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Tag: Women's National Basketball Association

  • WNBA’s latest CBA proposal would put max salary over $1.1M with revenue sharing, AP source says

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    NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA’s latest collective bargaining proposal would include revenue sharing with a maximum salary of more than $1.1 million available to more than one player per team growing each year, according to a person familiar with the negotiations on Tuesday night.

    WNBA officials updated the board on the latest proposal at meetings this week, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because ongoing negotiations are private. The new league minimum would be more than $220,000 with an average of more than $460,000.

    Those numbers would start in the first year of the deal for more than 180 players and increase over the length of the CBA.

    People familiar with the WNBA’s latest proposal described the plan to the AP as a highly lucrative package providing substantial increases over prior years and designed to bring negotiations to a quick conclusion.

    The current CBA was set to expire Oct. 31 when the WNBA and the players union agreed to continue negotiations to Nov. 30, allowing more time to negotiate a deal that would be revolutionary for the players in terms of salary.

    The players exercised their right to opt out of the current CBA last year with hopes of getting, among other things, increased revenue sharing, higher salaries, improved benefits and a softer salary cap. When the last CBA expired in 2019, both sides agreed to a 60-day extension with a CBA eventually ratified in January 2020.

    WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was hopeful before the 2025 All-Star Game that everyone would be talking about how great the next CBA would be at the 2026 All-Star Game.

    “I’m still really optimistic that we’ll get something done that would be transformational,” Engelbert said in July.

    ___ AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

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  • WNBA star Alyssa Thomas joins new Project B league, promising higher salaries and global competition

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    WNBA MVP finalist Alyssa Thomas on Tuesday became the second player to join Project B, the new women’s basketball league that is expected to begin in Europe and Asia in November 2026.

    The Phoenix Mercury star announced her decision on social media a week after Nneka Ogwumike told The Associated Press that she also would play in the new league offering players high salaries and an equity stake.

    “Alyssa is the kind of player and person you build around,” Project B’s chief basketball officer, Alana Beard, told the AP. “Her leadership, competitiveness and professionalism elevate everyone around her. As one of the most respected players in the world, she represents the new era of player partnership and global competition that Project B stands for.”

    Thomas led the Phoenix Mercury to the WNBA Finals this past season before the team lost to the Las Vegas Aces in four games. The 6-foot-2 forward spent her first 11 seasons with the Connecticut Sun, twice leading them to the WNBA Finals while earning five All-Star nods.

    The 33-year-old has spent previous offseasons playing overseas before joining Unrivaled for its inaugural season last year. Thomas will be back this January in the 3-on-3 league that also features many top WNBA players. Project B and Unrivaled will have overlapping dates going forward.

    “We’re confident with what we’ve built in collaboration with our athletes, partners and investors,” Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said in a statement. “We remain consistent in our approach to pay players competitively, provide a meaningful stake in the business and keep them home year-round.”

    Project B will have 66 players divided into six teams. Each player will receive a larger salary than those currently offered by the WNBA. They also are expected to be higher than those at Unrivaled.

    While the financial specifics haven’t been disclosed, the potential of more lucrative compensation comes at an important moment for women’s professional basketball. As interest in the sport has soared in recent years, the WNBA and players union are locked in tense negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement, with much of the dispute centered on salary and revenue sharing.

    Project B plans to play the inaugural season through April 2027. That would not interfere with the typical WNBA calendar.

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    AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

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  • President Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, has brought buzz to an LPGA tournament

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    BELLEAIR, Fla. (AP) — Kai Trump is ready to live out her childhood dream in the spotlight.

    The granddaughter of President Donald Trump will be making her LPGA debut this week in The Annika at Pelican Golf Club.

    The 18-year-old high school senior already sounds like a pro. She handled a 12-minute news conference Tuesday with poise and maturity.

    “I think I’m going to learn a lot no matter what happens,” Kai Trump said. “I’m just going to go out there and have fun and see which way it goes. I’m going to take a lot away from it. Obviously, competing with the best players is going to be cool. To be inside the ropes with them, playing with them, learning what kind of shots they hit, what do they do on the course. So, yeah, just looking forward to it and playing with the best.”

