All Scores

Five players to watch as Athletes Unlimited basketball tips off

(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Athletes Unlimited’s inaugural basketball season begins this week, with a plethora of new and old talent taking the court for the player-led five-week campaign. Of the 44-player roster, 11 hail from the WNBA, 11 from overseas and 12 from the sidelines after taking a year off for one reason or another.

Under AU’s unique scoring format, it’s hard to know who will come out on top. But it’s still fun to speculate, and Just Women’s Sports has five players to watch as the season gets underway Wednesday.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Briahanna Jackson

Most recent team: Club Aztks (Mexico)
Position: Guard

A guard out of Louisville, Jackson went undrafted in 2017 before heading overseas to play in Brazil, Spain, Puerto Rico, Poland and Mexico. Most recently, Jackson spent the 2021 season with Club Aztks in Mexico, where she averaged 15 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists through 24 games.

Spending her first two NCAA seasons at the University of Central Florida, Jackson was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and averaged 17.8 points per game as a sophomore before transferring to Louisville. She finished her 2016-17 redshirt senior season with the Cardinals second on the team in steals (41) and assists (127). Nationally, she ranked 33rd with a 2.35 assist-to-turnover ratio. With steals and assists each worth 10 points in the Athletes Unlimited system, Jackson could quickly move up the scoreboard.

As one of four players picked up during AU’s open tryouts in Atlanta, Jackson is a well-rounded playmaker who should fit into the lineup of any team that drafts her, giving her an advantage with the turnover each week.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Kelsey Mitchell

Most recent team: Indiana Fever (WNBA)
Position: Guard

The Indiana Fever’s No. 2 pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, Mitchell is one of the most consistent scorers in the Athletes Unlimited pool. A member of the 2018 WNBA All-Rookie team, she’s only gotten better as her career has gone on. The 5-foot-8 guard has finished among the WNBA’s top-10 scorers the past two seasons, averaging 17.9 points per game in 2020 and 17.8 in 2021. She ended last season on a 23-game streak of scoring at least 10 points, the longest active such streak in the WNBA.

Mitchell is a prolific 3-point shooter, having left Ohio State as the NCAA’s all-time leader with 497 made 3-pointers. In 2018, Mitchell and Fever teammate Victoria Vivians recorded the most 3-pointers ever by a WNBA rookie tandem, with 135.

Made 3-pointers are worth 30 individual points in AU’s system, while a missed 3-pointer is a loss of just 10 points. A player loses the same amount of points for a field goal, but earns only 20 points for a made 2-point shot. While shot selection is still key, long-range shooters like Mitchell could end up being rewarded more for their efforts and find themselves higher up the leaderboard.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Mercedes Russell

Most recent team: Seattle Storm (WNBA)
Position: Center

A two-time WNBA champion with Seattle, Russell has spent four total seasons in the WNBA. The 6-foot-6 center finished last season just off her career best in points per game with 7.3 and with a career-high 6.1 rebounds. She also added 1.6 assists per game for the fourth-place Storm.

It’s not just the number of shots Russell takes that will serve her well in AU, but her offensive efficiency. Last season, she shot 61.7 percent from the field, good for second-highest in the WNBA. She is currently third in field-goal percentage in Storm franchise history, ahead of the likes of Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart, and is 14th all-time in the WNBA.

That level of efficiency should be rewarded in AU. While made shots are guaranteed points, missed shots lead to a deduction, meaning Russell is less likely to give up easy points.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Mikiah Herbert Harrigan

Most recent team: Seattle Storm (WNBA)
Position: Forward

A two-year WNBA veteran, Herbert Harrigan took off last year to give birth to a son. The Storm acquired the forward last February in a trade with the Minnesota Lynx, who drafted her sixth overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She made 21 appearances off the bench during her rookie season, averaging 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. She was an efficient shooter as well, with a field-goal percentage of 60 percent.

Before turning pro, Herbert Harrigan was a standout at South Carolina. As a senior, she averaged 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game during the regular season and was named SEC tournament MVP. Where Herbert Harrigan excels is on defense. She finished her career at South Carolina ranked second all-time with 210 blocked shots. While it might take some time for her to get back up to game speed after the year off, she could make an all-around impact for whichever captains draft her.

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(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Kirby Burkholder

Most recent team: Energa Torun (Poland)
Position: Guard

Burkholder has extensive experience on the international circuit, playing in Poland, Hungary, Belgium and Italy. Most recently, she averaged 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in seven games for Energa Torun in Poland. Prior to that, she was with ZTE Noi Kosarlabda Klub in Hungary and averaged 14.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

Before heading overseas, Burkholder was a standout guard at James Madison University. As a senior, she averaged 18.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, finishing among the top-seven guards in the nation in rebounds per game and earning Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year. Upon graduating in 2014, Burkholder signed with the Mystics and competed in training camp before heading to Italy.

