<ul class="summary-list"><li>Newly-minted LSU head coach <keyword id="9007486" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kim-Mulkey">Kim Mulkey</keyword> made a show of <a href="https://www.insider.com/kim-mulkey-lsu-press-conference-mask-2021-4">ripping off her "damn mask"</a> during a press conference on Monday.</li><li>A few weeks earlier, the then-Baylor coach fussed with her mask while arguing that <a href="https://www.insider.com/final-4-baylor-kim-mulkey-ncaa-stop-covid-19-testing-2021-3">the NCAA should halt COVID-19 testing</a> at the Final Four.</li><li>On Tuesday, <keyword id="297178" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Minnesota-Lynx">Minnesota Lynx</keyword> head coach <keyword id="3449275" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cheryl-Reeve">Cheryl Reeve</keyword> mocked Mulkey's mask spectacle during her own press conference.</li></ul><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/COLvkwsLy4R" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by The Next: Women’s Basketball (@thenexthoops)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote>

The reigning WNBA Coach of the Year mocked Kim Mulkey for her anti-mask antics during a recent press conference

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12145743" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="diana-taurasi" source="Orion">Diana Taurasi</keyword> kicked fellow <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> legend <keyword id="14418048" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sylvia-fowles" source="Orion">Sylvia Fowles</keyword> in the stomach during a game Tuesday night.</li><li>Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was livid that Taurasi wasn't whistled for the "egregious" <keyword id="13989266" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="foul" source="Orion">foul</keyword>.</li></ul><p>The Minnesota Lynx needed two overtimes to take down the Phoenix Mercury in Minneapolis Tuesday night.</p><p>And, as is often the case in down-to-the-wire contests, things got heated down the stretch.</p><p>With less than a minute remaining in that second overtime period, Diana Taurasi's Mercury trailed by nine. The league's all-time leading scorer put her head down and drove into the paint — but Minnesota superstar and fellow Team USA great Sylvia Fowles was right there waiting for her under the hoop.</p><div type="image" title="Sylvia Fowles." height="1667" width="2500" msid="92886297" hostid="261" sizebytes="144214"></div><p>Taurasi lowered her shoulder into the 6-foot-6 legend — who is the WNBA's all-time rebounding leader and practically bounced off her chest. When that didn't work, Taurasi extended her right leg to create separation, her yellow sneaker connecting with Fowles' gut and leaving the star doubled over in pain.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—jack maloney (@jackmaloneycbs) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1547049471732846592">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote><p>"It was unacceptable," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said on <a href="https://talknorth.com/thecherylreeveshow/">her podcast, "The Cheryl Reeve Show,"</a> Wednesday. "More than anything, it's disappointing that Taurasi would do that. But we've said this: Whether you're friends or not, when you're on the court, Taurasi doesn't treat you like a friend."</p><p>"There's been multiple situations where I question, I go, 'And you guys say you're friends?!'" Reeve later added. "Like, you could ever do these kinds of things to a friend?"</p><p>Fowles limped off the court and checked out for the remainder of the game. And adding insult to literal injury: Taurasi was never even whistled for a foul.</p><div type="image" title="Cheryl Reeve." height="1661" width="2500" msid="92886299" hostid="261" sizebytes="140654"></div><p>The league office "has the option, following its review of any game, to reclassify a flagrant foul or to classify as flagrant any foul not called a flagrant during a game," according to WNBA official rules. Sources confirmed to Insider that the league has the ability to review and issue a flagrant foul after the fact, even when no foul was initially called on the floor.</p><p>Reeve implied there could be a <keyword id="12853814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="penalty" source="Orion">penalty</keyword> on the way for Taurasi.</p><p>"In this case, I blame the officials," Reeve said. "That cannot go unpunished. It was so egregious."</p><p>"I'm going to wait for a ruling on that," she added. "It was very disappointing behavior. Not surprising, of course, but disappointing. There will be ramifications to that <keyword id="14457277" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kick" source="Orion">kick</keyword>."</p><div type="image" title="Diana Taurasi." height="1666" width="2222" msid="92886302" hostid="261" sizebytes="82432"></div><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/photo-diana-taurasi-breaks-door-after-wnba-finals-loss-2021-10">Taurasi is notorious</a> for <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-wnba-goat-diana-taurasi-pushes-ref-fined-not-suspended-2021-10">collecting fouls</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-diana-taurasi-ill-see-you-in-the-lobby-later-2020-8">jawing off to referees</a>. She's already collected six technical fouls this season — just one shy of picking up an $800 fine and an automatic one-game suspension. Somewhat surprisingly, the 40-year-old has yet to earn a flagrant foul this season.</p><p>Fowles, Reeve, and the rest of Minnesota's team return home to host the Dallas Wings Thursday night at the Target Center. Taurasi and Phoenix will host the Washington Mystics later in the evening.  </p>

Diana Taurasi kicked a fellow WNBA legend in the stomach, and she wasn't whistled for the 'egregious' foul

