Seattle is supposed to win it all this season.

From the first week of the season through the tip-off of its finale, the Seattle Storm were on top of the WNBA standings. But with a top-two seed clinched and a double-bye to the semifinals guaranteed, the Storm rested Breanna Stewart, saw Sue Bird miss her 11th game, and allowed the Las Vegas Aces to wrestle away the top seed in the playoffs.

Something tells us the Storm aren’t too concerned. Throughout the season, they have led the league in both offensive and defensive rating, giving them the best net rating at 15.0. And in their two previous games against the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle won 90-66 in the second game of the year and 103-88 on Sept. 6.

If there is one key for Seattle, it is finding rhythm from deep. In wins, Seattle shot 42.4% from beyond the arc. In losses, that rate dropped to 28%. That falloff of 14.2% is the highest difference in 3-point percentage between wins and losses among playoff teams and second in the entire league to New York, which lost all but two games.

Seattle is an excellent 3-point shooting team. In the regular season, the team shot 39.8%, second only to Los Angeles. While the Sparks proved in their 2-of-18 showing against Connecticut that anyone can get cold, in a five-game series it is unlikely that Seattle will struggle for a prolonged stretch of play.

Five players for the Storm take at least three 3-pointers per game. All five shoot better than the league-wide average 35.5%, and both Bird and Alysha Clark average well above league average. Bird is shooting 46.9% for the season, the best mark in her Hall of Fame career, but Clark tops even that with a 52.2% number that is the best in the league for any player taking at least 2 3-pointers per contest.

???? JC to AC for 3 ????@jordin_canada @Alysha_Clark #StrongerThanEver @BECU pic.twitter.com/6ocXFHMVWx

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) September 13, 2020

Jewell Loyd, Sami Whitcomb, and Stewart can also knock down 3’s with the best of them. There’s a reason the Storm are still the favorites to take home the title.

If Sue Bird is healthy enough to play, which is the expectation, she will be a major boost. Despite being limited to 11 games, Seattle went 10-1 in those contests. And while Seattle may not need Breanna Stewart to play at an MVP-level in the series to win, expect her to play with a chip on her shoulder after losing to A’ja Wilson it what was a tight, season-long race.

???? SUE BIRD ARE YOU KIDDING ME ????@S10Bird #StrongerThanEver pic.twitter.com/CH42gCfP8a

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) September 6, 2020

If Stewart raises her level of play, Minnesota could be in for a rough series. Of the five teams with the most points per game scored by rookies, four did not make the playoffs. Only Minnesota, led by Rookie of the Year Crystal Dangerfield’s 16.1 points per game, made it to the dance.

While Dangerfield struggled through the first half of her debut WNBA playoff game, Minnesota will continue to rely on their vaunted rookie. Despite leading the team in scoring in the regular season, Dangerfield struggled to open games throughout the campaign. In the first quarter, Dangerfield scored just 2.7 points on average, but that number steadily increased throughout each game, and in the fourth quarter she was up to 6.3, second in the entire league.

March 9: @crystald2_ plays her last game in a UConn uniform.

April 17: She’s drafted in the second round by the @minnesotalynx.

July 26: She makes her pro debut.

Sept. 17: She’s named @WNBA Rookie of the Year. pic.twitter.com/sS64ZAzslU

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) September 18, 2020

Nerves for her first playoff game may have been a part of the slow start, but Dangerfield has waited to get going all season long. The Lynx won’t panic if Dangerfield fails to get things going early against the Storm. Luckily, they have talent across the board.

Napheesa Collier has had an excellent season with 16.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per outing. After winning Rookie of the Year last season, Collier finished 5th in MVP voting this season. As she told Just Women’s Sports, winning MVP is her next big goal, but “First and foremost, I want our team to win.”

In just her second year, @PHEEsespieces has become the @minnesotalynx go-to scorer!

Take a look back at Phee's top plays of this #WNBA season. pic.twitter.com/ZlxIEHaszY

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 17, 2020

If the Lynx can pull off the upset of the Storm, the return of Sylvia Fowles could prove to be the decisive factor. After missing all five weeks with a calf injury, the 2017 league MVP and WNBA career rebound leader is back in action. The team’s 9.9 offensive rebounds per game, which was second in the league, affords valuable extra possessions, and with Fowles back in the paint, expect that number to only go up.

With Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve pulling the strings, don’t expect the Lynx’s relative youth to trip them up against the Storm. This team plays beyond their years. But in order to topple an extremely talent Seattle side, the Lynx will need to be nearly perfect.

Prediction: Seattle in 4

Women's college basketball star and Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles recorded ​her second-straight triple-double on Sunday, becoming the first ACC player to hit the tally in back-to-back NCAA games.

Miles notched a career-high 14 assists in Notre Dame's 95-54 win over Virginia, complementing the feat with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

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The 21-year-old now has six career triple-doubles, tying WNBA mainstay and Maryland alum Alyssa Thomas for the most in ACC history.

"It's even more special coming off a year where I just sat on my butt," Miles told reporters​, referencing last season's sidelining ACL tear.

"It's definitely not an easy thing to do, to sit out, but I learned so much, and it's enabled me to come and do what I do."

NCAA conference play tips off with Top 10 matchups

With non-conference fireworks smoldering, college basketball is transitioning to conference play​ as tournament contenders enter the regular-season gauntlet hoping to peak at just the right time.

Subsequently, top NCAA basketball teams held court in two ranked Big Ten matchups over the weekend. No. 8 Maryland edged out No. 19 Michigan State 72-66 while No. 4 USC took down No. 23 Michigan 78-58.

This week's lone Top 10 matchup revives a longtime rivalry, when SEC newcomers and former Big 12 foes No. 5 Texas and No. 9 Oklahoma tip off in Norman on Thursday.

Star Texas sophomore Madison Booker and senior point guard Rori Harmon will face big name Oregon State transfer Reagan Beers. Since joining the Sooners, Beers has emerged as Oklahoma's leading scorer this season.

The Sooners won't see much rest after their clash with the Longhorns, as Oklahoma then gears up for Sunday's date with No. 15 Tennessee.

How to watch Texas vs. Oklahoma college basketball this week

Oklahoma hosts Texas on Thursday at 9 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

The WNBA coaching carousel has come to a standstill, with the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics both finalizing head coaching hires earlier this week.

Dallas GM Curt Miller brought on former Sun, Sparks, and USC assistant coach Chris Koclanes as head coach of the Wings.

"We are thrilled to welcome Chris Koclanes as the new head coach of the Dallas Wings," said Miller in a team statement. "Throughout our extensive search and interview process, Chris continued to rise to the top and check the boxes of our important pillars. He is a servant leader who places a high value on connection, collaboration, and a positive and consistent communication style with all those he coaches."

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Mystics fill leadership vacancies

The Washington Mystics also made two key hires this week. The team appointed Jamila Wideman to GM and ex-Sky assistant Sydney Johnson​ to head coach.

"I have strong roots in the WNBA and have had the privilege of playing with, working alongside, and witnessing the incredible people who are the athletes at the center of the game," said Wideman afterwards. "The very best I have seen share some core qualities — curiosity, humility, and imagination. I look forward to building a Mystics team in partnership with the players, coaches, and staff that reflects this core."

WNBA teams enter 2025 with full staffs

Barring any unexpected twists, all 13 teams will now have head coaches in place going into the 2025 WNBA Draft and preseason.

Eight teams — including expansion side Golden State — enter 2025 armed with new bosses. Subsequently, seven of those candidates will be making their WNBA head coaching debuts.

Furthermore, Koclanes and Johnson are the third and fourth ex-assistants to get a shot at head coaching next season. The pair follows Natalie Nakase (Golden State) and Tyler Marsh (Chicago).

"Being named the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries is a lifelong dream come true," said Nakase. "We will strive to improve, compete, and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization."

After finishing 2024 in last place, the Houston Dash have been raising eyebrows with a series of offseason moves primed to make a splash next NWSL season.

Houston's top-tier transaction period continued on Thursday, landing Gotham and USWNT forward Yazmeen Ryan for a league-record $400,000 in allocation money plus a 2025 international roster spot.

