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SOURCE SPORTS: Peloton Partners with NBA and WNBA as Official Fitness Partner

October 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Peloton, a leader in the fitness industry, has forged a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). In this collaboration, Peloton will become the official fitness partner of both the NBA and WNBA.

One of the most significant aspects of this partnership is the integration of NBA League Pass, the NBA’s premium live game subscription service, into Peloton’s new Entertainment hub. Peloton members will be able to stream live and on-demand NBA games on compatible devices during the 2023-24 NBA season. It’s a pioneering initiative that enhances the Peloton experience for fitness enthusiasts and sports fans alike.

Peloton will also develop NBA- and WNBA-themed fitness classes, offering its members a unique and immersive fitness experience. In the future, the collaboration plans to unveil WNBA-focused initiatives as the league approaches its 2024 season.

“Peloton Members are NBA and WNBA fans, and this collaboration is going to bring amazing content and experiences to them and all fans of both leagues,” said Leslie Berland, Chief Marketing Officer of Peloton. “We have a shared goal to inspire and connect people through fitness, sport and community — we’re excited to join forces and achieve exactly that.”

“Peloton is the ideal partner to tip off the launch of NBA Fitness, our new platform to engage our fans’ affinity for health and wellness,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, Senior Vice President, Head of Gaming & New Business Ventures, NBA. “We look forward to leveraging Peloton’s leadership in the space as we create co-branded fitness classes with both the NBA and WNBA, bring original content to the NBA App and make NBA League Pass available on Peloton devices.”

Additionally, Peloton will introduce “NBA Fitness,” a digital content initiative within the NBA App. This initiative will provide a wealth of health and fitness content, drawing on the NBA’s extensive network of trainers, coaches, and health experts. The content will cover areas such as strength and conditioning, basketball skills, recovery, nutrition, and mental wellness.

Fans can look forward to a dynamic fusion of fitness and basketball through this partnership, strengthening the bond between Peloton, the NBA, and the WNBA.

The integration of NBA League Pass into Peloton’s platform is set to debut during the 2023-24 NBA season. Updates on the launch timing will be shared through Peloton and NBA social channels in the coming weeks.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Peloton Partners with NBA and WNBA as Official Fitness Partner first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Peloton Partners with NBA and WNBA as Official Fitness Partner appeared first on The Source.

SOURCE SPORTS: Peloton Partners with NBA and WNBA as Official Fitness Partner

October 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Fans can look forward to a dynamic fusion of fitness and basketball through this partnership, strengthening the bond between Peloton, the NBA, and the WNBA.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Peloton Partners with NBA and WNBA as Official Fitness Partner first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Peloton Partners with NBA and WNBA as Official Fitness Partner appeared first on The Source.

Lil Kim’s Performance At WNBA Finals Game Lifts New York Liberty To Crucial Win: Watch

October 17, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The 2023 WNBA Finals are currently underway and it has been a pretty lopsided series so far. The Las Vegas Aces have been dominant all season long (34-6). However, they are proving it in the biggest games and moments Coming into this matchup with the New York Liberty, the Aces never lost a postseason game. They waltzed through the first round versus the Chicago Sky and handled the Dallas Wings. It appeared they were on the brink of eclipsing a title a few days ago. But, not if rap legend Lil Kim had something to say about it.

Las Vegas went up 2-0 in the best-of-five series after throttling the visiting Liberty 104-76. However, with the ladies’ backs against the wall in a win-or-go-home scenario they got it done. New York did so comfortably, extending the series at least one more game, 87-73. On top of keeping their title hopes alive, the Liberty secured their first Finals victory since 1999. Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart led the way with 27 and 20 points respectively. What might have given the women a spark in a tight contest at half was New York’s own Lil Kim turning up the crowd.

Lil Kim Tears It Up At Halftime

Lil Kim was met at center court with some backup dancers dressed in all white and the Liberty mascot. Yes, Ellie the Elephant tore it up alongside the MC giving a jolt of energy to the fans. Kim performed “Lighters Up” as well as a few other songs. The video above was partially provided by HipHopDX. The Liberty have a chance to knot it up at 2-2 on their home floor. Game four takes place Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

What are your initial thoughts on Lil Kim’s halftime performance at the New York Liberty Finals game? Do you think it was a good show for the fans? Who do you see winning the WNBA Finals series between the Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around Lil Kim, the WNBA, as well as the rest of the sports and music world.

