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Boston Globe
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Harvard alumna Temi Fagbenle mixes moviemaking, supporting role with WNBA debutants Golden State
'It's always been something that was a dream of mine,' she said. 'Even in college, when I could take drama classes, I did it.' Fagbenle returned to the W last year with the Indiana Fever, averaging 6.4 points and 4.7 rebounds as if she had never left. The opportunity to perform on the big screen opened up at the same time. Former college classmate Chiwetel Ejiofor , Idris Elba , and Advertisement 'When I found out that the 'Children of Blood and Bone' books were being turned into a movie, I was like, 'I have to be in this movie,' ' Fagbenle said. She reached out to Adeyemi, then the film's director Gina Prince-Bythewood , whose résumé includes 2000 hoop-romance 'Love and Basketball,' ' Advertisement 'Amazing director,' Fagbenle said. And, as it turned out, a WNBA fan. 'Of course, I should have known with 'Love and Basketball', right?' Fagbenle said. 'Huge fan of the WNBA. So she already knew me because she's been following the W and seeing Indiana. She was happy that I reached out.' Setting up the audition was as simple as an email to the casting director. Filming started in February and wrapped in June. 'I felt so lucky for that,' Fagbenle said. 'I did it and just went through the process and I got a role and I'm just so thankful.' Between then, Fagbenle set out for San Francisco to join the Golden State Valkyries. She signed with the expansion franchise in April and is having a career year — 9.7 points and 5.9 assists — for a team that's been equal parts surprise and success story, winning nine of its first 16 games while attracting the largest crowds in the league. 'It's just been an amazing experience,' she said. 'The energy here of everyone, knowing that there's a new women's team, it's just electric.' Fagbenle said she was grateful to have so many opportunities come together at once. 'I feel really blessed,' she said. 'It's obviously not without hard work. What's the saying? Luck is opportunity meets preparation. I feel I've gotten those opportunities, but I'm also very prepared. I've been preparing for all these moments, whether it's acting, whether it's being here on this team. I'm just really thankful for the journey in and out of the W.' Advertisement Tina Charles and the Sun haven't found much easy in the first season after the team's roster was almost entirely turned over. Michael Conroy/Associated Press Sun are snowballing The Connecticut Sun are 2-15 after losing a franchise record nine straight games. They've lost 11 games by double digits and eight by 20 or more, including Before this brutal stretch, the team's longest losing streaks were seven-game skids in 2013 and 2015. The Sun have their worst record through 17 games in franchise history, and it puts them in some bad company. None of the prior eight teams to start 2-15 or worse salvaged winning seasons. In fact, none finished with double-digit wins. The Sun franchise, going back to its days as the Orlando Miracle, has never finished a season with fewer than 10 wins. It finished on that number in 2013 (10-24), then again in the 2020 season disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic (10-12). Last month, when the Sun earned their first and to-date Rachid Meziane was encouraged, but also realistic about how long it might take a completely new roster to jell. 'It will take time. I don't have a timeline in my head,' he said. 'We have to continue to practice hard. Maybe it will take one season. I don't know. Because even if we are improving our game, the other teams work too. So they will improve they're game too. So we just have to reduce the gap. When you have a young team like us, we don't have a deadline in mind. Just keep working. It's a long process for us.' The Mercury have made more 3-pointers than any other team in the WNBA, and no one on Phoenix has made more than Sami Whitcomb. Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press Who's hooping? Sami Whitcomb, Phoenix: There isn't a hotter shooter in the league. Whitcomb is 22 of 43 (51.1 percent) from 3-point range her past five games, bouncing back after shooting a career-low 29.2 percent last season. Advertisement Angel Reese, Chicago: Four straight double-doubles. Four straight games with 15-plus rebounds. Reese averaged 17.3 points and 17.5 boards over that span, with 4.5 on the offensive glass (if 'mebounds' are your thing). Appointment viewing The Commissioner's Cup Final, Minnesota vs. Indiana, Tuesday, 8 p.m.: The past two Cup finals have been WNBA Finals previews, and in 2022, the Aces beat the Sky and went on to win the title. Minnesota's not only looking to repeat as Cup champions, but it looks like a machine singularly focused on returning to the WNBA championship. Meanwhile, Indiana is hovering at .500 after losing three of its past five, and Caitlin Clark has missed the past two games with a left groin injury. Julian Benbow can be reached at
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hailey Van Lith's NBA Boyfriend Sends Paige Bueckers Message
The Chicago Sky drafted TCU star Hailey Van Lith No. 11 overall on Monday night, reuniting her with fellow LSU alum Angel Reese. The Sky will face the Dallas Wings, who drafted three-time first-team All-American Paige Bueckers No. 1 overall, on May 29 and 31. Meanwhile, Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (knee) was in New York City to support Van Lith, who he's dating, at the WNBA Draft. The 23-year-old will rejoin the Magic from the bench for their Play-In game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night as he recovers from injury. Advertisement On Monday, Suggs spoke to the media and discussed a hypothetical game involving him, Van Lith, and Bueckers. TCU Horned Frogs guard Hailey Van Lith (10).Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images Suggs was asked who he'd pick as a two-on-two partner, and he chose Van Lith. The Gonzaga alum then said they'd beat Bueckers and fellow Magic star Paolo Banchero head-to-head. "I wouldn't mind that," he said of the hypothetical matchup against Bueckers and Banchero. "I think we take it. I got full confidence in us." Suggs also said he would "be down" to do a "Love and Basketball" sequel with Van Lith, saying he "could really deliver" the famous "I'll play one-on-one for your heart" line. Suggs averaged 16.2 points on 41 percent shooting with four rebounds and 3.7 assists in 35 games for Orlando this year. The 6-foot-3-inch, 205-pounder's last appearance was against the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 25. Advertisement Meanwhile, Van Lith led TCU to the Elite Eight in March Madness this past season. Related: Hailey Van Lith Sends Clear Message About Lakers Legend Related: Angel Reese Sends Three-Word Message After Unfortunate Injury News
New York Times
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Did USC's JuJu Watkins prove herself as national Player of the Year in statement win?