    Trump began playing golf at age 2 and has committed to going to the University of Miami. She received one of the three sponsor exemptions for the tournament that are usually given to players who can help promote women’s golf. Trump has more than 9 million followers on social media. WNBA star Caitlin Clark is also playing in the tournament in the pro-am.

    “So the idea of the exemption, when you go into the history of exemptions, is to bring attention to an event,” said Dan Doyle Jr., owner of Pelican Golf Club. “She’s lovely to speak to and she brought a lot of viewers through Instagram and things like that that normally don’t watch women’s golf was the hopes, and we’re seeing it now on Instagram and social media. So it’s created a buzz on top of the other great players that we have here.”

    Trump played half the course with legendary golfer Annika Sorenstam, the tournament host, on Monday. Sorenstam mentioned how she received a controversial invitation to play on the PGA Tour in 2003 and that turned casual spectators into experts with strong opinions.

    “Kai brings a lot of different people to the sport and we want people to hear about our tournament and be part of it,” Sorenstam said. “The word is spreading and I think that’s a good thing. Keep in mind, The ANNIKA Foundation is a beneficiary here, and we’re all about providing and empowering our women. It really fits in our mission as well. We’re really looking forward to the week.”

    Trump asked Sorenstam for a few tips while they were on the course together.

    “It was amazing,” Trump said. “I asked her a few questions about her swing and what I should maybe do differently. I just asked her questions around the greens, too, because around these greens it’s tough and you can hit different shots into them and what her opinion would be on some of those shots. It was really cool meeting her. She’s a legend, so nice to play nine holes with her.”

    No, Kai’s grandpa isn’t coming to watch her play this weekend.

    “He’s running the world right now, so a little busy,” Trump said. “To me, he’s just a normal grandpa. Always has been.”

    Yes, she’s plays with President Trump but wouldn’t reveal who wins.

    “He’s pretty good. We have some tight matches. Yeah, can’t say much,” she said. “We play a lot. We have a great time out there. We’re always on the same team as well.”

    Grandpa’s advice?

    “Go out there and have fun. Just don’t get nervous,” she said.

    Tiger Woods also gave Trump advice.

    “I mean, he is the best golfer in the entire world. I would say that. And even better person,” she said. “He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens.”

    Trump’s best finish was runner-up on a Hurricane Junior Tour event. She finished last (by 22 shots) at 52-over par at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. Currently. Trump is ranked No. 461 by the American Junior Golf Association.

    “I think what I love most about golf is that it’s challenging. You’re never going to be 100% and there is always something to work on,” Trump said. “I think that’s kind of keeps on bringing me back to play golf and practice golf.”

    Kai Trump rose to prominence with her speech during last year’s Republican National Convention where she talked about having a “normal grandpa” who would give her soda and candy when her parents weren’t watching.

    She’s the eldest daughter of Donald Trump Jr.

    ___

    AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson contributed to this report.

    ___

    AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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  • TNT and its sports platforms to show new Unrivaled women’s 3-on-3 basketball league games

    TNT and its sports platforms to show new Unrivaled women’s 3-on-3 basketball league games

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    MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The new Unrivaled women’s basketball 3-on-3 league will have its games broadcast on TNT and its sports platforms.

    The league announced a multiyear partnership with the network to show more than 45 games from the inaugural season that begins in January. Matchups will be shown three nights a week with twice-weekly games on TNT on Mondays and Fridays. Games that are played on Saturday will be shown on truTV.

    Games begin on Jan. 17 and will be played in Miami.

    “Our TNT Sports portfolio centers on premium live sports and our media and equity partnership with Unrivaled deepens our commitment to further expanding the depth of top tier women’s sports programming we offer our fans and presents an opportunity for us to shape and amplify the continued growth of women’s basketball,” said Luis Silberwasser, chairman and CEO of TNT Sports.

    The league features 30 of the top women’s basketball players across six teams and was co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.

    “I mean, to be able to have a network like that that supports us, especially in Year 1, I think is just a huge testament to women’s basketball right now and how much it’s growing,” Collier told The Associated Press at shootaround before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday.

    Having all the games on one platform was huge for the new league. The league was also having discussions with ESPN, Amazon, ION and the CW.

