Author: lehang1

Caitlin Clark’s competitive spirit has been both her greatest asset and her most challenging hurdle.

If you’re a CC fan, you would know this. For the uninitiated, though, this is all you have to know to get on the Clark bandwagon: just in a few months, the Iowa phenom has become a household name. From her scoring abilities to unmatched assisting, she’s the apple of spectators’ eyes for a reason.

But from her high school days to her standout rookie season in the WNBA, the 22-year-old Iowa native’s fiery temperament has also often been a talking point. But there was one person who noticed this early on.

None other than her high school head coach, Kristin Meyer. “She understood that it wasn’t good. It didn’t help the team. It didn’t help her play better,” Meyer explained, referencing Clark’s occasional outbursts on the court. “But also, she gets so into the moment that she can’t help herself,”  added the head coach reflecting how the Indiana Fever sensation was helpless.

During high school, her fierce competitive streak sometimes manifested in heated exchanges with referees and teammates.  Former teammate Ella McVey also observed that Clark’s advanced basketball instincts often put her several steps ahead of everyone else.

“Because she’s so hard to guard, the opponent is fouling her pretty much every single possession,” Meyer noted.

But referees can’t call every infraction, which only fueled Clark’s frustration. However, Clark managed to sail through. Even when it was time to transition from high school to collegiate basketball, she made the shift seamlessly—but her fiery attitude persisted. “She always kind of had, you know, that little attitude,” Hawkeyes head coach Jan Jensen admitted. While her passion made her a standout player, it also created challenges.

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ superstar’s insistence on perfection sometimes alienated teammates and officials. But it was her extraordinary talent that often overshadowed the downsides. “While her peers were still working to catch up, Caitlin was already playing at an elite level,” Jensen explained.

This gap in ability and understanding often led to frustration. But it was also a driving force behind her success even when she further transitioned to professional basketball.

The verdict: liability or asset for Caitlin Clark?

Her rookie season in the WNBA saw Caitlin Clark named Rookie of the Year, but it was not without controversy. She tied for the second-most technical fouls in the league, earning six during the season. Despite this, she remains convinced that the majority of those calls were unwarranted.

“I probably only deserved, like—two,” Caitlin Clark stated in a recent interview. Classic CC!

Her passion, while a source of technical fouls, also drives her relentless pursuit of excellence. Fever coach Stephanie White joked about the 2024 All-Star’s history of yellow cards in soccer during the early days of her high school, noting that her competitive nature has always been a double-edged sword. However, Clark’s determination to refine her game and control her emotions could unlock even greater potential.

Reflecting on her transition to professional basketball, Clark admitted the college game no longer presents the same level of challenge. “I feel like if I was out there, I would literally have 50. The college game is so much easier than professional,” she remarked. Her confidence is backed by an illustrious college career, where she led Iowa to consecutive national championship appearances and became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer.

As she prepares for her sophomore WNBA season, Clark’s focus is clear. She has dedicated her offseason to strength training and refining her skills, skipping the lucrative Unrivaled league to ensure she’s fresh and ready. No doubt she is poised to dominate once again—as long as she can keep her temper in check. What do you think?

“Let it rain!” Phil Handy was no short of excited when he was announced the Head Coach of Unrivaled’s Mist basketball club. If you know the NBA and the Lakers nation, you have heard about Handy. Known for his excellence as a development specialist in the NBA, he is starting a new journey now. But his vision and mentorship have given shape to many remarkable players, like Lebron James and Kawhi Leonard, so we know he is no short of expertise to boast about.

As an assistant coach, Phil has proved himself to be the cornerstone of success for many in the NBA. His former contribution to the championships of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and Los Angeles Lakers has highlighted his potential as the best in the business. With his coaching philosophy deeply rooted in leadership qualities and unwavering commitment to success, let us learn more about the Mist head coach.

