All Scores

No. 1 recruit Lauren Betts headlines McDonald’s All-American team

Lauren Betts (Courtesy of FIBA)

The 2022 McDonald’s All-American team was announced Wednesday, with No. 1 recruit and Stanford commit Lauren Betts headlining the list of the top high school basketball players in the nation.

From a nomination pool of over 640 athletes, 24 players were selected to the girls’ roster and 24 to the boys’. They will play in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American games on March 29 in Chicago.

The 24 players are committed to 17 different colleges and universities. Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State, South Carolina, Stanford, UCLA and UConn each have two All-Americans as part of their upcoming recruiting classes.

Betts is committed to play at Stanford, while the nation’s No. 2 prospect, Kiki Rice, announced in November that she will attend UCLA in the fall.

“The tradition and prestige of the McDonald’s All American Games is unrivaled — it’s truly in a league of its own atop high school athletic programs that, for more than four decades, has recognized and created opportunity for some of the nations’ best high school athletes,” said Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing and Digital Customer Experience Officer of McDonald’s USA.

The games this year will celebrate the 45-year history of naming high school All-American teams, which have included WNBA and college stars such as Breanna Stewart, Candace Parker and Paige Bueckers.

“Like many of today’s youth, I remember watching the Games growing up. And as the pinnacle of high school basketball, it’s been great to see the Games become a part of basketball culture,” said Elizabeth Campbell, Senior Director of Cultural Engagement, McDonald’s USA. “And while each of the players named to the 2022 rosters will ultimately chart their own journey to greatness, there is one thread connecting them to many other legends — their hard-earned selection as a McDonald’s All American.”

Patty Evers and Hilda Hankerson will coach the two girls’ teams. The game will air on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m. ET on March 29.

Full All-American roster

  • Janiah Barker, F, Monteverde Academy (FL) — Georgia
  • Raegan Beers, P, Valor Christian High School (CO) — Oregon State
  • Lauren Betts, P, Grandview High School (CO) — Stanford
  • Isuneh Brady, P, Cathedral Catholic High School (CA) –UConn
  • KK Bransford, G, Mount Notre Dame High School (OH) — Notre Dame
  • Paris Clark, G, Long Island Lutheran High School (NY) — Arizona
  • Talaysia Cooper, PG, East Clarendon High School (SC) — South Carolina
  • Timea Gardiner, F, Fremont High School (UT) — Oregon State
  • Aaliyah Gayles, PG, Spring Valley High School (NV) — USC
  • Chance Gray, PG, Winton Woods High School (OH) — Oregon
  • Ashlon Jackson, G, Hardin-Jefferson High School (TX) — Duke
  • Gabriela Jaquez, F, Adolfo Camarillo High School (CA) — UCLA
  • Flau’jae Johnson, G, Sprayberry High School (GA) — LSU
  • Ta’Niya Latson, G, American Heritage High School (FL) — Florida State
  • Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, W, Classen SAS High School (OK) — Baylor
  • Indya Nivar, G, Apex Friendship High School (NC) — Stanford
  • Maya Nnaji, F, Hopkins High School (MN) — Arizona
  • Kyla Oldacre, P, William Mason High School (OH) — Miami
  • Ayanna Patterson, W, Homestead High School (IN) — UConn
  • Justine Pissott, W, Red Bank Catholic High School (NJ) — Tennessee
  • Kiki Rice, PG, Sidwell Friends School (DC) — UCLA
  • Grace VanSlooten, F, IMG Academy (FL) — Oregon
  • Ashlyn Watkins, P, Cardinal Newman School (SC) — South Carolina
  • Ruby Whitehorn, G, Detroit Edison Early College of Excellence (MI) — Clemson

WNBA Playoffs Pit New York Liberty Against Phoenix Mercury in Game 3

New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones reaches for the opening tip-off during Game 2 of the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
The New York Liberty's WNBA title defense hopes rest on a win over Phoenix in Friday's Game 3. (David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)

The first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs ends on Friday night, when the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury and No. 5 New York Liberty return to Arizona for a winner-take-all Game 3 — with a trip to the semifinals on the line.

"The message is, 'Everybody keep our heads up. This is a series, and Phoenix is a tough team,'" Liberty star Breanna Stewart said ahead of Friday's matchup.

Still battling an MCL sprain in her left knee, Stewart hopes for more quality time on the court to help New York bounce back from the Mercury's Game 2 blowout win.

While neither team has successfully defended at home so far, Phoenix will look for a boost from the Mercury fans as they try to oust the defending WNBA champs.

"It's just nice for everyone to get a home game," said Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas. "[But] in order to win a series, you got to win on the road."

