Tag: WNBA

Photo Courtesy of BDZ Sports

Predictions for the WNBA Awards Winners

As the WNBA season continues, some of the league’s players have had great seasons. The season is a bit past the midway point, and the award races are getting good. Here are a few predictions of the winners of the WNBA awards.

Most Valuable Player: Elena Delle Donne

A few weeks ago, WOW Sports did an MVP Power Ranking. The player in first place was none other than Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne.

Delle Donne averages 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. She is in the top-five for categories such as points per game, rebounds per game, efficiency and 3-point percentage. She ranks second, fifth, first and fourth respectively. Even in blocks, Delle Donne is right outside the top-five. She ranks seventh and is extremely close to Liz Cambage and Elizabeth Williams, who are fifth and sixth with 1.6 blocks each. Delle Donne ranks in several categories and could move up the rankings in some of them. She has time to do so.

Delle Donne and the Mystics are playing well this season. They are second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-7. If they continue to play well, they not only have a chance to contend, but Delle Donne arguably becomes the favorite for MVP. So, Delle Donne has a good chance.

Rookie of the Year: Napheesa Collier

The Rookie of the Year should go to former UConn forward Napheesa Collier. Collier was the sixth pick of the 2019 WNBA draft. The Minnesota Lynx drafted the four-year player who averaged 20.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in her senior year. Now she is making an impact in the WNBA.

In her rookie season, Collier averages 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals. On Tuesday, Collier had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Collier has played well and has a case for this year’s Rookie of the Year. If she keeps up her level of play, the Rookie of the Year should be coming her way.

Defensive Player of the Year: Jonquel Jones

The Defensive Player of the Year should go to Jonquel Jones of the Connecticut Sun.

Jones is a 6-foot-6 forward/center who is an exceptional defensive player. This season Jones averages 15.8 points. But it is not her scoring that is putting the league on notice. It is her defense that is most effective.

This season, Jones averages 2.1 blocks and 1.3 steals. She also averages 10.4 rebounds with most of them being on the defensive end. She averages 7.1 defensive rebounds compared to 3.3 rebounds on the offensive end.

Jones ranks first in total rebounds and blocks. She also ranks seventh in points as the Sun are first in the Eastern Conference (and league) with a record of 16-6. Jones will remain a threat on the defensive end.

Most Improved Player: Dearica Hamby

Dearica Hamby is a forward for the Las Vegas Aces. She averages a career-high 10.6 points and seven rebounds. These stats are a jump from her average of 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds last season. Her stats have improved in nearly every category. She has improved in assists, steals and blocks. This is an impressive accomplishment for any player.

Ironically, Hamby also has a good chance at Sixth Woman of the Year. She has played in 23 games and started in five. Her role change came as the Aces are waiting for A’ja Wilson’s return. Hamby has stepped up and filled that void, at least partially. Regardless of her role, Hamby has a good chance at winning either Most Improved Player or Sixth Woman of the Year. Or, she could get both. Either way, she will win at least one of them.

Coach of the Year: Curt Miller

The Coach of the Year can go different ways. Several teams are playing well, and their coach is a big part of it. However, this year’s Coach of the Year could go to Curt Miller of the Connecticut Sun.

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Miller is no stranger to Coach of the Year, as he won the award in 2017. He won after leading his team to a 21-13 season. This was a turnaround from his first season when the Sun finished 14-20. This season, the Sun are 16-6. They are also on a seven-game winning streak. The Sun are playing well, and Miller is a part of their success.

The Season Continues

The regular season continues as the playoffs begin next month. If these players keep playing well (and Miller and the Sun keep winning), these candidates should win their respective awards.

Photo Courtesy of WomenTalkSports

A Brief History of the WNBA All-Star Game MVP

On Saturday, the WNBA held its marquee event. The league held its 16th All-Star Game. The event took place in Las Vegas.

Over the past few weeks, the league has prepared for this event by determining their team captains, their starters and the reserves of this game. The team captains were chosen due to being the leading vote-getters. Elena Delle Donne of the Washington Mystics was the leading vote-getter and became team captain. A’ja Wilson became the second team captain after being second in All-Star votes. Once the other starters and reserves were announced, the two team captains selected their rosters in the WNBA All-Star draft.

