Warriors mailbag: What’s the latest on Steph Curry? Will the Bay get a WNBA team?

LOS ANGELES — The biggest and most obvious question on the minds of Warriors fans is about Stephen Curry’s health.

The Warriors superstar is out indefinitely after he damaged two ligaments in his lower left leg during a game earlier this month, and the team’s hopes of contending for another title largely hinge on his availability.

Curry returned to the court for some light, non-contact individual work earlier this week, a small but promising step in his recovery process. A return-to-play timeline is still not set in stone, but we know he won’t play in the Warriors’ next four games.

Curry will be re-evaluated next week, which should paint a better picture as to when he’ll be back in the fold.

In the meantime, the Warriors will have to do without Curry — as well as Gary Payton II (core injury), Andrew Wiggins (family matter) and Andre Iguodala (hip soreness). It’s far from ideal, but Golden State has found ways to step up in Curry’s absence before, primarily relying on Draymond Green and Kevon Looney’s defense, Jordan Poole’s playmaking and scoring as well as Klay Thompson’s hot hand.

Earlier this season, with Curry sidelined for a month with a shoulder injury, the Warriors strung together a season-high five-game win streak. Entering Thursday’s game against the Lakers, they are 9-11 without Curry this season.

“We held down the fort [before without Curry], and that’s the plan this time, too,” coach Steve Kerr said. “With 24 games left, our goal is right ahead of us but without some key guys we’ve got to make sure we’re tightening things up.”

As of Thursday morning, the Warriors (29-29) are ninth in the crowded Western Conference playoff race, only 2.5 games behind the fourth-place Clippers and a single game ahead of the Trail Blazers in 12th. Twenty-one of their final 24 games come against conference foes, meaning this is the time where separation should start to happen in the standings.

Destiny, or @DessBalla_ on Twitter, also inquired about the status of Payton, who spoke with reporters Wednesday for the first time since he was dealt back to the Warriors earlier this month.

Payton’s timeline remains fluid, though he’s expected to miss more time than Curry. The hope is he’ll be back before the playoffs. But he’s still dealing with pain in his abdomen after he had surgery this offseason to repair a core muscle.

Payton is in a pure rehabbing stage now, which consists of conditioning, treatment and strength training. On-court work is out of the question for the foreseeable future. He’s scheduled to be re-evaluated in mid-March.

Question from @AaronFitzner: How’d you feel Klay looked in his first back-to-back? Miss a beat at all?

Thompson reached a major personal milestone heading into the All-Star break, playing in his first complete back-to-back set in nearly four years. It was something he’s been wanting to do for a while now, but the Warriors’ medical staff has been hesitant to let him loose because of his injury history.

After playing 36 minutes in a win over the Washington Wizards on Feb. 13, Thompson logged 28 minutes the next night in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He started a little slow on the second night before finishing with 18 points, two rebounds and two assists.

Thompson said he felt good after the game and was feeling even more rejuvenated following a weeklong break.

Golden State has three back-to-backs left this season, including two in the next nine days. Thompson should be good to go for both nights of each back-to-back going forward. However, a minutes restriction on the backend isn’t out of the question.

Question from @AnnieCostabile: Thoughts on The Bay for WNBA expansion?

I’m 100% in favor of the Bay Area getting a WNBA team — not only as a fan of the league but also because it makes so much sense!

And that’s why I think it’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen but when. Recent reports indicate the earliest the league would expand is 2025.

The Bay Area checks a lot of boxes not only from a financial standpoint but also geographically and culturally.

There are two groups of potential ownership groups who’ve expressed interest in buying a team: The Golden State Warriors, the highest-valued franchise in the NBA, according to Forbes, and the Oakland-based African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), an organization of prominent local Black business leaders with a Black women-led ownership group including 16-year WNBA star Alana Beard.

Geographically, a Bay team would be sandwiched between the Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks and not too far away from the Las Vegas Aces. It also would be in close proximity to Silicon Valley, which offers exciting and immense opportunities for corporate sponsorships for both the team and the league.

Oh, and not to mention there’s already an established basketball fanbase as well as it being a cultural fit. The WNBA’s values also fall in line with the progressive Bay Area, which supports one of the largest LGBTQ+ communities in the nation.

Question from @DrsPhenomenal: What advice can you give someone whose dream it is to work in sports reporting/writing?

The best piece of advice I received after college and beyond is to understand that everyone’s path is different. It’s so easy to get caught up in what other people are doing or maybe comparing where you’re at to other people who are your age or younger, but that’s just going to drive you crazy.

I’ve had four very different job titles over the first six years of my career. I went from being a content producer/social media manager to being a general assignment sports reporter and WNBA/Chicago Sky beat reporter. Then, when the pandemic hit, I was moved to the news side of the paper and covered crime, politics, protests and everything else that was thrown my way during my news shifts for almost two years.

I eventually found my way back into sports, taking this job as the Warriors beat reporter in March 2022.

Also, don’t be afraid to reach out for advice. It’s important to build a network of mentors and colleagues who can help you continue to get better at your craft. You never know when one of those connections you make in the industry is going to help you land a gig.

Question from @gobears86: Do you plan all your air and hotel itineraries yourself?

Yes, we do it all ourselves. The job definitely is a lifestyle since the NBA stops for no one, and it’s super important to stay organized and on top of things.

The beat is a grind. There are a lot of late nights and early-morning flights, which can take a toll. But it’s also fun and rewarding.

For future Warriors mailbags, you can submit questions via email (mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com) or Twitter (@madkenney).