Garrison 7th graders win second annual Black History writing contest

Savannah Morning News

Two seventh-grade students from Garrison School for the Arts took top honors in the second annual writing contest sponsored by the Savannah Yamacraw Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

The competition is done in partnership with the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com.

Last year's winners:Savannah area Black History Month writing contest winners named

Claire Garrity was awarded first place in the poetry section for her piece, "Brave and bold, His name is Woodson." Rigby Aures was awarded first place in the essay category for her piece, "Carter G. Woodson: A Man of Many Talents."

Middle school students in the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools were asked to research and write an essay or a poem about Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Negro History Week (now Black History Month). Students were also encouraged to research significant historical figures or African Americans they admire.

Black History Month 2022:Here are 8 historic sites to visit in Savannah

Students from Godley Station School also wrote winning entries for the 2022 competition. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History is an organization dedicated to the study and appreciation of African-American History.

Below are the top placed poems and essays from the contest:

Poetry, first place

Brave and bold, His name is Woodson

By Claire Garrity, Garrison School for the Arts, 7th Grade

Brave and bold,

His story is one to be told,

Saw Black history was squashed,

Thought to change the mind of the brain-washed,

His name is Dr. Carter G. Woodson.

Brave and bold,

The father of Black history to behold,

A Ph.D. from Harvard he acquired,

Across the nation he wrote and inspired,

His name is Dr. Carter G. Woodson.

Brave and bold,

Created a week for Black stories to be told,

Eventually it expanded into four weeks,

Educating on how they were looked down upon and treated like freaks,

His name is Dr. Carter G. Woodson.

Brave and bold,

Still as he got old,

The cause of his death was a heart attack,

but this month he always comes back,

His name is Dr. Carter G. Woodson.

Brave and bold,

Helped Black peoples’ stories to be told,

During his time he was a courageous crusader,

Stood up for Black history like a true educator.

His name is Carter G. Woodson.

Brave and bold,

Inspired those to speak up to the rules they were told,

Like Rosa Parks, to a white man she refused to give up,

On the bus he made a commotion and a stir-up,

causing Rosa to go to jail,

But with her stubbornness she knew she would never fail.

Her name is Rosa Parks.

Brave and bold,

Inspired those to speak up against the rules they were told,

Harriet Tubman was born a slave and helped her people be set free,

Using the Underground Railroad ending slavery

Was a guarantee.

Her name is Harriet Tubman.

His name is Woodson.

His name is Woodson.

His name is Woodson.

His name is Woodson.

Poetry, second place

Being Black

By Tianna Goldwire, Godley Station School

Being Black,

Definition One:

Being put into an escape room,

Only there are no clues,

And several locks on the one door out.

Being Black,

Definition Two:

Defining invisible with a skin color;

All the white people walk out of the room,

They hold the door for each other but,

I watch the door slam in my face

Being Black,

Definition Three:

Reading clues that act more like mirrors,

I know Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.,

But I thank Carter G. Woodson for unlocking

Black voices hidden in the shadows

Suddenly black is not fighting to be alive,

It is melodies, movies, paintings, and court cases alike.

Being Black,

Definition Four:

Knowing there is no key to my success,

I must carve it out of the past,

I think I’ve found it in myself to be proud,

For even with how vast my culture is,

These are not someone else’s footsteps,

They are a path I’ve made by myself.

Being Black,

Definition Five:

Looking into a mirror,

And seeing history flowing within my veins,

We are a culture filled with

Pain and Beauty,

Peace and Violence.

Being black is seeing history,

Sprawled out in front of me,

Marked with several footsteps,

And still being able to see,

My own journey.

Poetry, third place

Dr. Carter G. Woodson Father of Black History Month

By Kalilah Hewitt, Godley Station School, 7th Grade

Like Rosa Parks

Like Claudette Colvin

Like Jesse Owens and James Baldwin

All these people fought for black rights

Nobody even cared that they were in the fight

Dr. Woodson let their memory thrive

So, their hopes and dreams would stay alive.

Dr. Woodson was born December 19,1875, New Canton, VA

But he is still remembered to this day.

He was one of not so many

To go to high school when he was twenty

He was the second African American to earn a doctorate, Harvard degree.

Dr. Woodson wanted something that celebrated the black race

So, he consulted this problem face to face.

And so, Negro history week was born

Dr. Woodson is my inspiration

Because his hard work and dedication contributed to a new celebration.

One that celebrated African Americans

Who risked everything for equality

For black happiness and frivolity.

What was once called Negro History Week is now Black History Month

A new celebration amazing and unique.

So much effort and time has been contributed

So African Americans could be free of segregation

Which is why we should all come together and celebrate Black History Month across the nation.

Essay, first place

Carter G. Woodson: A Man of Many Talents

By Rigby Aures Garrison School for the Arts, 7th Grade

Carter G. Woodson was a man of many talents. Not only was he the founder of Black History Month, he also worked as a journalist, historian and author. He's even commonly referred to as the “Father of Black History.” The reason behind this title is the fact that Woodson was very aware that many achievements by African Americans were often brushed aside and overlooked, so he worked hard to put them in the spotlight and show the true roots to Black history. Although he came from a poor family with illiterate parents, he strived to succeed, nonetheless.

Even when he worked with his father as a teen to support their family’s income, he had also mastered all of the common school subjects by the age of 17. Woodson worked hard to gain a Ph.D. in history at Harvard University, making him the second African American to earn a doctorate degree. On September 9, 1915, he founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Although women were still utterly despised in the workforce during this time, Woodson accepted them and treated them as he would any other coworker, with respect and belief for equality. One of the outstanding women in this association who would eventually go on to be one of the first female black activists and lay the foundation for the civil rights movement was Mary Mcleod Bethune. She served 16 years as president of this association, and was an extremely inspiring part of black history.

Speaking of inspiring, one person who inspires me is Kid Cudi. Not only is his music amazing, but he's extremely real about his mental health, even saying that the fame knocked him back into a depression stage. He experienced survivors' guilt due to this, and couldn't feel truly successful because the people around him weren't as fortunate. However, he's been working on improving his health and becoming a more dedicated father, and that's what is truly inspiring about him.

Needless to say, all of these people are true inspirations, and Black History Month is centered around their wonderful accomplishments.

Essay, second place

Woodson Welcomed Women as Equal to Men

By Dashiell Carr, Garrison School for the Arts, 7th Grade

Dr. Carter G. Woodson was an African American man. He was born on December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. Woodson was the fourth of nine children whose parents were slaves. Woodson earned his Ph.D. in history in 1912 from Harvard University. This made him the first African American man born to enslaved parents to earn a Ph.D. from any institution in the United States.

Around the turn of the 20th Century he began his own academic career, when he noticed that the public knew little about African Americans in history. On September 9,1915, Woodson co-founded the Association for the Study of African American Life (ASALH), which aimed to inform the public about contributions of Black Americans in the formation of the country.

On July 18,1922, he purchased his home in which he located the association’s headquarters on the first floor. He lived on the 3rd floor until his death on April 3, 1950. Woodson was dean at Harvard University from 1919 to 1920 until he retired to devote full attention to the association. He published The Journal of Negro History in 1916 and The Negro History Bulletin in 1937. The association had five presidents. In 1936 Mary McLeod Bethune filled the spot after the death of educator John Hope. She wore the title of first female president, and longest serving until1952.

Woodson welcomed African American women as equal co-workers and leaders of his movement. He also facilitated productive, cross-generational dialogue and relationships. He was a mentor to many up-and-coming historians. The association’s headquarters served as a training center, and the scholars in turn trained succeeding generations of African American historians that helped legitimize Black history.

While Woodson developed young men and women, the association developed important relationships with Black churches, colleges, universities, schools, and community centers all around the country.

Essay, third place

African Americans in History

By Jeremiah Norris, Godley Station School, 6th Grade

Many African Americans have supported movements. Others have died of the act of racism. Black History Month is a celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for acknowledging their central role in USA history. Black History Month is also known as African American History Month. Black History Month was created in 1926 when Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro History and Life declared the second week of February to be "Negro History Week.”

The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days and resulted in the Supreme Court ruling segregation on public buses unconstitutional. A significant play towards civil rights and equity. The Montgomery Bus Boycott helped eliminate early blockades to transportation access. The arrest of Rosa Parks on 1 December 1955, triggered the Montgomery bus boycott. After the movement, the city appealed to the US Supreme Court, which supported the lower court's decision on December 20, 1956. Montgomery's buses were integrated on December 21, 1956, and the boycott ended.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the first president of the MIA (Montgomery Improvement Association). His main act happened on August 28, 1963, when more than 200,000 of King's followers participated in the March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs in the nation's capital. The march was successful and pressured the administration of John F. Kennedy to commence a strong civil rights bill. Bayard Rustin organized Dr. King’s March on Washington.

Ruby Bridges is an African American civil rights activist who was the first African American to go to an all-white school. On November 14, 1960, when Ruby was only six years old she became the first African American child to be in attendance at the all-white public William Frantz Elementary School. Racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment. The 1954 decision proclaimed that separate educational facilities for white and African American students were genetically unequal. She lives in New Orleans and runs the Ruby Bridges Foundation to help the troubled children at William Frantz and other schools. Ruby Bridges is the author of several books now.

Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in the South to become an abolitionist and a leader before the American Civil War. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom in the

North along the Underground Railroad. During the slavery era, the Underground Railroad was a network of places, routes and people that helped disenfranchised people in the South escape to the North. Because it was too dangerous to be in free states, many people hoping to escape had to travel to Canada.

Savannah middle school students win Black History Month writing ...

Savannah Yamacraw ASALH Branch

Three seventh-graders from Garrison School for the Arts took top honors in the Savannah Yamacraw ASALH Branch writing contest for middle students. The poetry contest winners spanned grades sixth to eighth grade fromdifferent schools.

Students had a choice of two options, and essay or a poem or performed (video) wrap: describe the life of Carter G. Woodson, founder of Black History Month. Who are some of the African Americans — living or deceased — who inspired you, who give you hope for a better tomorrow? Tell us who they are and why you admire them.

More:Black career journalist recalls her childhood in Savannah

Judges were: Martina Yvette Allen, teaching artist for Young Author’s Project, Deep Center; Vaughnette Goode-Walker, executive director, Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum; Kristopher Monroe, writer and former contributor to the Savannah Morning News; Joseph H. Silver Sr., president of Silver and Associates and former vice president for Academic Affairs, Savannah State University, and Marquice L. Williams, program manager/teaching artist, Deep Center.

Poetry, first place

“The Father of Black History”

By Isabella Evans, eighth grade, Georgia Cyber Academy

Carter G. Woodson

Father of black history

Strong within the fight

Born 1785

Published books about his view

Made other blacks feel pride

Told others kindly:

God is with us, do not fear

We will win the fight

Showed us how to live

Equality by our side

He had hope, all times

Was not rich, but poor

Made his way to the top floor

Never giving up

Someone just alike

Led slaves within the dark night

Harriet Tubman

Cared for others’ lives

Put their needs before her own

They are my heroes.

Poetry, second place

“Carter G. Woodson”

By Lebron Jackson, sixth grade, Myers Middle School

Carter G. Woodson was an American historian

Who was born on December 19, 1875 in New Canton, Virginia.

He was an author and trailblazer

Even a Harvard grad

Oh, how rad!

The second African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard

Carter G. Woodson was a smart one.

He was one of the first scholars to study the history of the African

Diaspora.

His life came to an end on April 3, 1950

But legacy lives on in you and me.

Negro History Week is now Black History Month

We salute you, Mr. Carter Godwin Woodson.

Poetry, third place

“Dr. Carter G. Woodson”

By Miley Nguyen, seventh grade, Garrison School for the Arts

A man who gave us a month

To celebrate all black history,

Let’s start our journey,

With a Ph.D. from Harvard University

His mission to protect,

Preserve and honor,

Black history with every aspect,

Not leaving those to ponder.

It started as a week,

Not anything longer,

Had stories unique

Huge barriers did it conquer.

Then it enlarged,

And now it’s a month,

Forward we have charged

We celebrate for years to come.

Now can we remember

Who started it all?

Dr. Carter G. Woodson

Made many stand tall.

Essay, first place

(no title)

By Kennedi Hazel, seventh grade, Garrison School for the Arts

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, better known as the "Father of Black History," was an African American historian, author and publisher. He is most famous for his books, and for starting Black History Month. His most famous books are “The Mis-Education of the Negro, “The Negro in Our History,” “The Education of the Negro Prior To 1861,” and “The History of the Negro Church.”

Dr. Woodson was born December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. He died on April 3, 1950, in Shaw, Washington, DC. He died of a sudden heart attack when he was 74 years old. Carter's parents are former slaves Anne Eliza and James Henry Woodson. He has one sibling, Robert Woodson. Carter went to Harvard University where he got his Ph.D. in history.

According to the NAACP, Carter believed that Blacks should know their past to participate intelligently in the affairs in our country. He strongly believed that Black history -- which others have tried so diligently to erase -- is a firm foundation for young Black Americans to build on to become productive citizens of our society. That is why he created Negro History Week, which evolved into Black History Month.

An African American that inspires me is former First Lady Michelle Obama. She is from Chicago, Illinois. She was born on January 17, 1964. She is an attorney of law and went to Harvard Law School. She is married to the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama. While she was the first lady, she reformed the school lunch program. She made sure that all school meals had healthy food options. She started a garden at the White House. She also started a fitness program with Beyoncé for all public schools called “Lets Move.” She inspires me because she came from humble beginnings and became highly educated and well respected around the world. I feel inspired because she is so nice and approachable. She doesn't treat you differently because she is a lawyer and a former first lady.

That is inspiring to me.

Essay, second place

(no title)

By Dana Afifi, seventh grade, Garrison School for the Arts

Black history is one of the most important things that we can celebrate for us to honor the people who have made and are pushing to make a change in the oppression and racism that black people face. Dr. Carter G. Woodson is one person who had a huge impact on the start of Black history. Woodson was born in New Canton, Virginia, on December 19, 1875, to former slaves, James Henry Woodson and Anna Eliza Riddle-Woodson. Woodson grew up in Virginia with his brother, Robert Woodson, and grew up to be very successful. Woodson attended three different colleges/universities: University of Chicago, Berea College, and Harvard University. Woodson received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in the history field and was the second black person to ever graduate with a Ph.D. from Harvard.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson is often referred to as the “Father of Black History" but was mistaken as uneducated because of the color of his skin. Woodson's determination led him to publish over 30 books, his most popular being "The Mis-Education of the Negro." He also founded and edited the "Negro History Bulletin," a newsletter informing teachers on black history for them to teach. Woodson's motivations were strong and very impactful on the world around him.

Carter G. Woodson isn't the only black person we can learn from. For example, Michelle Obama (first lady from 2009 - 2017) is a huge inspiration to many people around the country. She is an advocate for women, poverty rights, and education. I can say that she is one of my role models. Another well-known person is George Washington Carver. Carver is known for his inventions with peanuts. He was able to create over 300 products with peanuts, many of which we use regularly. Louis Armstrong was a black musician who brought many people joy during the 1920s. One of his most popular songs being "What a Wonderful World.” His charm was appealing to many and still is.

These people all made an amazing impact on people's lives and it is about time we gave them more praise for it.

Essay, third place

(no title)

By Adam Goodwin, seventh grade, Garrison School for the Arts

Dr. Carter G. Woodson created Black History Month on February 7, 1926. Black History Month is a month dedicated to the African Americans who helped stop racism. In 1926, racism was something that prevented African Americans from being treated fairly and with respect. Dr. Woodson was born in New Canton, VA, on December 19, 1875. He was born poor and the son of slaves. Although Woodson had a tough childhood he was able to become successful later in his life. Woodson was an author and historian who wrote about African Americans who impacted America. In his lifetime he founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Woodson attended Harvard University and studied African American History. He chose February as Black History Month because February was the month that Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass were born and together they helped abolished slavery.

It is important that we celebrate Black History Month because we are able to learn more about what African Americans experienced in the past and what they did to earn equal rights. The month of February is still as popular as it was when first celebrated approximately 94 years ago.

Lonnie Johnson and Jackie Robinson are two of many African Americans who inspire me. Lonnie Johnson is an African American inventor who created the Super-Soaker. Johnson was rejected from school competitions because of his skin color, but he did not allow that to stop him. Lonnie Johnson inspires me because he invented a very popular toy that is used around the world although people doubted him.

I am also inspired by Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player, who did not allow the negative words or actions of others to stop him from playing the sport he loved. Robinson remained calm and focused on the game. These are two examples of what it means to be resilient.

Thanks to Dr. Carter G. Woodson many people worldwide are able to acknowledge and celebrate the life and legacy of African Americans past and present during the month of February.

Black History Month 2021: Kentuckians to remember this February

Kentucky Center for African American Heritage

Special to Louisville Courier Journal

Editor's note: The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage will provide The Courier Journal with a Black History Maker each day during Black History Month. The center’s goals are to enhance the public’s knowledge about the history, heritage and cultural contributions of African Americans in Kentucky and the heritage we share with the African diaspora. The center is also a vital, contemporary institution, providing space for all types of exhibitions and performances.

Carter Goodwin Wilson

Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950) is known as the father of African American history. Woodson was born in New Canton, Virginia, as the son of enslaved parents. As a young man, he worked in the coal mines and devoted only a few months a year to school.

In 1895, at age 20, Woodson entered a West Virginia high school and earned his diploma in less than two years. In 1903, he earned a bachelor's degree in literature with honors from Berea College in Kentucky. Woodson earned a master's degree in European history from the University of Chicago, and, in 1912, a doctorate from Harvard University. He was the second African American, after W. E. B. Du Bois, to receive a doctorate in history from Harvard and the first person of enslaved parents to receive a Ph.D. in America. He also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Woodson was a historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Woodson's legacy lives on at Berea College with the Carter G. Woodson Math and Science Institute, the Carter G. Woodson Professorship, and the Carter G. Woodson Student Service Award, which honors students' commitment to academic excellence, service, and interracial education.

Helen LaFrance Orr

Helen LaFrance Orr (1919-2020) was born in Graves County, Kentucky, the second of four daughters. Her parents, James Franklin Orr and Lillie May Orr, grew tobacco and corn. LaFrance Orr started painting when she was 5. She received no formal art instruction and never attended high school. Both of her parents instructed her in reading and math. Her mother inspired young LaFrance Orr to draw, placing a pencil in her hand and gently guiding her hand across the paper. LaFrance Orr's mother kept her supplied in paints by blending laundry bluing with dandelions and berries.

