Tonight, the New York Liberty visit the Los Angeles Sparks, just as they did exactly 30 years ago, competing in the first-ever WNBA game (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Micahya Costen captured the significance of that inaugural contest. Where were you on June 21, 1997?
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Although my memories are fuzzy, I’m pretty sure 10-year-old me was perched on my couch, not only eagerly anticipating watching the women’s pro basketball league I’d heard so much about but also imaging how, one day, I’d be playing in the WNBA.
Any concerns about the credibility or viability of the league, certainly, didn’t cross my mind. To me, the WNBA was, unquestionably, the biggest news around.
Of course, over the league’s subsequent 30 years, it’s sustainability hasn’t always been on steady ground. But on this 30-year milestone, the league has attained heights that exceed what was imagined by few in 1997, with such growth confirmed and consolidated by the new CBA.
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Sunday’s full slate of games also will illustrate the league’s progress.
While the matchup between the Liberty and Sparks intentionally echoes the past, the players in that game, as well contests between the Golden State Valkyries and Las Vegas Aces (4 p.m. ET, CBS) and Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx (6 p.m. ET, NBA TV), signal the league’s present and future.
First, the Liberty-Sparks showdown features two active legends in Breanna Stewart and Nneka Ogwumike, both of whom are still polishing resumes that already are among the best in league history.
One of the sport’s greatest winners, Stewart is a three-time champ and two-time MVP. with a chance to add to both of those categories this season. Most recently, she jumped into the top 15 in rebounds in WNBA history. Before that, she rose the sixth all-time in made free throws.
On the other side, Ogwumike’s off-the-court influence as president of the WNBPA is matched by her on-court excellence. A champion and MVP herself, Ogwumike now has scored the fourth-most points in WNBA history.
However, when appreciating the present-day feats of WNBA stars, no one surpasses A’ja Wilson.
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A three-time champion and the only four-time MVP, Wilson not only has established herself as the standard, but also keeps elevating it. Arguably (or inarguably) the frontrunner to win another MVP, Wilson recently admitted she doesn’t feel like she has fully-rounded into her top form, a statement that seems absurd yet, considering A’ja’s combination of elite will and skill, also is likely accurate.
Just like those who packed Great Western Forum back in 1997 for the launch of the league, we’re witnessing that making of history.
On Sunday, Wilson and her Aces will challenge a team representative of the league’s future in the Valkyries, in their second-season after becoming the league’s first expansion team since 2008 last year.
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It’s not just Golden State’s recent arrival that makes them indicative of the W’s future; so does their identity. The Valkyries are intent upon establishing a championship culture by excavating the upsides of previously under-utilized players, an approach that speaks to the increasing strategic sophistication of the league’s teams.
The future, likewise, will be on display when the Mystics meet the Lynx.
Washington is led by their two stellar sophomores, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. All-Stars as rookies, the pair are poised to again earn midseason honors. Citron, in particular, is an example of the potential of today’s young players. Projected as a high-floor role player due to her 3-point shooting and defense, Citron has been empowered as a primary offensive initiator and is thriving, continually showing off additional facets of her fast-improving game.
Such descriptions also apply to her former college teammate Olivia Miles, the Lynx’s rookie phenomenon.
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On Friday night, in the 16th game in her WNBA career, she experienced her first rough offensive outing. And yet, Miles still sealed a Minnesota win with a late block, flashing defensive instincts that complement her dangerous offensive package of playmaking, driving and shooting.
Needless to say, the WNBA is in a great place, as will be displayed throughout Sunday’s trio of games.
Let us know who you’re most excited to watch, as well as as what you think is next for the league.
