Latest news with #CurtMiller
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sheryl Swoopes Doesn't Hold Back on Paige Bueckers' Coach After Nine Defeats
Sheryl Swoopes Doesn't Hold Back on Paige Bueckers' Coach After Nine Defeats originally appeared on Athlon Sports. WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes didn't mince words when assessing the Dallas Wings' 1-9 start to the 2025 season. Despite losing important players such as Satou Sabally, Kalani Brown and Jaelyn Brown, they went out and brought in new players to reshape their roster and help Arike Ogunbowale. Advertisement Besides making several trades that resulted in other solid players, such as DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith, joining the team, they also won the draft lottery, which resulted in Paige Bueckers being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft. Their big three of Ogunbowale, Bueckers and Carrington made fans dream about this team's potential, but after 10 games, the Wings have only won one game while looking completely lost on the court in the majority of their games. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers reacts during a Godfree-Imagn Images During an appearance on "The Women's Hoops Show" on Tuesday, Swoopes talked about the poor performances from the Wings and the Chicago Sky. The legend was dumbfounded that the Texan team hadn't won more than once so far, laying the blame on two people for this situation: head coach Chris Koclanes and general manager Curt Miller. Advertisement "So I am not going to put all of the blame on Chris. No," she said. "Because Curt Miller, this is your hire. I mean, if the GM goes to someone and says, 'hey, will you come be my head coach,' if I really want to coach, I'm not going to say no.' 'Yes, Chris has got to take a lot of the ownership. But so does Curt.' Koclanes had prior experience as an assistant coach at USC, but this was his first chance to coach at the top level. Swoopes implied that this opportunity wasn't earned, but given, suggesting that his friendship with Miller landed him the job. 'It's one thing to be buddies, to be friends, to be whatever, and I get it, trying to look out for your homeboy, your homegirl. But this is about wins and losses.' Advertisement The Wings came off a 9-31 season, which prompted the firing of Latricia Trammell after two campaigns. The 2025 season is still young, and the Indiana Fever showed last year that a 1-9 record can be turned around. They return to action tonight against the Phoenix Mercury, with Bueckers off the injury report after suffering a concussion. Koclanes' performance is raising eyebrows, and if something doesn't change, the season could end in another disaster. Related: Sue Bird Double-Checks Diana Taurasi's Bold Words on Paige Bueckers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Paige Bueckers gets exciting WNBA news from Curt Miller ahead of All-Star night
Paige Bueckers. Image via: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Rookie sensation Paige Bueckers has officially been named a starter for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. It is certainly a huge milestone in her first professional season. The announcement comes just days before the league's annual All-Star showdown in Indianapolis, and the moment was made even more special when Dallas Wings General Manager Curt Miller personally broke the news to her. Bueckers joins a star-studded group on the court, showing her rapid rise in the WNBA spotlight. Paige Bueckers left stunned after Curt Miller delivers major All-Star Game news The WNBA released the full list of starters on July 1, with familiar names like A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Nneka Ogwumike headlining the lineup. But one of the most buzzed-about names was Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. Curt Miller surprised the 23-year-old with the news during a call that left Bueckers nearly speechless. 'Paige, I'm happy to report in congratulations that not only have you been named to the 2025 WNBA All-Star team, you have been named a starter in your rookie season for the WNBA All-Star game,' Miller told her. It's a well-earned honor for the former UConn standout, who led her college team to a national championship earlier this year. Since entering the league, she has lived up to the hype, averaging 18.4 points and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 46.1% from the floor. She also leads all rookies in scoring and assists and has already posted six 20-point games this season. While the Dallas Wings have struggled overall, Bueckers has injected life into the franchise. After a 9-31 finish last year, the Wings are currently 5-13 but have won four of their last six, showing signs of turning the corner. Also Read: Magic Johnson pens heartfelt message to Cathy Engelbert after bold new WNBA league move This year's All-Star Game, scheduled for July 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, will feature captains Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier. Clark and Collier will draft their teams live on July 8, choosing first from among the starters before moving on to the reserves, which will be announced on July 6. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dallas Wings GM Curt Miller Praises Paige Bueckers After WNBA Debut
Paige Bueckers' first WNBA game may not have ended in a win, but her performance left a strong impression on Dallas Wings general manager Curt Miller. Following the team's 99–84 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on opening night, Miller spoke with reporters about the early stages of the Wings' rebuild—and singled out Bueckers' leadership and presence in her WNBA debut. Advertisement 'I'm not gonna critique the basketball near as much,' Miller said, via 'but you know, I just—I appreciate the command that she has of the game. And again, we're just gonna get better and better. They're all learning to play with each other. Training camps are so fast. But I'm just really excited about the potential. This group is gonna look a lot different in July than they do in May.' Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, opened the scoring for Dallas with a putback layup and went on to tally 10 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in 31 minutes. She joined a new-look starting lineup featuring Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington, Myisha Hines-Allen, and NaLyssa Smith—all of whom reached double figures in scoring aside from Smith. While the Wings stayed competitive in the first half—entering the break tied at 46—the Lynx took control in the third quarter behind a dominant run from Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams. Despite the result, Miller remained focused on long-term development and chemistry. Advertisement 'They're all learning to play with each other,' he said. 'We're asking players maybe to have a higher role than maybe what has been asked for many of them in the past. And I look forward to watching them embrace that and see if they can step into those opportunities.' Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts against the Minnesota Lynx during the first half at College Park Jairaj-Imagn Images Bueckers' debut was one of several bright spots for a young Dallas team navigating its first steps in a new era. Her performance offered the Wings a glimpse of the leadership they'll be counting on as the season progresses and throughout her career. The Wings return to action Monday, May 19, against the Seattle Storm at 7:00 p.m. CT. Related: WNBA GMs Make Big Paige Bueckers Prediction Before Debut
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rams Share Clear Statement With Sparks Before WNBA Season Opener
There's no doubt that the 2024 season was extremely disappointing for the LA Sparks, as they accumulated an 8-32 record, which marked their first time not reaching double-digit wins in franchise history. That poor performance ultimately led them to mutually part ways with second-year head coach Curt Miller, who had compiled a 25-55 record, and brought in Lynne Roberts as the replacement. Advertisement Now, it's a new year, and on Friday, they are set to open up 2025 on the road with an exciting matchup against the Golden State Valkyries, who are entering their inaugural season. The game is not scheduled to start until 7 p.m. PT, and before then, the Los Angeles Rams had a message for the Sparks saying, "Let's go @LASparks! Good luck this season!" Of course, the Rams have seen a lot of success since moving back from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016 and putting together a 84-64 record with six playoff appearances and one Super Bowl victory. There's no doubt the Sparks would love to join the Rams and once again be known as a franchise that continuously succeeds, as they have not made it to the playoffs since 2020 and last won a championship in 2016. Advertisement Other than a coaching change, the Sparks did make several offseason additions, but the biggest was trading for three-time All-Star and two-time WNBA Finals champion guard Kelsey Plum. Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink (22).© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK It will see if any of those significant moves, and of course, the good mojo from the Rams, pays off, as ESPN BET gives the Sparks the seventh-best odds (+4000) of winning it all this season. Related: Indiana Fever Turn Heads with Roster Announcement on Thursday
NBC Sports
14-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
How to watch the 2025 WNBA Season: Opening schedule, key dates, streaming info, and more
The 2025 WNBA season tips off this Friday, May 16. While 2024 marked a historic year for the league with record-breaking game attendance and viewership, this offseason proved that it was only just the beginning. The energy and momentum isn't picking up where it left off, it's skyrocketing. After leading the UConn Huskies to their 12th NCAA Championship, Paige Bueckers was drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. The Wings missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2020, after finishing 9-31, and now enter the 2025 WNBA Season with a new GM (Curt Miller), a new coach (Chris Koclanes), a new superstar, and a new hope. Not to mention the return of two-time WNBA All-Star MVP Arike Ogunbowale. Last season, A'ja Wilson became the first unanimous WNBA MVP since Cynthia Cooper (Houston Comets) in the league's inaugural season in 1997, averaging 26.9 points per game — the highest scoring average in league history — and 11.9 rebounds per game. With the addition of six-time All star Jewell Loyd, Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces are expected to be a threat. Caitlin Clark, last year's No. 1 overall pick, earned the 2024 Rookie of the Year Award after setting the WNBA single-season record with 337 assists and helping the Indiana Fever earn its first playoff berth in eight years — that was all after a long college season. With Clark actually having an off-season to rest and a roster that now includes two-time WNBA champion Sydney Colson and Brianna Turner, a two-time WNBA all-defensive selection, how high can the Fever go? For the first time in 17 years, there's a new team in the WNBA. The Golden State Valkyries, the first WNBA team in the Bay Area, make their long-awaited league debut on Friday against their cross-state opponents, the LA Sparks. The Valkyries are led by Natalie Nakase, the first Asian American WNBA head coach ever. Season number 29 is poised to be unforgettable, so buckle up. See below for the 2025 WNBA season schedule, key dates, and additional information on how to watch WNBA games. Associated Press, When does the 2025 WNBA season begin? The 2025 WNBA season tips off on Friday, May 16 at 7:30 PM ET. See below for the full schedule of games taking place this weekend. 2025 WNBA Opening Weekend Schedule Friday, May 16: Atlanta Dream vs Washington Mystics at 7:30 PM ET Minnesota Lynx vs Dallas Wings at 7:30 PM ET LA Sparks vs Golden State Valkyries at 10:00 PM ET Saturday, May 17: Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty at 1:00 PM ET on ABC Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever at 3:00 PM ET on ABC Seattle Storm at Phoenix Mercury at 10:00 PM ET Sunday, May 18: Washington Mystics at Connecticut Sun at 1:00 PM ET Minnesota Lynx at LA Sparks at 6:00 PM ET How can I watch WNBA games? Over 175 regular season WNBA games will be available across the following networks and streaming platforms: ABC, ESPN, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ION, NBA TV, Prime Video, WNBA League Pass. Click here for the full 2025 WNBA Season Schedule. 2025 WNBA Season Key Dates: May 16: Regular Season Begins June 1-17: Commissioner's Cup Tournament July 1: Commissioner's Cup Championship July 17-21: WNBA All-Star Break July 19: WNBA All-Star Game September 11: Regular Season Ends September 14: Playoffs Begin October 17: Last Possible Finals Date
