All Scores

Hanna, Haley Cavinder headline Champs Sports ‘Women Win’ campaign

Hanna and Haley Cavinder. (Photo courtesy of Champs)

Champs Sports unveiled Wednesday a new campaign, honoring women who are making an impact in sports.

The campaign, titled “Women Win,” features athletes like Hanna and Haley Cavinder, who signed with Champs Sports in 2021 through an NIL deal and were the first female athletes to sign with the brand.

The college basketball stars, who recently transferred to the University of Miami from Fresno State, kicked off the name, image and likeness era a year ago, signing deals at 12:01 a.m. ET on July 1 — the first minute in which NCAA athletes could sign endorsement deals.

“Being able to work with amazing brands that have partnerships with Champs is just something that we never envisioned for ourselves,” Hanna Cavinder told Just Women’s Sports. “It’s been long overdue for student-athletes.”

As part of the campaign, which “puts solidarity, action, and equality at the forefront to highlight the many women in sports who are making a difference and advocating for positive change,” the duo headlined an event at Champs Sports Homefield with Miramar’s Everglades High School on July 17. There will be other events through July 30, like a Reebok workout class with former WNBA player Ty Young and an Under Armour event with Cornell volleyball player Sydney Moore.

All are meant to bring further visibility to Champ’s partnership with VOICEINSPORT, which aims to elevate conversations around equality and mental health in sports.

“Being able to go to the Champs store a couple days ago and work with a high school in our community, allowing us to work with female athletes and just give back to them was super cool,” Haley Cavinder said. “What Champs is doing is just really special to Hanna and I, and other female athletes in the world.”

Among Champs’ other action steps is a $30,000 donation to the VOICEINSPORT Foundation in support of their Title IX initiatives.

“Our team at Champs Sports is proud to continue empowering women in sports who serve as an inspiration each day,” said Guy Harkless, senior VP and GM of Champs Sports and Eastbay. “These women possess the ethos that Champs Sports prides itself on and we’re proud to provide a platform that shines a light on the collective voices helping to drive the future of women’s sports.”

Providing women in sports a platform has been an added bonus of NIL. In addition to the Cavinder twins, many at the forefront of NIL deals have been women, including Olivia Dunne, Aliyah Boston and Rose Zhang.

But there’s still room to grow as the era of NIL continues to be developed. More and more often, the marketability of female athletes is proving itself to be equal to that of their male counterparts.

“There’s not as many opportunities for our sports, so just being able to see all these female athletes is something that is very inspiring every single day,” said Hanna. “Obviously being a part of it, being at the forefront of it with Haley is something that we take a lot of pride in.

“I think there’s a lot of room for growth. Empowering women and shining light on female athletes and women in general is what we need to continue to do here. But I think campaigns like this one showcases companies like Champs empowering females.”

NWSL Stars Headline African National Teams at 2025 WAFCON

Zambia striker Barbra Banda celebrates a goal during a 2023 World Cup match.
Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda will lead Zambia at the 2025 WAFCON tournament in Morocco. (Hannah Peters - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

The 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) kicks off late next week, as NWSL stars depart their clubs to join their national teams in the fight for continental glory.

Running from July 5th through the 26th, 12 teams from across Africa will feature at this year's tournament in Morocco, with defending champions South Africa looking to repeat.

One of the teams hoping to upend the Banyana Banyana's back-to-back prospects are Zambia's Copper Queens, captained by Orlando Pride striker and perennial MVP candidate Barbra Banda. The current NWSL leader in both shots and shots on target has eight goals in her club season so far, good for a second-place tie in the league's Golden Boot race.

Joining Banda on a Zambia side rich with attacking talent are Bay FC striker Rachael Kundananji and a pair of Banda's Pride teammates, midfielders Grace Chanda and Prisca Chilufya.

Other NWSL standouts making the trip include Ghana forwards Stella Nyamekye (Gotham FC) and Princess Marfo (Bay FC), as well as Nigeria striker Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC) and defender Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash).

Notably, the nine-time WAFCON champs opted to omit Washington Spirit forward Gift Monday from the Super Falcons' roster — a particularly surprising move considering Nigeria chose Oshoala, who has yet to record a goal or assist in 2025 NWSL play, and uncapped UConn junior forward Chioma Okafor over Monday and her red-hot form.

Calling it "a tough pill to swallow," Monday wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday that she harbors "no grudges, no resentment."

"I remain fully committed to cheering my country from home," Monday said, adding "To the incredible women who made the squad, go out there and make history."

"You carry the hopes of millions — including mine."

Golden State Tops WNBA with $500 Million ‘Sportico’ Valuation

Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen dribbles the ball during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Golden State Valkyries top all WNBA teams with a $500 million valuation. (Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Golden State Valkyries made a splash on Tuesday, as the 2025 expansion side debuted on Sportico's annual WNBA valuation list at the very top, leading all 13 league teams at $500 million.

With facility ownership and arena management playing major roles, that current estimate of the Valkyries' worth is 10 times the amount that the Golden State ownership group paid in expansion fees back in 2023.

Even more, the figure arguably puts Golden State atop all other women's sport teams worldwide, surpassing even the record-breaking $450 valuation set by the New York Liberty just last month. On Sportico's current list, the Liberty clock in with a $420 million value just behind the Valkyries.

The Sportico report also places the overall average value of a WNBA team at $269 million, a 180% increase over last season's average — and a figure that dwarfs even the $140 million valuation held by 2024 list-leaders Las Vegas.

