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College basketball transfer tracker: Diamond Johnson picks Norfolk State

Diamond Johnson is transferring to Norfolk State. (Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The transfer portal is still hopping as players find their new homes for next season.

Just Women’s Sports will be keeping track of the top players who have entered the portal and those who have chosen their teams.


May 23 — Diamond Johnson picks Norfolk State

Former NC State star Diamond Johnson is transferring to Norfolk State, she announced Tuesday.

The historically Black university proved a draw for Johnson in more ways than one as she seeks to “be the best version” of herself.

“A lot of people think you always have to go to Power Five schools to get to your (dream), going to the WNBA, going pro,” Johnson told Lauren Dreher in her announcement video. “But I don’t think it always has to be like that. You can go to HBCUs, mid-majors. I think you can develop there and still chase your dreams.”

Norfolk State is coming off its second NCAA tournament appearance in program history and first since 2002. The Spartans won the MEAC tournament, beating Howard in the title game, then lost to No. 1 seed South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

“I’m going to say it today so we can prep for next year: Norfolk State is not a 16 seed. Just want you to know that. They’re not. Very well-coached. Very disciplined,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said after the game.

The former ACC Sixth Player of the Year as a sophomore, Johnson will provide an immediate boost to Norfolk State, having led NC State in scoring this past season with 12.3 points per game. She did miss some time with an ankle injury, playing just 22 games.


May 5 — Aneesah Morrow chooses LSU over South Carolina and USC

After narrowing down her list to LSU, USC, and South Carolina, DePaul transfer Aneesah Morrow announced that she will attend LSU. The reigning national champions now have two top transfers in Morrow and Louisville transfer Hailey van Lith.

“I want to win championships and build a dynasty,” Morrow said in a video announcement sponsored by Caktus AI. “Where is the best place for me to achieve my goals?”

Read the full story here.


May 5 — Jewel Spear commits to Tennessee

Wake Forest transfer Jewel Spear will attend the University of Tennessee.

Spear, a two-time all-ACC honoree, helped Wake Forest reach the NCAA tournament in 2021, the Demon Deacons’ first NCAA tournament appearance since 1988.

“I felt like it was time to spread my wings, go to a bigger stage and compete on a bigger stage, while also getting great academics and being able to contend for a national championship,” Spear told ESPN.


May 5 — Junior college star Sakima Walker heads to South Carolina

Junior college player of the year Sakima Walker is joining the South Carolina Gamecocks. Walker played at Rutgers for two seasons before transferring to Northwest Florida State College, where she led the team to the 2023 junior college national title and was named NJCAA Division I women’s player of the year.

Walker is South Carolina’s second transfer of 2023, joining Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao.


May 4 — Oklahoma State picks up Big East Freshman of the Year

Georgetown star Kennedy Fauntleroy is joining Oklahoma State. In one season with the Hoyas, she averaged 10.9 points and 3.9 rebounds, enough to make her the unanimous pick for Big East Freshman of the Year.

“Last year she proved to be one of the best point guards in the country as a freshman and we can’t wait to help her prove herself again,” Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt said in a statement.

Taiyer Parks is on the move as well, flipping from Michigan State to Big Ten rival Ohio State as a graduate transfer. She averaged 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds across four seasons with the Spartans.


April 27 — Hailey Van Lith joins national champion LSU

One of the top players in the transfer portal, Van Lith averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists with Louisville last season.

With Alexis Morris’ departure to the WNBA after the Tigers’ NCAA championship run, the Tigers had an opening at point guard that Van Lith will fill in 2023-24.


April 24 — Te-Hina Paopao commits to South Carolina, Lexi Donarski to North Carolina

South Carolina scored a big portal pickup Monday with the addition of Paopao. The former Oregon point guard has two years of eligibility remaining and averaged 12.5 points, 3.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds through three seasons with the Ducks.

“blessed & excited for the journey ahead,” Paopao wrote in her social media post. “go gamecocks !”

The No. 7 transfer prospect according to ESPN, she was also ranked 11th in the class of 2020 recruit rankings.

