BLACK ROSIE MEDIA MAKES A SPECIAL APPEARANCE!

The New York Liberty have big goals this season, and Black Rosie Media got to participate in something special.

In the latest edition of Liberty Unlocked, the team gave a behind the scenes look at training camp and how their free agency plans came about. And in the video, Black Rosie Media was on hand to provide some analysis! Watch below

Erica and I got back to the usual and discussed the early 2-0 start for the Liberty on the latest edition of Gotta Get Up

Check out the upcoming schedule for Gotta Get Up!

Things are going well for the Liberty. They’ve gotten tremendous play from Pauline Astier as she fills in for the injured Sabrina Ionescu.

Breanna Stewart has continued to be one of the best players in basketball, and Marine Johannés has returned with a newfound confidence to her game. The team needs to get healthy, but they’re building a good foundation to begin the season.

Here’s what you need to know today:

⚔️ Basketball from coast-to-coast
Julie Vanloo shines under tough circumstances.

🎧The Extra Possession: Getting into the Liberty Offensive Identity

🐺 A bright future in the Twin Cities
Olivia Miles is off to a great start in Minnesota

💰 Money moves
Cori Close cashes in

🗓 Upcoming games
What’s on deck to begin the week.

📰 What we’re reading
Some great writing that’s come across our desks.

JULIE VANLOO MANAGES THE GRIND

Even with the new CBA, it’s still a challenge for some players to stick with teams. Julie Vanloo’s journey is a shining example of this phenomenon.

Towards the end of training camp, Vanloo was waived by the Los Angeles Sparks after signing a training camp contract. Vanloo joined the Sparks in 2025 after she was waived by the Golden State Valkyries as she was on the way back to the United States following Eurobasket.

After Vanloo was cut by the Sparks this year, she was at a moment of truth. Her frustration was at its highest and it felt like she was out of options.

However, she was able to sign a hardship contract with the Liberty. That contract and her support system came through for her when she needed it the most.

“I had a lot of conversation with my family, my close people. I really wanted to give up and go home, because I was exhausted from a long season overseas and from giving everything I had in training camp. And so I was just like, ‘am I gonna give up or no?’ ‘Do I need some time at home to just reset?’ But then I said no,” Vanloo said after the Liberty’s win against the Connecticut Sun.

The WNBA is incredibly competitive. There’s amazing talent all over the world and so few roster spots to accommodate all of it. For players like Vanloo, spots are tenuous but they do the best they can with what they have.

As the league continues to grow, hopefully there is room to keep players like her around.

OLIVIA MILES GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS

WNBA Opening Week is ongoing, and one rookie has made a big splash.

Taken second overall in the Draft, Olivia Miles joined the Minnesota Lynx following a tremendous final season at TCU.

As Napheesa Collier continues to recover from offseason double ankle surgery, the Lynx aren’t expected to be near the top of the WNBA standings this season. However, the team has turned heads to begin the season and Miles’ play has been sensational.

Over her first two games, Miles is averaging 17 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds a game. For as impressive as those box score statistics are, there’s even more promising trends underneath the surface. Miles is fifth among guards in field goals attempted inside the restricted area at seven per game.

Although she is shooting just 57 percent on those shots, that number should increase as the season progresses. So far, Miles has shown a willingness to enter the land of the giants and isn’t backing down from the toughest challenges

“She’s a handful,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said. “You got to figure out what you’re going to do with her. That makes things a little bit easier for everyone else.”

The Lynx have an exciting future. With Miles getting better by the game, Cheryl Reeve has her franchise point guard. Collier should be back this season and hopefully back at MVP level form.

With ownership invested in keeping up their recent success, things are looking up in the Twin Cities.

CORI CLOSE CASHES IN

Cori Close just cashed in!

On May 12, UCLA and Close agreed to a contract extension that will run through 2030. Close has been with UCLA since 2011 and has taken the program to its greatest heights, culminating in back-to-back Final Four appearances and a National Championship. The successes on the court are critical, but Close’s presence on campus and what she does away from the court matters just as much.

“Winning a national championship is a tremendous achievement, but what truly stands out with Cori is the character, leadership and daily commitment she and her staff bring to developing student-athletes into the best versions of themselves,” UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond said,

“Cori exemplifies true Bruin values and we couldn’t be more excited about the future under her leadership.”

As the NCAA continues to change, leadership becomes even more important. Close’s presence will help UCLA continue to find great talent and compete at the highest levels of the sport.

This extension is a welcome reward and a sign that the future is incredibly bright.

Here’s the schedule for the next few days

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

Here’s what we’re reading:

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