Latest news with #RivalsWeek
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Angel Reese Sends Strong Message Ahead of 2025 WNBA Draft
The 2025 WNBA draft is officially upon us, as teams will be selecting their newest stars in just a couple of hours. After the Chicago Sky nailed their first-round picks last season selecting Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, the latter sent a strong message to the 2025 draft class. The No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft, Reese starred for the Sky as a rookie, averaging 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, earning her an All-Star selection and a spot on the All-Rookie team. Her rivalry with Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever drew attention all year long, and they will now headline the WNBA's first-ever Rivals Week. Advertisement "Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will face Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky in prime time to tip off the inaugural WNBA Rivals Week in August," the league recently announced. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese© Pamela Smith-Imagn Images Now, Reese will go from being a rookie to one of the Sky's most important players in the 2025 campaign. Ahead of the upcoming draft, Reese sent a strong message to the draftees, reminding them to focus on what team selects them, rather than what number pick they get chosen at. "Happy Draft Day! Remember it doesn't matter what number you get drafted; it's about WHERE you get drafted! Good luck to all the draftees today!" Reese said in a post on X. The 2025 WNBA draft is scheduled to get underway on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Sky are armed with four picks heading into this draft, as they have both the No. 10 and No. 11 selections in the first round, in addition to the No. 16 and No. 22. picks in the second round. Related: WNBA Legend Reveals Worst Part of Angel Reese's Game
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No pressure: Paige Bueckers expected to deliver a franchise golden era as the likely No. 1 overall selection
The name Paige Bueckers and qualifier 'projected No. 1 pick' have been synonymous since she committed to Connecticut in 2019 as the top high school recruit in America. Though the full journey took unexpected turns, including an extra season in college, it has led to the same junction. The Dallas Wings are expected to select Bueckers as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York. It will cap a whirlwind week for the national champion after lifting her elusive NCAA trophy on Sunday in Tampa and making both morning and nighttime TV rounds to celebrate it. Bueckers was no stranger to pressure and expectations at 12-time national champion UConn, where the game's legends collect titles like candy on Halloween. It will be much the same in the WNBA at a time when interest is peaking, and college fans are carrying over to their favorite collegiate player's pro team in unprecedented numbers. Advertisement [WNBA Mock Draft 2.0: Where things stand with Paige Bueckers, Kiki Iriafen] 'We've always believed that we've had an incredible product,' Wings general manager and vice president of basketball operations Curt Miller said on a pre-draft video call Thursday. 'It was just, how do we continue to get more and more eyes on our game, and more and more people through the turnstiles to get into those games? It's so popular right now, so it's at a really good place. I'm excited about this draft class keeping the momentum going.' Bueckers, 23, is one of the biggest draws, an eye-catcher since her high school days in Minnesota. Her name, image and likeness valuations are among the top for women's basketball players since it began in 2021. The first freshman to win the Naismith Award in 2021 as college basketball's best player, she has deals with major powers Nike, Gatorade, Bose, Verizon and Dunkin' Donuts. It's a reach those previous national champions at UConn never had, and a foundation the WNBA never benefited from when they reached the pros. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports illustration) Ally Financial joined those ranks this week, signing an endorsement deal with the star nicknamed 'Paige Buckets.' Despite not yet in the league, Bueckers already featured in the company's league-based "new era loading" commercial with Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, a four-time UConn champion, and Fever guard Sydney Colson. Advertisement The financial service announced Friday, with plenty of 'bucket' references, it is the official banking partner of the WNBA and the presenting partner of 'Rivals Week,' an inaugural showcase of key matchups the week of Aug. 9. The slate includes a meeting between the Wings and Fever, who are led by 2024 No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark and '23 No. 1 selection Aliyah Boston. Turning Dallas into not only a title contender, but an arena-packing destination filled with fans in Bueckers' No. 5 jersey — the way Clark and Boston have done in Indianapolis — will be her primary task. Since moving from Tulsa to Texas ahead of the 2016 season, the franchise has largely been an afterthought, barely reaching the playoffs in a league that allows 75% of its teams to qualify for the postseason. The Wings have sold out season tickets, but in one of the league's smaller venues, and their fans haven't traveled as well as those from other franchises. In nine seasons, they employed five coaches. All-Star center Liz Cambage asked out in 2019, and All-Star guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, their core designated star, followed a season later. The front office collected three of the first five first-round draft picks in 2021, and yet none of them is on the team four years later. The Wings drafted three times in the first round in 2023 and twice in 2024 to build around two-time All-Star MVP Arike Ogunbowale. Advertisement Yet, it didn't help them build on back-to-back .500 seasons, including a trip to the semifinals in 2023. The 22-18 record and sweep by the Aces was the franchise's best season since their final one in Tulsa (18-16, swept by the Mercury in the conference semis). After missing the postseason in 2024 for the first time since 2020, the Wings parted ways with head coach Latricia Trammell (31-49), foundational star forward Satou Sabally and former defensive player of the year Natasha Howard. Bueckers, should the Wings select her at No. 1, is heading to a franchise in its new era. It hired Miller, the longtime former Connecticut Sun head coach who led the Sparks for one year. President and CEO Greg Bibb held the general manager tag for nine years in a dual-title practice that's being retired around the league. A month later, the franchise brought in Chris Koclanes, a first-time head coach. Koclanes worked with Miller in Connecticut from 2016-22, leading one of the league's best defenses and reaching the Finals in 2019 and '22. The Sun were the winningest group in the league in that stretch despite never winning the franchise's first championship. Advertisement Most critical to an era of No. 1 picks who carry more weight and eyeballs than ever before, the Wings are investing in the product and player amenities. After record attendance at their 6,251-seat College Park Center in Arlington, the Wings are working on a move to a larger arena with an on-site practice facility in downtown Dallas. The Wings, Mystics and Dream average the lowest league attendance because of their venues, and all are moving games to larger nearby ones to reap the benefits of incoming draft classes and booming interest. The Wings already moved the June 27 game against the Fever to the 20,000-capacity American Airlines Center. It will be the first WNBA meeting between Bueckers and Clark, two players with extreme expectations for both their franchises and the entire league. And two players who can deliver on them.
NBC Sports
11-04-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Caitlin Clark, Fever vs. Angel Reese, Sky will tip off new WNBA Rivals Week in August
NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will face Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky in prime time to tip off the inaugural WNBA Rivals Week in August. Other games will include two between New York and Minnesota in a WNBA Finals rematch; a matchup of projected No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers and Dallas against Clark's Fever; and Atlanta's Brittney Griner facing her old Phoenix squad. The week will be sponsored by Ally Financial, a new partner for the league this season. 'You can have a great partnership, but you also have to have great activation,' WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a Zoom interview. 'There's going to be a full slate of games that week and that's going to be a cool part of the activation.' Rivalry week games will be broadcast on a variety of networks, starting with the prime-time game between the Fever and Sky on CBS on Aug. 9. 'The timing of that week is critical, because in August you start to really make that playoff push,' Engelbert said. 'So it would be great to have those matchups during that period to drive that playoff push into September and crown a champion in October.' The NBA has had a Rivals Week for three years. Engelbert has mentioned in the past how important rivalries can be to grow the sport. The league started the Commissioner's Cup in 2021 and that in-season tournament has helped spawn rivalries between New York and Las Vegas as well as the Liberty and Lynx over the past few seasons. 'To have two teams who are just competing extremely hard every single time they match up and every time you watch is great basketball,' Bueckers said. 'So I think it was a perfect opportunity to start that — there's so many great rivalries in the league. This isn't Ally's first foray into women's basketball. It was one of the inaugural partners with the 3-on-3 Unrivaled league that finished its first season last month. The conversations with the WNBA started years before Unrivaled came into existence. 'What Cathy and her team have done with the league, the cultural currency of the players, the media connectivity, the entire ecosystem, is just phenomenal,' said Andrea Brimmer, Ally Financial's chief marketing officer. 'To me it's kind of the crown jewel of what's happening in the women's sports space.' Ally has made it a mission to give equal advertising dollars to men's and women's sports. 'This very intentional focus on women's sports has been something that have been not only words but deeds behind it,' Brimmer said. 'The ability to come on as the new sponsor of the WNBA for us is adding another jewel to the family.' Ally also signed Bueckers, the UConn star, to an endorsement deal. The company already has deals with WNBA players Breanna Stewart and Sydney Colson. 'Partnering with Ally is about more than just banking — it's about people to make their money work smarter,' Bueckers said. 'As an athlete, I've learned that success isn't just about the game you play, but the opportunity and resources you get access to.' Brimmer said Bueckers isn't just a brand ambassador, she's also an online customer. 'She uses the product and she's got a lot of passion around financial education and financial literacy,' Brimmer said.
Reuters
11-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Rivals Week to feature Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese
April 11 - The WNBA is introducing a "Rivals Week" to the 2025 schedule, highlighted by a clash between Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. Other tilts on the Aug. 9-17 slate announced Friday include a pair of WNBA Finals rematches between the reigning champion New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx, and the Atlanta Dream's Brittney Griner facing her longtime Phoenix Mercury squad. Rivals Week will be sponsored by Ally Financial, the league's newest partner. "Ally has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to elevating women's sports in a way that drives real impact," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a news release. "Their investment in the WNBA reflects shared goals for growing the game and expanding reach to more fans than ever before." Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and claimed Rookie of the Year honors over Reese, who finished second after leading the league in rebounding. The All-Stars met four times during the regular season, with Clark's Fever going 3-1. Other games include the league's newest rivalry in California, where the expansion Golden State Valkyries will host the Los Angeles Sparks. Clark and the Fever will also face the Dallas Wings, who are expected to pick UConn star Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 pick in Monday's draft.
CBC
11-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Fever's Caitlin Clark vs. Sky's Angel Reese tip off new WNBA Rivals Week
Social Sharing Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will face Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky in prime time to tip off the inaugural WNBA Rivals Week in August. Other games will include two between New York and Minnesota in a WNBA Finals rematch; a matchup of projected No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers and Dallas against Clark's Fever; and Atlanta's Brittney Griner facing her old Phoenix squad. The week will be sponsored by Ally Financial, a new partner for the league this season. "You can have a great partnership, but you also have to have great activation," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a Zoom interview. "There's going to be a full slate of games that week and that's going to be a cool part of the activation." Rivalry week games will be broadcast on a variety of networks, starting with the prime-time game between the Fever and Sky on CBS on Aug. 9. "The timing of that week is critical, because in August you start to really make that playoff push," Engelbert said. "So it would be great to have those matchups during that period to drive that playoff push into September and crown a champion in October." The NBA has had a Rivals Week for three years. Rivalries can grow the sport Engelbert has mentioned in the past how important rivalries can be to grow the sport. The league started the Commissioner's Cup in 2021 and that in-season tournament has helped spawn rivalries between New York and Las Vegas as well as the Liberty and Lynx over the past few seasons. "To have two teams who are just competing extremely hard every single time they match up and every time you watch is great basketball," Bueckers said. "So I think it was a perfect opportunity to start that — there's so many great rivalries in the league. This isn't Ally's first foray into women's basketball. It was one of the inaugural partners with the 3-on-3 Unrivaled league that finished its first season last month. The conversations with the WNBA started years before Unrivaled came into existence. "What Cathy and her team have done with the league, the cultural currency of the players, the media connectivity, the entire ecosystem, is just phenomenal," said Andrea Brimmer, Ally Financial's chief marketing officer. "To me it's kind of the crown jewel of what's happening in the women's sports space." Ally has made it a mission to give equal advertising dollars to men's and women's sports. "This very intentional focus on women's sports has been something that have been not only words but deeds behind it," Brimmer said. "The ability to come on as the new sponsor of the WNBA for us is adding another jewel to the family." Ally also signed Bueckers, the UConn star, to an endorsement deal. The company already has deals with WNBA players Breanna Stewart and Sydney Colson. "Partnering with Ally is about more than just banking — it's about people to make their money work smarter," Bueckers said. "As an athlete, I've learned that success isn't just about the game you play, but the opportunity and resources you get access to." Brimmer said Bueckers isn't just a brand ambassador, she's also an online customer. "She uses the product and she's got a lot of passion around financial education and financial literacy," Brimmer said.
