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The Las Vegas Aces go for a season sweep of the Mystics when they travel to Washington for a Sunday afternoon showdown.
Las Vegas (15-7) has won nine of its last 10 games and is in fourth place. Washington (6-17) has dropped four of its last six and sits in 10th.
Aces star A'ja Wilson has been on a tear, averaging 30 points and 15 rebounds in her last four games. Wilson leads the WNBA in points (27.1) and ranks second in rebounds (11.6). This week it was also revealed that she would be on the cover of the NBA 2K25 video game, along with Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and retired NBA star Vince Carter.
Wilson was named an All-Star for the sixth time and was also the Western Conference Player of the Month for May and June.
"I feel like the most motivation for me - and everyone probably knows the story - is the fourth-place vote," said Wilson on ESPN's First Take Friday discussing the WNBA MVP balloting last season.
"That was something that was all the motivation I needed, in my eyes, maybe top two, I get it, but to see a fourth place vote, I was like, 'OK, maybe I have more work to be done.' That was my motivation to put my imprint on this league and take no prisoners."
Wilson recorded 33 points and 18 rebounds in Friday's 84-70 road win over the Atlanta Dream.
The Mystics' record may look shaky, but Washington started the season 0-12 and is still climbing out of that hole. Coach Eric Thibault's squad is coming off Wednesday's 89-84 road victory over the Indiana Fever.
"I thought we did a lot of things well," Thibault said. "I thought we played with good force, and we made them feel us. We were disciplined in our coverages, which is what we wanted to do better than last time."
Las Vegas cruised to a 98-77 home win over the Mystics on July 4 after winning 88-77 in Washington on June 29. Wilson was held to a season-low 11 points in the win on June 29.
Eight of the Aces' last nine wins have been by 10 points or more.
More must-reads:
- Sophie Cunningham has profane rant about disrespect of Caitlin Clark
- Matt Campbell finalizes program-friendly contract extension with Iowa State
- The '250-strikeout MLB seasons' quiz
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Brittney Griner ejected following heated confrontation with WNBA official
Brittney Griner was ejected from the Atlanta Dream’s game against the Dallas Wings on Wednesday night after she had another heated exchange with a WNBA official. Griner was called for a foul while fighting for a rebound early in the third quarter of Atlanta’s 88-85 win at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. She was unhappy with the call and began arguing about it with referee Angelica Suffren, who assessed Griner a technical foul. Rather than walking away, Griner continued to express her displeasure and tried to get into Suffren’s face as the ref was heading to the scorer’s table. A Dream came over to remove Griner from the situation, but it was too late. Griner received a second technical foul and was ejected. It looked like contact was made with Suffren, which is likely why the second technical was called. The contact appeared to come when the Atlanta staffer stepped in to separate Griner from the official. Griner, who finished with 4 points and 4 rebounds, continued to yell toward Suffren as Griner made her way to the locker room. Griner has a history of berating officials when things don’t go her way. She even interrupted her own halftime interview during a game earlier this year to curse at an officiating crew.
Cowboys make decision on Micah Parsons' trade request
First-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer has been trying to instill civility at practice when tempers flare, but he has no choice but to stay idle as the Dallas Cowboys front office and Micah Parsons face off at training camp. On Friday, Parsons took to social media to announce he sent executive vice president Stephen Jones a request to be traded from the Cowboys. "Unfortunately I no longer want to be here," Parsons wrote, per a post on X. "I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. "I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me." Dallas didn't appear fazed by Parsons' request. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Cowboys have no plans to trade Parsons this summer, though multiple teams will plan to inquire about the three-time All-Pro pass-rusher. "The Dallas Cowboys have no intention of trading Micah Parsons, per sources," Russini posted on X. "Still, teams around the league are planning to reach out to check on his availability today." The Cowboys selected Parsons with the No. 12 pick in the 2021 draft. The four-time Pro Bowl nominee has recorded 256 tackles and 52.5 sacks during his four years in the league. The former Penn State standout has appeared and started in 63 games. Parsons missed four games last year due to an ankle injury. The Cowboys front office could have made the situation better by talking with Parsons' agent and keeping any issues with the star pass-rusher in-house. The Cowboys have another preseason distraction. This one is of their own making.
