Minnesota
NY Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx preview: A Saturday matinee
Every day is a learning opportunity. And for the New York Liberty, Thursday night will provide one they’ll keep in mind for the future. Teresa Weatherspoon brought her Chicago Sky back into her old stomping grounds, and Chicago outworked the Liberty on the way to handing NY their first loss of the year.
The opponent today has been one of the pleasant surprises of the season so far. The Minnesota Lynx have been pretty excellent to start the year as they try to go on a big run this year. They were able to get Thursday’s game into overtime, but the Connecticut Sun proved to be a bit too much to handle as they beat the Lynx by one point.
Where to follow the game
CBS is the place to be. Brunch and basketball so we getting the party started at 1 PM.
Injuries
All clear for the seafoam.
Diamond Miller left Thursday’s game with a knee injury. She had knee surgery during the off-season, and the team has been working her back into things slowly. Last night, the team announced that she will be out indefinitely after undergoing and MRI. Dorka Juhasz had overseas obligations, but she was activated last night. She’ll be available today.
The game
The Lynx have played a lot of basketball in the past week and change. They went to OT vs. the Sun and the game before that, it took them two overtimes to beat the Seattle Storm. Prior to Thursday’s game, they had a few days off, but the minutes do start to add up after a while. Luckily for them, they’ll be staying home for a while before they return to action on Wednesday vs. the Las Vegas Aces.
Foul trouble made things hard for Jonquel Jones on Thursday as she couldn’t get things going. Without Jones, the Liberty didn’t have their usual rhythm and crispness that they typically do. The rim protection wasn’t where it usually is and everything was off just a hair. When you have a game like Jones did, you always want to get back out there and get back on the good foot. With Juhasz likely on a minutes restriction and rookie big Alissa Pili getting comfortable in the pros, look for the team to place some extra emphasis on getting Jones the ball early and often.
Sabrina Ionescu has been getting downhill more often, and it’s helped keep the Liberty offense going. That increased success at the rim helps against a Lynx team that has kept teams off the three point line. Through the first week and change of the season, the Lynx are first in opponent’s three point attempts and third in percentage. Ionescu’s three point shot hasn’t joined the party yet, so look for her to keep attacking downhill to find those quality shots for herself and her teammates.
On the other side, Kayla McBride will try to match Sab shot for shot. McBride has been in the top 25 in three point attempts in each of the past three seasons and is currently ninth this season. Cheryl Reeve and the coaching staff trust her to find her shot late in close games and to guard players like Ionescu. With Miller out for the foreseeable future, they’ll have to count on her even more to handle shooting guard duties.
Player to watch: Napheesa Collier
It’s always great to watch a player break into the top tier of the league. After finishing fourth in the MVP vote last year, Napheesa Collier is back and picking up where she left off. Phee was named Western Conference Player of the Week, and she’s done everything well for her team. How good has Phee been?
That’ll do. After the game on Thursday, she was asked about a tough foul call and said
Napheesa Collier on the foul called on her at the end of overtime tonight:
“I thought that call at the end of the game was bullshit.”#Lynx #WNBA
— Mitchell Hansen (@M_Hansen13) May 24, 2024
Well alright!
Phee will be matched up with her pal from UConn, Breanna Stewart! It’s hard to see an 18/10/5/4/1 and say it was a C+ game, but that’s what Thursday was for Stew York City. The team missed its fair share of shots at the rim, and when you miss layups, it allows the opponent to go on back-breaking runs. Look for New York to get Stewart those shots at the rim within the flow of the offense so she can keep Minnesota on its heels.
From the Vault
Over in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to make it to the Finals for the first time in franchise history as they face the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. It’s been a minute since a Minnesota sports team made it this far in the playoffs. Let’s take a trip back into time and relive some Minnesota glory
More reading: Canis Hoopus, Swish Appeal, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next
Minnesota
Vikings Have a Dubious Connection to the Dexter Lawrence Trade
Of the many terrible roster decisions Minnesota sports teams have made over the past 30 years, the worst of the bunch may have been trading Randy Moss to the Raiders for the No. 7 pick in the draft and linebacker Napoleon Harris.
Why are we bringing up a trade that happened 21 years ago? Because the New York Giants traded defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 pick in this week’s NFL Draft. It was the first time a non-quarterback has been traded for a top-10 pick since the infamous Moss trade in 2005.
Minnesota traded Moss for the Raiders’ first-round pick, Harris, and a seventh-round pick on March 2, 2005. The Vikings used the No. 7 pick on wide receiver Troy Williamson, who never panned out in the NFL. He had 24 catches for 372 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, 37 receptions for 457 yards and zero touchdowns in 2006, and just 18 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown in 2007.
Williams led the league with 11 dropped passes in 2006. Minnesota traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick after the 2007 season, where he played in 10 games over two seasons and totaled just eight catches for 64 yards. He was cut before the start of the 2010 season, and that was a wrap on the former South Carolina speedster’s NFL career.
