WNBA 2024 Season

[Gumusut_Amige]

With the popularity of the WNBA on the rise, a dedicated thread is well-deserved.
One rookie sensation, Caitlin Clark, is significantly raising the WNBA's profile on the sports landscape.

Shaq calls Caitlin Clark the 'real deal,' dismisses Barkley comments about pettiness - Yahoo Sports

Shaq calls Caitlin Clark the 'real deal,' dismisses Barkley comments about pettiness
Lindsay Schnell, Usa Today
Tue, Sep 10, 2024, 1:24 AM GMT+8·4 min read

Shaquille O’Neal is the first to praise Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese and all her accomplishments. The Hall of Famer and former LSU great built a bond so close with Reese she’s said he’s a father figure in her life.

But O’Neal, one of the greatest to play in the NBA, admitted something about the player many have deemed Reese’s No. 1 rival: Caitlin Clark, O’Neal said, is “the real deal.�

O’Neal was in Chicago on Aug. 30 to watch Reese’s Sky take on Clark’s Fever in the teams’ final meeting of the 2024 season. Reese debuted Reebok’s newest basketball shoe, and O’Neal came to cheer her on. The Fever ran Chicago out of the building, winning 100-81 behind a career-high 31 points from Clark, who also dished 12 assists. Reese, meanwhile, had 10 points and 11 rebounds. O’Neal walked away impressed with Clark.

“When I see stuff on TV I’m like, OK, I’d like to see it in person. Well, I saw it in person,� O’Neal said of Clark. “She can play … from a basketball standpoint, she makes all the right plays, gets everybody involved and she has that Steph Curry (shooting) range.�

O’Neal said the 2024 Rookie of the Year race will likely come down to Reese and Clark. After beating the Sky in three of four matchups and securing a playoff spot a couple weeks ago, most believe Clark will win in a landslide.

Another factor: Reese announced over the weekend that she would miss the rest of the season after sustaining a wrist injury that needs surgery. The No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft, Reese was leading the league in rebounds — 13.1 per game — at the time of her announcement.

O’Neal anticipates that the Clark vs. Reese talk won’t die down anytime soon, either.

“What makes it good for the game is it’ll be those two forever,� he said. “You can make little games of it. In college, Angel’s up one (cause of winning a national championship). Now you can say, OK Caitlin’s in the playoffs, is Angel going to make the playoffs? Little games that you can play that keep their names going. I’m happy for both of them, I’m happy for women’s sports.''

And given their popularity, O’Neal said, which has brought record attendance, ratings and overall lifted the league into the public eye, it’s time for another change.

“Now it’s time for equal pay,� he said. “They’ve always been great, but the space they’re in now, it’s time for everybody to be getting equal pay. I would love to see one of them make $10, 15, 20 million a year, they deserve it. But the fans have to continue to support … you gotta keep (going) to the games, buying merch, you gotta keep doing all that stuff and the more they do that, the more they’ll get paid.�

Asked about recent comments from Charles Barkley, who called out other WNBA players in May, saying they were being “petty� and “jealous� when it comes to Clark, O’Neal offered a different perspective.

“There’s envious jealousy, there’s professional jealousy,� O’Neal said. “Sure there’s a lot of people who are professionally jealous. I am. I’m professionally jealous of a lot of people. I’m professionally jealous of Steph (Curry), he makes $60 million. But hey, that’s life.

“You gotta also understand that we’re not just going to give it to you because everybody else is giving it to you,� O’Neal continued. “You still gotta earn it. Chuck had to go through that, I had to go through that, so I understand what everybody’s doing. Yeah you’re great, but you ain’t that great yet. Calm down. We still got Diana Taurasi, we still got A’ja Wilson, if you’re gonna give (Caitlin) props make sure our girls that are dominating in this league get the same props.�

O’Neal highlighted specifically the play of Wilson, the runaway favorite to win her third MVP. Through 34 games Wilson is averaging a league-best 27.3 points per game, to go with 11.9 rebounds per game (second-best in league) and 2.7 blocks per game (first). Wilson is expected to contend for defensive player of the year honors, too.

“Loudmouths like Chuck are talking about hating — it’s not hating,� O’Neal said. “It’s like, you’re good but let’s slow it down a notch. As good as Caitlin Clark is, we’ve had a lot of young ladies who have been doing good (before) and not getting props. People like props and they want to feel good when you’re talking about (their league) … it’s not hating. Everybody has to wait their turn.�

[dr. d]

With the popularity of the WNBA on the rise, a dedicated thread is well-deserved.
One rookie sensation, Caitlin Clark, is significantly raising the WNBA's profile on the sports landscape.
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i have been loosely following her.
she's head and shoulders above the competition....