On Thursday, Gotham confirmed that Ryan had requested the trade, saying the club "worked tirelessly to honor her request." As part of the deal, Gotham also traded $80,000 in intra-league transfer funds to Houston.
 
Ryan joins a growing roster of savvy Dash pick-ups, including fellow Gotham standout Delanie Sheehan and San Diego defender Christen Westphal.

Subsequently, while they've yet to announce a new head coach, Houston has solidified their front office by bringing on ex-Angel City GM Angela Hucles Mangano as president of women's soccer.

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Gotham FC sees mass NWSL exodus

For Gotham, Ryan's departure is just the latest in a high-profile exodus. Sheehan, forward Lynn Williams, goalkeeper Cassie Miller, and defenders Sam Hiatt and Maitane Lopez have all left the one-time superteam.

"I don't want to get into everything with the end of Gotham, but I am really excited to be a part of a team that looks like they're just enjoying each other and having fun," Lynn Williams told The Women's Game after her trade to Seattle was made public.

Jonas Eidevall enters NWSL as San Diego boss

The San Diego Wave hired ex-Arsenal manager​ Jonas Eidevall as the NWSL team's new head coach, according to multiple reports released earlier this week. 

Eidevall finished his tenure at Arsenal with an overall record of 80-24-16. However, he stepped down after failing to resign star forward Vivianne Miedema ahead of a sputtering 1-1-2 start to the 2024/25 WSL season​.

Eidevall will be the fourth coach to take the reins in San Diego this year, after Casey Stoney's mid-season firing led to interim stints from Paul Buckle and former USMNT mainstay Landon Donovan​.

San Diego's 2024 tumult wasn't limited to staffing. Founding members like Alex Morgan retired while impact players like Abby Dahlkemper and Sofia Jakobsson departed the club for other opportunities.

Embattled Wave president Jill Ellis also left the team, accepting a new role at FIFA earlier this month.

The Wave and Eidevall will kick off this new chapter seeking stability after a rollercoaster year. As such, both club and coach will bank on a strong 2025 to chart a new course.

No. 7 USC took down No. 4 UConn on Saturday, winning 72-70 in a battle between two bonafide NCAA basketball championship contenders still figuring out a consistent flow of play.

USC led by as many as 18 in the first half. However UConn came storming back, briefly pulling ahead in the fourth quarter before the Trojans outlasted the Huskies to secure the narrow victory.

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JuJu holds on to secure USC win

With UConn superstar Paige Bueckers tight on her heels, USC standout JuJu Watkins registered a game-leading 25 points, alongside six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.

Bueckers and Huskies freshman Sarah Strong split scoring duties for UConn, notching 22 points each with Strong adding 11 rebounds.

After opening the season at No. 2, this highly touted UConn squad has dropped pivotal games against Notre Dame and now USC to go 0-2 in Top 10 matchups. It's a pattern legendary coach Auriemma will hope to correct before the Huskies face their next ranked opponent in early February.

"I thought the execution part in the first half was just as bad as I've seen in a few years here in Connecticut," Huskies boss Geno Auriemma said after the loss.

"This is a really significant win, and it's a really significant win because of the stature of UConn's program and what Geno Auriemma has done for our sport," commented USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

Weekend upsets shake top-ranked NCAA basketball teams

Elsewhere, upsets dominated the NCAA basketball conversation this weekend, with Top 25 contenders falling short as this season's undefeated list continues to shrink.

No. 15 Michigan State saw their first loss on Friday, falling to unranked Alabama 82-67 in a low scoring matchup. Afterwards, No. 9 Duke suffered their own unranked loss on Saturday, ceding a tough defensive battle to USF 65-56.

Seventeenth-ranked Georgia Tech remains undefeated with Saturday's ranked win over No. 23 Nebraska, while No. 14 West Virginia lost to unranked Colorado later that day.

Parity is the name of the game this season, with conference realignment, the transfer portal, and other recent shifts impacting a number of programs across the NCAA. And with conference play looming, teams will rely on regional rivalries and schedule strength to prepare them for heightened competition in the new year.