Paopao was also one of the best 3-point shooters in the country last season shooting 42.4 percent, which will help the Gamecocks who hit just 31 percent of their 3s over the last two seasons.

Former Iowa State guard Donarski also announced her next school Monday: North Carolina.

With two years of eligibility remaining, the three-year starter averaged 12.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in the 2022-23 season as a member of the Big 12 tournament championship team.

She also helped the Cyclones to the NCAA Sweet 16 and was named Big 12 defensive player of the year. She was ranked as the third-best transfer by ESPN.


April 23 — Mississippi State lands Lauren Park-Lane; Shayeann Day-Wilson heads to Miami; BYU’s Lauren Gustin enters portal

Mississippi State has picked up an impact player in Park-Laine. As a senior for Seton Hall in the 2022-23 season, the guard averaging 20.8 points and 6.3 assists per game.

Meanwhile, Day-Wilson is headed to Miami, she announced via social media.She averaged 10.2 points, 3.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds in two seasons at Duke.

And Gustin has entered the transfer portal after three seasons at BYU. She had a career-best season in 2022-23, averaging 16.1 points and 16.7 rebounds per game. Quietly, she put together one of the best campaigns in the NCAA, finishing with the second-most double-doubles. She finished with 27 in 33 games played, second only to LSU’s Angel Reese.


April 21 — Aneesah Morrow announces top three schools

The DePaul transfer has narrowed her list to three schools, she announced via social media: LSU, South Carolina and USC. Morrow previously said she was contacted by 33 schools after putting her name in the transfer portal.


April 20 — Celeste Taylor announces commitment to Buckeyes, Lexy Keys to Oklahoma

Taylor is transferring from Duke to Ohio State due to “unforeseen circumstances,” she announced Thursday. She had announced that she would return to Duke for a fifth year but later entered the transfer portal.

“The relationships that I have been able to build with everyone will be unforgettable,” she wrote. “I can’t thank Duke enough for the unwavering support.”

A native of New York, Taylor was named ACC defensive player of the year and was a member of the all-ACC first team. She was also named a finalist for Naismith defensive player of the year.

Throughout her career, Taylor has averaged 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Lexy Keys, who played three seasons at Oklahoma State, is set to join the rival Sooners with two years of eligibility remaining. She averaged 9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists this season for Oklahoma State.


April 17 — Diamond Johnson re-enters portal after two seasons with NC State

The 5-5 junior guard is on the hunt for another new team.

Johnson transferred to NC State after spending her freshman season at Rutgers. After two years at NC State, she is again in the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

As a junior, she averaged 12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Wolfpack, though she also missed 10 games with an ankle injury.

NC State teammates Camille Hobby and Jakia Brown-Turner also entered the transfer portal, with Brown-Turner headed to Maryland.

Arizona is another school with a number of players in the portal, but at least one has reversed course. Rising sophomore guard Kailyn Gilbert has decided to exit the portal and return to the Wildcats.

Also on Monday, James Madison star Kiki Jefferson committed to Louisville. She averaged 18.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in her senior season with James Madison.


April 16 — Rose Micheaux joins Virginia Tech from Minnesota

The 6-2 sophomore forward averaged 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds for Minnesota this season, but she entered the transfer portal after the resignation of Golden Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen.


April 12 — Aneesah Morrow: South Carolina, LSU among suitors

The former DePaul star has been contacted by 33 different schools, she told ESPN on Wednesday. Among them are 2023 national champion LSU, 2022 national champion South Carolina, Notre Dame, Iowa, Maryland, USC and Ole Miss.

Morrow has been among the top scorers in the country in each of the past two seasons. She plans to narrow her list to her top three destinations in the coming days, she revealed on Twitter.

Several other transfers have announced their destinations, including Jordyn Oliver, who is leaving Duke for Vanderbilt, and Kyndall Hunter, who is departing Texas for Texas A&M.


