Latest news with #AbbieParr
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scott Foster picked to work NBA Finals for 18th time, one of 12 referees selected for the series
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, right, gestures next to referee James Williams during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs between the Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and teammates react toward referee Zach Zarba (15) during the final seconds of the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and teammates react toward referee Zach Zarba (15) during the final seconds of the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, right, gestures next to referee James Williams during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs between the Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and teammates react toward referee Zach Zarba (15) during the final seconds of the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Scott Foster was selected to officiate the NBA Finals for the 18th time, the league said Tuesday when announcing the roster of 12 officials and two alternates that were picked to work the title series between Indiana and Oklahoma City. Foster is the most veteran of the group. Tony Brothers and Marc Davis were both picked for the 14th time, James Capers for the 13th time, Zach Zarba for the 12th time and John Goble for the ninth time in his career. Advertisement David Guthrie is now an eight-time selection for the finals, while Josh Tiven was picked for the sixth time, James Williams for a fifth time and Sean Wright for a second time. There are two first-time selections this season: Tyler Ford and Ben Taylor. They were alternates in each of the last two seasons. 'We are grateful for these 12 individuals and their dedication to serving the game at the highest levels throughout the season,' said Byron Spruell, the NBA President for League Operations. 'Being selected to work the NBA Finals is the top honor as an NBA official, and I congratulate this exceptional group on a worthy achievement.' Courtney Kirkland and Kevin Scott were picked as alternates. Foster has officiated the most NBA Finals games among this year's referees with 25, while Davis has worked 21 and Brothers has worked 17. Advertisement If previous form holds, each of the 12 will work one of the first four games in the series as part of a standard three-person crew. If the series goes past Game 4, the NBA will continue assigning as needed from the same pool for the remainder of the matchup. NBA Finals officials were selected based on their overall performance throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. Officials were evaluated by the NBA Referee Operations management team after each round to determine advancement in this year's postseason, the league said. The crews for each game are typically announced around 9 a.m. Eastern on game days. ___ AP NBA:
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Williams, Collier lead the way as the Lynx topple the Storm 82-77 in early West showdown
Seattle Storm guard Zia Cooke (7) shoots over Minnesota Lynx forward Karlie Samuelson (44) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) works toward the basket as Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler (17) defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins (4) works toward the basket as Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) defends during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8) points after making a three-point shot during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) shoots during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) shoots during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Seattle Storm guard Zia Cooke (7) shoots over Minnesota Lynx forward Karlie Samuelson (44) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) works toward the basket as Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler (17) defends during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins (4) works toward the basket as Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) defends during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8) points after making a three-point shot during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) shoots during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Courtney Williams scored 23 points, Napheesa Collier had 16 points and 10 rebounds and the Minnesota Lynx held on to beat the Seattle Storm 82-77 on Tuesday night in a matchup of early season leaders in the Western Conference. The Lynx extended their season-opening winning streak to five games and welcomed the return of Kayla McBride, who missed the first four games for personal reasons. Advertisement Minnesota led by double digits early before Seattle's Dominique Malonga scored to open the fourth quarter and pulled the Storm within 54-53. The Lynx maintained their lead and consecutive 3-pointers by Williams and Alanna Smith made it 70-64 near the four-minute mark. Williams hit a couple of pull-up jumpers for a 76-69 lead with two minutes left. Seattle scored the next four points, and it was 76-73 with 27 seconds remaining. McBride added four free throws and Minnesota led 80-74 with 14 seconds remaining. Erica Wheeler hit a 3 for Seattle, Collier added two more free throws for the Lynx, and the Storm turned it over on their final possession. Alanna Smith scored 16 points and McBride added 15 for Minnesota. Collier also had five rebounds and five steals. Advertisement Gabby Williams scored 20 points, Skylar Diggins added 18, Nneka Ogwumike 11 and Erica Wheeler 10 for Seattle (3-2). The Lynx hit six of their first seven shots and led 14-2 after 2 1/2 minutes. McBride made her first two shots in that sequence, both 3-pointers. Minnesota led 26-11 at the end of the quarter and 39-29 at halftime. Late in the third quarter, Gabby Williams converted a three-point play and Diggins added two free throws to get Seattle within 48-45 with three minutes left in the quarter. Minnesota led 54-51 heading to the fourth. Up next Minnesota visits Phoenix on Friday. Seattle hosts Atlanta on Friday. ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers returns to Connecticut hoping to get her first win as a pro
