Minnesota Lynx Archives - womenssportsnow.com https://womenssportsnow.com/tag/minnesota-lynx/ womenssportsnow.com Sat, 04 May 2024 08:44:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 214932294 Fan’s cellphone stream of Sky-Lynx preseason game draws nearly 1 million views after WNBA League Pass error https://womenssportsnow.com/fans-cellphone-stream-of-sky-lynx-preseason-game-draws-nearly-1-million-views-after-wnba-league-pass-error/ https://womenssportsnow.com/fans-cellphone-stream-of-sky-lynx-preseason-game-draws-nearly-1-million-views-after-wnba-league-pass-error/#respond Sat, 04 May 2024 04:20:57 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/fans-cellphone-stream-of-sky-lynx-preseason-game-draws-nearly-1-million-views-after-wnba-league-pass-error/

Fans hoping to catch rookie stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso make their WNBA preseason debuts Friday night were dismayed to find the game unavailable through the WNBA League Pass, but over 800,000 viewers found a quirky alternative way to watch: through a fan’s livestream on X filmed on her cellphone. The user @heyheyitsalli shared […]

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Fans hoping to catch rookie stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso make their WNBA preseason debuts Friday night were dismayed to find the game unavailable through the WNBA League Pass, but over 800,000 viewers found a quirky alternative way to watch: through a fan’s livestream on X filmed on her cellphone.

The user @heyheyitsalli shared a post before the game started about the league angering fans by not showing the game through YouTube as was originally announced, and then asked in a follow-up post if she should try to stream the game from the stands. The result was a two-hour video stream with “some of THE WILDEST numbers” she could’ve expected, she exclaimed in a later post.

The video post was viewed over 800,000 times by midnight Friday and was reposted over 2,300 times. Among the nearly 400 replies was WNBA legend Sue Bird.

Before the game, the league incorrectly displayed on the League Pass app that the game would be available to watch. After fans were left frustrated by the unavailability, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve spoke after the game about the livestream.

“The growth is happening so fast, it’s so accelerated. Business as usual isn’t going to work…

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WNBA Draft grades: Fever earn A for picking Clark, Sky receive C+ even with Angel Reese https://womenssportsnow.com/wnba-draft-grades-fever-earn-a-for-picking-clark-sky-receive-c-even-with-angel-reese/ https://womenssportsnow.com/wnba-draft-grades-fever-earn-a-for-picking-clark-sky-receive-c-even-with-angel-reese/#respond Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:20:11 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/wnba-draft-grades-fever-earn-a-for-picking-clark-sky-receive-c-even-with-angel-reese/

The most anticipated WNBA Draft in recent memory has come and gone. Once again, it was a franchise-changing day for the Indiana Fever, who drafted Caitlin Clark. Meanwhile, several teams made meaningful investments in their futures while others fine-tuned in their pursuit of a championship in the near term. Let’s take a look at how […]

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The most anticipated WNBA Draft in recent memory has come and gone. Once again, it was a franchise-changing day for the Indiana Fever, who drafted Caitlin Clark. Meanwhile, several teams made meaningful investments in their futures while others fine-tuned in their pursuit of a championship in the near term.

Let’s take a look at how well each team accomplished its goals in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The grades are a little bit higher across the board than last year, but this was a better pool of players. I’m allowing for some optimism.

Nyadiew Puoch (12), Isabel Borlase (20), Matilde Villa (32)

The Dream made three international selections, all of whom are 19 years old, and none of whom project to play in the WNBA during the 2024 season. As such, it’s hard to say if Atlanta addressed any of its needs because by the time these players come over, the roster could look dramatically different. Big picture, Puoch and Borlase were rated as first-round talents by the general managers The Athletic surveyed, so to pick up both with only one first-round pick is good value. But the Dream have a chance to get better right now with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray rating among the better perimeter duos in the league, and they punted on a chance for immediate improvement, even if this trio of…

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Caitlin Clark’s whirlwind WNBA Draft week just the start for the in-demand rookie https://womenssportsnow.com/caitlin-clarks-whirlwind-wnba-draft-week-just-the-start-for-the-in-demand-rookie/ https://womenssportsnow.com/caitlin-clarks-whirlwind-wnba-draft-week-just-the-start-for-the-in-demand-rookie/#respond Tue, 16 Apr 2024 03:38:03 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/caitlin-clarks-whirlwind-wnba-draft-week-just-the-start-for-the-in-demand-rookie/

NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark was anxious moments before WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert voiced the most predictable news of Monday night’s 2024 WNBA Draft. With the first pick, the Indiana Fever selected Clark, the Iowa superstar who amassed one of the greatest careers in women’s college basketball history. Fever general manager Lin Dunn said it […]

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NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark was anxious moments before WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert voiced the most predictable news of Monday night’s 2024 WNBA Draft. With the first pick, the Indiana Fever selected Clark, the Iowa superstar who amassed one of the greatest careers in women’s college basketball history. Fever general manager Lin Dunn said it took “20 seconds, maybe 15” to make Clark the choice. The celebration for Clark lasted far longer than that inside the Brooklyn Academy of Music. As she embraced her family, throngs of fans wearing No. 22 Iowa T-shirts rose to their feet in delight.

Eventually, everyone sat down, but not before a franchise had been changed.

“I can’t imagine a more perfect fit, a better place for me to start my professional career, an organization that really just believes in women’s basketball and wants to do everything the right way,” Clark said.

It’s been a whirlwind week for Clark, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer. In the span of eight days, she walked off the court at the national championship game, appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and shuffled in and out of meetings with league and player association officials in New…

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WNBA expansion headed for 16 teams, commissioner says. Portland, Toronto, Philly options https://womenssportsnow.com/wnba-expansion-headed-for-16-teams-commissioner-says-portland-toronto-philly-options/ https://womenssportsnow.com/wnba-expansion-headed-for-16-teams-commissioner-says-portland-toronto-philly-options/#respond Tue, 16 Apr 2024 03:05:10 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/wnba-expansion-headed-for-16-teams-commissioner-says-portland-toronto-philly-options/

NEW YORK — The WNBA is looking to continue growing in the next few years. The league intends to reach 16 teams by 2028, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said before the draft, confirming The Athletic report from earlier Monday. The league announced earlier this year that the Bay Area would receive an expansion team for a […]

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NEW YORK — The WNBA is looking to continue growing in the next few years. The league intends to reach 16 teams by 2028, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said before the draft, confirming The Athletic report from earlier Monday.

The league announced earlier this year that the Bay Area would receive an expansion team for a 13th league franchise, which is expected to start playing the 2025 season. The WNBA is looking at the 2026 season for its 14th team, Engelbert said. She named Philadelphia; Toronto; Portland, Ore.; Denver; Nashville, Tenn.; and South Florida as places the league is exploring as options. Charlotte, N.C., is also in consideration for the next team, sources with knowledge of the league’s plans told The Athletic.

“We’re talking to a lot of different cities,” Engelbert said. “I think I’ve thrown out names before. It’s complex because you need an arena and a practice facility and player housing and all the things, you need committed long-term ownership groups. The nice thing is we’re getting a lot of calls.”

The WNBA was close to bringing a team to Portland. The city was in strong consideration this fall, but those plans fell through during talks with the prospective ownership group.

Engelbert didn’t put a timeline on when the league would decide on…

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In post-Caitlin Clark era, how can women’s college basketball keep TV momentum? https://womenssportsnow.com/in-post-caitlin-clark-era-how-can-womens-college-basketball-keep-tv-momentum/ https://womenssportsnow.com/in-post-caitlin-clark-era-how-can-womens-college-basketball-keep-tv-momentum/#respond Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:00:48 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/in-post-caitlin-clark-era-how-can-womens-college-basketball-keep-tv-momentum/

So what now? That’s the big, media-centric question for women’s college basketball. Where does the sport go after the head-spinning viewership figures for the national championship game? South Carolina’s 87-75 win over Iowa on April 7 averaged 18.9 million viewers, the most-viewed women’s college basketball game ever and the most-viewed college basketball game (men’s or […]

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So what now?

That’s the big, media-centric question for women’s college basketball. Where does the sport go after the head-spinning viewership figures for the national championship game? South Carolina’s 87-75 win over Iowa on April 7 averaged 18.9 million viewers, the most-viewed women’s college basketball game ever and the most-viewed college basketball game (men’s or women’s) on record for an ESPN platform. The audience was up 90 percent over the 2023 national championship (9.9 million for LSU’s win over Iowa) and 289 percent from 2022 (4.9 million viewers for South Carolina’s win over UConn). The game peaked at 24 million viewers on ABC and ESPN during the final 15 minutes.