April 12 — Duke’s Celeste Taylor enters transfer portal

Duke’s leading scorer has entered the transfer portal, joining teammate Shayeann Day-Wilson.

One of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, Taylor averaged 11.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals for the Blue Devils this season. Wherever she lands will become Taylor’s third school after she transferred to Duke from Texas, where she played her first two seasons of basketball.

Taylor has one year of eligibility remaining.


April 8 — Sedona Prince to transfer to TCU

Oregon’s Prince is “coming home,” they announced via Instagram. The Texas native is headed to TCU.

She will reunite with new TCU head coach Mark Campbell, who spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Oregon before leaving in 2021 to become the head coach at Sacramento State.


April 8 — Lauren Betts, No 1. recruit in 2022, enters portal

Stanford’s Betts has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Betts, the No. 1 recruit in 2022, played one season for the Cardinal. She finished the 2022-23 season averaging 5.9 points and playing 9.6 minutes per game.

Betts isn’t the only Stanford player in the portal. Agnes Emma-Nnopu and Indya Nivar are also looking to make moves.


April 8 — Hailey Van Lith to graduate from Louisville early, enter transfer portal as a grad student

Van Lith made huge news on Saturday morning when Louisville confirmed that the junior guard had entered the NCAA transfer portal. While Van Lith just finished her junior season at Louisville, she will receive her undergraduate degree in May and she enters the transfer portal as a graduate student. (You can read more here.)


April 6 — Jakia Brown-Turner heads home to Maryland

After four years at NC State, the Oxon Hill, Maryland, native is headed back to her home state to play for the Terrapins, she announced Thursday via social media.

“Home sweet home,” she wrote in her Instagram caption, alongside photos of herself in a Maryland uniform.

Brown-Turner averaged 10.3 points and 4.2 rebounds across her four seasons at NC State, and she has shot 34.4% from 3-point range for her career. The 6-0 forward was a two-time All-ACC selection with the Wolfpack.


April 5 — Rising star Aneesah Morrow leaves DePaul

The sophomore forward averaged 25.7 points (fourth in Division I) and 12.2 rebounds (seventh in Division I) this season, which puts her in elite company.

While she stayed in her hometown of Chicago in choosing DePaul, her talent could take her farther from home as she immediately becomes the top transfer on the market.


April 4 — Virginia Tech’s Ashley Owusu enters transfer portal

The former Maryland standout spent the last season at Virginia Tech, but she found herself confined to the bench for the entire postseason.

The 6-0 senior guard appeared in 17 games total, averaging 5.1 points in 15.1 minutes per game. She has one year of COVID-19 eligibility remaining.


April 3 — Jayda Curry heads to Louisville

The 5-6 guard led the Pac-12 in scoring with 18.6 points per game in the 2021-22 season, then averaged 15.5 points per game as a sophomore.

Louisville picks up a two-time Pac-12 all-conference selection to strengthen a lineup that made a run to the Elite Eight.

“I’m just excited to be on that big stage … just trying to be that person who can come in there and help and impact them and take them a little farther, get to the Final Four again and hopefully win a national championship,” Curry told Bally Sports.

Also on Monday, Oregon guard Te-Hina Paopao entered the transfer portal, further draining the Pac-12 talent pool.

The third-year sophomore averaged 13.1 points and a career-high 4.2 rebounds per game for the Ducks.


March 31 — Seton Hall’s Lauren Park-Lane enters transfer portal

Park-Lane is entering the transfer portal, the Seton Hall star revealed Friday on Twitter.

As a senior this year, Park-Lane averaging 20.8 points and 6.3 assists per game for the Pirates. A first-team All-Big East selection, she was also named to the Wooden Award watch list this season. Among her notable performances include a Seton Hall single-game scoring record 39 points in the team’s win over DePaul in February.

While Park-Lane could have opted to go to the WNBA draft, she did not declare and is looking to spend a fifth year in the NCAA.


March 30 — Maryland’s Ava Sciolla, Mila Reynolds enter portal

Sciolla announced Thursday that she has entered the transfer portal, one day after fellow freshman Reynolds did the same. And hours after Reynolds’ announcement, younger sister Amiyah announced her decision to decommit from Maryland.

