Jackie Powell

@classicjpow.bsky.social

7805 Followers 1441 Following

I have covered Women's basketball for Yahoo Sports, MS NOW, Bleacher Report, NBC Sports more. I cover the New York Liberty for @theixsports.bsky.social‬ & host @theixsportspod.bsky.social Basketball Edition. Obsessed with pop culture and Lady Gaga.

Prediction: Team Washington Mystics will come out on top because their team which includes Austin, Delle Donne and a young up-and-comer to be determined will all be under 40 years old which will bode well for a competition based on speed and accuracy. Delle Donne is only a mere three years out from playing in the W and I expect her to be in good form. She was named the managing director of USA Basketball’s 3x3 women’s national team this past September and Austin was rostered on USA’s 2026 3x3 challenge cup team this past March. I expect that synergy to play out.
"I think there's also going to be even more streamlined conversation between team security and security, and then if it gets escalated to law enforcement, that's something that I think it happens, but I don't know if everyone knows the steps that are being taken."
Williams described the meeting as “good” It was an hour and a half meeting where the two main topics were security and officiating accountability. Cathy Engelbert and the league’s head of security were on the call along with the WNBPA EC (Nneka Ogwumike, Napheesa Collier, Brianna Turner, Alysha Clark, Breanna Stewart and Williams ) and the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee committee which is Aliyah Edwards, DeWanna Bonner and two other EC members in Clark and Stewart. There was discussion for more meetings between the league and the EC to happen in the feature so that these aren’t reactive but are proactive instead. The head of security walked through with the EC and the JEDI committee what the process when it comes to reporting online harassment or any other security measures is. Williams thought that walking away from the meeting there are steps being taken to handle security but there needs to be more consistency in communication. Engelbert took accountability for the need for better communication with players going forward. There was discussion about the Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark situation and that if the officials made that call then players wouldn’t have taken backlash for it.
In recognition of the WNBA’s milestone 30th season, the league will introduce a new initiative in which each All-Star team will compete on behalf of a different Chicago organization dedicated to keeping girls involved in sports, with charitable donations awarded to both organizations. Team Cooper will play for Angels Athletics, an organization that encourages young girls to participate in sports, supporting them in the development of skills and confidence to break down barriers and achieve goals throughout their lives. Team Weatherspoon will support Girls in the Game, an organization that partners with schools, parks, and community centers in Chicago to offer sports, health, and leadership programs. Between both organizations, a combined $100,000 will be awarded, with the winning team receiving $70,000 and the runner-up receiving $30,000.
Madeline Kenney: What was that thing with Betnijah getting tossed? Chris DeMarco: I've never seen anything like it. I've never seen anything like that. We had all the momentum in the world. Shoe hit somebody, ejected, free throws. I've also never seen a ref make such an atrocious call when he's on the other side of the floor. The ball is clearly off the defender and comes over and overturns and gives the ball back to Tempo at the end of the game. I've never seen one of the [DeMarco proceeds to raise his voice] *best players to ever play in this league attack the rim and get fouled and absolutely no call, and we're just gonna play*. Atrocious, pathetic. It was pathetic. Jackie Powell: Just about the ejection there. I just want to understand why. I mean Betnijah was on the bench. So, what exactly happened? It was hard for us to really see what was going on. Chris DeMarco: I don't. She's trying to get the shoe back to JJ. It hit somebody. I think we're just making stuff up. I have no idea. You're asking the wrong person. I just know it was just an atrocious, atrocious end of that game from the officials.
May 25 after losing to the Portland Fire at home Annie Costabile: Stewie for you, you guys talked a lot through training camp, and even the first week and a half about this is going to take time to come together. Is this what you expected when you said that? Breanna Stewart: No. Um, no, definitely not. I think that, but it's a learning experience for everyone. I think that, you know, my message to the players in the locker room is like, you know, nobody expected this, and not to say that we thought it was going to be easy, because we definitely didn't, but it's going to take time, and there's going to be highs and lows, and while it seems like we're in the lows right now, eventually we'll get to a place where everybody's really competent and comfortable in what's going on. Listen, I'm happy it's happening early and not late, and I know we did a lot of wrong things tonight, but I thought that our fight and effort was definitely better than what it was last night for sure.
Chris Demarco: “9. [We] followed the game plan very well, especially with this is [our] first time playing the Aces, obviously, so sometimes you play a team and you already kind of know the game plan, or what we want to do, or the adjustment we want to make. So, I thought we stuck with it, and it's hard sometimes if we're in a specific game plan and somebody scores to stick with it. Or obviously fans, whoever's watching the game, you know, it'll look like, hey, Sab just got scored on, and really the gameplan might be for her to be in help, or whatever it is. So, I am just really proud of the group to just continue to stick with it. And then, offensively, we executed very well. Turnovers late, but only having 12 for the game, especially the way it has been for us, like it allows us to get the defense to set the defense that was super important.”