The guard has the high-scoring and high-rebounding potential to capitalize on AU’s scoring system.

Emma Hruby is an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports.

New York Liberty set to battle Lynx in 2024 WNBA Finals

New York's Breanna Stewart and Minnesota's Napheesa Collier look up during a game.
Napheesa Collier's Lynx hold a 3-1 record in 2024 over Breanna Stewart's Liberty. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

In a battle between the top two regular-season finishers, the Minnesota Lynx will travel to Brooklyn to play the New York Liberty in the first game of the best-of-five 2024 WNBA Finals on Thursday.

Former UConn teammates and 2024 Olympic gold medalists Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier headline the matchup. Stewart's top-seeded Liberty will look to earn their first-ever WNBA title in their sixth Finals appearance.

Collier and the new-look Lynx are bringing a former dynasty back to the biggest stage, in the team's first finals appearance since their 2017 championship.

Minnesota's Courtney Williams dribbles around New York's Jonquel Jones.
Superstars like Jonquel Jones lead the Liberty, while Courtney Willams and other underdogs fuel the Lynx. (Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)

The road to the 2024 WNBA Finals

After topping the league in the regular season with a 32-8 record, New York put the No. 8-seed Atlanta Dream's season to bed in the first playoff round. To reach the 2024 Finals, the Liberty avenged their 2023 championship series, ousting Las Vegas and ending the two-time defending champs' three-peat chase in four semifinal games.

As for the Lynx, Minnesota claimed second in the regular season standings, just two wins shy of matching New York's record. They sent the Phoenix Mercury packing by sweeping the first round, but needed all five semifinal games to outlast the Connecticut Sun and book their seventh trip to Finals.

Liberty's title mission meets Lynx's underdogs

The Liberty and Lynx aren't just the league's top teams. They led the East and West Conferences, respectively, and boast the WNBA's top offense (New York) and second-best defense (Minnesota).

That said, the 2024 WNBA Finals will pit a superstar-laden Liberty squad against a Minnesota team that few thought would even make the postseason when play began this year.

Alongside two-time MVP Stewart, New York's squad includes 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones, sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu, and a frighteningly deep bench.

On the other hand, only five players, including 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Collier, returned from Minnesota's 2023 team. Lynx boss Cheryl Reeve, the 2024 Coach of the Year, added key athletes to Minnesota's originally slim roster, including three — Courtney Williams, Bridget Carleton, and Alanna Smith — who were cut from various other WNBA teams in 2021 or 2022. All have made significant contributions as the Lynx proved early season expectations wrong.

"We didn't scare anybody," Reeve said after winning Tuesday's Game 5. "I'm not sure that anybody at any point in the season was like, 'Yeah, they have a real shot at winning a championship' other than the people that are in our corner. And I think we're continuing to have to make believers."

The Lynx and Liberty tip off in the 2024 Commissioners Cup final.
Either the Liberty or Lynx will make history in the 2024 WNBA Finals. (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

An historic WNBA Finals on deck

Entering the Finals, sports books heavily favor the Liberty, but the Lynx actually hold a 3-1 record against New York in 2024. That edge includes Minnesota's 94-89 victory over the Liberty in June 25th's Commissioners Cup final.

No matter who walks away with the 2024 championship, WNBA history will be made. Either the Liberty will claim their first title, or Minnesota will become the first franchise to win five championships. The Lynx are currently tied at four titles with the Seattle Storm and the folded Houston Comets.

How to watch the Lynx vs. the Liberty in Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals

The Lynx and Liberty will tip off at Brooklyn's Barclays Center at 8 PM ET on Thursday, with live broadcast and streaming coverage on ESPN.

Connecticut Ousted as Minnesota Lynx Clinch WNBA Finals Berth

The Lynx celebrate their 2024 WNBA semifinals victory
Minnesota advance to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017. (David Berding/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Lynx advanced to the 2024 WNBA Finals by defeating the Connecticut Sun 88-77 in Tuesday's winner-take-all Game 5. The Sun have now been ousted from the WNBA semifinals for the fourth time in six years.

Buoyed by a home crowd, the Lynx jumped out to take the early lead. Propelled by the play of 2024 MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier and guard Courtney Williams, Minnesota wrapped up the first half an impressive 19 points ahead of the Sun.

