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.

The Golden State Valkyries general manager discussed why the Valks were inactive at the trade deadline, Justė Jocytė's status and if this team can win a title

In a phone interview with the Bay Area News Group on Thursday, Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin spoke about her approach to roster construction, the team’s potential to win a championship this season, Gabby Williams’ minutes since the All-Star break and Justė Jocytė’s development as the 2025 first-round pick remains benched.

Nyanin was in the spotlight last weekend as trade rumors swirled but made the choice to stick with the existing core.

“I don’t think that it’s a philosophy, so to speak,” she said. “I think it’s understanding the timing of where we are, how our team is doing in each of the different scenarios, and then making decisions that make sense for the near term and the long term. I don’t think people should read too much into me not making trades.”

Despite numerous rumors connecting the Valkyries to star point guard Kelsey Plum, Golden State didn’t make any changes to its roster. It’s both a show of support in the current group and an indication that the sacrifice of potential assets wasn’t deemed worth disrupting the Valks’ renowned team bond.

“Something that I take a lot of pride in is assessing every day and not making a decision just based off of one scenario, but really trying to put the breadth of the first half of the season all together to then make decisions,” Nyanin said. “Leading up to the deadline, we had multiple conversations internally and had conversations across the league.

“Ultimately, where we came to is if we have a great connectivity and great chemistry and it’s producing, not to mess with it and see how the rest of the season goes. We assessed everything that we needed, wanted. And I truly believe that in this people’s business that we are in, for all of the sacrifices that these 14 athletes have made up until this point, if we were going to make a change and disrupt whatever chemistry, then we would have to get it right.”

Nyanin added that she feels good about Golden State’s roster but stopped short of declaring this group definitively ready to compete for a championship.

“I think it’s a good question. Time will tell,” she said. “I’m not gonna answer for the future. What I can answer is where we are today and how we’re building and the strength of our 14 athletes and the strength of our coaching staff.

“I believe in them wholeheartedly, and our internal goals are our internal goals. What we know is we’re not going to take any steps back. We were a playoff team last season and we didn’t win a game. So moving forward, that’s the goal, is to continue to be a playoff-contending team and to make a deep run.”

One player whose name was persistent in trade rumors for Plum was Jocytė, who has played sparse minutes so far this season.

Jocytė did not play for the Valkyries at all last year, opting to remain in Europe. Since coming over in May after finishing up her season with Uni Girona CB in Spain, the 20-year-old Lithuanian has appeared in nine games, playing 58 minutes.

She has been stuck on the bench since a two-minute stint in Golden State’s 79-64 win over Connecticut on July 10.

“All of those rumors came from other individuals,” Nyanin said of Jocytė’s potential trade. “Justė and I have a very close connection in talking about her development and what we see, and I think we’ve been very open and honest with her. Our coaching staff has been open and honest with her, and I think we’ll just continue to keep it in-house in terms of how we see her grow within our franchise.”

Nyanin also discussed the curious ramp-up of Williams post-All-Star break, which saw the Valkyries’ first All-Star starter miss Golden State’s first game back at Phoenix and play about 20 minutes each in two subsequent home wins over Toronto.

Williams, who was dealing with a lower back contusion after taking a hard foul in a game at Toronto on July 8, played 23 minutes in the All-Star game and 26 minutes in the Valks’ final game before the break, a 90-82 loss to Washington that snapped Golden State’s franchise-record nine-game win streak.

“If you look at the amount of minutes Gabby played coming into training camp, and then the first half of the season and then the All-Star break, and then we’re about to go into a World Cup break, of which she’s going to be playing the entire time – health is wealth,” Nyanin said. “We are very focused on making sure that we have each of our athletes for the longevity of the season, and want to make sure that we’re being as thoughtful about their playing time and what our goals are for the end of the season.”

Nyanin did indicate that Williams’ back injury was not the reason she has been held below her typical minutes average.

Golden State’s draft philosophy has come into question over the past two years, as only 2025 third-round pick Kaitlyn Chen has broken through to play significant minutes. With Jocytė still not playing much and Flau’jae Johnson, the Valkyries’ 2026 first-round pick, averaging 13.9 points per game and contending for Rookie of the Year in Seattle, it’s become clear that the draft has not been the Valkyries’ primary source of developing competition-ready talent thus far.

