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Sparks fall to Lynx in a grind

By
Jevone Moore
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Ogwumike battles in the paint. (Photo by Full Image 360)

Los Angeles, CA- With :33 seconds on the clock the Los Angeles Sparks down 74-72 to the Minnesota Lynx. The Sparks went down low to Nneka Ogwumike who lost the handle that resulted in a steal and eventually a 77-72 defeat at home.

Ogwumike didn’t play well tonight with the physical play by the front court of the Lynx who held her to 8 points 5 rebounds and 7 assists.

Canada looks to drive. (Photo by Full Image 360)

Jordin Canada led the Sparks with a team high 22 points and 5 assist but her single effort and energy wasn’t enough.  

“A grinding game, we put ourselves in position to win,” said Sparks coach Miller, “I didn’t love the amount of three pointers we shot tonight.

After three quarter of play the Lynx shot a three pointer for 58-57 lead going 4th and started off hot. This made Sparks coach Miller call an early time out trailing 63-57 with 8:35 left in the game.

Mitchell ran the offense for the Lynx. (Photo by Full Image 360)

The Lynx offense was led by Napheesa Collier with 25 points in 38 minutes of play. Kayla McBride dropped 16 points from the front court.

The Lynx record of 2-7 is little deceiving because night in night out they took first quarter lead 18-16, making the Sparks grind out tough quarter to start. The Sparks did manage to hold 19-18 lead going into the second quarter.

Defense for both teams kept this game exciting early with most of half being a game of will.

The Sparks point guard Canada (21) took matters in her own hands with effort. She jumped from the floor to tip back a ball to Ogwumike that passed to Hamby for a basket that caused the Lynx to call a timeout with 3:52 left before half and 35-28 lead.

Samuelson shots a three. (Photo by Full Image 360)

Now the team’s energy jumped with back-to-back three-point baskets by Samuelson (44) & Hamby (5) along with 38-31 score.  But for 40 minutes the Lynx just out performed the Sparks.

“Tonight, Minnesota was better under the bright lights then us tonight.” Said Miller.

The Sparks will host the #2 Connecticut Suns on Father’s Day June 18th at 4:30pm. The Lynx will travel to Vegas to take on the defending champion Aces on Sunday at 6pm.

Storm surge falls short as Seattle can’t beat Mystics for second time this weekend 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – In similar fashion to their only victory of the season, June 6th over the Sparks, the Seattle Storm used a thunderous comeback to overcome an ugly start to their game against the Washington Mystics. The Storm once trailed by as much as 28 points before rumbling back into this game with their suffocating defensive performance and big performances from Ezi Magbegor, Kia Nurse, and Ivana Dojkic. The surge from Seattle wasn’t enough, as the Storm ran out of time in a six-point loss to the Mystics on the day that the team honor Sue Bird and send her retired jersey into the rafters of Climate Pledge Arena.  

“Just weren’t hyper aware and focused with our speed and our scope. I think we just struggled to score. Jewell had to really focus on that and help us offensively. Not playing well in transition, we made some mistakes…” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on today’s game. 
 

These past three games for Seattle have seen slow and sluggish starts in the first half, immediately pitting themselves in a hole to begin the contest and putting them at a huge disadvantage. In all three games, the Storm have been able to come back and keep themselves in the fight thanks to adjustments and improvements on defense plus some quality contributions from the starting lineup and Ivana Dojkic. Washington built an early lead with domination in the paint while hitting more than half their shots from beyond the arch, taking advantage of Seattle’s aggressive defensive play. It wasn’t as if the Storm weren’t displaying the right effort on defense, they were almost displaying too much as they overcommitted and left Mystics players open.  

Seattle’s offensive struggles in the first half were ugly, as the Storm made four shots in each quarter and eight total in that first half. In the first quarter in particular, Seattle struggled heavily in the paint to create offense. The Storm missed their last nine shots and saw the Mystics go on a 12-point run in the final four and a half minutes of that frame. Those struggles continued into the second quarter, as Seattle continued to miss shots while Washington buried jumper after jumper. It was getting ugly, as the halftime mark saw the Mystics more than double the Storm score.  

