Tag: WNBA All-Star Game

Former Notre Dame guard Jewell Loyd requests trade from Seattle Storm

There’s trouble in the Emerald City.

After a successful career at Notre Dame, [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] was selected first overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2015 WNBA draft. She won Rookie of the Year, and her 10 seasons with the Storm also have netted two championships and six All-Star selections, one of which resulted in an All-Star MVP. She also has won two Olympic gold medals.

But Loyd’s tenure with the Storm could be nearing its end. The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that she is requesting a trade. This comes after the conclusion of an investigation into the coaching staff’s alleged player mistreatment that turned up nothing. Loyd was at the investigation’s center after filing a complaint.

Loyd has one year left on her contract after signing a supermax extension upon the conclusion of the Storm’s 2023 season. That prompted [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag], another former Irish guard, to sign with the Storm that offseason. While the Storm returned to the playoffs, they promptly were swept by [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag]’s Las Vegas Aces.

Here’s Young scoring a season-high 34 points against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever:

If it’s time for Young to have a fresh start elsewhere, here’s hoping her first season there is a fruitful one.

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Video recounts Skylar Diggins-Smith tumultuous Phoenix Mercury tenure

Skylar is Skylar.

Notre Dame legend [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag] has developed both a good and bad reputation in the WNBA. Though she’s built a Hall of Fame resume, she also gets into sticky situations. Most recently, she decided to bump Caitlin Clark during a play stoppage in a game.

Secret Base, one of the best sports channels on YouTube, decided to take a look at Diggins-Smith’s four-year tenure with the Phoenix Mercury that often was filled with tension. While the title of the video says her beef was with the legendary Diana Taurasi, the video itself really is more about Diggins-Smith and her beef with the Mercury as a whole:

During the three seasons Diggins-Smith actually played for the Mercury, she made All-WNBA each year, was a two-time All-Star, and she averaged 18.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game. Former Irish standout [autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag] was with her each season.

Despite the seemingly ideal circumstances, Diggins-Smith clearly was not happy with the Mercury, and the feeling appeared to be mutual. So she signed with the Seattle Storm this past offseason, joining fellow Irish legend [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag].

It’s clear Diggins-Smith’s demeanor will not change. Hopefully, that doesn’t cloud her legacy.

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The Caitlin Clark effect was on full display as the WNBA reportedly chose Indianapolis for its 2025 All-Star Game

The Caitlin Clark effect on the WNBA sure seems like it played a role in this.

The Caitlin Clark effect in the WNBA might’ve just played a role in where the league holds its 2025 All-Star Game.

ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported on Wednesday that the WNBA will hold its All-Star festivities next year in Indianapolis at the Indiana Fever’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Of course, that’s home court for Clark and the Fever, which underscores just how seismic her impact has been on the WNBA since her spring arrival.

Indianapolis is a great destination for a WNBA All-Star Game for its own merits, but we’re sure that Clark’s rise in popularity with fans had a role in bringing the event to where the Fever regularly plays its home games.

After making Team WNBA during her rookie season, we have no doubt Clark will play for the home crowd in the WNBA All-Star Game next year as long as she’s healthy.

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Notre Dame’s Cassandre Prosper teaches French ahead of Olympics

Time to get educated.

Notre Dame guard [autotag]Cassandre Prosper[/autotag] missed most of this past season, but the next two weeks should help make up for that. She’s off to Paris to represent Canada for the 2024 Olympics. She’s incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity at this stage of her career.

To help get Irish fans in the Parisian spirit for the Olympics, Prosper, who hails from Montreal, shared a few French words and phrases on social media:

Those of you who took French in school might have known some of these already, but for everyone else, it’s a nice little educational moment.

This tweet was made the same Prosper scored six points in Canada’s pre-Olympic 77-74 victory over Australia in Spain. Former Irish standout [autotag]Natalie Achonwa[/autotag] contributed 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.

Elsewhere, the U.S. bounced back from [autotag]Arike Ogunbowale[/autotag]’s All-Star MVP performance by topping Germany, 84-57, in its last game before the Olympics in London. [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, and [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag] had eight points.

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

Caitlin Clark dishes 10 assists in WNBA All-Star Game for coach Cheryl Miller

Caitlin Clark played beautiful team basketball, the kind Cheryl Miller certainly appreciated.

It was a feel-good weekend in Phoenix for a USC legend and the biggest name in contemporary women’s basketball. Cheryl Miller of USC, arguably the greatest women’s basketball player of all time, got to coach Caitlin Clark, the current women’s basketball star fans across the globe want to see, in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. The pairing of Miller and Clark earned a richly satisfying win as Team WNBA beat Team USA in a competitive and compelling WNBA All-Star showcase. Clark didn’t score a ton of points, but she handed out 10 assists and reminded everyone that she is a team-first player, someone many people think should have been included on the United States Olympic team, the team Clark and Miller defeated on Saturday in the desert.

Hawkeyes Wire had more on Clark’s winning night, with Miller enjoying what she saw as Clark’s coach for one very special game:

If you didn’t watch the 2024 WNBA All-Star game on Saturday night, then I truly feel bad for you. This was a special contest, one that showcased exactly why you should be tuning into women’s basketball. Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the U.S. Women’s National Team squared off against the WNBA All-Stars in a true battle of the mega powers. Team WNBA had a chip on their shoulder and a point to prove, and they got the better of the national team 117-109.

It was a special game from the WNBA All-Stars. Arike Ogunbowale was always the most questionable snub from the Olympic Team roster, and she showed again why many believe she deserved a spot on the team with a record-breaking 32-point performance. Ogunbowale was at her best putting the ball in the hoop, Caitlin Clark looking her way often en route to 10 assists, an All-Star game rookie record.

Not bad, Cheryl Miller. Not bad, Caitlin Clark. Let’s do this again in the future, shall we?

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Angel Reese classily gave her All-Star Game shoes to a young fan who brought her Reese’s Pieces

What a special moment for this young fan.

It’s only been a month since Angel Reese revealed the perfect name for her most loyal fans: Reese’s Pieces. But one adorable moment after Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game showed the name is already catching on and spreading.

While Reese was walking off the floor after helping Team WNBA beat Team USA, a young fan in a Chicago Sky jersey caught her attention with a sign plastered full of Reese’s Pieces candy that said “Angel I’ll trade u all these 4 your shoes.”

Not only did Reese oblige, signing her game shoes before handing them over to the young lady, she did it without requiring the candy in return.

What a special moment for that young fan.

Angel Reese made a bold All-Star Game prediction about the next time she’ll team with Caitlin Clark

Angel Reese might be on to something.

After months of the toxic discourse that came from the silly side-picking between the respective stans of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the two were able to enjoy a brief moment of unity Saturday as teammates in the WNBA All-Star Game.

They even shared a cool moment when Clark assisted a Reese bucket, prompting the Chicago Sky to call for a truce with the Indiana Fever.

The bickering will undoubtedly resume once the Olympic break is over in August and the Rookie of the Year race heats up for the closing stretch. But it was refreshing to have everyone play nice for a night, and during an in-game interview, Reese made a bold prediction for the next time we might see the rivals on the same team.

“We’re going to be playing with each other a lot. Hopefully, in four years, we can be Olympians together,” Reese said.

After the way Reese and Clark’s team beat the 2024 Olympians Saturday, it seems very plausible they’ll be the ones representing the U.S. in 2028. It seems even more likely they’ll be All-Star teammates again before that.

Photos of Arike Ogunbowale’s historic WNBA All-Star MVP performance

Here’s how history looked.

The consensus after the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game was that it was the best one ever. That was in no small part because of what Notre Dame legend [autotag]Arike Ogunbowale[/autotag] did. She followed a scoreless first half with 34 points in the second half to set the single-game scoring record. That gave Team WNBA a 117-109 victory over the U.S. Olympic team and Ogunbowale her second All-Star MVP.

Ogunbowale will remember this night for the rest of her life. Feeling she would be snubbed from the Olympic team, she withdrew from consideration early on. Now, she can move forward knowing that twice now, she’s been left off the team and embarrassed that team twice in as many All-Star Games with the Team USA-Team WNBA format. Hopefully, she’ll be on the other side of that in 2028.

Here are some photos from a night in which Ogunbowale’s play was as hot as the weather in Phoenix:

Arike Ogunbowale’s electric WNBA All-Star Game performance earned her MVP honors and so much love from hoops fans

Arike Ogunbowale absolutely COOKED Team USA, and hoops fans loved it.

Arike Ogunbowale was on an ABSOLUTE HEATER during Saturday’s WNBA All-Star game.

All day, I could not land on who I thought might be the All-Star Game MVP. Update: IT’S ARIKE OGUNBOWALE. The woman dropped 21 points — DURING THE THIRD QUARTER ALONE — and somehow, that wasn’t enough. She just kept going until she got to 34 points and a new WNBA All-Star record.

Arike. GIRL. These Team USA players have families. You didn’t have to do them like this. Actually, you know what? I’M GLAD YOU DID. You dropped buckets on headtops with over 16,000 fans in the building and a ton more watching from home. That brilliant effort earned you WELL-DESERVED MVP honors.

Arike is just the fourth player behind Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore and Swin Cash to win multiple All-Star Game MVP trophies. Super impressive stuff.

Her performance was so good that fans couldn’t help but share some fitting memes about her huge night against Team USA.

UPDATE: Arike posted a nearly soundless postgame reaction showing off the MVP trophy and then dropped a single emoji minutes later. COLD.

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Angel Reese had a double-double during the WNBA All-Star Game because of course she did

Did you expect anything less?

Of course, Angel Reese had a double-double at the WNBA All-Star. Of course, she did.

Well, I’ll be. Caitlin Clark called it. Angel Reese, in fact, did grab the most rebounds. I mean, I didn’t doubt she would. But to see it happen live — against Team USA — was something special. Angel also added 12 points to that amazing effort — including a dope bounce pass from Caitlin that led to a bucket  — and honestly, we love that for her. The girl’s motor is just relentless, and to see her shine Saturday was awesome.

After the game, she talked about how she wanted to make her impact felt, saying, “I just wanted to leave my mark. One day, I wanna be able to be a [USA Basketball] member.” This is one heck of a start, Angel. You’re the first rookie in WNBA All-Star history to have a double-double. WELL DONE.

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