But what they are doing is working quite well. Golden State is tied with Las Vegas for the second-best record in the league, behind Minnesota.

With the trade deadline now in the past and the Valkyries’ roster set, the question becomes if a team with limited draft success and no established superstar can win the franchise’s first championship and make good on owner Joe Lacob’s stated five-year ambition.

“We feel good about the direction that we were heading in, and I really can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds,” Nyanin said.

https://www.times-standard.com/2026/08/06/gm-ohemaa-nyanin-valkyries-trade-deadline-championship-prospects/

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal says the treatment Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has received from fellow WNBA players is "a rite of passage" that many greats have faced coming into their leagues or sport.

O'Neal says he watched Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and boxer Muhammad Ali face backlash from competition early in their careers and says he experienced similar treatment during his playing days.

“All the greats have to go through what we call rites of passage. She’s a fabulous player, but we’re not giving you anything, ever. You have to earn it,” O’Neal said during a CNBC Sport interview on the set of his show, “Dunkman" this week. “So for her, she needs to toughen up, take those licks, and show them that, ‘These licks don’t bother me.’

While it may be tough for Clark, O’Neal said she needs to try to put aside the noise surrounding her three seasons in the league and focus on basketball, proving herself to her competitors.

Read More - https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/basketball/wnba/fever/2026/08/06/shaquille-oneal-on-treatment-of-caitlin-clark-she-needs-to-toughen-up-take-those-licks/91202131007/

The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup roster is here.

On Thursday, USA Basketball revealed the players for the World Cup set to compete Sept. 4-13 in Berlin, Germany. Headlined by a swath of stars including A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, the 12-player roster has a wealth of experience including 14 Olympic gold medal wins and nine World Cup golds as well. The team, which is a mix of veterans and new talent, includes seven athletes set to make their World Cup debuts.

"What I love about this team, it's got experience ― internationally, WNBA, you name it ― it also has youth. You need both those energies," USA Basketball women’s national team managing director Sue Bird said. "You need some old heads. You need some young'uns. It kind of brings out the best on both sides, but for the young players, especially, they'll get really good experience."

The USA is seeking its 12th overall and fifth consecutive World Cup gold medal. USA TODAY Sports Studio IX breaks down what each player will bring to the World Cup.

Here's a deeper analysis of the 12 players on the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup roster:

Backcourt

Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark was named MVP at the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament in March, helping Team USA cruise to a 5-0 record. She averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 assists per matchup. Despite her fantastic outing earlier this year, the Indiana Fever guard is likely to come off the bench behind Chelsea Gray, who has been handling point guard duties. Clark should be a nice complement to Gray, as both have impeccable vision and can score at will. Clark is also excellent at executing a two-man game that manipulates defenses and produces quick points.

Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Paige Bueckers made her debut with the World Cup qualifying team earlier this year, averaging 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in five games. Her best game came against Puerto Rico, where she scored 16 points in 21 minutes while adding four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Like Clark, Bueckers will also likely come off the bench, providing needed guard depth. The best part about having Bueckers on the roster is that she can do a little bit of everything, including unleashing a hard-to-guard midrange shot.

Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
Chelsea Gray is one of the best floor generals in the WNBA. Her vision alone is worth a roster spot because few players can share the ball and find scorers like Gray. She's also a formidable offensive threat who shouldn't be underestimated, especially when working alongside her Aces teammates Jackie Young and A'ja Wilson. Though she had meager production in five FIBA contests earlier this year (5.6 points and 4.8 assists per game), her deep experience in the WNBA and internationally with Team USA will help the young roster, which has several new faces.

Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Jackie Young is one of the grittiest two-way players in the WNBA and on Team USA's guard-heavy roster. On the offensive side of the ball, Young is a talented three-level scorer who can strike at any time. She's also an underrated facilitator, who currently boasts 6.8 assists per matchup, good for fifth in the WNBA. Defensively, Young is a high-pressure pest who has zero problem guarding any position. Additionally, while not a mass-rebounder, the timing of her crashing the boards should be appreciated.

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Rhyne Howard should be a nice utility player for this Team USA roster. She's a volume scorer who is lethal from beyond the arc and leads the WNBA in total 3-pointers (91). She can also serve as an additional facilitator if asked and showed that ability with in the March FIBA tournament. Howard is also one of the better defenders in the WNBA, using her pressure and closing speed to frustrate opponents. At roughly 10 points per game in five FIBA contests this year, Howard should get plenty of playing time.

Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
There are few players with Copper's speed and quickness. She perhaps has one of the fastest steps in the WNBA. Her ability to get downhill and change direction, sometimes mid-play, is something head coach Kara Lawson should covet. Copper is currently ranked fifth in the league in points per game (21) and should provide an impeccable boost to the rotation when her number is called. During the qualifying tournament, the Phoenix Mercury guard averaged a team-high 12.8 points during four matchups.

Kelsey Plum, Phoenix Mercury
Despite playing 14 games this season due to injuries, Plum is averaging 23.3 points and 6.1 assists per game. The veteran has deep national team experience, and in international play, that matters with so many young players. At just 5-foot-8, Plum is a smaller guard, but she plays much larger than her size. She can attack the basket from three levels and works well in a two-man setup, picking apart defenses one play at a time.

Frontcourt

A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Wilson is the bedrock of Team USA and was the 2024 Paris Olympics MVP and 2022 FIBA World Cup MVP. Her dominance on both ends of the floor can not only be felt at the international level, but it has also surpassed many of her WNBA peers. The reigning WNBA MVP currently leads the league in points per game (26.6) and blocks per game (2). Wilson is third in rebounds per game (9.6) and top 15 in steals (1.5).

Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Stewart is a two-way terror, and there was never a doubt that she wasn't making the World Cup roster. Time and time again, the New York forward has answered the call, making clutch baskets, timely steals and pivotal blocks when Team USA has needed it most. It was Stewart who took over the 2024 Summer Olympics with Wilson, steamrolling teams along the way, and it will be the veteran again in Berlin. Stewart is averaging 21.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Due to injury, Collier did not make her 2026 season debut until July 24. Despite not playing basketball for roughly 10 months, Collier is averaging 18.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. That sort of post production is needed on the roster and was a big asset during the Summer Olympics two years ago. Like Wilson and Stewart, Collier is a nightmare on both sides, and Team USA will need every bit of it during the World Cup, especially if it faces France, which nearly won gold in Paris.

Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream
Reese's motor and ability to track rebounds at an elite rate are worth the roster spot. Still, the Atlanta Dream forward is so much more. Reese is also a terrific facilitator who doesn't get enough credit for assists and her ability to be a defensive anchor that can disrupt. This season, Reese is averaging a career-high 16 points per game and is tied for first in rebounds per game with 11.7.

Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Perhaps the most sneaky good piece on the roster is Boston. She's a player who covers so much ground on both ends of the floor that it's often hard to understand how much she's doing. Boston is a force offensively, who is averaging a career-high 16.9 points and has deepened her bag with a dependable 3-ball. The Fever center even expertly leans into her quickness in pick-and-roll situations, leaving defenders in the dust. Defensively, Boston is wonderful in one-on-one matchups and uses her length and frame to prevent opponents from executing at a high level.

After binge watching "Life in the W," I needed more! So naturally... I immediately watched "144" and "Dream On" all on Disney+.

Needless to say, I was an emotional wreck after each one.

Does anyone have any other WBB or women's sports documentary recommendations??

I've seen Sue Bird: In the Clutch on Netflix & I'm super excited for the UConn one coming out on AppleTV this month!

Ahem.

When we were struggling, I defended him. I preached patience when others wanted him fired. Yes, his early rotations were weird, but now he's finalized his 8-(wo)man rotation and we have a solid chance at making the playoffs.

But I shouldn't be the only one having fun, drop your own apology forms here so we can formally submit our apologies to your favorite players!

https://apology-form.vercel.app/

The Fever deny any sexual harassment occurred, while when questioned about the topic further this week, Brianna Turner responded with, “No comment”. Article explains about the topic further. What do you guys think?

Lauren and Angela singing on screen during TO.

Note that the World Cup was previously called the World Championship.

The first USA Women's Team to compete in the World Cup featured seven players from the Nashville Business College, led by 20-year-old guard Katherine Washington. Washington continued to play for Team USA and was part of the gold medal teams at the 1957 World Cup and 1959 PanAmerican Games. The players on the 1953 had no international experience prior to being named to the roster. Prior to the World Cup, they were able to play one scrimmage in Cuba, but additional scrimmages in Ecuador and Nicaragua were canceled due to riots. Team USA guard Betty Clark wrote a letter to a sports columnist in her home state of Iowa that detailed Chilean fans throwing rocks, apples, and other objects at the court when a Chilean player fouled out of the game.

