Michael Voepel Close Michael Voepel ESPN Senior Writer Michael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women's college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women's basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.  and  Kareem Copeland May 29, 2026, 07:30 AM ET It's a tight game at Barclays Center on Memorial Day. With 14 seconds to play, Carla Leite nails a long 3-pointer for the Portland Fire . Three seconds later, Marine Johannes gets a pass from New York Liberty teammate Pauline Astier and answers with her own big trey. Three players from France are taking center stage at crunch time in Brooklyn. Two hours later on the opposite coast, Lithuanian guard Juste Jocyte makes her WNBA debut to a standing ovation in San Francisco. She was the No. 5 pick in the 2025 draft but didn't play in the WNBA last season. Golden State Valkyries fans were eager to welcome her.…