Swish Appeal
Basketball is basketball.
Total reads
2,448
This week
1
Rank
#102 of 460
Published
955 posts
Last 12 weeks
Most read posts
Featured on Sportsblogs
Run this blog? Add the badge to your site to show readers you're featured — it links back to this page.
Latest Entries
It might have taken awhile, but 2021 Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere is proving her star potential for the Washington Mystics
Michaela Onyenwere has been trying to elevate to star status ever since she earned the WNBA Rookie of the Year award in 2021. She averaged 8.6 points per game for the New York Liberty that year, shining brighter than everyone else in her draft class, despite five players being selected No. 6 overall. But the […]
WNBA gameday discussion: The Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm really need pre-All-Star break wins
Entering this final day of WNBA action before All-Star 2026, I imagined the league’s multiple, long winning streaks would be the topic of conversation. The Golden State Valkyries could have been cruising into the break with 10-straight wins, with the Dallas Wings keeping pace with seven-straight victories. Full credit to the Washington Mystics and New […]
These are the best five-player lineups of the 2026 WNBA season
There’s basketball. And then there’s WNBA basketball. While talent is a prerequisite to thriving in the W, it’s not enough. Talent must thrive in context, as part of a team and, more specifically, as part of a lineup. Context, or fit, delineates the good from the great, where a group of talented, individual players become […]
Can one of these WNBA stars become the third-ever member of the 50-40-90 club?
It’s the midway point of the WNBA season, and we’ve gotten some sensational performances already. The Toronto Tempo’s Marina Mabrey had 53 points against the Los Angeles Sparks, tying the single-game scoring record. Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever had the WNBA’s first-ever 45-point and 10-assist game against the Seattle Storm. The Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah […]
WNBA gameday discussion: Why are the Las Vegas Aces better on the road than at home, and what, if anything, does it mean?
Last season, the Las Vegas Aces compiled the oddest, most outlier season in WNBA history. They authored the ultimate “flip the switch” season, going from mired around .500 to hitting their nadir with a 53-point home loss to closing out the regular season with 16-straight wins before sweeping their way to the organization’s third WNBA […]
Interview: No matter where she’s playing, expect a double-double from Nicole Fransson
Nicole Fransson is a double-double machine who enjoys traveling the world. That’s a good thing, as the 6-foot-2 Canadian forward/center has played for seven teams across three continents, suiting up for professional clubs in Australia, Germany, Luxembourg and Slovakia. Before going pro, she played at four seasons (2018-23) at Trinity Western University. She spoke to […]
Already a Chicago Sky and WNBA legend, Courtney Vandersloot is aiming for more signature moments
Some yeats agao, Ticha Penicheiro indicated on the broadcast of a WNBA game that she knew if anyone was going to break her single-game assists record it was going to be Courtney Vandersloot. Vandersloot broke Penicheiro’s mark of 16 assists with 18 on August 31, 2020 before Caitlin Clark set the current record of 19 […]
WNBA gameday discussion: After Naz Hillmon’s perfect game for the Atlanta Dream, who will have the next spotless shooting performance?
On Friday night, Naz Hillmon was absolutely perfect for the Atlanta Dream. In the win over the Toronto Tempo, she scored a career-high 24 points, all while not missing a shot from the field or free throw line. Hillmon hit all eight of her field goals, including going 4-for-4 from 3, and was a spotless […]
Undrafted rookie Sydney Taylor again shows why she’s the perfect spark for the Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky closed out the week with a second-consecutive victory at home. Fresh off defeating the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, Chicago came away victorious on Friday, 96-82, over the Los Angeles Sparks. After a particularly slow start, the Sky took command with a flourish in the second quarter. They outscored the Sparks 33-19 and […]
WNBA awards check in: It will be no surprise—and much deserved—if A’ja Wilson is again the MVP
What are the criteria for the Most Valuable Player award? Is it the amalgamation of raw stats? Add up points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and whoever has the highest total is the MVP? Or is it more nebulous? Do more advanced stats like gravity, plus-minus or net rating signal the intrinsic value of a […]
WNBA gameday discussion: Why head coach Cheryl Reeve and the Minnesota Lynx are ultimate winners
As each WNBA season progresses, it seems the sport becomes consumed by inflated and absurd chatter that, while infringing into real world concerns, often involves developments that don’t really matter. A question and answer from Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve’s most recent media availability, in contrast, reminds us of something real that is at […]
Another Chicago Sky practice facility delay provokes a call for accountability from the WNBPA
The Chicago Sky are still not ready to move into their new practice facility in Belford Park. On Friday, Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca told reporters that the facility is still under construction and will not be open for the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season. Pagliocca also announced that the Sky will practice at […]
WNBA awards check in: Is the Defensive Player of the Year on the Minnesota Lynx or Golden State Valkyries?
