🎥 Playing together within their team defense will be key for the Aces. Full Episode: 🍎 bit.ly/4naMwzQ 📺 youtu.be/vNJP7Vj-_JU Clip from The @herhoopstats.com Podcast Hosts: @brittanycarper.bsky.social and @richardcohen.bsky.social

Previewing both @wnba.com Semifinals Game 2s, Kara Lawson to lead the @usabasketball.bsky.social, and a little bit of breaking news from the Liberty, & more with @brittanycarper.bsky.social & @richardcohen.bsky.social. 🍎 bit.ly/4naMwzQ 📺 youtu.be/vNJP7Vj-_JU

Look WNBA, you have got to stop doing stuff while we're recording. All we ask is 30-40 minutes of inactivity. Most of the time that isn't a damn problem... #WNBA

This, as with so many things in WNBA scheduling, is an ABC/ESPN decision not a WNBA one. Tie yourself to one broadcaster, and get the vast majority of your money from them, they basically end up controlling everything. Hopefully with the new TV deal the league will have a little more control. #WNBA

The comedy in the league having to give Nneka this while she's sitting across a negotiating table from them saying "Stop trying to screw us over!" is *almost* as good as having to celebrate Dearica Hamby last year while she was suing them. #WNBA

Five #Lionesses in top-10 for women's Ballon d'Or tonight. We might be switching back to a women's soccer account for the night, sorry (not sorry) people.

This could be nothing. If it was Minnesota or NY, we'd hand-wave it away. They couldn't be bothered. But it's the Sky. And it's the player they overpaid for who's now a free agent, the face of the franchise, and the injured vet leader (who still lives nearby as far as I know). So, y'know, 👀... #WNBA

Makes sense. Lots of college experience, been in the USA Basketball setup for a long time, and with the Worlds in September next year it would've been awkward for any currently-employed WNBA coach to take it on. 2026 is gonna be tricky, though. Maybe biggest chance for non-USA win in decades. #WNBA

Because I'm this kind of crazy, I checked the best third-quarter net ratings in WNBA history (mentioned by Ruocco today). Minnesota 2011: 23.5 Minnesota 2025: 19.9 Las Vegas 2023: 19.3 Connecticut 2006: 18.9 Minnesota 2024: 18.6 (per WNBA stats site). So three Reeve teams in top-5. #WNBA

I thought that game went fast.

It was a three-point game with just over four minutes left when Reeve put Kliundikova back in for ASmith. 12-2 Lynx the rest of the way. Said at the time that one of the biggest results of Collier's injury could end up being Reeve gaining a tiny bit of trust in an extra backup big. #WNBA

If Copper has to take 19 shots to get 20 points, Minnesota will live with that. Carleton doing everything she can to keep her as limited as possible. #WNBA

Maj Forsberg threw out a high kick there to illustrate why Copper didn't get the call on the closeout 😂. #WNBA

Damn, the Thomas-Bonner household not being nice to Natisha in recent minutes. #WNBA

Much as I've advocated for calling more of those in order to make players be more careful, I think that tech on Thomas is a little harsh. Pretty natural running motion that really unfortunately caught Hiedeman right in the chin. #WNBA

Phoenix's slightly ridiculous first-half shotchart. They don't just have 42 points in the paint, they have 36 points from inside the restricted area. #WNBA

I do enjoy Ryan Ruocco's use of 'nuzzle' as a basketball action. He may be the only one. Not quite a Mike Breen 'bang!', but there are worse trademarks. #WNBA

It is not a transition take foul, because they didn't have possession of the ball (as Ruocco explained while I was typing this). #WNBA

If the Lynx win a title this year does Marina Mabrey get a ring for her 'help' in revealing how good Courtney Williams could be as a point guard during that year in Chicago? #WNBA

Aw, one of these days we'll get to the end of the first quarter without any stoppage to take the under 5m timeout. This may be the single stupidest thing that I'm eagerly anticipating one day happening. #WNBA

Gonna be interesting to see what plan is on Mitchell for Game 2. JYoung was on her virtually all game, and chased her over practically every screen (unlike what Atlanta did in the previous series). Clearly didn't work. So does the gameplan change, or do you mostly just demand better execution? #WNBA

Some of this is about blown layups and missed assignments, and how damn good Kelsey Mitchell is, but I think Becky will admit after the game that Vegas are also just getting outworked. How many extra possessions have Indiana created just by chasing after every loose ball, every lost cause? #WNBA

I hope at least a few people who own #22 Fever merch have gone out and bought some #0 stuff at various points this season. Or will be doing so in the next week. #WNBA

All the small, quick lineup for Vegas getting them back in this (Loyd/Evans for Bell/Smith). Vegas coming out ahead with CGray and NHoward guarding each other at either end. #WNBA

