The college basketball season has already delivered upsets, debates and star performances, but before we shift focus to the upcoming NCAA Tournament, a little reflection is due.

Women’s college basketball in 2022 was full of eye-popping moments that deserve a second-look before the New Year.

South Carolina rises to the top

With Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Aliyah Boston leading the way, South Carolina won its second title in program history in April, topping UConn in the national championship game. Destanni Henderson scored 26 points as the Gamecocks defeated the Huskies 64-49. The win also cemented South Carolina’s status as one of the top programs in college basketball, with the No. 1 team the favorite once again to win the 2023 title.

Coach Dawn Staley continues to recruit top talent — adding two more five-star players this season — and is a prominent voice when it comes to promoting the sport and supporting causes close to the community, such as the campaign to bring Brittney Griner home from Russia. This was certainly South Carolina’s year, but it won’t be the last time the Gamecocks dominate headlines.

Clark vs. Boston

South Carolina’s star eventually won out, but much of the year was devoted to the Player of the Year debate between Boston and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. The Gamecocks junior averaged 16.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, and her importance to the team on both ends of the floor helped solidify her case for the award. Meanwhile, the sophomore Clark led the country in assists and points, averaging 27 points, eight assists and eight rebounds per game. She wowed spectators with her scoring ability, particularly the logo 3-pointers that have become synonymous with Clark’s game. The POY debate has roared on into the 2022-23 season, with the upperclassmen leading the race once again.

Year of upsets

The 2022 NCAA Tournament ended with two giants battling for the title in South Carolina and UConn, but the postseason itself was packed with shocking results and new names. Perhaps the biggest upset of all came in the second round, when No. 10 Creighton defeated No. 2 Iowa in the waning minutes of the game. Lauren Jensen, an Iowa transfer, stunned the Hawkeyes when she hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 15 seconds left to help the Bluejays clinch a spot in the Sweet 16.

10-seed Creighton upsets 2-seed Iowa!

Iowa transfer Lauren Jensen nailed the game winner against her former squad. pic.twitter.com/vnHENmldNR

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 20, 2022

And that was far from the only upset. A few more highlights: No. 12 Belmont topped No. 5 Oregon in double overtime in the first round, No. 11 Princeton tipped No. 6 Kentucky, and No. 10 South Dakota defeated Baylor in the second round.

NIL takeover

The Name, Image and Likeness rule that permits college athletes to profit off of their personal brand took effect for the 2021-22 season, and it didn’t take long for plenty of college basketball stars to take advantage.

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UConn’s Paige Bueckers signed deals with Bose, Crocs and Gatorade, while Miami transfers Haley and Hanna Cavinder monetized their Instagram and TikTok accounts and Clark signed on with Nike. Other athletes were able to capitalize on the rule at the local level, allowing players across the league to market themselves and make money. Of all athletes in the men’s and women’s Sweet 16 in March, women made up the majority of those with the highest earning potential on social media, according to Opendorse.

Transfers

The transfer portal burst with activity in 2022, with several high-profile players leaving their programs after the 2022 season. Maryland stars Angel Reese and Ashley Owusu departed for LSU and Virginia Tech, respectively, while former top recruit Saniya Rivers parted ways with South Carolina for NC State, to name a few.

The NCAA’s new one-time transfer rule, which allows players to change programs without sitting out a year, led to a record number of athletes in the portal in 2021 and 2022.

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

Two key upsets headlined Thursday's WNBA bill, sending the Phoenix Mercury soaring into third place in the league standings while the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries continued to outwit opponents.

The red-hot Mercury snagged their fourth straight win by taking down the No. 2 New York Liberty 89-81 on Thursday night, overcoming an 35-point performance from two-time MVP Breanna Stewart with five double-digit Phoenix scorers.

Meanwhile out West, the Valkyries stifled a surging No. 7 Fever, downing Indiana 88-77 in part by holding star guard Caitlin Clark to just 3-for-14 from the field — and 0-for-7 from behind the arc.

"We were being disruptive, we know that she doesn't like physicality, we know that she wants to get to that left step-back," Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said about the Valkyries' strategy to effectively contain Clark.

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Though the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and 2024 WNBA champions New York still hold court atop the table, Thursday's actions proves that other squads are making some unexpected in-roads.

