Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 13h

Discovering more good words from Katie Barnes. Some cool quotes from Bill Laimbeer and the vision in place when this trio came together.

But this is probably my favourite part: Jackie admitting to being a passenger princess and Bill telling Jackie and A’ja they’re a team forever 🥹

In their first couple of years together with the Aces, they often drove around Las Vegas. Their city. Mostly in Wilson's car because "I'm a bit of a passenger princess," Young said. Those off-court moments built a relationship that strengthened their on-court chemistry.

"That's my little sister I never wanted, but God put in my life," Wilson said.

Laimbeer told them to cherish each other.
"You two are a team forever," Laimbeer recalled saying to Young and Wilson. "Don't ever leave each other."

1 4

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 15h

Great read with lots of insightful quotes from the team and coaches. You can really get a sense of how this season was like no other.

Emma Baccellieri @emmabaccellieri.bsky.social · 17h

At their lowest point this year, Becky Hammon had Aces’ players start doing their own scouting reports and putting together practice plans. She thought it would be temporary. It helped them turn everything around: www.si.com/wnba/aces-lo...

“Sometimes you kind of get used to just the coaches doing all the work, trying to motivate people, giving stories, the speeches, everything,” said Loyd, also new to the team this season. “It hits different when it comes from your team. It’s personal ... People are getting more vulnerable in the locker room, opening up, and I think that’s when we all just opened up to each other a little more. We kind of just used that as a bonding mechanism, and it allowed us to just really buy into everyone’s story, with a lot of stuff to hold ourselves accountable on and be more vocal and take some ownership.”

1

Reposted

Storm Chasers @wnbastormchasers.bsky.social · 17h

I wrote about the conclusion of the #WNBA season after the Las Vegas Aces won their 3rd title. I wrote about A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Alyssa Thomas, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, and more. Open to all WNBA fans. stormchaserswnba.substack.com/p/aces-win-3...

Aces Win 3rd WNBA Championship

Final thoughts at the conclusion of the 2025 WNBA season.

stormchaserswnba.substack.com

6 20

Reposted

Dana Holtzbert @danaholtzbert.bsky.social · 15h

Is there still time for the Portland Fire to rename themselves the Portland Frogs? #WNBA

3 4 38

Reposted

Madeline Kenney @madkenney.bsky.social · 18h

Negotiations for a new CBA are far behind schedule, with a work stoppage at this point seemingly inevitable.

With all eyes on the Finals, the Aces put on a show and sent a message:

"When you have great players, you need to treat them like that." nypost.com/2025/10/11/s...

WNBA commissioner greeted with heavy boos during Aces championship trophy ceremony

The chorus of boos showered on WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert when she presented the Aces their championship trophy was deafening and unrelenting.

nypost.com

2 17

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 18h

Begging Mark Davis to bring some colour back to the Aces. These raider colours aren’t doing it.

WNBAGamecocks @wnbagamecocks.bsky.social · 18h

A’ja Wilson got a custom Nike jacket after winning her third WNBA Championship ✨

1 3

Reposted

Madeline Kenney @madkenney.bsky.social · 18h

Kristi Toliver had an impressive audition Friday night when thrusted into a difficult situation.

The Mercury trailed by 15 when Tibbetts was ejected. Phoenix pulled within six of the Aces in the 4th.

Toliver is set to interview for the Liberty's HC job. nypost.com/2025/10/10/s...

Kristi Toliver ‘ready’ for first head coaching shot with Liberty interview now on horizon

PHOENIX — Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver’s name has come up in a lot of WNBA circles as an interesting candidate for any of the league’s five head coaching vacancies. She’s even in the…

nypost.com

5 27

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 19h

This is a tough pick. Cause I loved the moment at all-star, when Natasha Cloud and Izzy Harrison celebrated her skills challenge win.

But a finals run is special.

New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud celebrates winning with girlfriend and teammate Isabelle Harrison during the 2025 WNBA All Star Skills Challenge at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

3

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 19h

Choosing violence with this 😂

Dana Holtzbert @danaholtzbert.bsky.social · 23h

The Chicago Sky Award goes to Jeff Pagliocca.

From replacing the popular Teresa Weatherspoon after 1 season to further alienating Angel Reese and rising ticket prices so fans can pay more money to watch their favorite team not be good, Jeff really has become the face of this franchise.

