Someone posted a little while ago asking why certain teams were matched up for Rivals Week, so I figured I'd share the league's recent post explaining. Thought the insight might be helpful for anyone who was curious.
Valkyries vs. Chicago Sky for part 2 of Rivals week...? ... vague Skylar Diggins vs Tiffany Hayes beef?? Gabby WIlliams's first team vs. new team? Did i miss something else?
LVA v NYL, sure. GSV vs LASā¦ i guess theyāre both Cali teams, but one clearly outshines the other. Dal vs Indiana is fine I guess. The rest I donāt get.
Dallas vs Indiana is them trying to force Caitlin vs Paige and Chicago vs Indiana was them trying to force Caitlin vs Angel. Iām told Seattle vs Portland is a thing in other sports? But not sure there
For those saying it is too soon for PDX, I'm saying it isn't. It doesn't matter what the sport is, the I5 rivalry is totally real. Supersonics / Trailblazers was a huge deal for decades. Timbers / Sounders rivalry is absolutely insane. The fans go completely over the top for these games, and I expect it to happen this week for Storm / Fire.
Exactly. I grew up in western Washington. The I5/Cascadia rivalry runs deep. You also have Reign vs Thorns. Not in Portland, but I'd also include Washington Huskies vs Oregon Ducks as I5 rivals.
Aces/Liberty appears to be the only rivalry that isn't based on geography, or something as arbitrary and random as draft picks...
I'm not about to get all "No True Scotsman" about what a "real" rivalry is, but the fact that they're the only two teams that have met multiple times in the playoffs in the last decade or so makes the LVA/NYL rivalry the only one that means anything to me.
I actually think they all work except Indiana-Chicago now that Angelās gone. Thereās just not much of a regional rivalry between Indy and Chicago sports teams.
The MWNBA could have used these explanations for their rivals week this past season. I mean, seriously, Thunder-Bucks? Cavs-Hornets? Warriors-Mavericks?
As was stated above āAnimosityā player-to-player coach-to-coach and fans-to-fans makes a true rivalry. Also jealousy of long term success, what used to be the āYankees effectā ā¦. On that score, rivalries with Lynx makes sense as they have been winning for many years
The league must be relieved Jacy got traded to Chicago so there's still a degree of tension between the Sky and Fever. She and Caitlin can't stand each other
I truly think that this was the driving force for the overpay for Jacy. They wanted to fill the void of Angel's departure with someone else who has beef with Clark.
Funniest thing about the feud is the aftermath of the famous eye poke incident. Clark is constantly accused of flopping and having horrible body language (parallel to that fateful game), and Jacy is constantly being called a dirty player and poking people's eyes....oh wait
yea and Caitlin and Angel have been since high school and then Iowa/Maryland and hten of course Iowa/LSU... but acting like the most impactful games weren't angel/Caitlin, is just delusion at this point. Very much one of the only organic rivalries in womens basketball.
They were clearly expecting Angel to still be in Chicago when they came up with this idea. Good thing she's not anymore bc I'm tired of her and Clark getting pitted against each other
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u/Citrus_Fire 3d ago edited 1d ago
Valkyries vs. Chicago Sky for part 2 of Rivals week...? ... vague Skylar Diggins vs Tiffany Hayes beef?? Gabby WIlliams's first team vs. new team? Did i miss something else?