<ul class="summary-list"><li>USA Basketball has dominated the field through its first five games at the 2022 FIBA World Cup.</li><li>Cheryl Reeve's team dropped 145 points against South Korea, breaking the event's scoring record.</li></ul><p>USA Basketball is blowing the competition out of the water.</p><p>Cheryl Reeve's squad of WNBA superstars has bulldozed each of its first five opponents at this year's FIBA World Cup in Sydney, Australia. On Monday, Team USA earned its most lopsided victory of the tournament: a 76-point win against South Korea.</p><p>With eight players in double figures, the reigning Olympic gold medalists dropped 145 points to break the World Cup's all-time scoring record. And <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/34668242/us-women-basketball-team-scores-145-points-rout-south-korea-breaking-world-cup-record">according to ESPN</a>, USA Basketball's 94 points in the paint, 62 made field goals, and 36 assists were all the highest ever recorded by a team in the event's 69-year history.</p><div type="image" title="A'ja Wilson reacts during Team USA's big win over South Korea." height="1667" width="2500" msid="94509714" hostid="261" sizebytes="580858"></div><p>"I don't think I've ever been part of a team that can score the basketball like this,'' A'ja Wilson, who contributed 20 points to the rout, said after the game. "This is crazy; we put up 145 points. I think when you look at us and just knowing how talented we are, we just came together, and we play together very, very well.''</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/AJRazim/status/1574409386805583878">Not everyone</a> was impressed with the Americans' offensive onslaught. Much like the response to the <a href="https://www.insider.com/us-womens-soccer-team-criticized-for-celebrating-thailand-defeat-2019-6">US Women's National Soccer Team's infamous 13-0 win over Thailand</a> at the 2019 World Cup, some onlookers accused the US of <a href="https://twitter.com/aloysiustwit/status/1574380521643122689">poor sportsmanship</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/JarheadUSMC2/status/1574391848013021186">taking issue</a> with the All-Star team's dismantling of an opponent <a href="https://twitter.com/OneLastTime95/status/1574378772215775232">by such a wide margin</a>.</p><p>But just like the USWNT's situation three years ago, USA Basketball can't afford to let up as it chases some precious hardware. The Americans have won each of the past three World Cups, and this young group has no intention of settling for less now that it's their turn.</p><div type="image" title="Team USA's Kahleah Copper (left) dribbles into the paint." height="1667" width="2500" msid="94509718" hostid="261" sizebytes="169440"></div><p>Even despite the pressures of defending several titles, Reeve made sure to pull her starters as the gap grew in Monday's contest. None of her first five logged more than 20 minutes in the game, and all 12 players on her roster saw at least nine minutes of action.</p><p>The bench still outscored South Korea's whole team by 19 points.</p><p>Other teams have suffered similarly large losses against the mighty United States; Puerto Rico fell by 64 on Thursday, while Bosnia and Herzegovina took a 62-point loss on Tuesday. Even Belgium and China — two of the higher-ranked teams in this year's tournament — lost to the US by double digits.</p><div type="image" title="Team USA's Alyssa Thomas blocks a shot." height="1667" width="2500" msid="94509722" hostid="261" sizebytes="154792"></div><p>The Americans head into the knockout stage of the tournament boasting a perfect record. They'll face a 3-2 Serbia squad Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET — or noon local time. Fans can tune in on ESPNU.</p>

Team USA dropped 145 points to break a basketball World Cup record — but some are calling it poor sportsmanship

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier gave birth to her daughter, Mila Bazzell, on May 25, 2022.</li><li>Less than three months later, the two-time WNBA All-Star was back on the court with her team Sunday.</li></ul><p>Just 10 weeks after giving birth to her newborn daughter, Napheesa Collier rejoined her team on the court.</p><p>The two-time WNBA All-Star started for the Minnesota Lynx against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday afternoon, marking her first game since the WNBA playoffs last September.</p><p>In 21 minutes on the floor, Collier recorded six points, two rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block. Plus, her Lynx earned a big home win as they continue to hunt for a playoff berth.</p><p>"I was really excited," Collier said in the post-game press conference, holding baby Mila in her arms. "Obviously there was some nerves coming in, especially this late in the season, and trying to get back here and rush to do everything. But it felt so good to hear my name called and have the fans cheer for me. It was a really good feeling."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1556416661418348544">August 7, 2022</a></blockquote><p>"I'm really glad that I played tonight," she added.</p><p>Collier announced her pregnancy in November 2021. Three months later — and just three months before Collier and her husband, <a href="https://twitter.com/alexbazzell">basketball trainer Alex Bazzell</a>, expected to welcome their first child — fellow Minnesota superstar Sylvia Fowles announced that she would be retiring at the end of the 2022 season.</p><p>From then on, Collier made it her mission to play alongside the WNBA's all-time leading rebounder at least one more time; Fowles, for her part, said <a href="https://twitter.com/mercash22/status/1556717844548689922">she fought back against Collier's plans for a speedy return</a> out of fear that "it was unsafe" for the new mom to rush her recovery.</p><p>Collier won that argument.</p><div type="image" title="Napheesa Collier." height="1406" width="2500" msid="93440197" hostid="261" sizebytes="130128"></div><p>Mila arrived at the end of May, and Collier has been "working her ass off to put herself in this position" in the 74 days since, <a href="https://twitter.com/alexbazzell/status/1556414524659572738">her husband wrote on Twitter</a> Sunday.</p><p>"I came here with the goal of playing with them again — and especially Syl," Collier said after the game. "I've made that no secret, so it felt so good to be on the court at the same time as her for this last season."</p><p>"And it was good to get that rust off, too," Collier added. "It was nice."</p><h2>The Lynx hunt for a 12th-straight playoff spot</h2><p>With less than a week remaining in the regular season, the Lynx are still looking to punch their ticket to the postseason for the 12th straight year. Despite an incredibly slow start to the season, Minnesota seemingly turned a corner in late June and has bounced back into the race for a playoff spot.</p><div type="image" title="napheesa collier.JPG" height="1666" width="2500" msid="93438475" hostid="261"></div><p>Five other WNBA teams — the Dallas Wings, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Atlanta Dream, and Los Angeles Sparks — are still mathematically eligible to earn one of the three remaining bids to this year's postseason. After Sunday afternoon's victory, the Lynx were just one game out of playoff contention.</p><p>Collier's timely return should certainly help Minnesota find its way back into the mix. The 25-year-old — who was the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year — led the Lynx with 16.2 points per game last season while adding 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per contest.</p><p>Mila's mom is an incredibly well-rounded threat. She's someone Minnesota head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve says is "like a security blanket for everybody" on the team.</p><p>And from Sunday afternoon on, "each time she plays, she's going to get more comfortable," Reeve said after the game.</p><div type="image" title="napheesa collier" height="1666" width="2222" msid="93438476" hostid="261"></div><p>The Lynx will head to Phoenix to face the Mercury on Wednesday before returning home to host the Seattle Storm two days later. They'll end the regular season on Sunday with a road game against the Connecticut Sun.</p><p>Whether or not Minnesota succeeds in making the playoffs this season, Collier hopes she still has plenty of basketball ahead of her. And she's excited to bring her daughter along for the journey.</p><p>"I'm doing this for her now — I'm not just doing this for me," Collier said, referring to Mila. "I love the idea of her watching me play. Hopefully I'll be playing for a long time to come and we can grow up together around this game that I love and to [make] her a part of that."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1556634836185464832">August 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

