Latest news with #WNBARivalsWeek
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
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.
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.
Chicago Tribune
11-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Angel Reese and Chicago Sky vs. Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever will start WNBA Rivals Week
Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky will face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in primetime 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 Paige Bueckers and Dallas against Clark's Fever; and Atlanta's Brittney Griner facing her old Phoenix Mercury squad. The week will be sponsored by Ally Financial, the newest 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.' Games over the rivalry week will be broadcast on a variety of networks, including the primetime game between the Sky and Fever on CBS on Aug. 9 to begin it. The NBA has had a Rivals Week for three years now. 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. '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,' Ally Financial Chief Marketing Officer Andrea Brimmer said. 'To me it's kind of the crown jewel of what's happening in the women's sports space.' This isn't Ally's first foray into women's basketball. They were one of the inaugural partners with the 3-on-3 league Unrivaled that finished its first season last month. The conversations with the WNBA started years before Unrivaled came into existence. '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 projected No. 1 pick, 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 that 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.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BIG-TIME BUCKET: WNBA SCORES ALLY FINANCIAL AS OFFICIAL BANKING PARTNER AND NEWEST CHANGEMAKER
--Ally will Serve as the Presenting Partner of the WNBA's First-Ever "Rivals Week," a Thrilling Showcase of Must-See Matchups August 9-17-- --New Sweepstakes from Ally Offers Fans a Chance to Win a Trip to AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025 in Indianapolis and $5,000-- --Ally Complements Partnership by Signing Endorsement Deal with Incoming Rookie Paige "Buckets" Bueckers-- CHARLOTTE, N.C. and NEW YORK, April 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY), which holds the nation's largest digital-only bank and is a leading brand in women's sports, and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), have announced a multi-year partnership introducing Ally as a WNBA Changemaker and the official banking partner of the league. "Ally has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to elevating women's sports in a way that drives real impact," said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. "Their investment in the WNBA reflects shared goals for growing the game and expanding reach to more fans than ever before. As the WNBA continues to lead the way in women's sports, brands like Ally recognize the power of aligning with our league—not just as a business decision, but as a way to drive meaningful progress. I've admired Ally's commitment to women's sports and this partnership will help amplify the incredible talent, competition, and stories that make the WNBA so special." As a WNBA Changemaker, Ally will focus on enhancing opportunities for fans to engage with the league and its stars, joining a collective of purpose-driven WNBA partners with a steadfast mission to empower women, girls and underrepresented groups through the power of sport. "Partnering with the WNBA is more than just a sponsorship; it's a statement Ally has been intent on making for quite some time," said Ally Chief Marketing and PR Officer Andrea Brimmer. "We know from our relationships with multiple players and the Las Vegas Aces, that the W and its players are among the most popular and influential figures in American sports right now. Deepening our connection with the league gives Ally incredible new opportunities to grow our businesses as we work to elevate the WNBA fan experience together and shape this new era of women's sports." As part of its new deal with the league, Ally will serve as the presenting partner of the WNBA's first-ever "Rivals Week," slated for Aug. 9-17, a time when the league's superstars and rising stars are in the spotlight, when teams compete for statement wins and playoff positioning, and fans rally for bragging rights. WNBA Rivals Week presented by Ally will highlight both classic and emerging rivalries between teams and players, as some of the league's superstars will go head-to-head in marquee matchups that define the intensity and passion of the league. Rivals Week will tip off with two must-watch games on Saturday, Aug. 9 when the Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever host Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky (CBS) and the WNBA's newest team, the Golden State Valkyries host their in-state rivals, the Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA League Pass). Other key games across Rivals Week include a pair of rematches between the defending champion New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx, who met in a memorable WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV last year (Aug. 10 on ABC; Aug. 16 on CBS), and a rematch of New York and the Las Vegas Aces, who battled for the title in 2023 (Aug. 13 on ESPN). The full slate of Rivals Week games can be found here. Complementing its league partnership and pre-existing team deal with the Las Vegas Aces, Ally also signed a new player endorsement deal with UConn star and incoming WNBA rookie Paige Bueckers. Bueckers joins Breanna Stewart, of the New York Liberty, and Sydney Colson, of the Indiana Fever, on Ally's WNBA player roster. Paige, Stewie and Syd teamed up for the first time to help Ally launch its That's A "Savings" Bucket Sweepstakes. The national sweepstakes kicks off today and plays off the bank's popular "savings bucket" feature, offering fans a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the July 18-19 AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025 in Indianapolis and $5,000 toward their savings goals. Details can be found at "Partnering with Ally is about more than just banking—it's about empowering people to make their money work smarter," said Bueckers. "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. Ally's commitment to helping more people make smart, informed banking decisions aligns with my own values, and I'm excited to use my platform to help others feel confident using the savings buckets to organize and achieve their savings goals." Fans will continue to experience the collaboration in many other ways throughout the season, as Ally will serve as the presenting partner of WNBA All-Star Voting, debut a fan activation at WNBA Live, and be the logo patch partner of the WNBA All-Star Game jerseys. Ally's partnership with the WNBA will also contribute significantly to the brand's unprecedented 50/50 Pledge, an initiative Ally launched to reach parity across its paid media spend in women's and men's sports that has played a major role in Ally's emergence as a true market mover in women's sports. Ally will now integrate into the WNBA's best-in-class media coverage as part of this relationship, investing with the league's current and future broadcast partners as part of its media commitment. The deal advances Ally's goal to reach parity with its paid media spending, positioning the company to hit 50/50 in 2026, a full year ahead of schedule. Sweepstakes Details NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes begins 9:00 a.m. ET on 4/11/25 and ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 5/15/25. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., who are at least 18 and the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence. GRAND PRIZE WINNER MUST TRAVEL JULY 18-19, 2025. Visit to enter & for Official Rules including full details, eligibility restrictions, odds and limitations. Void where prohibited. About Ally Financial Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a financial services company with the nation's largest all-digital bank and an industry-leading auto financing business, driven by a mission to "Do It Right" and be a relentless ally for customers and communities. The company serves customers with deposits and securities brokerage and investment advisory services as well as auto financing and insurance offerings. The company also includes a seasoned corporate finance business that offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies. For more information, please visit Ally Bank, Member FDIC. For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit For further images and news on Ally, please visit About the WNBA Tipping off its 29th season in 2025, the WNBA celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it. The league was ranked by Morning Consult as the fastest-growing brand in 2024, and No. 4 on Fast Company's list of the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2025, on its way to setting records for engagement on social and digital platforms, attendance, merchandise sales and unique viewers across its broadcast partners. The WNBA's commitment to societal impact is supported by the first-of-its-kind WNBA Changemaker Collective, a group of purpose-driven companies that have partnered with the WNBA to enhance the player experience, build the brand of the league and players, inspire innovation and connectivity, increase media coverage and visibility, and help drive the league's business transformation. Ally joins AT&T, Carmax, Deloitte, Google, and Nike as part of the WNBA Changemaker Collective. Contacts: Justin Nicolette, Ally Financial Sam Tager, WNBA Communications stager@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Ally Financial Sign in to access your portfolio
