Y’all I wrote about the StudBudz and it was just as fun as I imagined www.espn.com/wnba/story/_...

With this season's #NBArank countdown beginning today, I wrote about 10 players who didn't make the list but might next season: www.espn.com/nba/story/_/...

Liberty brass considered nothing short of a championship to be a success this season, sources told ESPN's Alexa Philippou, and the team decided not to exercise its option to bring Brondello back. www.espn.com/wnba/story/_...

Teamed up with @katiebarnes.bsky.social and @michaelvoepelespn.bsky.social to discuss why the Liberty moved on from Sandy Brondello, who could be next on the sidelines in New York and where Brondello might land (Seattle?): www.espn.com/wnba/story/_...

Spoke Monday to Storm GM Talisa Rhea, who said that the team's hope to go further in the playoffs was a factor in the decision to move on from head coach Noelle Quinn, whose contract was up after this season. News story: www.espn.com/wnba/story/_...

Teamed up with Charlie Creme to discuss how the Fever went into Vegas and upset the Aces in Game 1 on Sunday, plus what it means for the rest of their semifinals series going into essentially a must-win Game 2 Tuesday: www.espn.com/wnba/story/_...

Maybe they'll come back and win, and they'd still be favored in the series with a loss, but I remain unconvinced that the Aces are as good as they looked during their winning streak. Too many defensive breakdowns for this time of year.

I'd compare Noelle Quinn's Storm tenure to Nate McMillan's time as Sonics head coach. Both were recently removed from playing with many of the players they coached and were developing their philosophy on the job. As with McMillan in Portland, I think Quinn's next team will get a better version.

The biggest news from Storm exit interviews is that Ezi Magbegor won't return to Europe this winter. "I think just going back-to-back seasons has been a lot the last few years," she said. "Just taking time to kind of reset, spend time at home with my family, which I'm really excited about."

Storm guard Lexie Brown declined to take questions about the WNBA during exit interviews, instead making a statement emphasizing that she's healthy after missing 28 games in 2023 due to what was later diagnosed as Crohn's disease and the last 24 games of 2024. Brown was available for 40 of 44 games.

Of the eight players who saw meaningful action for the Mercury tonight, six were new to the team this season. This was one of the great roster rebuilds in WNBA history.

As a reminder, the winner of Liberty-Mercury tonight is going to have less than 42 hours to travel to Minnesota and prep for Game 1 on Sunday. Huge edge for the Lynx they've earned as the top seed and the only team to sweep their first-round series.

An underrated element of the Mercury's success is how many players they have that play really hard all the time. That comparison has not flattered the Liberty.

I don't recognize the Emma Meesseman we've seen in this series. She's shooting 1-of-9 in the two games in Phoenix.

Contributed a graph and analysis of how A'ja Wilson caught and passed Napheesa Collier in my wins above replacement player metric to @michaelvoepelespn.bsky.social's look at the timeline of this season's MVP race: www.espn.com/wnba/story/_...

"We work so hard, and I'm just so proud of our group for staying with it," Lexie Hull said. "I mean, it's just insane that we're playing in the semifinals. We believed it, but there's so many people out there that didn't. And so we've got another series." www.espn.com/wnba/story/_...

Vegas would have had to use a timeout before the last two minutes either way, but will be interesting to see whether not having a challenge ends up mattering for the Aces.

A'ja Wilson is 8-of-15 from the field. Everybody else on the two teams is a combined 22-of-62 (35%).

That foul on the perimeter is the kind you don't want from Dominique Malonga since she's inevitably going to pick some up battling with A'ja Wilson in the paint.

Indiana becomes the first lower seed to win a first-round series since the WNBA went back to series in 2022.

Joined @seeratsohi.bsky.social on the Ringer WNBA Show to discuss what we saw in the four Game 2s the last two nights and look ahead to three deciding games on tap tonight and tomorrow: www.theringer.com/podcasts/the...

There is a lot of terrible aggregation out there, but I think this one is a new low for my work. In July, I wrote about Myles Turner signing with the Bucks. You can read it here (it's not even paywalled anymore): www.espn.com/nba/story/_/...

Something that particularly irks me about the overwrought response to Adam Silver's comments on the cost of national TV streaming options where he referenced "highlights": it never comes up that the idea of watching national games on a daily basis is a purely modern notion.

