Tag: Seattle Storm

Breanna Stewart wins WNBA MVP by a historically tight margin over A’ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas

Breanna Stewart is a certified baller!

“Stew York City,” stand up. After the closest race in WNBA history, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart is the 2023 Most Valuable Player.

The voting race for MVP was a gauntlet down the stretch, involving the upper echelon of league talent. Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas made outstanding cases for why they should win. Only 13 points separated Stewart and Wilson, and only seven votes separated Stewart and Thomas — the tightest three-way voting margin in league history, according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. Ultimately, voters chose “Stewie” for her ability to light up New York and the league.

Her quest for MVP started with the offensive prowess that landed her second-to-only Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd for the WNBA single-season scoring record.

This season, Stewart averaged 23 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. With the help of her leadership, the Liberty steamrolled their way to a franchise-best record of 32-8 and a Commissioner’s Cup win.

Stewart was also a defensive force to be reckoned with, as she averaged 1.57 blocks and 1.45 steals per game. Her disruption on the court earned her a WNBA All-Defensive team selection.

With efforts like that, the league couldn’t help but notice her magic.

Truthfully, Stewart is creating a resume that feels almost unreal.

In addition to the most 40-point games in a season and the most points scored in 30 minutes or less in league history, she is a two-time WNBA champion, a two-time WNBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and now has two MVP trophies.

As the kids say, it’s lit. We have a lit-thuation happening! (That was probably too much, but I love a good pun.) Stewie is a hooper, and this award reflects that — hats off to you, Breanna, and the Liberty.

The celebration is flowing somewhere, and  Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” is blasting.

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Watch: Arike Ogunbowale signs autograph after being ejected from game

There’s one way to make a statement.

Tuesday’s game between the Dallas Wings and Atlanta Dream was historic for the wrong reasons. A WNBA record 10 technical fouls were called between both teams. Two of those were attributed to former Notre Dame star [autotag]Arike Ogunbowale[/autotag] as she sat on the bench, meaning she was ejected with 1:42 left in the Wings’ 85-73 victory. With the Wings’ win assured thanks in part to her 21 points, Ogunbowale decided she would make a spectacle as she headed back to the locker room:

When asked to comment on the technicals, Ogunbowale said this:

She also took to Twitter for some more unfiltered thoughts, sort of:

But she also probably was still on a high from this ankle-breaking move she executed during the game:

Ogunbowale, who scored a career-high 41 points as the Wings lost their previous game to [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] and the Seattle Storm, is well on her way to another All-Star selection. If the season ended today, she would have career highs of 23.3 points and 4.2 assists a game. There’s no reason to think she’ll drop off. As we just saw, she’ll bring attitude and a little creativity with her, too.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba attend Seattle Storm game

Plenty of star power at the Storm game

With Seattle being the most geographically isolated sports market in the country, there is a tighter knit community among the city’s professional athletes. For example, at the Seahawks’ season opener against the Denver Broncos, several Mariners players were seen in attendance.

The latest example features two of the Seahawks’ most exciting players. Wide receivers DK Metcalf and first round rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba were seen at the Storm’s game.

The Storm were at home hosting the Chicago Sky. Unfortunately, the Storm were embarrassed at home, losing 90-75 in front of the Seattle faithful. It has been a rather difficult season for the Storm, who are typically a perennial contender. They have fallen to 4-18 on the season.

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Jewell Loyd sets WNBA All-Star scoring record, wins MVP

Notre Dame was well-represented in the WNBA’s annual showcase.

[autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] has turned in one phenomenal scoring performance after another for the Seattle Storm this season. That carried over into this year’s WNBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas. Her 31 points and 10 3-pointers both were records for the event, and they were key in Team Stewart’s 143-127 win over Team Wilson. Plus, she was named All-Star MVP, making her the second former Notre Dame player in three years to earn the honor after [autotag]Arike Ogunbowale[/autotag] did so in 2021.

Ogunbowale also played in this game, scoring 18 points for Team Wilson but shooting only 2 of 11 from 3-point range. [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag], the third Irish legend in the game, was teammates with Ogunbowale for this affair. She didn’t fare much better, knocking down only a pair of 3-pointers on 2-of-12 shooting from the field.

Maybe Notre Dame’s representation wasn’t terrific across the board, but the fact that three of its players were there shows how great the program is. Check out how they looked under the bright All-Star lights:

Watch: Jewell Loyd ties WNBA record with nine 3-pointers in a game

She is on fire this season.

Former Notre Dame guard [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] already is having her best season ever with the Seattle Storm. Plus, she seemingly is pushing herself to new heights every game. The latest example came in the Storm’s 93-86 loss to the Washington Mystics. Despite the defeat, Loyd did everything she could in scoring 39 points and tying the WNBA single-game record with nine 3-pointers:

Loyd had a chance to break the record at the final buzzer, but her shot went off the rim. The way the All-Star and former top overall pick has been playing, don’t be surprised if she has another chance to break that record this season. For now, she’ll have to be content with matching the mark set by the Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell in 2019.