“I think they really started to get into what they do well as a team, and some of the things that we saw in this scouting report. I think the fact that they didn't really get into it early, it kind of lulled us to sleep a little bit, and then when they started to execute some of their things. Nneka getting to her pops, you know, their guards getting downhill and finding her in those open areas. I think some of the game plan and game planning that we had prepared for the for those moments we hadn't really got into until later into the game when they started to do it, and I think we have to do a better job of just being a little bit more locked in on the things that we talked about, even if a team isn't playing that well early on in the game. So I think that's what really happened today.”
On Sabrina: “Just getting her back to where she's comfortable out there, and it's and it's gonna take time, you know. And I thought she had good moments, and yeah, it's just gonna take time.” On Betnijah Laney-Hamilton: “This is part of the plan of reintegration.”
“I'd love to remember what I was doing exactly, but one thing I do love is I love the Liberty jersey, you know. We bring it back this year, and that's a memory of mine, and I always remember Lobo and Spoon and everything. So, but yeah, I was just a basketball junkie. I grew up in the Midwest. I was playing outside a lot, especially, you know, in the summertime as well. I was always playing outside, I'd always had basketball on, like, that was just my thing. My father was a coach, so competing against my brothers, friends in the neighborhood, I just remember just how much I loved the game of basketball.”
Question: Satou, when do you foresee being able to play in a game? I know there's one coming up on Thursday. Satou Sabally: Whenever the trading staff tells me, all right, you're good to go. I feel like I always want to just go 100% and so I feel like whenever they give me the green light, I'll be there. Question: And I'm assuming that means you don't have it right now for Thursday. You're not sure what that is. Sabally: If we would play right now? I don't know.
"I can't make that decision yet. I'm kind of just day by day seeing how I improve, how I feel, how it responds to what I do the day before. And so it'll be a kind of game time decision."
"Yeah, we'll be all right,” he said. “It's the beginning of the season. New rosters for a lot of these teams, going through some stuff ourselves. So, you know, we'll make the adjustments, and you know, make sure we were protecting the three point line a little bit better and securing the ball. And, you turn the ball over a lot, it hurts her defense, but yeah, a lot of it is communication andjust being in the right spot. So yeah, we'll keep at it.”
"I think that we just need to be a little bit smarter based on personnel," she said. "I think knowing who's a shooter and who's not and who's not really much of a playmaker. Just being smarter. I mean, it's the third game of the season, so we'll get better at it. And luckily, we play them again Thursday."
Rebecca Allen – OUT (L. Leg) Sabrina Ionescu – OUT (L. Foot) Marine Fauthoux [DEV] - OUT (L. Knee Rehabilitation) Satou Sabally – NWT (Cyst) Raquel Carrera – NWT (Overseas Commitment) Leonie Fiebich – NWT (Overseas Commitment)
“Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is foundational to who we are as an organization,” said Jonathan Kolb, General Manager, New York Liberty. “Betnijah is a rare player in this league: trusted and respected by her teammates and our fanbase, and feared by the opponents she takes on every night. Betnijah is as healthy as she’s been in years, and her presence elevates everything we do on both ends of the floor. Quite simply, the WNBA is better when Betnijah is a part of it, and having her back on the floor means a great deal to this franchise.”
“I’m incredibly excited about the group we’ve assembled and how aligned we are around shared, winning values as a staff,” said Chris DeMarco, Head Coach, New York Liberty. “Each coach brings a high level of compete, a team‑first mentality, a passion for teaching the game, and unique experiences that will help us adapt our gameplan night to night, while also reflecting our commitment to building and strengthening the coaching pipeline. Most importantly, we care deeply about our players and sustaining a championship‑level environment here in New York.”
Following Nneka Ogwumike's interview on ESPN First Take, the WNBPA has released a statement confirming that with over 90% participation and an unanimous vote, the player body has approved and ratified the terms of the 2026 CBA. Read the rest of the statement below.
March 4, 2026 – “In every CBA negotiation, the goal of the league and teams is to divide the players. These negotiations are no different. We remain united and focused on delivering a transformational CBA for all members of this Union, and are committed to negotiating for as long as it takes. Our Union’s nearly unanimous vote in December to authorize us to call a strike, if and when necessary, was not taken lightly. It was made with complete faith and trust in ourselves and our negotiating committee, led by Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson and President Nneka Ogwumike, to represent all players as we work to build a W that truly puts players first. Nothing has changed. That decision, and the results of our recent player survey, reaffirm that the current league proposal is not worth taking. Despite our differences and tough moments, we must make crystal clear that we are focused, we are resolute, and we are together. We want to play basketball in 2026. We want to be in front of our fans playing the game that we love. We will not stop fighting. There is no WNBA without the players.”
The union, sources said, has grown increasingly frustrated that the league hasn't formally responded to its most recent proposal, submitted around Christmas. But sources said a strong debate has emerged within the seven-member executive committee, which the WNBPA player body authorized in December to call a strike "when necessary." According to multiple sources, one group says that now is the time to fundamentally alter the league's revenue sharing model and players shouldn't compromise further until they feel comfortable with the new system. Another group says that though there are still some matters to be negotiated, the players have already gained significant ground and are closer to a deal -- and are less inclined to pursue a strike.