Titletown New York!

Last night was the winner-take-all final game in the WNBA finals, and like the first game in this series between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx, the regulation period ended in a tie. This time, though, the outcome reversed. Breanna Stewart, who missed a critical free throw in Game 1 and struggled throughout the series, made four free throws in a row to put the Liberty on top. While both Stewart and three-point shooter Sabrina Ionescu missed most of their shots in regulation, three less heralded players — big center Jonquel Jones, German-born rookie Leonie Fiebisch, and substitute Nyara Sabally — stepped up. And while thwarted at the hoop, Stewart focused on defense, pulling in 15 all-important rebounds including offensive rebounds leading to put-back points and trips to the foul line for her team.

Since this is more of a writing advice blog than a sports blog, I’m going to digress to talk about Breanna Stewart’s performance last night and its lessons for writers. Sometimes those shots just aren’t falling. And sometimes our manuscripts don’t sell because the publishers are cutting back in that genre or age category, or our work doesn’t conform to the latest trends. Like Stewart, we have to focus on the things we can control, and the things that are going well for us even if the results aren’t as visible. That may mean polishing our current work or creating new work in our chosen category or genre with the idea that trends are cyclical and our time will come. It may mean trying new storytelling techniques, or going back to a project we’ve given up on and looking at it with fresh eyes. It also means focusing on things that build our skill level while contributing to the writing community as a whole. Stewart’s lack of points (at least until the overtime period when her free throws did fall) may have obscured the fact that she contributed mightily to the team in other ways while building her confidence and resolve for the final push. Similarly, taking part in a critique group and beta reading other writers’ manuscripts builds both community and one’s own craft. The best way to learn and reinforce skills is to teach them to others.

The veteran Stewart has gone through rough periods before in her career, including times she didn’t play at all due to injury. She signed with the Liberty in 2023 after playing for the Seattle Storm. Similarly, many authors have writer’s block or trouble selling their manuscripts, and they switch agents and publishers. In the off-season in the U.S., she has played for multiple clubs in Russia and, from 2022 on, in Türkiye. More recently, she and Lynx rival (but good friend) Napheesa Collier have started a women’s basketball 3 x 3 league. Similarly, writers develop and maintain their careers when they diversify the kinds of books they write and the kinds of publishers with which they work. Zetta Elliott is an example of a successful author who has self-published her work with impactful results — the equivalent of starting the exciting 3 x 3 league. (Check out her recent piece in Cynsations, where she discusses the process of writing and self-publishing The Oracle’s Door, the prequel to the popular Dragons in a Bag series for younger middle grade readers.)

So back to the Liberty’s first championship in the team’s 28-year history, after going to the WNBA finals five times and losing. The Liberty were one of the original WNBA teams, and I remember watching them lose twice to the Houston Comets in the league’s initial years. Being from Houston, I supported the Comets and still have their championship t-shirts. However, the Comets are no more, having disbanded as a team in 2008, in the wake of the Great Recession. The Liberty persisted, and now enjoy their even-sweeter reward, along with their New York fans. This is the first championship for a New York area basketball team since the Knicks won in 1973. Since 2000, only the baseball Yankees (2000, 2009), the football Giants (2007, 2011), the New Jersey Devils hockey team (2000, 2003), and major league soccer men (2021) and women (2009, 2023) have won other national titles.

Update: Along with thousands of other New Yorkers I attended the parade for the Liberty in downtown Manhattan on Thursday morning. I have pictures of the floats, the players, and lots of other people who helped to make the team’s 2024 season a success. At a time when women and LGBTQ+ people are facing ever-greater threats to their safety, bodily autonomy, and freedom, we need to celebrate the achievements of these remarkable women. Their hard work, dedication, and persistence their chosen sport, and their accompanying activism for women’s sports, are an inspiration to all of us.