The New York Liberty Have Finally Done It

27 years. That’s how long it took for the New York Liberty to go from being in the first-ever WNBA game to finally clinching the ultimate prize: WNBA Champions!

In an absolutely wild Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, the Liberty took down the Minnesota Lynx in overtime, 67-62, and it was a nail-biter the whole way. We're talking huge shots, dramatic momentum shifts, and a comeback for the ages. Breanna Stewart iced it with two clutch free throws, but not before the Lynx gave them a serious run for their money.

Sure, the Liberty had some shooting woes, Sabrina Ionescu probably wants to forget her 1-for-19 night but it’s all good when you can hit one of the biggest shots in WNBA history to complete the third-largest Finals comeback ever.

Big shout-out to Jonquel Jones, who took home Finals MVP honors. She’s been chasing that trophy for years, and now she’s got it after a gritty 17-point performance in Game 5. She’s also now tied with the legendary Diana Taurasi for third-most career points in WNBA Finals history.

Minnesota Coach Cheryl Reeve Not Happy

But this story was not all sunshine and confetti. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was fuming after the game, blaming the refs for stealing the title.

According to Reeve, some questionable calls, especially one on Breanna Stewart at the end of regulation, tipped the scales in New York’s favor. The Lynx were held to just 8 free throw attempts, compared to 25 for the Liberty, and Reeve did not hold back in her press conference.

Does she have a point? That’s up for debate. Either way, the Liberty get the last laugh, taking the series 3-2 and capturing their first-ever WNBA Championship. Finally, the Liberty are no longer the bridesmaids of the WNBA

Dallas Wings Shake Things Up

The coaching carousel in the WNBA just keeps on turning. Dallas Wings announced that Latricia Trammell is out after two seasons, making her the fourth coach to get the boot since the 2024 season wrapped up.

Trammell led the Wings to a solid 22-18 season in 2023, their best record since they were still rocking the Detroit Shock name. They even made it to the semifinals before getting knocked out by the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces. But with injuries to key players like Satou Sabally, and a 9-31 finish this year, it wasn’t enough to keep her in Dallas.

And that’s not all. With Amber Cox leaving her post as COO to take over the Indiana Fever, Wings president Greg Bibb is about to make some big moves. Bibb’s looking to hire a GM and a new head coach, all while prepping for the 2025 WNBA Draft lottery and the Valkyries' expansion draft. No pressure, right?

Bibb is confident, though, as the team plans to relocate to downtown Dallas in the coming years, complete with a shiny new practice facility and a renovated arena. They’re building for the future, and it looks like the Wings are ready to soar again.

Golden State Locks in Moody

The Golden State Warriors didn’t waste time locking down one of their key young pieces, Moses Moody. Moody just signed a three-year, $39 million extension and is ready to take on an enhanced role this season.

Moody isn’t just catching vibes, he’s catching fire from deep. The 21-year-old put up career highs in nearly every category last season, and through the preseason, he’s been averaging 15.5 points on 45.6% shooting, including 39.4% from beyond the arc.

Coach Steve Kerr has been hyped about Moody's progression, saying, “This is the most confidence he’s played with.” And it shows!

While Kerr envisions Moody playing a big role for the Dubs, he did drop a subtle reminder that the young guard needs to keep up his aggressiveness, particularly on catch-and-shoot plays. With Moody in the mix, the Warriors are adding even more depth to a team already built to contend.

Knicks’ Big Men Battling Injuries

Just days before tip-off, the New York Knicks find themselves in a tough spot. Precious Achiuwa has strained his left hamstring and will be re-evaluated in two to four weeks. Already missing Mitchell Robinson, who’s out until January rehabbing two ankle surgeries, and having said goodbye to Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, the Knicks are down to Karl-Anthony Towns and Jericho Sims as the only healthy centers. That’s not ideal when you're opening the season against the Boston Celtics, a team with plenty of firepower in the paint.

