All Scores

Emma Cannon, the WNBA’s exemplar of never giving up

(Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

On the day of the 2022 WNBA Draft, Emma Cannon was kicking back and getting ready to watch it all unfold. Hours before the Atlanta Dream selected Kentucky alum Rhyne Howard with the first overall pick, Cannon thought about all of the other players who wouldn’t hear their names called.

So, she decided to put her thoughts in a tweet and share them with the women’s college basketball world.

“I knew the majority of [players] weren’t gonna make it. I wanted everyone to know that when one door closes, there’s always another opportunity,” says Cannon, 33, now in the fourth season of her stop-and-start WNBA career. “If you are willing to work at your craft and willing to get better, then go overseas. You can still make money, you can still make a name for yourself. Somebody will eventually see you.

“But don’t just give up. Don’t think it’s the end of the world because you didn’t make it to the WNBA. It’s not.”

Cannon knows what she’s talking about. Her tweet wasn’t just 240 characters of blind support. It shared words of wisdom based on her own lived experience.

Cannon took a different road to the WNBA. It was a longer and bumpier path than most players experience, but it led her to where she is today — back in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever.

img
Cannon, defending Phoenix's Shey Peddy during a game in June, is known for her tenacity off the bench. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Western New York isn’t known as a women’s basketball mecca, but the area has produced some notable talent.

Rochester native and Miami alum Shanice Johnson, the fifth overall pick of the San Antonio Stars (now Las Vegas Aces) in 2012, spent five seasons with the Indiana Fever from 2015-19 and one with the Minnesota Lynx in 2020. Cierra Dillard, a 2019 second-round pick of the Lynx, and current college standout Dyaisha Fair are also from Rochester. They played for the University at Buffalo under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, who was hired as the new head coach of her alma mater, Syracuse University, in the spring; Fair followed soon after as a transfer.

Cannon knew Johnson. Though they didn’t play for the same high school, they were close in age and crossed paths on the local basketball circuit. Like Johnson, Cannon went south to play college basketball at Central Florida instead of staying in the area.

“We have great talent here. But Rochester itself is like a lower-class city, so it’s hard to get out of there,” Cannon says. “So we try to make the best of what we can. I hate the snow, I’m not gonna lie. I ain’t no snowbird. That’s why I ran to Florida the first chance I could.”

At Central Florida, Cannon shined. She was named to Conference USA’s All-Freshman Team after averaging 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, Cannon made the Conference USA First Team and broke the school record for rebounds in a single season with 393. She then transferred to Florida Southern — a Division II school — for her senior year and averaged 15.7 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.

Despite the numbers and accolades, Cannon’s senior campaign didn’t draw the attention from WNBA general managers and coaches as she had hoped. The 2011 draft came and went without her name being called.

“I really didn’t have too many thoughts,” she says candidly. “Like, OK, I didn’t make it to the WNBA. But I knew that I wanted to hoop.”

Cannon was playing with someone at the time who had competed overseas. The teammate said if Cannon was interested, she could help her pursue that career path.

Cannon jumped at the opportunity and secured an agent. She joined Osnabrucker SC in Germany, and then TSV Wasserburg after that, getting experience and visibility in the EuroCup League. For Cannon, it wasn’t just an opportunity to play professional basketball, but also to develop and grow as a player and travel the world.

“I took that and ran with it because I loved it,” she says. “But I knew in the back of my mind I always wanted to come home and play, because that’s home. You can’t get everyone to come overseas to watch you. I knew I wanted to get back to the W.”

While overseas, Cannon went toe-to-toe with some of the best players in the WNBA and held her own. What caught the eye of then-Phoenix Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello was Cannon’s performance in the Russian Premier League. Cannon played for Chevakata Vologda in 2017 and competed against UMMC Ekaterinburg, where Brondello was an assistant coach.

That season, Cannon led the team with 31 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. Brondello offered her a contract to play for the Mercury that same year.

