David Yapkowitz Articles - Page 32

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Sparks have been eliminated from playoff contention, but with back-to-back games against the Connecticut Sun followed by back-to-back games against the Seattle Storm, they’ve treated these games as if they were a playoff series. During their 90-82 loss to the Storm on Wednesday, the Sparks saw Odyssey Sims leave […]

Last season was a strong year for Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars. They earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Sweet 16 before being eliminated. With Jamal Shead off to the NBA, the Cougars are still expecting a strong roster for 2024-25. Houston added to that roster this […]

LOS ANGELES – The WNBA has seen a surge in growth and popularity this season, but with that has also come darker undertones. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was recently asked about the racism and hatred that was permeated WNBA social media circles and she gave an answer that left a lot to be desired. She […]

When the Los Angeles Sparks signed Stephanie Talbot as a free agent ahead of the 2023 WNBA season, they knew they were getting a player capable of doing multiple things on the court. She was coming off a pair of career seasons with the Seattle Storm and was one of the top free agents on […]

With the start of the 2024-25 NBA season rapidly approaching, the Orlando Magic will be a team that NBA fans and media alike will be keeping an eye on. They were one of the surprise teams of last year, ending their playoff drought and finishing with a top-five seed in the Eastern Conference. Ahead of […]

The Las Vegas Aces suffered a blow recently when leading MVP candidate A’ja Wilson was forced to miss their loss to the New York Liberty on Sunday due to a foot injury. While Wilson’s status against the Indiana Fever on Wednesday is still unknown, the Aces helped fortify their roster on Monday by signing backup […]

LOS ANGELES – With a young team this season comprised of rookies and second and third year players, the Los Angeles Sparks have relied heavily on Dearica Hamby to help steady and lead the team. Hamby has done an outstanding job in that sense throughout the season. But following the Sparks’ 79-67 loss to the […]

With training camp set to open next month, a lot of eyes will be on the Denver Nuggets this NBA season as they try and regroup from a disappointing 2024 playoff exit. The Nuggets were eliminated in seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ahead of the start of the regular […]

Throughout the years, New York Knicks fans have made it clear their disdain for team owner James Dolan. And to be honest, a lot of it may be warranted. In recent years, Dolan has seemingly made himself a thorn in the NBA’s side on purpose. He’s also had dust-ups with some of the most revered […]

With the 2024-25 NBA season scheuled release, a lot of NBA eyes are going to be on the Phoenix Suns as the enter their first year under head coach Mike Budenholzer. With training camp set to open at the end of the month, we’ll be making our Suns bold predictions, including a big one about […]

The Sacramento Kings proved they were serious about contending in the Western Conference with their sign and trade acquisition of DeMar DeRozan this offseason. Continuing to build a real contending roster requires quality depth and hitting on the margins. The Kings latest roster signing of reserve guard Terry Taylor, as per NBA Insider Chris Haynes, […]

When the Chicago Bulls traded DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings in a sign and trade deal, and also traded Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it signaled a shift towards a rebuild. As part of a rebuild, finding cheap, untapped talent is important. The Bulls latest roster signing in reserve guard E.J. Liddell, […]

Amid a roster chock full of young players, a combination of rookies and second and third year players, the Los Angeles Sparks have leaned heavily on their veterans to help keep them together and connected. One of the vets the Sparks have looked towards as a leader this season has been Dearica Hamby. Following the […]

With their 92-78 loss to the Chicago Sky on Friday, the Los Angeles Sparks were officially mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. But despite their fourth straight season of missing the playoffs, the Sparks can take comfort in the fact that they have rookie wing Rickea Jackson on their team. As the season has progressed, Jackson […]

When the Los Angeles Sparks added Odyssey Sims via a 7-day contract signing last month, it was a bit surprising that she was even available this late in the WNBA season. After all, she was coming off averaging a little over 17 points per game for the Dallas Wings. What was even more shocking was […]

The Phoenix Mercury are currently battling for playoff positioning as the 2024 WNBA season enters it’s final weeks. To help address their depth amid injuries to Rebecca Allen and Charisma Osborne, the Mercury added rookie Celeste Taylor who will remain with the team through the end of the season. The Mercury continued to bolster their […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the 2024-25 NBA season as the only team in the league who did not sign a new free agent in the offseason. A big part of that was due to their salary cap restrictions, and they’ll be hoping for improved on-court cohesiveness under new head coach JJ Redick […]

With each passing day, the Los Angeles Sparks see their playoff hopes slipping away. While they are not yet mathematically eliminated, a loss like Wednesday’s 93-86 defeat against the Indiana Fever does not help the Sparks’ case at all. Following the game, Sparks veteran guard Odyssey Sims spoke about what went wrong and what the […]

With the 2024 WNBA season winding down, the Los Angeles Sparks are not yet mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. There’s only one problem, the Sparks currently sit at the bottom of the WNBA standings. While they are only three and a half games back of the current No. 8 seed Chicago Sky, they would need […]

