Minnesota Lynx guard Jia Perkins (7) lays up a shot against Dallas Wings guard Kaela Davis (10) in the third quarter of a WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, May 20, 2017. (Rose Baca/AP)
The WNBA season is officially back and even though it’s only been about two weeks since the league’s official start there is still quite a bit of news to catch up on.
When the season started on May 13, the most notable aspect of opening day was the lack of star players playing in their respective openers. Former UConn greats Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird and Moriah Jefferson did not play in their team’s openers. Other players such as Kelsey Plum, Courtney Vandersloot, Candace Parker, Kayla McBride and Essence Carson also did not play. Some of these players did not play because of injury while others were still playing overseas.
One of the more saddening pieces of news in the WNBA is that New York Liberty point guard Brittany Boyd will be out for the remainder of the season after she suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in a home game against the Minnesota Lynx on May 18, the Liberty said in a statement. Boyd had a successful surgery for the injury on May 24. According to the Liberty the time for recovery is nine-to-12 months. Boyd was an integral part of New York’s team because of the energy she brought to the backcourt. She averages 13 points per game, four rebounds per game, and 2.5 assists per game in just 15.8 minutes per game.
Some controversial news that occurred in the WNBA was the suspension of former UConn great Diana Taurasi for one game after hitting San Antonio Stars player Dearica Hamby in the back of the head with her forearm. The play was initially ruled a technical foul by officials but after further review it was deemed a Flagrant Foul Two. Taurasi served her suspension on May 23 when the Phoenix Mercury played the New York Liberty. I have to say, after looking at the play, it’s pretty hard to argue that the foul wasn’t intentional. It’s almost as if Taurasi got frustrated and snapped for half a second. I definitely agree with the official call on this one.
In much happier news, Kelsey Plum made her regular season debut on May 25 after suffering an ankle injury in practice before the start of the season which delayed her debut. She scored four points in 12 minutes in the Stars’ loss to the Dallas Wings.
As far as standings go for early in the season, the Minnesota Lynx lead the pack. They are the only undefeated team remaining, with a 5-0 mark. Even though it’s still way too early to be thinking about the Finals they definitely feel like a shoo-in. Their offensive game is superb and with Sylvia Fowles in the paint they are simply unstoppable right now. They have had some close games though so only time will tell if they can keep up the momentum.
Mariana Dominguez is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at mariana.dominguez@uconn.edu.
