WNBA stars, who brought home two team gold medals from Tokyo, were back in action this week with a title and bonus money on the line. And the legends of the game just keep on rolling.
The league organized the Commissioner’s Cup halfway through the season featuring the top two teams, the defending champions Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun.
The Storm captured the championship with Olympians Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd playing just five days after leading the USA women’s basketball team to its seventh straight gold medal with a 90-75 victory over Japan. Team USA dominated with a 6-0 record during the Olympics.
The win clinched a $30,000 bonus for each member of the Storm, and an extra $5,000 for MVP Stewart, who is unstoppable. The Sun players received $10,000 each.
The game also featured the return of Katie Lou Samuelson of the Storm, who caught COVID-19 (even though she was fully vaccinated like 99 percent of the WNBA) just before her 3-on-3 team was scheduled to leave to play in the Tokyo Olympics. WNBA stars Allisha Gray, Kelsey Plum, Stefanie Dolson and Jackie Young won gold in the inaugural 3-on-3 basketball competition.
Although the Connecticut Sun didn’t fare well in this championship game against Seattle’s Big Three, it still holds the second-best record in the WNBA. Capital Region basketball fans would do well to support the team during a second-half title run.
The return of superstar Jonquel Jones has fans excited in Connecticut, along with 2021 All-Stars DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones. I have my eyes on a Sept. 15 battle with New York Liberty at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It’s an easy road trip to support the Sun in Connecticut and also an opportunity to check out the gambling mecca and some awesome golf courses.
WNBA games are airing on Amazon Prime in addition to ESPN2, NBA-TV and other networks and streaming services.
While the league is finishing its 32-game season — the 25th season of the WNBA — don’t miss the story of Maya Moore in the ESPN “30 for 30” called “Breakaway.”
The documentary chronicles Moore’s decision in 2019 to leave the WNBA to fight for the release of Jonathan Irons, a man who was wrongly convicted at age 18 of burglary and assault and sentenced to 50 years in prison.
After four WNBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, a WNBA MVP award, three All-Star MVPs and two NCAA championships with UConn, Moore’s leadership and will to win is well-documented. She also led the Minnesota Lynx in one of the first athlete protests for the Black Lives Matter movement and racial justice.
A deeply religious role model, Moore left basketball and formed the "Win with Justice" campaign to educate the public on the power of prosecutors and organize for Irons’ freedom.
Moore was honored with the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award during the 2021 ESPYS in July.
A person of courage. There is no better way to describe Maya Moore.
Joyceb10bassett@gmail.com • @joyceb10bassett • timesunion.com/author/joyce-bassett
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Recently appointed Syracuse head coach Kayla Treanor of Niskayuna is playing in the Athletes Unlimited professional women's lacrosse league.The five-week league wraps up Aug. 22 at the Maryland SoccerPlex. The 30-game, five-week Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse season features 55 of the world’s top lacrosse players. Two games were scheduled every Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week of the season. All games are being broadcast on either Fox Sports, CBS Sports or Athlete Unlimited’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
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This column is sponsored by Times Union Women@Work, the Capital Region’s network of business and professional women. Join today at: https://womenatworkny.com
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All In: WNBA superstars continue to shine - Times Union
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