New York Liberty – The News Desk

With the WNBA Draft nearing, what’s next for Caitlin Clark?

10Apr

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With the WNBA Draft nearing, what’s next for Caitlin Clark?

Caitlin Clark’s college career ended Sunday with a loss to South Carolina in the national championship. But the Iowa star’s popularity won’t be going away.“I know what’s next is soon,” she said.Eight days, to be exact.That’s when Clark will be in New York for the WNBA Draft, where she’s expected to be the No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever. After rising to national prominence during her collegiate career, there are already signs that she will make an impact in the professional league.The Pulse NewsletterFree, daily sports updates direct to your inbox. Sign upFree, daily sports updates direct to your inbox. Sign upBuyWhat to know about the WNBA DraftThe draft will take place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on April 15. ESPN will air the draft and it will also ...

Data dive: Caitlin Clark vs. Steph Curry and other top shooters

21Dec

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Data dive: Caitlin Clark vs. Steph Curry and other top shooters

In a nearly empty arena in late November 2020, Caitlin Clark shot her first college 3-pointer. Time was ticking down in the first quarter of the Hawkeyes’ matchup against Northern Iowa. Clark forced a steal at midcourt and weaved her way to the right wing. With two defenders around her, she rose up. Her attempt was blocked.That didn’t discourage her.Now a senior, Clark is perhaps the biggest star across both men’s and women’s college basketball. She’s made more than 400 3-pointers throughout her college career and re-written the record book — at Iowa and nationally. “We see it every single day in practice, she hits one (shot) that amazes you or makes one pass that makes your jaw kind of drop,” Iowa assistant Abby Stamp says.Clark passes with pin-point accuracy. Teammates and coaches alike...

WNBA 2024 mock draft: Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Cameron Brink headline

12Dec

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WNBA 2024 mock draft: Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Cameron Brink headline

The 2024 WNBA Draft order is set. Indiana won the draft lottery Sunday, giving the Fever the first pick in what could be one of the deepest drafts in league history. Could is the operative word, as every draft-eligible senior in this class has the opportunity to return to college for a fifth season due to the COVID-19 bonus year given to every player who suited up in 2020-21.Indiana is the fourth team in the last decade to earn consecutive No. 1 picks after Seattle had the top selections in 2015 and 2016, Las Vegas had a three-year stretch of picking first from 2017-2019, and New York won the lottery in 2020 and 2021. The Storm won two titles with the duo of Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart, and the Aces have done the same with the trio of Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young. The Fev...

Aces close out Liberty in thrilling Game 4: How Las Vegas won its second straight WNBA title

19Oct

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Aces close out Liberty in thrilling Game 4: How Las Vegas won its second straight WNBA title

The Las Vegas Aces captured their second consecutive WNBA title Wednesday, rallying to defeat the New York Liberty 70-69 on the road in Game 4. Here’s what you need to know: After trailing at 39-30 at halftime, Las Vegas roared back to outscore New York 23-12 in the third quarter. The Liberty responded in the fourth, but Courtney Vandersloot’s potential game-winning jumper did not fall in the final seconds. Aces star forward A’ja Wilson led all scorers with 24 points and 16 rebounds en route to 2023 WNBA Finals MVP honors, while guard Jackie Young added 16 points. Las Vegas is the first team to win back-to-back WNBA titles since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-2002. The Aces closed out the series 3-1 despite being without starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes, who were both sidelined for G...

Will New York Liberty star Jonquel Jones’ WNBA Finals dominance lead to a title?

17Oct

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Will New York Liberty star Jonquel Jones’ WNBA Finals dominance lead to a title?

NEW YORK — Jonquel Jones was the last of the New York Liberty’s five starters to approach the sideline with just over a minute to play in the fourth quarter. As she walked toward coach Sandy Brondello, she applauded the sellout crowd of 17,143, returning the favor to those at Barclays Center who waved their white rally towels in delight throughout Game 3. Jones shared a brief hug with Brondello, then exchanged high-fives with the Liberty’s assistants while making her way down the sideline. On the baseline, Jones shared an embrace with guards Courtney Vandersloot and Betnijah Laney. Her night had finished. She scored a team-high 27 points, on 10-of-15 shooting from the field.Watching it all happen, in Barclays Center’s lower bowl, was Yolett McPhee-McCuin. McPhee-McCuin, a Bahamian who is ...

Liberty stay alive in WNBA Finals, win Game 3 vs. Aces

15Oct

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Liberty stay alive in WNBA Finals, win Game 3 vs. Aces

The Liberty avoided elimination in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, with dominance by Jonquel Jones on both sides of the ball Sunday leading them to a convincing win over the Las Vegas Aces. Jones scored a team-high 27 points and played smothering defense on Aces star forward A’ja Wilson en route to a 87-73 victory at Barclays Center. The win prevented a three-game sweep by the top-seeded Aces, who now lead the best-of-five series 2-1. Jones and her Liberty teammates played their best man-to-man defense of the series, which helped them outscore Las Vegas in the second half, 44-33, and finally slow down the trio of Aces guards who dominated Games 1 and 2. Kelsey Plum scored a game-high 29 points for Las Vegas, but Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray totaled 19 points on 29% shooting. Wilson, meanwhile...

Breanna Stewart versus A’ja Wilson: A championship rivalry the WNBA deserves

8Oct

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Breanna Stewart versus A’ja Wilson: A championship rivalry the WNBA deserves

When Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson step on the court Sunday for the start of the WNBA Finals, they’ll represent not only the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces but the fiery rivalry that the league hopes can continue to fan the popularity it’s accrued through nearly three decades.The superstars’ catalog of accomplishments is too extensive to even detail in full; it reads more like the resume of two retired pros rather than two players in the primes of their career. They have defined the last decade of their sport, starting with their national championships in college, leading into their gold medals for USA Basketball and now as direct competitors in the best league in the world. The Liberty and Aces are merely in the first chapter of their arms race, but the rivalry between these two a...

Who wins WNBA Finals? Las Vegas Aces or New York Liberty? Our experts predict

7Oct

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Who wins WNBA Finals? Las Vegas Aces or New York Liberty? Our experts predict

It’s been five months since training camps opened and the 2023 WNBA season began. One of the key questions being asked then, is still being asked: Will the Las Vegas Aces repeat as champions, or will the revamped New York Liberty capture their first title in franchise history?Of course, a lot has happened since then. The Connecticut Sun emerged as legitimate challengers, with star forward Alyssa Thomas putting together a historic season. The Washington Mystics, hampered by injuries, slipped down the standings only to push the top team in the Eastern Conference at the start of the postseason. The Aces jumped out to a 16-1 start in the regular season and ended up winning a league-record 34 games, despite star offseason acquisition Candace Parker playing in just 18 contests. The team that be...

WNBA Confidential: Which city would be best fit for expansion? GMs share in anonymous poll

30Sep

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WNBA Confidential: Which city would be best fit for expansion? GMs share in anonymous poll

The first part of our WNBA general managers anonymous survey focused on questions related to players and coaches in and around the league. But GMs are also forced to understand far more than just the makeup of their own team. Part 2 of our survey dives into a number of league-wide topics, including expansion, rule changes and a potential new Collective Bargaining Agreement.GO DEEPERWhich player would WNBA GMs pick to build a team around? Answers in our anonymous pollThe Athletic surveyed the league’s general managers, who are most often the top basketball executives on their teams, to get their thoughts on various matters. All 12 general managers were asked to participate in the exercise while being granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, and nine took part. Of those, some decl...