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WNBA Announces Warriors-Owned Bay Area Expansion Team

October 5, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The WNBA will expand to 13 teams in 2025 when a new franchise operated by the Golden State Warriors will join the league. It’s the first time that the WNBA has expanded since 2008. However, at this time, there appears to be no plan to add an Eastern Conference franchise to keep the league at an even number of teams. Warriors chairman Joe Lacob, who once owned a franchise in the rival ABL, said the “full force” of the Warriors would be behind the as-yet-unnamed team. Lacob said the team will likely be referred to as “Golden State” but discussions would be had on whether the team would also use the “Warriors” moniker.

“We’re coming in here, number one, to win. Number two, we want to see this league and women’s basketball grow, and we hope to be a big part of it. We think it’s a watershed event for us to come in and commit to it in a big way. We’re going to bring all of our resources. We can put this machine to work, and we’re going to do that,” Lacob told ESPN.

Warriors Join Race For Aneesah Morrow

Coming in 2025 to the Bay Area@WNBA BASKETBALL. pic.twitter.com/clfahB6WSR

— WNBA Golden State (@wnbagoldenstate) October 5, 2023

With Golden State joining the league in 2025, it sets up a fascinating possibility of the brand-new franchise getting one of the best college prospects in its first year in the league. Like most other American pro leagues, the Warriors will have an expansion draft where they will build their roster from a pool of players already on WNBA rosters. Furthermore, they will also likely be placed into the WNBA draft lottery. During the last expansion in 2008, the Dream ended up with the fourth overall pick, although they later traded it away.

That means the new franchise would be in the running for the consensus #1 pick of 2025 – Aneesah Morrow. Morrow is one of the best players in the nation as she enters her junior year. Barely getting attention out of high school, the Chicago-born player chose to attend nearby DePaul. There she was the heart of the Blue Demons team on both sides of the court. Averaging 23.5 points and 13.0 rebounds a game, Morrow played elite basketball despite rarely finding herself with anything less than a double team on her. She will play her final two years at LSU after joining the Tigers during the offseason.

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Lexie Brown Calls Out “NBA 2k24” Over WNBA Face Scans

September 30, 2023 by newhiphopnews

LA Sparks guard Lexie Brown put NBA 2k24 on blast this week. We’ve [the WNBA] been in 2k the last two or three times 2ks and everything has been fine. We’ve gotten face scans, they’ve made us look okay, yadda yadda yadda. But for whatever reason, this year they said ‘fuck the WNBA’. Just look at my player. Just leave us out the game if y’all don’t wanna even try,” Brown said in a video. She also showed off her in-game model, which looks nothing like her and more like a Black female Gollum.

The WNBA was first added as a playable league in 2k21, where users could play a single season. In subsequent versions, the WNBA was given more parity to the WNBA, with users able to play multiple seasons. However, the complaints about WNBA face scans are sadly nothing new. When the W was first added to the game, fans complained about numerous players looking absolutely nothing like they did in real life. The game has definitely improved over the years. However, it’s sad to hear that some of the players involved feel that the game has regressed in this year.

WNBA Playoffs In Full Swing

While Brown has the time to lash out at lazy game devs as the Sparks ended the season 17-23, the WNBA playoffs are in full swing. The Las Vegas Aces booked a return trip to the WNBA Finals after sweeping the Dallas Wings 3-0. Meanwhile, the New York Liberty leads the Connecticut Sun 2-1 in the other semifinal. The Aces are the defending champions after earning their first title last year.

Heading into the season, the expected Finals matchup was Aces-Liberty. The Aces were a stacked title defender while the Liberty spent the offseason building a superteam. The New York franchise added Breanna Stewart, who went on to win MVP for the second time, Courtney Vandersloot, and Jonquel Jones to their roster. The two teams split their four regular season matchups 2-2.

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Golden State Warriors “Close” To Adding Bay Area WNBA Team

September 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Sources within the Golden State Warriors have told ESPN that the organization is close to securing a WNBA expansion. While the deal is not final yet, sources said it was “expected soon”. The team would play at the Chase Center and be wholly operated by the Warriors. Previously, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has stated her desire to add two new teams to the league by 2025. However, no information has emerged about the other potential addition, which would presumably be in the Eastern Conference.

If the Warriors’ deal is finalized, it would mark the first expansion franchise in the WNBA since Atlanta joined the league in 2008. While Engelbert has talked a big game about the desire to expand, there has been little tangible progress. Most recently, the league said they had recently narrowed down a longlist of 200 potential expansion locations. This has proven incredibly frustrating to fans, who have watched sustained growth and expansion in leagues such as soccer’s NWSL. The league, founded in 2012, is due to add two teams in 2024 and another in 2026.

