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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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  3.  <title>Canis Hoopus -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>82-0</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48315/canis_hoopus_favicon.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2025-07-05T21:28:49-05:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.canishoopus.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2025-07-05T21:28:49-05:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2025-07-05T21:28:49-05:00</updated>
  12.    <title>Lynx 82, Valkyries 71: Suffocating Defense Leads to 16th Win</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="Golden State Valkyries vs Minnesota Lynx" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bGMTfgx7zDZVcozbkEOgQWkiGWs=/0x0:5223x3482/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74164335/2223101960.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Lynx continued their winning ways at Target Center on Saturday, giving up just 11 points in the fourth quarter for their 16th win of the season.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="28z88T"&gt;While many are taking time off over the holiday weekend, the Minnesota Lynx continued with the packed portion of their schedule on Saturday Night against the Golden State Valkyries. It was time the Valkyries played at Target Center, this being their inaugural season in the &lt;a href="https://www.swishappeal.com"&gt;WNBA&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p id="9gQQEH"&gt;The Lynx got off to a slow start, struggling to put the ball in the basket while falling behind 8-3. Kayla McBride was an early source of offense, scoring the Lynx’s first five points of the game, including a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws. She also got the Lynx going with her passing, dishing out dimes to Alanna Smith and Napheesa Collier early in the game.&lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;div id="MnXIhq"&gt;
  23. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  24. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;POCKET PASS.   &lt;a href="https://t.co/C7fWCxAv8x"&gt;pic.twitter.com/C7fWCxAv8x&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/minnesotalynx/status/1941651305933512830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  25. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  26. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  27.  
  28. &lt;/div&gt;
  29. &lt;p id="2aRukE"&gt;Minnesota got settled into the game, taking a ten-point lead midway through the second quarter. The Valkyries wouldn’t go down without a fight, though, as they found gaps within the Lynx defense, converting 13 of their next 19 shots after falling down double-digits, taking a two-point lead halfway through the third quarter.&lt;/p&gt;
  30. &lt;p id="1OCkEB"&gt;Alanna Smith exited the game at this point with a knee injury and did not return to the game. She finished the game with five points, playing fantastic defense over the 18 minutes she ended up playing.&lt;/p&gt;
  31. &lt;p id="LLZcYb"&gt;The Lynx, as they have done all season, responded with a great stretch of basketball. They held Golden State to just four points the remainder of the quarter, while scoring 15 points of their own to flip the two-point deficit into a nine-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Diamond Miller capped off the third quarter with a 3-pointer after doing the same to close out the first.&lt;/p&gt;
  32. &lt;div id="C4uRV1"&gt;
  33. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  34. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;PUT THOSE   IN THE AIR. &lt;a href="https://t.co/o7Ie0W9oaI"&gt;pic.twitter.com/o7Ie0W9oaI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/minnesotalynx/status/1941669787458748588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  35. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  36. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  37.  
  38. &lt;/div&gt;
  39. &lt;p id="EnX3so"&gt;With a chance to put the game away early in the fourth quarter, the Minnesota defense put a vice grip on Golden State, holding them without a field goal for almost eight minutes. From 3:25 in the third quarter to 5:27 in the fourth quarter, the Valkyries missed ten straight shots, allowing the Lynx to go on a 19-2 run during that time frame.&lt;/p&gt;
  40. &lt;p id="lrqIy2"&gt;By the time the Valkyries were able to put a shot in the basketball, they found themselves down by 15 points, with Bridget Carleton capping off the run for the Lynx with the dagger 3-pointer.&lt;/p&gt;
  41. &lt;div id="0ScEj4"&gt;
  42. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  43. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;BC FOR...&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;y'all know the rest.   &lt;a href="https://t.co/O0MfpDcUYN"&gt;pic.twitter.com/O0MfpDcUYN&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/minnesotalynx/status/1941673112950522154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 6, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  44. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  45. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  46.  
  47. &lt;/div&gt;
  48. &lt;p id="jiiYLo"&gt;The Lynx would go on to win the game 82-71, bringing their season record to an outstanding 16-2. Collier continued on her path to the MVP award, scoring 22 points on 8-11 shooting to go along with six rebounds, a block, and a steal. McBride and Courtney Williams combined for 27 points, including five 3-pointers. Tiffany Hayes led the way for Golden State with 23 points.&lt;/p&gt;
  49. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="sExjGy"&gt;
  50. &lt;h2 id="rVHY8P"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Up Next&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  51. &lt;p id="JYgvks"&gt;The Lynx play their first back-to-back of the season tomorrow night, right back at Target Center for a matchup with Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. The game begins at 6:00 PM CT, airing on FanDuel Sports Network.&lt;/p&gt;
  52. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="xnc19d"&gt;
  53. &lt;h2 id="07uYfr"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Highlights&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  54. &lt;div id="WYrZu0"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FkD6Rw8PZQE?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer *; clipboard-write *; encrypted-media *; gyroscope *; picture-in-picture *; web-share *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  55.  
  56. </content>
  57.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/5/24462273/lynx-vs-valkyries-wnba-final-score-game-recap-napheesa-collier-diamond-miller-kayla-mcbride"/>
  58.    <id>https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/5/24462273/lynx-vs-valkyries-wnba-final-score-game-recap-napheesa-collier-diamond-miller-kayla-mcbride</id>
  59.    <author>
  60.      <name>Ryan Eichten</name>
  61.    </author>
  62.  </entry>
  63.  <entry>
  64.    <published>2025-07-05T14:15:02-05:00</published>
  65.    <updated>2025-07-05T14:15:02-05:00</updated>
  66.    <title>NAW Signing Viewed Among Most Impactful in NBA Free-Agency Poll</title>
  67.    <content type="html">  
  68.  
  69.    &lt;figure&gt;
  70.      &lt;img alt="2025 NBA Western Conference Finals - Minnesota Timberwolves v Oklahoma City Thunder" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Sox1TS115HiCmFXUo7nfUkIqAwU=/0x0:8138x5425/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74163998/2215849080.0.jpg" /&gt;
  71.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  72.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  73.  
