WNBA franchises look to build and strengthen chemistry during camp in their hunt for championships

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Liberty know how tough it is to put together a talented roster, have players jell in their first year together and win a title.

They fell just short last year, losing to the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Finals.

As training camp opened Sunday, New York's starting five from last season was healthy and practicing. That wasn't the case a year ago.

“We know what happened last year and the fact we didn't achieve our goal will motivate us, but it's not what we're thinking about the entire season," Breanna Stewart said. "I'm really excited to get things going with a new and old group and build the chemistry. Now most of us have a year under our belt, what are we going to do bigger on and off the court?”

Sabrina Ionescu already sees a change in the team after the first day of practice.

“I know at this time last year I was meeting Courtney (Vandersloot) as a teammate for the first time," she said. "Having one year under our belt, training camp feels different. We've been able to grow so much as a group and having a returning starting five helps so much that we're building from last year.”

Chemistry is key when it comes to winning a title.

The Aces have won two straight titles with their core of A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray.

The team enjoys spending time together on and off the court and have a real camaraderie.

“I know a lot of people may get annoyed by us or maybe say we’re fake or we’re doing this for cameras,” Wilson said last year during the finals. “But, no, that’s really us. The biggest thing is our joy, how we play and how much fun we have.”

Las Vegas did lose a piece of their championship group when Candace Parker announced her retirement on Sunday before practice began.

Seattle has welcomed a couple of major additions to the Storm during camp.

Parker's former longtime Los Angeles Sparks teammate Nneka Ogwumike is getting a fresh start in Seattle this year after signing as a free agent. Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, who also signed as a free agent, will pair with Jewell Loyd in hopes of bringing the Storm their own talented trio to lead the team back to the playoffs and potentially be championship contenders.

“We don’t have the luxury like some other teams who has a core or had a core that stayed together,” Diggins-Smith said.

She was excited for her first day after missing last year while on maternity leave.

“I had a gap year last year,” Diggins-Smith said. "Lot of learning and information. Try to pay attention as much as you can to retain. Good to have that moment when you're out here together and can get started.”

While the Liberty and Storm have built their teams mostly through free agency, the Aces and Indiana Fever have used the draft. Las Vegas had three straight No. 1 choices from 2017-19 when they took Plum, Wilson and Young.

Indiana has now had the last two top picks, taking the reigning Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston in 2023 and Caitlin Clark this year. The two Fever stars are already building their chemistry.

“I think Caitlin has a different eye for the game. You’re able to see how well she passes the ball and how well she shoots it,” Boston said. “You see her communicating, you see the way she can find you. I mean, her passes are tremendous. I’m like ‘OK, I’ll get a touch, just let me get down there,’ just because of how well she passes it.”

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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, front left, makes a play against the practice squad as the WNBA basketball team works out in Indianapolis, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

FILE - Former UConn player and WNBA player Breanna Stewart acknowledges the crowd after being introduced before UConn's NCAA college basketball game against Notre Dame on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Brittney Griner will be back on the courts chasing another WNBA title when camps open on Sunday, April 28. (Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant via AP, File)

FILE - Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson (22) looks to pass during the first half in Game 3 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series against the New York Liberty Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in New York. Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Brittney Griner will be back on the courts chasing another WNBA title when camps open on Sunday, April 28. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

DENVER (AP) — Anthony Edwards was seeing double everywhere he turned. All by design as the Denver Nuggets doubled the attention on Minnesota's standout guard.

It was yet another wrinkle for the Nuggets, who held Edwards to 18 points — 15 below his average in this series — in their 112-97 win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday night in Game 5.

“We knew we had to do something different with Anthony Edwards. That guy is just a one-man wrecking crew,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We trapped him. We double-teamed him. We flew around behind him.”

They exhausted him, too.

Because in addition to feeling the constant pressure to carry the offensive load, Edwards was applying the pressure on defense in an effort to make things difficult for Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.

“Getting in the best shape of my life,” cracked Edwards, whose team has dropped three in a row in the series. “So it’s fun.”

The Nuggets dared anyone not named Edwards to beat them as they took a 3-2 lead in the second-round series with a chance to close out the Timberwolves on Thursday night in Minneapolis. The strategy worked, in part, because Anthony had fewer clear looks at the basket. The Timberwolves were also missing Mike Conley, who was ruled out before the game with soreness in his right Achilles.

“They’re just playing better than us right now,” Edwards said. “They’re playing harder than us. They’re getting all the loose balls. Everything's going their way. They've got the momentum, man. We’ve got to figure out a way to shift it back our way.”

Karl-Anthony Towns had a solid night despite appearing to tweak his left knee in the first half, finishing with 23 points. Rudy Gobert, too, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds. But by keeping Edwards in check on 5-of-15 shooting, the Nuggets limited the damage and built a lead that stretched to as many as 18 points.

With so much attention surrounding him, Edwards resorted to passing and finished with a team-high nine assists. But it was his instant offense the Timberwolves were in desperate need of late in the game. He had four points in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve got to do a better job making it easier for him,” Towns said of Edwards. “It’s about executing at a higher level. The guys in the other locker room here are executing at a championship level in these last three games. They’ve shown when you’re executing at that level what the results will be.”

So dominant on defense in the first two games, winning two in a row in Denver by keeping the Nuggets under 100 points, the Timberwolves have found it tougher to contain the connected Nuggets ever since. Denver has averaged 114.7 points over its last three games.

“Their guys are making shots,” Edwards said.

Especially three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who had 40 points on 15-of-22 shooting. He also had 13 assists and no turnovers.

“He’s the best player in NBA,” Edwards said. "He was special tonight. I’ve got to give him his flowers. He was that guy tonight.”

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Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, front, looks to drive to the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards defends during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Denver (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, collects the ball while fending off Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Denver (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., front, is defended by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Denver (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, front, and coach Chris Finch sit on the bench during a timeout late in the second half of Game 5 of the team's NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Denver (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)