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

As the fourth quarter rolled around, with the Storm down by 21 points, young center Ezi Magbegor began to go to work in the paint and seemingly dragged the team’s offensive effort back into the game. Their big push came as that fourth and final quarter began, as Seattle went on a 17-point run in the first six minutes. The Storm defense suffocated and battled hard, while the starters and Ivana Dojkic gave their all towards the effort. A Kia Nurse three-pointer brought them within a basket, but that was the closest that Seattle got. On a possession a little over two minutes later, Nurse got a rebound and gave a little bit of a shake on Washington’s Ariel Atkins which earned Nurse a technical foul. It pushed the Mystics lead to four, and the Storm couldn’t battle back. A tough loss to put a cap on a strong and ferocious effort.  

“Confidence. Here understanding of our schemes and being in the correct place, especially on the defensive end. She’s an elite athlete, it’s so important for her to hone in on the how-to things and she’s doing that on the defensive end. Then offensively, just playing basic in transition and finding things to learn,” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on Jordan Horston’s recent play that earned her a starting spot.  

Following these past two games against the Mystics at home and their third straight contest at Climate Pledge Arena in general, the Storm will head out on the road for their next three games. The first of those three is on Tuesday, June 13th in Phoenix against the Mercury with a tipoff time of 7PM PST. It’ll be a battle of the struggling sides, as the Mercury aren’t much better than the Storm with an abysmal 1-5 record on the season. One of the sides will pick up their second win of the year, when those two teams battle it out on the CBS Sports Network inside of the Footprint Center. 

Sparks keep the Sky below their feet

By
Jevone Moore
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Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Sparks hold off the hot Chicago Sky for a much need victory 77-62 to get them back over .500 ball. Now Sparks record is 4-3 in the Western Conference.

Sparks were led by Dearica Hamby (5) who had a great fast half scoring 16 points for a season high. Then for the game Nneka Ogwumike (30) scored 19 points with 5 assists.   

“I’ve had a rough last six, seven months and I come out every game and I’m trying, I’m trying. Statistically, 6-of-14 is not great for me, but it just was a game that I could get some confidence back.” said Hamby,

Hamby ( Photo by Full Image 360)

The Sparks pushed off to 7-0 start to kickoff the game and never let go of the lead.

They allowed the Sky to tie the game but even down the stretch in the 4th quarter they held a 6-point lead with 3:20 left in game 66-60.

Sparks head coach Kurt Miller was vocal all night for his team to keep the defense tight and the referees to stop holding their whistle and make a call.

“It was from the first quarter on with her desire to run the floor and put pressure on their defense in transition,” said Miller.

Coming into tonight match-up the 4th place Chicago Sky (5-3) were on a two-game winning streak, while 7th place Los Angeles Sparks (3-3). 

Stevens #23 (Photo by Full Image 360)

The Sky front court played a sound game with both Elizabeth Williams (1) scoring 14 points, Alanna Smith (8) 19 points and Marina Mabrey (4) 10 points.     

With Chiney Ogwumike sitting out this game the team still made it work for the win.

Jordin Canada (21) in the backcourt dropped 16 points and 5 assists to push her teammates to be involved.

Now the Sparks will enjoy this victory and be back on the court Sunday at 4pm against Minnesota Lynx.

Storm fall to Mystics in tight contest without Jewell Loyd 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The close games continue to slip away from the Seattle Storm in their 2023 season, as even without the league’s leading scorer in Jewell Loyd they hung around with the Washington Mystics. Storm center Ezi Magbegor brought the offensive aggression early and often, tallying a career high 24 points, and no one star shone brightest for Washington to give Seattle a fighting chance. Rebounding and second chance points continue to be points of emphasis for the team, as those departments may ultimately have been the different in this contest. Considering how close of a battle this was, the Storm have a solid chance of winning on Sunday when the teams meet again.  

“Not having Jewell was a big loss, I think we definitely felt her presence still. During the game, she’s very talkative, throughout the game, at halftime, before the game. Even though she wasn’t on the court with us, we definitely still felt her. felt so sorry. But it was definitely next one up. And I think we did a great job of playing together as a team tonight and you know, like I’ve said previously, I think we just get better and better every game timing. Just building that chemistry really helped,” Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm center, on playing without Jewell Loyd.  

