Latest news with #Bird'sEyeView
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liberty's Breanna Stewart dishes on helping Sabrina Ionescu grow into team leader
The post Liberty's Breanna Stewart dishes on helping Sabrina Ionescu grow into team leader appeared first on ClutchPoints. When Breanna Stewart left the Seattle Storm in 2022, she sought a new partner-in-crime after Sue Bird ended her decorated 20-year career. Stewart found what she desired with Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty, who have reached a new level in 2025. Advertisement Coming off their first championship together, Stewart and Ionescu have led the Liberty to a 10-2 start in 2025. While Stewart is the older and more experienced player, she loves watching Ionescu lead the team. The two-time MVP believes New York's 'chemistry' is its best quality as a team, she told Bird. 'I think for us, we just build chemistry,' Stewart said on the 'Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird' podcast. 'Obviously, showing her how to be a leader in her own way and kind of embracing that because you know she's not a rookie. She's well into the league at this point and finding her game in a number of different ways. Knowing that people are going to try to blow her up, they're going to top block her, they're going to make things difficult, and how we can make things easier for one another. Because I feel like in a two-man game, there's always going to be something.' Stewart has been in the WNBA for three more years than Ionescu, but the latter has a longer tenure on the Liberty. Regardless, the two continue to simultaneously lead New York to the top of the league. After besting the Minnesota Lynx in the 2024 WNBA Finals, the Liberty are favored to repeat in 2025. Former MVP and 2024 Finals MVP Jonquel Jones joins Stewart and Ionescu as the team's unofficial captains. Stewart discussed the impact the Liberty's 'Big Three' have on opponents while comparing it to her shared Storm tenure with Bird and Jewell Loyd. Advertisement Breanna Stewart's championship resume Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Whether it was with Sue Bird or Sabrina Ionescu, Stewart has been a championship collector for her entire career. Since turning professional in 2016, Stewart is a three-time WNBA champion, two-time EuroLeague champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist. The 30-year-old's championship track record goes back even further, as she led UConn to a national title in all four collegiate years. So far, the only venture Stewart has yet to claim gold in is her Unrivaled League, which debuted in 2024. Stewart launched the Unrivaled League with former UConn teammate Napheesa Collier as an offseason league where WNBA players can participate without traveling overseas. Rose Basketball Club — led by Chelsea Gray, Angel Reese, Kahleah Copper and Brittney Sykes — claimed the inaugural title in March. Related: Liberty's Breanna Stewart gets real on how brutal 2024 title vs. Lynx was Related: Sandy Brondello calls out Liberty's energy in concerning loss to Mercury
Indianapolis Star
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
The Fever 'thank God for' midseason addition Aari McDonald, who is 5-2 with Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS — Before her Indiana Fever debut June 3, Aari McDonald meditated and told herself, 'You're here for a reason.' A month later, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell are grateful for McDonald's presence. 'Before the game, we just said, 'We're thankful for you. We thank God for you every single day,'' Boston said after the Fever defeated the Las Vegas Aces 81-54 on Thursday. 'Her impact, you see it just looking at the plus/minus: plus-26. Aari's impact, whether it's scoring or defending, getting us into our offense, making the right reads, making the right pass — she's just been the perfect missing piece for us.' The Fever signed McDonald in early June on a hardship contract following injuries to Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham. Indiana released McDonald on June 13 when the two guards returned, but re-signed her for the remainder of the season after waiving DeWanna Bonner in late June. McDonald is averaging 11.3 points, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals this season. The Fever are 5-2 with McDonald, who has been a pivotal piece with Clark out with a left groin injury. McDonald scored 12 points on 80% shooting in 25 minutes to help lead the Fever past the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final Tuesday. She finished with eight points, seven rebounds and seven assists against the Aces. In 10 years of being a coach, Stephanie White has never had a midseason addition like McDonald. White said McDonald earned the team's trust immediately and called her a 'relentless' plug-and-play player who surrenders all on the court. White praised McDonald's ability to see the floor and endure on the defensive end. 'She never looks like she gets tired,' White said. 'It's a shot in the arm for our team and something that we've needed,' White said. 'She's answered the call. We're very fortunate that we were able to get her.' McDonald was a four-star recruit out of Brookside Christian in Stockton, California. She started her collegiate career at Washington in 2017 before transferring to Arizona the following year. She led the Wildcats to the 2021 national championship and earned the Pac-12 Player of the Year Award. McDonald was drafted third by the Atlanta Dream in the 2021 WNBA Draft. She spent three seasons in Atlanta before being traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in early 2024. The Sparks waived McDonald in March. McDonald labeled her first stint with the Fever an "audition." Well, she's passing. With Clark out for the foreseeable future, McDonald's number will continually be called. It's unclear whether her minutes will decrease when Clark returns. However, four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird believes McDonald's skillset can complement Clark. "It'd be beneficial for (Clark) if she had teammates around her who could create shots for her," Bird said on her 'Bird's Eye View' podcast. "She has to create a lot of her own shots and create shots for her teammates. And there are times, if she could get some open looks off of other people's play, that would be really beneficial to her.'
