^{June 02, 2025 | Edition #93}

👋 Hey, Hoopheads!

The Commissioner’s Cup is officially on. While the ultimate goal is still that championship trophy, this one’s not just a side quest. Bragging rights, a big bag of cash, and a mid-season momentum boost? Obviously, teams will fight for it. Just a day in, and the vibes are giving déjà vu. Meanwhile, right when we thought it was all hoops from here on out, the off-court drama said, “Not so fast.”

Liberty Are Penning the Next New York Classic

It’s been a mixed-feelings kind of month for New York basketball fans. The Knicks were just knocked out by the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. But if you’re looking to lift the mood, just head across the bridge to Barclays Center and it’s nothing but happy vibes.

Last season was the breakthrough. A 32-8 record, the best in franchise history and second-best in the league. They stormed into the postseason and brought home their first-ever title. That energy is still going strong. Liberty’s title defense has gotten off to a historic 7-0 start, matching the legends from 1997 who once set the gold standard. That squad was iconic. But this one might just top them.

But you know, things weren’t always like this. This dominance didn’t appear overnight. It required vision, planning, and years of building. From James Dolan selling the team after losing $100 million to becoming WNBA champs with a $200 million valuation, the Liberty moved to the top piece by piece— here’s their incredible journey.

Now, the trio of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones looks even scarier this year and Natasha Cloud fits in so smoothly. Even on tired legs - four games in six days - they didn’t flinch. Against the Sun on Sunday, they rained down 19 threes, tying their franchise record.

But the real highlight? Sabrina, who turned a foul call challenge into a mini-title celebration. You’ll be laughing for hours after seeing what she used as evidence for her case.

Now, it’s revenge time. Sure, they defeated the Lynx in the Finals. But the Commissioner’s Cup defeat to them still stings. “We gotta run it back,” Ionescu said, locked in on redemption. But their first meeting isn’t till July 30. So we gotta wait.

Luggage That Lasts

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Big trips or short escapes; Samsonite has your back.

L for Lottery? The Fall’s Getting Loud

It’s still early, but a few teams might already be speed-running their way to the lottery. After a rocky start, Dallas finally got that first win. But just when it seemed like things were coming together, it all came crashing down. In the rematch vs Sky, they were already short-handed with Paige out and backup PG Ty Harris also sidelined. You could smell the disaster coming and it was the same story on a different night. Two days ago, they lost 97-92. This time, 94-83.

And speaking of déjà vu, old rivals Angel Reese and NaLyssa Smith picked up right where they left off last season. Both of them got into it and received techs for their actions. But truly, if this pattern continues, the Wings might just luck into Lauren Betts or Serah Williams in the next draft. Silver lining? Maybe.

Then there’s the Connecticut Sun. Fresh off Marina Mabrey’s 26-point heater vs the Fever, it was a disaster again. From tip-off, it was clear the Sun had absolutely nothing to offer against the defending champs.

We’re talking 100-52, the second-largest blowout in league history. And while no one on the Sun had a good night, Mabrey made history with this embarrassing stat. As for the Seattle Storm, after a hot start with wins over the Aces and Mercury, they’ve now dropped three straight.

Diggins and Gabby did their thing, with 11 and 20 points respectively. But Jewell Loyd and the Aces didn’t come to play. This was payback, and Vegas sealed it. As expected, it was a close contest, but the Aces secured a 75-70 win with 19 points from A’ja Wilson, 10 from Loyd, and 12 from Jackie Young.

Last Season’s Sequel? Commissioner’s Cup Day 1 Results Say Maybe

Plays That Fired Up the Night

A’ja Wilson and her ‘baby rook’ owned social media with their highlight reels as they lit it up in different jerseys this time. Here are moments we all wish we were there to witness live.