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

With shooting guard and the leading scorer in the WNBA sidelined as Jewell Loyd was held out with a foot injury, Seattle was essentially written off before tipoff. The Storm didn’t care, as the game was close throughout, beginning in the first quarter. The Mystics appeared to begin to pull away as they got inside often, but the Seattle defense started to click and force Washington into mistakes and missed shots. With their defense getting back to basics, the Storm bench found a spark and ran with it as names like Arella Guirantes, Ivana Dojkic, and Jade Melbourne all chipped in to make this a three-point game after ten minutes. With their bench out-performing their starters point wise, Seattle continues to display that when the pieces of the puzzle fully get put in place, they’ll be dangerous in their new era.  

The defensive effort continued to keep Seattle in this one through the first five minutes of the second quarter, before things went south. The final five minutes before the halftime break saw the Mystics go on a 19-5 run where the Storm had numerous missed shots, fouls, and turnovers. It can certainly be viewed as a “growing” quarter for the young team that continues to get acclimated with their roles and playing with each other, but in the present, it was a stretch that pit Seattle in a 14-point hole at the halfway point of the game.  

“I feel like we tightened up on our defense in the second half. We played really hard, i felt like we gave the effort. We just gotta clean up on some things, we’re gonna watch film and we’ll clean that up, then we’ll see them Sunday. I feel like everybody on the team gave their all, I felt like everybody was pulling for each other. I feel like the effort was there, we’re gonna figure it out,” Jordan Horston, Seattle Storm forward, on the team’s defensive adjustments.   

In crunch time, the Storm remained competitive but couldn’t bring the game to a tie, let alone complete their comeback effort. The first three minutes of the fourth saw a tough defensive showing from both sides before the Mystics began to take advantage of Storm mistakes. Turnovers, fouls, and missed shots came back to bite Seattle down the home stretch despite some big made shots that kept them within striking distance. With less than three minutes left, the Storm were down by six-points with the ball. Seattle missed their next three shots before a Tiana Hawkins layup made it a three-possession game that the Storm couldn’t recover from. Washington pulled away, and took the first of two games that the teams will play this weekend.  

The Storm will remain at home, their sixth in the first seven games, and face these Washington Mystics once again on Sunday, June 11th with a tipoff time of 12PM PST. Following the gritty and tight contest, Seattle will look to get their party started with a victory as after the game, the Storm will raise Sue Bird’s iconic and now retired #10 jersey to the rafters of Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle’s winningest athlete with four WNBA Championships, it’s the weekend of Bird as prior to this game a copy of the banner was raised atop the Space Needle and a mural of the legend was unveiled within the city. 

ROSE BOWL STADIUM TO DEDICATE STATUE TO UCLA LEGENDARY FOOTBALL COACH TERRY DONAHUE

By
Press Release
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UCLA during the PAC-12 Football Media Day 2016. Live at Ray Dolby Ballroom at the Hollywood and Highland Entertainment Center in Los Angeles, Ca. on July 14, 2016 (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
Jevone Moore/Full Image 360

PASADENA, Calif. (June 8, 2023) – The winningest coach in UCLA football and Pac-12 Conference history, Terry Donahue, will be celebrated with a statue at the Rose Bowl Stadium this Fall. The unveiling and dedication event, which is open to the public, will take place on Friday, October 27th at 3:00 PM at America’s Stadium in Pasadena.

The statue of Coach Donahue will be surrounded by 151 bronze roses of varying shapes and sizes. As a gift by over 100 donors to the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the non-profit that supports the preservation, protection and enhancement of the Stadium’s future, each rose has been supported by an individual or family and honors one of the conference- and school-record 151 wins during Donahue’s career on the UCLA sidelines. 

UCLA Field ready for Spring Ball 2019 in Los Angeles. Photo by Jevone Moore


Coach Donahue’s statue will be the fourth on Rose Bowl property to represent key moments and people in the venue’s history, joining Jackie Robinson (dedicated in 2017), the 1999 Team USA FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions (dedicated 2019) and iconic broadcaster Keith Jackson (dedicated 2019).  The commemorative statue will celebrate Donahue’s presence as a coach as well as commemorate his 151 wins. It will be the first, statue located inside the Stadium’s gates with the other three located outside the venue’s fence line near the Stadium’s main entrance at Gate A.

The statue’s location inside the venue will be an area of enjoyment and education for all fans, student-athletes, coaches, and visitors to the Stadium. Adjacent to the Charles E. Young Locker Room, UCLA players and coaches will pass by the iconic coach before each home game.

