So thrilled to hear this!!

Veronica Burton, flying solo, enjoyed a meal at the bar of Michael Jordan’s restaurant at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. A stranger approached, starstruck, declaring to be a huge fan.

Burton would’ve responded kindly even if she didn’t feel like being bothered. But she kind of liked the excitement her presence created. So she obliged the admirer. A little conversation. A photograph together. The generous fan even picked up the tab on her dinner.

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Thank you,’” Burton said, drumming up the same surprising look on her face she flashed back then.

The whole experience moved the typically low-key Burton. And at the end of this heartwarming exchange, the Valkyries point guard got a humbling reminder how the world she inhabits belongs to Gabby Williams.

“And as they were leaving,” Burton said, already breaking into a laugh, “they were like, ‘OK, bye, Gabby. Thank you.’”

Burton faced a dilemma. Correct the mistaken identity? Or let the stranger leave with a cherished memory. She’d received a free meal and adoration courtesy of her teammate. So she chose the latter. Somewhere, a fan perhaps treasures a photograph with a woman they believe is Gabby Williams.

The Valkyries stars still laugh about this. Such is the celebrity of the Valkyries’ hometown star.

“They can’t tell mixed people apart,” Williams said laughing, simultaneously deflecting the magnitude of her stardom.

For years, Williams carried a conviction the WNBA had yet to validate. A franchise player lived somewhere beneath the established defensive brilliance, the versatility that made her indispensable to every team, the selflessness that made her valuable to her team’s culture. The league had yet to see her as a cornerstone. But she believed. The player who’d put France on her back, who for years overseas had been entrusted with the biggest moments, could be the face of a franchise in the WNBA.

She just needed the freedom to emerge. A kingdom willing to hand her the keys. She’d done everything else in her seven-year career. Defensive specialist. Starter with a defined role. Game-changing reserve. A role player who could fill in for the star in short windows. But never the one around whom everything revolved.

And despite all her contributions, the endings rarely changed. Her team still went home too early. She made it out of the first round once, in 2022, before this season.

So when free agency arrived, Williams decided she was done following the familiar script. At 29, and emboldened by the 2024 Olympics where she led France to a near upset of the United States, she listened to the voice in her head. The one insisting she belonged among the elite. The one whispering, “Tell me when to go,” while awaiting the opportunity to produce proof.

She chose an expansion franchise, betting that a team with no history could become the stage for the greatest chapter of her own. And of all the places for her prophecy to find its fulfillment, it happened at home.

In the Bay Area, where childhood memories still linger — from her cousin’s house in East Oakland to running around Pier 39 after youth basketball tournaments — Williams found the belief she’d been seeking. The Golden State Valkyries handed her the keys. She gave them a star and took them the WNBA Finals.

Now the same region that helped raise her proudly elevates her as one of its beloved icons. Williams understands the spirit here, the energy that’s turned Chase Center into one of the WNBA’s most daunting venues. She recognizes the diversity of the audience, the eclectic swag and progressive passion, where urban swag melds with corporate culture because everybody here blows the whistle.

The girl who dreamed to meet the stars she admired has become one they want to meet. The young hooper who once longed to see someone who looked like her representing her home team has become that very figure for another generation. A childhood wish fulfilled by a grown woman’s audacity to believe in herself.

“I don’t even have the words for it, honestly,” Williams said. “Growing up here and knowing what this community is about, and seeing it at this level means everything. Like, the Bay has always been love. The Bay’s always been a community like this. And now all these people that have been Bay Area legends that I’ve looked up to since I was a kid … it just feels like a big party. And I’m just enjoying it, honestly, I’m enjoying it. I’m taking advantage of it, taking advantage of this energy and this magic that we have in this arena.”

The line snaked across the parking lot of Trader Joe’s. A sea of violet bubbling with anticipation to see the Bay Area’s newest superstar. Fans clutched gifts to give her. Some bearing tributes to her love of anime. Others honoring her affection for cats. All hoping for a few seconds with the woman who’d become the ambassador of a movement....

Read More - https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7693445/2026/10/16/gabby-williams-golden-state-valkyries-star/

Golden State Valkyries fans are flocking to Atlanta this week to cheer on the Bay Area’s Women’s National Basketball Association team as they face off against the Dream for Games 3 and 4 in the best-of-seven playoff series. The showdown kicks off Wednesday evening.

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Relax, it’s a good and respectful interview. Worth the watch!

And also it’s so obvious why everyone in the league (and outside of it) love Paige!

