Latest news with #CherylReeve
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lynx's Courtney Williams reacts to coach's hilarious ‘Finding Dory' nickname
The post Lynx's Courtney Williams reacts to coach's hilarious 'Finding Dory' nickname appeared first on ClutchPoints. Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams scored 20 points in a 76-62 win over the Las Vegas Aces. After Napheesa Collier left the game with an injury, Williams stepped up. She led the Lynx to their 11th win of the season, but Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeves pointed out one thing her point guard needs to work on; remembering plays. Advertisement In their postseason press conference, Williams and her teammates laughed about Reeves calling her Dory. The head coach likened her lead guard to the forgetful fish in 'Finding Dory' because of her struggle to remember plays out of timeouts. Williams defended herself, saying that she needed to get aggressive once Collier left the game, according to Lynx beat reporter Andrew Dukowitz. 'I have to forget about it man, once Phee went out I was like 'hey look everything out the window'(laughing)… Everything that feel good got to go up' Reeves didn't miss the opportunity to poke fun at her veteran guard. She also said that she would not have it any other way. 'Every game is a Dory game, every day with Courtney for me is Dory. Drawing up a play in time out and then ten seconds later I'm dealing with Dory and need to tell her again(laughing) so it's fun, i enjoy that' Advertisement Forgetful or not, Williams was key to the Lynx's win over the Aces. The 31-year-old might need to maintain her aggression as Minnesota looks ahead to the Commissioner's Cup Final against the Indiana Fever. Collier's back injury could hold her out for an extended period. If she misses time, it is a big blow to one of the best teams in the league. Without the MVP favorite in the lineup, the pressure to produce is on their backcourt. Williams and Kayla McBride are capable of picking up the scoring slack. However, Minnesota wants their superstar back as soon as possible. In the meantime, Reeves will rely on Williams, no matter how forgetful she may be. Related: Lynx offer key Napheesa Collier injury update Related: 'Concern' over Napheesa Collier injury clouds Commissioner's Cup final return
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lynx offer key Napheesa Collier injury update
The post Lynx offer key Napheesa Collier injury update appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Minnesota Lynx are one of the dominant teams in the WNBA with an 11-1 record. A significant factor in their success is Napheesa Collier's play, though she's out with a back injury sustained on Tuesday. Advertisement With the Commissioner's Cup game against the Indiana Fever on July 1, the Lynx provided a crucial status report on Collier, per Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage. Lynx associate head coach Eric Thibault saw progress from Collier after Thursday's practice. He also mentioned head coach Cheryl Reeve said this is familiar territory for Collier. 'She was feeling decent today,' he said. 'I think Cheryl had said it's something she's dealt with before so just trying to get her feeling good, we know it's a long year.' Collier injured her back against the Las Vegas Aces. Ultimately, she had to leave the game early. Advertisement However, the Lynx won the game 76-62 and solidified their spot in the Commissioner's Cup against the Fever. Before her injury, Collier was averaging 24.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, this isn't Collier's first battle with an injury this year. In late May, Collier injured her knee, forcing her to sit out a game against the Phoenix Mercury. Last July, Collier was hobbled with a foot injury during a July 4th game against the Connecticut Sun. She was forced to miss games but managed to come back in time to win an Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA in Paris. Furthermore, Collier was runner-up for league MVP. Advertisement When healthy, Collier is at her best. The Lynx need Napheesa Collier For all their talent, the Lynx's best player is, without question, Collier. She is an all-around talent who could play effectively on both sides of the ball. On offense, Collier is a consistent scorer. She is currently the leading scorer in the WNBA. On defense, she is one of the top defenders in the league. Last year, Collier was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She currently has a defensive rating of 95.0 and is once again a contender for Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, Collier is the team leader, and they thrive off of her presence on the floor. Advertisement Related: Lynx's Courtney Williams reacts to coach's hilarious 'Finding Dory' nickname Related: 'Concern' over Napheesa Collier injury clouds Commissioner's Cup final return
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Concern' over Napheesa Collier injury clouds Commissioner's Cup final return
