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NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
WNBA Preview: The injury epidemic, Cameron Brink's return, and the week's top matchups
The WNBA's trade deadline is officially a week-and-a-half away with teams having until August 7 at 3:00 p.m. ET to get all trades done before the WNBA's regular season reaches 70% complete. As Cole Huff explained last week, it is reasonable to believe that the Dallas Wings and the Washington Mystics will be sellers in the next ten days. The Dallas Wings remain the second worst team in the league while the Washington Mystics have reportedly been entertaining calls to trade sophomore forward Aaliyah Edwards. But who might be the buyers? The New York Liberty got their work done early earning a commitment from free agent Belgian superstar and 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman. She is set to arrive in August. But how will the Lynx match especially since they lost Karlie Samuelson for the season on July 4? What about the Seattle Storm, a team who continues to lose to teams without as much talent? As of now the Storm are fifth in the WNBA standings, but have the ninth ranked offense in the league. That has to improve if Seattle wants to go on a deep playoff run. Before moving to the week ahead, the injury endemic in the WNBA must be discussed. In the past week Golden State's Kayla Thornton got season-ending knee surgery following an injury she sustained in practice, Angel Reese missed two games this past week nursing a bad back, and Breanna Stewart left the Liberty's game on Saturday against the Sparks with presumably a right calf strain. This is the seventh season-ending knee surgery that has occurred in the W this season. It also pushes the number of games lost to injury above 600. @ Add that to the fact that Caitlin Clark has remained out after injuring her right groin right before the All-Star break. And MVP Napheesa Collier has been playing through something in her shoulder. She began wearing a wrap on her shoulder on July 25 to mitigate some discomfort. What's the cause of this and why does it feel like so many notable players are injured and banged up all at once? There has been a ton of heat this season for questionable and inconsistent officiating from WNBA referees, and while some of this is warranted especially when the league has more eyes on it than it ever has, there's another part of this story. Poor officiating isn't just why the WNBA has been on pace this season to register the most injuries ever during a regular season in recent memory per Lucas Seehafer of The IX Basketball. Since 2021, the amount of games played in the regular season has increased by 37.5%. Coming off the pandemic bubble season in 2020, there were 32 regular season games played because it was an Olympic year and the footprint of the season had to include a month-long break in the middle of the season. From 2022 to 2025, the amount of games has gone up from 36 games in 2022, to 40 games in 2023 and 2024 and then in 2025 there are 44 games during the regular season, the most ever. Last season, 2024 was also an olympic year. While the amount of games played has vastly increased, the WNBA footprint, or amount of days that encompass a whole regular season and playoff schedule has not. More games are being shoved into less time. In just this past week, six teams in the Dream, Aces, Liberty, Mystics, Sun and Wings have all played in back-to-back games. This prompted ESPN broadcast analyst and former WNBA player Rebecca Lobo to dig up some research that showed the dramatic decrease in average days between games during the regular season since 2021. The numbers via ESPN researcher Garrett Gastfield show that even in a non-olympic year, the schedule is even more brutal than it was a season ago. A priority of @TheWNBPA in the new CBA has to be addressing the condensed schedule. This season there are too many games in too short a period of time. (Research: Garrett Gastfield) AVERAGE # OF DAYS BETWEEN GAMES 2021: 4.03 2022: 2.81 2023: 2.88 2024: 3.23 2025: 2.70 As of now the WNBA and its players are involved in on-going CBA negotiations, and the length of time in between games in addition to a longer season footprint ought to be brought up in further discussions. While Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is preparing to extend next season into the month of November due to the 2026 FIBA World Cup that takes place in September, the league's calendar footprint needs to be expanded in the long term rather than just for a season. 'We want to promote player safety,' Mercury forward Satou Sabally told reporters on June 19.'I think that's the biggest thing, and we want to work together with the league about it, because we're the product, right? And we also understand it's a business, so just finding the best possible way to make it accommodating for everyone…to ensure that we can play all these games and give our best performance.' The current model––playing 44 games in 119 days–– has in turn led to more players getting injured at a moment when die-hard fans and new audiences crave seeing their favorite players play instead of in street clothes on the bench. The Week Ahead There's a theme in the games selected for this week. Each one has specific playoff implications as these are all matchups between teams that are very close to each other in the standings. As of this writing, the only matchup I have highlighted that doesn't include teams just a game or two apart from one another in the standings is when the Liberty finally face off against the Lynx on Wednesday night. The Liberty remain 3.5 games behind the Lynx, but that shouldn't deter anyone from watching the 2024 WNBA Finals rematch that features the top two teams in the league that took over two months to be played. Also, some of the best matchups this week are nationally televised games. That's what the WNBA's playoff push deserves. (Tuesday July 29 at 10 p.m. ET on NBA TV) The Aces and the Sparks go into Tuesday's matchup having each won a game of the teams' season series. As of this writing, the Aces are 13-13 and are 1.5 games up on the 11-14 Sparks. Los Angeles has momentum riding a five game winning streak where they've defeated the Sun and the Mystics twice and then defeated the Liberty on a Rickea Jackson buzzer beater on Saturday. While the Sparks have improved especially offensively, their win streak came against teams that are either negative in net rating or in the Liberty's case just came off playing the day before. While the Aces blew out the 12th place Dallas Wings on Sunday, Las Vegas is still looking for consistency. Does Jewell Loyd coming off the bench help the Aces moving forward? Also, Tuesday the