A WNBA All-Star returned to the court 10 weeks after giving birth, then brought her baby to the post-game press conference

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12882154" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="becky-hammon" source="Orion">Becky Hammon</keyword> has spent 8 years as an assistant <keyword id="11926319" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coach" source="Orion">coach</keyword> for the <keyword id="11910343" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nba" source="Orion">NBA</keyword>'s <keyword id="12419521" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="san-antonio-spurs" source="Orion">San Antonio Spurs</keyword>.</li><li>She was hired as head coach and GM of the <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword>'s <keyword id="11931768" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="las-vegas-aces" source="Orion">Las Vegas Aces</keyword> ahead of the 2022 season.</li></ul><p>Becky Hammon has long been considered one of the strongest <keyword id="12230609" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coaching" source="Orion">coaching</keyword> prospects in professional basketball.</p><p>The longtime NBA assistant coach — who signed a record-breaking deal to become the head coach and general manager of the Las Vegas Aces ahead of the 2022 WNBA season — said she's been taking notes from WNBA coaches and using their plans in NBA games "for a while."</p><p>"Quite frankly, I've been watching the WNBA for a long time and stealing all their plays for a while," Hammon said during her Aces introductory press conference on Monday.</p><div type="image" title="San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon speaks with Patty Mills." height="1904" width="2500" msid="88718670" hostid="261"></div><p>After years as the frontrunner to become the first woman head coach in major pro men's <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword>, Hammon shocked many fans with her pivot from the NBA to the WNBA. But the eight-year San Antonio Spurs assistant under legendary head coach Gregg Popovich stressed that the move "is a step forward and a step in the right direction for [herself], for women's basketball," and for her personal growth as a coach.</p><p>Besides, some of basketball's greatest coaches already reside in the W, according to Hammon. She name-dropped four-time WNBA champion and Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve as well as newly-minted New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello — who previously spent eight years leading the Phoenix Mercury — as two of the best in the business.</p><p>"I mean, these are quality coaches, period," Hammon said. "Take off any other label. They are great coaches, period. They have great basketball minds."</p><p>"And they are a hundred percent invested in what they do," she added. "And they are the best at what they do, and they should be paid as such, and they should be rewarded with these positions as such."</p><div type="image" title="Becky Hammon." height="1667" width="2500" msid="88718673" hostid="261"></div><p>Hammon suggested that she believes coaches like herself, Brondello, Reeve, and others are often overlooked in coaching spheres because of their gender. She noted that while a woman coaching men's college or professional basketball is unprecedented, "we have never had these press conferences when it came to a man leading a woman's team."</p><p>She hopes her move to the WNBA will play a part in helping women in coaching gain the respect they've long deserved.</p><p>"Representation matters, right?" Hammon said. "It's important that we start to see leaders as leaders."</p><p>"We can start peeling back the layers of society and what is viewed as [a leader] ... and start hiring people based on what they bring to the table — based [on] their basketball knowledge," she added. "I mean, there's so many great women coaches out there that should be leading their own teams and given those opportunities."</p><div type="image" title="Becky Hammon celebrates with her sons as the Las Vegas Aces retire her jersey." height="1878" width="2500" msid="88718676" hostid="261"></div><p>Hammon is expected to transition to her new WNBA role in Las Vegas full-time in April. But until then, she'll be "pulling double duty" as she rounds out her tenure with the Spurs and ramps up her duties with the Aces.</p><p>In the meantime, keep a close eye on the Spurs. You may just see a WNBA play or two make an appearance on the court.</p>

