Before there were the A’ja Wilsons and the Breanna Stewarts of the WNBA, there was Adrienne Goodson. “Goody,” as she is popularly known, was a fiery 6-foot forward whose career spanned 14 years, beginning overseas before she returned to the U.S. in 1996 for the American Basketball League’s inaugural season.

In 1999, the Bayonne, N.J. native made the jump to the recently formed WNBA and was drafted by the Utah Starzz. In her first WNBA season, Goody had an immediate impact. She finished 10th in the league in scoring while averaging 33 minutes per game. In 2002, she was named to a WNBA All-Star Game. When the Utah Starzz relocated to San Antonio ahead of the 2003 season, Goody re-signed with the newly minted San Antonio Stars, now the Las Vegas Aces.

Here, Goodson tells the story of the ABL’s inception and her decision to enter the WNBA, the Aces setting an example by honoring their alumni and what’s next for the franchise, in her own words for Just Women’s Sports.

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I’m in Jersey right now, but I’ve been traveling a lot this summer between North Carolina, Virginia and also Vegas. My trip to Vegas on Memorial Day Weekend was pretty out of the blue. It was four o’clock in the morning, and when I got this email from the president of the Las Vegas Aces (which shows how much Nikki Fargas is grinding!), and it said, “We want to honor you,” real talk, I thought, “Man, what do the Aces want with me?”

I had to re-read the email, and I still can’t believe it. It was mindblowing. The Aces were actually reaching out to former players with an invitation to a Las Vegas alumni celebration. As any diehard fan knows, the history of our team stretches far and wide. I decided to respond and heard back immediately. Before I knew it, I was flying out to Vegas to celebrate the WNBA’s 25th consecutive season at an Aces game on May 30.

As a former player, it can be hard sometimes when the league doesn’t show former players much love. But then came Mark Davis. The owner of the Las Vegas Aces franchise and the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, Mark understands the importance of acknowledging former players for their worth. The things he is doing for us are phenomenal, and I hope other teams follow suit in the years to come.

Before our trip to Vegas, Mark told me, “I’m bringing you guys out here, and I’m going to feature and showcase you all.” We watched two Aces games, we ate meals together, and everybody was able to tell their own story. I remember sitting with everyone and, let me tell you, there was not a dry eye in the room. From the players to the administration, those four days were an unforgettable experience.

It is our absolute pleasure to honor our #AcesAlumni at each home game this season. 🧡

It is so important to give those who paved the way for 25 years of the @WNBA their flowers @agoody15_wnba 💐#ALLIN ♦️♠️ // #CountIt pic.twitter.com/rEsIY5lWlC

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) May 31, 2021

This month, the Aces also honored WNBA All-Star and NBA coach Becky Hammon with a halftime jersey retirement ceremony. Although Becky never played in Las Vegas, the Aces have not forgotten what she did for the franchise in San Antonio. I was proud to see them pay tribute by retiring Becky’s No. 25. While her jersey is the first to hang in the rafters, there will soon be many more.

Players like Becky Hammon are not just pioneers of the Aces franchise — we are also pioneers of the WNBA. We paved the way for many of these young players to continue to excel. When I think back to entering the WNBA and being drafted by the Utah Starzz, it’s hard to forget the role the American Basketball League played in this story.

The ABL was really what brought me back home. When I graduated from Old Dominion in 1988, there was no professional women’s league in the United States. Playing overseas was our only option. So I packed my bags and I embarked on a professional career in Brazil. Soon enough, I was playing basketball in Rio de Janeiro, learning Portuguese, and sipping on coconuts every morning with my teammates. To leave that setting was difficult because I was in one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen in the world.

In Brazil, I met Val Whiting. She was part of the Stanford crew, and since the American Basketball League was headquartered in San Jose, Val had the lock on all the information. I remember her saying, “Hey, listen, this league is getting ready to start, and you’ll get the opportunity to go back home if you want to play.” I thought, “Wow, I guess I’m going to stay home this year.”

I can’t say enough great things about the American Basketball League. I really feel like “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” when I think of those years. And I feel the same way about Brazil — I left my heart there, too! Those two places were just absolutely phenomenal and opened the door for myself and so many other players. I don’t think the ABL ever gets enough glory.

Shortly after the ABL was formed, the NBA began creating the WNBA. During those years, what I remember most is the crazy media attention surrounding the WNBA. The WNBA commercials! There were so many dang commercials. And that was really because something new had arrived in women’s basketball: competition.

I was hesitant to leave the ABL because it was a very family-oriented league. The passion of our fan base was something I’ve never experienced before. But when the league folded in 1998, I decided it was time to move over to the WNBA.

I felt like Utah was a special place because, first of all, when I found out I was going there, I dropped to my knees and I started screaming something along the lines of: “Lord, you got jokes! Are you kidding me? Salt Lake? What’s even in Utah?”

After I went through that moment, Fred Williams called me and said, “Listen, I don’t know how the hell you dropped to the third round.” And to be honest, I was furious, too. I had heard from many different teams before the draft so I thought I might be going fifth or sixth overall. But then there’s always the politics that goes on behind the scenes. I really got hit with it. I feel like I was one of those players that always had to “kick in the door.”

With that being said, I get out to Utah and I decide that I’m just going to get to work. I became top three on the team in scoring that year, third in rebounding and second in assists, and I continued to consistently finish in the league’s top 10 in scoring. But more importantly, we all grinded up there. For three hard years, we accomplished more than anyone thought we could. We took that team to a new level and we brought the fans with us.

Looking back on our legacy, it can feel bittersweet at times. But from Natalie Williams to Margo Dydek, Debbie Black, Korie Hlede and myself, we laid the foundation for that team. That was our blood, sweat and tears.

I know we prayed so much in Utah and in San Antonio for our team, and you know what? God never let us fold! And maybe it was for all of this, so that we could build something so special with the Las Vegas Aces. So that nothing could ever tear us down.

Adrienne Goodson (“Goody”) is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. She played 14 years of professional basketball, including seven in the WNBA. A three-time All-Star in the pros and an NCAA champion, she was inducted into the Old Dominion Hall of Fame in 1999. She is the host of the podcast “A WNBA State of Mind with Adrienne Goodson.” Follow her on Twitter @agoody15_wnba.

Five-time Olympic medalist and USA track star Gabby Thomas will miss this month's 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo due to a lingering Achilles injury, the 28-year-old sprinter announced on Tuesday.

Thomas, who captured a full trio of gold medals at the 2024 Paris Games, has been dealing with the injury since May, going on to re-aggravate it in July prior to August's 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships, in which she placed third in her favored 200-meter race — narrowly booking her spot at the World Championships by a mere one-thousandth of a second margin.

"I understand that it will be disappointing for some track fans to hear this news, but I've finally come to the realization that it's OK to be human and take care of myself," she said in a statement.

"As an athlete you always want to keep grinding, but sometimes you simply can't outwork an injury," Thomas explained. "Sometimes it's about patience and making the right decision for the long term. All the best to my Team USA teammates fighting for medals in Tokyo."

As one of Team USA's top talents in the 200-meter dash as well as the 4×100- and 4×400-meter relays, Thomas plans to return to competition in 2026.

Bay FC forward Asisat Oshoala is on the move, finalizing a transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal this week after making 38 appearances for the 2024 NWSL expansion team.

"Asisat has been an incredibly important part of Bay FC history, not only with her impact on the pitch but also through the energy, professionalism, and kindness she brought every day," Bay FC sporting director Matt Potter said in a Tuesday statement. "She is a world-class player and an even better person, and we are grateful for everything she contributed to our club."

One of Bay FC's splashiest signings ahead of their inaugural season, the former Barcelona star led the franchise with seven goals during its debut campaign — including the club's first-ever goal in the team's initial match.

However, the 30-year-old Nigerian national and six-time African Women's Footballer of the Year has since seen her NWSL playing time drop, logging just 12 appearances in 2025 so far.

Oshoala isn't the first high-profile NWSL player to transfer to the 10-team Saudi Women's Premier League since its 2022 debut — the same year that the Middle East country founded its women's national team.

Following the Orlando Pride's 2024 Shield and Championship-winning season, Brazilian star Adriana joined Saudi side Al Qadsiah FC for a then-club-record $500,000 transfer fee.

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is doubling down on NIL, spotlighting the offseason league's deep roster of NCAA talent in its "Future Is Unrivaled" (FIU) collection drop on Tuesday.

The new merch line features FIU-branded sports apparel and accessories alongside one-offs like pleated skirts, button-ups, and jackets, all backed by a social media campaign starring college stars Lauren Betts (UCLA), Sienna Betts (UCLA), Madison Booker (Texas), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Azzi Fudd (UConn), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU), Ta'Niya Latson (South Carolina), Olivia Miles (TCU), Kiki Rice (UCLA), Sarah Strong (UConn), Syla Swords (Michigan), and JuJu Watkins (USC).

After first signing NCAA stars Paige Bueckers and Flau'Jae Johnson in late 2024, Unrivaled added more than a dozen of college basketball's biggest names to its "Future is Unrivaled" Class of 2025 earlier this summer.

While they cannot play in the upstart league prior to turning pro, the NIL signees did participate in July's Unrivaled Summit, a multi-day event in Miami that focused on skill development, content creation, brand building, social media strategy, and community service.

Unrivaled basketball's investment in the next generation of superstars underlines the 3×3 venture's growing influence in the sport, as it becomes a wedge issue in the WNBA's ongoing CBA negotiations while prepping to tip off a second season in January.

How to purchase from the "Future Is Unrivaled" collection

The full merch collection is available now online at Unrivaled.

The No. 5 New York Liberty finally punched their ticket to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, as the 2024 champs secured a postseason berth thanks to a Tuesday night loss by the No. 8 Indiana Fever — despite their own 66-58 defeat at the hands of the surging No. 6 Golden State Valkyries.

With star guard Sabrina Ionescu still sidelined with injury, the Liberty only scored 26 first-half points in the matchup, becoming just the second reigning title-holders to fall to a first-year expansion team in WNBA history.

"We just lost a game," New York head coach Sandy Brondello said afterwards. "Obviously, we're in the playoffs, but we still lost a game. Liked the second half, didn't like the first half that much."

With the Fever falling 85-79 to the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury, tension in the WNBA standings has hit a new high as four teams — No. 6 Golden State, No. 7 Seattle, No. 8 Indiana, and No. 9 Los Angeles — battle for the last three playoff spots.

Golden State is hot on the heels of New York, shooting to become the first-ever expansion team to make the playoffs in their debut year as their magic number dwindles down to two — with four games left on the Valkyries' regular-season docket.

"We're in playoff mode right now!" Golden State center Temi Fagbenle, who put up a team-leading 16 points in Tuesday's win, told the Valkyries' crowd.

How to watch Golden State, New York in action this week

The No. 6 Valkyries have a chance to close in on history during their Thursday date with the last-place Dallas Wings, which tips off at 10 PM ET on WNBA League Pass.

Meanwhile, the No. 5 Liberty will look to regroup during their Friday visit to the No. 7 Seattle Storm, which airs live at 10 PM ET on ION.