Game 6: Chennedy Carter is already a star, the Lynx are for real, and everything else you need to know
Plus, some news on a livestream I'm doing with friends today.
Hello, it’s me, Matt Ellentuck.
I’ve got some news! This afternoon, at 3:00 p.m. ET, I’ll be live on Twitch with Athlete Ally Gina Paradiso, and WNBA/NBA skills trainer Alex Bazzell to talk about everything WNBA as we watch the Mercury vs. Storm game. You can follow my Twitch account to get a ping when we go live, here.
Come ask us stuff! It’ll be chill as hell.
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Here’s Basketball.
Chennedy Carter isn’t a future star. She is one already.
Chennedy Carter tore the best team in the world to shreds, six games into her professional career. There’s no other way to put it. She was the best player on the court on Thursday, in a game that featured an MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, and several All-Stars.
The Storm pulled out a 93-92 win, but Carter’s 35 points, seven assists and three rebounds didn’t make it easy. She became the youngest player to score 30 or more in a game in W history by out-muscling Jordin Canada, and draining shots from range (she made three of four.)
I mean, look at these highlights:
(I hope you watched until that last-second heave that went in. Good lord.)
On the season, Carter’s averaging 20 points on 49 percent shooting overall, and 38 percent shooting from range. She’s also dishing five assists and grabbing three rebounds. Rookie of the Year? Sheesh, I mean those are All-Star numbers. And she’s supposed to still be in school.
Lexie Brown and the Lynx are breaking out
Sure they haven’t had the toughest schedule, but who had Minnesota at 5-1 through six games despite Maya Moore not playing, Seimone Augustus leaving the team, Jessica Shepard sitting out the season, Karima Christmas-Kelly rupturing her Achilles, Shenise Johnson injuring her hamstring and Lexie Brown missing two games with a concussion? Never count Cheryl Reeve out.
Minnesota added to its resume on Friday with an 87-80 win over the Fever. Napheesa Collier and Sylvia Fowles did their usual damage, but it was Brown, once again, stepping up as the team’s lead guard. She broke out for 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, with nine assists and six rebounds.
That’s Brown’s second straight great game. In a win over the Liberty she scored 15 points with five rebounds, four assists and seven steals. She’s making the most of her newfound time, and making Minnesota look like a real threat.
THE LIBERTY WON A GAME
New York had looked pretty bad through its first five games, and of course losing Sabrina Ionescu in the third game made it all feel worse. They lost by 29 and 26 points in the two games after she went down. But on Friday night, the Liberty put the reigning champion Washington Mystics to bed, 74-66, just like none of us expected. According to the Washington Post’s Kareem Copeland, Mystics coach Mike Thibault called it one of the franchise’s most embarrassing losses since he’d been there. Yiiikes.
Amanda Zahui B stood out in the win, scoring 14 points with 14 rebounds. Kia Nurse played her best game of the season, scoring 17 points on 11 shots, and Layshia Clarendon scored 14 points with six assists, too.
Look how happy Walt Hopkins looks!
THE SUN WON A GAME, TOO
There are officially no winless teams in the bubble. The Sun beat the Wings, 91-68, on Thursday. It was a complete team effort. DeWanna Bonner only had eight points, while Brionna Jones scored 17, Alyssa Thomas scored 15, and Jasmine Thomas and Natisha Hiedeman each scored 14.
Let’s talk about this Jordin Canada pass
By far the best play of the last 48 hours was this one-handed Canada pass through traffic. I mean what in the hell even is this:
I jumped off my couch when it happened. It might be the play of the year so far.
Diana Taurasi cooked Ruthy Hebard
I know I talk about Taurasi a lot, but it’s so hard not to when she’s playing this well. And it’s even harder not to when she says she wants to “fucking kill rookies” in a preseason livestream, and then calls for an iso on poor Hebard.
The result:
Additional notes:
Shenise Johnson, Victoria Vivians, Natalie Achonwa, Sue Bird, Epiphany Prince, and Stefanie Dolson all sat out again for Game 6
Sylvia Fowles returned to the Lynx’s starting lineup after missing one game to a calf injury
Bria Hartley sat out with a sore Achilles. She was in a walking boot.
Nneka Ogwumike sat out against the Aces because of a hamstring injury that held her out of half of the team’s last game against the Fever. Derek Fisher said she’s day-to-day.
Seimone Augustus was a late scratch because she didn’t feel game-ready. Derek Fisher insisted it’s nothing serious.
Final Scores:
Storm 93, Dream 92
Sun 91, Wings 68
Mercury 96, Sky 86
Lynx 87, Fever 80
Liberty 74, Mystics 66
Aces 86, Sparks 82
Matt’s power rankings:
Storm
Aces
Lynx
Mercury
Sky
Sparks
Mystics
Dream
Fever
Sun
Wings
Liberty
Matt’s MVP rankings:
Breanna Stewart
A’ja Wilson
Sylvia Fowles
Angel McCoughtry
Diana Taurasi
Matt’s Rookie of the Year rankings:
Chennedy Carter
Satou Sabally
Sabrina Ionescu
Ezi Magbegor
Julie Allemand
Ok, that’s all from me.
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
That pass is sick, holy hell.