BRM PODCAST NETWORK

The New York Liberty hosted the Toyota Antelopes in Eugene, Oregon, to wrap up the WNBA preseason. It was a warm homecoming for Nyara Sabally and Sabrina Ionescu.

Japan’s speed and small size presented unique challenges for the Liberty, but overall, the team was able to settle into their game. Ionescu led all scorers with 25 points in less than 30 minutes.

On the latest edition of Gotta Get Up, we broke down the champs’ preseason and what Liberty fans can look forward to now that the season is a few days away.

It will be a fun 2025 season, and we’ll have you covered from coast to coast here at the Women’s Basketball Roundup.

🍼 A NEW ADDITION TO THE FAMILY!

Mother’s Day was on May 11, and the world was introduced to a new member of the extended WNBA family!

On April 8, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley welcomed their first child, Jana, into the world. VanderQuigs shared the news with People Magazine’s Skyler Caruso.

"We have been dreaming of this moment for a long time,” the couple told People, “and it’s better than we could have ever imagined!"

Congratulations to the Vandersloot and Quigley families!

📰 WHAT WE’RE READING

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

Here’s what we’re reading:

• Sue Bird's First Day as Team USA Director | Black Rosie Media Sports Blog by Brian Fleurantin for Black Rosie Media

• The Pursuit of a Defending Champion by Kevin Lewis for The Local W

• What should New York Liberty fans be watching for during preseason? by Lucas Kaplan for Netsdaily

• 2025 WNBA season preview: How the defending champion New York Liberty can win it all—again by Cat Ariall for Swish Appeal

• ‘She can do it all’: Aces All-Star balancing motherhood, career by Callie Fin for the Las Vegas Review-Journal

• Interview: Naz Hillmon’s mom is her biggest supporter—but that doesn’t mean the Dream player would let her win in one-on-one by Zachary Davies for Swish Appeal

• Aaliyah Edwards, future WNBA All-Star? “100 percent,” says former teammate by Marco Gacina for Bullets Forever

• Who’s Afraid of Successful Black Artists? by Damien Davis for HyperAllergic

 UPCOMING GAMES

Games through Thursday, May 15:

💰MONEY MOVES

THE HAMBY VS. ACES LAWSUIT PROCEEDS

One of the WNBA's biggest stories has been Dearica Hamby's lawsuit against the Las Vegas Aces and the WNBA.

In her suit, Hamby accused the Aces of discrimination, harassment, and retaliatory practices following her 2022 pregnancy.

Hamby alleges that when the Aces learned she was pregnant, they rescinded her housing following the 2022 season, didn’t pay her daughter’s school tuition as previously agreed to, and so on.

The case has wound its way through the court system, and we got a major update over the weekend. On May 10, Callie Fin of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Aces are the sole defendant in this case. United States District Court Judge Andrew Gordon dismissed Hamby’s claims against the WNBA itself.

Although the WNBA is no longer a defendant in this case, the issue will continue to linger league-wide until it’s resolved. Players in the WNBA have talked before about the stigmas in women’s sports about starting families. That stigma makes things even more stressful for players navigating work and family life.

The WNBPA has been preparing the road to CBA negotiations for the past few years, and as we draw closer to the end of the road, family policies will be something that will earn a lot of attention.

📲 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!