Phil Handy’s history with basketball

Handy’s basketball career took off at the University of Hawaii, where he played for two consecutive years. He took the opportunity to showcase his talent through the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, maintaining an average of 10 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists for almost 60+ games and leading his team to a WAC championship.

He began as a star player for the Rainbows and later became a part of many professional teams, including the Giants, Tigers, and West. Following this, he dipped his toes in the professional leagues to play preseason games for the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers.

Although his NBA career was often recognized as underrated, it gave him a platform for making the groundwork for his future as a coach. Defined by excellence and success- Phil Handy started as a development coach for the Lakers under Mike Brown for three years.

Following Brown’s footsteps, he debuted as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which turned the tables—taking the team to four consecutive NBA Finals and their 2016 championship win made overall headlines.

Later, he joined the Toronto Raptors under HC Nick Nurse, taking the team to their first-ever NBA championship in 2019. After his success within a year with the Raptors, he returned to the Lakers. His consistency in developing team players made a remarkable journey for the Gold and Purple franchise, with another championship win in 2020 following victory in the inaugural NBA Cup 2023.

However, with Darvin Ham’s departure from the West Coast to JJ Redick’s entry, Phil Handy too lost his job with the Lakers. However, with one door closing on her, another one opened soon as well.

Winning legacy to a new chapter

His stats in the coaching career for the past running years have given him a trip to six NBA Finals and three huge victories. Being in this profession for the last thirteen years has brushed up his coaching style, allowing him to be with some outstanding players of all seasons. His caliber to build bonds with every player he interacts with has made him one of the most wanted in basketball.

The upcoming new Unriavled league where Phil Handy is supposed to debut as the HC comes as a new opportunity for his career. With a bucket full of experience, championships, and passion for the game, Handy marks the path for his new team to success. Now, as a part of the Unrivaled League, he will get to guide the likes of a WNBA icon herself and the Mist captain Breanna Stewart who is coming fresh off of a championship win.

Along with her are Courtney Vandersloot, Jewell Loyd, DiJonai Carrington, Rickea Jackson, and Aaliyah Edwards. Indeed a motivated bunch of players that Handy would love to lead to the 3×3 championship in Miami.

The highlights of his journey spotlight the respect he has commanded in the basketball world. With him now joining the upcoming league, it will be an exciting new era that we are moving into.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese turned a lot of heads after fans spotted her in the latest video shared by Unrivaled.

Unrivaled, the newest 3-on-3 basketball league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is set to kick off its inaugural season on Jan. 17. That being said, the players and coaches have all gathered up in Miami in preparation for the tournament.

On Friday, the league posted a video of the players arriving in Miami. As the players greeted each other and met the coaches, what caught the attention of many was Reese sharing a hug with Teresa Weatherspoon.

As many WNBA fans would know, Weatherspoon was Reese’s head coach with the Sky during the 2024 season. Unfortunately, following an abysmal 13-27 campaign, Chicago decided to part ways with her.

“The Angel and Tspoon clip! Whoever got that is just too good. Love this marketing and BTS! Looks amazing, love this for the ladies, they deserve it!” a commenter wrote.

Another one said, “Aweee tspoon.”

“No matter what Angel will find Coach TSpoon,” a supporter added. “Not angel and spoon being reunited oh my gosh please don’t make me cry again.”

Several others simply wrote “Angel and Spoon” and similar variations, further highlighting how the reunion between the two really stood out.

While Teresa Weatherspoon won’t be coaching Angel Reese in Unrivaled—with Spoon handling Vinyl BC while Reese is part of Rose BC—seeing the two interact and show how much they missed each other was certainly a treat for many.

It was certainly a wild 2024 for WNBA standout Kate Martin.

Alongside Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Martin helped lead the Iowa Hawkeyes to their second-straight national championship appearance, falling just short of the title with an 87-75 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks. This marked the final year of Martin and Clark’s college career.

