The Guru’s WNBA and UPSHOT Reports: Golden State Blasts New York While Minnesota Does Likewise to Toronto and L.A. Handles Phoenix; Jacksonville Gets First UPSHOT Win Toopping Charlotte

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsgurux

NEW YORK – Having been idle eight days since a narrow home loss to Chicago, the second-year Golden State (3-1) squad had much time to dwell and fix things heading into Thursday night’s visit here to meet the high-scoring Liberty (3-2), that had seven off days themselves after a road trip to the West.

Having set a bunch of expansion records last season, including making the playoffs their first year, the Valkyries used a balanced attack highlighted by free-agent acquistion Gabby Wilson, the former UConn star who was on the one-point French national Olympic runners-up to the USA at the Paris Games in 2024, scoring 16 points in a 87-70 win at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn before a disappointed crowd of 15,862.

The near sellout showing, on a night free-agent prize Satou Sabally, who had been rehabbing, made her New York debut on a night at the same time the NBA Knicks went to 2-0 on Cleveland in the Eastern Finals at Madison Square Garden, and up in the Bronx the baseball Yankees played before 40,249.

The other two contests on Thursday’s WNBA card were also dominating productions, Minnesota (3-2) at home in the Target Center before 8,910 in Minneapolis handing expansion Toronto (3-3) its worst loss, a 100-72 drubbing, while out in the Arizona desert Los Angeles (2-3) won 97-88 at Phoenix (2-4) before 10,953 in the Mortgage Matchup Center.

Meanwhile the four-team UPSHOT League headed into its second weekend of action with the Jacksonville Waves (1-1), coached by Philadelphian Jessica Bogia, getting their first win, a 103-95 revenge road triumph over the Charlotte Crown (1-1) at Bojangles Coliseum.

 Valkyries Thump Liberty

New York came to a dead stop offensively after averaging a WNBA tops 100 points in its opening four games and was still shorthand as All-Star Sabrina Ionescu remained injured, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was out for what was described as personal reasons, and Leonie Fiebich and Raquel Carrera yet to arrive as  they finish European ball in Spain.

Sabally, in her return, had five points in 16 ½ restricted minutes.

The visiting Valkyries jumped to an 18-9 advantage, stayed in front ahead eight at the half and then blew the game wide open in the third.

Former UConn great Breanna Stewart had 18 points and Jones 16 for the home team, who got 12 points off the bench from Rebekah Gardner off the bench.

Golden State’s Kaila Charles and Veronica Burton each scored 13 points, Kayla Thornton had 11, and reserve Janelle Salaun scored 11.

Williams was 4-of-6 shooting 3-pointers.

“We talked about adding extra pressure tonight, because they have so many point guards to bring up the ball, so credit to (assistant coach Landon xx) and our players for locking into the details and for bringing that type of heat,” said Golden State Natalie Nakase, voted coach of the year last season.

“With so many days off, we were like caged animals ready to go.”

From New York’s perspective, “Not much went right,” Stewart said. “I feel like we gave up a lot of threes and then giving up 25 points in the first quarter.”

 First-year coach Chris DeMarco, a former longtime assistant with the NBA Golden State Warriors, said, “It’s a possession game and you can’t get shots if you turn the ball over 15 times.”

Lynx Rout Tempo

Off the bench, Maya Caldwell keyed a balanced attack for Minnesota with 16 points stopping the expansion Toronto’s two-game win streak. Courtney Williams added 15 points, rookie Oliva Miles, the number two overall choice last month out of TCU after starring as an undergrad at Notre Dame, had 14 points, Natasha Howard and Kayla McBride each scored 12 points.

Canadian and former UConn standout Kia Nurse had 23 points as a reserve for Toronto, rookie Kiki Rice out NCAA champion UCLA had 11.

The Lynx slowed down Brittney Sykes and Marina Marbrey, who each reached 30 in the Tempo win last time out, a first in the 30-year history of the WNBA for a combo exploding on a team’s first year of existence, were held to nine points.

“We got two really good days of practice where we really hammered our staples and our expectations and we were on our second team hard,” said Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve, the former La Salle star out of South Jersey who is one of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductees in Knoxville next month.

“We need them to perform. The first team was executing really well, both sides of the ball.”

Noted Toronto’s Nurse of the team’s recent games, “It was a good opportunity for us to grow as a team both on and off the court, a lot of really good touch points, on a night like tonight when things weren’t going great, going into the locker room at the half, being honest with one another.

Sandy Brondello, hired after winning New York’s first title in 2024 and with the Liberty last season, observed, “We didn’t execute our scout very well, we didn’t bring the energy.”

Sparks Win Second at Expense of the Mercury

Dearica Hamby had 27 points and 15 board for Los Angeles, who erupted for a 35-19 second quarter and 60-43 at the half.

Especially effective was the long ball, the Sparks shooting 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.

This was L.A.’s first road game and joining Hamby, Kelsey Plum scored 16 with seven assists, while Nneka Ogwumike, who came back as a free agent and had starred at Stanford, scored 12, as did reserves Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell, while Ariel Atkins scored 11.

Phoenix, shorthanded at the moment, got 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Philly’s Kahleah Copper, the All-Star out of Rutgers, scored 22, rookie Jovanna Nogic had 15 points and Natasha Mack scored 10 points.

L.A. just missed one 3-pointer short of the franchise record after connecting 14-for-24.

Ogwumike eclipsed Tamika Catchings to fifth on the WNBA career scoring list.

“Dearica was amazing tonight,” said Sparks second-year coach Lynne Roberts. “Her footwork, her finish, but just her activity tonight.”

Off a poor home stand, Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts said, “I like where we can get to, we’re just not there yet. But we’re going to find a group that competes. I really like this group.”

Elsewhere, Indiana received a warning from the WNBA for not listing Caitlin Clark on the injury list ahead of her missing her first game of the season after waking with a sore back.

The Fever said Clark, who will be the Indianapolis 500 Grand Marshal Sunday at the Motor Speedway, is expected to play Friday.

Looking Ahead

On Friday, the triple header on ION has Atlanta hosting Dallas at 7:30 p.m., the same time Indiana hosts Golden State before Seattle hosts Connecticut, the latter also on League Pass.

On Saturday, which was dark last week, CBS and Paramount+ kick in with Chicago hosting Minnesota at 1 p.m., and defending champion Las Vegas hosting L.A. 8 p.m. while at 6 p.m., Toronto hosts Portland, the two newest teams meeting the first time.

After a break next season, the expansion continues with Cleveland returning in 2028, Detroit doing likewise in 2029, and Philadelphia coming on board in 2030.

UPSHOT Week Two

The new four-team developmental-style pro league, whose commissioner Donna Orender was the second WNBA president, that had a successful debut last weekend and whose games can be seen free on its YouTube channel, saw Jacksonville get to the win column after Charlotte ruined the Waves’ opener last weekend.

The Floridians next are spending Memorial Day weekend hosting the Greensboro Groove (2-0) at 4 p.m. Saturday and visiting the Savannah Steel (0-2) at 3 p.m. Sunday.

All four rosters were posted recently at this site.

On Friday, Greensboro, that swept Savannah at home last weekend, visits the Georgians at 7 p.m., and on Monday the Groove ventures over to nearby Charlotte at 7 p.m. in North Carolina.

Next season the league expands to Baltimore and Nashville.

 

 

 

  

 

The Guru’s WNBA/UPSHOT Reports: Indy Wins Big Despite Clark Absence; Dallas Bests Chicago; Connecticut Ends Winless Start; UPSHOT Look Ahead

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Aliyah Boston was back in uniform after missing her first game in eight seasons – a streak that began with her freshman enrollment playing for Dawn Staley at South Carolina – but Caitlin Clark citing last minute issues with a sore back was held out as Indiana (3-2) at home still went ahead romping Wednesday night 90-73 over expansion Portland (2-3) before 14,010 at Gaitlin Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Dallas (3-2) in a road win evened its record with Chicago (3-2) off a 99-89 victory in the Windy City, site of this season’s All-Star game in mid-July, before 9,025 at Wintrust Arena.

Reigning rookie of the year Paige Bueckers had 24 points, her third 20+ game this season and 20th overall after being the No.1 pick out of UConn last year while her former Huskies teammate and last month’s top choice Azzi Fudd had her second straight double-digit game off the bench with 12 points to spoil the Sky’s home opener.

And in the third game on the WNBA bill Kennedy Burke finished with a three-point play for her 15th point with 2.8 seconds left giving Connecticut (1-5) a closing 80-78 win at Seattle (1-4) before 9,024 at Climate Pledge Arena for the Sun’s first win of the league’s 30th season.

In week two of the now 15-team league that will grow to 18 by 2030 when Philadelphia comes online all the zeros are gone from both the unbeaten and winless columns.

Indy Romps Over Fire

Boston, who suffered a lower leg injury two games ago, had 24 points and eight boards while Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 for the winning Fever while former Stanford star Lexi Hull made all four 3-point attempts and four from the line for 16 points with eight rebounds and Tyasha Harris in place of Clark dealt seven assists with a pair of steals in error-free ball but was 0-for-6 from the field.

Bridget Carleton and Sug Sutton had strong nights for Portland, Carleton with 12 of 16 points un the first half and Sutton 6-for-8 from the field for 14 points but the Fever was up 16 by the break.

All the drama came less than two hours before tipoff with the announcement that Clark, overall No. 1 pick in 2024 out of Iowa and rookie of the year who only saw 13 games and done by mid-July in an injury-riddled summer in 2025, was scratched for her first absence after a strong start this month.

Fever coach Stephanie White said after the game Clark’s back was sore but referenced the training staff when asked if it was an injury.

 White was not expectant of it to be an issue but also stated “I’m not a doctor, so I don’t know.

“It’s not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious.”

White said Clark, who twice left the season opener, to get her back adjusted, wasn’t on the injury report because she was anticipated to play.

 “She’s healthy. We’re not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready.”

Clark has been announced to be grand marshal in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 at the Motor Speedway.

Wings Harness Sky

In addition to Bueckers and Fudd in the Dallas win, Jessica Shepard had her second career triple-double with 18 points on 6-for-7 from the field with a personal best 12 assists and 10 boards while Arike Ogunbowale had 11 of her 23 points in the final period.

Reserve and Villanova’s all-time scorer Maddy Siegrist off the bench played just seven minutes in this one for the visitors missing a three-point shot.

After Saint Joseph’s former star and late free-agent signee Natasha Cloud out of suburban Philadelphia brought the Sky within three on a pair of free throws late in the game, Ogunbowale twice scored from deep to seal the win.

Cloud scored 21 with eight boards in her home debut, Kamilla Cardoso was 10-of-14 from the field, collecting 24 points, Skylar Diggins, who missed the last game with an eye injury, scored 15 and rookie Gabriela Jaquez, one of a WNBA record six draft picks out of NCAA last month, had 12 points.

Rachel Banham scored 10 off the bench.

Chicago was in its first game without Rickea Jackson, lost for the season with an ACL in Sunday’s win at Minnesota.

“We closed it out really well, we looked like the top team in the league that last quarter,” Ogunbowale said. “We didn’t have a great first half, but in the second half…we put it down their throats.”

“It was taking what the defense gave me,” Shepard said of her performance.

Cloud, who played last season in New York but did not receive an offer and ultimately signed for reportedly $555,000 on a one-year deal, spoke to ESPN about her offseason activity.

“Man, it was hard,” she said. “Still don’t really know why I was in that position, but it’s not for me to understand.

It was just for me to really be still with myself and with God and figure out what his next path was for me. And it was Chicago, and so I’m turning the chapter.

‘Some relationships you don’t get closure, and that’s OK. That don’t mean you don’t move on. Doesn’t mean you weren’t grateful for your time. But the next phase of this is really amazing, and I just feel like innately I’m supposed to be where I am.”

Chicago coach Tyler Marsh said, “She’s a vet, and some things just come a little bit naturally. It’s been a seamless fit.”

Added Cordoso, “She fit right in, and she’s been important for me. Sometimes I have a lack of confidence in myself, and she’s here since day one. I think I never spoke to her before our first practice together, and she’s always pouring to me. She’s always telling me how great I am and can’t nobody mess with me.”

Sun Edge Storm

In the Connecticut win, rookie Charlisse Leger-Walker, also out of UCLA, had her best night with 16 points after the Sun tied last season’s franchise record worst start at 0-5.

Rookie Nell Angloma, 12th overall last month, had her best with 15 points and Raegan Beers, an undrafted signee out of Oklahoma also reached a high with 10 points.

Seattle’s Natisha Hiedman scored 20 points, Mackenzie Holmes had a personal best 18 points while Dominique Malonga missed her second game off the concussion protocol.

Looking Ahead

On Thursday on the weekly Amazon Prime games, New York returns home for the first time since the season opener on May 8 and hosts Golden State at 8 p.m. at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn before Phoenix hosts Los Angeles at 10 p.m.

Also, at 8 on League Pass, Minnesota hosts Toronto.

On Friday, the triple header on ION has Atlanta hosting Dallas at 7:30 p.m., the same time Indiana hosts Golden State before Seattle hosts Connecticut, the latter also on League Pass.

On Saturday, which was dark last week, CBS and Paramount+ kick in with Chicago hosting Minnesota at 1 p.m., and defending champion Las Vegas hosting L.A. 8 p.m. while at 6 p.m., Toronto hosts Portland, the two newest teams meeting the first time.

After a break next season, the expansion continues with Cleveland returning in 2028, Detroit doing likewise in 2029, and Philadelphia coming on board in 2030.

UPSHOT Week Two

The new four-team developmental-style pro league, whose commissioner Donna Orender was the second WNBA president, that had a successful debut last weekend and whose games can be seen free on its YouTube channel, has the Jacksonville Waves (0-1) coached by Philadelphia’s Jessica Bogia looking for their first win at 7 p.m. on Thursday visiting the Charlotte Crown (1-0) that ruined their home and season opener before spending Memorial Day weekend hosting the Greensboro Groove (2-0) at 4 p.m. Saturday and visiting the Savannah Steel (0-2) at 3 p.m. Sunday.

All four rosters were posted recently at this site.

On Friday, Greensboro, that swept Savannah at home last weekend, visits the Georgians at 7 p.m., and on Monday the Groove ventures over to nearby Charlotte at 7 p.m. in North Carolina.

Next season the league expands to Baltimore and Nashville.

Bogia, in a text responding to an inquiry here, responded to a further definition, which makes one think if the 76ers wanted to provide run up interest to the coming of the WNBA in 2028 and 2029, becoming the first to have an affiliate team like the Wilmington (Del.) NBA G-League could help fuel interest.

“They don’t have to play in South Philly, there are enough places in the area,” said veteran Saint Joseph’s coach Cindy Griffin.

“I know Chloe (Welch) is very excited,” she said of her former player who made one of the squads.”

Said Bogia, “So we are not in competition with the W… we are a totally different entity that provides additional opportunities for players to play domestically.

 

“Also provides opportunities for players to play in the summer under the eyes and watch of the wnba coaches and GMs … with an opportunity to be called up.”

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guru’s WNBA/UPSHOT Report: Expansion Toronto Goes to 3-2 Winning at Phoenix as Sykes and Marbrey Combine for 61 Points

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsgurux

A season after Golden State made its debut into the WNBA setting expansion records with sellouts every night, the most victories for a debut team, and qualifying for the playoffs on the first attempt this season’s newbies of Toronto and Portland to bring the league membership to 15 franchises are hitting the win mark early in their existence.

In the only game on Tuesday’s card Toronto got a combo 61 points from Brittney Sykes and Marina Marbrey to win at Phoenix 98-90 in a high-scoring affair before 9,337 at the Mortgage Matchup Center, site of last month’s NCAA championship claimed by UCLA over South Carolina, to go 3-2 and dropping last season’s WNBA runner-ups to 2-3.

Sykes, a 2017 overall seventh pick in the first round by Atlanta, had 31 points for the Tempo, another career-high, while Marbrey, a former Notre Dame standout finished with 30.

The former, who played last season in Washington and Seattle before going in the expansion draft in March, was coming off a career high 38 points on Sunday while Marbrey, who was with Connecticut the last two seasons, went in the second round as the 19th overall choice of Los Angeles, playing one season with the Sparks, three in Dallas, two with Chicago, the second of which she got dealt to the Sun.

Tuesday’s game was close until the fourth quarter when Toronto broke into a 12-4 run to go ahead 85-78 before Maria Conde and Kiki Rice, the latter taken last month as part of a league-record six picks off UCLA in the regular draft, each scored around a Mercury turnover, to make it 93-86 with 2:32 left.

Marbrey, who had six of a Tempo season-high 15 makes from deep, while Phoenix was 4-of-22, hit a long shot for a 96-90 lead with 1:25 left.

The Mercury’s Kahleah Copper, the Philly native who starred at Rutgers, scored 18, former Maryland star Alyssa Harris out of Harrisburg, had 17 points in her second season in the Arizona desert, DeWanna Bonner collected 13 points, and Jovanna Nogic scored 13.

Natasha Mack, signed from Minnesota in the offseason league-wide massive free-agent spree following the landmark players’ labor deal, had 12 points and 10 boards but had to leave for the night after a hard fall late in the third quarter.

Toronto’s Rice scored 15 points, Laura Juskaite had 10, while Sykes reached 30 her second straight game shooting 10-of-19 from the field, including four 3-pointers.

The Tempo went up 45-44 at the half on a three from Marbrey with 20.8 seconds left in the third period.

“They have future Hall of Famers but so do we, and we came out with a win, so that’s a notch for us,” Sykes said.

“Really impressive,” said Toronto coach Sandy Brondello of Sykes and Marbrey.

Brondello, who is also the Australian nation team coach, guided New York, a 1997 charter WNBA team, to its first league title in 2024 and was with the Liberty last season before being let go and quickly grabbed by the Tempo after the team fell to Phoenix in first round of the playoffs.

“I give a great lot of respect to these two here, they’re great leaders in the locker room, but also but also great leaders on the court taking Kiki under their wing and every single player that comes out to the court.

“We’ve found some chemistry, we’ve found what works, and even when we’re facing a lot of adversity, even with injuries, we just stay true. I think we’re having a lot of fun.”

As for the impact of foreigner players, especially Australians and Europeans, Brondello said, “The strength of this league is going to keep improving. This CBA, the Europeans, everyone wants to come and play in the best league in the world.

“And I think it’s raising the standard of this league, it’s very exciting. Every team has Europeans. We have a lot of different nationalities we have some rookies, they’re 28 (years old), 29, they have so much experience and it shows.”

On beating a team like Phoenix, Marbrey said, “I think it’s such a confidence booster. You have to give credit to the other team. They’re Olympians over there, champions, Hall of Famers, giving them that respect, but also have the respect and confidence of people in our locker room.”

On the other side, Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts said of giving up the array of long shots, “For a team that takes pride in its defense, we didn’t do what we needed to do tonight. Looked like a poor defensive team tonight.”

Thomas added, “I think we’re nowhere near where we need to be defensively,” she said and referred to last season when the Mercury’s hallmark was its emphasis on defense. “It’s gonna be a long season if we don’t get it together on the defensive end.”

“We just gotta get stops. That’s what it comes down to,” Copper said.

Looking Ahead

On Wednesday USA airs Indiana hosting Portland at 7 p.m. and Chicago hosting Dallas at 9 p.m. before Connecticut visits Seattle at 10 p.m. on League Pass.

On Thursday on the weekly Amazon Prime games, New York returns home for the first time since the season opener on May 8 and hosts Golden State at 8 p.m. at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn before Phoenix hosts Los Angeles at 10 p.m.

Also, at 8 on League Pass, Minnesota hosts Toronto.

On Friday, the triple header on ION has Atlanta hosting Dallas at 7:30 p.m., the same time Indiana hosts Golden State before Seattle hosts Connecticut, the latter also on League Pass.

On Saturday, which was dark last week, CBS and Paramount+ kick in with Chicago hosting Minnesota at 1 p.m., and defending champion Las Vegas hosting L.A. 8 p.m. while at 6 p.m., Toronto hosts Portland, the two newest teams meeting the first time.

After a break next season, the expansion continues with Cleveland returning in 2028, Detroit doing likewise in 2029, and Philadelphia coming on board in 2030.

UPSHOT Week Two

The new four-team developmental-style pro league, whose commissioner Donna Orender was the second WNBA president, that had a successful debut last weekend and whose games can be seen free on its YouTube channel, has the Jacksonville Waves (0-1) coached by Philadelphia’s Jessica Bogia looking for their first win at 7 p.m. on Thursday visiting the Charlotte Crown (1-0) that ruined their home and season opener before spending Memorial Day weekend hosting the Greensboro Groove (2-0) at 4 p.m. Saturday and visiting the Savannah Steel (0-2) at 3 p.m. Sunday.

All four rosters were posted recently at this site.

On Friday, Greensboro, that swept Savannah at home last weekend, visits the Georgians at 7 p.m., and on Monday the Groove ventures over to nearby Charlotte at 7 p.m. in North Carolina.