Jackie Powell

Also a neat Fire/Blazers front office crossover here: Battle played at UConn with Asjha Jones, the Blazers' director of basketball strategy.

Ashley Battle Joins Portland Fire's Front Office as VP of Basketball Operations Battle, a former WNBA player, most recently worked as a TV commentator for the Connecticut Sun and as a scout for the Boston Celtics.

Some news: Former WNBA player and current Celtics G League GM and Connecticut Sun TV analyst Ashley Battle is joining the Portland Fire as VP of Basketball Operations, Strategy and Innovation, working under GM Vanja Černivec.

Story: www.rosegardenreport.com/ashley-battl...

Suns, Mercury owner countersues investors, claims they seek ‘extortionate’ buyout Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia has filed a countersuit against two minority owners, accusing them of angling for a larger buyout.

Mat Ishbia has counter-sued the two Suns minority owners who sued him in August. He is claiming that they are attempting to force him to buy out their ownership stakes at an “extortionate” cost and used their lawsuit as part of a negative PR campaign. www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

Clarification: I am citing a LinkedIn post that the Fire quickly deleted. I know that Sarama interviewed last week, and he checks off a lot of the usual boxes (coaching pedigree, connections to Vanja Černivec, connections to Portland).

My best guess? A PR staffer jumped the gun.

The Portland Fire have announced the hiring of their new head coach: Alex Sarama.

Sarama worked remotely for the London Lions' front office in 2023-24 (led by Fire GM Vanja Černivec). At the same time, he was an assistant with Portland's G-league team, the Rip City Remix.

The IX Basketball’s 2026 WNBA Draft Board, V1.0 - The IX Basketball The IX Basketball's preseason draft board, the most comprehensive 2026 WNBA draft class preview available, from Awa Fam to Azzi Fudd.

It's here! The first edition of our 2025-26 Draft Board, more detail than you can find anywhere else on the best #WNBA prospects in this coming class! www.thenexthoops.com/features/202...

Live from the WNBA Finals: The Aces complete the sweep - The IX Basketball Jackie Powell reports live from Mortgage Matchup Center on Friday night following the Aces' sweep of the Phoenix Mercury.

Our @classicjpow.bsky.social was on the scene as the Las Vegas Aces completed the sweep to claim a third title in four years.

Mark Davis did impromptu pressers tonight. One on the podium and another with a group of reporters. I asked him the status of the latest investigation that league opened on the Aces for salary cap circumvention.

"I don’t know. If you could find out, would you please tell me."

Here is the pool report from Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals.

Per crew chief Roy Gulbeyan, Tibbetts was assessed two seperate technicals for yelling, "that's fuck--- terrible," twice.

Jewell Loyd on what this moment is like for her after what she went through last season in Seattle:

" I was kind of written off in exile, but I ended up in promise land."

A'ja Wilson then shook her pink tambourine in support of the answer.

A’ja Wilson skipping with her Finals MVP trophy.

Nate Tibbetts: “Officiating has to grow with the league.”

Nate Tibbetts said it was “bullsh—“ that he got ejected. He said it was one of the “weakest” double technicals he’s ever seen. He added that he did not get an explanation as to why he was ejected, though, he said he deserved a first technical. But a second? He said was “weak”

Cathy Engelbert presents the trophy to the Aces and boos ensue.

Kristi Toliver ‘ready’ for first head coaching shot with Liberty interview now on horizon PHOENIX – Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver’s name has come up in a lot of WNBA circles as an interesting candidate for any of the league’s five head coaching vacancies.  She’s even…

Kristi Toliver, the Mercury's acting head coach right now in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, said she's "ready" for first head coaching shot with Liberty interview now on horizon. nypost.com/2025/10/10/s...

Ah yes the Refs you suck chants have commenced.

Nate Tibbetts has been ejected from the game after he was assessed a double technical following the foul on Monique Ako Makani. It looks like Kristi Toliver will be getting an audition to be a head coach in the #WNBA right now.

Oh so that's why Becky Hammon was trying to get the officials attention to challenge it.

Kat Westbeld is about to check in alongside Brown, Thomas, Whitcomb and Copper.

Mercury have adjusted to have Alyssa Thomas on Jackie Young, Kalani Brown in guarding A'ja Wilson. Aces with a good counter to have Bell screen for Young to get AT to switch. Brown is in a drop which opens the short roll for A'ja Wilson.

Nate Tibbetts throws Kalani Brown in after Natasha Mack picks up two quick fouls. And while she has a lot of defensive limitations, she just scored an and-one over NaLyssa Smith.

The Mercury's offense hasn't come easy, but they're in this and are down 16-13.

Game 4!

Fun fact: When I was covering the semifinals less than two weeks ago, it was the Footprint Center. Now, the same building is the Mortgage Matchup Arena for the finals.

40% of Republicans & 85% of Democrats say Trump has improperly encouraged federal investigations of political opponents.

There is a pretty substantial group of Aces fans here tonight. They made sure to be out and cheering around an hour before tipoff when A'ja Wilson was warming up. And now they were quite loud when Aces starting lineups were announced.

Of interest here, the contract was finalized and executed by the league's four-person executive committee, without a final vote from all owners.

Some source said that the committee was given that mandate earlier this summer. Others said they believed all owners should still vote.

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman Receives 3-Year Contract Extension Jessica Berman received a 3-year extension as NWSL commissioner. The deal was executed by the league's four-person executive committee.

SCOOP: NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman has a new three-year contract, per sources. Under her guidance the league has seen large commercial growth and undergone multiple expansions. #NWSL

More via @sportico.bsky.social 👇
www.sportico.com/personalitie...

Last three refs in the pool tonight, as you might expect considering it's Game 4 and we started with a list of 12. If it gets to Game 5, then they have to decide who gets to go again. #WNBA

Standoff Over WNBA's Future Has Dominated Finals A dominant performance by A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces has been reduced to background noise as players and owners negotiate a new CBA.

According to multiple sources, the WNBA's latest CBA proposal includes a supermax closer to $850,000 & a vet min hovering around $300,000 in year 1

The two sides remain at odds w. Engelbert's frayed relationships extending to team presidents and owners.

frontofficesports.com/standoff-ove...

Sabrina Ionescu was named to the All-WNBA second team for the fourth season in a row. She’s the third player in Liberty history to earn All-WNBA honors in four seasons in a row joining T-Spoon and Tina Charles.