“My mom was the first person that I called,” says Cannon. “I cried. It’s something that I wanted. It was crazy, because a lot of people at a certain age start to lose hope. A lot of people start to tell you it’s not possible, and you start to doubt. But I kept faith, I kept working. I worked my ass off every day. And I just knew that eventually, if it was meant to be, that it would happen.”

img
Cannon and Diana Taurasi have stayed close since playing together for the first time in 2017. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Cannon fit in well with the Mercury from the start of the 2017 WNBA season. She and Brittney Griner became close friends and are “thick as thieves” to this day. She also bonded with WNBA legend Diana Taurasi.

“From the day I met her, I knew she was not only an amazing person but a great teammate,” Taurasi recalls. “And just to see her career evolve the last five or six years just tells you how hard of a worker she is. You know how much teams value what kind of a person she is.”

After one season in Phoenix, Cannon returned overseas. She signed with the Aces in 2020 and spent time with the Aces, Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever in 2021 on hardship contracts. After averaging a double-double and winning an Israeli league championship with Elitzur Ramla in April, she returned to the Mercury for a brief stint earlier this season and has since landed back with the Fever.

Cannon’s willingness to come off the bench and do whatever teams need her to do is something coaches value. And she never takes the minutes she’s given on the court for granted, scrapping for 5.5 points and 2.4 rebounds across 19 games for Indiana this season.

No matter where she goes or how long she’s there — whether it’s one or two games or a month-long stay — Cannon always has the same outlook.

“You come in and you be yourself, period. You don’t dwell on who you are or what got you there, regardless of how long you’re playing [in a city],” she says. “It’s only 144 spots. So, when you’re called upon, you just gotta be thankful. Take the opportunity for what it is. For me having that opportunity with Connecticut, it led to me having an opportunity with Indiana. Take it and run with it.”

Sun head coach Curt Miller only coached Cannon for a handful of games during her time in Connecticut. But the impression she left on him is an indelible one.

“You’re not supposed to have a favorite as a coach, but [Emma] was one of my favorite people to coach,” Miller says. “I just love her personality, love that she’s so positive and can really help beyond her basketball statistics. I just think she can really help teams with her positivity.”

Cannon, Miller emphasizes, is in a tough spot as a veteran role player at this point in her career. Minimum contracts for veterans with three or more years of experience don’t always fit under teams’ salary caps, especially as those teams start committing more money to their star players. That makes it difficult for players in Cannon’s position to find a permanent home in the WNBA, even though her value is evident.

There’s no guarantee that Cannon will be on a WNBA team next season. Still, she’s content to maximize her role for the Fever, who are in last place at 5-27 and out of the playoffs but are wrapping up a crucial season for developing their young talent. When Cannon is on the bench, she’s one of the loudest cheering on her teammates. And when she’s on the floor, she’s giving it everything she’s got.

“Emma’s high work ethic is always the same, whether starting or coming off the bench,” says Fever general manager Lin Dunn. “She values her opportunity to be in the WNBA. Every team needs an Emma Cannon.”

Looking back on it now, Cannon wouldn’t change a thing. That bumpy road to the WNBA, the one off the beaten path, the one less traveled — it turned out to be a pretty fun and exciting ride.

“I feel like I’ve gotten the best of both worlds because I’ve played against a lot of WNBA players overseas before I even made it to the league,” Cannon says. “Work hard. Write down your goals. And go out and achieve them.”

Lyndsey D’Arcangelo is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering the WNBA and college basketball. She also contributes to The Athletic and is the co-author of “Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League.” Follow Lyndsey on Twitter @darcangel21.

Aces Star A’ja Wilson Scores 1,000+, Breaks Record in WNBA Weekend Lineup

Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson smiles holding a sign with the number 1,000.
Wilson is the frontrunner for a third WNBA MVP award. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

This year's WNBA MVP favorite A'ja Wilson reached yet another milestone on Sunday, becoming the first player to ever record 1000+ points in a single season.

The superstar's latest feat — achieved in her 29-point performance in the Aces' 84-71 win over Connecticut — comes just days after she shattered the league's single-season scoring record​.

All-but-guaranteed to finish 2024 as the WNBA's single-season points leader, Wilson has put together one of the most impressive statistical campaigns in league history. As of today, she's only three rebounds away from breaking Angel Reese's new single-season rebounds record, set before the Chicago rookie's season-ending injury.