The 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four was the most-viewed on record, averaging 13.8 million viewers. Those numbers included 14.4 million viewers for Iowa-UConn (the second-most-watched women’s college game on record) and 7.2 million viewers for N.C. State and South Carolina. The tournament overall (57 games) across ESPN platforms averaged 2.2 million viewers, up 121 percent from 2023. It’s the most-watched women’s NCAA Tournament since ESPN acquired exclusive rights in 1996.

To put the South Carolina-Iowa viewership in perspective, the game topped:

• Every World Series game since Game…

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Is Caitlin Clark’s star power strong enough to spike WNBA fandom? https://womenssportsnow.com/is-caitlin-clarks-star-power-strong-enough-to-spike-wnba-fandom/ https://womenssportsnow.com/is-caitlin-clarks-star-power-strong-enough-to-spike-wnba-fandom/#respond Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:00:43 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/is-caitlin-clarks-star-power-strong-enough-to-spike-wnba-fandom/

Just eight days after playing for an NCAA national championship, Caitlin Clark is poised to become the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft and burst into the professional ranks with the star power to jolt the league at a pivotal moment in its trajectory. Throngs of fans are expected to tune in for Monday […]

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Just eight days after playing for an NCAA national championship, Caitlin Clark is poised to become the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft and burst into the professional ranks with the star power to jolt the league at a pivotal moment in its trajectory.

Throngs of fans are expected to tune in for Monday night’s national broadcast when the Iowa star is all but certain to be selected by the Indiana Fever. From the moment her name is called and Clark takes center stage, she will become the WNBA’s most anticipated rookie in years. A popularity boost similar to the effect she had in women’s college basketball could follow her with every logo 3-pointer she makes and each pin-point pass she throws.

At Iowa, Clark’s impact was even greater than her resumé, which itself was outstanding with three conference tournament titles, two national championship appearances, and dozens of broken records, including the NCAA Division I all-time scoring mark. When Clark played, every game was appointment-viewing. Arenas sold out and television ratings records shattered.

The WNBA has already been on an ascent over the last few seasons with increases in nationally broadcast games, greater attendance and more media coverage. But Clark, who even South Carolina coach Dawn Staley described as “one of…

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Caitlin Clark’s new reality is coming. What will her WNBA transition look like? https://womenssportsnow.com/caitlin-clarks-new-reality-is-coming-what-will-her-wnba-transition-look-like/ https://womenssportsnow.com/caitlin-clarks-new-reality-is-coming-what-will-her-wnba-transition-look-like/#respond Fri, 12 Apr 2024 09:00:10 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/caitlin-clarks-new-reality-is-coming-what-will-her-wnba-transition-look-like/

Reality is coming. In the words of Diana Taurasi, as spoken to Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter, Caitlin Clark is due for a reckoning when she gets to the WNBA. After four years of dominating the college game, Clark is starting the next chapter of her career at the bottom as one of the youngest […]

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Reality is coming.

In the words of Diana Taurasi, as spoken to Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter, Caitlin Clark is due for a reckoning when she gets to the WNBA. After four years of dominating the college game, Clark is starting the next chapter of her career at the bottom as one of the youngest players in the most talented league in the world. Regardless of what the overall arc of Clark’s career ends up being, it is unlikely that she hits the ground running as the best player on the court every night, as she did at Iowa.

 

Hype won’t be an issue for Clark; she is accustomed to feeling pressure and meeting the moment. She was a top-five recruit coming out of high school who ended up as the leading scorer in college basketball history. She proclaimed her goal as a freshman to get Iowa back to the Final Four for the first time since 1993, and she did it – twice. As the eyes of the public lasered in on her during every successive game of the Hawkeyes’ 2024 NCAA Tournament,…

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2024 WNBA mock draft: Where will Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso land? https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-wnba-mock-draft-where-will-caitlin-clark-angel-reese-and-kamilla-cardoso-land/ https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-wnba-mock-draft-where-will-caitlin-clark-angel-reese-and-kamilla-cardoso-land/#respond Wed, 10 Apr 2024 09:00:03 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/2024-wnba-mock-draft-where-will-caitlin-clark-angel-reese-and-kamilla-cardoso-land/

The 2023-24 college season featured more star power than any in recent memory, and the good news for WNBA fans is that many of those players will be back on the court quickly. The 2024 WNBA Draft is on Monday, and several stars who dominated the national conversation during the college season will be taking […]

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The 2023-24 college season featured more star power than any in recent memory, and the good news for WNBA fans is that many of those players will be back on the court quickly. The 2024 WNBA Draft is on Monday, and several stars who dominated the national conversation during the college season will be taking their talents to the professional stage.