LOS ANGELES — The celebrities were out at the Galen Center as USC hosted its undefeated crosstown rival UCLA in a top-10 showdown. Vanessa and Natalia Bryant were in attendance, as were Flea, Issa Rae, Kevin Hart, and Los Angeles Sparks Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby. Not to mention actor Sanaa Lathan, who JuJu Watkins personally shouted out postgame for her iconic role as a Trojans basketball star in 'Love and Basketball.' Advertisement No matter how many icons dotted the sidelines, it was Watkins who was the star. The best and brightest in Los Angeles came to see her put on a show, and Watkins delivered. 'It's really a dream come true,' Watkins said of playing on this stage. 'And when you have people like that show up, you can't disappoint.' The sophomore finished the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and eight blocks in USC's 71-60 victory. It was her second-highest scoring total of the season (behind her 40 points against California Baptist) and her career-best in blocks. Her previous high was five rejections. She became the first Division I player to post 35 points, 5 blocks and 5 assists in a game in the last 20 seasons. Entering Thursday's matchup, Cori Close stumped for her star Lauren Betts as the Big Ten and national Player of the Year, saying, 'I really do believe she's been the most consistently impactful player on both sides of the ball.' It was fitting that Watkins had her finest performance of the season showing her versatility on both ends, punctuated by being able to help shut down Betts. Watkins affects every facet of the game in every area of the court. Early on, she helped USC build an early lead with her jumper. Perhaps because Watkins had been shooting poorly from long range – she had made eight 3-pointers in her last six games on 22.9 percent shooting – the Bruins chose to go under on screens to guard against her drives. Every time a defender gave her the extra space, Watkins launched, making 6 of 7 3s in the first half. By the time she had made her fifth triple, she had 19 points, outscoring UCLA on her own to put USC up 14. After the Bruins clawed back and tied the game with a minute left in the second quarter, she isolated on Londynn Jones and elevated for her sixth make to keep the Trojans ahead at the break. Advertisement 'We'll be talking about this with our coaching staff years from now,' USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the game, 'JuJu's just heroic shot-making and effort and intensity, especially coming after the million questions she gets when it's not perfect out there.' As the tenor of the game changed, Watkins evolved in real time. UCLA threw four different defenders at her in single coverage in the first half, and she found her way past each of them. Gabriela Jaquez could be moved with a screen, freshman Kendall Dudley bit on Watkins' fakes, and Janiah Barker wasn't disciplined enough to keep track of Watkins' movement. Watkins had some initial difficulty with Londynn Jones despite nearly a foot advantage in height, as Jones used her speed and fast hands to disrupt Watkins' handle. The USC sophomore had to keep the ball a little higher and get to her shot more quickly. In the fourth quarter, Watkins finally figured out Jones' reaching pattern and baited her defender into fouling her on a rip-through; those free throws kickstarted a 9-0 run that decided the game. Watkins also figured out more ways to impact the game defensively. Early on, she was flying at Jones to close out at the 3-point line, knowing that Jones is a better shooter from outside the arc than in. However, those aggressive closeouts gave Jones the time to step into pull-up jumpers with no contest. Watkins was more measured in the second half, avoiding the urge to leap and get out of position so that Jones couldn't dribble past her. With the jumper no longer available to her, Jones tried to drive at Watkins, but Watkins was easily able to contain those forays to the rim. Gottlieb also called on Watkins to be more active in help defense in the second half, as Betts was getting too comfortable in isolation. She told Watkins she needed to be smart about when to bring the double, but Watkins had already picked up on Betts' tendencies. Advertisement 'Betts is just an anomaly, so it was just important that (the bigs) knew the guards had their back as well, and we're all linked together,' Watkins said. 'I was able to get my hands on a lot of Betts' shots when it came down to the stretch of it. Just any way I can help out defensively, I'm down to do it.' In addition to Betts, Watkins rotated over multiple times to get rejections on Kiki Rice, backing up Kennedy Smith, who was applying aggressive ball pressure on Rice at the point of attack. All of those blocks created transition opportunities the other way, and Watkins was impossible to stop with a head of steam. In addition to her seven free throw attempts in the second half, Watkins also had three assists in transition, all resulting in layups. The Bruins came into the game with a plan to make Watkins beat them from distance. When she proved capable of doing that, they tried to deny her the ball altogether. That forced Watkins to create possessions with her defense, forcing turnovers and getting out in transition. Whatever move the Bruins made, Watkins had a counter. She delivered the last blow, spearheading a 24-8 fourth quarter with her playmaking on both ends of the floor. this sequence >>> — USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) February 14, 2025 'It has been a tough couple weeks for me, but I'm just staying true to the process,' Watkins said. 'There's a lesson in everything and I think that is to always stay joyful in the course.' In her second season, Watkins hasn't had the exclamation points that defined her first, be it the debut game against Ohio State or dropping 51 in Maples Pavilion against Stanford. But she has still produced at the highest of levels and affected winning in a way that few else can, building on her first-team All-America campaign from a year ago. Thursday was her headliner, a marquee performance to highlight her case for the national Player of the Year. No better time or place to showcase her skills than in a rivalry game against the No. 1 team in the country. (Photo of JuJu Watkins: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
