In the first quarter of a mid-August game against the Lynx, Jonquel Jones caught the ball at the crest of the three-point arc and saw a defense arrayed against her. She’d earned the attention. Jones, a 27-year-old Bahamian with bungee-cable limbs and a full-faced smile, spent the regular season as the best player on the … Read more
There were times throughout last season when Aari McDonald wondered about her place in the WNBA. The 5′ 6″ guard starred at Arizona, captivating national audiences in March 2021 as she led the Wildcats to the national championship game. Following her team’s runner-up finish, the Dream selected her No. 3 in the ‘21 draft, wanting … Read more
Courtesy of Puma At one point during last year’s WNBA season, Storm star Breanna Stewart attended a meeting in Indianapolis in which her basketball journey was on a full display. Representatives from Puma had put together mood and inspiration boards from different junctures from Stewart’s past, “from where I grew up, to where I am … Read more
Ned Dishman/NBAE/Getty Images In honor of Black History Month, Sports Illustrated is passing the pen to prominent Black voices across sports to reflect, reexamine legacies and share their stories and viewpoints on what lies ahead for the next generation of trailblazers. What’s my purpose? I think I’m still figuring that out in my life, figuring … Read more
1. Former NBC NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya appeared on The Dan Le Batard Show last week. Later, she was a guest on a Fox News show and complained about the way she was treated by Le Batard’s show without naming Le Batard’s show. “I was invited with this, ‘We want to talk about your great … Read more
Snyder: Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports; Waynes: Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports; Kupp: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Vacation’s a few days away for me. So let’s drop some notes here … • Count me among those rolling eyes at Dan Snyder’s attorney’s contention that a scheduling conflict, as well as the weird idea that testifying virtually … Read more
1. One of the weirdest things in sports media at the moment, at least to me, is Sage Steele suing ESPN while still working at ESPN. Steele filed a lawsuit against the network and its parent company, Disney, in April, alleging that she was punished for comments she made on Jay Cutler’s podcast, violating her first … Read more
Brandon Staley flipped on a cutup earlier this spring, with his whole team in the film room, and there was Khalil Mack taking his final snap as a Bear against the Buccaneers on Oct. 24. He had J.C. Jackson and Kyle Van Noy’s final snap in the Patriots’ blowout loss to Buffalo in January. He … Read more
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Nancy Bird looked on from a courtside seat as Storm players loosened up before Sunday’s contest vs. the Liberty. And with just over an hour to go until tipoff, she was greeted by the person she was most excited to see play. At 41, Sue, is Nancy’s daughter. Of course, though, she is also now … Read more
They’d danced this celebratory dance before, the steps familiar, the rhythm ever-changing: first, with an innocent joyfulness, later with a chest-thumping exuberance. And this time, with tears and defiance and a renewed appreciation for the journey. The Warriors of Golden State reclaimed their preeminence Thursday night, dispatching the Celtics in a six-game NBA Finals, earning their fourth … Read more