you’d told me the Liberty would be vying for the number one seed overall.

The caliber of talent in this league, the legitimate change-making rookie classes, the retiring icons β€” all of those things mean that every season is a new story. I know this really sucks for Phoenix and Storm fans, but I think they have a lot to be hopeful about. I know we keep saying it, but the fact that BG was able to play at all this season, and at such an elite caliber, remains the most shocking and wonderful thing. She’s not even back to full strength yet, but I feel like she’ll be closer to that next season. They’ll likely have a nice draft pick in a stacked draft class.

I don’t think Diana Taurasi will retire. There was a package about her during the game last night and the training staff were talking about how they have to bully her into going home, even on her rest days. I think she’s going to play until she can’t walk. I think Nikki Blue was in an absolutely impossible position, and I would really love to see her get a chance to coach at least a full season with a whole and healthy squad, but I don’t know. It kind of seems like prime time to clean house.

What do you think the Mercury need to do to be contenders again? And then same questions, but for the Storm?

Natalie: So, I think you’re right about the conditions for WNBA teams changing pretty rapidly and there should definitely be some level of optimism for fans of both of these teams…though I think, without question, Phoenix has the more difficult road to get itself back to a playoff caliber/championship contending team. Obviously the return of BG was such a high point for the franchise and the W….but then it felt like everything else was just one speed bump after another….the security/flight issues, the issues with Skylar, the injuries to key players…and so no matter how great BG looked, it was hard for the team to get any momentum.

Like you, I’d like to see Nikki Blue back in the head coaching job for another year and see what she might be able to do with a healthy roster. Last month, the Mercury hired Nick U’Ren as their general manager so I’m anxious to see what he does in his first few months on the job. Signing BG or just knowing whether BG feels like she wants to keep playing is, in my book, the #1 thing on his to-do list and then he has to build around her (or start evaluating who might fill that void). I think Taurasi’s coming back for one more year…the All-Star Game being in the Valley next year feels like the perfect swan song. But even if she’s back, U’Ren has to really start to transition this team out of the Diana Taurasi era…the Fever didn’t do it effectively when Tamika Catchings was winding down her career and it’s made their rebuild considerably tougher than it had to be.

Heather: Wow, that Fever comparison is real and stark! I still don’t know if the Fever have fully recovered from Catchings retiring!

Natalie: I think the Storm are actually in a much better position than the Mercury even though there’s only one game separating them in the standings right now. Jewell Loyd had shown the type of leadership that’s needed to lead this team, Ezi Magbegor continues to get better and better, and I like what they’ve gotten out of Jordan Horston and Ivana Dojkic at points this season. If Gabby Williams makes it to this roster earlier in the season, I think they’re in the playoff hunt.

Heather: I absolutely agree with that!

Natalie: I want to see the Storm keep Noelle Quinn at the helm and make a serious play for Skylar Diggins in free agency. What do you think could help the Storm?

Heather: I also want to see Noelle Quinn return. Coaching the Storm through this season, knowing they were unlikely to make the post-season for the first time in so long, and with so many young players and a superstar putting on a career-best show β€” that’s not an easy task. I think most coaches in this league would’ve seriously struggled with that, and likely wouldn’t have been able to keep the locker room from tearing itself apart.

Jewell Loyd looked so, so sad and disappointed last night, but the depth of character she’s shown this season to pull everyone around her up, to make them all better for the future, despite also knowing the Storm were super long-shot playoff hopefuls β€” I can only think of a handful of players who are capable of that kind of leadership. They’ve also got their new arena and their Aces-challenging practice facility on the way, and we know that’s going to be a big draw for free agents. I know a lot of people think Caitlin Clark is the solution to every woe in the W, but not here. I think what the Storm could use is another veteran shooting guard who’s also not afraid to get down in the paint. Honestly, what the Storm need is Betnijah Laney β€” but they can’t have her!

Natalie: See, I think the Storm need a dedicated PG like Sue Bird was who can free Jewell up to just be a scorer instead of a scorer and the team’s primary ball-handler. But then again, Seattle does well with the strong defensive-minded wing (see also: Alysha Clark). Laney’s contract is coming up and with all those 4 max deals (or near there), I do wonder if New York will have the money leftover to pay Laney what she deserves.

Heather: That worry has been gnawing at me all season. Who do you think would be the Storm’s best get if they go for a point guard?

Natalie: You’re right to worry: it’s the problem that’s playing out in Vegas right now, right? Close to max deals for the four anchors of that offense — A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young — and they can barely afford to pay anyone else. Candace Parker and Alysha Clark both take paycuts to play there, I think.

But to answer your question: I think Skylar’s the best option, by far.

Heather: That would be a dangerous team! And so exciting!

So, what other two teams do you think are also unlikely to make the playoffs?

Natalie: That’s tough to say but I think the Fever and the Sky. I just don’t think they’ll be able to catch up to the Sparks who had won six straight before dropping that game to the Sun yesterday.

Heather: I agree.

Natalie: And that’s crazy, right? Because the season started out so promising for the Sky.

Heather: Yeah, no. This is NOT something I would have predicted before James Wade left! And I also wouldn’t have predicted, even at the All-Star break, that the Sparks were going to come to life and win six in a row!

Natalie: It’s just a matter of the Sparks getting healthy, truly. Jordin Canada’s been great, Nneka’s been a rock…and then you’ve had different players stepping up when the team has needed it. AzurΓ‘ Stevens, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Layshia Clarendon in particular have come up big.

Heather: I feel like we are in the middle of a Layshia Clarendon revival, and I love it. They have just been tossed around from team to team, cut, hardship contracts, and on and on. To see them thriving with the Sparks in a really meaningful way that’s likely going to help push the Sparks into the playoffs β€” something I’m not sure many people expected two months ago β€” has been so rewarding. I also think this is one of the few teams that’s on a real upswing here at the end of the season, which is exactly when you need to be on an upswing, and as much as Curt Miller drives me absolutely bananas, I do think that’s the mark of a veteran coach. We talked about this last week re: Sandy Brondello. Getting a team to peak at the right time is a real skill. And, honestly, any day I can see Nneka Ogwumike’s hard work, skills, and next-level leadership pay off, that’s a good day!

I’m also happy for these Sparks fans who have been asking us all season to give them SOMETHING to hope for!

Natalie: See, I don’t know why people didn’t expect it from Clarendon: this is literally what they do! Think about when they were in Minnesota and how they willed that team to victory. I think, with the short rosters and Layshia being injury prone…it’s hard to convince teams to take a chance. But anytime Clarendon can get that opportunity, they’re going to show and prove.

Heather: And look damn good doing it.

Natalie: Indeed.

While it looks like the Atlanta Dream will probably make the playoffs, they are going into the post-season, limping. They’ve lost their last 3 games and gone 2-8 over their last 10. After their loss to Dallas on Saturday, Head Coach Tanisha Wright didn’t mince words, telling her team that they needed to grow up. What do you think is going on in Atlanta and can they right the ship in time for a playoff run?

Heather: The Dream and the Sparks seem like they’re on exact opposite trajectories, don’t they? I honestly don’t know what’s going on in Atlanta. The Fever loss was especially demoralizing. They made a 16-point comeback, went up double digits, and then just fell apart! I know Kristy Wallace was having one of those weird unconscious games where everything she threw into the air went through the hoop, but even so! The key for the Dream for the rest of this season is going to be mental toughness. It SUCKS to drop that many games in a row, and seemingly out of nowhere. It gets inside your head, it creeps into the locker room, it’s the wrong time of the year for it to be happening. The Dream have so much talent, now they need to prove that they have the tenacity to bounce back from adversity.

Speaking of which: The Mystics have Elena Delle Donne, Ariel Atkins and Shakira Austin healthy, together, for the first time since, like, June? Do you think they can close out these last six games strong and actually make some noise in the playoffs?

Natalie: Gosh, I hope so…but I feel like Charlie Brown and the Mystics are Lucy….and everytime I think things are going to get better, they pull the ball away at the last second. So, suffice to say, I’m trying not to get my hopes up.

In all seriousness, though, those three, plus Brittany Sykes (who I think should be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation) and Natasha Cloud make for a formidable line-up. The questions I have are: 1. can they rebuild their chemistry in time to make some noise down the stretch and 2. is Eric Thibault a legit coach or a nepo baby?

Heather: You’re right, those are the exact questions. Number one? Absolutely. This is a team that’s had good amount of time together, they seem to really like each other, and you can already see them starting to get back into the flow. Watching them on transitions and help defense over the weekend, I was like, “Yeah, they still got it. They’re still working together.” As for Eric Thibault, I honestly don’t know. I can’t get a read on him, but that might be because I don’t pay much attention to him. What do you think about that?

Natalie: I genuinely don’t know. At times when I’ve watched the Mystics this season, it feels like he’s out of his depth and the thing keeping them afloat is Natasha Cloud acting as a player-coach. I hope he’s up to the task but I truly have no idea.

Last week, we talked about the MVP in the WNBA and it felt like afterwards things got very heated. A’ja goes off for 53 against the Dream, tying the scoring record held by Lyin’ Liz Cambage. The Connecticut rolls out a full-court press to make the case for Alyssa Thomas, including a sizzle reel, her teammates rocking her jersey and her throwing out the first pitch at the Red Sox game. THEN, Stewie hops in the chat and is like, “don’t forget about me!” She puts up 38 points in 3 quarters against the Lynx.

Heather: Unreal. Natalie! UNREAL.

Natalie: Neither of us have a vote in the MVP race but how are you feeling about how everything’s ratcheted up?

Heather: I don’t know! 😭

How did all three of them go EVEN MORE BERSERK? I think what AT is doing is so endlessly impressive in large part because she’s doing it every. single. night. Like yes, of course, Stewie and A’ja’s performances this week were otherworldly, and Stewie didn’t even play in the fourth quarter, but AT just broke records doing what she’s been doing all season long. Also, I’m sorry, but she looked SO GOOD in that Red Sox jersey. Watching what they do these last two weeks is going to be really special, I think! Did anything change from your thoughts last week?

Natalie: Well, I’m a little more scared of Alyssa Thomas than I was before…which, frankly, I did not think was possible.

But, really, I’m just glad I don’t have a vote because I’d be pulling my hair out trying to make a decision.

Heather: Absolutely. So, speaking of A’ja, the Aces finally got to go to the White House to celebrate their championship last season, and the whole thing was so joyful! How’d you feel seeing them there getting their flowers from Vice-President Harris, and also! Do you think the Aces are ushering in a new era of WNBA celebrity?

Natalie: The whole thing really was great.

And, I guess, I hope that the Aces are ushering in a new era of WNBA celebrity but I’m not convinced yet that they have yet. I think the Aces have a great combination of players with gregarious personalities and a genuine understanding about the social media landscape…and that comes together to create magic. Other teams in the league haven’t been as judicious about capturing their players’ identities and personalities and marketing them. I love it.

That said, last week A’ja tied the WNBA scoring record and she’s still out there wearing someone else’s shoe. SOMEONE, GIVE A’JA WILSON HER OWN SHOE. Nike can hand out a signature shoe to Sabrina Ionescu and Elena Delle Donne. Puma can give one to Stewie. But A’ja doesn’t have one? Not even a A’ja Wilson signature leg sleeve?!

So as much as I want to believe that the game is changing, it also feels like it’s very much the same as it always was.

Heather: That’s absolutely right!

Natalie: Before we toss it over to Carmen, we’ve got a special Monday game tonight…another Aces/Liberty match-up. Who you got?

Heather: I’m going to jinx them, but I think the Liberty! They’re playing lights out and the Aces are in a bit of a funk. What about you?

Natalie: I agree with you. I think the Liberty are just playing too well right now. Also? Hot take: I think Becky Hammon should sit Kelsey Plum or Chelsea Gray. She won’t but she should. This team is tired and she needs to start resting her players ahead of the playoffs.

Heather: Chelsea! Sit Chelsea! My fantasy team will be dead with KP!

Er, or, you know, what’s best for these real life humans I adore.

Natalie: LOL. Perfect way to end this week’s conversation.

Shall we kick it over to Carmen for her Fashion Fits of the Week?

Heather: Let’s do it! As always, this remains the absolute best way to start the week! Thank you, Natalie!

Carmen! We’re here for your FITS OF THE WEEK!

Carmen: I’m scared because Natalie said I CAN’T PICK THE ACES.

Heather: lololololll

Natalie: I didn’t say you can’t pick the Aces!

Carmen: No I heard you! You said it!

Natalie: I said that people thought you were being biased because you’re always picking the Aces.

Carmen: Okay, but in my defense!

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A post shared by A'ja Wilson (@aja22wilson)

I rest my case.

Natalie: Also, true! If there’s a better fit, I challenge someone to name it!

Carmen: I’m saying though!

Okay, I do have some other round ups… here I come with them.

So first, as I promised last week, I am surveying all of the W teams in a lookout for who is β€” overall β€” the swaggiest, and I have to say that across the board, Chicago came through dripping.

There is not a bad look or weak link in the bunch, which is surprisingly difficult to pull off team-wide! Everyone has that one friend who love but they style choices are a little circumspect lol. But I think the Sky must have a group chat or something because, every single person got in line.

Speaking of group projects, I also wanted to shout out the Sun because coordinating the entire team wearing AT’s jersey was as heartfelt, sweet of a move as it was an impressive sartorial one. I really loved that each teammate wore the the jersey in a way that matched their own personality and gender presentation, you know? DiJonai Carrington and Natisha Hiedeman are giving femme and masc approaches to the same fit and I am here for it. But obviously the real winner here is DeWanna Bonner wearing AT’s 25 as an early 00s throwback jersey dress???

Shout out to Alyssa Thomas for real, because having your fiancΓ©e wear your number while also holding your hand while you both walk into the arena to play on the team that you play on together? That’s A FLEX.

Natalie: Fine picks all around.

Carmen: But of course, this week has to once again go to the Aces for their White House looks. Chelsea Gray getting out and then holding her hand out so that her wife Tipesa didn’t fall absolutely altered my brain chemistry.

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Heather: πŸ˜‚

Carmen: And a special shout out to A’ja Wilson. You know what you did.

Let Jenni Hermoso’s Courage Be the Beginning of a Reckoning

Feature image photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

When I woke up the morning of the Women’s World Cup championship match, the first thing I did was reach for my phone to see who’d won. I don’t know a whole lot about soccer, but I love women’s sports β€” and, you know, women in general β€” and it brings me so much joy to see powerful female athletes celebrating and being celebrated. But opening my social media apps didn’t reveal hundreds of photos and videos of players jumping around on the field and dancing and spraying champagne all over the locker room. There was one picture posted over and over and over: Spain soccer federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales grabbing Spanish player Jenni Hermoso’s head between his hands and forcefully kissing her on the stage with the World Cup trophy.

It’s been a week since the incident was broadcast to hundreds of millions of people, and in that time Rubiales has doubled down (and down again, and again) on his disgusting actions, while soccer players around the world have spoken out on behalf of Jenni Hermoso. The clusterfuck of misogyny has included: RFEF issuing a statement claiming that Hermoso called the kiss “a gesture of friendship”; Hermoso issuing a statement saying that she did not say that at all, and that the kiss was not consensual; Rubiales sending coach Jorge Vilda to Hermoso’s family’s home three times to try to convince her to appear with him in an “apology” video; Rubiales refusing to resign, despite condemnation from nearly everyone involved in soccer and Spanish sports; RFEF threatening to sue Hermoso; and an emergency RFEF assembly where Rubiales ranted and raved like an unhinged lunatic about “witch hunts” and “fake feminists” and “social assassination.” Finally, this weekend, FIFA suspended Rubiales as Spain’s women’s coaches resigned en masse.

Ali Krieger wears a taped wristband that reads “Contigo Jenni” // Photo by Ira L. Black – Corbis/Getty Images

The show of support from athletes worldwide has been breathtaking. All 23 players on the World Cup championship team have signed a pledge not to play for Spain again until Rubiales is sacked. NWSL players have begun wearing wristbands that say “Contigo Jenni.” Fans at the Women’s Cup game between AtlΓ©tico de Madrid and AC Milan had posters, banners, homemade t-shirts, and more declaring their support for Hermoso, and she received a standing ovation when she arrived at the game. USWNT star Alex Morgan said she was “disgusted” by Rubiales’ actions. England defender Alex Greenwood spoke out and said “enough is enough.” Beth Mead, another English footballer, said that no player should ever have to endure what Jenni went through, before adding, “Jenni Hermoso, we are all with you.” Megan Rapinoe, unsurprisingly, pulled no punches, naming Rubiales’ actions as “assault” fueled by a “deep level of misogyny and sexism.”

I didn’t know when I first saw the photo from the World Cup that Rubiales was already considered a dictatorial pariah in the world of women’s soccer, that he’d been accused of making lewd comments to women’s players all the way back in 2016, that his behavior had already caused 15 players to resign before the World Cup, that only moments before assaulting Hermoso he’d been grabbing his crotch and thrusting it while standing next to the Queen of Spain and her young daughter. But I inferred all of that and more in a single glance, because nearly every woman I know, including myself, has been assaulted similarly by the men in power in our lives. And I bet if you showed that photo to a hundred women, without context, at least 90 of them would come to the same conclusion.

Sevilla wear jerseys that say 'It's over' // Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images

When the USWNT won the World Cup in 2019, they went on victory tour that absolutely infuriated conservatives and men all over the world. Four years later, the world of women’s sports has taken an even more enormous step backward. To these men, women athletes are nothing more than playthings, dolls they can trot around and harass, refusing to treat them like professionals or even people, and taking all the credit for their victories. Rubiales had the gall to openly grope one of his players in a stadium full of 80,000 fans and in front of an audience of countless other people watching from home. That fact alone indicates clearly that he’s not an anomaly. He thought he’d get away with it because men like him have been getting away with it from the beginning of written history.

The men’s team Sevilla wore shirts over the weekend that read “it’s over,” in honor of Hermoso, referring to Rubiales. Maybe for him. I hope so. I also hope this is the beginning of a scum cleaning that sweeps through the entire sports world. Rubiales was once known as Spain’s soccer revolutionary; let him now be known, forever, as the beginning of a reckoning.

WNBA Week 12: The New York Liberty Finally Look Like That Promised Super Team

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The WNBA is sprinting toward the 2023 playoffs. Just this week, the New York Liberty were crowed Commissioner’s Cup champions. As always, Natalie and Heather break it down and make some bold predictions about end-of-season individual awards.

Natalie: All set to talk all things WNBA?

Heather: I am ready! I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on the Commissioner’s Cup game!

Natalie: That’s a great place to start: last Tuesday, the New York Liberty faced the Las Vegas Aces for the league’s third annual commissioner’s cup and won, 82-63. Not nearly as bad a loss as the Liberty had given the Aces back in New York but still a good butt kicking…especially for the Aces who had been playing so well at home.

I think the win cemented two things for me: first, that the New York Liberty are legit. It’s like they’ve finally come into their “superteam” form and have all their pieces working. The starters have gelled and, I think most importantly, the bench is providing a substantial contribution. Second, the Aces are not infallible. It feels like everything we’ve been warning about for the last year or so β€” the long minutes being put on their starters, the non-existent bench β€” is finally having a tangible impact on the court. What were your takeaways from that Commissioner’s Cup game?

Heather: I think you are spot on, as usual! During the game, we were chatting just a little, and one of the things that really jumped out at both of us was that the Liberty’s bench was the thing that was making all the difference for them. I had it completely wrong. I thought Stef Dolson would be the game-changer off the bench, defensively β€” but no! Kayla Thorton had eight points, four rebounds, and two assists off the bench. And Marine Johannes, who seems to exist to troll your fantasy team, had 17 points on 5-7 shooting behind the arc. Stacy and I have always called her Kicky because she pulls up and shoots in the most bonkers, cartoon rabbit kind of way. When she’s off, she’s off. But when she’s cooking, there is nothing you can do to stop her. Becky Hammon said as much after the game. It was also such an even effort from the Liberty’s starters, in terms of the point spread. AND. As you and I have been saying since week one, when Jonquel Jones is playing like Jonquel Jones? That’s the stuff of championships. I was so thrilled to see her win the Cup MVP trophy.

The Aces short bench is something that’s been worrying you for two seasons now, and with Candace Parker out with injury, it’s an even more obvious liability. Another thing Hammon said after the game is that the Liberty weren’t even guarding Kia Stokes or Alysha Clark, and that was allowing them to jump off screens and double up on A’ja, Chelsey, KP, Jackie. Kiah wasn’t guarded AND she didn’t score. That’s going to be something the Aces are going to have to figure out, and fast, because other teams are going to scout that in a heartbeat.

I was so happy for the Liberty win because they’re my team, but also because it made me super excited for the playoffs, which I had just been assuming, up until this week, was going to be a field day for the Aces in route to another championship.

However! It must be said! That the Aces did turn around and spank the Liberty two days later!

Natalie: As I said during our in-game chat, not guarding a player on the floor has to be one of the most disrespectful things you can do….and I think it gets into the player’s head a little bit. I mean, I don’t think Kiah Stokes is the greatest offensive player but she should at least be able to give you a few points, just in terms of putbacks, right? The Aces have to find a way to make Stokes into a scoring threat. They just have to. Even in that second game against the Liberty β€” the actual regular season game β€” Stokes doesn’t score at all.

I think that second game was just Chelsea Gray absolutely refusing to allow the Aces to lose. But also? The Liberty just looked gassed…they’d played a lot of games in a short period and hadn’t been able to really recover. Do you worry about that in a playoff scenario?

Heather: The Liberty actually played more games than anyone leading into that Commissioner’s Cup, in large part because they were making up games from when we had that wildfire smoke here in the city that made it impossible to breathe even inside. So I think that was a contributing factor. I also think, even though they did fly charter and have a few days to prepare in Las Vegas, they were the team traveling across the country. They weren’t playing at home. So yes, they absolutely got outplayed, but I do think there were some extra things contributing to their exhaustion that will likely be more balanced in the playoffs. Do I still think it’s likely the Aces will pull it out again in the end? I sure do. But do I now think it will be more competitive? Absolutely!

One other thing I am so eager to hear your thoughts on: This rivalry is getting REAL chippy. It started back when JJ elbowed A’ja in the neck before the Cup game. It continued in their Thursday night regular season game when Kayla Thorton absolutely throttled A’ja into the ground with such ferocity that Becky Hammon RUSHED THE FLOOR to keep A’ja from jumping up and retaliating. What do you think of the simmering blood between these two, and will THAT be a factor in the playoffs?

Natalie: I think the back and forth with Thorton had been building all game and A’ja’s anger over it (compounded by not getting the calls) nearly boils over at that point…such that all her teammates and Becky Hammon have to step in an prevent an altercation from happening. And I should say, for our readers who aren’t diehard W fans like you and I: A’ja Wilson’s not that type of player. There are other folks in the league with tempers but A’ja Wilson’s not typically been one of them…so to see her get that fed up was really remarkable.

Heather: Yes, I agree β€” and I honestly thought it showed just how close this team is, including how close they are with Hammon, because, like you said, A’ja doesn’t play ball like that. And in the case of Hammon, she only saw the back of A’ja’s head before she started rushing the court. Just even seeing her body language, she knew she was about to act out of character. One thing you can say for absolute certainty about these Aces: you mess with one of them, you mess with all of them.

Natalie: I think what we’re seeing, though is other WNBA teams believing that the best way to beat the Aces is to play them physically. You’ve seen that in the five games they’ve lost this season, including the most recent loss to the Sparks over the weekend. To have that sustained level of physicality, especially if the refs aren’t calling the fouls, is going to drain a team…and without a bench to rely on, the Aces are really vulnerable.

Heather: A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are both majorly susceptible to that funk that comes over them when they’re not getting calls, because they are so used to getting calls! And so much of their points, and their team momentum, comes from what they’re able to do in the paint, whether that’s getting offensive rebounds, coming through with ‘and 1s,’ pulling down huge defensive rebounds and then leading the transition charge down the floor. So when they’re getting beaten up down there, with nothing to show for it, it’s got to get frustrating as hell! I love physical post play, I L O V E I T β€” but, way more than that, I value these players’ bodies and livelihoods, so I hope the refs can find a way to keep everyone safe as we head into this last part of the season.

There’s one more Aces thing we have to touch on. They lost to the Sparks. Natalie, what in the world!?

Natalie: It’s like I said: the physicality is a problem…and the refs just weren’t calling it.

Heather: I also want to shout out Layshia Clarendon. 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists? That’s a masterful performance! I am always rooting for them and it was so cool to see them so happy after that game!

Natalie: Definitely a great performance in that game. They’re one of the best physical guards in the league and it made it harder for the Aces’ guards to dish the ball or get into the lane.

That game also featured another great performance by Jordin Canada who, at least in my book, is leading the race for the Most Improved Player in the league right now. Earlier in the season, we made our predictions for the WNBA Awards and, for MIP, I predicted Satou Sabally or Shakira Austin taking it while you had Allisha Gray.

With a few weeks left in the season who’s your pick for Most Improved?

Heather: Oh wow, we had great picks! I agree with you that Jordin Canada’s in the conversation, but I think for me it’s gotta be Satou Sabally. Not only is she having a career best year, personally, her play has elevated the Wings to a whole new level. ESPN had them third in their power rankings this morning! It’s obviously very much a team effort in Dallas. Teaira McCowan and Natasha Howard are having the best year’s of their careers too. But Satou is just on another level.

Natalie: I want to go with Satou…first because I love her and second because I love being right…but I think the consistency hasn’t been there for me lately. In the last two games for the Wings, she’s averaged just 8 points. Canada, on the other hand, has been such a steadying force for the Sparks…and, for me, she’s leading in that race.

A lot of talk about the MVP race. In our pre-season picks, you went with Breanna Stewart and I went with a “if she stays healthy β€” and that’s a big if β€” Elena Delle Donne.” I see now that I probably jinxed EDD with that statement and I regret it.

Heather: I think EDD is simply cursed.

Natalie: What about you? Are you still betting on Stewie to take the MVP trophy this year?

Heather: I think it’s going to be A’ja or Stewie, and I can’t argue with either. They are two of the best to ever do it; they’re both shining so bright this season; All-Star captains; likely Championship team captains. Best players on the best teams, like you always say!

Natalie: So, can I be honest and admit that I’m rethinking the best player on the best team thing?

Heather: Ooh, say more!

Natalie: Obviously, Stewie and A’ja have been great this season but what Alyssa Thomas is doing in Connecticut this season is just other worldly. She’s breaking records left and right. Over the weekend, she became the first WNBA player to have 300 rebounds and 250 assists in a single season AND she still has nine games left?! And then the triple-doubles on top of that?

I don’t know how someone can have that historic of a season and then we don’t acknowledge that with an MVP trophy.

Heather: You know what, you’re absolutely right.

I’ve been thinking lately that if AT was having this kind of otherworldly season in Vegas or NYC β€” I don’t even mean on the Aces or Liberty, really, I just mean in either of those cities/markets, so I guess Los Angeles too β€” this would be a whole other conversation. Or if she was a male athlete having this kind of season. So, yeah, I have absolutely no quibble with your selection here. I mean! She’s literally right now in competition with Courtney Vandersloot for the most assists this season, and breaking the single-season assist record! They’re tied right now for the 3rd-most assists in a season in WNBA history.

