Sport

Seimone Augustus Deserved the Honor of Retiring a Lynx

May 31, 2021

Like Lindsey Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson before her, Seimone Augustus was a key figure in helping the Minnesota Lynx win four championships in seven seasons. She deserved to retire in Minnesota, where she built her legacy and helped turn the struggling Lynx franchise into a dynasty. Her retirement press conference was filled with wisdom. And on her way off the basketball court, she showed uncommon selfishness toward younger players seeking to become one of the 144 lucky women to claim a roster spot in the WNBA. But the biggest question looms: Which superstars get to retire where they built their legacies and which do not?

Review: Chiney Ogwumike’s “144” is a revolutionary work of journalistic art

May 13, 2021

One-hundred and forty-four WNBA players entered a bubble in the coronavirus hotspot of Florida in 2020 engaged in a collective fight for social justice. Finally, we see the gravity of their sacrifices. From executive producer Chiney Ogwumike, ESPN Films and three other women filmmakers, “144” is a triumph of artistic and journalistic achievement.

Jennifer Rizzotti’s Journey from the Blizzard of New England to the Mohegan Tribe’s Sun

Apr 26, 2021

Jennifer Rizzotti is celebrated for her accomplishments at all levels of the game, from AP National Player of the Year for the UConn Huskies in 1996 to president of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun in 2021. But her professional journey with the Mohegan Tribe’s Sun had chillier beginnings.

Rick Welts Career Retrospectives Omit the WNBA from His Resume

Apr 12, 2021

After long-time NBA executive Rick Welts announced his decision last week to step down as president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors, the career retrospectives poured in. It’s too bad, however, that the normalized erasure of the WNBA runs so deep that the league, now in its 25th season — and Welts’ award-winning contributions to it — were erased from the myriad articles detailing his career.

A’ja Wilson’s Self-mastery Defies Expectations Placed on Black Women and Professional Athletes

Apr 1, 2021

Curating a support system that holds her accountable and practicing self-discipline on and off the court, A’ja Wilson, the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2020, is wise beyond her years and hungry to better herself and those around her. But her journey of self-mastery defies many of the expectations placed on Black women and professional athletes.

Monarchs Stay Undefeated in Sacramento

Mar 22, 2021

When Joe Maloof announced in November 2009 that his family would be surrendering ownership of the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs, he claimed to be “bummed” about the decision and told reporters that the move was necessitated by the ownership group’s need to focus full-throttle on the NBA’s Kings.

“This is our team that won a championship,” Maloof told Aileen Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. “We love the Monarchs. But all of our efforts have to be on getting the Kings back to where they once were, and that takes our full commitment.”

Love, Maloof-style, apparently means forsaking your lone winning franchise for a struggling one, leaving players, coaches, staff and Maloof Sports and Entertainment employees out of work.

The real dagger in the hearts of the players was the timing.

An Exclusive Look into the WNBA’s 25th Anniversary Season

Mar 15, 2021

Twenty-five years since its inaugural tipoff, the WNBA is still here: “impossible shot after impossible shot after impossible shot.” In the runup to this historic season, the WNBA has provided The Hard Screen with a first look into the ways the league will pay homage to the past and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert discusses how the 2021 season is an investment in the league’s next 25.

The Unforgiveable Sins of Kelly Loeffler

Jan 6, 2021

Now that Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler has been voted out of the Senate seat she was never voted into in the first place, does this mean she returns to WNBA ownership as if nothing ever happened?

Without WNBA Players, There’d Be No Warnock vs. Loeffler Runoff in Georgia

Jan 4, 2021

In advance of the Tuesday, Jan. 5, special election that will decide which senators represent the state of Georgia and which political party controls the U.S. Senate for the next four years, your friendly reminder that there would be no runoff election without the players of the WNBA, who kicked Atlanta Dream co-owner and Sen. Kelly Loeffler in her political ambitions by campaigning for her rival, Rev. Raphael Warnock.

Kristen Wiig Looks Just Peachy in ‘Vote Georgia’ Hoodie on SNL

Dec 21, 2020

Kristen Wiig appeared on SNL in a ‘Vote Georgia’ hoodie, presumably to urge voters in Georgia to cast their ballots in the Senate run-off election on Jan. 5. By doing so, she underscored the far reaches of the WNBA players’ influence.

WNBA Players React to the Biden-Harris Victory

Nov 7, 2020

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been elected President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, and various figures in the WNBA (and beyond) couldn’t be happier.

Natasha Cloud: ‘We Are the Deciding People on Who Runs Our Country’

Oct 27, 2020

Ahead of the November 3rd presidential election, WNBA champion Natasha Cloud is urging all people to vote, especially Black and brown people who historically have been disenfranchised from the electoral process. In a wide-ranging interview with Tamryn Spruill, Cloud also discussed the need for police reform, the Breonna Taylor case in the context of voting, the Trump supporters in her family and why she is voting for Joe Biden.

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