Just a few weeks following the game, Martin was selected by the Las Vegas Aces with the No. 18 pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA draft. She initially earned a key role off the bench during her rookie season with other Aces’ players injured. However, when the team started getting healthy, her minutes decreased drastically.

After the season, news broke that Martin would be participating in the inaugural season of the new 3-on-3 Unrivaled league, which is set to debut in late January. She was placed on the Laces Basketball Club alongside her Aces teammate, Jackie Young.

In December, the WNBA held an expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries, who will debut in 2025. Martin saw her Las Vegas career cut short as she was selected to join the new squad.

On Saturday, four days into the new year, Martin made an Instagram post highlighting significant moments from 2024. She used multiple photos of herself with family and friends (Clark included), along with two that featured her with the new Laces jersey.

“I’d go everywhere with these folks, including into year ‘25,” Martin captioned her post.

This prompted Clark to send a one-word message to her former teammate in the comment section.

“Love,” Clark responded with a heart emoji.

In Martin’s lone season with the Aces, she played in 34 games and averaged 2.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 11.5 minutes per contest.

The Laces will play in their first game on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 2:00 p.m. ET in Miami, Florida, against Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu and the Phantoms BC.

The New Year is seemingly going to be a blast for Jayson Tatum. He solidified his case for the NBA MVP award against the Timberwolves, but we’re not talking about that. The Celtics star made good use of his social media reach and teased a high-profile link-up. The same was then replicated later on today by Angel Reese. Could this mean a groundbreaking collab? Or is there something more to it?

A video has been going viral, posted by a follower of popular rapper Lil Baby with the caption, “Wham Episode 1 : Angel Reese 🔥.” It features the WNBA star confidently declaring, “I’m Angel Reese. And who hard is me? You already know the answer. Nobody goes harder because I maximize my 24 hours, and I’m a great businesswoman.” Reese goes on to discuss her struggles and how she strives to maintain a strong presence in the league. The clip wraps up with her saying, “That’s me, Angel Reese, proving every day that who hard is me? Nobody.”

Both Tatum and Reese wrote, “WHAM” on X to drop a hint of something big. However, the fans weren’t able to understand if there was a connection between the two or what it meant. So, fans gathered in their comment sections to express their confusion, curiosity, and more.

Jayson Tatum and Angel Reese’s social media posts confuse fans

“Cooking video?” inquired a fan as Reese teased it on her social media handle. Nobody had a clear idea of what was coming up. So, they took wild guesses, and the fan randomly asked if it was a cooking show that Reese was featured in.

Another curious fan asked, “Is this just a preview? When is it dropping?” While many sensed that something exciting was cooking, none of them had a clear picture of what was coming. And both Tatum and Reese made sure to keep the suspense alive.

“We waiting bc we know this means something legit is on the horizon! Let’s go!” someone guessed. Indeed, a big reveal is on the way, and Tatum and Reese dropped the message to turn heads toward them. What made fans even more curious was the video, leaving them eager for what’s to come.

Tatum’s followers too couldn’t make out and were commenting about the game until one of them pointed out, “these mfs don’t know he’s talking about lil baby’s album 😭😭”. Tatum posted about it right after the rapper’s fourth studio album, “WHAM” (Who Hard As Me), was released.

Are you as puzzled as the fans and wondering if Jayson Tatum and Angel Reese will actually be collaborating with the millionaire rapper? Well, they’ve dropped every hint pointing in that direction. Keep an eye on both of their feeds, surely they’ll share more details if something big is about to happen.

Although Unrivaled is buzzing with exciting reunions and shake-ups, there’s one duo that’s really got fans talking. It’s Lexie Hull teaming up with Angel Reese. And why? Well, it’s the Caitlin Clark connection. Lexie, who shared a fantastic on-court bond with Clark in the Indiana Fever, now finds herself playing alongside Reese—Clark’s biggest rival—in Unrivaled.

