Your Day in Women’s Basketball, July 17: Dream, Lynx, Wings prepare with fresh faces
A slew of teams prepare for the wacky season with overhauled rosters
As teams start to get rolling in the bubble, we’re learning more and more about the unique ways these teams came together.
One such team is the Atlanta Dream, who have ten fresh faces on the roster including Courtney Williams, Shekinna Stricklen, and standout first-round pick Chennedy Carter. Despite a slew of changes and a wonky upcoming schedule, the Dream will likely outperform last year’s abysmal 8-26 record.
The 2019 Minnesota Lynx had a similar story to the Dream, with plenty of new additions to the roster. In fact, they would have fit right in at IMG. The 2020 Lynx has a similar story in the back half of the bench this year. So it’s safe to say they’re prepared for the challenge, especially as they return the two-headed monster of Sylvia Fowles and Napheesa Collier.
Minnesota stands apart from other teams in the bubble pack, as none of their team has chosen to opt-out of the season. The mindset is clear: Lynx players are chomping at the bit for a chance to play basketball again.
More from Atlanta Dream
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, October 19: NCAA shakes up schedules, not scholarships
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, September 28: All-Rookie team announced
- Women’s Basketball, September 17: NCAA Hoops to start Nov. 25
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, September 14: Mystics are going dancing
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, September 10: Dream are (mathematically) stayin’ alive
The Wings Megan Gustafson loves talking basketball, social justice, and Pancake her pet Corgi. Gustafson hasn’t had any problems with the bubble conditions (“pretty good,” she says) and is in good spirits with the adorable Pancake joining her. Most of all, she’s excited to suit back up.
“I was excited to be able to sign with the Wings again. I was able to get pretty comfortable with them last year because I was with them for most of the season,” Gustafson said. “It just shows the confidence they have in me. They saw a lot of improvement from me when I was with them last year so just to have that go-ahead from them was really nice. It motivated me to really work hard this off-season, especially during quarantine.”
South Dakota State alum Macy Miller has flipped the switch: that is, from player to coach. Miller was overseas this past season, looking to finish out her first year in Spain. Everything changed the when the pandemic hit, and Miller headed home to family. Now, she’ll work as an assistant coach at the program where she starred.
We’re learning more about Elena Delle Donne’s situation by the day, and players around the WNBA are getting louder in opposition to the league’s decision to deny the MVP’s medical opt-out.
Delle Donne’s profound piece in the Players’ Tribune did not announce her decision but did give us an insight into the struggles she has had to deal with, taking over 64(!) pills a day and playing with three (!) herniated discs in her back. She is also recovering from back surgery, though head coach Mike Thibault said there is still a chance to play this season.
The onus is now on the league to reevaluate their decision.
In socials news, many WNBA players unveiled their new jersey’s with Breonna Taylor’s name on the back and showed solidarity and support for the Black Lives Matter movement.