Issue 003

Welcome to our third edition of the Women’s Basketball Roundup Newsletter, brought to you by Black Rosie Media. In today’s digest, we’ll discuss the latest news coming from the investigation into the bullying of players by the Seattle Storm coaching staff.

Speaking of Seattle, the Valkyries opted not to select anyone from the Storms list of unprotected players. What’s that about?

Additionally, look for a FREE edition of the Gold Medal Dispatch, our Olympic pop-up newsletter, later this week.

Check out what else is on tap in this edition of the WBB Roundup:

• 🔎 Seattle Storm investigation conclusions

• 🍕Kayla Thorton’s legacy

• 🔒 Lady Vols crack the Top 25 & Louisville coach apologizes for 💩 performance

• 📝 Stories worth your time

No Finding of Wrongdoing, and No Loyd

In the first edition of the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we discussed the issues currently involving the Seattle Storm. At the time, the coaching staff was being investigated for bullying and harassment. On December 4th, investigators cleared the team, as “there were no findings of policy violations or any discrimination, harassment, or bullying.”

But just when the Storm thought things would go back to normal…

Franchise stalwart Jewell Loyd requested a trade. Annie Costiable of the Chicago Sun-Times broke the news on the 4th that Loyd wants out of the Emerald City. The announcement came a few hours after the team was cleared in the investigation.

It can take years to build a good relationship. However, a relationship can be blown up in seconds. All it takes is one awful moment to set things off in a direction that can’t be reversed.

For Noelle Quinn and the Storm, the question between now and the start of free agency is how they can repair the relationship with their franchise star. If Loyd decides to rescind her trade request, she will return to a team that fell short of expectations and had plenty of frustrating moments in 2024.

If she and the Storm can’t come to a resolution, then Seattle has to figure out where they can trade her and what they can get back in exchange. Trades are always complicated, and it becomes even more complicated for an All-Star in the last year of her maximum salary contract.

This story is far from over, and we will keep you updated here at the Women’s Basketball Roundup and Tempestade Talk.

Kayla Thorton, 11 Others Selected by Valkyries

Expansion is here, and the Golden State Valkyries are starting to build their inaugural roster. The Expansion Draft occurred on December 6th, and the Valkyries selected 11 unprotected players across the WNBA.

It was an emotional day as Liberty fans and players had to say goodbye to Kayla Thornton. In her two seasons with the Liberty, Thornton exemplified the toughness and grit associated with New York basketball. She was the reserve Sandy Brondello trusted the most in 2023 and someone she trusted to bring the title home in Game 5 this year.

The New York Liberty had a player selected in the Draft, and although we had a sense this would happen, the Valkyries’ pick still sent shockwaves across the fanbase.

KT filled many roles coming off the bench and could be counted on to start when needed. Her toughness and physicality served this Liberty roster incredibly well, and she will be missed as she begins a new adventure in San Francisco.

I joined Erica L. Ayala on the latest episode of Gotta Get Up to discuss Thorton’s time in New York, why Golden State opted not to pick a player from Seattle, and who can replace KT.

On the podcast, we discussed that despite losing a player like Thorton in the expansion draft, shoring up the Liberty roster for the title defense continues. Sandy Brondello could turn to players like Kennedy Burke and Leonie Fiebich a bit more to offset the loss of KT.

Rebekah Gardner is expected back a year removed from her Achilles tear. The Liberty also has the seventh pick in this April's WNBA Draft. New York has a lot of options, and we'll see what the champs have up their sleeve on the road to Opening Day.

NCAA Associated Press Poll - Week 6

On Sunday, Barclays Center hosted women’s basketball action for the first time since the New York Liberty won their first-ever WNBA title. The Women’s Champions Classic, presented by Shark Beauty, featured Tennessee, Iowa, Louisville, and UConn.

Leading into the double-header, the Lady Vols were the only unranked team in the field, despite having a better record than Louisville coming into the event (more on the Cardinals later).

I joined Dexter Henry at the SNY Studios to preview the event.

However, Tennessee’s stellar defensive performance, which led to 42 points off 30 - yes, THIRTY – Iowa turnovers, was enough for the Vols to crack the Top 25 this week.

“It doesn't surprise me at all,” head coach Kim Caldwell told media after the win over Iowa. Although there were doubts if her aggressive style of full-court pressure would translate to Tennessee, the game against Iowa indicates the contrary.

“We work on it a ton. They're in the gym all the time. They're good at it. I believe in them. I trust them,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell asked her team to adopt a new conditioning and practicing approach, and it’s paid off so far. The Tennessee team has the stamina and, on most nights, the discipline to play a hard-nosed pressure defense.

“I mean, summer was rough conditioning, but just seeing how much it's paid off … it's fun to play in the system,” Vols guard Talaysia Cooper told the media. The next evolution for this team is to find a consistent scoring flow.

“Coach Kim just keeps preaching to us the more you get in the gym, the more your shots go in. The sky's the limit. So I can't wait for that game,” the redshirt sophomore added.

Now that the Lady Vols have cracked the Top-25 in the nation, the question will be if tey can stay there.

Below are the Top 25 NCAA Women’s Basketball teams in Week 5.

AP Rankings (as of December 2):

1 UCLA

2 UConn

3 South Carolina (↑ 1)

4 LSU(↑1)

5 USC (↑1)

6 Texas (↓2)

7 Maryland

8 Notre Dame (↑2)

9 Duke TCU (↑8)

10 Oklahoma (↑1)

11 Ohio State (↑1)

12 TCU (↓2)

13 Kansas State (↓4)

14 North Carolina (↑2)

15 West Virginia

16 Kentucky (↓2)

17 Michigan State (↑7)

18 Iowa State (↑2)

19 Tennessee

20 Michigan

21 Iowa (↓4)

22 Ole Miss (↓4)

23 NC State

24 Nebraska (↑1)

25 Georgia Tech

Louisville fell out of the Top 25 after they were routed by UConn 85-52 in the second game of the evening.

“I thought it was a first-class event. Unfortunately, we looked like shit, so I'll apologize to everyone for the performance that we had,” Louisville head coach Jeff Walz told the media after the game.

The Cardinals went 16-of-62 from the floor and were outrebounded 52-28 in the loss.

“It's actually an embarrassment. I take full responsibility for it, and it's just unfortunate to have an event like this, and as good as the first game was, to have this game be as bad as it was,” Walz added. The Cardinals did not make any players available after the game.

Late in the game, UConn had a scare as Azzi Fudd grabbed at her leg. Fudd would head to the locker rooms before returning to the Huskies bench. Fudd recorded 18 points as many minutes before being sidelined.

“She attracts the weirdest stuff,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said after the game. “We'll know more when we get back. But I hope I'm right– it's not that worst-case scenario that we've seen so many times.”

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, starting with:

• Iowa suffers first loss in post-Caitlin Clark era: Hawkeyes' turnovers prove costly against unranked Tennessee - Erica L. Ayala, CBS Sports

• NY Liberty lose Kayla Thornton to Golden State in expansion draft - Brian Fleurantin, The Local W

• Valkyries put together first roster in expansion draft - Roberta Rodrigues, Beta Basket

• What saying goodbye to Kayla Thornton means for the New York Liberty - Jackie Powell, The Next

• Unrivaled announces team captains, Meghan L. Hall on Twitter

• LISTEN: Toronto Tempo president Teresa Resch joins Good Game with Sarah Spain

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