Latest news with #Collier
UPI
12 hours ago
- Sport
- UPI
Fever, minus Caitlin Clark, beat Lynx for Commissioner's Cup crown
July 2 (UPI) -- The Indiana Fever overcame the absence of injured star guard Caitlin Clark, using disruptive defense to upset the first-place Minnesota Lynx en route to the Commissioner's Cup title in Minneapolis. Natasha Howard totaled 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the 74-59 victory Tuesday at Target Center. She also played key defense on NBA MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier, who made just 6 of 18 shots for 12 points, less than half of her season average. "I knew I had a handful with Collier," Howard, who earned Commissioner's Cup MVP honors, told reporters. "She's a great player. But my thing was just limit her to hard shots. "That's what I did. ... But I couldn't do it by myself." The Fever outshot the Lynx 42.9% to 34.9%, including a 42.1% to 25% advantage in 3-point shooting. They also held a 40-30 edge in rebounding. "I think we were just a little bit more disruptive," Fever coach Stephanie White said. "We were in passing lanes. We didn't allow him to just pass the ball one pass away. We made their movement a little more difficult because of our positioning ... I would prefer to say our intensity was a little bit better. "Our intention to detail was a little bit better." Sophie Cunningham chipped in 13 points and made three 3-pointers off the Fever bench. Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Aari McDonald scored a dozen points apiece in the win. "I think you've seen this group grow," White said. "Caitlin is a player who has a high usage rate, has the ball in her hands a lot. Learning to play without her, learning to make big plays in tough moments on both ends of the floor is important because that's going to pay dividends down the stretch of the season for us." The Lynx made 9 of 15 shots through the first 10 minutes, used a 12-0 run to take control in the first quarter and carried a 20-12 advantage into the second. But they fell apart over the next 10 minutes, lost their lead and never recovered. The Fever outscored the Lynx 20-7 in the second quarter and went on an 18-0 run to end the half. The Lynx made just 3 of 14 shots in the frame, which included a run of 10-consecutive missed attempts. They failed to score for the final eight minutes of the first half. That trend continued in the third quarter, as Howard helped the Fever pour it on. The Fever outscored their foes 20-15 in the frame and also held a 22-17 scoring advantage over the final 10 minutes. The Fever, who made 11 of 36 attempts (30.5%) in the first half, were 16 of 27 (59.2%) in the second. The Lynx made just 13 of their final 48 shots (27%). Collier, who made 3 of 4 shots in the first quarter, was 0 for 5 in the second. She was 3 for 9 in the second half. Alanna Smith led the Lynx with 15 points in the loss. "We have a tendency sometimes to get impatient," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "I didn't think that our commitment to moving the basketball and creating advantages, we had a hard time getting that done. We had some easy shots that didn't fall, as did they, particularly early in the game. "They kinda got their rhythm going, but we sort of lost ours. ... Give them credit. I could watch the video back, but I would imagine that they just sort of beat us to spots." Fever players earned a $500,000 prize pool, in addition to $120,000 in cryptocurrency, for the victory. The Fever, who played without Clark for the third-consecutive game as she recovers from a groin injury, went 2-1 during that stretch. They are 4-4 overall this season without Clark, who also missed five games earlier this year due to a quad issue. White said the Fever have "no sense in rushing anything," when talking about Clark before Tuesday's game. The All-Star guard remains day-to-day. The Fever (8-8) sit in 8th place in the WNBA standings. They will host the 7th-place Las Vegas Aces (8-8) at 7 p.m. EDT Thursday in Indianapolis. The first-place Lynx will (14-2) will host the 9th-place Washington Mystics (8-9) at 8 p.m. Thursday in Minneapolis.