“I’ll be looking for a home and opportunity to leverage all I’ve learned over the last year,” Mila Reynolds wrote. “Somewhere I can use my gifts and abilities to help win games and make a community proud.”

Sciola also thanked Maryland and expressed her gratitude for “my experience and role in this year’s run to the Elite 8.” But she plans to move on from the Terrapins.

“However, I am moving on with the intention of joining a program where my skills, competitiveness, and basketball IQ can enhance and complement another successful culture,” she wrote.

NC State’s Jakia Brown-Turner also announced Thursday that she has entered into the portal. A key member of the Wolfpack, she averaged 9.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this season.

In a statement, Brown-Turner called her NC State experience “amazing.”

“I have learned and grown in so many ways these past four years,” she wrote, noting that one of her goals was to win the ACC championship — something that the Wolfpack did three times during her career.

“I am so grateful for these moments.”


March 27 — Duke’s Shayeann Day-Wilson announces departure, joining teammate Jordyn Oliver

The former ACC Freshman of the Year announced Monday that she has entered her name into the transfer portal.

“The decision was not easy, but it was the best decision for me & my family,” the Duke sophomore wrote.

She may have alluded to her departure following the team’s March 20 loss to Colorado in the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s not the typical end that you want, but I’m staying positive, keeping my head up,” Day-Wilson told The Duke Chronicle following the team’s season-ending loss. “To not make it the year before and to get to at least Round Two — I wouldn’t say I’m super happy with it, but I’m grateful. And, next year, looking forward to it, same way. And I’m just proud of my team, and I’m gonna miss all of them.”

Day-Wilson came to the Blue Devils as top-50 recruit in her class. She averaged 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists this season.

She joins Jordyn Oliver, who entered the portal on March 23, according to The Next’s Mitchell Northam. Oliver was a key piece of the Duke bench and averaged 3.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.


March 24 — Iowa State’s Lexi Donarski enters transfer portal

Donarski has entered the transfer portal, the Des Moines Register’s Tommy Birch reported. The three-time starter joins three other Iowa State players to enter to the portal: Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw, Maggie Vick and Morgan Kane.


March 23 — Four Arizona players enter transfer portal

Four Arizona players have entered the transfer portal after the Wildcats’ second-round exit from the NCAA Tournament.

Sophomore guard Madi Conner, junior Lauren Ware and freshmen Lemyah Hylton and Paris Clark are in the portal, The Athletic’s Chantel Jennings reported.

Conner averaged 6.0 points and 14.7 minutes per game for the Wildcats this seasonn. While Ware missed the season recovering from knee surgery, she averaged 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in the 2021-22 season and was expected to make a big impact upon her return.


March 23 — NC State’s Camille Hobby enters transfer portal

Hobby is planning to use her fifth year of eligibility elsewhere, as she announced her decision to enter the transfer portal.

The forward averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds this season for the Wolfpack, while shooting 52% from the floor.


March 22 — Sun Belt Player of the Year leaves James Madison

Kiki Jefferson is entering the transfer portal after averaging 18.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in her senior season with James Madison. She was named the Player of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference for her senior season, and she has one year of COVID-19 eligibility remaining.


March 16 — Seven Pitt players enter transfer portal

Seven players are leaving Pitt basketball after the program parted ways with coach Lance White at the end of the season.

Senior forward Amber Brown entered the transfer portal Tuesday, and she was followed by six more Panthers players: Emy Hayford, Destiny Strother, Taisha Exanor, Sandrine Clesca, Cynthia Ezeja and Dayshanette Harris.


March 16 — Sophomore center Rose Micheaux leaves Minnesota

Micheaux becomes the first player to enter the transfer portal since Lindsay Whalen resigned as the Golden Gophers coach earlier this month. The sophomore averaged 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds for Minnesota this season.

