The 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player has been busy since leading the Stanford Cardinal to the national title last April. A few weeks after hoisting the championship trophy, Haley Jones was waiving to onlookers from an open-air jeep through the downtown streets of her hometown Santa Cruz, CA in a parade held in her honor. The city had just declared April 3rd Haley Jones Day and given her the Key to the City.

A month later, while finishing finals for her online Spring courses, the Communications major flew to Puerto Rico with USA Basketball for the 2021 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup. With a stacked roster that included the likes of Aliyah Boston (South Carolina), Elissa Cunane (NC State), Naz Hillmon (Michigan), and Rhyne Howard (Kentucky), Jones told NCAA Digital that she enjoyed being a role player off the bench for a change. 

“We’re all coming from kind of being that player on your team, and now you’re here and you’re picking up a different role,” Jones said. “I was coming off the bench and I knew what I needed to do to help my team, if that was being a facilitator, if that was picking up my defense, if that was rebounding, whatever Coach Staley, Coach Barnes, and Coach Rizzotti needed from me, I was going to do that.”

The 6’1” self-described “point-forward” has become the go-to player for Stanford, leading her team to a 31-2 record last year in her sophomore season while averaging 13.2 points, 2.9 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game. 

After an injury cut short her freshman season and the pandemic had Stanford playing only six games on their home court last year, it wouldn’t be unfair for Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer to expect even more from a healthy, rested Jones this year. 

We know what it takes, and we're hungry for more.

🗣 @haleyjoness19 🗣#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/w8OcLbfvMT

— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) October 15, 2021

The No. 1 recruit in her class, Jones is already one of the most dynamic and versatile players in the women’s college game. She’s at home in the paint but won’t hesitate to bring the ball up the court and facilitate the offense. She’s a shooting threat from almost anywhere on the court, can score off the drive, and was second in assists last season behind point guard Kiana Williams. ESPN analyst Debbie Antonelli compares her “positionless” abilities to Cheryl Miller, one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Perhaps the most convincing reason to bet on a Stanford title repeat is the fact they are returning 12 of 13 from their national championship roster. And most of those 12 players saw significant minutes throughout the regular and postseason as VanDeveer stuck to her deep rotation even when the stakes got high. With shooting guard Lexie Hull and defensive specialist Anna Wilson on the perimeter and Fran Bilibi and blocking machine Cameron Brink in the front court, Jones has a supporting cast with bona-fide championship experience. And winning Stanford’s first championship in 30 years didn’t satisfy anyone’s hunger, least of all Jones’. 

“We aren’t settling. We want to win another. I have two more years. I want to win two more,” she said.

In the Pac-12, Stanford will have Oregon and UCLA as their main competitors. After losing their historic big three to the 2020 WNBA draft, the Ducks are a full season into a quick rebuild, led by the dangerous duo of Sedona Prince and Nyara Sabally.

If they make it as far as the Final Four, chances are good that Stanford will see both UConn and South Carolina in the wings of the Target Center in Minneapolis. Both teams are returning all five of their 2020-2021 starters, with Dawn Staley’s squad adding 6’7” Syracuse transfer Kamilla Cardoso and Geno Auriemma’s Huskies adding No. 1 overall recruit Azzi Fudd.

If (or when) the east coast powerhouses come up against Stanford next April, they are liable to meet a Haley Jones who is more confident in her game than ever before. After playing against veteran professionals throughout the AmeriCup, Jones says she has learned the value of efficiency — of doing more in less time with quicker pull ups and goofy-footed finishes. As for becoming a legit threat beyond the arc, Jones says, “I’m getting that three-point shot going. I’m working on stuff.” 

If the defending champs make another deep run next spring, it will be in large part due to Haley Jones continuing to come into her own as the most complete player in the college game.

Stanford’s first regular season game is Thursday, Nov. 11 against Morgan State. They play No. 25 Texas on Nov 14.

The NWSL is expanding its footprint across ESPN, with the broadcaster signing on to carry 16 additional regular-season games in both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, upping the platform's total to 33 matches per year.

ESPN will also introduce a season-long "Match of the Week" centerpiece series, as well as live coverage of NWSL Decision Day, when eight concurrent matches will close out the season on the same day. 

"The NWSL showcases some of the best athletes in the world," ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant said in a press release. "We are proud to increase our commitment on ABC and ESPN, and to further elevate women's sports and the athlete stories."

This media rights extension builds on the league's ongoing blockbuster four-year, $240 million TV deal with ESPN, adding inventory for the final two seasons of the November 2023 agreement.

The deal expansion comes in light of the league's significant growth this season, with the NWSL seeing gains across both attendance and viewership, including a 72% year-over-year ratings rise on ESPN.

"This supplemental agreement underscores the growing demand for women's soccer and ensures our players and clubs receive the visibility they deserve on some of the most prominent sports platforms," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement.

The 2025 WNBA season is over for Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but the 23-year-old star is still making headlines, with Reebok set to drop her signature Angel Reese 1 sneakers on Thursday.

The Angel Reese 1 is a cornerstone of Reebok's re-entry into the basketball market, with the sportswear giant engineering the signature shoe for on-court performance by including features like responsive cushioning and added upper support.

Inspired by the brand's classic Mobius line, the shoes will hit the shelves in three colorways — an iridescent white "Diamond Dust," a bold pink "Mebounds," and a black and white "Receipts Ready" — with Reese's personal logo incorporated into the design.

Reese first signed with Reebok as an NIL athlete at LSU in 2023, a little over six months after winning the NCAA championship with the Tigers.

This week's rollout follows the July sneak peek of the signature sneakers worn by Reese on the cover of NBA 2K26's WNBA Edition.

"This isn't just a shoe, it's my style, my story, and my stamp on the game," Reese said in Reebok's press release. "I wanted to design a basketball shoe that elevates performance, innovation, style, and creative expression, all at once."

"Reebok and I built something that's true to who I am, and I hope it pushes others to stand in their power too."

How to buy the Angel Reese 1 Reebok sneakers

All three colorways of the Angel Reese 1 sneakers will be available for a retail price of $120 beginning at 10 AM ET on Thursday at Reebok.com as well as in select stores.

No. 5 New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn't letting Sunday's left knee knock take her off the 2025 WNBA Playoffs court, with the forward planning to compete in Game 2 against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night.

An emotional Stewart finished Game 1 on the bench, going down with a knee injury in overtime of the Liberty's 76-69 upset win over the Mercury on Sunday.

"What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything," Stewart told reporters on Wednesday morning.

A Monday MRI revealed a sprained MCL, and though the two-time WNBA MVP did not practice on Tuesday, she participated in the team's Wednesday shootaround and said her pain had diminished to a three out of 10.

"[As long as] I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s—t," said Stewart, "I'm willing to take that [chance of re-injury] because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK."

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Even when the game-day status for Stewart was still unknown, New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello promised that the defending champions would give their star "as much time as we can."

"We know what's at stake," Brondello told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't want to go back to Phoenix [for Game 3], but they're going to come in hungry."

Stewart echoed that sentiment on Wednesday morning, saying "We want to finish it here. Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority."

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty in Game 2

No. 5 New York will look to oust No. 4 Phoenix from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a first-round sweep on Wednesday night, when the Liberty host the Mercury for Game 2 at 8 PM ET.

The matchup will air live on ESPN.

Star sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is reaching new heights, setting a new US record for the 400-meter race in the event's Tuesday semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished the flat event in 48.29 seconds, shaving more than 0.40 seconds off the previous US record of 48.70 seconds set by track legend Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.

Both her personal best and the fastest time in the world for that event this year, McLaughlin-Levrone's performance also makes her the seventh-fastest woman of all time in the 400-meter dash — elevating expectations that she could challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 seconds, set by then-East German sprinter Marita Koch in 1985.

Known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, the 26-year-old made the decision to focus on the flat 400-meter event ahead of this year's competition. 

"I definitely wasn't expecting that time," she said afterwards. "It just shows the fitness is there. I'm excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman."

How to watch McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter final

McLaughlin-Levrone will take aim at the 2025 World Athletics Championships' 400-meter podium — and, perhaps, another record time — during the event's final on Thursday.

The US star will race against 2024 Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser when the final begins at 9:24 AM ET.

Live coverage will air on USA Network.