Report reveals if Commanders intend to trade WR Terry McLaurin
In the absence of progress at the negotiating table, Terry McLaurin went public with a trade request on Thursday. The chances of the Commanders dealing him away have long been viewed as low, and that remains the case at this point. A number of teams inquired with Washington about McLaurin prior to the news of his trade request. As Nicki Jhabvala and Dianna Russini of The Athletic report, though, the Commanders informed suitors they have no plans of moving on from the two-time Pro Bowler. The sides remain at an impasse regarding extension talks, so interest on the trade front will no doubt continue until and unless an agreement is reached. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes a number of issues (including overall value and guarantees) are yet to be resolved in McLaurin’s case. That differs from, for instance, the case of Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals. The AAV of a new Cincinnati agreement appears to have been hammered out, but the sides are at an impasse with respect to guaranteeing more than the first year of any new pact. It remains to be seen general manager Adam Peters and the Commanders will be willing to reach or surpass $30M per year on a long-term contract. While remarking on the situation, one general manager told Russini they liken this case to that of Haason Reddick from last year. Reddick engaged in lengthy holdout with the Jets while seeking an extension following his trade from the Eagles. In the end, a short-term compromise was made but Reddick’s debut was delayed until Week 8 and he departed in free agency after an underwhelming campaign. Any similar absence through the regular season — something which, to be clear, McLaurin has not yet threatened — would of course be highly detrimental to a Commanders team aiming to duplicate last year’s run to the NFC title game. During a Friday appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show" (video link), NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said a trade cannot completely be ruled out at this point. The Patriots are known to be a potential suitor in the event Peters’ approach changes and consideration is given to a swap. Such a move would leave Washington with trade acquisition (and pending 2026 free agent) Deebo Samuel atop the WR depth chart. However, the Commanders have a star quarterback on a rookie contract, opening up a clear competitive window for them to build around Jayden Daniels before he commands a market-level salary. That would seem to include investing in a perennial thousand-yard threat like McLaurin — who already has an impressive rapport with his young QB. Coming to an agreement with the soon-to-be 30-year-old feels like an inevitability, whether it be before Week 1 or partway into the regular season.
Lakers Interested in $60 Million All-Star Big Man, Under One Condition
The Los Angeles Lakers were hunting for a center for most of the offseason after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. They knew they needed an upgrade from Jaxon Hayes. While the Lakers didn't get any of the top centers on the free agent market, they were able to sign Deandre Ayton after he was bought out. Another center would be a better fit, but he wasn't available in the offseason. Nikola Vucevic has been linked to the Lakers dating all the way back to the trade deadline, although Vucevic was not moved. More news: Lakers Make Massive Announcement Ahead of 2025-26 Season The Lakers would only be interested in Vucevic if he were to be bought out, according to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints. Los Angeles will not be pursuing a trade to acquire Vucevic. After bringing in Ayton on a two-year deal, it wouldn't make sense to trade assets in order to bring in Vucevic. They want to see what Ayton can do before bailing on him already. The Lakers needed a starting center, as that was their biggest need heading into the offseason. While Ayton isn't the greatest option, he is someone who can help the team with what he brings to the table. The Bulls seem to think that Vucevic can still help them win games and contend for the playoffs in what will be a very weak Eastern Conference next season. If things don't go well by the time the trade deadline arrives, the Bulls might decide to buy him out if they aren't in the playoff picture. That would be the only scenario in which the Lakers bring him in. More news: Lakers Rumors: NBA Insider Provides Massive Update on Luka Doncic Extension The Lakers are always looking to improve the roster whenever possible. They aren't worried about hurting feelings, so they wouldn't hesitate to offer Vucevic a contract if they thought he was better than Ayton. With LeBron James entering the end of his career, the Lakers are going to try to win the title as quickly as possible while he is still on the roster. Last season with the Bulls, Vucevic averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He shot 53 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. More news: Former Lakers Castoff All-Star Linked to East Team in Free Agency For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
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