Tag: Seattle Storm

Suns’ Kevin Durant, Chris Paul drop by Athletes Unlimited games in Dallas

Athletes Unlimited raised $30 million in new funding at the end of 2022 and Durant was part of the diverse investor groups.

Phoenix Suns players Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and T.J. Warren watched some women’s basketball games while they were in Dallas before their own game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The three stopped by Athletes Unlimited to watch women’s professional basketball players light up the court. The Suns beat the Mavericks and it could have been because the trio picked up some luck from Athletes Unlimited players.

Durant is an advisory board member of the league and, more recently, an investor. Athletes Unlimited raised $30 million in new funding at the end of 2022 and Durant was part of the diverse investor groups.

“We have been advisors for AU since the very beginning, and we’re excited to be a part of this capital raise,” Durant said in an Athletes Unlimited press release. “Athletes Unlimited is at the forefront of women’s sports and an inspiration for how sports leagues can thrive with an athlete-first business model.”

Durant consistently brings women’s professional basketball to the forefront across his social media. When Athletes Unlimited announced a renewed partnership with Nike, Durant shared the news with his 20.8 million followers on Twitter.

Durant is vocal about his support for the women’s side of the game and reached out to the Seattle Storm’s Breanna Stewart to urge her to sign with the New York Liberty during free agency so they could be in the same city. Shortly after Stewart signed with the Liberty, Durant was traded to the Suns.

When he got to Phoenix, a touching video was shared on the Phoenix Mercury’s social media account of Durant and WNBA superstar and Olympic champion Brittney Griner embracing. Griner was detained in a Russian prison while playing basketball abroad. After months of negotiation, she was finally released.

This embrace seems to say: “Welcome home, B.G.”

The Suns weren’t the only ones attending the Athletes Unlimited game on March 4. Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale and WNBA free agent Te’a Cooper stopped by to check out the action.

Athletes Unlimited games can be watched in a variety of ways: WNBA League Pass, CBS Sports Network and the Women’s Sports Network.

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Former Alabama WBB F Jasmine Walker signs with Seattle Storm

Jasmine Walker signs with the Seattle storm after two seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Former Alabama women’s basketball forward Jasmine Walker has signed with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA. After being drafted No. 7 overall in the 2021 draft, Walker spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks. She was recently traded to the Connecticut Sun and released shortly thereafter.

Walker started her college career in 2016 at Florida State, but was with the Seminoles for only one season. She transferred to Alabama in 2017 and stayed in Tuscaloosa through 2021.

She joins a franchise that won a title as recently as 2020, but finished 2022 with a loss in the semifinals to the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces.

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Seattle: Playoffs Town, USA

The Emerald City could send four teams to the playoffs this year

The Seattle Seahawks may have been bounced from the NFL playoffs early, and while their recent history in the postseason isn’t stellar, there is still plenty for Seattle fans to be excited about when it comes to all their teams. Right now the Emerald City might be in the midst of a true sports renaissance.

For the first time in history, the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners qualified for the postseason in the same year. Earlier in the summer, Seattle’s WNBA team the Storm made yet another routine trip to the playoffs. While the Sounders of the MLS did not make their 14th consecutive appearance, Seattle may still send a fourth team to the the postseason.

In the world of hockey, the Seattle Kraken are among the best teams in the NHL. As it stands, they hold a narrow lead for first place in the Pacific Division over the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Should the Kraken finish strong, they would be the fourth professional Seattle team to qualify for the playoffs this season.

If that’s the case, it will be the most professional teams the City of Seattle has sent to each sport’s respective postseasons since 2018. That year, the Seahawks, Sounders, and Storm all made the playoffs, along with the Seawolves of Major League Rugby and the OL Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League – the last year they were in Seattle.

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Seattle legend Sue Bird to raise 12th Man Flag

Seattle legend Sue Bird to raise 12th Man Flag

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One of the most time-honored traditions in Seahawks history is the raising of the 12th Man Flag in the South Endzone before home games. It is usually by a former player, a local celebrity, or a Seattle sports legend. In Week 1 against the Broncos, former Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright had the honors.

To kick off Week 3, the Seahawks are sticking with local sports legends with Sue Bird to raise the flag.

For twenty years, Sue Bird was not only the face of the Seattle Storm, but establishing a legacy of one of the best WNBA players of all time. Bird finally retired this fall, but her legacy will be in the collective memory of Seattle fans for decades to come.

Sue Bird finishes her professional basketball career as the WNBA’s all time assists leader and 7th all time in scoring. Bird claimed four WNBA championships, five Olympic gold medals, and four FIBA World Cup titles.

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The quirky reason why Breanna Stewart might miss next season in the WNBA, explained

The WNBA’s prioritization rule is getting in the way of one of its best players

Breanna Stewart is one of a few players who most people would consider to be one of the best 3 or 4 players in the WNBA.