The post 'Concern' over Napheesa Collier injury clouds Commissioner's Cup final return appeared first on ClutchPoints. Minnesota Lynx fans are holding their breath after Tuesday night's big game. The Lynx defeated the Aces 76-62 on Tuesday and advanced to 11-1 on the 2025 season. Unfortunately, the Lynx's best player suffered an injury that could keep her out for multiple games. Advertisement Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier left Tuesday's game early after suffering a back injury. Collier left the game at the 7:57 mark in the third quarter. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said there was no update on Collier's injury after the game. Collier currently leads the WNBA in scoring and is the runaway MVP favorite. It goes without saying that losing Collier for any length of time would be devastating for the Lynx. Thankfully the rest of Minnesota's roster stepped up on Tuesday night and pulled off a comeback victory. The Lynx were down by seven when Collier left, but rallied behind Courtney Williams to get the win. Advertisement 'Once Phee went out, I was like, 'Everything that feels good has got to go up,'' Williams said after the game. 'That ain't hard for me. We've got to win. So whatever that looks like, that's what I am going to do. I don't think I take bad shots, so if I'm open, I'm going to shoot it.' The Lynx also got 12 points off the bench from Natisha Hiedeman and Diamond Miller. Will Napheesa Collier return in time for the Commissioner's Cup final? Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images The Lynx locked up their spot in the Commissioner's Cup final with Tuesday's victory. Minnesota will represent the Western Conference against Indiana, representing the Eastern Conference, on July 1st. Advertisement Reeve explained after the game that her players are excited to host the Commissioner's Cup final. 'I think the players are excited about that,' Reeve said of the Lynx getting to play the Cup final at Target Center in Minneapolis. 'For our fans, I think it's exciting. We know our opponent in Indiana is someone we haven't seen yet. It's great, but we have to put that in the drawer for now. We have other games we've got to work through.' Now the question becomes: will Collier be able to return in time to play in the Commissioner's Cup final? It is impossible to tell right now because Reeve did not provide an injury update on Collier after the game. Unfortunately, that does seem to suggest that Collier needs to be evaluated to determine the extent of her injury. Advertisement Lynx fans should keep their eyes peeled for any updates over the next few days. Next up for Minnesota is a home game against Los Angeles on Saturday night. Related: Lynx celebrate legend Seimone Augustus' dual HOF honors Related: Lynx's Courtney Williams boldly claims Napheesa Collier is 'a problem' in MVP race
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
The truth behind Caitlin Clark's real Olympic snub... one year after WNBA star was left out of Team USA
Caitlin Clark turned down the chance to play for USA's 3x3 team at the Paris Olympics before being left off the full women's roster, it has been revealed. The WNBA sensation was controversially snubbed by Team USA boss Cheryl Reeve at last year's Olympic Games, despite her record-breaking college success with Iowa and strong start up in the big leagues with the Indiana Fever at the time. Reeve's decision sparked outrage amongst fans who were adamant that Clark deserved to go to the French capital, where both the men's and women's teams claimed gold medals. Yet according to reporter and author Christine Brennan, the Fever star did have the chance to go to the Olympics with the three-on-three team. In her new book - titled 'On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports' - Brennan claims Clark rejected an offer to play for the 3x3 team 'well before June'. USA officials made the offer knowing there was still a qualifying event she could play in to become eligible for the Olympics, having never played on a national 3x3 team, she explains. Instead of playing 3x3 basketball, Clark used the WNBA's mid-season break during the Olympics to recharge her batteries ahead of the second half of her rookie year. After being snubbed for a place on the main roster, she said in June 2024: 'I'm excited for the girls that are on the team. I know it's the most competitive team in the world and I know it could've gone either way, me being on the team or me not being on the team. 'I'm excited for them, gonna be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics, it'll be fun to watch them. 'Honestly, no disappointment. I think it just gives you something to work for. It's a dream, hopefully one day I can be there. I think it's just a little bit more motivation. You remember that and hopefully when four years comes back around, I can be there.' Clark also revealed that she was already aware she hadn't been picked before the news broke. 'They called me and let me know before everything came out, which was really respectful of them and I appreciated that,' she continued. 'They did the same for every girl that made the team or every girl that didn't make the team. There's a lot of players in the Olympic pool, so it wasn't like I was the only one they had to call. They had to make quite a few calls.' Brennan, who is not without controversy, has an upcoming book on Clark and her impact A year on from her surprise decision, Reeve is facing calls to resign over her 'stunningly bad' conflict of interest involving Clark. In a remarkable set of resurfaced tweets, highlighted by Brennan, the Team USA coach appeared to take aim at Caitlin, who has become the face of the WNBA in recent years. In May 2024, Reeve appeared to take issue with the amount of TV time given to the Indiana rookie when she wrote 'The W is more than one player'. 'How on earth is that ok with the US Olympic and Paralympic community and the USA basketball team that its coach is actively tweeting and going on social media about someone who is in the selection pool?' Brennan said on The Adam Gold Show.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
WNBA power rankings: What's behind the Golden State Valkyries' surge?
