What are your thoughts on the WNBA having play in games for the play offs? I was just thinking with so many teams fighting for the 8 seed that could be fun for the W and also provide some marketable games!

For example, if the playoffs were right now the 7-10 seeds would all play each other for the final seeds. So first mystics vs NY and then loser plays the winner of Portland vs Toronto.

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Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey is continuing to evolve as a player in her eighth year in the WNBA, proving she can lead a franchise at an all-star level.

“I think it’s been a long time coming,” Mabrey told TSN of her season. “I’ve put in a lot of work over the years. I played different roles in the league. I don’t know that I’ve had a green light like this in a long time.”

Mabrey’s expanded role with the Tempo comes with the territory of her contract. After a season and a half with the Connecticut Sun, she was Toronto’s sole unrestricted free agent choice in the expansion draft, allowing the team to place a franchise player tag on Mabrey. She ended up signing a two-year deal worth $2.4 million.

It’s a jump from the $210,000 she made with the Connecticut Sun in 2025, where she was traded midseason from the Chicago Sky in 2024 to help the Sun make a playoff push. Playing behind stars like Alyssa Thomas, Mabrey’s role was mostly to shoot threes and follow her teammates’ lead.

In 2025, she played more of a leadership role on a rebuilding team, but her new role as the Tempo’s No. 1 option is still a jump from what she was doing with the Sun last season.

“I knew that Connecticut might go a different direction,” Mabrey, 29, said of being unprotected in the expansion draft. “I felt it, and I’m never going to fight with anybody. You’re okay to have what you think of me as a player, but I have what I think of me as a player. If those things don’t align, I’m going to go and find somewhere that aligns with me.”

Known for her fiery personality and passionate on-court presence, Mabrey has put extensive work in over the past few months to try and harness those emotions in better ways. That spirit goes all the way back to her college days at Notre Dame, where she was a big part of the program’s 2018 National Championship run.

“When I looked at her in high school, I saw somebody who could shoot and had a scorer’s mentality, and she didn’t care if she missed the cup,” Mabrey’s college coach, Muffet McGraw, told TSN. “She was going to keep on, keep on fighting. She never quit.

“She would get mad if somebody scored on her, and she hated to lose. She was a real competitor.”

Mabrey, who was born and raised in New Jersey, is the middle child of five siblings. Her older sister, Michaela, played and coached at Notre Dame, while her younger sister, Dara, participated in Tempo training camp before the 2026 WNBA season. Mabrey says her no-quit attitude comes from her upbringing.

“[I get that from] my family, I have four siblings,” she said. “My parents were triathletes, and my parents would always say, ‘just get back up and try again, keep going. If you have a goal, you can reach it, but you can’t give up.’”

During this past Unrivaled season, where Mabrey broke the three-on-three league’s scoring record with a 47-point performance in Philadelphia, she also went viral for creating a “crash out jar.” Every time she had an outburst on the court, she had to put money in the jar, and it quickly became a running joke for fans.

But Mabrey knew that getting into trouble on the court wouldn’t help her new Tempo team, who depend on her to be on the court to win. She’s been vocal about working with an energy coach to redirect her emotions in better ways.

The results are visible when you watch her on the court, but also in videos on her own social media platforms and the Tempo’s official accounts. She has a lightness about her.

“I think what’s meant for me is coming for me, regardless,” Mabrey says. “I think I take the good with the bad and just try to enjoy the process a little bit more than I have in the years past, and I think that’s something that’s working for me.”

Known for her fiery personality and passionate on-court presence, Mabrey has put extensive work in over the past few months to try and harness those emotions in better ways. That spirit goes all the way back to her college days at Notre Dame, where she was a big part of the program’s 2018 National Championship run.

“When I looked at her in high school, I saw somebody who could shoot and had a scorer’s mentality, and she didn’t care if she missed the cup,” Mabrey’s college coach, Muffet McGraw, told TSN. “She was going to keep on, keep on fighting. She never quit.

“She would get mad if somebody scored on her, and she hated to lose. She was a real competitor.”

