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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 15h

Random stat I just ran into: In terms of rebounds+assists, tonight Kiah Stokes had the most in WNBA playoff history (16) by someone who scored zero points. Had 4 blocks too (which only takes her further clear if you want to make the stat more complicated). #WNBA

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Reposted by Richard Cohen

Her Hoop Stats @herhoopstats.com · 19h

The 2026 WNBA Playoffs semifinals are off to an interesting start. @jsteyz.bsky.social and @richardcohen.bsky.social are here to break down both Game 1s. 🍎 bit.ly/3TmlbAy 🎙️ bit.ly/4dcxS8l 📺 bit.ly/4aDRJfp

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 20h

😂 That might be the first time ever a broadcaster said Kaitlyn Chen took advantage of her size. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 20h

They're going on about Loyd, but Burton still hasn't come back in since the opening 3 minutes of the third quarter. GSV have just coped better. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 21h

Aminata Gueye has now scored exactly the same number of points in tonight's game as she did in the entire World Cup with France. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 21h

A'ja's trying to do her Wonder Woman job and put the Aces on her back, but she's going to need at least a little help. Offensively, so far this is one of Jackie Young's worst games of the season, and Vegas don't have a lot of places to go for help other than her and Gray. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 21h

Chen in really early for Burton in Q3 for some reason. Couldn't see Burton on the bench afterwards, either. Also KBell in early for Loyd on the other side, but that looked like it might've been more by choice. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 21h

10 offensive rebounds is the most Vegas have given up in a first half all season. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 21h

Aminata Gueye is so new to the league that this is her profile pic on the league pass boxscore. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 22h

This might be the switchiest playoff series in WNBA history. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 22h

I love that more and more people are gaining an appreciation for Jordin Canada. For years, the only thing keeping her off the elite tier at PG was her outside shooting, then she got it good enough that you can't completely give it to her. She's Briann January on D with more creation on O. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 22h

I know a bunch of you weren't around, but it's amazing how reminiscent this is of Dream teams of yore. Those squads with McCoughtry, Lyttle, Castro Marques, Herrington etc. - you couldn't pass across the front of the defense because it was a layup the other way. Canada doing the same stuff. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 23h

Talked about this on the podcast: Atlanta are playing *so* aggressively on defense. You have to move the ball. If they're overplaying to attack the ball, there's space away from you. It's tough to get rid of it in time to beat the defense, and they recover well, but NY have to move it better. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 23h

Long-armed Atlanta post forcing turnovers and poking balls away for steals. When you're joining a tradition established by Sancho Lyttle, you're definitely doing something right. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 23h

We saw this in the Washington series - Atlanta coming out of the break strong and pushing into a big lead in the third quarter. Seems like whatever they're doing or saying at halftime is working. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 23h

She obviously plays a different role on the German national team and has very different players creating shots for her, but if you include the World Cup games with Germany, Fiebich shot 32-74 (43%) from three this season before she flew out to Berlin, and is 20-69 (29%) since. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 23h

Surprised they're ruling Gray out immediately, rather than seeing what they can do for her with tape and painkillers over the halftime break. But I've never dislocated a finger. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 23h

And now with AGray hurt, it's Canada back in on those three fouls rather than letting Borlase or Paopao play. Really, really short. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 23h

Notable that with Canada on three fouls Atlanta went big with Bonner at the 3 and RHoward essentially playing point guard, rather than going to Paopao. The list of players that Smesko genuinely trusts at this point in the season is pretty short. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

New York have apparently decided the least scary place to put Ionescu defensively is on Howard. Because she has to guard someone, and they don't want her at point of attack on Canada or chasing Gray. Howard has to attack that matchup. Don't be surprised if SI is on Hillmon later in the series. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

"Not wanting Reese to settle for threes, but rather to get them into their actions." 😂 Or in other words, now that the games really matter, actually we don't want her taking those shots. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Han Xu available for New York today after being questionable due to an illness, but Steph Talbot out again for Vegas. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

See the things I get up to when there's no basketball on? Some might say I'm basically a grown up angsty teenage girl with a pretentious jazz period. Others might not know who half these people are.