  74.  &lt;p&gt;Nickeil Alexander-Walker has departed Minnesota and joined the Atlanta Hawks. An SB Nation Fan Poll has the NAW signing among the most impactful this off-season. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="w8rlRB"&gt;Fourth of July weekend used to be about burgers, fireworks, and that one uncle who thinks cornhole is an Olympic sport. Now it’s “refresh NBA Twitter every six seconds while pretending to watch the kids in the sprinkler.” And for Wolves fans? It’s been a weird mix of relief (Naz and Randle are back!) and low-grade dread (cue the melancholy Nickeil Alexander-Walker mixtape).&lt;/p&gt;
  75. &lt;h3 id="TUEeKC"&gt;Minnesota’s Quiet (but Expensive) July 1&lt;/h3&gt;
  76. &lt;p id="muDkcE"&gt;Let’s recap the ledger:&lt;/p&gt;
  77. &lt;p id="1eNFxg"&gt;Naz Reid extended for 5 yrs / $125 M, Julius Randle extended for 3 yrs / $100 M, and Joe Ingalls (because vibes) returns for 1 yr / vet min.&lt;/p&gt;
  78. &lt;p id="VmzPw8"&gt;That’s … pretty much it. No mid-level magic, no sneaky sign-and-trade, just run-it-back energy and one last Jingles cameo so he can keep telling Ant how much better Bluey is than Paw Patrol.&lt;/p&gt;
  79. &lt;h3 id="dAUiKn"&gt;The SB Nation Free-Agency Poll&lt;/h3&gt;
  80. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  81.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7WiR3qLAD50ezGHFR9U-SDLCBPA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26047891/_National_1_070225.png"&gt;
  82.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  83. &lt;p id="Ptt8wk"&gt;Over at SB Nation Reacts, fans were asked: “Which free agent will have the biggest impact on his new team?” Results:&lt;/p&gt;
  84. &lt;ol&gt;
  85. &lt;li id="iBWNko"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Myles Turner to Milwaukee — 39 %&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  86. &lt;li id="kaVb2u"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;D’Angelo Russell to Dallas — 21 %&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  87. &lt;li id="4sL0Zb"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Atlanta — 18 %&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  88. &lt;/ol&gt;
  89. &lt;p id="UdttUY"&gt;Couple of thoughts:&lt;/p&gt;
  90. &lt;ul&gt;
  91. &lt;li id="L3Bqlm"&gt;DLo finishing ahead of NAW is like giving a Golden Globe to &lt;em&gt;Entourage&lt;/em&gt; Season 8 over &lt;em&gt;The Bear&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
  92. &lt;li id="hLmfpZ"&gt;Wolves Twitter still calls the 2023 Conley/DLo swap “Tim Connelly’s Mona Lisa.” Seeing Russell leapfrog NAW in a popularity poll is the hoops equivalent of watching the cover band get a bigger crowd than the artist who actually wrote the song. Annoying? Definitely. But deep down, you know who had the real talent.&lt;/li&gt;
  93. &lt;li id="xsnns0"&gt;The poll forgot Luka Garza to Boston—unforgivable.&lt;/li&gt;
  94. &lt;/ul&gt;
  95. &lt;h3 id="oCRrJm"&gt;What Losing NAW Actually Means&lt;/h3&gt;
  96. &lt;p id="x79MSU"&gt;Last season, NAW gave Finch a Swiss-Army defender who could moonlight as emergency point guard, hit corner threes, and bring locker-room serotonin. You can &lt;em&gt;theoretically&lt;/em&gt; replace those minutes with Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark, but “theoretically” is a scary word when your only true ball-handlers are 37-year-old Mike Conley and Rob “Still On Training Wheels” Dillingham.&lt;/p&gt;
  97. &lt;p id="KbCgV2"&gt;Translation: Connelly needs to land the Wolves a vet PG on a reasonable contract—think Monte Morris, Malcolm Brogdon. Someone who can dribble the ball across half court without Ant wasting calories or Conley combusting.&lt;/p&gt;
  98. &lt;h3 id="I8rApb"&gt;West Watch: Everyone Else Got Better&lt;/h3&gt;
  99. &lt;ul&gt;
  100. &lt;li id="M5oWGJ"&gt;
  101. &lt;strong&gt;Denver&lt;/strong&gt; quietly added bench shooting; Jokic is still a cyborg.&lt;/li&gt;
  102. &lt;li id="DjdJpp"&gt;
  103. &lt;strong&gt;OKC&lt;/strong&gt; didn’t lose anyone important.&lt;/li&gt;
  104. &lt;li id="GVLkIf"&gt;
  105. &lt;strong&gt;Houston&lt;/strong&gt; YOLO-ed for Kevin Durant. Either a masterstroke or the sequel to &lt;em&gt;Phoenix 2024: The Meltdown&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
  106. &lt;/ul&gt;
  107. &lt;p id="rgLy0Z"&gt;So the Wolves’ path back to the West finals isn’t cleaner—it’s messier.&lt;/p&gt;
  108. &lt;h3 id="tnKCne"&gt;Silver Lining: Continuity + Super-Ant&lt;/h3&gt;
  109. &lt;p id="B9o65n"&gt;Running it back isn’t sexy, but it works if:&lt;/p&gt;
  110. &lt;ol&gt;
  111. &lt;li id="gFKUlj"&gt;
  112. &lt;strong&gt;Ant&lt;/strong&gt; returns with a Shai-style mid-range package and a sprinkle of Kobe footwork.&lt;/li&gt;
  113. &lt;li id="FiyBTX"&gt;
  114. &lt;strong&gt;McDaniels&lt;/strong&gt; unlocks “corner-three + 18-foot pull-up” mode.&lt;/li&gt;
  115. &lt;li id="a3T0p3"&gt;
  116. &lt;strong&gt;TSJ or Clark&lt;/strong&gt; becomes Diet-NAW by January.&lt;/li&gt;
  117. &lt;/ol&gt;
  118. &lt;p id="57h5lM"&gt;If those boxes get checked, Minnesota can absolutely stay in the 55-win neighborhood—and maybe finally kick the OKC monkey off their back.&lt;/p&gt;
  119. &lt;h3 id="kocwyu"&gt;Final Take&lt;/h3&gt;
  120. &lt;p id="OAMkDn"&gt;The Wolves entered free agency with two jobs: keep their core and dodge the second apron. Mission (mostly) accomplished. Now it’s about finding that one bargain-bin point guard and banking on internal growth. In July, that sounds responsible; in May, we’ll see if “responsible” beats SGA and Jalen Williams.&lt;/p&gt;
  121. &lt;p id="ZOPaXe"&gt;And hey, if you’re feeling spicy about how these moves shift the title odds, &lt;a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba"&gt;FanDuel Sportsbook&lt;/a&gt; already has updated NBA futures—yes, you can bet the Wolves to win it all at +1700 while you’re still digesting your barbecue.&lt;/p&gt;
  122. &lt;p id="eoAsPY"&gt;Enjoy the holiday weekend, Wolves Nation!&lt;/p&gt;
  123.  
  124. </content>
  125.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/5/24462147/naw-signing-viewed-among-most-impactful-in-nba-free-agency-poll"/>
  126.    <id>https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/5/24462147/naw-signing-viewed-among-most-impactful-in-nba-free-agency-poll</id>
  127.    <author>
  128.      <name>Derek Hanson</name>
  129.    </author>
  130.  </entry>
  131.  <entry>
  132.    <published>2025-07-03T21:23:11-05:00</published>
  133.    <updated>2025-07-03T21:23:11-05:00</updated>
  134.    <title>Lynx 92, Mystics 75: The Get Back Game</title>
  135.    <content type="html">  
  136.  
  137.    &lt;figure&gt;
  138.      &lt;img alt="Washington Mystics vs Minnesota Lynx" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/R-jIaXDK7-FmEjUOeX9NChiEHvs=/616x355:3492x2272/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74161995/2222722168.0.jpg" /&gt;
  139.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  140.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  141.  