It’d be disastrous to have a WNBA season without her — especially when it’s not due to injury. But, with the way things are shaping up right now, it’s looking like that might be a real possibility.

Stewart’s WNBA future is up in the air in more ways than one. First, she’s a free agent this offseason. She signed a one-year, $228,094 deal last year to return to the Seattle Storm for another season. That deal is up and she can go where she pleases now.

But she also might not be playing anywhere in the W because of the WNBA’s “prioritization” rule that’s part of the league’s most recent collective bargaining agreement.

In trying to ensure they’re keeping their best players committed to the league, the W might actually be pushing one of its best out. It’s weird. It’s wonky. But it also might be necessary too. Let’s talk about it.

Chelsea Gray is having one of the most incredible playoff runs ever for the Aces

The Las Vegas star is doing things we’ve literally never seen.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

In case you missed it, the Las Vegas Aces advanced to the WNBA Finals on Tuesday night with a Game 4 win over the Seattle Storm. They overcome a halftime deficit and 42(!) points by Breanna Stewart to earn the 3-1 series victory and put a bow on the legendary career of Sue Bird, who had her own awesome moment.

At the center of it all was point gawd Chelsea Gray, continuing what has truly been one of the greatest playoff runs in WNBA history. Reminiscent of her Game 3 overtime heroics, Gray hit clutch bucket after clutch bucket in the fourth quarter, including the 3-pointer that broke a tie with around one minute left and the next basket to push the lead to five with 30 seconds left.

Gray finished the game with 31 points on 13-of-22 shooting, six rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the first player in WNBA history with 30 points and 10 assists in a playoff game. And that’s just the tip of what she’s doing this postseason.

Through six games and two series, Gray is averaging 24.0 points on 62.6% shooting from the field and 59.5% from three. She’s also averaging 7.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals. No one has been that efficient while scoring that many points and averaging that many assists in the short history of the W. According to The Sporting News, her 74.7 effective field goal percentage would be the highest of any player to average 20 points in a postseason.

All this is coming from Vegas’ fourth-leading scorer during the regular season! Now, the Aces await the winner of Game 5 between the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun on Thursday. And with a large thanks to Gray, they look very much the part of the favorites they’re supposed to be.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Federico Gambarini/dpa via AP

The WNBA playoffs aren’t the only hoops action happening right now. The group stage of EuroBasket 2022 is nearing a conclusion, and Luka Doncic put on an absolute show Wednesday against France to clinch the top spot in Group B for Slovenia.

His 47 points were the most in a EuroBasket game in 65 years. The 3-pointer that gave him 45 came over the outstretched arms of Rudy Gobert (who got him back later with this massive dunk). But the highlight of the game was an unbelievable one-handed three Doncic hit over Gobert in the first half.

And before you go calling it luck, my colleague Bryan Kalbrosky wrote that it’s not the first time the Mavericks star has pulled this off:

“Doncic, who scored 22 points in the first 14 minutes of the game against France, finished the first half with 27 points on 8-for-12 from the field and 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.

None were more impressive than the one-handed, running fadeaway jumper that he hit as the shot clock expired. It’s almost too much to comprehend.

But one aspect that makes it easier: Doncic has made a similar shot before. During his final game for Real Madrid before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft, he made a comparably unfathomable field goal.”

Hey man, Doncic was already a problem. But if he’s gonna start making one-handed, running threes, we can all just pack it up.

Shootaround

— Speaking of Slovenia, one of the team’s players was injured on a tip-off after landing on a ref.

— NBA 2K23 ratings are beginning to leak out, and Klay Thompson made it clear he’s NOT happy about his 3-point rating. Kevin Durant simply wants to know why he’s not a 99.

— Bronny James shared some pictures of himself in Ohio State’s uniform, and fans loved it.

— Check out this awesome story of why people wear those tie-dyed Lithuanian basketball shirts at Grateful Dead shows.

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13 awesome photos of Sue Bird during her final game as a WNBA player

The game of basketball will miss you, Sue Bird!

Nearly three months ago, Sue Bird, the greatest point guard in WNBA history, let the world in on a not-so-shocking secret — the 2022 season would be the final of her storied 19-season career.

The farewell tour came fast and went even faster on Tuesday night when the basketball community witnessed the end of one of the greatest careers in the history of professional sports. Las Vegas Aces eliminated the Storm from the postseason on their home court with a 97-92 victory in the WNBA Semifinals.

Wearing her No. 10 Seattle Storm jersey for the last time, Bird made her exit off the hardwood to an overwhelming amount of cheers from the Seattle fans. The send-off and the moments that both preceded and succeeded it are ones we’ll remember forever.

We present to you the best photos of Sue Bird’s final game day as a WNBA player.

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The basketball world showered Sue Bird with love after her final game and it was so awesome

Sue Bird got the sendoff she deserved from Storm fans after her final game

Sue Bird definitely didn’t go out the way she wanted to.

The Seattle Storm couldn’t eke out just one more win against the Aces in Game 4. Breanna Stewart’s 42 points weren’t enough to overcome 31 points and 10 assists from Chelsea Gray along with A’ja Wilson’s 23 points and 13 rebounds. The star-studded performances were everywhere on Tuesday night.

But when the final buzzer sounded, at least for a moment, it didn’t feel like any of those numbers mattered anymore. The series was over, and so was Sue Bird’s career.

Bird announced that this would be her final season at the beginning of the year, no matter where it ended. She didn’t win her final game, but she may have gotten something a bit sweeter.

After the final buzzer when things were all said and done and Bird, waved goodbye to her fans.

She did her final interview and everyone erupted in “Thank you, Sue,” chants. And, immediately, the emotions flared up for Bird.

“It has been my honor to play for this franchise, for these fans. I mean, I don’t know what else to say.” 

What a moment, man. A very well-deserved sendoff for a future Hall of Famer. Soon after, everyone showed Bird love, from some of her peers to her fans and everything in between.

The internet kept the party going.

A’ja Wilson’s rebounding prop is one of a few WNBA bets to make ahead of Tuesday’s Game 4s

Will there be a Game 5?

Just when you thought the WNBA playoffs couldn’t get any more interesting, a pair of Game 3s left the basketball world speechless over the weekend.

A little over 48 hours later, we’re all set to run it back. If Aces-Storm or Sun-Sky is anything in Game 4 like they were in Game 3, we’ll be in for a treat.

So much is on the line. Can A’ja Wilson or Chelsea Gray deliver another wild performance to lift the Aces to the WNBA Finals, or will Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart force a Game 5? Is Candace Parker going to deliver Chicago to consecutive Finals appearances, or will reigning MVP Jonquel Jones have something to say about that?

Game 4, ladies and gents — here are the players to bet on.

The Las Vegas Aces playing the Seattle Storm looks more like an All-Star game lineup than a playoff series

The Aces vs. Storm series is going to be WILD

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily basketball newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon

What’s good, family? It’s your boy, Sykes, bringing you another edition of Layup Lines. Let’s chat a bit about the incredible basketball we’re about to see.

On Sunday, the WNBA is blessing us with one of the best playoff series that we might see on a hardwood court — anytime, anywhere in any league.

The Las Vegas Aces are suiting up at home against the Seattle Storm and this is going to be one for the ages.

The stakes are there, obviously. This is a rematch from the 2020 WNBA Finals in which the Storm had their way with the Aces. But this is a chance for revenge for Vegas as they try to make it back to the Finals.

Put all of that aside for a second, though. We need to recognize how much talent is actually going to be on the court for this series. A handful of the best remaining players in the playoffs will be on the court here.

There will be 3 MVPs on the court between A’ja Wilson (2020), Breanna Stewart (2018) and Tina Charles (2012). On top of that, Seattle collectively has 29 All-Star appearances and 23 All-WNBA appearances between Sue Bird, Jewel Lloyd, Stewart and Charles.

The Aces aren’t slouching much, either. They’ve got current All-Stars on their roster in Wilson along with Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum. All 3 of them will likely be All-WNBA selections this year as well. Let’s also not forget that Stewart and Wilson are MVP front runners this year.

This is going to be epic, y’all. We couldn’t have asked for a better series heading into the Finals. Don’t miss this one. You’ll be missing history if you do.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of Sunday’s matchup, our Cole Huff put together an excellent preview of the Semi-Finals to get you brushed up on everything you need to know with betting odds, analysis and more. The playoffs have been epic already, but they’re getting ready to get even better.

“Each series provided its hint of suspicion, including Vegas nearly trailing an undermanned Phoenix Mercury in the fourth quarter of Game 1, the Sky and Sun surviving win-or-go-home games on the road, and the Storm putting away a sneaky longshot-favorite in Elena Delle Donne and the Mystics.

But when the dust settled, all four of the higher-seeded teams were left standing. And as we roll into the semis, the action is only going to get better.”

Cannot wait, y’all.

Shootaround

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

— The two best players in the NBA going right at it in FIBA World Cup qualifying play? More please.

— It sucks that Chet Holmgren will be missing time this year, but he’ll be just fine. History tells us that.

—Dawn Staley thinks she’d have a ton of success on the NBA level and it’s hard not to agree with her.

—Vanessa Bryant got a big win for Kobe and Gigi on Thursday. Good for her.

That’s all, folks. Enjoy the basketball this weekend!

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