Is it normal for the All W teams to not be released by now? Game 3 of the finals is tonight and we still haven’t gotten the All W teams. This feels odd.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, with the Los Angeles Sparks failing to qualify for the WNBA playoffs, the muscular men who usually dominate Venice Beach faced unexpected competition from Sparks star Dearica Hamby and her 9-year-old daughter, Amaya Marie. Flitting across a sandy volleyball court along with 150 supporters, including Hamby’s teammates from the Sparks, the duo celebrated sports, beauty and girlhood with glitter tattoos, ear piercings and shelves of sweet-smelling haircare and body products from their new tween-friendly beauty brand AMNO.

It’s the storyline that simply won’t go away for the Atlanta Dream, no matter how much success they have in the playoffs:

“Why won’t Karl Smesko play Madina Okot?”

I love the Valkyries and thought this would be competitive, but this is 3 games in a row in the FINALS that they look like they are asleep and flatfooted. Especially in their offense tonight its showing particularly bad. 3 players standing flatfooted during nearly every offensive set. No player is even looking toward the basket when they get the ball. It's like they all are expecting Jesus to float down and score for them. Passes are weak, screens are weak, indecisiveness, absolutely no aggressive play (on offense or defense).

Even on defense...which I think is what they pride themselves on...they are a full step behind ALL the Atlanta drives, screens, etc

Lastly, I love Gabby Williams. I think she possibly is the best or one of the best players in the W, but there are no plays set up well for her and she looks like she's about to cry BEFORE the game even starts. Maybe there is something more going on than we all know, but I think Atlanta's win tonight ended it for the series. Valks would have to go pretty much 3 straight games as COMPLETELY different looking team with completely different energy than these last 3 games have shown, but by the looks of it they won't change anything. You'd think at half time there would have been some adjustments or energy switch, but they seemed to nearly get slower in the second half.

Disappointed. I had high hopes for at least competitive games. I know they won game 1, but they still looked poor doing it. I think the only reason they had a shot at the end is because Atlanta keeps the scoring so low.

The question of how to watch the WNBL in the US this offseason came up in another thread. Since it was very difficult to watch the league in the US last year - and it then ended up providing a lot of players for WNBA training camps this year - I’m putting this here as a PSA:

Currently, you can stream games live and free on the WNBL’s YouTube. I assume this could change if they cut a US broadcast deal at some point in the season. Many of the game times are not ideal for the US (especially on the east coast) but you can of course watch it after the fact. 

One of the interesting storylines this year is that four of China’s top players are in the league, and there is a new broadcast deal to show the games in China. The plan is apparently to allow players from FIBA’s Asia region to compete as locals in the future (teams are limited to two import players), which I think could help the WNBL become a platform to the WNBA for players from Japan and Korea as well (New Zealanders are already counted as locals)

Other things to watch: The ongoing development of Georgia Amoore and Izzy Borlase; do the WNBA development players (eg Anelli Maley, Miela Sowah) come back to Australia noticeably better than last season despite not actually playing much in the W? Are any of the 2026 draft and stash players (Saffron Shiels, Charlise Dunn, Manny Puoch) ready for the W? Can Jade Melbourne make it through a full season with her teeth intact?

Below is a list of the current, past and future WNBA players in the league this year, plus some other players of note.

Adelaide
Steph Talbot (Aces), Maddy Westbeld (Mercury), Shay Ciezki (Mercury), Zitina Aokuso (Australian national team)

Bendigo
Isobel Borlase (Dream), Jade Melbourne (Storm), Kelsey Griffin (2010-2014 Sun), Marianna Tolo (2015 Sparks)

Canberra
Nyadiew Puoch (Fire), Manuela Puoch (Liberty draft and stash), Meg McConnell (Fever training camp), Amy Atwell (2024 Mercury)

Geelong
Han Xu (Liberty), Maddy Rocci (Tempo training camp), Wanglai Zhang (Chinese 3x3 national team)

Perth
Georgia Amoore (Mystics), Teonni Key (Tempo), Anneli Maley (Liberty)

Southside Melbourne 
Saffron Shiels (Tempo draft and stash), Sakima Walker (Lynx training camp), Haley Peters (2025 Sun), Wang Siyu (Chinese national team)

Sydney
Charlise Dunn (Tempo draft and stash), Ally Wilson (ex-Mystics), Isabelle Bourne (Australian national team), Maya Dodson (drafted in 2022, did some camps but never made a roster), Jaz Shelley (drafted in 2024 but didn’t make a roster), Yang Shuyu (Chinese national team)

Tasmania
Gianna Kneepkens (Sun), Madina Okot (Dream), Andy Smith (sister of Alanna), Steph Reid (Australian national team)

Townsville
Miela Sowah (Valkyries), Alex Fowler (ex-Liberty), Lauren Jensen (Mercury training camp), Marie Gülich (played in the W 2018-2020, German national team)

Reese and teammate Rhyne Howard headed overseas to compete for Team USA, with Atlanta reserves Isobel Borlase (Australia) and Sika Kone (Mali) also making their way to Berlin. But the rest of the Dream roster later met up in a coastal Florida town about 45 miles north of Miami, known more for beaches and shopping and retirees and snowbirds than basketball.

