The Minnesota Lynx are off to a confounding 0-4 start to the regular season, with the team’s early roster cuts under scrutiny.

In early May, the Lynx cut Layshia Clarendon, Crystal Dangerfield and four other players and signed Odyssey Sims.

Dangerfield, who won Rookie of the Year in 2020, averaged 7.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists through 31 appearances during the 2021 campaign.

Clarendon averaged 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists through 21 appearances last season, helping the Lynx make a playoff run. Coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters Clarendon’s cut was injury-related, but Clarendon has disputed that claim, tweeting, “I am 100% cleared to play and practice. I’m feeling strong and ready to play!”

I’ve gotten a few media requests for comments on being waived and my injury. I have no comments other than I am 100% cleared to play and practice. I’m feeling strong and ready to play!

— Layshia Clarendon (@Layshiac) May 4, 2022

Minnesota also waived 2021 draft pick Rennia Davis, Yvonne Turner, Kayla Jones and Hannah Sjerven.

On May 12, one week after signing Sims to a training camp contract, the Lynx mutually parted ways with the veteran guard. On the same day, the team agreed to a contract buyout with forward Angel McCoughtry.

McCoughtry signed with Minnesota in February after missing the 2021 season due to an ACL injury. In her two games with the Lynx this season, the 35-year-old averaged 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists.

“Although the organization has been very patient with my injury and helping me heal my body, sometimes it’s about what fits best for both parties,” McCoughtry said in a statement.

NEWS: @minnesotalynx Agree To Contract Buyout With Angel McCoughtry

Full Release: https://t.co/vgSyB0Qhpf

— Lynx PR (@Lynx_PR) May 12, 2022

The Lynx roster shuffle continued Friday as the team signed a pair of former UConn players in Moriah Jefferson, who was waived by the Dallas Wings, and Evina Westbrook, who was waived by the Seattle Storm.

Minnesota re-signed Milić, Sjerven and Turner to hardship contracts after releasing the players earlier in the month — although Turner’s return did not last long. The guard was released again Monday in response to the Lynx activating Kayla McBride, who returned after finishing her European season.

Welcome to Minnesota, @_BonnBonn! pic.twitter.com/W0blA15DRm

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) May 13, 2022

The constant roster shuffling seems to have impacted the team’s on-court performance, as the Lynx have fallen to the Storm, Mystics, Fever and Sky in their first four contests this season.

The team has struggled without star Napheesa Collier, who is expecting her first child this month, though the 25-year-old has said she hopes to return to the court this season.

Minnesota also has yet to find a consistent presence at the point guard position but hopes Jefferson can fill the role.

“We’re looking for leadership, someone to not only be able to organize, but have the sense to understand what you’re running, why you’re running it,” Reeve said Friday. “It may take a little bit of time in terms of the nuances, but in terms of just management of the floor, that’s something we feel like Moriah can do.”

The Lynx will look for their first win of the season when they take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday.

More NWSL stars are jumping ship, as both the San Diego Wave and North Carolina Courage saw respective key players Delphine Cascarino and Denise O'Sullivan sign with WSL clubs over the last few days.

Former Wave forward Cascarino inked a deal through the 2029/30 season with the London City Lionesses on Monday, one day after San Diego announced they had mutually parted ways with the French international despite her contract running through 2026 with an option for the 2027 NWSL season.

"I'm really happy to be here," said the 28-year-old in a statement. "London City is the only independent women's club in the WSL, which excites me."

North Carolina midfielder and captain O'Sullivan made a similar move on Saturday, as the Ireland international signed with Liverpool following more than eight seasons and a club-record 186 appearances for the Courage.

The last-place WSL team reportedly shelled out a club-record transfer fee of approximately £300,000 to roster the 31-year-old two-time NWSL champion and three-time Shield-winner, who called Liverpool "a new challenge" that will see her "only a 40-minute flight away" from her family in Cork, Ireland.

