Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor suffered a torn ACL in her right knee during Australia's FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal qualifying win over Italy on Wednesday. The injury ended both her tournament run and her 2026 WNBA season.

Details Behind the Ezi Magbegor Injury

The contact occured in the first quarter after Magbegor planted her right leg during a play against Italian defender Lorela Cubaj. She collapsed immediately and had to be helped off the court. Still, Australia held on for the win despite nearly blowing a 26-point lead.

Before the injury, Magbegor had been one of the best players at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, averaging 15.6 points on 60.5% shooting and 42.9% from three across Australia's first three games as team captain.

The incident adds yet another roadblock to Magbegor's on-court journey.

She already missed the first seven weeks of the Storm's WNBA season with a foot injury, then broke a bone in her face just three weeks after her 2026 debut. Across 14 games, she averaged 6.9 points and four rebounds — her lowest marks since her second year in the league.

A typical ACL recovery takes nine to 12 months, meaning she could also miss the start of the 2027 WNBA season.

UConn women's basketball legend Tina Charles is building her next chapter, one pint at a time. The 15-year WNBA veteran-turned-brewery owner launched 78 Brewing Co. this summer out of Connecticut.

Tina Charles's WNBA Journey Inspires Beer Brand

The brewing company is named after UConn women's basketball's perfect 78-0 record across Charles's final two seasons with the Huskies. Charles also helped to lead those squads to two straight titles, capping off her college career before the Connecticut Sun selected her No. 1 overall in 2010 draft.

Her first release, the 78-0 Hazy IPA, hit shelves across the state in July. Weeks later came SUNSET, a tropical, hop-forward IPA paying tribute to her time with the Sun. Charles unveiled it during her jersey retirement ceremony at Mohegan Sun Arena, with both beers now available at Connecticut bars and retail shops.

"I'm just trying to tell stories through beer and just trying to bring communities together," Charles said.

The brewery puts Charles among another select group as fewer than 1% of craft breweries in the US are Black-owned. But what she built in the league is exactly why her new brand has a story to tell.

Charles won MVP in 2012 and led the league in rebounding four times. She retired as the all-time leader in rebounds and field goals made. The Sun raised her No. 31 to the rafters this summer, marking the end of one era for the WNBA icon, and the beginning of another.

The WNBA just released its full playoffs schedule. The league's eight postseason teams now know when they tip off while fans learn where to watch, with first-round games starting September 27th across ABC, Amazon Prime Video, and USA Network.

WNBA Playoffs Schedule Still Taking Shape

The Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, and Dallas Wings have all punched playoff tickets.

The league will lock in postseason seeding and first-round matchups once the regular season wraps at the end of the month, but the bracket is taking shape, and several potential pairings already look like appointment viewing.

All four opening matchups follow a best-of-three format, so there's little margin for error.

Semifinals shift to a best-of-five starting October 4th, as the playoffs eventually build toward a best-of-seven Finals. This year marks just the second time the league has used that format. Game 1 of the championship tips off October 17th on NBC, with a potential Game 7 airing on Halloween night.

Where to Watch WNBA Playoff Games

For fans figuring out where to watch WNBA playoffs action, games will rotate across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Prime, NBC, Peacock, and USA Network throughout the postseason.

Simone Biles gave Cleveland's newest WNBA franchise a boost this week when she showed up in a Cleveland Sirens hat during a TikTok video posted on September 5th. The Columbus, Ohio native paired the Lake Erie blue cap with a trampoline session full of tumbling passes and midair twists that looked like a scaled-down floor routine.

Simone Biles Hints at LA28 Olympics Campaign

Simone Biles's caption only added to the social media buzz.

"Full send 2028 or no??!!" Biles wrote, fueling ongoing speculation about whether she'll compete at the 2028 LA Olympics.

She would be 31 by then, but after earning three golds and a silver at the 2024 Paris Games, few are counting her out — including Cleveland's front office.

@simonebilesowens still have pit in my eyes & will probably need to get a massage. #gymnastics ♬ original sound - Simone Biles

Cleveland Sirens Buzz Growing Beyond WNBA Fans

The Sirens' official TikTok account responded to the post with a string of blue heart emojis, and Biles liked the reply. The team revealed its name and branding on August 4th at Rocket Arena ahead of its planned 2028 debut.

For women's sports fans, the exchange between the decorated Olympian and the WNBA team was a welcome sign that the expansion franchise is building buzz well beyond Ohio.

The WNBA is eyeing a new boss. Multiple outlets reported outgoing WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert submitted a list of candidates to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ahead of her end-of-year retirement.

Sources indicate the search begins later this month, with the league open to a non-traditional pick while prioritizing stronger relationships with players, owners, and executives after Engelbert’s sometimes rocky rapport. 

Engelbert told The AP that she’s been building a succession plan for years. She’s additionally prepared to stay on into early 2027 if the league fails to find a replacement.

ESPN named WNBA’s Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin, Liberty CEO Keia Clarke, and Valkyries President Jess Smith as potential commissioner candidates according to “people around the league.”

Three-time champion Swin Cash and Nike executive Tanya Hvizdak are also in the mix. They join WNBPA President and LA Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike — also set to retire after this season.

“I don’t close doors,” Ogwumike said when asked if she’d consider the job. “But I do appreciate vacation.”

The Chicago Sky insist Enes Kanter Freedom's removal from Wintrust Arena had nothing to do with exercising free speech during an interaction with player Natasha Cloud, and they plan to prove it. Owner Michael Alter answered Freedom's recent federal lawsuit filing by calling it "meritless and frivolous."

Freedom originally filed suit on September 4th in US District Court after the Sky ejected him from its game against the Indiana Fever. The team also banned him indefinitely from any future home games.