Sparks will welcome back Cameron Brink, the 2024 No.2 overall pick who tore her ACL and meniscus last season and hasn't played in a game since. Breaking: LA Sparks star forward Cameron Brink told me she is planning to play against the Las Vegas Aces tommorow night. (Wednesday July 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN) There's good news and bad news. First the good. After over two months, the moment most WNBA fans have been waiting for is almost here: the first rematch of the epic 2024 Finals that went five games and into overtime twice. The bad news is that the New York Liberty will most likely play this game without Breanna Stewart, who appeared to strain her lower right leg in the first quarter against the Sparks. Also, the Liberty will most likely be without Finals Game 5 hero Nyara Sabally who according to the New York Post's Madeline Kenney will be out for between two to three weeks. While the Lynx have battled with less injuries, they still won't be completely healthy. They've missed Karlie Samuelson's shooting on the wing ever since she went down with a season ending foot injury. Regardless of who's in and who's out, there's still a lot of talent on the floor that will battle it out on Wednesday. But without Stewart, it will be hard to know after this week how these teams match up against each other in 2025. Some more good news is that both teams will play each other three more times in the month of August. (Thursday July 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video) The Valkyries and the Mystics have both been struggling as of late. Both teams got blown out by opponents on Sunday and they both sit at the bottom of the playoff picture. As of Monday, Golden State just trails Washington by half a game for the final eighth spot, and if the Valkyries still want to make the postseason, which isn't certain especially considering their All-Star Kayla Thornton is out for the season, this is an important game for them to win. With a win on Thursday night, the Valkyries would hold the advantage in the season series against the Mystics, although these two teams play each other two more times before the end of August. (Friday August 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION) When these two teams faced off on July 23, Brittney Griner's return to Phoenix was sprinkled with some competitive juice in addition to some genuine emotion. She wanted to show out and defeat the franchise that wanted to go in a different direction after she played for the Mercury for over a decade. Griner succeeded at both tasks. She had 18 points and eight rebounds in her Dream's 90-79 win over the Mercury. I expect Griner to want to show out once again when the Mercury face the Dream in Atlanta on Friday. But besides the pride associated here, there are playoff implications too. The Mercury are just a game above the Dream in the standings as of Monday, and if the Dream defeat the Mercury again on Friday night, Atlanta could clinch the season series, a valuable seeding advantage if the two teams end up with the same record at the end of the season. (Sunday August 3 at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+) The Fever and the Storm are inverses of one another. The Fever have the third best offense in the league, but inconsistency on the defensive end of the ball has led to being sixth in the standings. The Storm, however, have the second best defense and ninth ranked offense. Seattle scored 58 points against the Mystics who have a mediocre defense, ranked seventh best in the league. The Storm's offense remains so inconsistent. As of Monday the fifth place Storm have a one game edge over the Fever in the standings. The Fever have the edge in season series, and if they defeat the Storm again on Sunday, Indiana will have the seeding advantage if these two teams also end up tied on the last day of the season.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
A'ja Wilson Makes WNBA History vs Indiana Fever
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Some believe Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson to be the best player in the WNBA today, and her professional accolades seem to back that up. A seven-time All-Star, a four-time All-WNBA first-team selection, a three-time league MVP, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and WNBA Finals MVP, Wilson has a resume that's second-to-none. And despite the Aces falling to .500 with an 80-70 loss to the Indiana Fever on Thursday, Wilson still played like the best player on the court. The 28-year-old center scored a team-high 20 points along with six rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block — and she wrote her name in the WNBA record books as well. A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces reacts to a score during the second half of a game against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on July 16, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces reacts to a score during the second half of a game against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on July 16, 2025 in Arlington, Basketball: Angel Reese Bracing for WNBA Suspension After Sky-Lynx Wilson tied recently retired Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi for the most 20-point games through her first eight seasons (150), according to espnW. Taurasi, 43, retired after the 2024 season. She was an 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-WNBA first-team selection, five-time league scoring champion, three-time WNBA champion, and two-time WNBA Finals MVP. A'ja Wilson joining elite company 🤝 making WNBA history — espnW (@espnW) July 25, 2025 More Basketball: Wings Rookie Paige Bueckers Ties WNBA Record vs. Seattle Storm It was Wilson's 13th 20-point game this season, and her 10th since the beginning of June. Her next 20-point game will give her sole possession of the record. Wilson is tied with Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum for the third-most 20-point games this season behind Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (16) and Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (14). Wilson's feat is just the latest in a long list of records and notable accomplishments in her career. This year, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 career points, and she became just the second player ever to be a unanimous MVP selection.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Sandy Brondello is the common thread behind Liberty's starry free agent additions
