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.

Las Vegas Aces star forward A'ja Wilson is teaming up with Nike and Danish toymaker LEGO as part of the two brands' new multi-year collaboration, the apparel giant announced on Thursday morning.

According to the release, the partnership aims to "inspire kids everywhere to play both on and off the court."

Nike and LEGO's collaboration will include experiential activations in the US, UK, and China this summer in conjunction with the United Nations' International Day of Play on June 11th.

The companies are also releasing product collections, beginning with the 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set, which features an iconic Nike Dunk sneaker, a brick basketball, and the "Dunk" slogan.

Three-time WNBA MVP Wilson will support the project "by helping engage kids through a reimagined world of play that will come to life across digital channels," with more information on her involvement to come.

Fresh off the launch her smash-hit A'One signature shoe, Wilson has become one of Nike's most prominent athletes. Her addition to the Nike x LEGO team comes on the heels of a lucrative six-year contract extension between Wilson and the sportswear brand late last year.

"I have loved playing with LEGO bricks since I was a kid and know that my creativity and play helped me not only in sports but also at school and in life," said Wilson.

How to buy drops from the Nike x LEGO collection

The LEGO Nike Dunk set will hit shelves on July 1st, though it's currently available to preorder online.

The first Nike footwear, apparel, and accessories products from the collaboration will drop in the brand's retail locations and online on August 1st.

The WNBA is dominating the air waves in its 2025 season, with last weekend's slate of games blowing past yet another TV viewership record.

The New York Liberty's 90-88 win over the Indiana Fever averaged 2.22 million viewers on CBS, with the Saturday showdown marking the second-highest WNBA viewership in network history.

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That clash follows a record-setting 2025 season tip-off, in which ABC's May 17th doubleheader became the most-watched WNBA opening weekend ever on ESPN's platforms, earning a 115% viewership increase over last year's regular-season coverage.

Notably, both New York and Indiana contributed to that record-setting initial Saturday slate. A 92-78 Liberty win over the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.3 million viewers, before the Fever's 93-58 defeat of the Chicago Sky claimed an average audience of 2.7 million fans.

The closing matchup between Indiana and Chicago made even more history, peaking at 3.1 million viewers to become the most-watched regular-season WNBA game in 25 years.

The Midwest rivals also tallied the second-largest audience in league history, surpassed only by the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game's 3.44 million viewers.

With Fever star Caitlin Clark set to miss at least four games with a quad strain, concerns over lags in attendance and viewership have started to crop up this week.

Those fears, however, might be overblown, as 11,183 fans packed Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena to watch the Washington Mystics take on the Fever on Wednesday night — while Clark looked on from the bench.

The Washington Mystics have continued to impress in the early 2025 WNBA season, earning another big win on Wednesday with an 83-77 victory over a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever.

As the star guard watched from the sidelines, the Mystics leaned into their depth, securing the win behind a 21-point, nine-rebound performance from guard Brittney Sykes.

Now sitting sixth in the league with a 3-3 record, Washington's rebuild appears to be moving ahead of schedule, with rookie duo Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron looking pro-ready from the jump.

Seizing their opportunity as day-one starters, the pair put up a collective 29 points against Indiana on Wednesday, joining Sykes and forward Shakira Austin as the only Mystics to finish in double digits.

Indiana, on the other hand, looked shaky without their injured young superstar.

Despite veteran forward DeWanna Bonner coming off the bench to lead the Fever with 21 points on Wednesday night, Indiana dropped to 2-3 on the season with Clark out for at least three more games.

"We weren't sharp enough to be a contender for anything tonight," Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who led Indiana's starters with 14 points, told reporters after the loss. "I think getting punched in the mouth early is humbling, because it shows where we need to be."

How to watch the Mystics and Fever in this week's WNBA action

Both Washington and Indiana will be back in action on Friday night, when the Mystics will test their form against the surging New York Liberty while the Fever tip off against the still-winless Connecticut Sun at 7:30 PM ET.

Both games will air live on ION.

With the 16-team UEFA Euro 2025 set to kick off in Switzerland in less than five weeks, UEFA is seizing the opportunity to expand its global footprint following a breakout 2022 tournament.

The continental governing body is starting stateside, with Fox Sports announcing Wednesday that its platforms will air 20 matches from the upcoming 31-game European Championship live — marking the women's side's largest US media deal on record.

With no major events scheduled for the USWNT, international women's soccer will take center stage this summer, as the Euro, Copa América, and Africa Cup of Nations all return in July.

Fox Sports will also bring Copa América action to US viewers for the first time ever this summer, with broadcast details still to come.

England raises prize money for Lionesses

England is also upping its investment, with the FA agreeing to pay the Lionesses a record £1.7 million bonus package — nearly $2.3 million — should they successfully defend their 2022 title.

This year's total more than doubles the amount England players received for reaching the 2023 World Cup final.

While exact sums will vary, player payouts would average £73,000 each (over $98,000) — up some £18,000 ($24,000) from the Lionesses' 2022 earnings.

The move follows UEFA's earlier decision to double its own prize pool in 2025, raising the total purse to £34 million (almost $46 million), including an extra £4.3 million ($5.8 million) for the winner.

How to watch the 2025 Euros this summer

The 2025 European Championship kicks off on July 2nd when Iceland faces Finland at 12 PM ET before Switzerland takes on Norway at 3 PM ET, live on Fox.