The WNBA free agency carousel started spinning this week, with teams evaluating rosters and coring athletes to either retain talent or trade players for a return.
Thus far, cored players include Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, and Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams.
Squads employ single-use coring on WNBA stars
Each of the WNBA's teams can core one unrestricted free agent on their roster, ensuring them exclusive rights to that cored athlete. Cored players receive an offer for a one-year, supermax salary contract, along with the option to negotiate different terms.
Cored athletes are unable to directly sign with another franchise, but they can be part of a trade offer by their coring team.
New York cored Stewart after she expressed interest in remaining with her 2024 WNBA Championship-winning squad. Sabally, on the other hand, will likely be part of a sign-and-trade deal after telling media late last week that she is looking to leave Dallas in 2025.
Plum's situation with the Aces is less clear-cut: The two-time WNBA champion could re-sign with her team, though Las Vegas could be exploring opportunities to cash in should she want to compete elsewhere.
Other offers spark WNBA free agent negotiations
In addition to coring, WNBA teams have also begun sending qualifying offers to certain restricted free agents, allowing them to initiate negotiations with those players.
Most notably, despite making Monday offers to three players — guard Dana Evans, forward Michaela Onyenwere, and forward Nikolina Milić — Chicago has yet to extend a qualifying offer to the Sky's 2024 points-leader Chennedy Carter.
Ultimately, while negotiations kick off next week, WNBA contracts cannot be finalized until free agency revs up in February, meaning more shuffling is on deck as teams gear up for the longest and most competitive roster-building season in recent memory.
Just five teams remain undefeated in NCAA Division I basketball, after an eventful weekend showcased how thin the margins can be in conference play.
In their first season in the SEC, No. 10 Oklahoma followed up last week's loss to No. 5 Texas with a narrow victory over their previously undefeated new conference rival, No. 16 Tennessee, on Sunday. The Sooners led by as many as 19 points before the Vols mounted a furious comeback, but Oklahoma managed to overcome 31 turnovers to eke out the 87-86 road win.
With Tennessee conceding their season's first loss, only No. 1 UCLA, No. 6 LSU, No. 8 Maryland, No. 9 Ohio State, and No. 13 Georgia Tech stand unbeaten entering the 10th week of the 2024/25 NCAA campaign.
The top-ranked Bruins took down unranked Indiana 73-62 on Saturday, silencing the Hoosiers behind UCLA center Lauren Betts's game-leading 25 points and 12 rebounds.
On another Big Ten court, Maryland snapped No. 23 Iowa's 21-game home win streak 74-66 on Sunday, handing the Hawkeyes their first loss at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since February 2022.
Injuries rattle NCAA teams
While undefeated teams continues to impress this weekend, college basketball fans held their collective breath for a very different reason on Sunday, as two of the NCAA's biggest names exited their respective games with apparent injuries.
UConn superstar Paige Bueckers left the court after suffering a knock to the leg during the No. 7 Huskies' 83-52 win against Villanova, later returning to the bench without assistance.
"It's not the worst that we can imagine," UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said of Bueckers's tumble after the game. "So, that's great news considering how awkward it was."
Elsewhere, No. 2 South Carolina forward Ashlyn Watkins suffered a non-contact knee injury in the first half of the Gamecocks' 95-68 win over Mississippi State. Unlike Bueckers, Watkins failed to return to the bench after exiting.
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley didn't provide a postgame update on Watkins's status, but did confirm that the junior was not taken to a local hospital.
"Obviously, we feel for Ashlyn and her injury, and her not being able to finish the game," said Staley. "But her teammates had her back. And they did take it to another level on both ends of the floor."
How to watch this week's top-ranked college basketball games
While UConn and South Carolina face unranked Xavier and Texas A&M this week, the college court's top-ranked action returns to full force on Wednesday.
First, No. 9 Ohio State's unbeaten season will be tested by NCAA conference rival No. 25 Michigan at 7 PM ET, live on BTN+.
Then at 8:30 PM ET, undefeated No. 8 Maryland will host one-loss No. 4 USC for the first time as conference foes, with live coverage on FS1.
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles is Sports Illustrated's newest Sportsperson of the Year, the magazine announced Thursday. The win follows Biles's historic career comeback and gold medal-winning performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"I don't think the reality has set in of what I've exactly done in the sport," Biles told the magazine. "I can see it, and I hear it from people, and I see a glimpse of it, but the full magnitude I don't think I've realized just yet."
Biles is the first Olympian to earn the honor since LeBron James in 2012.
Biles subsequently returned to the top of the world stage in 2024, bouncing back after a bout of "the twisties" derailed her 2021 Tokyo Olympics run.
In Paris, Biles became the first gymnast to win two All-Around titles in non-consecutive Olympic Games (2016, 2024). She also took gold in the team and vault events as well as silver in the floor event.
With 11 Olympic and 30 World Championship medals, Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history.