A’ja Wilson’s block city takeover. The Aces came into the game against Seattle with one thing on their mind - revenge. In their last loss, Storm forward Gabby Williams chipped in with a solid 12 points. Come the rematch, Gabby stepped up again with 20 but when it came to A’ja’s block, well, there’s just no answer for that.

In the third quarter, Williams cut through the lane, eyeing the bucket. But Wilson was right there, looking calm as ever, and blocked it hard, with Williams crashing to the floor. The W’s official page even uploaded the same play twice, saying it “deserves a replay”. Watch the impressive block here. By the end, she had 4 such nasty blocks!

Kate Martin’s scoring spree. Another name lighting up the search bar today? Kate Martin. You might be thinking, “Wait, did the Valkyries win?” Well… no. Golden State couldn’t hold off the Lynx in the second half, falling 86-75. But Kate Martin gave fans a run to remember.

The Iowa alumna went off in the second quarter: 4-of-5 shooting, back-to-back threes, totaling 14 points in six minutes! Starting with a no-look feed from Julie Vanloo, Martin nailed a deep three and just kept the heat coming. How she followed up with the rest? You’ll want to see it yourself and feel the thrills.

That surge pushed the Valkyries to a 52-51 halftime lead but too bad they couldn’t hold on.

More Than Buckets! WNBA’s Social Media Queens - Caitlin Clark is Only At No.2, Who’s on Top?

✨ She Got Glam! ✨

Even with the injury, Caitlin Clark’s still very much in the spotlight. The Pacers’ lucky charm showed up at Gainbridge Fieldhouse again as they punched their ticket to the NBA Finals. The Pacers are now 7-0 in the Playoffs with CC in the building. But what’s really got everyone talking is her latest video with Dude Perfect—she’s pulling off these insanely tough shots like it’s nothing. Check out Clark making 50 extremely crazy shots!

Rickea Seemingly on the Outs While Fever Eyes a Fresh Fit

Training camp concluded, waivers were completed, and the season began. All of us thought it’d be nothing but hoops on the court now, right? Well, not even a month in, and we’ve already got drama on one end and desperation on the other.

Let’s kick it off with the name trending all over - Rickea Jackson. You probably remember she got injured in the season opener. She finally suited up against the Dream last Tuesday, played only 12 minutes, went 0-for-3, and was seen in tears post-game, hugging her mother courtside.

Then, for the next few games, Jackson was ruled out due to personal reasons. Just when fans were sending well-wishes, they noticed something off - she had unfollowed the LA Sparks and removed them from her IG bio. Now, while that doesn’t confirm anything, her friend fired off these not-so-subtle posts clearly aimed at the franchise.

No official word yet, but if- and that’s a big if- Rickea’s thinking of a way out, this could be huge. She averaged 13.4 points last season as a rookie and is a culture piece for LA. Losing her would be brutal.

While LA might be heading toward crisis mode, the Fever were already there - down to just eight players. First, their offensive engine, Caitlin Clark, got sidelined, and then guards Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham went down as well.

That’s three guards (two PGs) out in two weeks. Naturally, the team was scrambling to find a temporary guard to plug the hole. “We’re down in numbers, but we’re looking at adding another player, a replacement player,” confirmed Fever President Kelly Krauskopf. And now, they have signed Aari McDonald to a hardship contract.

Aari McDonald’s History With the Fever: When Indiana’s Newest Guard Forgot to Shoot the 2nd Free Throw Thanks to Caitlin Clark

📝 More Stories to Check Out

1. With Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark Out, Fever and Wings Crumble Under the Same Crisis- Full Story

2. Rickea Jackson Breaks Silence, Bold Post Shuts Down Wild Rumors - Full Story

3. WNBA’s Disrespect to Indiana Fever Loud and Clear - Full Story

4. Sabrina Ionescu Eyes Payback Tour as Liberty Plot Redemption - Full Story

5. Becky Hammon Throws Shade at WNBA Officials as A’ja Wilson Endures Bizarre Historic Night - Full Story

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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