The WNBA season may not even be at its halfway point, but it’s never too early to start talking about MVP candidates. While anything can happen, these are the five players we’re keeping our eyes on as we head into the heart of the 2020 season. (All stats include games through Sunday, August 9th.)

 

1. A’JA WILSON – LAS VEGAS ACES

????????????@_ajawilson22 ✖️ #ALLIN ♦️♠️ pic.twitter.com/HCz2XsRTIr

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) August 6, 2020

• 1st in points per game (22.3)

• 4th in rebounds per game (8.9)

A’ja Wilson has had a blistering start to her 2020 season. With Liz Cambage opting out of the season, the 2018 rookie of the year has stepped into the spotlight for the Las Vegas Aces and currently leads the league in points per game. At just 24 years old, the young star seems to add a new skill to her offensive tool kit with every game she plays, and after hitting the game-winner against the New York Liberty, she is very much the frontrunner at this point in the MVP race.

 

2. BREANNA STEWART – SEATTLE STORM

???????????? @breannastewart #StrongerThanEver pic.twitter.com/iHTJvMtPiJ

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) August 6, 2020

• 5th in points per game (19.4)

• 4th in blocks per game (1.6)

• 4th in steals per game (2)

Watching Breanna Stewart dominate teams in the bubble, you’d have no idea she missed all last season with a ruptured Achilles. Not only is she averaging over 20 points a game, but she’s also knocked in 16 three pointers so far (at a 43% clip, 12th in the league). Add to that her 1.6 blocks per game and Stewart is proving to be a problem for opponents at every spot on the floor. The 2018 league MVP is used to being in the conversation, and so far she’s arguably been the most complete player in the wubble.

 

3. DEWANNA BONNER – CONNECTICUT SUN

She did it! DeWanna Bonner passes Sheryl Swoopes to become 23rd All-Time in @WNBA points scored.#SUNState pic.twitter.com/uDmrWOGuA2

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) July 31, 2020

• 4th in points per game (19.7)

• 2nd in steals per game (2.4)

Despite the Sun’s rough start to the season, DeWanna Bonner has been a bright spot. At various moments she has led the league in scoring all while continuing to make her presence felt on the defensive end. With the Sun sitting at 1-6, Bonner is likely on the outside of the MVP conversation looking in, but the 32 year old has proven she is still one of the league’s best. In the first four games of the season, Bonner scored an eye-popping 110 points.

 

4. COURTNEY VANDERSLOOT – CHICAGO SKY

Courtney Vandersloot with a very normal, very easy assist pic.twitter.com/uR79tG1bJd

— Nick Niendorf (@niendorf21) August 8, 2020

• 1st in assists per game (8.9)

The Chicago Sky floor general was just named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 14 points, 9 assists and shooting 52% from the field during the second week of play. A nine-year vet, Vandersloot was All-WNBA First Team in 2019, and her 8.9 assists per game this season is far and away the top mark in the league. (Diana Taurasi is second, with 5.9 per game.) If Vandersloot can continue to keep the Sky in contention down the stretch, expect to see the underrated vet slip her way into some of end-of-the-year hardware talk.

 

5. CHENNEDY CARTER – ATLANTA DREAM

Aaaaaaand that makes 32pts for Hollywood pic.twitter.com/v1wHNajCB4

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) August 6, 2020

• 5th in points per game (19.4)

• 1st in most points in a game (35)

Carter is the real deal. The rookie has already established herself as an elite scorer, becoming the youngest player ever to drop 30+ in a game when she scored 35 against Seattle. With the Atlanta Dream near the bottom of the standings, Carter likely has a better shot at winning Rookie of the Year, but if she can continue to put up 30 point games (and if some of those games can also be wins), she’ll have a fighting chance of becoming just the second player after Candace Parker to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun!

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.

This week, the Sports Are Fun! crew is joined by sports reporter, host, and digital creator Aliyah Funschelle. And with a brand new WNBA season tipping of this Friday, the women's pro league and its many basketball superstars naturally dominate the conversation.

"In the sports betting world, Caitlin Clark is a frontrunner for MVP, which I was surprised about," starts O'Hara, referencing the sportsbooks' latest WNBA MVP odds.

"I mean, my thing is last season, she was number seven in total points," says Diaz, clearly not convinced. "She averaged about 19. A'ja Wilson averaged 26. That's a big difference."

"I don't know what clientele is setting these odds," says Funschelle. "I don't think she could be in the running. Maybe most improved? Which is crazy to say but I think Caitlin Clark has another level that she hasn't reached yet."

"Just her having the ability to rest during this offseason and build muscle," Funschelle continues. "I think she has an untapped level. She could really take step up to be like A'ja Wilson or Stewie, one of those big names."

"I saw the pictures of her and I was like, 'She's been putting in that work in the offseason.,'" agrees Diaz.

"People said it was AI!" laughs Funschelle, cracking up her co-hosts. "It was crazy."

In addition to the WNBA, the Sports Are Fun! hosts dive into the unpredictable NWSL weekend, Golden State's mascot auditions, and so much more!

'Sports Are Fun!' debates 2025 WNBA MVP award odds

The Sports Are Fun crew wastes no time in getting into the WNBA MVP conversation, with hosts throwing out potential award winners.

"MVP? I feel like Napheesa [Collier] is going to come out for everything this year," asserts Diaz, nominating the Lynx mainstay and Unrivaled 3×3 co-founder. "She wants it all.

"She wants a title, she wants MVP," O'Hara adds.

"Absolutely," says Diaz. "Given the way her season ended last year and given the way she did so well at Unrivaled, I think she has an incredible momentum and she's only building off of it."

"So for me, it's either she's going to win MVP. Or A'ja Wilson's going to get her fourth MVP," Diaz concludes.

"You don't think anyone else is contending?" asks BJ.

"Nope," says Diaz. Period.

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

The 2025 Italian Open keeps rolling in Rome through Saturday's finale, with the tournament seeing tennis titans stumble and a wide open Roland-Garros field emerge ahead of the fast-approaching French Open.

Reigning French Open champion and world No. 2 Iga Świątek fell to world No. 35 US star Danielle Collins in a straight-set upset in Saturday's third round — adding to Świątek's mounting 2025 tournament loss tally.

"I just wasn't there — present, you know — to fight and to compete," Świątek said after the match. "I focused on mistakes, and it's my mistake and I'm not doing things right… I'll try to change that."

Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka is also focusing ahead on the Paris Grand Slam, after her eight-match winning streak ended in Monday's Round of 16.

A clay specialist with four of the last five French Open titles under her belt, Świątek's recent struggles point to a shifting landscape as the season continues on the tricky surface.

On the other hand, clay title hopes are on the rise for US contender Coco Gauff, whose dominant 6-1, 6-2 Monday victory over 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu advanced the world No. 3 star to face No. 7 Mirra Andreeva in the 2025 Italian Open quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Also showing notable consistency is No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who will face No. 8 Qinwen Zheng in Wednesday's second quarterfinal matchup.

How to watch the 2025 Italian Open

The 2025 Italian Open continues through Saturday, with live coverage on the Tennis Channel.

Just two days after wrapping the 2024/25 Women's Super League (WSL) season on Saturday, the UK women's soccer pyramid scored a full rebrand, with new names and visual identities announced for England's first- and second-tier leagues on Monday.

While the WSL will retain its name, the second-flight Women's Championship will become the WSL2 beginning with the 2025/26 season, bringing both top leagues under the same naming umbrella.

The Women's Professional League Limited — the independent company that took over running the WSL and Women's Championship in August 2024 — is also undergoing a name change, becoming simply WSL Football.

Following a development process with creative agency Anomaly, new visual branding "born from the movement of female footballers" has also rolled out across the leagues, with the WSL adopting an orange colorway while the newly named WSL2 will use a magenta palette.

"As a long-time football fan, having the chance to create the future of women's football is the absolute brief of dreams and a career highlight," said Clara Mulligan, Anomaly's managing parter and head of design.

Along with a new WSL Football website, this summer will see the updated designs from the rebrand incorporated across league merchandise, venues, jerseys, soccer balls, and more before the 2025/26 season kicks off.

"There is a lot more in store over the coming months as we continue to grow the women's game for the future," noted WSL Football chief marketing officer Ruth Hooper.

The Orlando Pride, Washington Spirit, and Gotham FC will represent the NWSL in the upcoming 2025/26 Concacaf W Champions Cup, the confederation announced alongside key details of the tournament's second iteration on Monday.

The top three 2024 NWSL finishers will join three clubs from Mexico's Liga MX, as well as one squad each from Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama in the 10-team group stage, which will run from August 19th through October 16th of this year.

Mirroring the expansive schedule of the 2024/25 inaugural event, the second edition will see its four-match semifinal and final rounds taking place over a single weekend in May 2026.

Meanwhile, this year's battle to become North America's top club team is still ongoing, with Gotham FC qualifying for the 2025/26 competition all while advancing to this month's 2024/25 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals alongside with fellow NWSL club Portland.

Both May 21st semis are NWSL vs. Liga MX affairs, with the Bats facing Club América before the Thorns take on Tigres UANL in Nuevo León, Mexico.

The semifinal victors will battle for the first-ever Concacaf Champions Cup on May 24th, with the winner earning both confederation bragging rights and automatic qualification into FIFA's 2026 Champions Cup and 2028 Club World Cup.

As interest in the women's game grows around the world, FIFA is looking to capitalize on the demand by launching new regional competitions — while also adding to an increasingly crowded schedule for some of its most successful teams.

How to watch the Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinals

Gotham FC will kick off the 2024/25 Champions Cup semis against Club América at 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, May 21st, with Portland's clash with the Tigres immediately following at 10:30 PM ET.

Both semifinals will stream live on Paramount+.