LaFrance Orr practiced a type of folk art called "memory painting," in which the artist records her autobiography in visual images. In 2011, she received Kentucky's Folk Art Heritage Award. Oprah Winfrey, Bryant Gumbel and the collector Beth Rudin DeWoody have all bought her work, which is in the permanent collections of the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art in Owensboro, Kentucky.

LaFrance Orr, a self-taught artist whose vibrant and intimate "memory paintings" of scenes from her childhood in rural Kentucky brought her renown late in life, lived to be 101 years old.

Isaac Murphy

Isaac Murphy (1861-1896) was born as Isaac Burns near Frankfort to former enslaved parents James Burns and a mother whose name is unknown. After his father's death, Isaac and his mother moved to live with her father, Green Murphy, in Lexington. Isaac changed his last name to Murphy once he started racing horses as a tribute to his grandfather.

Murphy got his start in horse racing when his mother worked at the racing stable in Lexington. He began his riding career at 14, and by the end of 1876, he had won 11 races at Lexington. In 1877 he won 19 races and rode in his first Kentucky Derby, coming in fourth place. Murphy rode in 11 Kentucky Derbies, the first jockey to ride three Kentucky Derby winners, Buchanon (1884), Riley (1890) and Kingman (1891). Murphy is the only jockey to have won the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks and the Clark Handicap in the same year (1884).

The son of formerly enslaved parents became one of America's most recognizable athletes during an era when horse racing was one of the country's pastimes. He won an impressive 44% of all the races he rode, a record still unmatched. He is an American Hall of Fame jockey who is considered one of the best jockeys to ever race.

Effie Waller Smith

Effie Waller Smith (1879-1960) was born to formerly enslaved parents Frank Waller and Sibbie Ratliff Waller in the rural mountain community of Chloe Creek in Pike County, on a farm a few miles from Pikeville. Waller Smith began writing at the age of 16. She attended Kentucky Normal School for Colored Persons in Frankfort (now Kentucky State University) from 1900-1901.

She trained to be a teacher, and she was known to have taught school off and on for several years in Kentucky and Tennessee. Despite her short academic experience, Waller Smith captivated her readers and became one of the first female African American poets to be published in a national literary magazine. Seven of her works were published in major American literary magazines between 1908 and 1917. Her work last appeared in Harper's Magazine in 1917.

During her prolific writing career, Waller Smith authored three poetry books that achieved notoriety despite her challenges with racism. She published her first book of poetry, "Songs of the Months," containing 110 poems, in 1904. In 1909, she published two more books of poetry, "Rhymes of the Cumberland" and "Rosemary and Pansies."

James Bond

James Bond (1863-1929) was born enslaved in the middle of the American Civil War, 1863, in Lawrenceburg. His father was Preston Bond, a white Methodist minister. His mother, Jane; James; and his younger brother, Henry, moved to Barbourville in Knox County after emancipation in 1865.

Growing up, going to college became a driving desire for Bond. That desire was so strong that he helped pay his way by selling a cow to attend Berea College in the early 1880s. A determined young man, he first walked the cow 75 miles to sell it. He graduated in 1892 from Berea, and he was one of only 2,000 Black Americans to have a college diploma. Bond went on to graduate from Oberlin College, in Ohio, with a divinity degree. He then became a trustee of Berea College and, in 1901, received a doctorate in divinity there.

Bond worked to end racial violence and discrimination as the first Kentucky director of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation. Bond was the financial agent of the Lincoln Institute from 1907-1914. During World War I, he was the Camp Taylor YMCA service director. Bond was the first of three generations of family leaders in the Black freedom struggle. The other descendants include educator Horace Mann Bond and former Georgia legislator Julian Bond.

Sara Martin

Sara Martin (1884-1955) was born Sara Dunn in Louisville's Smoketown neighborhood. She was the daughter of William T. Dunn and Mary Katherine "Katie" Pope. Sara assumed the stage name Sara Martin singing on the African American vaudeville circuit by 1915.

She was one of the most popular blues singers in her time, billed as "The Famous Moanin' Mama." Martin made many recordings, including a few under the names Margaret Johnson and Sally Roberts. She began a successful recording career when Okeh Records signed her in 1922. Martin was among the most-recorded of the classic blues singers. Through the 1920s, she toured and recorded with such performers as Fats Waller, Clarence Williams, King Oliver and Sylvester Weaver. She was known for her lavish regalia with diamonds in her teeth onstage. Martin's stage work in the late 1920s took her to New York, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Sara retired from singing the blues in the 1930s and returned to Louisville, where she opened a nursing home and sang in the local church gospel choir.

William H. Sheppard

William H. Sheppard (1865-1927) was born to William H. and Fannie Sheppard in Waynesboro, Virginia. Sheppard studied at Hampton Institute from 1880-83, where he was a student of Booker T. Washington. Afterward, he completed his studies at the Presbyterian Theological Institute (now Stillman College) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Sheppard became a minister and then found a way to go to Africa, even though African Americans were excluded from heading African missions. Sheppard achieved numerous unprecedented feats as a missionary in the Congo, ethnographer, art collector, minister, explorer, human and civil rights advocate before the 20th century. Sheppard referred to himself as "The Black Livingston." Sheppard was fluent in Tshiluba and Tshikuba languages and dialects, enabling him to communicate with various ethnic groups in Congo's Kasai District. Sheppard's public image was defined mainly by his militant opposition to the genocidal, cruel and exploitative treatment of people in the Congo by the Kasai Rubber Company during the reign of King Leopold II of Belgium (1865-1909).

In his final years, Sheppard resided in Louisville, where he was a leader in the community and pastor of the Grace Hope Presbyterian Church (1912-1927). The Smoketown housing development Sheppard Square is named in his honor.

Murray Atkins Walls

Murray Atkins Walls (1899-1993) received a bachelor's degree from Butler University and a master's degree from Columbia University. In 1935, she married Dr. John H. Walls and moved to Louisville. Walls was a pioneering civil rights leader who worked for five decades to help integrate Louisville's Girl Scouts, public libraries, department stores, hotels, restaurants and schools.

She joined the Girl Scouts in 1940 and formed Louisville's first African American Girl Scout troop in the Beecher Terrace Housing Complex. Although troops were still strictly segregated in Kentucky, the national organization recorded that its membership among Black girls had more than doubled. In 1945, Walls became the first African American member of the Girl Scouts board of directors. In 1954, she led the movement that resulted in a shared Camp Shantituck, with Black and white girls attending different sessions, the first time in Louisville history that Black and white Girl Scouts used the same camp. Just two years later, Walls led the board in a vote to integrate Camp Shantituck into one camp session for all girls.

To honor Walls' leadership, Kentucky erected a Historical Highway Marker in front of the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana Lexington Road property in Louisville.

Charles Henry Parrish Sr.

Charles Henry Parrish Sr. (1859-1931) was born into slavery in Lexington. His parents, Hiram and Harriet Parrish, belonged to Jeff Barr and Beverly Hicks. After emancipation, Parrish attended the public school in Lexington. A graduate of Louisville Normal and Theological Institute (later known as Simmons University), he also received an LL.D. from Central Law School and was granted a fellowship from the Royal Geographical Society in London, England.

Parrish was involved in political and civil rights activity as a delegate to Republican state conventions, colored educational conventions and the 1886 National Convention of Colored Men in Louisville, as well as religious activity as a delegate at the August 1886 American National Baptist Convention and the May 1887 Southern Baptist Convention. In 1908, he established the Kentucky Home Society for Colored Children in Louisville. He was secretary of the board of trustees of the Lincoln Institute from 1909 to 1919.

Parrish and his wife, Mary Virginia Cook Parrish, were central figures in African American Kentucky society. They were involved with noted businesswoman Madam C. J. Walker and Booker T. Washington while they lived in Kentucky. Parrish returned to Simmons College of Kentucky to become president, serving from 1918 to 1931.

Audrey Louise Grevious

Audrey Louise Grevious (1930-2017) was born in Lexington, where she attended Constitution Elementary School and then Dunbar Junior and High School, both segregated schools. From an early age, she dreamed of becoming a teacher.

After graduating from Dunbar in 1948, she enrolled in Kentucky State University. During this time, Grevious began to realize the depth of racism and everyday discrimination in Kentucky. She graduated from Kentucky State in 1957 with a degree in elementary education. After graduation, she became president of the Lexington NAACP and started teaching at the Kentucky Village Reform School, now the Blackburn Correctional Complex. While teaching grade school there, she noticed how segregated the institution was and challenged the "separate but equal" policy by going with her students to eat lunch in the whites-only cafeteria.

For more than 60 years, Grevious fought for civil and human rights with a determination to overcome beatings and threats during her participation in sit-ins to integrate restaurants, department stores and movie theaters. In the 1950s and 1960s, she faced countless threats to burn down her home because of her stance for equity and social justice.