Sportsperson of the Year builds an Olympic legacy
While Biles hasn't fully ruled out another trip to the mat, the 27-year-old isn't interested in discussing a potential LA 2028 campaign just yet.
"Because I've accomplished so much, there's almost nothing left to do. Rather than to just be snobby and to try again, and for what?" she said. "I'm at a point in my career where I'm humble enough to know when to be done."
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
Penn State won the 2024 NCAA Volleyball Championship on Sunday, rising above Louisville's hometown advantage and a monster second set by the Cardinals to claim the program's eighth all-time title and first in 10 years.
In the victory, Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first woman head coach in NCAA tournament history to win the championship — all while battling breast cancer.
Penn State tops Louisville in a back-and-forth matchup
Sunday's championship game drew a sell-out crowd of 21,860 to the KFC Yum Center in downtown Louisville, setting a new NCAA volleyball championship record. It was Louisville's second-ever title match, after finishing second to Texas in 2022.
After suffering an ankle injury in Thursday's semifinal upset against Pitt, however, Louisville entered the match without senior outside hitter Anna DeBeer. The absence ultimately proved too great to overcome.
The Nittany Lions won the first set 25-23, before Louisville saved 10 set points to dramatically take the second set 34-32.
But the Nittany Lions roared back, overwhelming the Cardinals to win the third set 25-20 before closing out the deciding set 25-17.
A moving win for Penn State's women's volleyball coach
Penn State coach Schumacher-Cawley, who was diagnosed with cancer last fall, stayed with her team throughout the 2024 season.
"I'm very happy for Katie, and it's a big deal for this sport," Louisville head coach Dani Busboom Kelly said. "I'm thankful… that we can move on and that more women will be in this position in the future."
As for Schumacher-Cawley, she remained ever humble.
"I'm inspired by the young kids that are sick," she said after the win. "If I can be an inspiration, then I take that. But I feel good. I'm fortunate to be surrounded by so many great people."
Fever rookie Caitlin Clark rocketed to the upper tiers of Sportico's annual highest-paid women's sports athletes report on Wednesday, landing in 10th place with an estimated $11 million in yearly earnings.
With tournaments like the US Open guaranteeing equal purses across men's and women's events, tennis players dominated the findings, accounting for nine of the 15 entries. This includes first-place Coco Gauff, who, with $9.4 million in prizes plus $21 million in endorsements, tops the list for the second year in a row.
Skier Eileen Gu came in second, complementing her individual earnings with the list's highest-estimated endorsement profits at $22 million. Gymnast Simone Biles came in at No. 9 with an estimated $11.1 million in total income.
Golfers Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko also made the cut, mirroring the LPGA Tour's expanded purses.
Report highlights endorsements in women's sports
The report underlines the continued importance of endorsements in the women's game — particularly within team sports, where many athletes rely on supplemental income to boost relatively small pro salaries.
However, 2024's estimated $221 million in total earnings is up 27% over last year, with 11 athletes making at least $10 million compared to six in 2023.
Sportico's 15 highest-paid women's sports athletes
1. Coco Gauff: $30.4 million
Prize money: $9.4 million | Endorsements: $21 million
2. Eileen Gu: $22.1 million
Prize money: $62,000 | Endorsements: $22 million
3. Iga Świątek: $21.4 million
Prize money: $8.4 million | Endorsements: $13 million
4. Zheng Qinwen: $20.6 million
Prize money: $5.6 million | Endorsements: $15 million
5. Aryna Sabalenka: $17.7 million
Prize money: $9.7 million | Endorsements: $8 million
6. Naomi Osaka: $15.9 million
Prize money: $870,000 | Endorsements: $15 million
7. Emma Raducanu: $14.7 million
Prize money: $671,000 | Endorsements: $14 million
8. Nelly Korda: $14.4 million
Prize money: $4.4 million | Endorsements: $10 million
9. Simone Biles: $11.1 million
Prize money: $135,000 | Endorsements: $11 million
10. Caitlin Clark: $11.1 million
Salary/bonus: $100,000 | Endorsements: $11 million
11. Jasmine Paolini: $10 million
Prize money: $6.5 million | Endorsements: $3.5 million
12. Jeeno Thitikul: $9.1 million
Prize money: $7.1 million | Endorsements: $2 million
13. Jessica Pegula: $8.2 million
Prize money: $4.2 million | Endorsements: $4 million
14. Elena Rybakina: $7.9 million
Prize money: $3.9 million | Endorsements: $4 million
15. Lydia Ko: $6.7 million
Prize money: $3.2 million | Endorsements: $3.5 million
Marta — the Brazilian footballing legend and eight-year Orlando Pride veteran — has played in big games before. An icon of the sport for decades, she's taken the field in front of massive crowds, appeared in multiple World Cups, stood on Olympic podiums, and won numerous individual and team awards for both club and country.
But Saturday's NWSL Championship game against the Washington Spirit feels different, she told reporters ahead of the event. And at 38, it's one of the most significant moments in her career.