NBC Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
2025 WNBA Power Rankings (Week 7): Valkyries forge ahead, Dream jump Liberty, Lynx lead pack
The Minnesota Lynx created some separation from the field over the last week, which is great for them, but not so great for the New York Liberty who continue to slide. The Phoenix Mercury had their six-game win streak snapped but their top two position remains intact. The Atlanta Dream's take down of New York moved them back into the top three and the Golden State Valkyries refusal to lose at home helped lift them to top five in this week's power rankings. Let's see where the rest of the teams shake out in the power rankings after another week of action. WNBA Power Rankings These rankings reflect where each WNBA team stands after week seven of the 2025 season. Teams are ranked 1-13 and are grouped by tiers. Past Rankings: Preseason, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6 Minnesota Lynx (14-2) | Prior Rank: 1 - What else can you say about the Minnesota Lynx? They're a well-oiled machine that keeps on winning. No Napheesa Collier? No problem. Granted, their second loss of the season came in a game where Collier, the recently named All-Star captain didn't play, but they almost won. And in the three games played this season without their MVP frontrunner, they went 2-1. This team just doesn't lose (much), which is why they are the West representatives in the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup, which will be played on Tuesday. It's also why they have the best record in the league and top the standings. And it's why the best team in the league comes in again this week at No. 1. Napheesa Collier heads to her 5th All-Star Game as Team Collier captain for the FIRST TIME, representing the West 🌟 She leads the W in scoring with 24.5 PPG, including 8.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG. Watch Phee lead the West July 19 on ABC at 8:30pm/ET! WNBA (@WNBA) June 29, 2025 Minnesota Lynx (14-2) | Prior Rank: 1 - What else can you say about the Minnesota Lynx? They're a well-oiled machine that keeps on winning. No Napheesa Collier? No problem. Granted, their second loss of the season came in a game where Collier, the recently named All-Star captain didn't play, but they almost won. And in the three games played this season without their MVP frontrunner, they went 2-1. This team just doesn't lose (much), which is why they are the West representatives in the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup, which will be played on Tuesday. It's also why they have the best record in the league and top the standings. And it's why the best team in the league comes in again this week at No. 1. Napheesa Collier heads to her 5th All-Star Game as Team Collier captain for the FIRST TIME, representing the West 🌟 She leads the W in scoring with 24.5 PPG, including 8.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG. Watch Phee lead the West July 19 on ABC at 8:30pm/ET! Phoenix Mercury (12-5) | Prior Rank: 2 - Streaks are made to be broken, and the Mercury's six-game winning streak came to end on Sunday at the hands of the Las Vegas Aces, but Phoenix's streak as the No. 2 team in these rankings will continue. The Mercury lost a close game to a struggling Aces team desperate for a win, but on Friday, they defeated the shorthanded New York Liberty for the second time this season. Beating the Liberty twice in eight days and losing only once in your last seven games justifies maintaining the second spot in these rankings, especially when the team has the second best record in the league and none of the teams ranked lower did enough to earn a higher ranking this week. Atlanta Dream (11-6) | Prior Rank: 4 - The Atlanta Dream move back into third this week after going 1-2 in week 7. They move up one spot mostly because the New York Liberty are in a rut. The Dream have some questionable losses last week to the Dallas Wings and in overtime to the Minnesota Lynx. Late game execution was again an issue for the Dream which forced them into overtime and resulted in the Lynx stealing a game on the road that they probably should've lost. The Dream did go on to beat the New York Liberty on Sunday and withstood a Liberty run in the third quarter. Unlike their first meeting of the season where the Dream gave up a big lead and lost to New York, the Dream responded this time around in a game where they lost Rhyne Howard due to injury. It was a really good win for the Dream who have goals of contending this season. The win was enough to rank the Dream one spot ahead of the Liberty this week at No. 3. Atlanta Dream (11-6) | Prior Rank: 4 - The Atlanta Dream move back into third this week after going 1-2 in week 7. They move up one spot mostly because the New York Liberty are in a rut. The Dream have some questionable losses last week to the Dallas Wings and in overtime to the Minnesota Lynx. Late game execution was again an issue for the Dream which forced them into overtime and resulted in the Lynx stealing a game on the road that they probably should've lost. The Dream did go on to beat the New York Liberty on Sunday and withstood a Liberty run in the third quarter. Unlike their first meeting of the season where the Dream gave up a big lead and lost to New York, the Dream responded this time around in a game where they lost Rhyne Howard due to injury. It was a really good win for the Dream who have goals of contending this season. The win was enough to rank the Dream one spot ahead of the Liberty this week at No. 3. New York Liberty (11-5) | Prior Rank: 3 - After going 9-0 to start the season, the New York Liberty have gone 2-4 in their last six games, which includes a four-game road trip where they went 1-3. A lot of the Liberty's struggles can be explained by the loss of key starters such as Jonquel Jones (right ankle injury) and Leonie Fiebich, who was away from the team to compete in EuroBasket, but it does not explain away all of their struggles. Sandy Brondello: "I don't care who's not with us. They're not gonna save us. This is it, and we need to find a way to dig deeper." (Q: ?)— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) June 28, 2025 Sabrina Ionescu has been in a bit of a shooting slump from beyond the arc and the team has found itself getting off to slow starts lately and having to climb their way back into games. Head Coach Sandy Brondello has also spoken about the team's effort of late after their loss to Phoenix. The champs will be at home for all of July and will have a chance to rebound from this slump they are in. They will also be getting Leonie Fiebich back and possibly Jonquel Jones, based on her 4-6 week injury timeline. The New York Liberty are probably still the best team in the league, and at worst second best, but their losses cannot be overlooked and it's why they fall one spot to No. 4. Sandy Brondello on 1st half vs Phoenix: "I don't think we had the physicality that we needed, the energy, the effort. We shouldn't be in the league where we have to coach effort, and it's just staying engaged." (Q: @GeoffJMags)— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) June 29, 2025 New York Liberty (11-5) | Prior Rank: 3 - After going 9-0 to start the season, the New York Liberty have gone 2-4 in their last six games, which includes a four-game road trip where they went 1-3. A lot of the Liberty's struggles can be explained by the loss of key starters such as Jonquel Jones (right ankle injury) and Leonie Fiebich, who was away from the team to compete in EuroBasket, but it does not explain away all of their struggles. Sandy Brondello: "I don't care who's not with us. They're not gonna save us. This is it, and we need to find a way to dig deeper." (Q: ?) Sabrina Ionescu has been in a bit of a shooting slump from beyond the arc and the team has found itself getting off to slow starts lately and having to climb their way back into games. Head Coach Sandy Brondello has also spoken about the team's effort of late after their loss to Phoenix. The champs will be at home for all of July and will have a chance to rebound from this slump they are in. They will also be getting Leonie Fiebich back and possibly Jonquel Jones, based on her 4-6 week injury timeline. The New York Liberty are probably still the best team in the league, and at worst second best, but their losses cannot be overlooked and it's why they fall one spot to No. 4. Sandy Brondello on 1st half vs Phoenix: "I don't think we had the physicality that we needed, the energy, the effort. We shouldn't be in the league where we have to coach effort, and it's just staying engaged." (Q: @GeoffJMags) Golden State Valkyries (9-7) | Prior Rank: 6 - It's top five for the Valkyries this week. The Valkyries' inaugural season as an expansion team has been nothing short of remarkable. They've set a high bar for the expansion teams that will be coming to Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia that were announced Monday, as well as for the two expansion teams slated for next season in Toronto and Portland. The WNBA just keeps on growing! 📈 NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 30, 2025 The Valkyries have an incredible home-court advantage that they've leveraged all season. On the road they are 2-4, but at home they are 7-3. They've sold out all 10 of their home games, which accommodates more than 18,000. Players and coaches from multiple teams have spoken about the sound levels in the arena. Based on their record, it's clear that it's not easy to play at Ballhalla. The Valkyries are sixth in the standings behind the Seattle Storm because the Storm have played and won one more game than the Valkyries, but the two teams have the same number of losses and the Valkyries have beaten the Storm in both of their meetings this season, most recently on Sunday in a dominant 84-57 victory. With similar records, their play in the head-to-head matchups gives the Valkyries the nod over Seattle this week for the No. 5 spot. Golden State Valkyries (9-7) | Prior Rank: 6 - It's top five for the Valkyries this week. The Valkyries' inaugural season as an expansion team has been nothing short of remarkable. They've set a high bar for the expansion teams that will be coming to Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia that were announced Monday, as well as for the two expansion teams slated for next season in Toronto and Portland. The WNBA just keeps on growing! 📈 The Valkyries have an incredible home-court advantage that they've leveraged all season. On the road they are 2-4, but at home they are 7-3. They've sold out all 10 of their home games, which accommodates more than 18,000. Players and coaches from multiple teams have spoken about the sound levels in the arena. Based on their record, it's clear that it's not easy to play at Ballhalla. The Valkyries are sixth in the standings behind the Seattle Storm because the Storm have played and won one more game than the Valkyries, but the two teams have the same number of losses and the Valkyries have beaten the Storm in both of their meetings this season, most recently on Sunday in a dominant 84-57 victory. With similar records, their play in the head-to-head matchups gives the Valkyries the nod over Seattle this week for the No. 5 spot. Seattle Storm (10-7) | Prior Rank: 5 - Consistency continues to plague the Seattle Storm. They went 1-2 in week 7 losing to the Fever at home and the Valkyries on the road. Their sole win last week was over the Connecticut Sun, a team with the worst record in the WNBA. Skylar Diggins called the Storm's blowout loss to the Valkyries 'embarrassing' and was critical of the team's effort during that game. Following the Valkyries 84-57 victory, Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins goes scorched earth after I asked her what went wrong in the third quarter (Where Seattle was outscored 31-17). "It's embarassing. It's b*llsh*t effort on our part." Joseph Dycus (@joseph_dycus) June 30, 2025 The key to Seattle truly being viewed as a contender and turning into one is consistency. Until then, they will likely remain in the middle of the pack in the standings and also these rankings, which is why they fall one spot to No. 6 this week. Seattle Storm (10-7) | Prior Rank: 5 - Consistency continues to plague the Seattle Storm. They went 1-2 in week 7 losing