Basketball
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Team USA‘s Women’s basketball team survived a thriller in their gold medal contest against Team France, and it was far closer than the Team USA Men’s basketball gold medal game. With the victory, the Women’s team became the first team in any sport to win eight consecutive gold medals.
With some of the WNBA’s best talent on the squad, Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson led the team with 21 pints and 13 boards to go along with four crucial blocks. They needed all they could get from Wilson as France’s Gabby Williams, a former WNBA player and past collegiate champion with the University of Connecticut. Williams led the charge for Team France, who wouldn’t go away, and nearly tied the game up at the buzzer with a last-second heave but it was ruled a two-point shot.
From NBC Olympics:
Not without a whole lot of agita first, though. Less than 24 hours after these countries’ men’s teams delivered a fourth quarter for the ages, the women did the same, with six ties and six lead changes over the final 10 minutes of play. France had an answer every time the U.S. looked primed to make a run, taking a two-point lead with just 5:03 to go. But Copper poured in four straight points to put Team USA back ahead, and Wilson hit a circus jumper to stretch the lead to three.
It seemed like the U.S. had finally put things away when Plum cashed two free throws to go up 65-61 with just 11 seconds left. But then Williams almost pulled off a final flurry for the ages, hitting one quick 3 to keep France alive and then, after two more free throws, getting a heave to go that very nearly forced overtime.
It was one of the better sporting events to take place at the 2024 Summer Olympics and proved that the world is indeed catching up with the American basketball stars on both sides. Kudos to Team France for an exciting finish.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Reebok / Reebok
Angel Reese is having herself a helluva rookie season for the Chicago Sky. While we wait to see if the 6-foot-3 stunner can notch herself the 2024 WNBA’s Rookie of the Year Award, she’ll be debuting her first signature line for Reebok in the meantime.
Source: Reebok / Reebok
On Aug. 23, Reebok will be dropping their “Reebok By Angel“ collection, which will feature the Premier Road VI, BB 4000 II silhouettes, along with some attire such as the Angel Graphic Tee, Angel Vector Track Jacket, and an Angel Lux Bodysuit amongst other apparel.
Styled to showcase Reese’s “powerful feminine energy” (she really does radiate that), the collection is sure to be a hit amongst her day-one fans.
Reebok explained the science behind the “Reebok By Angel” collection a little more:
Paying homage to Reese’s unapologetic nature and explosive energy, the collection features a bold icy color palette of ‘Always Blue’ and ‘Silver Chrome’, plus expressive design details throughout. Including, ‘Unapologetically Angel’ graphics and her mantra “When They Sleep On You…Tuck Them In!”
Check out pics of the collection below, and let us know if you’ll be checking for the “Reebok by Angel” collection in the comments section.
Source: Reebok / Reebok
Source: Reebok / Reebok
Source: Reebok / Reebok
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The WNBA is at an all-time high in popularity with the emergence of rookie phenoms Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. And at the halfway point in the 2024 season, the all-star game will surely be one to remember.
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The WNBA All-Star Game 2024 — which will see the Team WNBA players go up against Team USA — takes place at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Saturday, July 20.
What Time Is the WNBA All-Star Game?
The WNBA All-Star Game broadcasts live on Saturday, July 20, at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT. The women’s basketball game airs on ABC.
In addition, the WNBA All-Star Game Weekend kicks on Friday, July 19, with the Skills Challenge at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, and the 3-Point Contest afterwards. The events broadcast on ESPN.
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Where to Watch the WNBA All-Star Game for Free
For cord-cutters, there are a few ways to watch the WNBA All-Star Game Weekend if you don’t have cable — especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV Stream has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services — such as Hulu + Live TV and Fubo — also offer free trials, so you can watch ABC and ESPN for free.
Keep reading for more details on how to watch the WNBA All-Star Game on ABC and ESPN with DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.
How to Watch the WNBA All-Star Game on DirecTV Stream
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with ABC and ESPN for the WNBA All-Star Game Weekend — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $69.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, CBS and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Watch the WNBA All-Star Game on Hulu + Live TV
The WNBA All-Star Game Weekend on ABC and ESPN is available to watch with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $76.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for free.
Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one plan. It also features many other networks, including CBS, Hallmark Channel, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, NBC, Fox and more.
How to Watch the WNBA All-Star Game on Fubo
To watch the WNBA All-Star Game Weekend on ABC and ESPN, Fubo starts at $79.99 per month with nearly 200 channels — including local and cable — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a seven-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.
The services gets you live access to local broadcast networks including NBC, Fox and CBS, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as Bravo, CMT, ID, TV Land, VH1, TLC, E!, FS1, MTV, FX, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network and much more.
Who Is Playing During the WNBA All-Star Game?