Well, we already know that the whole Clark vs. Reese rivalry is the household talk. These two have been at it since their college days, and their 2024 rookie seasons reignited the Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky rivalry. Sure, the rivalry had cooled off since the Sky’s 2021 championship run, but CC’s arrival in Indiana and Reese’s landing in Chicago turned up the heat. Every Fever-Sky matchup became a must-watch TV.

Now, the two ballers from rival teams are set to lace up together for the new 3*3 league. The Chicago Sky star was one of the league’s earliest signings, and the Fever star snagged the 29th spot. The two are part of Rose BC, which boasts big names like Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittany Sykes, and Azurá Stevens.

Hull is just fresh off her best season with the Fever. She averaged 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists off the bench, providing clutch support to Clark, who lit up the league in her rookie year. Thanks to their combined efforts, the Fever snapped their seven-season playoff drought with a 20-20 record. Hope she turns out to be a key piece for Rose, too, as she joins Reese.

Despite Hull’s close bond with Caitlin Clark, she seems to be hitting it off with her bestie’s rival, Chi-Town Barbie, too. On media day, Reese crashed Hull’s photoshoot, hyping her up with, “Go Lex! Okay! Okay! Okay!” Hull struck a pose, and just like that, the internet went wild.

Naturally, fans are running with the idea that this newfound camaraderie might extend beyond Unrivaled.

Will Lexie leave Caitlin Clark for Angel? 

“They sayin’ Angel recruiting Lexie to the Sky,” a fan tweeted. According to fans, the LSU former might convince Hull to go to Sky with her. Well, that’s definitely a rumor, and you can’t entirely rule it out. If Hull and Reese’s off-court bond during Unrivaled translates to chemistry on the court, who’s saying Angel won’t make a case for her?

Reese is a natural leader, so maybe she’ll try to sway Lexie. But, honestly, it feels like a bit of a stretch, and many fans agree.

“Lexie a smart girl who graduated from Stanford, she can see a dumpster fire from a mile away 😉” a second wrote. Stanford is known for producing sharp minds. And before being drafted as the 1st round, 6th pick in 2022 by the Indiana Fever, she lit it up for Stanford, ending her college career with 1,402 points, 666 rebounds, and 218 assists. So, she’s got both brains and skills, and she’s not one to make rash

“Hilarious that you’d think she even consider it 🤣” another opined. As already discussed, Hull just had her best season yet with the Fever and was really finding her groove with the team. Playing alongside Clark, she helped Indiana end their long playoff drought. Fans are convinced she’s staying put. Why leave when everything’s finally coming together?

“Not happening. Lexie Hull just bought a house in Indianapolis. The Fever protected her from the expansion draft. Lexie and CC are tight,” said a fourth. Another solid point! Lexie and her boyfriend, former MLB player Will Matthiessen, recently bought a house in Indianapolis, and she even shared the big news on Instagram.

On top of that, her three-year rookie contract with the Fever runs through 2025, and the team clearly values her, having protected her in the Golden Valkyries expansion draft. Some fans think Angel might be the one to leave the Sky: “You got it twisted, it is the other way around 😂👀” chimed this user. But that’s unlikely.

Reese is under contract with Chicago through 2027 on her four-year rookie deal. She’s already a star with the Sky and seems locked in for the long haul. So, most likely, both players will stick with their respective teams once Unrivaled wraps up. But for now, with the new league starting on January 17 and running through the finals on March 17, there’s plenty of time for this duo to share moments—on and off the court.

Although we haven’t seen much of Kysre Gondrezick on the court since she was drafted, she’s never really out of the spotlight. Whether it’s her trending videos, influencer life, or her dating headlines, the baller seems to always find herself in the news. So, with Unrivaled set to kick off on January 17, fans were hoping to see her in action. But looks like those dreams might be dashed—at least for now.

Gondrezick was drafted by the Indiana Fever as the No. 4 pick in 2021, but unfortunately, her rookie season was cut short due to an injury. After recovering, she made the move to the Chicago Sky, where she had limited playing time. Eventually, the Sky waived her, and fans were left hoping for a major comeback.