WNBA Fans Demand Expansion

At the start of the 2023 WNBA season, a number of high-profile cuts reignited the demands for expansion. Charli Collier (#1 pick in 2021), Emily Engstler (#4 in 2022), and Abby Meyers (#11 in 2023) were among the players who have been waived by their teams. The Collier, who has played 45 games over the last two seasons, waive was taken especially hard by fans.

“Another day of WNBA roster cuts, another day of needing WNBA roster expansion. Franchises need spots to develop college talent!!” Gaming Society‘s Matt Ellentuck tweeted. “Expansion is needed. However when there’s only 144 spots we have to be realistic. The gap between being a great NCAA player and a good enough #WNBA player is large. You have a few that come in ready but teams don’t have enough time to try & develop. They need you to be ready now.” argued Women’s Hoopz at the time. Hopefully, fans will be happy with the more definitive news that more teams are coming.

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Angel Reese “Insulted” By ESPN’s WNBA Mock Draft

September 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Angel Reese may be about to start a new beef. Recently, her college coach spoke on Reese’s reaction to ESPN projecting her to be drafted eighth in the 2024 WNBA Draft. “That was an insult to her. We talked about the things she needs to work on. Whether she gets picked higher than that or not, it still motivates her. She gets motivated in practice with someone going head-to-head with her or talking trash back at her. She’s a competitor,” LSU head coach Kim Mulkey said.

Reese’s tumble to the second half of the first round was perhaps the biggest surprise of M.A. Voepel’s first WNBA mock draft of the year. Furthermore, Voepel chose to project Paige Bueckers as the second pick. Bueckers hasn’t played a full season since her freshman year and missed all of last season with an ACL tear. While the 2024 draft class is one of the strongest and deepest in years, it’s hard to see many teams passing on Reese. She was top-five in both points and rebounds per game last season.

Reese Ready For The WNBA

DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 02: Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

While Reese could play a fifth year in college thanks to the COVID exemption, she has made it clear that she is ready for the pros. “This is my senior year, and I have the opportunity to declare for the WNBA this year if I choose to. Personally, I aspire to make it to the WNBA. While I do have the option for another year, I do want to get out of college, start life outside of school, and pursue my WNBA dreams. It’s been a challenging but rewarding four years, and I’m excited to continue improving at LSU and beyond,” she told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie for Glamour.

However, Reese isn’t going to be displaying any “senior-itis” this season. She fully intends to pursue another National Championship. Meanwhile, LSU is still hunting for their first SEC title since 2008 or their first conference tournament title since 2003. To aid Reese, Mulkey and the Tigers have built a bona fide superteam around her. Along with two top-ten freshmen, LSU added transfers Aneesah Morrow from DePaul and Hailey Van Lith from Louisville. The Tigers kick off their 2023-24 campaign in Vegas against Colorado.

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Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese Among Players Being Watched By WNBA Teams For 2024 Draft

September 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The WNBA playoffs are in full swing. However, for many of the teams not participating, their attention has already turned to the draft. The 2024 WNBA draft has the potential to be one of the strongest in recent memory. However, there is an air of uncertainty to the draft. While stars like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese are eligible, many top stars may opt to use their COVID waiver and play a fifth season in college.

“If the depth of the class turns out to be what it’s capable of being, having two first-round picks is exciting for what that can do for us,” LA Sparks coach Curt Miller said. “But we have to be thorough [with scouting], because this is probably the last class with so many unknowns.” Meanwhile, veteran Diana Taurasi, who has announced her intention to play a 20th WNBA season next year, sees the 2024 class as having a massive ceiling. “When you look at this [potential] draft class, what these kids have done the last few years, there’s some names that could change your team.”

ESPN Includes A Few Surprises In First WNBA Mock Draft

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 11: Paige Bueckers #5 of the UConn Huskies shoots the ball during warm ups before the game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Entertainment & Sports Arena on February 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Alongside comments from around the WNBA, ESPN also released their first early mock draft for 2024. The draft considers all players as declaring for the draft and ranks the top-four teams by lottery odds. The number one pick, presumptively held by the Indiana Fever, remains a consensus across most mocks – Caitlin Clark. Clark is the reigning National Player of the Year and one of the most exciting players in college basketball. However, #2 is where the surprises begin. M.A. Voepel slots UConn’s Paige Bueckers at the spot despite Bueckers’ long injury history. Bueckers has been great when healthy. However, she has less than 50 games in her college career and also has three years of eligibility left.