Becky Hammon says she's been stealing WNBA coaches' plays to use in NBA games 'for a while'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="23712" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Alex-Rodriguez">Alex Rodriguez</keyword> made headlines for acquiring the <keyword id="6361805" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBA">NBA</keyword>'s <keyword id="194958" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Minnesota-Timberwolves">Minnesota Timberwolves</keyword> for $1.5 billion.</li><li>He and Mark Lore also took ownership of the <keyword id="152792" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="WNBA">WNBA</keyword>'s <keyword id="297178" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Minnesota-Lynx">Minnesota Lynx</keyword> as part of the deal.</li><li>They didn't acknowledge the Lynx in initial statements, casting doubt on their support for the club.</li></ul><p>WNBA fans know better than to overlook the Minnesota Lynx.</p><p>But Alex Rodriguez, the franchise's new owner, has some catching up to do.</p><div type="image" title="alex rodriguez baseball" height="2000" width="2666" msid="82188952" hostid="261"></div><p>The former New York Yankees slugger made headlines earlier this month when he and business partner Mark Lore acquired the NBA's ailing Minnesota Timberwolves. The $1.5 billion purchase also included the Wolves' sister organization - the four-time WNBA champion Lynx - but you would never have known it from <keyword id="32954" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="A-Rod">A-Rod</keyword>'s and Lore's statement upon agreeing to terms with former owner Glen Taylor.</p><p>"We look forward to entering this phase of the process with Glen Taylor," they said, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1381018036619128845">The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>. "Our respect for him and the legacy he has built lays an amazing foundation for what is to come. We are excited by the prospect of getting to know the Timberwolves organization, the talented team, and their incredible fans."</p><p>No mention of the Lynx to be found.</p><h2>Taylor fostered an equitable environment for the Timberwolves and Lynx. It's the new owners' responsibility to carry the torch.</h2><h2><div type="image" title="glen taylor lynx championship.JPG" height="1666" width="2222" msid="82188957" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>Taylor has been widely criticized in NBA circles for failing to uplift the Timberwolves from their status as perennial bottom-dwellers. The team has made the playoffs just once in the last 15 years. But in his more than two decades as owner of the Lynx, he's overseen a bona fide powerhouse that has made a WNBA-record 10 consecutive playoff appearances to date.</p><p>More importantly, Taylor has been an ardent champion of the women's game. The billionaire businessman has long been known for treating the Timberwolves and Lynx with equal regard throughout his ownership tenure.</p><p>His efforts helped bring top talent like Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, and Lindsay Whalen to Minnesota. It also helped elevate the status of <keyword id="5919286" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="womens-basketball">women's basketball</keyword> at large, according to Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.</p><p>"It was important to [Taylor] that [our] facility would reflect that two teams resided there and so everywhere you see a Timberwolves logo, you see a Lynx logo," Reeve said on the <a href="https://linktr.ee/NBNwithDA">Nothing But Net with Debbie Antonelli podcast</a> in February. "So it's co-branded."</p><div type="image" title="cheryl reeve.JPG" height="1510" width="2013" msid="82188962" hostid="261"></div><p>And as <a href="https://justwomenssports.com/minnesota-lynx-to-have-new-owners-in-alex-rodriguez-and-marc-lore/">Just Women's Sports</a> notes, press releases from either franchise include both teams' names.</p><p>"What that says to the community is that the Lynx are important," Reeve added.</p><p>Thus far, Rodriguez and Lore have failed to carry on the precedent of equity Taylor set as top brass for the Timberwolves and Lynx. Whether through ignorance or a more sinister force, their omission of the Lynx in their debut statement as owners sent a signal - deliberate or not - that the women's players are worth less than their male counterparts.</p><p>What that says to the community is that the Lynx aren't even worthy of a single line.</p><h2>But there's so much success to celebrate - or, at the very least, acknowledge - when it comes to women's basketball in Minnesota</h2><h2><div type="image" title="napheesa collier.JPG" height="1665" width="2220" msid="82188966" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>In addition to their four championships and 10 consecutive playoff appearances, the Lynx have once again reloaded to position themselves as serious contenders for the 2021 WNBA title.</p><p>Reeve has the league's all-time rebounding leader in Fowles at her disposal. And her roster boasts the past two WNBA rookies of the year in Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield, respectively.</p><p>In the offseason, Reeve and her staff acquired the potential <a href="https://www.insider.com/wnba-draft-rennia-davis-espn-interview-distracted-college-highlights-2021-4">steal of the 2021 draft</a> in Tennessee's Rennia Davis. They also recruited mega-watt free agents Kayla McBride and Aerial Powers to the Twin Cities.</p><p>And should Moore ever choose to rejoin the WNBA after taking multiple seasons off to <a href="https://www.insider.com/kyrie-irving-maya-moore-lead-on-social-justice-reform-2020-6">fight for criminal justice reform</a>, the 2014 league MVP, six-time All-Star, and future Hall of Famer will likely return to Minnesota, where she'd pursue a record-breaking fifth championship for herself and her franchise.</p><div type="image" title="maya moore" height="1665" width="2220" msid="82188967" hostid="261"></div><p>To their credit, Rodriguez and Lore met with Reeve and her Lynx staff while in Minneapolis to visit the teams' facilities, according to <a href="https://www.startribune.com/alex-rodriguez-timberwolves-lynx-cheryl-reeve/600046546/?refresh=true">The Star Tribune</a>. The three-time WNBA Coach of the Year seemed to acknowledge the new owners' lack of familiarity with her team and its winning culture but said she did her best to inform the duo during their initial encounter.</p><p id="Oe1OF3">"I can't tell you they knew a lot about the Lynx," Reeve told The Star Tribune's Jim Souhan. "I can tell you that when they walked out, they knew a lot more and were impressed."</p>

