Latest news with #AlyssaThomas
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sun's Saniya Rivers opens up on viral incident during Fever showdown
After a sustained period of success and WNBA championship contention, the Connecticut Sun have entered a rebuild amid speculation that the team's ownership may change hands in the months ahead. Between 2017 and 2024, the Sun made eight playoff appearances and reached the WNBA Finals twice, with players like DeWanna Bonner, Jonquel Jones and Alyssa Thomas propelling Connecticut into the league's elite. But Bonner and Thomas departed Connecticut as free agents after the 2024 season, as did head coach Stephanie White. The Sun has entered a full rebuild around young players, and returning to winning ways will take some time. Saniya Rivers is one of the young players around whom the Sun is building for the future. The eighth overall pick in the 2025 draft, Rivers has demonstrated potential as a 3-point shooter and as a versatile defender with a non-stop motor. But she found herself entangled in an unfortunate viral incident on Tuesday night, when the Sun hosted the Indiana Fever at TD Garden in Boston. MORE: Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Latest news on Fever star's status for game vs. Liberty During the third quarter of the Sun's eventual 85-77 defeat, a fan sitting courtside in a Caitlin Clark shirsey was ejected after exchanging words with Rivers. There even was speculation that the fan made physical contact with Rivers prior to his ejection. After the game, Rivers was able to set the record straight. She told reporters that the fan made a comment that warranted his dismissal, but he did not touch her. And fortunately, the rookie was able to emerge from the incident in good spirits, joking that the fan "wasted all that money on a seat just to get tossed." Despite Connecticut's 3-19 record, Rivers and the young players around her are doing their best to remain professional amidst trying circumstances. MORE WNBA NEWS: How many points did Caitlin Clark score today? Full stats, results, highlights from Fever vs. Sun game Fever-Sun rivalry, explained: Inside Caitin Clark's beef with Jacy Sheldon & feuds between Indiana, Connecticut Sophie Cunningham's game-day glam turns TD Garden into a runway Wings add to lineup options with acquisition of Caitlin Clark's former teammate WNBA fans stunned by commissioner's pick for All-Star Game replacement
The Star
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Basketball-WNBA's 'The Engine' Thomas gets fitting NASCAR tribute
An illustration shows a newly unveiled "The Engine" design with images of WNBA basketball player Alyssa Thomas for Castrol RFK Racing, in this handout rendering. Castrol and RFK Racing/Handout via REUTERS NEW YORK (Reuters) -WNBA MVP contender Alyssa Thomas will feature on the Dover Motor Speedway this weekend - though not behind the wheel - as her face graces the hood of RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece's No. 60 Castrol car. It is a fitting honour for the Phoenix Mercury guard nicknamed "The Engine" for her relentless drive on the court, as she earned her sixth selection for the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday in Indianapolis. Preece will drive the car, which features the name and likeness for the league's all-time triple-double leader, in Sunday's Auto Trader EchoPark Automotive 400 in Dover and again a week later in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Not many people can say that they designed a car and have their face on it. So I'm super appreciative of it," Thomas told Reuters. The collaboration connects one of the WNBA's biggest stars with a sport that has long carried a male-dominated reputation, from the driver's seat to the stands. Castrol said the project was designed to "bridge worlds". "It's an honour to have Alyssa Thomas' legacy and mindset represented on our No. 60 car. Her 'Engine' mentality is all about pushing limits and delivering under pressure," Preece said in a statement. The collaboration comes amid a surge of interest in the top-flight women's league, with TV viewership and attendance continuing to climb, and during another stellar year for Thomas. The 33-year-old was the face of the Connecticut Sun franchise for 11 years before her surprise move to Phoenix this year, where she quickly hit her stride and catapulted herself into the MVP conversation over the last few weeks. "I needed a change after 11 years in Connecticut. My heart wasn't there anymore. It was time for me to move on," said Thomas. "And credit to our organization of putting so many shooters around me." She hit the game-winning free throw in Monday's 78-77 win over the Golden State Valkyries and was averaging 15.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 9.6 assists per game ahead of Wednesday's meeting with the Minnesota Lynx. "When we talked during free agency, they told me about the offense and how I would be able to do what I do," she said. "We're truly a family here." (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New YorkEditing by Christian Radnedge)
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
WNBA's 'The Engine' Thomas gets fitting NASCAR tribute