to the Fever at home and the Valkyries on the road. Their sole win last week was over the Connecticut Sun, a team with the worst record in the WNBA. Skylar Diggins called the Storm's blowout loss to the Valkyries 'embarrassing' and was critical of the team's effort during that game. Following the Valkyries 84-57 victory, Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins goes scorched earth after I asked her what went wrong in the third quarter (Where Seattle was outscored 31-17). "It's embarassing. It's b*llsh*t effort on our part." The key to Seattle truly being viewed as a contender and turning into one is consistency. Until then, they will likely remain in the middle of the pack in the standings and also these rankings, which is why they fall one spot to No. 6 this week. Las Vegas Aces (8-8) | Prior Rank: 8 - The Aces are back to .500, but even after going 2-1 in week 7 and snapping the Mercury's six-game win streak, there are still more questions than answers about the former champs. The Aces sole loss last week came at the hands of the Washington Mystics who controlled the game from tipoff. The Aces came out lethargic, and during the third quarter Becky Hammon benched her starters. While they did eventually return to the game and made a run, their comeback attempt fell short, which has been a common theme for the Aces this season. When they played the Mercury on Sunday, it looked like it would be more of the same as Phoenix jumped out to an early lead, but the Aces rallied and went on to win the game. There is no question that was Aces best game and win of the season, but the question is, can they continue to play like that and start stacking wins?A major issue for the Aces this season, aside from their defensive struggles, has been the lack of frontcourt depth. A trade on Monday with the Dallas Wings to acquire NaLyssa Smith may be the answer to at least one of those problems. Smith is a 6'4 forward who has career averages of 12 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. On the season, she is currently averaging 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Only time will tell, but it's a step in the right direction for a struggling Aces team. For now, the Aces will remain at No. 7 for another week in a row. 🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨 The @DallasWings have traded NaLyssa Smith to the @LVAces in exchange for a 2027 First Round Pick! WNBA (@WNBA) June 30, 2025 Las Vegas Aces (8-8) | Prior Rank: 8 - The Aces are back to .500, but even after going 2-1 in week 7 and snapping the Mercury's six-game win streak, there are still more questions than answers about the former champs. The Aces sole loss last week came at the hands of the Washington Mystics who controlled the game from tipoff. The Aces came out lethargic, and during the third quarter Becky Hammon benched her starters. While they did eventually return to the game and made a run, their comeback attempt fell short, which has been a common theme for the Aces this season. When they played the Mercury on Sunday, it looked like it would be more of the same as Phoenix jumped out to an early lead, but the Aces rallied and went on to win the game. There is no question that was Aces best game and win of the season, but the question is, can they continue to play like that and start stacking wins? A major issue for the Aces this season, aside from their defensive struggles, has been the lack of frontcourt depth. A trade on Monday with the Dallas Wings to acquire NaLyssa Smith may be the answer to at least one of those problems. Smith is a 6'4 forward who has career averages of 12 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. On the season, she is currently averaging 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Only time will tell, but it's a step in the right direction for a struggling Aces team. For now, the Aces will remain at No. 7 for another week in a row. 🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨 The @DallasWings have traded NaLyssa Smith to the @LVAces in exchange for a 2027 First Round Pick! Indiana Fever (8-8) | Prior Rank: 8 - The Fever will also return at No. 8 this week after going 2-1 in week 7. They had an impressive road win over Seattle, a loss to the Sparks at home and another win on the road against the Dallas Wings. Caitlin Clark sustained a groin injury in the Fever's win against the Storm and has been listed as day-to-day since. Caitlin gets subbed back in up 8 with 16 seconds to go and the ball. She ends up grabbing her left groin a bit after the fall off the fumbled pass. EYE wouldn't have subbed her back in. Game was practically over. Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) June 26, 2025 The All-Star captain, who led in fan voting, is listed as out for the Commissioner's Cup on Tuesday due to the groin injury. It's unfortunate Clark won't get to play in the team's first Commissioner's Cup, but a silver lining for the Fever is the game has no impact on regular season standings. The Fever's record in games without Clark is 3-4, with her, they are 5-4. Caitlin Clark just broke the WNBA record for the most All-Star Game votes in history with over 1.2 MILLION votes 🔥 She's broken the votes record for the second year in a row 😳 Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 29, 2025 Clearly the season is not going as expected for the Fever. This is the first time Caitlin Clark has had to miss games due to injury. The team also parted ways with DeWanna Bonner, who was considered to be a big free agent acquisition for the team. Many viewed the Fever as a contender, but they've been hovering around .500 for most of the season. They did sign Aari McDonald for the remainder of the season after Bonner's departure, which has been a big help at the guard spot in Caitlin's absence. But there is no replacement for the two-time All-Star and it's unclear when she will return. At 8-8 on the season, the Fever will also get the No. 8 spot in this week's rankings. Indiana Fever (8-8) | Prior Rank: 8 - The Fever will also return at No. 8 this week after going 2-1 in week 7. They had an impressive road win over Seattle, a loss to the Sparks at home