With Achiuwa playing in all five preseason games, his absence is a hit to the Knicks' rotation. Fans will be keeping a close eye on how this plays out, as it might force some creative lineup adjustments early in the season.

Cavs' Max Strus Sidelined with Ankle Woes

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers were dealt a major blow of their own. Max Strus will miss at least six weeks after spraining his right ankle during an individual workout. This setback comes on the heels of Strus recovering from a hip contusion that kept him out of two preseason games.

Strus was expected to be a key contributor this season, starting 70 games for the Cavs last year while averaging 12.2 points and knocking down 3s at a high volume. Now Cleveland must navigate the season’s early weeks without one of their top shooters.

The Cavs face the Toronto Raptors in their season opener on Oct. 23, but they'll need to get creative with their rotation to fill the Strus-sized hole in the lineup.

Monty Williams Takes Coaching Talents to High School

Monty Williams, former NBA Coach of the Year and head coach of the Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns, is taking his expertise to a new stage, high school basketball. Williams has been named the new head coach at TMI Episcopal in San Antonio, where he’ll coach his two sons, Elijah (Class of '26) and Micah (Class of '29).

This move follows a challenging period for Williams. After initially planning to take the 2023-24 season off to focus on his family following his wife’s cancer diagnosis, Williams was lured back to the NBA by the Detroit Pistons with a six-year, $78 million deal. However, his time in Detroit was short-lived, as he was let go after just one season, with $65 million still left on his contract.

While his stint in Detroit didn’t go as planned, Williams made a lasting impact during his time with the Phoenix Suns, where he led the franchise to the 2021 NBA Finals and earned Coach of the Year honors in 2022. He compiled an impressive 194-115 (.628) regular-season record and had a 27-19 postseason mark during his tenure. Williams’ coaching journey also includes stints as an assistant with San Antonio, Portland, Oklahoma City, and Philadelphia, and he even served as the Spurs' VP of Basketball Operations in 2016.

Now, Williams brings his wealth of knowledge to TMI Episcopal, marking a fresh start closer to home. This new role offers the perfect blend of family time and mentorship as he gets to coach Elijah and Micah while building the school’s basketball program.

Waiver Wire

With the regular season on the horizon, teams are making last-minute adjustments to get their rosters in shape, and it’s been quite the shuffle.

Starting with the Boston Celtics, they decided to waive guard Lonnie Walker IV. Walker, who joined the Celtics over the summer on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal, averaged 7.3 points in 16.4 minutes during four preseason games.

Despite showing some solid play, the Celtics chose to open up their 15th roster spot as they head into the season. Walker, 25, was a decent contributor for the Brooklyn Nets last season, averaging nearly 10 points a game. He’s also shot a respectable 37.5% from 3-point range over the past two seasons, so you have to think he'll find a home soon.

Meanwhile, over in New York, the Knicks have been dealing with a bit of a roster headache of their own. They recently waived Landry Shamet, who had signed with the team on a non-guaranteed contract before suffering a dislocated shoulder in a freak preseason accident.

With the Knicks being so close to the hard cap under the new CBA, they couldn’t afford to keep Shamet on the roster, despite the team’s need for depth after sending Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.

This leaves the Knicks in a bit of a bind. With only 12 players on their roster, they need to bump that number up to 14 before the season begins. But with the team just $3.58 million below the second apron of the hard cap, they don’t have a lot of wiggle room to sign multiple veterans.

The Knicks will likely sign one veteran minimum contract players like Lonnie Walker IV (just waived by Boston) or Marcus Morris Sr. could be options. They’ll also probably promote one of their two-way players to a full-time deal, with rumors pointing to Ariel Hukporti as the most likely candidate. But with such a tight cap situation, this could make it challenging for the Knicks' front office to make any big in-season moves if needed.

For now, it’s all about rounding out the roster. But make no mistake, with the top half of the Knicks’ lineup, they’re still very much in the title conversation. All these decisions at the end of the bench are just the fine-tuning for what should be a promising season ahead.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading.

We’ll see you tomorrow!

— The Players Unlimited Team