Over 20 years, Coach Donahue had more wins than any football coach in the school’s history, including seven consecutive bowl championships. He became the face of football at UCLA as a player and coach, staying in the latter position for two decades and leading the school to seven consecutive bowl-winning seasons in the 1980s.

“Coach Donahue’s spirit and what he meant to his players, colleagues, the UCLA community and to the history and preservation of the Rose Bowl Stadium was larger than life,” said Dedan Brozino, President of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation. “He represented the integrity, sportsmanship and care for teaching that is emblematic of only the special coaches in the game – and Terry was beyond legendary.”  

Donahue won more games than any other coach in the school’s and the Pac-12 Conference’s history. He ended his career with a winning record against each of the conference’s teams, including the Bruins’ crosstown rival, the University of Southern California Trojans.

Overall, he won 151 of the 233 games he coached, and 98 of those victories were in the Pac-10 (as the conference was known before adding two teams in 2011). His eighth and final win in a bowl came in the 1991 John Hancock Bowl.

UCLA BRUINS


Donahue’s streak of bowl victories included Rose Bowl Game® wins in ’83, ’84 and ’86. He was the first person to appear in the Rose Bowl Game® as a player, an assistant coach and a coach.

“On behalf of the Terry Donahue family, we are humbled by this outpouring of support for the Terry Donahue Statue and 151 Roses Dedication,” said Andrea Donahue. “The Rose Bowl has always played a meaningful part in our lives and provided us many opportunities and great joy. We can’t begin to express our gratitude for this iconic stadium and all the people that make it so special. It is a great honor to continue Coach Terry Donahue’s legacy so that he may continue to impact the lives of others.”
 
On the field, Donahue played in UCLA’s 1966 Rose Bowl Game® victory, the upset win over Michigan State was UCLA’s first Rose Bowl Game® victory. The team earned the nickname “Gutty Little Bruins” because nobody on the defensive line weighed more than 225 pounds. Donahue, a walk-on, weighed just 195 pounds.

“Coach Donahue impacted thousands of young men from all over America, not just in football, but in life,” said Troy Aikman. “As good as he was at coaching the game, his greatest gift was being an example for how to be better men. We all carry a part of him deep within us. I’m so proud to support this project at the Rose Bowl to honor Coach and his lasting impact on so many.”

“On behalf of the Rose Bowl Stadium, we want to thank all the donors who made this project possible. We are proud to honor a man who is not only iconic to the legacy of UCLA football, but to all of college football,” said Chief Executive Officer / General Manager Jens Weiden. “This statue will stand at America’s Stadium for generations to come so we can remember his impact, and all that he represented for the Bruins and the game of college football.” 

Having hosted two Olympic Games (with a third coming in 2028), two FIFA® World Cup Finals, five Super Bowls, and countless first-class entertainment moments, the Rose Bowl Stadium has highlighted key moments around the venue over the years.  Statues, historical markers, historical photos, paintings, timelines, the 1922 Locker Room Museum, and the soon-to-open California High School Football Hall of Fame have transformed the world-renowned venue into a walking museum of sports and entertainment excellence.

Seattle thunders their way back from 21-point deficit to pick up first win of season 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Dylan Stewart / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – After a brutal blowout to start the season and three tightly contest losses, the Seattle Storm have won their first game of 2023 with a 66-63 comeback victory against the Los Angeles Sparks. The game forecast seemed dark and difficult early on, as Los Angeles was able to hold a 21-point lead at one point, before the Storm were able to channel their energy into impact with strong defensive and crafty baskets. Seattle shooting guard Jewell Loyd continues her hit streak to begin the season, pouring in 25 points while tallying her 4,000th-career point, all in a Storm uniform. The puzzle pieces continue to come together for Seattle, whose rookies were impressive in this contest while veterans Loyd and Ezi Magbegor had strong efforts to propel the team forward.  

“That was a great effort from our group super excited for this group to see the fruits of their labor. Being rewarded by a win, and it’s not just the win, but the how. This is a good step for us and we will continue to learn, grow and get better but I’m super happy for this group, how we fought and how we stick stay together, never wavered through our effort tonight,” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on her overall thoughts of the win. 

