On the day LSU women’s basketball honored “homegrown” legend Seimone Augustus with a statue, current Tigers standout Angel Reese made the 15-year former WNBA star feel “old and happy” at the same time.

Reese showed up with a photo she had taken with Augustus in 2011, when the latter played for the Minnesota Lynx. The pair recreated that moment, which highlighted Augustus’ role in growing the game — and her ongoing connection to the LSU program.

“Angel, I mean she made me feel old and happy all in one day with the picture,” said Augustus. “It’s like coaches always say, you never know who’s watching.

“That picture kind of symbolized that as a pro athlete, I wanted to make sure I gave autographs and pictures to some of the younger people that’s in the crowd, not knowing that this day would come but thankful that this day is here because Ms. Reese is now a Tiger.”

Two moments 12 years apart 💜🤍💛 https://t.co/AKSWAn6DDp pic.twitter.com/hs6q05P2Tg

— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) January 14, 2023

Once called the most influential recruit in the history of LSU athletics by former athletic director Skip Bertman, Augustus was enshrined in LSU basketball glory Sunday. The team unveiled a statue of the star outside of Pete Maravich Assembly Center before the undefeated Tigers’ game against Auburn.

Augustus finished her Tigers career in 2006 as the program’s second-leading scorer with 2,702 points. She also set an NCAA record of 132 games of double-figure scoring — which she did in 140 games total.

She also became the first female LSU athlete to have her jersey number (33) retired. The Lynx also have retired Augustus’ jersey. They drafted her No. 1 overall in the 2002 WNBA draft, and she spent 14 of her 15 WNBA seasons with the them.

Her former Lynx teammate Sylvia Fowles was in attendance Sunday as Augustus was honored.

Legend Supporting Legend 🤝 pic.twitter.com/VdmZV58MlO

— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) January 15, 2023

“There’ll never be another Seimone,” said former assistant coach Bob Starkey, who coached Augustus during her time at LSU. “There will be great players, but never another Seimone Augustus. Not at LSU.

“She was homegrown. That’s what make it different. She understands and loves Baton Rouge.”

Got Seimone her statue 💜🤍💛#ForeverLSU pic.twitter.com/eDvywIy80W

— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) January 15, 2023

For Baton Rouge native Augustus, the decision to attend LSU was also a decision to stay home and play ball for her hometown college. She was choosing between Tennessee and LSU, but ultimately decided to play for the Tigers, as they were the first to recruit her long before she topped her recruiting class.

“So many people here in Baton Rouge have followed my career since biddy-ball days so this is a celebration for everyone, not just myself,” Augustus said. “So many people were involved in this journey. I’m just grateful that it’s happening.

“I just felt like the things they were doing (at LSU) resonated most with me. Being at home giving my family, my supporters another four years to really let me become who I needed to become then go out into the world.

“Home is where the heart is.”

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.