Rookie Caitlin Clark captures two more WNBA records

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark added two more records to her historic rookie season this weekend, breaking the league's single-season assist record on Friday night before setting the single-season rookie scoring record on Sunday.

The Rookie of the Year frontrunner surpassed Alyssa Thomas's 2023 record of 316 assists in Friday's 78-74 loss to the Aces. Clark extended her hold on the league's new record on Sunday, now boasting 329 dimes on the season with one game left.

Also in Sunday's 110-109 Fever victory over the Wings, Clark put up a career-high 35 points, including one that officially broke Seimone Augustus's single-season rookie scoring record of 744 set in 2006. Clark now has 761 points across Indiana's 39 completed games.

Notably, the WNBA's expanded 40-game schedule means that four-time WNBA champion Augustus still holds the rookie record for points per game, as her fallen record was in a 34-game season.

Washington's Brittney Sykes dribbles past Atlanta's Naz Hillmon on Friday.
The Washington Mystics face stiff competition for the final 2024 WNBA Playoff spot. (Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Three-way team tie adds to WNBA playoff race drama

With the Sky's two weekend losses plus the Mystics and Dream splitting their two weekend contests with one win apiece, Chicago, Washington, and Atlanta all sit with 13-25 season records. All three are still in postseason contention with the final WNBA Playoff spot up for grabs.

League tiebreakers give Washington, who currently sits in the coveted eighth-place position, the postseason edge. The Mystics will try to maintain their tenuous hold on that spot when they face the league-leading Liberty tomorrow before closing out their season against a tough Indiana team on Thursday.

The ninth-place Sky and 10th-place Dream face equal uphill battles to usurp the Mystics this week. After playing each other on Tuesday, Chicago will close out their 2024 regular season against the third-place Sun while Atlanta does the same against the Liberty on Thursday.

Unbeaten Orlando on Track to Make History as NWSL Playoffs Approach

The Orlando Pride circles up after playing Kansas City to a scoreless draw on Friday.
Orlando hasn't lost a single NWSL regular-season game in 2024. (Mike Watters/Imagn Images)

With just six games to play, the currently unbeaten Orlando Pride could become the first club in NWSL history to finish regular-season play without a single loss.

Having already clinched an NWSL playoff spot — the Pride's first since 2017 — Orlando extended their record-breaking unbeaten run to 21 with Friday's 0-0 draw with third-place Kansas City. The weekend's result was also the club's fourth-straight clean sheet, setting a new club record.

However, the path to NWSL glory won't be easy: Orlando will face four top teams before the regular season's early November finale.

Portland midfielder Sam Coffey holds her head in her hands in frustration.
The Thorns could see the worst season finish in Portland's history. (Troy Wayrynen/Imagn Images)

Portland Thorns continue late-season NWSL losing streak

Elsewhere on Friday, USWNT stars Sophia Smith and Sam Coffey's Portland Thorns dropped their fourth-straight​ match — the longest regular-season losing streak in club history.

After a historically slow start to 2024, Portland reassigned head coach Mike Norris and promoted assistant coach Rob Gale. The team quickly responded, rattling off result after result to climb the NWSL table and insert themselves into Shield contention. Momentum, however, has waned since the Olympic break.

With Friday's 1-0 loss to Chicago on Friday, Portland is still sixth in the standings, but a slim two points over Bay FC is all that separates them from the eighth and final playoff spot.

With the playoff race heating up, the four-time league champs must rally around standouts like Smith. Otherwise, the Thorns are in danger of putting up the worst regular-season finish in club history.

Washington striker Ashley Hatch celebrates a penalty kick goal.
Ashley Hatch scored her 49th and 50th career NWSL goals in Washington's playoff-clinching win. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)

Washington Spirit win books ticket to NWSL postseason

In other postseason news, the Spirit became the second club to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, downing Houston 3-0 on Sunday.

Striker Ashley Hatch led Washington's scoring with a first-half brace, while forward Trinity Rodman notched an assist before netting the team's third goal.