Photo by Dylan Stewart / fi360 News

Seattle had been able to start every game of their young season so far with a quick burst of energy that either got them ahead of their opponent or keep them around, but the Storm were instantly pushed aside by the Sparks in this contest. Los Angeles was getting whatever they wanted out on the perimeter, and while Seattle tried to focus on that to get things turned around, the Sparks found their way inside for some easy points in the paint. It was the perfect sort of recipe for how to start the ballgame, Los Angeles had things clicking on all cylinders, and it was looking really ugly for a Seattle team that was still searching for its first victory on the season. Poor shooting on the offensive end for the Storm wasn’t matching what the Sparks were able to do, and it appeared to be gloomy for Seattle.  

“More energy on the defensive end. We talked about our pickup points, starting with Jordin and Azura, just being engaged. We talked about our physicality and not allowing Nneka just to get to her sweet spots, just playing with more energy. There were some defensive breakdowns because of communication and coverages, that was another thing just being ultra aware of what’s happening on the floor. Trying to play out of our defense with some transition and it wasn’t going to be a homerun play. It was possession by possession, just continue to chip away. Some good things happened before the half ended and it gave us some momentum to go into the second half,” Noelle Quinn, Seattle Storm head coach, on how the team got back into the game. 

Photo by Dylan Stewart / fi360 News

After that brutal first quarter, the Storm were able to remain level-headed and get into their defensive switches to frustrate a Sparks team that had taken great care of the ball to begin the year. Despite Los Angeles leading the WNBA in fewest turnovers, Seattle found a way to frustrate the Sparks and help ignite their own offensive attack with pace and defensive presence. Through their switching and their activity on defense, Seattle frustrated Los Angeles’ offensive approach and forced plenty of turnovers, turning defense into offense. Considering that the Storm have the most fast break points per game, that sort of defensive persistence played right into their favor to help Seattle claw right back into this game. 

Photo by Dylan Stewart / fi360 News

The Storm will take a few days off/train ahead of their next battle, the first of two in as many games against the Washington Mystics. The two battles over the course of this weekend will include festivities for the legendary Sue Bird, who is having her jersey retired and put amongst the Climate Pledge Arena rafters on the Sunday, May 11th battle against the Washington Mystics. It’s sure to be a busy weekend for Seattle, who aims to build off this win, and it continues with that next game on May 9th against the Mystics with a 7PM PST tip off.   

Storm can’t spoil Breanna Stewart’s return to Seattle in loss to Liberty 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – In the worst start to a season in their franchise history, the Seattle Storm lost their third straight game, as they fell to the New York Liberty by a score of 86-78. Seattle battled hard throughout the entire game, against one of the two super teams in the WNBA, but a big third quarter by New York ultimately dug the Storm a hole they couldn’t fully climb out of. Seattle switched heavily, leaving them in some disadvantageous mismatches that New York was able to exploit in the third, including Breanna Stewart. Stewie poured in ten in the third frame to help the Liberty pull away and deal her former team the loss in front of 8,340 fans inside Climate Pledge Arena.  

Just as they have in the previous two games to open the season, the Storm battled early on to give themselves a good start against the Liberty. Seattle’s Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor lead the charge early and helped keep the Storm in the fight as the Liberty got into their offense. With numerous weapons that could attack the interior, the Liberty were getting inside early and often as they made sure to switch heavily to get Seattle’s smaller players in mismatches. While Loyd and Magbegor led the push, the rest of the Storm lineup pitched in to hang with a New York roster that very well could find themselves in the Finals. Attacking the point and surviving the switches through help defense, the Storm went into halftime only training by seven points.  

“I think anyone can see that. We’ve gotten better every game and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to build, not just for this month, but for the year. We understand it’s gonna be some learning curves and regression, so figuring out rotations, defensive assignments… We’re getting better,” Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm shooting guard, on if she thinks the team is improving.  

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Following the tight first half, things were different coming out of the halftime break. While the Storm did get within three points of the Liberty within the first two minutes and were still hanging around until late, the end of the quarter is where separation began to show. Breanna Stewart closed out that quarter strong in the final four minutes, as he racked up three points and five rebounds as she put her fingerprints all over the game. With Stewart getting activated, the Liberty were able to open their attack a bit more as they got inside while being able to pop out to the perimeter where their shooters could take over.  

“I think coming out of halftime, we knew we had to just be aggressive, the first five minutes of the quarter. That was an emphasis that we had. Going forward, we just have to figure out how to stop teams’ runs. They obviously got that, and I think we just have to do a better job of stopping them in the moment, Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm power forward/center, on what happened in the third quarter. 