Feels like it's not a good sign for Vegas that I'm already looking up the most shots A'ja Wilson has ever missed in a game. #WNBA

For anyone who cares and hasn't worked out the URL format yet, stats boxscore for Aces-Fever is here: stats.wnba.com/game/1042500... Upcoming Lynx-Merc game here: stats.wnba.com/game/1042500... #WNBA

I think Steph White yelled "come on Isaac [Barnett, the ref], that's three cheap shots" just before that final shot, after Wilson shoved Hull over trying to defend the play. Don't know what the first two were, but she kinda had a point on that last one. #WNBA

When a foul causes a travel, it's still a foul. It's not still a travel. #WNBA

Vegas will attack Kelsey Mitchell, like Young just did, whenever they get the chance in this series. Both because she's considered a weak defender, and to try to tire her out for the offensive end. But Vegas usually have someone out there she can at least semi-hide on. KBell or Loyd, mostly. #WNBA

I like that call on Mitchell *if you'd been calling it all season long*. But you haven't. You've actively been avoiding calling or even reviewing those off-arm wafts that hit the defender. Starting now is insane. Would drive me insane as a player or coach. Pick a lane. #WNBA

They probably don't want it to be quite *that* open, if they can avoid it, but Vegas will give Boston the three basically all day. Hasn't proven she's a genuine threat from there yet in the pros. #WNBA

Vegas going small immediately at first timeout, rather than using Parker-Tyus like in the Seattle series. BTurner's limited offense means no fear of putting CGray at the 4. Does mean they have less size to help inside and clog the paint on drives, though. Affects off-ball as well as on-ball. #WNBA

Cross-matchapalooza in this one with the starting lineups out there. Not a single matchup that the two teams want he same at both ends of the court. So expect some occasional confusion in transition as people try to switch over and match up. #WNBA

Bit surprised Ruocco/Lobo didn't get dispatched to Las Vegas considering that's the ABC game (potentially twice). Maybe Rebecca asked for the shorter trip. #WNBA

I genuinely never like suggesting someone should lose their job. Always feels a bit like it's in poor taste, even if it's just part of the sports landscape. But I think it's about four years since I first wondered If Noelle Quinn would keep her job. Surprise is that she lasted this long. #WNBA

She had a nice, promising year. But I would genuinely like to hear the argument for Rickea Jackson being one of the five best players in the WNBA this season. #WNBA

There goes Minnesota's wing depth. Basically only perimeter backup now is Hiedeman. After that, next option would be sliding Phee to the 3. #WNBA

Ignore the whining and the fine, but how do the refs win here? Alexa very reasonably points out that at least 36 fouls were called in each Fever-Dream game; then Hammon says the series was football and wonders if the refs get bonuses for not calling stuff. Do we want more calls or fewer? #WNBA

Lots of us said it in the lead-up to the playoffs - it is so hard to just magically come together as a team at the last moment. Those "if we can just get healthy for the playoffs" teams rarely win in the end. Necessary chemistry, and rhythm, and collective fitness is really difficult to find. #WNBA

4th quarter box for New York. Note all those 0s down the right-hand side. #WNBA

That was only the second playoff game in the last three years won by a team shooting below 38% from the field. The other one was New York in Game 5 of the Finals last year. #WNBA

This is no longer true 👇. Breanna Stewart now has two of them. #WNBA

Abiding memory of Jonquel Jones from this series is going to be the temper tantrum that got the technical foul in the first half. Rather than anything she's done with the ball. Might as well put her on a milk carton. #WNBA

DeWanna Bonn doesn't just have five personal fouls, she has five shooting fouls. All five of them. Four on Stewart. #WNBA

Love that three from Whitcomb because that's the counter. Phoenix have run that middle-screen with whoever Ionescu is guarding so many times to open a lane for Thomas, so every now and then you pop it the other way when the defense gets too comfortable. Run different stuff off the same action. #WNBA

Ruocco/Lobo literally the only commentary team we have that would know the rule on that shot-clock violation and then make a point out of telling us why it had to be ruled the way it was. Love it. #WNBA

Five players for Phoenix already have at least one offensive rebound (it was six before a boxscore correction). Insanely, the record is ten. But it's not a good sign for New York that this game already made me look that up. #WNBA

Kat Westbeld's had one of those seasons that's been vastly more impressive watching her play game in and game out, compared to how it looks from the numbers. #WNBA

Somewhat obvious, but picking on Ionescu repeatedly isn't just about trying to exploit a weaker defender. It's also just exhausting to be an active defender on every damn play, constantly running into screens. She virtually never gets a play off, which then hurts her offense at the other end. #WNBA

Everyone obviously does a bit in a normal layup motion, but Copper always really leads with her leg. Not the first time it's led to the defender being hurt in the process. #WNBA