Thomas Fountain Blue

Thomas Fountain Blue (1888-1935) was the second child of Noah Hedgeman Blue and Henry Ann Crawley, formerly enslaved. Blue attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute from 1885 to 1888, after which he taught school in Virginia. In 1894, he enrolled at Richmond Theological Seminary, graduating in 1898 with a bachelor's in divinity.

During the Spanish-American War, Blue served in the Sixth Virginia Volunteers. After the war, he moved to Louisville, where he was in charge of the Colored Branch of the Louisville Young Men's Christian Association. He served on several civic associations and was a charter member of the Louisville Chapter of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, founded by Carter G. Woodson. In 1905, Blue became the first formally trained African American librarian in Kentucky and managed its first library training program for African Americans in the Louisville Colored Western Branch Library. In 1905, the newly constructed Carnegie Library opened at 1125 W. Chestnut St., the first free public library for African Americans staffed entirely by African Americans.

In 1925, Blue married Cornelia Phillips Johnson, the sister of Lyman T. Johnson, who was an educator and advocate for racial desegregation in Kentucky. Blue continued to be a preacher and church leader throughout his life.

Jane Roberta Summers

Jane Roberta Summers (1895-1992) was born in Selma, Alabama, the daughter of Calvin and Minerva Kendall Whatley. Summers became a pillar of strength in the Covington, Kentucky, community, organizing campaigns against social injustice, racism, homelessness and hunger.

Summers became the first African American and female manager of the government-subsidized apartments Jacob Price Homes in Covington, where she worked for 25 years. Summers was also instrumental in the organization of the original Meals on Wheels in Covington. After her retirement at the age of 75, she joined the staff of the Covington Community Action Commission.

Remarkably, Summers became a paralegal at the age of 77 to aid those in need of low-cost legal services. She was also a stalwart member of the NAACP and the Poor People's Coalition.

On May 5, 1991, Covington Mayor Denny Bowman proclaimed the day to be "Jane Summers' Day" in honor of the many services that Summers provided to the Covington community. The Jane Roberta Summers Foundation was formed to continue her legacy for social equity. In 1992, Summers was inducted into the Northern Kentucky Leadership Hall of Fame. Throughout her 97 years, Summers wage a lifetime struggle against racism, homelessness, illiteracy and hunger.

James 'Wink' Winkfield

James "Wink" Winkfield (1880-1974) was born in Chilesburg, Kentucky. He was the youngest of 17 children in a family of sharecroppers and dreamed of becoming a jockey and following in the footsteps of prominent Black riders like Isaac Murphy. Winkfield started as a horse trainer and began his career as a jockey in 1898 at age 16.

He was one of just five men to win back-to-back Kentucky Derby races in 1901 and 1902, winning on His Eminence and Alan-a-Dalehe. In the early 1900s, violence by white jockeys and intimidation from the Ku Klux Klan forced Winkfield to move to Russia. Winkfield continued his winning streak in Russia, Poland, France, Austria, Hungary, England, Spain and Italy, winning nearly every marquee race in Europe. In 1917, he moved to France, where he won numerous races, including the Prix du Président de la République, Grand Prix de Deauville and the Prix Eugène Adam.

He retired as a jockey at age 50, having won more than 2,500 races. While being treated with respect in Europe, segregation still ruled American society. When Winkfield was invited to attend a reception at the Brown Hotel in Louisville in 1961, he could not enter by the front door. In 2004, he was inducted posthumously into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Marilyn Yarbrough Ainsworth

Marilyn Yarbrough Ainsworth (1945-2004) was born Marilyn Virginia Yarbrough in Bowling Green, daughter of Merca L. Toole and William O. Yarbrough. When Marilyn was a child, the family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. She was a graduate of Virginia State University and, in 1973, the UCLA School of Law.

Ainsworth and her husband, Walter, paid her law school tuition with her winnings from the "Hollywood Squares" game show. She later earned additional winnings from the game shows "Concentration" and "Match Game." After some time as an aerospace engineer in the 1960s with IBM and Westinghouse, Ainsworth became a law professor at several schools. She was one of the early African American law professors in the United States, holding a tenure track position when she joined the University of Kansas law school faculty in 1976. She then became the dean of the University of Tennessee College of Law. No African American women had ever been dean of a major Southern law school.

After leaving UT in 1991, Ainsworth held the visiting William J. Maier Jr. chair of law position at West Virginia University, then became a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law from 1993 until her death.

I. Willis Cole

I. Willis Cole (1887-1950) was born in Memphis, Tennessee. After graduating from LeMoyne Junior College in Memphis, he later attended the University of Chicago. Cole then moved to Louisville and worked as a salesman.

With his savings, Cole started the The Louisville Leader, Kentucky's first African American daily newspaper, which boasted as its motto: "We print your news, we employ your people, we champion your cause." Cole began publishing in 1917, and the newspaper flourished for over three decades. By the 1930s, the circulation of The Louisville Leader was 22,000 newspapers daily.

Cole was a militant pioneer in the civil rights movement in Louisville. He advocated against segregation and used his newspaper to inform Black readers to vote, to oppose Jim Crow laws and especially to oppose segregation. Cole led efforts to prevent segregation on Louisville's streetcars and fought to keep city parks desegregated. He wrote editorials that were quoted by local, regional and national publications.

Cole campaigned for a seat in the state Senate on the Lincoln Party ticket in 1922. Black votes provided the necessary margin to get 19 bond issues passed, which financed Madison and Jackson Junior High Schools' founding and helped fund the Louisville Municipal College. The University of Louisville archives houses what remains of daily issues of the paper, about 1,200 editions.

Nancy Green

Nancy Green (1834-1923) was born enslaved in Mt. Sterling in Montgomery County, Kentucky. Sometime during her late teens or early twenties Green obtained her freedom and began work in Covington as a nanny and housekeeper for the Walker family. The family relocated from Covington to Chicago, taking Green with them.

Years later, on the recommendation of Walker's son, then a judge, Green was hired by the R.T. Davis Milling Company in Missouri to represent "Aunt Jemima," an advertising character named after a song from a minstrel show. She was the woman who served as the face of one of the most popular brands for more than 100 years. Green made her debut at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago, embodying the intentionally designed role of America's "Mammy," Aunt Jemima.

Although Aunt Jemima became a household name for a century, the world does not know that Green defied the mammy caricature's derogatory image. She was a philanthropist who was one of the founding members of the Olivet Baptist Church, once the largest African American church in the United States, with a membership at that time of over 9,000. Green used her economic power to advocate against poverty and support organizations fighting for equal rights.

Robert Todd Duncan

Robert Todd Duncan (1903-1998) was born on Feb. 12, 1903, in Danville, Kentucky. Duncan obtained his musical training at Butler University in Indianapolis, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music, followed by a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University.

Duncan was a pioneering civil rights activist who broke the color barrier in theater when Black Americans had to use side entrances and sit in the balcony. Duncan created the prominent role of "Porgy" in George and Ira Gershwin's classic opera "Porgy and Bess," which opened on Broadway in 1935. He performed the role more than 1,800 times.

During the Washington, D.C., run of "Porgy and Bess," Duncan led the cast in a strike to protest the National Theatre's segregation policy. As the cast's spokesman, Duncan stated he would never play in a theater that barred him from purchasing tickets to certain seats because of his race. Theater management conceded, and for the first time, an integrated audience attended the National Theatre.

In the 1950s, Duncan returned to Kentucky for performances when he insisted that Black audiences sit in the front during his performance. He taught at Howard University for over 50 years while touring as a concert singer with over 2,000 performances in 56 countries.

Nannie Helen Burroughs

Nannie Helen Burroughs (1879-1961) was born in Orange, Virginia, the daughter of John and Jennie Burroughs. Around the time she was 8 years old, Nannie's father died. By 1883, Burroughs and her mother relocated to the Washington, D.C., where there were better opportunities for employment and education.

Burroughs attended M Street High School, where she organized the Harriet Beecher Stowe Literary Society and studied business and domestic science. There, she met her role models, Anna J. Cooper and Mary Church Terrell, who were active in the suffrage movement and civil rights.

After graduating with honors in 1896, Burroughs sought work as a teacher in the District of Columbia Public Schools but was refused the position because officials preferred lighter-complexioned Black teachers. This experience led Burroughs to establish a training school for women and girls where racial pride, respectability, work ethic and racial uplift ideology were key factors in the National Training School curriculum.

In 1898, Burroughs moved to Louisville to begin her work in the National Baptist Convention as an editorial secretary and bookkeeper of the Foreign Mission Board. During her time in Louisville, Burroughs founded the Women's Convention and was elected president for 13 years. She served the National Baptist Convention for nearly half a century.

William J. Simmons

William J. Simmons (1849-1890) was born enslaved in Charleston, South Carolina, to Edward and Esther Simmons. While Simmons was young, his mother fled slavery with her three children — him and his two sisters.

Simmons worked his way from enslavement to president of the State University of Kentucky, now known as Simmons College of Kentucky. In 1879, the Kentucky Normal Theological Institute in Louisville opened its doors under its first president, the Rev. Elijah P. Marrs. After Simmons succeeded Marrs, the school would begin to flourish in such a way that it would eventually be renamed "Simmons University" in appreciation for his contributions.

By 1893, the school had 159 students, and by 1900 it was offering professional degrees in nursing and law in cooperation with the University of Louisville. During Simmons' 10-year tenure (1880–1890), the school became a full university and expanded its offerings to include liberal arts, college preparatory courses, medical, law, business, music and theological departments.