Every year, it boggles the mind how quick this transition is for collegians. Caitlin Clark will go from game-planning for South Carolina to being on the same roster as former Gamecocks great Aliyah Boston within nine days. There isn’t even enough time for a WNBA Draft Combine, so some team executives are working with incomplete information about height and wingspan.

As a result, the WNBA Draft, compared to its NBA counterpart, has always favored players who were able to produce in college rather than those who have the theoretical tools to succeed at the next level. We can project how a different team context will affect a player’s impact, but at a certain point, if they don’t have a high-level resume after four years, it’s hard to take a risk on them.

That’s why the draft is a great entry point to the WNBA for…

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With the WNBA Draft nearing, what’s next for Caitlin Clark? https://womenssportsnow.com/with-the-wnba-draft-nearing-whats-next-for-caitlin-clark/ https://womenssportsnow.com/with-the-wnba-draft-nearing-whats-next-for-caitlin-clark/#respond Mon, 08 Apr 2024 13:59:37 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/with-the-wnba-draft-nearing-whats-next-for-caitlin-clark/

Caitlin Clark’s college career ended Sunday with a loss to South Carolina in the national championship. But the Iowa star’s popularity won’t be going away. “I know what’s next is soon,” she said. Eight days, to be exact. That’s when Clark will be in New York for the WNBA Draft, where she’s expected to be […]

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Caitlin Clark’s college career ended Sunday with a loss to South Carolina in the national championship. But the Iowa star’s popularity won’t be going away.

“I know what’s next is soon,” she said.

Eight days, to be exact.

That’s when Clark will be in New York for the WNBA Draft, where she’s expected to be the No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever. After rising to national prominence during her collegiate career, there are already signs that she will make an impact in the professional league.

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What to know about the WNBA Draft

The draft will take place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on April 15. ESPN will air the draft and it will also stream on Fubo.
Here’s the first-round order of the draft:

1. Indiana Fever
2. Los Angeles Sparks
3. Chicago Sky (via Phoenix)
4. Los Angeles Sparks (via Seattle)
5. Dallas Wings (via Chicago)
6. Washington Mystics
7. Minnesota Lynx
8. Chicago Sky (via Atlanta)
9. Dallas Wings
10. Connecticut Sun
11. New York Liberty
12. Atlanta Dream (via Las Vegas)

What kind of impact will Clark make in the WNBA?

Let’s start on the court. Clark will have to work harder for her shot, of course. (Don’t…

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A-Rod, Marc Lore and Glen Taylor clash publicly over Wolves, Lynx ownership spat: ‘It is now personal’ https://womenssportsnow.com/a-rod-marc-lore-and-glen-taylor-clash-publicly-over-wolves-lynx-ownership-spat-it-is-now-personal/ https://womenssportsnow.com/a-rod-marc-lore-and-glen-taylor-clash-publicly-over-wolves-lynx-ownership-spat-it-is-now-personal/#respond Fri, 29 Mar 2024 22:40:29 +0000 https://womenssportsnow.com/a-rod-marc-lore-and-glen-taylor-clash-publicly-over-wolves-lynx-ownership-spat-it-is-now-personal/

The back alleys of Target Center underwent a renovation last fall. At the behest of majority owners in waiting Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, an opulent private owners’ suite was added just down the hall from the Minnesota Timberwolves locker room. The suite features marble flooring, a private bathroom, a bar, a dining area, plush […]

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The back alleys of Target Center underwent a renovation last fall. At the behest of majority owners in waiting Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, an opulent private owners’ suite was added just down the hall from the Minnesota Timberwolves locker room.

The suite features marble flooring, a private bathroom, a bar, a dining area, plush furniture and flat-screen televisions. It was designed as a gathering place for Timberwolves leadership with Rodriguez and Lore wanting it to entertain guests, conduct business on game nights and add some pizzazz to the second-oldest arena in the NBA.

In some ways, that room encapsulates the battle between the Lore/Rodriguez group and current owner Glen Taylor for control of the Timberwolves and WNBA’s Lynx that exploded into public view on Thursday. It is a symbol of the differences that developed between the two sides over the last three years of a partnership that has collapsed in recent days.

Taylor and his wife, Becky, viewed the expensive renovation to be an unnecessary flex that goes against their pragmatic and practical sensibilities. They rarely visited it this season, preferring to eat their pregame meal in a common area where the media and other gameday staffers are served, as they have done for years.

Lore and Rodriguez, limited partners…

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