Natalie: The thing that really turned me around on this is, oddly, enough the Rookie of the Year race. I don’t think there’s a legitimate argument to be made that anyone other than Aliyah Boston is going to take home that trophy….but when you talk about why Boston deserves it, you’re talking about stats that defy history. Over the weekend, she passed Tamika Catchings for the rookie field goal record in Indiana. Her efficiency for a rookie is off the charts. She deserves it because she’s making history.

So why deny Alyssa Thomas the MVP trophy when she’s doing similar things?

Heather: Welp! You convinced me! In like three minutes!

Natalie, I just love talking about the W with you. Just reading the last two things you wrote, I’ve got chills all over my arms. How dang amazing for us to be witnessing this women’s basketball history! At a time when we can watch more women’s basketball on TV than ever before!

Natalie: We really are witnessing greatness on the court…and I can’t believe I get to talk about it with you and get paid for it. Don’t tell Carmen but I’d talk to you about the WNBA for free!

Heather: Shhh, me too!

I’d love to know who’s got your vote right now for Coach of the Year and DPOY.

Natalie: Coach of the Year is another tough one for me. Obviously, Hammon’s in the conversation…and I think Brondello has to be as well. It took a minute but getting that New York Liberty team to gel, getting everyone to understand their roles and how valuable they are in making the “superteam” super…it’s been an impressive feat for Brondello. But I think I have to give it to Stephanie White.

Heather: MY ENEMY FROM 1999?!?!

Natalie: If you had told me that the Sun were going to lose JJ in the off-season, lose Brionna Jones to injury during the season and still be in the top tier of the WNBA…I would’ve thought you were crazy. But they’re still sitting in the upper echelon of the league. That’s a testament to what White’s brought to the franchise.

But I think it’s between White and Brondello…what about you?

Heather: Forgive me Pat Summitt in heaven, but I do agree with you that what Stephanie White has accomplished is nothing short of a coaching miracle. Especially because Connecticut isn’t really famous for having teams that super-duper love each other. And there are plenty of chips to go around for plenty of shoulders, even just DeWanna and AT getting shut out of All-Star starting spots this season when they’re both having such huge seasons in such illustrious careers.

For me, though, I do think it’s Brondello. I will be honest and say that the patience and gentleness she exhibited with this team all the way up until the All-Star break was absolutely maddening to me. I just wanted to see her get mad! At the turnovers! At giving up offensive rebounds! At the way they were not playing to their potential! But she just kept calmly saying that these things take time, that the team was going to come together, that JJ was going to find her place, that Sabrina was going to learn how to play defense. She was infuriatingly peaceful and full of confidence all that stuff would happen and that the Liberty would peak at the right time β€” AND THEY HAVE!

Natalie: I mean, hoping that Sabrina learns how to play defense might be expecting a little too much but yes, that’s exactly why I think Brondello’s a lead candidate. I suppose after so many years with Phoenix, managing the egos in New York seemed like child’s play.

DPOY is another tough one for me: who do you have?

Heather: I think it’s A’ja again. Not just because she’s leading the league in blocks and defensive win shares, but also because just the fact of her keeps so many people out of the lane and also keeps them from shooting. She is so endlessly impressive with her blocking, but I’ve really only just begun to appreciate how brilliant she is off the ball and how she can make people pay β€” or balk β€” even if she’s not guarding them.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Sabrina Ionescu pick up her dribble in a panic and turn the ball over simply because A’ja Wilson started moving toward her.

Natalie: What do you think gives her the edge over someone like Stewie? And, are you surprised that Brittney Griner’s not part of the DPOY conversation?

Heather: That’s two great questions. I think the difference with Stewie is that she’s not guarding the other team’s best player every night. And, in fact, Sandy Brondello will go to a second, or even third choice, before she forces Stewie to really guard someone who’s going to get her in foul trouble. Betnijah Laney is, by far, the Liberty’s best defender, and she’s usually guarding the other team’s star, every single night. With A’ja, you’re just going to get her no matter how good you are. Hammon trusts her to play killer defense and be smart enough to stay out of foul trouble.

As far as BG goes, I have just been so endlessly impressed with her level of play this season, after everything, that I’m not surprised she’s not in the DPOY conversation because she’s still not at the top of her game, but that doesn’t take away from what she’s accomplished, of course! (I actually saw BG laughing at her bobblehead on on the Mercury’s IG the other day, saying she wishes she could put back on that weight the bobblehead BG is showcasing.

Natalie: Sorry for the delay but I had to go look for that bobblehead post on IG, it sounded hilarious…and it is!

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Heather: I love this video!

Natalie: Her reaction is absolutely adorable. I love BG so much.

Heather: Every time she smiles β€” literally every time β€” I smile back. I’m like a little baby, just mirroring her happiness.

Natalie: Her joy is infectious.

Two quick things to touch on before we toss it over to Carmen for the WNBA Fits of the Week: first, WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, is on the road visiting potential expansion cities for the league. She made a stop in Denver last Wednesday. Are you feeling optimistic about the possibility of expansion and are you surprised that WNBA players don’t seem as thrilled about the possibility as fans are?

Heather: I think if you’d asked me this at this exact time last year, I would have been over the moon excited. But I’ll tell you what, I have been so deeply disappointed with so many of the decisions Engelbert/the league have made this season that I actually wish they’d get that stuff handled before expanding. The weirdness with charter flights, the bullshit with BG’s security, the baffling ways pregnant players are being treated, the too-small roster limits, the low pay that’s still going to force so many players overseas. I don’t see how expanding the league is going to fix any of those issues, and I think that Engelbert’s got this almost trickle-down economics idea that her main job should be marketing and expansion so that the league can grow and then make more money and then deal with all these very valid player complaints. But that feels more and more backward to me. I’m so glad you asked this because I have been so greedy for your take on it.

Natalie: I think you’re where a lot of the players are: Kelsey Plum has talked about this a little bit, particularly as it relates to the travel piece. There are all these things that need fixing in the league and those things warrant more immediate consideration. I don’t disagree with any of the issues that you’ve raised but also I hope it’s not an either-or proposition, you know? Like I want us to be able to have charter flights for the players AND expanded rosters AND new teams in the league. There’s no reason for a professional league to not be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.

Heather: And amen to that!

Natalie: I think, as the players go into this next round Collective Bargaining, related to the TV deal, hope that they approach it with an yes-AND mindset rather than an either-or.

Heather: I absolutely agree.

Natalie: The second thing: over the weekend, we also saw Minnesota forward Aerial Powers take to twitter and make clear that she won’t be back in a Lynx jersey next season. We’ve both been perplexed about Powers’ play (or lack thereof) in Minnesota this season so I’m not sure her frustration came as a surprise…but what do you think is the problem in Minnesota?

Heather: I mean, obviously it’s much harder to handle any kind of drama in the locker room when your team has a losing record. The Lynx are having the weirdest season. They’re in the playoff conversation, but they’re 15-17 (6-10 AT HOME). I’m sure there’s been plenty of conversation about who the Lynx are going to bring in during the next draft, and whether or not they’re going to be some kind of savior. It’s impossible to overlook what a huge loss it was in the locker room when Sylvia Fowles retired. I think they’re having a bad season, I think any kind of bad blood between players, or between players and staff is probably getting more and more heated, and I just get the feeling Aerial feels at least slightly discredited by the organization. Her girlfriend tweeted that the team was “toxic,” so I don’t really know what’s happening there, but I hope she can field a trade to a place where she’s happier. She’s got some good years left in her! What’s your thinking on her, and also just on the Lynx overall as we had toward the playoffs?

Natalie: The toxic tweets caught me a bit off-guard because, though we all acknowledge that not all WNBA franchises are well-run, there’s never been any indication that Minnesota is a particularly toxic environment. If there’s something else going on, I hope that we hear more about it so that it can be addressed.

That said, I think the real issue in Minnesota β€” and I don’t know that it qualifies to the level of toxic given how common it has been across the league β€” is that the head coach should not be the general manager. They brought AP in for scoring and, particularly while Phee was out, Powers provided that…but now Phee’s back, Diamond Miller’s stepped up and they’ve got Tiffany Mitchell…and AP isn’t needed as much. They’d trade her but, because Reeves was so desperate for scoring help, they signed Powers to an inflated contract…so there’s no other team that can really afford to take her.

Heather: That’s a really, really astute observation. This isn’t the first time you’ve been able to see the bad effects of having Reeves do both of those jobs.

Natalie: Absolutely. Remember the Angel McCoughtry stint in Minnesota?

Anyway, how about a Minnesota palate cleanser?

Heather: Okay well that’s the cutest thing I have seen in a minute! I love seeing women athletes with their babies on the floor and field, I just love it!

Natalie: So do I!

Heather: Speaking of things we love, let’s turn it over to Carmen for Fits of the Week!

Carmen: The obvious winner for outfit of the week goes to my fantasy wife Chelsea Gray for her Commissioner Cup fit last week.

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Heather: Mmm hmm.

Carmen: There are no words. In fact I think, upon knowledge of this outfit, my exact phrasing was: “what am i supposed to do with this huh WHAT AM I TO DO?!?! i guess just lie down on the floor.”

I also would like to publicly acknowledge that it’s been brought to my attention by Natalie that my Aces bias might be influencing my outfits of the week β€” they’ve been featured more than any other team β€” and while I stand by my choices!! I am going to be conducting an informal “Which WNBA Team is the swaggiest??” in the next couple weeks. And I’ll pay attention in the comments for any suggestions!

Right now if I had to guess the answers are: 1) Aces 2) Chicago 3) Dallas 4) LA… but that’s just a first pass at it!

Seattle Storm Send Megan Rapinoe Into Retirement With a Jersey to Match Sue Bird’s

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Last night, the Seattle Storm honored Megan Rapinoe β€” the Seattle Reign FC midfielder, USWNT superstar, and partner of Storm legend Sue Bird β€” with a jersey to match her wifey’s. The power couple have been a fixture at WNBA games this season, especially in their home city, and Rapinoe seemed genuinely surprised and moved by the tribute and jersey presentation. The crown went absolutely wild for her as Rapinoe put on the jersey and posed like a clown. If you’re a longtime women’s basketball fan, you’ll know what a big deal this is: The Storm gave Rapinoe a #15 jersey, which is both her USWNT number, and the number of Hall of Famer Lauren Jackson, whose Storm #15 is hanging retired in the rafters.

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Rapinoe announced that this year’s World Cup would be her last, before the tournament even started. In her retirement press conference, she said, “I want to thank my family for being by my side all these years. Thanks to all my teammates and coaches all the way back to my first days in Redding, on to college at the University of Portland and of course thanks to U.S. Soccer, the Seattle Reign and especially Sue, for everything.” And she fell right into Sue Bird’s arms after the the USWNT was eliminated by Sweden in the round of 16.

Bird and Rapinoe will be icons and celebrities in the women’s sports world, and especially in Seattle, for the rest of their lives. For now, I hope they both take a nice, long, hugely deserved nap.

WNBA Week 11: Becky Hammon’s Hall of Fame Induction + Commissioner’s Cup Week

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WNBA Week 11 has come and gone, and it was a big one β€” plus, tomorrow is the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup! And, of course, don’t miss Carmen’s Fits of the Week!

Natalie: Should we start this week’s WNBA conversation with the Liz Cambage interview? For those who missed it, former WNBA All-Star Liz Cambage sat down with Bleacher Report‘s Taylor Rooks for a long interview about her time in the league, including her abrupt departures from Las Vegas and Los Angeles, as well as, her time with the Australian National Team…and particularly, the much talked about scrimmage with Nigeria.

Did you watch the Cambage interview and, if so, what were your takeaways?

Heather: So I did watch that interview, and then I watched the footage that was leaked from that actual scrimmage back before the last Olympics, and it turns out Cambage did, in fact, say all the racist things the Nigerian team reported, which of course made me then doubt every single thing she said in that Bleacher Report interview! Including this wild claim she made that she was going to play for Nigeria? That she was filing some kind of paperwork to not be affiliated with the Australian National Team, so she could go play for this team whose country she called a “shit hole?” Of course, nearly the entire Nigerian National Team has spoken out on Twitter to say that Cambage is not in talks with them, to reiterate the things she called them and the country itself, and to also say that everyone on their team β€” plus the video β€” has the exact same story, and only Cambage has a different one. It is just absolutely WILD to me that Cambage is making these claims when there’s proof she’s not being honest! I’m not sure she’s ever going to play basketball again. I would love to know your thoughts on this mess!

Natalie: One thing I’ve learned in life is that, generally, when people lie to you, there’s always one kernel of truth in what they’re saying…and that’s done intentionally so that you can’t dismiss outright what’s being said. So I want to start off by being clear that I think that Liz has some legitimate critiques about the league and its lack of professionalism. This is a topic we’ve dealt with repeatedly in our conversations about the W…from BG’s travel issues this season to the issues with Skylar…I think there’s a legitimate critique to be made that the league needs to do better.

Heather: Absolutely.

Natalie: That said, the rest of the interview was absolute garbage. I mean, I am really astounded by the level of narcissism and complete unwillingness to take accountability for even the simplest things. Just one lie after another after another. And, to be clear: I’m not taking someone else’s word for it…there are so many times in the interview where Cambage will say one thing and then later completely contradict herself. Like, when she claims to be an honest person then Rooks asks her about her time in Los Angeles β€” which Liz was effusive about at the time β€” and Cambage acknowledges that she was lying then. I really don’t know how anyone’s supposed to take her seriously.

We know about the Sparks’ issues, in terms of facilities, because that’s part of the reason that Candace Parker left…and yet I’m supposed to believe that a franchise that can’t get the team a legitimate locker room is gonna offer her a G-Wagon? C’mon, dawg…be serious.

Heather: Right, even Jordin Canada, who is never involved in this kind of stuff, tweeted out to tell Bleacher Report to call her if they wanted the real story from Liz’s time in LA. (With the Pinocchio emoji, which I will admit made me laugh.)

Natalie: And the Nigeria thing…I admit that I didn’t hear the exchange that the Nigerian and Australian players said occurred but I definitely heard her call them ghetto multiple times…and so this meek defense that she’d never say anything racial because she’s so pro-black?! Yeah, I don’t believe that either.

Heather: Why do you think she even did this interview? Do you think she wants to come back to the W?

Natalie: I think she does want to play ball again. She says repeatedly that she doesn’t care about the league, that she prefers playing with the boys, and she’s not keeping up with things but then she’ll talk about her scoring record β€” and which current WNBA players might break it β€” and the situation with Skylar…and it’s clear that she’s definitely keeping tabs on things. Do I think she’ll ever play in the league again? Not at all.

And I’ll freely admit: I liked watching her play. She was entertaining…she was the kind of post-player that I grew up with…like a Yolanda Griffith. Also? I don’t think every player in the W has to be likeable. It’s good for women’s sports to have a villain…and when Liz would sit on the sidelines, filing her nails or eating some popcorn…that was fun and entertaining to me.

So while I’m very much like, “girl bye!” when it comes to Cambage, I’m also disappointed because it’s another person β€” like Riquna Williams β€” who can’t get out of the way of their own talent.

Heather: Yep, I absolutely agree! And, man, if she could have kept it together and played with her whole heart (which she didn’t always do), she would be such a huge asset to any team in this league. She is my favorite kind of post player to watch, and I did love her swagger, but dang, Liz!

You mentioned Candace Parker, and I do have to say how relieved I was to see her on the Aces IG at the game this weekend. She had gone completely MIA, even on her own socials, after her injury and surgery, so I’m just glad to see her face and know she’s (relatively!) okay!

Also, though, in the wide world of W drama, what in the heck happened between Kelsey Plum and Tanisha Wright last night?

Natalie: I wanted to ask you about that because I only caught the tail end of it on social media. Do you know what happened?

Heather: I actually went to bed before the game was over, so I only saw it this morning. I don’t know what, like, led up to the confrontation, but based on the video, KP said or did SOMETHING that caused Tanisha Wright to call her an asshole, and the Vicki Johnson came over and got in her space, and THEN A’ja Wilson came running over and said, “Y’all not about to roll up on my girl like that” and Tanisha walked off. Whatever did happen, Becky Hammon was trucking it out of there so fast. She did not want to be in it, which was extra bizarre!

I’ve looked all over the place for an explanation and someone said KP was running her mouth to the Dream bench during an and-one call at the end of the game.

Natalie: In her defense, Becky had both her boys at the game and wasn’t paying any attention to what went on with KP and Tanisha Wright.

Heather: And honestly she was probably so exhausted from the Hall of Fame induction this weekend. She just wanted to pocket that W and go HOME.

Natalie: I mean, I think a lot of players talk shit after an and-one…so that’s not really that surprising to me. I am, however, surprised that of all the shit talking players in the W, Kelsey Plum is the one that gets confronted by the opposing team’s coach first? I mean, Plum over Sabrina, Diana and Natasha Cloud? I did not see that coming.

Heather: Over MARINA MABREY? If Tanisha Wright called Marina Mabrey an asshole, she’s just be like, “Yeah, and?”

Natalie: Yeah, I’d just be like, “okay, you right.”

Heather: LOLOLOL! Well, I touched on it, so what did you think about Becky Hammon’s Hall of Fame induction this weekend, where I finally got to see her wife for the first time in my life.

Natalie: I cannot believe that. She was at the jersey retirement ceremony.

Heather: I can’t either, I have like a Spidey-sense for gay wives!

Natalie: I will say, though, that Brenda’s rarely introduced as her wife…which bugs me to no end…so I understand how you might have missed it.

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Heather: Dang, their boys are cute cute cute!

Natalie: They’re so adorable.

Did you get to watch any of the Hall of Fame activities? What’d you think of Hammon’s speech?

Heather: I did! No surprise that it absolutely made me cry. I think for people who are newer fans of the W, it’s probably not really obvious what an underdog Hammon was her entire career. She was too short, she didn’t go to the right school, her WNBA draft class coincided with the end of the ABL which left her undrafted in favor of more senior, seasoned players/stars/former Olympians, she never made the US Olympic team so she applied for dual citizenship and played for Russia. And then, all the years she spent trying to break into and make a name for herself coaching in the NBA summer league and as an assistant. So in her speech, when she said to Gregg Popovich, “Pop, I’m not gonna look at you,” and then she and Pop both started sobbing? Yeah, well, me too! She seemed nervous during her speech, which you don’t see from her very much, and so so so grateful for her family, which made me cry harder. I think, also, the way the Aces players spoke about her this weekend, every time they were asked, was really beautiful too. There’s just about nothing I love more than a legacy of women uplifting women β€” and, forgive me for being so shallow, but she looked damn good in that orange blazer! What about you?

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Natalie: I think you’re spot on with what my reflections were going to be: the place she’s in right now is so improbable for this short kid from South Dakota who went to Colorado State…and it shouldn’t be taken for granted how hard she had to work to get to this spot where she is. With respect to the Olympics thing, I just want to point out, because it’s not said enough: she should’ve been on the US National Team. We’ve seen this play out, in subsequent years (see also: Nneka Ogwumike), where players don’t get chosen for reasons that have nothing to do with basketball…and Becky Hammon was that player. At the time when she should’ve been picked, she was, I think, leading the league in scoring and a top candidate for league MVP. It was preposterous that she was left off the roster in the first place and that she had to join the Russian National Team.

Heather: Yep, that’s absolutely right! I have this hangup with Becky Hammon where I’m afraid to love her because I feel like it’s inevitable that she’s going back to the MNBA, but she has done so much for this sport and she absolutely deserved this weekend!

Natalie: I think that’s a forgotten part of the story β€” that she was kept off the National Team for bullshit reasons β€” but that’s also a big part of Hammon’s life story. They wouldn’t make space for her on the National Team, so she went and found her own path to the Olympics…and then they criticized her for the path they made her take. Likewise with the MNBA…they’re not making space for her to coach in the league on her own merits and then criticize her for the path they made her choose.

Heather: You’re absolutely right! That’s such a incisive comment!

Next stop for Becky Hammon and the Aces: the Commissioner’s Cup on Tuesday night!

Natalie: I’m so excited for the Commissioner’s Cup. Your Liberty are riding a six game win streak into Tuesday night’s game; what are you hoping to see from your squad?

Heather: I’m hoping for a couple of VERY DOABLE things. I want to see them take care of the basketball. When they are moving the ball well in their half-court sets and transition, it gets everyone involved and feeling good and that’s when they’re playing peak basketball. But they are so prone to slipping into these long stretches of just turning the ball over and over and giving up huge leads, so I want to see them not do that. I want to see them playing the kind of individual and team defense that seemed to come out of nowhere (though I know it didn’t actually) after the All-Star break. And I want to see good shot selection that includes Betnijah Laney getting her crucial looks at the basket. Stef Dolson is also back just in time! She is such a difference maker defensively and on the boards, which is especially crucial against the Aces who draw fouls by just existing in the same space as other players. I also want to see a CLEAN GAME. No elbows to necks! What are you hoping for? And will you be bold enough to make a score prediction??

Natalie: I will not be bold enough to make a score prediction but I really am looking forward to this game. I think this is going to be a real test for both squads. The Liberty are playing their best basketball of the season and so we’re going to get a chance to see if the Liberty can really challenge the Aces for the crown this season. I want to see the Liberty sharing the basketball. In their last loss against Minnesota, they only had 20 assists and last night in their win against the Fever, they had 32. I think that’s the key to unlocking their best basketball.

Heather: Yes!

Natalie: I’m looking forward to seeing how the Aces respond to the way they got trounced by the Liberty last week. I think we’ve seen a bit more fight from that team since then, led by the phenomenal play of A’ja Wilson. We talked earlier about Kelsey Plum jawing at the Atlanta bench…but I think that’s fire that comes because of that New York loss. I think this team is really fired up to try and avenge that loss.

What about you? Are you bolder than me?

Heather: I agree with you that the Aces are primed to play some of their best basketball, which is always scary and exciting! And you know A’ja, personally, is going to be trying to avenge that 2-15 performance from last time. I actually don’t know who I think is going to win, which isn’t something I would have ever guessed I’d be saying a month ago when the Aces seemed invincible. That’s thrilling!

It’s also the only thing going on this week. It’s just all Aces vs. Liberty until the weekend! I hope that’s good news for teams that need some rest!

Natalie: And for my fantasy line-up to re-assert itself!

Heather: Same here!

I can’t wait to meet you back here next week to talk about the Commissioner’s Cup game and our hopes and dreams for the rest of the season. And to complain about these inevitable bad refs, lol!

Natalie: Absolutely! We’ll revisit some of our early season predictions and determine if we were on the mark with those…and, if not, who we think the favorites are going down the stretch!

Heather: I can’t wait! Let’s turn it over to Carmen for FASHION! Carmen, do you have some Fit of the Week winners for us?

Carmen: I mean the obvious winner here is Becky Hammon, right? Because if there’s a colder fit than an orange Hall of Fame jacket, I most certainly do not know it.

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Carmen: But also, I thought Becky’s lightly wavy hair and make up was sensational with the purple suit coat she wore to her induction. It’s hard to see from this video, but she also wore a simple large face watch that took my breath away. I love a good watch, it’s so gay when its done well.

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Carmen: Speaking of gay fashion and the Las Vegas Aces! I can’t exactly crown this “best fit” of the week, but kudos to Kierstan Bell for an extreme level of gayness. This might be the gayest outfit I’ve seen all year (and the commitment? To wear long pants and a fuzzy sweater… in Las Vegas… in August????) and in the WNBA, “gayest outfit” is already saying a lot.

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WNBA Week 10: Diana Taurasi Scores 10K, Everyone Else Brawls

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Welcome back to Natalie and Heather breaking down the week in the W! As always, we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Heather: Natalie, hello! Thank you for joining me for our weekly WNBA chat, even though I know your heart must be heavy from the USWNT loss this weekend.

Natalie: It really is. I didn’t think it would be…I’d watched enough of the USWNT’s performance to see the end coming. There wasn’t much reason to have faith in Vlatko to turn things around. BUT! Then they came out in a different formation with a different lineup (necessitated by the absence of Rose Lavelle) and the hope starts to creep in. And then they played as well as they had all tournament β€” even better than the Vietnam win β€” and the hope starts to creep in just a little more.

Heather: It’s also hard to keep your hope-heart in check when you haven’t been able to sleep because the games are all happening on a different planet!

Natalie: The whole match gave me hope…which only made the penalties that much more crushing. The most painful loss I’ve ever witnessed. It was hard to watch the WNBA afterwards because I was like, “sports?! why should I do that to myself!”

Heather: “I’ll just punch my own self in the face and get it over with!”

Natalie: Right! Which, turns out, is an apt turn of phrase for the WNBA this weekend, where things got very spicy.

Heather: Yeah, there was certainly no comfort to be found in the W this weekend, which was maybe the most brutal weekend the sport has ever experienced? Starting with Shey Peddy getting carted off on a stretcher Friday night then carried on to A’ja Wilson needing to get checked for a concussion after Jonquel Jones elbowed her in the neck on Sunday, and a near bench-clearing brawl between Dallas and Chicago, AND THEN Layshia Clarendon and Brittney Sykes getting ejected in the Sparks-Mystics game after Sykes grabbed Clarendon when they were going up for a layup and then Clarendon straight up rugby tackling Sykes to the ground. Honestly, the perfect way to honor Diana Taurasi!

Natalie: Really, no better tribute to Diana Taurasi than what happened this weekend. LOL.

In all seriousness, I’m grateful that none of the players were seriously injured this weekend because β€” and we talked about this last week β€” the refs continue to be abysmal at their jobs. Allowing that level of physicality to continue is going to get someone hurt. And when you don’t get calls that absolutely should’ve been made, players are going to get pissed about it…and rightfully so…which only leads to more chippy-ness like we saw this weekend.

Heather: That’s absolutely right, and I was thinking about our conversation about how the W needs to step up and protect their players the entire weekend. I did miss an injury in my list up there. I forgot that Sophie Cunningham got poked in the face/eyeball by an actual goat, which Phoenix had on hand during Taurasi’s 10,000 point game. And I’m definitely not just saying that so we can post a video of it.

Speaking of that game: Diana Taurasi scored her 10,000th career point last week. She was already the league’s leading scorer, passing Tina Thompson’s second place 7,488 career points years ago. And now, in 522 games, she has set a record that I would be shocked to ever see broken. I have plenty of issues with DT, but there is no denying this is one of the most impressive athletic feats I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.

Natalie: Yeah, I don’t know that we’re going to see anyone come even remotely close to taking this crown from her. I stand by my long-held belief that anyone who wants to call themselves the GOAT in basketball has to be a two-way player but this is such an incredible performance that even critics like me can’t help but be awed by it.

I mean, 10k points…in a league as competitive as the WNBA…when she’s playing along side players like Cappie Pondexter and DeWanna Bonner and BG who are all incredible offensive talents in their own rite. It’s just unreal that she could do this. It’s amazing.

Heather: It really is. Obviously there’s something to be said for how long she’s been able to play, but even still, she’s averaged almost 20 points a game for her entire career to get here! Even when the WNBA’s seasons eventually get longer, and even though stars keep averaging more and more points, and even though the range for threes keeps getting bigger and bigger, I still have a hard time imagining anyone else doing what she’s done. And you know what, it’s a big damn deal that she’s done it as an openly gay woman. She has done a heck of a lot for this game, and for women’s sports in general, and she deserves this moment of celebration and even the actual goats that attacked Sophie Cunningham.