A-Rod's $1.5 billion Minnesota Timberwolves purchase includes the WNBA's Lynx - but you wouldn't know it from his statement

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> says it has banned 287 UK MPs from entering the country in retaliation to sanctions.</li><li>Russia's foreign ministry said the bans are because British MPs are creating "Russophobic hysteria."</li></ul><p>Russia has sanctioned nearly 300 British MPs in retaliation for restrictions imposed on members of its parliament, the Duma, last month, but has included a number of politicians who are no longer serving. </p><p>In its list of 287 individuals, the Kremlin has targeted current ministers including Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay, minister for Brexit opportunities Jacob Rees-Mogg, trade minister Penny Mordaunt, and solicitor general Alex Chalk, as well as senior MPs such as Jeremy Hunt, Steve Baker, David Davis and Julian Lewis. </p><p>However Russia has also gone after Rory Stewart, Dominic Grieve and Sarah Wollaston, who haven't been MPs since the 2019 election, and Charlie Elphicke, who stepped down after being found guilty on three counts of sexual assault. </p><p>In another error, Tory MP Heather Wheeler's name appears twice, as the 18th and 206th entries, meaning there are actually just 286 names on the list. Meanwhile Alun Cairns' name has been misspelled. </p><p><a href="https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1810980/#sel=11:1:J1Q,11:6:HJo">According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,</a> the politicians listed "cannot visit the Russian Federation from now on."</p><p>A translation of a statement reported by state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti said the sanctions were being applied "on the basis of reciprocity," following the decision to <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-sanctions-386-duma-members-over-support-for-luhansk-and-donetsk/">sanction 386 members of the Duma after they backed Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine</a>.</p><p>"These persons, who are now banned from entering the Russian Federation, took the most active part in the establishment of anti-Russian sanctions instruments in London (and) contribute to the groundless whipping up of Russophobic hysteria in the UK," it read.</p><p>"The hostile rhetoric and far-fetched accusations coming from the lips of British parliamentarians not only condone the hostile course of London, aimed at demonizing our country and its international isolation, but are also used by opponents of a mutually respectful dialogue with Russia to undermine the foundation of bilateral co-operation."</p><p>Prime Minister <keyword id="11911533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boris-johnson" source="Orion">Boris Johnson</keyword>, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and 10 other senior politicians — mostly members of the Cabinet — have already been barred. Theresa May, the former prime minister, was also on the initial list. </p><p>"Taking into account London's bet on the consistent strengthening of anti-Russian sanctions, work on countermeasures, including the expansion of the Russian 'stop list,' will continue," it added. </p><p>Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions shortly after the list was published, Boris Johnson said those on the list "should regard it as a badge of honour".</p><p>He vowed that the UK "keep up our robust and principled support for the Ukrainian people and their right to protect their lives, their families, and to defend themselves".</p><p>Chris Bryant, the senior Labour MP and prominent critic of the Putin regime, told the Commons he was "absolutely distressed that I am not on the list…  and if I am honest slightly surprised". </p><p>He added: "I can only assume the Russian Federation accepts every single thing I have said about President Putin over the last few years is true. He is a barbarous villain and we should make sure he fails."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1519284528593973250">April 27, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Peter Bone, one of the Tory MPs to feature on the list, said: "I am proud to have supported <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword> and its people. I condemn Russia for its barbaric invasion. Sanctioning me will not stop me speaking out."</p><p>Tim Loughton, another of the sanctioned Conservatives, said he had "done the double", after he was also banned from China for speaking out against human rights abuses.