    “We had a lot of interest as you could imagine and you know, we thought about carving this up in certain ways, but to give credit to Luis and the vision that he had, he wanted it all,” said former Turner President David Levy, who is the co-founder and co-CEO of Horizon Sports & Experiences and helped secure the media rights deal. “He thought it was smart for the league. And we talked about it, and we ended up deciding that maybe it is right to go with one entity, and a strong entity.”

    TNT will have a studio show at least one of the two nights it’s showing games.

    “Being on TNT, you know, for two of the three nights is really important, not just to help grow this league, but also to the women who play in it,” said Levy. “You know, they they grew up watching TNT. And then let’s not forget Bleacher Report and House of Highlights. That’s where all the Gen Z’ers are.”

    Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell said that being on TV was received really well by the players.

    “I think there’s a lot of nostalgia that goes along with this for the athletes,” he said. “We have an obligation with whichever partner it is that it’s someone they’re proud of and I think that first and foremost they’re really proud of this partnership. I’ve gotten tons of texts that our athletes are pumped up.”

    Salaries for the new league will be in the six figures. Compensation was key for players, many of whom have spent their offseason overseas supplementing their WNBA incomes. The average WNBA base salary is about $130,000 with the top stars able to earn more than $500,000 through salary, marketing agreements, an in-season tournament and bonuses. Many of the players also will have an equity stake in the league.

    The league will run for eight weeks with the 30 players divided into six teams. The squads will play two games a week with the contests taking place on a court about two-thirds the size of a WNBA one. The teams will stay the same throughout the season.

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    AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

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  • WNBA Playoff Glance

    WNBA Playoff Glance

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    All Times EDT

    (x-if necessary)

    First Round

    (Best-of-3)

    No. 1 New York 2, No. 8 Atlanta 0

    Sunday, Sept. 22: New York 83, Atlanta 69

    Tuesday, Sept. 24: New York 91, Atlanta 82

    No. 2 Minnesota 2, No. 7 Phoenix 0

    Sunday, Sept. 22: Minnesota 102, Phoenix 95

    Wednesday, Sept. 25: Minnesota 101, Phoenix 88

    No. 3 Connecticut 2, No. 6 Indiana 0

    Sunday, Sept. 22: Connecticut 93, Indiana 69

    Wednesday, Sept. 25: Connecticut 87, Indiana 81

    No. 4 Las Vegas 2, No. 5 Seattle 0

    Sunday, Sept. 22: Las Vegas 78, Seattle 67

    Tuesday, Sept. 24: Las Vegas 83, Seattle 76

    (Best-of-5)

    Semifinals

    No. 1

    New York 1, No. 4 Las Vegas 0

    Sunday, Sept. 29: New York 87, Las Vegas 77

    Tuesday, Oct. 1: Las Vegas at New York, TBD

    Friday, Oct. 4: New York at Las Vegas, TBD

    x-Sunday, Oct. 6: New York at Las Vegas, TBD

    x-Tuesday, Oct. 8: Las Vegas at New York, TBD

    No. 2 Minnesota 0, No. 3 Connecticut 1

    Sunday, Sept. 29: Connecticut 73, Minnesota 70

    Tuesday, Oct. 1: Connecticut at Minnesota, TBD

    Friday, Oct. 4: Minnesota at Connecticut, TBD

    x-Sunday, Oct. 6: Minnesota at Connecticut, TBD

    x-Tuesday, Oct. 8: Connecticut at Minnesota, TBD

    WNBA Finals

    Thursday, Oct. 10: Game 1, TBD

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  • WNBA awards Portland an expansion franchise that will begin play in 2026

    WNBA awards Portland an expansion franchise that will begin play in 2026

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    The WNBA is headed back to Portland, with Oregon’s biggest city getting an expansion team that will begin play in 2026.

    The team will be owned and operated by Raj Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who also own the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League. They paid $125 million for the franchise.

    “This is huge for Portland. We are so honored and humbled to be the vessel that delivers this WNBA franchise to Portland,” Bhathal Merage said. “And that’s really how we consider ourselves. Portland is this incredibly diverse, enthusiastic community. We saw the passion first-hand when we started looking into the Portland Thorns and this is Basketball City. So we’re very excited about the future.”

    Some 300 invited guests attended a kickoff event at Portland’s Moda Center on Wednesday afternoon with the Bhathals, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and other state and local officials. Afterward, there was community-wide event outside the stadium.

