Playoff magic, fresh nicknames, and a little history-making—let’s Enjoy Friday.

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Chris Silva, Raja Bell, Tyreke Evans, Precious Achiuwa, Brandon Clarke, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Trae Young! 🎉

Around the Association

Lynx complete epic comeback against Valkyries, win 75-74 to move onto WNBA Semifinals

The Minnesota Lynx pulled off something special on Wednesday—down by 17 in the third quarter, the top-seeded juggernauts clawed back to beat the Golden State Valkyries and close out their first-round series.

Napheesa Collier was absolutely electric, scoring 24 points, including the go-ahead shot with just over a minute left that put Minnesota in the lead. Kayla McBride (18 PTS) stepped up too, hitting a couple of open-look buckets down the stretch, as Minnesota remained tight on defense and made high-impact plays when it mattered most.

And it did matter, because Veronica Burton (13 PTS, 9 AST, 6 REB, 4 STL) nearly willed the Valkyries into a Game 3 by herself. Cecilia Zandalasini’s last shot rimming out marked the end of Golden State’s inaugural season, but by making history as the first expansion franchise in WNBA history to reach the playoffs in year one, the Valkyries made everyone realize they belong.

As for the Lynx, this is precisely the kind of win that championship runs are built on. Cheryl Reeve’s squad now heads to the semifinals riding some serious momentum, and with Phee playing like this, Minnesota looks every bit the title favorite they were billed to be.

Golden State HC Natalie Nakase wins 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year

Congratulations are in order! Golden State Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase took home the 2025 WNBA Coach of the year award on Wednesday after leading the Valkyries to a playoff berth in their first season of WNBA competition, beating out other contenders like Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx), Karl Smesko (Atlanta Dream), and Becky Hammon (Las Vegas Aces).

Nakase joins some pretty cool company as one of the few individuals to win COTY in an expansion team’s first season. For example, when the Chicago Bulls joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1966-67, head coach Johnny “Red” Kerr took home the 1967 Coach of the Year award in just the fifth iteration of the award in league history. And when the Vegas Golden Knights joined the National Hockey League in 2017-18, head coach Gerard Gallant took home the Jack Adams award in their first season.

Top Five Friday

Ant-Man. The Greek Freak. Dame Time. Every era of the NBA is defined by its nicknames—some of them iconic, some hilarious. With a new season on the way, we cooked up five fresh ones for the league’s rising stars: ⬇️

1. Jordan Hawkins (NOP): With his lightning-fast release, the Pelicans’ young guard doesn’t need much space to let it fly. We’re going with “Quick Draw”, which feels like a perfect calling card for the former UConn sharpshooter.

2. Trayce Jackson-Davis (GSW): A machine of a man, Jackson-Davis has strong rim-running energy and vision on the court, bringing old-school grit into a more futuristic system. That blend makes “TJD-3000” a great nickname.

3. Matas Buzelis (CHI): Buzelis is a smooth 6’10” forward who grew up in the Chicago area and wears the city on his sleeve. His game stretches out just like the city he calls home, making “Skyline” a good fit.

4. Bobi Klintman (DET): He’s still a raw project, but “The Man from Malmö” stands out among Detroit’s roster (and the NBA) as a rare Swedish hooper. He’s got versatility on the court that could poise him for a breakout, too.

5. Julian Strawther (DEN): Strawther has never been shy about taking big shots, from Gonzaga to Denver. And after growing up in Las Vegas, “Jackpot Julian” feels like a natural nickname for a shooter with some gamble in his game.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

Happy Friday, Enjoyers! You made it. Another week in the books. Take a breath, take a bow, and give yourself a second to appreciate all the hurdles you cleared to get here. 🥳

Austin Zeglis