🤕 CAITLIN CLARK OUT FOR THE SEASON

THE INDIANA FEVER SUPERSTAR CONTINUES TO RECOVER FROM INJURY

Caitlin Clark will not play basketball again in 2025.

On September 4, the Indiana Fever star announced on social media that her injuries will force her to miss the rest of the season.

This was the first time in Clark’s basketball career that she dealt with multiple injuries. She tried to come back a few times, but it wasn’t to be. Caitlin finished the season with averages of 16.5 points, five rebounds, and eight assists a night in 13 games played.

Erica L. Ayala joined CBS Sports HQ last night to discuss the unfortunate news:

The Fever will do their best to win without their engine and franchise star. Indiana is currently in the eighth and final playoff seed with a 1.5 game lead over the ninth-seeded Los Angeles Sparks.

The Fever have been besieged by injuries all season, but they continue to battle and play hard. It’s a testament to their dedication and togetherness that they haven’t given up despite everything they’ve faced in 2025.

👑 HISTORY IN GOLDEN STATE

THE VALKYRIES ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS, BUT THERE’S A CATCH…

Coming into the season, the Golden State Valkyries didn’t have many expectations. Year one for expansion teams usually centers on establishing a foundation and forming an early identity.

With a first-time head coach in Natalie Nakase and a first-time General Manager in Ohemma Nyanin, the team was expected to just learn on the job this year.

And when All-Star Kayla Thornton was lost for the season due to a knee injury, it seemed that Golden State would have a lovely story, but ultimately fall short of the playoffs. Funny thing about expectations…

On September 4, the Valkyries beat the Dallas Wings to improve to 23-18. The W was their fifth in a row and clinched a playoff spot. It’s the first time in WNBA history that an expansion team has made the playoffs in its debut season.

Considering all the adversity this team faced, their run to the playoffs becomes even more incredible.

“The Valkyries were ticketed by ESPN to win 15.7 wins and given an 11.8% chance to make the playoffs,” Josiah Cohen wrote at Rise of the Valkyries.

“They lost games, reps, and personnel to Eurobasket, eventually playing 19 players, more than almost every team, during the regular season. Of their 11 expansion draft picks, 4 won’t even finish the season on Golden State’s bench. So, yeah, a first-time head coach leading an expansion team to the WNBA playoffs in the franchise’s inaugural season is a stunner.”

Balhalla has been one of the best, most raucous atmospheres in sports this season and has given the Valkyries a unique home court advantage. Unfortunately, BALHALLA will have to move down the road due to an arena conflict stretching back to 2023, before the Valkyries were announced as an expansion team.

It’s an unfortunate fact of life for WNBA teams to have their playoff games moved due to scheduling conflicts. Whether it’s the Emmy Awards, Disney on Ice, or now the Laver Cup, W teams often get the short end of the stick when it comes to having their home arenas during the playoffs. As the league continues to grow and become even more popular, incidents like these will become rarer.

That said, Veronica Burton and the Valkyries will be ready no matter where the games are played:

“…wherever we play, we’re going to bring our basketball. So we’re confident, we’re excited, and it’s another opportunity to compete. So regardless of where we’re at, we’re going to show up.”

BALHALLA!!!!!!!!

🎙 ACROSS THE BRM NETWORK

WHO WILL FIGURE THINGS OUT FIRST?

Earlier this week at the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we talked about the rollercoaster that is the Seattle Storm. Following a tremendous win against the Minnesota Lynx and another victory against the Chicago Sky, it seemed that the team was finally on the right track and was on its way to clinching a playoff spot.

They threw all of that progress away with a debilitating loss to the Los Angeles Sparks that has left us with even more questions for Noelle Quinn and the team. They’re back in action on Friday night, and their opponent also has us wondering just what the heck is going on.

Up to this point, the New York Liberty’s season has been defined by injuries. Extended absences for Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, and Breanna Stewart have prevented the champs from truly finding their rhythm and building off of their 9-0 start to the season. The reigning WNBA champions were on the road Tuesday night in Balhalla and fell behind by as much 24 points before a second half rally got the final margin down to a closer than it appeared eight points.

They’ve gone 0-2 on this three-game road trip, and for the first time all season, I’ve truly started to wonder if this group actually has what it takes to go far in the playoffs and repeat as champions. Friend of the newsletter Lucas Kaplan is more down on the Liberty than I am right now, but his sentiment is one that I’ve started to come around to:

“Everything is messed up, but even amid the mess, New York isn’t good enough. Some fans see this team not giving consistent second and third efforts and feel the Liberty are checked out, unmotivated, uninspired. I see a team unable to get themselves there. I see a dead team walking. Either way, the result is the same.”

It’s hard to argue with that. Even accounting for injuries, fatigue, etc., things just haven’t gone right for the Liberty. They’re trying to find their identity, get enough minutes for certain lineups so they have a semblance of chemistry, and are generally just trying to feel better about their work on the court. They’re running out of time.