"Number one," she replied immediately when asked where winning an NWSL title would rank in her mind should Orlando pull off the difficult task of winning both the Shield and the Championship in the same year.
"It's like the answer that I'm trying to have," she said, shooting a finger into the air to emphasize her point. "Many, many, many years here — [that's] why I'm still here."
Marta has been on superteams before, dominating Sweden's top league for years with Tyreso and FC Rosengard after winning WPS Championships in 2010 and 2011 with FC Gold Pride and the Western New York Flash. She's also seen incredible success at the international level with Brazil, putting the USWNT and the entire world on notice during the 2007 World Cup before a second-place finish.
Having announced her retirement from international play last spring, the three-time Olympic silver medalist's days of putting on the Brazil jersey for a major tournament are likely over. But picking up a trophy with Orlando would serve as the ultimate reward after a long journey with a club that for many years did not look even close to competing at a championship level.
"To look back and then see how many [things] we need to work for, to build this team, be strong," she continued. "And then how many things we go through [to] have a season without losing any games at home, break their many records. It's special."
Starting from the bottom
Marta joined the NWSL in 2017, signing with the Pride and going on to lead Orlando to its last NWSL Playoffs appearance that same year. In the years that followed, the Pride became synonymous with competitive futility, evolving into a place of transition for superstars like Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris, and Ali Krieger who left after failing to lift the team out of the bottom of the league standings.
And yet Marta remained. And with the permanent addition of head coach Seb Hines in 2022 alongside astute signings by general manager Haley Carter, the Pride's perception of themselves and their ability to climb the table began to shift.
In 2023, Orlando had one singular goal: Make the playoffs. It was a milestone they didn't achieve after a chaotic regular-season decision day saw the Pride fall just short of the postseason contention.
Then in 2024, Hines took a new approach. And Orlando has seen the dividends of keeping things simple pay off in droves.
"We started this season with a really different mentality," said Marta. "We need to have goals, not only one, but step by step, and we're looking for something big. Of course, our first goal was being in the playoffs. Then after that, win the Shield, and then being in this Final, and then win the Championship."
The Pride rattled off 23 consecutive games to start the 2024 regular season without a loss, culminating in their first-ever NWSL Shield earned in a 2-0 win over eventual Championship opponent Washington.
"It's unbelievable," Marta said after that pivotal match. "Something that I, wow, I dreamed about, but to be honest, never believed that it was going to happen the way that it did."
A cherished presence on the field and off
Orlando has one more game left in 2024, and Marta is keenly aware that the team has to maintain their step-by-step mentality and keep the emotions at bay for just 90 more minutes. She also hasn't shied away from this possibly being her last opportunity to win the league's greatest honor.
Playing alongside powerhouse attackers like Zambian striker Barbra Banda and elite midfielders like fellow Brazil national Adriana has rejuvenated Marta's style, with the seasoned veteran looking like her vintage self week in and week out this season. But the legend is much closer to the end of her career than the beginning, and she carries the hard-earned perspective of a player that has lived many lives in pursuit of her dreams.
"It's something that I appreciate and I cherish," Banda — an MVP candidate in her own right — said on Thursday. "Because it's someone I've been looking up to far away, but now she's closer to me. I'm able to get encouragement from her, I'm able to get the ideas that I want. So, yeah, it is an achievement."
The Pride's easy-going locker room culture has translated into joy on the pitch — both a product of captain Marta, who held court with the media on Thursday in Kansas City. Surrounded by a near-constant scrum of reporters, the football icon regaled reporters with stories about everything from post-game dust-ups to her bold lipstick choices.
When asked what advice she'd give teammates facing the biggest game of their careers, Marta focused on the bigger picture. "Enjoy the opportunity, you know, enjoy the moment," she said. "Because we don't know what is gonna happen next step, next year. We don't know if every single player who we have in the roster here will be in the next year."
"The moment don't come back," she added. "So you need to just enjoy, and then do your best to go as far we can."
For Marta, the moment has arrived
This evening's moment is expected to culminate in an incredible clashing of styles, as a young counter-attacking Washington Spirit side looks to upset the dominant, methodical Pride, therein denying one of the game's all-time greats her full-circle moment. Marta's teammates have been open about their desire to finish strong on her behalf, a sentiment she waves off in favor of fighting for her whole team. And it will take every single one of her teammates to unlock the happy ending so many didn't expect they'd reach so soon.
After years of showing up for the Pride, the team has answered Marta's efforts back in full. And whether or not they return to Orlando with a trophy in hand, the NWSL Championship will serve as a punctuation to an iconic career. The memory of Marta dancing through defenders before slotting the ball in the back of the net in this year's semifinal match has no expiration date — an image she intends to hold onto far beyond this weekend.
"When I celebrate a goal with Brazil, and celebrate the last goal that I did with the Pride, it was the same," Marta said. "I saw the picture and say, 'Yeah, nothing changed.' I have passion for this game, and that's why I still play."