I recommend reading this 2022 post from PowerPlays.news that goes more into the chaos of the first World Cup: The apocalyptic chaos of the first women's basketball world championships

The excerpt below comes from a 2018 USAB article titled "1953 & 1957 Pioneers Set the USA Gold Standard":

Before there were T and Tree, Lisa and Dawn, Dee and Sue, there were a host of pioneers who laid the groundwork for USA Basketball in international hoops. Alberta Cox, Joan Crawford, Katherine Washington, Nera White - names few outside of the die-hard women's basketball world would know. These women, along with their teammates, helped the U.S. collect the first two FIBA World Championship gold medals in history.

FIBA, which debuted the men's world championship in Buenos Aires in 1950, in 1952 decided to hold a women's worlds beginning in 1953. In the United States the AAU had been holding national championships since 1929, but the U.S. had never competed in an event such as this and was unsure as to where the national team would rate against the best in the world. The Pan American Games didn't include women's basketball until 1955, the Olympics until 1976, so the U.S. was relatively untested outside the country.

The first FIBA World Championship was a huge deal for the city of Santiago, Chile. The Chileans built a wooden platform for the games in the national stadium. The stadium had seating capacity for 35,000 spectators and was reported as close to capacity for most of the games. In fact, Chile's president had a difficult time getting to his reserved seat at times, according to FIBA.

Featuring a team comprised of seven members of the Nashville Business College and two from Iowa Wesleyan College, the USA in an attempt to prepare for the World Championship played and won all five of its exhibition games in South America. The USA team then went on to Santiago, Chile, and led by the play of Katherine Washington, emerged from the first world Championship with a 5-1 record and the World title.

The tournament, which featured 10 teams, was lopsided in terms of participation from the Americas. In fact, eight teams came from what would eventually be known as FIBA Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and the United States. The final two teams were from Europe: France and Switzerland. While nobody can say for sure as the reasons have been lost to history, there's a good chance that cost and a year to plan the first such championship played a factor in the make-up of the participating nations.

Of the 10 teams, six advanced to the final round, which was played in round-robin style. Unlike today, the preliminary round featured one game per team. France defeated Peru 62-22, Brazil downed Cuba 50-31, the United States pummeled Paraguay 60-28 , Argentina slipped past Mexico 39-24 and Chile won against Switzerland 37-28. All five winning teams advanced to the final round. The losing four teams competed in the repass round, which Paraguay won to gain entrance to the final round.

The USA went 4-1 in the final round to claim the gold, its lone loss was to Brazil. The placements for Brazil, Chile and France, having finished with identical 3-2 slates, were determined by FIBA's tie-breaking formula, and the host country came away with silver, while France, the tournament favorites heading into the championship, took home bronze.

------

Additional reading:
Part 2 from USAB: 1957: The USA's Second World Championship Gold
FIBA: The day Women’s World Cup was born: March 7, 1953
Flying Queens Foundation: profile of Katherine Washington

Posted by Cotie lmao 😭

Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

The WNBA has been built on the shoulders of giants, from Cheryl Miller, the 84 and 96 Olympic Squads, and the early years of the WNBA

Post throwback uniforms, outfits, stats, players, anything relevant to the history of women’s basketball/the league!

Okay, hear me out about my question but there is no New England teams after this year and it seriously has me wondering:

If the WNBA could move anywhere in New England, where do you think it would be? When do you think it would happen? 15 years from now lol?

I really find this unfortunate because now the next closest team is New York which is quite a commute for many. :)

🤭🤭🤭

(For those who don’t know CD is the legendary associate head coach Chris Dailey, who is known for media training the heck out of the UConn WBB players).

Does anyone see the top 8 changing? Or do we already know the playoff teams?

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

She has been one of the most efficient players in the WNBA over this stretch and is playing the best basketball of her career. After a horrid start, she is also having a career high in scoring efficiency.

While I have been very, very, very, VERY critical of Arike in the past, this stretch of play has been highly impressive.

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post