The WNBA is BACK!!

The WNBA Is Back!!

Friday was the opening night of the WNBA season. After a couple of weeks of intense preseason mini-camp and roster cuts, all teams’ rosters were finally official and were ready to kick off the new season. The first game was between the Minnesota Lynx and the Dallas Wings. This was a true fairy tale beginning for Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers, who is from Minnesota and grew up a Lynx fan. The game was a battle until the end, but in the end, the Lynx were just too much. Despite the 99-84 loss, Paige Bueckers’ debut was successful, as she recorded 10 points, 2 assists, and 7 rebounds in her first career start in the WNBA. The next game included the Atlanta Dream and the Washington Mystics. The Mystics were able to get the win with a couple of strong perfomances by their two rookies KIki Iriafen and Sonia Citron which combined for 33 of the Mystics 94 points. To cap off the night, the LA Sparks traveled to the newest WNBA team, the Golden State Valykrie. This was the Valkyries’ inaugural season, but that did not mean the Spark were going to take it easy. In front of a sold-out crowd, both teams were putting on a show. The newest member of the Sparks and two-time WNBA champ, Kelsey Plum, made an immediate impact in the game. She was traded from the Las Vegas Aces in the offseason and was excited to start a new chapter in LA. That excitement turned into fuel as Plum turned up the heat and dropped 37 points, leading her team to an 84-67 win.

On Saturday, the games kicked off with the defending champs, New York Liberty, vs Las Vegas Aces. Before the game, the champs were presented with their championship rings. For players like Sabrina Inescoue, this was her first ring, and while the team wanted to celebrate, they had to focus on the tough game ahead. A’ja Wilson debuted her new A’one shoes and proceeded to drop 31 points. Despite her efforts, the defending champs were too much to handle as they went on to win 92-78. Next up was a new league rivalry between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky. This game always brings intense emotion as former rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continue their battle that started back in college. Unlike Chicago, the Fever put a lot of effort into building a foundation around their star Caitlin Clark. With a new head coach and proven veterans, the Indiana Fever overpowered the Chicago Sky, defeating them by more than 20 points. The game ended 93-58, and Fever star Caitlin Clark got a triple-double.

Finally, the Phoenix Mercury battled the Seattle Storm. For Mercury fans, this game was a sign of many good things to come as they demolished the Storm 81-59. The Mercury made a lot of moves in the off-season to secure players like Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas to get back to the top. The opening weekend was filled with new faces and action-filled games. This season is set to be another historic season, and now the race for the trophy is officially underway.

Chelsea Women’s win the Domestic Treble

For the Chelsea women’s soccer team, this season has been nothing short of spectacular. For Chelsea, winning is nothing new, but it is still hard to continue that winning streak. With the help of the new Head Coach Sonia Bompastor from Lyon, Chelsea never skipped a beat. Adding to their defense, England veteran Lucy Bronze and USA star Naomi Girma, Chelsea was set. This Chelsea team just worked so well together, it seemed like no matter the challenge, they found a way to get through it on top. They finished the season going undefeated in league play and winning the league outright. Before winning the league, they also won the League Cup, defeating Manchester City 2-1. After winning both the league and the League Cup trophy, the only thing left to complete the domestic treble was the FA Cup. On Sunday, Chelsea went into the game against Manchester United with everything on the line. Not only was this a rivalry game, but it was also Chelsea’s chance to add another trophy to their trophy shelf this season. In the first half, Sandy Baltimore put Chelsea on top with a PK. After that, it was a defensive clinic from Chelsea as Man United were unable to find a way past their defense. In the last five minutes of the game, Caterina Macario sealed the deal, putting Chelsea up 2-0, scoring a header off a free kick. When the final whistle blew, Chelsea could celebrate winning not only the FA Cup but completing the Domestic Treble for just the second time ever in club history.

NWSL Weekend Recap:

This weekend, many teams from around the league showed their support for Angel City defender Savy King, who went down in last week’s game after having issues with her heart. This week has been a week of recovery for King as she underwent emergency heart surgery to fix a heart abnormality that doctors discovered when she arrived at the hospital. The league has since put out a statement acknowledging, ending that the game should have been called after the injury occurred. Both team coaches spoke out against the ref’s decision to play on because it was clear that the players were no longer mentally ready to play, instead, they were more worried about King. As of this weekend, King is out of the hospital and is taking the time to recover. Angel City showed up to their game wearing SK t-shirts to show their love and support for their teammate.

• Portland 4-1 Houston Dash

• Seattle Reign 1-0 Racing Louisville

• Washington Spirit 3-3 Utah Royals

• KC Current 1-0 Orlando Pride

• NC Courage 2-0 Chicago Stars

• Bay FC 2-0 Angel City

• San Diego Wave 1-0 Gotham FC