Latest news with #Eurobasket
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mercury's Nate Tibbetts drops ‘tough' assessment on adding new players
The post Mercury's Nate Tibbetts drops 'tough' assessment on adding new players appeared first on ClutchPoints. Injuries, players leaving for Eurobasket, and a myriad of other things have Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts's head on a swivel. As a result, he's looked to players like Haley Jones, Megan McConnell, and Murjanatu Musa for support. Advertisement Tibbetts was brutally honest about the challenge of integrating new players immediately into the teams. 'I think when you add those players, you get to see them move and try to make plays,' Tibbetts said on the team's postgame zoom following a 88-65 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday. 'It's tough. You haven't had the practice time … 'Because when you're adding these players and they don't know our stuff, it just makes it tough… We had three (new) players in the rotation. They're trying, and we're trying to help them. But it makes it extremely tough to put a well-executed group out there, just because I mean, everyone's learning on the fly.' Advertisement With McConnell and Jones they joined the team on the road. They haven't had the chance to practice and get assimilated with the team dynamics, along with learning plays. They've been thrown into the fire. After all, the Mercury signed Jones to a contract only hours before the team's game against the Los Angeles Sparks. The morning before Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Lynx, the team signed McConnell. She was a part of the team's training camp before being released. Furthermore, Musa was overseas for the beginning of the season. Although Musa was supposed to a Mercury X-factor, she hasn't had much playing time. Advertisement The rebounding specialist has practice only a handful of times. However, with injuries to Kahleah Copper, Natasha Mack, and Alyssa Thomas, she, and McConnell and Jones have been thrown into the fire. Nate Tibbetts sees Mercury's challenge with adding new players © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Tibbetts's points haven't been about the lack of skill. After all, the trio of new players have exceeded tremendously wherever they went. Whether it was college or overseas, they have quality experience. Still, being a key contributor is understanding the system. The Phoenix head coach has a balanced approach, that has been heavily emphasized on the defensive end this season. Advertisement The Mercury are amongst one of the top defensive teams, in terms of points per game and defensive rating. Regardless of the defensive philosophies, the team is a well-oiled machine, offensively. Without Thomas, though, easy shots have been hard to come by. That, and adding new players to the mix could be a recipe for disaster. Either way, Phoenix will likely have to rely on more newcomers moving forward. After McConnell collided with Alissa Pili during Tuesday's game, she left with a knee injury. That might force the Mercury to have to sign another player to a training camp. That could only amplify Tibbetts's concerns about integrating players into the team system. Advertisement The team will hope for a reset against the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday back in Phoenix, and in front of the X-factor fanbase. Related: Mercury agree to contract with TJ McConnell's sister Related: What started Mercury's record-setting comeback vs. Sparks
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sun sign former Fever forward amid poor start to 2025 WNBA season
The post Sun sign former Fever forward amid poor start to 2025 WNBA season appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Connecticut Sun have gotten off to a poor start to the 2025 WNBA season with a record of 1-6. They are currently tied with the Dallas Wings for the worst record in the league. During their most recent loss to the New York Liberty, Marina Mabrey didn't exactly make a good kind of WNBA history, finishing with the lowest +/- in league history. Amid the early struggles, the Sun made a recent roster move with the signing of free agent Jaelyn Brown, the team announced this week. Advertisement The signing of Jaelyn Brown brings the current Sun roster to 13 players. In a corresponding move, the Sun cut second-year wing Robyn Parks who had made the team out of training camp. While contract details were not immediately available, it's likely that Brown's contract with the Sun is a hardship contract. The Sun will need to cut back down to 12 players once they are able to. Veteran point guard Lindsay Allen is currently sidelined due to a hamstring injury, while Leïla Lacan will join the team at a later date in the season following her participation in Eurobasket later this month. Lacan will be making her WNBA debut after being selected by the Sun with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Brown joins the Sun following one season of experience in the WNBA. She signed with the Dallas Wings after going undrafted in the 2024 WNBA Draft, and made the team's 2024 regular season roster. Brown was acquired by the Indiana Fever this past offseason as part of the massive four-team trade that landed Satou Sabally with the Phoenix Mercury. Brown was one of the Fever's final roster cuts in training camp before the start of the regular season. During her rookie season with the Wings last year, she appeared in 14 games, including one start, at a little over ten minutes per game. She averaged 2.6 points and 1.5 rebounds with splits of 48.4 percent shooting from the field, 50 percent shooting from the three-point line and 33.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Her best game statistically was the final game of the regular season against the Las Vegas Aces. She finished with a career-best 15 points, three rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot in a little over 20 minutes. She shot 6-of-9 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point range.
