Breanna Stewart made charter flights a key part of her free-agency recruiting process, and the newly signed New York Liberty superstar doubled down on the issue in her introductory press conference at Barclays Center on Thursday morning.

The Liberty officially welcomed Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot to New York after the stars opted to sign with the team in free agency, signaling the start of a superteam era in the WNBA. Both players took significant pay cuts to play for the Liberty and meet salary cap requirements in 2023, with Stewart signing a one-year, $175,000 deal and Vandersloot signing on for two years at $189,000 in 2023 and $194,670 in 2024, according to Her Hoops Stats.

On Thursday, Stewart and Vandersloot made clear their desire to bring the Liberty their first championship in franchise history. In New York, they join Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney and Jonquel Jones, the 2021 WNBA MVP whom the Liberty acquired in a trade with Connecticut in January.

But they also cited the Liberty’s resources and shared values around the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement as a big reason for their decision to join the team.

Stewart rallied support for charter flights during the free-agency process and reiterated her intentions on Thursday.

“It’s a conversation that needs to be had, a topic that needs to be talked about. When we talk about pushing the needle, raising the bar, it’s also that: player health and wellness … we wanna play our best to win, but also in front of fans,” Stewart told reporters.

“When talking to Clara and Joe [Tsai], they feel the same way. They’re fighting to elevate the standard. We’re hoping it’s not just a no, but can be a maybe and eventually a yes, when it comes to chartered flights.”

The Arrival. 🗽 pic.twitter.com/XfubZ82cGc

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) February 9, 2023

Liberty co-owner Clara Wu Tsai echoed Stewart’s comments and said the Liberty have been a primary advocate for resolving the charter flights issue and others like it.

“I just need to be a constant voice,” Tsai said. “I’ll get fined if I talk too much about anything related to the collective bargaining agreement … but I now believe it’s enough of a topic within the league and among the other governors that it’s going to be addressed by the commissioner.”

The Liberty were fined a league-record $500,000 for chartering flights for their players in the second half of the 2021 season. The WNBA does not allow teams to charter private flights for regular-season games under the current CBA.

“I believe the fine that we took and the statement that we gave spoke for itself. We spent three days together in Turkey talking about a lot of things,” Tsai said, referring to the Liberty’s visit with Stewart and Vandersloot during the recruiting process. “Hopefully they understood that it isn’t really this one issue, but it’s a number of things that we’re moving forward.”

The WNBA’s efforts to maintain competitive balance among its 12 teams have come under intense scrutiny in recent days. The Aces are currently under investigation for allegedly making under-the-table payments to players as incentive for signing with the team, The Next reported on Wednesday. Following the report, several WNBA team leaders called on the league to clarify salary cap rules and create a “level playing field.”

Wimbledon is leveling up, as the annual London-based Grand Slam announced Thursday that it's increasing its purse by 7% across the board in 2025, pushing the total prize money to £53.5 million ($72.59 million) ahead of tennis tournament's June 30th kick-off.

Both the 2025 women's and men's singles champions will earn winner's checks in the amount of £3 million ($4.07 million) — an 11.1% increase over the amount won by 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková.

With increases across all Slam events, from singles and doubles to wheelchair competitions, even athletes who stumble early will see a raise over last year's competition.

For example, singles players ousted in this year's first round will take home 10% more than in 2024, earning deposits of £66,000 ($89,530).

The 2025 total purse now doubles the prize money offered by the tournament a decade ago, and makes Wimbledon the biggest potential payday across all four of the sport's Grand Slams.

"We're immensely proud of the fact that, if you look back 10 years, you can see the increase over that period and 7% this year," said All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club chair Deborah Jevans. "And we have listened to the players, we have engaged with the players."

Teen swimmer Summer McIntosh made a major splash at the 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials, shattering three world records in just five days of competition in Victoria, BC.

First on Saturday, the Toronto swimmer shaved 1.2 seconds off the Australian Ariarne Titmus's 400-meter freestyle mark to set a new world record time of 3:54.18.

Then on Monday, McIntosh took down a decade-old record in the 200-meter individual medley (IM), becoming the first woman swimmer to complete the race in less than 2:06.00.

Just two days later, the 18-year-old McIntosh broke her own 400-meter IM world record, besting her 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials time by 0.73 seconds with a 4:23.65 race Wednesday.

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With her unstoppable week-long performance, McIntosh became the first swimmer to set three new world records in different individual events at one meet since US legend Michael Phelps's historic run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"Going into tonight, I knew I could do something really special because this has probably been the best meet of my career," McIntosh told reporters after Wednesday's race.

That said, the young star is already eyeing new times — and new records.

"Overall, [I'm] happy with the time, but I know I can go faster," said McIntosh following her 400-meter IM performance. "The faster I swim, the happier I am."

The NWSL Championship is on its way back West, with the league announcing on Friday morning that the 2025 title match will kick off from PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

Hosted at the home pitch of 2024 expansion team Bay FC, the game will take place on Saturday, November 22nd.

In addition to the championship match, the 2025 NWSL season's final weekend will include a variety of supporting events like Fan Fest and the annual Skills Challenge competition.

"We're thrilled to bring the NWSL Championship back to the West Coast and to a region with as rich a history in women's soccer as the Bay Area," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a league statement.

Citing a long list of former USWNT stars with local ties, including Julie Foudy, Kelley O'Hara, and Alex Morgan, Bay FC co-founder Brandi Chastain — a US legend herself — called the Bay Area "the place women's soccer calls home."

"Our community's fabric is woven with the greatest the game has to offer," explained Chastain.

"This community's passion for the game, combined with the excitement surrounding one of our newest teams in Bay FC, makes it the perfect setting to celebrate the league's top talent and crown our next champion," said Berman.

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How to attend and watch the 2025 NWSL Championship

Like last year, the 2025 NWSL Championship will air in primetime, with CBS set to broadcast the match live at 8 PM ET on November 22nd.

Tickets to the game will be available for purchase beginning in August, though interested fans can sign up for presale access online now.

The NWSL and WNBA Players Associations teamed up to release a joint statement on Thursday, with the unions expressing their solidarity with "all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity" after the recent ICE raids and ensuing protests in Los Angeles.

The move comes after Angel City published their own social media post addressing the ICE raids last Saturday, with the Los Angeles NWSL club noting "We know that our city is stronger because of its diversity and the people and families who shape it, love it, and call it home."

ACFC also directed immigrants in need of assistance in the wake of the ICE raids to two community organizations: the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights and the LA County Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Calling the WNBA Players Association "leaders in this space," NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke told The Athletic that the basketball union initiated their joint statement.

"It's important to stand together as workers' unions," she noted.

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NWSL and WNBA unions speak to families impacted by ICE raids

"It's not lost on us that this country and the world are in turmoil right now," wrote the NWSLPA and WNBPA. "Across the country, families are facing fear, hardship, and uncertainty tied to immigration."

The athlete unions then crystallized their position, saying, "We stand with all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity, no matter where they come from or where they hope to go."

"Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect," they continued. "We know not every situation is simple. But offering compassion should never be up for debate."