Few teams will enter the 2023 WNBA Playoffs with as much momentum as the Connecticut Sun.

Connecticut has won four of its last five games, and at 27-12 has the third best record in the league. Forward Alyssa Thomas has been the team’s engine, averaging 15.7 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists per game.

But Thomas’ spectacular season with the Sun almost didn’t happen, she revealed on a recent episode of the Queens of the Court podcast. The day after Connecticut lost to the Las Vegas in the WNBA Finals, Thomas was on a plane to Australia for the FIBA World Cup pondering her future.

After the Suns’ second finals loss in four years, Thomas conceded she was “thinking about” moving on to another team.

“I was super overwhelmed, didn’t get to process the loss in the finals, which was tough to make it that far. I felt like I was stuck in a cycle of doing the same thing over and over again,” she said.

Thomas ultimately decided to return to Connecticut, in part because of an overhaul in the team’s coaching staff: The Sun hired Stephanie White to be the new head coach in November, and then White brought on Abi Olajuwon and Briann January as assistants, both of whom are first-time WNBA coaches.

“At times, it’s teaching them as well, and bringing them along, and showing them the different things about teams, just the ins and outs and things you pick up over the years,” Thomas said of Olajuwon and January. “For me, it’s been a lot of fun, like I said. It’s been extremely refreshing. I love our offense. I love the energy that they bring. I love this team.”

The Sun have the third best record in the league at 27-12 entering their final game of the regular season, Sunday against the Chicago Sky,

The defending Euro champs have done it again, as No. 5 England advanced to the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Final with a 2-1 extra-time semifinals victory over No. 13 Italy — pulling off yet another knockout-stage comeback win.

"We're going to make a movie someday," manager Sarina Wiegman told BBC Radio 5 after the Lionesses' unlikely turnaround. "Well, this is a movie. My goodness, it's unbelievable."

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The Italian underdogs had the upset dialed in for most of the match, as veteran midfielder Barbara Bonansea put the Azzurre ahead 1-0 in the 33rd minute while the team locked into a sturdy defense that carried them through the end of regulation time.

However, 19-year-old England Euro super-sub Michelle Agyemang played hero in final minutes of stoppage time, scoring her second late equalizer in as many games to force the match into extra time.

As extra time drew to a close, England were awarded a controversially soft penalty, and though Italian goalkeeper Laura Giuliani originally denied the shot, second-half sub Chloe Kelly buried the rebound to give the Lionesses their 2-1 game-winning scoreline.

"Four years ago, I was just a kid throwing balls to some of these girls, now I'm playing with them," said senior team newcomer and breakout star Agyemang, who served as a ball girl during the 2022 Euro Final at London's Wembley Stadium.

How to watch the second match of the 2025 Euro semifinals

Eight-time European title-winners No. 3 Germany will close out the 2025 semifinals against 2023 World Cup champions No. 2 Spain at 3 PM ET on Wednesday.

The clash will air live on FOX.

The newest NWSL team officially has a name, with the Colorado addition announcing Tuesday that they've landed on Denver Summit FC ahead of the franchise's 2026 debut season.

"Denver Summit FC" earned top billing in the team's "Name the Club" community outreach campaign, which generated over 15,000 fan votes.

"It was vital for us to name our club in collaboration with our community," president Jen Millet said in the club's Tuesday statement. "Our crest, colors, and brand are representative of Denver and all of Colorado. It embraces our aspirational goals and pioneering spirit to build the best soccer club in the world."

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Along with a sunset the same hue as Colorado's famed red rocks, the Denver Summit crest also features a green and white mountain, reflecting the city's geographic surroundings.

"Our goal is to build a club that is always pursuing excellence on and off the field," said controlling owner Rob Cohen. "Much like the picturesque Rocky Mountains, our charge is to stand apart while always reaching for new heights."

Awarded a new NWSL team in January 2025, Denver is navigating a shorter runway than fellow 2026 expansion side Boston Legacy FC, though the club is already breaking sales records and has plans for a dedicated training facility and stadium in the works.

Denver has also been busy on the soccer operations side, with ex-Manchester City manager Nick Cushing reportedly close to becoming the club's inaugural head coach.

The success of the 2025 WNBA All-Star festivities extended beyond the court, as ESPN announced strong viewership across both nights of the midseason weekend's programming on Tuesday.

First on Friday, the 2025 All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge claimed a viewership average of 1.3 million fans — an 89% increase over the 2024 edition.

Even more, Friday's viewership made it the most-watched All-Star contests in the events' history.

The competitions also ranked first in primetime viewership across several key demographics, winning the day for women aged 18 to 34, all adults aged 18 to 34, as well as all viewers under 35 years old.

Then on Saturday, the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game claimed an average of 2.2 million viewers, a slight dip from last year's 3.44 million with superstar and team captain Caitlin Clark stuck on the sidelines with a groin injury.

Trailing only that 2024 matchup, Saturday's matchup did become the second-most watched WNBA All-Star Game on record.

Additionally, it earned a significant 158% audience bump over the 2023 edition — the season prior to Clark's rookie campaign.

The 2025 WNBA All-Star competitions are reflective of the league's overall rise in viewership, coming less than one week after the first-ever pro clash between Indiana Fever sophomore Clark and Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers became a Top-4 all-time most-watched matchup.

On the heels of impressive viewership during the league's first-ever fully broadcast preseason, the 2025 campaign has put up steady increases over last year, with ESPN reporting last week that WNBA numbers across all the broadcast giant's platforms are up 7% over 2024.

A pair of thrilling Tuesday semifinals has world No. 36 Nigeria and No. 60 Morocco on the cusp of history, as the duo prepare to square off in the 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final on Saturday.

Nine-time title-holders Nigeria narrowly avoided extra time against defending champions No. 54 South Africa in their Tuesday clash, with Houston Dash defender Michelle Alozie playing hero with a long-range game-winner to secure the 2-1 finish in second-half stoppage time.

Meanwhile, tournament hosts Morocco managed to escape a penalty shootout with No. 66 Ghana after closing out extra time in a 1-1 stalemate, with the Atlas Lionesses prevailing 4-2 to advance to their second straight WAFCON final.

Neither team has lost a match at this summer's continental tournament, but the Super Falcons have the edge when it comes to international experience.

Nigeria will be hunting a record-extending 10th title on Saturday, while Morocco is still searching for their first WAFCON trophy.

How to watch the WAFCON Final

After Ghana faces South Africa in the tournament's third-place match on Friday at 3 PM ET, all eyes will be on Nigeria and Morocco, who will battle for the 2025 WAFCON title at 4 PM ET on Saturday.

Both final WAFCON clashes will air live on beIN Sports.