  142.  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The two-time Player of the Month, Napheesa Collier, leads Minnesota to a revenge win against Washington. Her 28 points helped them recover from down 10 points to leading by as much as 18.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h3 id="MrCYPE"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Game Story&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  143. &lt;p id="12VSHP"&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Lynx &lt;/strong&gt;probably couldn’t get back on the hardwood any sooner. After a night to forget on Tuesday in the Commissioner’s Cup final, the Lynx could still taste the bitter taste of defeat in their mouths. Lucky for them, it took less than 48 hours for them to try and avenge a prior disappointing loss against the &lt;strong&gt;Washington Mystics&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  144. &lt;p id="IJXyMO"&gt;Just over a week ago, Minnesota suffered their second loss of the season against Washington, though both teams were missing their best players.&lt;/p&gt;
  145. &lt;p id="QaiQnO"&gt;This time, Napheesa Collier and Brittney Sykes were suited up.&lt;/p&gt;
  146. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  147.        &lt;img alt="Washington Mystics v Minnesota Lynx" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_LJ86ExSTZcN5TPoNrhdQFqTmVw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26046734/2222718150.jpg"&gt;
  148.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  149. &lt;p id="QRNIkn"&gt;Right out of the gates, both teams had some jitters in the rematch. They exchanged dueling turnovers, but it was the home team Lynx that struggled to put the ball in the hoop. The Mystics took the opportunity to attack the paint early and often for an early lead. A trio of Minnesota triples helped them battle back, but they still stared at a 10-point deficit just before the end of the first quarter.&lt;/p&gt;
  150. &lt;p id="uicr5G"&gt;The game continue to proceed at a choppy pace. The Lynx point of attack defense and rotations were not adequate. The Mystics bench got loose for 18 first half points compared to just 4 for Minnesota. Washington’s fringe rotation rookie, Lucy Olsen, notched a career-high 19 points, torturing her defenders with timely scores.&lt;/p&gt;
  151. &lt;p id="sokw3O"&gt;Thankfully, the Lynx have league-leading MVP candidate, Napheesa Collier.&lt;/p&gt;
  152. &lt;p id="3uZE9x"&gt;After a rough previous outing against Indiana and a donut in the first quarter, she poured in 10 points in the second quarter on a flurry of makes. Alanna Smith, who struggled converting on a handful of wide open layups and triples earlier, finally canned a buzzer-beating trey to end the half.&lt;/p&gt;
  153. &lt;p id="8dY9Lp"&gt;It capped off a 17-5 Minnesota run, vaulting them ahead by a score of 43-38 heading into the tunnels.&lt;/p&gt;
  154. &lt;h5 id="0Zowob"&gt;
  155. &lt;strong&gt;(If you are reading this on Apple News, please &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/e/24225135"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;click here&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt; so you can view embedded videos important to the analysis and enjoy the best overall reading experience.)&lt;/strong&gt;
  156. &lt;/h5&gt;
  157. &lt;div id="p1ZTr9"&gt;
  158. &lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4vziktoq7p6jd3i5l3wtmfab/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt3zjdxycc2r" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreig7mlckkccbbtaa4anfstuxm6rpach3yoetypw6fiusc5okkmbcq4"&gt;
  159. &lt;p lang="en"&gt;Alanna Smith beats the buzzer to cap a 17-5 run that gives the Lynx a 5 point lead at the half&lt;/p&gt;— &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4vziktoq7p6jd3i5l3wtmfab?ref_src=embed"&gt;CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4vziktoq7p6jd3i5l3wtmfab/post/3lt3zjdxycc2r?ref_src=embed"&gt;2025-07-04T00:49:42.518Z&lt;/a&gt;
  160. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  161. &lt;script async="" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  162. &lt;/div&gt;
  163. &lt;p id="4gTObo"&gt;Minnesota started the second half the exact same way as they ended the first. Smith swished another corner three-ball off beautiful hammer action. This sent another jolt of energy into the packed Target Center crowd which the Lynx used as momentum to carry them into a 14-6 run.&lt;/p&gt;
  164. &lt;p id="NQjBC1"&gt;The third quarter was mostly a highlight festival. Kayla McBride jumping out of bounds to save a ball leading to a Collier three pointer. A disgusting Collier rejection on Aaliyah Edwards leading to a Diamond Miller triple. Classic Courtney Williams mid-range showcase. Jessica Shepard bullying defenders in the paint. The lead swelled up to as much as 18 late in the third.&lt;/p&gt;
  165. &lt;div id="ELuUOQ"&gt;
  166. &lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:rd3xjqinklzohadsvnwyuui3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt44qly4422j" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreib6yacahtnun52imi7y44fxpwlioehqwmo3m6uhpua3eog3n2ebk4"&gt;
  167. &lt;p lang="en"&gt;Here's the sequence I was talking about. Just a fundamental EXPERT&lt;/p&gt;— &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:rd3xjqinklzohadsvnwyuui3?ref_src=embed"&gt;Leo S (@yoleo.bsky.social)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:rd3xjqinklzohadsvnwyuui3/post/3lt44qly4422j?ref_src=embed"&gt;2025-07-04T01:47:26.240Z&lt;/a&gt;
  168. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  169. &lt;script async="" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  170. &lt;/div&gt;
  171. &lt;p id="ABikwG"&gt;The lead never got less than 13 from there.&lt;/p&gt;
  172. &lt;p id="sorM4r"&gt;The starters got a few extra minutes of run midway through the final quarter which allowed Collier to easily bump her scoring total up to 28 points. The Minnesota bench emptied with three minutes left in the game.&lt;/p&gt;
  173. &lt;p id="KJScEf"&gt;Collier said before the game, “This is a reset for us... A get-back game to be the team we say we are.”&lt;/p&gt;
  174. &lt;div id="gtZNP7"&gt;
  175. &lt;blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:rd3xjqinklzohadsvnwyuui3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt45tr5tp22j" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreicakywtdin2wzrd2ebesba7gusi4j23rhcp5jeqin2lpitsrq6jga"&gt;
  176. &lt;p lang="en"&gt;Phee: "This was a bit of a redemption game for us so I'm glad we came out swinging."
  177.  
  178. 28 PTS
  179. 5 REB
  180. 4 AST
  181. 1 STL
  182. 2 BLK
  183. 11/21 FG
  184. +20 +/-
  185.  
  186. Yeah... that'll do it.&lt;/p&gt;— &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:rd3xjqinklzohadsvnwyuui3?ref_src=embed"&gt;Leo S (@yoleo.bsky.social)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:rd3xjqinklzohadsvnwyuui3/post/3lt45tr5tp22j?ref_src=embed"&gt;2025-07-04T02:07:06.738Z&lt;/a&gt;
  187. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  188. &lt;script async="" src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  189. &lt;/div&gt;
  190. &lt;p id="qHlSer"&gt;The reigning Player of the Month definitely “got back” tonight. The Lynx improved to 15-2 which is 2.5 games ahead of the New York Liberty in second.&lt;/p&gt;
  191. &lt;h3 id="Rty8Ek"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick Hits&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  192. &lt;ul&gt;
  193. &lt;li id="0wiCe6"&gt;How impressive is it that Napheesa Collier score 28 points in three quarters? Just elite, elite stuff after struggling in her previous game.&lt;/li&gt;
  194. &lt;li id="FV8XNL"&gt;Courtney Williams deserves some flowers for her 10 point, 6 rebound, 8 assist, and 5 steal (!) game. A much needed bounce back for her as well.&lt;/li&gt;
  195. &lt;li id="YPpmUk"&gt;Jessica Shepard and Natisha Hiedeman are becoming quite the tandem off the bench. Their energy and motor they play with seem to always energize the team when needed.&lt;/li&gt;
  196. &lt;li id="pTthPD"&gt;Four Lynx starters scored in double-digits, minus Bridget Carleton who finished with 8 points. Great team basketball from both the starters and the bench.&lt;/li&gt;
  197. &lt;li id="kU0EJd"&gt;Karlie Samuelson remained out for the Lynx, who was spotted pregame on crutches. She’s only been listed with a “foot injury,” but it looks like it could be something more serious.&lt;/li&gt;
  198. &lt;/ul&gt;
  199. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="902Ntl"&gt;
  200. &lt;h3 id="Cf2TZO"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Highlights&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  201. &lt;div id="gsz5En"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zk5AHTWyHMs?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer *; clipboard-write *; encrypted-media *; gyroscope *; picture-in-picture *; web-share *;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  202. &lt;h3 id="ymoOfG"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Box Score&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  203. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  204.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lzAbUHdSBISIe5w50audddxQV14=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26046726/lynx_mystics_july_box.png"&gt;
  205.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  206. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="QGrjQb"&gt;
  207. &lt;h3 id="JfedQ7"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Up Next&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  208. &lt;p id="xDfiuJ"&gt;Minnesota continues through their marathon of six games in 10 nights. For the very first time, they will host the &lt;strong&gt;San Francisco Valkyries &lt;/strong&gt;(9-7)&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;on &lt;strong&gt;Saturday, July 5th &lt;/strong&gt;at &lt;strong&gt;7:00 PM CT&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  209. &lt;p id="VyTDRx"&gt;The Lynx were able to handle the surprisingly competitive Valkyries in their initial meeting a month ago. They used a big 24-5 run in the second half to cruise to a 86-75 win.&lt;/p&gt;
  210. &lt;aside id="AkLQrc"&gt;&lt;div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Napheesa Collier Returns, Win Streak Never Left ","url":"https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/6/1/24441218/wnba-score-minnesota-lynx-golden-state-valkyries-napheesa-collier-courtney-williams-kate-martin"}]}'&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/aside&gt;
  211.  
