The second-annual virtual WNBA Draft is here. The event, airing Thursday on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET, will start the clock toward the 32-game regular season, which begins May 14 with four primetime matchups.

This draft class isn’t as deep as last year’s – when eventual Rookie of the Year Crystal Dangerfield went to Minnesota in the second round – but the first round should see many big names from the college game go off the board.

As expected, the Dallas Wings traded one of their four first-round picks before draft night, sending the No. 7 pick and a 2022 second-round pick to Los Angeles for the Sparks’ 2022 first-rounder on Wednesday. The Wings had the cap space to sign all four of their first-round picks ($268,389, the most in the league according to Her Hoops Stats), but not enough roster space to keep them without making cuts. They also have the youngest roster in the WNBA and could stand to add a veteran before the season starts.

1. Dallas Wings: Charli Collier, F/C, Texas

Collier going No. 1 overall was presumed even before the Liberty dealt the top pick in a series of trades in February. The 6-foot-5 Texas product wasn’t as dominant in the NCAA Tournament as some would expect for a projected top pick, but she has all the physical tools for a WNBA team to mold into an elite frontcourt talent.

2. Dallas Wings: Awak Kuier, PF, Finland

Speaking of ceiling, Kuier might have the highest among all of this year’s draft prospects. The rangy 6-5 forward has starred on Finland’s senior national team since she was 16 years old and has made dunking look easy (as evidenced below). The potential of Dallas’ frontcourt would soar with Kuier and Collier joining 2020 first-round draft picks Satou Sabally and Bella Alarie.

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3. Atlanta Dream: Aari McDonald, PG, Arizona

Atlanta gave up 87.6 points per game last season, the second-worst in the WNBA. Aari McDonald’s draft stock has shot up since she led the Wildcats to the national championship game and averaged 24.8 points over six games in the NCAA Tournament. Her offensive abilities are well-known, but she’s also an underrated defender. The Dream would benefit from the full package.

4. Indiana Fever: Rennia Davis, SF, Tennessee

The only team worse defensively than the Dream last season was Indiana, who allowed nearly 90 points per game. Davis is just the type of two-way player who would give the Fever’s defense an immediate boost and be an off-the-ball scoring asset for point guard Julie Allemand, one of the WNBA’s top distributors.

5. Dallas Wings: Dana Evans, PG, Louisville

If McDonald is already off the board, the Wings would be hard-pressed to pass on Evans, the 2021 first-team All-American and engine behind Louisville’s Elite Eight run. With Evans running the point, Dallas could move WNBA-leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale to her more natural position of shooting guard and pick apart defenses.

6. New York Liberty: Arella Guirantes, SG, Rutgers

Guirantes is a proven scorer at the NCAA level who would fit right in on her hometown team. The Long Island native improved her 3-point shooting in her past two seasons at Rutgers to go along with her efficiency in the paint. She would give the Liberty another immediate scoring weapon in the backcourt next to Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney.

7. Los Angeles Sparks: Jasmine Walker, PF, Alabama (acquired from Dallas)

A player with Walker’s upside at the power forward position makes a lot of sense for any team with the seventh pick. Walker can beat defenses by doing a little bit of everything, including hitting her shots from 3-point range (she connected on 39.8 percent of them as a senior).

8. Chicago Sky: Chelsea Dungee, SG, Arkansas

Chicago would have good reason for selecting a point guard with this pick — veteran starter Courtney Vandersloot is an unrestricted free agent after this season. But if the Sky are intent on winning now, especially after adding Candace Parker in free agency, Dungee (who averaged 22.3 points per game this past season), would provide an immediate scoring punch.

9. Minnesota Lynx: Kiana Williams, PG, Stanford

A team that could use a point guard now to back up second-year player Crystal Dangerfield is Minnesota, and Williams is the type of player to whom Cheryl Reeve would likely feel comfortable handing the keys. Williams led the Cardinal in scoring, at 14.0 points per game, and was the de facto leader of the national champions.

10. Los Angeles Sparks: Michaela Onyenwere, SF, UCLA

If the Sparks hadn’t signed center Amanda Zahui B. in free agency, I could have seen them taking Natasha Mack with this pick. But if Derek Fisher is looking for a multi-tool player to develop and fit into his system, Onyenwere makes a lot of sense. The 6-foot forward has the ability to create her own shot and do damage on the defensive end.

11. Seattle Storm: Natasha Mack, PF, Oklahoma State

If Mack falls to No. 11, the reigning WNBA champions will have struck gold with the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. She led the NCAA in blocked shots, with 4.0 per game, and averaged a double-double of 19.8 points and 12.4 rebounds as a senior. Having Mack back up Breanna Stewart? That’s a scary possibility for WNBA opponents.

12. Las Vegas Aces: DiJonai Carrington, SG, Baylor

Any additions to the Aces’ already stacked roster are a bonus. Carrington is the type of WNBA-ready guard who could be an asset off the bench for the reigning WNBA finalists, helping to keep Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Angel McCoughtry fresh. The 5-11 Baylor transfer averaged 14.1 points per game and proved her value with a 22-point performance against UConn in the Elite Eight.