“The University of Minnesota will always have a special place in my heart… With that being said, I will be entering my name into the transfer portal, to further my academic and athletic career,” Micheaux wrote in a social media post.


March 15 — Former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year departs Cal

Cal guard Jayda Curry is leaving the program, a Cal spokesperson confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Curry led the Pac-12 in scoring with 18.6 points per game in the 2021-22 season, which earned her the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award. She averaged 15.5 points per game as a sophomore this season, but the Bears finished with a 13-17 record.


March 14 — Texas guard Kyndall Hunter plans to transfer

As No. 4 seed Texas prepares for the NCAA Tournament, guard Kyndall Hunter has announced her intention to leave the program. Hunter has missed the entire season due to personal reasons, per coach Vic Schaefer.

“I will continue to move forward and find a university and coaching staff who believes in me and will nurture me as a basketball player on the court but even more, instill confidence in me off the court,” she wrote on social media.

Still, she expressed her support for the Longhorns before their first-round game against No. 13 seed East Carolina at 10 p.m. ET Saturday.

“I would like to wish my Texas teammates nothing but the best of luck in their pursuit (of) a national championship this season,” she wrote.


March 9 — Two Kentucky players enter transfer portal

Just last year, Kentucky produced the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in Rhyne Howard. After a disappointing season for the Wildcats, though, two players already have announced their plans to leave the program.

Sophomore guard Jada Walker and freshman guard Kennedy Cambridge will both enter their names in the transfer portal, they announced this week. After finishing the 2022-23 season with a 12-19 record and tied for last in the SEC, the Wildcats will need to fill out their backcourt to compete next season.

Walker ranked second in scoring for Kentucky this season with 12.6 points per game, and she led the SEC with 2.6 steals per game. While she thanked coach Kyra Elzy for the opportunity to be part of last season’s SEC Tournament-winning team last season, she is ready to move on.

Cambridge averaged 2.7 points per game and likely would have assumed a bigger role next season.

Kentucky dealt with significant turnover last year, too, after losing three starters to the transfer portal. Former Wildcats forward Dre’Una Edwards called out Kentucky coach Kyra Elzy in January for refusing to sign an eligibility waiver that would allow Edwards to play at Baylor, her new school. Elzy defended Kentucky’s position in the conflict.

Unrivaled to Crown First-Ever 1v1 Tournament Champion

Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier dribbles the ball during an Unrivaled game.
Napheesa Collier is one of four Unrivaled players competing for the 1v1 tournament's $200,000 prize. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball will crown its first-ever 1v1 tournament champion on Friday night, when all four semifinalists take the court with a $200,000 grand prize on the line.

Vinyl guard Arike Ogunbowale will kick off the semis against Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards, before Unrivaled co-founder and Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier faces Rose forward Azurá Stevens. The victors will immediately advance to the night's best-of-three final series.

Notably, Friday's set puts alma mater pride on center court. A trio of UConn alums in Collier, Stevens, and Edwards will all clock in, while Ogunbowale reps Notre Dame — one of just three teams to beat the Huskies this NCAA season.

Along with those priceless bragging rights, the semifinalists are battling for a six-figure payday, though none will leave empty-handed. Each are guaranteed at least $25,000, with $50,000 on deck for the tournament's runner-up.

The players' Unrivaled teammates will also be watching with interest, as the winner's entire 3×3 team will snag $10,000 each.

Though 1v1 can feel like a schoolyard version of basketball, with this much money involved, expect the competition to rise miles above playground tussles.

Rose BC's Angel Reese defends Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards during an Unrivaled game.
Aaliyah Edwards is one of three UConn alums in the Unrivaled 1v1 semifinals. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Endurance could decide Unrivaled 1v1 tournament champion

Friday's format is in part a test of stamina, as players stare down a grueling schedule where the eventual winner must play either three or four 1v1 games in a single night.

To that end, Collier's elite conditioning could make her the favorite, if she can outlast Stevens in the pair's semifinal.

"Her motor is unmatched," Stevens said of Collier's endurance, a key factor in her success so far. "I try to conserve some energy in between possessions, especially when the games get really tiring."

