We have to extend this to 3 posts hopefully it doesn't effect anything negatively mb it's a lot to type although the middle one will be kind of empty

League News

Rolando "The Stink" Wade vs Cumringham Butterduck escalates: Wade posts gym clip "cooking" with Butterduck's signature fadeaway, caption: "Stay heavy, Sacramento." Butterduck fires back with photoshopped image of Wade's "body count" stat sheet reading 0-300. Their Week 2 matchup now carries bad-blood stakes—refs prepping extra techs.

Cairo Smith signs with streetwear brand: Baltimore's road warrior inks a multi-year deal with Houston-based hypebeast label "Monument Drip," dropping a signature Cairo Smith "Takeover" shoe this summer. Teaser images show the one-legged pull-up etched into the sole—perfect for his takeover drives.

Dirk Garnett's Duke return stirs nostalgia: Post-debut, Garnett visits Duke campus for MOP ceremony, reuniting with old coaches. German media hypes his "fadeaway evolution" from college to Dallas, but whispers persist about his "weak mentality" in clutch spots—Dragons fans already debating his ceiling.

Antetochamberlain-Boris off-court friendship shows cracks: Leaked voice memos reveal Boris needling Wiliannis about who really dominates the paint. Ottawa PR calls it "playful banter," but Maple locker room sources say the dynamic duo's chemistry is already getting tested ahead of their Apollo rematch.

Week 2 Recaps

New York Empire vs Charlotte Cyclones

The game settled into a back-and-forth chess match between backcourts and frontcourts, with Empire leaning heavily on the Wiggles–Miller two-man game while Charlotte pounded the glass through Darius “Tank” Simmons. Early on, Xander Lan carved out mismatches in the mid-post, spraying passes to shooters and forcing Empire to send extra help. In the fourth, with the score tied under three minutes, Wiggles used a high screen from Lucas Jensen to collapse the defense twice in a row, hitting Dante Miller for a wing three and then a relocation corner three that flipped a two-point deficit into a two-possession lead. Lan answered with a deep pull-up and Tank bullied his way to a putback, but a late Miller dagger in semi-transition and a timely Wiggles steal on Eli Morrison’s entry pass sealed it. Miller’s 31 points and Wiggles’ 13 assists powered Empire’s statement win over a gritty Cyclones group.

Empire def. Cyclones 111-105

Philadelphia Liberty vs Washington Sentinels

This one turned into a defensive grind, exactly the environment Washington wanted. Early possessions saw Dyson DPOY hound Damon Kells over every screen, blowing up Philadelphia’s preferred pick-and-roll rhythm and forcing the ball to secondary options. Liberty briefly seized control in the second quarter when Jod Abil got downhill for free throws and Marcel Drayton popped out for a pair of top-of-the-arc threes, building a small lead. After halftime, the Sentinels’ front line took over: Samuel Hayes walled off drives and Rodney Wallace dominated the glass, fueling a 15-2 run built on transition buckets and Dyson-led pick-and-rolls. In the closing minutes, with Liberty down four, Abil tried to spark one last push, but Wallace erased a potential and-one at the rim, then swatted a late-row Kells floater on the next trip. Washington’s identity fully crystallized as Wallace’s 20-and-15 line and Dyson’s double-double smothered Liberty’s offense.

Sentinels def. Liberty 97-89

Pittsburgh Phantoms vs Virginia Tide

Virginia opened by feeding Welel Kare relentlessly, and he rewarded them with rim runs, putbacks, and mid-post turnarounds that forced the Phantoms’ defense to collapse. Pittsburgh looked shaky until Ty Jerome Jr finally saw one step-back three drop late in the first half, then another, triggering the kind of heater their offense is built around. In the third quarter, the Tide still controlled the paint through Darius Fenwick’s screening and Kare’s presence, but every time they stretched the lead to two possessions, Ty Jr answered with a deep three off a high ball screen. The turning point came midway through the fourth when Pittsburgh stopped doubling Kare and instead trusted Malik Thompson to battle one-on-one inside; that adjustment freed their perimeter defenders to stay home on shooters. Ty Jr then buried back-to-back threes over a late switch, flipping a small deficit into a lead Pittsburgh never relinquished. Kare’s 23 and 13 weren’t enough to offset Ty Jr’s 34-point barrage from beyond the arc.

Phantoms def. Tide 104-98

Nashville Strikers vs Baltimore Monuments

From the opening tip, Nashville tried to grind the pace down and make it a half-court defensive contest, trusting Josh Peterson and Marcus Fields to bother Cairo Smith at the point of attack. Cairo struggled early, settling for contested pull-ups while Roman Thatch quietly cleaned up misses and controlled the boards. The Strikers built a modest lead off Peterson’s steals and leak-outs, but Baltimore’s resilience showed in the third: Cairo shifted gears, attacking earlier in the clock and using high screens to get downhill before the defense could load up, finding Malik Doss and Troy Langford on cuts. Down five with just over four minutes left, Cairo took over fully—snaking pick-and-rolls, hitting a one-legged pull-up, and drawing help that freed Thatch for dump-offs and putbacks. Nashville’s guards kept scrapping, but a late Cairo drive-and-kick three and Thatch’s final contested rebound broke the Strikers’ resistance. Cairo’s near 30-piece and Thatch’s double-double reaffirmed Baltimore’s rising “road warrior” reputation.

Monuments def. Strikers 109-101

Week 2 Box Scores

New York Empire 111 - Charlotte Cyclones 105

Empire Key Performers: Dante Miller 31 PTS, 5 AST; Jayse Wiggles 15 PTS, 13 AST, 3 STL.

Cyclones Key Performers: Xander Lan 24 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST; Darius “Tank” Simmons 18 PTS, 12 REB, 3 BLK.

Game Notes: Wiggles–Miller chemistry shines as Miller buries back-to-back clutch threes, edging out Lan’s all-around brilliance and Tank’s interior dominance in a tight fourth quarter.

Washington Sentinels 97 - Philadelphia Liberty 89

Sentinels Key Performers: Rodney Wallace 20 PTS, 15 REB, 4 BLK; Dyson DPOY 14 PTS, 10 AST, 3 STL.

Liberty Key Performers: Jod Abil 22 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST; Marcel Drayton 15 PTS, 9 REB, 2 BLK.

Game Notes: The Sentinels’ defense takes over as Wallace and Dyson shut down Liberty’s pick-and-roll, with late Wallace blocks stalling Abil’s push in the final minutes.

Pittsburgh Phantoms 104 - Virginia Tide 98

Phantoms Key Performers: Ty Jerome Jr 34 PTS, 6 3PM; Malik Thompson 16 PTS, 11 REB, 3 BLK.

Tide Key Performers: Welel Kare 23 PTS, 13 REB, 3 BLK; Marcus Hill 14 PTS, 10 AST.

Game Notes: Kare controls the paint early, but Ty Jr flips the game with a barrage of step-back threes, repeatedly punishing Tide help and stealing the momentum late.

Baltimore Monuments 109 - Nashville Strikers 101

Monuments Key Performers: Cairo Smith 28 PTS, 8 AST, 3 STL; Roman Thatch 18 PTS, 14 REB, 3 BLK.

Strikers Key Performers: Josh Peterson 17 PTS, 5 STL; Marcus Fields 16 PTS, 8 AST.

Game Notes: Cairo’s takeover mode in crunch time and Thatch’s control of the glass overcome Peterson’s on-ball havoc, reinforcing Baltimore’s road-warrior identity.