NBC Sports
16-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
WNBA set for new season with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese leading the way
There's a lot of excitement and buzz around the WNBA as its set to tip off its 29th season thanks in large part to last season's rookie class led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The league may have its most anticipated year ahead with the two second year players leading the way. The duo, who helped the league to record ratings and attendance. Their two teams — the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky — will face each other for the first of five matchups this season. The league is coming off a thrilling finals that saw the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in a decisive Game 5. Both teams are poised to try and get back to the championship round which will now be a best-of-7 format for the first time this year. Standing in their way could be the Las Vegas Aces, who won the title in back-to-back years in 2022-23. Clark's Fever made a huge splash in the offseason, bolstering their roster with the additions of DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham. They also added a new coach in former Fever leader Stephanie White. One of the teams playing will be the expansion Golden State Valkyries, who are the first expansion team in the league since the Atlanta Dream joined in 2008. With the new squad, the league expanded its schedule to 44 games this year. Here are a few other things to look for this upcoming season: Promoting respect online and at games The WNBA launched 'No Space for Hate', a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces both online and in-arena. The league is focused on four key areas: enhanced technological features to detect hateful comments online; increased emphasis on team, arena, and league security measures; reinforcing mental health resources; and alignment of core against hate. 'As the WNBA continues to grow in popularity and influence, we're proud to launch 'No Space for Hate' — a league-wide initiative to better protect players, preserve the spirit of the game, and affirm the values of our league,' said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. 'We want our arenas, and our social platforms filled with energy and fandom — not hate and vitriol.' Staying put this summer Several European players have said publicly that they will forego playing in the Eurobasket this summer, opting to stay and play in the WNBA during that tournament. Seattle's Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga said they won't play for France at the tournament. Fellow French star Carla Leite also has decided to stay with the Valkyries. The Eurobasket is a qualifier for next year's FIBA World Cup that will be played in Germany. The WNBA allows players to go compete for their national teams in major tournaments like the Eurobasket without it violating the league's prioritization rules. Predictions for the season The Liberty, Lynx and Aces are the top three teams with Indiana right behind as chosen by a 15-member national media panel that does a weekly power poll. The group also chose Minnesota star Napheesa Collier as its preseason MVP and Paige Bueckers as the top candidate for Rookie of the Year. Rookie class impressing Bueckers is one of 19 rookies to make opening day rosters in the WNBA, six more than last season. That includes two third round picks — JJ Quinerly (Dallas) and Taylor Thierry (Atlanta). Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the draft, will try and help revitalize the Dallas franchise. She was the most efficient player in college on the offensive end and capped off her career helping UConn win its 12th national championship.