    The Bhathals started having conversations with the WNBA late last year after a separate bid to bring a team to Portland fell through.

    The city is well known for its embrace of women’s sports. In addition to the Thorns, who are drawing more than 18,000 fans on average to each home game, Portland is home to the nation’s first bar exclusively for women’s sports, the Sports Bra, which opened in 2022 and recently announced plans for additional franchises.

    “It really wasn’t our intention when we came to the Portland community, but we saw the opportunity, the stars aligned and here we are. We are at the epicenter of women’s professional sports,” Bhathal Merage said.

    It’s the third expansion franchise the WNBA will add over the next two years, with Golden State and Toronto getting the other two. The Golden State Valkyries will begin play next season and Toronto in 2026.

    “We’ve been working on Portland for a while, so when we did our original data analysis, I guess two and a half years ago, Portland was one at the top of the list, after the Bay Area,” Engelbert said. “So I’ve had my eye on Portland.”

    Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek was unable to attend at the Moda Center, home of the Portland Trail Blazers, but issued a statement.

    “The decision to choose Portland for the next WNBA team is just as much a recognition of our past as it is about faith in our future,” Kotek said. “Portland has an unequivocal love of women’s sports. ”

    Engelbert has said she hopes to have more teams by 2028 but doesn’t think that the league will be adding any more that will start playing before 2027.

    Portland had a WNBA team, the Fire, from 2000 until it folded in 2002. That franchise averaged more than 8,000 fans when games were played at the Rose Garden. The new franchise will play at the same arena, now known as the Moda Center, and the Bhathals plan to build a dedicated practice facility for the team as well.

    In addition to the Thorns, the Bhathal family has been a co-owner of the Sacramento Kings since 2013. The Bhathals added to their sports portfolio earlier this year when they bought the women’s soccer team for $63 million.

    “When you look at our numbers, not just the Thorns’ off-the-charts attendance, which is incredible, what you’ve seen, in Eugene, what you’ve seen in Oregon State, we knew that this was going to be one of the great moments in sports for Oregon,” Wyden said. “We saw, February of 2023, what was possible. So I can tell you that right now there are women playing in Portland. They’re rebounding in Roseburg, they’re hooping in Hermiston. Every nook and cranny of our state is into this.”

    The new Portland WNBA team is not yet named. The Bhathals said they wanted to tap into the community to select one.

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    AP Sports Writer Anne M. Peterson in Oregon contributed to this report.

    ___

    AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

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  • Griner, Mercury get 1st win behind 13 3-pointers; Aces go 2-0 without coach Hammon

    Griner, Mercury get 1st win behind 13 3-pointers; Aces go 2-0 without coach Hammon

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    PHOENIX (AP) — Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury earned their first win of the WNBA season with a 90-81 victory against the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night.

    Diana Taurasi had 23 points and 10 assists, while Griner added 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

    Phoenix, which finished with 13 3-pointers, hit 11 of 17 3s in the first half for a 57-40 lead. Taurasi had three triples and 15 points at the break.

    The 40-year-old Taurasi finished 4 of 9 from 3-point range, giving her 1,300 3s and extending her WNBA record. Sue Bird is second with 1,001.

    Aerial Powers paced the Lynx (0-3) with 20 points off the bench. Jessica Shepherd and Diamond Miller had 13 points each and Tiffany Mitchell added 12.

    For Phoenix, Sug Sutton had 14 off the bench and Moriah Jefferson and Sophie Cunningham each scored 13 points with three 3-pointers.

    The Mercury finished 13 of 28 behind the arc, while the Lynx were 3 of 18. Phoenix went 5 of 6 from 3-point range — with triples from five different players — to open a 27-18 lead after one quarter.

    Minnesota came within seven twice late in the third quarter. The Mercury finished 21 of 23 from the free-throw line.

    ACES 94, SPARKS 85

    LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jackie Young scored 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting and defending WNBA champion Las Vegas took control in the third quarter en route to a win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night.

    Down 10 at halftime, Las Vegas rallied by making 12 of 16 shots to outscore the Sparks 31-17 and take a 67-63 lead into the fourth quarter. Aja Wilson scored six straight points before Young had consecutive layups to put the Aces up 61-59.