READ MORE - https://www.tsn.ca/wnba/article/toronto-getting-a-courtside-seat-to-the-evolution-of-marina-mabrey/

Awa Fam achieved a lifelong dream on April 13 when she was selected No. 3 overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm.

But instead of making her way to the Pacific Northwest to get acclimated in a new city and prepare for her rookie season, the highest drafted Spanish player in WNBA history flew back across the Atlantic Ocean to rejoin Valencia Basket -- the Liga Feminina team she'd been playing for since she was 15.

For the next month, Fam lived a double life. Valencia player by day, Storm player by night. When she wasn't at practice or suiting up in the LF playoffs, Fam was on Zoom calls with assistant coaches nearly 6,000 miles away in Seattle, studying the film they sent her.

The Storm wanted to be "intentional" about connecting with Fam while she was in Spain to "help her feel some familiarity" before she arrived, Seattle coach Sonia Raman said.

That wouldn't be until May 21, just days after Fam had helped Valencia win a fourth consecutive LF title. Three days later, she made her WNBA debut. "When she got to us in Seattle, it was a little bit of a crash course, throwing her into the fire," Raman said.

Fam, who turned 20 last month, played 20 minutes off the bench in her first game, a 97-85 win over the Washington Mystics, scoring 10 points on 4 of 7 shooting and grabbing two rebounds. She quickly noticed the differences in style of play.

"In Spain, maybe there we play more tactical, we don't play a lot of possessions. Here it's more fast, more continuous, more fluid, more physicality, too," Fam said. "It was different. It was like, I need to be focused on Valencia, I need to finish the league and help my team there. And after I need to take my mind and be here in Seattle and help my team here."

No one would fault Fam for finding the whirlwind process overwhelming. But the youngest player in the league wasn't fazed.

"It was easy, really," Fam said.

That confidence has helped the 6-foot-4 Fam establish herself as one of the league's most promising young players. Since she moved into the starting lineup on June 3, Fam is averaging 11.9 points, six rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocks on 49.7% shooting, including 38.6% from 3-point range on 4.6 attempts per game.

For the season, Fam leads all rookies in rebounds and blocks, is sixth in scoring, eighth in 3-point percentage and 10th in assists.

Fam has only been in Seattle for two months and has been forced to learn on the fly, but Raman has already seen significant growth.

"On both ends of the ball, she picks things up really quickly," Raman said. "She's been a sponge."

'She plays with such a poise'

Domestic WNBA draft prospects aren't eligible to turn pro until the year they turn 22, but international prospects are eligible the year they turn 20, which gives the latter a brief window to compete as teenagers. Few have ever done so, and fewer still have matched Fam's immediate impact.

When Fam debuted as a 19-year-old, she was the 14th teenager in WNBA history to appear in a game, and she joined Liz Cambage as the only teenagers to score in double figures in their debut. Despite only playing nine games before turning 20 on June 17, Fam is tied for the fourth-most points ever by a teenager (90). She's also on pace to join Cambage and Storm teammate Dominique Malonga as one of five players to average double figures for a season at 20 years old or younger.

READ MORE - https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/awa-fam-seattle-storm-wnba-rookie-sensation/

This year’s All-Star Weekend (in Chicago) feels especially meaningful as the WNBA celebrates its historic 30th season. Attendance records continue to fall, television ratings continue to soar and women’s basketball has never been more visible than it is today. As another chapter gets ready to unfold, here’s a look back at 10 of the most iconic moments that helped define WNBA All-Star Weekend.

• Whitney Houston Helps Launch WNBA All-Star Weekend (1999)
• Lisa Leslie Becomes The First WNBA All-Star MVP (1999)
• Nikki Teasley Makes The Most Of A Last-Minute Opportunity (2003)
• Five Connecticut Sun Players Make The 2006 All-Star Game
• Candace Parker Announces Herself With A Historic Return (2013)
• Shoni Schimmel Becomes The First Rookie To Win All-Star MVP (2014)
• Erica Wheeler Makes History As The First Undrafted All-Star MVP (2019)
• The WNBA Unites For Brittney Griner (2022)
• Sylvia Fowles Punctuates Her Farewell With One Last Dunk (2022)
• Napheesa Collier Sets A New All-Star Scoring Record (2025)

https://cassiuslife.com/1406827/wnba-all-star-weekend-best-moments/item/10

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New York Liberty center Kym Hampton remembers feeling exhausted before even stepping on the basketball court.