  212. </content>
  213.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/3/24461094/wnba-final-score-minnesota-lynx-washington-mystics-napheesa-collier-courtney-williams-alanna-smith"/>
  214.    <id>https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/3/24461094/wnba-final-score-minnesota-lynx-washington-mystics-napheesa-collier-courtney-williams-alanna-smith</id>
  215.    <author>
  216.      <name>Leo Sun</name>
  217.    </author>
  218.  </entry>
  219.  <entry>
  220.    <published>2025-07-03T11:55:38-05:00</published>
  221.    <updated>2025-07-03T11:55:38-05:00</updated>
  222.    <title>Napheesa Collier Continues Sweep of Player of the Month Awards</title>
  223.    <content type="html">  
  224.  
  225.    &lt;figure&gt;
  226.      &lt;img alt="Connecticut Sun v Minnesota Lynx" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y6Lu_iY_EJ1SrSjXSlOW6YiwohA=/744x375:6184x4002/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74161339/2222082779.0.jpg" /&gt;
  227.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  228.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  229.  
  230.  &lt;p&gt;First June, now July. Phee cannot be stopped as she earns her third career Player of the Month award.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="LXq6WB"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Napheesa Collier&lt;/strong&gt; is the best player in the &lt;a href="https://www.swishappeal.com"&gt;WNBA&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  231. &lt;p id="GYLJnH"&gt;The league agrees with that statement as it was announced today that she earned her second consecutive Kia WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month honor. She averaged 22.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as the Lynx notched an 8-2 record for the month of June. Pair those offensive stats with her stellar defense and it was an easy choice to award her this honor.&lt;/p&gt;
  232. &lt;div id="JihM2t"&gt;
  233. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  234. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;The best in the West 2x this szn  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Napheesa Collier has shown pure dominance on the court, and propelled the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/minnesotalynx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@minnesotalynx&lt;/a&gt; to a 8-2 record with 22.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 4.1 APG in June&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This makes her the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Kia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@Kia&lt;/a&gt; Western Conference Player of the Month  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KiaPOTM?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#KiaPOTM&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeToTheW?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#WelcomeToTheW&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/0pw9JJvRQB"&gt;pic.twitter.com/0pw9JJvRQB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— WNBA (@WNBA) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1940808841727562159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 3, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  235. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  236. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  237.  
  238. &lt;/div&gt;
  239. &lt;p id="mSkw0L"&gt;Collier has been levels above everyone in the W this season and the accolades keep piling up as the MVP candidate has earned both of the conference player of the month awards so far.&lt;/p&gt;
  240. &lt;p id="x3SgNf"&gt;One of her biggest highlights of June came against the Los Angeles Sparks where she dominated the first half, scoring 26 points. That’s the same amount that the Sparks scored as an entire &lt;em&gt;team&lt;/em&gt;. This is just one of her many outstanding games if you look at the Lynx game logs in June. That is the level she has been at for nearly the entire season. &lt;/p&gt;
  241. &lt;p id="dV7tzP"&gt;While the Lynx experienced more hiccups in this month than in May (which was easy to do as they did not lose a game in May), they are still firmly in first place in the standings as we near the midpoint of the season. Collier has powered much of that and the league took notice as she was elected an All-Star Captain.&lt;/p&gt;
  242. &lt;div id="alJMJJ"&gt;
  243. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  244. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Napheesa Collier heads to her 5th All-Star Game as Team Collier captain for the FIRST TIME, representing the West  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;She leads the W in scoring with 24.5 PPG, including 8.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG. Watch Phee lead the West July 19 on ABC at 8:30pm/ET! &lt;a href="https://t.co/rtKxdf87Cv"&gt;pic.twitter.com/rtKxdf87Cv&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— WNBA (@WNBA) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1939414467189551612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 29, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  245. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  246. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  247.  
  248. &lt;/div&gt;
  249. &lt;p id="RPAHm3"&gt;On top of all this success on the court, she also was featured on the cover of SLAM magazine. She’s taken the league by storm and looks to keep leading the charge for Minnesota as the regular season rolls on.&lt;/p&gt;
  250. &lt;p id="MLqwWy"&gt;A great player doing great things.&lt;/p&gt;
  251. &lt;p id="gz6F3q"&gt;You can catch the June Western Conference Player of the Month as the Lynx return to action tonight against the Washington Mystics.&lt;/p&gt;
  252. &lt;div id="wC2TPj"&gt;
  253. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  254. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;You can look, but you won’t find anyone else like Napheesa Collier, on or off the court. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The Minnesota Lynx SUPERSTAR is the favorite to win MVP this summer. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;SLAM 257 is out now. &lt;a href="https://t.co/AQG6Ka4uR6"&gt;pic.twitter.com/AQG6Ka4uR6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— SLAM (@SLAMonline) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/SLAMonline/status/1939700263612276867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  255. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  256. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  257.  
  258. &lt;/div&gt;
  259.  
  260. </content>
  261.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/3/24461082/wnba-minnesota-lynx-napheesa-collier-western-conference-player-of-the-month-slam-magazine"/>
  262.    <id>https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/3/24461082/wnba-minnesota-lynx-napheesa-collier-western-conference-player-of-the-month-slam-magazine</id>
  263.    <author>
  264.      <name>Benny Hughes</name>
  265.    </author>
  266.  </entry>
  267.  <entry>
  268.    <published>2025-07-02T07:00:00-05:00</published>
  269.    <updated>2025-07-02T07:00:00-05:00</updated>
  270.    <title>Dear Nickeil</title>
  271.    <content type="html">  
  272.  
  273.    &lt;figure&gt;
  274.      &lt;img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_vkMe9-8A0ProzII1K-ErCj_wQE=/200x0:1280x720/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74159431/nickeil.0.png" /&gt;
  275.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  276.  
  277.  
  278.  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Nickeil Alexander-Walker has become a fan favorite for anyone, but for me, he was a revelation that made me believe I could wear my heart on my sleeve in the cutthroat world of sports.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="p-large-text" id="3QjfwI"&gt;Dear Nickeil,&lt;/p&gt;
  279. &lt;p id="JBJn4b"&gt;The offseason is a difficult time for everyone. As you head out to Atlanta, I wanted to write something for you or about you. No matter whether you read it or not, your impact on my career and my character is too large to fit into a tweet or a simple thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
  280. &lt;p id="Mv1QSz"&gt;In 2019, I started a radio show at my college. It was aired once a week, first at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, and then at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, before settling on 5:00 p.m. on Friday. It was an idiotically futile attempt at being something I wasn’t. I wanted to be professional. I wanted to talk about sports. I wanted to do so at a campus that refused to allow that.&lt;/p&gt;
  281. &lt;p id="ijDrPd"&gt;My co-host would show up to tapings high. He would sit in the corner, dead silent, or fail to show at all. Or he would yell until he peaked the mics with a quick burst of energy that would disappear as soon as it arrived. I did a lot of talking. I had a lot of bad takes. I said a lot of stuff that made no sense.&lt;/p&gt;
  282. &lt;p id="11TE2c"&gt;At the time, I was a fan unable to express myself. I dreamed of being a reporter, a historian, a calculated, well-measured speaker who only shared hot takes when he really believed them.&lt;/p&gt;
  283. &lt;p id="A4431c"&gt;I bought my own ticket to the 2019 &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft"&gt;NBA draft&lt;/a&gt;, expecting to celebrate any of my favorite prospects making it. &lt;/p&gt;
  284. &lt;p id="0LImZH"&gt;I was obsessed with Goga Bitadze. There was no one I was rooting for more than Sekou Doumbouya. PJ Washington was fascinating as a swingman who did too many things at an okay level to be bad. And yet, there was one name I tied myself to more than any other.&lt;/p&gt;
  285. &lt;p id="WZOx9p"&gt;Enter: You.&lt;/p&gt;
  286. &lt;div&gt;
  287. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  288.        &lt;img alt="NBA: NBA Draft" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UWs5to8hhvf3meutJNABNLQQrcE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26044348/usa_today_12930004.jpg"&gt;
  289.      &lt;cite&gt;Brad Penner-Imagn Images&lt;/cite&gt;
  290.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  291. &lt;/div&gt;
  292. &lt;p id="U9HquS"&gt;A lanky Hokies guard who had done his best impression of his cousin, herking and jerking your way into my heart. You were set to go in the lottery. As you fell past the &lt;a href="https://www.canishoopus.com"&gt;Minnesota Timberwolves&lt;/a&gt; vacated 11th pick and all the way down to 17th with the New Orleans Pelicans, I found myself confused.&lt;/p&gt;
  293. &lt;p id="d5AK4p"&gt;“He went way higher in my mock,” I told a friend, with the confidence that no 19-year-old should have. “He should be going way higher.”&lt;/p&gt;
  294. &lt;p id="WBbqp5"&gt;“They don’t get it like I do,” I insisted. &lt;/p&gt;
  295. &lt;p id="HdxEEY"&gt;When the COVID pandemic sent us all home, I would record the shows on my refurbished 2016 MacBook Air, which overheated so badly that I would actively burn myself from the bottom of the laptop while redrafting Toney Douglas and Trey Lyles with my two best friends.&lt;/p&gt;
  296. &lt;p id="oi2yvN"&gt;During those months that everyone either clings to or fails to recall, I learned Photoshop. I put out content that made my past work look goofy and flawed. I made friends through a now-defunct Twitter account. I even got my first Canis Hoopus retweet on a sketch of Jordan McLaughlin and Naz Reid as Calvin and Hobbes.&lt;/p&gt;
  297. &lt;div class="c-float-right"&gt;&lt;div id="SzlvIV"&gt;
  298. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  299. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;since im going down memory lane, remember when i used to do art? this was the first retweet i ever got from canis lol. crazy where things end up &lt;a href="https://t.co/OZPVAxUTun"&gt;pic.twitter.com/OZPVAxUTun&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— thilo latrell widder (@Tlo_L_W) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Tlo_L_W/status/1940129926474342542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 1, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  300. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  301. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  302.  