and another win on the road against the Dallas Wings. Caitlin Clark sustained a groin injury in the Fever's win against the Storm and has been listed as day-to-day since. Caitlin gets subbed back in up 8 with 16 seconds to go and the ball. She ends up grabbing her left groin a bit after the fall off the fumbled pass. EYE wouldn't have subbed her back in. Game was practically over. The All-Star captain, who led in fan voting, is listed as out for the Commissioner's Cup on Tuesday due to the groin injury. It's unfortunate Clark won't get to play in the team's first Commissioner's Cup, but a silver lining for the Fever is the game has no impact on regular season standings. The Fever's record in games without Clark is 3-4, with her, they are 5-4. Caitlin Clark just broke the WNBA record for the most All-Star Game votes in history with over 1.2 MILLION votes 🔥 She's broken the votes record for the second year in a row 😳 Clearly the season is not going as expected for the Fever. This is the first time Caitlin Clark has had to miss games due to injury. The team also parted ways with DeWanna Bonner, who was considered to be a big free agent acquisition for the team. Many viewed the Fever as a contender, but they've been hovering around .500 for most of the season. They did sign Aari McDonald for the remainder of the season after Bonner's departure, which has been a big help at the guard spot in Caitlin's absence. But there is no replacement for the two-time All-Star and it's unclear when she will return. At 8-8 on the season, the Fever will also get the No. 8 spot in this week's rankings. Washington Mystics (8-9) | Prior Rank: 9 - The Mystics land in the same spot this week after going 2-1 in week 7. The Mystics had two impressive wins against the Lynx at home and on the road against the Aces. Even though the Lynx were without Napheesa Collier, the Mystics were also without Brittney Sykes. Being only the second team to hand the Lynx a loss this season is a worthy win. They also went into Las Vegas and beat the Aces, which is notable, because in their first meeting of the season, they blew a lead and lost to Vegas. It's really their loss to the Dallas Wings without Paige Bueckers that prevents them from moving up a spot this week. They showed growth in those two wins, but being consistent also matters. They split their matchups with the two teams ranked directly ahead of them and they are still one game below .500, so they will hold steady at No. 9 this week. Chicago Sky (5-11) | Prior Rank: 12 - The Chicago Sky move up two spots this week to No. 10. The team went 2-1 in week 7. The Sky were competitive against the Mystics and Dream, but they just couldn't close it out. Their next three games are against the Sparks (2x) and the Valkyries. For now, they move up to No. 10. Dallas Wings (5-13) | Prior Rank: 11 - The Dallas Wings went 2-1 in their last three games and their sole loss was an overtime thriller to the Mystics on Sunday. They beat the Valkyries and Connecticut Sun to finally reach three wins on the far for the month of June, Paige Bueckers leads the WNBA in points per game with 23. It's no surprise that the scoring leader for June also led her team to consecutive wins for the first time this season. The Wings are still 9 games below .500, but a winning record in week 6 will keep them at No. 11 this week. Paige Bueckers currently leads the WNBA in PPG for the month of June (23.7) ✅ 2 for 1 All-Star voting is now live: Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) June 20, 2025 Dallas Wings (5-13) | Prior Rank: 11 - The Dallas Wings went 2-1 in their last three games and their sole loss was an overtime thriller to the Mystics on Sunday. They beat the Valkyries and Connecticut Sun to finally reach three wins on the season. So far for the month of June, Paige Bueckers leads the WNBA in points per game with 23. It's no surprise that the scoring leader for June also led her team to consecutive wins for the first time this season. The Wings are still 9 games below .500, but a winning record in week 6 will keep them at No. 11 this week. Paige Bueckers currently leads the WNBA in PPG for the month of June (23.7) ✅ 2 for 1 All-Star voting is now live: Los Angeles Sparks (5-12) | Prior Rank: 10 - The Sparks went 1-2 in week 7. They beat the Indiana Fever on the road, who were down Caitlin Clark and they lost to the Chicago Sky twice, both on the road and at home. The Sparks are struggling. Even though they are 11th in the standings, they have the same number of wins as the Wings and only one less loss. However, it does feel like the Wings are trending up, which is why they were ranked one spot higher than the Sparks this week. In the Sparks two losses to Chicago, Kamilla Cardoso did not play in the second game and the Sky controlled most of the game in LA's arena. Whenever Cameron Brink does return, she will be a big help defensively and on the boards, but right now, the Sparks fall to No. 12 this week. Connecticut Sun (2-15) | Prior Rank: 13 - The Connecticut Sun haven't won a game since June 6. A bright side for the Sun is that Aneesah Morrow has been playing more and she's every bit as advertised. A lot of losses are part of the process for rebuilding teams, but nailing your draft pick is a win. The rookie is coming along just fine 😤 Aneesah Morrow was spectacular against the Storm and finished with 20 PTS, 11 REB (both career-highs)#WelcometotheW | WNBA Pride @Coach WNBA (@WNBA) June 28, 2025 With only two wins so far this season and the worst record in the league, the Connecticut Sun will land at No. 13 again. Connecticut Sun (2-15) | Prior Rank: 13 - The Connecticut Sun haven't won a game since June 6. A bright side for the Sun is that Aneesah Morrow has been playing more and she's every bit as advertised. A lot of losses are part of the process for rebuilding teams, but nailing your draft pick is a win. The rookie is coming along just fine 😤 Aneesah Morrow was spectacular against the Storm and finished with 20 PTS, 11 REB (both career-highs)#WelcometotheW | WNBA Pride @Coach With only two wins so far this season and the worst record in the league, the Connecticut Sun will land at No. 13 again.