16-05-2025
- Sport
WNBA set for new season with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese leading the way
There's a lot of excitement and buzz around the WNBA as its set to tip off its 29th season Friday night thanks in large part to last season's rookie class led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The league may have its most anticipated year ahead with the two second year players leading the way. The duo, who helped the league to record ratings and attendance. Their two teams — the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky — will face each other Saturday for the first of five matchups this season. The league is coming off a thrilling finals that saw the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in a decisive Game 5. Both teams are poised to try and get back to the championship round which will now be a best-of-7 format for the first time this year. Standing in their way could be the Las Vegas Aces, who won the title in back-to-back years in 2022-23. Clark's Fever made a huge splash in the offseason, bolstering their roster with the additions of DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham. They also added a new coach in former Fever leader Stephanie White. One of the teams playing Friday night will be the expansion Golden State Valkyries, who are the first expansion team in the league since the Atlanta Dream joined in 2008. With the new squad, the league expanded its schedule to 44 games this year. Here are a few other things to look for this upcoming season: The WNBA launched 'No Space for Hate', a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces both online and in-arena. The league is focused on four key areas: enhanced technological features to detect hateful comments online; increased emphasis on team, arena, and league security measures; reinforcing mental health resources; and alignment of core against hate. 'As the WNBA continues to grow in popularity and influence, we're proud to launch 'No Space for Hate' — a league-wide initiative to better protect players, preserve the spirit of the game, and affirm the values of our league," said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. 'We want our arenas, and our social platforms filled with energy and fandom — not hate and vitriol." Several European players have said publicly that they will forego playing in the Eurobasket this summer, opting to stay and play in the WNBA during that tournament. Seattle's Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga said they won't play for France at the tournament. Fellow French star Carla Leite also has decided to stay with the Valkyries. The Eurobasket, which starts late next month, is a qualifier for next year's FIBA World Cup that will be played in Germany. The WNBA allows players to go compete for their national teams in major tournaments like the Eurobasket without it violating the league's prioritization rules. The Liberty, Lynx and Aces are the top three teams with Indiana right behind as chosen by a 15-member national media panel that does a weekly power poll. The group also chose Minnesota star Napheesa Collier as its preseason MVP and Paige Bueckers as the top candidate for Rookie of the Year. Bueckers is one of 19 rookies to make opening day rosters in the WNBA, six more than last season. That includes two third round picks — JJ Quinerly (Dallas) and Taylor Thierry (Atlanta). Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the draft, will try and help revitalize the Dallas franchise. She was the most efficient player in college on the offensive end and capped off her career helping UConn win its 12th national championship.
Hamilton Spectator
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
WNBA set for new season with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese leading the way
There's a lot of excitement and buzz around the WNBA as its set to tip off its 29th season Friday night thanks in large part to last season's rookie class led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The league may have its most anticipated year ahead with the two second year players leading the way. The duo, who helped the league to record ratings and attendance. Their two teams — the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky — will face each other Saturday for the first of five matchups this season. The league is coming off a thrilling finals that saw the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in a decisive Game 5. Both teams are poised to try and get back to the championship round which will now be a best-of-7 format for the first time this year. Standing in their way could be the Las Vegas Aces, who won the title in back-to-back years in 2022-23. Clark's Fever made a huge splash in the offseason, bolstering their roster with the additions of DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham. They also added a new coach in former Fever leader Stephanie White. One of the teams playing Friday night will be the expansion Golden State Valkyries, who are the first expansion team in the league since the Atlanta Dream joined in 2008. With the new squad, the league expanded its schedule to 44 games this year. Here are a few other things to look for this upcoming season: Promoting respect online and at games The WNBA launched 'No Space for Hate', a multi-dimensional platform designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces both online and in-arena. The league is focused on four key areas: enhanced technological features to detect hateful comments online; increased emphasis on team, arena, and league security measures; reinforcing mental health resources; and alignment of core against hate. 'As the WNBA continues to grow in popularity and influence, we're proud to launch 'No Space for Hate' — a league-wide initiative to better protect players, preserve the spirit of the game, and affirm the values of our league,' said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. 'We want our arenas, and our social platforms filled with energy and fandom — not hate and vitriol.' Staying put this summer Several European players have said publicly that they will forego playing in the Eurobasket this summer, opting to stay and play in the WNBA during that tournament. Seattle's Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga said they won't play for France at the tournament. Fellow French star Carla Leite also has decided to stay with the Valkyries. The Eurobasket, which starts late next month, is a qualifier for next year's FIBA World Cup that will be played in Germany. The WNBA allows players to go compete for their national teams in major tournaments like the Eurobasket without it violating the league's prioritization rules. Predictions for the season The Liberty, Lynx and Aces are the top three teams with Indiana right behind as chosen by a 15-member national media panel that does a weekly power poll. The group also chose Minnesota star Napheesa Collier as its preseason MVP and Paige Bueckers as the top candidate for Rookie of the Year. Rookie class impressing Bueckers is one of 19 rookies to make opening day rosters in the WNBA, six more than last season. That includes two third round picks — JJ Quinerly (Dallas) and Taylor Thierry (Atlanta). Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the draft, will try and help revitalize the Dallas franchise. She was the most efficient player in college on the offensive end and capped off her career helping UConn win its 12th national championship. ___ AP WNBA:
