Latest news with #All-WNBAFirstTeam
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"Amazing. A beast. She is the truth" - WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper thinks Caitlin Clark has everything you want in a basketball player
While some former and current WNBA stars cast doubt on Caitlin Clark's greatness and whether she could carry her momentum from the NCAA to the WNBA, she promptly set aside all that skepticism with her dazzling play during her rookie year. She averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds in a memorable campaign that ended with her winning the Rookie of the Year award and All-WNBA First Team honors. More than the individual success, Clark led the Indiana Fever back to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons and helped elevate the league's profile to new heights. With her sophomore season set to start on Saturday when the Fever battles Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky, women's basketball legend Cynthia Cooper is convinced hoop fans are in for a treat. "She is the truth" Coop was the face of the WNBA when it opened in 1996. Even though she was already 34 when she joined the Houston Comets, she showed everyone that her game had aged like fine wine and led her team to four titles. In the process, she captured two league MVPs, four Finals MVPs and three scoring titles. Advertisement In short, she was the real deal. So, when someone who has that winning pedigree heaps praises on a specific player, people tend to listen. And that's exactly what Cooper did when she spoke about the 6-foot guard from Des Moines, Iowa. "Amazing. A beast. She is the truth, and I mean, she's the truth. And she was a rookie, right?" Cynthia said about Caitlin on "All The Smoke." While some struggle to transition their collegiate game to the pro level, Caitlin had no such difficulty. She mesmerized fans and opponents with her unique mix of long-distance shooting, deft ball handling, and precision passing skills. It's safe to say she put her entire repertoire on display, which impressed Coop. Advertisement "Knock down the three-pointer, get to the rim, she can get to the free throw line. She's crafty. Yeah, very crafty — crafty. So sometimes she looks like she's coming off for a three-point shot, and she back doors you for a layup," the native of Chicago, Illinois, remarked. "She gets her teammates involved, she can pass, she can shoot — man, she is the complete basketball player." Related: "He would just sit on the side" - Jayson Williams on Charles Barkley eating McDonald's while yelling at teammates to run harder in Philly A showdown with Sabrina Another marquee WNBA star is the New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu. A dynamic guard who has been an All-Star and an All-WNBA Team member three times in her young career, Coop shared that a three-point shootout featuring Sabrina and Caitlin would be a must-see event. Advertisement "You know what I want to see? You know, so many people talked about Sabrina and Steph, you know, with that three-point shooting contest? You know what I want to see in the WNBA All-Star Game? I want to see Sabrina Ionescu shoot against Caitlin Clark," Cooper remarked. "That's dope. Hopefully, it'll be there." With those two sharing center stage, the WNBA All-Star Game would have a star-studded showdown between two of the league's most prolific and dynamic guards today. And with both having blazing competitive fires burning within them, it would be a contest for the ages. Related: "I just love ya. That's awesome" - Caitlin Clark reveals there's nothing but love and respect between her and Diana Taurasi
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commissioner Doesn't Hold Back on Caitlin Clark vs. Other WNBA Stars
There's no denying the impact Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has had on women's basketball, let alone the WNBA. She's brought unprecedented attention to the league, helping regular-season TV ratings jump 170% from 2023 to 2024, along with a 48% increase in attendance. In her rookie season, she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game, earning WNBA Rookie of the Year honors, a spot on the All-WNBA First Team, and a top-five finish in MVP voting. Advertisement Clark is now entering her second season in the WNBA, and the league looks to continue to capitalize on its momentum from just a year ago. On Thursday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert appeared as a guest on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," where she discussed Clark's growing impact on the league, as well as the WNBA's goal of promoting not only Clark but all of its stars. "It is a balance, but she's a generational talent," Engelbert said. "No league's ever about one player, but in this case, Caitlin brought tens of millions of new viewers into the W, and there's no denying that impact." Engelbert went on to highlight other WNBA stars like Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, while also mentioning college basketball standout and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins. Advertisement "She (Clark) just turned 23, so she is hugely popular, but again, you do want to balance it, because obviously you saw what happened with Juju Waktins, getting hurt," Engelbert added. "You want to balance making sure that you're also promoting your other stars, like an A'ja Wilson, like a Brianna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, killed it last year. I mean, she was the runner-up, MVP, and the defensive player of the year…" Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert at the 2024 Penner Engelbert discussed the WNBA's goal to "sustain and gain." "Yeah, so I think, again, that's why this year, sustain and gain," Engelbert stated. "Sustain the momentum we had last year and gain even new viewers, because if you look at, I mean, we were up triple digits in every category, in every demographic, and young people, old people, young girls and boys were having watch parties and watching our games, so it was incredible." Advertisement The WNBA regular season will tip off on Friday night, with Clark and her Fever playing their first game on Saturday. Related: ESPN Commentator Ryan Ruocco Takes Stand on Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese 'Rivalry' Related: NBA Legend Isiah Thomas Makes Strong Caitlin Clark Statement
