Stathead Stat of the Week
The New York Liberty have started the season 16-3. They’re the 14th team in WNBA history to start off 16-3 or better. Of the first 13, 11 went on to win the title.
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Noa and Natalie discuss Alyssa Thomas’ trajectory towards Team USA and how she’ll impact the star-studded Olympic team this summer in Paris:
“Historically in her career, [Thomas] didn’t know if her style of basketball would fit in overseas basketball and fit with Team USA. She’s obviously a very defensive-minded player and that’s not always the blueprint of USA basketball,” Noa said. “And so she kind of bought in in 2022 and is very excited for the opportunity to be back in ’24 … And I think she’ll be one of the most important players on the roster, but she’s also kind of a do-everything player.”
Later, Noa discusses what it will take for the Connecticut Sun to make it over the hump and finally clinch a WNBA title — namely, that the title will run through Las Vegas or New York.
“So the reality is I think this team wants a championship, right? They’ve come close many times. They’re a veteran group. So this is the time to do it, right? … And for the last couple of years, it seems like the [New York] Liberty and the [Las Vegas] Aces are the two teams that they’re just kind of unable to get over the hump with,” Noa said. “And so anytime they face the Liberty or the Aces, to me, that is like a circle your calendar matchup because you want to figure out how they can match up against those teams … to win a championship, you’re probably going to have to beat one or both of those teams.”
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