With these two teams set to face each other on Friday, September 5, Erica and Roberta F. Rodrigues hosted a special edition of Tempestade Talk on September 3.

Both teams are trying to figure out what their identity is, what will work best for them in the playoffs, and reach the goals they set for themselves in 2025.

The winner of this game will be one step closer to what they want their playoff run to look like. The loser will find themselves with even more questions they have to answer before the season ends.

Either way, it’s going to be a fascinating night at Climate Pledge Arena.

💰 MONEY MOVES

 ANGEL REESE NAVIGATES STARDOM

On September 3rd, Julia Poe published a feature story in the Chicago Tribune on Reese and her visions for the Sky’s off-season. It’s been a rough season for the Sky as they fell short of all the goals they set for themselves

“I’m not settling for the same shit we did this year. We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.

I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason. So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”

Angel got herself in trouble when she specifically mentioned that the team can’t rely on Courtney Vandersloot “to come back at the age that she’s at” and that the Sky needs “someone probably a little younger with some experience, somebody who’s been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before.”

Naturally, the story and her comments didn’t sit well with her teammates, and they will reportedly hold a team meeting with Reese, if it hasn’t happened already. Head coach Tyler Marsh was asked about it and took a diplomatic approach

When you’re a star basketball player, you eventually reach a point where you begin to assert yourself when it comes to how your team is built and try to direct the path the team is on. You’re set in your career, are fully confident and comfortable in your career, and want the organization to get its stuff together so it can compete for a championship.

It’s something we’ve seen a lot on the men’s basketball side as star players voiced their concerns about the team they were on. Sometimes it winds up working out in the end, and other times it’s the first sign that things were on a very bad track.

It’s a tricky balance between pushing for the team to be better vs. throwing your teammates under the bus. And for one of women’s basketball’s brightest stars, she’s having to figure out that balance in a public fashion.

Even amidst the sea of controversy, Reese had another excellent game. She had 18 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and four steals in the Sky win 88-64 opver Copnnecticut.

Even amidst her great game, she got called for her league-leading eighth technical foul and will be suspended for the game on September 5 against the Indiana Fever. After the game, the conversation was focused on the story, and Angel issued a public apology to her teammates.

This is another aspect of stardom that players like Reese must navigate. When you publicly challenge the course the organization is on, and intimate that the roster you’re on isn’t good enough, and have your words become the center of attention, you have to stand up and face the music.

Whether it’s from the press or your teammates, you’ve got to be able to have a conversation when your words reach people in the ways that Reese’s did and the meaning you had became lost in translation.

To Angel’s credit, she stood by what she said and didn’t run away from the uncomfortable conversations it wrought. It’s a tremendous sign of leadership that your young star is able to face down controversy like this, continue to play her game, and strive to improve for the next time she encounters a similar situation.

In a lost season like this for Sky fans, Reese gives them hope for a brighter future. And just when you thought this story was winding down, the Sky announced that Reese will sit out the first half of the game on September 7.

On a happier note, Reese picked up another win off the court! On September 4, it was announced that Reese will be partnering with Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, and Simone Manuel of TOGETHXR. Reese’s ability to drive and lead conversation makes her one of the most intriguing people in sports and someone who is able to connect to people of all backgrounds.

“TOGETHXR was built to challenge the system and prove what we’ve always known: that women in sports set the standard, shift the story, and drive the conversations that matter,” Bird said. “Angel Reese is already doing that. She brings a confidence and leadership that not only defines her but adds to the legacy we’re building as we continue to push women’s sports forward.”

Having platforms that highlight women’s sports and give athletes a chance to share in telling their stories is incredibly valuable. In a media environment that is constantly shifting and often for the worse, spaces like TOGETHXR take on even more importance.

Reese is someone who drives conversation, and as she continues to grow personally and professionally, her voice will take on even more importance.

📰 WHAT WE’RE READING

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:

• How A'ja Wilson, Aces Reshaped into Juggernaut No One Wants to Face in WNBA Playoffs by Nekias Duncan, Bleacher Report

• Golden State Valkyries’ playoff push is in hands of renewed point guard Veronica Burton by Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic

• Which WNBA teams are streaking, stumbling towards the playoffs? by Cat Ariail, Swish Appeal

• Can The New York Liberty Find Their Championship Form? by Lucas Kaplan, Basketball Insiders

• Angel Reese was right. The Sky are the WNBA’s most mismanaged team by Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation

• ‘Sinners’ Put Clarksdale on the Map. Locals Used It to Build Unity. by Aallyah Wright, Capital B News

⛹🏽‍♀️ UPCOMING GAMES

Here’s the schedule for the next few days (Eastern Standard Time)

📲 STAY CONNECTED!

If you enjoyed this newsletter, consider subscribing to receive the latest updates from Black Rosie Media directly in your inbox—it's completely FREE! Feel free to share this with a friend so they can also stay informed.

Join our Black Rosie Media Slack Channel to interact directly with our contributors, participate in game-day chats, and much more!

You can also connect with us on BlueSky, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube!