10. NICHELLE PRINCE IS ROYALTY

What a ball by @sophieschmidt13 and what a finish from @nichelleprince7 ???? ???????? #HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/fXJvIN0l0D

— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) September 27, 2020

The Houston Dash’s Sophie Schmidt pings a long-ball from midfield to Nichelle Prince, her fellow Dash and Canadian national team teammate. In a footrace, Prince beats the Orlando Pride defender to the ball, smashing a half-volley over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Prince’s clinical finish gave her team an early lead in a 3-1 victory over Orlando. After winning the Challenge Cup, Houston came in second in the Fall Series thanks to the efforts of Prince and her teammates.

 

9. KUMI YOKOYAMA’S BANGER

A thing of beauty from @yoko10_official ????

0-1 | #NJvWAS

Tune in now on @Twitch. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/XzrpNmZzRH

— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) October 3, 2020

A deflected shot sends the ball flying through to the air, landing just outside the box at the feet of Kumi Yokoyama. The Washington Spirit forward tracks the ball down before losing her defender, curling a shot that deflects off the back post and into the net. Yokoyama’s absolutely wicked spin helped Washington walk away with the 1-0 win and a third place finish in the series overall.

 

8. DEBINHA: A CLASS ACT

.@TheNCCourage are just rolling. @Debinha7 grabs a second just before the halftime whistle.

0-3 | #ORLvNC

Tune in now on @CBS and @Twitch. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/QjfzQbCmJl

— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2020

Another NWSL season comes to a close, and Debinha is still underrated. Here, teammate Meredith Speck reads Orlando’s defense perfectly, stealing the ball and driving toward goal, patiently waiting for Debinha to get into position. The Brazilian superstar takes the beautifully weighted pass on a full-sprint before placing the ball back corner. Debinha’s smooth finish gave the North Carolina Courage a 3-0 lead before a second half comeback from the Orlando Pride ended the match in a 3-3 draw.

 

7. BETHANY BALCER GOT TEKKERS

The dummy and then the goal *chef's kiss* ????‍????@bethanybalcer pulls a goal back for @OLReign!

2-1 | #UTAvRGN

Tune in now on @CBSAllAccess and @Twitch. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/4eQDONRI9F

— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) September 26, 2020

‘Tis spooky season folks, and OL Reign looked scary good in this play. Steph Cox plays it in to teammate Sofia Huerta, who cheekily dummies the pass, allowing it to run into Bethany Balcer’s tracks. Behind Utah’s defensive line, Balcer hits a beautiful curler into the far post’s side panel, boosting her team to an eventual 2-2 draw with the Royals.

 

6. TZIARRA KING DOESN’T NEED REDBULL

.@tziarra has W I N G S ????

2-0 | #UTAvRGN

Tune in now on @CBSAllAccess and @Twitch.#NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/i1WI6vojtw

— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) September 26, 2020

She’s already got wings. The height Utah Royals’ Tziarra King got off this header goal is inhuman. Open on the right flank, Brittany Ratcliffe plays a cross into the box near the six. King flexes her hops, flying far above Reign’s defenders, and heads the ball back into the front post corner. Throughout the Fall Series, the rookie King was a consistent bright spot for Utah. We don’t expect this is the last time we’ll be singing her praises.

 

5. CHRISTINE SINCLAIR: STILL THE GOAT

The Great Horan sets up the GOAT and it's perfect.#PORvRGN | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/2yd3OQxV7u

— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) October 1, 2020

The Portland Thorns’ Lindsey Horan and Christine Sinclair are the epitome of a dynamic duo. In typical fashion, Horan plays some tiki-taka on the left flank before playing a dangerous diagonal ball back to Sinclair. The Canadian superstar drills the ball into the far corner, putting it completely out of reach of OL Reign’s goalkeeper. Sinclair led the league with six goals in the Fall Series, double the amount of the next highest scorer. What are we supposed to do for the rest of the year if we can’t watch Sinclair dominate the NWSL?

 

4. SHEA GROOM CATCHES AIR

✈️ @sheabayy2 you are cleared for takeoff#HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/xMv8tp9mjO

— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) October 9, 2020

Shea Groom first took flight on a spectacular goal during the Challenge Cup. And surprise, surprise, she did it again. The Houston Dash’s Brianna Visalli jumpstarts the counterattack by winning a critical tackle in her defensive end before slotting the ball ahead to Kristie Mewis, who chips it into the box. Groom comes flying in and heads the ball with major conviction. Groom’s strike helped her finish the Fall Series as the second-leading goal scorer while Mewis was first in assists.

 

3. ECKERSTROM READS FORWARDS LIKE THEIR BOOKS

This save deserves a ????@Breck28 takes home the @Verizon Save of the Week. #NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/NIXlS0NZrN

— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) October 7, 2020

Portland Thorns’ keeper Britt Eckerstrom was an absolute beast throughout the Fall Series. She led the league in saves, denying what could have been 19 goals while only allowing 3 to get past her all tournament. In the early moments of this match against OL Reign, midfielder Shirley Cruz floats a bomb into the box, finding Bethany Balcer, who heads the ball toward the top-shelf. But Eckerstrom makes an incredible leap to push the ball over the crossbar with her left hand. Needless to say, Eckerstrom played a vital role in helping Portland walk away with the Fall Series Community Shield.

 

2. A STAR IS BORN: SOPHIE SMITH

???? Debut goal for @sophsssmith ????

And what a class finish it was from the 2020 No. 1 college draft pick!

2-0 | #PORvUTA

Tune in now on @Twitch.#NWSLFallSeries | #VerizonCommunityShield pic.twitter.com/1EXeO1n4Bf

— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) September 20, 2020

How could we forget Smith’s brilliant header, which she scored within just three minutes of entering her first professional career match? Meghan Klingenberg of the Portland Thorns initiates the action by picking off a pass before playing a line-drive into the penalty area. Smith connects with the pass, heading it into the far corner for a spectacular start to her NWSL career. The number one draft pick has Portland fans walking away from the Fall Series with a new trophy on their shelves and sky high expectations for the years to come.

 

1. ONE WORD: DEBINHA

Safe to say we'll be watching this Debinha goal on repeat for the foreseeable future ????#NoFinishLine pic.twitter.com/tO8v8HkE70

— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) September 12, 2020

The title says it all. Debinha’s goal made SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays for a reason. There’s a chance the net is still smoking after this bullet from the North Carolina midfielder. After receiving the ball back from her teammate Lynn Williams, Debinha turns inside and dummies her defender before immediately lifting her head to smash a shot from outside the 18. The ball carries to the back post upper 90, popping the back of the net. Once again Debinha has left fans wondering if she isn’t, in fact, the most dangerous player in the league.

The first Nike Player Edition sneakers designed by WNBA star Caitlin Clark sold out almost immediately on Monday morning, with fans snapping up the limited run of the Fever guard's Kobe 5 Protros within minutes of the 10 AM ET online drop.

Inspired by the Indiana Fever's colors, Clark's high-gloss Kobe shoes come in Midnight Blue with a tongue and additional accents in Bright Crimson, as well as "vibrant hits of University Gold."

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Though Nike did not disclose actual stock numbers, multiple sneaker insiders estimated that Monday's release included just 13,000 pairs of Clark's edition.

Originally on sale for $190 through Nike's website, the Kobe 5 Protro PE is already topping $350 on the resale market.

Clark has been a Nike athlete since inking an NIL deal with the sportswear giant just before her junior NCAA season at the University of Iowa in October 2022, with the WNBA sophomore later signing a reported eight-year, $28 million endorsement contract just after finishing her collegiate career.

That current deal, inked just after the Indiana Fever selected Clark as the 2024 WNBA Draft's overall No. 1 pick, includes the release of a signature shoe.

While Nike still plans to add Clark to its signature shoe roster, the brand appears to be testing the market's waters using the guard's preferred on-court Kobe sneakers — to a sellout success.

How to buy the Caitlin Clark x Nike Kobe 5 Protro PE

Plans looking to pay retail prices for Clark's latest sneaker design will have to wait for Nike to restock, with online resellers like StockX, GOAT, and Flight Club currently selling the shoes at a significant markup.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming later this month, teams across the league aren't waiting for the August 7th deadline to pull the trigger on trades and waivers, significantly shaking up league rosters.

On Monday, Dallas abruptly traded forward NaLyssa Smith to the Las Vegas Aces in exchange for a 2027 first-round draft pick, surprising Smith and her Wings teammates — including girlfriend DiJonai Carrington.

"Sick to my stomach dawg, never seen this coming," Smith posted to X after the WNBA announced the trades, adding "if I could've chose anywhere to go it would've been Vegas, so hella excited [for] this new opportunity."

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WNBA trades target future prospects

The recent WNBA trades both reflect the depth of options Dallas has in their frontcourt — most recently boosted by the Wings acquiring center Li Yueru from Seattle last month — and indicates the team's early play at a talented WNBA Draft class, with NCAA stars like USC's JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo going pro in 2027.

At the same time, Smith's trade extends Las Vegas's first-round draft drought, with the Aces — who last added a first-round selection in 2022 — currently without an early draft pick until 2028.

As the Las Vegas focuses on leveling up this season, hoping Smith helps boost their current seventh-place league standing, the Aces also added roster cuts to their Monday trade.

Las Vegas handed out waivers to guard Tiffany Mitchell and second-year forward Elizabeth Kitley, who was selected 24th overall by the Aces in the 2024 WNBA Draft despite tearing her ACL at the end of her NCAA career.

Golden State waives 2025 EuroBasket champ Vanloo

Making their own controversial Monday move was 2025 expansion side Golden State, as the Valkyries cut Belgian guard Julie Vanloo shortly after the 2025 EuroBasket champion rushed to return to California, skipping her national team's title-winning celebrations.

"Literally just touched down in the bay," Vanloo wrote on an Instagram story littered with broken heart emojis. "I need some time to process all of this man and put my feels into words. I can't right now."

While Golden State faces backlash for the timing of the cut, waiving Vanloo ultimately opens up a contract for the Valkyries, with rumors swirling that either guard Kaitlyn Chen or forward Laeticia Amihere will earn the roster spot after impressing as replacement players during European absences.

All in all, with WNBA roster space remaining at a premium, teams are making big swings in an effort to shore up their ranks as they push toward the 2025 season's halfway point.

The 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final tips off on Tuesday night, when first-time finalist Indiana will look to upset reigning Cup champs Minnesota in a winner-take-all showdown for both bragging rights and the lion's share of the in-season tournament's prize pool.

With the total purse set at $500,000, athletes on the winning team will earn around $30,000 each — plus an additional $5,000 for the Commissioner's Cup final MVP — while losing players will take home $10,000.

While Tuesday's final won't count toward the regular-season WNBA standings, the battle will be the first meeting between the Lynx and Fever this year, adding first-clash drama to the already-high stakes.

"I think it's going to feel like a playoff game. It's going to be really fun," Lynx star Napheesa Collier told reporters, noting Minnesota's home-court advantage in the matchup. "Our fans show up for us every game, but especially in that environment ... it's going to be electrifying."

Despite the excitement, player availability could tip the scales in Tuesday's outcome, as both Collier and Fever guard Caitlin Clark contend with recent injuries.

While Collier returned from a lingering back issue without missing a beat last weekend, Clark missed Indiana's last two games due to a groin issue and is currently "questionable" to play for the Commissioner's Cup.

"I'm going to be day-to-day," Clark said on Sunday. "Doing everything I can to put myself in position to play the next game. That's always my goal."

How to watch tonight's WNBA Commissioner's Cup final

The Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever will take the court for the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final at 8 PM ET on Tuesday.

Live coverage of the in-season tournament's championship game will air on Prime.

The WNBA dropped its All-Star Game starters list on Monday, with just one rookie earning enough votes to feature on the star-studded 10-player lineup.

In addition to being the lone rookie, Dallas's No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers will be the only All-Star debutant playing in the game's first minutes, as the Wings guard joins nine previous All-Stars to tip off the July 19th matchup — giving her a presumptive edge in this year's Rookie of the Year race.

Joining Bueckers as WNBA All-Star starters will be team captains Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx) and Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever), as well as Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), and A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces).

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A mix of 50% fan voting, 25% player voting, and 25% media voting determined the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game starting lineup — though the three groups did not necessarily come to a consensus.

For example, players ranked Clark ninth among guards, while the media put her in third. A record-setting 1.29 million fan votes boosted the Fever star into a captain's role.

As for players who fell just short of a starting position, like Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell and Chicago forward Angel Reese fell just short of starting at their positions, their All-Star dreams aren't over yet.

Head coaches across the league will now vote to select 12 reserve players, likely adding both fan favorites and stat-sheet stars to the July 6th final All-Star player pool, with Collier and Clark building their teams from that list on July 8th.

Though reputation, skill, and popularity all factor into All-Star nods, this year's group is also underlining the depth of the WNBA's talent base.