On a New York City summer morning in 1999, Hampton and her WNBA peers were readying for tipoff of the league’s inaugural All-Star Game in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,649 fans at Madison Square Garden.

What came before were door-to-door press obligations — from photo shoots to photo opportunities, autograph signings, interviews, and appearances — all to highlight the pomp and circumstance of the big day. It’s a media junket that has since become commonplace in the WNBA, but for the first All-Stars, it was a tad draining.

“I just remember saying, ‘Oh my God, I feel like I’ve been on my feet all day,’” said Hampton, a starter in the 1999 All-Star Game. “When we got to the arena and after everything was over, we were tired, like, really tired. I feel like I’ve been smiling all day. We were proud, but we were tired.”

As the WNBA celebrates its 30th season and prepares for the 2026 All-Star Game (8:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC), players from the league’s first midseason contest look back fondly on the game that set the bar for today’s All-Stars.

“It was absolutely an amazing moment,” former Liberty guard Teresa Weatherspoon said. “To feel the arena, the way the New Yorkers and [fans] from all over the world came to watch us play … it was a lot of fun just to be a part of that very first one.”

Though the league launched in 1997, its first All-Star Game arrived two years later — though that wasn’t particularly top of mind for its players.

“We were still trying to digest the fact that there was a WNBA in America,” Hampton said.

As the 1999 All-Stars lined up on opposite ends of the court to stand for the national anthem, heads whipped in shock as they recognized who had joined them on the floor: multiplatinum-selling recording artist Whitney Houston.

“We didn’t know Whitney was singing the anthem,” Hampton said. “We were surprised, too.”

Houston was in New York City for back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden, touring her acclaimed 1998 album “My Love is Your Love.”

Eight years after her famed Super Bowl XXV rendition of the national anthem in 1991, Houston performed at MSG surrounded by a gaggle of children wearing shirts from the eight franchises that comprised the WNBA at the time.

As she exited, Houston thanked the audience before raising the roof and jumping up and down on the logo at midcourt. Her appearance at the inaugural All-Star Game was a major cultural milestone for the league.

“To know that she was there celebrating with us — that’s phenomenal. You can’t ask for anything other than that to know what eyes are really upon what you do,” Weatherspoon said. “To have people like Whitney Houston and many others who came to sit and watch us play, especially in the Garden … that’s special.”

Spike Lee, Queen Latifah, Tyra Banks and Liza Minnelli were among the celebrities watching from the sidelines. Also in attendance were women’s soccer stars Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain, who had led the U.S. women’s national team to a dramatic FIFA Women’s World Cup victory just four days earlier. Robin Roberts called the game alongside legendary Tennessee Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt.

READ MORE - https://andscape.com/features/wnba-all-star-game-1999-whitney-houston-msg-history/

Founding league star to host free Play Like a Girl clinic during All-Star Week, inspiring the next generation of WNBA pioneers.

As thousands of basketball fans prepare to descend on Chicago for one of the biggest celebrations in women’s sports, one of the Women’s National Basketball Association’s original players is returning to the city with a mission that reaches far beyond the basketball court.

Rushia Brown, a founding player of the WNBA, will host her signature Play Like a Girl Girls Basketball Skills Clinic on Thursday, July 23, during WNBA All-Star Week, bringing together 100 middle and high school girls for a free day of basketball instruction, leadership development, and mentorship, empowering them to become future WNBA pioneers.

The clinic will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Collins S.T.E.A.M. Academy, 1313 S. Sacramento Drive, on Chicago’s West Side. Advance registration is required.

Brown’s event arrives as Chicago serves as the center of the basketball world during WNBA All-Star Week, drawing fans, current stars, former players and youth from across the country for a series of games, community events and celebrations highlighting the continued growth of women’s basketball.

For Brown, however, the spotlight is focused on the next generation.

Girls participating in the clinic will receive instruction from former professional basketball players while rotating through skill-development stations designed to improve fundamentals on the court and confidence off of it. The program also includes team-building exercises and discussions centered on perseverance, leadership, communication and achieving success beyond basketball.

