Injuries to key players dampen excitement for WNBA's inaugural Rivals Week
The week was set to tip-off with a primetime matchup between Clark's Fever and Reese's Sky on Saturday night. Clark is definitely out while still recovering from a groin strain that's sidelined her already for a few weeks. Reese has missed four of the past five games with a back injury.
Collier and Stewart were set for a second meeting between Minnesota and New York on Sunday, but neither will play in the game. Collier is sidelined with a sprained right ankle and Stewart has a bone bruise in her right knee. The two teams played an epic WNBA Finals last season, although both sides have downplayed it being a rivalry just yet.
'It's a rivalry because of what happened in the Finals last year and I think it's good that it has people talking,' Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. 'We have passionate fans. We have people talking about our league and that's a good thing.'
Right now only four games separate second-place New York (18-10) from eighth place Golden State (14-14) with a month left in the season.
'The timing of that week is critical, because in August you start to really make that playoff push,' WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said back when the Rivals Week was announced. 'So it would be great to have those matchups during that period to drive that playoff push into September and crown a champion in October.'
Power poll rankings
Minnesota remained the No. 1 team in the poll with Atlanta and New York behind the Lynx. Riding a five-game winning streak, Indiana moved up to fourth. Phoenix and Seattle followed the Fever. Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Golden State were the next three. Washington, Dallas, Connecticut and Chicago rounded out the poll. It's the first time since Week 6 that the Sun aren't at the bottom of the poll.
Ratings boon
Las Vegas' blowout loss to Minnesota on Saturday drew an average viewership of 1.6 million fans, peaking at 2 million. As a whole, games on ABC are up 20% from the regular season last year on the network.
Player of the week
Collier of Minnesota was the AP player of the week after averaging 24 points, six rebounds and 3.5 assists to help the Lynx win both their games last week. Other players receiving votes included Allisha Gray of Atlanta, Natasha Howard of Indiana and Sabrina Ionescu of New York.
Game of the week
Minnesota at New York, Sunday. With Stewart and Collier both missing this game a little of the luster has come out of it. Still, it's a WNBA Finals rematch and there's definitely a little extra on this game.
___
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
a minute ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
IndyCar officials and Pato O'Ward shocked by ICE-related ‘Speedway Slammer' post
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward and series officials were shocked by a social media post from the Department of Homeland Security that touts plans for an immigration detention center in Indiana dubbed 'Speedway Slammer,' and includes a car with the same number as the only Mexican driver in the series. 'It caught a lot of people off guard. Definitely caught me off guard,' O'Ward said Wednesday. 'I was just a little bit shocked at the coincidences of that and, you know, of what it means. … I don't think it made a lot of people proud, to say the least.' The post Tuesday included an image of a IndyCar-style vehicle with the No. 5 that had 'ICE' imposed on it multiple times similar to the display of a sponsor. It appeared to be a computer-created image, with the car on a track and a prison-like building in the background. Indiana is home to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and is where the IndyCar Series is based. 'We were unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of yesterday's announcement,' IndyCar said in a statement Wednesday. 'Consistent with our approach to public policy and political issues, we are communicating our preference that our IP not be utilized moving forward in relation to this matter.' O'Ward said he didn't see the post until a friend texted him about it. 'I haven't really read into it too much because I don't think I want to,' he said. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a separate post used 'SpeedwaySlammer' when announcing the new partnership with the state of Indiana to expand detention space by 1,000 beds. O'Ward, who is second in points in IndyCar this season, was in Texas to promote next year's inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington. That race on March 15 will be on a 2.7-mile layout that goes around the home stadiums of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and MLB's Texas Rangers. O'Ward threw a ceremonial first pitch before the Rangers' game against the New York Yankees. ___ AP auto racing:
Winnipeg Free Press
a minute ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
US winger Tim Weah returns to French soccer with move from Juventus to Marseille
United States winger Tim Weah completed his move to Marseille on Wednesday after an inconsistent two-year stint at Juventus. The 25-year-old Weah's return to Ligue 1 will initially be on loan with an obligation to buy for a fee that could rise to 18 million euros ($21 million), according to French media reports. Weah's father, former FIFA Player of the Year George Weah, played one season at Marseille — 25 years ago near the end of his playing career. Marseille qualified for the Champions League by finishing as runner-up to Paris Saint-Germain last season. Neither Marseille nor Juventus disclosed financial details of Weah's move. In 78 total appearances for the Bianconeri, Weah scored seven goals, six of which came last season. He spent four seasons at Lille, which won the Ligue 1 title in 2021, before switching to Juventus in 2023. The New York-born Weah has scored seven goals in 44 appearances for the United States, including a goal at the 2022 World Cup in a 1-1 draw with Wales. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
31 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Old friends, new rivals: 49ers set for reunion with Greenlaw and Hufanga
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — It will be reunion week for the San Francisco 49ers when they welcome some old friends for a joint practice and exhibition game against the Denver Broncos. Denver signed away two of San Francisco's top defensive players in the offseason, giving big deals to linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga. 'I love seeing them,' Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said ahead of the joint practice. 'I don't really like practicing or playing against guys that I really like and have a lot of love for, but I (will) enjoy seeing them.' Greenlaw and Hufanga are not the only prominent former 49ers now playing in Denver. Defensive tackle D.J. Jones is entering his fourth season with the Broncos after starting his career in San Francisco and former Niners first-round tackle Mike McGlinchey is in his third season with the Denver. Greenlaw and Hufanga will likely get the most attention this week. Greenlaw was the emotional leader of San Francisco's defense since being drafted in 2019 and the torn Achilles tendon that knocked him out of the Super Bowl following the 2023 season and most of last season played a big role in San Francisco's defensive decline. Hufanga, a fifth-round pick in 2021, was an All-Pro the following season before injuries hampered him in his final two seasons with the Niners. Both got lucrative contracts in free agency that San Francisco was unwilling to match as the Niners spent the offseason trying to get younger and cheaper on defense. The new-look defense that could feature as many as eight new starters this season gets one of its first big tests this week and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is excited to see how his young players fare. 'The challenge now is going to be a completely new opponent with no preparation because we're not preparing for Denver,' Saleh said. 'We're just lining up. Just throwing it on the field and seeing how they play. So, we're really excited to see how it goes and fully expecting some lumps along the way. But one thing is for certain, I do think that their competitive drive is going to be there.' Shanahan typically likes joint practices but had to cancel his only session last summer against New Orleans because the Niners were dealing with too many injuries. San Francisco also will hold a one-day joint practice next week before playing the Las Vegas Raiders. 'I think it's really valuable,' Shanahan said. 'Sometimes you can't do it. I'd always would like to do it. I'm more excited just going against someone once. In the past I've always done two days, and I'm always really excited by the end of the first day. I'm always wishing we didn't have to go the second day. So, kind of glad we're ahead of that on this. It's always good to go against different schemes too. Different players. We're going against each other every day. Same guys, same scheme. It gets a little bit old and it's a good way to switch it up.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Shanahan said the second day of joint practices sometimes leads to fights as the team that fared worse on the first day comes out more aggressive on day two. Shanahan said he and Broncos coach Sean Payton will script out the session ahead of time and that Denver will offer a stiff challenge thanks to one of the league's top defenses and a strong offensive line. 'I think the Broncos have a very good team,' Shanahan said. 'They were sneaky good last year. You could see them improve throughout the whole year. They got a bunch of good, young talent and they had a bunch of good players already. So, I expect them to be one of the better teams in the league this year.' ___ AP NFL:
