Latest news with #SixthPlayeroftheYear
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
The transformation that's made Kennedy Burke into a bona fide Sixth Player of the Year candidate
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA. tRY IT NOW WASHINGTON — Days after the Liberty were crowned WNBA champions for the first time in franchise history, Kennedy Burke laced up her sneakers and headed to the court. The work that she put in over the next six or so months has resulted in a wildly efficient start that's made her an early candidate for Sixth Player of the Year. Her shooting numbers through eight games are staggering — 54.5 percent (24-for-44) from the field and 59.3 percent (16-for-27) from deep. It's a massive leap from a season ago when she shot 40.9/25.9 on fewer attempts per game. Asked how good Burke's shot feels right now, the veteran admitted to The Post, 'It does feel pretty good.' But she made sure to follow that up by giving credit to her teammates 'for giving me the ball when I'm wide open and then just me shooting with confidence.' 3 Kennedy Burke of the New York Liberty dribbles the ball during the game against the Connecticut Sun on June 1, 2025 at Barclays Center Arena in Brooklyn, New York. NBAE via Getty Images Coach Sandy Brondello knew Burke was due for a larger role in the rotation this season, her second with the Liberty. When the Valkyries picked Kayla Thornton in the expansion draft, Burke became even more important to the Liberty's plans for a title repeat. Brondello has seen Burke's confidence early this season, which the coach attributed to Burke's offseason work. But it wasn't a matter of tweaking her mechanics. 'It was just reps, honestly,' she said after the Liberty's 86-78 win against the Mystics. Her mental approach has changed. 3 Kennedy Burke (22) and Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün (13) battle for a rebound during the second half of a game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'Just knowing that when I shoot the ball, it's going to go in,' Burke said. 'So just having that confidence consistently.' But she has been more empowered than ever to let it fly from deep since Natasha Cloud arrived in Brooklyn. Cloud and Burke spent a brief period of time as teammates for the Mystics in 2022. 3 Kennedy Burke has played a key role with the Liberty this season. Getty Images Cloud knew then Burke had the potential to be an X-factor if she was given the right role. The pair worked out together before training camp started in late April, and the veteran point guard has been encouraging Burke to be aggressive. 'She's been on my butt, just saying, 'If you're wide open, shoot the damn ball,' ' Burke said. 'She's been on me since the beginning of the season — even preseason, honestly. And I will credit that to her, just giving me that confidence.' Cloud may have instilled that belief in Burke, but the results are all Burke's to claim. When Jonquel Jones went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter Thursday, Burke was one of the players who stepped up. For the second time this season, she went 4-for-4 from deep, finishing with 12 points. 'It's been great and certainly we've needed all of those 3-point shots,' Brondello said. Burke's hot start has earned her a spot in the conversation for Sixth Player of the Year. Her 9.3 points per game has her tied for fourth among bench players in scoring, but no one is shooting the ball as efficiently as her. Scoring isn't the only marker for those end-of-season awards. But the off-the-bench boost that she continues to provide on a nightly basis is hard to ignore.
New York Post
29-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Liberty's Marine Johannes busts out with ‘ridiculous' game after slow start to season
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA. tRY IT NOW In the second quarter, with the Liberty holding a comfortable 32-13 lead over the Valkyries, Marine Johannès decided to finally let it fly. Dribbling on the Liberty logo, she waited for a screen from Isabelle Harrison. Cutting around it, she found no Golden State player to challenge her. With the open space, Johannès leaped off her right foot for a highlight-worthy, one-legged runner 3. A minute later, she rolled over another screen from Harrison for a pullup 3-pointer. The 30-year-old from France then went on to swish a rainbow shot over 6-foot-2 rookie Janelle Salaun, who she has played with on the French women's national basketball team. Twelve of Johannès' 18 points were scored in that second quarter for what was her biggest contribution yet this season in the Liberty's 95-67 win over Golden State at Barclays Center. Johannès only shot from beyond the arc, going 6-for-11 across 22 minutes. 'Some of those, I felt like the defender was right in her face,' Breanna Stewart said of Johannès after the win. 'I know that right-handed runner was comin'! I was like she's gonna shoot that.' 3 Marine Johannès hits a one-legged 3-pointer during the Liberty's blowout win over the Valkyries. Heather Khalifa for New York Post 'She's ridiculous,' Sandy Brondello added. In her previous three games, the fourth-year guard had not scored more than six points or taken more than five shots in a game. On Tuesday, she felt something different and decided to change her tune. 'I was too passive in the last game,' Johannès said. 'Talking with [teammate] Izzy [Harrison], I have to stay aggressive. I think I have to keep going. It's never easy. Every game is different. So, just my mentality [is] keep playing with confidence.' 3 Marine Johannès, who scored 18 points on six 3-pointers, shoots a trey during the Liberty's win over the Valkyries. NBAE via Getty Images Johannès explained she spoke with Harrison at practice on Monday and again on game day about how she wanted screens from her when they had time on the court together. They were clicking on Tuesday. 'For Marine, she was just finding her rhythm, especially at home, she has that confidence knowing that one falls in, next one goes in, fans are getting behind her, players too. We are happy to see her shooting with confidence,' Stewart said. The fourth-place finisher for 2023's Sixth Player of the Year also tallied four steals, two rebounds, one assist and one block on the night while leading the Liberty bench in points. Covering the Liberty like never before Sign up for Madeline Kenney's Inside the Liberty, a weekly Sports+ newsletter. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters They collectively scored 37, which is an output the Liberty were looking to set themselves up for in the offseason. 'Our bench and our depth is gonna be what kind of separates us from anyone else,' Stewart said. 'The ability to go this deep and know that there is just gonna be consistency in everything that we do is really important. Happy that everyone is coming in with confidence all the time, mistake or not, next play up like they were talking about. It's really important because it's a collective unit.' Johannès has had on-again, off-again tenure with the Liberty, playing for New York in 2019, 2022, and 2023. 3 Marine Johannès (second from left) shares a laugh on the bench with Sabrina Ionescu (left), Natasha Cloud (second from right) and Breanna Stewart (right) during the Liberty's win over the Valkyries. Getty Images She was a fan favorite and key depth piece in the 2023 Finals, which made many disappointed when she did not return in 2024 to focus on playing for France in the Paris Olympics. After general manager Jonathan Kolb completed a trade for Natasha Cloud, the team announced Johannès' re-signing on March 21. She has since participated in her first full training camp and has taken the first step to finding more consistency off the Liberty bench moving forward. 'I'm so happy for her,' Sabrina Ionescu said. 'Any given night it can happen and I think her ability to just continue to stick with it knowing we want her to shoot shots, we want her to be confident. She missed the first and she just continued to shoot and got really hot, and that's what Marine is capable of doing.'
New York Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Angel Reese taunted by Kelsey Plum as rough start to season continues
Angel Reese is 6-foot-3 with a big personality. But Kelsey Plum made her look 'too small' with a celebratory taunt. Plum drove around Reese in the Sparks-Sky game Sunday and made a right-hand scoop layup as the trailing Reese tried to swat the ball with her right hand but came up empty. It didn't work, as Plum scored the two points – and then let the world know. Plum hit the 'too small' celebration by putting her hand low to the ground to signal that someone is too short. It's a popular taunt by receivers who outjump defensive backs for 50/50 passes in football. Acquired from the Aces in the offseason, Plum is a former No. 1 overall pick, three-time WNBA All-Star, two-time champion and former Sixth Player of the Year. She was the NCAA's all-time leading scorer until Caitlin Clark broke that record, which Plum supported. 4 Angel Reese and the Sky are off to a rough start this season. NBAE via Getty Images 4 Kelsey Plum celebrates the win over the Sky on May 24, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images Of course, Clark and Reese have a rivalry that extends to two meetings in the NCAA Tournament, including Reese leading LSU past Iowa in the 2023 final. Their feud isn't going anywhere, as Reese needed to be held back by her Sky teammates from confronting Clark after the Fever star committed a hard foul to prevent an easy layup in the season opener earlier this month. Is Plum – the ex-wife of former Giants tight end Darren Waller – about to become another rival for Reese? Plum tallied 28 points and eight assists in a 91-78 win that dropped the Sky to 0-3 on the season despite a double-double (13 points and 12 rebounds) from Reese. 4 Kelsey Plum drives by Angel Reese for a layup. X 4 Kelsey Plum does the 'too small' taunt. X 'We have to stay together,' Reese reportedly said after the game. 'It's tough losing three in a row.' Reese leads the league with 13.7 rebounds per game in the early going, but she is not among the preeminent shot-blockers, as Plum not-so-kindly pointed out.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sparks React to Major Kelsey Plum News After Three Games