Amid the prolonged disruption to the WNBA season that threatened to kill momentum for teams, the Dream used the time to fortify theirs -- thanks to a mini training camp they held in Boca Raton, Florida, during the second weekend of the FIBA break.

“It was one of my [most] favorite trips of my career,” said DeWanna Bonner, a 17-year veteran. “That was the best trip. It was so fun.”

“You’d see people [together] that you never thought would hang out with each other -- that’s just how Boca brought us closer,” second-year guard Te-Hina Paopao said. “And when the people from FIBA came back, it was just like nothing was missed.”

Added Bonner: “It’s just been up from there with us, and we’ve been locked in since then.”

The Florida trip was far from a midseason vacation. The Dream had some of their best, most intense practices of the season at Florida Atlantic University -- where the team had also trained during the 2024 Olympic break. They scrimmaged against male practice players and, without any games to rest for, had a real opportunity to go hard up and down the court.

They held daily film sessions and drilled down on the defensive principles that made them one of the best units in the league. And with Howard and Reese abroad, other players were able to step up and get more of a run.

“Everybody was just challenging everyone, and everybody was motivating everyone,” Bonner said, “and then we got off the court, and we got to go to the beach and love on each other a little bit. It was a great balance.”

The trip was planned well before Bonner’s arrival -- forward Naz Hillmon suggested it and several staff and front office members agreed it was a good idea -- but the timing proved fortuitous as Bonner was more fully incorporated into the mix.

“I think that break came at a great time for us,” coach Karl Smesko said.

“Even though she’s been in the league for a long time, coach uses a lot of different words in comparison to other coaches, so you have to pick up on that lingo,” Hillmon said. “His style is a little bit different, but it was great that we had a little bit of a head start and not just throwing DB in [at the end of the regular season].”

Read Full Article - https://www.tsn.ca/wnba/article/inside-the-boca-training-camp-that-spurred-the-dreams-wnba-finals-run-n1-50232452/

By Chloe Peterson

The Indiana Fever front office has a cap space problem on is hands.

Going into 2027, Indiana is hoping to sign Caitlin Clark to an EPIC extension, potentially raising her salary to the max, while also re-signing unrestricted free agent Kelsey Mitchell, who has spent all nine years of her professional career in a Fever uniform.

But what goes into re-signing Mitchell, a player who could command a multiyear max contract on the open market , while also having Aliyah Boston already on a supermax through 2029 and Clark eligible for a max through EPIC?

There are multiple routes the Fever could go, and IndyStar projected what could happen in those scenarios.

Some assumptions: The salary cap can rise as much as 13% to $7.91 million, per the collective bargaining agreement, so that is the projected salary cap in all these scenarios. Thus, the supermax (20% of the cap) will be $1.582 million and the max (17% of the cap) will be at $1.3447 million. The minimum salary cap hit will be at $288,600, as projected by Her Hoop Stats, and based on the fact the league said player minimums will rise about $70,000 over the seven-year life of the contract.

This is what the Fever’s 2027 cap table looks like (figures other than supermax provided by Her Hoop Stats): Boston will make the supermax at $1.582 million, Clark (pre-EPIC signing) will make $596,597, Lexie Hull will make $803,250, Monique Billings will make $800,000, Makayla Timpson will make $305,250, Raven Johnson will make $300,698, and Damiris Dantas will make $288,600. That is currently $4.676 million of cap space already taken up, with a projected $3.53 million left for five players (plus Clark’s EPIC raise) in 2027.

Here’s how the Indiana Fever cap space is impacted by their star players:

Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell take less to build championship roster

Caitlin Clark said in her exit interview that she knows her worth as a player, “but at the same time, sometimes you have to make sacrifices” to construct a championship-contending roster.

In this hypothetical scenario, let’s say both Clark and Mitchell sign for $1,000,000 for 2027. That’s the same amount Boston, who was eligible for a max in 2026, signed for in the first year of her EPIC deal in 2026.

Clark and Mitchell each taking a discount off the max could help the Fever tremendously. If the Fever also retain every other player they have signed for 2027, they would have around $1.8 million left in cap space to sign four more players.