  303. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  304. &lt;p id="oDThTX"&gt;I was still not what I wanted to be. I was larping as an analyst. I had shirked my joy as a fan, instead viewing the sport I still love as a series of numbers and moving levers. A machine of whirring devices, devoid of the beauty I had once found in it.&lt;/p&gt;
  305. &lt;p id="sZ10Pc"&gt;In 2022, I graduated from Bennington College as the first-ever Sports Journalism graduate. I finished &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URlTSw6RQBs&amp;amp;ab_channel=The3OTRadioArchive"&gt;my thesis on the Harlem Rens&lt;/a&gt; and searched for a position that matched my degree.&lt;/p&gt;
  306. &lt;p id="2it5FS"&gt;Instead, I started teaching fifth graders. I would go home exhausted, stare at the wall for a few hours, and then head to my dad’s construction site and work there for a few more hours. And then I’d do it again the day after that. And the day after that.&lt;/p&gt;
  307. &lt;p id="gPQz11"&gt;I scratched and clawed my way through the year. It’s in this letter that I can admit that the writing sample I used for my application to Canis Hoopus was the only one I had. I got my first &lt;a href="https://www.canishoopus.com/2023/2/28/23611154/luka-garza-minnesota-timberwolves-iowa-hawkeyes-next-up-game-mvp-wu-tang-need-identity-change-nba?_gl=1*9rj9m8*"&gt;interview with Luka Garza&lt;/a&gt;, who is now a Boston Celtic, and also got to cover the 2023 All-Star game in Salt Lake City.&lt;/p&gt;
  308. &lt;p id="bKE8lO"&gt;Still, I felt like I wasn’t there yet.&lt;/p&gt;
  309. &lt;p id="KRIdjC"&gt;On February 10th, 2023, I ran home from teaching and settled in to watch the trade deadline. It was on that day that Wolves fans were graced by what may be the best trade in franchise history.&lt;/p&gt;
  310. &lt;p id="ZUOXnm"&gt;For D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota received Mike Conley, a handful of second-round picks, and you. Apparently, it was you or Rudy Gay, but that’s not important.&lt;/p&gt;
  311. &lt;p id="AuszLF"&gt;“A gangly 8th grader walked into the YMCA in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, and asked to play with the older guys...” You were a Wolf, and I was excited to &lt;a href="https://www.canishoopus.com/2023/2/10/23593424/2023-nba-trade-deadline-what-are-minnesota-timberwolves-getting-nickeil-alexander-walker"&gt;welcome you&lt;/a&gt;.  “Those same guys grew to like the kid and nicknamed him 'Popsicle’ because his legs were no bigger than a popsicle stick.”&lt;/p&gt;
  312. &lt;p id="RjEG4M"&gt;I introduced you as a coming-of-age novel. I still believed. I still thought I knew better than some GMs. &lt;/p&gt;
  313. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  314. &lt;p id="v5DIHN"&gt;On the eve of the 2021 deadline, the kid named “Popsicle” was once again faced with guys older, bigger, and stronger than him keeping him off the court. He played less than 9 minutes a game in 15 contests for Utah. He’d described the YMCA days as “cut throat”. This was as cut throat as it gets. &lt;/p&gt;
  315. &lt;p id="6KXl5u"&gt;For players drafted outside the lottery, this is how careers end. You get flipped around a few times before clinging onto summer league rosters. Instead, Walker came back to a Jazz team that had traded its two all stars and key role players, and became a valuable specialist and a real part of the rotation. &lt;/p&gt;
  316. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  317. &lt;p id="1S5b8a"&gt;As the article went on, I found myself making the appeal not just to fans, but to the coaching staff so they could see you as you were: The same excited, smiling kid I loved to watch, who was yearning for a moment to embrace. You needed a chance. I hoped they would find it for you.&lt;/p&gt;
  318. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="Cs2nz4"&gt;The kid from that YMCA court is still there. That fire, that indignant longing for success, the refusal to leave can all still be seen in Alexander-Walker’s growth since he hit rock bottom. The kid named “Popsicle” is not done yet, and could be the backcourt ice to Edwards’ fire. But this is the brink for Nickeil. This is it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  319. &lt;p id="eBLKHf"&gt;A few days later, you got to make your own introduction to Wolves fans. At the end of the conference, whether it was in passing or as part of a longer chat, you told someone from Canis Hoopus that you appreciated the welcome, that you had read a story about your “Popsicle” nickname, that it made you feel like you were at home.&lt;/p&gt;
  320. &lt;div&gt;
  321. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  322.        &lt;img alt="NBA: New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/S64oo9CgCvzKq3uutEjNl1-zSf8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26044428/usa_today_25733860.jpg"&gt;
  323.      &lt;cite&gt;Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images&lt;/cite&gt;
  324.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  325. &lt;/div&gt;
  326. &lt;p id="kkvdHL"&gt;I have never been as good at anything as you have to be to make the NBA. I have never been one of the top 500 in any skill in the world. And yet, as I found myself, you found your chance and took it, and I found a guiding force. &lt;/p&gt;
  327. &lt;p id="C5HDAa"&gt;I truly can’t thank you enough, Nickeil. We never met, yet a simple mention of something I wrote, with a simultaneous pride and understanding that it would likely not mean much to anyone, completely reshaped my belief in myself.&lt;/p&gt;
  328. &lt;p id="wnQqyF"&gt;You know it’s funny, for the years you’ve been here, I joked that reading my article was the jolt that saved your career. It was never meant seriously, just a belief which turned out better than any of the past ones, one that I wore as a badge of ball knowledge.&lt;/p&gt;
  329. &lt;p id="D9w41f"&gt;The more I look back, the more I realize the opposite is true. You would have figured it out without my research into the Toronto YMCA. Without my digging up past nicknames. Without the failed DHGate jersey order that never arrived. But I would never, ever have made it to where I am now without your kindness or incidental support. &lt;/p&gt;
  330. &lt;p id="E1LxlB"&gt;Nickeil, I could never find the words to truly capture how much I appreciate that. While this is not the end for me, it does feel like the end of an era. We never spoke, but I’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has changed my life more from afar.&lt;/p&gt;
  331. &lt;p id="yqJpa7"&gt;Hopefully, I can continue moving forward as I’m sure you will. You have a fan in me until the end of time. &lt;/p&gt;
  332. &lt;p id="DDQ02m"&gt;You’ve overcome organizational difficulty. You’ve proven yourself on the biggest stage. Now, you’re finally (monetarily) compensated fairly for it. In sports, fans put so much into the players we love. The relationship forged in the fire of the soul that basketball brings is everything I love about covering sports. &lt;/p&gt;
  333. &lt;p id="TeCxyG"&gt;I just want to thank you for carrying everything I’ve put on you over the years. You didn’t know I existed, beyond one headline from over two years ago now. &lt;/p&gt;
  334. &lt;p id="yVkFqN"&gt;Wolves fans have built a special bond with Naz Reid. I have, too.&lt;/p&gt;
  335. &lt;p id="wNspTG"&gt;But, when people ask me who my favorite Wolf of all-time is, I will simply answer “Nickeil Alexander-Walker,” the first player to ever make me feel like I had a dream worth chasing. &lt;/p&gt;
  336. &lt;p id="fQhvX5"&gt;Thank you, and good luck in Atlanta. You won’t need it, but I think it’s worth offering anyway. You created your own luck, and had enough left over for me, too. It’s hard for me to ever overstate that.&lt;/p&gt;
  337. &lt;p class="p-large-text c-end-para" id="ez4TaU"&gt;Thilo Latrell Widder&lt;/p&gt;
  338.  