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks toward a referee after being called for a foul during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) points during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) points during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks toward a referee after being called for a foul during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) points during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — It's been a week of homecomings for Paige Bueckers as the former UConn star will play in the state of Connecticut for the first time since helping the Huskies win the school's 12th national championship nearly two months ago. Last week was a chance to play in her home state of Minnesota. Now she'll be trying to get the Dallas Wings their first victory of the season as they face the winless Sun on Tuesday night. Advertisement 'It will be weird not stepping on this court with a UConn uniform,' Bueckers told reporters Monday. 'It will be something I enjoy with a new team and new organization. It's great to be back, great to continue on this journey.' Bueckers has never lost at Mohegan Sun Arena, where the Sun plays their home games. She went 15-0 at the arena, including winning four Big East championships while playing for UConn. She looked right at home during shootaround Tuesday morning, hitting the halfcourt shot at the end of practice. Something she's done nearly every time in her rookie season so far. 'I have some great memories here. I don't think we lost here in my UConn career so we'll try to carry those vibes over to this game and approach it with a winning mentality,' Bueckers said. Despite the Wings' 0-4 record to start the season, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft has gotten off to a strong beginning to her career. She leads the team in points (13.0), assists (6.3) and steals (1.8). Advertisement 'She just continues to do things that should be surprising but aren't,' Wings coach Chris Koclanes said. 'I take a step back to just appreciate, the type of player and even more so the type of person that she is.' The rookie coach has been impressed with Bueckers' mental approach to the game and how much she invests into it. 'She wants to really be a great leader and is committing time into developing those skills to help this culture and her teammates as a rookie.' he said. 'So that's been really impressive on the floor. I think you take for granted some of the things she's able to do. But extremely high IQ, she's picked up, you know, concepts and reads, very early. And then it's just, you know, she'll adapt to the physicality.' She had 12 points and 10 assists in her first homecoming game against the Lynx at the Target Center last Wednesday. Advertisement 'We're not setting expectations for ourselves, just taking it day by day,' Bueckers said. 'Setting expectations limits you in what you can accomplish. We're trying to grow in the film room, grow in the weight room, grow on the court and grow with our chemistry. Stay optimistic, stay positive, don't let the last game affect the next game. Learn from the past and have it motivate you to be better.' Dallas returns on June 20 to play at Connecticut for a second and final time this season. ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shai's sidekicks Williams and Holmgren give Thunder a big boost in Game 4 win vs. T-wolves
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams reacts in front of fans during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) gestures after making a 3-point basket next to Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, left, and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) gesture during the first half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots against against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren dunks against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren dunks against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams reacts in front of fans during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) gestures after making a 3-point basket next to Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, left, and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) gesture during the first half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots against against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren dunks against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With Oklahoma City clutching a four-point lead, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove into the line and smacked into triple coverage — doing the splits as he stopped and desperately tried to find a safe place for the ball. Somehow, as he lost his balance and fell toward the court, he found space to fling it between the legs of Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels — and straight to a wide-open Jalen Williams behind the arc with 1:21 to go. Advertisement Swish. Game. Maybe even the series. The Thunder saw that seven-point lead shrink back to one in the closing seconds, but they staved off the late push with a parade to the free-throw line and pulled out a 128-126 victory in Game 4 that gave them a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals. Even the NBA MVP needs a wing man, and Gilgeous-Alexander has two. Williams and Chet Holmgren were so good in their own ways that a 40-point, 10-assist, nine-rebound performance by Gilgeous-Alexander on Monday night was somehow overshadowed. Williams had 13 of his 34 points in the first quarter to give the Thunder the scoring to match their tenacious start after a 42-point loss in Game 3. He shot 13 for 24, including 6 for 9 from 3-point range, and pitched in three of the team's 14 steals. Advertisement 'From start to finish, he picked his spots great, he was aggressive, stepped into everything," Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'He was who he is. He's gotten all these awards this year for a good reason, and he proved it tonight. He's a really good basketball player. It's crazy to think he's so young and what he has already achieved.' Holmgren had nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. He went 9 for 14 from the floor, grabbed four of his seven rebounds on the offensive end and blocked three shots — including a highlight-reel rejection of McDaniels in the final minute in a five-point game. After McDaniels followed his hard drive right with a slick spin move to beat him to the basket for a left-side layup attempt, Holmgren never lost his footing despite the change in direction and swiftly slid to his right before a perfectly timed jump to swat the ball without fouling as the clock dropped under the 40-second mark. 