An interesting WNBA Coach of the Year race is brewing about a third of the way through the season. A year after Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve took home 93 percent of the vote en route to her fourth award, more variety should appear in this season's ballots. In one corner is Natalie Nakase, who has defied expectations for an expansion team. Despite the Golden State Valkyries composition of mostly career role players, they sit in the top half of the standings at 7-6. They have a clear defensive identity; they're active, play hard and rebound. They take full advantage of what could be the best home-court advantage in the league at 'Ballhalla' (or as Google Maps would put it, Chase Center). Nakase has empowered players to step into bigger roles. She speaks from experience as she did the same by moving from an assistant role to head coach. Golden State is never out of a game and is a pain to play against. Keeping the home streak alive. SAY IT WITH US, VALKS WIN 🗣️ — Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) June 23, 2025 Then there is the Phoenix Mercury's Nate Tibbetts, who has the benefit of a star trio at his disposal in Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper. But with Thomas and Copper combining to miss 17 games to start the season, Tibbetts had fewer known quantities — at least in terms of WNBA experience — than any team in the league. The Mercury have also surprised, rising from a playoff hopeful to a potential contender thanks to a top-three defense that forces turnovers on a league-best 22.6 percent of possessions. Advertisement Karl Smesko has found his way into this conversation, as the Atlanta Dream have improved their offensive rating by nearly 12 points per 100 possessions from 2024, and Allisha Gray has gone from fringe All-Star to MVP candidate. The overall breadth of proven talent in Atlanta might work against Smesko, but the transformation between last season's Dream and this one is dramatic. Plus, Reeve should once again get a look. This award historically doesn't tend to reward sustained excellence, but dominance is impressive in and of itself. The Lynx have been a machine in 2025, and it isn't all because of the players. Similarly, if the Liberty can maintain a winning pace without Jonquel Jones and Leonie Fiebich, Sandy Brondello will deserve credit. Expectations can be a burden, and living up to them isn't guaranteed, either. Minnesota's ability to stay in the winning column, even without Napheesa Collier, vaults it to the top spot this week. Phoenix breaks into the top two thanks to its win in New York and the absence of two Liberty starters. New York stays ahead of Seattle for now, assuming Sabrina Ionescu's absence doesn't linger. But the separation is minimal among teams two through five. Over the past 10 years, only three times has a player collected eight steals in a game. Gabby Williams became the second player to do so in regulation, and she needed eight fewer minutes (29) than her former UConn teammate, Collier, to accomplish the feat. Against the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday (incidentally, Collier's eight steals also came against L.A. last season), the Storm turned Williams' eight thefts into 17 points. For a team that struggled to score in the half court last season — what proved to be Seattle's undoing in the postseason — any easy offense in transition is a boon. Even though the Storm ended up routing the Sparks by 31 points, all but one of Williams' steals came when the margin was 10 points or less, long before the game got out of hand and when Seattle desperately needed those fast-break points. THE GABBY WILLIAMS HEIST 🕵️♀️ 8 STEALS broke the @seattlestorm franchise record vs. the Sparks! — WNBA (@WNBA) June 18, 2025 Williams is on track to be the 12th player in WNBA history to average at least 2.5 steals per game. (Tamika Catchings did it six times during her Hall of Fame career.) The Storm's defense has taken a slight step back this season as the roster has aged, but Williams' activity in the half court is critical to their