In 2024, the format is a little different since it’s also an Olympic year. Instead of East vs. West, this year’s WNBA All-Star Game features Team WNBA vs. Team USA. The last time the format was switched up like this was during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Moreover, the all-star break is extended because the 2024 Olympics take place in Paris later in July. Below, check out a complete roster list of Team WNBA and Team USA.
Team WNBA:
DeWanna Bonner — Connecticut Sun
Aliyah Boston — Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark — Indiana Fever
Allisha Gray — Atlanta Dream
Dearica Hamby — Los Angeles Sparks
Brionna Jones — Connecticut Sun
Jonquel Jones — New York Liberty
Kayla McBride — Minnesota Lynx
Kelsey Mitchell — Indiana Fever
Arike Ogunbowale — Dallas Wings
Nneka Ogwumike — Seattle Storm
Angel Reese — Chicago Sky
Team USA:
Napheesa Collier — Minnesota Lynx
Kahleah Copper — Phoenix Mercury
Chelsea Gray — Las Vegas Aces
Brittney Griner — Phoenix Mercury
Sabrina Ionescu — New York Liberty
Jewell Loyd — Seattle Storm
Kelsey Plum — Las Vegas
Breanna Stewart — New York Liberty
Diana Taurasi — Phoenix Mercury
Alyssa Thomas — Connecticut Sun
A’ja Wilson — Las Vegas Aces
Jackie Young — Las Vegas Aces
How to Buy WNBA All-Star Game Tickets Online
Want to attend WNBA All-Star Game in person? There are last-minute tickets available with Vivid Seat, SeatGeek, StubHub and Ticketmaster. Prices vary depending on seats available at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
WNBA All-Star Game Weekend 2024 broadcasts on ABC and ESPN, but it’s also available to livestream with DirecTV Stream on Saturday, July 20, at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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Joe Bryant, the father of the late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, has died according to reports. Joe Bryant, nicknamed Jellybean, was a Philadelphia native who played basketball and coached in the city reportedly suffered a stroke.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Joe Bryant suffered a stroke based on comments made by La Salle University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Fran Dunphy. Bryant’s passing happened well over four years after the death of Kobe Bryant and his granddaughter Gigi Bryant on January 26, 2020.
According to the Inquirer, Bryant earned the nickname Jellybean due to his love of sweet treats and was a star player at Bartram High School and La Salle University ahead of being drafted in the first round of the 1975 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. After eight seasons in the league, including four with the Philadelphia 76ers, Bryant established himself as a player in Italy and Europe, where a young Kobe picked up the Italian language
The outlet adds that a distance became apparent between Kobe Bryant and his father after being drafted right out of Lower Merion High School by the Los Angeles Lakers. After the death of his son and granddaughter, the elder Bryant never spoke about the loss, signaling just how far the rift between them was.
Joe Bryant was 69.
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DeMar DeRozan addressed his controversial “Not Like Us” cameo. During an interview with Sacramento’s Fox affiliate Fox40’s Sean Cunningham, the new Sacramento Kings player talked about how he ended up in Kendrick Lamar‘s video and whether or not the Kings are still allowed to play Drake inside their home arena the Golden 1 Center. “We […]
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The BIG3 basketball league founded by Ice Cube is putting down roots as it expands with home teams in Miami and Houston.
As the seventh season of the BIG3 three-on-three basketball league featuring former NBA, collegiate and international players created by Ice Cube is underway, it’s expanding to include two new teams in a traditional city-based format. The 12-team league usually plays in a barnstorming format during the summer – last season, the league played games in Chicago, Dallas, Brooklyn, Memphis, Miami, Boston, Charlotte and Detroit. Miami is one of three cities that will have a dedicated team, along with the cities of Houston and Los Angeles.
Houston’s BIG3 franchise was announced in a post on Instagram Thursday (July 4). Energy executives Eric Mullins and Milton Carroll were named as owners of the franchise. The news comes weeks after an investor group led by hospitality executive Heath Freeman secured their franchise in Miami for $10 million. The first city-based franchise will be in Los Angeles after a deal was struck with the DCB Sports investor group for $10 million. All three franchises are set to begin play next season. Ice Cube spoke about the move in a post on Instagram when the Los Angeles deal was announced in May, writing: “We need to plant our roots in cities so we can be more than a rolling all-star game coming through. It’s really about growing the sport and the league.”
“We can plant our roots in these cities,” the “Jackin For Beats” rapper stated about the moves in an interview with the Athletic. “It is great to come through with, like, a rolling All-Star event, but if you want to really unlock the fan-base potential, connecting to cities does that.” BIG3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz agreed with the veteran rapper’s position in the same interview. “We do things in the cities when we go there,” he said. “We do the Young 3 and try to get involved with a lot of youth organizations and charities. The truth is that you can only do so much, you know, dropping in a city for four days than you can if you have a team rooted in the city.” The move is the latest from the league, coming after the extension of an offer to women’s college basketball phenom and current Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark to sign with the league for $5 million instead of going to the WNBA.
