Curt Miller is a builder. That’s what newly appointed chief administrative officer and general manager Karen Bryant liked about him as a candidate for the Los Angeles Sparks head coaching job.

Bryant helped hire the two-time WNBA Coach of the Year away from the Connecticut Sun in October as Sparks interim president at the time.

“He is known for sustained success, not one-off successes,” Bryant said in an introductory press conference Wednesday. “And he very quickly emerged as the right person for this role and the right person to help lead the transformation of the Sparks, to really put us in position to have sustainable success.”

Miller built a program first at Bowling Green. In his 11 years at the helm, he elevated the women’s basketball team from winning 41 percent of its games and zero titles in his first three seasons, to a 72 percent win rate and five conference regular-season and tournament championships by the time he left.

Then, came the Sun job, where Miller helped the team rebound from a four-year playoff drought to earn trips to two WNBA Finals and two semifinals in his final four seasons with the franchise.

But between his years as a college and WNBA head coach, there was a pit stop as an assistant. L.A. was the city that introduced Miller to the WNBA, and the Sparks the team that prepared him to coach in it.

In 2015, Miller spent one season on the Sparks staff, and it had a profound effect on his career.

“My first year in the league was such a special experience that I thought, if the opportunity to return ever presented itself, it would be too good to pass up,” Miller said. “It was a dream opportunity. It’s an iconic franchise.”

It’s also a franchise in need of some help, but with a solid foundation upon which to build.

After multiple playoff disappointments and a 5-7 record to start the season, Los Angeles parted ways with coach and GM Derek Fisher in June and endured roster upheaval, including the departure of Liz Cambage via contract divorce. Fisher had previously faced criticism for his inability to re-sign key free agents Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray — both of whom went on to win WNBA Championships with their next teams — and for focusing too much energy and salary-cap space on Cambage and third-year guard Chennedy Carter.

Miller knows he has a lot of work to do, and quickly. The Sparks, an original WNBA franchise and the owners of three WNBA championships, expect to win.

“As a coach, you want to be with an organization that has high expectations,” he said. “That is where you desire to be.”

With the drama-filled 2022 season behind them, Miller is turning his attention to the Sparks’ locker room.

“Culture creation is paramount,” he said. “We are not going to cut corners. We are excited about building a culture, and for me, culture starts with preparation. That is always our first pillar.

“Championships are won in the locker room before they are won on the court.”

That process starts with re-signing Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, who are both free agents this offseason. Chiney came to the Sparks in 2019, and then sat out the 2020 season due to health concerns during the pandemic but returned in 2021. Her sister, Nneka, has been with the Sparks since she was drafted by the franchise in 2012.

Nneka was one of the lone highlights during a difficult 2022 season for the Sparks. The veteran was named to the All-WNBA Second Team and earned All-Star honors. After the season, she said she would like to stay with the Sparks but lamented that “being the one that scores all the points is a heavy cross to bear.”

“I’m excited about speaking with them in free agency,” Miller said. “They are important pieces. They are both so talented. But more importantly, they are great leaders by example. They are tremendous in the locker room, and players around the league gravitate toward them and want to play with them.”

The Sparks plan to be aggressive when free agency begins. Miller and Bryant both acknowledged that former Sparks star Candace Parker is on their radar, though no official talks will take place until free agency negotiations begin on Jan. 21.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Angel City captain Ali Riley is calling it a career, with the 37-year-old defender announcing plans to retire from professional soccer at the end of the 2025 NWSL season on Tuesday.

"As I reflect on what this game has given me these past three decades, since I started in the Palisades here in LA, I know that I have truly given my all, both physically and emotionally," Riley said in a club statement. "As a player, I strived to be the best teammate, a positive influence in the locker room, and compete on the field every day. For my entire career, I never took a day when I got to play soccer for granted."

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"Ali Riley is Angel City. Her heart, grit, and unwavering commitment to lifting everyone around her have shaped the culture of this club," said ACFC CEO and co-founder Julie Uhrman. "Ali has shown us that leadership goes far beyond the pitch; it's in how you care for others, how you show up."