In 1889 in Indianapolis, Simmons was a leader at the American National Baptist Convention and wrote a resolution to provide aid for Black Americans fleeing violence in the South and moving to the North.

Eleanor Young Love

Eleanor Young Love (1922-2006) was born in Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky, to Laura and Whitney Young Sr. She and her brother, Whitney Young Jr., attended the Lincoln Institute in Simpsonville, where her father was a teacher.

The Young family's lifelong involvement with the Lincoln Institute prepared Love to receive a library science degree from Atlanta University, a Master of Education degree from the University of Louisville and her Doctorate of Education from the University of Illinois. Love worked as a librarian at the Lincoln Institute, Florida A&M University and Bergen Junior College. In 1955, she became the first African American librarian at the University of Kentucky. From 1964 to 1966, Love would return home to head the Lincoln Institute before its rebirth as the Whitney M. Young Job Corps Center.

Love was the first African American dean at the University of Louisville, where she spent 40 years. During her days at U of L, Love was known as a skilled negotiator and became involved in working with students. She provided the necessary leadership criticizing the U of L administration for failing to recruit and support Black students and faculty.

Woodford Roy Porter Sr.

Woodford Roy Porter Sr. (1918-2006) was born in Louisville to Imogene Stewart Porter and Arthur D. Porter Sr. After graduating from Central High in 1936, Porter wanted to go to the University of Louisville, but it did not accept African Americans at the time. Porter was drafted and served in the Navy during World War II.

After the war, he became the director of his father's funeral business, A. D. Porter and Sons Funeral Home, one of Louisville's first African American businesses. He married Harriett Bibb Porter, who was an educator. Porter's love for education was evident by his support of educational initiatives in Louisville. He became the first African American to be elected to the Louisville board of education in 1959. He also was the first African American trustee at the University of Louisville, where he served for 32 years and was board chair for four terms.

In recognition of his contributions to the university, U of L established the Woodford Porter Scholars, and he received the Presidential Medal in 2004. Shortly after his wife's death in 2004, Porter established the Harriet Bibb Porter Cancer Education and Prevention Endowment with a $250,000 donation for the James Brown Cancer. In 2010, the U of L named the College of Education and Human Development building the Woodford R. and Harriett B. Porter Building.

Ida B. Wells

Ida Bell Wells-Barnett (1862-1931) was born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. She lost her parents and her infant brother in the 1878 yellow fever epidemic. Later, Wells moved with some of her siblings to Memphis, Tennessee, where she worked as a teacher. She attended Fisk University in Nashville and Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis.

Wells was a gifted writer who had never been paid as a journalist until she met the Rev. William J. Simmons, the American Baptist Newspaper publisher, president of the National Press Association and president of Simmons College of Kentucky. Simmons hired Wells as a correspondent for the paper. Wells became known as the “Princess of the Press” and traveled to write for the American Baptist. Soon after working for the American Baptist Newspaper, Wells started the Memphis Free Speech and Headlight newspaper.

Wells used her work to expose lynching as a barbaric practice of white Americans in the South used to intimidate and oppress African Americans who created economic and political competition. Throughout a lifetime dedicated to combating prejudice and violence and fighting for African American equality, especially for women, Wells arguably became the most famous Black woman in America.

Sterling Orlando Neal Sr.

Sterling Orlando Neal Sr. (1918-1977), the son of Robert and Anna Harper Neal, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Neal moved with his family to Louisville when he was young. He attended Louisville Catholic High School and Jefferson Community College.

Neal worked at the International Harvester Company, a global farm equipment industrial power employing hundreds of thousands of workers. Neal became a key leader in the Farm Equipment Workers Union, known as FE. FE leaders led multiracial workers on the "Southern differential" strike of 1947. After 40 days, International Harvester conceded and granted workers wage increases to end the strike.

Neal continued his work as a union leader, becoming United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America, or UE, president of District 7, representing Kentucky and Ohio. In 1952, he was elected the UE's international vice president and became a member of the UE General Executive Board. Neal represented more than 300,000 workers in the United States and Canada. As a union leader, Neal fought for all workers' rights, winning some of the highest wages for their work in the South. In 2003, Neal was posthumously inducted into the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights Hall of Fame.

Ruby Wilkins Doyle

Ruby Wilkins Doyle (1925-2018) was born in Louisville to Willie Richard Wilkins and Irene Julie Hill Wilkins. She received her education from Central High School, the University of Louisville and Spalding University.

Wilkins worked as a high school English teacher and retired from the Jefferson County Public Schools system after 17 years. After retiring, she earned a bachelor's degree in theology. Doyle was an accomplished writer who authored academic, religious and historical books, including "Recalling the Record: A Documentary History of the African American Experience Within the Louisville Public School System of Kentucky (1870-1975)." Her manuscript has over 600 pages and 317 supporting documents of Louisville's African American community's history. The book documents the history and importance of education in Louisville's African American community, identifying the great leaders who upheld high expectations and standards necessary for their survival in a segregated world.

Before her death, Doyle completed another manuscript that was never published. In this manuscript, "Louisville's Russell Area: Remembrance and Reflections," Doyle penned 11 chapters examining the long and fascinating history of achievement by African Americans who lived in the Russell neighborhood. The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage is working with Doyle's family to have the manuscript edited and published soon.

Joseph McMillan

Joseph McMillan (1929-2010) was born in Louisville, where he graduated from Central High in 1946 and the University of Louisville in 1950. He moved to Michigan to work at Grand Rapids Public Schools, becoming the first African American male elementary teacher and later the system's first Black principal. He finished his career in Grand Rapids as the supervisor for inner-city schools.

McMillan, affectionately known as "Dr. Mac," began his higher education career at Michigan State University as the assistant vice president for human relations, director of the office of minority affairs, and professor in the college of education. McMillan returned to Louisville in 1976 to become the assistant provost for academic affairs and minority affairs at the University of Louisville. While at U of L, he founded and chaired the annual Black Family in America Conference, or BFC, for more than 40 years, making the conference one of the oldest and most renowned of its kind in the country.

After he retired from the university, McMillan dedicated his time to chairing the BFC and directing the Rising 5th Graders and the Street Academy, which addressed the needs of young African American males. McMillan was a tireless community activist, championing civil rights and social justice.

Emma Lewis Minnis

Emma Lewis Minnis (1880-1972) was born in Louisville as the youngest of nine children to Madison Beaumont Minnis and Elizabeth Turner Minnis. Minnis' lifelong love for music came from both of her parents. Her father was the chorister who founded the choir at Fifth Street Baptist Church, the first Baptist church for Black Americans in Louisville. Her mother, Elizabeth, was a renowned private piano teacher who once played before President Abraham Lincoln.

Along with two of her sisters, Ella and Elizabeth, Minnis pursued education and music as a career. She graduated from Central High School and the Louisville Colored Normal School. She was a high school teacher and principal in Cairo, Illinois, and was principal of Benjamin Banneker Elementary School in Louisville. Most of Minnis' life was spent teaching music around the community, in her pupils' homes or in her own.

In 1915, a small, predominantly African American school was founded, offering an academic program for prekindergarten through eighth grade. In 1970, the school was named the Emma L. Minnis Junior Academy, honoring her work as a teacher, principal, musician and piano instructor who was also the choral director at Magazine Street Seventh-Day Adventist Church, the progenitor of the school.

John H. Smiley

John H. Smiley (1881-1937) was born in Louisville as the oldest of 11 children to the Rev. Charles Bell Smiley and Eliza Harvey Smiley. His father organized the Hill Street Baptist Church in 1895, and Smiley assisted his father in the ministry and business facets of the church.

Not only did Smiley play a role in the church, but he was also a prominent figure among the religious music circuit. He and a group of musicians were responsible for creating a seminal Baptist hymnal called "Gospel Pearls" in 1921, which the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc. published. It would be the first time the term “gospel music” was mentioned in America. The family was known for their outstanding musical talents in singing and playing instruments, and Smiley became a widely known gospel singer throughout the 1930s. As a youth, Smiley was hired to be a chauffeur for Theodore Ahrens and Gen. W. B. Haldeman. Ahrens recognized his excellent baritone voice and encouraged him to develop it.

Smiley conducted revival services for white and African American audiences throughout the country and sang several times before the Southern Baptist Convention. He was also a guest singer from time to time on the WHAS Radio show with the famed Ballard Chefs, African American radio performers sponsored by the Ballard and Ballard Flour Company.

Mary Virginia Cook-Parrish

Mary Virginia Cook-Parrish (1862-1945) grew up in Bowling Green. Cook-Parrish showed great academic promise in her early years, and in 1891, she won an award for reading and a spelling bee. The Rev. William J. Simmons, president of State University (now Simmons College), took notice of her academic ability and made it possible for Cook-Parrish to attend the university. Cook-Parrish graduated at the top of her class with an A.B. degree from the normal school and continued to become a professor and principal of the normal school department at Simmons.

Cook-Parrish wrote for various newspapers and magazines, becoming a formidable proponent of Black Baptist feminism, working to gain equality and social justice for all. Cook-Parrish attended the National Association of Colored Women's founding session in 1896 at the 19th Street Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. In 1898, she married Charles Henry Parrish, who was president of Eckstein Norton Institute. The following year, their son, Charles H. Parrish, Jr., was born. In 1900, Cook-Parrish was a founder of the National Baptist Women's Convention.