A’ja Wilson Breaks WNBA Single-Season Scoring Record

WNBA star A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces shoots the ball during the game against the Indiana Fever.
Las Vegas Ace star A'ja Wilson is on track to become the first WNBA player to score 1000+ points in one season. (Justin Casterline/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA has a new single-season scoring champ in A'ja Wilson, who surpassed Jewell Loyd's 2023 record of 939 points by dropping 27 against Indiana on Wednesday, boosting her season total to 956.

With four games left in Las Vegas's season, Wilson could easily become the first WNBA player to ever record 1,000+ points in one season.

"She's not just the best player in the world, she might be the most loved and adored by her teammates. I mean, this woman is special," commented Aces head coach Becky Hammon after the game.

2024 has been the year of the broken WNBA record

Thanks to achievements at both the individual and team level, the 2024 WNBA season has already left a lasting impression on the record books. In addition to Wilson's points tally, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese set a new single-season rebound record before a wrist injury cut her season short.

Just five assists away from setting a new single-season assists record, Indiana rookie Caitlin Clark is on the brink of joining the bar-raising party.

While adding games likely plays a role in these feats, 2024 — the league's second 40-game run — has seen all three major stats fall in record time. Reese broke Sylvia Fowles's rebound record in 32 games this season, Wilson surpassed Loyd's scoring record in 35, and Clark is looking to break Alyssa Thomas's assist record in 38.

WNBA star Brittney Sykes of the Washington Mystics dribbles the ball against Chennedy Carter of the Chicago Sky.
Fighting over the last WNBA playoff spot comes down to this weekend's games. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Final WNBA playoff spot on the line in last regular-season weekend

Tonight, Wilson and Clark will face off in their last regular-season matchup, as Indiana tries to earn their first win against the reigning champs this year.

Meanwhile, the race for the final playoff spot has never been tighter. Wednesday's huge win over Chicago putting the 10th-place Mystics just one game outside of postseason contention. With two games against ninth-place Atlanta this weekend, Washington could officially rise into that last playoff spot by Sunday night.

As for current eight-spot Chicago, the Sky will try to maintain their position by bouncing back against second-place Minnesota tonight before the top four teams in the standings battle for survival on Sunday.

WNBPA, Players Respond to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s CNBC Comments

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks to the media in Phoenix, Arizona.
Cathy Engelbert has been the commissioner of the WNBA since 2019. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Earlier this week, the WNBA Players Union (WNBPA) spoke up against controversial comments made by league commissioner Cathy Engelbert on CNBC's Power Lunch on Monday.

When asked to address concerning social media exchanges regarding superstar rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese "where race... where sexuality is sometimes introduced into the conversation," Engelbert dodged the question, choosing instead to frame what she described as a "rivalry" in a positive light.

"The one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry," said the commissioner, comparing Reese and Clark to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. "That's what makes people watch. They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don't want everybody being nice to one another."

WNBPA calls out subjects WNBA comm'r Engelbert dodged

After players began calling Engelbert out online, the WNBPA issued a statement denouncing racism, homophobia, and misogyny.

"Here is the answer that the Commissioner should have provided to the very clear question regarding the racism, misogyny, and harassment experienced by the Players," the statement read.

There is absolutely no place in sport — or in life — for the vile hate, racist language, homophobic comments, and the misogynistic attacks our players are facing on social media.... Fandom should lift up the game, not tear down the very people who bring it to life."

WNBA star Alysha Clark of the Las Vegas Aces listens to press questions at a news conference.
Las Vegas Aces forward Alysha Clark is one of several WNBA players that spoke out this week. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

WNBA stars address Engelbert's CNBC comments

Some of the league's top players took to the press to reinforce the WNBPA's words, including Aces forward Alysha Clark.

"It's taken a darker turn in terms of the types of comments and the vitriol that's coming through to the players, and it's not okay," Clark told ESPN. "I wish [Engelbert] would have just said that — 'It's not okay.'"

Liberty star Breanna Stewart echoed Clark's sentiments, saying "The way that the fans have surged, and especially behind Caitlin and Angel coming to this league, but also bringing a race aspect to a different level — you know, there's no place for that in our sport."

Engelbert later responded to the Players Union's statement in a post on X, writing "there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else."

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.