Editor’s Note: For starters, I’d just like to say welcome to a new weekly piece! WNBA Wednesdays will go through the big news in the WNBA and the status of the season from the previous week.

Swin Cash

In case you haven’t heard, Swin Cash announced her retirement that will be in effect following this season. This decision wasn’t too much of a surprise in the WNBA world, but it’s still one that tugs on the heartstrings of all who have watched, coached, and played with her throughout the years. Swin Cash was as unique of a player as there ever could be. Through her college years at UConn, Cash was playing power forward at a height of only 6’1″. She was a dominant post player, but as time went on, her game started to grow further away from the basket. The transformation she went through when getting into the WNBA was not like anyone else. She went from big to small. A guard with a stellar post game is what she became, and her work ethic is what got her there.

My favorite quote from Cash’s retirement piece on The Player’s Tribune had to be:

Basketball has given me the opportunities of many lifetimes. It was truly my first love. It took my hand and pulled me beyond the pitfalls of my environment, and all over this country and the world — and then brought me back home again. It showed me how I can touch people — people who may not know the game I love, but who know me because I play it. People whom I would never have met if I didn’t dribble a ball.

The reason this strikes a chord in me is because this is what all of us here at the Basketball Society are all about. The reason we talk about and watch this game is due to the exact reason that Cash explained. Basketball is the reason why I have met so many of the great people in my life, and it continues to be the common ingredient between a world full fans, students, teachers, and players of the game. Swin Cash is another great example of how basketball can be more than just a sport. Basketball can be a loving community and a guiding light that allows an escape from the real world.

What’s going on in the WNBA?

The Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx are both chasing a historic mark. They both are currently 8-0 and they are only two games away from tying the 2012 Lynx for the best start in WNBA history. The common factor for both of these teams is the player who drives them. Maya Moore and Candace Parker are two of the top five players in the league right now and they both seem to be playing with a chip on their shoulder. Maya Moore wants to show that she can improve even more from the season before and grab the MVP award. On the other hand, Candace Parker is hungry to show that she should have been a no-brainer selection for Team USA’s Summer Olympics team. Both are in the top ten for points per game and assists per game, and they are seemingly making this MVP decision at the end of the season nearly impossible, especially when you throw Tamika Catchings into the mix.

My early prediction for the WNBA Finals was the Chicago Sky going up against the Lynx, but with the Sparks on such a roll, the Sky will have their work cut out for them if they face either squad.

What’s happening tonight?

The only game on tap tonight is a battle of teams on the losing end of things. The Washington Mystics will travel to Texas and go against the Dallas Wings. Washington is coming off of a great win against the Atlanta Dream in which they ended Atlanta’s five-game win streak. The Wings, however, are coming off of a loss, but the last time these two teams met, Dallas was able to take care of business. Both of these teams are in the bottom third of the league in terms of defense, so there shouldn’t be a shortage of scoring.

My prediction for tonight – Washington wins 89-83