success. Advertisement Indiana went on the road with a chance to build off its statement win over New York, but it came up short twice. Despite building double-digit second-half leads against the Valkyries and the Las Vegas Aces, the Fever's defense fell apart in those fourth quarters, dropping them below .500 yet again. Although Indiana has an above-average defensive rating for the season, it is mostly propped up by blowout wins over the Chicago Sky. Against Golden State, the Fever were undone by poor defensive rebounding and an inability to defend without fouling (a problem that also existed in 2024). Against Las Vegas, fouling was again an issue, as was transition defense. The Aces took the lead for good on Aaliyah Nye's transition 3-pointer when Caitlin Clark sank a little too far back, leaving a clean look for Nye from the wing. Indiana may withstand poor defense on the road if their offense traveled, but the Fever's league-best offensive rating of 111.9 points per 100 possessions drops to 94.6 (11th in the WNBA) away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark has made 44 percent of her 3s at home and is 1-of-22 on the road. If that normalizes, perhaps Indiana can resolve its road woes. Despite competing in different conferences, Bueckers and Citron faced each other three times in college, and Citron gained national acclaim by containing the UConn star in those meetings. The two will be forever linked as the top 2025 draft's top guards, and their first matchup as pros delivered the drama befitting their collegiate rivalry. Bueckers and Citron were once again each other's primary matchup. Citron had the early advantage, scoring eight first-quarter points. Bueckers helped lead an 18-point turnaround for the Wings. When the Mystics pulled ahead in the fourth quarter, Citron had a chance to put the game away at the foul line. She missed one of two free throws, leaving an opening for Bueckers to do this. What a shot from Paige Bueckers. [image or embed] — Steve Jones Jr (@ June 22, 2025 at 4:25 PM But Bueckers' victory was short-lived. After she smoked a layup in the final minute of overtime, Citron was ready to pounce. She stole the ball from Dallas' Aziaha James, then was waiting in the corner off a kickout from Shakira Austin, sinking the game-winning 3-pointer. What a game from Sonia Citron in this one. [image or embed] — Steve Jones Jr (@ June 22, 2025 at 4:44 PM The pair is in the top 10 for longest double-digit scoring streaks (14 for Citron and 11 for Bueckers) to start a WNBA career. Ideally, this is merely the opening salvo in what is already an excellent rookie of the year race, and what should be a high-level WNBA rivalry. The surging Mercury are bustling with rookie contributors, but it was Akoa Makani who popped during Phoenix's signature win at New York. Akoa Makani missed all four of her 3s, an uncharacteristic off-night for the 44 percent 3-point shooter, but she was nails inside the arc. Pull-ups, floaters, fadeaways — Akoa Makani had Sabrina Ionescu in hell trying to chase her off the ball. On the rare occasion when New York's Natasha Cloud defended her, Akoa Makani used her burst to get to the rim. She was also the primary defender on Ionescu, helping force a 3-of-16 shooting night with five turnovers. Akoa Makani fought through screens and had her hands high on contests, disrupting Ionescu's rhythm throughout. Monique Akoa Makani showing ZERO fear 🎯 The rook is serving up buckets in the second half with 16 PTS! PHX-NYL | Prime — WNBA (@WNBA) June 20, 2025 Tons of good games are on the docket this week, including the continuation of the Fever's road trip, New York traveling to Golden State, and Round 2 of Bueckers vs. Citron. But let's keep an eye on the Lynx: Their one weakness last season was limiting big frontcourts, and no one is bigger than the Atlanta Dream. The Dream have lately phased out their double-big minutes with Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, but maybe this is the matchup where that size is an advantage. (Photo of Veronica Burton and Natalie Nakase: Supriya Limaye / Getty Images)
