🏀 Ant-Man becomes Captain America...

Team USA must have noticed the Kobe Bryant comparisons that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson got on social media this week, because Anthony Edwards went full Captain America when they matched up. But more on that later…

Today’s Lineup

The Japanese Reggie Miller 🇯🇵: Hear us out, okay?

Reality Check 🇺🇸: Ant-Man (or Captain America?) stomped all over Jordan.

Home Stretch 🏠: Crucial WNBA questions to consider as the regular season ends…

And on this fine Friday, we’re doing some trivia for our short kings.🤴

Last Night’s World Cup Action

Yuta Watanabe dropped 21 points yesterday for Japan, scoring eight consecutive points down the stretch to solidify a comeback win over Venezuela. It’s safe to say that Japanese fans are over the moon about his performance so far. Is he the Japanese Reggie Miller? We see it, but you make the call.

Watanabe wasn’t even Japan’s best player yesterday. That title belongs to guard Makoto Hiejima, who poured in 23 points against the Venezuelan team:

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson received more than his fair share of Kobe comparisons earlier this week, but the USA handed him a severe reality check when they matched up against the Jordanian squad on Wednesday. In the 110-62 blowout, Austin Reaves had a mind-bending putback which we think proved that some white men can, in fact, jump.

Plus, Anthony Edwards (22 points) had us questioning if his “Ant-Man” nickname should be upgraded to “Captain America” based on his performance on the world stage:

Last Dance in Chicago?

When Michael Jordan thought it was the Last Dance for the 90s Bulls’ dynasty, he went out and won ring number six. Nikola Vucevic just expressed a similar mindset… should we just hang the banner now, Chicago?

All jokes aside, let’s step back for a second: Vooch isn’t wrong. DeMar DeRozan is 34 years old, while Vucevic himself is 32. Professional bucket-getter Zach LaVine is 28, but we can’t help but think that the time for change in Chi-Town is sooner rather than later.

Some in Chicago think the Bulls should have pulled the plug by now, especially with Lonzo Ball most likely missing another full season (prayers up, Zo 🙏). Time will tell, but for now we’ll be Enjoy-ing DeMar and Zach give teams buckets while Alex Caruso does unspeakable things on defense.

Around the W with Crina

As we head into September, there’s only ten days left in the WNBA regular season—here are three big questions to think about heading into the playoffs:

1. Can the New York Liberty take the one seed from the Las Vegas Aces?

The Las Vegas Aces started the season in unbeatable fashion, but the New York Liberty have been inching closer and closer in the standings since then. Home-court advantage in a potential Finals matchup could be an important factor, so the difference between the 1- and 2-seed for the Liberty could be crucial in upsetting the favorites. Both the Liberty and the Aces play this weekend, but the Liberty have a tougher opponent in the Connecticut Sun and will also face a playoff-hungry Chicago Sky team.

• vs Connecticut Sun on Friday, September 1st at 8:00pm (ion)

• @ Chicago Sky on Sunday, September 3rd, 3:00pm (ESPN2)

2. Can the Los Angeles Sparks clinch a playoff spot?

The Sparks have been hovering around the eighth and final playoff spot for a while, having gone on a six-game winning streak this past month. They’re still behind teams like the Minnesota Lynx and the Atlanta Dream, but could LA beat out the Sky for that last spot and sneak into the playoffs?

• vs Washington Mystics on Sunday, September 3rd at 7:30pm (League Pass)

3. Are the Dallas Wings a serious threat?

The Wings have been in the fourth spot for quite some time now, having found consistency and stability throughout the season. Dallas is well-poised to cause some damage in the playoffs and could very well be considered a dark horse. They have a pretty low-key schedule for the rest of the season, including two matchups against the 11-24 Indiana Fever this weekend.

• @ Indiana Fever on Friday, September 1st at 7:00 pm (ion)

• vs Indiana Fever on Sunday, September 3rd at 4:00 pm (ESPN3)

What do YOU think of these questions? Let us know as we ramp up our WNBA coverage during the playoffs!

Frozen Moments

• We completely agree with what Nikola Vucevic had to say here…

• Paul George told this incredible Kobe story 😂 

• These moonshots get increasingly crazier… and higher. 🌙

What We’re Enjoying

2K24 just previewed its online MyCareer mode for this year: The City. Hopefully the gameplay stacks up with the trailer, because it does looks pretty cool. Plus, we got to see Ronnie2K in a pool floatie. So that’s a win.

ICYMI, Frances Tiafoe, a top-ten tennis player in the world, rocked an Immanuel Quickley jersey on the practice courts of the US Open! Tiafoe played in last season’s NBA Celebrity All-Star Game, and he’s showing respect to a fellow Maryland athlete here.

Signing Off

TGIF hoopers! Pick up your phone and send that friend a text—the one you haven’t caught up with in forever. People are special! Keep them in your life.

-Conor Geelan

Trivia Answer: The shortest player to average 30 a night? Duh. Allen Iverson! Pound-for-pound the greatest scorer ever… 🐐 

Before you go…