An illustration shows a newly unveiled \"The Engine\" design with images of WNBA basketball player Alyssa Thomas for Castrol RFK Racing, in this handout rendering. Castrol and RFK Racing/Handout via REUTERS NEW YORK - WNBA MVP contender Alyssa Thomas will feature on the Dover Motor Speedway this weekend - though not behind the wheel - as her face graces the hood of RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece's No. 60 Castrol car. It is a fitting honour for the Phoenix Mercury guard nicknamed "The Engine" for her relentless drive on the court, as she earned her sixth selection for the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday in Indianapolis. Preece will drive the car, which features the name and likeness for the league's all-time triple-double leader, in Sunday's Auto Trader EchoPark Automotive 400 in Dover and again a week later in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Not many people can say that they designed a car and have their face on it. So I'm super appreciative of it," Thomas told Reuters. The collaboration connects one of the WNBA's biggest stars with a sport that has long carried a male-dominated reputation, from the driver's seat to the stands. Castrol said the project was designed to "bridge worlds". "It's an honour to have Alyssa Thomas' legacy and mindset represented on our No. 60 car. Her 'Engine' mentality is all about pushing limits and delivering under pressure," Preece said in a statement. The collaboration comes amid a surge of interest in the top-flight women's league, with TV viewership and attendance continuing to climb, and during another stellar year for Thomas. The 33-year-old was the face of the Connecticut Sun franchise for 11 years before her surprise move to Phoenix this year, where she quickly hit her stride and catapulted herself into the MVP conversation over the last few weeks. "I needed a change after 11 years in Connecticut. My heart wasn't there anymore. It was time for me to move on," said Thomas. "And credit to our organization of putting so many shooters around me." She hit the game-winning free throw in Monday's 78-77 win over the Golden State Valkyries and was averaging 15.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 9.6 assists per game ahead of Wednesday's meeting with the Minnesota Lynx. "When we talked during free agency, they told me about the offense and how I would be able to do what I do," she said. "We're truly a family here." REUTERS
CNA
2 days ago
- Automotive
- CNA
WNBA's 'The Engine' Thomas gets fitting NASCAR tribute
NEW YORK :WNBA MVP contender Alyssa Thomas will feature on the Dover Motor Speedway this weekend - though not behind the wheel - as her face graces the hood of RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece's No. 60 Castrol car. It is a fitting honour for the Phoenix Mercury guard nicknamed "The Engine" for her relentless drive on the court, as she earned her sixth selection for the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday in Indianapolis. Preece will drive the car, which features the name and likeness for the league's all-time triple-double leader, in Sunday's Auto Trader EchoPark Automotive 400 in Dover and again a week later in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Not many people can say that they designed a car and have their face on it. So I'm super appreciative of it," Thomas told Reuters. The collaboration connects one of the WNBA's biggest stars with a sport that has long carried a male-dominated reputation, from the driver's seat to the stands. Castrol said the project was designed to "bridge worlds". "It's an honour to have Alyssa Thomas' legacy and mindset represented on our No. 60 car. Her 'Engine' mentality is all about pushing limits and delivering under pressure," Preece said in a statement. The collaboration comes amid a surge of interest in the top-flight women's league, with TV viewership and attendance continuing to climb, and during another stellar year for Thomas. The 33-year-old was the face of the Connecticut Sun franchise for 11 years before her surprise move to Phoenix this year, where she quickly hit her stride and catapulted herself into the MVP conversation over the last few weeks. "I needed a change after 11 years in Connecticut. My heart wasn't there anymore. It was time for me to move on," said Thomas. "And credit to our organization of putting so many shooters around me." She hit the game-winning free throw in Monday's 78-77 win over the Golden State Valkyries and was averaging 15.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 9.6 assists per game ahead of Wednesday's meeting with the Minnesota Lynx.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
WNBA's 'The Engine' Thomas gets fitting NASCAR tribute
NEW YORK, July 16 (Reuters) - WNBA MVP contender Alyssa Thomas will feature on the Dover Motor Speedway this weekend - though not behind the wheel - as her face graces the hood of RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece's No. 60 Castrol car. It is a fitting honour for the Phoenix Mercury guard nicknamed "The Engine" for her relentless drive on the court, as she earned her sixth selection for the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday in Indianapolis. Preece will drive the car, which features the name and likeness for the league's all-time triple-double leader, in Sunday's Auto Trader EchoPark Automotive 400 in Dover and again a week later in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Not many people can say that they designed a car and have their face on it. So I'm super appreciative of it," Thomas told Reuters. The collaboration connects one of the WNBA's biggest stars with a sport that has long carried a male-dominated reputation, from the driver's seat to the stands. Castrol said the project was designed to "bridge worlds". "It's an honour to have Alyssa Thomas' legacy and mindset represented on our No. 60 car. Her 'Engine' mentality is all about pushing limits and delivering under pressure," Preece said in a statement. The collaboration comes amid a surge of interest in the top-flight women's league, with TV viewership and attendance continuing to climb, and during another stellar year for Thomas. The 33-year-old was the face of the Connecticut Sun franchise for 11 years before her surprise move to Phoenix this year, where she quickly hit her stride and catapulted herself into the MVP conversation over the last few weeks. "I needed a change after 11 years in Connecticut. My heart wasn't there anymore. It was time for me to move on," said Thomas. "And credit to our organization of putting so many shooters around me." She hit the game-winning free throw in Monday's 78-77 win over the Golden State Valkyries and was averaging 15.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 9.6 assists per game ahead of Wednesday's meeting with the Minnesota Lynx. "When we talked during free agency, they told me about the offense and how I would be able to do what I do," she said. "We're truly a family here."