That could be good for a couple mid-tier players for around $500,000 or $600,000, as well as a player around $400,000 and one more on the minimum contract.

Trading Indiana Fever players to create cap space

This scenario is similar to the first: Clark and Mitchell sign for $1,000,000 each in 2027. The difference comes in how the Fever manage the players that are already signed for 2027.

Indiana could trade Billings for cap relief. Billings underperformed the size of her contract in 2026, struggling with the switch from the 5 to the 4 to the point she eventually moved to come off the bench halfway through the season. She does, however, have prior years in her career, like when she was in Phoenix or Golden State or Atlanta, that shows she could live up to this contract size. The Fever could trade her on that potential: if another team can find a starting spot for her at the 5, she could be worth her contract size. Maybe a fresh start would be good for Billings, too.

Indiana also has Hull on what could be considered an inflated contract. It would be more difficult to move Hull, however, as she has only been on one team for her five-year career. Potential trade partners would likely be more willing to move with Billings, who has demonstrated success on various different teams in the league, rather than Hull, who hasn’t played in the WNBA outside of Indianapolis.

Trading one of those two players could also provide some crucial cap relief for the Fever. Indiana would have $2.6 million left in cap space for five players in this scenario, allowing them to potentially sign a high-tier free agent for another $1 million, a player in the $600,000 range, and a couple players in the $350,000 range along with someone on the minimum.

This scenario would be the most ideal, roster-construction wise, for depth in 2027. The Fever would retain their Big 3 and still have money left for another high-tier free-agent and some solid depth pieces.

Fever will be tight on cap space if Kelsey Mitchell re-signs on supermax

The Fever, considered as Mitchell's prior team in the upcoming free agency period, are the only team that can offer her a supermax in 2027.

This scenario, in which Clark would sign for the max, Mitchell for the supermax and Billings is traded, would still be tight on cap space. The Fever would have around $1.69 million left in cap space for five players, which could get them one mid-tier player at around $525,000 and four more players on minimum contracts.

They get a little more room if Mitchell signs for the regular max in this same scenario; the Fever would have about $1.94 million available in cap space, allowing for potentially two mid-tier players around $500,000 (or a player at $650,000 and a player at $350,000 or any combination of that) and three players around the minimum.

Caitlin Clark takes discount for Kelsey Mitchell to re-signs

Along with Clark saying she’s willing to make sacrifices in her salary to make sure the Fever can construct a good team, she and the Fever are going to “work our butt off to get (Mitchell) back” in 2027.

In this scenario, Clark takes a more significant discount and makes $800,000 in 2027, while Mitchell signs for the supermax. If the Fever retain every other player signed for 2027 in this scenario, they would have $1.427 million left for four players. That could be two mid-tier players at around $400,000 or $450,000, along with two players on a minimum contract.

If Clark makes $800,000 and Mitchell takes the max, the Fever would have an extra $250,000 of cap space left for a total of $1.667 million for four more players. That money could be used to get two slightly better role players with contracts totaling around $550,000, along with two more players on the minimum.

Will Kelsey Mitchell take a discount to stay, or leave Fever?

Let’s say Clark signs for the full amount allowed via EPIC in 2027, which is the max, and Mitchell takes a more significant hometown discount totaling an $850,000 salary.

In this scenario, the Fever would have $1.625 million left for four players, which totals two players at around $500,000 and two players slightly above the minimum at around $310,000.

This one seems more unlikely, as Mitchell did say she needed to be “selfish” in free agency, and at 30, she is getting to the back half of her career. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if she’s aiming to make as much money as possible, especially under the new CBA, in this portion of her career.

That’s why this scenario covers either Mitchell electing to stay on a hometown discount, or a potential free agent signing for the same amount of money. If Mitchell elects to leave Indianapolis, the Fever could sign a free-agent for around $850,000 and those other four players mentioned.

Fever could maximize salary cap through unlikely options

This one seems unlikely, because the Fever are determined to give Clark at least some sort of raise on the EPIC provision in 2027. But, if Clark hypothetically is not willing to sign the EPIC provision, she would stay at her fourth-year rookie contract salary of $587,596.

There are multiple things that could happen after that: Mitchell could take the supermax, and that would leave the Fever with $1.638 million for four more players — good for three mid-tier players between $400,000 and $550,000, along with a player on the minimum.

Mitchell could also take the max, leaving the Fever with $1.8 million for four more players, including three players at around $500,000 and one player at around $350,000.

If Mitchell elects to leave, the Fever could sign a different player to a max contract, and still have the same room for those other four players.

