[Good Sport NYC] Women's Sports in New York: Aug 10 - 16
Everything you should know, watch, and do this week as a women's sports fan in NYC.
Something special about the WNBA community—and the women’s sports scene in general—is that we have a lot of elders: folks who’ve been going to W games since before some of us were born. And the best part is, they’re often sitting right next to you at the game or at the bar, and telling you what it was like to watch Becky Hammon and Teresa Weatherspoon in their prime, or recalling the dapper outfits Tina Charles’ dad wore to games in the 2010s.
My friend Maya Goldberg-Safir—the writer behind one of the best publications in women's basketball, Rough Notes—interviewed two legends of the New York Liberty fan base, Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld. They’re longtime season-ticket holders who are regularly featured on game broadcasts thanks to their courtside seats. Perhaps you’ll recognize them:
Justine and Scott took Maya through their nearly 30-year Liberty fandom experience, from the 90s to now. Give it a read and subscribe to Rough Notes.
Now here’s your Good Sport guide for the week.
Update on the Good Sport NYC podcast: Announcement! The pod is now on a bi-weekly cadence, so we’ll put out a new episode 2x a month. I was struggling to keep up with a weekly pace while maintaining a high-quality bar, and I want that extra time to do the research and planning each episode and guest deserves. Thanks to everyone who reached out sweetly about this move :) All that said, new episode on Thursday!
NYC women’s sports news & culture
Here’s what you should know this week.
The NY Liberty release Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. When I saw this news I was SICK!!! Laney is a 2024 WNBA Champion with the Liberty. She’s a 2021 All-Star and a 2023 All-Defensive Second Team selection. She’s gritty, loyal, and unafraid, perfect for representing NYC and connecting with our fanbase. But she wasn’t getting playing time, and it seemed like the coaching staff wasn’t building her into the plan for the team’s future. Despite feeling gutted, I love seeing Laney already stepping into a veteran leadership role at the Washington Mystics, the youngest team in the league. She deserves to feel valued at this next stop. She is too good to sit on our bench. We’ll talk about losing Laney in depth on this week’s podcast episode.
Denae Benites hits 4 home runs in 5 games. The captain of the NY Heights keeps hitting dingers. This one is my favorite. Our team is 2-2 after Week 2 of the WPBL. I watched some innings at Athena Keke’s this past Saturday, and I must say: The Baltimore fries were delicious.
This with Baltimore fries and a beer > Han Xu makes it to wnbaart™️. If you don’t know wnbaart on Instagram...well then you must. The artist behind the account quickly draws snap moments of games and then shares them for our collective enjoyment. Her bio reads “NO AI. Sharing Fine Art. Yes it’s supposed to look bad." My favorite from this past weekend was her drawing of the Liberty’s 6'11" center Han Xu guarding the Aces’ 5'5" Mai Yamamoto. Wholesome and sweet.
What to watch this week
Tuesday 8/11
🏀 The Liberty are at the Indiana Fever at 7:30 pm ET. Watch on ESPN.
Thursday 8/13
⚾ The New York Heights play the Boston Hunters at 7:30 pm ET. Watch on ESPN Select.
Friday 8/14
🏀 The Liberty host the LA Sparks at Barclays Center at 8:00 pm ET. Watch on Prime Video.
⚽ Gotham FC hosts the Kansas City Current at 8:00 pm ET. Watch on Prime Video.
Saturday 8/15
🏀 The Liberty are at the Connecticut Sun at 1:00 pm ET. Watch on YES Network.
⚾ The New York Heights play the San Francisco Firebells at 2:00 pm ET. Watch on ESPN Select.
Sunday 8/16
⚾ The New York Heights play the Boston Hunters at 7:30 pm ET. Watch on ESPN Select.
The Scene Report
Here’s some fun stuff going on in the NYC W sports scene.
Spykes just announced its first ever glow in the dark beach volleyball tournament! I am still learning volleyball (ouch my wrists and stuff like that), but I want my friends to enter as a team so I can become a cheerleader. Details here.
It’s a banger of an event week at Blazers. On Tuesday 8/11, they’re having a Liberty vs. Fever watch party celebrating trans inclusion in WBB, hosted by comedian Murray Hill. Details here.
And then on Saturday 8/15, they’re hosting an arm-wrestling competition in support of the Alice Austen House, a nationally designated site of LGBTQ+ history dedicated to the photography and life of Alice Austen. Details here.
Good Sport NYC will be hanging at GUNK’s 3rd birthday party on Saturday 8/15 and participating in the raffle! Indie media supporting indie media. Come through.
And that’s a wrap.
Thanks as always for reading! Don’t be afraid to share Good Sport with a friend…a crush…an enemy.