This week in the WNBA

By Veronica Harris

BarnBurner.ca

 

TORONTO. - For those of you reading this in Canada, I hope you had a beautiful long weekend- I know I did. If you went to OVO Fest or Caribana here in Toronto, I hope you were safe and showed your pride! There was a lot happening in the league this week, so let’s break it down!

 

First off let’s start with how the women keep on moving up in the league. To start the season, it was the first ever commissioner of the WNBA (before there was “president’s”) Cathy Engelbert and now former Phoenix Mercury player Niele Ivey was hired as the Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach! YES MEMPHIS! That makes a total of 9 females coaching in the National Basketball Association. It’s a beautiful thing to see the sports world catch on that women are equal and have just as much knowledge and power as men. 

 

Fun Fact: Nancy Lieberman, who is the head coach of Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 basketball team, “Power” and won it all last year was the first former Mercury player to be hired as an NBA Assistant Coach back in 2015. We are still waiting for a woman to take the head coach role.

 

Since we are speaking so much of the Mercury, we may as well continue because they are just such a fine club! Brittney Griner, who at this very moment is the ONLY player who can dunk, lead the Mercury to a win over the Mystics, 103-82 by putting up 26 pts, a career high 8 ast and 4 blocks! The Mercury are currently 6th in the league and are hoping to keep a playoff spot.

 

I’m not sure if you know a player by the name of -Candace Parker? Of course you do! Who am I kidding? Back in May Parker succumbed to a hamstring injury during the Los Angeles Spark’s first preseason game. She was ruled out 3-5 weeks and her first game back was June 18th against the Washington Mystics but sadly went 1-9 from the field only putting up 3 pts. Parker has been relatively quiet up until this week where she put up a season-high  21 pts, 7 reb & 2 stl. It’s nice to see her getting back into the groove. Some are even comparing Parker to LA Sparks Legend Lisa Leslie. 

 

Fun Fact: Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie and Brittney Griner, who have all been mentioned in this article are 3 of the 6 players who’ve dunked in the WNBA. The other 3 ladies are Michelle Snow, Slyvia Fowles and Jonquel Jones. Leslie was the first to do it back in 2002.

 

I’d like to challenge all young girls and women out there to pick up a ball and get dunking. You have the ability. You just need to practice!

 

The Connecticut Sun are on a roll and are letting everybody know it! Coming of their 7^th consecutive win (winning against the NY Liberty 94-79 on August 4th) is showing the rest of the league that they mean business. The Sun are currently in first place and have full intention of taking the chip home this year. Their record is 16-6 with 12 games remaining in the regular season. Courtney Williams led the ladies with 28 pts, 6 ast and 7 reb. The Washington Mystics (1 GB) and Las Vegas Aces (1.5 GB) aren’t letting them run away with it just yet.