The most unlikely Indiana Fever salary cap scenario

This one, based on current salary cap projections and the Fever’s already signed players for 2027, simply is not possible.

If both Clark and Mitchell sign for the max, the Fever would be over the projected cap of $7.91 million with their roster construction even if the other four unsigned spots were all at the projected minimum of $288,600. The Fever would only be over the cap by about $14,000, however, leaving some wiggle room if the minimum for 2027 is lower than projected.

But still, a team constructed like this — with five players on minimum contracts — would not work to be a championship contender. They would continue to lack the depth they were so desperately seeking in 2026.

The Fever could potentially trade Billings or Hull (as seen in scenario 3) for some cap relief, but they would still struggle to get solid role players at the salaries they could offer.

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/basketball/wnba/fever/2026/10/21/wnba-free-agency-indiana-fever-salary-cap-space-caitlin-clark-epic-extension-kelsey-mitchell-news/92284536007/

By Joshua Cole

The Atlanta Dream are making huge moves on the court, sailing through the WNBA Finals. It's no wonder so many young girls want to play like Angel Reese or Rhyne Howard.

While the Dream are chasing a historic championship, girls ages 7 to 17 got to fall in love with the game on Tuesday, chasing their own dreams on the court.

"Basketball takes you everywhere," said Embry, who's been dribbling the ball since she was four years old.

She's teaming with Bailey Edwards, who's all about the girls around her.

"It's wonderful because I get to compete, and I also get to make friends. We get to fellowship over the game and have fun and grow and get better together," said Edwards as she learns from the players' journeys.

"The love that they have and why they choose to stay in it after all this time. It's really beautiful to hear from them so I can be inspired to continue on my journey playing sports," she said.

It's not Bailey's first Dream clinic. Much like the team's game itself, the Dream say what happens here goes beyond the score.

Ty Young played for the franchise in its first season and was its first draft pick. She sees herself in these girls.

"It helps build character. It helps show teamwork. It helps build confidence. So it's more than just about basketball and the score for these young ladies," said Young.

The message to every girl in the gym: you belong here.

Young told CBS News Atlanta what she would tell herself at that age: "To seize t he moment, to enjoy the moment that I have right now… Go dream."

It's exactly what Edwards is doing herself.

"The energy is amazing in the arena. So really excited for the game, and we're going to get that championship this year," she said.

The Dream plays Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Atlanta, hoping to break their tied-up series against the Golden State Valkyries in their quest for the Championship.

https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/dreams-first-draft-pick-ty-young-shares-lessons-with-girls-at-clinic-during-atlantas-wnba-finals-run/

Depth has been the pride of the Golden State Valkyries all season long.

During the regular season, they had 10 players seeing double-digit court time on a nightly basis, with no single player logging an average of more than 30 minutes per game. That’s rare for a team seeing so much success.

While we’ve already detailed the “win by collective” approach to roster-building that has led Golden State thus far, does that strategy have redundancies on the WNBA Finals’ stage?

As the 1-1 series shifts locations for Game 3, let’s compare the player-usage approaches of the Atlanta Dream and Valkyries.

Atlanta is committed to maximizing their core stars

The question of depth and playing time comes at the heels of Atlanta’s Game 2 victory, in which they played four players for more than 30 minutes. Jordin Canada played an exhausting 36, while Allisha Gray and Angel Reese ran for 34 minutes each, despite Reese picking up three early fouls and ending one short of a forced exit.

The Dream only went seven-deep in their rotation as a whole, compared to Golden State’s 10-player rotation which only slightly increased in garbage time. Kiah Stokes wasn’t just the only player to play 30 minutes for the Valkyries, she was the only one to play more than 26.

They’re trying to keep their core of Gray, Reese, and Rhyne Howard on the hardwood as much as possible. Jordin Canada’s postseason ascension has also given her a seat at that table. She’s proven to be a steady floor general for Smesko, but her newfound volume scoring has added a new dimension of offense, especially when she’s playing nearly every minute of the game.

Monday night showed that Atlanta has the ability to dominate with a streamlined lineup.

Should Golden State start to give more minutes to their stars?

With Atlanta investing more minutes into their top players, Natalie Nakase’s substitution sheet becomes an interesting story. Is she holding her starters back from playing more than 30 minutes out of need, or out of choice?

It’s always possible that it could help them stay fresh for an extended series, but each win is so important.