  339. </content>
  340.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/2/24459365/nba-minnesota-timberwolves-atlanta-hawks-dear-nickeil-alexander-walker-free-agency"/>
  341.    <id>https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/2/24459365/nba-minnesota-timberwolves-atlanta-hawks-dear-nickeil-alexander-walker-free-agency</id>
  342.    <author>
  343.      <name>Thilo Latrell Widder</name>
  344.    </author>
  345.  </entry>
  346.  <entry>
  347.    <published>2025-07-01T21:10:22-05:00</published>
  348.    <updated>2025-07-01T21:10:22-05:00</updated>
  349.    <title>Fever 74, Lynx 59: Falling Short of Back-to-Back Cup Titles</title>
  350.    <content type="html">  
  351.  
  352.    &lt;figure&gt;
  353.      &lt;img alt="2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup - Indiana Fever v Minnesota Lynx" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rhRmva30n-UbzRShcTj8FUIA6Lg=/0x0:2996x1997/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74159019/2222375684.0.jpg" /&gt;
  354.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  355.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  356.  
  357.  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Minnesota Lynx’s attempt at back-to-back Commissioner’s Cup titles came up short, falling to the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship at Target Center.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="Mm6LbH"&gt;For the second straight year, the Minnesota Lynx took the court in the &lt;a href="https://www.swishappeal.com"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WNBA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game, coming out of the Western Conference to fight against the Indiana Fever out of the Eastern Conference for a prize pool awarded to the winning team. &lt;/p&gt;
  358. &lt;p id="GgSqLE"&gt;But this year, it didn’t end the way 2024 did for the Lynx with the Fever — without Caitlin Clark with a groin injury — coming into Target Center and defeating Minnesota 74-59 to claim the Cup trophy and the extra money awarded. &lt;/p&gt;
  359. &lt;div id="YKyHc6"&gt;
  360. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  361. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;  For the FIRST TIME in franchise history, the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/IndianaFever?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@indianafever&lt;/a&gt; are your 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup Champions!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Commissioner’s Cup presented by &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/coinbase?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@coinbase&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcometotheW?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#WelcometotheW&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/B5XahgztU5"&gt;pic.twitter.com/B5XahgztU5&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— WNBA (@WNBA) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1940230004153229461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 2, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  362. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  363. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  364.  
  365. &lt;/div&gt;
  366. &lt;p id="RxeYhm"&gt;Since the Commissioner’s Cup Championship doesn’t count towards the regular season records, the Lynx remain 14-2 and atop the WNBA while the Fever remain at 8-8 on the year. &lt;/p&gt;
  367. &lt;h2 id="r6JyRO"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick Start for Lynx&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  368. &lt;p id="8MtCkF"&gt;Minnesota wasted no time getting off to a hot start at home in Tuesday’s contest, jumping out to a double-digit lead while leading by as much as 13 points and going on a 10-0 run at one point to grab an early 20-12 lead after the first quarter.&lt;/p&gt;
  369. &lt;div id="7XAq8n"&gt;
  370. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  371. &lt;p lang="und" dir="ltr"&gt;10-0 RUN.   &lt;a href="https://t.co/bHYJplOx2a"&gt;https://t.co/bHYJplOx2a&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/yGG7PC85SL"&gt;pic.twitter.com/yGG7PC85SL&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/minnesotalynx/status/1940203291352473921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 2, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  372. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  373. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  374.  
  375. &lt;/div&gt;
  376. &lt;p id="h3wieZ"&gt;With momentum on the Lynx’s side, the tides quickly turned in the second quarter and beyond, turning the direction of the game in a matter of minutes. &lt;/p&gt;
  377. &lt;h2 id="hljNKM"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fever Take Over&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  378. &lt;p id="wQfoZQ"&gt;From the opening minutes of the second quarter, Indiana flipped a switch and stormed back into the contest. The Fever dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Lynx 20-7 in the frame to retake the game with a 32-27 lead at halftime.&lt;/p&gt;
  379. &lt;div id="4a0cZn"&gt;
  380. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  381. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;11-0 FEVER RUN! Kelsey Mitchell cooking with 8 PTS  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Prime | WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/coinbase?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@coinbase&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/eXwTx3hkRw"&gt;pic.twitter.com/eXwTx3hkRw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— WNBA (@WNBA) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1940210117728948225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 2, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  382. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  383. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  384.  
  385. &lt;/div&gt;
  386. &lt;p id="sf6sdW"&gt;In the second half, Indiana did much of the same as it did at the end of the first half, once again outscoring Minnesota in the third quarter (20-15) to extend the lead and not look back. Despite a Lynx comeback attempt late, the Fever never let up to come away victorious. &lt;/p&gt;
  387. &lt;h2 id="vQXM5V"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Offensive Struggles for Lynx&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  388. &lt;p id="ndEqrM"&gt;Entering the game with a league-leading offensive rating through 16 games, Minnesota’s offense struggled outside of the solid first quarter that resulted in the Lynx gaining an early lead. &lt;/p&gt;
  389. &lt;p id="wKMy26"&gt;As an offense, Minnesota shot 34.9% from the field while connecting on just 25% of shots from three. &lt;/p&gt;
  390. &lt;p id="cY6c1U"&gt;Three Lynx did get into double figures despite some shooting woes, with Alanna Smith posting a team-leading 15 points with five rebounds and two assists. Behind Smith, Napheesa Collier nearly recorded a double-double with 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals, and Courtney Williams added 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists. &lt;/p&gt;
  391. &lt;div id="2hMANH"&gt;
  392. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  393. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;15 PTS for Lan.   &lt;a href="https://t.co/5VbFTrRDeL"&gt;pic.twitter.com/5VbFTrRDeL&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/minnesotalynx/status/1940220617212506221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;July 2, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  394. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  395. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  396.  