Though the NWSL departures of Cascarino and O'Sullivan mark a kind of homecoming for the European standouts, they are just the latest to exit the US league, after USWNT star Sam Coffey joined WSL-leaders Manchester City last week.

"England — for men and women — is the country of football," noted Cascarino. "It's always been a goal of mine to play in this league."

New York Sirens forward Taylor Girard made PWHL history this week, earning a record four-game suspension for leaving the bench to join a line skirmish at the end of Sunday's 2-1 win over the Montréal Victoire.

The brawl occurred at the the final buzzer of the PWHL's record-breaking Takeover Tour stop in Washington, DC, with eight players — four Sirens and four from the Victoire — subsequently issued 10-minute misconducts in addition to Girard's infraction.

As the sole player not originally on the ice to join the skirmish, Girard was the only player to receive an additional 20-minute charge.

Even more, Girard's actions immediately triggered a four-game suspension, as the PWHL Rulebook dictates that exact punishment for "the first player to leave the players' bench illegally during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation from either or both Teams."

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The four-game ban marks the longest punishment in PWHL history, doubling the two-game suspension that Seattle Torrent defender Aneta Tejralová received for an illegal check to the head last month.

With the PWHL on break after January 28th as 30% of the league's rosters compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics, the four-game suspension means that Girard — who sits second on New York's scoring sheet with five goals on the season — will not be available for the No. 2 Sirens until March 5th.

The WTGL is stocking up on golf stars, as TMRW Sports' newly announced offseason league begins to build its debut roster in partnership with the LPGA.

World No. 1 golfer Jeeno Thitikul (Thailand) signed on to participate in WTGL's inaugural season this week, alongside No. 5 Charley Hull (England), No. 6 Lydia Ko (New Zealand), No. 25 Brooke Henderson (Canada), and No. 79 Lexi Thompson (USA).

"WTGL will be a global stage to showcase LPGA stars, and this first wave of committed players represents that opportunity with some of the world's best," said TMRW Sports founder and CEO Mike McCarley in Monday's press release.

Set to launch next winter, the WTGL looks to build off the popular, second-year men's Tomorrow's Golf League (TGL), with the competition integrating both a physical and virtual golf environment inside Palm Beach Gardens at Florida's SoFi Center.

"These players will thrive in WTGL's competitive environment as fans will witness their skill and connect more deeply with their personalities through the unprecedented access the league delivers," said McCarley, noting that TGL golfers remain mic'd up throughout the team event.

The WTGL is also earning stamps of approval from several women's sports greats, as the Alex Morgan co-founded Trybe Ventures — an investment group that includes Morgan's fellow former USWNT stars Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach — became the new league's lead capital partner last week.

The WSL is cashing in on the women's game, with two UK clubs surpassing €25 million in annual revenue for the first time, according to the Deloitte Football Money League report on the 2024/25 season that dropped this week.

Reigning UWCL champions Arsenal topped the list for the first time after taking in €25.6 million last season, followed closely by WSL title-holders Chelsea FC's €25.4 million.

Meanwhile, Perennial European contender FC Barcelona (€22 million) dropped to third after leading the group in 2023/24, outpacing WSL titans No. 4 Manchester City (€12.9 million) and No. 5 Manchester United (€12.8 million).

Due to a lack of revenue data, the yearly study did not include major women's leagues in the US, Sweden, or Australia, giving the rankings a European bent as the total sum crossed the €150 million mark for the first time — a 35% increase over the previous season's Top-15 Money League clubs.

Commercial income was the biggest revenue driver for many top clubs, with sponsorship deals and brand partnerships leading the charge.

Arsenal also benefitted from increased revenue on the men's side, allowing the women's team to up its investment while avoiding running at a loss.

How to watch the top Deloitte Football Money League clubs in action

Deloitte Football Money League leader Arsenal will take on No. 5 Man United while revenue runners-up Chelsea will face the WSL-leading Man City in the 2025/26 Women's League Cup semifinals on Wednesday.

The concurrent clashes will kick off at 2 PM ET, streaming live on YouTube.