Latest news with #AzuráStevens
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sparks, Azurá Stevens rally to beat Fever, 89-87, ending Indiana's 3-game winning streak
Rickea Jackson's short jumper with 58 seconds remaining put the Los Angeles Sparks on top for good in their 89-87 win over the Indiana Fever on Saturday night. Jackson scored nine of the Sparks' final 10 points and finished with 15 in the game. Azurá Stevens led Los Angeles with 21 points, providing the final margin of victory on a free throw with 3.2 seconds remaining. She also grabbed 12 rebounds. Kelsey Plum added 20 points and improved her personal record against Indiana to 21-1, the highest winning percentage for a player in at least 20 games against a single team. Advertisement The Fever played their fifth consecutive game without Caitlin Clark, who continues to be sidelined with a left groin injury. Clark has missed 10 games overall this season, twice sitting out for five straight games. Indiana held an 60-52 lead with four minutes to go in the third quarter, but the Sparks ended the frame with an 18-9 run that gave them a 70-69 lead going into the final 10 minutes. Plum and Dearica Hamby (who finished with 18) each scored five points during that surge. Kelsey Mitchell continued her stellar play in Clark's absence, scoring 19 points for Indiana. She's averaged 21.6 points during the past five games. Natasha Howard added 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the floor, while grabbing nine boards. Advertisement Aliyah Boston dominated inside throughout the game, leading the Fever with 23 points and 12 rebounds. However, she missed a jumper with 0.1 seconds left that would have tied the score. Indiana missed its final five shots of the game. "[The Sparks] let the game come to them. We, on the other hand, really felt pressed," Fever coach Stephanie White said after the game. "We forced some shots, some quick shots, and didn't make them work as much as we could have on the defensive end." With the defeat, Indiana dropped to 9-9, putting them seventh in the WNBA standings. The Fever has gone 3-2 without Clark during her latest five-game absence. Up next for them is hosting the Golden State Valkyries (9-8) on Wednesday. The Sparks improved to 6-13, but sit in 10th place. They will face the league-leading Minnesota Lynx (16-2) at home on Thursday.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sparks, Azurá Stevens rally to beat Fever, 89-87, ending Indiana's 3-game winning streak
Rickea Jackson's short jumper with 58 seconds remaining put the Los Angeles Sparks on top for good in their 89-87 win over the Indiana Fever on Saturday night. Jackson scored nine of the Sparks' final 10 points and finished with 15 in the game. Azurá Stevens led Los Angeles with 21 points, providing the final margin of victory on a free throw with 3.2 seconds remaining. She also grabbed 12 rebounds. Kelsey Plum added 20 points and improved her personal record against Indiana to 21-1, the highest winning percentage for a player in at least 20 games against a single team. Advertisement The Fever played their fifth consecutive game without Caitlin Clark, who continues to be sidelined with a left groin injury. Clark has missed 10 games overall this season, twice sitting out for five straight games. Indiana held an 60-52 lead with four minutes to go in the third quarter, but the Sparks ended the frame with an 18-9 run that gave them a 70-69 lead going into the final 10 minutes. Plum and Dearica Hamby (who finished with 18) each scored five points during that surge. Kelsey Mitchell continued her stellar play in Clark's absence, scoring 19 points for Indiana. She's averaged 21.6 points during the past five games. Natasha Howard added 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the floor, while grabbing nine boards. Advertisement Aliyah Boston dominated inside throughout the game, leading the Fever with 23 points and 12 rebounds. However, she missed a jumper with 0.1 seconds left that would have tied the score. Indiana missed its final five shots of the game. With the defeat, Indiana dropped to 9-9, putting them seventh in the WNBA standings. The Fever has gone 3-2 without Clark during her latest five-game absence. Up next for them is hosting the Golden State Valkyries (9-8) on Wednesday. The Sparks improved to 6-13, but sit in 10th place. They will face the league-leading Minnesota Lynx (16-2) at home on Thursday.