Kelsey Plum built an impressive basketball career. The 30-year-old California native was the first overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft after a standout collegiate run at the University of Washington, where she played four seasons with the Huskies. Plum began her professional career with the San Antonio Stars, who later became the Las Vegas Aces in 2018. After the 2024 season, she was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in a three-team deal. Advertisement So far, Plum has made an immediate impact with her new team, averaging 26.7 points per game despite the Sparks losing two of their first three contests. On Wednesday, during an 89-86 loss, Plum reached a major career milestone. The Sparks celebrated her achievement on social media later that night: "KP the shooter! Congrats to @Kelseyplum10 on making 500 career three-pointers!" Plum finished that game with 25 points and six assists in 40 minutes of play. In the season opener, she lit up Golden State with 37 points and six assists in an 84-67 victory. Throughout her WNBA career, Plum has won two league championships and made three All-Star appearances. She was named the 2022 All-Star Game MVP and earned the Sixth Player of the Year award the year prior. Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Terada-Imagn Images At Washington, she was a 2017 first-team All-American, the AP Player of the Year and won both the John R. Wooden and Dawn Staley Awards. The school retired her No. 10 jersey in recognition of her accomplishments. Advertisement Plum also helped Team USA win gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where the Americans edged out France 67-66. It was her second Olympic gold medal after winning in the 3x3 basketball event at the 2020 Games. The Sparks will try to bounce back at home this weekend. They'll face the Golden State Valkyries again on Friday before hosting the Chicago Aces on Sunday. Related: ESPN's Monica McNutt Makes Strong Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Statement Related: Angel Reese's Strong Statement on Kamilla Cardoso Amid Sky Season
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark makes more history, but Fever take first loss of season to new-look Dream
Caitlin Clark keeps putting up numbers never seen in WNBA history. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever made it look easy in their season opener. The Atlanta Dream provided a reality check on Tuesday. In their second game of the season, the Fever fell 91-90 to another team that spent the offseason re-tooling around a No. 1 pick. In the Dream's case, it was Rhyne Howard, who combined with new additions Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones to outwork Indiana inside and outside the paint. Advertisement The game saw the Fever come back from down nine points with 4:09 remaining, but one final possession saw one shot from Natasha Howard blocked by Nia Coffey and the other one clank away. Clark finished with 27 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds. While it was a losing effort, those numbers did make even more history for a player who has been posting unprecedented stats since she stepped foot in the WNBA. The second-year star is now tied with Courtney Vandersloot for the most 20-point, 10-assist games in league history with 10. That's not an "on pace for" or "through X games in her career" statistic. It's the most games in the 29-year history of the WNBA. Advertisement Vandersloot reached that mark across 430 games in a decorated career. Clark, who already has the league's single-season assist record and sits at third on the all-time triple-double list, did it in 42 games. Fever's reinforcements for Caitlin Clark fall short in second game By most accounts, the Fever aced the offseason. Indiana had some major needs after a 2024 campaign that saw them break the WNBA's longest active playoff drought, but get swept by the Connecticut Sun. They already had a league-shaking talent in Clark, a. stellar two-way big in Aliyah Boston and a steady veteran scorer in Kelsey Mitchell, but they opted to rework their frontcourt with the additions of more veterans in Howard and DeWanna Bonner. Advertisement Howard posted six points on 3-of-9 shooting with nine rebounds and four turnovers. Bonner posted a goose egg on 0-of-1 shooting in 16 minutes. The Fever also brought in Sydney Colson to provide them a quality facilitator off the bench in their non-Clark minutes. She had 2 points, 0 assists and 2 turnovers in six minutes. All told, the Fever players outside the Clark-Mitchell-Boston triumvirate scored 15 points on 6-of-20 shooting with eight turnovers. It's worth noting the Fever were without another quality wing in new arrival Sophie Cunningham, out with an ankle injury, but the Dream were also missing their starting point guard in Jordin Canada. Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones win game in the paint Tuesday was an important reminder that teams other than the Fever got better. Advertisement With Howard and Allisha Gray already in place, the Dream added Griner and Jones to a roster that went 15-25 last season, swapping out aging center Tina Charles with a former Defensive Player of the Year and a former Sixth Player of the Year. Griner had a team-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting and eight rebounds on Tuesday before fouling out in the final minute, while Jones had 19 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. We'd call that an encouraging step after a season-opening loss to the Washington Mystics.
