WNBA News: August 25, 2016
Published on August 25, 2016 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
WNBA News, a weekly newsletter produced by WNBA Communications, highlights the latest storylines, key statistics, upcoming events and more from the league's landmark 20th season.
WNBA SUPER20 : With the WNBA resuming its historic 20th season on Friday, Aug. 26, the league unveiled its new promotion, "WNBA Super20," inviting fans to watch extraordinary athletes in person and celebrate the final weeks of 2016 games. Through the "WNBA Super20" promotion, any ticket purchased to a WNBA game will automatically enter fans in a sweepstakes to attend WNBA All-Star 2017 or NBA All-Star 2017 or win a grand prize of $20,000. With only 58 games remaining in the regular season, every game could be the difference between making and missing the playoffs. For the first time in league history, the top eight teams, regardless of conference, will qualify for the postseason. "WNBA Super20," which started on Wednesday, Aug. 24, will run until 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 18. Visit WNBASuper20.com for more details.
CHASING HISTORY: The Los Angeles Sparks (21-3) and Minnesota Lynx (21-4) begin post-Olympic play separated by only a half game for the WNBA's best record. Both playoff-bound teams have a chance to break the record for the most regular-season wins in league history, a mark achieved by the Phoenix Mercury in 2014 at 29-5. The Sparks need to go 9-1 to surpass the Mercury's record and 8-2 to match it, while the Lynx must sweep its remaining nine games to reach 30 wins and finish 8-1 to equal Phoenix's single-season high. Only Los Angeles has an opportunity to finish with the best single-season winning percentage of all time: If the Sparks win their last 10 games, they would beat the 1998 Houston Comets' record of .900 (27-3). The Sparks and Lynx will meet once more in the regular season, on Tuesday, Sept. 6 in L.A.
STARS ON TODAY'S CONFERENCE CALL: ESPN2's doubleheader on Sunday, Aug. 28 tips off with 2014 WNBA MVP Maya Moore and the defending champion Lynx hosting three-time reigning WNBA Rookie of the Month Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm (7 p.m. ET), followed by the Sparks visiting two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Brittney Griner and the Mercury (9 p.m. ET). The doubleheader features eight players from the 2016 U.S. Olympic team, which recently won its sixth consecutive gold medal at the Summer Games. To preview the matchups and discuss the playoff push, Olympic teammates Moore, Stewart and Griner will have a media conference call today at 2 p.m. ET. The media call-in number is (800) 288-8960.
What to watch for around the WNBA over the next week (all times Eastern):
Friday, Aug. 26: The WNBA is back in action with five games, including a doubleheader on NBA TV. The opener features Tina Charles and the New York Liberty visiting No. 2 overall pick Moriah Jefferson and the San Antonio Stars (8 p.m.), followed by Sue Bird and the Storm hosting Candace Parker and the Sparks (10 p.m.).
Saturday, Aug. 27: Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever look to continue their three-game winning streak when they host the Washington Mystics (7 p.m., NBA TV).
Sunday, Aug. 28: ESPN2 has the aforementioned doubleheader, ESPN3 airs Stars-Mystics in Washington (7 p.m.) and NBA TV televises the Connecticut Sun and the visiting Atlanta Dream (3 p.m.).
Tuesday, Aug. 30: The Fever meets the Mercury in Indiana at 7 p.m. on NBA TV. Also, former UConn teammates face off as Jefferson and the Stars take on Morgan Tuck and the Sun in Connecticut (7 p.m., WNBA LEAGUE PASS).
Wednesday, Aug. 31: Skylar Diggins leads the Dallas Wings against the Storm in Seattle at 10 p.m. on WNBA LEAGUE PASS.
Breanna Stewart and the Storm captured the top spots on the WNBA's lists of best-selling jerseys and team merchandise, based on WNBAStore.com sales since the start of the 2016 regular season. Click here for the complete player and team rankings.
New York will celebrate the career of forward Swin Cash, one of the most decorated and influential women's basketball players in history, with a retirement ceremony after its game against the Storm at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Sept. 7. Cash, who ranks in the WNBA's all-time top 15 in scoring, rebounding, assists and games played, announced in June that she would retire after the 2016 season.
Lynx fans greeted Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen and coach Cheryl Reeve at the airport as they returned from Rio with their gold medals.
Baton Rouge native and former LSU standout Seimone Augustus dedicated her third career Olympic gold medal with USA Basketball to her flood-ravaged hometown.
The Wall Street Journal highlighted 15 of the top Olympic stories, including the dominance of the U.S. Women's National Team.
With 10 regular-season games left in her WNBA career, Tamika Catchings (3,260) is 48 rebounds from passing Lisa Leslie (3,307) for the most in league history. Catchings needs to average 4.8 rebounds in the Fever's remaining games to overtake Leslie. (The Indiana forward's season average is 4.5.)
Reigning WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky teamed up with Nike to provide every baby born last weekend at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., with a pair of sneakers .
Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi (878) needs to make 29 three-pointers to surpass Katie Smith (906) for first place on the WNBA's all-time list.
Two-time WNBA All-Star Epiphanny Prince of the Liberty has returned to practice in her comeback from knee surgery.
Mercury forward Mistie Bass has been hired by the Indiana University women's basketball team as a graduate assistant for the 2016-17 season.
Elena Delle Donne, Sky forward : "The league is very close right now and anybody can make it into the playoffs or get kicked out at this point."
Sean Gregory, Time Magazine : "Even though this gold-medal winning team features some of the best individual talent in basketball history, like Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Brittney Griner, and Elena Delle Donne-the reigning WNBA MVP who comes off the bench here-the Americans still play an appealing, unselfish style. In other words, they play the so-called 'right way.'"
Doug Feinberg, Associated Press : "[The American women] have won 49 consecutive games in the Olympics with only one of those decided by single digits. ... Even with that kind of sustained success by some very talented U.S. teams, this may be the best women's basketball squad ever assembled."
Kristi Toliver, Sparks guard : "I'm not afraid to miss shots and miss those kind of moments [in crunch time]. I live for those moments. It's why I play."
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from August 25, 2016
- Minnesota Lynx Re-Sign Guard Anna Cruz - Minnesota Lynx
- WNBA News: August 25, 2016 - WNBA
- Breanna Stewart and Seattle Storm Lead WNBA's Most Popular Jersey and Merchandise Lists - WNBA
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