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NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Liberty are bringing their core group back and trying to add another piece with prized free agent Nneka Ogwumike while Seattle signed Skylar Diggins-Smith as WNBA free agency tipped off Thursday. The Liberty, who made it to the WNBA Finals last season before losing to the Las Vegas Aces, met with Ogwumike, according to a person familiar with the situation. Sabally, who was a restricted free agent, averaged career highs in points (18.6), rebounds (8.1) and assists (4.4) last season. They also signed free agent Megan Gustafson. Williams had a stellar season with Chicago last year, averaging 10.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and a career-best 6.3 assists.

Persons: Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Smith, Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, Betnijah Laney, Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Jones, Diggins, Jewell Loyd, “, ” Diggins, Jewell, Noelle Quinn, Satou Sabally, Kalani Brown, Sabally, Brown, Kiah Stokes, Sydney Colson, Megan Gustafson, Courtney Williams, Alanna Smith, Williams, ___ Organizations: New York Liberty, Seattle, Liberty, WNBA, Las Vegas Aces, Associated Press, Nets, Los Angeles Sparks, ESPN, Phoenix Mercury, Notre Dame, Seattle Storm, Dallas, Wings, Aces, Minnesota Lynx, Chicago Locations: York

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Five-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner head up the USA Basketball Women’s National Team roster announced Thursday for a pair of November exhibition games and training camp in Atlanta. The national team will play the Tennessee Lady Vols on Nov. 5 in Knoxville and Duke on Nov. 12. The team will hold a training camp Nov. 7-9 in Atlanta as the U.S. women chase an eighth straight Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This roster features seven Olympians including two-time gold medalist Griner (2016 and 2021), Angel McCoughtry (2012 and 2016), Ariel Atkins (2021), Gray (2021 in 3-on-3), Kelsey Plum (2021 in 3-on-3) and Jackie Young (2021 in 3-on-3). Stephanie White, the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year with Connecticut, will be at training camp and a court coach at Duke.

Persons: Diana Taurasi, Brittney, A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray, Taurasi, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, Azurá Stevens, Griner, Angel McCoughtry, Ariel Atkins, Gray, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Betnijah Laney, Plum, Ionescu, Dearica, Natasha Howard, Arike Ogunbowale, Cheryl Reeve, Mike Thibault, Curt Miller, Tanisha Wright, Stephanie White, ___ Organizations: USA Basketball Women’s, Team, Tennessee Lady Vols, Duke, USA Basketball, Paris Games, Las Vegas Aces, WNBA, Atkins, New York Liberty, Aces, Boston, Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Mystics Locations: COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo, Atlanta, Knoxville, Sydney, Connecticut

NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty fell just short of winning the franchise's first WNBA championship, losing to the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals. The league's MVP won the two Finals series she played with Seattle and won four NCAA championships at UConn. “Making sure that I don’t feel that again, I think that’s really my mindset and mentality going forward,” Stewart said Friday. Stewart could be an unrestricted free agent but Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said that he would give her the franchise tag so that she can't sign a contract directly with another team. Jones, who came to New York in a trade in the offseason, is also an unrestricted free agent.

Persons: — Breanna Stewart, Stewart, ” Stewart, Jonathan Kolb, “, …, ”, Jonquel Jones, Jones, ” Kolb, Betnijah Laney, Courtney Vandersloot, Sabrina Ionescu, Ionescu Organizations: New York Liberty, WNBA, Las Vegas Aces, Seattle, NCAA, UConn, Big East, Liberty, Connecticut Locations: York, New York

Las Vegas did it without starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes, who were both sidelined with foot injuries suffered in Game 3. Las Vegas was also still missing veteran Candace Parker, who had foot surgery in late July. The Aces got the ball to Wilson on a lob, but Breanna Stewart blocked the shot, giving New York one last chance. After a timeout with 8.8 seconds left, the Liberty got the ball to Stewart, who was double-teamed. The first three games of the WNBA Finals were also routs, with New York winning Game 3 87-73 to stave off elimination.