With the rosters set, it was finally time for Team Delle Donne and Team Wilson to face off.

Every year, the WNBA gives the WNBA All-Star Game MVP to the player with the best performance. The league established the All-Star game in 1999 (two years after its first season), where former Los Angeles Sparks center and WNBA legend Lisa Leslie won the award. Leslie finished the game with 13 points as the West beat the East 79-61.

Leslie won the Game MVP two more times after her win in the inaugural All-Star game. She won in 2001 and 2002. The West won both games as she scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots in 2001. She had 18 points and 14 rebounds the following year. Leslie won a total of three MVPs during her time in the league. The only other player to do so is Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx, who won in 2015, 2017 and 2018. In last year’s game, Moore had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Swin Cash (then playing for the Seattle Storm) won the All-Star MVP in 2009 and 2011. Cash set a scoring record in 2009 as she scored 22 points. She followed up with 21 points in 2011.

Besides the multiple-time All-Star MVPs, there are several players that won throughout the years. Tina Thompson of the Houston Comets won in 2001, Nikki Teasley of the Sparks won in 2003. The next three All-Star games had three different MVPs as Sheryl Swoops, Katie Douglass and Cheryl Ford won in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Candace Parker won in 2013, and Shoni Schimmel won in 2014, as they were the last two MVPs before Maya Moore. So, the league has had an excellent, diverse group win All-Star MVP.

This year, the MVP went to a member of Team Wilson. This player had a fantastic game and was on fire from deep. She finished the game with 25 points and tied the All-Star record for most 3-pointers with seven. She joins Shoni Schimmel (who made seven 3-pointers in 2014’s game) and Kristi Toliver (who did the same in 2018). This year’s MVP was Indiana Fever guard Erica Wheeler.

Wheeler has an interesting backstory as she went undrafted out of Rutgers and went to play internationally. She earned a try-out with the Atlanta Dream in 2015 but was cut. Then, she briefly joined the New York Liberty before going back to international leagues. Wheeler found a home with the Indiana Fever in 2016 and has played for them since then.

Wheeler is a first-time All-Star. She earned her spot and made a name for herself on the big stage. She finished the game with 25 points including seven 3-pointers and seven assists while putting the league on notice. Wheeler won MVP as Team Wilson beat Team Delle Donne 129-126. Her win made her the first undrafted player to win All-Star MVP and the fifth undrafted player to be named an All-Star.

Wheeler’s MVP win was emotional as she could not hold back her tears. She dedicated her win to her mother (who she lost to cancer) as she told the world “I belong.”

“My main goal today was, ‘I want to be unforgettable once we play this game.’ And I think I did that,” Wheeler said.

The 2019 WNBA All-Star game was a good one. It was a competitive game that nearly came down to the wire and Wheeler’s game was unforgettable.

Wheeler joins the ranks of WNBA greats such as Lisa Leslie, Swin Cash, and others, and did it through hard work and perseverance. Her win is well-deserved.

Photo Courtesy of Lorie Shaull

Team Captains Delle Donne and Wilson Select All-Star Rosters

The WNBA All-Star rosters are officially set! On Tuesday night, team captains Elena Delle Donne and A’Ja Wilson selected their teammates through the WNBA All-Star Draft.

Delle Donne and Wilson select their teams

The draft is an annual event that allows the players that got the most votes to choose their rosters for the star-studded game on Saturday. The event took place on ESPN2 and featured both team captains as they made their picks.

The draft began with Delle Donne making the first pick of the draft. Delle Donne was the leading vote-getter this year with 32,460 fan votes. For her first pick, Delle Donne selected Phoenix Mercury center, Brittney Griner.

After Delle Donne selected Griner, Wilson selected Chelsea Gray of the Los Angeles Sparks.

The team captains went back and forth selecting from the other All-Star starters. Delle Donne selected Jewell Loyd, Jonquel Jones and Kia Nurse. Wilson selected her Aces teammates in Kayla McBride and Liz Cambage, but she also selected Natasha Howard of Seattle.

Wilson had the first choice of the reserves as Delle Donne had the first choice of starters. She chose Sylvia Fowles. Delle Donne chose her Mystics teammate Kristi Toliver with her first reserve pick. Then, both players went back and forth in picking reserves.

Wilson chose Diamond DeShields, Allie Quigley, Tina Charles (who she traded), Erica Wheeler, Candice Dupree and Odyssey Sims. She traded Charles to Delle Donne in exchange for Naphessa Collier (who will replace Wilson in the All-Star Game) . Delle Donne selected DeWanna Bonner, Nneka Ogwumike, Courtney Vandersloot, Naphessa Collier (who she traded) and Alyssa Thomas.

The team captains also traded coaches, Bill Laimbeer (head coach of the Las Vegas Aces) will coach Team Wilson, and Mike Thibault (head coach of the Washington Mystics) will coach Team Delle Donne. So, both players’ coaches are going to coach their All-Star teams.

All-Star Festivities Begin

The All-Star Game takes place on Saturday at 3:30 PM ET. It will be televised on ABC. The Skills challenge and 3 Point Contest takes place on Friday.

The team captains selected extremely talented players, who will come together and put on a show on Saturday.

With the rosters set, it is only a matter of waiting for the weekend. Fans are in for a treat.

Photo Courtesy of Lorie Shaull

WNBA MVP Power Ranking

As the WNBA season continues, some players have had noteworthy seasons. These players have played well and have helped their teams succeed. Typically, when a player has such an impactful season, fans and media alike agree that the player is having an MVP caliber season.

The WNBA MVP is the most prestigious (individual player) award of the league. A player receives the award when they have an impactful season. They play well, and their team usually does the same.

Last year, Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm won the MVP award. She won after a great season where she averaged 21.8 points (a career-high), 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals (another career-high). She also won Finals MVP and a WNBA championship in the same year.

This year, the award could go to another deserving player. A player who like Stewart, impacts their team. Here are five potential MVP candidates and where they currently stand against other candidates.

1.) Elena Delle Donne

Delle Donne is no stranger to the MVP award. She won the award in 2015 after averaging 23.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and two blocks. Her averages in each category are her career-best. Delle Donne’s performance led to the Chicago Sky finishing second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 21-13. Unfortunately, the Sky lost in the first round of the playoffs.

This year, Delle Donne, who now plays for the Washington Mystics, averages 17.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. She ranks fourth in scoring and fourth in rebounds. Delle Donne was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 28.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in two games. The Mystics went undefeated this weekend as they beat the Fever on Friday and the Dream on Sunday. Delle Donne scored 28 points in both games and had a double-double in the overtime win over the Fever. She grabbed 15 rebounds to go along with her 28 points.

Delle Donne played great over the weekend, as she returned to the Mystics on Friday. She missed three games with a broken nose. She wore a face mask and put on a show.

The Mystics are second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-6. They are on a two-game winning streak as Delle Donne returned to action. They lost three-straight games when she was out. Now, they are back on the right track. This shows how important Delle Donne is to the Mystics and why she is an MVP candidate.

2.) Natasha Howard

Another player to consider is Natasha Howard. Howard averages 18.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.7 blocks. She is averaging a career-high in points and rebounds and made significant improvements in both categories. Her points per game averages has improved by 5.2 points and her rebounds average increased by 1.8. Last season was her career-best in several categories, but she is surpassing those averages this year.

Howard was named the Western Conference Player of the Week as the Seattle Storm went 2-0 this week. She averaged 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks.

Howard has 33 points as the Storm beat the Minnesota Lynx 90-79. Then, she had 21 points and 10 rebounds in a close win over the Las Vegas Aces.

The talented forward ranks third in the league in points and sixth in rebounds. She is playing well despite a situation off the court. Her performance has helped the Storm remain second in the Western Conference with a record 12-8. They are on a four-game winning streak and could extend their streak as they play the Aces. Howard’s performance this season has helped them tremendously.