Exiting the global stage after five World Cups and four Olympics with the New Zealand Football Ferns, the Stanford alum also helped pioneer the European women's game, competing in Sweden, England, and Germany from 2012 to 2020 before returning to the NWSL to join the Orlando Pride.

Angel City snagged Riley from the Pride before the expansion team's 2022 debut season, with the captain making her first 2025 club appearance in August after returning from a chronic nerve injury that sidelined her for more than a year.

"I am so proud to be able to say goodbye on my own terms, in my hometown, and know for certain that I am giving everything I have left to the people around me and the sport that shaped me," Riley wrote in her Instagram announcement.

The Women's Basketball Final Four is getting an upgrade, with the NCAA announcing Tuesday that the 2028 edition of the annual competition will move from Indianapolis's Gainbridge Fieldhouse to Lucas Oil Stadium due to surging ticket interest.

"Moving the 2028 Women's Final Four to Lucas Oil Stadium will allow for more access for our fans, and it represents the continued growth of the sport," said Division I women's basketball committee chair Amanda Braun. "With the interest we have seen, holding the Women's Final Four in a larger venue in Indianapolis is a natural next step."

Home to the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, the football stadium will open up approximately 13,000 additional seats for college basketball fans, bringing the total capacity for the 2028 Final Four to 31,000 — nearly double the original WNBA arena's 18,000 seats.

The committee also voted on Monday to continue the tournament's current preliminary-round format through the 2031 Championship, with seeded teams hosting the first two rounds at home followed by super-regional rounds in predetermined host cities — all leading up to the Final Four finale.

"The Women's Final Four continues to sell out, and the public demand for tickets has steadily increased," the NCAA said in a statement.

With sellout crowds across every NCAA Final Four dating back to 2017 — save the COVID-19 restricted 2021 edition — the 2028 move won't just allow more fans to attend, it will also give the governing body a more accurate measure of the true demand for the growing sport at the collegiate level.

The Dallas Wings are officially making moves, with the franchise announcing Tuesday that it is parting ways with first-year head coach Chris Koclanes after the team finished the 2025 WNBA season in last place with a 10-34 record.

"As we enter a pivotal point in our team's future, we felt a change in leadership at this time was best for our organization," Dallas EVP and GM Curt Miller said in a Tuesday statement. "The Dallas Wings remain dedicated to their pursuit of WNBA Championships and building upon the strong culture established on and off the court."

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Helming a Wings side that struggled with injury throughout the 2025 campaign, Koclanes cobbled together 18 different starting rosters as reserves and hardship signings led Dallas to field a WNBA-high 21 players across the season.

With Tuesday's announcement, Koclanes is now the third dismissed WNBA head coach this year, joining now-unemployed sideline leaders Noelle Quinn (Seattle Storm) and Sandy Brondello (New York Liberty) as the Wings look to build around 2025 No. 1 draft pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.

Dallas also has an eye on the future, heading into the offseason with the best odds to secure next year's No. 1 overall draft selection — their second straight top pick — after a midseason pivot saw the team offload 2025 additions NaLyssa Smith and DiJonai Carrington.

The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces are headed to the 2025 WNBA Finals, surviving the No. 6 Indiana Fever's Game 5 upset bid with a 107-98 overtime win to close out the semifinal series 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson and two-time league champion Jackie Young combined for 67 points in the victory, with Young and point guard Chelsea Gray additionally swapping clutch buckets to seal the deal as the clock ticked down.

"It's not just one person, it's not just five people, it's everybody. Everybody you see contributed to this game," Wilson said after leading the Aces to their third WNBA Finals in four years.

With six players already sidelined with injury, the Fever took another big hit in the third quarter, when leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell exited the game with lower-body cramps.

Short-staffed Indiana never let up, however, with former hardship signing Odyssey Sims contributing 27 points as the Fever pushed the home team to the brink of elimination.

"They're a great example to everybody of what it means to just put one foot in front of the other," Fever head coach Stephanie White said afterwards. "To persevere, to welcome people into the fold, to not give in to circumstance."

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How to watch the 2025 WNBA Finals

The 2025 WNBA Finals are officially a battle in the desert, with the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces hosting the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series on Friday.

The first clash of the championship series will tip off live at 8 PM ET on ESPN.