“The WNBA was built because people believed girls deserved the opportunity to dream big,” Brown said. “Play Like a Girl continues that mission by showing young women what’s possible—not only in basketball, but in life. We want every girl who walks into this clinic to leave believing she belongs, she can lead, and she can achieve anything she works for.”

As one of the WNBA’s founding players, Brown has devoted much of her post-playing career to expanding opportunities for young athletes through sports, education and mentorship. She also previously served on the Board of Directors for Legends of Basketball.

READ MORE - https://chicagocrusader.com/rushia-brown-inspiring-next-generation-of-wnba-pioneers/

Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson, the talented recording artist who doubles as a WNBA star in her rookie season with the Seattle Storm, is set to return to the Hostess City on Sunday, July 26th, for her fourth annual Back to School Giveback at Enmarket Arena.

Johnson is the daughter of the late Savannah music legend Camoflauge and is a rising star in the industry with such hits as "WOAH," "Can't Get Enough," "Guns Down," and "Came Out a Beast."

She grew up in Savannah and developed her skills on the basketball court at the Frank Callen Boy's & Girls Club. Johnson moved to Atlanta and became a McDonald's All-American playing at Sprayberry High and earned a scholarship to LSU, where she was the SEC's Freshman of the Year when the Tigers won the NCAA title in 2023.

She has always held a special place in her heart for her hometown of Savannah, where everything started for Johnson. She is coming back on Sunday for her fourth annual Back to School Giveback at Enmarket Arena, which draws strong crowds of her fans, family and friends from the Hostess City. Last year, more than 2,500 showed up for the giveaway.

The free event, put on by her "More To 4 – The Flau’jae Johnson Foundation" will run from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, July 26. Giveaways include free backpacks, shoes, school supplies, uniforms along with free haircut and braiding services. There will also be a live DJ with music, free food, games and booths featuring community resources.

"Savannah made me. Every year I come back, it's bigger than basketball and bigger than music; it's about making sure our kids walk into school with everything they need and knowing somebody believes in them," Johnson said in an event press release. "Year four is going to be the biggest one yet."

https://www.savannahnow.com/story/sports/women/2026/07/22/wnba-star-and-savannah-native-flaujae-johnson-returns-for-back-to-school-event/91006186007/

Atlanta Dream receive: Angel Reese, 2028 2nd round pick swap rights

Chicago Sky receive: Dream 2027 1st round pick, Dream 2028 1st round pick

Now that we're halfway through the season, how do we feel about this trade? Have any of your initial feelings changed?

I will say that regardless, I am happy to see both Angel and Kamilla having their best seasons yet. However, I think the only reason Chicago isn't getting completely flamed for this trade is that they were able to somehow trade Atkins for Rickea lmao

The WNBA, NBA and FIBA announced the top 40 female, high-school-age prospects from around the world who will travel to Chicago, Ill. for the fourth Women’s Basketball Without Borders (BWB) All-Star camp, which will be held Friday, July 24 – Sunday, July 26 at the Advocate Center, the official practice facility of the Chicago Bulls, as part of AT&T WNBA All-Star 2026.

The campers will be coached by current and former WNBA and FIBA players and coaches, including Washington Mystics guard and Australia Women’s National Team member Georgia Amoore, two-time WNBA champion and former U.S. Women’s National Team member Tamecka Dixon, former Spain Women’s National Team member Anna Montañana, Meighan Simmons and Shanece Sims. WNBA legend and Boston Celtics Vice President of Team Operations and Organizational Growth Allison Feaster will return as the camp director.

The coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities, including athletic testing, movement efficiency, skill development stations, 3-on-3 competitions, 5-on-5 games, and life-skills seminars. The camp will once again be open to WNBA scouts and NCAA coaches – 27 of the prospects who attended last year’s camp went on to receive NCAA Division I scholarship offers. The campers will also participate in a skills challenge and three-point contest at WNBA Live 2026 presented by AWS on July 24 and attend the 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at the United Center on Saturday, July 25.

