Lynx guard Courtney William's surprised reaction to WNBA All-Star selection
Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams had a memorable Sunday, both on the court versus the Chicago Sky, and off the court before the game.
Earlier in the day, Williams learned she had been selected as a WNBA All-Star for the second time in her career and the first time as a member of the Lynx. However, the news almost didn't reach her. She ignored the initial call from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, not recognizing the number. When Engelbert called again and introduced herself, Williams responded with, 'Cathy who?', as reported by Kent Youngblood of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Still skeptical once she heard the news, she added, 'No, ain't no way you're calling my phone saying that.'
Hours later, the selection was confirmed — and Williams celebrated the best way she knew how: by leading the Lynx to an 80-75 win over the Sky. She tied her season high with 25 points, shooting 10-for-17 from the field and adding eight rebounds and six assists.
'So I told her, 'Playing like an All-Star is good,'' Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said.
Reeve, who will coach Team Caitlin Clark at the upcoming All-Star Game in Indianapolis, expressed disappointment that only Williams and Napheesa Collier were selected from a team that now leads the WNBA at 17-2.
Minnesota's win on Sunday also set a franchise record with 11 straight home wins to begin a season, surpassing the 10-home-game streak from the 2013 championship team. Collier added 21 points and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, extending her franchise-record free throw streak to 45.
The Sky were led by Angel Reese, who posted her 11th double-double of the season with 16 points and 17 rebounds. Rachel Banham hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for Chicago.
The Lynx, despite playing their fifth game in eight days, erased a 14-point first-quarter deficit to maintain their stronghold on the WNBA standings.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Related: Napheesa Collier credits Lynx's 'poise' in win vs. Valkyries
Related: Napheesa Collier fires back at conspiracy theory
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bo Bichette's three-run home run (16)
Bo Bichette launches an opposite-field three-run homer to right, scoring Ernie Clement and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead in the 3rd inning
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Luke Keaschall drives in three runs as Twins beat Tigers 9-4
DETROIT (AP) — Luke Keaschall drove in three runs for the second straight game and the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 9-4 on Wednesday. Keaschell is hitting .393 in his nine-game major league career, which was interrupted in April by a broken arm. He returned on Tuesday and has four hits and six RBIs in his first two games back. Thomas Hatch (1-0) picked up the win with 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. He was claimed off waivers on Monday from the Kansas City Royals. Jack Flaherty (6-11) took the loss, giving up six runs in 4 2/3 innings. The Twins took a 2-0 lead in the first. Alan Roden and Matt Wallner started the game with singles, and Keaschall drove them in with a two-out double. Keaschall had three RBIs in Tuesday's 6-3 win, including his first career homer. Minnesota made it 3-0 in the second when Brooks Lee scored on a wild pitch, but Spencer Torkelson's 24th homer narrowed the game to two runs in the bottom of the inning. Zach McKinstry pulled the Tigers within one with a leadoff homer in the third and Kerry Carpenter's two-run shot put Detroit ahead 4-3 later in the inning. Lee homered in the fourth and the Twins took a 6-4 lead on RBI doubles by Ryan Jeffers and Keaschall in the fifth. Austin Martin and Roden homered off Tyler Holton in the sixth. Key moment The Tigers had runners on first and third with one out in the eighth and their 3-4-5 hitters due up. A.J. Hinch sent Jahmai Jones in to hit for Carpenter and Kody Funderburke got him to ground into an inning-ending double play. Key stat Keaschall has reached base in his first nine career games, the second-longest streak in Twins history. Glenn Williams reached in his first 13 games in 2005. Up next Each team is off on Thursday before starting weekend home series on Friday. Twins ace RHP Joe Ryan (10-5, 2.83) is scheduled to start against the Kansas City Royals, while Tigers All-Star LHP Tarik Skubal (11-3, 2.18) will face the Los Angeles Angels. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'I've always played for me.' Venus Williams returns to Cincinnati Open on her own terms
MASON, OH − Venus Williams has always lived an unapologetic life, controlling what she can control while passionately committing herself to the sport she loves. That's why it's odd that her illustrious career began with something she had no control of whatsoever. On Halloween Night in 1994, Williams made her professional debut at just 14 years at the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California. The toughest part might have been keeping her composure while the Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge World Tour roared next door at the Oakland Coliseum. More: Here are the best first-round ATP matches to watch in the Cincinnati Open Right around "Beast of Burden," or maybe, "Sympathy for the Devil," Williams finished a straight-set victory over Shaun Stafford. "Mick Jagger, this is my message to you: I was playing my first professional match next to you," Williams laughed. "It was a beautiful thing and a great start." Now, the end is near, but Williams won't put a timetable on when she'll hang it up for good. The 45-year-old, who was awarded a wild card to the Cincinnati Open, made another comeback in July following a 16-month absence. Last summer, she underwent surgery for uterine fibroids, which affects up to 80% of women by age 50, according to NYU Langone Health. "This is a super important issue because so many people go through this," Williams said. More: 5 food dishes to try at the Cincinnati Open, from a lobster roll to a wagyu burger Williams never stopped hitting the ball, even when she could hardly walk. Even if it was for a few minutes, at whatever intensity she could manage. "Now, a year later, I'm in a completely different space and I have a clean bill of health, thank God. I'm ready to play and compete.' Despite a three-decade career, Williams still felt time was on her side. Time to recover from surgery, time to ramp up her serve, time to hit the ball with a ferocity worthy enough for the WTA tour. In July, Williams became the oldest player to win a WTA tour event in 21 years when she knocked out Cincinnati native Peyton Stearns in the first round of the DC Open. "Love is the key, right? If you don't love it, then get out of it if you have that luxury," Williams said. "I think a lot of motivation for me is to try to come back and play in the best health that I can. You have to live your life on your own terms. It doesn't matter what anyone else says or thinks, if you get to live life on your own terms, it's a life well-lived." Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion who made a run to the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals in 2019 and semifinals in 2012, knows the questions about her age are coming every time she steps on the court. But her message remains to control what she can control. She can't control her age, or that she needed surgery, but her preparation and mindset take top priority when it involves returning to tennis. "You're never too young or too old to lose. Losing knows no age," Williams said. "All that matters for me is that I'm prepared and ready. I really have to stay focused on me, play it one point at a time and try to win for myself. I've always played for me." Will this be Williams' final Cincinnati appearance? She might live on her own terms, but Williams doesn't ruminate too far down the road. Right now, she's thankful for a clean bill of health and a first-round matchup against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro Aug. 7 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. "I'm very much in the moment," she said. "I don't think you should ever rule me out. That's all I will say." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Venus Williams returns to Cincinnati Open