But despite the setbacks, the 27-year-old has stayed in the game—just not in the way most expected. While her basketball career may not have played out as planned, she has absolutely shined in other areas. She’s become a major figure in the fashion world, partnering with big names like Kim Kardashian’s Skims and Victoria’s Secret. She’s also built a strong presence on social media, showing off her modeling skills and collaborating with top-tier brands.

Fans admire how, despite being offered a glamorous life away from basketball, she’s still dedicated to playing the ball. Recently, a video of her practicing hit the Internet, and fans were quick to express their wish to see her in Unrivaled as one wrote sharing the video, “kysre still workinnn🙂‍↔️ I would have loved to see her in unrivaled :/”

The guard responded with a three-word message, “Ima keep working!” 

Hence, it’s clear she’s not considering Unrivaled at the moment. She’s focused on her fitness and future, keeping her options open. For now, she’s got some pretty exciting things in the works. She’s in what she calls a “transitional period.” 

Along with her fitness grind, Kysre’s diving into the world of film, with projects set to release in 2025. Even though she’s not on the court, her interests and passion for new ventures are helping her live a luxurious life, as she recently ticked off an expensive $186K item off her bucket list.

Kysre Gondrezick’s glamorous life- but what about her boyfriend?

Kysre Gondrezick’s Christmas post wasn’t just about the usual holiday cheer. It was full-on luxury vibes. It had Chanel bags, Balenciaga slippers, horse-riding clips, and stays that scream high-end living. But the real showstopper was a sleek black G-Wagon G63, a casual $186,000 worth of SUV perfection.

In one slide, she even shared a meme asking, “What do you want for Christmas?” with a picture of the car, followed by an actual shot of the luxury ride stacked with bags. And this post isn’t the only time Kysre’s flaunted the finer things. Her feed is full of posts dripping with wealth—fancy outfits, expensive brands, and living like an influencer’s dream.

But what’s noticeably missing lately is Jaylen Brown. Now, remember, these two were inseparable for a while. From sitting courtside together at the NBA Summer League game to showing up at Brown’s Celtics’ championship parade, they were everywhere together.

They even made their relationship Instagram official with a post back in August featuring a cake with Brown’s face, their hands intertwined, and a bunch of designer gifts. But since then, the posts have been a lot quieter, and pictures have magically been deleted.

So, what does this mean for the couple? Is the relationship still as strong as before? Could be nothing, or it could mean a breakup. Either way, it seems like the WNBA star is still focused on her own path through her career, personal growth, or just enjoying the finer things in life

The WNBA and Unrivaled star caused a stir when she deleted her Instagram account after posting a skimpy NYE look. She returned with a vengeance on Snapchat.

Angel Reese has mastered staying in the headlines, even in the WNBA offseason as Unrivaled looks to make a name for itself.

Never one to shy away from revealing fits, the Chicago Sky sensation turned heads with a skimpy New Year’s Eve outfit that went viral. Reese, still only 22, received an alarming amount of negative comments, to the point that the social media influencer deleted her Instagram account, which is still dormant as of this posting.

The WNBA fashion maven, who hilariously wore high-end fashion on a camel in Dubai on vacation recently, came after her haters on Snapchat, posting throughout the day words of encouragement using Lil Baby’s album WHAM as inspiration, glamorous close-up facecards of her Rose Basketball Club Unrivaled uniform drop, and take downs of the negative chatter she constantly faces on social media especially.

She also reposted on X the full video that she did with Lil Baby, where she gives more thoughts about her background and learning to be true to herself in the national championship game for the LSU Tigers, where of course she had a famous lightning-rod moment against Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Midway through the video, she says to all the naysayers, “Hating pays too.”

