Tiffany Hayes scores a game-high 31 points as the Dream take care of the Fever at home.

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GAME RECAP: Dream 85, Fever 78

Six LA players finish in double figure scoring as the Sparks prevail over the Dream in overtime.

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GAME RECAP: Sparks 85, Dream 80

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Here I find myself in my 16th season with the WNBA and for the first time I want to tell my PRIDE story.  Although my career is very public, off the court I have always tended to be a private person.  This does not mean that I am not a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. If anything, witnessing our community grow has been a great source of pride. If my story encourages just one person to live more comfortably or confidently, that would feel like a meaningful, personal contribution to it.
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For me, Pride is not only about celebrating the work and success of the LGBTQ+ movement, being out and proud, but also celebrating the often-overlooked contributions of Black people.  Reclaiming our place in the movement starts by recognizing and honoring those who came before – people like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Audre Lorde.  As a black woman, when I think of the people of color who pioneered and carried the movement, I’m reminded that we cannot celebrate or even talk about Pride without recognizing the efforts of Black activists who led the way. These roots have led to an intersectionality between today’s LGBTQ+ and BLM movements that is undeniable. But it is not all love. Tragically, I also think of the many Black trans faces we have only come to know because their lives were stolen from them because of the hate that still exist.
I recognize how privileged I have been to not only have a career in professional women’s basketball, and how that privilege has allowed me to marry the woman I loved and have children. I think back to when our girls were in the NICU and a doctor approached us and thanked us for being who we are and for living our truth. Honestly, prior to that moment, I had never given much thought to how blessed I was to be able to marry the person I love, regardless of their sex.  From that day forward, I made it a point to intentionally live my truth in an effort to encourage others to do the same.
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If we have learned anything from the sacrifices and hard work from those that have come before us, it should be to celebrate proudly and help uplift others. The most important lessons start in the home, so it is crucial that my girls are able to see that pride, rather than let the world teach them otherwise. I place a large emphasis on allowing them to be themselves.  At three-years-old they already have classmates telling them that “girls don’t dress like that!” I try my best to eliminate gender roles and encourage my family to do the same. Sometimes it is as simple as letting them know that despite calls to the contrary, girls can wear blue and boys can wear pink.  On the other hand, if one of them wants to wear a dress, then wear a dress. If it is basketball shorts and little plastic high heels then I’m all for that too.  I give them the freedom of choice without judgement and try my best to educate them through my unconditional approval.
As a member and supporter of both the LGBTQ+ and BLM movements, I am honored and proud to celebrate the success and sacrifice of our leaders.  I hope that as we continue to celebrate Pride month, we never forget to encourage others to continue to lift-up our community proudly, the most effective way of fighting back against hate.
&#8211; Candice Dupree

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My Pride Story by Candice Dupree

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Breanna Stewart had 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists to help the Seattle Storm beat the Indiana Fever 87-70 on Tuesday night.
Jewell Loyd added 18 points and Sue Bird had 17 for Seattle (11-2), which improved to 6-0 on the road.
Bird made a <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1404951398693830658" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deep 3-pointer late in the second quarter</a> to move past Katie Smith (906) for second all-time in WNBA history for made 3′s. Diana Taurasi leads the league with 1,173 career 3-pointers. Seattle forward Candice Dupree moved into fifth in games played, passing former Minnesota star Lindsay Whalen (480).
Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana (1-12) with 26 points. Tiffany Mitchell added 12 points and Jessica Breland had 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
Stewart scored 14 points with nine rebounds in the first half and Loyd added 10 points to help Seattle build a 41-33 lead.

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Storm Improve To 6-0 On The Road

Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart combined for 38 points as Seattle gets another win over the Dream 86-75. Courtney Williams had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta in the loss.

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GAME RECAP: Storm 86, Dream 75

Breanna Stewart scores 15 points and Jewell Lloyd adds 12 with five assists as the Storm win comfortably over the Lynx at home.

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GAME RECAP: Storm 82, Lynx 72

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EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — Breanna Stewart had 15 points and eight rebounds and the Seattle Storm cruised to an 82-72 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night.
Stewart sat out the fourth quarter for the Storm (5-1), who led 77-50 at the end of the third. Candice Dupree capped Seattle’s scoring on a basket that made it 82-53 with 8:32 left in the game. The Storm had made 58% of their shots (35 of 60) at that point before missing their final 12 field goal attempts of the game.
Dupree and Jewell Loyd added 12 points each, Sue Bird scored 11 and Epiphanny Prince 10.
The Storm made their first six shots to open the game with a 15-2 lead. The Lynx (0-4) tied it at 29 early in the second, but Seattle outscored Minnesota 29-6 over the rest of the quarter to pull away for good.
Sylvia Fowles scored 15 points and Napheesa Collier added 14 for Minnesota.