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How to watch Sparks at Fever: Indiana looks to stay hot without Caitlin Clark
On the heels of their Commissioner's Cup championship victory over the Minnesota Lynx and 81-54 rout over the Las Vegas Aces, the Indiana Fever welcome the Los Angeles Sparks back to Indianapolis on Saturday. Even without Caitlin Clark, who will miss her fifth straight game, the Fever have proven capable of winning big games. They've gone 3-1 since Clark was recently sidelined with a groin strain. But that one loss was to the purple and gold, just over a week ago. Can Los Angeles pull off another shocker on the road? Advertisement Indiana held a narrow lead over Los Angeles for most of their latest tilt before the Sparks used a 26-9 run over the final 5:58 to secure the come-from-behind win. Azurá Stevens and Kelsey Plum combined for 26 points in the fourth quarter alone, while the Fever struggled to close out their opponent with Clark in street clothes on the bench. Still, this Indiana team has been defined by their resilience. Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard have all risen to the occasion in Clark's absence, while former Los Angeles guard Aari McDonald has stayed ready and played a vital role despite being signed, then cut, then signed again by the Fever — all in the span of about three weeks. Meanwhile, the Sparks remain in a period of transition. They've nearly matched last season's win total and have fared far better on offense thanks to the addition of Plum and emergence of Stevens, but it's clear that this group still has some ground to make up before the franchise can return to its winning ways. With that said, Los Angeles deserves recognition for refusing to back down against the league's elite. We've seen this team go down to the wire with the Phoenix Mercury and pull off upsets over the Las Vegas Aces and Fever — both on the road, no less — so they aren't to be taken lightly. When they're on from 3-point range, they can compete with anybody. It's worth keeping a close eye on Julie Vanloo, as well. The Sparks picked up the Belgian guard after she was surprisingly cut by the Golden State Valkyries. She's struggled with her shot this season, but she's as pure a playmaker as they come, which Los Angeles (eighth in assists) could certainly use. This is the final time this season we'll see the Sparks and Fever take the floor in Indianapolis. They'll meet two more times at Arena in Los Angeles on Aug. 5 and 29. Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Aliyah Boston: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA Reacts to Kamilla Cardoso's Last Game Before Stepping Away From Chicago Sky
WNBA Reacts to Kamilla Cardoso's Last Game Before Stepping Away From Chicago Sky originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky now own a 4-10 record during the 2025 WNBA season after Tuesday's 97 to 86 win against the 4-11 Los Angeles Sparks. Advertisement With the victory, Chicago snapped a three-game losing streak and moved into sole possession of 10th place in the WNBA standings. Veteran Azurá Stevens led the way for Los Angeles with 21 points, seven rebounds, four steals and four blocks. Kelsey Plum also chipped in 20 points and five assists for the Sparks in the loss. For the Sky, second-year center Kamilla Cardoso was the leading scorer with 27 points, and she also grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out three assists. Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso (10).Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Cardoso is temporarily leaving the Sky after Tuesday's game against the Sparks so that she can represent her home country Brazil in the Americup tournament in late June and early July. She is expected to miss the next two games for Chicago. Advertisement Her 27 points against Los Angeles were a career-high, and the WNBA reacted on social media to Cardoso's strong performance before stepping away from the Sky. "NEW CAREER-HIGH FOR KAMILLA CARDOSO 🚨," the WNBA wrote. "She's reached 27 points and still climbing as the Sky have their largest lead in the 4th!" After landing on the All-Rookie team in 2024, Cardoso is having another strong campaign for the Sky. Before Tuesday's contest, she was averaging 11.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game during the 2025 season. Cardoso will be absent for the next two games against the 7-6 Golden State Valkyries and a rematch against the Sparks. The rest of the Sky will head to San Francisco for a 10:00 p.m. ET tipoff at the Chase Center against the Valkyries on Friday. Advertisement Related: Sparks Had Three Words for Kelsey Plum After Play Against Chicago Sky Related: Angel Reese Makes WNBA History Against Sparks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lendistry Small Biz Shot Clock Contest Offers $5,000 to Winning Woman-Owned Business at WNBA All-Star Event This July
Nominations are open now in five states, and finalists will be invited to pitch their businesses to a panel of judges for a chance to win INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA / / May 21, 2025 / Lendistry announces today that nominations are open for its 2025 Small Biz Shot Clock Contest, which will be held in Indianapolis on Friday, July 18th during the WNBA All Star Weekend. With time counting down on the shot clock, finalists selected from the nominees will pitch their existing businesses to a panel of judges. The first-place winner will receive $5,000 and two runners-up will receive $2,000. The panel will include small business experts and WNBA personalities. "You can't win if you don't take every shot that comes your way, and we're excited to provide this opportunity for women, who have been consistently leading business formation since 2019," says Lendistry CEO and panel judge, Everett K. Sands. "I advise our finalists to show us their impact and innovation, and show up ready to impress." Lendistry has been the Official Small Business Lender of the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks since 2024. Azurá Stevens, Sparks forward-center and Lendistry brand ambassador, will join the panel of judges, drawing on her family experience in business ownership. Eligible businesses must be woman-owned, in operation for at least two years, and located in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, or Kentucky. Read the official rules and nominate a business by June 27 at About Lendistry Lendistry ( is a tech-enabled small businesses lender, grant administrator for private and public agencies, and a trusted resource for undercapitalized entrepreneurs including people of color, veterans, and those in rural communities. Founded in 2015, Lendistry has used technology and community partnerships to deploy over $10 billion in its first ten years. Lendistry was recently named the winner of the LA Area Chamber of Commerce Corporate Leadership Award, BankRate's Best Minority-Led Business Lender, and one of American Banker's Best Places to Work in Fintech. Lendistry has both Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) certifications, is an SBA Preferred Lender and is now the #2 non-bank SBA 7(a) lender in the country. In collaboration with The Center by Lendistry, a nonprofit business education organization, Lendistry helps business owners achieve their goals and prepare to scale. Contact Information Kate Kearns Sr. Communications Managercommunications@ SOURCE: Lendistry View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
