Tag: Phoenix Mercury

W Bets: Picks, storylines and more for Sparks vs. Dream, Liberty vs. Sky and Storm vs. Sun

Looking at the WNBA’s three-game slate.

This Wednesday, we have a star-studded three-game slate that should deliver plenty of entertaining basketball.

The Seattle Storm travel to Arizona to take on the Phoenix Mercury. The Chicago Sky will look for their first win of the season when they host the New York Liberty. Both the Los Angeles Sparks and Atlanta Dream will try to stay undefeated when they match up on Wednesday.

Here’s a look at the matchups, odds and storylines.

All odds via Tipico Sportsbook.

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Former Notre Dame players on 2022 WNBA rosters

Which player(s) will you cheer for this season?

The 2022 WNBA season has tipped off, and there is plenty of Notre Dame representation. Not that this should come as any surprise given that they all played under Muffet McGraw. Hopefully one day, Niele Ivey will have just as many of her own former players competing at the pinnacle of professional women’s basketball. For now, McGraw’s legacy is far more apparent.

With nine former Irish players in the WNBA and a few of them even teammates, there’s a very good chance you’ll find one of them on a given night if you decide to flip on a random game this season. Maybe you happen to be a fan of a particular team that has Irish blood on it. In that case, congratulations for hitting the jackpot!

Don’t be so quick to write these athletes off just because it’s women’s basketball. It’s just as thrilling to watch them as it is male athletes, and you’re only hurting yourself if you refuse to watch solely based on gender. Now, with that out of the way, here are the former Irish players to look for:

WNBA Power Rankings Week 1: Sky, Sun and Storm looking strong ahead of season openers

Ranking the WNBA teams 1-12 ahead of Week 1 of the 2022 season.

Months have passed following the WNBA’s celebratory 25th season, one that saw the Chicago Sky win its first-ever championship 201 days ago. Headlines filled the eight-month intermission as notable players were traded, superstars switched teams, and coaches went to new organizations.

Alas, the dust has finally settled and the off-season is in the rearview. Now, each team has finalized its roster and is ready to roll into the 2022 season on an even playing field.

Where do things stand as the new season gets underway? We take a look at all 12 teams and rank them ahead of opening night with our first power rankings of 2022:

See a first look at the WNBA’s on-court logo honoring Brittney Griner

What a powerful gesture.

It’s been roughly over three months since Russia detained Brittney Griner within its borders. While some positive developments have started to trickle out of late, there’s still no definitive end in sight to the scary, dangerous situation.

As one of the WNBA’s more prominent stars, the league and its players have understandably shown a lot of concern while missing Griner, the teammate, Griner the competitor, and Griner the friend.

To honor Griner in her ongoing absence, the league recently revealed that they would display a prominent “BG42” logo on all 12 teams’ courts. And as Griner’s current team, the Mercury had first dibs at revealing the process behind the graphic and the graphic itself.

Oh my goodness: It is an appropriate marvel.

Whoa, okay. What does it look like in action?

Wow. What a gesture and a message of universal solidarity to stand with Griner.

It remains uncertain when Griner will be able to come home. But if it’s any tiny consolation, she can be reminded that she’s definitely in the thoughts of an entire league.

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Former Duck Ruthy Hebard becomes WNBA champion with Chicago Sky

Ruthy gets a ring! Oregon favorite Ruthy Hebard was part of the WNBA Finals winning Chicago Sky, defeating the Phoenix Mercury in Game 4 on Sunday.

A championship for Chicago is a championship for all of Eugene.

That’s how it felt on Sunday afternoon when the Chicago Sky beat the Phoenix Mercury in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, securing their first championship in franchise history.

As a part of the team, Ruthy Hebard became the first former Oregon Duck from the historic 2017-2020 run to get a ring at the next level. The Sky drafted Hebard with the 8th overall pick in 2020.

Hebard had a limited role in the championship run, playing just three minutes per game, but her young career in the WNBA is off to a hot start with the ultimate goal achieved in just her second season. For the year, Hebard averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds per game.

The Sky was led by superstar Candice Parker, Allie Quigley, and Kahleah Cooper, who was eventually named Finals MVP after averaging 17 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

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Watch: Skylar Diggins-Smith helps even up WNBA Finals

Skylar called game.

Skylar Diggins-Smith is no stranger to getting to the biggest stages in basketball.

At Notre Dame she helped lead the Irish to three Final Four appearances and played in two NCAA Championship games and she’s played in helped Team USA win gold in the summer Olympics.

Diggins-Smith now stars for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA who are playing in the league finals.  Trailing Chicago 1-0 in the series, the Mercury were in overtime in a game two they desperately needed to win.  Leading by three late in overtime Diggins-Smith put the game on ice.

With the series now even at one the teams head to Chicago for games three and four in the best-of-five.  Game three takes place Friday night.

Related:  The best still images of Skylar Diggins-Smith at Notre Dame

Skylar Diggins-Smith Traded to Phoenix in WNBA Blockbuster

“Players with Skylar’s skill set and ceiling don’t become available in free agency often” Mercury General Manager Jim Pittman said.

All-time Notre Dame great Skylar Diggins-Smith may not have won a national championship in her time with the Fighting Irish, but she’s easily one of the best to ever wear the blue, gold, green, white and whatever other colors that have been donned under Muffet McGraw.

Since graduating in 2013 Diggins has been starring in the WNBA where she is a two-time all WNBA first-team selection and a four-time All-Star.  She’s averaged 15.9 points and 4.9 assists for her career with Tulsa and Dallas (the team moved after the 2015 season).

Wednesday saw Diggins-Smith being traded from Dallas to the Phoenix Mercury where she will be part of their big three featuring herself, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner.

The cost for Diggins-Smith you ask?

Substansial.

Two of the first round draft picks Dallas gets back are the fifth and seventh overall in this upcoming WNBA Draft while the other is for the 2021 draft.

“Players with Skylar’s skill set and ceiling don’t become available in free agency often” Mercury General Manager Jim Pittman said.

Diggins-Smith did not play in 2019 after giving birth to her first child that April.

The Mercury begin their season on May 17 against the Seattle Storm.