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 Isabelle Harrison grinned, then put it simply: 'Clearly,' Harrison said after Liberty practice Thursday, 'we're loyal to Sandy.' Advertisement The Liberty in recent days have added two of coach Sandy Brondello's former players to bolster their roster for the second half of the season. After Stephanie Talbot was waived by the Valkyries, the Liberty picked her up on a contract for the rest of the year. She plays under Brondello with the Australian national team and previously did so with the Mercury. And international star and 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman agreed to sign — pending her going through the visa process — with the Liberty over the Lynx and Mercury in a return to the WNBA. Advertisement 5 New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello watches during the first half of a WNBA All-Star basketball game against Team Collier, Saturday, July 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. AP Brondello previously coached Meesseman while an assistant at Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg. For her own part, Harrison signed with the Liberty in the offseason and has been a valuable veteran presence off the bench. Advertisement 5 Belgium's power forward Emma Meesseman shoots the ball during the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 final match between Spain and Belgium at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens on June 29, 2025. AFP via Getty Images She previously played under Brondello with the Mercury as well. What is it that has so many of Brondello's former players gravitating back to her? 'I love playing for Sandy,' Harrison said. 'I've always said she's a players' coach. She's very serious about what she's doing, but she also understands how the game goes. I think we all kind of see that and appreciate that and are willing to play for her. Advertisement 5 Isabelle Harrison #21 of the New York Liberty reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the first quarter. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post 'Sandy drafted me in 2015. I had an ACL injury that year, and the following year, I finally went to Phoenix, and when I got there, she just kind of let me figure it out. I was playing with some really heavy hitters — Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor, Brittney Griner, DeWanna Bonner, Candace Dupree — that year I just absorbed so much. I really got to see a leadership style that [Brondello] likes. Now, 10 years later — that's insane — I can implement it here as a veteran.' Talbot and Harrison pointed to Brondello's ability to clearly communicate her system and the roles she desires in her players. 'The style of basketball she plays, for me, coming halfway through the season, it was simple,' Talbot said. 'I know her system. It's a little less complicated coming into a system I already know. I know what the coach wants. 5 New York Liberty forward Stephanie Talbot (6) looks to drive past Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) in the second quarter at Barclays Center. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images 'Already having a relationship, she's easy to talk to. We have an open, honest relationship, so that probably helped, for sure.' Plenty of time had passed for Harrison and Talbot before they reunited with Brondello. Advertisement 'I think she's changed,' Harrison said. 'I think she's a lot more assertive now. In the group that I had in Phoenix, I think she just let them run the show. They were Olympians. I get why she did that. We have Olympians here, but she definitely implements exactly what she wants now. I love to see that from her.' Talbot had a slightly different perspective. 5 New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello reacts on the sideline during the second quarter. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Advertisement 'I think Sandy always stays the same,' Talbot said. 'Obviously, there's adjustments she makes to what we're doing on the court, slight adjustments and things she's trying to get better at as a coach, but Sandy is Sandy — I think that's what makes her her. She always stays the same, never too high, never too low.' Either way, whatever Brondello is doing is clearly working — and popular with her players.
New York Post
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Emma Meesseman's looming arrival gives Liberty options — in theory
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Text with Madeline Kenney as she follows the Liberty — she's sharing behind-the-scenes info and insights with Sports+ subscribers. SIGN UP NOW On paper, it's exactly what the Liberty needed. On paper, they just received an agreement from Emma Meesseman — the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP who has become one of the marquee international forwards during her two-plus years away from the league — to bolster their depth. Advertisement On paper, and an ever-changing injury report, three of their current frontcourt pieces in Breanna Stewart (March knee surgery), Jonquel Jones (just back from a second ankle-related absence this season) and Nyara Sabally (missed her seventh game of the year Tuesday) have dealt with injuries either before or during the season. On paper, Meesseman, whose captivating Liberty potential is accompanied by the mystery of whether she can mesh with the reigning champion's systems on the fly, could allow for starters to rest more down the stretch and ensure they're healthy when the postseason begins.
NBC Sports
7 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Jonquel Jones returns to the Liberty lineup, leads team scoring in win over Fever
NEW YORK — During the Liberty's lineup announcement Tuesday night, one name brought the Barclays Center crowd to its feet: Jonquel Jones. She held up a heart to the crowd. In the words of head coach Sandy Brondello — 'It's a happy day. JJ's back.' The Liberty star center officially returned to the court in New York's 98-84 win over the Fever on Tuesday night. Jones, last season's WNBA Finals MVP, was playing for the first time since June 19 with an ankle injury and scored a team-high 18 points. 'It felt great to be back out there,' Jones said after the game. 'Obviously, it's been a while since I've been on the court, but my teammates have held it down while I was out, and everybody was excited for me to be back in. And I was just as excited.' Jones, the Liberty's third-highest scorer, has averaged 12.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists this season, while shooting 43.8 percent from behind the arc. New York struggled in her absence, going 5-4 after starting out the season 9-0. They are undefeated with Jones on the court. It's been a touch-and-go season for Jones so far. She'd been limited to just 10 games this season, initially injuring her ankle in early June and taking a brief absence before returning and aggravating the injury.