Ice Cube‘s popular three-on-three basketball league, BIG3, is setting down roots. Since its founding in 2017, the 12-team league featuring former NBA and international players has barnstormed around the country setting up shop in cities and playing a series of games, with last year’s contests rolling into Chicago, Dallas, Brooklyn, Memphis, Miami, Boston, Charlotte and Detroit.
In May, BIG3 CEO Cube announced the plans to pivot to a more traditional city-based model, writing on Instagram, “We need to plant our roots in cities so we can be more than a rolling all-star game coming through. It’s really about growing the sport and the league.” The league sold its first franchise in Los Angeles in May for $10 million to a group of investors led by DCB Sports.
In June the league welcomed a Miami franchise (also to the tune of $10 million) and on Thursday (July 4), the BIG3 announced that businessmen Eric Mullins and Milton Carroll had purchase the rights to a team in Houston. Those three teams will join a group of colorfully named squads including the Ghost Ballers, 3 Headed Monsters, 3’s Company, Aliens, Ball Hogs, Bivouac, Enemies, Killer 3s, Power, Tri-State, Trilogy and Triplets.
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The BIG3’s 2024 season marches on this weekend, with six games scheduled for Sunday (July 7) in Newark, N.J. at the Prudential Center, followed by weekend contests in Anaheim (July 14), Portland (July 20), Cincinnati (July 28), San Antonio (August 4), Nashville (August 11) and Boston (August 18). In March, Cube offered college superstar Caitlin Clark $5 million to join the BIG3, though she opted to sign a four-year contract with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever that was reportedly worth $338,000.
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At the young age of 34-years-old, former NBA All-Star and college basketball legend Kemba Walker is calling it a pro-basketball career.
On Tuesda (June 2), the Bronx-born phenom announced that he was officially walking away from the game in a heartfelt social media post in which he thanked God, his fans and the game for changing his life. After getting drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011 with the ninth overall pick, Kemba Walker went on to have a respectable career averaging 19.3 points per game over his 12-year NBA career.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed his true potential and Kemba found himself bouncing around from team to team over the last few years of his career playing with the Boston Celtics (2019-20), the New York Knicks (2021-22) and the Dallas Mavericks (2022-2023). Sadly, all of his multi-city stints were injury ridden.
Still, the man is a legend in his own right having led his UConn basketball team to the college title in 2011 and being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in the process.
Not one to look on the negative side of things, Walker says though he’s done playing basketball, he’s looking forward to what the future holds for him writing, “Basketball will forever be a part of my life so this isn’t goodbye. I’m excited for what’s next.”
Good luck and Godspeed, homie!
Hoops star Jayson Tatum reached the apex of the basketball world when capturing his first NBA championship with his Boston Celtics defeating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night (June 17). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news After all the champagne and cigars ran dry at the […]
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Serena Williams praised Caitlin Clark’s approach to dealing with the pressures of being in the WNBA, including the press attention.
As Caitlin Clark’s rookie season in the WNBA has progressed this summer, she’s gotten a heaping amount of scrutiny from the press and has been the subject of social media squabbles. Tennis great Serena Williams can sympathize, and she expressed that sentiment while at the Tribeca Film Festival last Thursday (June 13). Williams, who was present for the premiere of the ESPN+ documentary series, In The Arena: Serena Williams, praised Clark for her poise so far and referenced her own experiences.
“I just love that she tries to stay grounded. She said that she doesn’t look at her social [media],” Williams said. “I get it. I don’t look at it either. It’s so important to continue to do what she’s doing. No matter what other people do, if people are negative, it’s because they can’t do what you do, basically. Hopefully, she’ll continue to do what she’s doing.” Clark has been the subject of heavy conversation during her rookie season with the Indiana Fever, especially as news broke that she wasn’t named to the senior women’s national basketball team.
“I was bullied. Things that I had to go through, people would be canceled for saying now,” Williams continued, referring to the intense media attention she and her sister Venus Williams received as they began their careers as adolescents. “My position in growing up, as a teenager, I kind of had to be guarded to kind of stay sane. Just [getting] so much press and doing everything I was doing and traveling the globe every year. It was every week. It was a grind.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has previously talked about her interest in WNBA ownership. Serena Williams is already part of the ownership group of Angel City FC of the NWSL. “I absolutely would be (interested). With the right market, I would definitely be super interested in that,” Williams said in an interview with CNN. As for Caitlin Clark, she has recently been more adamant about those using her name to demean other WNBA players. “People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable,” she said Thursday to the press. “Treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect, I think, it’s just a basic human thing that everybody should do.”