Following their third loss in a row to begin the season, the Storm will head out on the road for the first time this year. Seattle will head down to Los Angeles to battle the Sparks for the regular season and second this year if you include the preseason contest that the Storm won. Tipoff for their battle on Saturday, June 3rd at 7PM PST. The Sparks haven’t gotten off to the hottest start to the season, winning their first game on the year against the Phoenix Mercury before they have dropped consecutive games to the Las Vegas Aces. 

Storm thunder back against Wings but fail to complete comeback 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – In their second game of the 2023 season and their new era in franchise history, the Seattle Storm dropped a tight contest against the Dallas Wings at Climate Pledge Arena in front of 8,277 fans. Much different than their 41-point historically poor loss to the Las Vegas Aces, Seattle was able to Storm back against the Wings after Dallas controlled most of the game. There was an opportunity in the dying seconds of the contest, when Seattle had a potential rebound to regain the ball down one possession slip through their fingers. Wings forward Satou Sabally grabbed the loose ball that could’ve tied things up for the Storm on the other end and put it up for a quick-two to double their lead and essentially end the game with 4.8 ticks left. It’s a frustrating result for Seattle, after battling back hard to get into this game, but nice to see that push at all.  

“There was more fight, I think we were a little bit more comfortable. We had a really great week of practice. People were committed to just getting better. And, you know, that’s what you want to see. It’s obvious you want to get a win. But at the same time, you need to see the growth and improvement and I think that we could practice, watching film breaking it down, and I’m gonna get action shots, and extra conditioning,” Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm shooting guard, on tonight’s loss.  

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Like their season opening loss to the Las Vegas Aces, the Storm were able to find some energy going into the beginning of the game to get them started on an eight-point run. Veteran point guard Yvonne Turner again led the Seattle attack, as the Storm were able to spread the offense around this time. Couple that with Seattle stymying the Wings attack out of the gate and contesting multiple Dallas shots, and the Storm were able to start things off well. It was eerily like the team’s opening quarter against the Aces, and this first quarter ended just like that one against Las Vegas. Seattle started to fade, as Dallas got in the paint and started to dictate the pace of the game while having guard Arike Ogunbowale on the perimeter to knock down shots when the opportunity presented itself. If these first two games are any indication of things being a trend, Seattle will need to sustain these hot starts going forward if they want to get any success this season.  

After an eleven-point differential at the halfway mark, the Storm battled back and brought the fight to the Wings throughout the second half and even outscored Dallas in the fourth quarter. Jewell Loyd, the best player on this Storm team, hit hard shot after hard shot while veteran guard Sami Whitcomb found her spark to help. Kia Nurse, who had only played three minutes in the second half of game one, found her game as well as she exploded for 20 points to put three of the Seattle starters in double digits. Getting that sort of support for Loyd, who will undoubtedly be the leader of this team, will be huge if the Storm want to win any games this year.   

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

“I just think people are just getting comfortable. And every day I see their faces, you know, how they walk in the locker room, how they come to practice, like they’re getting more confident, but it takes some time. We have to be patient. We were better today than we were last game, right? You see little bits and pieces coming together. We’re gonna build off this and, you know, we’ll get there for sure,” Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm shooting guard, on establishing a new identity. 

The Storm continue their three-game homestand to begin the 2023 season, hosting former franchise legend Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty. That game will take place on Tuesday, May 30th with a 6PM PST Tipoff being broadcast on ESPN2. Seattle has another tough test on their hands within their first three contests, as they’ll host the two mega-super teams in the WNBA in the Aces and Liberty. It’s a rude awakening for the Storm, who are trying to get some younger players integrated into their system and establish a new identity, and it’ll be an immediate trial by fire. Taking into consideration the fight and energy that Seattle showed in this loss, there’s reason to believe their season won’t be full of blowouts, but it’s going to be very tough to beat New York.    

Photo by Stanley Morris / fi360 News

Vegas Aces take control in 2nd half

By
Jevone Moore
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Photo by Full Image 360

Los Angeles, CA – The Las Vegas Aces come from behind with a 94-85 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena.

The Aces had four players in double figures for the game, the hot hand in first half and the game was Jackie Young with game high 30 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assist.