Motors aside, Friday's title will boil down to fundamentals — and which athlete best leverages their personal skillset.

"I have to use my size and stick to my strengths," said Edwards. "It’s about imposing my will and getting the job done."

How to watch the Unrivaled 1v1 tournament finals

The inaugural Unrivaled 1v1 tournament concludes on Friday. Live coverage begins at 7:30 PM ET on TNT.

USC Beats UCLA as JuJu Watkins Ends Bruins’ Undefeated NCAA Season

USC's JuJu Watkins drives to the basket between UCLA's Janiah Barker and Elina Aarnisalo.
Watkins scored 38 points to hand UCLA their first loss of the season. (Robert Hanashiro/Imagn Images)

The last perfect DI basketball season has officially fallen, as USC phenom JuJu Watkins put up a historic performance to lead the No. 6 Trojans to a 71-60 win over then-undefeated No. 1 UCLA on Thursday.

Watkins finished the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and eight blocks, becoming the first DI player to register an overall stat-line so robust in 20 years.

"It took everything. It's been a rough couple weeks for me," Watkins said after the game, referencing uncharacteristic performances leading up to Thursday's rivalry matchup. "To be able to kind of snap back into it and get into my rhythm here at Galen versus UCLA, it's really all I could ask for."

"I'm really just like a kid out there and living out my dream."

Throughout the back-and-forth battle, Watkins's consistency made all the difference. She scored every one of USC's 14 second-quarter points, and helped lead a monster fourth quarter in which the Trojans slammed the door by outscoring the Bruins 24-8.

"I didn't teach JuJu any of that," commented USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb after the game. "[I] just try to put her in situations to be her best self, and she does most of that work. What I was so impressed with tonight, obviously, was just the mentality she came out with."

With the marquee win, USC now sits firmly atop the Big Ten. That said, UCLA will have a chance to avenge the loss in the pair's March 1st rematch, when that final regular-season game could decide the conference title.

Until then, the Trojans will be riding high on their Thursday night dominance.

"We'll never forget this night," Gottlieb said. "It's as good as anything I've ever seen."

UConn star Paige Bueckers dribbles the ball during a game.
UConn takes on South Carolina on Sunday. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

How to watch Top 10 NCAA basketball this weekend

With no undefeated teams left in DI basketball, Watkins's performance has put the field on notice to not make any assumptions about who might end up on top.

While Sunday will see USC roll against unranked Washington and UCLA try to bounce back against No. 22 Michigan State, the NCAA slate will also serve up two huge Top 10 matchups.

First, No. 7 UConn will take their final major regular-season test when they visit No. 4 South Carolina at 1 PM ET, when Paige Bueckers and the Huskies will aim to pull off a similarly impressive USC-inspired upset.

Then at 3 PM ET, No. 5 LSU heads to No. 3 Texas, where the Tigers will hunt their first win over the Longhorns in more than 22 years.

Both elite meetings are set to air live on ABC.

Pro Women’s Lacrosse League Debuts at WLL Championship Series

A promotional graphic for the WLL Championship Series.
The WLL played its first-ever pro games at this week's Lexus Championship Series. (ESPN)

The brand-new professional Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) made its official debut this week just outside of Washington, DC, where its first-ever game saw the New York Charging take down the Maryland Charm 14-13 in the WLL Championship Series.

After the inaugural Tuesday result, the action continued on Wednesday, when the California Palms opened their WLL account by getting the better of the Boston Guard in a tight 16-15 matchup.

Founded and run by the Premier Lacrosse League, the WLL fosters top-level competition as the sport gears up for its 2028 Olympic return.

The four-team WLL Championship Series follows an Olympic-style "sixes" format. Unlike traditional lacrosse, which uses a larger pitch and 10 athletes per team, sixes employs a condensed field with six players per side.

