Amber Brooks suspension puts NWSL referees back in spotlight
Washington Spirit defender Amber Brooks (22) crosses against San Diego Wave FC in the first half at Audi Field. (Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports)
Washington Spirit defender Amber Brooks has been suspended and fined after making an obscene gesture during the 82nd minute of the club’s Sept. 10 match against the San Diego Wave.
The NWSL announced the disciplinary action Friday, citing Section 12.3.6, “Major Game Misconduct” in the League Operations Manual.
As a result of the suspension, Brooks will miss the Spirit’s Wednesday matchup against Angel City FC. Brooks will also miss the team’s Saturday game against Gotham FC, serving a one-game suspension for card accumulation.
The incident and subsequent action from the league have sparked debate among fans, with many condemning the move by the NWSL.
Brooks’ gesture, made after a call by the game official, has reignited a conversation about the quality of the league’s referring, which has been a topic of discussion throughout the NWSL season.
The Spirit will take the field without Brooks on Saturday, facing off against Gotham FC at Audi Field at 7 pm ET.
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NWSL Unveils New Tiffany & Co. Shield and MVP Trophies
Tiffany & Co. designed the new NWSL regular-season MVP and Shield trophies. (NWSL)
The NWSL, in collaboration with Tiffany & Co., dropped revamped Shield and regular-season MVP trophies on Wednesday.
The bold new hardware is part of a plan to “set a new standard for recognition in women’s sports” by giving the Tiffany treatment to all NWSL end-of-season awards. This year's two additions join the redesigned Championship and Championship MVP awards that kicked off the league’s partnership with the jewelry company last year.
Both awards are handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. The refreshed MVP award includes a silver soccer ball atop a tall base.
"The best players in the world play here at the NWSL, and it is only fitting that we work with Tiffany to honor the best of the best," said NWSL chief marketing and commercial officer Julie Haddon in the league's announcement. “It has been a long time coming to create a suite of awards that are as extraordinary as our athletes."
Inspired by ancient Greco-Roman armor, the 24K gold and sterling silver Shield features a unique, interactive design. It is equipped with a handle so it can be removed from its base and held like "a true shield."
The 2024 NWSL regular-season MVP race could see Temwa Chawinga or Barbra Banda claim the new Tiffany & Co. trophy. (NWSL)
Orlando poised to handle the new hardware
As the still-undefeated league leaders, the Orlando Pride are the clear frontrunners to claim the redesigned NWSL Shield.
The second-place Washington Spirit, third-place Gotham FC, and fourth-place KC Current are technically still in the running. However, with four matchdays left, Orlando can clinch the Shield outright by either defeating the Spirit this Sunday or winning two other remaining matches.
The regular-season MVP award race is tighter. Though Golden Boot leader Temwa Chawinga (KC) and the league's next top scorer Barbra Banda (Orlando) have pulled away from the pack.
And if Banda snags the honor, both new trophies will likely be bound for Florida.
Claire Watkins
Oct 2, 2024
Aces Fall Back, Lynx Level Up in Game 2 of WNBA Semifinals
Breanna Stewart's Liberty and A'ja Wilson's Aces will next square off in Las Vegas on Friday.(David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Two games into the best-of-five 2024 WNBA semifinals, and the back-to-back defending champion Aces are staring down elimination while the Lynx evened the score last night.
With Friday's Game 3 offering a venue change, Las Vegas will need every ounce of their home-court advantage to continue their playoff run, while Minnesota's aim will be to silence the Connecticut crowd.
No WNBA has ever won a best-of-five playoff series after starting 0-2. (David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)
Aces on the brink of elimination after Game 2 loss
Tuesday's second-straight loss, an 88-84 defeat by the No. 1 seed Liberty in Brooklyn, has No. 4 seed Las Vegas on the brink of playoff elimination. The Aces are now the first reigning champions to ever fall to a 0-2 deficit in a WNBA playoff series.
Las Vegas has yet to conquer the Liberty this season, falling a franchise record-tying five straight times to same opponent, all after defeating New York in the 2023 WNBA Finals.