Natalie: I think she’s raised the bar for the game, no doubt about that. She’s raised our expectations for what a franchise player should be and how they should contribute. She’s advanced the game but, I think, done it in a very different way than, say, a Sue Bird has. Like, has she been on the frontlines with regard to improving WNBA salaries? No but I think about that year she took a break from the WNBA because some Russian oligarch was willing to pay her more to sit out than the WNBA was willing to pay her to play. That’s a statement and that contributes to an environment where change becomes inevitable.

But all the news out of Phoenix wasn’t great: we heard this week from Taurasi’s current/former teammate Skylar Diggins. The former Notre Dame standout admitted that she’s being denied access to the Mercury’s facilities, along with other benefits that are available to players like chefs, nutritionists, strength and conditioning coaches, etc.

What’s your take on the situation with Skylar and what do you want to see happen?

Heather: When Skylar shared that news on Twitter, I was both shocked and also not surprised at all. For a league that built two season’s worth of hype around the fact that DeWanna Bonner is the mother of twins (count that twice!), the WNBA is really showing its ass when it comes to taking care of its players who are mothers.

You can’t look at what’s happening to Skylar without thinking about what happened to Dearica Hamby, and then, of course, you can’t look at them without thinking about players who might not be as outspoken as them, but have suffered similarly if they decided to get pregnant. I mean if the WOMEN’S National Basketball Association can’t handle maternity leave with any kind of integrity, how in the world can we respect them? How, in 2023, does every team in the league not have plans in place for players who get pregnant! And I’m not talking about plans to keep winning while they’re away, I’m talking about plans to help them have healthy pregnancies and then provide them with the physical, emotional, and mental health resources they need to return to the game if they want to. ESPECIALLY when the majority of the league is made up of Black women and we know for a fact that Black women are more than twice as likely to experience severe pregnancy-related complications. It is negligent and inexcusable and I am, honestly, livid reading about it.

Natalie: I share your anger on this, Heather…and, honestly, I’m a little flabbergasted by everything around this. The reactions to it have been so muted, both from the Players’ Association and the WNBA (I still don’t think the league has issued a statement) that I’m completely taken aback. I mean, this is a clear violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Skylar Diggins-Smith is under contract with the Phoenix Mercury and while she is, they are required, under the CBA, to provide the salary and benefits that she’s entitled to as a player. Why is this violation of the CBA being swept under the rug or treated like it’s not worth responding to?

The Mercury should get a fine for everyday they keep Skylar Diggins out of that gym.

Heather: That’s exactly it! I do not get it! I feel like the league is at a crossroads. I feel like these players have been told for so long just to suck it up and deal with all the inequities and keep quiet, because they’re under an obligation to grow to league, to Do What’s Best For The Game β€” and we’re finally starting to see the cracks not only show, but break things open. In my mind, this is in the same category of things like making the players travel all night on commercial flights, not having security for Brittney Griner, the players not having NAMES ON THEIR LOCKERS. It’s just endless disrespect that seems to be fueled, at least, by a lack of willingness to spend the kind of money it takes to run a professional sports league, and a lot of guilt-tripping on behalf of the league’s administration. And I would FULLY support that fine.

Natalie:

I read that tweet from Sarah Kezele, an Arizona sports reporter, and that re-framed my thinking on this situation.

Heather:Who cares what her personal relationship is with the team! This isn’t the Baby-Sitter’s Club! It’s the most elite professional sports league on earth!

Natalie:If you’re mad, pay Skylar out the rest of her contract and cut her loose. This franchise just divorced Tina Charles. They know how this works. You can’t deny a player the salary and benefits they’re entitled to because you want to be petty. This is absolute bullshit, and, as you say, completely beneath what you’d expect from a professional league. This is a violation of the CBA and I don’t know why Phoenix is being allowed to get away with it…and why everyone seems content to let them.

Heather: I’m just over here pumping my first in agreement with you. This league has a lot of junk to work out in the coming months!

Natalie: That’s for sure. In better news, your New York Liberty got a huge win over the weekend against the Aces. Actually, check that…I think Becky Hammon got it right: the Aces got their asses kicked. What’d you think about that game and what do you think it portends for the Liberty going forward?

Heather: One of my biggest weaknesses as a sports fan is seeing some magical blip and going “Oh, they’ve turned a corner!” Which is what I said about the Liberty after the All-Star break and then they got wrecked by a Napheesa-less Lynx! Watching that game was wild because Sabrina Ionescu literally could not miss, and A’ja Wilson couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. I think she was like 2-14 from the field. I know she was examined by a doctor after JJ smacked her in the head with her elbow, but I am not convinced she wasn’t concussed. This same thing happened last year to the Miami Dolphins, where their quarterback went through concussion protocol after getting walloped in the head, and was ruled eligible to play, and then came back out and threw like nine interceptions. Then he went through more testing and they were like, “Whoops, he was indeed concussed.” So it did take A’ja having the worst game of her professional career and Sabrina having one of her best.

Natalie: Stacy’s going to really appreciate that Miami Dolphins reference from you.

Heather: LOL I know, but she’ll probably be like, “Uh, he only threw SEVEN interceptions.”

But, back to the game, I also thought the Liberty had played the best defense they’ve played, as a team, all season, so that’s not nothing.

I guess we’ll find out more about whether or not this was a fluke because the Liberty and Aces play like three more times this month. What do you think about that matchup at this point in the season?

Natalie: You’re right…we’ll get to see if the Liberty are legitimate threats really soon because New York and Las Vegas meet again next Tuesday for the Commissioner’s Cup.

Like you, I keep giving New York credit only to see them digress in the following game…so I don’t want to jinx them…but it’s impossible not to be impressed by that performance. As the season’s gone on, I think they’ve really settled into what makes that team “super.” It feels like the pieces of that team are starting to come together and that the players are realizing that their moment will come. Sabrina doesn’t have to force her shot every game because she can trust JJ to pick up the slack…and she can be confident knowing that one day she’ll have a breakout game like this one against the Aces.

Heather: Yep, that’s it! I also think the Jonquel Jones has finally hit her stride here in New York, and that is making all the difference in the world. Even in games where she’s struggling to score, she’s pulling down 15 rebounds, 17 rebounds, and making people pay for coming into the paint. She looks better than she’s looked since her MVP season in my mind.

Natalie: But what about the Aces? Do I expect A’ja Wilson to have another shooting game like that? No, not ever. But I think there’s been an overemphasis on her stats and not enough focus on the Aces’ defense which was dreadful. When Candace Parker went out earlier this season, I think a lot of WNBA fans just collectively shrugged…knowing the star power that was still left for the Aces. But the Aces definitely missed Parker in this game: her veteran presence, her interior defense, her scoring threat….they definitely could’ve used that.

Heather: That’s absolutely correct re: Parker, and I am, like you, always wondering how teams who put so many minutes on their starters are going to start showing their wear and tear right about now.

Natalie: I think that’s true…and I wonder if we’ll see Hammon take a page out of her mentor’s book and start sitting players for a few games. They’ve already clinched their spot in the playoffs. There’s no need for them to continue to put this many minutes on their bodies.

Heather: I would have said no way before yesterday’s game, but she actually showed a lot of maturity as a coach yesterday by realizing they were toast, and also understanding that the Commissioner’s Cup is coming up so they need to be at their best β€” she she pulled the starters way earlier than I expected her to. I thought it was really smart, even though it surprised me! Is there anything you’re looking forward to, especially, this week?

Natalie: Well, I’d like to get back to winning in our fantasy league. My team’s been decimated by injuries over the last few weeks and I’m hoping that I can finally start a full rotation of players.

Heather: I will hope that for you too!

Natalie: But as for games: I’m looking forward to seeing how the Aces respond to that drubbing when they play the Wings on Tuesday. How do they come out? Is there a more concerted effort to get A’ja back into the swing of things? On the other side of the ball, the Wings have faltered a bit here…and I’m hoping that they can regroup as well. Will they be doing it without Arike Ogunbowale, though? She had some harsh words for the refs after their game against the Sky β€” where she was ejected! β€” and it’s hard not to imagine her getting at least a fine, if not a suspension, for it.

Heather: Yeah, especially because this is not the first time β€” this season! β€” that she’s gotten in a tangle with a ref to a degree that got her ejected. This time, they were ready for it and had to dudes escort her off so she couldn’t sign autographs on the way out. But that’s also very much what I am looking forward to this week too. The Wings need to pull up out of this slide, and I firmly believe they can do it.

Natalie: Personally, though, I think that ejection was bullshit and that Arike’s criticism of it was totally justified…but I don’t expect that tech to be rescinded.

Heather: Absolutely agree!

I guess all that’s left today is FASHION!

Carmen: Last week the Las Vegas Aces hosted a Breast Health Awareness night for their August 1st game against the Atlanta Dream. Breast Cancer Awareness dedicated games are definitely not new in the W, but a few things stood out for me right away this time. First, the Aces teamed up with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund to make a pledge for each 3 point shot made during the game β€” and I love putting your money where your mouth is, when so many sports organizations settle for easy lip service instead. I also loved that the Aces were focused in on the disproportionate effect that Triple Negative Breast Cancer has on Black women.

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Carmen: But second! And how it relates to fashion, I was so touchced by A’ja Wilson’s pre-game fit tribute to her former coach, Coach McCray, Nikki McCray-Penson, the 3x WNBA All-Star and 2x Olympic Gold Medal winner who passed away earlier this summer after a long and hard fought battle with Breast Cancer. The custom airbrushing here is such a culturally important send-off, payig respect to a GOAT.

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Carmen: I also really appreciated Syd Colson’s tribute to Houston Comets legend Kim Perrot, who passed away from Lung Cancer in the late 90s β€”which really effected me when I was a kid. The throwback Comets jersey is not an easy find! And for as much as Colson’s known as the class clown of the Aces team, the effort that I know must have went into securing this jersey immediately broke my heart wide open.

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Shockers, Standouts & Snogs: 2023 World Cup Group Stage Round-Up

2023 gay World Cup feature image photos: Photo by Aitor Alcalde – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images // DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Image // Hannah Peters – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

It’s the gayest World Cup in history, so it should surprise absolutely no-one that the group stages of this year’s tournament have been filled with unprecedented levels of chaos.

Expanding the tournament to 32 teams was always going to inject a healthy amount of uncertainty into proceedings, but I’m not sure anyone could have imagined the upsets we’ve seen – or the unbridled joy of underestimated nations after unexpected, yet fully deserved triumphs.Β 

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest shocks, standout performers and obvs plenty of gay stuff from the group stages!

The Pace-Setters

After a quiet few years that saw them slip firmly out of the world’s top ten, Japan came into the tournament perhaps a little overlooked (or else I just didn’t pay them any attention because there are no out gays on their team). Where other top-ranked teams struggled for goals, Japan have had no trouble taking their chances, even while rotating a good part of their squad each game.Β  While far from a David-and-Goliath situation like some of the other surprise results we’ve seen, I was totally blown away by the way Japan dismantled Spain 4-0. With their combination of meticulous preparation and clinical finishing, while still possessing plenty of flair, Japan look like a really formidable outfit.

Sweden have looked super professional ever since coming from behind to win their opener, before steam-rollering an Italian side who must have been expecting to do a lot better. Fortune has dealt them an extremely tricky route forward, and much depend on which side of the bed Team USA gets out of for their last 16 match on Sunday.

Colombia have to rank as the biggest sensations of the tournament so far, with stunning wins against higher ranked South Korea and Germany, before a loss to Morocco that incredibly dumped the #2 ranked German team right out of the competition. 18-year old Linda Caicedo made her debut for the national side aged 14, only to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer a year later. Barely a year since she finished chemotherapy, she’s scored two incredible goals to propel Colombia into the knockout stages for only the second time in their history, and there’s no doubt she’s the story of the tournament so far.

Africa Rising

A record four African nations competed in the group stages in this year’s edition, with Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco all advancing to the knockout rounds. Morocco have just kept making history: the first North African and Arab nation to make it to the World Cup Finals, the first team to field a player wearing a hijab, the lowest ranked nation – at 72 – to progress to knockout stages. South Africa too have escaped their group for the first time with some solid performances, and Nigeria particularly excelled with both defensive rigour and flashes of attacking brilliance from Asisat Oshoala that might see them go even further.

Valiant Debutantes and Battling Minnows

I was desperately hoping that the expansion to 32 teams didn’t throw up lop-sided results and heavy defeat’s like USA’s infamous 13-0 drubbing of Thailand in 2019. My prayers have been answered ten times over, with the competitive level the highest I’ve ever seen it on this global stage. Even debutantes that didn’t make seismic shockwaves like Morocco have a lot to be proud of, with Zambia picking up a win, Ireland grabbing a goal and Haiti pushing their opponents to the wire despite not managing to notch a point.Β 

Changing of the Guard

Of course, the surprising advances of less experienced nations have come at the expense of a number of higher-ranked teams that failed to fire on all cylinders. I’m sure most football fans would have loved to see legends of the games Marta and Christine Sinclair extend their records further, but it wasn’t to be, with both Canada and Brazil turning out pretty flat performances. For me, the stony look of disappointment as Marta watched her team’s demise on the bench was offset by the unbridled joy rippling through the Jamaican team. For a side shut-down twice in the last fifteen years for lack of funding, Jamaica’s progression will have an immense effect on the future of the team. The bitter pill to swallow is that Canada and Brazil’s own struggles for recognition will undoubtedly be set back following their unexpectedly poor showing.Β 

Looking Ahead to the Knockout Rounds

Prior to the group stages, it looked like Australia’s side of the draw would be a hell of a lot tougher when it got to the knockout stages. However, with Germany, Canada and Brazil all going out, it’s a lot more open for the host nation, with only England and France the remaining sides ranked in the top ten. With both England and Australia moving up a gear in the final group games I’m taking a punt on those two making it to the semis, but there are a lot of wildcards along the way.

The other half of the draw is shaping up to be hyper-competitive. The USA’s damp squib of a group stage has left them with a tricky route; usually I’d expect the negative media to get them fired up to prove everyone wrong, but that may be tough with a coach that doesn’t even know which players to send out. With Sweden, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain all lurking, whoever makes it to the final will definitely deserve to be there. I’m tipping Japan to continue their form and unpick each team they encounter.

Top 2023 World Cup Gay Moments

Statistically it would be impossible for gays not be dominating this competition, and sure enough, a whopping 20 of the 36 goal-scorers so far are playing for the rainbow team! This makes it a real challenge to pick out top gay moments, but here’s a few highlights:

3. Ruesha Littlejohn refuses to shake Caitlin Foord’s hand because she went on holiday with her ex

Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images

I am personally thrilled that this storyline ripped straight from a lesbian soccer romance novel has made it onto the global stage.

2. Alba Redondo snogs girlfriend in crowd

Photo by Hannah Peters – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

We’ve become accustomed to the televised victory snog after the World Cup final, pioneered by Abby Wambach in 2015, supplemented by both Kelly O’Hara and Megan Rapinoe in 2019. Not content to wait that long, Alba Redondo planted a substantial smacker on her girlfriend after a routine group stage win (admittedly she did grab two goals). I don’t fancy SpainΒ  to make it to the final, but if Alba + gf are this passionate this early, I definitely would be curious to see how things escalate if Spain win the whole damn thing.

1. Linda Caicedo dedicates her incredible goal against Germany to her girlfriend

Has anyone had enough of watching Linda’s amazing golazo yet? Please can someone fly her gf out to Australia so she can celebrate Alba Redondo-style, instead of settling for heart-shaped gestures!

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Who have you been enjoying watching so far, and who do you fancy to make it through the knockout stages?Β 

WNBA Week 9: Brittney Griner Takes a Mental Health Break, League Injuries Linger

Feature image photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

In between all the World Cup soccer excitement, the WNBA is still going strong in its push toward the playoffs, and we’re here to talk it all out!

Natalie: Well, first I’ll start this conversation by tipping my hat to you for beating me in Fantasy Basketball last week. A pretty sound drubbing so congratulations. My roster’s been decimated by injuries and it’s just been difficult to compete.

Heather: Half your roster was out with injuries or mandatory rest! I actually asked Stacy if I should take off a few of my starters to make it fair, and she was like, “Your friendship with Natalie makes you so soft!” And I was like “SO WHAT!!” But then I left all my best players in so I guess I’m not that soft. How are you making time to watch all these games and all the World Cup games too??

Natalie: I would’ve been mad if you had done that so I’m glad you didn’t!

Heather: I knew in my heart!

Natalie: Trying to manage all the WNBA games and the World Cup has been hard…thank goodness for the DVR because otherwise I’m not sure I’d be up and offering coherent sentences right now.

Heather: Hahaha, I bet! I have been endlessly impressed with your ability to keep up with both. I’m checking your Twitter as soon as I wake up every morning for my updates. You’re like my SportsCenter. It’s been really cool to see so many W players supporting the USWNT, wearing their jerseys pregame and stuff. It feels like there’s a real bond there because they do share some of the same struggles. Who had the most exciting game last week: the W or the Footballers?

Natalie: I mean, the footballers have the clear edge because the World Cup happens only once every four years…so the stakes feel so high.

Heather: That makes sense! The thing that stresses me out about soccer is how one goal feels like fifty points!

Natalie: Ha!

Heather: Where should we start with the W today? We are still dealing with a lot of injuries, and also this week we found out BG is taking some time out for mental health. We’re obviously sending her all our love and support. Are you surprised the league is so banged up right now as we head into the last third of the season.

Natalie: I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised β€” this is the professional game and injuries happen β€” but it does feel like there have been a lot of them and that the recovery time has been longer than expected. I think about someone like Shakira Austin who we were told would be out three weeks…and who I expected to be back following the All-Star break…and there’s no indication that she’ll be returning anytime soon.

Heather: Definitely. I keep thinking about the rookies who have not been able to give their bodies a break in over a year. They went into their senior year at their schools and started conditioning in the summer, preseason, practice, games, practice, March Madness, immediately to the draft and then leveling up to the W. Their bodies must all be hanging on by a thread! Which I know is also true for overseas players. I also think maybe this is the most physical season I can remember. This game just gets tougher and tougher!

Natalie: I think you’re right about the level of physicality in the W this season…and I guess that begs the question: is the league doing enough to protect the players? And by league, I mean the referees who have the responsibility of stepping in and defusing the level of physicality that results in these injuries. Last week, the Mystics dropped a game to the Minnesota Lynx and Natasha Cloud risked a fine from the league by calling out the refs for not doing their jobs. In that game, the Mystics got to the line only 4 times (on 8 fouls), while the Lynx went to the line 23 times (on 18 fouls). What’s been your assessment of refereeing in the WNBA this year?

Heather: I think the ref-ing has been terrible, and I’m not usually a person who really gets into what the refs are doing. To your point, I don’t think they’re doing enough to protect the players. They’re not being consistent with their foul calls, especially in the paint. They’re quick as anything to throw out a T, especially when players are mouthing off, which is PART OF THE GAME in my opinion, but often times, even on review, they’re missing a lot of flagrant aggression. And they’re letting players get away with β€” oh, for example: Diana Taurasi smacked Marina Mabrey in the face yesterday. But in the game where a ref gave the Wings EIGHT TECHNICALS and KICKED OUT ARIKE FROM THE BENCH, they still let the players beat the hell out of each other. I love the physicality of women’s basketball. I think it’s so subversive. But the league HAS TO do a better job keeping the players safe. What’s your read on the refs this season?

Natalie: Like you, I’m not usually one to think a lot about what the refs are doing. As a player, I was told to control what you can control and not not let the refs get into your head and I’ve kinda kept that perspective as a fan. That said, at some point, it’s important to acknowledge when the refs are, essentially, becoming the third team out there on the court…and you’re having to best them and your opponent. And so now, games are being decided by these foul calls and the refusal to call fouls is leading to a lot of player injuries.

The league has to get a handle on this. I can’t imagine going into the first round of the playoffs and having to deal with these awful refs.

Heather: I agree! I know I keep talking about what a revelation it is to finally have a Stewie on my team, but I remain absolutely shocked by how many calls she gets, I kind of always assumed I was just being a baby when my teams were playing against her, but now I can safely say β€” from the other side β€” that the way these refs protect Breanna Stewart needs to be the way they protect everyone. It is WILD, the difference between Stewie and anyone else diving into the lane. She’s coming up with a call. You can see it all over the other teams’ faces too, just even their body language with each other.

Natalie: To go back to that incident with Mabrey and Taurasi, I think that’s a sign of refs getting too comfortable with certain players. Like, I imagine if you asked the refs β€” who were literally right there and couldn’t have not seen her do it β€” they would’ve been like, “oh, it was just a playful tap” or “that’s just Diana being silly.” Similarly with Stewie, I think because she is so efficient in the paint, the refs approach her misses as “well, she must’ve gotten fouled” and then, as you said, try and reverse engineer a call. To me, those situations demonstrate how unprofessional WNBA refereeing has gotten…and something needs to be done.

Heather: That’s it. I absolutely agree! Also it’s not lost on me that it’s almost always white players getting this deference.

Natalie: It absolutely is.

Heather: Are you surprised BG’s taking some time?

Natalie: I’m surprised it took this long, TBH.

I’ve said from the very beginning of the season that I didn’t need BG to ever pick up a basketball again…that she didn’t need to play in the WNBA or on Team USA ever again to have made our advocacy for her worthwhile or to have made the prisoner swap worth doing. But even as we see her playing with such joy at the All-Star game, I wonder: how much of this is she doing because she genuinely wants to be doing this or is she doing this because this is how she knows to repay everyone for their help and support?

But yeah, I was surprised she didn’t take a break after that airport incident…

Heather: Yeah I think you’re spot-on. It’s a miracle she made it to the All-Star game, especially with all the bullshit she’s had to deal with in terms of travel and security. So much of her return is β€” as you just said β€” about everyone else and what they needed from her. I’m just holding her in my heart and sending her FULL support for whatever SHE needs.

Natalie: Same. Again, I just want her to know if she doesn’t want to come back, she doesn’t have to. If all she ever is, from this point on, is a loving wife to Cherelle then that is absolutely fine. Sit home, play video games, write a book…let Cherelle be her sugar mama with some high profile lawyer job. She does not have to pick up a basketball ever again for me to be proud to have advocated for her and to be happy that the Biden administration made the swap.

Heather: That’s me too, 100%!

Natalie: They do have to keep posting cute videos on Instagram, though. That’s not up for negotiation.

Heather: I don’t know if they could help it, even if they tried, all that cuteness has to go somewhere. It can’t stay contained. That’s just physics.

So we’re at the point in the season, where we’re getting a clearer picture of who’s gonna be in the playoffs and who’s gonna be praying for good draftees. What’s jumping out to you right now? Any surprises in the top or bottom? Anyone you’re still not sure about? Anyone you’re super-sure about? Anyone who could flip in either direction and either ride out the season on a major high or just absolutely tank?

Natalie: We talked a bit about injuries already but I think my surprises are mostly around that: Los Angeles and Washington are definitely teams I expected to do better this season than they have. I’ve been surprised that Connecticut’s remained in top form after losing Brianna Jones for the season. But I think, particularly over the last few weeks, I’ve been shocked at how the Minnesota Lynx have looked. Last week, they beat the Liberty and the Sun without their star player, Napheesa Collier!

Heather: Whatever is going on with the Lynx right now is dark magic. Napheesa Collier has absolutely carried that team the way Jewell Loyd’s been carrying the Storm β€” but still, they haven’t been winning a lot of games, right, because it’s the most competitive sports league on earth. And yet, somehow, they have looked like the damn Lynx of Legend out there lately. They didn’t just beat the Liberty; they made them look completely discombobulated. They looked like it was their first game of the season out there. And the Sun, too, despite a monster performance from DeWanna Bonner. Like, what? You said back at the beginning of the season that Cheryl Reeve simply did not have it in her to tank, and boy were you correct. And yeah, these poor Sparks and Mystics. I hate to say it, but it’s time for Washington to make a real plan beyond Elena Della Donne.

Natalie: Oh no, I think Cheryl Reeve has it in her to tank…I don’t think Napheesa Collier does…I don’t think Diamond Miller does…and at some point, Cheryl was like, “okay, I guess this is what we’re doing then” and then coaches their way through this current 3 game win streak. I’m still curious about what the issue is between Reeve and Aerial Powers…but AP came off the bench yesterday and played really, really well. I don’t know what the prospects for the Lynx are for this season but I think, when we talk about rebuilding this franchise to its former glory…they are far closer to that than I thought they were at the beginning of the season.

Heather: That does feel more true, yes! πŸ˜‚

Natalie: The Aces remain the benchmark, though, right? And while we’ve seen them drop a game to the Sun and the Wings, I don’t know that we’ve seen the kind of consistent effort you’d need to dethrone the reigning champions by any team in the league. The Aces had their rematch with Dallas yesterday and they got back into top form and the Wings regressed, especially on the defensive end. I remain unconvinced that anyone can beat the Aces in a series.

Heather: Yeah, I think you’re absolutely right. That Aces/Wings game yesterday was such a flex. First of all, the Wings came out really thinking they could take two in a row from the Aces. Sabally coming off the first triple-double in Wings history. McCowan playing like an absolutely unflappable powerhouse. Arike turned it on major in the second half. But there wasn’t a single second when the Aces seemed to think the game wasn’t theirs. Even when the Wings staged a huge comeback and got within three, the Aces just kept playing their game. Sometimes watching them is honestly like watching a cat with a lizard. Just playing with it, playing with it, pulling off its tail, batting it around β€” before ultimately BITING OFF ITS HEAD. And it’s a testament to how damn fun they are that I’m never yelling at them to stop playing with their food. It has been a long time since I’ve seen a team like this. Maybe I’ve never seen a team like this?

Natalie: Biting off its head?! I was unprepared for that imagery.

Heather: LOL sorry. But there’s a part of you that thinks Becky Hammon is ferocious enough for that, right?

“ABC: ANYONE BUT COPPER!!!!”

Natalie: That was pretty funny.

Heather: I know Kah watched that on repeat.

Natalie: You know she did! It’s her ringtone now, I bet.

Heather: Hahaha! I really hope it is!

Natalie: The Aces had an off-the-court distraction last week with the domestic violence arrest of Las Vegas Aces reserve Riquna Williams. According to reports, she’s being charged with three felony counts of strangulation, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, one felony count of coercion, and four misdemeanor counts of domestic battery. This isn’t the first time that Williams has been involved in a domestic violence incident: while with the Sparks, she had to complete a diversion program to get the criminal charges dropped and, after an investigation, was suspended by the league for 10 games.

The Aces have said that Williams “will be precluded from participating in team activities” and, beyond that, are withholding comment. The WNBAPA isn’t saying much either.

What’s your take on this situation and, in particular, about the responses from the league and the Aces?

