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Posts tagged as “Brittney Griner”

Dream defeated Fever behind their stifling and physical defense (91 – 90)

May 22, 2025

The Atlanta Dream narrowly defeated the Indiana Fever last night in a tightly contested and physical matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, emerging with a 91-90 victory. Atlanta capitalize on their size and physicality for most of the game, until the Fever made a furious fourth-quarter rally but it was not enough to get the win at home.

Atlanta established an early lead, showcasing their stifling and physical defense that disrupted the Fever’s offense. They outshot Indiana in the paint during the first quarter, ending it with a 31-23 advantage. The Dream’s strong defensive presence continued throughout much of the game, making it difficult for the Fever to find consistent offensive flow.

Despite the defensive pressure, the Fever, lead by Caitlin Clark, began to claw their way back. Clark, who had a standout night with 27 points and 11 assists, hit crucial shots to keep Indiana in contention. Aliyah Boston followed-up her first game performance with 24 points and 10 rebounds, marking her second consecutive double-double. Kelsey Mitchell added 24 points to complete a potent scoring trio for the Fever.

Brittney Griner led Atlanta with 21 points and 8 rebounds in her first win with the team, while Rhyne Howard added 20 points, including key free throws in the final seconds. Brionna Jones contributed a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Allisha Gray chipped in 16 points.

The fourth quarter was a nail-biter, with the Fever battling back from an 11-point deficit early in the period. Clark and Lexie Hull combined for nine points on three-pointers to close the gap, and Indiana took its second lead of the game with just 21 seconds remaining. However, a crucial foul sent Rhyne Howard to the free-throw line, where she sank both shots to retake the lead for Atlanta. Despite a last-ditch effort by the Fever at the buzzer, the Dream held on for the one-point victory.

The game was a physical affair, with both teams battling hard on every possession. While the Fever showed resilience in their comeback attempt, their 10 missed free throws and 14 turnovers ultimately proved costly.

The two teams will face off again on Thursday, with the Fever traveling to Atlanta for another anticipated matchup.

Team USA Women’s Basketball Roster for 2024 Paris Olympics now Official

June 12, 2024
Team USA Women’s Basketball Roster for 2024 Paris Olympics now Official

After being leaked a couple of days ago, the official roster for the Team USA Women’s Basketball for 2024 Paris Olympics have been officially announced.

As previously leaked and now official, below are the official roster of Team USA Women’s Basketball for 2024 Paris Olympics;

Player WNBA Team Position
Napheesa Collier Minnesota Lynx Forward
Kahleah Copper Phoenix Mercury Guard/Forward
Chelsea Gray Las Vegas Aces Guard
Brittney Griner Phoenix Mercury Center
Sabrina Ionescu New York Liberty Guard
Jewell Loyd Seattle Storm Guard
Kelsey Plum Las Vegas Aces Guard
Breanna Stewart New York Liberty Forward
Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury Guard
Alyssa Thomas Connecticut Sun Forward
A’ja Wilson Las Vegas Aces Forward/Center
Jackie Young Las Vegas Aces Guard/Forward

USA Women’s National Team head coach Cheryl Reeve with the assistance of Kara Lawson, Joni Taylor and Mike Thibault.

Here is what USA Basketball Women’s National Team Committee chair Jen Rizzotti said in the official statement;

“On behalf of USA Basketball, I’m excited to announce the 2024 USA Women’s National Team, We have selected a team that we are confident will represent our country to the highest standard in Paris. Basketball in the United States boasts unparalleled depth, making this a challenging and competitive process. The commitment these athletes have shown to USA Basketball is unmatched and I look forward to watching them take on the World in Paris.”

This is what USA Women’s National Team head coach Cheryl Reeve said regarding the roster;

“This roster features some of the best basketball talent our country has to offer and I’m excited to lead this team with the goal of winning an eighth straight Olympic gold medal in Paris, I’m looking forward to getting together in Phoenix and starting the journey to Paris.”

Team USA Women’s Basketball Roster for 2024 Leaked sans Caitlin Clark – Shams Charania

June 9, 2024

The roster for the 2024 USA Basketball Women’s National Team have been leaked. In a tweet, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that “Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark is expected to be left off the 12-player Team USA women’s basketball roster for the upcoming Summer Olympics”

Charania then added and named the 12 players in the roster. Except for Kahleah Copper, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum and Alyssa Thomas. All other players have Olympic experience. Fans also pointed out that rookie phenom Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever is missing from the roster. Despite receiving an invitation to the USA Basketball Women’s National Team training camp last April, Iowa Hawkeyes standout Caitlin Clark couldn’t attend due to her team’s Final Four run.

Player WNBA Team Position
Napheesa Collier Minnesota Lynx Forward
Kahleah Copper Phoenix Mercury Guard/Forward
Chelsea Gray Las Vegas Aces Guard
Brittney Griner Phoenix Mercury Center
Sabrina Ionescu New York Liberty Guard
Jewell Loyd Seattle Storm Guard
Kelsey Plum Las Vegas Aces Guard
Breanna Stewart New York Liberty Forward
Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury Guard
Alyssa Thomas Connecticut Sun Forward
A’ja Wilson Las Vegas Aces Forward/Center
Jackie Young Las Vegas Aces Guard/Forward

The final USA Women’s Basketball roster and list of potential alternates must be submitted to FIBA by June 24th. While no official announcement has been made by the USA Basketball on their official website or social media accounts.