In the Championship Series, teams are first competing in three round-robin games to determine semifinal seedings. The tournament will culminate with the knockout semifinal and final rounds on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Team USA lacrosse star Charlotte North gestures during a 2022 World Championship game.
Team USA star Charlotte North competes for the WLL's Boston Guard. (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)

WLL looks to level up lacrosse ahead of 2028 Olympics

Despite the competition's quick turnaround, the WLL represents a growing professionalization movement in women's lacrosse — with all involved betting big on the sport's Olympic success in LA.

When lacrosse steps back onto the Olympic stage in 2028, it will have been 80 years since its last 1948 outing — and even then, it was merely a demonstration event. The last time the sport earned medals was in 1908.

Furthermore, the sport's entire Olympic history rests in the men's game — 2028 will see women take the Olympic lacrosse pitch for the first time ever.

"We are honored to be a part of the WLL, and we couldn't be more excited to bring this game to the fans in new ways than ever before," said Boston Guard star Charlotte North in a league statement.

"We firmly believe that this is the beginning of what will be a monumental movement in the game of professional women's lacrosse, and for female athletes around the globe.... It's our time."

Former Northwestern lacrosse star Izzy Scane shoots the ball during an NCAA game.
Izzy Scane, the NCAA DI lacrosse career scoring leader, plays for the New York Charging. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

How to watch the WLL Championship Series

The tournament's round-robin play continues with the Maryland Charm facing off against the Boston guard at 9 PM ET on Thursday, before the California Palms contend with the New York Charging at 6 PM ET on Friday.

All WLL Championship Series games will stream live on ESPN+, with Sunday's and Monday's knockout rounds airing live on ESPN2.

Indiana Fever Rev Roster Ahead of 2025 WNBA Season

Fever forward Katie Lou Samuelson dribbles the ball during a 2024 WNBA game.
Indiana is buying out Katie Lou Samuelson's contract as the Fever reconfigures their roster. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever continued upending their roster this week, with the WNBA franchise announcing the departures of both forward Katie Lou Samuelson and guard Erica Wheeler.

First, the team agreed to a contract buyout with Samuelson on Monday. The 27-year-old was on track to enter the final season of her two-year contract with the Fever, on a guaranteed $180,250 salary for 2025.

Indiana reportedly acquiesced to a $106,419 buyout — allowing the franchise just enough leftover funds to sign one additional veteran to a minimum contract. At the same time, that buyout ensures that Samuelson — who will officially become a free agent next week after the requisite five days on the wire — will be made whole even if she inks a minimum contract elsewhere.

Then on Wednesday, the Fever cleared up more space on their roster as free agent Wheeler opted to join Seattle.

Indiana Fever players DeWanna Bonner, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, and Caitlin Clark attend an NBA game.
DeWanna Bonner, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, and Caitlin Clark are central to the 2025 Fever roster. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Fever aims for the ultimate WNBA prize with refreshed roster

Indiana as been cleaning house this offseason, from sending their 2022 No. 2 draft pick NaLyssa Smith to the Dallas Wings two weeks ago to this week's departures.

Exits aren't the only changes to the Fever's lineup, however. In the last few weeks, the team has successfully re-signed guard Kelsey Mitchell and traded for guard Sophie Cunningham while also stocking up on top veteran talent in free agents DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sydney Colson.

The moves are part of Indiana's plan to make a major playoff push in 2025, revamping their roster to build off their 2024 playoff appearance — the team's first since 2016.

With a pair of WNBA Rookies of the Year in Caitlin Clark (2024) and Aliyah Boston (2023) forming the team's young core, the Fever are building a tested veteran shield primed for the challenge of a deep postseason run — which can sometimes spell growing pains both on and off the court as fans and players alike grow accustomed to the rejiggered lineup.

That said, Clark is focusing on the fun part of smoothing out the Fever's new-look roster, saying "I think it will be a lot of fun to get in the gym and be with my teammates and just start putting the pieces together and see what works or what doesn't... I think that's what's super exciting."

"The next few years are gonna be amazing for this franchise and will continue to be for hopefully 10-plus years," she continued.

"Hopefully we win a few championships. They’re investing to help us be really good."

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