Heather: I was so so sad when this news broke. Like you said, this isn’t the first time, but I was so hoping that she was getting the help that she needed. It’s always really tough to hear about any domestic violence, but especially when strangulation is involved, because, statistically, that’s the thing that ends up being a sign abusers won’t reform, and that things will keep escalating. We don’t like to think about domestic violence in queer relationships, but it’s a very real thing, and we can’t shy away from talking about it or it will never get any better. I had assumed the Aces would cut her immediately, especially because this isn’t the first time and we’re talking multiple felonies here. I’m not super surprised by the WNBAPA staying quiet for now, but I guess I am surprised that the Aces are retaining her? I guess someone somewhere is investigating? But if that’s the case, I think they need to say that! We can’t talk about how the W is so important and this bastion of hope for little girls if we’re not also holding players accountable. Did you think the Aces would cut her?

Natalie: I am shocked they haven’t already. According to reporting from Cheryl Coward of Hoopfeed, Williams had been asked explicitly by the Aces if she had her guns with her in Las Vegas and she told them she didn’t…so, even if you’re giving a presumption of innocence to the strangulation and domestic battery charges, you know at the very least that there was a gun involved and that she lied to the management of the Aces. That’s cause for dismissal right there.

Heather: Oh wow, I hadn’t read that. I mean, damn, even the NBA doesn’t tolerate that. How many games did Ja get suspended for after his second gun violation? I think 25? That’s like a full WNBA season almost.

Natalie: I understand the NBA comparison with Ja but, he’s just being stupid, he’s not threatening anyone…and also? The WNBA is different. We’re a league that actively partners with Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety. The bar for the league’s response to situations like these is higher than the NBA’s and once again, they’ve failed to respond in any measurable way.

Heather: You’re right, of course.

Natalie: There’s absolutely no reason to keep Williams on the roster and after the Dearica Hamby/Becky Hammon situation earlier this season, you’d think the Aces would be more proactive in dealing with these off the court issues. I love A’ja and Chelsea and KP….but you can’t keep charming your way out of these bullshit antics.

Heather: I was thinking about Hamby too, when this news broke. They came out of that mostly unscathed, but this stuff cannot keep piling up.

I feel disappointed with my whole heart. I hope the Aces do the right thing, and I hope they do it soon.

Natalie: I really hope that too.

One more thing I wanted to touch on before we wrap up this week: the Indiana Fever. The implosion for the Fever continues, including the underutilization of their #1 draft pick, and this week we started to see more chatter about trades before the WNBA’s August 7th trade deadline. What do you think is the likelihood of a big trade occurring in Indiana? Do you think talk of a Skylar Diggins-Smith for Kelsey Mitchell trade is legit?

Heather: I am so frustrated on behalf of Aliyah Boston! I know it’s hard to lose a lot of games. I know it’s even harder to lose a lot of close games, over and over, to keep your head up and keep working and believing β€” but the Fever, and Boston specifically, have exceeded expectations this season. They have so much to be proud of and hopeful about. And to see them now imploding because of behind-the-scenes drama and infighting? It’s so maddening! I do think the talk of that trade is legit, although I’m not sure. Hmm. How do I say this? If the problem is that Boston’s teammates think she’s getting too much attention, I’m not sure Skylar Diggins-Smith is the one to apply a balm to that situation? But I also know things can’t keep on like they have been going in Indiana and Boston is too good, too generational, to lose her stardom in a bunch of messy mess mess mess. You said in Slack last week that you’d be fine with them dismantling the whole squad, including the coaching staff, and rebuilding the team around Boston. And, frankly, I also would not mind that one bit.

Natalie: I’m not sure I believe that SDS is on her way to Indiana…if only because it’d be stupid for the Fever to sign her when she’s in the last year of her deal in Phoenix and will become a free agent at the end of the season. You’re not going to salvage this season so wait until the off-season and see if SDS is interested in coming to Indiana during free agency.

I think Skylar’s actually not a bad fit…I think her issue in Phoenix was being overlooked when she was carrying the team….and that she could lead this team. But Skylar went to Phoenix in the first place looking for a championship and I’m not sure there’s a team further from championship contention than the Fever.

I stand by what I said in our WNBA slack channel: this team needs to be blown up and rebuilt. I think the coach needs to go too; she’s lost the locker room and I don’t believe that she’ll get it back.

Heather: I think that’s right! I think there’s a lot to be hopeful about in a lot of these places that have struggled this year: the Sparks, the Storm, and absolutely the Fever. But of all those teams, the Fever are the ones that seem to need the biggest reworking. Not just adds, but reconfiguration.

Okay let’s shift to something a little less heavy: Carmen’s FITS OF THE WEEK!

Carmen: It’s deep in summer and time to return to my first love β€” the reason I first started paying attention to the W β€” and that is the absolute fineness of Courtney Williams, who understood the assignment with a simple black button down and matching pants, with the orange colorways on those Nikes and matching orange chain on the bag + orange sunglasses that invoke a heavy late July/early August sun (though that velvet shirt seems like it would be hot? And not in that “Courtney Williams is hot” way).

I’m also going to shout out Kahleah Copper, because this lose knit top is giving ideal summer leisure, but make it gay, and I am here for it.

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Carmen: But the real winner here is not a player at all, but WNBA noted personality Ari Chambers, who left multiple people in our chat ummm…. speechless… for her BeyoncΓ© concert fits, which speak on their own, no introduction needed:

Natalie: Beyonce + WNBA = Two of Carmen’s favorite things.

Carmen: On God.

WNBA Week 8: The Wings Soar and The Liberty Finally Look Like a Superteam

It’s week eight in the WNBA and week two in the Women’s World Cup! It’s a great summer to be gay!

Heather: Natalie! Have you been awake for six straight days?

Natalie: It feels like it sometimes.

Heather: πŸ˜‚

Natalie: The funny thing is I came to the conclusion at the end of the week that this cycle wasn’t sustainable…I’d been waking up to watch all the games live and I just couldn’t do it anymore. I’d have to DVR some games and watch them when I could. So last night I’m like, “okay, I’ll set my alarm for 4:25 so that I’m up to watch Germany” and OF COURSE my body decides, “nope, we really want to watch Argentina v. Italy” so I’m wide awake at 1AM.

Heather: Nooooooo! You really have been awake for six days! Germany did have an exciting win for you though, right?

Natalie: They did! And then Brazil β€” who is probably the team that I most enjoy watching and who I want to win the most β€” put on a great show.

Heather: That’s so exciting! I don’t know much about soccer, but it seems like many games were more exciting than the one I watched, which was US vs. Vietnam!

Natalie: Yeah, I think the US game was frustrating to watch because there were so many chances that the USWNT didn’t capitalize on.

But enough soccer chatter: are you ready to talk about the WNBA?

Heather: Yes, I am! I’m so impressed you also somehow had time to watch basketball last week??

Natalie: I try to squeeze it in! I wanted to start, because we took last week off for the All-Star break, with talking a little bit about All-Star…what’d you think of the festivities? What were your favorite parts?

Heather: I’m so glad you want to touch on this because I’m honestly still not over that weekend! I think it was the closest the WNBA’s ever come to recreating something like a Super Bowl weekend, for fans who could attend, for fans who couldn’t, and for the players. From the skills competition, to the orange carpet party, to the game itself. There was so much big press! The team and league socials were working overtime to bring fans all the most fun, behind-the-scenes content! It just felt like a giant gay basketball party β€” and, best of all, it felt like a wonderful league-wide homecoming from Brittney Griner, who was spotted chomping down on a plate of bacon during the skills challenge, a sno-cone during the game, and DeWanna Bonner’s Skittles after the game. She was just radiating the most childlike joy. I had so much fun. What about you?

Natalie: I mean, for me, BG was the star of the show. She was just really at her best and so joyous…and that was just a treat to watch. I think for a lot of people, their introduction to Brittney Griner was the detainment…and so they viewed a lot of the activism around securing her release in this narrow prism…which is mostly, “wrongly imprisoned basketball player.” But, at the All-Star Game, you really got to see Brittney Griner, the person…and, hopefully, people understood that that’s who we were fighting to get back: that person who is such a light and who just so happens to play basketball.

My favorite part with BG was when she was mic’d up. It was absolutely hilarious. I particularly loved her interactions with A’ja Wilson and I feel like if anyone at ESPN wants to greenlight a show with those two together, I’d watch every single day.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about that 3-point contest where Sabrina Ionescu just played out of her mind. It really was one of the greatest performances I’d witnessed on the court. Now, does it mean that I think she should be on the NBA 2k cover? Nope, but I can give credit where credit’s due: that was awesome.

Heather: I completely agree! That was unreal! And, to me, the most impressive thing about it is that β€” somehow, some way, through some magic or miracle β€” she has played the best defense of her life since she’s been back from winning that thing!

By which I mean “she’s played defense.”

Natalie: The bar is in hell when it comes to her and Courtney Vandersloot playing defense.

Heather: LOL. Too true!

So what W games and news have made it through the soccer/footie sleepless haze you’ve been operating in since the World Cup kicked off last week?

Natalie: I’d actually like to pick up on the Liberty here…yesterday they played the Fever and had a record breaking first quarter performance. Maybe for one of the first times this season, I felt like the team was really living up to the super-team hype that we heard during the pre-season. It felt like Jonquel Jones had finally found her place in the offense and Betnijah Laney was able to assert herself as an offensive threat, instead of just being the team’s best on-ball defender. What did you think about that game and is it too early to say that the Liberty have turned the corner?

Heather: Oh great kick-off topic! That game was so good that I rewatched the first quarter when our local station played it again last night! And, as usual, I think you have cut right to the why of it. This whole season I have been waiting for Jonquel Jones to find her comfort zone on the Liberty. We’ve talked about this in our column, and also just in casual chats. First of all, the kind of frustration that Sandy Brondello hadn’t found a way to really work JJ into the offense in a way that felt good. And then, second of all, and maybe as a result of the first thing, JJ just was not playing up to her usual gold standard. Not even just offensively, but she was getting out-positioned on rebounds, out-maneuvered on defense, passes bouncing off her hands. Something has clicked for her in the last few games and it has made all the difference in the world to the team.

And, of course, Betnijah Laney. She is the engine of the Liberty, despite being the player who gets most often overlooked. She is a killer on defense. She can always find the seams on offense, which is crucial when you’ve got people jumping to double Stewie and Sabrina constantly. And, most impressive to my heart, she is not afraid to get down in the post and bang around. She’s consistent and when she’s playing with the kind of confidence she had on Sunday, what’s anybody gonna do to stop her? It was just so fun to see them finally playing to their potential!

Do you think it’s a fluke, or do you think they’re finally coming together?

Natalie: I don’t want to get too invested in that performance because it was against the Fever who, as we touched on before the All-Star break, are really struggling to regain their form, but I think it was a positive development. One of the things that the Aces do so well is have balanced scoring in their games…like, one night someone might put up 30 or something…but for the most part, you’re going to have five different people who give you 15-20 points each. No one person is ever carrying all the offensive weight. So to see the Liberty replicating that….getting five strong performances from their starters…feels like a step in the right direction. I hope they can sustain it.

On the subject of the Aces, that balanced scoring has led some WNBA media to leave Las Vegas players β€” most notably, A’ja Wilson β€” out of the MVP conversation. She seemed to take that personally and went off for 35 points and 14 rebs against the Lynx on Saturday. What’s your take on the MVP conversation?

Heather: Okay this has been the absolutely wildest thing I have seen this season. Who leaves A’JA WILSON out of the MVP conversation?!

I mean, there’s this thing you always ask that slices right through the bullshit: Who’s the best player on the best team in the league? IT’S A’JA WILSON. Not just scoring, though that’s part of it. But she is a defensive wizard! And she forces teams to pay so much attention to her that it does free up the other Aces stars! And she is so consistent! There’s not a moment when I’m watching the Aces when I think A’ja’s out of it. Plus! Plus! She’s so unselfish, such a good teammate, she’s not scoring 30 a night because she doesn’t need to! (Unless she does, in which case, she will.) I think honestly that conversation about her sprung up out of Wings brodcast where they said Arike and Satou should be in the conversation, but as a person who watches every Wings game, I can say that those announcers are the biggest homers since Rebecca Lobo. What’s your feel on this whole thing?

Natalie: So, like you, I don’t know how anyone worth their salt is having a conversation about the MVP of this league and is not including A’ja Wilson. That’s just bananas. She’s actually gotten better this year…not in terms of pure points but in terms of efficiency, she’s putting up the best numbers of her career. How is it possible that she’s doing better than she was last year WHEN SHE WON MVP and now people want to not include her in the conversation? That’s some nonsense.

Heather: Speaking of the Aces and the Liberty, let’s turn to the only team in the W that’s beaten them both: the Dallas Wings. They’re on a five-game win-streak and they look GOOD.

Natalie: They really do look good. I mean, in their last game against the Sparks, Natasha Howard drops 28, Satou Sabally gets 26 and Arike Ogunbowale puts up 25…and while you can say, “well, it’s the Sparks,” the Wings had lost 3 games to LA already this season, so it really does feel like they’ve hit a transition point.

Specifically, with those wins over the Aces and the Liberty, I think the system that the Wings have been building has finally paid off. Look, I’ll be the first to admit when I looked at their acquisitions in the off-season, I had some questions…chief among them: “who needs that many bigs?!” But it seems like the Wings are the only team in the league (so far) with the defensive ability and the physicality to throw the top teams off their game.

What do you think is going right in Dallas?

Heather: “Who needs that many bigs” was exactly the correct question coming into this Wings season. In fact, I thought they were kind of preparing for Natasha Howard to be injured? But nope, she’s out here also playing the best basketball of her career!

I think there’s three things going extremely right in Dallas: 1) Satou Sabally. This is really the first season she’s been fully healthy and she is living up to every bit of hope and hype the Wings had for her when they drafted her. And she’s not just healthy, she’s gotten better and better. She’s playing with confidence inside and outside. She’s stepping up and leading when it’s needed. You and I have been Sabally stans for a while and now the world can see what!

2) Latricia Trammell lets Arike be Arike. I think Vickie Johnson really struggled with the streakiness of Arike’s play, her hot head, and figuring out when to just let her play and when to sit her to cool her off. What LT seems to understand is what Muffet McGraw understood when Arike was at Notre Dame: She’ll work it out on her own, you just need to leave her on the court and let her work through it. Will that amount of playtime from Arike get the Wings in the end? Maybe. But for now, it’s so key.

3) Defense. LT is a defensive coach. That’s her whole thing. Former DPOY Natasha Howard is a perfect fit in a system like hers, and now that the whole team has bought into it, you can see them not only frustrating the hell out of their opponents, but turning that incessant, furious storm of defensive hustle into points. And man, who doesn’t want to see Satou and Arike in the open floor in transition? My only worry about Dallas is that they’re peaking too early. Does that concern you at all? And, as a longtime Satou believer, how are you enjoying her success this season?

Natalie: The WNBA has a handful of players β€” EDD, most notably, but also AD Durr and Diamond DeShields β€” who have struggled with injuries for a long time and when they’re finally healthy, you’re just really gratified to see them on the floor and contributing. I feel that way about Satou. Even if she wasn’t having a monster season, I’d be thrilled for her because this is progress.

When Satou and Sabrina were coming out of Oregon, the hype was β€” very much β€” around Sabrina but if you talked to anyone who really watched basketball, they’d tell you that of the two, Satou had a bigger upside and the potential to be an all-time great. I think we’re seeing that now and are, hopefully, just scratching the surface of what she can do.

Heather: Absolutely!

Natalie: I think that you’re right to be worried about whether the Wings are peaking too early…we’ve seen a few teams now go on win streaks and then stumble…but I’m hopeful that the Wings can stay on course and continue to improve their offensive efficiency.

Heather: Me too! Stay healthy, bbs!

The other team that’s really surprising people, I think, is the Dream. What’s going right in Atlanta?

Natalie: Rhyne Howard.

Heather: Amen.

Natalie: She’s just been playing so consistently well that I sometimes forget that she’s only a couple years into her time in the league.

Heather: It’s truly unreal. I’ve have also been endlessly impressed with the cultural shifts Tanisha Wright has been able to implement in her short time head coaching the Dream. One of my biggest hopes this season was that Allisha Gray would find her place under Tanisha and she sure has! I’m excited to see if they can take what they learned in the first half of the season and start serving it up to teams with winning records. I want to believe!

Natalie: So do I.

One thing I wanted to touch on before we wrap up this week: the Chicago Sun Times had an article about the chances of the Sky luring Jewell Loyd to play for her hometown team. What do you think about the chances of the Storm losing yet another franchise player?

Heather: Oh ho! I mean! Obviously I think there’s always a draw to play in your hometown. That’s how the Sky got Candace Parker to sign on! And Jewell has said as much. But I also see the work she’s putting in to grow all these players in Seattle. You can’t underestimate the draw or the Storm’s world class new arena or forthcoming Aces-style practice facility. AND, as you know, Jewell has become a phenomenal pickleball player in the W off-season and Seattle is the pickleball capital of the US. I’d say Chicago has a… 20% chance of getting her. You?

Natalie: Hearing Dwyane Wade talk at the All Star game about his vision for the Sky, I think it’s going to be hard for Jewell not to give that some serious consideration…on top of the allure of playing for your hometown team. That said, I think in the short-term β€” and I think Jewell’s contract is up soon β€” looking at the investment the Storm’s ownership have made in the franchise and the leadership that Jewell’s shown in building this team, it’s hard for me to imagine her going elsewhere.

Candace Parker didn’t have a locker in Chicago. I’m not sure Jewell Loyd’s going to be lured out of Seattle with that standard.

Heather: Mmm. Well said all the way around!

Do you think the upcoming draft factors into Jewell’s decision?

Natalie: I don’t know. It’s hard for me to figure out the most pressing need for Seattle. I think it’s a big to play down low with Ezi Magbegor but I see the argument for needing a true point guard to give Loyd a little more freedom.

Heather: Give Jewell both!

Natalie: I hope the ownership group sits Loyd down during the off-season and tries to assess what’s the most pressing need so that she can continue to feel like this is her franchise to lead.

Heather: We had a big WNBA personal event last week too! DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas got engaged!

Natalie: I’m really thrilled for them both.

Heather: Me too, they are so beautiful together!

Natalie: I always worry about teams with couples on them because you never really know what could happen. But I’m thrilled it’s worked out for them.

Heather: DEFY THE LOVE ODDS W COUPLES!

Now, shall we turn it over to Carmen for Fit of the Week?

Natalie: Absolutely!

Heather: Carmen, hi! you got a fit of the week for us?

Carmen: oh lollll let’s find out!

To be honest, it was a very casual week for the W, almost as if everyone’s fashion was in a post-All Star Break hangover. Which… is probably what happened! Hangovers of both the literal and metaphorical variety. But at least one trend has swept the nation last week, and not even the WNBA could ignore it: yes, my friends, we are talking about Barbiecore.

May I present Jordan Horston of the Seattle Storm:

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Also A’ja Wilson:

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And a special shout out to the Wings marketing team, for working over time:

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And may we never ever forget, hot pink is gender neutral! Barbie is for everyone (unless you hate Barbie, in which case I’m sorry it’s going to be a loooong summer).

WNBA Teammates Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner Are Engaged!

Connecticut Sun teammates Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner are having quite a year. Both were voted to the All-Star team by the league’s coaches this season. Alyssa Thomas is leading the W in assists and triple-doubles β€” and, just yesterday, became only the tenth player in the league’s whole history to rack up 3,000+ points, 1,500+ rebounds, 1,000+ assists, and 400+ steals. She got there in only 261 games, faster than anyone’s ever done it before. DeWanna Bonner is only five points behind Candace Parker in career points and is now tenth, all-time, in regular season rebounds. AND NOW THESE TWO LOVEBIRDS ARE ENGAGED!

AT popped the question, down on one knee, in a garden full of roses and candles. DeWanna presumably said yes because the caption says FOREVER! Love, it remains not a lie!

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These two cutie pies have been together for a while now, keeping the Sun in the Gayest Team in The W conversation (along with teammates Natisha Hiedeman and DiJonai Carrington), and their chemistry has contributed to keeping both of them pretty unguardable. They’re also always posting stuff so sweet about each other on Instagram that they basically have to trigger warn it.

“Alyssa told me she was taking me on a date, and to be ready by 9am!! I was so excited y’all!!
After a 45 min car ride, we were in Malibu (bucket lister) !!,” DeWanna wrote not long ago with a photo of her on the beach. “Alyssa I’m so thankful for you!! On a day I needed it the most you made my heart smile BIG.. We talked, laughed, and smiled the entire day! For that I love you even more today, than I did yesterday!!”

AT’s always captioning photos of DeWanna with a crown, because she’s her QUEEN.

And, of course, the two of them showed up hand-in-hand on the orange carpet at the WNBA All-Star game last weekend.

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Congratulations, you two! We wish you all the happiness in the world! And DeWanna, if this leads to you being even more of a fantasy basketball power house, well, we wouldn’t say no to that either. (Or, well, I wouldn’t. You’re the only thing keeping me from losing every game this year!)

The Best and Gayest Teams in the 2023 Women’s World Cup

Women’s World Cup feature photo by Justin Setterfield – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

As we have established, The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup looks set to be the gayest ever, but this post is to remind you that also football is being played and it is very much time for sports queers queers across the globe to rejoice at getting up at weird times for the next month, all for the love of the beautiful game.

While many editions of yore have centred on dubious conditions of the event, it feels like the struggles in the run-up to this year’s competition have been to do with the state of women’s football globally. Yes, FIFA still can’t bring itself to let players outwardly support the gays, and there was a standoff over European TV rights, but it seems a far cry from the hobbling astroturf pitches of Canada 2015.

What we have seen in the four years since the last World Cup, though, is women’s teams around the globe fighting for equal pay, fair treatment, and even just basic recognition of their status as elites athletes. Think the USWNT landmark collective bargaining agreement, England’s lionesses using their Euro’s victory to force equal access for girls to play football at school, Spain’s players boycotting the national team because of sub-par standards, France’s stand-off with their bullying coach, Canada’s strikes, Nigeria and South Africa’s squads not even getting paid.

The message is clear: women and non-binary footballers have had enough of this shit. The tournament will undoubtedly showcase the world’s best footballing talent, but the value of a deep run goes beyond the sporting plaudits for every team competing. It’s about making a statement that women’s sport is here to stay and ready for the recognition it deserves.Β 

Perhaps feeling the heat the most will be the hosting nations, Australia and New Zealand. The Aussies in particular will have a point to prove; in a sports-mad country where soccer has to compete with other football codes, the Matildas’ golden generation of players have an equally golden opportunity to elevate the status of women’s soccer at home. Without doubt, both hosting nations will be putting on a spectacular show, and hopefully the most successful World Cup to date.

Who will triumph in this greatest (and gayest) of sporting events? I’m going to pick out my teams to watch, and I have every faith that you will shout at me in the comments with dissenting opinions!

Australia

My top pick for the tournament, and only partly because they have the largest number of out players in their squad! If they can cope with the pressure of competing at home, there’s every chance the Aussie’s can ride a wave of home support to the final. With an exceptionally talented squad anchored by star striker Sam Kerr, the Aussie’s have been hitting peak form in the run-up to the tournament, with victories over higher-ranking England, Spain and France this year. Beyond Kerr is a sparkling starting lineup, with players that have been lighting up England’s WSL in particular. They haven’t been handed the kindest draw, with a tricky group including Olympic champs Canada, and a likely last 16 match-up of England or Denmark. If they can get a convincing win on the board early, I hope the Matildas gather the confidence to go all the way.Β 

USA

USA look like a team that’s been forced to transition to a new crop of talent perhaps a tad earlier than they’d have liked, owing to injuries to a number of established stars, Mallory Swanson probably the biggest hit. I don’t read too much into their historic three-game losing streak to European opponents at the end of last year. That’s partly because when I watched them play England I was absolutely terrified whenever Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman got on the ball.Β 

Who cares if Vlatko has no idea what the best midfield lineup is? History has shown that Team USA can triumph in pretty much any circumstance , and there are enough experienced players on the squad to guide the youngsters, lot least Gay Aunty Megan. With an arguably easier ride in their half of the draw, it would really be a massive shock if they weren’t in the final.

Germany

Euro finalists last year, the German team look more than ever set to return to their World Cup winning ways. With a bunch of young players like Lena Oberdorf, Klara BΓΌhl and Jule Brand establishing themselves with a ton of caps already, plus veterans like goal-machine Alex Popp, Germany are looking like a very solid package, despite a recent shock loss to Zambia. Their round of 16 draw looks very tricky against either Brazil or France, followed by a potential grudge rematch versus England in the quarters, so progress is by no means easy for the Germans, but they have to go in as decent favourites.

England

After the euphoria of a Euro win on home soil last year, reality has been biting this year for the England squad, with injury struggles denting what might have been a more confident run-up to the World Cup. The loss of captain Leah Williamson will be felt massively; while there are plenty of defensively excellent players that will take her spot, her passing from the back and exceptional positioning are harder to replace (FYI, as a central defender, Williamson made precisely zero tackles at the Euros, such was her uncanny knack for being in the right place!). Just as tough are the absences of attackers Beth Mead and Fran Kirby, and you feel that England have gone from being a team with excellent strength in depth to perhaps not having so many of the options available that made them such a potent force last year. I fully expect them to get out of a relatively straightforward group, but with Australia or Canada as their likely last-16 opponents, then potentially Germany in the quarter-finals, they really will have to find their best form again to build on their European triumph.

Spain

It’s hard to gauge exactly where Spain are at the moment, after a tumultuous year that’s seen walkouts by players, demands for better conditions, and ultimately little change after long-time under-achieving coach Jorge Vilda retained the support of the Spanish federation. While some of the players that withdrew in protest have returned to the squad, many off the back of Champions League victory with Barcelona, several haven’t. Sadly, this includes Mapi LeΓ³n and her very gay hair. Most significantly, captain and Ballon D’or winner Alexia Putellas is in the squad after recovering from an ACL injury, although it remains to be seen if she’s back to full fitness. On paper, Spain should be one of the strongest teams in the tournament, and being in the β€œeasy” side of the draw, this could be the time for them to make good on their promise.

France

I feel like France have for so long been the under-achievers of women’s football, especially considering how packed their squad is with multiple Champion’s League winning players. It looked like they’d reached peak implosion earlier this year when captain Wendie Renard, plus star forwards Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto withdrew from the squad because of the toxic environment conjured by coach Corinne Diacre. As opposed to several other federations that backed their dodgy coaches, the French actually heeded their players, sacked Diacre and brought in HervΓ© Renard, fresh off a decent showing as Saudia Arabia coach at the 2022 Men’s World Cup. Initial signs are good that Renard has got the team back on board, and if he can finally get the best out of an undoubtedly talented group of players, they can beat any team on their day.

