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2026 WNBA awards: Should Angel Reese or a Golden State Valkyrie be the Defensive Player of the Year?
The WNBA Defensive Player of the Year conversation has largely been a footnote in the minds of the women’s basketball public. Are the usual, leading frontrunners actually the most deserving of this award? Two candidates stand out with the strongest case for this year’s DPOY award. Here’s more on those two contenders. In the comments, […]
2026 WNBA awards: Will an all-but-guaranteed fifth MVP award solidify A’ja Wilson’s GOAT status?
The WNBA returns on Thursday night, and the final days of the season will give players one last chance to push their own agendas for regular season awards. The league’s most touted accomplishment, however, won’t see much competition for the third-straight year. A historic rookie season from Olivia Miles just wasn’t enough to stop an […]
Almost two weeks after Cathy Engelbert announced her forthcoming retirement, what’s the status of the search for the next WNBA Commissioner?
Almost two weeks ago, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that she would retire at the end of 2026. Her decision instantly sparked conversation and speculation about who would assume leadership of the WNBA. But, don’t expect a new commissioner to be named any time soon. In a press conference following this week’s NBA Board of […]
Texas football’s treatment of Holly Rowe is reflective of the rampant backlash toward successful women in sports
The late, great Gloria Steinem once said about domestic violence and violence against women, “There was no word for it; it was called life.” It was just the way that it was. Thankfully, in large part due to the women’s liberation movement, we have laws on the books, protections for abuse victims and survivors, 24/7 […]
2026 WNBA awards: The all-round growth in Shakira Austin’s game makes her the pick for Most Improved Player
Oftentimes, debates about major individual awards in sports can become debates about semantics. What does it mean to be or do the “most”? The 2026 Most Improved Player (MIP) race is illustrative of the mushy malleability of “most,” and how one’s definitional parameters could produce a different, deserving winner. Let’s break it down. A quick […]
2026 WNBA awards: Janelle Salaün remains the runaway favorite for Sixth Player of the Year
Basketball fans and the media often deem being a starter important. However, in a single game and over the course of a season, depth and role can matter far more than who starts. This year, Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün has been the runaway favorite as the Sixth Player of the Year (6POY). During […]
2026 WNBA awards: Will overachievement, excellence or something else determine who wins Coach of the Year?
A head coach’s job seems pretty clear, but it can quickly become complicated. On the surface, the goal is to win as many games as possible. So, the team with the most wins should must have the Coach of the Year (COY), right? Wrong. The last time the top team also had the COY was […]
2026 WNBA awards: It’s the substance behind Olivia Miles’ spectacular style that makes her the should-be unanimous Rookie of the Year
Olivia Miles is going to be the 2026 WNBA Rookie of Year. And it’s going to be unanimous. Already, both Beckett Harrison and Zack Ward have touted Miles’ compelling MVP case, an affirmation of how her excellence has far exceeded the “rookie” label. There’s plenty of statistics, both traditional and advanced, that can be listed […]
Led by Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young, Team USA extended their gold medal-winning standard in the FIBA World Cup final against France
Five members of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team that competed in the 2026 FIBA World Cup helped win the United States an eighth-straight gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Those five players—Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper and Napheesa Collier—ensured that the United States also won a fifth-straight World Cup […]
World Cup gameday discussion: The two key questions that will determine if Team USA or France win gold
The 2026 FIBA World Cup will conclude with the United States trying to win a fifth-straight gold against France, striving for their first World Cup gold (2 p.m. ET, TNT). To reach this final stage, the French continued their impressive run in Berlin, knocking out the host country in the semi-finals. Following a closely contested […]
Carla Leite is the special talent firing up the relaunched Portland Fire
There was Sophia Witherspoon in 2000, averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting 36.8 percent from 3. There was Jackie Stiles in 2001, averaging 14.9 points per game and shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc. There was Alisa Burras in 2002, shooting 62.9 percent from the field in helping the team to their first […]
World Cup gameday discussion: Why Team USA and France are overwhelming semi-final favorites against Spain and Germany
The 2026 FIBA World Cup features an almost perfect final four. There’s Germany, the host nation that turned in a quarter-final performance that left head coach Olaf Lange “speechless,” but surely will inspire voluminous cheers from the home crowd. There’s France, the national team that has established themselves as the preeminent threat to the United […]
Interview: 25 years later, DeLisha Milton-Jones reflects on the Los Angeles Sparks’ first championship and 9/11
Friday, Sept. 11 marks a quarter of a century since the 9/11 attacks. Four hijacked planes. Two trade towers were destroyed in New York City by Flights 11 and 175. A part of the Pentagon was attacked by Flight 77. Then, a group of strangers on Flight 93 banded together in one of the most […]
Team USA crushes Hungary before France, Germany and Spain also cruise into the World Cup semi-finals
Well, that was anticlimactic. The quarter-finals of the 2026 FIBA World Cup left little suspense, as all four games ended in blowouts. Now the semi-finals are set, and we have Team USA taking on Spain and France playing against Germany on Saturday. Before we preview these matchups, let’s review how these four teams earned their […]
A still-early look at the leading candidates to win World Cup MVP
As the 2026 FIBA World Cup has reached the knockout rounds, the number of teams still playing shrinks by the day. This will ultimately lead to one country winning gold, but another prize is on the line: the TISSOT MVP of the tournament. So far, who is the favorite to win the tournament’s top individual […]
World Cup gameday discussion: These four stars are the most important players in the quarter-final matchups
By the end of the day on Thursday, only four teams will remain in the FIBA World Cup. Among all the talent that will take the floor in Berlin, these four players will have a significant say in determining which four squads will still be standing, advancing out of the quarter-finals and into Saturday’s semi-finals. […]
Is Team USA still the World Cup favorites? Or, have France and Belgium made stronger cases to win it all?