    Wilson finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds for Las Vegas (2-0). Chelsea Gray added 16 points and eight assists, while Candace Parker had 10 points against her former team of 13 seasons.

    Gray’s pullup jumper with 1:30 to play gave the Aces an 89-79 lead.

    Chiney Ogwumike led the Sparks (1-1) with 19 points, and Lexie Brown had 15. Brown made all four of her shots, including two 3-pointers, to score 10 points to help the Sparks take a 25-15 lead after one quarter.

    The Sparks were without leader Nneka Ogwumike because of a non-COVID illness. Dearica Hamby, two months after giving birth, started in her place and scored 11 points.

    Hamby joined L.A. in an offseason trade with Las Vegas. She said she had been bullied and manipulated for being pregnant. That led to a WNBA investigation and a two-game suspension for Aces coach Becky Hammon, who denied the accusations.

    Hammon will return to the bench when the teams play again Saturday in Las Vegas, when the Aces receive their championship rings.

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    AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Brittney Griner Released From Russian Prison In Swap For Convicted Arms Dealer

    Brittney Griner Released From Russian Prison In Swap For Convicted Arms Dealer

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    Phoenix Mercury center and WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner has been released from a Russian penal colony and is in United States custody after a prisoner exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout. What do you think?

    “If Biden’s just going to negotiate their release, what’s to stop everyone from going to Russian prison?”

    Mauricio Huggins, Gift Specialist

    “Good. America’s prisons shouldn’t be squandered on non-American criminals.”

    Liam Wheeler, Butter Smoother

    “It’s not our fault none of their shitty players were worth capturing.”

    Teresa Bauer, Coffee Wafter

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  • Russian court hears appeal by Griner against 9-year sentence

    Russian court hears appeal by Griner against 9-year sentence

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    MOSCOW — A Russian court on Tuesday started hearing American basketball star Brittney Griner’s appeal against her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession.

    Griner, an eight-time all-star center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.

    Griner took part in the Moscow Regional Court hearing via video call from a penal colony outside Moscow where she is imprisoned.

    Griner’s February arrest came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, just days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At the time, Griner was returning to Russia, where she played during the U.S. league’s offseason.

    Griner admitted she had the canisters in her luggage but testified she inadvertently packed them in haste and had no criminal intent. Her defense team presented written statements saying she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.

    The nine-year sentence was close to the maximum of 10 years, and Griner’s lawyers argued after the conviction that the punishment was excessive. They said in similar cases defendants have received an average sentence of about five years, with about a third of them granted parole.

    Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.

    Reflecting growing pressure on the Biden administration to do more to bring Griner home, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the unusual step of revealing publicly in July that Washington had made a “substantial proposal” to get Griner home, along with Paul Whelan, an American serving a 16-year sentence in Russia for espionage.

    Blinken didn’t elaborate, but The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Washington has offered to exchange Griner and Whelan for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. and once earned the nickname the “merchant of death.”

    The White House said it has not yet received a productive response from Russia to the offer.

    Russian diplomats have refused to comment on the U.S. proposal and urged Washington to discuss the matter in confidential talks, avoiding public statements.

    In September, U.S. President Joe Biden met with Cherelle Griner, the wife of Brittney Griner, as well as the player’s agent, Lindsay Colas. Biden also sat down separately with Elizabeth Whelan, Paul Whelan’s sister.

    The White House said after the meetings that the president stressed to the families his “continued commitment to working through all available avenues to bring Brittney and Paul home safely.”

    The U.S. and Russia carried out a prisoner swap in April. Moscow released U.S. Marines veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for the U.S. releasing a Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

    Moscow also has pushed for the release of other Russians in U.S. custody.

    One of them is Alexander Vinnik, who was accused of laundering billions of dollars through an illicit cryptocurrency exchange. Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017 and extradited to the U.S. in August.

    Vinnik’s French lawyer, Frederic Belot, told Russian newspaper Izvestia last month that his client hoped to be part of a possible swap.

    The newspaper speculated that another possible candidate was Roman Seleznev, the son of a Russian lawmaker. He was sentenced in 2017 to 27 years in prison on charges from a hacking and credit card fraud scheme.

    ———

    Follow AP’s coverage of the Griner case: https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner

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