She continued to speak out and write about women's rights and equality in education, laying the foundation for African Americans and women in the civil rights struggle to come.


Breanna Stewart headlines WNBA free agency list

AP

Breanna Stewart is the biggest WNBA free agent on the market this offseason and the former MVP has a host of teams courting her, including the Seattle Storm where she's spent her entire career.

She's one of five former league MVPs who are unrestricted free agents this year. Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike, Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles all could potentially change teams in the coming weeks although it would be a surprise if Taurasi left Phoenix and Ogwumike didn't go back to Los Angeles.

Brittney Griner, who was returned to the U.S. last month in a prisoner swap after her 10 months in jail in Russia for drug possession charges, has said that she'll remain in Phoenix.

Where the others go will be determined over the next few weeks. Teams can start negotiating with players on Saturday and can begin signing players on Feb. 1.

“This year may bring us the most active free agent periods to date with what seems to be a record number of all-stars in conversations for trades or free agent signings,” ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson said. “The kind of moves we have seen in recent off-seasons can really tilt the scales dramatically when we look ahead to what teams will be top contenders for a WNBA championship.”

It's already been a busy offseason with a handful of trades completed — none bigger than former MVP Jonquel Jones heading to New York. The Liberty are a potential destination for Stewart, who hails from upstate New York. The team had a dinner meeting with Stewart last offseason in Los Angeles. The 2018 MVP is currently playing in Turkey for Fenerbahçe this winter.

Stewart told The Associated Press while playing for the U.S. at the World Cup in Australia last September that she'd be taking free agent meetings in Turkey.

“I'm going to be a free agent,” Stewart said. “I did last year and I'll do it again this year. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't take those meetings and have those conversations. The decision is what's best for myself and my family.”

The 28-year-old forward has spent her entire WNBA career in Seattle and re-signed with the Storm last season for one year. She was the runner-up for MVP, averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

It's not just the former MVPs who are free agents. Courtney Vandersloot, who is No. 3 on the WNBA career all-time assists list is an unrestricted free agent as well as 2019 Finals MVP Emma Meesseman. Vandersloot, Parker and Meesseman were three key members of Chicago's lineup last season.

Connecticut cored Sixth Woman of the Year Brionna Jones, meaning she'll stay with the Sun for at least another season.

All the teams are trying to add to their rosters to catch WNBA champion Las Vegas. The Aces have all five of their starters back, signing a few of them during the year ahead of the potential free agency period.

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Breanna Stewart to be WNBA ambassador this season

AP

NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart will be a paid ambassador for the WNBA this season.

The reigning MVP tore her right Achilles tendon while playing overseas this winter and because the league has no injury list for teams, the Seattle Storm suspended Stewart without pay to free up a roster spot.

The WNBA will pay Stewart in excess of the roughly $65,000 base salary she would have made with the Storm, agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas confirmed to the AP on Friday.

Colas said that the deal was done Thursday in discussion with deputy NBA commissioner Mark Tatum, who has been serving as the interim WNBA President. This was after Seattle and Stewart mutually agreed on the suspension. Seattle offered to keep Stewart on the roster and pay her full salary, but the 24-year-old said she wanted to help the team be the best it could be by not taking up an active roster spot.

"The Storm made the decision independently to suspend her because of the injury," Tatum told the AP at the New York Liberty game Friday night. "After they made the decision, we at the league office said 'What a great opportunity to have the reigning MVP promote the league'. I spoke with Lindsay and then got on the phone with the team after they made the decision. What Stewie wants to do is help us grow and promote the league. It's a great thing for the WNBA."

Colas was happy that the league was willing to think outside of the box.

"The league delivered on the idea that they need to invest in their stars and be collaborative with the players. They understand Stewie's value to the business," Colas said. "I applaud them being entrepreneurial. This is a good thing for everyone. We are excited to pilot what I hope will be a model for how stars can work with the league and its partners to engage fans and drive interest year round."

The Storm also lost Sue Bird indefinitely to a knee injury this week, meaning they would have started the season with only 10 healthy players. There is a clause in the current CBA that if a team gets below 10 healthy players, they can sign a replacement player until they get back above 10.

The union, which was informed of the Stewart decision, is interested some kind of change, whether it's in the form of an injured reserve list or a roster expansion.

"We thought it was a great idea and encouraged the league to think of other players that would make great ambassadors," said Terri Jackson, who is the executive director of the WNBPA. "We wanted to see how it develops as the concept and plan rolls out. This league is represented by many great players."

It will definitely be a big topic of discussion around the CBA, which expires after this season because the players opted out at the end of 2018 season.

"That's definitely something that would help the league grow," Los Angeles Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike, who is the president of the players' union, said in 2017. "It's all about resources and talking about the logistics of everything. Looking forward, we'd like to spark that type of change."

The league had an injury list from 1997-2005. Players had to sit out a minimum of three games from the date they were placed on the list. Then, the WNBA had a two-person inactive list from 2006-08 before rosters were reduced to 11 in 2009. Rosters are back up to 12 now.

Chiney Ogwumike missed 2015 and 2017 because of two separate injuries. In 2015, she had microfracture surgery on her knee and the Connecticut Sun kept her on the roster all year, costing them a spot. Although Ogwumike couldn't play, she was still the face of the franchise while making appearances.

Two years later when she hurt her Achilles tendon, the Sun suspended her, freeing up the roster spot and not having to pay her.

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Follow Doug Feinberg on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg

WNBA looks ahead to 2022 season with potential changes

AP

Candace Parker made the biggest move last offseason choosing to return home to Chicago. The decision paid off as the WNBA star led the Sky to the franchise's first championship.

Chicago will have choices to make if it wants to become the first repeat champion since the Los Angeles Sparks did it in 2001-02. WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper is an unrestricted free agent, as are married Sky teammates Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley.

Besides Chicago, the rest of the WNBA could have a different look next year with potential movement as some of the league's biggest names are available.

In the past, many of the WNBA's top players didn't move too often, but the collective bargaining agreement that was ratified in 2020 has allowed for more player movement by reducing the number of times teams could potentially force their top player to stay by coring them. While it's unlikely, regular-season MVP Jonquel Jones of Connecticut and former top award winners Breanna Stewart of Seattle and Tina Charles of Washington all could change teams this offseason.

Stewart just recently had surgery for a minor repair and reinforcement of the Achilles tendon in her left leg, the team announced Thursday. It wasn't the same Achilles she tore overseas a few years ago. She potentially will be headed overseas at some point this winter to play on her Russian league team.

Many of the WNBA’s players have already headed overseas to play in their winter leagues to supplement their incomes.

League greats Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi will also have to make choices whether they want to come back and play. Bird, who turned 41 over the weekend, said she'll sit down with her family and discuss whether she wants to play another year in Seattle. The Storm will be back in their new renovated home arena next year which could be a huge reason for the league's all-time assist leader to return.

Taurasi has one year left on her contract in Phoenix, and said that she'll sit down with her wife Penny Taylor and figure out what she wants to do. The couple just welcomed their second child before the WNBA Finals.

Here are a few other things that could change next year:

SEASON FORMAT

The WNBA continues to grow with strong ratings and social media engagements. Next season will potentially have a 36-game schedule — the most the league has played. There’s also discussions of a new playoff format that’s supported by players and coaches, as well as some league executives. The current structure, which has been in place since 2016, rewards the top teams with byes until the semifinals and has single elimination games in the opening two rounds.

This season marked the first time that neither one of the top two teams made the WNBA Finals since the league changed its postseason format. Chicago was a six seed and Phoenix a five. The Sky won the championship in four games to cap off the league's 25th season.

“I’m sure whatever we change it to in the next three to five years, we’ll be looking at it again because there’s pros and cons to every different playoff format,” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said during her state of the league address at the Finals. “So we want to be very thoughtful about what we do.”

EXPANSION

The WNBA is also looking into adding more teams.

“Expansion is on the horizon,” Engelbert said.

She said that the league is conducting a data analysis to find potential expansion cities using about 15 metrics to evaluate different locations and hopes to have a more concrete answer during the 2022 season.

“The data looks like it’s going to read out some interesting information for us to start having exploratory discussions with certain cities,” Engelbert said, “Make sure that we can find great ownership groups to support a WNBA team and great fan bases. So that’s why I think looking at how those cities are already supporting the WNBA, whether it’s viewership, merch sales or other things or whether they’re supporting women’s sports or women’s college basketball are great indicators of how it would get supported if a WNBA team were to go in that market.”

HEALTHY RETURN

Elena Delle Donne missed most of the season while recovering from a back injury as she played in only three games. The Washington Mystics star is hoping to be ready to go for 2022 after also missing 2020 because of fear of complications from getting the coronavirus.

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2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones excited to be in New York

AP

NEW YORK (AP) — After spending her entire career in Connecticut, Jonquel Jones was ready for a change.

So she looked around and decided that New York would be the right place for her to continue her WNBA career.

“I’m excited to be here. pleasure to be part of this organization,” Jones said. “For me playing against the Liberty last year I saw a shift in the culture. The way they played, high-octane basketball. For me I wanted to be a part of that. To be in a city like New York, it speaks for itself. Felt like the right move. I know it’s the right move for this chapter in my life.”