Gabby Williams had a difficult scoring night on Monday, but regardless, she needs to be on the court. Reese played seven more minutes than Williams, but is that because Williams needs more time to recharge? Given that Williams was a multiple-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Nevada for Track and Field, and an alternate for Team USA Track and Field at the 2012 Olympics, it’s hard to see stamina as a pressing issue. Nakase is likely leaning into her depth because they got the Valkyries thus far, and that’s not at all unreasonable.

Read Full Article - https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/89158/finals-game-3-predictions-adjustments-rotations-lineups-bench-depth-atl-dream-gsv-valkyries-natalie-nakase-gabby-williams-janelle-salaun-angel-reese

Renee Montgomery is a true professional if a team I owned was playing in the finals and I was commentating I’d be bias as hell.

Veronica Burton looks like Alica keys

Gabby being listed at 5”11 is a lie she’s at least 6”1

The wnba needs new commercials idk if it’s because I stream or what but I’ve seen that talking backboard State Farm commercial way too much

If I made a play around Angel I’d run. you even tip a pass she punching you in your chest hyping you up.

When tip hayes retires don’t hang the jersey up leave a little dent in the floor just for her.

Kiah stokes has always been a great shot blocker but I remember her having a lot less speed with the aces

At first I didn’t understand the kalia Charles 1.2 million dollars but after factoring in the hustle, the shooting and the defense with the face card i’d say she’s underpaid.

“Where the hell did Natalie find bomb sounds”

### Lady Whistledunk Volume XVII

Hey r/WNBA, I’m Renee Montgomery, Atlanta Dream Co-Owner, 2x WNBA Champion, All-Star and sports broadcaster. I'm here to do an AMA on October 20th at 4pm ET / 1pm PT! So ask me anything!

By Alissa Hirsh

It was a relief to see Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase in the press room in Chicago in late August.

I’d spent the season uncomfortable with the fact that as a Sky beat reporter, I still couldn’t tell how good Tyler Marsh, the Sky’s first-time coach who struggled through his first two seasons, really was.

Now here was a coach everyone agreed was great. Nakase had undeniably turned her team into something greater than the sum of its parts, ultimately leading them to the Finals in only the franchise’s second year of existence.

How did she do it? From afar, Nakase gives the impression she’s outworking everyone. Maybe because of the urgency with which she stalks the sidelines, or how frequently she says the word “kill.”

But up close she conveys a certain warmth too. She’s the kind of person whose eyes light up when she sees a familiar member of the press, or when asked about a bench player’s success, or when talking about her team’s commitment to playing with joy.

I remember before the game in Chicago, the broadcaster asked her about that joy — in particular, about how it showed up on the stat sheet. Was it valuable only insofar as it led to winning, or some other measurable outcome? Nakase said no.

“There has to be some beauty in understanding that: you’re gonna lose,” she said. “You can still have joy when you’re losing. Sports has to understand that’s gonna happen.”

It felt like the soft underbelly of Nakase’s relentless aura peeking out. So I decided to find out more about the connection between the two.

Interviewing players and coaches around the league this past week reveals that Nakase really is tough as nails. She’s obsessive about giving it her all and getting her team to “empty the tank.” That she collapsed from exhaustion during Game 3 of the quarterfinals against the Wings was the most striking and concerning example.

She said later that she’d been so excited about game planning that she’d forgotten to eat.

As Nakase tells it, she got her work ethic from her Dad. Gary Nakase was the person who held her to the highest standard, who always put her in basketball leagues where she was the worst player so that she’d have to sink or swim.

“He’s like: ‘hey now you suck, good luck,’” she laughed.

But I did a little reading and found out it goes back further than that. Gary got his work ethic from his father, Kenichi, who was relocated to a Japanese internment camp during World War II, and then had to start all over.

It got me thinking about how we inherit our approaches to hard work. My grandparents, Latvian refugees from the Soviet occupation, also had to start from scratch when they came to the United States. They instilled a strong work ethic in my mom, who passed it on to me.

Over time though, I became more skeptical of the Boomers and their “just push through” attitudes toward hard work. I felt they weren’t in touch enough with their hearts or bodies to discern whether they were even working toward the right thing. I was even skeptical of my peers and the hustle culture I saw all around me — didn’t hustling so hard just release us from reckoning with our greed and cravings for prestige?

But what about when the hustlers are really trying to help people? What about someone like Nakase, who’s working toward a more noble goal?

“Coaching is never about you,” Nakase said, when asked about her purpose last week. “It should never be about you. It’s all about pouring yourself into others and building their confidence.

“And building their weaknesses into strengths and making them also understand that: it’s okay to have weaknesses.”

