TRAINING CAMP IS UNDERWAY!

Opening Night is a few weeks away, and teams across the WNBA are gearing up for a fun, history-making season. But first, teams will undergo training camp, where veterans in new places and rookies seeking to make the cut will battle it out for the 156 roster spots spread across 13 WNBA teams.

In New York, Natasha Cloud is getting used to her new home. After a tough off-season that saw her change teams twice, Cloud will be joining the defending champions as they look to go back-to-back.

“To be in the position to where I know that at 33, what I still feel like I have to give this game, that is going to be best used in here in New York,” Cloud told the media at practice on April 27.

Cloud is already bringing her leadership to Brooklyn. She’s a tremendous source of energy, provides support and guidance to her teammates, and runs the show on both sides of the ball.

On Monday’s episode of Gotta Get Up: A Podcast for New York Liberty fans, Erica L. Ayala and I discussed how Cloud and other additions to the New York roster can help this team in their quest for another title. We also discussed what other WNBA teams will be contenders.

Across the W, we got to see some rookies begin their professional journeys. In Washington, new rookies Sonia Citron, Georgia Amoore, and Kiki Irafen have been talking about making the transition from college life to the pros.

In Dallas, Paige Bueckers mentioned the level of physicality on screens, along with three-second lane calls, as some of the big differences between college and the professional ranks.

And while Storm rookie Dominique Malonga has yet to arrive in camp, Noelle Quinn and the Storm aren’t too worried and should have some updates soon.

For insights from the Seattle Storm training camp, check out the latest episode of Tempestade Talk featuring Erica L. Ayala and Roberta F. Rodrigues.

📰 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

• The New York Liberty begin training camp by Brian Fleurantin for The Local W

• Natasha Cloud talks big off-season, getting adjusted to NY Liberty, and more at training camp by Brian Fleurantin for NetsDaily

• WNBA medical providers enter 2025 season with new professional associations by Abby Gordon for The Next

• Training camp notebook: Wings start building from ‘clean slate’ on day 1 by Drake Keller for Words on Wings

• Chiney Ogwumike talks UConn's Jana El Alfy, African hoops, being a 'professional yapper' by Leonard Solms for ESPN

• Washington Mystics' Kiki Iriafen's dress embodied 'Naija no dey carry last' on WNBA Draft stage by Colin Udoh for ESPN

• One question for every WNBA team as training camps open on April 27 by Cat Ariall for Swish Appeal

KEEPING IT 💯 WITH TIME MAGAZINE

Unrivaled was a resounding success, and its two co-founders received a special award.

On April 16, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier were named as Pioneers in the annual Time 100 list.

Stewart and Collier were honored for their work in starting Unrivaled in addition to the work they do as Vice Presidents of the WNBPA. Soccer legend Alex Morgan wrote about the duo and how they’ve changed the game

The arrival and success of Unrivaled has been a game changer in women’s basketball, and its impact will be felt for many years to come.

💰 MONEY MOVES

LIVE FROM COAST TO COAST

Good news, WNBA fans! The league announced that four preseason games will be broadcast on national TV across ION, ESPN, and NBATV. It’s a dramatic change compared to recent years, as there had only been one nationally televised preseason game in 2019 (between the Liberty and Chinese national team).

Infamously, the Lynx and Sky preseason game was only viewable on a Twitter stream. In contrast, the Liberty and Connecticut Sun’s preseason game on YouTube was terminated due to copyright claims by the NBA’s AI-driven video tracker.

Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve criticized the league for promoting only Caitlin Clark’s preseason debut last year. She, perhaps jokingly, said everyone who watched the fan stream should send the fan money for their service.

“We have been wanting, there’s a thirst for (preseason broadcasts), not just this season,” Reeve told the media last year. “There’s genuine excitement about the WNBA in ways that we haven’t seen before, and so we have to capitalize,” she added.

One year later, the league is ready to meet the demand.

“We’ve seen the demand for WNBA content grow exponentially, and we are meeting that demand by working with our broadcast partners and our teams to make a significant investment by making all 15 preseason games available to WNBA fans,” WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison said in a statement.

“It will be the ultimate way for fans to follow their favorite players as all 13 teams prepare to tip off the regular season in mid-May. And the preseason schedule itself, with superstars returning to the arenas where they starred in college and in some cases, teams from around the world serving as opponents, brings an entirely new level of excitement to the WNBA preseason.”

Here’s the full preseason broadcast schedule:

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