3.) Jonquel Jones

Jones is playing well for the Connecticut Sun as they sit on top of the Eastern Conference. She averages 15.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Her stats have improved from her previous season.

Jones has played well as the Sun are on a three-game winning streak.

In their games last week, Jones finished the games with 26 points and 12 points respectively. The forward/center is impacting her team and will likely continue to do so for the rest of the season.

4.) A’ja Wilson

The 2018 Rookie of the Year continues to shine as she leads the Aces through their season. Wilson averages 15.8 points and 6.6 rebounds this season. She ranks ninth in points and seventh in blocks this season.

In their last two games, the Aces went 1-1. They lost to the Storm on Friday but beat the Lynx on Sunday. Wilson played in Friday’s game but left early due to an ankle injury. Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer says that Wilson could be out for weeks. Wilson has played well for the Aces as they are first in the Western Conference with a record of 12-6.

Wilson’s injury will affect the Aces (and her MVP chances), but she should be considered.

5.) DeWanna Bonner

Bonner is a veteran that is still going strong. She started her career in 2009 with the Phoenix Mercury and has been with the team since then. This season, Bonner averages 18.5 points and 7.7 rebounds. She ranks second in scoring and eighth in rebounds.

In their two games last week, Bonner had 10 points in the first game and 14 in the second. The Mercury won both games (one home and one away) against the Dallas Wings

Bonner has played well for the Mercury, and she plays a crucial part in their success. The veteran deserves recognition as an MVP candidate.

This year’s MVP race features several deserving candidates. Next week’s rankings could change, but as of now, these are the MVP candidates and where they currently stand.


Photo Courtesy of James Marvin Phelps

WNBA Announces All-Star Reserves

The WNBA All-Star rosters are all set as the league made a big announcement. According to the WNBA, the league’s All-Star reserves have been decided.

WNBA head coaches around the league selected the reserves. The coaches had the task of voting for three guards, five frontcourt players and four players at either position. Their choices at either position could come from either conference, but they were not allowed to vote for players from their own team.

The reserves feature 12 players from around the league. There are six guards along with six frontcourt players. They will play behind the starters, which the league announced on Thursday.

The frontcourt reserves are New York Liberty’s Tina Charles, Indiana Fever’s Candice Dupree, Phoenix Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner, the Minnesota Lynx’ Sylvia Fowles, the Los Angeles Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike and the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas.

The guards also feature a group of talented players. The guard reserves are the Chicago Sky’s Diamond DeShields, Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot, Minnesota’s Odyssey Sims, the Washington Mystics’ Kristi Toliver, and the Indiana Fever’s Erica Wheeler.

The 2019 WNBA All-Star game takes place on Saturday, July 27. The game is at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, which is home of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. This year’s game will air on ABC at 3:30 pm ET. The starters for the game were chosen by fan voting with the players who received the most votes awarded captains of each team. Team Delle Donne faces Team Wilson as Elena Delle Donne and Aces player A’ja Wilson are team captains.

The team captains choose their rosters in an upcoming draft. Delle Donne and Wilson will choose from eight starters and then from the 12 reserves announced on Monday. Since Delle Donne was the top vote getter she will get to pick first.

Their draft begins with other starters such as Las Vegas’ Liz Cambage, Phoenix’s Brittney Griner, Los Angeles’ Chelsea Gray and Seattle’s Jewell Loyd. So, the All-Star rosters will feature several talented players.

Dupree and Charles lead all players with most All-Star game selections with seven. There are four players who will appear in their first All-Star game including Howard, Nurse, DeShields, Sims and Wheeler. No rookies were selected to the All-Star game.

The coaches for the game were determined by which two teams had the best records through July 12. The Las Vegas Aces was the top team with a record of 10-5 so Las Vegas head coach Bill Laimbeer and his staff will coach Team Delle Donne. Meanwhile, the Washington Mystics had the second best record at 9-5 so Washington head coach Mike Thibault and his staff will coach Team Wilson. This does create a unique situation since Wilson and Delle Donne will be switching their regular season coaches for the All-Star game.

Las Vegas will be hosting their first ever All-Star game this year creating an exciting event for fans. It gives them the chance to see their favorite players share the same court. There are several great players who will put on a show come the 27th.

This game should be a good one, and something fans can enjoy. All that’s left is for Delle Donne and Wilson to make their decisions.

Photo Courtesy Dlz28

Natasha Howard Continues Playing as WNBA Looks Into Domestic Violence Allegations

On Sunday, the Seattle Storm defeated the New York Liberty 78-69. The Storm secured their victory with contributions from a few players, one of them being forward Natasha Howard.


Howard scored 14 points in 25 minutes as the Storm won by nine points. However, Howard’s game comes after allegations made on social media.

Howard’s wife went on Twitter and made allegations towards Howard. She posted videos saying that Howard threatened and abused her and screenshots of conversations. The screenshots were conversations with Howard, Howard’s agent as well as Seattle Storm General Manager Alisha Valavanis. The allegations were all over social media and caught the attention of the WNBA.


When the allegations surfaced, both the Storm and the WNBA made statements regarding the allegations. Valavanis said that the team is aware of the allegations and is in communication with the league.

The organization is aware of the recent allegations against Natasha. We are in communication with the league and looking into them,” the team said in a statement from Brummel and CEO/general manager Alisha Valavanis.


When asked if Howard would play in Sunday’s game, Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel made a statement regarding the situation.


Natasha will play in the game tonight,” Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel said in a statement. “We are in continued communication with the [WNBA], and their investigation is now in process.”

The WNBA said the league plans to gather additional information. Alex Coffey of the Athletic sent out a tweet of a WNBA spokesperson’s statement.


Howard’s allegations are the second domestic violence incident the WNBA has encountered this season. Los Angeles Sparks guard Riquna Williams was arrested in April after attacking her then-girlfriend at a Florida home. Williams had her hearing postponed and is with the Sparks this season. She averages 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

Howard averages 17.6 points and 8.5 rebounds this season. Recently, she became a starter at the All-Star Game for the first time in her career this season.

As of now, no legal charges have been filed against Howard.

The WNBA had previous experience with domestic violence in 2015. Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner and Dallas Wings forward Glory Johnson were arrested on charges of assault and disorderly conduct back then. The WNBA responded by suspending both players seven games after Griner pled guilty to disorderly conduct charges. As the league learns more about the situation, there is a chance they do the same for Howard. Until then, Howard will continue to play.

WOW Sports Now Providing Coverage for Basketball With the WNBA

WOW Sports is happy to announce we are now expanding our coverage to include basketball. To start we will focus our attention on the WNBA which is in the middle of their 2019 season. We look to add coverage for national teams as well as foreign leagues in the future.

We currently have coverage of the league that includes team rosters, league tables and game schedules. As the WNBA league continues on this summer our coverage will grow including game and player analyses.

The WNBA is considered one of the top if not the top professional women’s league in the United States. The WNBA is celebrating its 23 year which currently includes 12 teams all across the USA. Teams have played in 14-16 games so far this year and will look to play the remainder of their regular season games into early September.

The competition has been great so far this season with tight standings. The Atlanta Dream, who are currently in last place, are just five games back from first place, Las Vegas Aces. A league that was dominated by the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks rivalry in recent years has now become wide open with quality play from all of the teams.

The league has top players from various countries not just from the United States. Players currently in the WNBA are from Canada, Australia, China, Germany, Sweden and others. The athletes and the play in the league are considered some of the best in the world. If you would like to catch some of the WNBA action yourself a majority of the games are available on the WNBA League Pass, a subscription based viewing package. There are games that are on national networks including ESPN, CBS and NBA TV.

Basketball joins soccer and tennis in our arsenal of sports we currently cover. Soccer has now expanded from just pertaining to the Women’s World Cup to now covering women’s professional soccer in general. The NWSL is currently taking place in the United States and other leagues will be starting back up very soon. You can see the full soccer coverage on our website under the “Soccer” tab.