I had to learn that lesson about weaknesses the hard way this season. Six months after Nakase got her dream job with the Valkyries, I got mine covering the WNBA. That meant that for the first time in my career, I’d be contributing to a greater purpose: deepening the conversation around women’s basketball, a game I had played and coached my entire life.

Suddenly I was grinding in the ways I’d always criticized. I discovered how easy it was to fall into it. You forget to eat because the 10-hour sessions don’t even feel like work. Because you’re in flow. Because in some ways the work puts you at ease. “Film is my therapy,” Nakase said after practice last Friday.

But as anyone who’s ever been in therapy knows: it’s actually tiring as hell. It takes a toll on your body. Eventually you run into the thing that tells you you need to stop.

For me, it was muscle tension that started causing sharp pains in the back of my head. Or more accurately: it was concern from parents about the pains in the back of my head that pushed me to slow down.

I realized that to make it through the season, I had to start taking more breaks. Which, ironically, is something that my mom has encouraged me to do my whole life. I’d ignored it because I feared it wou

ld be a weakness — that it cause me to fall behind.

But I discovered that not only does pausing to take a break actually improve the quality of my writing, it also helps me remember that my own purpose is not static.

My purpose on a given day might just be to breathe in and out. Or experience the pleasure of an unhurried mind. Or be available to answer the phone when a family member calls.

Sometimes I wonder if Nakase takes enough breaks to allow that kind of shift in purpose. I worry that we are the most at risk of burnout when we’re working on behalf of others, when we’re passing along virtues we learned from our parents.

So I was relieved to know that in the aftermath of Nakase’s collapse, she’s taking her family’s concerns seriously. Her sister is staying with her during the playoffs, leaving out little meals for her to eat on the go. She’s now wearing a heart monitor, and reflecting on how before her dad passed away in 2021, he told her to never let her career get in the way of her health.

It reminded me of my parents: the same people who taught me hard work are also trying to teach me about limits.

So before Game 1 I asked Nakase about what made her dad a cool person, mostly just to put his presence in the room. The joy lit up her face.

“What made my dad a cool person was that he was there for me every single day,” she said. “His love language was basketball, it was discipline, and it was time.”

I was struck by the word time, and realized that I’ve never really allowed myself to fully feel that gratitude to my parents — for being at every one of my games, reading every one of my articles, answering every one of my calls.

Sometimes it really does take a great coach to access a feeling that soft.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/wnba/2026/10/20/natalie-nakase-learned-hard-work-from-her-dad-in-the-wnba-playoffs-shes-also-had-to-reckon-with-her-limits

Stokes became only the second player in WNBA history to record 4+ blocks in consecutive WNBA Finals games (cite - I didn't want to link to the article directly because I was annoyed by the click bait-y nature of the headline).

Like I said in the game thread last night, Kiah Stokes' career revival needs to be the subject of a documentary.

Here are six players having breakout moments who have shown that timing is everything.

Gabby Williams: ‘Just go at me’

Williams maintains it’s less about her blossoming and more about her not being given respect in the past. But statistically, her impact has never been bigger than right now, and her popularity is at its zenith with Valkyries fans. With Williams in her eighth WNBA season but her first in the Bay Area, Golden State has been the best fit for her in every aspect.

“Her ‘killer’ mode goes up a level every game,” Nakase said. “The best thing she told me is, ‘Just go at me. Like in games, I need directness.’

“Those are the best players to coach, because you can just say [something] right away and it doesn’t waste time. The fact that she told me her coaching style right away made us grow closer together.”

Jordin Canada: ‘The most rewarding year’

Canada hasn’t had to worry about having a WNBA job; she has started more than 70% of her games across a nine-year career. But she has never shined so brightly as she has in 2026, a culmination of her growth and resilience through injuries.

“She’s just everything you’d want from a point guard,” Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said.

“I’m a lot older now. I’ve learned a lot,” Canada said of this Finals appearance. “Obviously, I’m in a different role than I was my first two championships of coming off the bench and trying to figure out where I can get in.”

“My leadership has grown over the years, being able to talk more, communicate more, bring my championship experience to this team,” Canada said. “Those are just some of the ways that I feel that I have grown. It’s been the most rewarding year that I’ve had.”

Veronica Burton: The ‘smartest worker’

A three-time Big Ten defensive player of the year at Northwestern, Burton was the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft and stayed with the Dallas Wings for two seasons. Cut just before the 2024 campaign, Burton was signed by the Connecticut Sun. But she was left available in the expansion draft, and Golden State took her. It has been the perfect fit.

“It’s about understanding that when one door closes, that doesn’t mean all of them are closed,” Burton said of her WNBA path. “It may not go exactly as you initially imagined, but I hope people can learn from my journey.”

