Latest news with #All-WNBA
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch: Candace Parker on coaching, commentating and coming out
Candace Parker is a role model whose legacy extends far beyond the basketball court. A three-time WNBA champion, finals MVP, two-time regular-season MVP, seven-time All-Star and All-WNBA first-team member, Parker is sharing her story in a new memoir, 'The Can-Do Mindset.' For all the brilliance she showed on the court, Parker had to navigate many challenges away from the bright lights, so the release of her memoir — which coincides with the start of Pride Month — seems especially fitting. Advertisement On the latest episode of 'No Offseason,' Zena Keita, Ben Pickman and Sabreena Merchant interviewed Parker about her path to self-acceptance, coming out and embracing her sexuality. Keita: Candace, in your book, you wrote about your internal struggle, coming to terms with your feelings with women, and how there was a significant difference in how you were treated before and then how you were treated with your wife after coming fully out. What do you think made that so hard for you, even in a league where many players are very out and proud of it? Parker: Well, going through it, I've supported someone who has come out before, and at the time I was dating men, so I just looked at it like, 'Why is this so difficult for you? Nobody cares, it's OK and it's accepted.' But when it's you, it's different. Growing up and reading the trashy magazines where you do the little tests to see who you're compatible with, based on movies and colors and all that stuff, I always envisioned a Prince Charming. So it's scary when you envision something your entire life, and then all of a sudden life hands you something not in the package that you expected it to come in. So it took a long time for me to be OK with it myself, and there's no way that you can fight a battle trying to explain yourself and validate who you love with others before you've officially done that, and come to grips with it yourself. Everyone probably knows someone who has gone through this struggle, and you can't explain it until you're in it. I understand that the world now sees it as great, and sees the fight as behind us and all those things, but it's not. You're still looked at in a different light based on who you love, and you still get the looks and the glares and all of those things. Advertisement So as an individual and as a person who wants to be a role model, the hardest thing for me was with my family, because I wanted my nieces and nephews to still look up to me. I wanted them to still love me, and I wanted my brother's kids to still look at me as a role model. So I had to come to grips with that, and honestly, it's been my daughter, nieces and my nephews that have legit been so important for me. We told my nephew, and my nephew was literally like, 'What's for dinner?' Like, he didn't care. So just getting the support from my family and my friends was so important. And yes, I have lost some friends, but that's OK. You have to be at a point where it's OK in your journey to be able to withstand that, so I'm super grateful my our support system. It's just crazy because I cannot believe it's only been three years; it seems like it's been forever. But that just shows that we need more visibility, and we need more people out there who are just living their lives and can provide some sort of roadmap and hope for those who are struggling. I can't imagine if someone was in control of my finances or where I lived or how I supported myself, and my decision of who I loved impacted that. So my heart and love go out to all of those people who are struggling with this. The mother who doesn't know how to support their daughter who's coming out, or kids seeing their parents choose love. This isn't easy to navigate, but at the end of the day, it's about having conversations and truly about being authentic and being open and honest in those conversations. Keita: With this shift in transition, what are your thoughts on the term 'pretty baller' because when I was coming up, you were the definition of a 'pretty baller.' I remember I had my baby hairs like you did and all of that. But as the league continues to evolve, this concept of what basketball should look like and being feminine in basketball has evolved as well. Do you have any thoughts around that? Parker: Here's the thing, now with social media I think that you're going to see people be able to follow who they follow. And again, I say numbers don't lie, check the scoreboard. There were so many times when people said females in general couldn't sell shoes and couldn't be on the covers of video games. But now we're seeing more women have the opportunity to do that, and the key is opportunity. Females come in all shapes and sizes, and when you talk about clothing, the runway and the ability to show off who you are, and your personality and being unapologetic about that, it's so important. So I'm proud of the WNBA because I don't think anybody has dimmed their light to fit into a box. I know myself that I couldn't control what other people thought of me. But I knew what I wanted to bring to the table every single day, which was Candace Parker. And every single day, I wanted to work harder to get closer towards being authentically myself. Advertisement But for women in society, it's hard because you're judged by everything other than playing basketball. Then when you play basketball, it's not good enough. And when you play basketball, you've got to be competitive, but you can't be too muscular. I remember worrying about that in college when I was power cleaning because of my shoulders. And you would have seen at the ESPYs I was wearing this dress, and I remember seeing a comment when I accepted the Women's Sports Award from David Beckham, and someone saying, 'Well, she's pretty, but she's too muscular.' And I remember going home, looking in the mirror and being like, really? But now I bench 125 pounds easy, and I don't care. It's one of those things where with time, you realize that everybody is trying to critique everything in this culture. And everybody has a voice now with Twitter fingers and all that stuff. So you've just got to be you, and I think your community will find you. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. WNBA, No Offseason Podcast 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Indiana Fever Player Sends Clear Message Amid Caitlin Clark's Injury