[baludoy]

as good as clark has been this season and as much as she has brought new complexion to the league, it's still sophie Cunningham and marina mabrey i tend to follow.

mabrey scorching the net



napaka feisty ni sophie



si skylar diggins-smith sinusundan ko din dati kaso may maluwang na turnilyo somewhere itong taong ito eh

[baludoy]

https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1834746937423040686

another record broken by caitlin

[Gumusut_Amige]

https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1834746937423040686

another record broken by caitlin

Mas maganda sana kung nakuha nila ang panalo laban sa Aces.
I read somewhere that some teams are apparently trying to avoid the fever in the first round.

mukhang Aces superstar A'ja Wilson is cementing her campaign as season MVP.

[baludoy]

^ wilson is the best player in the league right now. i think naman she deserves the mvp award if ever. but caitlin has made the most impact for her team and for the league since its inception. kaya dapat i-consider din for the mvp plum. but the thing is, i think she's #6 on the list of probable mvp awardees for some reason. however, the roy award is a definite lock for the iowa hawk eye alum.

personally, i think indiana won't advance deep into the play-offs. they're too wet behind the ears pa and the coach is a bit lacking. ayaw niya i-capitalize si clark sa closely contested end games multiple times na kaya ayon, olats.

next season paige bueckers will join the wnba. if she can keep healthy, she's another player to watch out for. hindi ko lang alam kung si Hailey van lith mag papa-draft na next year. isa pa iyon na exciting guard at may itsura pa.

[Gumusut_Amige]

Caitlin Clark scores career-high 35 points to pass Seimone Augustus for most points in a WNBA rookie season - Yahoo Sports

Caitlin Clark scores career-high 35 points to pass Seimone Augustus for most points in a WNBA rookie season
Clark keeps on breaking records, reaching 761 points this season after the Fever's 110-109 win over the Wings

Caitlin Clark just can't stop breaking records. The Indiana Fever rookie sensation marked her latest milestone on Sunday, breaking the WNBA single-season rookie point record on the way to a 110-109 win over the Dallas Wings.

Clark finished with a career-high 35 points in Sunday's game, racking up 761 total points to pass Seimone Augustus for most points in a rookie season. Augustus, now a Hall-of-Famer, set the record in 2006, scoring 744 points for the Minnesota Lynx in her rookie year.

The game came down to the wire, with the Wings getting within two points with just seconds remaining. Fever center Aliyah Boston hit two free throws with one second left to lift the win just out of Dallas' grasp. Although Dallas forward Satou Sabally was able to make the buzzer-beating three-pointer, it wasn't enough, and Indiana took the 110-109 win.

In addition to Clark's career-high in points, she chipped in three rebounds, eight assists and three steals. She also hit six three-pointers, just one shy of her career high.

Kelsey Mitchell was right behind Clark, scoring 27 points for the Fever, while Sabally and Arike Ogunbowale also dropped 27 points each for Dallas.

Clark has certainly made her mark on the record books this season, breaking both rookie records and WNBA records alike. The 22-year-old guard broke the rookie records for assists and three-pointers in August, before breaking the WNBA single-season assist record on Friday. She set the single-game assist record back in July, with 19 assists — also against the Wings.

Caitlin Clark breaks WNBA assist record as Rookie of the Year campaign continues
Despite liking Taylor Swift’s post, Caitlin Clark isn’t endorsing anyone in the presidential election
WNBPA, players condemn commissioner Cathy Engelbert over interview about race, Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry
Behind the trio of Clark, Boston and Mitchell, the Indiana Fever broke an eight-year postseason drought to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. With Sunday's victory, the Fever get its 20th win of the season and have now clinched the sixth seed for the postseason.

just hoping that the Fever can pass through the 2nd round of the WNBA playoff.

[Ry_Tower]

Caitlin Clark scores career-high 35 points to pass Seimone Augustus for most points in a WNBA rookie season - Yahoo Sports



just hoping that the Fever can pass through the 2nd round of the WNBA playoff.

That would be icing on the cake indeed.

[baludoy]

clark fans gearing up for the play-offs

https://x.com/CClarkReport/status/1837211625939435679

[baludoy]

caitlin and the rest of the indiana gang booted out of the play-offs