</p><p>The list of MPs, as published by Russia's foreign ministry, <a href="https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1810980/#sel=11:1:J1Q,11:6:HJo">can be seen here</a>, or keep scrolling for the full list:</p><h3><u><strong>Conservative MPs</strong></u></h3><ol><ol><li>Stephen Paul BARCLAY,</li><li>David Michael DAVIS,</li><li>Charles George EUSTICE,</li><li>Dominic Charles GRIEVE,</li><li>Christopher HEATON-HARRIS,</li><li>Jeremy Richard Streynsham HUNT,</li><li>Alistair William JACK,</li><li>Daniel Robert KAWCZYNSKI,</li><li>Andrea Jacqueline LEADSOM,</li><li>Julian Murray LEWIS,</li><li>Esther Louise MCVEY,</li><li>Penelope Mary MORDAUNT,</li><li>Caroline Fiona Ellen NOKES,</li><li>Christopher John PINCHER,</li><li>Jacob William REES-MOGG,</li><li>Mark Steven SPENCER,</li><li>Theresa Ann VILLIERS,</li><li>Heather Kay WHEELER,</li><li>Nigel ADAMS,</li><li>Bim AFOLAMI,</li><li>Adam AFRIYIE,</li><li>Peter James Guy ALDOUS,</li><li>Lucy Elizabeth ALLAN,</li><li>Stuart James ANDREW,</li><li>Edward John Comport ARGAR,</li><li>Victoria Mary ATKINS,</li><li>Richard Michael BACON,</li><li>Kemi BADENOCH,</li><li>Steve John BAKER,</li><li>Harriet Mary Morison BALDWIN,</li><li>John Charles BARON,</li><li>Alexander Paul BERESFORD,</li><li>James Jacob Gilchrist BERRY,</li><li>Peter William BONE,</li><li>Peter James BOTTOMLEY,</li><li>Andrew Campbell BOWIE,</li><li>Ben David BRADLEY,</li><li>Karen Anne BRADLEY,</li><li>Jack Edgar BRERETON,</li><li>Andrew James BRIDGEN,</li><li>Steve BRINE,</li><li>Fiona Claire BRUCE,</li><li>Michael Alex BURGHART,</li><li>Conor BURNS,</li><li>Alan Hugh CAIRNS,</li><li>James Roger CARTLIDGE,</li><li>William Nigel Paul CASH,</li><li>Maria Colette CAULFIELD,</li><li>Alexander John Gervase CHALK,</li><li>Atta-Ur-Rehman CHISHTI,</li><li>Joanna Peta CHURCHILL,</li><li>Simon Richard CLARKE,</li><li>Geoffrey CLIFTON-BROWN,</li><li>Therese Anne COFFEY,</li><li>Alberto Castrenze COSTA,</li><li>Robert Alexander COURTS,</li><li>Tracy Elizabeth Anne CROUCH,</li><li>David Thomas Charles DAVIES,</li><li>Edward Glyn DAVIES,</li><li>Mims Jane Alice DAVIES,</li><li>Philip DAVIES,</li><li>Michelle Emma May DONELAN,</li><li>Steve Daniel DOUBLE,</li><li>Richard Grosvenor PLUNKETT-ERNLE-DRAX,</li><li>James Philip DUDDRIDGE,</li><li>David James DUGUID,</li><li>Philip Martin DUNNE,</li><li>Michael ELLIS,</li><li>Charlie Brett Anthony ELPHICKE,</li><li>Michael Louis David FABRICANT,</li><li>Victoria Grace FORD,</li><li>Kevin John FOSTER,</li><li>Mark Gino FRANCOIS,</li><li>George William FREEMAN,</li><li>Mike Whitney FREER,</li><li>Marcus John Hudson FYSH,</li><li>Roger James GALE,</li><li>Mark Robert Timothy GARNIER,</li><li>Nusrat Munir UI-GHANI,</li><li>Nicholas John GIBB,</li><li>Paul William GIRVAN,</li><li>John Philip GLEN,</li><li>Robert GOODWILL,</li><li>Richard Michael GRAHAM,</li><li>James Whiteside GRAY,</li><li>Christopher Patric James GREEN,</li><li>Damian Howard GREEN,</li><li>Justin GREENING,</li><li>Dominic Charles Roberts GRIEVE,</li><li>Samuel Phillip GYIMAH,</li><li>Robert Henry HALFON,</li><li>Luke Anthony HALL,</li><li>Greg William HANDS,</li><li>Mark James HARPER,</li><li>Elizabeth Rebecca Scott HARRIS,</li><li>Trudy Lynne HARRISON,</li><li>Simon Anthony HART,</li><li>John Henry HAYES,</li><li>Oliver HEALD,</li><li>Gordon HENDERSON,</li><li>Damian Patrick HINDS,</li><li>Kevin Paul HOLLINRAKE,</li><li>Philip Thomas HOLLOBONE,</li><li>Adam James Harold HOLLOWAY,</li><li>John Michael HOWELL,</li><li>Nigel Paul HUDDLESTON,</li><li>Eddie Francis HUGHES,</li><li>Bernard Christison JENKIN,</li><li>Andrea Marie JENKYNS,</li><li>Robert Edward JENRICK,</li><li>Caroline Elizabeth JOHNSON,</li><li>Gareth Alan JOHNSON,</li><li>Joseph JOHNSON,</li><li>Andrew Hanson JONES,</li><li>David Ian JONES,</li><li>Marcus Charles JONES,</li><li>Gillian KEEGAN,</li><li>Sema Louise Ghiassi KENNEDY,</li><li>Stephen Charles KERR,</li><li>Greg KNIGHT,</li><li>John Robert LAMONT,</li><li>Pauline Elizabeth LATHAM,</li><li>Philip James LEE,</li><li>Jeremy John Elton LEFROY,</li><li>Edward Julian LEIGH,</li><li>Oliver LETWIN,</li><li>Andrew Iain LEWER,</li><li>Ian Richard Peregrine LIDDELL-GRAINGER,</li><li>Julia Louis LOPEZ,</li><li>Jack Giacomo LOPRESTI,</li><li>Jonathan George CALADINE,</li><li>Tim Paul LOUGHTON,</li><li>Craig MACKINLAY,</li><li>Rachel Helen MACLEAN,</li><li>Alan MAC,</li><li>Scott Leslie MANN,</li><li>Paul Christopher MAYNARD,</li><li>Patrick Allen MCLOUGHLIN,</li><li>Stephen Anthony MCPARTLAND,</li><li>Mark Andrew MENZIES,</li><li>Johnny Luther MERCER,</li><li>Hugh