It Taste Sweet ???? #Sweet16 #JustKeepDancing pic.twitter.com/WPfFwBbghh

— H O L L Y W O O D ???? (@ChennedyCarter) March 18, 2018

The Atlanta Dream just about won the lottery with Chennedy “Hollywood” Carter falling to the 4th spot in the WNBA draft. With Tiffany Hayes opting out of the 2020 season, Carter will see time early and often. She is a sharp handler who averaged over 20 points per game throughout her three year career at Texas A&M. Just in case she needed higher expectations, legendary PG Sue Bird touted Carter as the draft pick most likely to star in the league. NEED WE SAY MORE?

 

SATOU SABALLY, FORWARD, #0, DALLAS WINGS

.@_BonnBonn ➡️ @satou_sabally

???? Exhibit A ????#RISE pic.twitter.com/f7sgVO6BCl

— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) July 21, 2020

After giving up her own senior year at Oregon, Satou Sabally was the second pick overall in the 2020 draft. Standing at 6’4’’, her post presence and rangy shooting abilities will be called upon early by a young Dallas Wings roster. At Oregon, Sabally thrived in a system run by (you guessed it) Sabrina Ionescu. Will she be able to step up for a relatively inexperienced Wings side? If she does, the German native is definitely one to watch as a sleeper ROY contender.

 

RUTHY HEBARD, FORWARD, #24, CHICAGO SKY 

A force to be reckoned with.@RuthyHebard24 is the Katrina McClain national power forward of the year. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/fRnIoT82Ir

— GoDucks (@GoDucks) April 6, 2020

The final part of the 1-2-3 Oregon Ducks punch, Ruthy Hebard was selected 8th overall in the 2020 draft after compiling a 68.5 field goal percentage in college. Joining a veteran Chicago Sky roster this season, Hebard is only going to get better and better as she learns from the likes of Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot and Diamond DeShields. We expect Hebard to shine in valuable minutes as she continues to develop her game without being forced to carry a team.

 

TYASHA HARRIS, GUARD, #52, DALLAS WINGS 

Do your thing, rook! ????@TyHarris_52 went off tonight vs. Phoenix.

No looks ✅
Stepback treys ✅
Buzzer beaters ✅#RISE pic.twitter.com/HFjRRS9zYC

— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) July 22, 2020

After breaking every single South Carolina assists record, Tyasha Harris became the 7th overall pick in the 2020 draft and the third pick by the Dallas Wings. The selfless point guard is one who constantly looks to set her teammates up for success. With the Wings drafting young and signing new shooting talent in Katie Lou Samuelson and Marina Mabrey, Harris will have ample opportunities to start racking up assists as she dishes the ball to a promising Wings squad.

 

JAZMINE JONES, GUARD, #23, NEW YORK LIBERTY

Future Liberty guard Jazmine Jones shoots over future Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu after a pick from future Liberty big Kylee Shook. pic.twitter.com/sZvv33eTwh

— Justin Carter (@juscarts) April 18, 2020

The third rookie to be drafted by New York Liberty, Jazmine Jones is a young (but talented) guard on an extremely young (but extremely talented) Liberty team. Averaging 14.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while at Louisville, Jones will have to adapt her game quickly to compete. She has both the drive and work ethic to do so, and has already signed with Tarbes Gespe Bigorree to play overseas once the WNBA season ends. While all eyes will be on Ionescu, Jones will be one of six other rookies on the Liberty squad who will be pressed into serious action in their first years as pros.

The WNBA is back in action on Tuesday night, as the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm headline a series of games that could make or break the current trajectories of several 2025 title contenders.

Seeking an especially strong Tuesday performance is the Fever, as Indiana tries to snap a two-game losing streak against the increasingly confident Storm.

"There are going to be stretches that are really good and there's going to be stretches that aren't as good," Fever guard Caitlin Clark said on Sunday, addressing her recent shooting slump.

While the Indiana and Seattle clash will lead the Tuesday charge, the night will also see young squads sizing up WNBA juggernauts as bottom-table teams look for a leg up:

• No. 8 Indiana Fever vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Fever need a win against a Storm side that can't seem to lose, as both teams eye the postseason.