  397. &lt;/div&gt;
  398. &lt;h2 id="VFS8qe"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No Clark, No Problem&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  399. &lt;p id="qJ5jMc"&gt;Hours before the start of the game, Clark was downgraded to out for Indiana with a left groin injury, an injury many thought would result in the Fever not having much of a chance against the Lynx.&lt;/p&gt;
  400. &lt;p id="o5dg6Z"&gt;However, Indiana held its own without its star, with five Fever players ending in double figures in scoring, with Commissioner’s Cup MVP Natasha Howard’s 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and two steals and Aliyah Boston’s 12 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals leading the way. &lt;/p&gt;
  401. &lt;h2 id="FitU6G"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commissioner’s Cup Prize&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  402. &lt;p id="dwTSPQ"&gt;In its fifth year, the annual in-season tournament ends with a championship game that features a large prize pool for the winning squad. &lt;/p&gt;
  403. &lt;p id="NA1NeK"&gt;With Minnesota and Indiana coming out of each conference, the Fever win means they will take home a $500,00 prize pool. In addition to that, Coinbase — the presenting sponsor of the title game — committed $120,000 in cryptocurrency to the prize pool, which includes $5,000 for each player in the game. &lt;/p&gt;
  404. &lt;p id="MbHaVy"&gt;With their 5-1 record in Commissioner’s Cup games during the regular season, the Lynx raised $16,000 in support of &lt;a href="https://www.aclu-mn.org/en"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ACLU Minnesota&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, an organization whose mission is to protect the civil liberties of all Minnesotans through litigation, public education, and lobbying. The Fever’s 4-1 record in Cup games raised $13,000 for &lt;a href="https://peacelearningcenter.org/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Peace Learning Center&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  405. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="2ARBNt"&gt;
  406. &lt;h2 id="toBxuN"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Up Next&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  407. &lt;p id="94SjHp"&gt;The regular season gets back underway for the Lynx this week as they continue on in their five-game homestand, returning to Target Center on Thursday against the Washington Mystics.&lt;/p&gt;
  408. &lt;p id="6QigFW"&gt;Minnesota and Washington will tip off at 7 PM CT and can be seen on FanDuel Sports Network North and on WNBA League Pass. &lt;/p&gt;
  409.  
  410. </content>
  411.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/1/24459951/fever-vs-lynx-final-score-game-recap-commissioners-cup-championship-napheesa-collier-caitlin-clark"/>
  412.    <id>https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/1/24459951/fever-vs-lynx-final-score-game-recap-commissioners-cup-championship-napheesa-collier-caitlin-clark</id>
  413.    <author>
  414.      <name>Mitchell Hansen</name>
  415.    </author>
  416.  </entry>
  417.  <entry>
  418.    <published>2025-07-01T14:02:58-05:00</published>
  419.    <updated>2025-07-01T14:02:58-05:00</updated>
  420.    <title>Commissioner’s Cup Game Thread: Lynx vs Fever</title>
  421.    <content type="html">  
  422.  
  423.    &lt;figure&gt;
  424.      &lt;img alt="Indiana Fever v Minnesota Lynx" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uX84DAeLNPHBPsSjIdthW1oVec0=/104x0:6313x4139/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74158482/2169468299.0.jpg" /&gt;
  425.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  426.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  427.  
  428.  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The world was getting geeked for a showdown between Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark, but a nagging injury harshens the vibe.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="ZpctQI"&gt;Just over one year ago, the &lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Lynx &lt;/strong&gt;hoisted the (uncreatively named) Commissioner’s Cup Trophy over their heads in Elmont, New York. They upset the home town New York Liberty in what turned out to be a preview of the heavyweight 2025 &lt;a href="https://www.swishappeal.com"&gt;WNBA&lt;/a&gt; Finals.&lt;/p&gt;
  429. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  430.        &lt;img alt="2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup - Minnesota Lynx v New York Liberty" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rrhKTbY-icRFju3qARVsFCfQG20=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26044297/2158716248.jpg"&gt;
  431.      &lt;cite&gt;Photo by Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/cite&gt;
  432.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  433. &lt;p id="DSYkuz"&gt;The Lynx are now looking to make history by becoming the first back-to-back champions of the Commissioner’s Cup tonight. They face a fan favorite &lt;strong&gt;Indiana Fever&lt;/strong&gt; team that is missing one of their best players in Caitlin Clark.&lt;/p&gt;
  434. &lt;p id="lYJFE9"&gt;Let’s preview what to expect.&lt;/p&gt;
  435. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="LGWsFC"&gt;
  436. &lt;h2 id="yzEpN8"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Game Info&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  437. &lt;ul&gt;
  438. &lt;li id="EokJur"&gt;
  439. &lt;strong&gt;Who:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Lynx &lt;/strong&gt;(14-2) vs. &lt;strong&gt;Indiana Fever&lt;/strong&gt; (8-8)&lt;/li&gt;
  440. &lt;li id="Lie1b8"&gt;
  441. &lt;strong&gt;When: &lt;/strong&gt;Tuesday, July 1 at 7:00 PM CT&lt;/li&gt;
  442. &lt;li id="hy8fzl"&gt;
  443. &lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Target Center — Minneapolis, MN&lt;/li&gt;
  444. &lt;li id="5Yrm0j"&gt;
  445. &lt;strong&gt;National TV:&lt;/strong&gt; Amazon Prime &lt;/li&gt;
  446. &lt;/ul&gt;
  447. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="2EX3JC"&gt;
  448. &lt;h2 id="8vTWqb"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What to Watch For&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  449. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  450.        &lt;img alt="Los Angeles Sparks v Indiana Fever" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HSbtJ1eMQwQlapDdftLYffu4Xp8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26044333/2222177233.jpg"&gt;
  451.      &lt;cite&gt;Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images&lt;/cite&gt;
  452.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  453. &lt;h3 id="6W6d6R"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contain Kelsey Mitchell&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  454. &lt;p id="xQ6wJO"&gt;With Clark out of the picture today, the player at the top of the scouting report has to be Kelsey Mitchell. In the two games without Clark, the two-time All-Star is averaging a whopping 26 points on pristine .545/.533/.800 shooting splits from the field. That’s a significant increase from her season averages of 18.9 points on .451/.354/.727.&lt;/p&gt;
  455. &lt;p id="4AWaYd"&gt;Kayla McBride and Bridget Carleton are no slouches as wing stoppers, but it’s going to take a total team effort to slow Mitchell down. She’s been firing away from deep, converting on 4 out of 7.5 three pointers in these last couple games. Rotations must be crisp.&lt;/p&gt;
  456. &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  457.        &lt;img alt="Los Angeles Sparks v Indiana Fever" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WTX3zg_joMArq0yQRlqBYy4oODg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26044329/2221517286.jpg"&gt;
  458.      &lt;cite&gt;Photo by A.J. Mast/NBAE via Getty Images&lt;/cite&gt;
  459.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  460. &lt;h3 id="uKgke6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Limit Careless Fouls&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  461. &lt;p id="8PkSh8"&gt;The Fever have been leading the league in free throw attempts since Clark’s injury, coming in at 25 attempts per game. Their parade to the charity stripe has been led by Clark’s replacement in the starting lineup, former number three pick, Aari McDonald.&lt;/p&gt;
  462. &lt;p id="WzNSpH"&gt;The 5’6” point guard has squirreled her way into the paint at will. This has helped her averaging 13.5 points per game, along with 2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists with minimal turnovers. Don’t let her size fool you. McDonald is a gamer.&lt;/p&gt;
  463. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="jzNI7S"&gt;
  464. &lt;h2 id="rhJNuD"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Prediction&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  465. &lt;p id="o6Uywj"&gt;On paper, the Minnesota is the heavy favorites. They’re bigger and more talented. They have more chemistry and experience. All the numbers are skewed heavily in Minnesota’s favor. If they can avoid an avalanche of turnovers, which has been an issue all season for them, then it should be smooth sailing.&lt;/p&gt;
  466. &lt;p id="Y9aIqC"&gt;Lynx win easily, &lt;strong&gt;88-72&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  467.  
  468. </content>
  469.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/1/24459880/wnba-commissioners-cup-final-game-thread-minnesota-lynx-indiana-fever-napheesa-collier-caitlin-clark"/>
  470.    <id>https://www.canishoopus.com/2025/7/1/24459880/wnba-commissioners-cup-final-game-thread-minnesota-lynx-indiana-fever-napheesa-collier-caitlin-clark</id>
  471.    <author>
  472.      <name>Leo Sun</name>
  473.    </author>
  474.  </entry>
  475.  <entry>
  476.    <published>2025-07-01T13:05:47-05:00</published>
  477.    <updated>2025-07-01T13:05:47-05:00</updated>
  478.    <title>The Wolves Lose Three Key Players as Free-Agency Gets Underway</title>
  479.    <content type="html">  
  480.  