Reese is always towing the line of hero vs. villain, and that’s a marketing tactic that has made her millions. And she’s only 22.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is one of the most active WNBA players on social media. She has established quite a following on various platforms, which gives her the opportunity to connect with her supporters on a regular basis.

This is exactly why her fans were left shocked by her recent social media activity. This is after Reese decided to deactivate her Instagram account. According to the New York Post, the All-Star forward’s account was no longer active as of Thursday.

Unsurprisingly, several outlets on X quickly took notice of Reese’s drastic decision. After all, nobody deletes their Instagram account randomly — particularly if you’re a well-known celebrity who has amassed millions of followers on the platform.

Reese’s mysterious activity has caused quite a stir on X as her fans want to know the reason behind her decision to suddenly deactivate her account without explanation.

“What y’all done did to my girl angel Reese to make her deactivate her instagram 🥺” asked an X user.

“whoever is hating on angel reese and caused her to deactivate her instagram. i hope yall have a terrible year, spreading hate for no reason cuz yall are bitter and have no better things to do but spew nasty words behind a screen gtfoh,” reacted another.

“Like I can’t stand these ppl yo. The way they treat that damn girl is disgusting. I don’t get it. Jealousy makes ppl do some wild things. B/c it gotta be jealousy,” responded a supporter.

More than a few others, however, used the opportunity to troll the Sky forward. Reese has a lot of fans online, but there’s no denying that she’s also collected a significant amount of haters.

“Deactivated just to come back tomorrow we don’t care,” a comment read.

“About damn time. Need to be focusing on basketball anyways,” suggested another.

“lol she coudn’t handle the dark reality of social media,” criticized a user.

Regardless of which side of the fence you might be sitting on, what is clear is that Reese has stirred up some controversy again on social media with her actions here.

For what it’s worth, her X account is still active as of writing.

Caitlin Clark has finally appeared on the New Heights podcast after Jason Kelce admitted that she was the most requested guest in the show’s history.

Caitlin Clark has finally appeared on the New Heights podcast, with host Jason Kelce revealing that “she’s the most requested guest in the history of our show”. The Indiana Fever’s star point guard has had a sensational debut season in the WNBA, clinching the Rookie of the Year title and shattering multiple records.

Clark now holds the record for the highest number of assists in a single season and the most points scored by a rookie. She also became the quickest player ever to hit 100 three-pointers.

The 22-year-old’s swift transition from college basketball to Time magazine’s Female Athlete of the Year indicates that she is on an unstoppable trajectory to greatness. NFL icons Jason and Travis Kelce were thrilled to welcome the basketball prodigy onto their podcast, New Heights. In his introduction, Jason praised Clark as the most eagerly awaited guest and listed her impressive feats over the past year.

He said: “Alrighty, our guest today is a six-food guard from the University of Iowa. The NCAA all-time division one scoring leader, the first pick of the WNBA draft, WNBA assist leader, All-Star and 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year. She’s the most requested guest in the history of our show and the Time magazine Athlete of the Year – Miss Caitlin Clark.”

Clark candidly confessed her usual lack of enthusiasm for life’s offerings but made an exception for the podcast, declaring it “at the top of my list.” This response made Travis laugh, prompting him to say: “We made it, Jason.”

Earning the title of most sought-after New Heights guest is no small feat for Clark, especially considering the illustrious roster of celebrities that have graced the show, including NFL legends Rob Gronkowski, Shannon Sharpe and Patrick Mahomes and global icon Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Clark also admitted that she is a loyal member of the Kansas City Chiefs Kingdom and claimed Mahomes and Kelce are two of her current favourites from the reigning Super Bowl champions. The 22-year-old also praised Kelce for the team’s current successes and credited her father for her love of the Chiefs.

Clark said: “My dad was a big Chiefs fan growing up so people think I’m like a bandwagon Chiefs fan. I’m like no, I was there before Patrick and Travis, we were ride or dies so, we’ve been big fans and now obviously all the success you guys have had has made it a lot of fun for us.”