Moss didn’t put up jaw-dropping numbers with the Raiders for two seasons, but he set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches in 2007 with the New England Patriots. He caught 47 touchdowns in 48 regular-season games with the Patriots from 2007 to 2009.
Whether it was trading Moss to the Raiders, the Timberwolves sending Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics — or drafting Ricky Rubio AND Johnny Flynn over Steph Curry — or the Twins cutting David Ortiz and watching him become one of the greatest players in MLB history with the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota sports teams have a long history of making terrible decisions.
The Bengals, meanwhile, gave up the 10th overall pick for one of the best defensive tackles in the league. They’ll likely get great production from Lawrence, while the Giants are now under pressure to get the 10th pick right. New York also holds the No. 5 pick in Thursday’s first round of the draft.
By the way, the Vikings had two picks in the first round of the 2005 draft. After taking Williamson, they used the No. 18 pick on defensive end Erasmus James. He was just as much of a bust as Williams, playing in 23 games in three years with the Vikings. He had four sacks as a rookie, but injuries wiped out most of his 2006 and 2007 seasons before he was traded to Washington for a conditional seventh-round pick.
James was cut by Washington in December 2009, marking the end of his NFL career.
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Minnesota
Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com
Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who are the No. 3 seed in the Central Division. Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, and Zuccarello had three assists.
“I was definitely nervous,” said Wallstedt, a rookie. “I think it shows that it means something to you. I like a little bit of nerves. I think it’s something good. There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and then a little bit extra rolling into the game. But after the national anthem was over and the first couple pucks started coming, you’re good.
“I wanted to play and I felt like I have been going good. I was a little surprised (to get the start). But I was very excited as soon as I got the news. I just wanted to make sure I was ready today.”
Jason Robertson scored, and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed in the Central.
“We didn’t deserve to win,” Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen said. “I think two power-play goals for them, two a little-bit bounces for them where we had guys in the right spot. Just even keel. Playoffs are like this. Sometimes you lose a game, you can feel like you’re done. But that’s the mentality you need to have, you’ve got to reset and learn from mistakes.
“First 30 minutes, we didn’t win enough battles. They were just that little bit stronger in the battles and that’s why they were able to make us defend more than we want to. Just got to be stronger.”
Game 2 is here on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).
“We prepped for a couple days coming into this one. Now, we will gather information from this game and continue to move forward,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “For me, it’s game to game and day to day. We want to continue to get better. We won and they [Dallas] lost. It’s not so much being satisfied where you’re at or that’s what it is. We need to continue to find ways to get better.”
Eriksson Ek gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on the power play. He scored on a one-timer from the left hash marks to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play with Zuccarello and Boldy, who found an open Eriksson Ek with a pass from the goal line.
“I think every team in the playoffs talks about not getting too high or too low. Just enjoy every day and each game and then we will go from there,” Eriksson Ek said. “I think we played pretty good today. The next game is a new game, so we just have to do it over and over every game. We know they are probably not the happiest with that game, so I am sure it’s going to be hard next game.”
Minnesota
ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault accusing him of involvement in a February road-rage incident.
Trump administration ends Minnesota immigration operation
Border Czar Tom Homan announced the end of Minnesota’s immigration operation after fatal shootings heightened tension and community backlash.
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault, saying the agent was involved in a February road-rage incident during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to April 16 Hennepin County court records. He has a nationwide warrant for his arrest.
On Feb. 5, prosecutors said Morgan allegedly drove illegally on the shoulder of a congested Minnesota highway in an unmarked SUV and pointed his weapon at two people in another car.
Morgan is the first agent charged in Operation Metro Surge, the controversial Minneapolis-area federal immigration operation that resulted in two American citizens fatally shot by federal officials, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The charges “reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in an April 16 video statement.
Second-degree assault with a gun has a presumptive sentence of 36 months in prison if convicted, she said.
“Mr. Morgan’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” she said, adding his actions could have led to “another disastrous incident” in the community.
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to email requests for comment. A cell phone listed for Morgan, identified as a Maryland resident, didn’t immediately respond to a call or text message.
The incident came less than two weeks after two Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, during a protest in Minneapolis. Pretti would be the second American killed during Metro Surge after an ICE agent in early January fatally shot Renee Good, 37, while she drove her SUV in Minneapolis near an immigration operation.
Later in February, the Trump administration drew down Metro Surge, which officials called the largest immigration operation in modern American history.
Investigators said they interviewed Morgan, who identified himself as the driver. Morgan told investigators he and the other ICE employee were returning from a surveillance shift. Morgan said he feared for his life and others’ safety, so he pulled up alongside the vehicle and drew his Glock 19 firearm. He said he identified himself as police.
State investigators said neither Morgan nor the other ICE agent reported the incident to an ICE supervisor.
The April 16 warrant, signed by District Court Judge Paul Scoggin, said there was a “substantial likelihood” Morgan would fail to respond to a summons, and officials couldn’t locate him.
On April 18, Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the county attorney’s office, said there is no knowledge of Morgan being arrested yet.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
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