"You see how competitive, how balanced this is," said Stewart, commenting on the league's new home-away-home first-round format. "How important it is for these kind of series to be going back and forth."

How to watch the New York Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury in Game 3

It's win-or-go-home for both the No. 5 New York Liberty and No. 4 Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs on Friday.

The high-stakes matchup will tip off at 9 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.

A’ja Wilson and Alanna Smith Share 2025 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award

Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith defends a shot from Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson during a 2025 WNBA game.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith are the first athletes to share WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honors. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

The 2025 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year race ended in a tie on Thursday, as dominant seasons at both ends of the court saw Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith each receive 29 of the media panel's 72 total votes.

After finishing first this season in blocks per game (2.3), total rebounds (407), defensive rebounds (316), and combined steals and blocks (156), Wilson became just the fourth player in WNBA history named Defensive Player of the Year at least three times — adding this year's title to her previous 2022 and 2023 honors.

As for Smith, who picked up the award for the first time this year, the Lynx star ranked second overall in combined steals and blocks (135), third in both blocks per game (1.9) and total blocks (80), and tied for 10th in total steals (55) on the season.

Also snagging votes were Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams, who came in second with nine votes, as well as Phoenix Mercury triple-double phenom Alyssa Thomas and fellow Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who received three and two votes, respectively.

The win by both Wilson and Smith marks the first time in history that the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honor has ended in a tie, reflecting both the top-notch level of talent on display across the league as well as the hyper-competitive nature of the 2025 end-of-year awards race on display across multiple categories.

Next up on the league's awards docket is Saturday's Sixth Player of the Year announcement, followed by the highly anticipated reveal of the 2025 WNBA MVP on Sunday.

San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns Mid-Table Clash Headlines NWSL Weekend

The San Diego Wave walk across the pitch during a 2025 NWSL match.
The San Diego Wave have just one win in their last five NWSL matches. (Stan Szeto/Imagn Images)

The NWSL promises a tense mid-table battle this weekend, as the No. 4 Portland Thorns take on the No. 5 San Diego Wave with both teams looking to keep late-season lags at bay.

After strong starts, the Thorns and Wave each have just one win in their last five games, with San Diego aiming to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to Gotham last weekend.

Even more, both clubs currently sit in a four-way tie for points on the NWSL table, giving Saturday's match extra weight in potentially shifting the standings this weekend.

"It's a really important moment for us as a team," said San Diego head coach Jonas Eidevall. "Because adversity will happen to people or teams at various points, and everything about now is how we respond."

Portland will also look to regain ground, perhaps drawing inspiration from the past after announcing Wednesday that the club plans to retire legendary forward Christine Sinclair's jersey in an October 4th ceremony.

Sinclair established herself as the Portland Thorns' all-time leading scorer, retiring last year with 79 goals across all NWSL competitions — the second-most ever scored by an NWSL player.

How to watch the Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave

The No. 4 Portland Thorns will host the No. 5 San Diego Wave at 10 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the NWSL match airing on ION.

Las Vegas Aces Oust Seattle Storm to Book 7th Straight WNBA Semifinals Ticket

Las Vegas center A'ja Wilson celebrates the Aces' first-round series win in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with her teammates.
A'ja Wilson led the Las Vegas Aces to their seventh straight WNBA semifinals on Thursday. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

No. 2 Las Vegas narrowly avoided a 2025 first-round postseason series upset on Thursday night, defeating the No. 7 Seattle Storm 74-73 in a deciding Game 3 to advance to the Aces' seventh-straight WNBA semifinals.

Aces star A'ja Wilson put her team on her back with another dominant performance, posting 38 points — including 25 in the second half — to outscore the rest of the Las Vegas lineup entirely.

"I am so proud of my team, we were resilient, that's what we need to be in these playoffs and I love each and every last one of them," Wilson said postgame.

Las Vegas got off to a slow start this year, but a late-season surge fueled by a renewed focus on depth saw the 2023 WNBA champs take the No. 2 playoff seed — and book yet another trip to the WNBA semifinals.

"I remember Chelsea [Gray] saying in a timeout, 'There's no time for my-bads anymore,'" said Wilson. "We have to play perfect basketball."

How to watch the Las Vegas Aces in the 2025 WNBA semifinals

Up next for No. 2 Las Vegas is a No. 6 Indiana side punching above their weight.

That said, the Fever did score a 2-1 record against the Aces in the 2025 regular season — and Las Vegas's lone win over Indiana came back in June.

"They haven't seen the real Aces yet," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said of the Fever. "They caught us when we were a bit in turmoil."

The Aces will take aim at Indiana in Sunday's 3 PM ET semifinals opener, airing live on ABC.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.