Nakase said that helping Burton reach her best these past two seasons is the same process she has used with other players.

“It’s just asking them the questions ... what is your learning style and what do you need from me?” Nakase said. “She said, ‘I just need someone to believe in me as a coach.’

“Her work ethic is the best. Last year, she showed up too much, like 8 in the morning. She learned to trust me that you don’t always have to be the ‘hardest’ worker, you have to be the smartest worker.”

Kiah Stokes: ‘Clicked immediately’

The 6-foot-3 center has as much championship experience as anyone in this series, with three NCAA titles at UConn and three WNBA titles with the Las Vegas Aces. The No. 11 pick in the 2015 draft by the Liberty, Stokes spent five full seasons with New York. (She sat out in 2019.) Then in 2021, she was waived by the Liberty in late June after playing nine games.

Two days later, Las Vegas signed her -- and the best part of her pro career began. She won the 2022, 2023 and 2025 championships with the Aces. Stokes was a valuable part of the team but understandably was overshadowed by perennial league MVP A’ja Wilson.

Now with the Valkyries, Stokes is a full-time starter, averaging her most minutes (22.3) during the regular season since 2020 with New York. Her scoring (3.6) and rebounding (5.8) averages don’t stand out, but the way she does everything the Valkyries need -- screening, passing, help defense, rim protection -- has in many ways made this her signature season.

Despite the Game 2 loss, Stokes on Monday joined Brittney Griner (2014) as the only players in WNBA history to record four-plus blocks in consecutive Finals games.

Her personality meshes with that of Nakase, who was an Aces assistant while Stokes was with Las Vegas.

“We clicked immediately,” Stokes said. “We understand each other. She understands the game. She understands the work ethic.”

Naz Hillmon: ‘A reality check’

Hillmon was the program changer at Michigan, the most important recruit in coach Kim Barnes Arico’s mission to make the Wolverines a contender. Hillmon led Michigan to its first Sweet 16 in 2021 and its first Elite Eight in 2022, after which she was a second-round pick by the Dream at No. 15. That was a steal for Atlanta: No player in that draft class has played more WNBA regular-season games (201) than Hillmon.

“It takes looking in the mirror and seeing that everybody can’t be a star player once you get to this level,” Hillmon said. “It’s a reality check, but I feel I’ve always been someone who is selfless in doing whatever my team needs me to do. Being an undersized post player, how do I stay in this league as long as I possibly can?”

Hillmon was the WNBA’s Sixth Player of the Year last season. She has started all but three of the Dream’s games this year, averaging a career-best 9.1 points.

“She has really developed her game the last two years,” Smesko said. “She’s always been a good cutter and offensive rebounder and somebody who’s willing to screen and get other people open. She has really found her rhythm and is also taking on the top defensive assignments.”

Kaila Charles: ‘Staying the course’

Charles started all 135 games she played at Maryland and was a three-time All-Big Ten first-team selection. But as a 6-foot-1 guard who made just 10 3-pointers in her college career, she fell to the next-to-last pick in the second round, No. 23, of the 2020 draft. However, only four of the 22 players taken ahead of her have played more than Charles’ 135 WNBA regular-season games. Many are out of the league, but Charles persevered.

After her first two seasons with Connecticut and brief stints in Atlanta (one game in 2022) and Seattle (four games in 2023), she didn’t play in the WNBA in 2024. In 2025, she joined Dallas but was released after 17 games.

Then Golden State called. She had three consecutive seven-day contracts before signing on for the rest of the 2025 campaign. She’s now finishing the first season of a two-year deal with the Valkyries.

“I have been cut from multiple different teams, but one thing that never wavered was my belief that I belong,” Charles said. “It was just finding a coach that believed in me, finding the right fit, and then just staying the course. I was playing overseas; I was playing here. I was staying ready for my moment.”

Nakase praises the resilience of Charles, who represents a blue-collar determination Valkyries fans admire.

“The other day, I was at Safeway [grocery store], and someone gave me some flowers, a random lady,” Charles said. “It was just really sweet. I really do feel the love and appreciation.”

Read Full Article - https://www.tsn.ca/wnba/article/six-players-finally-getting-their-time-in-the-spotlight-in-the-wnba-finals-n1-50222280/

30 PTS
16 REB
3 AST
1 STL
2 BLK

10/16 FG
1/1 3PT
9/11 FT

+ 13

Youngest player with a 20pt double-double in WNBA finals history.

One of three players to ever record 30+ points and 15+ rebounds in a WNBA Finals game

It doesn't get better than that. Wow 😮‍💨