♣️ ACES UP

LAS VEGAS IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

The Las Vegas Aces have had some LOUD losses this season. Like, “worst home loss in league history” loud. It looked like things were going to fall apart for this team as they entered an off-season full of questions and uncertainty. However, all of their problems have been solved thanks in large part to the reigning M’VP.

Simply put, A’ja Wilson is the best basketball player going right now. Wilson has had to carry the franchise for years and has done so with pride and honor. She’s the person you turn to when you need a leader, when you need someone to make things happen, etc.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but Wilson makes it look easy. During Vegas’ win streak, Wilson has led the league in scoring at 26.9 points per game and rebounding at 13.3 per game while ranking second in blocks at 1.9 per game and tenth in steals at 1.6 per game.

During this run, A’ja became the first player in league history to have a 30-point and 20-rebound game. She also has the record for most 30+ points and 15+ rebounds games in league history, with seven (and counting). It’s another generational season for Wilson and, if she can carry this team for another deep playoff run, it will be one of her greatest achievements.

The Aces have won eight games in a row and have a very good chance of getting as high as the second seed. It’s a tremendous accomplishment for a team that appeared dead in the water as recently as two weeks ago.

“We know how to weather storms right now,” Wilson said after their win against the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 15. “I think in the beginning, we couldn’t get that. And we wanted it, but we didn’t understand that we have a whole new group. It takes giving each other a lot of grace and a lot of communication, and it doesn’t happen overnight.”

It also took some time for their big off-season acquisition to put things together. Jewell Loyd, as a starter, was a complete disaster: she couldn’t find her role in the offense and struggled immensely as a result. Since her move to the bench, she’s been outstanding — taking over games, shooting very well from the field, and back to looking like the best version of herself.

If Loyd can continue playing well while Wilson and Jackie Young maintain their All-WNBA level of play, the Aces might make some serious noise once the playoffs begin in a month.

⛈️ FOREVER SUE

A SEATTLE ICON IS IMMORTALIZED

Sue Bird has carried the torch for Seattle basketball since she was drafted first overall in 2002. As superstars came and went, Bird was the one constant that kept everything together for Storm fans across generations.

Sue’s had a busy 2025 so far: she was named Team USA Managing Director, inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and has an induction waiting for her at the Naismith Hall of Fame on Sept. 5. Before she is inducted in Springfield, she came home to Seattle for a special honor.

On August 17, Bird became the second Seattle basketball player to have a statue dedicated to them. (The first belongs to former Seattle Supersonic and NBA Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens.) She also became the first WNBA player to have a statue dedicated to them by their professional team.

"There's just not a lot of women that are honored in this way, and we have tons of men," Bird said at the ceremony. "I'm actually really proud and honored, especially in the city of Seattle, to be with those other male athletes. Those are elite, elite athletes, and I'm really proud to be in the same breath as some of the greats that have come through here, but even more proud to be the first WNBA player.”

Bird is one of the best and most recognizable players in women’s basketball history. She’s been amazing on the court and a trailblazer off of it. As she continues the next chapter of her life within the sport, this statue will serve as a permanent reminder of the basketball community she helped build in Seattle.

💰 MONEY MOVES

 A COMET HEADING FOR THE SUN?

Last month at the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we talked about the latest round of WNBA expansion and the three new teams entering the league. The Nashville Summitt put forth a great effort, but ultimately fell short. In a statement, Bill Haslam shared his disappointment as well as highlighted a trend we’ve been seeing among the new expansion teams.

“While we believe our proposed ownership group put a great foot forward for Nashville and the state of Tennessee with the concept of the Summitt, we understand and accept the WNBA’s decision today in awarding franchises to NBA ownership groups…”

Emphasis mine.

As we’ve talked about here at the WBB Roundup, the Connecticut Sun are for sale. Two weeks ago, we all thought they were ready to be sold to ownership groups in the greater New England area that planned to keep the team in the Northeast. At the time, I wrote:

“From the outside looking in, it appears that the WNBA league office would prefer to have the Sun sold to a group that keeps the team in Connecticut while also leaving the door open for Boston to bid on an expansion team of its own the next time the W expands, which is scheduled to be in 2033.”

There’s still a great desire among fans and players to have a WNBA team in Boston; however, it appears the WNBA league office doesn’t want that team to be the Sun.

On Aug. 13, Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports reported that the league office wants the Sun to move to Houston. It would certainly create confusion as fans would be left wondering if the Sun would become the Comets, what happens to the Sun’s history, etc. However, that doesn’t appear to be that big of a concern for Cathy Engelbert and the league office. From Annie’s reporting:

“Ultimately any sale and subsequent relocation of a franchise must be approved by the board of governors and are two separate transactions. However, one source familiar with the sale believes if Fertitta matches the Pagliuca and Lasry offers for the Sun, plus a relocation fee, that would be the league’s preference.”

The current bid for the Sun is $325 million. Combine that with the proposed $100 million for a proposed practice facility in Boston, and the number jumps to $425 million. If the league relocates the Sun to Houston, they would get an undisclosed amount of money for the relocation fees in addition to the money from a sale.

Starting at the 1:36:40 mark on the July 21 edition of Gotta Get Up, Erica L. Ayala and I spoke about how the NBA has involved itself in the WNBA’s finances and how it has manifested itself in the salary structure, television deal, etc.

The WNBA league office (and apparently the NBA) wants to take the Connecticut Sun out of the northeast and move them to Houston, which feels wrong.

It takes professional basketball away from a community that has stuck by and supported the league even when things were most difficult. Those fans have stayed with the league through thick and thin and should have a chance to keep a team in their neck of the woods, even as the WNBA rapidly expands.

For the league office, they don't need to be as married to NBA ownership groups as Cathy Engelbert seems to have been. Throughout the expansion process, the W has prioritized NBA ownership over independent groups that don’t have NBA affiliations, which limits the WNBA’s reach and gives the NBA even more control over the W.

As we continue on the road to CBA negotiations, the new owners joining the league will be of great interest to the players. The level of interest in the game has continued to grow, and hundreds of millions of dollars are flowing in to the league.

The bulk of the new owners have come in from the NBA, and that presents its own unique challenges. As players continue advocating for a fair contract, their fight will involve more than just the WNBA league office.

📰 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:

• New York Liberty wing Leonie Fiebich is critical to a repeat by Brian Fleurantin for Black Rosie Media

• [AUDIO] Are You Still Watching This? by Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. for The Dunker Spot

• Ballislife Exclusive: A’ja Wilson Talks A’One Signature Shoe and A’Two Coming in 2026 by Aya Abdeen for Ballislife

• Why Jazzy Davidson’s USC commitment moved Lindsay Gottlieb to tears by Devon Henderson for the Los Angeles Daily News

• Kelsey Plum Is Leading The Surging Sparks Into The Playoff Race by Lucas Kaplan for Basketball Insiders

• From music journalism to DJing and curating — my Black woman creative journey by Natelegé Whaley for the Scene Serene

⛹🏽‍♀️ 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!