Last Week around the Leagues
by Fran Stuchbury
September 13, 2022 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
This past week Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson was named the WNBA Most Valuable Player for the second time in her career, Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo fired head coach Paulo Nagamura, and the Indoor Football League team in Tulsa announced it will be known as the Tulsa Oilers. Highlights from this week come from the Women's National Basketball Association, NBA G League, Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, United Soccer League Championship, Canadian Premier League, Indoor Football League, Canadian Football League, Premier Lacrosse League, National Lacrosse League, North American Hockey League and American Association.
BASKETBALL
Women's National Basketball Association
Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson has been named the 2022 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player. This is the second WNBA Most Valuable Award for Wilson, who previously earned the honor in 2020. She becomes the seventh player in WNBA history to win the award multiple times, joining three-time winners Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes and two-time MVPs Cynthia Cooper, Elena Delle Donne and Candace Parker. In her fifth WNBA season, Wilson ranked fifth in the WNBA in scoring (19.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (9.4 rpg) in 36 games. The four-time WNBA All-Star shot 50.1 percent from the field and led the league in double-doubles (17).
A'ja Wilson wins 2022 WNBA MVP. Cassidy Hubbarth joins NBA Today to break the news that Las Vegas Aces F A'ja Wilson has won her second WNBA MVP award (2020, 2022).
Thank you, Sue Bird for a legendary career and your contributions to the WNBA
NBA G League
Australia's Mojave King, a graduate of the NBA Global Academy, and Canadian forward Leonard Miller have signed with NBA G League Ignite, NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced. The duo will be part of an Ignite roster that features potential top prospect for the 2023 NBA Draft Scoot Henderson, French U18 National Team star Sidy Cissoko and Nigeria's Efe Abogidi.
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the NBA G League Affiliate of the Houston Rockets, named Kevin Burleson as the Vipers Head Coach for the 2022-23 season. Burleson becomes the ninth head coach in franchise history. Most recently, Burleson served as the Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach during the 2022 NBA Summer League. In 2020, he was promoted to assistant coach of the Timberwolves. His coaching career with Minnesota began in 2019 when he was hired as a player development coach.
Our team reporter, April Marie gets an early insight on Coach Burleson's game plan and how this opportunity is full circle moment in his career.
The Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League, who open their second season in Cleveland at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center on Friday, November 4th at 7:00pm vs. the Motor City Cruise, have announced Mike Gerrity as their Head Coach for the 2022-23 NBA G League season. Gerrity comes to lead the Charge after spending the last nine seasons in various roles with the Charge's parent club, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Gerrity was promoted to Assistant Coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers in September 2021 after spending the past three seasons as Director of Player Development/Assistant Coach (2018-2021).
NBA G League's New Final Target Score is Going to be Madness!
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
Houston Dynamo FC have parted ways with head coach Paulo Nagamura. The 39-year-old finished with an 8-16-5 record in MLS play and departs with the club currently sitting 14th in the Western Conference standings. Dynamo 2 head coach Kenny Bundy will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2022 season. Goalkeeper coach Zack Thornton will remain on staff, while assistant coaches Chris Martinez and Jimmy Nielsen have departed as well.
ESPN FC's Herculez Gomez joins Sebastian Salazar on Futbol Americas to react to Houston Dynamo's sacking of Paulo Nagamura.
Orlando City SC lifted its first trophy since its Major League Soccer tenure began, winning the 107th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in front of a sold-out crowd at Exploria Stadium. The Lions defeated USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC by a score of 3-0, finishing a top a field of 103 teams to win $300,000 in prize money and punch their ticket to the Club's first-ever Concacaf Champions League.
Behind two second-half goals from Facundo Torres and another from Benji Michel, Orlando City SC wins the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-0 victory over Sacramento Republic FC.
National Women's Soccer League
In collaboration with Ally, the NWSL is excited to kick off Season Two of Game Changers, a series devoted to showcasing the diverse group of athletes competing in the league and their stories off the pitch. Who better to kick off the new season than North Carolina Courage's defender Carson Pickett?
Megan Rapinoe (OL Regin) is the NWSL Player of the Month for August
Diana Ordoñez (North Carolina Courage) is the August Rookie of the Month
United Soccer League Championship
Crank up the volume for the Week 26 Calls of the Week
Canadian Premier League
Canadian Premier League August Goals Of The Month
FOOTBALL
Indoor Football League
Tulsa Oilers Football, proud member of the IFL, announced that the name for Tulsa's Indoor Football team is the Oilers. After thousands of team name suggestions online, Tulsa Oilers owner Andy Scurto combined the influence of fan thoughts and his vision for how the team would represent the city of Tulsa before deciding on the name Oilers. The name Oilers has represented the professional hockey franchise in Tulsa since 1928 and had also represented a professional minor league baseball team that played on and off in Tulsa from 1905-1976.
Season tickets on sale now. Starting at $9 per month.
Canadian Football League
CFL Plays of the Week
LACROSSE
Premier Lacrosse League
PLL QUARTERFINALS TOP 10 PLAYS
National Lacrosse League
Thomas McConvey (Toronto/Mimico Mountaineers Jr A), Dylan Watson (Guelph, ON/Orangeville Northmen Jr A.) and Owen Grant (Newmarket, ON, Toronto Beaches Jr A) were the first three players selected in tonight's 2022 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft, held at The Carlu. McConvey was the first overall pick by the Rochester Knighthawks; Simmons went next to the expansion Las Vegas Desert Dogs; and with the third selection the Vancouver Warriors took Grant.
National Lacrosse League Commissioner Brett Frood joins SportsCentre to discuss how his background in motorsports can help his transition to his new role, his excitement for the NLL draft on September 10th in Toronto, and his plans to help grow lacrosse to take it to the next stage.
HOCKEY
North American Hockey League
Highlights from all eight games in the first weekend of action for the 2022-23 season!
BASEBALL
Rick Horrow joins Ben to discuss the latest update on minor league baseball players seeking a union from the MLB.
Top minor league baseball plays voted by fans for the month of August.
American Association
You don't see this everyday
Did we miss anything newsworthy or downright fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.
• Discuss this story on the Women's National Basketball Association message board...
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from September 13, 2022
- Last Week around the Leagues - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