Brazil

In a changing-of-the-guard moment, Marta will be playing in her final World Cup, and there’s no doubt that Debinha will be stepping up as the new talisman for the Seleção. Coach Pia Sundhage has had four years to get the squad into shape, and there are good signs they have the potential with their new generation to get back to the form that took them to multiple World Cup and Olympic finals. Women’s leagues in Brazil are just starting to get momentum, and a big showing in Australia and New Zealand could give them the platform they need to amplify their efforts at home.Β 

Canada

Many of Canada’s Olympic-winning team return for the World Cup, including the apparently immortal Christine Sinclair, back for her sixth tournament and undoubtedly looking to extend her international goal record. Canada’s strength in recent years comes predominantly from their excellent team ethic, and with excellent (and out) head coach Bev Priestman still at the helm, plus fire in their belly from how badly the Canadian federation have treated them, I expect the Canadians will be causing trouble in the knockout rounds, even if their draw makes it tricky to go all the way.Β 

Debutantes and Lower Seeds

With the competition expanding to 32 teams, we’ll be getting to see some exciting new players on the world stage. While much of the media focus will be on the US and European teams, as well as the Aussies, I am totally ready for major upsets to rock the boat!Β 

Debutantes Haiti are rammed with many players that cut their teeth in the US college system. Melchie Dumornay is widely considered their standout player, and I’ll be keeping a keen eye on her in Haiti’s opener with England.Β Zambia’s star Barbra Banda tore Germany apart in a recent friendly, and could cause an upset in group C. The Philippines may struggle in their group, but we will absolutely be looking forward to out captain Tahnai Annis leading her team.

Returning teams that may cause a stir include Jamaica, with the audaciously free-scoring Bunny Shaw, who narrowly missed taking home the Golden Boot in the WSL this year. Nigeria’s Super Falcons have qualified for every single World Cup, and in a tricky group B I can see several teams taking points from each other that could give them an opening to progress.

Which teams and players are you looking out for? Who will be causing the biggest shock both on and off the pitch? Chime in below!

A Beginner’s Guide to the Women’s World Cup

Feature image photoΒ by Luis Veniegra/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Image

It’s official: The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is here. FINALLY! Thirty-two nations β€” a record level of participation for the women’s tournament β€” will compete for the right to call themselves world champions.

It hasn’t been easy getting here.

Around the globe, soccer federations have been on some bullshit and inspired by the US Women’s National Team’s fight to achieve equal pay, players are standing up. Over the last year, we’ve seen persistent indifference in Jamaica, player revolts in Spain and France, a strike in Canada and a boycott in South Africa. The Japanese federation came thisclose to not having a broadcast partner for the World Cup. It’s been a mess.

And then, on top of that, there are the injuries…dear God, the injuries.

World Cup rosters have been decimated by a spate of knee injuries and ACL tears. England will be without Beth Mead, Leah Williamson, and Fran Kirby. France will be without Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, the Netherlands won’t have Vivianne Miedema. Spain will be without Sheila GarcΓ­a. Katie Rood is out for co-host nation, New Zealand, while Janine Beckie and Janine van Wyk are out for Canada and South Africa, respectively.

And for the US? No Christen Press. No Mallory Pugh Swanson. No Catarina Marcario. No Sam Mewis. No Becky Sauerbrunn.

(Sorry, that noise you just heard was me weeping in the corner. I’m cool now, I promise. But, seriously, Sarah Walsh is right: we need to invest in more research in ACL injuries in women’s soccer.)

Whatever hurdles these 32 nations have overcome to get to this point, this is it: they’re here, ready to test their meddle and compete against the world’s best. For their efforts, the players will be rewarded with $150 million in prize money, a 300% increase over 2019 but only about a third what the men got in the 2022 Men’s World Cup.

If you’re a newcomer to the beautiful game and want to do more than just thirst over the women on the pitch β€” no judgement! β€” this explainer is for you. It’s everything you need to know to enjoy the next month of World Cup action.

Is it Soccer or Football?

It’s both.

The contentious debate over whether to call the sport “soccer” or “football” has raged on forever. It’s been, mostly, framed as a disagreement between fans of the sport in the United Kingdom and the United States that obscures the fact that the word soccer is a UK export.

Back in 19th-century England, two versions of football were gaining popularity: one played with your hands, known as rugby football, the other played with your feet, known as association football. Prep school jocks nicknamed both sports, shortening rugby football to “rugger” and association football to “soccer.” The nickname flourished in countries like America and Australia where football was already its own thing but it also persisted in the UK until the 1970s. Apparently, PelΓ© β€” the greatest soccer play of all time β€” joining the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League was the final straw for UK football fans. After that, the term “soccer” fell out of favor within the UK and “football” became the preferred descriptor.

The Field of Play

The playing surface on which the game of soccer is played is typically referred to as the pitch. Back when the sport was still gaining popularity in England, it often shared grounds with cricket and cricketers call their field a pitch. Even as the sport developed its own following, the name stuck. The pitch can be made of grass, artificial turf or some combination of both. After protests (and a lawsuit) at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, this year’s World Cup will be played entirely on grass.

The components of a soccer pitch includes: touchline, goal line, goal, corner area, penalty mark, penalty arc, goal area, penalty box, halfway line, center mark and center circle.

Believe it or not, the size of the pitch isn’t uniform across all arenas. For international play, FIFA (the soccer governing body) dictates that dimensions of the longer side β€” known as the touchline β€” be at least 110 yards or 120 yards at most. The shorter side of the pitch β€” known as the goal line β€” must be at least 70 yards or 80 yards at the most.

If, at some point during the match, the ball goes out over the touchline, the opponents of the player who last touched the ball gets a throw-in (Law 15). But if the ball crosses “over the goal line, on the ground or in the air, having last touched a player of the defending team, and a goal is not scored,” a corner kick is awarded (Law 17).

The field of play is divided into two halves by a halfway line and the center point of that line is where the action kicks off. But while the pitch is divided into halves, it’s often described in thirds: the defensive third, extending from the goal line for 40 yards into the pitch; the middle third, the next 40 yards, bisected by the halfway line; and the attacking third, the final 40 yards that leads to the opposition’s goal.

Goals are centered along the goal line, equidistance from each corner, and span eight yards across. The goal area surrounds the goal: six yards on either side of the goal and six yards deep into the pitch. It’s sometimes called the six-yard box and, most often, you’ll see that space used for goal kicks. Extending 18 yards on either side of the goal and 18 yards deep into the pitch is the penalty area or penalty box. If a player is fouled within that area or if a defender’s hand touches the ball, a penalty kick (or a PK) might be assessed. The penalty kick can be taken by any player on the pitch at the penalty mark, which is 12 yards from the goal line, directly in-line with the center of the goal.

While the player is completing the penalty kick, everyone else (aside from the opposing goalie, natch) has to stand 10 yards outside the penalty mark. The penalty arc β€” the semi-circle on top of the box β€” denotes that distance.

For more nerdy details about the pitch, check out FIFA’s Laws of the Game (Rule 1).

Get in Formation

This year, each of the World Cup’s 32 participating nations will bring 23 players to Australia and New Zealand. Of those, 11 players will be in the starting line-up (or Starting XI) and the remainder will be available as substitutes (assuming they aren’t injured). During a match, each team (or side) is afforded five subs and if a match goes to extra time, each team gets an additional sub.

A lot of autonomy is given to nations in forming their rosters (and their gameday line-ups) but in general, you can break the rosters down to four categories: goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards. Within those four categories of players, there are some specific positions:

  • Defenders: Left Back/Fullback, Center Backs, Right Back/Fullback, Wing-back Sweeper
  • Midfielders: Wingers/Left Side or Right Side Midfielder, Central Midfielder, Defensive Midfielder, Attacking Central Midfielder
  • Forwards: Center Forward, Strikers, Second Striker

There is a lot of variation among teams about positions, what they’re called, and which roles will be part of the Starting XI β€” according to the talent available and the needs of the team β€” so it’s not worth getting bogged down in the minutiae of it all. What’s most important to remember is the positioning of those ten players on the pitch or the formation.

Pitch Line-up of a 4-3-3 formation: GK, 4 Defenders (D), 3 Midfielders (MF) and 3 Forwards (F)

An example of a 4-3-3 formation.

Formations in soccer vary widely but they are all read from back to front (defense to midfield to forward). So, for instance, when the US Women’s National Team takes the pitch for their opening match against Vietnam, they’ll likely line up in a 4-3-3 formation, which means they’ll have 4 defenders, 3 midfielders, and 3 forwards. Vietnam, on the other hand, is expected to counter the United States’ attack with a 5-4-1, a formation that features 5 defenders, 4 midfielders and 1 forward. Before every match, teams or in-game commentators will note the Starting XIs and team formations.

For more information about soccer formations that we might see during this World Cup, check out this soccer.com explainer.

How Does the World Cup Work?

As I noted, 32 nations will compete in this summer’s tournament…the most ever featured in a Women’s World Cup. The tournament will run from July 20 to August 20.

Host nations β€” Australia and New Zealand β€” are automatic qualifiers and 27 slots are doled out by soccer confederations (through their own tournaments). Haiti, Portugal, and Panama qualified for the World Cup through an inter-confederation play-off. Teams were put into pots and, in October, they were randomly drawn and slotted into their World Cup groups.

Groups for 2023 Women's World Cup

The first stage of the World Cup is Group Play. Each team plays the other three teams in their group. Games are 90 minutes (45 minute halves) plus time added on by the referee at the end of each half, to account for any stoppages in play (stoppage time). There is no overtime (or extra time) in group play and games can end in a tie. Wins earn a team three points, a tie earns a team one point and a team gets no points for a loss.

The two teams that earn the most points in group play get to advance to the knockout stage. In the event that two teams finish the group stage having amassed the same number of points, the standings will be determined by goal differential (the total number of goals scored minus the total number of goals conceded). The top finisher in the group faces the second place finisher in another group and vice versa.

From the knockout stage to the finals, games are 90 minutes (45 minute halves) plus stoppage time. If there’s no winner when the referee calls full time, the match goes into extra time. That additional period consists of two 15-minute halves plus stoppage time. If, at the end of extra time, the two teams are still tied, they move to a penalty shootout.

In a shootout, each team is given five PKs. The team with the most goals wins but, if the teams are still tied after five shots, they move to sudden death penalty kicks. Each side gets one kick until one team scores and the other misses.

Soccer Vocabulary

“The Beautiful Game:” A nickname for soccer. It’s origins are popularized by PelΓ©, one of the greatest players of all time.

Brace: When a player scores two goals in a single match.

Clean Sheet: No goals conceded; a shutout. A stat typically reserved for goalies.

Debutante: A team making their first appearance in the World Cup. The debutantes in this year’s World Cup include: Haiti, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Vietnam, and Zambia.

Direct Kick: A type of free kick that can be scored by kicking the ball directly into the goal.

If a team commits an offence normally punished by a direct free kick in its own penalty box, a penalty kick is awarded instead.

Equalizer: A goal that ties the score of a game.

Golden Boot: Award given to the top goal-scorer of the tournament; Megan Rapinoe (USA) was the 2019 World Cup Golden Boot winner.

Golden Glove: Award given to the best goalie of the tournament, usually the goalie with the most clean sheets; Sari van Veenendaal (NED) was the 2019 World Cup Golden Glove winner.

Handball: A foul by a player who touches the ball with their arm or hand, extended in an unnatural position. Usually results in a direct kick but if a handball occurs in the penalty box, a penalty kick is awarded.

Hat-Trick: When a player scores three goals in a single match.

Indirect Kick: A type of free kick that must be touched by another player before it can go into the goal.

Nutmeg: When a player kicks the ball through the legs of an opposition defender, usually while dribbling. Tobin Heath is a master at the nutmeg.

Offsides: The most misunderstood rule in soccer, by fans and referees alike. Created to prevent attacking players from just camping out in front of the opposition’s goal, a player is offside if any part of their body “is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent” (Law 11). HOWEVER, a player can be offside and not be guilty of an infraction as long as they are not involved in the active play.

When called during the run of play, the opposing team gets an indirect free kick from where the infraction occurred.

Olimpico: A goal scored from a corner kick. Megan Rapinoe is the queen of the olimpico.

Own goal: A goal accidentally scored by a player into his own net, counts as a goal for the opposition.

Set Piece: The result of a free kick, corner, throw-in, or goal kick. Unlike the rest of the match, set pieces can be practiced, like plays in American football or basketball.

VAR: Stands for Video Assistant Referee; From the FIFA Rulebook (Law 6):

“a match official who may assist the referee to make a decision using replay footage only for a ‘clear and obvious error’ or ‘serious missed incident’ relating to a goal/no goal, penalty/no penalty, direct red card (not a second caution) or a case of mistaken identity when the referee cautions or sends off the wrong player of the offending team.”

For the first time in a senior tournament, VAR decisions will be announced by the referees after determining the outcome, much like is done in American football.

Who Should I Follow for More Women’s World Cup Content Online?

I love soccer but, admittedly, I don’t know as much about the game as I do basketball β€” a consequence of growing up on Tobacco Road, I suppose β€” so I’m constantly on the hunt for opportunities to learn more. Here are a few resources I’d recommend:

Feel free to drop any other must follows for the World Cup in the comments!

All psyched and ready for the World Cup now? Keep the schedule handy and, depending on where you live, a pot of coffee at the ready.

To borrow a phrase from the USWNT, “let’s fuckin’ go!”

All 100+ Gay Players and Coaches in the 2023 Women’s World Cup

Women’s World Cup gay players feature image photos: SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images // Erin Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images // James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is finally here! It kicks off on July 20th with co-hosts Australia (against Ireland) and New Zealand (against Norway)! And you, of course, are wondering if there are any Women’s World Cup gay players. Friends, yes! In fact, this just might be the most openly queer sporting event in history β€” which is saying something, as you know, if you’ve been following our WNBA coverage this year.

And not just players; there are so many LGBTQ storylines to follow. It’s Megan Rapinoe’s (United States) final World Cup. It’s 37-year-old Marta’s (Brazil) sixth World Cup, and her last, and she continues to recover from an ACL tear she suffered in a NWSL Challenge Cup match. After becoming the first first Australian player to score a hat trick at a World Cup tournament in 2019, and becoming a household name among soccer fans and queer humans, Sam Kerr is looking to lead the co-host Matildas to a World Cup title. Canada, which boasts five queer players and coaches, is in an equal pay fight with its governing body, much like the one the USWNT battled for years. Also, Matilda Sam Kerr and USWNT star Kristie Mewis are probably the most famous couple of this World Cup, thanks in part to THEY’RE LESBIANS, STACEY.

The 2023 World Cup goes from July 20th through August 20th. It’ll be held in ten stadiums and nine cities, split almost evenly between Australia and New Zealand. The time difference is mind-bending: From the US east coast, Melbourne is 14 hours ahead and Auckland is 16 hours ahead. From the US west coast, Melbourne is 17 hours ahead and Auckland is 19 hours ahead, so: basically fully a whole day the future. In the United States, the World Cup will air on FOX, FS1, FOXSports dot com, and the FOX Sports App.

And now, onto the Women’s World Cup gay players! They’re listed below, sorted first by their World Cup Group and then by their country. As always, if we’ve missed anyone, please let us know in the comments!

Groups for 2023 Women's World Cup: Group A New Zealand Norway Philippines Switzerland Group B Australia Republic of Ireland Nigeria Canada Group C Spain Costa Rica Zambia Japan Group D England Haiti Denmark China PR Group E USA Vietnam Netherlands Portugal Group F France Jamaica Brazil Panama Group G Sweden South Africa Italy Argentina Group H Germany Morocco Colombia Korea Republic

GROUP A

New Zealand

Michaela Foster

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Annalie Longo

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Ria Percival

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Hannah Wilkinson

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Norway

Frida Maanum

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Maren Mjelde

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Guro Reiten

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Anja SΓΈnstevold

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Ingrid Syrstad Engen

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Philippines

Tahnai Annis

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Switzerland

Ramona Bachmann

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Head Coach Inka Grings

Inka Grings, Head Coach of Switzerland, poses during the official FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 portrait session on July 16, 2023 in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Photo by Matthew Lewis – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Alisha Lehmann

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Noelle Maritz

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Lia WΓ€lti

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GROUP B

Australia

Mackenzie Arnold

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Ellie Carpenter

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Alex Chidiac

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Caitlin Foord

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Katrina Gorry

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Alanna Kennedy

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Sam Kerr

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Teagan Micah

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Hayley Raso

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Kyah Simon

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Emily van Egmond

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Cortnee Vine

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Tameka Yallop

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Republic of Ireland

Isibeal Atkinson

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Diane Caldwell

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Megan Connolly

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Sinead Farrelly

Sinead Farrelly of Republic of Ireland poses during the official FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 portrait session on July 15, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia.

Photo by Cameron Spencer – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Ruesha Littlejohn

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Katie McCabe

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Grace Moloney

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Áine O’Gorman

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Louise Quinn

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Lucy Quinn

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Canada

Kadeisha Buchanan

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Head Coach Bev Priestman

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Quinn

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Kailen Sheridan

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Shelina Zadorsky

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No gays we know (yet?): Nigeria

GROUP C

Spain

Teresa Abelleira

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Ivana AndrΓ©s

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Irene Paredes

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Alba Redondo

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Costa Rica

MarΓ­a Paula Elizondo

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Gabriela GuillΓ©n

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No gays we know (yet?): Zambia, Japan

GROUP D

England

Lucy Bronze

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Jess Carter

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Rachel Daly

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Bethany England

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Lauren Hemp

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Jordan Nobbs

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Denmark

Pernille Harder

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Janni Thomsen

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No gays we know (yet?): Haiti, China PR

Group E

United States

Kristie Mewis

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Kelley O’Hara

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Megan Rapinoe

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Netherlands

Kerstin Casparij

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DaniΓ«lle van de Donk

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Stefanie van der Gragt

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Merel van Dongen

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Sherida Spitse

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Jacintha Weimar

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Lynn Wilms

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Portugal

Dolores Silva

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No gays we know (yet?): Vietnam

Group F

France

Pauline Peyraud-Magnin

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Constance Picaud

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Brazil

Adriana

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Andressa

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BΓ‘rbara

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Debinha

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Kathellen

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Lauren

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LetΓ­cia Izidoro

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Marta

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Head Coach Pia Sundhage

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Tamires

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Jamaica

Becky Spencer

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No gays we know (yet?): Panama

Group G

Sweden

Filippa Angeldahl

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Hanna Bennison

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Nathalie BjΓΆrn

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Magdalena Eriksson

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Jennifer Falk

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Lina Hurtig

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Caroline Seger

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Linda Sembrant

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South Africa

Thembi Kgatlana

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Kaylin Swart

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Italy

Lisa Boattin

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Manuela Giugliano

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Elena Linari

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Argentina

Lorena BenΓ­tez

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Vanina Correa

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Julieta Cruz

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Yamila RodrΓ­guez

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Vanesa Santana

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Group H

Germany

Ann-Katrin Berger

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Sara Doorsoun

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Svenja Huth

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Lena Oberdorf

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Felicitas Rauch

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Lea SchΓΌller

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Head Coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg

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Morocco

Rosella Ayane

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Colombia

Linda Caicedo

Daniela Montoya

Leicy Santos

No gays we know (yet?): South Korea

Love & Basketball: The Top 8 Queer Love Stories of 2023’s WNBA All Star Weekend

Feature image use of Brittney Griner and Cherelle Griner from the 2023 WNBA All Star game by Ethan Miller/Getty Images, Chelsea and Tipesa Grey via Preston Collins for the Klutch Sports Group

If you, like me, have watched Love & BasketballΒ so many times that you can quote “Who you goin’Β to the dance with anyway? Spalding?” and just so happened to have also grown up gay, then last weekend was Big News for you.

The 2023 WNBA All Star game (held in Las Vegas) was most certainly exciting for people who love β€” or even understand β€” the game of basketball. It was exhilarating for people who love Kehlani. She performed at the half time show β€” though ABC fumbled the bag by cutting away from her performance after only one song to replay the same commercials we’d been watching all night. But no matter what the final scoreboard read,*Β the true winners here were those of us who enjoy turning off our brains to the tune of queer celebrities looking beautiful and in looooove (ahem, with a little light gossip on the side). And for you I present: the Top 8 Queer Love Stories of the 2023 All Star Game.

*Team Breanna Stewart thoroughly whooped Team A’ja Wilson’s ass by nearly 20 points, for those of you who care about the so-called “game.” Ok now, for the rest of us! Vapid Fluff about attractive athletes and their partners! SPORTS!

Brittney and Cherelle Griner

Brittney Griner bends down to kiss her wife Cherelle Griner at the 2023 WNBA All Star game.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Alright, let’s start here with the royal court of the WNBA and no, I am not kidding. I think Brittney Griner was heavy on everyone’s heart this weekend because it was just this time last year the players of the All Star game all wore her number as a collective action of solidarity while she was wrongful detention in Russia; Cherelle watched from the stands. So having her back β€” having them both back, because no one fought harder for BG than Cherelle Griner β€”Β was a balm for our hearts and every time BG smiled or laughed or called herself an old grandpa of the game, it was like the sun itself shining. That’s just fact.

But Cherelle also made the rounds herself, living the kind of Basketball Wives: Lesbian Edition fantasy of my dreams. Click through for photos of her with a variety of WNBA spouses (including Chelsea Gray’s wife, Tipesa, who will be featured later in this roundup, along with Jaelynn Royal, the partner of Phoenix Mercury’sΒ Sug Sutton, and Tia Canon, the wife of Indiana Fever’s Emma Cannon ). There’s also photos of Cherelle with celebrities such as Gabrielle Union and a particular Grey’s Anatomy onscreen couple that I think a few of y’all will care about πŸ˜‰

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But, on top of everything else, the real reason BG and Cherelle are first on this list is for this brief video. BG making sure Cherelle Griner was front row for Kehlani (she appears to be the only wife among the players on the floor?) is Top Tier Black Love, and I shall not be told differently.

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Chelsea and Tipesa Gray

Once again I must ask you to scroll through the carousel, because on the sixth slide there is a photo of Chelsea and Tipesa with BG and Cherelle that made me full on squeal like a teenager.

Note Cherelle’s comment on the post itself, “We had a time β™₯️” followed by Chelsea commenting about her wife, “Girl you fine 😍”

Will I ever get over watching all these beautiful Black couples in love? Have you met me??

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(This is also a great time for a reminder that for the Las Vegas Aces Pride Night in June, Chelsea full-on wore a t-shirt immortalizing her wedding kiss with Tipesa and I have simply never recovered from that flex.)

Candace Parker and Ana Petrakova-Parker

Candace Parker had a fairly low-key All Star weekend, but she and her wife hosted their second annual Ace Party (sponsored by Adidas) and if Candace just, you know, slowly retires into being the mayor of All Star Weekend Party City β€” where she wears perfectly fitting suits, drinks expensive brown liquor, and raps Jay-z lyrics to anyone who will listen, living her best life β€”Β I would love that look for her.

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Breanna Stewart and Marta Xargay

Breanna Stewart not only won the actual All Star game, but Stewie walking the red excuse me, orange, carpet with her wife Marta, who is approximately fiftyeleven months pregnant, perhaps won the entire weekend.

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Marta is due in October. Their first daughter, Ruby (whom Stewie just named a pair of signature Pumas after), was also a star of the weekend β€” I just gotta say.

Breanna Stewart holding her daughter Ruby during the 2023 WNBA All Star Game warm ups.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley

Listen ok, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley will always be in the Hall of Fame, all they have to do is show up, because the wives won a whole ass championship together in 2022 while playing for the Chicago Sky β€” and who does that???? That is a movie.

Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner

Speaking of relationships that double as movie plots β€”Β Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner are not only girlfriends who both play on the same team (literally, not as in the metaphorical gay team of which we are all a part, they both play for the Connecticut Sun)… oh no, that’s not enough for these overachievers! They were also All Star Teammates. Now where they do that at?!?!

And yes,Β technically this post of them isn’t All Star weekend related, but it’s so sexy, I had to share.

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(Also congratulations to Alyssa, who in addition to being a whole vibe is the current record holder for most triple-doubles in a single WNBA season and it’s not even close.)

Destanni Henderson and Zariah Lynn

Now its time introduce some young love to our roundup! Destanni Henderson came to All Star Weekend with a few other recent grads of the South Carolina Gamecocks (my favorite college team, because around here we are Dawn Staley for life) to support Aliyah Boston, their former South Carolina teammate and the first Rookie to make a WNBA All Star starting five since 2014!!! They all rented a house together and it was very much giving “I’m doing a girls trip in my early 20s” in every possible best way.

I mean, look at this photo??

An Instagram Story of a variety of young Black girls in their early 20s, all piled together in a bathroom mirror.

Photo courtesy of Zia Cooke on Instagram

Then,Β watch this TikTokΒ of all of them!?!? Was I ever this young and free? Did my knees ever recover?

But! We are here to talk about Henny and Zariah, who also run a YouTube channel together. I have never watched a Get Ready With Me influencer-style video in my life before this moment, and for these cuties, young and in love, I would do it 20 times more.

@zariah.lynn

WNBA ALL STAR GAME πŸ’« #fyp #wnba #allstargame

♬ original sound – Zariah 😚

Nalyssa Smith and DiJonai Carrington

Speaking of young love! I saved Nalyssa and DiJonai for last because I love everything about their little love story.

First, they met while playing ball together in college (I think they won a national championship together for Baylor in 2019? But I haven’t double checked the dates on that). Then, they started dating last year, coincidentally also around the time of the All Star game. And now, here they are celebrating their first anniversary and still going strong?

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No seriously, look at these photos. Read these captions. Tell me you aren’t ready to fire up Love & Basketball for the approximately thousandth time and start all over again.

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Love is not a lie for the next 15 minutes or the time it took you to finish this post. Tell a friend. πŸ€ ❀️

WNBA Week 7: Lighting a Fever Fire and Remembering Nikki McCray

Feature image photos:Β Ethan Miller/Getty Images // Matthew Stockman/ALLS

Heather: Natalie, hello! Another WNBA week has come to a close, inching us closer to the All-Star game! But before we get there, there’s so much regular action to get into. We were talking during that super intense Wings v. Fever game last night, which the Fever ended up losing by just a few points, and you mentioned you’d like to start there this week. Because what in the world is going on in Indiana?

Natalie: Heather! Always great to be back with you and talk about another week of WNBA action…except maybe in this case because I really don’t know what’s going on with the Indiana Fever? They showed so much promise early in the season…like, even if they were losing, it felt like they were on a trajectory of heading for better things…and now they’ve just fallen off completely. There seems to be some tension in the locker room β€” some players in their feelings about the success of Aliyah Boston (don’t @ me, Dijonai!) β€” and it’s not clear to me that Christie Sides has control of things. There have been moments recently where Sides just looks out of her depth…helpless almost…and she’s not able to get this team unified.

What have been your thoughts?

Heather: I am just as bamboozled as you are! I keep coming back to something you said early on this season, which is that losing so many close games, over and over and over, was going to wear the team down. Not just the Fever! Any team that keeps dropping two-point games, four-point games, night after night, week after week. It’s going to take its toll. You know, when you’re winning, it’s easy for everyone to get along, for everyone to buy into coaching decisions, for everyone to feel mostly okay with their role. Right, because you’re winning!

And while the Fever are still winning more than people expected, I think, they’re dropping a LOT of heartbreakers β€” and that’s when the cracks start to show. To your point, there’s been some gossip that NaLyssa Smith hasn’t been too happy with all the Aliyah Boston hype. Her mom got caught liking some tweets shading both Boston and Dawn Staley a couple of weeks ago. Her girlfriend, DiJonai Carrington (don’t @ Natalie, DiJonai!) kinda got involved on Twitter. Then, in a β€” to me, at least β€” shocking trade, the Fever gave up Queen Egbo for Amanda Zahui B, which is something I still don’t understand. So it seems like SOMETHING is going on in that locker room. And you’re right about Christie Sides, who is blinking even less than usual lately!