Furthermore, perhaps one of the biggest surprises is that Voepel has Angel Reese falling to #8. Reese is perhaps the most recognizable player in the college game right now. Furthermore, she helped lead LSU to a national title last season and heads into her senior year with a newly formed superteam around her. Two other surprises are Cameron Brink at #3 and Hailey Van Lith at #5. Both players have exceptional skills – Brink as a defender and Van Lith as a perimeter shooter. However, both players have glaring holes in their game, ironically the other’s strengths. As mentioned, all this could change depending on eligibility decisions at the end of the season.

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Satou Sabally Labels Lynx Fans “Disgusting” Following Injury Cheers

August 23, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Dallas Wings star Satou Sabally did not hold back when discussing the Minnesota Lynx fanbase following a tense match between the two teams on August 22. “Disgusting fan base in Minny. The Schadenfreude to see someone get hurt can’t be a WNBA culture. Terrible words from the sidelines all game long,” Sabally tweeted following the Wings’ 91-86 loss. Her reaction came as a result of several fans appearing to cheer and yell insults at the forward after she appeared to go down with an injury late in the game. Reportedly, fans could be heard yelling that they were “glad” she was injured. A report from local media indicated that three fans had been ejected.

Sabally, the second-overall pick in 2020, led the Wings with 22 points. The German-born player is having a career year, excelling in a number of statistical categories. Across 33 games, she is averaging 17.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. Additionally, at 18-15, the Wings are second in the Western Conference. The Wings will host the Lynx in a return fixture on August 24. At this time, the Wings have not indicated if Sabally will play.

Lynx Back Sabally, Blast Disrespectful Fans

Disgusting fan base in Minny. The Schadenfreude to see someone get hurt can’t be a WNBA culture. Terrible words from the sidelines all game long

— Satou Sabally (@satou_sabally) August 23, 2023

Furthermore, speaking after the game, members of the Lynx organization unequivocally backed Sabally. “There’s no place for that. I was disappointed,” head coach Cheryl Reeve said. “I apologized. Our fans are passionate, [but] you just can’t cross the line of celebrating someone’s injury. We wouldn’t want that. We apologize that that happened to Satou.”

“Of course, it gets competitive and tensions are running high when we’re on the court, but we never want to see someone getting hurt. Celebrating that is super inappropriate and not something that represents us as a team or as players. I did think that fan deserved to get kicked out because I don’t want that to represent who we are as Lynx. A lot of our fans, most of our fans, aren’t like that. We don’t want that to tarnish who we are,” added forward Napheesa Collier.

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A’ja Wilson Ties WNBA Scoring Record, LeBron Reacts To Her Doing It In LeBron 20s

August 23, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On August 22, Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson tied the WNBA single-game scoring record with a 53-point performance against the Atlanta Dream. The mark had previously been by Liz Cambage in 2018 while playing for the Dallas Wings. Wilson went 16-for-23 from the floor, as well as 20-for-21 from the free-throw line. However, the Aces needed every single point, eventually winning out 112-100. Furthermore, the win also saw the Aces tie the single-season wins record, set by the Mercury in 2014. Following last night’s victory, the Aces are 29-4.

“She runs like a deer, jumps like a cat and catches as if she were Spider-Man,” Aces head coach Becky Hammon said. “She is just special. Her real gift is in her humility and grace and how she handles herself and her teammates. She is a phenomenal superstar.” However, the recently enshrined Hall of Famer wasn’t the only person to praise Wilson’s performance. Lakers star LeBron James also got in on the action.

LeBron Hypes Wilson’s Epic Performance

LeBron expressed his admiration for Wilson in response to a tweet from sneaker journalist Nick DePaula. DePaula had noted that Wilson’s record-tying performance was done in a pair of Lebron 20s. “Must be the !!! Nah it’s definitely her game the whole way!! They do look good on her though! GO THE HELL OFF THEN SIS!!!!! @_ajawilson22,” LeBron wrote as a quote tweet. Wilson chose the Lebron shoe over her own signature Nike for the game.

“I was just really aggressive today,” Wilson said of her own performance. “I’m out there having fun, and I get the opportunity to play with some amazing women. I don’t take these moments for granted. But it wasn’t a feeling like, ‘Oh, my God!’ It was kind of just in the flow. The biggest thing is just my timing. I see a lot of different defenses every possession.” The Aces will remain on the road for the rest of the week. They have games in Chicago, DC, and New York before closing out the month with a home game against the Mystics.

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