NBC Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
2025 WNBA MVP and DPOY Odds: Betting, futures, predictions on Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, A'ja Wilson
It's Week 7 of the WNBA season and the distance between Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark for MVP versus the rest of the field is thinning, plus A'ja Wilson puts space between her and everyone for Defensive Player of the Year, while Paige Bueckers has Rookie of the Year all but locked up after being named an All-Star starter. Odds are courtesy of DraftKings and subject to change. WNBA MVP Ladder: With Caitlin Clark (+350) missing nine games so far and Napheesa Collier (-260) missing four, that's opened the door for long shots like Breanna Stewart (+1000). While I don't advise putting money on Stewart, who went from +5000 to +1000 over the course of three games in a week. Stewart posted 20.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in that span, which doesn't justify the +4000 odds shift. Collier and Clark meet for the Commissioner Cup Championship, so the winner of the July 1st meeting will propel Collier further ahead or see Clark close the gap. Collier is still shooting 50/40/90 splits on the season and one of the best two-way players on the the best team (or best record), so it's really not a case for who is the MVP so far. WNBA DPOY Ladder: The Defensive Player of the Year market has shifted a ton over the past two to three weeks, but the most constant factor is A'ja Wilson (+100) remains atop the leaderboard as the favorite for DPOY and second-highest rated usage player on offense. In five games since retiring from a short-term injury, Wilson has recorded 13 blocks and 9 steals, in addition to dominating on the offensive end with at least 20 points in all five games. The Storm's Gabby Williams (+500) remains the leader in steals per game with 2.6 with at least two steals in seven of the last eight games and three or more in five. The Lynx's Alanna Smith (+500) and Napheesa Collier (+500) remain top-five contenders for the award. I'd rank Smith ahead of Collier especially because of recent play. Smith posted a six-block and two-steal effort against the Mystics, then five blocks and two steals over the next two games versus the Dream and Sun. It's also not common for a player to win MVP and DPOY in the same season, so I won't be betting Collier for DPOY. WNBA ROY Ladder: Paige Bueckers (-1200) continued her impressive rookie season with 27 points, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks against the Fever. Bueckers was the only rookie in the draft class to be named an All-Star starter, which only bolsters her case. Sonia Citron (+1100) has surpassed her teammate Kiki Iriafen (+1600) in the Rookie of the Year race after back-to-back 21 and 22-point games. Citron went 13-of-28 from the field (46.4%), 6-of-11 from three (54.5%), and a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line, plus a double-double in the most recent outing (22 points, 10 rebounds). In those same games, Iriafen totaled 20 points, 11 rebounds and shot 4-of-20 from the field (20%) and scored 12 of her 20 points from the line. Vaughn Dalzell's WNBA Futures Bets: 2 units: Stephanie White to win Coach of the Year (+115) 2 units: Minnesota Lynx to win Championship (+340) 2 units: A'ja Wilson to win MVP (+225) 2 units: Napheesa Collier to win MVP (+150) 0.5 unit: Jonquel Jones to win DPOY (+3000) 0.5 unit: Napheesa Collier to win MVP (+300) 0.5 unit: Angel Reese to win DPOY (+2000) 0.5 unit: Aliyah Boston to win DPOY (+3500) 0.5 unit: Kamila Cardoso to win DPOY (+5500) 0.5 unit: Aliyah Boston to win Most Improved Player (+1500) 0.5 unit: Kamila Cardoso to win Most Improved Player (+3000) Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: - Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
How ‘Gen Z's Mozart' almost dismissed Herbie Hancock's email as a joke
Understandably, Jacob Collier suspected one of his mates was pulling a prank. In 2013, when Collier was just 19, he uploaded a video to YouTube: a cover of Stevie Wonder's Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing, which he recorded at his family's home in London. Within a couple of days, it notched up more than 100,000 views, so he made it available for purchase online. Soon after, Collier – who will embark on his first arena tour of Australia in December – received an email informing him that Herbie Hancock had bought five of his recordings. Then came a message purporting to be from the jazz legend himself: 'Wow, Jacob! Your stuff is amazing. Please keep expanding in your life, as well as your music. I believe that craft may be about melody, rhythm, harmony, the notes etc but music is about life. -Herbie Hancock.' 'My first instinct was, 'Which one of my homies is trying to pull the wool over my eyes?'' says Collier, gazing at the Melbourne skyline from a top-floor suite, complete with a grand piano, in the Park Hyatt hotel. 'I just thought, 'This is insane!' But it really was Herbie.' This was followed by another pinch-me moment when his video came to the attention of Quincy Jones, one of the world's most acclaimed music producers. 'Quincy just lost his mind,' recalled Adam Fell, the president of Jones' production company. 'He said, 'I don't care what you're doing right now, I don't care how busy you are – find this kid'.' Jones was so taken with Collier's version of Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing that he would play it, alongside Wonder's original recording, to whomever he was meeting. 'It didn't matter if it was Paul McCartney or Queen Rania,' Fell told the BBC. 'Quincy would show them that video and say, 'I've never seen anything like this! Have you?'' Loading Famously, when Jones tried to sign Collier, the young singer and his mother suggested they and Jones first get to know each other as friends. 