As well as Loyd as played, it hasn’t be enough to prevent a six-game losing streak for the Storm that has given them the league’s worst record at 4-16. All she can do is continue to play well. At least Storm fans can look forward to that.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Three former Notre Dame guards to start WNBA All-Star Game

The Irish will be well-represented in the WNBA’s annual showcase of top talent.

We’ve mentioned several times on this site that Notre Dame has an influx of former players in the WNBA. We’ve also mentioned before that several of those players are pretty darn good. 2023 has been no exception. The latest evidence of that is that three of this year’s All-Star Game starters are former Irish guards.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise as all three guards are among the top five WNBA scoring leaders. And while some of them have been professionals longer than others, it doesn’t change the fact that Notre Dame is and will continue to be a hotbed for women’s basketball talent. Heck, there are at least a couple of players on the Irish’s current roster also destined for the WNBA.

Here are the three former Irish who will get to flaunt their skills among the rest of the best the WNBA has to offer July 15 in Las Vegas:

Watch: Jewell Loyd learns she’s Western Conference Player of the Week

Congrats, Jewell!

Notre Dame alumnus [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] is having by far the best season of her WNBA career. She’s the league’s leading scorer, averaging 25.4 points a game, which is well above the career-best 17.9 she averaged in 2021.

Loyd scored a career-high 39 points to help the Seattle Storm beat [autotag]Arike Ogunbowale[/autotag] (41 points) and the Dallas Wings, 109-103, on June 17. This performance undoubtedly factored into her being named Western Conference Player of the Week, a honor that Storm coach Noelle Quinn was happy to announce:

Loyd previously won conference player of the week honors in June 2021. While she surely is happy to add to her trophy case, her focus most likely is on the changing her team’s fortunes. The Storm are 3-7, placing them 10th in the 12-team league. She will need some help if the Storm are to keep their seven-year playoff streak alive.

Even if the Storm don’t make the postseason, this will be a season for Loyd to remember. It will be awesome to see her continue to ascend to new heights.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame players in WNBA for 2023 season

Who are the former Irish to watch this season?

The 2023 WNBA season is upon us at an all-time high in popularity for women’s basketball. More opportunities are opening up for female hoopsters at all levels, and everyone is better for it. After the thrilling college season we just had, it’s time for the professionals to show what they can do. Particular attention should be given to these players since they paved the way for the sport to reach these unprecedented levels of attention.

Notre Dame has been one of the best women’s programs for some time now. Their two national championships since the turn of the century are evidence of that, but you can see it in the WNBA, too. Ten former Irish are suiting up in the league this season, which gives Notre Dame the second-most players of any program. If you need a refresher as to who to follow over the next few months, here they are:

Madi Williams selected No. 18 overall by the Seattle Storm in the WNBA Draft

In the 2023 WNBA Draft, Oklahoma Sooners forward Madi Williams was selected No. 18 overall by the Seattle Storm.

After a tremendous career at the University of Oklahoma, Sooners forward Madi Williams was selected No. 18 overall by the Seattle Storm in the WNBA draft.

In five seasons with the Sooners, Williams played in 147 games and averaged 16.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. She was a 44.7% shooter from the field and was 30.7% from three.

Williams helped Oklahoma reach the round of 32 each of her last two seasons in Norman and averaged double-digits each of her five seasons at the collegiate level.

Williams was ESPN’s second-best small forward in the 2023 WNBA draft and ranked No. 14 overall.

She joins a team that went 22-14 in 2022, second in the Western Conference but lost to the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.

Williams is a fantastic offensive player that can handle the ball at the point and play inside on the block. She brings a well-rounded skillset to Seattle and will be an immediate contributor at the WNBA level.

Best photos of Madi Williams’ time with the Oklahoma Sooners

Jordan Horston selected by Seattle in 2023 WNBA draft

Lady Vol Jordan Horston is selected by Seattle in the 2023 WNBA draft.

The 2023 WNBA draft is taking place Monday at Spring Studios New York in New York, New York.

Former Tennessee guard Jordan Horston was selected by the Seattle Storm in the first-round with the ninth overall pick.

Horston played at Tennessee from 2019-23.

She appeared in 114 games, including 91 starts, for the Lady Vols, recording 1,145 points, 731 rebounds, 455 assists, 109 blocks and 163 steals.

Horston came to Tennessee from Columbus Africentric Early College High School in Columbus, Ohio.

The Lady Vols (25-12, 13-3 SEC) advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 during the 2022-23 season.

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