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After two years away, Imani McGee-Stafford finds home with AU Basketball

(Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)

Imani McGee-Stafford doesn’t want there to be any mixup about why she chose to play in Athletes Unlimited’s inaugural basketball season.

The new domestic women’s basketball league can serve as a proving ground for players looking to get a shot in the WNBA, as Taj Cole demonstrated Wednesday when the Connecticut Sun signed her to a training camp contract. While McGee-Stafford has goals of getting back to the WNBA herself, the former Dallas Wings center recognizes that what they’re trying to build with AU Basketball isn’t just a pipeline to the WNBA.

“That’s kind of been the narrative, but that’s not what we’re trying to do,” McGee-Stafford told Just Women’s Sports before the start of the season. “Like, don’t get me wrong, I think maybe a quarter of our roster are WNBA players, former W players, if not more. But this isn’t about the WNBA. This is about having an option to play offseason stateside and being able to be seen.

“When we’re playing here and with Athletes Unlimited, we’re trying to build this.”

A big part of that transition for the players is learning how to balance the individuality of AU with the team sport of basketball. Based on AU’s system, players earn points for different categories of individual statistics and for winning quarters and games. Each quarter is worth 50 points, while a game is worth 100.

“As much as it rewards individuals with the point system, it’s always about winning,” McGee-Stafford said. “I think that’s the fun part, honestly, because you’ve gotta gel quickly.”

McGee-Stafford can find even greater joy in the game after sitting out the past two years to go to law school. Becoming a lawyer has always been part of the 27-year-old’s career plan. A survivor of sexual assault, she wants to one day change the laws surrounding women’s rights and sexual violence.

Getting her law degree wasn’t supposed to happen until later on, but when COVID-19 threatened the 2020 WNBA season, McGee-Stafford knew she had one of two choices: get a job or apply to law school. Dallas’ ownership, she says, was supportive of her decision.

“I still have my contract with them,” she said. “They easily could have just cut me and it would have been a different conversation. But they were just like, ‘We get it. We think that’s dope. We love that for you. When you’re ready, come back. We’ll have a contract for you to earn.’”

She had always planned to return for the 2022 season, and began training again in August to prepare for WNBA training camps opening in April. At that point, heading overseas seemed like the only option she had to get back up to speed before attempting to make a WNBA team.

Enter Athletes Unlimited.

With AU, McGee-Stafford can still attend law school (she is taking just three classes this semester to avoid overloading her schedule) while getting live game experience.

“As much as I feel ready, you don’t really know if you are ready, ready until you get into playing,” she said. “So that was really exciting for me. I can’t hide it. I’m a little giddy baby here because I miss playing basketball and I didn’t know I would miss it as much as I do.”

While she admits there were nerves during her first days back in training, there were also moments where it felt like everything was lining up, like divine intervention.

One of AU’s basketball facilitators, Pokey Chatman, was the coach who drafted McGee-Stafford to the Chicago Sky with the 10th overall pick in 2016. Despite not having played in a WNBA game since 2019, she said Chatman gave her “the best compliment” after her first day of practice.

“I asked her how I looked after our first practice, and she said I look like me,” said McGee-Stafford.

She’s looked like herself through the first two game weeks of the AU season, too. On opening night last Wednesday, as a member of the team captained by Kelsey Mitchell, McGee-Stafford was all over the glass, bringing down 11 rebounds in a 92-85 loss. After entering COVID-19 protocols and missing the two games over the weekend, the center returned Wednesday night to contribute seven points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes played in Team Brown’s 83-76 win.

McGee-Stafford, despite the two games missed, is currently 13th on AU’s leaderboard with 1,079 points. Natasha Cloud leads the way with 2,047 points through four games.

Records and standings aside, after more than two years away from the game, McGee-Stafford is grateful to have found a basketball home with AU.

“The question about me has always been about my focus and dedication to basketball, so taking that time away for a while really gave me a chance to rejuvenate with my body and my mind,” she said. “And I’m 100 percent here now.”

Emma Hruby is an Associate Editor at Just Women’s Sports.

Report: WSL Champs Chelsea Target Angel City Star Alyssa Thompson

Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson eyes play across the pitch during a 2025 NWSL match.
WSL titan Chelsea FC is reportedly interested in signing USWNT and Angel City winger Alyssa Thompson as soon as possible. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

Chelsea FC is once again looking across the pond to bolster their roster, with the six-time reigning WSL champions reportedly aiming to make a deal with NWSL side Angel City to acquire ACFC and USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson, per The Guardian this week.

Though the two clubs have yet to reach terms, Chelsea would need to have the deal signed before the WSL transfer window closes next Thursday.

Any agreement for Chelsea to snag Thompson from Angel City will likely feature yet another historic transfer fee, with cost projections topping former Tigres UANL star Lizbeth Ovalle's record $1.5 million transfer to the Orlando Pride earlier this month.

The 20-year-old phenom is currently under contract with ACFC through the 2028 season after inking a three-year extension this past January.

With six goals and two assists in her 16 regular-season appearances in 2025 so far, the 2023 NWSL Draft No. 1 pick is trailing only rookie Riley Tiernan's seven goals on this year's Angel City scoresheet.

Should the transfer go through, Thompson would be the third ACFC player in a week to be moving to the UK, with the NWSL club transferring defender Alanna Kennedy and midfielder Katie Zelem to the newly WSL-promoted London City Lionesses on Wednesday.

As for Chelsea, the Blues have been a major player in recruiting US players over the last few seasons, with Thompson potentially joining her USWNT teammates Catarina Macario and Naomi Girma in suiting up for the WSL side's upcoming 2025/26 season.

Four-Time Grand Slam Champ Naomi Osaka Extends US Open Comeback Run

Tennis star Naomi Osaka reacts to her second-round victory at the 2025 US Open.
World No. 24 Naomi Osaka is through to the third round of the US Open for the first time since 2021. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka is looking like her old self this week, as the world No. 24 advanced to the 2025 New York Grand Slam's third round for the first time since 2021 with a straight-set win over the US's No. 47 Hailey Baptiste on Thursday.

"I don't make it my business to know anymore, I kind of just leave it up in the air," said the fan favorite following questions about a possible fifth Grand Slam title run. "I've trained really hard. I practiced really hard. If it happens, it happens."

After taking her lumps on the WTA Tour since returning from pregnancy in 2024, the 2025 US Open marks Osaka's first seeded entry into a major tournament since 2022 — and she appears to be embracing her competitive boost in style, complete with eye-catching outfits and a matching Labubu.

The 27-year-old Japanese national next faces No. 18 Daria Kasatkina in the pair's third career meeting, with Osaka getting the best of the Australian in both previous matchups — most recently at the 2024 Italian Open.

Should Osaka advance to Sunday's Round of 16, she could be on a collision course toward a date with No. 3 Coco Gauff, after the US star advanced past her own emotionally challenging second-round battle on Thursday.

How to watch Naomi Osaka at the 2025 US Open

With times still to be announced, Osaka will next battle Kasatkina during the second day of 2025 US Open third-round play on Saturday.

Live coverage of the New York Grand Slam airs across ESPN platforms.

Kansas City Current Rides 10-Match Unbeaten Streak Toward Team-First NWSL Shield

Kansas City Current players embrace forward Temwa Chawinga after her goal during a 2025 NWSL match.
The No. 1 Kansas City Current enter the weekend on a 10-match unbeaten streak. (Amanda Loman/NWSL via Getty Images)

The No. 1 Kansas City Current have been unstoppable this season, riding a 10-match unbeaten streak into Saturday's game against the No. 9 North Carolina Courage and inching closer to claiming a franchise-first NWSL Shield.

The Current's dominant 12-point advantage over the No. 2 Washington Spirit marks the league's largest top-table margin since the Courage finished 15 points ahead in 2018.

Even more, Kansas City tops the NWSL in goals scored (34) while also registering the fewest goals allowed (10), entering the league's 18th weekend of play with a record-tying five consecutive shutouts.

After coming in fourth in 2024, the Current's defense has continued to improve under manager Vlatko Andonovski, while another MVP-level year from star forward Temwa Chawinga has bolstered Kansas City's offense.

Chawinga currently leads the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race with 11 goals through 17 games, while sitting in the league's Top 3 for both shots and shots on goal.

"I think because we have such a powerful offense, the defensive things, maybe people don't notice as much," Kansas City forward Michelle Cooper said earlier this week. "I think something absolutely important to us is our entire back line and the commitment to get little touches in, to take [advantage] of angles, and block shots."

How to watch the Kansas City Current this weekend

No. 1 Kansas City will host No. 9 North Carolina — one of just two teams to defeat the Current all season — at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on ION.

Injury-laden New York Liberty Strive to Maintain WNBA Standings Foothold

New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison celebrates a play with her teammates during a 2025 WNBA game.
The New York Liberty will continue their hunt to secure a 2025 WNBA Playoffs spot against the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

The No. 5 New York Liberty are creeping back up the ladder, as the defending WNBA champions continued reversing their recent skid with Thursday's 89-63 win over the No. 10 Washington Mystics — all while the race to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs reaches its boiling point.

While Washington rookie Sonia Citron's 18 points led the game, New York pulled together a true team effort to secure Thursday's victory, with five Liberty players scoring double-digits — including a season-high 16 points off the bench from forward Isabelle Harrison in her return from concussion protocol.

"We're not looking at the other teams at this point," Liberty forward Emma Meesseman said after the game. "We're just looking at ourselves, to maybe send a message to ourselves."

Despite that focus, New York is still contending with injury woes that have overshadowed much of the Liberty's season, taking Thursday's court without starters Sabrina Ionescu (toe), Jonquel Jones (illness), and Natasha Cloud (nose), while leaning on recently returned forward Breanna Stewart.

"We need to win the rest of our games," acknowledged Stewart, with the team gearing up for visits to the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury, No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, and No. 7 Seattle Storm over the next week. "We need to go and be road warriors."

The Liberty will have their hands full against the Mercury this weekend, with Phoenix coming in hot off a three-game winning streak with postseason-clinching top-of-mind.

"It's like a playoff matchup," Stewart added. "It's a big game, big implications, and [we're] not shying away from that."

How to watch the New York Liberty this weekend

No. 4 Phoenix will host No. 5 New York at 10 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on NBA TV.

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