William MERRIMAN,</li><li>Stephen James METCALFE,</li><li>Amanda Anne MILLING,</li><li>Nigel John MILLS,</li><li>Andrew John Bower MITCHELL,</li><li>Damien MOORE,</li><li>Nikola Ann MORGAN,</li><li>James George MORRIS,</li><li>David Gordon MUNDELL,</li><li>Cheryl MURRAY,</li><li>Andrew William MURRISON,</li><li>Robert James MacGillivray NEILL,</li><li>Sarah Louise NEWTON,</li><li>Alexander Jesse NORMAN,</li><li>Neil O'BRIEN,</li><li>Neil Quentin PARISH,</li><li>Mark Julian Francis PAWSEY,</li><li>John David PENROSE,</li><li>Christopher Ian Brian Mynott PHILP,</li><li>Rebecca Faye Clark POW,</li><li>Victoria Mary Boswell PRENTIS,</li><li>Mark Andrew PRITCHARD,</li><li>Thomas Christopher John PURSGLOVE,</li><li>Jeremy Mark QUIN,</li><li>William James QUINCE,</li><li>John Alan REDWOOD,</li><li>Lawrence Anthony ROBERTSON,</li><li>Mary Josephine ROBINSON,</li><li>Douglas Gordon ROSS,</li><li>Lee Benjamin ROWLEY,</li><li>David Henry RUTLEY,</li><li>Paul Stuart SCULLY,</li><li>Andrew Edmund Armstrong SELOUS,</li><li>Richard James SHANNON,</li><li>Alec Edward SHELBROOKE,</li><li>Christopher James SKIDMORE,</li><li>Chloe Rebecca SMITH,</li><li>Henry Edward SMITH,</li><li>Julian Richard SMITH,</li><li>Royston Matthew SMITH,</li><li>Arthur Nicholas Winston SOAMES,</li><li>Andrew George STEPHENSON,</li><li>Andrew John STEVENSON,</li><li>Robert Alexander STEWART,</li><li>Roderick James STEWART,</li><li>Gary Nicholas STREETER,</li><li>Melvin John STRIDE,</li><li>Graham Charles STUART,</li><li>Desmond Angus SWAYNE,</li><li>Robert Andrew Raymond SYMS,</li><li>Derek Gordon THOMAS,</li><li>Margaret Ann THROUP,</li><li>Kelly Jane TOLHURST,</li><li>Justin Paul TOMLINSON,</li><li>Michael James TOMLINSON,</li><li>Craig Paul TRACEY,</li><li>David Arthur Stephen TREDENNICK,</li><li>Shailesh Lackman VARA,</li><li>Martin John VICKERS,</li><li>Theresa Ann VILLERS,</li><li>Robin Caspar WALKER,</li><li>David John WARBURTON,</li><li>Matthew Robert WARMAN,</li><li>Helen Olivia Bicknell WHATELY,</li><li>Heather Kay WHEELER,</li><li>Craig WHITTAKER,</li><li>John Flasby Lawrance WHITTINGDALE,</li><li>William David WIGGIN,</li><li>Sarah WOLLASTON,</li><li>Mike John WOOD,</li><li>William Peter WRAGG,</li><li>Jeremy Paul WRIGHT.</li></ol></ol><h3><u><strong>Labour MPs</strong></u></h3><ol><li>Lindsay Harvey HOYLE, Speaker of the House of Commons,</li><li>Diane Julie ABBOTT,</li><li>Deborah Angela Elspeth Marie ABRAHAMS,</li><li>Michael Lee AMESBURY,</li><li>Antonia Louise ANTONIAZZI,</li><li>Jonathan Michael Graham ASHWORTH,</li><li>Margaret Mary BECKETT,</li><li>Clive James Charles BETTS,</li><li>Paul Christopher BLOMFIELD,</li><li>Kevin Denis BRENNAN,</li><li>Karen Patricia BUCK,</li><li>Richard BURGON,</li><li>Don Petula BUTLER,</li><li>Alan CAMPBELL,</li><li>Dan Joseph CARDEN,</li><li>Charalambos CHARALAMBOUS,</li><li>Vernon Rodney COAKER,</li><li>Neil Alan John COYLE,</li><li>Stella Judith CREASY,</li><li>Judith Mary Cummins,</li><li>Janet Jessica DABY,</li><li>Tarnmanjeet Singh DHESI,</li><li>Peter Christopher DOWD,</li><li>Rosie Clare DUFFIELD,</li><li>Chris Philip James ELMORE,</li><li>Victoria Jane FOXCROFT,</li><li>Barry Strachan GARDINER,</li><li>Ruth Stephanie Nicole GEORGE,</li><li>Preet Kaur GILL,</li><li>John Timothy GROGAN,</li><li>Louise HAIGH,</li><li>Fabian UZIELL-HAMILTON,</li><li>David George HANSON,</li><li>Carolin HARRIS,</li><li>Susan Mary HAYMAN,</li><li>John HEALEY,</li><li>Margaret Olivia HILLIER,</li><li>Sharon HODGSON,</li><li>George Edward HOWARTH,</li><li>Daniel Owen Woolgar JARVIS,</li><li>Darren Paul JONES,</li><li>Gerald JONES,</li><li>Mohammed Afzal KHAN,</li><li>Peter KYLE,</li><li>Ian LAVERY,</li><li>Emma Louise LEWELL-BUCK,</li><li>Anthony Joseph LLOYD,</li><li>Justin Piers Richard MADDERS,</li><li>Khalid MAHMOOD,</li><li>Rachel Helen MASKELL,</li><li>Christian MATHESON,</li><li>Kerry Gillian MCCARTHY,</li><li>Conor Patrick MCGINN,</li><li>James Ignatius O'Rourke MCMAHON,</li><li>James Ian MEARNS,</li><li>Stephen James MORGAN,</li><li>Ian MURRAY,</li><li>Alexander James Jordan NORRIS,</li><li>Stephanie Louise PEACOCK,</li><li>Luke POLLARD,</li><li>Eleanor Claire REEVES,</li><li>Matthew Richard Allen RODDA,</li><li>Lloyd Cameron RUSSELL-MOYLE,</li><li>Jeff SMITH,</li><li>Nicholas Desmond John SMITH,</li><li>Karin Marguerite SMYTH,</li><li>Alexander David SOBEL,</li><li>John Francis SPELLAR,</li><li>Mark Richard TAMI,</li><li>Gareth Richard THOMAS,</li><li>Stephen Creswell TIMMS,</li><li>Mary Elizabeth TWIST,</li><li>Alan Patrick Vincent WHITEHEAD,</li><li>Daniel Stephen ZEICHNER.</li></ol>