What do you think can stop this slide?

Natalie: So, before I answer that question, I want to take a moment to say: I think I can speak for us both when I say that we both love the game of basketball. We have our favorites and our…um…least favorites but we can still sit here and offer our critiques because we love the game more than we love any player, team or coach. You love the Liberty but you’re going to hold them accountable when they screw up…and, yes, I may not like Diana Taurasi but I have enough respect for her offensive game that she’s been on my fantasy team for the last two years. We’re basketball fans above all else.

Heather: Absolutely!

Natalie: I say that because the people discounting the Aliyah Boston hype are convinced that people are just South Carolina stans…like we’re going to ride for Boston, no matter what, because she’s a Dawn Staley product…and while I acknowledge that there is some of that, especially on WNBA twitter, that’s not where we’re coming from. If she screws up, I’m gonna call her out on it but I don’t think she has…and so I’m going to contribute to the hype. Boston gets All Star votes from me because she’s doing things that we’ve never seen a rookie do. Stats don’t lie.

And I don’t know what’s going on in that locker room β€” who’s saying what or who’s contributing to the unease β€” but, in late game situations, you’ve seen the Fever seemingly purposefully keep the ball out of Boston’s hands. It’s ridiculous! And it’s getting to Boston mentally, too…because yesterday when she should’ve taken the last shot against Dallas, she passes it out to Lexie Hull on the wing for three. It’s shaking her confidence and it’s really sad to see because she’s a potential hall of fame talent.

Heather: Yep, there it is! That’s exactly it! My wife has been saying that Boston is not getting the ball in those situations, and at first, I was like, “Nah, that’s got to just be a coincidence” β€” but it does not seem that way anymore. It seems deliberate. There’s no world where Aliyah Boston should be passing the ball out of the paint. Not now, not ever. And there’s especially no world where she should be doing that at the end of a close game. I had an absolute fit when she passed that ball to Lexie last night! Not only was she in the paint, she was open, and she was getting calls! She’s an All-Star starter, she’s breaking records out here, and she didn’t feel like it was her place to take that shot that could have pushed the Fever past a team that beat the Aces this week!

Natalie: Exactly!

What do I think the Fever have to do? Well, I know on paper, the Queen Egbo trade doesn’t make much sense but the Fever tweeted this out about Amanda Zahui B. yesterday:

And I was like, “okay, this makes sense now.”

Heather: I hadn’t seen that quote β€” but THAT makes sense!

Natalie: I think Sides has to step up. This is a make or break moment for her as a coach and she has to do something…and if she’s not going to do something, Lin Dunn needs to find a new coach. If there are players whose conduct is detrimental to the team, she has to sit them. If I’m her, I’m calling Tina Thompson, Cynthia Cooper, and Sheryl Swoopes in to talk to the team about navigating difficult team dynamics….for a long time, the rumors were that the players on the Houston Comets didn’t like each other but when they stepped on the court, they created the WNBA’s first dynasty. Let that be a guide for navigating this situation and get back to competing.

Heather: That’s such good advice. And I think any of those three would be more than happy to get in there and work with them in that capacity. One thing about the veterans of the W is that they want to see these players succeed and shine β€” most of them are even happy to have these players breaking their own records, because it means the game is continuing to grow. Plus, Sheryl Swoopes and Dawn Staley are still very, very close, and Swoopes has made no secret about how hard she’s rooting for Boston. I keep thinking how badly I wish Aliyah had someone like A’ja Wilson was to Jackie Young last season, when she told her, “Just shoot it. What’s the worst that’s gonna happen? Who cares? Shoot it. We get paid to shoot.” You know?

Natalie: Absolutely.

Speaking of the Aces, let’s transition to talking about them: the WNBA’s juggernauts were stopped by the Dallas Wings. The two teams played a hotly contested series last week and the Wings came away with one victory….and, honestly, but for a coughing fit (?) that left Satou Sabally unable to play that second half, the Wings might have gotten both wins. What’d you think about those games? Do you see a chink in the Aces’ armor?

Heather: Okay I am so excited to talk about this! You know how last week, I said that the Liberty are a terrible match for the Aces, even though they’re the “super teams”? Well, I think the Wings are the PERFECT match for the Aces. My hot take of the year is that Stewie and Sabrina got nothing on Arike and Satou. I think Arike remains the most un-guardable player in the league and Satou can do it ALL.

I also think that where the Liberty blow at defense, the Wings specialize in it. Coach Latricia Trammell came in saying that her two things were fixing the locker room and completely reshaping the defense. And she’s done that! In fact, she’s done that symbiotically! I have never seen a coach say she’s going to build chemistry with team defense, but LT did, and she’s come through on that promise. There’s no team in the league playing help defense like the Wings, no team hustling on transition defense like the Wings, no team where players aren’t side-eyeing each other every time there’s a mismatch or miscommunication on a screen. Natasha Howard won DPOY in 2019 and people always forget that. There’s a reason Howard’s playing better than ever, and why she keeps saying she feels so at home in Dallas. She even bought her first house! You’re never gonna STOP the Aces, but you’ve got to find ways to contain them, and the Wings did that.

I think the Wings are so special, and if they can stay healthy and keep it together, I think they’re going to be SO FUN in the playoffs. How did you feel watching that game?

Natalie: I remain convinced that no one in the W’s played consistently well enough to think that they can beat the Aces over the course of a series…but I do think the Wings exposed a small chink in the Aces’ armor. When you look at the games that they’ve lost β€” to Connecticut and Dallas β€” it’s because of defense…tough, physical defense. It just puts them back on their heels and they struggle.

Kudos to LT because this was as flawless of an execution of a gameplan as I’ve seen…and to have it come against the Aces is just the icing on the cake. Everyone’s doing their part on that Wings team. I mean, obviously, Arike continues to do Arike things on the offensive side of the court but she’s gotten so much better defensively and I’m thrilled to see her growth. I think Teaira McCowan remains the underappreciated hero of that Dallas team, though. The physicality she brings to the game is just unmatched (Alyssa Thomas notwithstanding) and the Aces don’t have an answer for her.

Heather: I would also like to give kudos to the Nike + Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Dunky Dunk Lows LT wore on Dallas Sneakerhead night.

Natalie: Those were dope.

Heather: And obviously I hardcore agree on Teaira McCowan. Kalani Brown played amazing when Teaira was injured and, later, playing in the Asia Cup, but there is just something about McCowan that cannot be replicated. It’s not just her size, either. You know, I can look and say she has the most excellent footwork, that she’s on every single board, that she’s strong as anything, but there’s something so unspoken about the way she knows exactly when to be in the lane and when to get out of the way, when to roll of a screen and when to hold it, she’s such a complement to Satou and Arike. Very much like Howard, she just FITS on this team.

I think the Wings have a whole lot to be excited about.

Natalie: I think so too.

I will say, though: Kelsey Plum was out for the first game of this series and back for the second…and I thought, “well, the Wings stayed close in the first game but there’s no way they beat the Aces at full strength”…but they did it. Kudos to them for defying my expectations! Of course, then KP took her frustration from that series out on the Lynx and dropped 40 on 14-of-18 shooting. Unreal.

Heather: Has there ever been a WNBA team where literally every starter is a cheat code, the way it is with the Aces? Whoever has a chip on their shoulder that night, or got the best rest, or is just feeling lucky. Any given night!

Natalie: It’s true!

I was a bit more surprised that the collective chip over the NBA 2k cover didn’t lead to more aggressive play against the Wings, TBH. But we still got some moments of brilliance from the Point Gawd, Chelsea Gray.

Heather: Chelsea Gray is one of the smoothest players to ever do it. I feel like the Aces games, I don’t even blink most of the time because I’m so afraid I’ll miss her doing something absolutely spectacular. I also think, to kind of piggyback off of what we were talking about with the Fever, that the Aces have the luxury of constantly having fun, being clowns, endless jokes and laughter, even when things do have the potential to get tense in the locker room β€” like Hammon’s suspension, the ongoing Hamby conversation, the NBA 2K snub β€” because they’re never NOT winning.

For example:

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I never saw a player jump out of their shoe like that! And I never saw God reach down and protect an ACL like that.

Natalie: LOL!

Heather: Speaking of heavenly moments, we got a BG dunk this week!

Natalie: We did!

And it was awesome because it wasn’t a breakaway dunk β€” like Sylvia Fowles in the All-Star game last year β€” it was just BG throwing it down in the run of play.

Heather: Yes! It caught me off-guard! She pivoted like she was going to fade away, and then just threw it down! My cats hated it, I have to admit, because I did scream.

Natalie: Sorry Dobby!

Heather: Hahaha! One other big development is that A’ja and Stewie drafted their All-Star teams. Any surprises for you? And who’s got the better roster?

Natalie: So, I don’t think there were any big surprises: I thought A’ja would pick her teammates and then her fellow Gamecock alums and that’s what she ended up doing. Stewie was more loyal to her Liberty teammates than you were!

Heather: Hahaha! She sure was! It’s both weird and totally “of course!” that 3/5 of both teams are just the starting line-ups for the Liberty and the Aces. It’s going to be fun!

Natalie: But it’s Team Wilson all the way, right?

Heather: Oh no doubt.

Natalie: The Aces starters plus Arike and Aliyah? Then you’ve got the Connecticut power couple coming off the bench Like, it doesn’t even seem fair.

Heather: It honestly gives me chills just thinking about it. Imagine a team so good that Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner are coming in to let you rest!

Natalie: You think Elena Delle Donne is going to play?

Heather: I guess it depends on what happened to her ankle last night when she rolled it AGAIN. Just another thing to blame on Diana Taurasi.

Natalie: I felt awful for her in that moment…mostly because she’s been through so much that she deserves to go through one season without having to worry about her body not performing at its peak. But also? She sent this cute tweet after the All-Star selections about being picked last…and A’ja responded back that she was only picked last because they didn’t know if she was playing.

Heather: Hahaha! Okay that’s super cute!

Natalie: And now she might be back to not playing again? It sucks.

Heather: I do feel absolutely awful for her. Honestly the kind of mental toughness it takes to keep coming back and keep coming back and keep coming back like she’s done β€” and after it seemed like she was at the top of her game again β€” it’s superhuman. I think EDD seems like a genuinely kind and fun person, her teammates seem to love her, she came out at such a brave time, I just wish her body would give her a damn break! And, honestly, the Mystics, as a whole, deserve a break. They had 3/5 starters on the bench the other night! EDD, Natasha Cloud, and Shakira Austin.

Natalie: Yeah, I think Los Angeles has been hit by the injury bug the hardest β€” just in terms of the sheer numbers β€” but it’s the Mystics who have lost big, key parts of their offense. As a fan, it’s been painful…and as someone who has Shakira Austin on her fantasy team, it’s been frustrating.

Heather: Shakira was playing at the top of her game! Do we know how long she’s going to be out?

Natalie: They said three weeks so maybe she’s back after the All-Star break? *fingers crossed*

In all seriousness, though, it’s just frustrating because she was having such a great season and now it’s hampered by this injury….and then, I think, there’s such a learning curve to coming back from an injury: learning to trust your body again, competing in this really physical league. I just hope it doesn’t stymie her progress beyond these three weeks.

Heather: Me too. It has been a joy watching her play at such a high level this season. Sometimes rookies who shine their first year have a big drop-off, but she’s just gotten better and better, and has been playing with so much confidence. I am rooting so hard for her, even though she’ll be back just in time for you to kick my butt again at Fantasy Basketball.

Natalie: To close out this week: the women’s basketball community lost a legend this week with the passing of former Mystics PG Nikki McCray-Penson. McCray was a standout at Tennessee before coming to the league and making a name for themselves with the Mystics, Fever, Mercury and San Antonio Silver Stars (now, the Aces). They also won Olympic gold twice: first as part of the greatest women’s basketball team ever assembled, the 96 Olympic team and then again in 2000. After playing professionally, McCray became another branch off the Pat Summit coaching tree, coaching at Western Kentucky, South Carolina, Old Dominion, Mississippi State and Rutgers. She was part of that national championship team for South Carolina in 2017. McCray was someone who won on every level and greatly impacted the game. She was only 51.

I know you must have some great memories of McCray, given your love of the Lady Vols. Care to share any with our readers?

Heather: My heart absolutely broke reading that news, and I’m so grateful to you for bringing it up and sharing about her brilliant career. I actually have a wonderful story about an experience I had with Nikki McCray all the way back in 1995.

So everyone knows I’m a lifelong University of Tennessee Lady Vols fan. I played basketball in high school and college (a very, very small college), and was lucky enough to attend Lady Vols basketball camp at UT two times when I was in high school. (Holly Warlick picked me up at the airport one time in Pat Summitt’s SUV!) I was a painfully shy kid and teenager, and a closeted lesbian, and just a generally weird nerd, so it was hard for me to fit in new places or make friends.

My first year at Lady Vols camp was the summer before Nikki McCray’s senior season. There was obviously no professional women’s league at that time, but everyone kind of knew that the plan was for Nikki McCray to join Team USA after she graduated and then tour with them around the country to build hype for the 1996 Summer Olympics and, hopefully, the launch of the WNBA. The only bigger name in women’s basketball was Rebecca Lobo, and the only bigger athlete on the UT campus was Peyton Manning. Nikki McCray was a HUGE deal. Every single girl at that camp wanted to meet her, talk to her, get her autograph, get her advice, just sit near her. I was never, in a bazillion years, going to approach her. She was way too cool and famous and I was way too timid and homegrown. A gangly, awkward country girl.

By some miracle, she was the player who was in charge of the floor I was on in the dorm where the 16-year-olds were staying. I knew then β€” and looking back, I can see it even more clearly β€” how much was on her shoulders, and how exhausted she must have been. She was training with the team in the morning, working the camp all day, conditioning with the team in the evenings, and then doing the dorm checks on us. AND YET, every single night, she still gathered us together in a little group and sat us on the floor in a circle and pep talked us. If she saw us do something cool during the day, she’d call it out in front of everyone. Great crossover, good hustle, nice layup. And she gave us all kinds of advice too. Pat Summitt’s Definite Dozen, but also personal lessons she’d learned over the years. I don’t know exactly how to describe what it felt like, sitting there and basking in her warm smile and soft voice, except to say that I’d spent my whole life feeling like my skin didn’t even fit right, and in those moments, I was absolutely full of peace and the confidence that I was right where I was supposed to be. Which was maybe the first time in my life I felt that outside of actually playing basketball.

One night, I had tucked myself into a little study cubby on the hall. I was kinda crying quietly because β€” well, I was just a sad kid, but also basketball was my life, and I went from being a big fish in the small pond of my hometown to being at Lady Vol basketball camp. I went from being a star to being just pretty okay. I was lonely and suddenly scared that I wasn’t going to get a basketball scholarship, and there was no way my family could afford to send me to college. I was spiraling out. It was too much for a 16-year-old to be dealing with. Anyway, Nikki McCray walked by and saw me in that cubby and she pulled me out, she hugged me, she poked my chest right where my heart is, and she said, “Basketball won’t be forever, what’s in here is what counts.” And I have never forgotten that kindness or that wisdom. It shifted something inside me and changed my whole life for the better. I was just some little kid from Flowery Branch, Georgia. She was NIKKI MCCRAY. And she took that time to change the shape of my world, just out of the goodness of her heart, with no one watching. She was a Hall of Fame athlete and an even more amazing woman, and I feel so unbelievably lucky to have not only witnessed her career, but to have also been personally touched by her grace.

Natalie: Oh goodness. My heart was not ready for that story.

Heather: Thank you for letting me share that!

Natalie: I’m sorry for your loss, H. For all of our loss. McCray seemed like someone who genuinely touched so many people’s lives for the better.

Didn’t you say last week that you’d been digging back into old videos of the Vols’ heyday? Any McCray memories from the court?

Heather: Actually, my most standout memory of her playing is from Team USA, the gold medal game in 1996! She had said that her dream was to score 75 points, total, on that team β€” and in the final game, she had 73 with time running out. She was on a fast break and she passed it off to Teresa Edwards, a point guard from the University of Georgia, and it barely hit T’s hands before she flipped it right back to McCray for the layup that got her to 75. I was watching at home, sitting on the floor with my nose right up to the TV, just screeching with joy! It was clear they were gonna win, that that 100-game touring season had paid off and there was going to be a pro league, and McCray had won gold and hit her own personal record. She always had such a smile, but she was shining like the sun that day!

Natalie: I love that memory, Heather. Carmen’s off this week and since Heather and I subsist on fashion diets of t-shirts, joggers, and basketball shorts, we’ll save the fashion for next week’s chat (WNBA All-Star always provides HIGH quality fashion). In lieu of that, I’ll just share a reminder β€” in memory of Nikki McCray-Penson β€” to pay attention to your breast health. Do self-exams. Get annual mammograms when recommended. Support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Take care of yourselves, this game needs us all.

Heather: That’s beautiful, Natalie. Thank you. You are one of my favorite people this game has brought into my life, and that is saying something!

Natalie: That’s a better place to stake our friendship on than Pretty Little Liars so I’ll take it, Heather!

Same time next week?

Heather: I wouldn’t miss it!

WNBA Week 6: All-Star Reserves and Are We Mercury Fans Now?

Feature image photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Last week in the WNBA was somehow even more dramatic than the one before it, so let’s not delay! Natalie and Heather are here to break it down! And, as always, we want to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Heather: Natalie, where do we even start today? We’ve got the All-Star reserves, we’ve got the much-hyped Aces v. Liberty game, we’ve got James Wade leaving the Sky in the middle of the season to join the MNBA, we’ve got a reason to be excited (maybe?) about the Mercury! Where do you want to start?

Natalie: I think we should start with the James Wade news. We found out last week that James Wade, the head coach/GM of the Chicago Sky, has accepted a job with the Toronto Raptors in the MNBA and will leave his team midseason because of it. There have been mixed reactions on social media to the move…what do you think?

Heather: Well, first of all, I was shocked! There are few people in the WNBA with as much power as James Wade. He is operating at the tip top, and with so much success. He just won a championship! He also just traded away a whole bunch of draft picks to bring in fresh talent and rebuild after the loss of Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, and Allie Quigley. He seemed as committed as ever. So it feels like he’s leaving them in a bit of a pickle. I guess, you know, of course I don’t understand why you’d leave a head coaching/GM job in the WNBA to go be an assistant in the MNBA, but I love women more than money, so I’m not the best judge of why someone would ever be compelled to do such a thing! I also don’t understand why he needs to go in the middle of the season?? I wish him all the best, but it’s a baffling move to me. How are you feeling about it? I think you have a much better handle on what GMs actually do in the W than I do.

Natalie: I don’t know that that’s true β€” I’m not sure anyone truly knows what GMs do β€” but here’s my thinking about it: I don’t begrudge anyone an opportunity to advance their career. Certainly, especially when you’ve got a family, there are other considerations to be made. I know that a lot of WNBA fans have been weary, for a long time, of coaches using the WNBA as a stepping stone to the MNBA. Back in the day, there was a lot of talk about Bill Laimbeer and Michael Cooper taking coaching jobs in the league to get on the radar of MNBA teams. But I think James Wade has been at it for a long time…he’s coached women, not just here in the US but overseas in Russia as well, I don’t doubt his commitment to the women’s game. I say all that to say, I don’t begrudge him this opportunity. It’s a chance to grow his skillset and make more money.

HOWEVER! I think to do it this way is absolutely shitty. Does he need to leave in mid-season? I cannot believe that that’s a necessity. And if he was looking at other opportunities, I think there should have been more candor about it and some reluctance to give away all of Chicago’s draft picks during the off-season. I’ve personally lost a lot of respect for James Wade for how he’s handled all this.

Heather: I think that’s such a fair analysis, as usual.

Natalie: One of the big things for the Sky this season was the talk of Mr. Gabrielle Union investing in the franchise. Does he do that now that his cousin is no longer the head coach/GM?

Heather: Mr. Gabrielle Union!

Natalie: And! It’s frustrating to me: the Toronto Raptors are willing to find coaching talent in the WNBA and they chose James Wade…I mean, Becky Hammon was supposedly a top contender for the head coaching job and, instead, they hire James Wade.

Heather: That was actually the first thing I thought when the news broke on Saturday, about how Hammon has been in that Raptors conversation for so long.

This James Wade thing feels, to me, kind of indicative of a larger theme this season, which is: When and how is the W going to take the next step, financially? James Wade presumably left in large part because of money. This whole charter debacle with Brittney Griner and who’s even paying for her security (is she really paying for her own security??). Players signing for less than they’re worth (A’ja Wilson’s contract extension just this past week, for example.) Not enough roster spots and teams to keep some of the best players in the world in the league. And on and on. It feels like the James Wade situation is just another on-trend example of the W fumbling what’s good because of money.

Natalie: That such a smart take. You’re absolutely right.

On the other end of the coaching news: we got to see our first few games with Nikki Blue at the helm of the Phoenix Mercury and she got her first win. Her statement after the win β€” the fact that she had a shower cap ready so she could (to quote her) “protect the press” β€” endeared her to a lot of people right away: are you one of those people being won over to the Phoenix Mercury?

Heather: I feel like the universe is conspiring to make you and I β€” the longtime holdouts! β€” fans of the Mercury! Nikki Blue’s press conference had me in tears. “All I needed was an opportunity. All I needed was a shot,” is what she said, and she was near tears too! Echoes of Viola Davis’ 2015 Emmy acceptance speech, right? “In my mind, I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me. But I can’t seem to get there any how. I can’t seem to get over that line. That was Harriet Tubman in the 1800s. And let me tell you something: The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.” You hear things coming out of the locker room now that are so encouraging, about how the players have new hope, new life, new energy. Even the body language in the press conference, the players were engaged with what she was saying. Such a huge difference. And yeah, that shower cap was cute as everything. Good lord, I’ve talked myself into being excited about the Mercury? Natalie, what’s happening to us?

Natalie: Leave it to Heather Hogan to bring Viola Davis into a conversation about basketball. Frankly, I’m surprised it’s taken you this long!

Heather: lolololol!

Natalie: I think that everyone, even folks like us that don’t like the Mercury traditionally, want good things for the team this season because of BG and because of the burden the team had to bear in her absence and even now with the security/airline challenges. So to see them get a win and to see the lightness in the lockerroom afterwards…I mean, BG was lit up like a Christmas tree, her smile was so bright…and Moriah Jefferson was just elated….that just felt really good to see.

Natalie: And then to see Nikki Blue talk after the game…she just seems like a good person who really wants to succeed in a head coaching role and I want that for her.

Heather: Me too! If I start talking nice about Diana Taurasi, you need to come over here and check that my body hasn’t been snatched.

Natalie: Same, but Sophie Cunningham will be back from injury soon so I’m hoping the cosmic forces will rebalance themselves and my disdain for the Mercury will return to its normal levels.

Heather: Hahaha! Speaking of cosmic forces, last week’s most hyped game was the match-up, finally, between the Aces and the Liberty. The Aces absolutely blew them out! I think you said you didn’t even finish watching, is that right?

Natalie: It was painful to watch after a while.

Heather: Did you expect it to be a closer game?

Natalie: See, that’s the thing: I didn’t, really? But there was so much hype about these two superteams that you thought it’d come close to living up to the hype…and it just didn’t. I think, if you just looked at these two teams and the way they’ve been playing: the Aces have just been flawless…they’ve just been playing at such a high level…and the Liberty, while they have their moments of dominance, just haven’t looked as consistent or as strong.

So I didn’t expect the Liberty to win but, admittedly, I thought they’d look better than they did. What was your take on it?

Heather: Yep, same. You know, I watch every Liberty game. I’m a big fan. But there wasn’t even a level of fan-delusion that allowed me to think the Liberty had a chance against the Aces. For me, the talk all season has been was so weird because it’s been focusing on the individual pieces on each roster, but when you actually watch the Liberty, you’ve got to know β€” in your deepest heart β€” that they are a terrible match-up against the Aces. You’ve got the best, most cohesive offense in the league, multiple superstars able to pop-off every night, against an absolutely mediocre defense in every way.

I actually think that game showcased one of the things that makes Becky Hammon such a great coach, which is her scouting and individual game plans. She conceived about 30 ways for the Aces to take it right at Sabrina Ionescu. One-on-ones off the dribble, ball-screens, off-ball screens, high-low switches. I feel like most teams have a “don’t lose sight of Ionescu” mentality on offense, but the Aces had it on defense. They knew where she was on every play and they exploited the heck out of it.

One of the Liberty’s other standing weaknesses is their transition defense, and, honestly, there’s nothing more fun in the W right now than watching the Aces in the open floor. It’s not just the points, it’s the momentum. You let them start running and they’ll go from a four-point lead to a 20-point lead before you can blink. At this moment in time, I don’t see a world where any team in this league could beat the Aces in an actual series.

Natalie: Barring injury, I think you’re right: no one beats the Aces in a series.

Heather: Were there any other games this week that stood out to you?

Natalie: I don’t know if the games themselves stood out but I think we’ve had some incredible performances over the last week. Courtney Williams got the first triple double of her career and just has absolutely been playing lights out for the Sky. Absolute baller. Satou Sabally had cooled off for a bit for the Wings but caught fire again against the Mystics yesterday. Rhyne Howard and Nalyssa Smith both have that Chelsea Gray-sized chip on their shoulders over not being chosen to be All-Stars and are showing out. Howard came within one point of beating a scoring record in Atlanta!

It’s been a real treat to see these amazing performances.

What are your thoughts?

Heather: Yes! Yes! Yes! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Courtney Williams so excited in my life, and that’s saying something. She said she felt like Alyssa Thomas, which of course made me laugh so hard. You know who else has that Chelsea Gray-sized chip and is shining so bright this year? Allisha Gray! Atlanta and Tanisha Wright are just what she needed. One of the best things about being a WNBA fan is watching these players grow and succeed. Celebrating them is the absolute best way to spend a summer!

Natalie: It absolutely is!

But let’s talk about the players who did make the All-Star rosters: were there any names you were glad to see on the roster? Any snubs?

Heather: Obviously I was relieved when Alyssa Thomas was the first name they revealed during the announcement! Not surprising, of course, but you never know with these things so I breathed deep when they called her name. And because I am an enormous sap, I love that she’s getting to play with her wifey DeWanna Bonner! I felt the same about Kahleah Copper: unsurprised but very happy! On the flip side, I was unsurprised but annoyed by Sabrina Ionescu making the team for some reason. I think watching her get destroyed on defense every night is wearing me down! I think Nalyssa Smith could easily take her place. And I was surprised in a great way that Ezi Magbegor made it! I was not expecting that, but it is deserved! What about you?

Natalie: I love that teams have been releasing video of the reserve announcements on social media. Those things have been so wholesome. Seeing Ezi and Cheyenne Parker get mobbed by her teammates. Those were great.

Heather: Yes and Kelsey Mitchell looked so shy about it! I have never in my life! She was like that emoji with the wobbly cry smile!

Natalie: I think, obviously, injuries play a role in the people who get selected but I wish that the coaches would just pick the best players — let them get the All-Star tag — and then, if they’re injured, they can be replaced. I say that because I think Shakira Austin and Brionna Jones were both having All-Star caliber seasons and deserve that honor, even if injuries keep them out of the game.