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Storm Cruise Past Lynx

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From one historic season to another, the WNBA’s 25th season is set to tip off on May 14th. The league will commemorate the 25th season with the campaign &#8220;Count It” and a distinguishing and purposeful 25th season logo. The WNBA will also celebrate the ways its players have shattered expectations and have stood at the forefront of advancement, inclusion and social change for 25 years.
In leading up to the season, WNBA.com will break down each team in the league: up next, the Seattle Storm.
The 2020 WNBA Champions made significant roster changes &#8211; and <a href="https://storm.wnba.com/news/seattle-storm-launches-new-brand-identity-and-redesigned-logo/">announced a fresh logo</a> &#8211; this off-season. But with steady vets like Sue Bird, Candice Dupree and Jewell Loyd &#8211; plus perhaps the most consistent winner in recent basketball history with Breanna Stewart &#8211; the Seattle Storm will look to run it back in 2021.
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so in her first year back from a torn Achilles, Breanna Stewart won: &#8211; 2020 wnba championship &#8211; 2020 wnba finals mvp &#8211; 2021 euroleague championship &#8211; 2021 euroleague final four mvp &#8211; 2021 russian premier league championship &#8211; 2021 russian premier league finals mvp 
ok i guess
&mdash; Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/mellentuck/status/1387150323173797890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h3>2020 Season Recap</h3>
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<li>Won the 2020 WNBA title over the Las Vegas Aces (3-0) for the franchise&#8217;s 4th championship</li>
<li>18-4 regular season record; 2nd in league</li>
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<h3>Notable Off-Season Moves</h3>
Free agency was a whirlwind and the Storm were no exception. Seattle lost Alysha Clark (Washington Mystics) and Natasha Howard (New York Liberty), two key pieces in this past year&#8217;s title run. The team acquired Katie Lou Samuelson (Dallas Wings) and KiKi Herbert Harrigan (Minnesota Lynx) in the process.
On Feb. 1, the Storm resigned veteran guard Epiphanny Prince. On week later Crystal Langhorne retired and joined Seattle&#8217;s front office as the Director of Community Engagement. 15-year WNBA vet Dupree was signed that same day.
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One of the league’s steadiest veterans &#8211; and just 1 of 3 players in league history to average double-figure scoring in 14 or more consecutive seasons &#8211; is starting fresh with the defending <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBA</a> champions.<a href="https://twitter.com/macsmith413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@macsmith413</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/CandiceDupree_4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CandiceDupree_4</a> in Seattle:<a href="https://t.co/ntbJaJ6nKB">https://t.co/ntbJaJ6nKB</a>
&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1387076126531522562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h3>The Big Question Heading Into 2021?</h3>
Will a slew of offensive production be able to make up for major losses on defense?
Seattle has core scoring production guaranteed in Stewart, Bird, and Loyd &#8211; as well as guards like Jordin Canada and Haley Gorecki, and Samuelson, who can shoot the ball too. But losing Clark and Howard, particularly as a paint presence and rim protecting force, provides one of the biggest questions for the Storm.
<h3>Draft Rating</h3>
Michelle Smith <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/inside-the-w-with-michelle-smith-post-draft-rankings/">ranked every team&#8217;s draft decisions</a>. Seattle was rated 7th out of the 12 WNBA teams&#8217; picks.
<blockquote>&#8220;Taking Aaliyah Wilson of Texas A&amp;M with a first-round pick and then trading her to Indiana for Kennedy Burke – who will reunite with former Bruin teammate Jordin Canada – means the Storm leaned toward a player with some WNBA experience. But picking up Stanford’s Kiana Williams with the No. 18 pick also looks smart as Williams is a proven leader who makes good decisions on the floor and will learn a lot from Sue Bird and Canada if she can stick around.&#8221;</blockquote>
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Learning from the best. 🐐🤩<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeCover?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeCover</a> <a href="https://t.co/dPcYKGbkkt">pic.twitter.com/dPcYKGbkkt</a>
&mdash; Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) <a href="https://twitter.com/seattlestorm/status/1386866503492849667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h3>Where to Watch</h3>
Seattle tips off the season against none other than the Aces, who they defeated in this past year&#8217;s WNBA Finals, on <a href="https://www.wnba.com/schedule/">Saturday, May 15 at 3 pm/ET</a> on ABC.

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2021 WNBA Team Preview: Seattle Storm