Collier, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, finished the game with a 27-point, 11-rebound double-double. Willams put up 24 points, with guard Kayla McBride adding 19 in the decisive win.

“They just kind of punched us in the face, and we got shellshocked and then we couldn’t fight back,” said Connecticut forward DeWanna Bonner.

Connecticut's Dijonai Carrington jumps up for a shot.
Dijonai Carrington led the Sun with 17 points in the Game 5 loss. (David Berding/Getty Images)

Lynx defense stifles the Sun

Combined with their explosive offense, the Lynx leaned on their strong defense to limit the Sun's impact. Connecticut shot just 38.5% from the floor as Minnesota forced 19 costly turnovers, converting them into 22 Lynx points.

Dijonai Carrington led the Sun with 17 points and 12 rebounds in the losing effort. Center Brionna Jones also put up a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds).

The loss ends the Sun's 2024 hunt for a first-ever franchise title, an effort that could become more difficult next season. Four of Connecticut's five starters — Bonner, Carrington, Jones, and forward Alyssa Thomas — are now officially free agents, meaning next year's Sun roster could see significant changes.

Collier, Bonner make WNBA playoff history

Continuing her dominant season, yesterday's tilt saw Collier become the first WNBA player to put up at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in three straight playoff games.

Meanwhile, Sun veteran Bonner bows out of the postseason as the all-time leader in postseason WNBA games played. She's also second all-time in postseason scoring, and third in postseason rebounds.

The Late Sub Podcast: Marta’s Orlando Dream Comes True

Orlando Pride veteran Marta looks out during a game
Eight-year Pride veteran Marta scored the game-winner that clinched the NWSL Shield for Orlando. (Kelley L Cox/Imagn Images)

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins gives a postmortem on this era of the Las Vegas Aces, before claiming the Liberty as WNBA championship frontrunners and prepping for Tuesday's Game 5 semifinal between the Lynx and the Sun.

Then, she chats about Orlando’s incredible run to the 2024 NWSL Shield, the individual NWSL records primed to fall, and aimlessness further down the league table.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

Lynx, Sun Gear Up for Win-or-Go-Home Battle in Tuesday’s WNBA Semifinals Game 5

Connecticut's Alyssa Thomas leaps with the ball
The Sun heads to Minnesota for tonight's winner-take-all Game 5. (David Berding/Getty Images)

After splitting their first four games, tonight's Game 5 semifinal will determine who will go on to face New York in the 2024 WNBA Finals: the Minnesota Lynx or the Connecticut Sun.

The two teams' best-of-five series has been the tightest of the 2024 postseason thus far. Both claimed one road win and one at home, and even the series score sheet is wildly close, with the Lynx putting up 321 points across the four games and the Sun posting 315.

New WNBA season, same elimination game matchup

Tonight's tilt marks the pair's second-straight season competing in a winner-takes-all playoff showdown after the Sun beat the Lynx 90-75 in Game 3 of 2023's first round.

"At this point, you know each other inside and out," said Sun coach Stephanie White after Sunday's win. "It's about players making plays. It’s about the extra efforts. The hustle plays. It's about not being denied and finding something deep inside of you that allows you to come out on top."

Unlike the Lynx, the Sun have the added motivation of hunting a franchise-first WNBA championship. Minnesota, on the other hand, boasts four titles already, most recently in 2017.

It's something top-of-mind for veteran Sun forward DeWanna Bonner, who called the atmosphere in Minneapolis for Game 1 and 2 "absolutely insane."

"I can only imagine what it will be like in a Game 5. We know that," Bonner continued. "I wouldn’t tell the team anything other than focus in on each other. They have great fans, championship fans. They’ve won multiple championships. They’re hungry for another one."

Minnesota's Napheesa Collier and Connecticut's Brionna Jones jump for the ball
Either Napheesa Collier's Lynx or Brionna Jones's Sun will tip off against New York on Thursday. (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

Stats pave a complicated road to the Finals

To overcome Minnesota's hunger, Connecticut will likely defer to Sunday's winning formula. The return of guard Ty Harris from injury had an immediate impact, as did the Sun's performance behind the arc — Connecticut sank 53% of their three-pointers while the Lynx failed to crack 40%.

For their part, Minnesota will be aiming to stifle Connecticut's offense, which saw five Sun players score double-digits on Sunday.

"We have to get back to what got us in this position in the first place, which is our defense," noted Lynx star Napheesa Collier, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year.

How to watch Sun vs. Lynx in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA semifinals

The Sun and Lynx will tip off in Minneapolis at 8 PM ET tonight, with live broadcast and streaming coverage on ESPN2.

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