• No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 9 Washington Mystics, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The up-and-coming Mystics will attempt to hand the Lynx a second season loss, as Minnesota star Napheesa Collier remains day-to-day with lower back stiffness.

• No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Dream are on a tear, surging up the standings as the struggling Wings attempt to take flight.

• No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks have cooled after a hot start while the Sky has yet to rev up, with both teams aiming to end a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night.

Teams across the league are hoping to make the most of every minute while also managing injury concerns and absences as the WNBA All-Star break looms.

The WNBA Class of 2025 is already making its mark on the league, with first-year players stepping up and showing out while the Rookie of the Year race — and betting odds — heat up.

No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers has been just as good as advertised, with the Dallas Wings guard leading her class in both minutes played and points per game while also charting league-wide in assists per game, steals per game, and mid-range shots made.

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DraftKings currently has Bueckers as the clear WNBA Rookie of the Year race frontrunner at -1,000, though the dynamic DC duo of guard Sonia Citron (+1,500) and forward Kiki Iriafen (+1,000) are quickly gaining traction.

Iriafen won May's WNBA Rookie of the Month award after a series of career-opening double-doubles, while her Washington Mystics teammate Citron has continued to execute in the clutch — most recently posting a career-high double-double performance of 27 points and 11 rebounds in last Sunday's 91-88 overtime win over Dallas.

"Not only is [Iriafen] holding her own, she's excelling," Citron told JWS earlier this month. "And seeing that is just incredible."

"Soni just does all the little things," Iriafen added. "She doesn't shortcut anything, she's doing the fundamentals, she doesn't cheat the game at all."

Though the NWSL hit the pause button this week, players worldwide are still on the move, as both European and US soccer teams use the midseason break to sharpen their lineups with international signings.

The NWSL has already seen one major departure, with the San Diego Wave announcing Monday that forward María Sánchez will return to her former Liga MX club UANL Tigres after nearly five years in the NWSL, with the Wave set to receive an undisclosed transfer fee in return.

"When the opportunity came to return to Tigres, I had to do a lot of inner searching, and I ultimately decided that returning to Liga MX Femenil and Tigres specifically was the best course of action for my career," the 29-year-old dual citizen and Mexico international player said in the Wave's release.

NWSL clubs are also setting their sights on European free agents, with the Washington Spirit bringing in Juventus forward Sofia Cantore last week — the first Italian signing in league history.

Also hopping aboard the player transaction carousel is new WSL side London City, with the top-flight debutantes inking OL Lyonnes midfielder and Dutch international Daniëlle van de Donk on Friday.

Meanwhile, van de Donk's wife and club teammate Ellie Carpenter is also potentially WSL-bound, with the defender reportedly nearing a deal that would see the Australian join Chelsea FC in return for the Blues sending Canadian international Ashley Lawrence to OL Lyonnes.

For their part, OL Lyonnes picked up defender Ingrid Engen from Barcelona as a free agent last week, adding the Norwegian international after snagging French forward and PSG's all-time leading scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto earlier this month.

With the most recent NWSL CBA abolishing traditional trade windows, expect even more international signings and roster reshufflings before the league resumes play on August 1st.

San Diego is paying tribute to one of their own, with the Wave announcing plans to retire the No. 13 jersey of NWSL and USWNT legend Alex Morgan on September 7th.

Still topping the team's all-time scoring leaderboard with 23 goals in just over two seasons with San Diego, the retired club captain will be the first-ever Wave player to receive the prestigious honor.

Morgan also led San Diego to the 2023 NWSL Shield as well as postseason appearances in the 2022 expansion club's first two seasons.

"Alex's legacy goes far beyond goals and accolades. She helped lay the foundation for this club and elevated the standard for what women's soccer is today," said Wave FC governor Lauren Leichtman in the team's Tuesday announcement.

"She made this city her home, inspired our fans and community, and helped define who we are," Leichtman continued. "Her impact will be felt for generations, and it's only fitting that her number becomes a permanent part of Wave FC history." 

Morgan joined the Southern California squad's ownership group just last month, saying "San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career."

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How to attend the San Diego jersey retirement of Alex Morgan

San Diego will officially retire Morgan's No. 13 jersey during their home match against the Houston Dash at 8 PM ET on September 7th.

Tickets to the game will go on sale to the general public online at 6 PM ET on Tuesday.