Photo by Full Image 360

At 3:05 in 3rd quarter the Aces tied the score at 59 battling back. After a Sparks turnover the Aces took the lead 61-59 with smooth jump shot in the paint. The Aces kept pushing taking a 3rd quarter 4-point lead 67-63.

While playing with the lead the Aces took the Sparks best shot and never gave back the momentum.

“We talked in the locker room after the game and said in this league there is no moral victories,” said coach Miller, “I thought we did good, but credit to defending champions Aces for a great performance.”

Ogwumike #13 (Photo by Full Image 360)

The short-handed Sparks found a way to keep the ball moving in the first half to lead 46-36. The Sparks only had eight players for the game.

The biggest name missing from today line up was the heart of the team Nneka Ogwumike #30 who was listed as injury/illness – non-COVID illness.

Sparks guard Lexie Brown jumped out with 12 points in first half to lead the Sparks. Fellow forward Chiney Ogwumike lead the Sparks scoring 19 points but being in a little foul trouble.

“We are fearless team,” said Ogwumike #13 “We are LA!, … this is a team who is bought in.”

For the Aces Young took control leading all scores with 13 points and 2 rebounds.

1st year Sparks coach Kurt Miller knew his defense would have to lead to a strong offense. The Aces showed in their road opener they destroyed the Seattle Storm 105-64.   

Aces Parker (Photo by Full Image 360)

The Aces could not stay out the view of the referees whistle all night with fouls for the whole team. But in the end they showed resilience while coming away with a strong victory moving to 2-0 record.

The Sparks will travel to Las Vegas for their first road game verse this same team. Now the record moving to 1-1 to begin the 2023 season.

Aaron & Erika Donald of the Los Angeles Rams sitting courtside. (Photo by Beast / fi360 News)

Broom And Gloom

By
Christopher Floch
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Photo by Full Image 360

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Denver Nuggets are headed to their first ever NBA Finals after a 113-111 game four victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. LeBron James was phenomenal in defeat, scoring 40 points and single handedly keeping the Lakers within striking distance.

Denver completed a sweep over Los Angeles by doing what they did in the previous three games. Superstar center Nikola Jokic came up clutch with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, including the game-winning bucket with less than a minute remaining. Jamal Murray dominated the court, and in the end the talented Nuggets were just too skilled.

Photo by Full Image 360

Trailing by two with four seconds remaining and their season hanging in the balance, LeBron drove to the rim, but the Nuggets colapsed around him and he was unable to get off a shot.

Denver trailed by fifteen points at halftime, 73-58. It was a tale of two halves, as the Nuggets got hot, while the Lakers failed to hold their large lead.

LeBron James seemed poised to steal the headlines after dropping 31 points in the first half. But Denver fought back, outscoring LA 36-16 in the third quarter to seize control of the game.

LeBron James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. At 38 years old he became the oldest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a playoff game.

James started the game on fire, scoring 21 points in the first quarter as the Lakers took a 34-26 lead.

James shocked the NBA landscape by  confessing to ESPN he will consider retirement this offseason. James ended his news conference by telling reporters, “Going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”

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For the Nuggets, the NBA Finals has been a long time coming. It has taken Denver 46 seasons to reach this point, the most seasons before a Finals appearance in NBA history. Denver had 93 playoff wins entering Monday night, the most all-time without a Finals berth.

Jokic was named Western Conference Finals MVP, he collected his NBA playoff-record eighth triple double.

A Kentavious Caldwell-Pope layup 7:21 into the third extended the Nuggets run to 24-8 and give them their first lead of the game at 82-81.

In the final five minutes, the game remained a back-and-forth battle through the final minute. But as they’ve done all postseason, the Nuggets made the big plays when it mattered most down the stretch.

A Jokić layup in traffic with 51 seconds remaining gave Denver the lead for good at 113-111. All five Nuggets starters scored in double figures. Murray finished with 25 points in the series clinching win.

Anthony Davis finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks and a steal. Rui Hachimura tallied 10 points in his postseason debut in the starting lineup.

The Nuggets are on the the way to the NBA Finals. The Lakers, meanwhile saw a midseason turnaround and unexpected playoff run from the play-in come up short against a superior Denver team.

Denver will get a long break before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, which is slated for June 1 in Denver.

Any other year for the Lakers its championship or failure. But most would agree this is not the case for this gritty, overachieving group who quickly gelled as a formidable unit in the later stages of the season.

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