The 2025 Playoffs has now seen 7 of 8 teams win a game, the first time that has happened since 2015. The only WNBA postseason to see 8 teams win a game was 2008. The Valkyries are the one remaining team without a win.

At what point do the Liberty decide sticking with this lineup isn't working?

I suppose this is less of a stretch than what Silver said about Aspiration, but not by much. There is a different process for buying a team and attempting to simultaneously move it, which happened with the Kings' rejected sale/move to Seattle. It's not being remotely followed by the league here.

Is Dominique Malonga the Storm's best player? Many are asking.

There have been three WNBA winning streaks of nine games or longer this season. The Storm ended two of them at Climate Pledge Arena, the other being Minnesota's 9-0 start to the season.

My news story on the Storm rallying from down 14 to snap the Aces' 17-game winning streak and force a deciding Game 3 in their first-round series, including tracking data on 19-year-old Dominique Malonga defending three-time MVP A'ja Wilson: www.espn.com/wnba/story/_...

An eye-opening stat: A'ja Wilson did not score in the game's final 7:06, taking just two shots in that span.

Jewell Loyd missed a good look at a tying 3-pointer and the Storm have completed the comeback, beating Las Vegas 86-83 to force a deciding Game 3 in their series on Thursday. The Storm's 10-point comeback was the second largest in franchise playoff history.

No foul from the Aces and Skylar Diggins hit a pull-up in the paint with 4.2 seconds left to give the Storm a three-point lead as they try to snap Las Vegas' winning streak and force a deciding Game 3 on Thursday.

Imagine Dominique Malonga playing a playoff game and not having a double-double

It just wouldn't be the 2025 Storm without a close finish at Climate Pledge Arena, now would it?

Dominique Malonga and-one and the Storm have taken the lead with 31.0 seconds left

It's a 7-0 Storm run to cut the deficit to two and Cimate Pledge Arena is alive

Not a flashy game from NaLyssa Smith, but she's been a difference maker in a seven-point game.

Per ESPN Research, A'ja Wilson is the first player in Aces history with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game.

A tough finish from Jackie Young ahead of the third-quarter buzzer gives the Aces a 69-61 lead heading to the final period. Young had 14 points in the quarter and Vegas is 10 minutes away from a record-tying 18th consecutive win and seventh consecutive trip to the semifinals.

It's 18-7 Vegas in the second half and this one is in danger of getting away from the Storm, now down 12 with 3:11 left in the third quarter. Seattle is shooting just 14-of-36 (39%) on 2-point attempts.

The focus and intensity we saw from the Storm in the first half has not made it out of the locker room and they're fortunate to be down just five right now.

Outstanding first half at Climate Pledge Arena. The Aces shot a sizzling 59% from the field, yet the Storm are down just one after a 7-0 surge to end the second quarter. The stars are out: 16 points from A'ja Wilson already, while Skylar Diggins (15) and Nneka Ogwumike (13) have combined for 28.

Two quick fouls on Dominique Malonga give her three in the first half. She's played the last 11.5 minutes, putting up six points and four boards. Ezi Magbegor will be back in after the under-3 media timeout.

Storm on an 0-minus-3 run during the timeout, as Dana Evans' 3-pointer was determined to have come after the shot-clock buzzer. That's the second shot-clock violation for the Aces, who still lead 32-29.

In large part thanks to 6-of-7 shooting on non-paint 2s, the Aces weathered the Storm's early energy and 11 points from Nneka Ogwumike to take a 22-21 lead after one quarter of Game 2. But Seattle is up for the fight tonight.

The midrange at Climate Pledge Arena hates to see Chelsea Gray coming

When Nneka Ogwumike talked after Game 1 about the Storm not being ready for the start, my sense is she meant more for Vegas' intensity and physicality than in terms of game plan. The Storm have matched and exceeded that in the opening minutes of Game 2.

The speed with which multiple Storm players and Noelle Quinn signaled for a transition take foul on Las Vegas (which was called).

Ahead of tipoff of Game 2, running back my story on the Storm's stars Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike and a friendship that dates back to when they were teenagers.

Teamed up with @timbontemps.bsky.social and Bobby Marks for the latest edition of the NBA's future power rankings, covering the upcoming three seasons: www.espn.com/nba/story/_/...