#WNBA

2025 WNBA Dana Holtzbert Award
Chicago Sky: Jeff Pagliocca

3

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 21h

Thank you!

1

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 22h

Re-sharing this one. I wish I was watching the W earlier on, so I could fully appreciate how the Aces and A’ja have evolved.

Andrew G. Haubner @aghaubner.bsky.social · 3d

Something that I feel has been missed in the discussion of A’ja Wilson’s greatness is that the payoff of her ascent is earned.

Four years to the day since being blocked by Brittney Griner with a series on the line, Wilson’s game three game winner marks the completion of her hero’s journey.

With A WNBA Finals Game Winner In Hand, A'ja Wilson's Ascent Is Now Complete

There's no question about it now. One win away from a third WNBA title in four years and on the heels of a Game Three game winning jumper, A'ja Wilson is officially the undisputed best in the world.

www.nocapspacewbb.com

1

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 22h

Becky texting A’ja after her game 3 winning shot 🫎

Four years after Wilson's blocked shot in the semifinals, she delivered the unofficial championship-clincher with 0.3 seconds left. Her elevation over Thomas, with her hands outstretched and DeWanna Bonner's not far behind, was what inspired Hammon's elk comparison again: As she texted Wilson the next morning, elk can jump 8 feet into the air.

1

Reposted

Rachel Bachman, WSJ sports reporter @realbachscore.bsky.social · 1d

Vegas’s success is a result in part of visionary investment.

A $1M salary for a coach when that was unheard of. A $40M training facility when no other W team had one. All before Caitlin Clark joined the league.

The result: three titles in four years.

Las Vegas Aces @lvaces.bsky.social · 1d

Sweet dreams, Aces fans! 🏆🏆🏆

1 9 36

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 1d

Toronto Tempo coaching rumors. Per Madeline Kenney, Kristi Toliver interviewed with the Tempo. Sandy Brondello and Jenny Boucek are also candidates. 🙂‍↕️

Toliver also previously interviewed to be
Toronto's inaugural head coach, sources said.
Other candidates for that job include Brondello and Pacers assistant Jenny Boucek, according to sources.

7

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 1d

I’m so glad they won last night. Cause this is a bold tunnel fit in a finals game

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 1d

Meghan is safe from the Aces’ petty championship video 😂

1 2

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 1d

A’ja has a third dog! To join her other two Ace and Deuce.

And now their names are just hitting for me lol

Photo of a brown puppy with a caption “Y’all meet my baby Tre’. His name is so fitting 🤭”

2 3

Reposted

Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis @kendrawrites.com · 1d

Look, I've never skeeted about this before but when I was at NYT I was involved in a sexual harassment thing. I was not the person lodging the complaint (nor was I the harasser). I was a corroborating witness let's say. Anyway, NYT did the right thing and fired the harasser.

BUT

3 55 340

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 1d

Gotta find this clip

Nancy Armour @nrarmour.bsky.social · 1d

Becky tears up when talking about what this group means to her.
"I love being their coach. I love being their friend. I love pushing them, sometimes to their dislike a little bit. I’m invested in their greatness and getting that out of them every day."
A'ja, Chelsea and Jackie crying

2 2

Reposted

Nancy Armour @nrarmour.bsky.social · 1d

Becky gave her players plants at the beginning of the season and Chelsea and Jackie are very proud to say theirs are still alive.

1 5 26

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 1d

I actually learned that Becky isn’t always scowling. She can say really wonderful things to her players and lift them up. The moment with Jewell after the win was special. You can see how much it meant to her.

1 7

Reposted

Ben Pickman @benpickman.bsky.social · 1d

Here is the pool report from Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals.

Per crew chief Roy Gulbeyan, Tibbetts was assessed two seperate technicals for yelling, "that's fuck--- terrible," twice.

2 5 20

Reposted

Daniel Thompson @dr-thompson.bsky.social · 1d

Final question of the post-Finals press conference gave Chelsea Gray a chance to talk about the value of the players of the WNBA.

**When you have great players you need to treat them like that.**

And of course... the tambourine was on the ready! #WNBASky

20 49

Reposted

Daniel Thompson @dr-thompson.bsky.social · 1d

Jewell took the press conference to church so you knew A'ja had to bring back the tambourine!

2 14

loyalroyal.bsky.social @loyalroyal.bsky.social · 1d

Pretty wild. Becky went 0-4 in the finals as a player. Now 3-0 as a coach.