Of all teams, the Fever saw the biggest leap, rising from sixth to third on the list with a valuation of $355 million — more than 270% higher than Indiana's $90 million mark in 2024.

Valkyries poised to win the 2025 WNBA revenue race

The Fever also led the league in revenue last year with $33.8 million, though the Valkyries are projected to run away with this season's revenue title, as Sportico estimates that Golden State will bring in more than $70 million in 2025.

The Bay Area side already set a single-game WNBA record for revenue generated, making $3 million in their 2025 home opener.

Current calculations put WNBA valuations at an average of 12 times their revenue — the highest revenue multiple among all major pro sports leagues, including the NBA (11.9), MLS (9.4), NFL (9.3), NHL (7.7), NWSL (6.8), and MLB (6.6).

Plus, new media deals with broadcasters like ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime — among others — are on track to generate an average of $260 million in annual revenue for the league starting next season.

With Golden State proving that expansion can be immediately profitable, business — and valuations — continues to boom in the WNBA, as the league eyes even more value with the 2026 additions of Toronto and Portland.

Tuesday Upsets Shake Up the 2025 WNBA Standings

Washington's Sonia Citron and Shakira Austin celebrate a three-pointer during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Washington Mystics handed the league-leading Minnesota Lynx their second season loss on Tuesday. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

The WNBA proved that any team can win on any day on Tuesday night, when all four games ended in underdog upsets, rattling the league standings.

While No. 12 Dallas quieted No. 4 Atlanta 68-55, Chicago was swapping spots with now-No. 11 LA, as the Sky snapped a three-game skid with a 97-86 win over the Sparks to claim 10th place on the table.

At the same time, Washington inched up from No. 9 to No. 8 by handing the league-leading Lynx a 68-64 defeat — just the second loss suffered by Minnesota this season.

The Indiana Fever also claimed a one-spot rise to No. 7 after snapping a two-game losing streak with a 94-86 defeat of No. 5 Seattle.

Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston shoots in the paint during a 2025 WNBA season win over Seattle on Tuesday.
With 31 points, Indiana center Aliyah Boston led WNBA scoring on Tuesday night. (Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images)

Bigs lead the charge in Tuesday's WNBA upsets

The overall stars of Tuesday's show were the bigs, as Indiana center Aliyah Boston put up 31 points, Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso recorded 27 points, and Minnesota center Alanna Smith dropped 26 of her own.

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell matched Boston's efforts with her own 26-point showing, as the pair helped Indiana overcome forward DeWanna Bonner's now-permanent absence from the team, as well as another off-night from Caitlin Clark.

Led by Arike Ogunbowale's 21 points, Dallas benefitted from an unexpectedly shaky Atlanta side that shot just 23.4% from the field — the Dream's lowest shooting performance in franchise history and the worst single-game showing league-wide since 2010.

After starting the 2025 WNBA season 1-11, the Wings have now won three of their last four games.

The Mystics also came to play, edging out the once-unbeatable Lynx in a defensive battle that saw center Shakira Austin lead Washington with 19 points while Minnesota mainstay Napheesa Collier rode the bench due to lower back stiffness.

Meanwhile, with 11 points with 11 rebounds on the night, Washington rookie Kiki Iriafen claimed her fifth career double-double — more than the rest of the WNBA's Class of 2025 combined.

How to watch Wednesday's WNBA action

Wednesday's late-night, two-game bill provides yet another chance to shake up the WNBA standings.

With both matchups tipping off at 10 PM ET, the ailing New York Liberty will visit the rising Golden State Valkyries, airing on WNBA League Pass, while the last-place Connecticut Sun take on the up-and-down Las Vegas Aces on NBA TV.

New York Sirens Take Colgate Grad Kaltounková No. 1 in PWHL Draft

Colgate's Kristýna Kaltounková celebrates a goal during the 2024 NCAA hockey tournament.
The New York Sirens selected Czech international and Colgate grad Kristýna Kaltounková as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft. (Gil Talbot/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The 2025 PWHL Draft spotlighted the wealth of women's hockey talent currently rising through the ranks, as the league ushered in its third rookie class on Tuesday night.

With the first overall pick, the New York Sirens selected Colgate University alum Kristýna Kaltounková, after the 23-year-old Czech forward finished her college career as the team's all-time leading scorer.

"Coming from such a small town in the Czech Republic, it's a great honor," Kaltounková said after the announcement.

The PWHL's eight teams selected a total of 48 players across the Draft's six rounds, with 43 draftees coming out of the NCAA system.

Ohio State produced the most 2025 prospects with six selected players, after the Buckeyes won two of the last four national titles.

Of the five non-NCAA recruits, four made the leap from international pro leagues in Sweden and Russia, while one player joins the PWHL from the University of British Columbia.

With two of the eight first-round picks, New York played the Draft's most aggressive hand, trading defender Ella Shelton to Toronto in order to receive the Sceptres' third and 27th overall picks.

Due to that deal, the Sirens also snagged 2024/25 NCAA MVP Casey O'Brien, a three-time national champion and the Wisconsin Badgers' all-time leading scorer.

New York also traded top forward Abby Roque to Montréal before the 2025 PWHL Draft, receiving forward Kristin O'Neill and Tuesday's 28th overall pick in return.

With league expansion widening this year's PWHL talent pool, college programs have stepped up to fill the gaps as the professional game grows.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.