Putting together an impressive road record are the Mercury, who will ride a 4-2 away record into their Saturday matchup against the No. 11 Chicago Sky — the last stop on a four-game road trip that's been perfect for Phoenix thus far.

Already flipping the script on expectations is Golden State, with the 2025 expansion team rising despite relying on a hodgepodge roster as several players compete at EuroBasket 2025. The Valkyries will aim to keep their winning momentum in their Sunday clash with the No. 12 Connecticut Sun.

How to watch the Mercury, Valkyries this weekend

Both of Thursday's victors will be back in action this weekend, with Phoenix facing Chicago at 1 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on ABC.

Then on Sunday, Golden State will host Connecticut at 8:30 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

In another weekend full of WNBA action, all eyes are on Las Vegas, as the No. 8 Aces will try to curb a two-game losing streak against two formidable opponents.

A successful weekend for Las Vegas could hinge on three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's potential return from injury, with the star forward recently upgraded to "questionable" after landing in concussion protocol last week.

Overall, the margin for error has narrowed in the middle of the WNBA pack, as talented teams continue to translate quality performances into consistency.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Aces will try to end their free fall in Friday's head-to-head battle with a Seattle side that can beat anybody at their best.

• No. 7 Indiana Fever vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ESPN): Las Vegas next faces a Fever team still smarting from Thursday's away loss to the Golden State Valkyries, with both teams narrowly clinging to positions above the playoff line.

• No. 2 New York Liberty vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Liberty have a comfortable hold on second place, but with two losses in their last three games, New York is flirting with danger entering their Sunday game with Seattle — particularly if star big Jonquel Jones is out after suffering a knock to the ankle on Thursday.

Ultimately, there's no rest for the weary in the WNBA, as a series of difficult matchups can see a single error quickly slide into a losing streak.

The final NWSL weekend heading into the league's six-week summer break has arrived, giving teams one more chance to prove themselves before regular-season play pauses to make way for major international tournaments.

With a five-point gap separating No. 1 Kansas City from No. 2 Orlando in the NWSL standings, the Current will enter the break as the 2025 Shield frontrunners regardless of this weekend's results.

Despite Kansas City's grip atop the table, there's still plenty of room for movement both above and below the postseason cutoff line, as clubs across the NWSL look to wrap their midseason finales on a high note:

• No. 1 Kansas City Current vs. No. 10 Angel City FC, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Angel City has a shot at launching themselves above the cutoff line on Friday, but they'll have to snap the Current's five-game winning streak to make it happen.

• No. 8 Gotham FC vs. No. 9 Bay FC, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Gotham and Bay FC enter the weekend tied on points while staring at each other from on opposite sides of the playoff line — meaning a Saturday win for either club could set the tone for the rest of the 2025 season.

• No. 3 San Diego Wave FC vs. No. 4 Washington Spirit, Sunday at 10 PM ET (CBS Sports): The weekend's only top-table clash could see San Diego sprint back into second place — unless Washington leapfrogs the upstart Wave to claim the third-place spot.

The LPGA Tour has turned its attention to Texas, with the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship — the third major of the pro golf season — teeing off in Frisco to a flurry of first-round action on Thursday.

All of the sport's Top 100 athletes are participating in this week's event, including No. 1 Nelly Korda, who sits in a 14th-place tie with an even-par first-round performance, and surging US dark horse No. 50 Lexi Thompson, who tied for 10th in her Thursday return from a brief retirement.

However, leading the pack heading into Friday's second round is Thailand's world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who finished the first day of competition atop the leaderboard with a score of 4-under-par.

Australia's No. 24 Minjee Lee also posted a strong start, capping Thursday at 3-under to sit in second place.

While the sport's best chase victory on the links, the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship is already making history off the green.

Not only is it the first-ever women's major to tee off at Frisco's Fields Ranch East, the tournament also increased its purse to $12 million on Tuesday — nearly tripling the $4.5 million prize pool from just four years ago and tying the US Women's Open for the LPGA Tour's highest payout in the process.

How to watch the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The third LPGA Grand Slam of 2025 continues through Sunday.

Friday's second round will air live on the Golf Channel, while coverage of Saturday and Sunday's final rounds will air across NBC and Peacock.