'As a child, I created so much music in the solitary cocoon of my family's music room,' explains Collier, who is dressed in a typically flamboyant ensemble of yellow Crocs, red pants and multicoloured parachute jacket. 'I didn't have a team at the time; it was just me and my mum, and I wasn't sure what it would feel like to work with other people. The fact that Quincy and I built our working relationship on a foundation of friendship and human connection was so valuable.' When we meet, Collier, 30, is fresh from performing as a headline act in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. He looks as though he's in his early 20s, yet he has the vocabulary and impeccable manners of a middle-aged English gentleman. Over the past dozen years, his work has racked up hundreds of millions of streams across TikTok, YouTube and Spotify. He's collaborated with everyone from Joni Mitchell and Coldplay to Alicia Keys, David Crosby and the rapper Stormzy. And he has already won seven Grammy Awards, making him the only British artist to claim at least one Grammy for each of his first five studio albums. It's little wonder he's been labelled a 'genius', a 'jazz messiah' and the 'Mozart of Gen Z' by critics. 'Whatever he does blows my mind.' 'He's so in demand,' said Coldplay's Chris Martin, who is now a friend of the Collier family. 'We all recognised, 'Oh, this guy can make us sound better'.' Jones, who died last year, declared that 'whatever he does blows my mind'. Film composer Hans Zimmer raved that much of Collier's work 'is on the edge of the impossible', while Hancock went as far as to rank Collier's harmonic talents above his own. 'I thought I was good with harmonies,' he said, 'but he was all over my stuff – and past that.' But what is it that makes Collier's music so special? As Jones once explained, Western music has used the same 12 notes of the chromatic scale for several hundred years. But Collier likes to operate in the spaces in between, with an array of 'micro-notes' and 'quarter tones' that, incredibly, he can distinguish by ear. He also plays dozens of instruments. His cover of Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing, made entirely by himself, is a good example. On that track alone, he plays the guitar, mandolin, double bass, keyboard, piano, djembe drums, box drums, cowbell, egg shakers and a tambourine; he also recorded several different vocal elements – some of which sound peculiar in isolation – before stitching them together to form a beautifully layered whole. (His videos frequently use a split screen format to showcase each aspect.) 'I'd stay up until the early hours of the morning after spending a whole day at school,' Collier says. 'I was doing things harmonically and rhythmically that I'd never heard before. It was such an exciting time; I felt like I was building my own little cathedral out of matchsticks.' When Collier was a toddler, his mother, Suzie – an acclaimed violinist, conductor and professor – noticed how he'd tune in to the hum of the vacuum cleaner. Heeding the advice of her late father, Derek (a violinist himself, and a former leader of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra), she sang to her son from birth and encouraged him to explore the sounds around him. 'A car alarm would go off and she'd say, 'Oh, look at this! That's an E major chord',' he says. 'When you're a child, your imagination is as important as the real world, if not more so, and she was able to show me this world of sound that really lit me up.' When Collier brings his Djesse World Tour to Australia in December ('Djesse' being a play on his initials, JC), he'll be supported by local musician Nai Palm. As in many of his previous performances, he will play choirmaster, inviting every member of the audience to get involved. 'It's a multi-genre show,' he explains. 'It has some structured elements but also some chaotic elements. There'll be some acoustic moments and some very dance, jazz, folk, electronic and rock 'n' roll moments. I love being in an operation that's very defined and rhythmic, but I also love that feeling of not knowing what's going to happen next.' TAKE 7: THE ANSWERS ACCORDING TO JACOB COLLIER Worst habit? Going to bed at 7am and waking up at 2pm. My sleep schedule is completely upside down. Greatest fear? My own apathy. I worry about numbing out to the world in a time of so much change. The line that stayed with you? Quincy Jones used to say, 'Don't try to be cool – be warm.' Biggest regret? The sacrifices made by the people I love most, to allow me to do what I do. I'm very, very grateful to them. Favourite book? Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The artwork/song you wish was yours? September by Earth, Wind & Fire. Can you imagine having written that song? We blast it after every show so that everyone leaves on a high. If you could time travel, where would you choose to go? To an Earth, Wind & Fire concert in the 1970s. During his first tour of Australia in 2018, Collier used a video looping system and specially made harmoniser to perform a one-man concert. 'I was using all sorts of gizmos back then, but I've since traded a lot of those gadgets for people, which has been of great benefit to me,' he says. 'When I was a solo performer, I fell in love with the idea that, in the absence of bandmates, the audience becomes the band – and that's still an important part of the show because I love that communal feeling.' He doesn't hesitate when asked to name his biggest musical hero. 'My mum is number one, obviously,' he says. 'Of all the things I've done as a musician – starting with those multiscreen videos, then making albums and travelling all over the world – she's always lent her expertise and wisdom in a really lovely way. She even conducted the orchestra on my last album, Djesse Vol. 4. It was an amazing, full-circle moment to take the DNA of what I learned as a child and fold it into what I'm doing now.'