Russia sanctions almost 300 British MPs in retaliatory move, but its list includes several errors

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b181b5a1ae6623e008b4d53-1500/gettyimages-543370030.jpg" border="0" alt="Minnesota Lynx President Obama White House" data-mce-source="Mark Wilson/Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>Mark Wilson/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">The Minnesota Lynx visiting President Obama at the White House after winning the 2015 WNBA championship.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The Minnesota Lynx were not invited to visit the White House in honor of their most recent WNBA championship. The Lynx had previously made White House visits.  </strong></li><li><strong>Instead, the team will spend time giving away socks and shoes at a public school. </strong></li><li><strong>President Trump also recently withdrew the invite to the Philadelphia Eagles to attend the White House. </strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />The Minnesota Lynx, the reigning champions of the WNBA, were not invited to the White House for a ceremony honoring their achievement, as they had been after their three previous WNBA championships, according <a href="http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-lynx-doing-community-service-after-not-being-invited-to-white-house/484602461/">to Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune.</a></p><p>Instead of a White House visit, the team will give away socks and shoes at a local school, in partnership with the charity Samaritan's Feet. </p><p><span>"We want to serve," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said, per Youngblood. "We want to give back, show that this is what champions do."</span></p><p><span>This news about the Lynx comes on the heels of President Trump dramatically <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/philadelphia-eagles-white-house-visit-canceled-trump-national-anthem-2018-6">withdrawing his invite to the Philadelphia Eagles</a> to attend the White House, most likely<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-philadelphia-eagles-white-house-visit-2018-6"> due to how few Eagles players would have shown up.</a></span></p><p><span>However, no clear reason was given for why the Lynx were not invited to the White House. </span></p><p><span>Youngblood did note that the Lynx may have passed on the invite, writing: "It's unclear whether the team would have gone to the White House had it been invited. Forward Rebekkah Brunson said shortly after the 2017 title was won that she would not accept an invite."</span></p><p><span>And, as noted by Youngblood, LeBron James recently expressed disappointment that the Lynx were not invited to the White House. </span></p><p><span>"It's laughable at this point . . . for them not to even be invited - playing our beautiful game of basketball, those women, those girls are unbelievable in doing it - it's laughable."</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-football-cheerleaders-headlines-discrimination-harassment-compensation-social-media-2018-5">NFL cheerleaders reveal the best and worst parts of their job</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/ClmgU15Z-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

You Searched For "Cheryl Reeve" and got 9 results

The reigning WNBA Coach of the Year mocked Kim Mulkey for her anti-mask antics during a recent press conference

Meredith Cash

Diana Taurasi kicked a fellow WNBA legend in the stomach, and she wasn't whistled for the 'egregious' foul

Meredith Cash

Team USA dropped 145 points to break a basketball World Cup record — but some are calling it poor sportsmanship

Meredith Cash

A WNBA All-Star returned to the court 10 weeks after giving birth, then brought her baby to the post-game press conference

Meredith Cash

Becky Hammon says she's been stealing WNBA coaches' plays to use in NBA games 'for a while'

Meredith Cash

A-Rod's $1.5 billion Minnesota Timberwolves purchase includes the WNBA's Lynx - but you wouldn't know it from his statement

Meredith Cash

Russia sanctions almost 300 British MPs in retaliatory move, but its list includes several errors

Catherine Neilan

WNBA champions Minnesota Lynx were reportedly never invited to the White House, but went to DC anyway to do community service

Brandon Wiggins

2022 WNBA Season Preview: Championship picks, storylines and must-watch matchups

Meredith Cash