New York's Sabrina Ionescu and Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson led their teams in scoring with 24 points each, while Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot provided a crucial spark off the bench.
Should Las Vegas turn things around when the series moves back to Nevada on Friday, they'd become the first team to ever bounce back from 0-2 to reach the WNBA Finals.
Aces guard Chelsea Gray put a positive spin on the challenge, saying "I love being in the history books, so might as well try to start there. That's going to be our mentality."
Minnesota and Connecticut will play at least two more games to close out the WNBA semifinals. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Lynx level up with Game 2 semifinal win in Minnesota
No. 2 seed Minnesota evened their semifinal score with No. 3 seed Connecticut on Tuesday, earning a 77-70 win in Minneapolis to send the series back East at one victory apiece.
Courtney Williams led the Lynx in scoring with 17 points, while a physical Minnesota defense held the Sun to less than 40% shooting from the field.
In the loss, Sun forward DeWanna Bonner became the third all-time leading scorer in WNBA postseason history. She also inked her name into the league record books as the player with the most appearances in playoff history at 83 games and counting.
Friday kicks off a guaranteed two-game run in Connecticut, with the home side on a mission to reach the Finals for the first time since 2022.
How to watch Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals
Las Vegas and Minnesota will look to pick up critical wins in Friday's Game 3, with the Aces facing a must-win scenario in front of what promises to be a rocking home crowd.
The Lynx will travel to Connecticut for a 7:30 PM ET tip off on Friday, October 4th, followed by a Liberty vs. Aces showdown in Las Vegas at 9:30 PM ET. Both games are scheduled to air on ESPN2.
JWS Staff
Oct 1, 2024
The Late Sub Podcast: Can The Aces Bounce Back in the WNBA Semis?
A'ja Wilson and the Aces will try to rebound from their Game 1 WNBA semifinal loss to the Liberty on Tuesday. (Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images)
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins takes a look at the first games of the 2024 WNBA semifinals, discussion whether or not Aces and Lynx fans can find the silver lining in their teams' respective shortcomings heading into Game 2.
Then, she shouts out the big winners and losers of this weekend's NWSL's slate, including this season's historic Golden Boot race and the competition to clinch one of the final playoff spots.
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.
Dee Lab
Oct 1, 2024
WNBA Announces 2025 Expansion Draft Details for Golden State Valkyries
The Golden State Valkyries expansion draft will take place on December 6th. (Golden State Valkyries)
This will mark the league's first expansion draft since 2008, when the Atlanta Dream joined the league.
The WNBA will allow current teams to protect six players each from Valkyries selection. (Josh Huston/NBAE via Getty Images)
League sets draft limitations on 2025 expansion draft
Per the rules, the WNBA's 12 current teams can protect up to six players each, with all others available for selection. Those available for selection include all athletes each franchise holds rights to as of the end of the 2024 regular season. Accordingly, that pool spans both active players and those on suspended, retired, core, draft, or reserved lists.
Current teams must submit full roster lists showing all players — including those protected — to the league by a yet-to-be-set deadline. That deadline will likely fall around 10 days prior to the expansion draft.
In the expansion draft, the Valkyries will be able to pick a maximum of one player from each team. They can also choose only one 2024 unrestricted free agent.
Golden State will have their own trade window ahead of the December draft. (Golden State Valkyries)
Valkyries trade window could spur strategic WNBA moves
Perhaps most interestingly, once all roster lists are submitted, Golden State will be allotted a short pre-draft trade window to broker deals.
During this window, they can negotiate with teams to select, or purposefully not select, certain athletes. Golden State can also pick a player with the express purpose of trading them to another franchise.
With two more franchises set to join the WNBA, 2025 will likely see at least one more expansion draft. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Expect more WNBA roster shake-ups next season
The league has yet to announce if Golden State will be granted 2025 college draft picks, but has said the Valkyries will be eligible to participate in February’s free agency period.
With two new WNBA franchises in Toronto and Portland slated to begin play in 2026, Golden State's draft will likely be a preview of more expansion drafts to come next year.
While December 6th's proceedings will air live on ESPN, other aspects of the expansion draft will not be made public, including the current teams's protected players lists.