Heather: 100% agree. They have both been playing LIGHTS OUT. Shakira Austin looks like she’s been in the league eight years!

What happens if EDD can’t play because of her ankle?

Natalie: God, I absolutely hated seeing that injury this week. Elena’s been through so much; she deserves one season free of injury to really showcase how good she is.

Heather: I agree, and I think it’s just so telling that she absolutely destroyed that ankle and is going to be out for weeks, but everyone was honestly relieved because when she went down, I think most everyone thought it was her back again. And, honestly, how much more can that girl’s spine take?

“She’s only out for a few weeks with a shredded ankle” isn’t always good news, unless you’re often out with even scarier things!

Natalie: To say the least!

Last week we said that we’d draft teams for the All-Star Game so let’s do that! Who do you want to be: A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart?

Heather: Well I want to be A’ja but I think we all know who’s the big dork here, so I’ll take Breanna!

Natalie: Pfff! Not true at all.

Heather: Natalie, you are infinitely cooler than me and if one of us was going to be on a bag of Ruffles it would absolutely be you! And I think that means you get to pick first!

Natalie: Alright, if I’m A’ja, I’ve definitely got to go with one of my Aces as my first pick: I want the point gawd, Chelsea Gray!

Heather: Damn right! And if I’m Breanna, I know who it’s impossible to guard, even with my eleven foot wingspan, and I select: Brittney Griner!

Natalie: Okay, well…even if it’s not who I’d pick…I think A’ja has to go with Jackie Young.

Who, apparently, only cooks on the court, not in the kitchen.

Heather: Hahaha! Stewie’s gotta go with Jewell Loyd, her bestie, next!

Natalie: Yeah, it looks like their friendship definitely survived the move to New York based on their warm interactions before the Seattle game. I don’t know what A’ja will do with her third pick but I’m definitely going SATOU!

Heather: ARIKE!

(Now we’ve become ourselves.)

Natalie: Maybe: Natalie wants Nneka but, obviously, A’ja is gonna pick Aliyah Boston with her fourth pick…probably her third, if I’m being honest. So that’s where I’ll go here: the rook, Aliyah Boston.

Heather: Oh man, then please let me have Nneka Ogwumike!

Natalie: I’m so jealous.

Now onto the reserves! You want to pick first, this round?

Heather: You love me and want me to be happy and so I choose Alyssa Thomas!

Natalie: And I, as #TeamAces, have to go with KP.

Heather: Let me snag Napheesa Collier!

Natalie: Not my girl Phee! She’s been playing lights out for my fantasy team.

I’m going with another South Carolina product: Allisha Gray!

Heather: Gamecock life!

Well now I’m choosing between love and style! DeWanna with her wifey or Kaleah because my god. Ahhh. Okay I choose love. DeWanna Bonner!

Natalie: Of course you’re choosing love…it’s the most Heather Hogan thing about this conversation besides the Viola Davis mention.

I need a post so I’ll go Ezi.

Heather: Oh my gosh, I have been rewarded for prioritizing love! And thus can now choose Kahleah Copper!

Natalie: I need a point guard for my second group so I’ll go with CVS.

Heather: Kelsey Mitchell for me, please!

Natalie: Cheyenne Parker.

Heather: Elena Delle Donne.

Natalie: Sigh.

Heather: You’re like “I’ll pass on my last pick.”

Natalie: Ha, if only! I guess I’ll take Sabrina then.

Heather: Well, this fantasy draft only made me more excited for the game!

Natalie: Same here. I mentioned in the comments last week that one person always takes the game way too seriously…who do you think that is, this year?

Heather: Arike again? :joy: What about you?

Natalie: I hope it’s Kelsey Plum so she can get another one of those tiny mvp trophies. LOL.

Heather: Hahahaha!!! And now let’s hand it over to Carmen for FASHION!

Carmen: Our fit of the week goes to A’ja Wilson because pairing a “Protect Black Women” shirt with a skirt straight out of the 1995 cult classic Clueless is the quickest way to my Black femme heart!

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But also this gives me a chance to shout out some A’ja’s past fashions which absolutely should have made the cut. She’s been killing it all season. Like this 00s era denim fit (slide through the whole carousel for a laugh):

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Heather: Hahahahaha that locker room video! The aces are CLOWNS.

Carmen: Also, speaking of 00s fits, this head to toe bling for Ring Night would’ve looked right at home at a Puff Daddy video in all the best ways:

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And this one, from the home opener, custom designed out of sweatsuits is honestly?? A finalist for fit of the YEAR. And I’m not kidding:

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Heather: Now that’s a cape!

Carmen: It’s stunning!!

Watch Brittney and Cherelle Griner Play The Newlywed Game

I’ve got to hand it to the WNBA’s social media teams: They are absolutely crushing it with behind-the-scenes content this season! It’s only making me and Natalie want a WNBA reality series even more (and not for the mess; we’re simply two middle age queer women who love basketball and would never watch something only for the drama) (yes, we would). Yesterday, the Phoenix Mercury gave us The Newlywed Game, starring Brittney Griner and Cherelle Griner and it’s just as frikkin’ adorable as you’re imaging. Maybe even more so. See for yourself.

I smiled, I swooned, I cackled so loud when BG asked why Cherelle was trying to go on Judge Judy. (Because she’s a lawyer and because she wants to BE the judge, obviously. Another show I can commit me and Natalie to watching.) Prior to this, my favorite Mercury BTS video was BG grading Sophie Cunningham’s outfits. “It’s giving Sunday School,” is what she said and I haven’t stopped giggling about it. Also, dang it is just so good to see these two wives out here safe, together, smiling. I’m never going to stop being FULL to bursting with gratitude that Brittney Griner is home. Their secret little handshake! Gah!

Do you have a favorite WNBA sneak peek this season? And why is your last season favorite the Aces smacking each other with tortillas?

WNBA Week 5: All-Star Starters and Mercury Drama Bombs

Feature image photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

It’s been an exciting β€” and messy β€” week in the WNBA, so we won’t keep you waiting! And as always, we would cherish your comments on this week in the W!

Natalie: Should we start in Phoenix? Following a 2-10 start to the season, Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard was fired. I think, based on our previous conversations, we’d both probably agree that this was a necessary firing but were you surprised at the timing?

Heather: Yes, let’s start with this drama, which we both secretly love. I was surprised the Mercury fired her at this exact moment in time because, well, she’s no different than she was last year β€” so why not fire her in the off-season? Or! Why not just keep tanking it out and see how you can do in next year’s presumably stacked draft class? The Lynx are unapologetically going that route! How much is Nikki Blue actually going to be able to do with this roster? Honestly, taking it a step further, how much are the Mercury ever really going to be able to move forward until Diana Taurasi retires? I guess this decision both makes perfect sense and also leaves me with so many more questions! How about you?

Natalie: So, I think you’re hitting on the exact right point. Did Nygaard need to be fired? Yes. But does this materially change things in Phoenix in any way? Not at all. And while there are some dynamics in Phoenix that make it special β€” DT’s strangehold over that team, BG’s future, etc. β€”- the history of midseason firings/hirings in the WNBA makes the trajectory pretty clear. Last year, Marianne Stanley is fired, mid-season, in Indiana after starting 2-7 and then she’s temporarily replaced by Carlos Knox who goes 3-24. Or you can look at LA, where Derek Fisher was finally fired after going 5-7 to start the season, but Fred Williams comes in and goes 8-16 over the remainder of the season. So, irrespective of who the coach is, the trajectory of this Mercury team still doesn’t change much.

So did the Mercury need to make this change now? Not really. It’s not going to matter much in the end. But I think you were starting to see more outward signs of frustration with Nygaard from the players and it was becoming increasingly untenable.

Heather: I feel like Vanessa Nygaard was out of her depth from the second she took that job, but last year, there was only one thing on everyone’s minds and it was BG and that was correct. There was nowhere to hide this season. I guess I do kind of wonder if this was a calculated move to get Skylar back? Do you think that could have something to do with it?

Natalie: Yeah, I mean…coming into this job, the bulk of Nygaard’s head coaching experience was at the high school level (though she did serve as an assistant in San Antonio, Washington and Las Vegas for short spells) so she was definitely out of her depth. I don’t know how much of this has to do with getting Skylar back…I hope it does, both as someone who loves Skylar’s game and who wants better for BG than this kind of season…but those issues between her and Taurasi are still there and I don’t know what can be done to ameliorate them.

It’s also worth noting: BG only signed a one year deal to return. Everyone’s thinking about Taurasi β€” for good reason, she’s been the cornerstone of this franchise for a long time β€” but what if BG doesn’t come back next year? I mean, she doesn’t need to be here…we’ve talked about that, right? So what if she doesn’t come back to the league next season? Or what if she just decides to go elsewhere? There’s so many question marks with this Phoenix Mercury team and I’m not convinced that the front office is prepared or equipped to deal with them in any real way.

Heather: I absolutely agree with this assessment wholeheartedly. And I honestly can’t even figure out what DT’s motivation is for staying at this point? She’s done it all, a dozen times over. She’s watching her legacy kind of crumble before her eyes, and she could honestly be doing literally anything else in the world of women’s basketball. It’s so bizarre to me. She, once again, didn’t make the All-Star Team, at least not the starters, and the players only ranked her as the 14th best guard in the league, according to the voting numbers the W released yesterday. Hang up those high tops, Taurasi!

Natalie: I think she’s just someone who loves the game, who loves to compete, and can’t imagine not playing basketball. For other star players who’ve been on the edge of retirement, you see a path forward for them β€” either in coaching or commentary or as an executive in player development β€” but I can’t imagine Taurasi in any of those roles…so this feels like the thing she has to be doing. I don’t know.

Heather: That’s a really insightful and empathetic read and that’s why you’re one of my favorite people. I should introduce Diana Taurasi to my therapist!

Natalie: Probably not a bad idea.

Heather: Shall we talk about who DID make the All-Star starting roster? (And one glaring omission.)

Natalie: Yes! We shared our initial line-ups for All-Star starters in the Autostraddle WNBA slack channel. I think you got all but one, right?

Heather: I did!

Heather: I am honestly so excited for these two line-ups, except for, obviously, Alyssa Thomas reaaaaally should be here. What’s your overall feeling, first of all? And then: Aliyah Boston! The list of rookie All-Star starters is one of the most legendary lists in all of sports: Chamique Holdsclaw 🧑, Tamika Catchings 🧑, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner πŸ’œ, Shoni Schimmel.

Natalie: So, I agree that AT should definitely be among the starters β€” I mean, she just broke the triple-double record in the W and could easily average one a game if she wanted to β€” but I think she was disadvantaged by the voting system. When you logged into vote, it gave you the top frontcourt players by scoring…and AT, because she’s doing so many other things for that Connecticut team, isn’t in that top echelon of players.

Heather: YES!

Natalie: I’m genuinely so happy for Aliyah Boston. I didn’t doubt that she’d eventually be one of the greats in this league but I thought it’d take a beat: it’s hard to make the transition into this league…these are the best of the best…the game is so much faster and so much more physical than at the college level….and usually it requires an adjustment period. But Boston has been outstanding from Day One.

Heather: I feel exactly the same. I am so thrilled for her. I think we both were pretty convinced her learning curve would be steep, but that she’d come out on top. But! It hasn’t even been three months since she played her final college game. Isn’t that nuts?

Natalie: It truly is. So, I’m thinking, for next week’s conversation, we’ll do our own All-Star draft. The reserves (chosen by the coaches) will be announced on Saturday so we’ll know who all the participants will be. What do you think?

Heather: Oh my gosh YES! I LOVE THIS IDEA! Were there any surprises for you on the starters list? And also, were there any surprises for you on the β€” always telling β€” player rankings?

Natalie: So the player rankings was my absolute favorite part.

Heather: The tea!

Natalie: Everyone’s talking about Sabrina, right? Ranked sixth by fans and media, among the guards…and then 19th by her peers.

Heather: Sabrina Ionescu at 19 β€” I mean, how many starting guards are in the W total? β€” is πŸ‘€. Also seems like we’re not the only ones who want DT to retire.

Natalie: So, here’s the thing about Sabrina…and to an extent, DT: they are both incredibly talented players β€” I don’t want to discount that at all, they’re both are tremendously talented β€” who also benefit from white privilege (or white passing privilege in DT’s case). The W is a league that’s built on the work of black women but the media loves to find a white player to put front and center….and so I wasn’t at all surprised to see Sabrina come in at 6th for the media β€” who, again, loves a white savior β€” or for the fans, who embrace that white savior trope readily.

I think there are white players who recognize the dynamics that are at play and those who don’t…and the ones who don’t, to borrow from the great Molly Ivins, were born on third base and think they hit a triple. Sabrina thinks she hit a triple.

Heather: That’s exactly it. It’s almost like the exact opposite of Katie Barnes’ Jonquel Jones profile from last season, right? Sabrina’s a great basketball player. Is she Nike signature shoe great at this point? No. Is she All-Star starter great at this point? No. Liberty fans, online and in person, have been complaining for years now that they can’t get their hands on anyone else’s jerseys, not online and not in the store in Barclay’s. You have to order them custom. Then there’s this constant hype on her friendship with NBA players, with Vanessa Bryant. And there’s Sabrina herself, who is β€” I’m sorry β€” not super likable. We didn’t even talk about this yet, but that girl has been going around commenting on TikTok and Instagram that she’s not gay and that her shoes aren’t gay. Everything she does is upside-down for earning respect in this league.

Natalie: That said, while I don’t think Sabrina’s 6th, I don’t think she’s 19th either…but I think when you’re shushing a crowd, while a player from the other team is coming off the court bleeding when you’ve only scored 8 points…players are going to take that shit personally.

Heather: End of story. You know, actually no. Because you know what? ESPN tweeted that out hyping her up! It was so gross and classless and of course ESPN celebrated it!

Natalie: Yes! Because they love a white savior.

Heather: Exactly. Imagine them tweeting out Alyssa Thomas doing that. Not in a billion years.

Natalie: DeWanna Bonner does that shit all the time.

Heather: Absolutely.

Natalie: Nary a mention.

Heather: You know, and on the flip side of this conversation, you’ve got Kelsey Mitchell! Player rank 5!

Natalie: I wasn’t surprised by that. Kelsey’s been doing the work in Indiana…not just in terms of getting her own points but she’s constantly been given a roster full of rookies and second year players and has had to lead them through the WNBA terrain. I’m happy that the other players in the W recognize what Kelsey’s done.

Heather: Me too. One of the things you and I keep coming back to, when we talk about the Fever, is how do they stay dialed in and keep their belief in the team when they lose so many heartbreaking close games. And that’s happened to them so much this season. So much of that credit goes to Kelsey Mitchell, who just keeps her head up and keeps pushing and encouraging, stays focused, doesn’t let the little things slip, nose to the ball on every play. She absolutely deserves that recognition and it’s a perfect example for why the player vote SHOULD count 25% toward the all-star score.

Natalie: I think the voting system for All-Star has to change. That much is clear.

Speaking of heartbreak, Week 5 in the WNBA brought us some heartbreaking injury news: Brionna Jones ruptured her right Achilles tendon and is out for the rest of the season with the Sun.

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A post shared by Brionna Jones (@bri_jones18)

Heather: Absolutely heartbreaking. By the time Natasha Cloud was literally carrying Shakira Austin off the floor yesterday, I was actually in tears. I hate seeing these players go down like this. I know it’s part of the game, but god, they give everything and so much is riding on their (very underpaid!) careers, every game, it’s just a punch in the heart.

Natalie: It really does. We’ve had injuries already this season β€” DT and BG just came back from their respective injuries this week, for instance β€” but, unless I’m forgetting someone (which I probably am), Jones’ is the first season-ending injury we’ve had during the season. And it sucks because she was really stepping into her own, now that she’s not splitting time at center with Jonquel Jones, Bri was given the space to really showcase her talent. I hate that that’s been cut short.

Heather: It’s also an enormous blow to the Sun as a whole. They have been defying all odds and expectations this season, and Bri has been a huge part of that.

Natalie: And we still don’t know the prognosis for Shakira’s injury β€” the Mystics have said it’s a hip injury that’ll be looked at when they get back to DC β€” but watching it…it looked bad. I’m really just praying it’s not as serious as it looked because she was having an incredible season. Definitely a contender for Most Improved and possibly even an All-Star reserve slot.

Heather: Absolutely. And the Mystics are kind of in that same bucket with the Sun, right? Like they could really be something, but that does depend so much on Shakira. She was in such agonizing pain that Brittney Sykes covered her up with a towel so the cameras couldn’t see her.

Natalie: Ugh, I hate it so much. So, so much.

Heather: We love these players too much to have any kind of objectivity.

Natalie: We really do. I think that’s what’s great about the W…for anyone who’s just becoming a fan…there are so many incredible players, with incredible stories, that you don’t have to pick a team necessarily. You can just cheer for these players.

Heather: Yes, and that means any game can be a joy to your heart! Plus the way these teams are really going all in on social media, it’s giving more access and generating even more loyalty and love. The most classic example from this week? Syd Colson’s reaction to Chelsea Grey’s dime of destiny!

Natalie: Another great example this week was Destanni Henderson, who got cut by the Fever at the start of the season, getting a hardship contract with the Sparks and then absolutely showing out.

https://twitter.com/darcangel21/status/1672651822429814790

Heather: It was so good to see her back out on the floor. I think she has IT and I hope she gets a chance to really prove it. There’s lots of stories of players getting cut and passed around early in their W lives, who then go on to have great careers. I do feel like Dawn Staley prepares her players for that possibility! And I think Henny would be such a great asset and teammate!

Natalie: Given how much she loved Henny’s draft day fit last year, this feels like a good time to turn it over to Carmen for our WNBA Fit of the Week.

Carmen: Fit of the week is gonna be GAYYYYYYYYYYY

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A post shared by The Los Angeles Sparks (@la_sparks)

I want that shirt so badly, does anyone know where to get it? I want to wear it with some Tomboyx briefs and drink beer and watch basketball on my couch immediately. I want to pair it with some 90s style high rise shorts and go to a sports bar. I want to wear it and be gay in every humanly way possible.

My second round fashion choice is Destanni Henderson. 85% because I am just so happy to see her playing again after getting cut by the Fever during training camp (and to such sensational results!! I know she’s only on a temporary contract with the Sparks, but can they keep her?) but also because Henny is always a vibe.

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Natalie: Not to say you’re predictable or anything but…

Carmen: Hahaha! I’m not sure if this is a callout of my noted love for studs with dimples or my allegiance to Gamecock nation, but also? Yes, on both counts. I’m proud of my brand!

WNBA Week 4: Who’s Hot? Who’s Washed? Who’s the Best Dressed Gay of the Week?

Feature image photoΒ by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

The WNBA’s 2023 season is in full swing now, friends! All-Star voting is underway; teams are cementing their identifies for the season; and superstars are setting themselves apart from the rest of the pack. Also, Natalie is tied for first in our Fantasy League (while Heather is barely breaking even). We got together, once again, to break it all down!

Heather: Natalie, hello! Another awesome week of WNBA basketball is in the books, and what a fun weekend of games!

Natalie: Absolutely…but I think we have to start this week’s conversation in the same place we began last week’s conversation: the discussion about Brittney Griner’s travel. The All-Star center did not play much this week, after being sidelined with a hip injury a few minutes into the Seattle game, but her travel and security remained a big topic of conversation. What do you think about what we know so far about the WNBA’s “solution” to those travelling woes?

Heather: I’m glad you’re kicking off here because I think we are both still very unsatisfied with the answers the WNBA and the Mercury are giving about what actually happened in that airport in Dallas, why it happened, and what they’re actually going to do about it going forward. Much like last week, stories continue to trickle out from different sources, and they’re contradictory, and no one in charge seems to be telling the whole story β€” still. Maybe the most illuminating (and infuriating) bit of information so far came on Friday when SportCenter had on both WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert, followed by Terri Jackson, the Executive Director of the WNBA Player’s Association.

There was all this weird reporting that the W has approved charters, but that still left more questions than answers. It’s one company they approved, it only flies out of four W cities, apparently the Aces have already used it at least once and not been penalized, it costs the same as commercial air because they rent out the whole plane on a predetermined route (which includes Phoenix to Dallas, which makes the fact that BG got accosted in DFW even more ridiculous), but then Vanessa Nygaard said the Mercury were afraid to book charter and get in trouble, blah blah blah. But here’s the thing that’s got me the most furious: In that SportCenter interview, Terri Jackson said BG is paying for at least some of her security detail OUT OF HER OWN POCKET.

I don’t feel any closer to okay about this than I did the day it happened. How about you?

Natalie: I don’t, actually. I watched the Phoenix game yesterday against New York and the commentary there seemed to be that the Mercury have developed a plan to allow BG to fly charter, safely, but they won’t tell anyone what it is for “security purposes.” Which, on some level, I get that…like it makes sense for the league to withhold certain information…but, at the same time, that situation in Dallas was a loss of trust from my perspective. I lost a lot of faith in the leadership of the W and the Phoenix Mercury that they’d do what’s necessary to protect BG…so they need to step up to the plate with more details and more evidence that they’re doing right by BG and Cherelle and right by the players at large.

That interview with Terri Jackson was so reassuring to me β€” even though it stoked my anger β€” because I thought, well here’s someone who’s going to put BG first and who’s not going to parrot whatever the WNBA company line is. We need more of that if the league wants to save face with the fans.

Heather: Absolutely! She pulled no punches! And she is so very clearly in touch with the players, with BG and Cherelle, and damn committed to making sure they have what they need to actually be safe.

Natalie: As you noted, this public character situation feels wholly unsatisfactory…like, okay…these four WNBA cities are taken care of but what about the rest? Like there’s nothing about the solution that the WNBA has proposed, with respect to this public charter, that would’ve changed that situation that happened in Dallas because the charter service doesn’t fly to Indianapolis…which is where the team was going at the time. So, fundamentally, what has the league done to really address the circumstances that lead to that confrontation in the Dallas airport? And, also: who the hell is paying for it?

The more the WNBA drags their feet on the obvious answer β€” which, above all, includes NOT MAKING A WOMAN WHO WAS WRONGLY IMPRISONED AND TRAPPED IN A COUNTRY WHERE SHE DOESN’T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE, FLY ALONE β€” the more convinced I am that they want to hold onto charter flights as a negotiating chip for the next CBA…and are just trying to piecemeal a solution to get them through this season.

And, sorry, just one more thing: this was always going to happen. The league was always going to need to deal with its travel woes AND they were going to have to worry about the security of their players.

We’re talking on the Juneteenth holiday where we commemorate the end of slavery in this country. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news of the emancipation. I mention that because when you think about legacy of activism and organizing around Juneteenth, the WNBA players have been at the forefront of carrying that legacy in a sports arena. And the more the players of this league speak out on social justice and human rights issues, the more they’ll become targets of a certain segment of the population that, like that dude in the Dallas airport, isn’t afraid of accosting those players.

So even though BG returning to the league sped up our consideration of all this, this discussion about player safety needed to happen. It was inevitable.

Sorry, I just had to get that all off my chest.

Heather: I’m so glad you did. You and I have been watching this league from its inception, and there are so many things that have grown and changed beyond anything either of us could have imagined back in the late 90s β€” all because these players have shown frankly heroic conviction and courage in pushing the W to reflect the players who actually make it up. It’s unlike any other sports league on earth. Yesterday, during the Liberty game, at halftime, they were doing a Juneteenth drumline celebration on court while CBS played this inspirational Pride package where all these gay players β€” so many gay players β€” spoke about how gay people are perfect just the way they are. Nic jokingly said, “My intersectionality was shaking!” but it’s true, right? That’s the W. And the W has a lot of work to do to be an actual safe space for these players, especially BG, and I’m with you all the way in everything you said, Natalie. You nailed it.

Natalie: So since we’ve talked about the Mercury, and you mentioned that game against the Liberty, let’s start there: Phoenix had a rough week. On top of these travel and security issues, both Diana and BG are out for multiple games last week and the Mercury now sit at the bottom of the WNBA standings. What’s your take on this squad?

Is there anything that they can do to right the ship?

Heather: Well, their second string nearly caused the Liberty’s second string to blow a 20-point lead on Sunday, so there’s some fight there!

But seriously, I don’t feel like they have much of a plan. DT’s done β€” and that’s fine! She’s given it her all, she’s one of the all-time greatest basketball players ever, she’s going to go on and do literally anything she wants in the women’s basketball world next, but she’s for real washed. I don’t see a world where Skylar Diggins-Smith is rushing back to play for Vanessa Nygaard after Nygaard showed her ass last year by saying the All-Star game isn’t an All-Star game without DT (even though it had Skylar!).

Nygaard is embarrassing the heck out of me. That Skylar thing, sitting there and nodding along while Sophie Cunningham blames DT going scoreless on the refs, her consistently ineffectual sideline pleas. And, frankly, I’m not sure she has the gravitas to guide these players through the rest of this season, emotionally, after what happened to them in that airport. I do wonder where she was when this was happening. If that had been me, you would have seen my angry little lesbian head in that man’s camera shielding my players with my whole aging body!

They need to rebuild, but they can’t do it this year, and I don’t think they can do it with Nygaard or Taurasi and I don’t think the Mercury have even begun to think about who they are without Taurasi. It’s going to be a looooong season for them.

Natalie: If you watch a Phoenix game, there is this sense, among the Mercury and their fanbase, that they are owed something. They are owed these calls in the game. Diana is owed a spot on the All-Star team. That kind of thinking is not going to get you far in the W…it’s just too competitive.

Heather: Yep!

Natalie: What’s interesting to me about the Phoenix Mercury is that they have these players Shey Peddy, Sug Sutton…who are the exact opposite of that…They understand that no one owes them anything…they aren’t going to be handed a WNBA roster slot…so they do all the hard work to get here and to prove that they belong. Each and every time on the floor.

Heather: I agree, and that’s kind of what I mean when I say the Mercury don’t know who they are without DT! Like they have the players to have an entirely different identity β€” if they wanted to!

Natalie: I think the Mercury are the most poorly coached team in the league. Like I don’t even think Cheryl Reeve is trying in Minnesota and I still think she’s doing a better job than Nygaard.

Heather: God that’s so true. What a terrible truth! But a true truth!

Natalie: I think she’s letting the team (read: DT) run her, rather than running the team, and you just can’t win that way.

And, listen, DT is an all-time great…the GOAT if you believe some people (I am not one of those people, but you know, whatever)….but she is not a coachable player at this level in her career. I think Sandy Brondello is in New York because she wanted to chart a post-DT Mercury, DT was like, “nope!” and the leadership of that organization just went along with it.

Heather: You nailed it again! Everything you’ve said here is spot on! Sandy seemed light as a feather on the Liberty sideline this weekend against the Mercury. I think most of that was probably being back with BG, whom Sandy has said repeatedly is her family for life β€” but I think at least some of it was coaching the team she’s now coaching against this inevitably sad incarnation of the Mercury.

Natalie: I think, particularly in the close moments of where Phoenix seems to have a chance β€” like against the Wings two weeks ago β€” you see that Nygaard just isn’t a good coach…she can’t game plan for those crucial moments…but I’m not sure she was ever set up for success.

