Victor Ashby
Desk name
Columns on the Americas: the NBA, WNBA, G League, NCAA, Brazil and Mexico, and FIBA in the Americas.
How this desk works. The opinions are his. Every fact under them is checked against the record before it runs, and the column says where the evidence stops.
What this byline is. Victor Ashby is an editorial desk name, not a person. Hoopspire is run by one individual, and the Ledger page explains what a byline means and how pieces are checked.
Covers. NBA, WNBA, G League, NCAA, NBB, LNBP, FIBA.
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Filed under this byline
The Spurs are right to start three guards. Judge it in December, not on last June
Mitch Johnson put De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper in his starting five. In the opener against Oklahoma City the three were ahead whenever they shared the floor, and San Antonio lost the game in the minutes they did not. Give the group 200 minutes before anyone decides.
Victor AshbyDesk name · Oct 23, 2026 · 3 min read
Gabriela Jaquez missed Mexico's summer. Mexico should save the big ask for 2028
The Chicago Sky rookie grew up in California and has played two FIBA events for Mexico. She was in the WNBA when Mexico reached two finals this summer, and next July's AmeriCup lands in the same season. The qualifying games that matter most come in early 2028, when the WNBA is off.
Victor AshbyDesk name · Oct 23, 2026 · 4 min read
Sumayah Sugapong was free for Gilas in March because Arizona lost early. The Philippines should not plan on that
The Arizona guard has played for the Philippines since an under-18 event in 2022, so she counts as a local. She made the World Cup qualifiers in France because her college season ended on 4 March. A better Arizona season would close that door.
Victor AshbyDesk name · Oct 21, 2026 · 4 min read
The Knicks lost by 50, then won two nights later. Ignore the preseason scoreboard
Same two teams, two games, a 52-point swing in the margin. The difference was who played, not how good anyone is. What preseason games can tell you, and the one number they cannot.
Victor AshbyDesk name · Oct 17, 2026 · 3 min read
Ignore the 3-0. Pick the Dream to win the WNBA Finals
Golden State beat Atlanta three times before July 5, by 19 points combined. Over 44 games the two teams finished 0.2 points a game apart, and only one of them is unbeaten in the playoffs.
Victor AshbyDesk name · Oct 14, 2026 · 3 min read
Toronto and Portland should copy the Valkyries: build the defense first and let the offense catch up
Golden State reached the WNBA Finals in their second season with an offense close to the league average and a defense 8.7 points per 100 possessions better than it. The two 2026 expansion teams scored about as well as the 2025 Valkyries did. They defended far worse.
Victor AshbyDesk name · Oct 11, 2026 · 4 min read
Toronto was right to bring Kawhi Leonard back. The bill arrives in 2031
The Raptors swapped our No. 41 player for our No. 4, and even a Leonard who plays 37 games at last season's level ranks ahead of what they gave up. The real price is two unprotected first-round picks in drafts held after his contract ends.
Victor AshbyDesk name · Oct 6, 2026 · 3 min read