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans are Upset with Stephanie White's Decision Before WNBA Season
In 2024, the Indiana Fever broke their seven-year playoff drought by finishing 20-20, good for third in the Eastern Conference and a spot in the first round. Rookie guard Caitlin Clark exploded onto the scene, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game and earning All-WNBA First Team honors. Advertisement Forward Aliyah Boston continued to cement her two-way reputation with 8.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per contest. Head coach Christie Sides guided the team to its best win total since 2015, but the Fever were swept in the first round by the Connecticut Sun. On Wednesday, the Fever's official X account posted a video of the team scrimmaging, accompanied by the caption, 'ball movement leads to an Aliyah Boston bucket 🔥' Within minutes, fans flooded social media with disbelief and frustration, questioning head coach Stephanie White's choice of competition. One user commented, "This is who they practice with ?!? Man we cooked 😂," to which another responded, "Damn. Why are we practicing against them ? 😩". Advertisement Another commenter said, "Worst male practice players every season. Literally the worst," followed up by one user with, "Love her footwork!" responding to Boston. Another user agreed, saying, "Effective screening at its best. Go ahead AB! #NowYouKnow 🔥". One fan said, "Why are the WNBA players forced to practice with HS kids. These are pro women who could compete with the D1 men and one who could make an NBA team. More (expletive) with these fake videos." Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK Looking ahead to 2025, the Fever welcomed back White, a homecoming that carries high expectations after she won WNBA Coach of the Year in 2023. Advertisement The front office also added veteran winners such as six-time All-Star and two-time champion DeWanna Bonner, three-time champion Natasha Howard and sharpshooter Sophie Cunningham via trade. With All-Stars Clark and Boston now surrounded by playoff-tested talent, early projections slot Indiana to finish near the top of the league standings. Related: Wings Release Two of Paige Bueckers' Teammates on Saturday Related: Indiana Fever Coach Shares Major Concern About Upcoming Game
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Legend Isiah Thomas Makes Strong Caitlin Clark Statement
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is coming off a standout rookie season, where she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. She also took home Rookie of the Year honors, earned a spot on the All-WNBA First Team, and was named an All-Star. But beyond the accolades, it's how she plays that truly sets her apart. Clark has brought a level of shooting to the women's game that few have ever seen. Advertisement In college, she shattered the Division I record for career three-pointers with 548. In the WNBA, she became the Fever's all-time single-season leader in made threes, was the fastest player in league history to hit 100 (34 games), and broke the rookie single-season record for most three-pointers made. Clark's ability to control the tempo, space the floor and get her teammates involved are also strengths of hers. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22)Jeffrey Becker After Tuesday night's NBA playoff game between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA legend Isiah Thomas said on NBA TV's "GameTime" that Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has been playing like Clark lately. Advertisement "His intellect for the game is on another level," Thomas said of Haliburton. "At the start of the game, when he walked in, I said, 'He's walking in like Caitlin Clark.' Right? Now, real talk, right? The way he played the game tonight, this is a Caitlin Clark-type of game — spreading the floor, right? He knocked down the 3, he kept the pace, and not only did he keep the pace, he controlled the tempo, he got everybody involved... he had the floor spread out, you know, he's shooting it from way, way, way, way, way, way, way, waaaay out there…" Thomas went on to say that Haliburton likely picked up parts of his game from watching Clark, just as all players do when they watch others. That wouldn't be a surprise, as Clark and Haliburton have formed a friendship since her arrival in Indiana and often show support by attending each other's games. "I say this in all sincerity," Thomas added. "We all steal a little from each other when we play against each other, when we watch somebody play, right? … I think Haliburton watching Caitlin, and their relationship, you know being fans of each other, I see a lot of her game in his game, right now.' In Game 5 of the Pacers-Cavaliers series, Haliburton shot 6-of-10 from three and finished with 31 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Related: ESPN Predicts When Caitlin Clark Will Make Her 'Biggest Leap' Related: Tyrese Haliburton's Parting Gesture to Cavaliers Fans
USA Today
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Diana Taurasi classily admitted she was wrong about Caitlin Clark's WNBA preparedness
Diana Taurasi classily admitted she was wrong about Caitlin Clark's WNBA preparedness There was a lot of controversy last year regarding Caitlin Clark's almost immediate meteoric ascent into becoming a full-fledged WNBA superstar. One of the more vocal critics was the legendary Diana Taurasi, who famously warned Clark, telling the then-rookie that "reality is coming" in reference to the former Iowa star trying to beat grown women in the pros. With Clark both becoming an All-Star and qualifying for All-WNBA First Team last season, it seems Taurasi is finally ready to bury these sorts of sentiments for good. We had a hilarious moment between the two to acknowledge this as much during the national title game edition of The Bird & Taurasi Show on Sunday. After Clark joined Taurasi and Sue Bird, she quickly congratulated Taurasi on her recent basketball retirement. Since Clark wasted no time being gracious, Taurasi then took the opportunity to thank Clark before jokingly referencing her strong warning to the young star. It was a perfect self-roast and admission all in one: Shoutout to Taurasi for being a big person here. It takes a lot of guts to admit you're wrong in public and to do it to the person who was the subject of your criticism. That shouldn't go unnoticed.
