WNBA Preseason: Star Alums Back on Campus

    0
    1

    Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Sabrina Ionescu are among the notable players returning to their former college arenas as the WNBA conducts preseason games at various campuses. This initiative began with the Las Vegas Aces last year, when they played at South Carolina, allowing A’ja Wilson to revisit her alma mater. The aim is to harness the appeal of these players, driving interest and potentially attracting new fans to the WNBA.

    Angel Reese will headline the Chicago Sky’s visit to LSU this Friday to challenge the Brazilian national team. On Sunday, Caitlin Clark will guide the Indiana Fever to Iowa for a similar exhibition against Brazil. Clark expressed her enthusiasm, noting the unexpectedness of the event’s arrival. “I’m really excited,” she mentioned, highlighting her limited visits to Iowa City since leaving, only returning twice for special occasions. The event provides her an opportunity to reconnect with friends and former teammates.

    Both the Fever and Sky games will be nationally televised. The WNBA plans to broadcast all 15 of its preseason games through national television or league passes. Nevertheless, Clark is concerned about the lack of air conditioning in Iowa’s basketball arena. “A lot of my family will be coming, so I know they’re excited. I warned everybody…there’s not air conditioning in Carver-Hawkeye (Arena),” she joked, hoping for cooler weather.

    In South Bend, Indiana, former Notre Dame stars will reunite on Friday when the Dallas Wings face off against the Aces. Players like Jewell Loyd, Jackie Young, and Arike Ogunbowale all made remarkable contributions to the Irish. Ogunbowale, crucial to Notre Dame’s 2018 national championship, was the WNBA’s second-leading scorer last season. The game will also feature No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers’s debut for the Wings.

    Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty will conclude the preseason schedule with a game at Oregon, facing Japan’s Toyota Antelopes. Ionescu, the NCAA’s career triple-double leader, never had a farewell to her college due to her senior year’s NCAA Tournament being canceled from the pandemic. “I don’t really know how I’m going to feel…I might get emotional,” she remarked, eager for closure.

    Some narratives to follow as the preseason kicks off include the impact of injuries and shifts in coaching roles. Washington’s rookie Georgia Amoore injured her right ACL during practice, sidelining her indefinitely. The Mystics, anticipating her contribution alongside fellow newcomers Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, reported Aaliyah Edwards is also out due to a lower back contusion.

    Leadership changes are notable in the league, with eight out of 13 WNBA teams appointing new head coaches. Atlanta and Los Angeles chose college coaches Karl Smesko and Lynne Roberts, respectively. Indiana has reinstated Stephanie White to manage the Fever, after parting ways with Connecticut Sun, now overseen by Rachid Meziane, former Belgium national team coach. Meanwhile, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington have recruited previous WNBA assistants Tyler Marsh, Chris Koclanes, and Sydney Johnson, with Golden State bringing in Natalie Nakase as their new franchise’s first head coach.