The 2021 MVP was introduced by the Liberty at a press conference Friday a few days after the team traded for her as part of a three-team deal with the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings.

“For me any time you have a chance to get someone like this, you jump at that,” Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb said. “Players like Jonquel don’t become available very often. Pairing her with Sabrina (Ionescu) is exciting. They are going to be a dynamic duo for a very long time.”

Kolb said that he has had a Liberty jersey for Jones in his office for a year, hoping she might become available. She had one year left on her contract with the Sun before telling the organization she wanted to play elsewhere this season.

The 6-foot-6 All-Star averaged 14.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks last season to help Connecticut reach the WNBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.

“Obviously we didn’t accomplish what we wanted to accomplish (in Connecticut),” Jones said. “My goal as an athlete, I wanted to step into a new situation and a new organization and better myself.”

The 29-year-old Jones, who is from the Bahamas, bolsters a young New York squad, led by Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney, that has lost in the opening round of the playoffs the past two years. Jones was the No. 6 pick in the 2016 draft and was the league's Most Improved Player in 2017. The next season she earned the Sixth Woman of the Year award before garnering the MVP three years later.

“The sky’s the limit for her,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “The goal is keep improving her game with the players we have here. She’s the perfect fit.”

New York isn't done making moves. The league's free agency begins Saturday and the Liberty are in the mix to potentially add former MVP Breanna Stewart, who is from upstate New York. Jones played with Stewart on overseas teams and said that she'll do whatever is asked of her to recruit free agents.

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WNBA star Liz Cambage traded from Dallas to Las Vegas

AP

The Liz Cambage trade saga is finally over.

The 6-foot-8 Australian was traded from Dallas to Las Vegas on Thursday for Moriah Jefferson, Isabelle Harrison and the Aces' first two picks in 2020.

"The journey it took to get here will make a great story one day," said Bill Laimbeer, president and coach of the Aces. "Everyone in the Aces family is excited to welcome Liz to Las Vegas.

"She brings an attitude and physical presence that we need. There is no doubt about her physical ability, but what we respect most about her is her basketball IQ. That is what we are about. We had to give up some quality players and people to make this trade happen."

Cambage, who finished second behind Breanna Stewart in WNBA MVP balloting last year, said in January she no longer wanted to play in Dallas. Potential deals the past few weeks never materialized. All of which weighed on Cambage, who took to social media with emotional posts this week. Cambage is in Australia and is expected to get to Las Vegas this weekend.

The 27-year-old center set a league record last season by scoring 53 points against New York. She averaged 23 points and 9.7 rebounds last year.

The move gives the Aces a formidable frontcourt by pairing Cambage with rookie of the year A'ja Wilson.

Dallas receives a point guard in Jefferson and a talented post player in Harrison. Jefferson was the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft by the franchise when it was in San Antonio. She averaged 13.9 points as a rookie but injured her knee in 2017.

She was limited to just 16 games last season. Harrison was the No. 12 pick in 2015 by Phoenix, but missed her rookie season with a knee injury. She had a breakout year in 2017, averaging 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. She sat out last season because of a medical issue.

The Wings also acquired Imani McGee-Stafford from the Atlanta Dream, giving up a 2020 third round draft pick for the 6-foot-7 center.

"We made a series of transactions today that I believe benefit our team now and in the future," Dallas Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb said.

He said talks concerning Cambage began in January, adding that Jefferson and Harrison were the players Dallas sought.

"While Moriah may ultimately decide to sit out the 2019 season, we are willing to wait for her first appearance in a Wings uniform," Bibb said. "We believe she is an elite-level point guard and we are excited for her to join her hometown team."

Cambage was the No. 2 pick in the 2011 draft. She played that season and in 2013 for the Tulsa Shock but sat out in 2012 and again from 2014-2017. The franchise moved to Dallas in 2016. Cambage returned to the WNBA last season with Dallas and hit it off with Wings coach Fred Williams. Cambage took it hard when Williams was fired a few weeks before the end of the season.

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Follow Doug Feinberg on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DougFeinberg

WNBA stars could be on the move as free agency set to begin

AP

Some of the biggest stars in the WNBA could be on the move with free agency set to begin this weekend.

Teams can start talking to their own restricted and unrestricted free agents Saturday. Deals can't be officially announced until Feb. 1.

Everyone in the league would like to add that player who could lead them to the title like Chicago found last season when Candace Parker decided to return home and help the Sky win the franchise's first WNBA championship.

The combination of new coaches in Phoenix, Las Vegas, New York and Atlanta, along with the amount of available talent, could result in a lot of movement over the next few weeks.

Some of the top unrestricted free agents include Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd of Seattle; Liz Cambage of Las Vegas; Sylvia Fowles of Minnesota; Courtney Williams of Atlanta and Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Stefanie Dolson of Chicago. Former MVP A'ja Wilson is the top restricted free agent, meaning the Aces could match any offer from other teams. She's not expected to leave Las Vegas.

The most likely players to move include Cambage and Williams. Atlanta has already said it won't bring Williams back after she and teammate Crystal Bradford were seen on video throwing punches in a confrontation with a number of women in late May near a food truck in the Atlanta area.

The Sky will have tough choices to make to try and keep their roster together to repeat as WNBA champions. Chicago already has designated WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper with the franchise tag. League MVP Jonquel Jones was also given the core designation by the Connecticut Sun. Copper, Jones and anyone else who is cored will be given a 1-year super max deal of $228,094.

Teams have until 5 p.m. ET Friday to inform the league of who they are giving the franchise tag to.

Seattle could choose to give the core designation to either Stewart or Loyd. Bird announced on social media last week that she'd be returning for one more year. She's played her entire career in Seattle and is expected to finish her career there.

The business of free agency started early in Seattle.

The Storm were fined for tweeting out photos of Bird and making public comments on a free agent after the guard announced she was returning for anther season, said a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made of the fine. It's rare a WNBA team is fined for publicly commenting on a free agent.

On Saturday, the business of free-agency officially begins leaguewide.

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Seattle Storm stars had little time to rest

Doug Feinberg

Associated Press

TENERIFE, Spain (AP) — It's been a whirlwind week for Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd. The trio won a WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm and then dashed off to play for USA Basketball in the FIBA Women's World Cup.

"It's been busy, now we are turning the page," said Stewart, MVP of both the regular season and the Finals. "We did everything we wanted to. Won a championship and had a parade. Now we are switching gears. We'll have more of an appreciation of what we did the last month when this is over. Now we're just focused on helping USA Basketball and do what we can to win."

Seattle won the title on Sept. 12, sweeping Washington in the best-of-five series. The team flew back from D.C. the next day and then had a parade three days later to celebrate the championship. The three players and coach Dan Hughes were on a plane the next day to Spain.

"The last week has been insane, the fact we won a week ago and now are here," Stewart said Thursday.

It's not the first time Bird has had to do this. The Storm last won a title in 2010 and Bird and then-teammate Swin Cash had to fly to the Czech Republic soon after to get ready for the world championship.

"You just do, there's no science to it. After we won in Washington, we had a good three to four days to really enjoy it," Bird said. "The city did a wonderful job with the parade, the rally. As a team we got to hang out pretty much every night. The city was amazing, everyone was buying us dinner and drinks wherever we went. It starts to wind down and you flip the switch and start all over again."

While Bird is playing in her fifth world championship, this is Loyd's first.

"It means a lot. Any time you have a USA jersey on is an honor," Loyd said. "To do it with the teammates who I just won a championship with makes it even more special. I'm excited for this new journey and to add to my legacy."

Seattle Storm teammate Sami Whitcomb also is in Spain, playing for Australia. Bird joked that she warned her American teammates before their scrimmage on Wednesday that Whitcomb could shoot extremely well, and yet she still hit a few open looks.

"To see her get rewarded in this way, it's pretty cool," Bird said.

Another player with Seattle connections is also on the USA roster: Kelsey Plum of the San Antonio Stars. Plum was an All-American at Washington before being picked first overall in the 2017 WNBA draft. She averaged 9.5 points per game in her second year as a professional.

Hughes knows he'll have plenty of time to celebrate his first WNBA title after this two-week stretch is finished, hopefully with a gold medal. For now, he's enjoying the chance to be an assistant to U.S. coach Dawn Staley.

"It's fun for me, I spent 16 years as a collegiate assistant and actually felt like that period was a good period of my life. I enjoyed it, liked being an assistant," he said. "It's fun to revisit it in that regard. How to be helpful to Dawn as opposed to being the final decision-maker."

The Storm players aren't the only ones from the Finals in the World Cup. Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne is playing in it for the first time. For her, the World Cup is a chance to get back on the court and move past the disappointing end to the season.

"I was just dwelling till I got here," she said. "And now I have something new to focus on. It's nice to be able to compete again and win something."

Delle Donne said the bone bruise in her left knee that limited her during the playoffs is getting better, but she will talk to Staley about her playing time.

"It's pretty much Dawn and I talk it out and see how it feels and go from there," Delle Donne said. "I had to convince my doctors. I told them I wouldn't be going crazy minutes, I'd be smart. When this is done I have time to go rest and recover and be all right."