'On both ends of the floor, he affects the game at such a high level,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'And it's crazy because he's out there just running around right now. We rarely call plays for him. He rarely gets anything set for him. He's just out there playing off of feel and affecting the game at a high level, whether it's making open shots, blocking shots, offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding. Advertisement "He's just a winning player.' Though the Timberwolves regained possession after a charging foul on Gilgeous-Alexander, precious more time went by before they scored again on a 3-pointer by McDaniels with 23 seconds left. Gilgeous-Alexander helped ice the game at the line, and Williams eventually grabbed a desperation inbounds pass by the Timberwolves from half-court with 0.3 seconds left. Holmgren, the second overall pick in the 2022 draft who missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury and 50 games this season following a pelvic fracture from a hard fall, happily left his hometown with a statement performance that put him and his teammates within one win of reaching the NBA Finals. Advertisement 'When you have really good players that the other team needs to stop, they're going to have to help recover from somewhere,' Holmgren said. "So just understanding that we have to make them pay for that and just try to be aggressive, try to make the right play, too. It's not always score. Sometimes it's make the extra pass, sometimes it's find the next action, whatever it is, just try to leave fingerprints on the game and make winning plays.' Despite playing in one of the league's smallest markets, the trio already has its own commercial, a humorous spot for AT&T highlighting the importance of communication when they all show up for a red-carpet event in the exact same outfits. The camaraderie isn't an act. 'We're all really cool with each other, to be honest,' said Williams, the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft who made his first All-Star team this season. "Off-the-court chemistry seeps into on the court. We've just grown up together. Obviously Shai's a little bit older than us, but we've been through a lot of experiences in a short amount of time that have either forced us to trust each other or grow apart, and we've grown closer to each other. "That's just kind of how we play — live and die by trusting each other, and whatever happens from there happens.' ___ AP NBA:
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lynx beat Wings 85-81 for 2nd time in 5 days, spoiling homecoming for Bueckers
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) shoots over Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton (6) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve talks with guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) during a timeout in the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) dribbles down the court during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5), back, passes around Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24), left, high-fives teammates while introduced before a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24), left, high-fives teammates while introduced before a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) shoots over Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton (6) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve talks with guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) during a timeout in the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) dribbles down the court during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5), back, passes around Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24), left, high-fives teammates while introduced before a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier had 28 points and eight rebounds to lead the Minnesota Lynx to their second victory over the Dallas Wings in five days, an 85-81 decision that spoiled the homecoming for first overall draft pick Paige Bueckers on Wednesday night. Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams each added 13 points for the Lynx (3-0), who have picked up where they left off last season in the WNBA Finals, where they lost to the New York Liberty in a tense series that went to overtime in the decisive Game 5. Advertisement Bueckers, who grew up cheering for the Lynx and won a state championship at Target Center with Hopkins High School before her standout college career at Connecticut, had 12 points, 10 assists and three steals. In her first three WNBA games, Bueckers is shooting 13 for 35 from the floor, including her debut at home on Friday against the Lynx. Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings (0-3) with 21 points on 8-for-20 shooting. She went 5 for 13 from beyond the arc, tying Diana Taurasi as the fastest players in league history to 500 3-pointers in 198 career games. The Lynx, who won at Dallas 99-84 and at Los Angeles 89-75 to open the season, had a tougher time in their home opener and fell behind 15-5 before snapping back with a 12-0 run. They controlled most of the game, until a late cold spell let the Wings back in it. The Lynx went nearly four minutes without a basket, until Williams swished a baseline jumper with 2:47 remaining to push their lead back to 78-73. Advertisement Ogunbale's 3-pointer with 39 seconds left pulled the Wings within two, but Williams rebounded her own miss to keep the ensuing possession alive for Collier to get fouled and go to the line where she went 12 for 12. ___ AP WNBA:
