It’s Monday, I’m sorry. Welcome to The Next’s Daily Briefing, featuring the W Roundup, daily Watch List, and Yesterday’s Recap, all you need to start your day in women’s basketball. Day 43 of the WNBA season is here, following a wild finish in Chicago. The Sky led by two late while the teams traded bricks, including Aerial Powers missing a wide-open jumper with 26 seconds left. The Lynx intentionally fouled and Candace Parker sank both free-throws to go up 83-79. The Chicago defense allowed an open corner three for Bridget Carleton, drawing the Lynx within one, before Allie Quigley drained more free-throws to lead 85-82. Then Rebekah Gardner fouled Kayla McBride on a three for some reason, and the game was tied! The Sky had eight seconds to get a game-winner, and it looked like the play had broken down, until Courtney Vandersloot:
Happy Pride!
But first, read from around the world of women’s basketball:
- Brittney Griner appeared in court Monday, and her trial is scheduled to begin on July 1
- Our Scott Mammoser stories the induction of the late Pat Summitt into the Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame
- Our David Yapkowitz recaps how Nneka Ogwumike earned her first All-Star start
- The UConn Blog’s Daniel Connolly covers Dorka Juhász’s decision to return to UConn with her fifth year of eligibility
- Swish Appeal’s Eric Nemchock breaks down the case for Allisha Gray, All-Star — and frankly, the fact that she wasn’t in the top vote-getters is ludicrous
W Roundup
Connecticut: Re-signed big Joyner Holmes and off-ball guard Jazmine Jones to each’s first seven-day contract
Minnesota: Re-signed big Nikolina Milić to her first seven-day contract
New York: Point guard Crystal Dangerfield’s hardship terminated, since… someone? got healthy. Presumably combo forward Rebecca Allen, but it could theoretically be combo forward Jocelyn Willoughby; but the real point here is that the Liberty are probably going to jettison either Michaela Onyenwere or Lorela Cubaj soon, and then re-sign Dangerfield to a rest-of-season contract — our Jackie Powell breaks it down here
Watch List, Monday, June 27
(All times in Eastern, Game Of The Day in bold)
Indiana @ Phoenix, 10 p.m., League Pass (Local: Indiana Fever Livestream, Bally Sports Arizona)
Las Vegas @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m., NBA TV (Local: My LV TV, Spectrum SportsNet)
Sunday, June 26 recap
Connecticut (13-6) beat Atlanta (8-10), 72-61. The game was tied with seconds remaining in the first quarter, then the Sun scored 14 unanswered, part of a 22-5 run. Connecticut held the Dream to 33.3% from the field and 26.3%, but shot only 2-for-20 from deep; the Sun won the rebounding battle by 11; Atlanta assisted on 17 of its 21 buckets; the teams combined for 18 steals, part of 37 turnovers — Connecticut becoming just the second team since 2013 to commit 20 turnovers and shoot ≤10% from three and still win, per Her Hoop Stats; the teams combined for 40 turnovers. (It was a sloppy game, is the point.)
Big Alyssa Thomas led the Sun with a near-triple-double of 15 points (4-7 FG, 7-8 FT), 11 rebounds (three offensive), and eight assists against three turnovers; Combo guard Courtney Williams recorded a double-double with 17 points on 8-for-14 shooting (1-3 3pt.) and 10 rebounds (three offensive), against five turnovers; big wing DeWanna Bonner struggled to 12 points on 5-for-14 from the field and 0-for-7 from three, along with three rebounds and five assists.
The Dream were led by point guard Aari McDonald’s 17 points on 4-for-8 shooting (3-5 3pt., 6-7 FT), four assists, and three steals against five turnovers; wing Rhyne Howard had 12 points on 5-for-16 from the field and 1-for-7 from three, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals against three turnovers.
Chicago (13-5) beat Minnesota (5-14), 88-85. The Sky led for most of the first quarter, before the Lynx led for much of the second; the game was mostly within one possession from then through the late third, when Chicago went on a 15-6 run; Minnesota scored seven-straight points in the late fourth to close the Sky’s lead to 81-79 (and then chaos ensued). The teams combined to shoot 54.5% from the field and 41.2% from three.
Point guard Courtney Vandersloot led Chicago with 18 points on 7-for-13 from the field and 4-for-7 from three, five rebounds, and six assists against five turnovers; big Emma Meesseman had 15 points on 7-for-14 FG, three rebounds, and four assists against two turnovers and four fouls in 31 minutes; big Candace Parker notched 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting (2-4 3pt.), eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals; combo guard Allie Quigley tallied 11 points on 3-for-6 from the field (0-1 3pt.) and seven assists.
The Lynx were led by combo forward Jessica Shepard’s 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting (1-1 3pt.), eight rebounds, two assists without a turnover against four fouls in 26 bench minutes; center Sylvia Fowles had 12 points on 6-for-6 FG, six rebounds, three assists, three steals against three turnovers in 24 minutes; off-ball guard Kayla McBride notched 15 points on 5-for-10 from the field (1-4 3pt.) and two assists against three turnovers.
