Jackson caps career with bronze, Australia beats Canada
Jackson willed Australia to a win in the bronze medal game at basketball's World Cup, scoring 30 points to lead the Opals to a 95-65 win over Canada on Saturday. “I couldn't imagine that.”She played in 43 World Cup games in her career, matching Brazil's Janeth Arcain for most all-time. Even with the loss, the Canadians advanced further than they had in any World Cup in 36 years. The only other one to win a game was Spain in 2018 when it beat Belgium for the bronze medal. Jackson became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup medal-round games, surpassing her friend Diana Taurasi's mark of 63.
wftv.comNew York Liberty, WNBA players populate World Cup rosters
That moniker also works for the city's WNBA franchise, the New York Liberty, which has seven players competing in the women's World Cup for five different countries. The two Liberty players are on opposite teams a few weeks after their WNBA season ended with a playoff loss to Chicago in the opening round. Whitcomb said that the Liberty players talked about the potential of them all coming to Sydney for the World Cup. Whitcomb said the Liberty teammates have been getting coffee with each other in between games. New York isn't the only WNBA team well represented in Sydney: Seattle has five active players as well as Jackson.
wftv.comLauren Jackson back in international basketball at age 41
Lynx Storm Basketball Former Seattle Storm center Lauren Jackson stands courtside before a WNBA basketball game between the Storm and the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Ted S. Warren)Lauren Jackson has been named on her fifth FIBA World Cup roster for Australia in her comeback to international basketball, in a selection that was somewhat expected. “There were a lot of emotions when Sandy rang me, I had a bit of a cry to be honest,” Jackson said Wednesday. "I get so emotional talking about this," Jackson told The Associated Press during the training camp in New York. ___AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed from New York___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comLauren Jackson officially back in international basketball
Australia Jackson's Return Basketball FILE - Australia's Lauren Jackson (15) drives to the basket as Russia's Irina Osipova (12) defends during a women's bronze medal basketball game at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) (Eric Gay)SYDNEY — (AP) — As expected, Lauren Jackson has been named on her fifth FIBA World Cup roster for Australia in her comeback to international basketball. Not so expected were the tears that came when the 41-year-old Jackson was officially informed of her place in the 12-player team by head coach Sandy Brondello. “There were a lot of emotions when Sandy rang me, I had a bit of a cry to be honest,” Jackson said Wednesday. "I get so emotional talking about this," Jackson told The Associated Press during the training camp in New York.
wftv.comLiberty battling through injuries, COVD, look to get on roll
The New York Liberty are a work in progress. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File) (Adam Hunger)NEW YORK — (AP) — The New York Liberty are a work in progress. The Liberty have won two of three games since it was announced that Laney would be out. There's still a lot of basketball to play through.”The Liberty sit near the bottom of the AP WNBA power poll. Minnesota (3-8): The Lynx have had success against New York with two of their three wins coming against the Liberty.
wftv.comGriner's extended detention disappointing to her WNBA family
Russia Brittney Griner WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner leaves a courtroom after a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) (Alexander Zemlianichenko)New York coach Sandy Brondello was on her way to her team's Friday morning shootaround when she heard the "disappointing" news that Russia had extended Brittney Griner's pre-trial detention another 30 days. Griner’s original detention date was set to end on May 19. Griner's agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas started posting on Twitter two weeks ago a count of the days that Griner's been detained overseas. “Only thing I can do, I’m great friends with Brittney, is continue to pray for her and her family,” Johnson said.
wftv.comChina's 6-10 Han among international WNBA players to watch
International Players Basketball FILE - China's Han Xu (15) shoots over Serbia's Tina Krajisnik during a women's basketball quarterfinal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Aug. 4, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. Han feels more ready to play in the WNBA and is one of 21 international players on opening day rosters from countries all over the globe, including Australia, Belgium, Canada and Japan. “During the past few years, she gained a lot of confidence and now is trying not to be in her head when she plays basketball,” Han said via interpreter. First-year Liberty coach Sandy Brondello has seen Han play many times overseas with China and is happy to have her back in New York. She returned to the U.S. earlier than usual this offseason after all the WNBA players left Russia because of the country's invasion of Ukraine.
wftv.comWNBA to honor Brittney Griner with league-wide floor decals
Brittney Griner FILE - Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner sits during the first half of Game 2 of basketball's WNBA Finals against the Chicago Sky, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in Phoenix. Griner is easily the most prominent American citizen known to be jailed by a foreign government. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File) (Rick Scuteri)The WNBA will honor Phoenix star Brittney Griner with a floor decal and allow the Mercury to pay her without it counting against the team's salary cap, the league announced Tuesday. I'm glad that they are trying to do something," said New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello, who previously coached Griner in Phoenix. All 12 WNBA teams will have the decal on their home courts starting with the season opener Friday night.
wftv.comSky-Mercury set for 2014 WNBA Finals rematch
(AP Photo/Chase Stevens) (Chase Stevens)Diana Taurasi has the Phoenix Mercury back in the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2014. It's the first time since the WNBA changed its playoff format in 2016 that neither of the top two teams made it to the finals. GETTING A HEAD STARTChicago decided to fly to Las Vegas on Friday before the finals matchup was set. BIGTIME FANFormer President Barack Obama tweeted his congratulations to the Chicago Sky for making the finals. Congratulations to the (at) ChicagoSky for making it to the WNBA finals, and to the legend, (at) Candace_Parker for making all of us proud.
wftv.comMarried WNBA coaches living in different places in bubble
(Olaf Lange via AP)Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello called her husband Olaf Lange and good-naturedly ribbed him that he was late for a zoom interview. The first-year Chicago Sky assistant replied that he was logging in as they were speaking. While they have been living apart the first two weeks in the bubble, they have gotten together for a few family meals. The two met years ago in Germany when Brondello was playing and Lange was a young assistant coach on that team. Theyve coached together in San Antonio and in Russia and Lange is an assistant for Brondello with theustralian national team.