New York Liberty
Natalie Esquire and Callie Fin unpack their 2025 WNBA Draft predictions, including how things change after the recent NCAA Tournament finish and how certain player decisions have shaken up the draft.
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Miami Herald
41 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Duke agrees to home-and-home with HBCU power
NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State Director of Athletics Dr. Melody Webb and head women's basketball coach Jermaine Woods have reached an agreement for a home-and-home series with nationally ranked Duke, bringing a major HBCU matchup to life over the next two seasons. The Spartans will travel to Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 12, 2025. The following season, the Blue Devils will make their first-ever visit to Echols Hall. Tipoff times for both games will be announced later. 'This is a landmark moment for our women's basketball program and our university,' Webb said. 'Hosting a nationally ranked team like Duke highlights our commitment to raising the profile of Norfolk State Athletics. It also provides our student-athletes and fans with a chance to experience top-tier competition on our campus.' The two programs have met only once before. In 2002, Duke defeated Norfolk State 95-48 in the NCAA Tournament's first round, shortly after NSU won its first MEAC Tournament Championship. The 2026 visit by Duke will be the first time an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent plays at Norfolk State, marking a historic milestone for the HBCU. The Blue Devils finished last season 29-8 and reached the Elite Eight, ending the year ranked No. 7 nationally. 'I appreciate Coach Kara Lawson's willingness to set up this series,' Woods said. 'Collaborations like this help HBCUs gain national visibility. Her return to Norfolk will benefit our program, university, and the community.' Norfolk State enters the 2025-26 season after winning its third consecutive MEAC Tournament title and earning a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament - the program's highest seeding to date. For more information on Norfolk State Athletics, follow @nsuspartans on X, @NSUAthletics on Instagram and YouTube, and visit The post Duke agrees to home-and-home with HBCU power appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lisa Leslie Sees Herself in This Current WNBA Star
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson has quickly become one of the WNBA's top performers. In her first seven seasons in the league, she won the league MVP three times and was named to six All-Star teams. Last season, she averaged 26.5 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. She's done more of the same at the start of this season. On Tuesday, the 28-year-old scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead her team to an 87-62 victory over the Connecticut Sun. Advertisement Now she's drawn comparisons from Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie. During Tuesday's edition of the 'Locked on Women's Basketball' podcast, Leslie, 52, said she sees herself in Wilson as they both get inside the box well and can shoot from anywhere on the court. 'I think, hands down, A'ja Wilson,' Leslie said. 'I see there's a lot of blurred lines in our game.' Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22)© David Butler II-Imagn Images The WNBA former player said that Wilson brings good energy, which, in a way, resembles her game. She also mentioned that Wilson's ability to score is similar to hers, as both can score from wherever on the court. Advertisement 'Her ability to score from anywhere,' Leslie said. 'She's not afraid. She probably faces up more than I did on certain areas of the block.' Leslie added that the game is more face-up now than when she played. She also noted that Wilson's ability to score from the free-throw line or up close is almost like hers. WNBA legend Lisa Leslie.© Denny Medley-Imagn Images Leslie also thinks her game is comparable to Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, who is in her seventh season in the league. The former player mentioned Collier's ability to block shots is quite impressive, despite being 6-foot-1 compared to 6-foot-5 like herself. Wilson's next game is on Sunday against the Washington Mystics, so we will have to see if she can keep up the strong performances after receiving comparisons from the Hall of Fame center. Related: Fever Coach Stephanie White Gives Crucial Sophie Cunningham Injury Update
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
WNBA Team Signs Player Released a Day Before Season Opener
WNBA Team Signs Player Released a Day Before Season Opener originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Lynx signed Russian center Maria Kliundikova, formerly Vadeeva, to their team on Friday. Kliundikova, 26, won the Russian Premier League Playoffs MVP when she played for Ola Kosu at UMMC Ekaterinburg last season. She averaged 11.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 36 games played, per her player profile. Advertisement In 2018, Kliundikova was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks with the 11th pick in the first round. She appeared in 40 games from 2018-19 and averaged 5.2 points per game. However, the Russia native was unable to stay with the team due to visa issues. Despite the delays, Kliundikova re-signed with the Sparks during this offseason on a training camp deal but was released on May 15 before their season opener. She should be a solid fit with the Lynx roster, which is already composed of forwards Napheesa Collier and Bridget Carleton. The Lynx are ranked first in the Western Conference and tied for first in the league with an 8-0 record. The Cheryl Reeve-coached team defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 88-65, on Tuesday in a Commissioner's Cup game, where Collier led them in scoring with 18 points in 31 minutes of playing time. Natisha Hiedeman also scored 18. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier walks off the court© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Kliundikova, the 6-foot-4 center, should complement Collier because of her size and proficient scoring ability. Advertisement Minnesota's next Commissioner's Cup game is on Sunday against the Dallas Wings in Texas at 4 p.m. ET. Related: Lisa Leslie Sees Herself in This Current WNBA Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