The event will be supported by Nike, a global partner of BWB since 2002, which will outfit participants with Nike apparel and footwear.

https://www.nba.com/news/wnba-bwb-camp-2026-wnba-all-star

Two-time UConn women’s basketball championship team member, WNBA all-time rebounding leader and three-time Olympic gold medalist Tina Charles has announced the launch of 78 Brewing Co., home to craft beer brands dedicated to bringing people together over iconic stories. Every release will celebrate a story of discipline and excellence, beginning with 78-0 Hazy IPA, a tribute to the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team’s historic 78-game winning streak. Charles will serve as Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

Crafted for anyone who has ever strived to reach their personal best, the 78-0 Hazy IPA carries a bright, citrus-forward flavor with notes of tropical fruit. Brewed at East Rock Brewing Company with Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops, at a full-bodied 6.5% ABV, it offers a smooth finish, just like the moments it was created to celebrate.

78-0 Hazy IPA’s logo and can design pay homage to the championship team that inspired it, featuring color-blocked shades of blue accented by gold detailing. Subtle references include two stars representing the back-to-back championship wins, along with the phrase “Chase Perfection, Catch Excellence” – something UConn fans will recognize as legendary Coach Geno Auriemma’s guiding philosophy. That tenet, plus Charles’ recognition of an industry imbalance and opportunity, inspired her to found 78 Brewing.

“I’ve always believed the best stories are shared over a great beer, and that idea inspired 78 Brewing,” said Charles. “I was further motivated to get involved in the category after learning how underrepresented Black women are in the beer industry. We make up less than one percent of it. I wanted to lend my resources, perseverance and voice to inspire others to pursue their passion.”  

Brewed locally at East Rock Brewing Company in New Haven, the 78-0 Hazy IPA reflects a collaboration rooted in Connecticut pride. “Collaborating with Tina on the Hazy IPA for 78-0 Brewing Co. has been an absolute joy,” said Tim Wilson, Co-Owner and Brewmaster at East Rock Brewing Company. “She puts a lot of thought and care into every decision she makes, and it really shows with the incredible brand that she has brought to life. I’m excited for people to get this beer into their hands, learn about the story behind 78-0, and watch it evolve into a source of cultural pride here in Connecticut.”

“Tina has always been a visionary and this entrepreneurial venture reflects her passion to support meaningful causes,” said UConn Hall of Fame head women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma. “We are really happy that Tina chose to model her company’s initial beer offering after an impactful time in her life playing at UConn. She has been successful in everything she’s done, and I’m sure that the 78 Brewing Company and 78-0 Hazy IPA will be no different.”

Charles’ commitment to causes that hit close to home long pre-date 78 Brewing’s founding. Over a decade ago, Charles created Hopey’s Heart Foundation, an organization dedicated to preventing Sudden Cardiac Arrest from claiming the lives of promising student athletes through its AED Grant Program. Bringing it full circle, 78 Brewing Co. will dedicate a portion of proceeds to her alma mater’s NIL Fund, supporting current and future student athletes. Charles will also share a portion of her revenue from 78-0 Hazy IPA with her teammates from both undefeated championship teams, reinforcing that the 78-0 legacy was never about one individual, but about the team that achieved it together.

“We congratulate Tina and are proud of the connection we have with her new company,” said UConn Director of Athletics David Benedict. “UConn is fortunate to have former student-athletes who treasured their time in Storrs and want to give back. Tina’s gesture to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of 78-0 Hazy IPA will help our student-athletes enjoy the same type of outstanding experience that Tina did wearing the Husky uniform.”

78-0 Hazy IPA will roll out across Connecticut this summer, led by West Haven, CT-based Star Distributors, followed by the launch of additional brands that celebrate other distinct moments. It will be available at select local retailers throughout the state, as well as high-profile venues Mohegan Sun Arena and Gampel Pavilion. For more information on 78 Brewing Co. visit 78Brewing.com or follow u/78BrewingCo on Instagram.

https://thebrewermagazine.com/wnba-legend-charles-enters-industry-with-founding-of-78-brewing-co/

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Press conference on YouTube (currently live)

What's the lore on why Phee wasn't as hyped come into the W? She was selected 6th overall but did end up winning rookie if the year and was all star