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Blue Devils on the Hardwood June 21 WNBA Update
6/21/2018 11:33:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DURHAM, N.C. – With roughly a third of the WNBA season in the books, all five teams rostering Duke alumnae remain in close contention. Each week, GoDuke.com will update how the Blue Devils are faring in the professional ranks --
Standings Update
Last week's WNBA action brought drastic changes to the state of the league standings. After losing both games this past week and dropping their third consecutive contest, the Connecticut Sun (Jasmine Thomas, Lexie Brown) dropped to fourth place with a 7-4 record. Riding a five game winning streak, the Los Angeles Sparks (Alana Beard, Chelsea Gray) now sit atop the standings at 9-2. These two teams are followed by the fifth place Washington Mystics (Monique Currie, Krystal Thomas) at 7-5 and the sixth place Dallas Wings (Karima Christmas-Kelly) at 5-5. The Atlanta Dream (Elizabeth Williams) round out the teams with Duke alumnae, as they reside in seventh place with a 6-6 record.
Beard Hits Major Milestone
In a June 17 win over the Chicago Sky, Alana Beard collected her 1,000th career assist. She also moved into 23rd on the WNBA's all-time points list in the game. Overall, it was a great week for Beard and the Sparks, as they also collected victories against the Mystics and Fever. Over this three game stretch, Beard posted a 10-point game against the Mystics and recorded four steals against the Fever.
🗣MILESTONE ALERT🗣 Yesterday @Alanabeard20 collected her 1,000 career assist💪🏀 Let's all congratulate her on this amazing achievement!🙌 #GoSparks #All4LA pic.twitter.com/XQLXncxZmZ
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LA_Sparks) June 18, 2018
Congrats to @AlanaBeard20 on becoming the 23rd player in #WNBA history to reach 1,000 career assists!#WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/9DnHDOsHvl
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 17, 2018
Wait till the end @Alanabeard20 😂😈 #GoSparks #All4LA pic.twitter.com/HlX0QR4jzn
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LA_Sparks) June 19, 2018
Blue Devil Face-off
Last Friday, the Sparks traveled to Washington to face the Mystics in a tilt that pitted former Blue Devils against one another. Alana Beard and Chelsea Gray both started for the Sparks, while Krystal Thomas and Monique Currie represented the Mystics. In the end, the Sparks pulled away and took home a 97-86 victory. Duke alumnae combined to score 30 points in the contest.
Gray Stays Hot
During the Sparks' undefeated week of play, Chelsea Gray reinforced her all-star candidacy with three more noteworthy performances. Gray scored double digits in every game, topping out at a team-leading 21 points and six assists in an 81-71 win over the Sky. In total, she combined for 48 points, 18 assists, 11 rebounds, and three steals over the course of the three games.
Dimes on dimes on dimes! @Candace_Parker and @cgray209 have had some 🔥 assists so far this season, and there are plenty more to come! #WatchMeWork
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 17, 2018
Catch them and the @LA_Sparks TONIGHT on @NBATV as they face the Chicago Sky at 6 PM/ET! pic.twitter.com/wBecXAAcB2
.@cgray209 put on a SHOW tonight 🔥
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 18, 2018
21 PTS, 6 AST & clutch plays in a @LA_Sparks victory! #WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/szatObv3r8
Thomas Has Monster Game
In a June 15 loss to the Storm, Jasmine Thomas tied a career high with 29 points. She also chipped in six assists and five rebounds. In another defeat against the Phoenix on June 16, Thomas added 10 points to go along with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
👌👌 @jaszthomas 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/P0uctygubc
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) June 16, 2018
J A S M I N 3333 🙌 pic.twitter.com/wNIKRJGWkT
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) June 16, 2018
.@Chiney321 set a career-high with 30 points and @jaszthomas tied her career-best with 29 points but it was not enough as the Sun fell to the Storm 103-92.
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) June 16, 2018
Get the recap » https://t.co/pvciBkLnew pic.twitter.com/MN11h1sjfE
Williams Staying Consistent
Despite two tough losses this past week, the Dream continue to receive strong all-around performances from Elizabeth Williams. In a June 16 defeat versus the Fever, she tallied eight points, seven rebounds, four blocks, and one assist. The block party continued on June 19 against the Liberty, as Williams added two more blocked shots and finished with four points and eight rebounds.
NOT in our lane 🙅♀️ pic.twitter.com/L2gIvAuaN6
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) June 17, 2018
DOUBLE #BlockParty featuring @E_Williams_1 and Jessica Breland 🙅♀️🙅♀️ #NotInOurPaint pic.twitter.com/nF6MxFVIFd
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) June 20, 2018
Brown Continues to Improve
Lexie brown made appearances in each of the Sun's two most recent games, contributing a three-point basket on June 15 against the Storm.
No. Hesitation.@lexiekiah_4 gets the 3⃣ to go before the 1st Q buzzer ⏱️ #WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/T7Uhqo6J5b
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 16, 2018
👀 @lexiekiah_4 with the dish to @Chiney321. pic.twitter.com/Zp6DwgRj9G
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) June 16, 2018
Currie Contributing for Mystics
Monique Currie had another solid week for the Mystics, as the team went 1-1 in its two most recent games. In a hard-fought loss to the Sparks, Currie accounted for seven points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. On June 19, the Mystics righted the ship and dominated the Sky, with Currie going for nine points, two rebounds, one steal, and one block. Krystal Thomas also added four points and six rebounds in the victory.
Only needs one dribble for that jumper 😉💪@Mocurrie25 #MysticsSky #WNBAVote pic.twitter.com/w9VbcbkDQx
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 19, 2018
Vote for Former Blue Devils!