What Led to Enes Kanter Freedom's WNBA Lawsuit?

The ex-NBA player wore an anti-trans athlete shirt reading "WOMAN noun. adult human female" at the matchup, subsequently getting into a verbal exchange with Cloud. Then, WNBA security escorted him out after he began to approach the court and other Sky players.

His suit names the Sky's parent company, arena, and city of Chicago as defendants. Freedom alleges all three conspired to punish his freedom of speech.

"As his own complaint acknowledges, he wore the shirt in question for multiple hours without any contact with security," Alter said. "Freedom was removed for his conduct, not his speech."

However, Cloud took it a step beyond that.

Natasha Cloud Addresses Enes Kanter Freedom Controversy

The Sky guard called the anti-trans athlete activist "an irrelevant person" and urged the WNBA to follow Chicago's lead by instituting a league-wide ban.

Rather than re-litigate the confrontation, though, she urged the media to focus on what she called the real threats facing women: domestic violence, sexual assault, and lack of healthcare access.

"It is an intentional distraction," Cloud said of the growing debate around banning transgender athletes from women's sports.

Cathy Engelbert announced Friday that she will step down as WNBA commissioner at the end of December. She retires after a seven-year tenure as the league's first person to hold the title. Before taking the role in 2019, she led Deloitte as its first woman CEO.

Cathy Engelbert Leaves 7-Year WNBA Legacy

Under her watch, the league's business footprint exploded. Franchise values climbed from roughly $10 million to an estimated $460 million. Later, a hard-fought collective bargaining agreement introduced the WNBA's first million-dollar player salaries.

Engelbert also secured a blockbuster media rights deal and stretched WNBA expansion to 18 teams by the decade's end.

Still, her reign also brought friction.

Players and fans questioned her response to on-court safety issues. Debates over transgender athlete eligibility added further tension. Critics also argued the WNBA's viewership surge owed more to stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and A'ja Wilson than to front-office leadership.

And the league's historic CBA deal was only achieved after months of executive pushback to union demands.

What Happens After the WNBA Commissioner Retires?

"A great leader senses when it's time for someone else to come in," Engelbert said of her choice to step down.

As of now, no successor has been named. The league plans to begin its search with Engelbert's help after the season ends. Should NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fail to find a replacement before the 2027 season starts, Engelbert said she'll stay on to help.

Anti-trans athlete activist Enes Kanter Freedom took his dispute with the Chicago Sky to federal court on Thursday. The former NBA center filed a 15-page complaint in the Illinois US District Court, alleging his First Amendment rights were violated by the WNBA team.

He named the Sky, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (operators of Wintrust Arena), and the city of Chicago as defendants.

Chicago Sky Sued by Enes Kanter Freedom for Ejection, Ban

The lawsuit traces back to an August 23rd incident at Wintrust Arena during a Fever vs Sky game.

Kanter Freedom attended wearing a shirt that read "WOMAN noun. adult human female." With 1:22 remaining in the third quarter, a verbal clash with guard Natasha Cloud prompted security to escort him out.

Sky owner Michael Alter followed up two days later with an indefinite arena ban. He characterized Kanter Freedom as someone who "has the potential to be a threat," alleging he began to approach the court and players before officials got involved.

But Kanter Freedom is arguing that both the removal and ban were unconstitutional retaliation for protected speech. The filing further alleges the three defendants coordinated to enforce the ban.

WNBA Trans Athlete Controversy Continues

The complaint is just the latest bit of controversy in an ongoing debate over trans athletes and WNBA eligibility rules.

Kanter Freedom has spoken out on the issue for months. He recently declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft in a publicity stunt meant to provoke supporters of trans inclusion in the league.

Neither the Sky nor the WNBA have publicly commented on the lawsuit.

Dallas Wings center Li Yueru will not represent China at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup after her passport went missing in the mail. The 27-year-old broke the news Wednesday on Instagram, just days before China's opener against USA Basketball in Berlin.

Li Yueru Disappointed After Passport Lost in Mail

"We've all been working hard together and exploring every possible solution, but maybe we were just a little short on luck this time," Li wrote. "Sometimes, disappointment is simply part of life. I'm sad that I won't be able to be there this time."

The loss is especially tough to swallow considering Li's recent national team form.

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At the 2022 FIBA World Cup, the 6-foot-7 center anchored China's silver-medal run, finishing the championship game with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Then at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she carried the scoring load, averaging 17.7 points per game while adding 11 rebounds, though China couldn't get out of pool play.

Now, her teammates head into a challenging group that also includes Italy and Czechia without one of their most proven international players.

China tips off against the US on Friday, September 4th, at 8:15 AM ET on TNT.

Kate Martin is staying in the WNBA. The Chicago Sky signed the guard to a developmental contract Tuesday, picking her up just days after the LA Sparks cut her in late August.

Kate Martin's WNBA Journey So Far

The move marks the fourth franchise for Martin since Las Vegas selected her 18th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

She spent time with the Aces, then went to Golden State in the 2025 expansion draft before the Valkyries released her in early May.

The LA Sparks gave her a developmental spot three days later and eventually bumped her to a standard deal, but her role never grew. Martin logged 17 games in Los Angeles and averaged 2.3 points.

What Martin Could Do for the Chicago Sky

With this new contract, the Sky gain a proven connector heading into the final stretch. She could suit up as soon as September 17th, when the schedule picks back up after the FIBA World Cup break. Chicago will be hosting the Washington Mystics in their regular season return.

Martin's résumé traces back to five seasons at Iowa, where she totaled 473 assists, good for fifth on the program's all-time list. That kind of distribution and court sense gives the Sky another needed option off the bench before the season ends.