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's Fever teammate urges her to share the load unlike at Iowa
The post Caitlin Clark's Fever teammate urges her to share the load unlike at Iowa appeared first on ClutchPoints. Caitlin Clark did not play in the Indiana Fever's 85-75 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night due to a groin injury. With her status TBD for Friday's contest against the Dallas Wings, one of her teammates urged Clark to share the load of being the star, which is the opposite of Clark's time playing for the Iowa Lady Hawkeyes. Advertisement During a guest appearance on the 'Bird's Eye View' podcast hosted by WNBA legend Sue Bird, Natasha Howard explained how she's playing a mentor role for Caitlin Clark. During Howard's conversation, the former three-time WNBA champion offers Clark some sage advice early on in her career. '[Caitlin Clark] reminds me of a little sister because she's only 22 years old. She reminds me of a little sister that I can put under my wing and just guide her, and just be that vet for her, and just let her know you're not alone with this,' said Natasha Howard of Caitlin Clark. 'I got your back no matter what because we know you got a lot of stuff on your shoulders right now. Let me take some of that off your shoulder for you, you don't got to do everything on your own. 'Just letting her know that you don't have to do everything like you had to do in Iowa. You have great teammates and phenomenal players around you that could take that weight off your shoulder, you don't have to do everything. We expect you to knock down those clutch shots, like that's what we expect you to do, but overall, you don't have to do everything.' It makes sense what Natasha Howard is saying, as the professional level is much more competitive than college. During her time at Iowa, Caitlin Clark did everything for her team and led the Lady Hawkeyes to two consecutive National Championship games. Iowa lost both contests in consecutive years. Advertisement Clark should continue evolving as a superstar in the WNBA; however, as she is already the face of the Fever and the league in general. Through nine games played so far this season, Caitlin Clark is averaging 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game while shooting 39.0% from the field and 29.5% from beyond the three-point line. Related: Is Caitlin Clark playing tonight? Fever vs. Wings injury report Related: Fever superstar Caitlin Clark attends Indiana-Sparks game despite not playing
Indianapolis Star
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Why WNBA legend Sue Bird believes Aari McDonald could help Caitlin Clark when Fever star returns from injury
Caitlin Clark is already the Indiana Fever's cornerstone, but she is battling injuries. Aari McDonald joined the Fever on a hardship contract but has returned and is contributing. They haven't shared the court yet, but what if the Fever had both available at the same time? WNBA legend Sue Bird pondered the possibilities on her "Bird's Eye View" podcast before interviewing Fever player Natasha Howard. Bird attended the Fever's June 24 game in Seattle against the Storm, where she played 19 seasons and won four championships. Though Clark struggled to score, the Fever beat the Storm. Bird sees a way that McDonald could help Clark. "It'd be beneficial for (Clark) if she had teammates around her who could create shots for her," Bird said. "She has to create a lot of her own shots and create shots for her teammates. And there are times, if she could get some open looks off of other people's play, that would be really beneficial to her. "And that's where Aari McDonald may have some impact." Getting the win: Without Clark, Fever beat Bueckers, Wings Bird noted that playing Clark and McDonald together for long stretches could present the Fever with some defensive challenges as well. The Fever are 5-4 in games Clark has played; 3-2 with McDonald in action, and 0-2 in games that neither played. Indiana visits Minnesota on Tuesday night to play in the Commissioner's Cup championship game.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA legend Sue Bird drops mic on Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark rivalry getting ‘deeper meaning' from media
The post WNBA legend Sue Bird drops mic on Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark rivalry getting 'deeper meaning' from media appeared first on ClutchPoints. Four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird has maintained a presence in the sport as a media member, and the basketball legend didn't mince words when giving her opinion on two of the league's top young stars and the media fallout from a heated in-game moment that added fuel to the Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark rivalry. Advertisement Bird recently sat down with Bleacher Report and TNT Sports reporter Taylor Rooks to discuss a wide array of topics, including the current state of the WNBA and the discourse surrounding it, and put both new and old W spectators on alert. 'This is not new! All the little, you know, fights or all the little moments where people do the stare down, this has been in our league from the jump,' Bird said emphatically. 'This has been in sports from the jump. It's the same for women, and it doesn't have some deeper meaning to it.' The Hall of Famer called attention to the way the public, and even some others in her field, cover the league she was once a face of. Advertisement 'Whether it's fans, whether it's media, myself included, it's that subtle little nuance, that thin thin thin line [that moves the conversation away from focusing on basketball],' Bird started. 'Because, sadly, in women's sports, for a lot of reasons, once it does cross over, it's gone. We can't even get it back.' Bird then elaborated on dealing with those outside the game who cross the line of discussing matters beyond basketball boundaries by tying in her personal experience from playing in the league. 'It's hard to articulate. It's almost like you know it when you see it, but it's hard to articulate,' she continued. 'I think a big part of it is people not understanding that our league, the WNBA, is physical, and it's competitive the same way you've watched men's sports be physical and competitive for all these years.' The five-time gold medalist hosts two podcasts of her own, one with partner Megan Rapinoe called 'A Touch More,' where they've touched on the Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark rivalry before, and a brand new solo endeavor focusing on the WNBA named 'Bird's Eye View.'
