One month into the WNBA season, every team has played at least 10 games. The Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky have established themselves as the top three teams in the league, while others are still building chemistry and consistency.

The Phoenix Mercury finally moved back into the win column after a seven-game losing streak, their first since 2012. In their win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, they played one of their most complete games of the season with balanced scoring, good defense and teamwork on offense.

The Seattle Storm suffered a two-game skid at the tail end of their eight-game homestand behind a tough shooting night against Dallas and a Connecticut comeback win on Sunday. The Storm, now 5-5, have been dealing with rotational inconsistencies as more players miss games due to COVID-19 protocols.

Here are my biggest takeaways from the past week in the WNBA.

Connecticut Sun grinding out wins

Connecticut went on the road last week and won three games in four days during a tough West Coast swing against the Aces, Mercury and Storm. The Sun dropped their first game of the week to the Las Vegas Aces without head coach Curt Miller on the sidelines, but then bounced back to hand the Aces just their second loss of the season.

By 4:15 a.m. the next morning, the Sun were en route to the airport to catch the first flight from Las Vegas to Phoenix to take on the Mercury later that night. Facing a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Connecticut stormed back in unbelievable fashion to hand the Mercury their seventh consecutive loss.

On Sunday, the Sun ended their road swing up in Seattle, where they outscored Seattle 32-19 in the fourth quarter to overcome a 13-point first-half deficit and win 93-86.

At 9-3, Connecticut sits in second place in the league standings behind Las Vegas. While their wins haven’t all been pretty, the team is digging deep and finding ways to claw back into games by getting defensive stops. The Sun have displayed a toughness and belief in each other that are lifting them to results despite difficult circumstances.

While Alyssa Thomas continues to serve as the Sun’s anchor, reigning MVP Jonquel Jones elevated her play last week, going from averaging 13 to 23 points per game and shooting 68 percent from the field in their last three contests. Brionna Jones, with her consistency on offense and defensive work on the glass, is the X-Factor for the Sun, having finished with a season-high 21 points against the Storm. The Jones-to-Jones connection has proved to be a serious matchup problem for opponents.

Jonquel Jones’ impact extends beyond her ability to score and rebound the basketball. Jones finished with a career-high six assists against Seattle, showcasing her elite vision and pinpoint passing ability.

Here is an underneath, out-of-bounds play the Sun executed well to give them a nine-point lead over Seattle late in the game. In this set, Jonquel Jones and Brionna Jones screen to a cutting DeWanna Bonner. Brionna Jones then screens for Jonquel as she cuts to the ball. The Storm have difficulty communicating on their switches, resulting in an open Jones-to-Jones layup.

The play is a great example of how well the Sun share the basketball and execute late to win games.

A SEASON-HIGH 19 POINTS FOR BRIONNA JONES @_bjones18 #CTSun pic.twitter.com/IuuPV2cdJp

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) June 5, 2022

Kelsey Plum in early MVP conversation

The Aces have three legitimate MVP-caliber candidates on their roster based on what we have seen so far from A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum. In my last column, I analyzed the efficient and confident play of Young. This week, I turn my attention to Plum.

The sixth-year guard scored a career-high 32 points in the Aces’ win over the Wings on Sunday, playing all 40 minutes and elevating her play while Young was sidelined with an ankle injury. Plum currently leads the Aces and is second in the league with 20 points per game, she’s third in the league with six assists per game, and she leads the potent Aces offense in 3-point shooting efficiency, averaging 45 percent on the season.

So that's how you feel, KP?! @Kelseyplum10 dropped a 32 piece at The House 🤯

32 PTS // 5 AST // 53% #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/d7dyeC3rSq

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 6, 2022

What’s even more impressive is her stamina. With the ball in her hands most of the time, she initiates Las Vegas’ offense at a fast pace and does not seem to run out of gas, playing 77 minutes in the last two games over a four-day stretch.

Plum, 27, is hitting her stride and seems to be realizing her full potential. What felt like a breakout 2021 campaign for Plum after she recovered from an Achilles injury was simply a warmup for this season, as she is posting the best numbers of her career in nearly every statistical category.

2019 vs. 2021 vs. 2022 Stats

Minutes: 25.5 — 25.5 — 33.3
Scoring: 8.6 — 14.8 — 19.8
FG %: 36.5 — 43.7 — 44.8
3-point %: 35.7 — 38.6 — 46.0
Assists: 3.0 — 3.6 — 6.0
Rebounds: 2.8 — 2.5 — 3.5

Plum is the perfect fit for coach Becky Hammon’s high-paced style of play, which emphasizes more possessions, shot attempts and the green light to take virtually any 3-point look that comes available.

Not only is Plum efficiently putting up big-time scoring numbers, but she’s also shown an improved ability to create for her teammates. She’s currently fourth in the league with six assists per game behind Courtney Vandersloot, Natasha Cloud and Sue Bird — not bad company for a guard who averaged 3.6 assists per game last season.

Plum is pushing in transition with her head up, able to hit teammates running the floor, like to Dearica Hamby on this play.

KP ➡️ Big Guard!!!@Kelseyplum10 // @dearicamarie pic.twitter.com/zl0fQsZy0f

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 5, 2022

She is attacking off the dribble and getting herself into the paint, where she is forcing two to three defenders to collapse on her and kicking it out to open teammates, like in the example below.

They're really like that 🔥@kstokes41 // @Kelseyplum10 pic.twitter.com/weVsFvwmrk

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 5, 2022

Sabrina Ionescu thrives as Liberty take steps forward

While their late-game comeback against the Minnesota Lynx fell short on Sunday, the Liberty picked up wins over the Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics and showed they can be competitive.

Sabrina Ionescu has begun to hit her stride, as her scoring has increased from 12.6 points per game at the start of the season to 23 points per game in the Liberty’s last three contests. The 5-foot-11 guard has had the chance to play off the ball more in recent games, allowing her to expend less energy and flow more naturally on offense. With more time on the floor, she’s getting herself to the free-throw line and hunting perimeter shots with more frequency than she was at the start of the season.

Just over two weeks ago, the Liberty signed Crystal Dangerfield to a hardship contract after DiDi Richards and Jocelyn Willoughby were ruled out indefinitely with injuries. Dangerfield, a true point guard and primary ball-handler, takes some of the load off of Ionescu, and it’s clearly helping.

While the Liberty remain last in the league in scoring at 72.8 points per game, they increased their output to 79.3 points per game in their last three outings — largely because of Ionescu’s production. Going forward, New York will need to find more consistent second and third scoring options. With third-leading scorer Betnijah Laney out for the next eight weeks while recovering from knee surgery, New York will rely on Natasha Howard, Sami Whitcomb and potentially Han Xu for more production.

Week 5 Power Rankings

1. Connecticut Sun (9-3) +1
2. Las Vegas Aces (10-2) -1
3. Chicago Sky (7-3) —
4. Atlanta Dream (7-4) +3
5. Seattle Storm (5-5) —
6. Washington Mystics (7-5) -2
7. Dallas Wings (6-5) -1
8. Los Angeles Sparks (5-7) +2
9. Minnesota Lynx (3-8) —
10. Phoenix Mercury (3-8) -2
11. New York Liberty (3-8) —
12. Indiana Fever (3-10) —

Rachel Galligan is a basketball analyst at Just Women’s Sports. A former professional basketball player and collegiate coach, she also contributes to Winsidr. Follow Rachel on Twitter @RachGall.

Top-seeded Montréal suffered a surprising loss in their first 2025 PWHL Playoffs game on Thursday, falling 3-2 to postseason debutant No. 3-seed Ottawa.

Despite a tense back-and-forth battle, Ottawa forward Shiann Darkangelo broke through with a third-period game-winning goal, pushing the Charge to an early lead in the best-of-five semifinal series.

The Victoire, who notably used their No. 1-seed advantage to handpick the Charge as their semis opponent, have yet to log a playoff win, adding Thursday's defeat to last season's first-round sweep by Boston.

Even so, Montréal is already viewing the loss as fuel to even the score this weekend.

"We outshot them, we had a lot of great opportunities. We were right there," said Victoire forward Laura Stacey. "If we can put that game together for a whole 60 minutes, it'll look scary I think."

Toronto takes Game 1 from defending champs Minnesota

In the PWHL's other semifinal matchup, No. 2-seed Toronto claimed a one-win advantage over No. 4-seed Minnesota on Wednesday, halting the defending champion Frost's late-season surge with a 3-2 Sceptres victory.

Captain Blayre Turnbull opened scoring in the first period, giving Toronto a lead that they never relinquished, while rookie Julia Gosling netted a second-period brace to secure the Sceptres' win.

Minnesota, acknowledging the tough road they face to return to the championship ice, has already set their eyes on Game 2.

"It's going to be a hard-fought series," said Frost head coach Ken Klee after the Frost's Game 1 loss. "We didn't get one tonight…[so now] we're looking forward to Friday."

How to watch the 2025 PWHL Playoffs this weekend

Toronto and Minnesota are back in action for Game 2 of their series at 7 PM ET on Friday, before traveling to St. Paul for Game 3 at 6 PM ET on Sunday.

Sunday will also see Montréal’s attempt to even their series with Ottawa, with the puck dropping on their Game 2 matchup at 2 PM ET.

All games will stream live on the PWHL YouTube channel.

The 2024/25 Women's Super League (WSL) season officially wraps on Saturday, with Chelsea preparing to claim even more history on the heels of their sixth-straight league title.

The still-undefeated Blues will face sixth-place Liverpool in their final outing, with Chelsea on the cusp of becoming the fourth-ever team to finish a WSL season unbeaten.

Should they do so, Chelsea will join 2012's Arsenal, 2016's Manchester City, and their own 2018 squad in achieving perfection — those this year's Blues would be the first to accomplish the feat in the expanded 22-match campaign.

While the team only needs a draw to remain undefeated, a win would secure Chelsea another record, becoming the first club to tally 60 points in a single campaign — two more than the current mark the Blues claimed in 2022/23.

Despite their astounding WSL record, the Blues have fought hard for their dominance this season, with first-year head coach Sonia Bompastor strategically using her entire roster to maintain the winning legacy left by now-USWNT boss Emma Hayes.

"Don't think it's easy. It's never easy," said Bompastor after Chelsea's 2024/25 title win. "It's a great achievement and a lot of work every day — I don't let my players breathe."

Battle for second-place continues on final WSL matchday

While Chelsea chases records, other top WSL clubs are still jockeying for positions on the league's final 2024/25 table.

Along with the Blues, Arsenal and Manchester United are locked into Champions League qualifying positions for next season — but United could leapfrog Arsenal for a second-place WSL finish on Saturday.

Separated by just one point, the Red Devils and the Gunners will face off against each other in the season's final blockbuster matchup.

Arsenal has extra incentive for a good showing, as the Gunners try to snap their two-game WSL losing streak and gain momentum before battling Barcelona in the May 24th Champions League final.

Chelsea also has a shot at another trophy looming, with the Blues chasing a second domestic treble — winning the league, FA Cup, and League Cup.

However, a tough Manchester United stands in the way of Chelsea's third and final treble title, with the pair facing off in the FA Cup's May 18th championship match.

How to watch WSL matches this weekend

All 12 WSL teams will kick off their season's last matches at 7:30 AM ET on Saturday.

Both Chelsea's game against Liverpool and Manchester United's visit to Arsenal will stream live on ESPN+.

As tune-up tournaments like this week's 2025 Italian Open dominate tennis ahead of the 2025 French Open, one familiar name is back in the headlines, with world No. 48 Naomi Osaka making significant strides on the clay court.

Coming off her first tournament win since 2021 at L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo — a WTA 125 event — last weekend, Osaka immediately advanced to the Italian Open's third round this week.

The four-time Grand Slam winner has shown glimpses of brilliance after returning from her 2023 pregnancy, with Osaka now aiming to keep up momentum on her historically weakest surface.

"Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst," Osaka posted after her May 4th victory. "That's one of my favorite things about life though, there's always room to grow and evolve."

Osaka isn't the only tennis star cooking in Europe, as heavy-hitters like world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Świątek, and No. 3 Coco Gauff also moved ahead in Rome as they look to hone their Roland-Garros form.

Not usually a clay court specialist, Sabalenka has looked particularly formidable, defeating Gauff to take the 2025 Madrid Open title just last week.

How to watch the 2025 Italian Open

The 2025 Italian Open's Round of 32 kicks off early Saturday morning, with continuing coverage on The Tennis Channel.

Fresh off winning their first-ever WNBA title, the New York Liberty will kick off their 2025 preseason slate with in a Friday night clash against the Connecticut Sun — despite the reigning champs looking a little worse for wear.

Two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart has been slowly recovering from offseason knee surgery, with the 30-year-old watching from the bench on Friday in an effort to return to full fitness for next week's season opener.

Similarly, star guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is likely out for the entirety of the 2025 WNBA season with a knee injury of her own, exiting the offseason 3×3 league Unrivaled with a meniscus injury in early March.

Meanwhile, starting sharpshooter Leonie Fiebich has yet to join the Liberty in training camp as the European standout finishes her overseas season with Spain's Valencia Basket.

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Liberty additions to make New York debut on Friday

That said, New York did manage to make a few savvy pick-ups ahead of the 2025 campaign, with the newly configured team eyeing a strong Friday showing to avoid rumors of a slow season start.

The Liberty traded for point guard Natasha Cloud and signed forward Izzy Harrison over the offseason, while also welcoming back guards Marine Johannes and Rebekah Gardner.

Given New York's lengthy availability report, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello noted that the team's markedly late preseason start was not strategic, but merely a scheduling solution.

"Sometimes it's just out of our hands," Brondello told reporters. "This is the first home game that we've had because we've never been able to get the arena availability, so that's it. Ideally, we would have liked to play the game by now, but it is what it is."

How to watch the New York Liberty in the 2025 WNBA preseason

New York will tip off against Connecticut at 7 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.