It was the first weekend of the WPBA season with all teams playing games on both Saturday and Sunday at Fremont High School in Oakland. There were many returning players, but also new names, both those with ties to Northern California and those who were recruited from around the country to continue to increase the competitiveness of the league. Games were broadcast on the league’s YouTube channel and the replays are embedded with the recaps below.
Rosters
There are eight teams again this year as the teams are playing fourteen games total in a double round-robin. Players who were on opening weekend rosters are below with returnees and newcomers highlighted. Many of the players participated in the combine that the league held in April at the Final Four and that is detailed as well.
Swish
This Swish had a strong returning core of Andriana Avent, Jada Holland, Angel Jackson, and Jada Lewis, all of whom also had overseas experience this past year. Two combine participants are starting their professional careers here with Cordasia Harris finishing her college career at South Alabama and Alayna Contreras finishing her college career at Middle Tennessee State. Destiney McPhaul is another rookie on the team having played at Mississippi State. Rhema Ogele just finished her first professional season as an opponent of two of her teammates in the British league after a four-year college career at Portland State.
Wolves
The Wolves started with only one returnee in Jasmyne Huggins, but added plenty of professional experience. Amber Harris, who had a WNBA career was one of the big-name signings for the season, while Star Fitzgerald-Greer was one of several established professionals who competed in the combine. Aaniya Webb was also a combine participant, starting her professional career after finishing college at Tennessee State. Nevaeh Asiasi is a local player who was excellent at the combine after finishing a tremendous DII career. Micah Gray is also a rookie coming off a strong senior year at Oklahoma State. Leilani Gonzalez is a local signing who played collegiately at Chabot and Lincoln. Bianca McGee completes the group of combine participants as she tries a professional playing career after starting in coaching.
Reign
The Reign started with three returnees as Alaiyah San Juan just finished a strong overseas season and was joined again by Deja Jackson and Janessa Yniguez. Kharyssa Richardson was a combine participant after her last college season at Mississippi State. Alexsandra Alvarado is a local player who also competed at the combine, finishing her college career at North Alabama after four years at San Francisco State. There were other local rookies as Diamond Richardson finished her college career at Wichita State and Paloma Ramirez played at UC Merced while Melesungu Afeaki and Malia Latu finished their college careers at St. Mary’s. Rosemarie Julien is one of the newcomers who has gotten a WNBA opportunity, having also played extensively overseas. Kayla Thomas just finished her first overseas season while Brandi Williams is getting her first professional opportunity a year after finishing her college career.
Riptide
The Riptide had four returnees with Daeja Smith, Jolene Armendariz, Abby Cooper, and Taylor Linzie back as the latter two were also teammates in their first overseas seasons. Aniya McDonald-Perry was a combine participant after finishing her college career at New Haven. There were plenty of newcomers with local ties as Mele Finau joins having just finished an overseas season while Finau Tonga is a rookie who played college seasons at St. Mary’s and San Jose State before finishing at Minnesota. Sidney Richards also finished her first overseas season while Jaslyn Woods also played collegiately in the area. Alexis Whitfield had a strong first professional season overseas and Chloe Sterling is a rookie from Hofstra. Da’Ja Hamilton completes the roster after overcoming obstacles to resume playing.
Royals
The Royals had a trio of returnees as Miyu Mizukawa just completed a big overseas season while Ashley Hart and Jhaina Stephens also stayed on the roster. Two established professionals who were combine participants are also on the team in Ashiala Jackson and Ayanna Mazyck. Juliunn Redmond is one of the signings with the strongest professional resumes having just helped her team win the championship in Romania. Tulane teammates Dyllan Hanna and Tamiah Robinson are part of the rookie group along with Teionni McDaniel from Boston College and Jamia Carter from Portland State.
Titans
The Titans have plenty of players with experience in the league like Destiny Jackson, Lauren Richter, Vivian Woo, Janea Arnoldi, Olga Faasolo, Mira Love-Sangco, and Makaila Napoleon. Their newcomers also have local ties as Daylee Dunn finished her college career at Cincinnati and Ashley Hiraki played at Santa Clara. They also added rookies as Krista Anderson played at Stanislaus State and Chance Bucher finished at Cal Baptist this past season.
Blaze
The defending champions have three returnees who were critical to the success of last year in Ameela Li, Kaylin Randhawa, and Isabella Mauricio, who finished her rookie year with a big overseas season. The Blaze were also able to bring in a player with extensive local ties and an established professional career in Courtney Range and two other players with professional experience in Koi Love and Eboni Walker. Gabby Elliott was a big rookie signing after she finished a strong college career at Arizona State. There were also two players who participated in the combine as Chandler Prater finished her college career at Mississippi State while Nette Howard played at Purdue, but has been pursuing non-basketball opportunities in recent years.