Persons: A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kiah Stokes, Gray, Candace Parker, “ We’ve, Alysha Clark, ” Wilson, Jackie Young, Courtney Vandersloot, York's, Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu's, Becky Hammon, Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Stewart, “, we’ve, Sandy Brondello, ” Vandersloot, Betnijah Laney, Hammon, ”, ” Stewart, ” Hammon, Clark, Cayla George, Stokes, George, Ionescu, Sue Bird, Dawn Staley, Wilson —, Vickie Johnson, Sue Wicks, Jennifer Connelly, Issa Rae, Jason Sudeikis, ___ Organizations: Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, The Aces, Los Angeles Sparks, Houston Comets, Las Vegas, Aces, New York, Liberty, ”, Seattle Storm, New, WNBA Locations: Vegas, New, midcourt, New York, South Carolina

NEW YORK (AP) — Jonquel Jones and the New York Liberty wouldn't let the season end just yet. She scored 27 points and Breanna Stewart added 20 to help the New York Liberty beat the Las Vegas Aces 87-73 on Sunday in the WNBA Finals and force a Game 4. “She was huge for us,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said of Jones, who came to the Liberty in a trade in the offseason. BIG APPLE BASKETBALL IS BACKThis was the first WNBA Finals game in New York since 2002, when the Liberty were swept by the Sparks. No New York basketball team in either the NBA or WNBA has made it that far since.

Persons: — Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty wouldn't, Breanna Stewart, “, ” Jones, Jones, ”, Sandy Brondello, we've, Teresa Weatherspoon's, A'ja Wilson, Stewart, Betnijah Laney, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Becky Hammon, Kelsey Plum, Wilson, Angeles Sparks, ” Wilson, Adam Silver, Dawn Staley, Sue Bird, Tony Parker, Plum, Sparks, Hammon, ” Hammon, Vickie Johnson, Crystal Robinson, Sue Wicks, Weatherspoon, Richie Adubato, Sabrina Ionescu, Joan Jett, Jason Sudeikis, Michael Shannon, Robin Roberts, Lil, Kim, ___ Organizations: New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, WNBA, Aces, Liberty, Houston, Las, Angeles, Houston Comets, Seattle, New, ., BIG, New York, York, NBA, Nets, Knicks, Hammon Locations: . New York, Las Vegas, New York, York, New York City

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 26 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and the Las Vegas Aces routed the New York Liberty 104-76 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 series lead in the WNBA Finals. She's the third player in WNBA Finals history to have at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game. Las Vegas hit seven of its first nine shots - a blistering 77.8% clip - including four 3-pointers. Las Vegas set a new record for most points in the first quarter of a WNBA Finals. The Aces outscored the Liberty 28-13 in the third quarter, with 20 points coming from Wilson and Young.

Persons: — A’ja Wilson, Wilson, ” Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Betnijah Laney, Sabrina Ionescu, ” Gray, “, Jones, Young, Liberty couldn't Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, WNBA, Aces, Angeles Sparks, Liberty, New, Vegas, ___ AP Locations: New York, York

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson was honored as the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in a row. Wilson received 32 of 60 votes from a national media panel. No other player received more than three votes. In playing for the league's top-rated defense, Wilson also led the WNBA in defensive efficiency rating (93.2) and blocked shots (2.2). This is the third time in four years Wilson led the league in blocked shots.

Persons: HENDERSON, A'ja Wilson, Wilson, Alyssa Thomas, Thomas, Brittney Sykes, Breanna Stewart, Jordin Canada, Betnijah Laney, Ezi, Nneka, Napheesa Collier, Elizabeth Williams, ___ Organizations: Las Vegas Aces, WNBA, Connecticut Sun, Washington Mystics, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks, Liberty, Seattle Storm, Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Chicago Sky, Aces, Wings Locations: Nev

☆ What to Know About the 2023 W.N.B.A. Season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Sara Ziegler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Griner played no basketball during her imprisonment and is still working to get back into game shape. The off-season was dominated by free-agent signings and trades that established what could be two superteams: the Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces. The Liberty made three key moves: First, they traded with the Connecticut Sun for Jonquel Jones, the league’s most valuable player in 2021. Then they landed one of the top free agents: Breanna Stewart, the 2018 M.V.P., who had won two championships in Seattle. Those three join the returnees Betnijah Laney and Sabrina Ionescu, who have each made an All-Star team.

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