  481.    &lt;figure&gt;
  482.      &lt;img alt="Oklahoma City Thunder v Minnesota Timberwolves - Game Four" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Vu9N2VxNjQBCoCKFWq70ajq4klo=/0x0:4941x3294/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74158408/2217211439.5.jpg" /&gt;
  483.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by David Berding/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  484.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  485.  
  486.  &lt;p&gt;The dust is settling for the Wolves in free-agency. After signing Naz Reid and Julius Randle a number of key departures has set the stage for the next iteration of the Wolves.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="8UcWPF"&gt;And just like that, we’ve got clarity. The fog of free agency lifted, the dust has settled, and the &lt;a href="https://www.canishoopus.com"&gt;Minnesota Timberwolves&lt;/a&gt; now officially know what they’re rolling with for the 2025–26 season.&lt;/p&gt;
  487. &lt;p id="vswFyN"&gt;Nickeil Alexander-Walker? A Hawk.&lt;/p&gt;
  488. &lt;p id="yqsPQG"&gt;Luka Garza? Bound for Boston.&lt;/p&gt;
  489. &lt;p id="SgHYvZ"&gt;Josh Minott? Release request, granted.&lt;/p&gt;
  490. &lt;p id="nhF3Yc"&gt;But don’t worry, Joe Ingles is back, baby. Get those inbound passes and jokes ready.&lt;/p&gt;
  491. &lt;p id="30obB9"&gt;Let’s rewind, though, because this was always going to be a complicated summer. When your team is deep, talented, expensive, and still somehow not quite over the hump, the offseason becomes a glorified episode of &lt;em&gt;Succession&lt;/em&gt; — you know someone’s getting pushed out of the family business, the only question is who.&lt;/p&gt;
  492. &lt;p id="RLe8rz"&gt;And spoiler: it was NAW.&lt;/p&gt;
  493. &lt;h3 id="DciiYf"&gt;A Harsh Reality: You Can’t Pay Everyone&lt;/h3&gt;
  494. &lt;p id="L0caug"&gt;Once it became clear that Minnesota was diving headfirst into the luxury tax like it was Scrooge McDuck’s coin vault, it was inevitable: Naz Reid, Julius Randle, or Nickeil Alexander-Walker was going to get left standing when the music stopped.&lt;/p&gt;
  495. &lt;p id="54k5Tp"&gt;Well, Naz got his bag (five years, $125 million). And Julius got his too (three years, $100 million). That left NAW, a beloved role player who basically clawed his way into the rotation by playing over-caffeinated defense and hitting enough corner threes to stay relevant, as the odd man out. There just wasn’t room at the inn.&lt;/p&gt;
  496. &lt;p id="TDbwv7"&gt;And so, as Shams Charania reported, he signed with the &lt;a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com"&gt;Atlanta Hawks&lt;/a&gt; for four years, $62 million. Which, let’s be honest, is a great deal for him and a totally sensible exit for Minnesota. This isn’t &lt;em&gt;NBA 2K&lt;/em&gt;. You can’t just turn the cap off. There’s this pesky little thing called the second apron, and once you cross it, you start getting punished like you ate in front of the TV with your mom’s good plates.&lt;/p&gt;
  497. &lt;h3 id="f2n7Gb"&gt;The Point Guard Problem (And It’s a Real One)&lt;/h3&gt;
  498. &lt;p id="nMD54o"&gt;Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. At point guard, the Wolves have Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham, and the middle ground is… uh… not exactly secure.&lt;/p&gt;
  499. &lt;p id="AmkZ9U"&gt;Conley is great. Truly. He calms the floor down like a glass of wine and an Adele album. But he’s 37. And against teams like OKC, where everyone looks like they just got drafted from Hogwarts but can also dunk from the free-throw line, Conley’s legs start to look like they’re carrying two bowling balls.&lt;/p&gt;
  500. &lt;p id="eaGfYK"&gt;Meanwhile, Rob Dillingham is… 20. Which is to say, occasionally brilliant, always fast, occasionally out of control, and absolutely not ready to run a contending offense on his own in May.&lt;/p&gt;
  501. &lt;p id="EBffxg"&gt;So what do you do? You can’t really let &lt;strong&gt;Anthony Edwards&lt;/strong&gt; play full-time point. That’s like asking Patrick Mahomes to play center. You want him attacking, creating, jawing with Dillon Brooks, &lt;em&gt;being Ant&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  502. &lt;p id="vBPnGu"&gt;That’s why you’ll probably see the Wolves scoop up a low-cost vet — someone like Tre Mann, Monte Morris, Malcom Brogdon, Chris Paul, Spencer Dinwiddie, or insert your favorite “formerly underrated now moderately washed” point guard here. Just someone to bridge the gap. Someone who can play 15 competent minutes in a playoff series while Ant rests his Gatorade-stained towel on his head.&lt;/p&gt;
  503. &lt;h3 id="IcT9mM"&gt;So… Can They Actually Get Better?&lt;/h3&gt;
  504. &lt;p id="5avGGc"&gt;Now for the existential part of the program: Can the Wolves improve on back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances?&lt;/p&gt;
  505. &lt;p id="tXaVZl"&gt;Short answer: &lt;em&gt;Maybe?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  506. &lt;p id="0UOtqY"&gt;The West is loaded. OKC isn’t going anywhere. Denver made some smart moves. Houston now has Kevin Durant, and while we don’t know if we’re getting “2017 KD” or “Suns KD,” it’s still KD. &lt;/p&gt;
  507. &lt;p id="3hg7LT"&gt;So what’s the play for Minnesota?&lt;/p&gt;
  508. &lt;ul&gt;
  509. &lt;li id="If122r"&gt;
  510. &lt;strong&gt;Continuity.&lt;/strong&gt; They’ve kept the core together. That matters.&lt;/li&gt;
  511. &lt;li id="xPtn2E"&gt;
  512. &lt;strong&gt;Internal development.&lt;/strong&gt; TSJ (Terrence Shannon Jr.) and Jaylen Clark have a legit shot to be real contributors, especially with NAW gone.&lt;/li&gt;
  513. &lt;li id="WmscaC"&gt;
  514. &lt;strong&gt;Ant’s leap.&lt;/strong&gt; Last year, he led the league in made threes. This year? Maybe it’s the SGA midrange package. Maybe it’s a post-up game. Maybe it’s averaging 30 and making First Team All-NBA.&lt;/li&gt;
  515. &lt;/ul&gt;
  516. &lt;p id="bp5pFR"&gt;Whatever it is, &lt;em&gt;this&lt;/em&gt; is his team now. And the Wolves will go as far as Ant-Man and Friends take them.&lt;/p&gt;
  517. &lt;h3 id="9cOeIz"&gt;Final Thought: The A-Rod Era Is Officially Underway&lt;/h3&gt;
  518. &lt;p id="VAawh7"&gt;The Alex Rodriguez ownership era is no longer some theoretical, Shark Tank-style footnote — it’s here. This is his team. And guess what?&lt;/p&gt;
  519. &lt;p id="MWpHWr"&gt;It’s a &lt;em&gt;real&lt;/em&gt; team. With expectations. With hope. With talent. And yeah, with a few question marks (see: point guard, age, apron).&lt;/p&gt;
  520. &lt;p id="BPNQDi"&gt;But for the first time in two decades, the Wolves aren’t rebuilding, they’re refining. They’re not praying for lottery luck — they’re fighting for playoff seeding. They’re not wondering who the next star will be — they already &lt;em&gt;have&lt;/em&gt; one.&lt;/p&gt;
  521. &lt;p id="kz4PCK"&gt;So unfold your Naz Reid Towel. Put on your KG jersey. And get ready for another season of heartbreak, hope, and high-stakes basketball.&lt;/p&gt;
  522. &lt;p id="gjHbpO"&gt;Because the Wolves are ready to make another run.&lt;/p&gt;
  523. &lt;p id="4KOL2E"&gt;And this time, they just might go all the way.&lt;/p&gt;
  524.  
  525. </content>
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  528.    <author>
  529.      <name>Derek Hanson</name>
  530.    </author>
  531.  </entry>
  532. </feed>
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