The Age
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
How ‘Gen Z's Mozart' almost dismissed Herbie Hancock's email as a joke
Understandably, Jacob Collier suspected one of his mates was pulling a prank. In 2013, when Collier was just 19, he uploaded a video to YouTube: a cover of Stevie Wonder's Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing, which he recorded at his family's home in London. Within a couple of days, it notched up more than 100,000 views, so he made it available for purchase online. Soon after, Collier – who will embark on his first arena tour of Australia in December – received an email informing him that Herbie Hancock had bought five of his recordings. Then came a message purporting to be from the jazz legend himself: 'Wow, Jacob! Your stuff is amazing. Please keep expanding in your life, as well as your music. I believe that craft may be about melody, rhythm, harmony, the notes etc but music is about life. -Herbie Hancock.' 'My first instinct was, 'Which one of my homies is trying to pull the wool over my eyes?'' says Collier, gazing at the Melbourne skyline from a top-floor suite, complete with a grand piano, in the Park Hyatt hotel. 'I just thought, 'This is insane!' But it really was Herbie.' This was followed by another pinch-me moment when his video came to the attention of Quincy Jones, one of the world's most acclaimed music producers. 'Quincy just lost his mind,' recalled Adam Fell, the president of Jones' production company. 'He said, 'I don't care what you're doing right now, I don't care how busy you are – find this kid'.' Jones was so taken with Collier's version of Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing that he would play it, alongside Wonder's original recording, to whomever he was meeting. 'It didn't matter if it was Paul McCartney or Queen Rania,' Fell told the BBC. 'Quincy would show them that video and say, 'I've never seen anything like this! Have you?'' Loading Famously, when Jones tried to sign Collier, the young singer and his mother suggested they and Jones first get to know each other as friends. 'As a child, I created so much music in the solitary cocoon of my family's music room,' explains Collier, who is dressed in a typically flamboyant ensemble of yellow Crocs, red pants and multicoloured parachute jacket. 'I didn't have a team at the time; it was just me and my mum, and I wasn't sure what it would feel like to work with other people. The fact that Quincy and I built our working relationship on a foundation of friendship and human connection was so valuable.' When we meet, Collier, 30, is fresh from performing as a headline act in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. He looks as though he's in his early 20s, yet he has the vocabulary and impeccable manners of a middle-aged English gentleman. Over the past dozen years, his work has racked up hundreds of millions of streams across TikTok, YouTube and Spotify. He's collaborated with everyone from Joni Mitchell and Coldplay to Alicia Keys, David Crosby and the rapper Stormzy. And he has already won seven Grammy Awards, making him the only British artist to claim at least one Grammy for each of his first five studio albums. It's little wonder he's been labelled a 'genius', a 'jazz messiah' and the 'Mozart of Gen Z' by critics. 'Whatever he does blows my mind.' 'He's so in demand,' said Coldplay's Chris Martin, who is now a friend of the Collier family. 'We all recognised, 'Oh, this guy can make us sound better'.' Jones, who died last year, declared that 'whatever he does blows my mind'. Film composer Hans Zimmer raved that much of Collier's work 'is on the edge of the impossible', while Hancock went as far as to rank Collier's harmonic talents above his own. 'I thought I was good with harmonies,' he said, 'but he was all over my stuff – and past that.' But what is it that makes Collier's music so special? As Jones once explained, Western music has used the same 12 notes of the chromatic scale for several hundred years. But Collier likes to operate in the spaces in between, with an array of 'micro-notes' and 'quarter tones' that, incredibly, he can distinguish by ear. He also plays dozens of instruments. His cover of Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing, made entirely by himself, is a good example. On that track alone, he plays the guitar, mandolin, double bass, keyboard, piano, djembe drums, box drums, cowbell, egg shakers and a tambourine; he also recorded several different vocal elements – some of which sound peculiar in isolation – before stitching them together to form a beautifully layered whole. (His videos frequently use a split screen format to showcase each aspect.) 'I'd stay up until the early hours of the morning after spending a whole day at school,' Collier says. 'I was doing things harmonically and rhythmically that I'd never heard before. It was such an exciting time; I felt like I was building my own little cathedral out of matchsticks.' When Collier was a toddler, his mother, Suzie – an acclaimed violinist, conductor and professor – noticed how he'd tune in to the hum of the vacuum cleaner. Heeding the advice of her late father, Derek (a violinist himself, and a former leader of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra), she sang to her son from birth and encouraged him to explore the sounds around him. 'A car alarm would go off and she'd say, 'Oh, look at this! That's an E major chord',' he says. 'When you're a child, your imagination is as important as the real world, if not more so, and she was able to show me this world of sound that really lit me up.' When Collier brings his Djesse World Tour to Australia in December ('Djesse' being a play on his initials, JC), he'll be supported by local musician Nai Palm. As in many of his previous performances, he will play choirmaster, inviting every member of the audience to get involved. 'It's a multi-genre show,' he explains. 'It has some structured elements but also some chaotic elements. There'll be some acoustic moments and some very dance, jazz, folk, electronic and rock 'n' roll moments. I love being in an operation that's very defined and rhythmic, but I also love that feeling of not knowing what's going to happen next.' TAKE 7: THE ANSWERS ACCORDING TO JACOB COLLIER Worst habit? Going to bed at 7am and waking up at 2pm. My sleep schedule is completely upside down. Greatest fear? My own apathy. I worry about numbing out to the world in a time of so much change. The line that stayed with you? Quincy Jones used to say, 'Don't try to be cool – be warm.' Biggest regret? The sacrifices made by the people I love most, to allow me to do what I do. I'm very, very grateful to them. Favourite book? Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The artwork/song you wish was yours? September by Earth, Wind & Fire. Can you imagine having written that song? We blast it after every show so that everyone leaves on a high. If you could time travel, where would you choose to go? To an Earth, Wind & Fire concert in the 1970s. During his first tour of Australia in 2018, Collier used a video looping system and specially made harmoniser to perform a one-man concert. 'I was using all sorts of gizmos back then, but I've since traded a lot of those gadgets for people, which has been of great benefit to me,' he says. 'When I was a solo performer, I fell in love with the idea that, in the absence of bandmates, the audience becomes the band – and that's still an important part of the show because I love that communal feeling.' He doesn't hesitate when asked to name his biggest musical hero. 'My mum is number one, obviously,' he says. 'Of all the things I've done as a musician – starting with those multiscreen videos, then making albums and travelling all over the world – she's always lent her expertise and wisdom in a really lovely way. She even conducted the orchestra on my last album, Djesse Vol. 4. It was an amazing, full-circle moment to take the DNA of what I learned as a child and fold it into what I'm doing now.'