LOS ANGELES – Prior to the Los Angeles Sparks’ game against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, head coach Curt Miller said he felt like Rickea Jackson was on her way to becoming a superstar player. While wins have been hard to come by for the Sparks this season, Jackson has catapulted her name into the […]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Sparks, one of the WNBA’s original and most storied franchises, are on the verge of their fourth consecutive season of missing the playoffs. Throughout this season though, Sparks head coach Curt Miller has stressed the importance of the process and being a build rather than simply focusing on wins […]

With the departure of Paul George in NBA free agency, a lot of eyes are going to be on the Los Angeles Clippers this season. Following the release last month of the 2024-25 NBA season schedule, we’ll be making our Clippers bold predictions. The Clippers are going to look very different this upcoming season. In […]

The Connecticut Sun have been one of the best teams in the WNBA this season. They are currently 23-8 and trying to hold off the Minnesota Lynx for the second best record in the league. The Sun have opted to carry only 11 players this season and they recently decided to guarantee rookie Caitlin Bickle’s […]

The Los Angeles Sparks are coming off their best win of the season, a 94-88 victory against the league-leading New York Liberty. They did so short-handed with multiple players being out since the second half of the season resumed. But the Sparks are in line to get help going into their clash against the Atlanta […]

The 2024 WNBA season has been a long time coming for Los Angeles Sparks’ wing Rae Burrell. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, Burrell missed all but three games of her rookie season due to a foot injury. That was followed up with being cut from the Sparks’ roster at the […]

The Washington Mystics have been one of the bottom teams in the WNBA this season as they’ve suffered through key injuries. But they’ve recently hit a hot streak. Before their loss to the Connecticut Sun on Saturday, the Mystics hade won three games in a row. Mystics head coach Eric Thibault recently spoke about what’s […]

The Indiana Fever emerged victorious during their highly anticipated matchup against the Chicago Sky on Friday, 100-81. Not only that, but Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark finished with a career game. Caitlin Clark has drawn plenty of mixed emotions from fans, media and even fellow players during her rookie season, but she has a major […]

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese has been a dominant force on the inside this season, with shades of another former dominant inside presence from LSU in Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal fine tuned his game to get ready for the pros at LSU just like Reese. He’s taken on a bit of a mentor role to Reese […]

Since the passing of former NBA star Kobe Bryant, fans across the world have taken to celebrating Aug. 24 as ‘Kobe Day’ due to 8/24, the jersey numbers Bryant wore during his career. But maybe there’s a little magic in the air that day, at least according to Bryant’s old Los Angeles Lakers teammate Metta […]

The Chicago Sky will host the Indiana Fever on Friday in what will be the final meeting of the regular season between these two teams. It’s also the last time that Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will face off in the regular season. For fans hoping to grab a ticket to the game, it’s going […]

The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky have squared off against each other three times so far this season with the Fever winning two of those games. Both teams are set to face off for the fourth and final time this year on Friday in what will be a matchup of two WNBA Rookie of the […]

LOS ANGELES – Coming into Wednesday, the Los Angeles Sparks had lost seven consecutive games that dated back before the Olympic break. With the New York Liberty in town, the team with the best record in the WNBA, the Sparks faced a daunting task if they hoped to snap their losing streak. But the Sparks […]

After spending the first six seasons of her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever, Victoria Vivians knew she was ready for a fresh start. The Fever and Victoria Vivians agreed to a contract buyout during the offseason, as per Chloe Peterson of The Indy Star, and she was then signed by the Seattle Storm. Vivians […]

It was a big day for the Minnesota Lynx with franchise legend Maya Moore getting her jersey retired as well as Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever being in town. One of the greatest players to ever play the game, and a player who may be on the path to reach that level. There was […]

The Los Angeles Sparks are in the midst of a rebuild that was accelerated with two lottery picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft. One of those lottery picks, Cameron Brink, is lost for the season due to an ACL injury. Wins have been hard to come by. But all is not lost for the Sparks. […]

When it comes to the GOAT NBA player conversation, there are the usual suspects mentioned. Debating the GOAT NBA player is one of NBA fans’ favorite pastimes and it seems like everyday there’s a new debate ongoing on social media. But what do the actual players think? Well if you ask former Lakers star Magic […]

Coming into the 2024 WNBA season, the general consensus was that Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark was going to be the overwhelming favorite for the league’s Rookie of the Year Award. But Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese has planted her name firmly in the conversation, especially with a bit a recent WNBA history-making feat. Angel […]

The Golden State Warriors are going to look drastically different for the 2024-25 season. Gone is Klay Thompson, left to the Dallas Mavericks in a sign and trade. The pressing question facing the Warriors is whether or not they still have a championship caliber roster. During a recent episode of Kevin Garnett’s podcast, ‘KG Certified,’ […]

The Seattle Storm have emerged as one of the WNBA’s contenders, and they strengthened their roster this past week with the signing of Olympics star Gabby Williams. But it wasn’t always clear if Williams would play in the WNBA this season. During her first media availability since signing with the Storm, Gabby Williams criticized the […]