New Indiana Fever Player Sends Clear Message Amid Caitlin Clark's Injury originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever are amid a three-game losing streak and have started their 2025 WNBA season with a 2-4 record. However, the franchise is dealing with some other concerns. Advertisement All-WNBA guard Caitlin Clark suffered a left quad strain in a May 24 loss to the New York Liberty, leaving her out for at least two weeks. Fellow guards Sydney Colson (leg) and Sophie Cunningham (ankle) were both injured during Friday's loss as well. With Indiana short on guards for the foreseeable future, the Fever have signed guard Aari McDonald via emergency hardship exception. This allows any team to sign a player if it drops below 10 game-eligible players. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin ClarkBrett Davis-Imagn Images Out of Arizona, McDonald was selected third overall with the No. 3 pick in the first round of the 2021 WNBA Draft. After spending her first three seasons with the Atlanta Dream, McDonald was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2024. For her career, she averaged 8.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Advertisement McDonald took part in her first practice with the Fever on Monday. Afterward, when asked what it's like to join Indiana, McDonald shared her thoughts. "Very anxious, like it felt weird sitting at home just watching the game this time of the year," McDonald said. "But when I got the call, I was very blessed. It's a humbling experience to join a team like the Fever. I'm just excited and ready to compete and just win.' The Fever will face the Washington Mystics on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET, and coach Stephanie White believes McDonald will have to play. "Yeah, I mean she's got to play," White said. "She's brought in here to play, to handle the ball. We'll do a good job of keeping it simple for her. But she's a player and this is what she does." Advertisement Related: Indiana Fever Urged to Trade for Cameron Brink's Teammate Amid Caitlin Clark's Injury This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Liberty Coach's Blunt Response to Sabrina Ionescu's Behavior During Blowout
Liberty Coach's Blunt Response to Sabrina Ionescu's Behavior During Blowout originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Liberty are sending a message that they're perhaps primed to win their second straight WNBA championship this season. Advertisement On Sunday, they pulverized the Connecticut Sun by a final score of 100-52, and they equaled their league-record of 19 made 3-pointers in a game, and four of them came from Sabrina Ionescu, who scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-9 overall shooting. Even though the Liberty were flying high in the third quarter, they challenged a foul that was called on Ionescu when Marina Mabrey of the Sun attempted a 3-pointer. They won the challenge, and Ionescu reacted with an exuberant celebration. She explained the challenge and her celebration, and head coach Sandy Brondello immediately had a response. "I was just really in the moment, but I knew I didn't foul her," Ionescu said. "So very thankful for my coaches and entrusting me with the fact that I asked for a challenge because I know I didn't. My ponytail was sideways. She hit me. Obviously, we were up by a lot, so it was a great opportunity for us to challenge and make sure that I can continue to earn Sandy's trust to be able to continue to challenge." Advertisement "She has my trust," Brondello said. New York jumped out to a 31-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, and it never looked back. It had an incredible 29 assists on 33 made field goals, and it held Connecticut to just 31.1% shooting while forcing 21 turnovers, which helped it score 29 fast-break points. Along with the Minnesota Lynx, New York is the only remaining undefeated team in the WNBA. Jun 1, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) drives past Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles (31) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images So far this season, Ionescu is averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds a game. The guard seems to be on her way to her fourth straight All-Star game selection and possibly her fourth All-WNBA nod. Advertisement Sunday's contest was the first Commissioner's Cup contest for the Liberty. They will visit the Washington Mystics on Thursday as the in-season tournament continues. Related: Angel Reese Receives Punishment for Actions in Chicago Sky Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Game Recap: Dream 83, Wings 75
2025 WNBA Predictions: MVP, Champion, All-WNBA, and more The 2025 WNBA regular season is finally here and in this episode, we're sharing our predictions for how we think the year will shape out. We tell you who we're picking for MVP, who we think will be on the All-WNBA teams, who we think will win the title, and which teams are going to surprise people. Also, we share our thoughts on recent developments involving Connecticut Sun ownership, roster cutdowns, and news that impacts upcoming international competitions. 54:02 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's injury means there is a new WNBA MVP favorite
The Indiana Fever announced Monday that superstar Caitlin Clark would miss at least two weeks with a left quad strain, an injury that will sideline her for at least four games. She will be re-evaluated at that time. Clark entered the season as the betting favorite to win the 2025 WNBA MVP at BetMGM and was the odds-on favorite with -115 odds on Monday before the injury. After the injury was announced, oddsmakers moved Clark out to +250 (second-best odds) and made Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier the new MVP favorite, moving her odds from +160 to -175. After helping the Lynx to the WNBA Finals last season, Collier is leading the WNBA in scoring at 29.5 points per game and Minnesota is 4-0. Collier is a four-time All-Star and two-time All-WNBA performer. Clark is averaging 19 points, 9.3 assists and 6 rebounds in four games this season, similar numbers to her outstanding rookie season in 2024 when she won WNBA Rookie of the Year. The Fever are 2-2 so far this year. Bettors have been backing Clark to win MVP at BetMGM, as she has more than half of all the wagers (51.9%) and total dollars wagered (62.9%) to win the award. She is the sportsbook's biggest liability to win, which will be tougher after missing this upcoming stretch of games.
