This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Conn chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.<\/p>\n
For many, summer into fall is marked by a chill in the air or a back-to-school shopping spree. But for me, it\u2019s the end of the WNBA season that tells me autumn has arrived.<\/p>\n
This summer, the WNBA saw record-breaking viewership numbers. It\u2019s safe to say people are paying attention to women\u2019s basketball \u2014 and I know I sure am.<\/p>\n
To celebrate this for-the-books season, I\u2019ve chosen some of my favorite on and off the court moments of the year.<\/p>\n
THE Reverse \u201cwelcome to the league\u201d MOMENT<\/p>\n
If there\u2019s one thing I look forward to at the start of the season, it\u2019s the rookies\u2019 \u201cwelcome to the WNBA\u201d moments: plays where the veteran players challenge the new ones, typically leaving a rookie sprawled on the ground. The moments are hilarious to watch and a true rite of passage in professional basketball.<\/p>\n
But this year, things looked a little different.<\/p>\n
In her first game as a pro, Kiki Iriafen delivered the viral moment that flipped the usual \u201cwelcome to the league\u201d script. In a gritty fight for a rebound, she showed seventh-year Sophie Cunningham that she doesn\u2019t mess around.<\/p>\n
My favorite part of the video is Iriafen\u2019s simple smile of pride. A true \u201cI just did that\u201d look. I respect it. Based on Cunningham\u2019s reaction, I would guess that this play wouldn\u2019t come close to her top five moments of the season. But what can I say? I love to see true competitors.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s rookie class followed in Iriafen\u2019s footsteps, fearing no one and challenging everyone. Watching these fresh-out-of-college kids hold their own against league veterans was truly priceless.<\/p>\n
And of course, a few of them still had the high honor of being slammed by a Brittney Griner screen. Sorry, Sonia Citron.<\/p>\n
cameron brink\u2019s return<\/p>\n
Once an athlete has won me over with their personality, I\u2019ll forever cheer on their wins. So while I wouldn\u2019t necessarily say I\u2019m an L.A. Sparks fan, I would say that I\u2019m a fan of Cameron Brink. And I\u2019m always mad when UConn doesn\u2019t win the national championship, but even I was happy to see her win one at Stanford.<\/p>\n
Brink was the second overall pick of last year\u2019s WNBA draft, but she only got to play 15 games before tearing her ACL and meniscus. Her rookie season ended before it truly got to take off. After her injury, she took to Instagram to share these inspiring words: \u201cI\u2019m not defined by basketball, but it is something I love deeply and I will work everyday to get back to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
And she truly made the most of her time away! Between rehabbing and supporting her teammates, she modeled for Sports Illustrated and got engaged to her fianc\u00e9. She also launched her podcast, Straight to Cam. If you\u2019re into sports and want to listen to someone who is truly a ray of sunshine, I suggest checking it out.<\/p>\n
This July, she stepped on the court for the first time in 13 months. And for a WNBA season that was marked by injury after injury after injury, her story was the hope that I needed. Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone reunite with the sport that they love after overcoming a physically and mentally taxing injury. I\u2019m no stranger to knee surgery recovery, so there\u2019s a special place in my heart for every professional athlete who comes out on top.<\/p>\n
72-hour stream<\/p>\n
If you didn\u2019t already know the names Courtney Williams and Natisha \u201cT\u201d Hiedeman, I hope you do them by the end of this season. They are best friends who play for the Minnesota Lynx by day and are viral Twitch streamers by night.<\/p>\n
This duo, also known as the \u201cStud Budz,\u201d spend their days off by live-streaming for fans. Several WNBA players make regular appearances on their streams, even ones from opposing teams. And fans tune in religiously, loving to see how tight friendship runs in the league.<\/p>\n
And thus, the 72-hour stream was born.<\/p>\n
After realizing how their platform showcased a new side of women\u2019s basketball, Williams and T took things to the next level. During All-Star weekend, they hosted a three-day-long livestream, bringing fans into every aspect of the joy and pure chaos. They ate, slept, partied and played basketball in front of an incredibly dedicated group of viewers, who might have gotten even less sleep than the players themselves!<\/p>\n
Most importantly, they accomplished their mission of showing the culture of the WNBA through the eyes of the players. The league has historically been about more than just basketball, but a united group of women who support each other\u2019s successes and fight for social justice. And for 72 straight hours, that\u2019s exactly what everyone saw. And thanks to their efforts, this will be many people\u2019s first impression of the league going forward.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, the Stud Budz may have been the real All-Stars of that weekend.<\/p>\n
doordash for everyone<\/p>\n
The WNBA launched a partnership with DoorDash this season. For every game where a player scored 40 or more points, all DashPass members would get 50% off their orders the following day.<\/p>\n
Weeks went by. Many players came close. 36 points one game, 37 another night. But it was none other than Paige Bueckers who actually got the job done. Personally, I\u2019m not surprised. After watching her 40-point Sweet Sixteen performance just a few months ago, I knew she would be the one.<\/p>\n
With a 44-point masterclass, Paige did something that no other player was able to do this season \u2014 a common theme of her rookie year. It became a win-win situation. Fans got a great deal on dinner and Paige silenced the Rookie of the Year debate. And my Connecticut heart bursts with pride.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not a DashPass member, but I would\u2019ve chosen Chipotle.<\/p>\n
pay us what you owe us<\/p>\n
A moment for the shirts. Read them and read them again. <\/p>\n
The WNBA All-Stars made a major statement with the \u201cPay Us What You Owe Us\u201d shirts that they debuted during All-Star warmups. The intention behind this message was not lost. The All-Star game happened just days after the players met with league representatives to negotiate collective bargaining agreements.<\/p>\n
The WNBA Players\u2019 Association is holding its ground, refusing to sign a deal that doesn\u2019t enact the changes that players have been fighting for: fair revenue share, increased salaries, improved and sustainable working conditions. Or, to put it simply, paychecks that reflect the league\u2019s growth and necessary season adjustments to preserve players\u2019 health.<\/p>\n
The organizations are racing against a rapidly approaching Oct. 31 deadline. If an agreement is not achieved by then, the 2026 season is in danger of delays or even cancellation.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a pretty clear solution to this problem if you ask me: pay these women.<\/p>\n
A season for the books <\/p>\n
The WNBA playoffs are now full swing, making an official wrap on the 2025 regular season. Here\u2019s to another summer full of excellence, community and the magic of women\u2019s basketball. And a friendly reminder: support women\u2019s sports and support women in sports!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Conn chapter and does…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":260859,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[1339,136606,136607,2871,171,136608,62,23320,67,132,68,232],"class_list":{"0":"post-260858","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-chapterchapter","10":"tag-chapteru-conn","11":"tag-college","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-sponsoredno","14":"tag-sports","15":"tag-uconn","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-us","19":"tag-wnba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=260858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/260859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=260858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=260858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=260858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}