Hey readers!

Firstly, thank you sincerely for riding with Black Rosie Media this year!

This May marked two years since our inception, and we’re so proud of what we’ve accomplished. Here’s a list of a few accomplishments:

Thanks to Brian, Roberta, Angelica Rodriguez, and Misha Jones, who’ve been invaluable as I continue building my vision for BRM.

As we reflect on the first month of our weekly newsletter, we want to thank YOU! The growth we’ve experienced isn’t possible without your willingness to subscribe, share, and engage with our podcasts and stories.

We look forward to even more storytelling next year, starting in Seattle with the PWHL Takeover Tour and heading to South Beach for the inaugural Unrivaled season.

Cheers to more growth in 2025!

Erica L. Ayala, Head Black Rosie in Charge (HBIC)

New York basketball has been full of heartache since the 1970s. The list of superstars that kept New York from the championship is a who’s who of basketball icons:

Tina Thompson, Sheryl Swoopes, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan (twice), A’ja Wilson, etc. It had been a long, painful drought for basketball fans in New York. All of that ended on October 20, 2024.

On that night, the New York Liberty ended the drought and captured their first WNBA championship. It took a lot of heavy lifting and some luck, but they got it done.

The championship represented a culmination of all the hard work players past and present. All the setbacks, the almosts, and one seconds away– made this title extra sweet. It also represents a culmination of Jonathan Kolb’s vision. Since he arrived in 2019, Kolb has put together an incredible roster and has laid down the foundation of a team that will contend for many years to come.

As Liberty plans their title defense, it will take another total team effort to ensure the title stays in New York.

On the next edition of Gotta Get Up, we will spotlight rookie sensation and EuroLeague star, Leonie Fiebich!

For the Seattle Storm, 2024 began with waves of optimism. Yet, this year ends with them facing more questions than ever. Although the Storm returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason in 2023, they didn’t stay long, as the Las Vegas Aces swept them in two games.

However, as we discussed in the second edition of the Women’s Basketball Roundup newsletter, things got worse. Seattle was investigated for bullying and harassment. They were cleared but immediately discovered that Jewell Loyd requested a trade and wanted out of Seattle.

For the Storm, they will have an unenviably large amount of questions to answer.

A lot was going on in Nneka’s debut season in Seattle, and we’ll get into it in-depth on the next edition of Tempestade Talk with Erica L. Ayala and Roberta F. Rodrigues on New Year’s Day!

A lot of eyes were on the WNBA this year, and despite some loud missteps, things are looking up. The Liberty set attendance records in the regular season and the Finals. Ratings were up across the league and hit highs we haven’t seen in a long time. We also saw players expand their cultural footprint and reach new audiences, as Paul Hiebert and Jason Notte of Ad Week explained:

“Myriad WNBA stars also served as the faces of new brand partnerships in 2024. This year alone, Delta Air Lines, Bumble, New Balance, Skims, CarMax, DSG, Tissot, Opill, La Crema, Glossier, and UWM’s Mortgage Matchup either announced or extended deals with everyone from former basketball great Candace Parker to rookie Cameron Brink to link their brand with the WNBA.”

These successes set up a fascinating 2025. The WNBPA has already opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement as they hope to change the way the WNBA does business. Unrivaled, led by WNBPA Vice Presidents Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, tips off in January. A’ja Wilson will be debuting her debut signature sneakers in the spring. The season will expand to a record 44 games. And when that’s all over, we will find out if there will be a new CBA… or if we’ll be in for a labor fight.

AP Rankings (as of December 30):

1 UCLA

2 South Carolina

3 Notre Dame

4 USC (↑3)

5 Texas (↑1)

6 LSU (↓1)

7 UConn (↓3)

8 Maryland

9 Oklahoma (↑1)

10 Ohio State (↑1)

11 TCU (↑1)

12 Kansas State (↑1)

13 Georgia Tech (↓4)

14 Duke (↓5)

15 Tennessee (↑3)

16 Kentucky

17 North Carolina (↑2)

18 West Virginia (↓4)

19 Alabama (↑1)

20 California (↑1)

21 Michigan State (↓2)

22 North Carolina State

23 Iowa (↑1)

24 Michigan (↓1)

25 Ole Miss

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

Here’s what we’re reading:

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