Two key upsets headlined Thursday's WNBA bill, sending the Phoenix Mercury soaring into third place in the league standings while the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries continued to outwit opponents.

The red-hot Mercury snagged their fourth straight win by taking down the No. 2 New York Liberty 89-81 on Thursday night, overcoming an 35-point performance from two-time MVP Breanna Stewart with five double-digit Phoenix scorers.

Meanwhile out West, the Valkyries stifled a surging No. 7 Fever, downing Indiana 88-77 in part by holding star guard Caitlin Clark to just 3-for-14 from the field — and 0-for-7 from behind the arc.

"We were being disruptive, we know that she doesn't like physicality, we know that she wants to get to that left step-back," Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said about the Valkyries' strategy to effectively contain Clark.

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Though the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and 2024 WNBA champions New York still hold court atop the table, Thursday's actions proves that other squads are making some unexpected in-roads.

Putting together an impressive road record are the Mercury, who will ride a 4-2 away record into their Saturday matchup against the No. 11 Chicago Sky — the last stop on a four-game road trip that's been perfect for Phoenix thus far.

Already flipping the script on expectations is Golden State, with the 2025 expansion team rising despite relying on a hodgepodge roster as several players compete at EuroBasket 2025. The Valkyries will aim to keep their winning momentum in their Sunday clash with the No. 12 Connecticut Sun.

How to watch the Mercury, Valkyries this weekend

Both of Thursday's victors will be back in action this weekend, with Phoenix facing Chicago at 1 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on ABC.

Then on Sunday, Golden State will host Connecticut at 8:30 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

In another weekend full of WNBA action, all eyes are on Las Vegas, as the No. 8 Aces will try to curb a two-game losing streak against two formidable opponents.

A successful weekend for Las Vegas could hinge on three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's potential return from injury, with the star forward recently upgraded to "questionable" after landing in concussion protocol last week.

Overall, the margin for error has narrowed in the middle of the WNBA pack, as talented teams continue to translate quality performances into consistency.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Aces will try to end their free fall in Friday's head-to-head battle with a Seattle side that can beat anybody at their best.

• No. 7 Indiana Fever vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ESPN): Las Vegas next faces a Fever team still smarting from Thursday's away loss to the Golden State Valkyries, with both teams narrowly clinging to positions above the playoff line.

• No. 2 New York Liberty vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Liberty have a comfortable hold on second place, but with two losses in their last three games, New York is flirting with danger entering their Sunday game with Seattle — particularly if star big Jonquel Jones is out after suffering a knock to the ankle on Thursday.

Ultimately, there's no rest for the weary in the WNBA, as a series of difficult matchups can see a single error quickly slide into a losing streak.

The final NWSL weekend heading into the league's six-week summer break has arrived, giving teams one more chance to prove themselves before regular-season play pauses to make way for major international tournaments.

With a five-point gap separating No. 1 Kansas City from No. 2 Orlando in the NWSL standings, the Current will enter the break as the 2025 Shield frontrunners regardless of this weekend's results.

Despite Kansas City's grip atop the table, there's still plenty of room for movement both above and below the postseason cutoff line, as clubs across the NWSL look to wrap their midseason finales on a high note:

• No. 1 Kansas City Current vs. No. 10 Angel City FC, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Angel City has a shot at launching themselves above the cutoff line on Friday, but they'll have to snap the Current's five-game winning streak to make it happen.

• No. 8 Gotham FC vs. No. 9 Bay FC, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Gotham and Bay FC enter the weekend tied on points while staring at each other from on opposite sides of the playoff line — meaning a Saturday win for either club could set the tone for the rest of the 2025 season.

• No. 3 San Diego Wave FC vs. No. 4 Washington Spirit, Sunday at 10 PM ET (CBS Sports): The weekend's only top-table clash could see San Diego sprint back into second place — unless Washington leapfrogs the upstart Wave to claim the third-place spot.

The LPGA Tour has turned its attention to Texas, with the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship — the third major of the pro golf season — teeing off in Frisco to a flurry of first-round action on Thursday.

All of the sport's Top 100 athletes are participating in this week's event, including No. 1 Nelly Korda, who sits in a 14th-place tie with an even-par first-round performance, and surging US dark horse No. 50 Lexi Thompson, who tied for 10th in her Thursday return from a brief retirement.

However, leading the pack heading into Friday's second round is Thailand's world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who finished the first day of competition atop the leaderboard with a score of 4-under-par.

Australia's No. 24 Minjee Lee also posted a strong start, capping Thursday at 3-under to sit in second place.

While the sport's best chase victory on the links, the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship is already making history off the green.

Not only is it the first-ever women's major to tee off at Frisco's Fields Ranch East, the tournament also increased its purse to $12 million on Tuesday — nearly tripling the $4.5 million prize pool from just four years ago and tying the US Women's Open for the LPGA Tour's highest payout in the process.

How to watch the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The third LPGA Grand Slam of 2025 continues through Sunday.

Friday's second round will air live on the Golf Channel, while coverage of Saturday and Sunday's final rounds will air across NBC and Peacock.