Latest news with #RebeccaLobo
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rebecca Lobo Sends Clear Message on Fever Needing to Panic Amid Caitlin Clark Injury
Rebecca Lobo Sends Clear Message on Fever Needing to Panic Amid Caitlin Clark Injury originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With a fully revamped roster comprising multiple WNBA champions and WNBA All-Stars to support Caitlin Clark, the hope from Indiana Fever fans was that the team would get off to a hot start en route to a title push. Advertisement Although it's far too early to determine the team's fate and if they will contend, it isn't too premature to say that their start to the season hasn't gone as planned. The Fever head into Tuesday's WNBA Commissioner's Cup game against the Washington Mystics with a 2-4 record and losses in three previous games. In addition to the losses, they have also been without Clark for the past two games, as she's dealing with a left quadriceps injury that will keep her out for multiple weeks when all is said and done. While to some fans it may feel like the sky is falling and that the team needs to hit the panic button, WNBA legend and Basketball Hall of Fame member Rebecca Lobo revealed that there's no need to panic while appearing on "SportsCenter." Don Criqui (left) and former WNBA player Rebecca Lobo.© Matt Cashore-Imagn Images "I'm sure Fever fans were expecting a very different start, but they should not be worried, I don't think at all," Lobo said. "Remember, two of the three games they lost were with Caitlin Clark. It was by a combined three points. One of those games was to the New York Liberty. Advertisement "This is a team that is based around what Caitlin Clark does so well," Lobo added. "They got rim runners this year. She's one of the best advanced passers in the WNBA. Well, when she's not playing, that's going to look different." Aside from losing the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year for a couple of weeks, the Fever also saw both Sophie Cunningham (ankle) and Sydney Colson (leg) go down with injuries in the team's Friday loss to the Connecticut Sun. The team has a new head coach and a slew of new players who are still learning to play together. When Clark returns, it should help ease tensions, but the team will also have to work out kinks. Related: Nike Accused of Failing Caitlin Clark by Former Employee This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA Legend Rebecca Lobo Makes Exciting Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Announcement
The start of the WNBA season is now officially just two days away. The league kicks things off with a triple-header on Friday, with arguably the biggest highlight of the night being No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers making her WNBA debut as the Dallas Wings take on Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx. It isn't until Saturday, however, that Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever take the court for the first time this season. They travel to the Windy City to battle Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky as these two hungry teams renew their rivalry to start their respective campaigns. Advertisement WNBA legend Rebecca Lobo will play a pivotal role for the league this coming season in terms of providing coverage for games. The Hall of Famer will resume her role as a sportscaster for ABC, and she announced on Wednesday that she, too, will kick her season off by covering the Clark-Reese showdown on Saturday. "I don't take a single moment with my work family for granted. Our coverage of the 2025 @WNBA season starts Saturday. @chicagosky v @IndianaFever 3pm et on ABC," Lobo posted on X. Lobo has sent a strong message here about how much she values her job as an ABC sportscaster. In doing so, she's also added to the hype surrounding the Fever-Sky opening weekend matchup on Saturday. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese walks by Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Krzaczynski-Imagn Images All eyes will be on Clark and Reese as they start a new chapter in their long-standing rivalry. It's the Sky who get to play hosts in this highly anticipated matchup, and Reese and Co. are utterly determined to hand Clark and the Fever a tough loss in their very first game of the new season. Advertisement Related: Caitlin Clark Shares Big Announcement on Tuesday Related: Brittney Griner Reacts to Telling Detail From Caitlin Clark, Fever Game
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA Legend Rebecca Lobo Makes Bold Prediction After Caitlin Clark's Historic Game
Tens of thousands of fans packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday to watch the Indiana Fever annihilate the Chicago Sky. The Fever made a strong statement in their first game of the new season by blowing out their biggest rivals, 93-58, in what turned out to be a totally one-sided contest. This massive win was thanks in large part to an incredible performance from Caitlin Clark, who dropped a 20-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in the victory. This was the former Iowa superstar's third career triple-double, making her the fastest WNBA player to ever achieve this feat. Advertisement Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo was in the building to witness Clark make history on Saturday night. She provided commentary for the game as part of ABC's broadcast for the highly anticipated clash. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the second half against the Chicago Ruszkowski-Imagn Images After seeing Clark's dominance in her first game of the new campaign, Lobo could not help but make a bold prediction about what fans can expect to see from the Fever guard this season. "In 2020 Courtney Vandersloot averaged 10 assists per game for the Chicago Sky. As long as Caitlin Clark stays healthy this season, I think she will become the second player in @WNBA history to average double digit assists per game," Lobo posted on X. That's a pretty big claim from the WNBA legend--especially after just one game. Nevertheless, we've seen Clark do great things in the past, and if her performance on Saturday night was any indication of what she has in store for 2025, then Lobo might just be right on the money here. Advertisement The 1-0 Fever now get a couple of days off following their statement win on opening night. Clark and Co. return to action on Tuesday in another home game against the Atlanta Dream. Related: PGA Tour Sends Message to Caitlin Clark Before Fever-Sky Game Related: Caitlin Clark Shares Big Announcement on Tuesday
NBC Sports