Phoenix
After a great season last year, the Phoenix have a ton of league experience on their starting roster with players like Erica McCall, Madison Michelis, Zhane Duckett, Brooke Demetre, Mina Tameilau, and Jess Wilson featuring. Khalis Cain and Delia Moore also return having finished seasons in Germany. They added local rookie Sabrina Ma, who finished her college career at UC San Diego and also participated at the combine. Jess Lawson was also a combine participant who played her last year of college basketball at Loyola Marymount. They added another local player in Lovely Sonnier, who just finished her first professional in Malta. Alisha Wilson also joins the league with some local experience after spending some of her college career at Academy of Art.
Saturday
Wolves 68 Swish 65
The first game of the season was certainly exciting as the Wolves had the lead early and maintained it through halftime. The Swish had the better start to the second half, getting within a basket of the lead. Nevaeh Asiasi had an impressive debut though and helped the Wolves edge the fourth quarter for a 68-65 win.
Swish: Ogele 18/8r Lewis 10 Harris 9/8r Holland 8/7r Jackson 7/10r Contreras 7/6r Avent 6 McPhaul 0
Wolves: Asiasi 22/6r Gray 13/6r Harris 11/7r McGee 7/8r/6a Fitzgerald-Greer 7 Webb 4 Huggins 2/10r Gonzalez 2
Riptide 77 Reign 74 (OT)
The second game ended up being even more of a thriller as it was close early before the Reign took a halftime lead. The Riptide had the better second half to force overtime, prevailing 77-74 in the end.
Reign: San Juan 18 Williams 14 Julien 13 Thomas 8/6r Alvarado 7 Jackson 5 D. Richardson 4 Ramirez 3 Afeaki 2 Yniguez 1
Riptide: Richards 16 McDonald-Perry 14/8r Tonga 10/7r Linzie 7/10r Sterling 7 Finau 6/8r Cooper 6 Smith 4/6r Woods 3 Armendariz 2 Hamilton 2 Whitfield 0
Royals 85 Titans 72
The third game of the day ended up being an interesting contest as Destiny Jackson and the Titans had the lead after one quarter. The Royals completely dominated the second quarter for a lead at halftime, but the teams were even in the third quarter and the Titans edged the fourth quarter to end up losing 85-72.
Royals: Stephens 18/8r Mazyck 15/11r Jackson 15/8r McDaniel 13 Mizukawa 13 Hart 8 Robinson 3/6r/6a
Titans: Jackson 22 Bucher 17 Woo 10/11r Napoleon 6 Hiraki 5/10r Love-Sangco 5 Richter 3 Arnoldi 2/8r Faasolo 2 Andersen 0
Blaze 102 Phoenix 71
A championship rematch closed the first day of action, but neither team was quite at full strength yet. Eboni Walker had a successful debut for the Blaze as they dominated the game on their way to a 102-71 win. Jess Lawson looked like a good addition for the Phoenix as she took on a big role for them to start.
Blaze: Walker 21 Love 17/6a Range 16/11r/6s Mauricio 15 Prater 13/7r Howard 9/7r Li 7 Gamble 4
Phoenix: Lawson 27/10r Duckett 15 A. Wilson 9/6r Cain 8/11r Michelis 5/8r Moore 5 J. Wilson 2
Sunday
Wolves 72 Reign 64
The Wolves started Sunday’s action and they had a good first quarter. They extended that advantage early in the second half as the Reign did have the better fourth quarter, but still lost 72-64. The stats for this game have not been fully updated as of time of publication.
Swish 93 Royals 89
The Royals were shorthanded, but had a great start to the game as Ashiala Jackson ended up having a fantastic game. Andriana Avent and the Swish slowly worked their way back into the game, getting the better of each of the last three quarters to get the 93-89 win.
Swish: Avent 20 Contreras 17 Jackson 16 Lewis 14/8a Ogele 8 Holland 8 Harris 6/10r McPhaul 4/6r
Royals: Jackson 21/15r Mazyck 18/7r Stephens 16/8r McDaniel 16 Mizukawa 12/8a Hart 6/7a
Blaze 98 Riptide 65
The Blaze looked to already be in championship form again in their second game with a big lead already after one quarter. They showed their focus throughout, outscoring the Riptide in all four quarters to get the 98-65 win behind Koi Love and Chandler Prater.
Riptide: Whitfield 14 Armendariz 9 Richards 9 Sterling 8 Hamilton 7 Tonga 6 Linzie 5/6r McDonald-Perry 5 Smith 2 Woods 0
Blaze: Love 27/10r/6a Prater 21/9r Range 13/10r Li 11 Mauricio 10 Walker 7 Howard 7 Gamble 2
Phoenix 86 Titans 62
The Phoenix bounced back from a tough opening day with a dominant win to close the weekend. Jess Lawson led them in scoring while Alisha Wilson led a big rebounding effort in the 86-62 victory. The Titans were outscored in every quarter, but got a big game from Chance Bucher.
Titans: Bucher 23 Hiraki 15 Napoleon 6 Arnoldi 4 Woo 4 Jackson 4 Love-Sangco 2 Faasolo 2 Andersen 2 Richter 0
Phoenix: Lawson 25 Cain 19/16r Moore 15 Michelis 11/11r A. Wilson 6/21r Tameilau 6 J. Wilson 4
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