Voting for the 2018 All-Star Game in Minneapolis now live. With many Duke alumnae worthy of a spot on the team, follow the link below to show support. Chelsea Gray is a top candidate to be voted onto the team and has also been nominated for the mid-season top play of the year.
#WNBAAllStar voting is LIVE!
— WNBA (@WNBA) Jun
Which ⭐️⭐️⭐️ do you want to see in action in Minneapolis on July 28?
Cast your votes right here on Twitter by tweeting a player's name with #WNBAvote, or submit your ballot here: https://t.co/WSNGAoya9m pic.twitter.com/IQitC5W8F4#WNBAAllStar voting is LIVE!
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 19, 2018
Which ⭐️⭐️⭐️ do you want to see in action in Minneapolis on July 28?
Cast your votes right here on Twitter by tweeting a player's name with #WNBAvote, or submit your ballot here: https://t.co/WSNGAoya9m pic.twitter.com/IQitC5W8F4
19, 2018
5 wins in a row: ☑️@Candace_Parker, @cgray209, @Nnemkadi30 putting up numbers: ☑️
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LA_Sparks) June 20, 2018
Voting your Sparks for the All-Star Game: START VOTING NOW!🙌🏀 #GoSparks #All4LA #WNBAVOTE @LA_Sparks pic.twitter.com/KGgNpfq93P
We want some Mo❗ We want some Mo❗
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 20, 2018
Make @Mocurrie25 an All-Star! RT to #WNBAVote ‼️ pic.twitter.com/MbANv0M12s
One month into our 22nd season... it's time for YOU to vote on the Play of the Year so far! #WNBA
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 19, 2018
🤔 Was it @CGray209's Opening Weekend buzzer-beater??
Vote now: https://t.co/lFLcZnsQQb pic.twitter.com/qgLgQC1RAR
Thomas Selected in WKBL Draft
This past Tuesday, Krystal Thomas was selected by the Woori Bank Wibee with the sixth pick of the Women's Korean Basketball League Draft. The premier professional women's basketball league in South Korea, the WKBL provides an additional opportunity for players to take the floor at the conclusion of the WNBA season.
The 2018-2019 WKBL Draft Picks (Korea) pic.twitter.com/en4yiLyBLm
— WomensBasketball247 (@womensbball247) June 19, 2018
Follow Greenwell's Journey on her Blog
Recent Duke graduate and Blue Devil standout, Rebecca Greenwell, is beginning an online blog to provide updates during her time away from basketball. Drafted by the Mystics in this past year's WNBA draft, Greenwell is sitting out the season following offseason surgery.
🎓 Graduate from @DukeFuqua
— Duke Women's Basketball (@DukeWBB) June 18, 2018
🏀 Get drafted to the @WNBA (s/o @WashMystics)
🏙️ Summer Internship in Chicago@bgreenwell23 is just getting started 😈
📝 BLOG: https://t.co/sZRpkAopYi pic.twitter.com/Zqib6osSs4
Blue Devils Among League Leaders
Through June 21, Chelsea Gray remains in line with the league's best. She leads the WNBA in assists (5.9), while ranking seventh in steals (1.6) and 10th in minutes (31.9). Also in the top 10 in assists, Jasmine Thomas is averaging 4.9, good for fourth in the league. Elizabeth Williams, who has been a force to be reckoned with on defense this season, is tied for fourth in the league in blocks with 1.6.
Eight Blue Devils Open on WNBA Rosters
This season, a total of eight Duke alumnae made final roster cuts across five different WNBA teams: Alana Beard (L.A. Sparks), Lexie Brown (Connecticut Sun), Karima Christmas-Kelly (Dallas Wings), Monique Currie (Washington Mystics), Chelsea Gray (L.A. Sparks), Jasmine Thomas (Connecticut Sun), Krystal Thomas (Washington Mystics), and Elizabeth Williams (Atlanta Dream).
Duke Sports Second-Most Players in WNBA
With final rosters being trimmed down on May 17, Duke opened the season with eight alumnae playing for WNBA teams. This is the second-most of any school in the NCAA, trailing only UConn, who has 17. The teams of former Duke players are 9-4 through week one.
Games to Watch
This upcoming week features a surplus of games containing an opportunity to watch Blue Devils compete head-to-head or on national broadcast. On Friday, the Sun (J. Thomas, Brown) will look to get back on track against Williams and the Dream. Later that night, the Mystics (Currie, K. Thomas) travel to Chicago to take on the Sky in a battle viewable on ESPN 3. Tuesday, the Sun will be in another contest with Blue Devils on both sides as they visit the Mystics on their home turf. That same night, the Sparks (Beard, Gray) will host the Wings in one of the games being live streamed on Twitter this season.
Up Next
Friday, June 22 – Connecticut at Atlanta at 7pm
Friday, June 22 – Los Angeles at Dallas at 8pm
Friday, June 22 – Washington at Chicago at 9pm (ESPN 3)
Sunday, June 24 – Seattle at Dallas at 4pm
Sunday, June 24 – New York at Los Angeles at 5pm
Sunday, June 24 – Connecticut at Indiana at 6pm
Tuesday, June 26 – Connecticut at Washington at 7pm
Tuesday, June 26 – Dallas at Los Angeles at 10:30pm (live on Twitter)
Wednesday, June 27 – Atlanta at Chicago at 12:00pm
Wednesday, June 27 – Indiana at Connecticut at 7pm
Wednesday, June 27 – Dallas at Las Vegas at 10pm
Thursday, June 28 – New York at Washington at 7pm
Thursday, June 28 – Los Angeles at Seattle at 9:30pm (ESPN 2)
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