Players added to video game

Breanna Stewart now can compete against other WNBA players in a video game.

NBA Live 18 is adding women’s basketball players to the popular game this fall.

“It really is cool. For me, I played video games when I was younger, whether it was the NCAA basketball game or 2K,” Stewart said. “To be in a video game, it’s humbling. You see men’s players all the time, but it’s good for women’s basketball to have us in there.”

Head scans of WNBA players were conducted over the past year. The developers held motioncapture sessions with No. 1 draft pick Kelsey Plum of the San Antonio Stars. Candace Parker and Tina Charles are featured, along with Maya Moore, Brittney Griner and Elena Delle Donne.

The game’s creators fine-tuned player ratings and skill moves. There’s a WNBA play mode in which video gamers can pit two WNBA teams against each other with authentic jerseys, rosters and courts.

Stewart hopes that her younger brother will pick her when he plays the game.

“I’m going to have to talk to him about this,” she said, laughing. “It’s the first question I’m going to ask him.”

The second might be what her rankings are. Inevitably a bone of contention in other sports games, Stewart is confident EA Sports will get the rankings right.

“My rating is going to be important. I’m curious to see what it will be,” she said. “EA Sports will do me right.”

It’s not the first time that EA Sports has added females to its game. FIFA2016 highlighted 12 women’s soccer national teams, including the U.S., to the game in 2015.

Lynx 69, Dream 54: Sylvia Fowles scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as host Minnesota used a 23-2 fourth quarter to cruise past Atlanta. Minnesota (20-2) is the first team in league history with at least 20 wins in seven straight seasons.