Defensive Player of the Year is probably the toughest race of all the awards in the 2026 WNBA season. There are several worthy candidates for this award, and some other deserving names that will probably get snubbed from First-Team All-Defense at season’s end. But which players for the strongest case? As we approach the […]
WNBA gameday discussion: What’s with the Toronto Tempo’s fourth-quarter troubles, and can they reverse them against the Atlanta Dream?
The Toronto Tempo might be the most appropriately named WNBA team. For an organization that experienced some questioning of their branding decisions, they’ve built a team that embodies their moniker. The Tempo like to play with tempo. However, intentionally or not, they might have leaned too far into that identity. Toronto’s tempo has come with […]
WNBA awards check in: Rookie of the Year might not be the only major honor that Olivia Miles deserves to win
In the wake of the loaded 2026 WNBA Draft class, most analysts and fans predicted this year’s first-year troupe to run one of the most competitive Rookie of the Year races in recent memory. And while the newest members of the W have shown no shortage of talent, one supernova up north has nearly crossed […]
WNBA gameday discussion: Do the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics prove that youth, rather than experience, matters more?
Just over one week ago, the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty met for a high-profile matchup in Brooklyn. Going in, I suggested the showdown served as test of both teams’ quality, wondering how the outcome would further influence where Dallas and New York are in the championship contender conversation. For the second time this […]
Another WNBA drama re-escalates with the reported intervention of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in the Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas incident
The fallout from the Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas incident continues. According to reporting from Tom Friend at Sports Business Journal, it was NBA Commissioner Adam Silver who pressed WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to retroactively rule Thomas’ foul on Clark at Flagrant 2, a penalty that comes with a $1,000 fine, and suspend Thomas for one game. […]
Team Coop or Team Spoon? Which team are you going with for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game?
On Wednesday afternoon, honorary WNBA All-Star general managers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted their teams for the 2026 All-Star Game. The top-two fan vote getters—No. 1 Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings and No. 2 Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever—were assigned to the teams, with a coin flip putting Bueckers on Team Coop […]
WNBA awards check in: Jessica Shepard, Carla Leite and Marina Mabrey are building strong Most Improved Player cases
Every year, every single WNBA player wants to improve upon how she played the season before. Accomplishing that, however, is easier said than done. But every sesaon, a handful of players reach a level of play no one saw coming. This 2026 WNBA campaign is no exception, and at the midway point of the season, […]
WNBA gameday discussion: Is an eighth-straight win, plus a perfect road trip, on the way for the Golden State Valkyries?
On Wednesday night, the Golden State Valkyries will wrap up their five-game road with a visit to Indianapolis to play the Indiana Fever (8 p.m. ET, USA Network). Despite venturing from the Deep South up to the nation’s capital into Canada back to Connecticut and now into the Midwest, Golden State is 4-0, looking not […]
Brionna Jones is about to make her return to the court—and here’s what she’s observed about the Atlanta Dream from the sidelines
Atlanta Dream center Brionna Jones was listed as “questionable” for the first time this season ahead of the team’s Monday night game against the Los Angeles Sparks. This status indicated that she was eligible to play after being sidelined for the entirety of the first half of the 2026 WNBA season because of a right […]
With milestone after milestone, the “magnitude” of Olivia Miles’ impact on the Minnesota Lynx is only increasing
The midway point of the 2026 WNBA season is here, and Olivia Miles is not letting up as she closes out the first half. In the Minnesota Lynx’s 104-100 win against the Phoenix Mercury on Monday night, Miles delivered a historic performance. She finished with a career-high 33 points—the most by a rookie in franchise […]
WNBA awards check in: Is the Golden State Valkyries’ sharpest shooter the Sixth Player of the Year shoo-in?
The best WNBA teams have a handful of reserves who are just as good as their starters and are equally necessary for success. Quite simply, if a WNBA team wants to win it all, they need bench production. This ability to step on the court and immediately contribute as a reserve has always been valued, […]
WNBA gameday discussion: Shakira in Canada? Another Kiki in DC? What could have been for the Washington Mystics and Toronto Tempo
On Tuesday evening, the Washington Mystics will visit the Toronto Tempo for the third of four matchups between the teams this season (7 p.m. ET, NBA TV). And while it might be an overstatement to claim that these two squads are rivals, they are quite intertwined, a somewhat curious circumstance considering this is Toronto’s first […]
WNBA game notes: Shakira Austin responds to All-Star snub with a superstar showing for the Washington Mystics
WASHINGTON — Shakira Austin has been doing her best impression of the WNBA’s best guards. Smooth handles out on the perimeter, drives to the basket (which have been part of her game for a while) and efficient shooting from 3 that still hasn’t faded 26 attempts in. She is proving that she has all the […]
Displaying items 201-225 of 955 in total