Heather: It’s honestly a relief to hear you think she’s so out of her element too. I kind of started to worry I was being too hard on her because I feel like she does not know what she’s doing most of the time!

Natalie: Since we’re on the subject of DT, a lot of Autostraddle readers have been asking how you can not like Taurasi but like Marina Mabrey when they have some of the same…shall we say…swagger. Did you want to address that?

Heather: Yes! I would love to! It’s all in what we’ve just talked about here. There’s a bullying entitlement to everything Diana Taurasi has ever done, in my mind, from the minute she stepped on the floor at UConn.

And then there’s Mabrey, who’s an angry little scrap pup, but her vibe feels so different to me. She came off that Notre Dame team that included Arike and Jackie Young, who won the National Championship in 2018 off Arike’s legendary buzzer beaters in the Final Four and the National Championship. Mabrey was the third best player on that team! She’s still the third best player to come off that team! Does Mabrey even get drafted if Arike doesn’t crush that tournament? I honestly don’t know. She plays like there’s a chip on her shoulder because there’s a chip on her shoulder, because she’s not the best, because no matter how hard she works and how much she shines, she’s never going to be the best.

Where I think DT feels like she deserves every call every time, and every chance to play for the Olympic team, and every chance to play in the All-Star game, Mabrey seems to think if she doesn’t fight for every single call, she’ll disappear. Diana Taurasi’s going to the Hall of Fame and lots of people will call her the GOAT for the rest of her life. Mabrey’s just out there fighting, every play, every call, every night, and she’ll still never be the best. I like that!

I like it when players know how hard you have to fight to be part of The 144 β€”and I’ve also never heard Mabrey say she wants to murder rookies, or threaten to fight a referee in a hotel lobby.

Natalie: That makes complete sense.

Heather: Oh wait, there is one more thing, and it’s petty.

Natalie: It’s okay! Be petty!

Heather: Former Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw hated Geno Auriemma and spent so much time getting under his skin, and I saw some of that in Mabrey too, and so before I even knew her, I knew she was the enemy of my enemy.

Natalie: LOL. I didn’t know you had that level of petty in you, Heather. I salute it!

Heather: Geno brings out the absolute worst in me! Anyway, speaking of the best player on Mabrey’s teams, what’s going on with Kahleah Copper?

Natalie: I wish I knew. She was out for the Sky’s game against the Fever for personal reasons and whatever those reasons were, they seemed to haunt her yesterday against the Mystics. She just was not herself and it was very apparent.

Heather: I agree. She only played two minutes in the first quarter and that’s when I started to get worried. We’ve kind of hit that first snag of the season where players are needing to start thinking about rest days and even rest games β€” but this seems like more than that.

Natalie: I know we’ve had some heroics from Mabrey and Courtney Williams lately…and Dana Evans is playing some great basketball…I think these last few games have emphasized that this is still Kahleah Copper’s team and the Sky only goes as far as she can carry them. When she’s playing well, she elevates the rest of that squad…but when she’s not β€” like yesterday against the Mystics β€” I think the team regresses dramatically.

Heather: Absolutely agree. It’s also becoming apparent that a lot of those monster numbers by other players are happening, at least in part, because defenses are preoccupied with Kah. They’re rightly obsessed with keeping their eyes on her on both sides of the floor, at all times, and that frees up everyone else in different ways.

Natalie: So let’s go from folks who had lackluster offensive weeks to players that really showed out…starting with Jewell Loyd vs. Arike Ogunbowale. How spectacular was that Storm-Wings game?

Heather: Oh, Natalie! I had to take a nap after that game I got so worked up! Speaking of Notre Dame stars! Arike is my number one fantasy player obviously, and I was playing against someone who has Jewell Loyd, and it was unreal watching both of their numbers just climb and climb and climb. You said before the game started that you were ready for an explosive offensive showcase, and boy did they deliver. It’s hard to think of two more exciting players than Jewell and Arike right now; both of them are like trying to guard a player who’s already running downhill.

Watching them was like watching magic! Like the reason sports transcend so many things! For two hours, I was flying with them!

Natalie: I think, to open that game, Arike came down and hit a three…and then Jewell Loyd heads down to the other end and is like, “anything you can do…” and then β€” bang! β€” hits from deep. It was really great…these are both two dynamic shooters who can score, almost, at will. Both ended up having career nights.

As exciting as that game was, it ends up being part of a three game skid for the Wings. Are you worried about that team?

Heather: I keep getting confused about how the Wings are losing. There’s Arike doing Arike stuff, there’s Satou being better than ever before, they lead the league in offensive rebounding, they’re often scoring over 100 points a game, and they’re still losing half their games. I watch them play and I feel so thrilled for them, and at the end of 40 minutes, I’m like, “…how? Did they lose? Again?”

Obviously having Teaira McCowan overseas for all of July is causing problems for them, probably even more than they anticipated, despite the fact that Kalani Brown has stepped up in really admirable ways.

Natalie: I think the rest of the WNBA should be clamoring to get Kalani Brown off waivers when the Wings have to release her because she has been great.

Heather: I felt that way about Odyssey Sims too. She shined for her minute on the Wings.

Natalie: I will say, I am worried a bit about the Wings because they just aren’t doing what they need to do on the defensive end. Plus, while I’m always thrilled to see an offensive showcase from Arike, this team does its best when there’s a balanced scoring effort between her, Natasha Howard and Satou.

McCowan coming back definitely helps them defensively but I wonder what it does to that offensive triangle that they’ve been building.

(Also, I wish Satou would stop talking to the refs after every call. It’s pulling her out of the game.)

Heather: I think that’s a really good analysis, and they’ve had Crystal Dangerfield in and out, so it’s going to be mid-August before their full team is hitting its stride, together β€” assuming everyone stays healthy.

There’s some more offensive brilliance happening this season that came through again this week. You’ve got Alyssa Thomas on triple double watch every game. You’ve got Aliyah Boston absolutely silencing anyone who thought she couldn’t make the transition to the W. What else has you excited right now?

Natalie: The Atlanta Dream are on a three game win streak and they’ve definitely got me excited. After last year, I had a lot of faith in Tanisha Wright and what she was building with the Dream…but then the year started and they just weren’t living up to my expectations? But it feels like they’ve finally settled in and now they’re on a tear. I think Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray are one of the best backcourts in the W and as they continue to develop chemistry, they’re going to be tough to contain.

Heather: Yes! I just feel like I have spent the last week and a half saying “Oh! Okay, Dream! Okay!” There was some weird headline on ESPN last week like “Can Rhyne Howard live up to her draft position?” And I was like, “UH, SHE ALREADY HAS.”

I had hoped so hard that Allisha Gray could find what she needed with Tanisha Wright. She was so close, but just couldn’t get comfortable in Dallas. It’s so cool to see her settling in and playing her game β€” and winning! And, you know, Haley Jones has surprised me! She’s getting more and more minutes, and what was great about her at Stanford is great about her in the W. She’s got all those eyes and a head on a swivel, she’s got a nose for where the ball’s coming off the glass and where everyone’s spreading out to, and she’s even starting to dance toward being comfortable behind the arc. I think Atlanta’s going to end up showing a lot of people what’s up by the end of this season.

And, of course, I continue to both underestimate and be thrilled by the Sun. I’ve got to let go of my leftover Curt Miller animosity and just love these Suns for who they are. They are playing like a team with something to prove! I like it!

Who’s not living up to the hype so far?

Natalie: Probably the team that Curt Miller is coaching now.

Heather: LOL.

Natalie: In their defense, the Sparks have been really hampered by injuries, but still: losing to the Lynx at home? It felt like, in the late moments of that game, Miller didn’t seem to have a game plan for the Sparks and they were kind of aimless…so Minnesota was able to get the W.

Heather: Let the Lynx tank, Curt! God!

(I just felt Napheesa Collier scowl at me from a thousand miles away.)

Natalie: I’ll pose a different question to you: thinking about the All-Star roster that you’ve created, did anyone impress you enough this week that you’d think about changing your lineup? Did anyone in your lineup slip?

Heather: Great question! I think this past week only cemented for me that, no matter what the Storm’s record is, Jewell deserves a starting spot on the All-Star team. And, don’t judge me, okay β€” I hadn’t really voted for Stewie because I just assumed everyone would be voting for Stewie. After watching what the Liberty looked like when she had one (1!) off-game, I started voting for her.

What about you?

Natalie: I think Napheesa Collier has been someone that’s impressed me over the last few weeks. It took her a few weeks to get warmed up but now she’s scoring consistently (unlike some of her other Lynx teammates) and really showcasing what she’s capable of. Is she a definite addition to my all-star roster? No, but I’ve been trading off…voting for Phee one day and AT the next…so that I could throw some points her way.

Heather: That’s smart! Phee is making a great case for herself! Shall we turn it over to our esteemed colleague Carmen Phillips for her fits of the week!

Carmen: Ok so the first thing to know is that both of my fits of the week come from the Aces and also specifically from my two favorite players and fantasy wives (much respect to their actual real life wives) β€” but I swear I didn’t plan it like that! I take my job seriously and I’m thorough in my research!

Candace Parker walks into the Juneteenth game.

That out of the way, the obvious first choice for me here is Candace Parker’s fit for the Aces Juneteenth game. As my overstuffed drawers would attest, I’ll fall for a good Black feminist t-shirt every time. I saw Angela Davis from a mile away while scrolling and had to immediately double back. Pairing it with the Lady Vols orange Adidas was just a Midas touch.

My second choice of the week comes from a different Aces theme night β€” but Chelsea Gray wearing a t-shirt of her wedding kiss with her wife for Pride night was really Top Tier.

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WNBA Week 3: Legends Honored and All-Star Voting Commences

WNBA week three is in the books and what a gay ol’ time it was! Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles got their jerseys retired, A’ja Wilson brought a rainbow cake to the Aces game, Diana Taurasi turned 300 sports years old (still younger than Natalie and Heather, though!), and the league celebrated Pride with plenty of rainbows. We’re here to break it all down and make our little jokes!

Natalie: Heather, there were two big stories in Week 3 of the WNBA: the incident at the Dallas airport involving the Phoenix Mercury and the jersey retirements of Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles, so I think we start there. I wrote a bit yesterday about what happened in Dallas β€” and focused, particularly, on how it happened β€” but I wanted to get your take on the situation. How’d you feel when you read Brianna Turner’s tweet and heard the subsequent reports and what do you think is the path forward?

Heather: I thought what you wrote about BG yesterday was perfect, in large part because you got to the heart of the issue I’ve had since this happened, which was how obfuscating every statement was from every organization and from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. They were all kicking the can around and making vague statements about how “charters had been approved” for BG β€” but then, all the statements unraveled.

How many charters had been approved? Apparently not charters for all the games! Who was footing the bill for these charters? The Mercury? The league? Who knows! Where was this promised security BG was supposed to have? Just a whole lot of words and a whole lot of (purposeful?) confusion, when the heart of the issue was: The one group of people who should have been proactively protecting BG, completely, failed her and her teammates. And, like you said: IN AN AIRPORT.

I am obviously still very worked up about it. The fact that the W waited for something to happen β€” when everyone with even the smallest capacity for foresight could have told you it was going to happen β€” makes me absolutely livid. And now, of course, I’m worried it’s going to become a thing with these right wing jackasses because this guy got so much attention. Do you think the W is going to rise to the challenge and actually put their money where their mouth is in terms of valuing BG’s health and safety?

Natalie: I think they certainly have to step up…and I hope that, now the reality of the situation has been exposed, more sports media can step up and hold them accountable and ask for the specifics that the situation warrants.

One thing that I didn’t talk about in my piece yesterday because I couldn’t find corroboration β€” and I said this in our slack channel immediately after I read the WNBA’s statement β€” was that, apparently, only BG was going to get the charter flights? Like she was going to be separated from her team and have to fly separately? On what planet does that make sense? This woman spent 10 months locked up in a cell, surrounded by people who didn’t share a language with her….and you want her to travel alone? Seriously, where’s the decency?

Heather: Absolutely agree. When you said that, I thought about the team that did the exchange for BG, how they said that when she got on the plane, they expected her to be subdued and exhausted β€” but that she wanted to talk the entire flight home from Russia, because she had been all alone for so long. Thinking about her being separated from her teammates, her family, again because of the league!, it is so upsetting.

Natalie: This idea that charter flights provide some dramatic advantage to the team that has them, I think, is preposterous. Back when the owner of the Liberty provided a charter flights for his team β€” a move that was subject to a $500k fine from the league β€” New York had a losing record over that period. Plus, and I think Stewie pointed this out, if you accept that charter flights provide a “competitive advantage,” what’s the difference between that competitive advantage and, say, having a private practice facility like the Aces have?

No one’s dissuading teams from building those private facilities…in fact, the league has been touting the Aces’ growth and, in turn, we’re seeing other teams in the league…like Seattle and Chicago…step up and commit to offering their players better facilities.

Heather: That’s absolutely right. Any team with money is going to have this competitive advantage in one way or another. Like, you think those rings that Aces owner Mark Davis got for the team for their championship, the hugest and most expensive rings ever, you think that’s not a recruitment tactic on top of everything else? The training facilities, like you said. Even the arenas where they play. Like Climate Pledge compared to, say, the Gateway Center in Atlanta. There’s not parity in the way money is spent in this league, and it feels like an excuse β€” especially when you’re talking about something as huge as this.

And! And! Name one single player in this entire league, one coach, one trainer, who’s going to say, “No, we don’t want BG and the Mercury to fly charter because it’s not fair to us.” NO ONE is going to say that because these players want BG to be safe and well, more than anything else!

Natalie: 100%. You’re absolutely right.

Heather: I’m really eager to see what the W does here. They better do it swiftly and completely.

Natalie: They better.

Heather: This actually fits in with a much larger cultural conversation about hyper-visibility, and if you’re an organization that’s making vulnerable people the face of your whole thing, it is your responsibility to make sure they have the protection and care they need from becoming hyper-visible. It’s not enough to put BG’s name and number and face all over t-shirts and gym floors. You’ve got to do the extra work to care for her, or else all that is just a pantomime! This is something gender nonconforming and trans people deal with all the time, and it’s heightened times a billion for BG.

Natalie: That’s absolutely right: this, for better or worse, is a consequence of growing the game…and it was always going to be an issue but the situation with BG sped that process up considerably…so now the league has to deal with it. We’ll see what happens.

This week also saw the jerseys of two WNBA legends Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles raised to the rafters for the Seattle Storm and Minnesota Lynx. Did you enjoy the retirement ceremonies? And do you have a favorite memory of those two players from their time in the league?

Heather: Oh, Natalie, I have been just luxuriating in my strolls down memory lane because of Syl and Sue. Look, there’s absolutely no way to fully describe Sue Bird’s impact on women’s professional sports, on gay athletes of all ages, of women’s basketball around the world. And she deserves every single accolade and the entire 90 minutes she spoke after her jersey was raised into the rafters!

But it’s always Sylvia Fowles for me. I’m an SEC girl, so I have been so close to her career since she arrived at LSU in 2004, and the more I have learned about her as a person, the more I have admired her. Sylvia Fowles is a hero to me not only because she is a generational basketball talent, but also because she is what I aspire to be as a woman in this world. Strong, accomplished, yes. But more than that, genuine and kind and a light who makes the world just a little bit brighter for those folks coming after me. So, you know, I just watched every single second of that entire Lynx celebration weekend with a very very very full heart. Syl deserves it all, and everyone in that organization knows it and was so happy to celebrate her.

Off the top of my head, the Syl moment that’s jumping out to me is when she dunked in her last All-Star game. I don’t even know if she knew her knees still had it in them! The way the crowd and both benches went berserk, and her smile just lighting it all up. One thing I love about the W is how they’re wide open competitive all the time with each other, but when it comes down to it, they also just love to see each other succeed. And that moment with Syl was the embodiment of that.

What about you? And who do you think has the ability to carry on Sue’s lesbian ponytail legacy?

Natalie: Well, first, I certainly wish the league had stepped in and said to the Lynx and the Storm that they can’t possibly have these events on the same day. There’s no way to give both those players the space they deserve β€” the time to really be in the spotlight β€” by having them both on the same day. I think the ceremonies may have overlapped in the end and that’s really unfair to fans and to those legends.

Heather: Yes! Correct as usual!

Natalie: It’s been funny to watch men on the Internet get BIG MAD about what Megan Rapinoe said about Sue because the truth of it is, she’s one of the most decorated athletes to ever play the game. Championships at all levels. There’s simply not a corollary in the men’s game for what Sue’s accomplished. There just isn’t.

My favorite Sue memory, without a doubt, though is that 2018 playoff series against the Mercury β€” the masked games β€” where Sue just played absolutely out of her mind.

Heather: The Masked Games! ABSOLUTELY LEGENDARY. I actually love that every highlight package I’ve seen this past week has included The Masked Games!

Natalie: It was EPIC.

I don’t know if anyone will carry on the legacy of Sue’s perfect ponytail though. How was she always able to keep it so flawless?!

Heather: There’s something extra special about Sue and Syl’s jerseys being retired during Pride. The way the league has changed in terms of gay fans, gay players, during their careers? It’s grown more than every other sports league combined.

Natalie: With Syl, I think you hit the nail on the head in your reflection. She just genuinely seems like a great person on and off the court. And I think I’m kinda stunned by how she’s this incredible superstar with an incredible legacy…and is just this normal person off the court?

Seimone Augustus keeps comparing her to a grandma which is hilarious, but really, she’s just a superstar who keeps herself grounded.

Heather: Seimone Augustus is just projecting!

So kind of taking these celebrations a step further…how do you think the Storm and the Lynx rebuild now? I know we’ve had lots of readers asking us to get into it about the Storm. We have so many folks in the Seattle area! Let’s give them some hope!

Natalie: I think if you just look at the records of the bottom three teams in the league β€” Seattle, Minnesota and Indiana β€” you’re probably going to feel discouraged about where those teams are…but if you’re watching the games? I’d be confident about the future, particularly with Seattle and Indiana.

Seattle had the game last Tuesday against the Sparks where Jewell Loyd is out there doing Jewell Loyd things…but also Ezi Magbegor’s offense is starting to pick up and Jordan Horston is really starting to showcase what she’s capable of. After that win, they drop two games to the Mystics but one is a strong showing without Loyd and in the other, they battle back from a double digit deficit to make it a game. The team still needs help…they’ve got some holes to fill…but I’m encouraged by the talent on this squad and I think the future is bring in Seattle.

Heather: Yes! You know I love that you’re comparing Indiana and Seattle here because I think that they’re both showing huge promise in the same way, because what they’re lacking is experience. Jewell Loyd is just… unreal, and the way she’s continued to give everything, every game, and has taken on the role of mentoring these young players? There’s so much to be excited about there. It’s not like you’ve got a team of stars who can’t figure out how to work together, or vets who can’t seem to get over that playoff hump, or a coach that’s always getting close but can’t manage one specific piece of the puzzle. They’re just young. Young and hungry and exciting! I agree with you that the future is bright in Seattle. And I think so for Indiana too. One question I have about the Fever is: Do you think continuing to drop these super close games is making them more hungry, or do you think it starts to take a toll after a while?

Natalie: I can’t imagine it not taking a toll, particularly when you’ve got games that they just let slip out of their hands. I think the responsibility shifts to Kelsey Mitchell and Erica Wheeler, who are Fever’s vets, to settle down the team and help them refocus on what comes next.

Heather: I think they’re up to the task! I think Christie Sides is doing an excellent job, at the moment, keeping that energy and that belief alive. She is one of those people that just radiates a kind of intensity that feels like a taut live-wire, and I think that’s what the Fever need right now.

Natalie: Another point I’d make here: when we talk about WNBA rookies and the adjustment they have to make to the league, part of it is losing, right? These top shelf players come from college programs that may lose a handful of games a season and they’re going to the worst teams in the league…and may lose more games in their first season in the W than they lost in their entire college career. So to see Aliyah Boston in Indiana and Jordan Horston in Seattle not be shaken by those losses…I think it speaks a great deal to their capacity to compete at this level.

Heather: That’s such a great point! Honestly, Jonquel Jones seems more frustrated than the two of them!

Natalie: She really, really does and I feel for her.

Heather: She’s gonna get there! (“There” is not the block! She does not want to post up!) But she’s going to get back to that place where she’s feeling good about her game again!

Natalie: I want to believe that JJ will, just because Jonquel has always been this incredible force…but I don’t know that I trust Sandy Brondello to step back and figure out how to better integrate her into the offense, particularly if the Liberty are winning.

Heather: I agree with that concern. Stewie has always been wrecking my teams, so this Liberty team is my first experience with really rooting for her, and now that she’s here doing her whole Stewie deal, I can see how easy it would be for her to cover an entire franchise’s worth of little issues. The Liberty have so many things they need to work out, and getting JJ’s puzzle piece square is one of them, but they’re winning on Stewie’s performances every single week. I think this was one of Brondello’s struggles in Phoenix too. She had BG and DT and so there was an inherent greatness…but they couldn’t get all the way there, consistently, because there were tweaks that didn’t get made because of that layer of pizazz that had them mostly winning?

What’s got you excited about Week 4 of WNBA action?

Natalie: WNBA All-Star voting! Have you been casting your ballot regularly?

Heather: You know I have! I think I told Stacy like ten times that All-Star voting was auto-doubled (count that twice!) on Sunday. My main thing, this year, is making sure Satou is there again.

Natalie: That’s been the driving force behind my All-Star voting: I want Satou Sabally to be an All-Star starter. She’s had an incredible season thus far and, frankly, she deserves.

But Sabally’s game is one thing, I hope, everyone can agree on…let’s find some differences. Last year, one of Chelsea Gray’s motivators, into the second half of the WNBA season and the post-season, was being left off the All-Star roster. Is she on your roster this year?

Heather: I have voted for her every time! I feel like I didn’t get to watch the Aces last year as much as I wanted to because they have all those late night west coast games and I’m old β€” but this year, they’re getting so many nationally televised normal time games. So it’s just easy to see that the Aces aren’t the Aces without Chelsea Gray. It’s not just her box score, which deserves an all-star spot on its own merit; it’s the point god of it all. When the Aces run through her, they really do feel unstoppable. Their half-court game and their transition game; their spread offense and their high-low. She seems like she has six sets of eyeballs!

My other vote getter every day is Alyssa Thomas. Who are some of your go-to every-day votes?

Natalie: So, oddly enough, Chelsea isn’t on my All-Star roster. I think you’re right in that she’s still the heart of that team but when I look at the Aces, I think the two driving forces for that offense have been A’ja and Jackie Young…so they’re the two Aces I have in my lineup.

But the Aces were beat last week…Connecticut dropped the first game of that series but then they go back and regroup and give the defending champions their first loss of the season. I think DeWanna Bonner had an incredible game β€” and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her pick up All-Star votes on the strength of her recent performances β€” but for me, AT is the star of that Sun squad…she just does anything and everything they need to help get them get a win. I mean, it feels like every single game she’s a hair shy of a triple double. She’s a definite All-Star in my book.

Heather: I read a beat reporter say that in DeWanna’s huge game, AT opted not to go back in for the last five minutes, even though she was just β€” like you said β€” a breath away from another triple double. And when they asked her why, she said it was because she simply wanted to see her girlfriend shine.

Natalie: Well now I just want to vote for her more!

Heather: You’re such a secret sap.

Natalie: Ssshhhh… don’t tell anyone.

Who was the hardest choice to leave off your All-Star roster?

Heather: Marina Mabrey. She isn’t as good as the players I’m voting for, but I love her all the same. I couldn’t have guessed, when they were at Notre Dame, that she and Arike were going to become two of my all-time favorite modern day WNBA players, but here we are. She is just such a fireball and she absolutely tickles me how damn mad she is all the time. I don’t have the capacity to stay angry, but it’s fun for me to watch someone who can maintain it and play awesome basketball for 40 full minutes at a time. She’s kind of like the anti-Sue Bird. Messy bun, scrap city.

Natalie: So, oddly enough, we’re choosing from the same team but I’m going with Kahleah Cooper. The WNBA voting mechanism has her slotted as a forward and as much as I love Kah’s game (she’s on my fantasy team!), I couldn’t put her ahead of Stewie, A’ja, Satou, Nneka, BG or AT.

If she’s a listed as a guard, she’s absolutely in my lineup with Arike, Jackie and Jewell.

Heather: YES! Good point! You’d think she might have an easier time because there’s more voting slots for forwards, but wow, it is stacked. Maybe Kah and Mabrey will have the last laugh on all of us when the playoffs roll around. Just one more chip on their shoulders!

Natalie: They probably will. James Wade and the Sky love to be underestimated.

Heather: Absolutely, and all those players too. Dana Evans, Courtney Williams. Just keep telling them they can’t. And now! It is time! For Carmen Phillips’ Fit of the Week!

Carmen: The obvious winner here is Sue Bird. The “Storm green” color?? Sensational! The impeccable tailoring?!? Shut uppp!

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And I’m not really into the return to boot cuts as a fashion trend (though I recognize that it is trendy!!) mostly because I’m short and stocky and it looks terrible on me as if I lost half my leg length. Obviously Sue Bird doesn’t have that problem so she looks like a glamazon.

Heather: What about the sunglasses inside, C?

Carmen: Ok this controversial, but!!! I like it? I feel like sunglasses inside can be kind of a cocky move that usually turns me off, but if it’s YOUR jersey retirement ceremony? Live it up. Be a fucking rockstar. The thing about Sue Bird that I still haven’t gotten over though is her curls?? Like I guess I’m so used to her tight back pony that I was fully unprepared for how much hair she had.

Heather: Me and Natalie were just talking about Sue’s hair! Natalie thinks no one will ever compete with Sue’s perfect lesbian pony.

Carmen: It’s iconic

Natalie: Sue wearing her hair like that…it’s like Obama bodysurfing in Hawaii after he left the presidency.

Carmen: It’s the peak of “i’m retired and i am not coming back”

Natalie: Like your ex just stunting to show you how good they are without you

Carmen: 100%

Carmen: Ok but I do want to shout out Sue Bird’s stylist who is also Brittney Griner’s stylist and Breanna Stewart’s stylist, Courtney D. Mays. It is my dream interview to talk with Courtney this year so I’m gonna just keep putting that out into the universe. I have immense imposter syndrome around it because… would I know enough fancy fashion words to pull off interviewing a stylist? Am I just a pretend fashion girlie? But I hope to one day find out, her impact over the last year has been fire on every level.

Like she dressed BG for the freaking MET CARPET!!!! Anyway shout out to Courtney forever.

I do want to say one last thing, if Sue hadn’t cleared the table with her look β€” I was going to give this week to a random trend across WNBA teams that has thoroughly entertained me, which is… twinning?

So much twinning!

Candace Parker & Chelsea Gray

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The Ogwumike Sisters

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Kia Nurse & Arella Guirantes

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Natalie: My favorite thing about that second pic of Chelsea and Candace is Syd Colson in the background like, “Why ain’t nobody tell me?”

Heather: Eternal Syd vibes.

Carmen: I wanna know what’s going on here. Who is leading up this group text and spreading the word.

Heather: Here’s my favorite Syd Colson Clown Town Moment of the Week

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Carmen: OMG new segment alert! Syd will always provide.

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