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Can confirm the below numbers/distribution. Draw still only used for the top-two in the WNBA, so Houston (formerly Connecticut) will get #3 at worst. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The teams helpfully splitting themselves into Eastern and Western matchups makes the scheduling a lot more straightforward for the league than it might've been. Although it remains insanely optimistic to think these games are ending in 2-hour windows. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

What a ballgame. Full credit to Dallas for what they managed in both this game and the series as a whole. Didn't honestly think they had this in them. And without Fudd and ASmith too. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Ogunbowale's current 75 is already the second-most in league history across two consecutive playoff games. Trails only Napheesa Collier from 2024. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Obviously in an ideal world you want them to just make every call in the moment and get it right, but as I've said before I actually like refs saying "we have no clue, jump ball". They should do it more often rather than guessing. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Last game of the first round, so I'm just going to say this one last time: damn this series should be a best-of-five. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I think we're close to Golden State trying some of their wild card options. Offense looked desperately short of ideas in opening minutes of Q3. So maybe you see if Amihere energises everyone, or just turn the offense over to Chen for 5 minutes. Gotta find something. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Do you start sending extra defenders at Arike to try to cool her down? At this point you surely have to mix it up and change what you're doing against her to some extent. She's 19-35 for 62 points in the last game-and-a-half. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Long time ago, but I still remember looking at a list of the stats of likely draftees and asking people why Tiffany Hayes wasn't higher up draft boards. It made no sense. She shot 50/40/80 in her senior year at UConn on decent volume. Dropped to the 2nd round, and it proved to be very stupid. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I think it's that little movement forward of Sims's left foot that got that flagrant call. If she's absolutely stationary, no call. She did move after the motion, it was just very small. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Year 14 in the WNBA and defenses still can't stop Tiffany Hayes going to her left. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

There have now been six 35+pts/10+rebs playoff performances in WNBA history. A'ja Wilson has half of them. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Ah, the double-review. Hate it, hate it, hate it. So dumb. Stop wasting my time. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

There was no call made to challenge. So you can't challenge it, obviously. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Still plenty of time to go, but Vegas starting to look a little bit more experienced, little bit more composed. 'Been there before' can matter sometimes when it comes to the crunch. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Wilson 3-3 for 7pts since that bang on the elbow made her put on the second elbow sleeve. Maybe she'll just wear two from now on. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I love that highlights package, because it basically just showed "Jewell Loyd is running around a bunch, becuse they know Clark will eventually get lost". Sometimes it doesn't need to be too technical. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I understand thinking the risk was worth it on Wilson's third foul, but still a bit surprised Vegas challenged that call near the end of the half. Winning it was a longshot, and every chance there could be something they need the challenge for later in this game. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The amount of mistakes the USA broadcasts make, whether about understanding the rules, or just knowing what's going on, is frankly embarrassing. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Niche skill, but Chelsea Gray is the best in the world at re-starting play as quickly as possible to prevent the other team challenging when she doesn't want them to. That free throw after Turner/Hull tangled was a tech on Indiana, shot by Gray. Guarantee she sped things up to take it quickly. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Admittedly early, but we're currently on pace for the highest scoring playoff game in WNBA history. By a mile. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Did Indy seriously just get caught by the 'leave someone upcourt while they're taking free throws'? Wow. Used to do that in school when I was 12. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

That's a big win for Turner. Just in the miniscule chance that one of the refs forgets Clark already has a tech and calls a second on her later for whining or whatever. If Turner randomly gets tossed, Vegas can pretty happily live with it. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Not in a million years. If you're reviewing that, you basically need to review every piece of contact all night long. Yeesh. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

If Clark and Mitchell don't miss a shot all night long, this could prove quite difficult for Vegas. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Steph Talbot just flipped to Out for Las Vegas tonight on the latest injury report. Meaningful loss for a team that isn't exactly deep. Presumably means even more Loyd and Yamamoto, and maybe being forced into some two-big lineup minutes they'd have liked to avoid. #WNBA

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Richard Cohen @richardcohen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Every time I look up tickets for anything in the US (usually just out of interest in how many are left or what the prices are) I start losing the will to live. Either prices are insane, or there are no prices listed, or everything is resale because clearly touts are running the whole thing. Lunacy.

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