30-04-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
With WNBA camps open, eyes already turning to 2026 free agency with so many players possibly moving
NEW YORK — WNBA training camps just opened and already there are so many eyes on the 2026 season when more than 100 players will be free agents. Nearly all of the league's top players could be on the move, including 20 of last season's All-Stars. 'It's a fact that the majority of veterans will be unrestricted free agents after this season based on current contracts. It's unclear if that will equate to a ton of player movement,' Atlanta Dream general manager Dan Padover said. 'But everything is set up that it could be the most player movement in WNBA history. I think every franchise is looking at it differently. 'Our most important priority is taking care of our Dream players in 2025 and beyond.' Though teams and players say the focus now is winning a championship in 2025, the uncertainty of what 'beyond' looks like is keeping front office staff around the league up at night. 'Everything can change. It's kind of fascinating. we won't really know what the gameboard looks like until we get the new CBA,' analyst Rebecca Lobo said. 'Any team could theoretically become a super team. It could be Golden State, it could Toronto or Portland in their first year. It could completely change the power dynamic as we see it.' A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are among the star-studded group on one-year contracts knowing that a new collective bargaining agreement will hopefully be in place next season that is expected to monumentally increase salaries. The WNBA begins an 11-year $2.2 billion media rights deal in 2026 which is where the shift will come from. Most of the players who won't be free agents are the ones on rookie contracts — including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The pair, who were rookies last season, earn about $75,000 in base pay. Currently WNBA players can have a maximum base salary of $250,000. While there hasn't been a media rights deal like this in the WNBA's 28-year history, when the NBA had an exponential increase in its TV deal in 2016, that league's salary cap increased about 35%. It's not just increased salaries, however, that will entice free agents to move. Many of the players who changed teams this offseason cited practice facilities as a factor in choosing where they'll go. Currently Phoenix, Las Vegas, Golden State and Seattle have dedicated practice facilities for their WNBA teams while Minnesota and Washington share their facilities with NBA franchises. New York, Dallas, Chicago and Indiana have ones in the works. 'I think facilities are a huge piece of it,' Lobo said. 'You heard how much players talked about that with Vegas a few years ago. Players were posting about Phoenix's new facility at All-Star last year.' It's also about the culture around a franchise that makes it inviting to players. Atlanta made a splash in free agency this winter, signing Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. Padover hopes to keep them beyond this season. Both will be free agents again next year. Free agency has never lined up like this before for the league. While New York, Las Vegas, Minnesota and Indiana are considered the top teams heading into this season, that could all be different next year.
San Francisco Chronicle
30-04-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
With WNBA camps open, eyes already turning to 2026 free agency with so many players possibly moving
NEW YORK (AP) — WNBA training camps just opened and there already are so many eyes on the 2026 season when more than 100 players will be free agents. Nearly all of the league's top players could be on the move, including 20 of last season's All-Stars. 'It's a fact that the majority of veterans will be unrestricted free agents after this season based on current contracts. It's unclear if that will equate to a ton of player movement,' Atlanta Dream general manager Dan Padover said. 'But everything is set up that it could be the most player movement in WNBA history. I think every franchise is looking at it differently. "Our most important priority is taking care of our Dream players in 2025 and beyond.' Though teams and players say the focus now is winning a championship in 2025, the uncertainty of what 'beyond' looks like is keeping front office staff around the league up at night. 'Everything can change. It's kind of fascinating. we won't really know what the gameboard looks like until we get the new CBA,' ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said. 'Any team could theoretically become a super team. It could be Golden State, it could Toronto or Portland in their first year. It could completely change the power dynamic as we see it.' A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are among the star-studded group on one-year contracts knowing that a new collective bargaining agreement will hopefully be in place next season that is expected to monumentally increase salaries. The WNBA begins an 11-year $2.2 billion media rights deal in 2026 which is where the shift will come from. Most of the players who won't be free agents are the ones on rookie contracts — including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The pair, who were rookies last season, earn about $75,000 in base pay. Currently WNBA players can have a maximum base salary of $250,000. While there hasn't been a media rights deal like this in the WNBA's 28-year history, when the NBA had an exponential increase in its TV deal in 2016, that league's salary cap increased about 35%. It's not just increased salaries, however, that will entice free agents to move. Many of the players who changed teams this offseason cited practice facilities as a factor in choosing where they'll go. Currently Phoenix, Las Vegas, Golden State and Seattle have dedicated practice facilities for their WNBA teams while Minnesota and Washington share their facilities with NBA franchises. New York, Dallas, Chicago and Indiana have ones in the works. 'I think facilities are a huge piece of it,' Lobo said. 'You heard how much players talked about that with Vegas a few years ago. Players were posting about Phoenix's new facility at All-Star last year.' Atlanta made a splash in free agency this winter, signing Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. Padover hopes to keep them beyond this season. Both will be free agents again next year. Free agency has never lined up like this before for the league. While New York, Las Vegas, Minnesota and Indiana are considered the top teams heading into this season, that could all be different next year. ___