As other teams fight for a quarter-final spot in the FIBA World Cup, Team USA, France and Belgium are all unbeaten and ready for the next phase. It’s not a shock that this trio made it out of the group stage undefeated. Team USA has won this competition four-straight times. France proved they are a […]
These three players have impressed in the World Cup. Do they also belong in the WNBA?
WNBA stars will always draw the biggest crowds at the World Cup, but what would FIBA play be without lesser known players putting on headline performances? Going into the knockout rounds, a handful of international stars already have put on for a global audience. Have they proven that they also deserve a(nother) shot in the […]
World Cup gameday discussion: Why China and Australia should cruise into the quarter-finals
Two more spots remain in the 2026 FIBA World Cup quarter-finals. Hungary and Germany punched their tickets yesterday. Will Puerto Rico or China and Italy or Australia join them? The Puerto Ricans, after finishing in third place in Group C, take on China, the second-place team from Group D (11:45 a.m. ET, HBO Max). Then, […]
Why the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever face the most pressure in the WNBA playoffs—and why the Las Vegas Aces face the least
As the 2026 WNBA postseason approaches, I have a feeling that all eight playoff teams will hold their own and make it an interesting first round. Any team could go on to win it all, but some teams need to win more than others. So instead of picking who is most likely to win, let’s […]
World Cup gameday discussion: Look for Hungary and Germany to advance to the quarter-finals—and here’s why
Now, the 2026 FIBA World Cup starts to get real. Group play is complete, and a quartet of single-elimination quarter-final qualification games are up. On Tuesday, the second- and third-place teams from Groups A and B will be striving to extend their tournaments. First, Hungary, the second-place finishers from Group B, take on Japan, who […]
Did Team USA’s dominant win over Czechia to close out World Cup group play ease concerns?
Monday was the final day of FIBA World group play, and the action didn’t disappoint. Team USA dominated against Czechia, Belgium best Australia and Mali’s Cinderella story came to an end. The group winners are Spain (Group A), France (Group B), Belgium (Group C), and Team USA (Group D), so they’ll automatically advance to the […]
World Cup gameday discussion: Who’s advancing? Who’s out? What’s next? Here are the stakes ahead of the final day of group play
The 2026 FIBA World Cup completes group play on Monday, Sept. 7, with all 16 teams playing their third and final group game. For some teams, the final group match will be perfunctory. That’s true for the United States and Group D. Even if they made things way too interesting against Italy. At 2-0, Team […]
Rather than a display of dominance, Team USA survived for a disgusting three-point win over Italy at the World Cup
Well, Team USA had tons of trouble with Italy. Less than six months ago, Team USA defeated Italy by 34 points in the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. On Sunday in Berlin, Germany, Team USA squeaked out a three-point win, 55-52. On paper, the Italians may not have had any advantages […]
Mali’s historic win over Spain injected the World Cup with emotion, excitement and unpredictability
Why should we have expected predictability from the FIBA World Cup? On the second day of the tournament, the results immediately defied any “if-then” logic. In Friday’s Group A action, Japan defeated Mali in a competitive game before Spain beat Germany in a blowout fashion, establishing Spain as the presumptive favorite to win the group. […]
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