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Good morning. ☕️
We've got a big one tonight! The WNBA Finals head to Atlanta with the Dream and Valkyries tied 1-1 after Atlanta picked up its first-ever Finals win. Game 3 tips off at 8 PM ET on USA Network and Peacock.
What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today
1. Women Are Calling Every WNBA Finals Game 🎙️
For the first time in WNBA history, women are calling the play-by-play for every game of a multi-game Finals series. Kate Scott is calling games on USA Network and Zora Stephenson is calling games on NBC. They're joined by a broadcast team that includes Tamika Catchings, Sarah Kustok, Amy Audibert and Meghan McPeak. (SF Gate)
WHY IT MATTERS: Women have been part of WNBA broadcasts since the beginning, including Hannah Storm calling the league's first championship in 1997. But opportunities to lead broadcasts as play-by-play announcers have been harder to come by. In the WNBA's 30th season, women are taking the lead on the broadcasts of the league's biggest games.
🗳️ Do you have a favorite WNBA broadcaster?
2. Minnesota Loses Leading Scorer Before the Season 🩼
Minnesota guard Tori McKinney will miss the entire 2026-27 season after suffering a knee injury in practice. It's tough news for a Gophers team that enters the season ranked No. 17. (NBC Sports)
WHY IT MATTERS: McKinney led Minnesota with 12.7 points per game last season and also led the team in steals, helping the Gophers reach their first Sweet 16 since 2005. After that breakthrough, Minnesota was hoping to build on its success. Now the team will have to find a way forward without its leading scorer.
3. South Carolina Starts at No. 1 🏀
South Carolina tops the AP preseason poll after receiving 23 of 31 first-place votes. UConn comes in at No. 2 with six votes, while USC received the remaining two.
WHY IT MATTERS: This is the fifth time in seven years that Dawn Staley's Gamecocks have opened at No. 1, and they'll be tested early with five ranked opponents in the first month. UConn is another familiar face near the top, having started every season in the top 10 since 1994. Meanwhile, defending champion UCLA comes in at No. 12 with just five players back from last year's title-winning team.
Let’s Go Back to the WNBA in 2016
With the WNBA Finals underway, it's a great time to revisit one of the wildest championship finishes in league history. The 2016 season gave us plenty to remember, including a thrilling Finals series between the Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx that came down to the final seconds of Game 5.
I look back at that unforgettable championship and the other big moments from that season in the latest video of my series celebrating 30 years of the WNBA.
OVERTIME ⏱️
Bench Check: Maddy at WNBA Data breaks down how differently Atlanta and Golden State use their benches, and what Finals history tells us about depth.
Welcome to the W: Flau'jae Johnson told Sue Bird about her rookie-season “welcome to the league” moments.
🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked whether Atlanta's Game 2 win changed your Finals pick, and most of you aren't budging. 72% said, “Nope, sticking with my pick.”