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For the fourth time since she was drafted into the WNBA back in 2006, Candice Dupree is transitioning &#8211; to a new team, a new culture, a new role, to new expectations.
At 36 years old, one of the league’s steadiest veteran players &#8211; a seven-time All-Star who won a title in Phoenix in 2014 &#8211; is starting fresh with the defending league champions. Dupree is looking to find her place on a team that doesn’t need her to be the only veteran voice &#8211; not with Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd on the roster.
It is a much different place to be than where she was in her previous stop in Indiana, which was a roster full of young players and it was Dupree’s role to teach and mentor and model.
“I know for me that I think it’s easier as you get older (to transition), to be able to play with smart players who think the game, it’s easier with a team like this,” Dupree said. “A team like this, they play smart basketball and they make reads and pass and cut and they are veteran players. You don’t have to learn too much, you can work on building chemistry. So I wouldn’t says that it’s hard to jump on to a new team at this point.”
The Storm, who signed Dupree to a one-year deal, are getting one of the most consistent players in league history. Dupree enters her 16th season as the league’s fifth all-time scorer and sixth all-time rebounder. She is one of three players in league history &#8211; in good company with Tamika Catchings and Tina Thompson &#8211;  to average double-figure scoring in 14 or more consecutive seasons.
She <a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/candice-dupree/">has averaged 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds</a> over her long career, starting every playoff game she’s ever played in and averaging 14.8 points and shooting 56.9% in the postseason.
With Stewart and Loyd, the Storm don’t need her to be a go-to scorer. With Bird in her 20th season, they don’t need her to be their go-to leader.
Dupree said when she signed with Seattle that she wasn’t interested in carrying that load anymore at this point in her career after doing it for four rebuilding seasons in Indiana. She wanted to play for a team that had a chance to win now and to contribute in a meaningful way.
Seattle, which has seven returning players and 13 newcomers to its training camp roster, needs her to be what she’s always been &#8211; a reliable, efficient and experienced presence inside, filling the hole left by the exits of both Alysha Clark and Natasha Howard.
On the first day of Storm training camp on Sunday, head coach Dan Hughes said that assistant coach Gary Kloppenberg walked by and shared an observation about Dupree.
“He said to me, ‘Boy, is she going to fit into what we do well’,” Hughes said. And Hughes agrees.
“She’s a shot-maker,” Hughes said. “And if we can spread the floor, that’s right in her wheelhouse.”
Dupree said it’s too early for her to see how she will “fit” with Seattle, but she is happy to be on the floor with “high IQ basketball players”, knowing that many of the Storm’s key pieces have yet to arrive from overseas.
And Dupree knows that she will carry some of the defensive responsibility formerly shouldered by Clark and Howard inside, including defending some of the league’s top post players.
Bird said she is looking forward to playing with Dupree, someone she has only played with on a limited basis with USA Basketball, even through their long pro careers.
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Nothing like a glowing endorsement from the GOAT on your first day in Seattle! 🐐🗣<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeCover?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeCover</a> <a href="https://t.co/kU03KUIPkt">pic.twitter.com/kU03KUIPkt</a>
&mdash; Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) <a href="https://twitter.com/seattlestorm/status/1386471921248653312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“When I look at Candice, we’ve only played together briefly with USA Basketball, but she’s always somebody who is pretty steady out there,” Bird said.
“She’s a confident player and she does the things she is good at. We have been a team that really relies on the post hitting outside shots &#8211; with Stewie and Natasha. And she does that. The other thing is that we run a ton of pick-and-roll and Candice naturally does that well, so I think that’s going to be a pretty seamless fit.”
Dupree and the Storm tip off the 2021 season against the Aces &#8211; a rematch of the 2020 WNBA Finals &#8211; on May 15 at 3pm/ET.

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Inside The W with Michelle Smith: Dupree in Year 16

<a href="https://storm.wnba.com/news/seattle-storm-signs-seven-time-all-star-candice-dupree/">Seattle Storm Official Release</a>
SEATTLE — The Seattle Storm signed veteran forward Candice Dupree, the franchise announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Candice brings championship experience and has been an impact player in the WNBA during her entire career,” Storm CEO and General Manager Alisha Valavanis said. “We are excited to welcome Candice to Storm basketball.”
A 15-year WNBA veteran, Dupree is the fifth all-time scorer (6728) and the sixth all-time rebounder (3071) in WNBA history. Dupree is joined by Tamika Catchings and Tina Thompson as the only three players to average double-figure scoring in 14 or more consecutive seasons.
Dupree has averaged 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in her illustrious WNBA career. She has started every playoff game she has played in, averaging 14.8 points and shooting 56.9% from the field.
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<div id="google_ads_iframe_/2117/wnba_storm/article_middle_728x90_r_0__container__">“I can’t tell you how excited I am to have to have an opportunity to play for the Seattle Storm,” Dupree said. “To be 15 years in and have an opportunity to play for a contender and compete for a back to back championship is awesome. I look forward to playing alongside some of the best in the game and bringing another championship back to the great city of Seattle.”</div>
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Dupree was selected No. 6 overall in the 2006 WNBA draft to the Chicago Sky. She was a member of the WNBA All-Rookie team and earned her first All-Star appearance. In 2010, she was traded to the Phoenix Mercury as part of a three-team, multi-player deal. Dupree helped lead the Mercury to six WNBA playoff appearances and was a member of their 2014 Championship team.
In Phoenix, she set several team records including the highest field goal percentage in a season (.664, 2010), and the most rebounds in a game (19, 9/3/2011) and season (279, 2011). In 2011, she recorded 10 double-doubles, including four consecutive double-doubles, both tied for franchise records.  In 2017, she was traded to the Indiana Fever in another three-team deal.
At Temple University, Dupree was a two-time AP All-American. She has an accomplished international resumé, winning two gold medals as a member of USA FIBA World Championship teams (2010, 2014). She was named the top power forward in Europe by EuroBasket.com in 2011, and the EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year in 2010.

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