Stewart heads to New York on first day of WNBA free agency

AP

Breanna Stewart couldn't turn down a chance to play in New York and potentially help the Liberty win their first WNBA championship.

The most coveted free agent this offseason, who won the WNBA MVP award in 2018, announced on social media that she was going to New York with a photo of her in a Liberty shirt on Wednesday. Stewart had spent her entire career in Seattle since the Storm drafted her No. 1 overall in 2016. She won championships with the team in 2018 and 2020.

“I decided to go to New York as I wanted to continue to be great. And I wanted to go to the place where I think I can help this league become better, to raise the standard,” Stewart said in an interview on ESPN. “I feel like why not go to the biggest market in all of sports. I’m excited to go after their first championship.”

The 28-year-old wing has averaged 20.3 points and 8.6 rebounds in her WNBA career. She missed the 2019 season with an Achilles tendon injury.

“New York is a basketball city and I can’t wait to be a part of it,” Stewart said.

Coming to New York brings Stewart closer to home. She grew up in Syracuse, which is an hourlong flight away. She'll also have a shorter flight to Spain to visit relatives of her wife, Marta.

New York representatives, including coach Sandy Brondello and co-owner Clara Wu Tsai met with Stewart in Turkey last week. Stewart had narrowed her choices to Seattle and New York before choosing the Liberty.

The move turns the Liberty into an instant championship contender. New York, one of the WNBA's original franchises, has never won a championship. The Liberty already added 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones and Kayla Thornton through a three-way deal to complement 2020 No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu.

“I think this group has a ton of potential, a lot of amazing players,” Stewart said. “The selflessness helps us set ourselves apart from everyone else.”

The news was met with elation on social media by Jones, Ionescu and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, who said on a podcast that he had reached out to Stewart to get her to come to New York.

Stewart was the second big-name free agent to announce her intentions to play for another team. Candace Parker said last weekend she was going to sign with the Las Vegas Aces and did so on Wednesday.

“As I’ve gone through free agency this time around, of course I’m thinking of where I can compete for my third championship, but the words home and family are what I kept coming back to," said Parker, a longtime Southern California resident. “After evaluating the landscape together with my family, we’ve decided the Las Vegas Aces are the right organization for us at this point in our lives. To play for a championship close to home is the perfect situation for us. I’m looking forward to continuing the journey this summer in Las Vegas.”

Wednesday was the first day that free agents could sign contracts. Other moves announced included:

— Brittney Sykes and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough with Washington.

— Lexie Brown and Stephanie Talbot with Los Angeles.

— Teaira McCowan with Dallas.

— Alysha Clark and Cayla George with Las Vegas.

— AD Durr and Nia Coffey with Atlanta.

Many free agents were waiting for Stewart to make her decision, including Courtney Vandersloot.

Vandersloot announced on social media late Tuesday night that she wasn’t returning to Chicago, where she had spent her entire career. She has led the league in assists six times during her 12-year career and helped the Sky win the 2021 WNBA championship.

“To the Sky organization who drafted the little guard from a mid-major and believed in me from the jump, I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Vandersloot wrote on Instagram. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have realized my dreams because of you. Although I never planned for this day to come, I have decided it is time for me to pursue a new beginning.”

Stewart and Vandersloot are currently playing together in Turkey.

“My message to Sloot is she knows I love to play with her, but I'm going to support her in any decision she makes,” Stewart said. “Free agency is hard. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for everybody. It’s not only basketball these decisions are made behind. It’s life.”

While Stewart and Vandersloot will be playing for different WNBA teams, Brittney Griner, who is also a free agent, announced in December when she returned home from her 10-month ordeal in Russia that she planned to remain with the Phoenix Mercury. Her long-time Mercury teammate Diana Taurasi is also a free agent, but she too is expected to go back to Phoenix.

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WNBA's new season ready to tip off

AP

NEW YORK (AP) — It's been a busy offseason for the WNBA with big names changing places, a new commissioner and a few injuries to some of the sport's greatest players.

The league will tip off its 23rd season on Friday with many teams hoping to win the championship this year. The defending champion Seattle Storm may be extremely hard-pressed to repeat. Reigning MVP Breanna Stewart suffered an Achilles injury in the winter while playing for a Russian club team. She'll be sidelined for the season.

The Storm took another hit this week when it was announced that veteran point guard Sue Bird was going to be sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury. Seattle is also missing coach Dan Hughes for an indeterminate amount of time as he battles cancer.

"The most important thing to us is that Sue is healthy and strong. Based on her feedback and evaluation from her longtime surgeon and our medical team, it was determined the best course of action was a scope," Storm CEO and general manager Alisha Valavanis said. "We have confidence this will support Sue's full recovery and we look forward to her return to the court."

With the Storm short-handed, Washington, Las Vegas and Los Angeles are the favorites to win the title. The Mystics lost to the Storm in the WNBA Finals last season. The Aces added 6-foot-8 Australian star Liz Cambage last week. The runner-up for the MVP in 2018 will give Las Vegas a dynamic duo in the front court, pairing her with last season's rookie of the year A'ja Wilson.

The Sparks added Chiney Ogwumike from the Connecticut Sun, pairing her with her sister Nneka. The sisters will have to carry the load a little more in the early part of the season as Candace Parker is sidelined with a hamstring injury for a few weeks.

Here are a few other tidbits for the upcoming season.

MISSING IN ACTION: Stewart, Bird and Parker aren't the only players not playing for the early part of the season because of injury. Angel McCoughtry is still recovering from a knee injury she suffered last year. Diana Taurasi is out for at least a month while recovering from a back injury. It isn't just injuries that are sidelining some of the league's top players. Skylar Diggins-Smith gave birth to a baby boy this spring and hopes to return to the Dallas Wings lineup at some point this season. Maya Moore decided to take a year away from playing basketball to focus on her family and "some ministry dreams that have been stirring in my heart for many years."

NEW LADY IN CHARGE: The WNBA has a new leader as the league hired Cathy Engelbert as its commissioner last week. The previous four leaders of the WNBA had been known as president.

"Commissioner, first of all, honored and humbled to have that title. And it comes with awesome responsibility ... just really humbled," Engelbert said.

Since 2015, Engelbert has been CEO of Deloitte US, an accounting organization that works with Fortune 500 companies. She was the first woman to hold that job. Engelbert won't start till around the All-Star Break in late July.

MORE TV OPTIONS: The league struck a deal to broadcast 40 of its games on the CBS Sports Network . That nearly doubles the amount of games on national television from last year. The TV channel will use local broadcast feeds for now, similar to what NBA TV does for WNBA games. The league also has a deal with ESPN to show 16 regular-season telecasts, including three on ABC. The upcoming NBA TV schedule of WNBA games has not been finalized yet, but nearly 50 games are expected to be broadcast — the same as last year.

NEW OWNERSHIP: The New York Liberty found a new owner in the offseason as the team was bought by an investment group led by Brooklyn Nets minority owner Joseph Tsai. Tsai, co-founder of the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, bought a 49 percent interest in the Nets in April. The team played an exhibition game at Barclays Center and drew more than 4,000 fans. The team will play most of its home games this season in Westchester, but Tsai said at the exhibition game that he would welcome more games at Barclays in the future.

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Follow Doug Feinberg on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg

Aces sit atop AP preseason WNBA power poll

AP

NEW YORK (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces fell just short of the WNBA championship last season while missing three key players.

Now with Liz Cambage, Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby back as well as free agent addition Chelsea Gray to help league MVP A'ja Wilson, the Aces sit atop the preseason Associated Press WNBA poll Wednesday.

“We grew up last year, we added other pieces," Aces coach Bill Laimbeer said. “There will be bumps in the road. We’re going to have some problems early on. My goal is, we hit the break, we’re there. After the break, get out of our way. There will be a little bumpy road at the start. This is about winning the playoffs, not how you play in the first two or three games.”

Las Vegas received 11 first-place votes from the 15-member national media panel Wednesday. Seattle, the defending WNBA champions, garnered the other four first-place ballots and was picked second. Seattle star Breanna Stewart was picked as the AP preseason player of the year for the second straight season.

The Aces did suffer a setback last week with the loss of Angel McCoughtry to an ACL injury in her right knee.

Chicago, which had the biggest offseason acquisition by signing former MVP Candace Parker, sat in third in the voting. The Sky were followed by Washington, Minnesota, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

The Mystics made a big move themselves in the offseason in signing Alysha Clark from the Storm. Unfortunately the stout defender injured her foot while playing for France and is out for the season. Star Elena Delle Donne, who opted out of last season because of the coronavirus, is still recovering from a second back surgery in the offseason and is taking it slowly.

"We have some incredible pieces to this puzzle and if all goes well and people can stay healthy and get healthy, it can be a scary team,” she said.

Connecticut was eighth in the power poll. The Sun welcome back Jonquel Jones, who also sat out last season, but will be missing star Alyssa Thomas. She tore her Achilles tendon playing overseas this offseason.

Dallas was picked ninth. The Wings hope to keep building after another productive draft that saw them have the No. 1, 2 and 5 picks. The team chose Charli Collier, Awak Kuier and Chelsea Dungee with those picks. Collier edged out Atlanta's Aari McDonald as the preseason rookie of the year choice.

Atlanta, New York and Indiana round out the poll.