The first half of Sabrina Ionescu’s season was marked with inconsistency. She had multiple single-digit scoring efforts — five points on June 2, and then four on June 4 in two games against Chicago — followed by a 37-point eruption against Atlanta just days later.

Through the early part of the 2023 season, that seemed to be the formula: remarkable point production one day, and a disappearing act another. Then came two things that have changed the trajectory of the New York Liberty guard’s season: an NBA2K cover and a 3-point contest.

Since a record-breaking performance in the 3-point competition during WNBA All-Star weekend, Ionescu has become unstoppable and, more importantly, consistent. And, as the Las Vegas Aces learned again in an 82-63 loss in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game on Tuesday night, the rest of the league is paying for it.

“I’m just playing basketball,” Ionescu told reporters on Aug. 6. “I’m just continuing to trust my shot and my shooting ability.”

SABRINA IONESCU WITH BACK-TO-BACK THREES FROM DEEP‼️ pic.twitter.com/HwQa7KtOxA

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 16, 2023

In July, Ionescu was announced as the cover athlete for the 2024 WNBA edition of NBA 2K24. Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird graced the cover last year, and Candace Parker was featured on the video game in 2021.

For Ionescu, it was a rewarding moment.

“It’s a pretty humbling experience,” Ionescu told The Athletic in July. “Just knowing that I stand for a lot more than just representing my team and the league, but also just continuing to inspire the youth, and knowing that a lot of kids that are gonna play this game will one day dream to be on the cover as well. That’s really what’s important to me and what I want my legacy to be.”

The response from fans and fellow WNBA players wasn’t as positive. Players like Kelsey Plum and Rhyne Howard tweeted that A’ja Wilson deserved to be on the cover. Wilson’s resume includes two WNBA MVP awards, five All-Star appearances, a Defensive Player of the Year award and a WNBA Championship.

Ionescu didn’t respond directly to the criticism, but her play on the court has made a statement.

Since the All-Star break, the former No. 1 draft pick has made 50 3-pointers (3.8 makes per contest), continuing a hot shooting streak that started during her historic performance in the 3-point contest. The 25-year-old ran away with that competition, scoring 37 points — the most for a WNBA or NBA player in a 3-point contest. Then, she knocked down five 3-pointers in the All-Star Game.

SABRINA REFUSES TO MISS 🚨

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— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 14, 2023

Ionescu was already shooting the ball well going into the break — she had made 54 3s over the first 16 games — but now, the fourth-year guard is doing it with consistency and stepping up in big moments.

Take her team’s three games against first-place Las Vegas as examples. In their first meeting in June, Ionescu scored just seven points as the Aces recorded a lopsided victory, 98-81. In their second game after the All-Star break, she led the Liberty with 31 points on 6-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc. That time it was New York who came away with a blowout win, 99-61.

“I come out every game with the same mentality and that is to do my job and to do it to the best of my ability,” Ionescu said afterward. “Tonight I understood that we were going up against the best team in the league. There is no room for error, no room for not being locked in and wanting to win every single possession.”

The third meeting was quieter for Ionescu, as she finished with 12 points in last night’s Commissioner’s Cup championship victory, but her points came just when New York needed them most. She connected on three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Liberty seal the win. Las Vegas was down just eight points heading into the final frame, but that New York advantage ballooned to 19 with help from Ionescu’s 3s, including two on back-to-back possessions to put the game out of reach for the Aces.

That’s a good sign for the Liberty, who now lead the season series with Las Vegas 2-1. If they want to bring New York its first WNBA Championship this season, Ionescu will need to continue stepping up in big moments.

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

The NWSL is expanding its footprint across ESPN, with the broadcaster signing on to carry 16 additional regular-season games in both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, upping the platform's total to 33 matches per year.

ESPN will also introduce a season-long "Match of the Week" centerpiece series, as well as live coverage of NWSL Decision Day, when eight concurrent matches will close out the season on the same day. 

"The NWSL showcases some of the best athletes in the world," ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant said in a press release. "We are proud to increase our commitment on ABC and ESPN, and to further elevate women's sports and the athlete stories."

This media rights extension builds on the league's ongoing blockbuster four-year, $240 million TV deal with ESPN, adding inventory for the final two seasons of the November 2023 agreement.

The deal expansion comes in light of the league's significant growth this season, with the NWSL seeing gains across both attendance and viewership, including a 72% year-over-year ratings rise on ESPN.

"This supplemental agreement underscores the growing demand for women's soccer and ensures our players and clubs receive the visibility they deserve on some of the most prominent sports platforms," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement.

The 2025 WNBA season is over for Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but the 23-year-old star is still making headlines, with Reebok set to drop her signature Angel Reese 1 sneakers on Thursday.

The Angel Reese 1 is a cornerstone of Reebok's re-entry into the basketball market, with the sportswear giant engineering the signature shoe for on-court performance by including features like responsive cushioning and added upper support.

Inspired by the brand's classic Mobius line, the shoes will hit the shelves in three colorways — an iridescent white "Diamond Dust," a bold pink "Mebounds," and a black and white "Receipts Ready" — with Reese's personal logo incorporated into the design.

Reese first signed with Reebok as an NIL athlete at LSU in 2023, a little over six months after winning the NCAA championship with the Tigers.

This week's rollout follows the July sneak peek of the signature sneakers worn by Reese on the cover of NBA 2K26's WNBA Edition.

"This isn't just a shoe, it's my style, my story, and my stamp on the game," Reese said in Reebok's press release. "I wanted to design a basketball shoe that elevates performance, innovation, style, and creative expression, all at once."

"Reebok and I built something that's true to who I am, and I hope it pushes others to stand in their power too."

How to buy the Angel Reese 1 Reebok sneakers

All three colorways of the Angel Reese 1 sneakers will be available for a retail price of $120 beginning at 10 AM ET on Thursday at Reebok.com as well as in select stores.

No. 5 New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn't letting Sunday's left knee knock take her off the 2025 WNBA Playoffs court, with the forward planning to compete in Game 2 against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night.

An emotional Stewart finished Game 1 on the bench, going down with a knee injury in overtime of the Liberty's 76-69 upset win over the Mercury on Sunday.

"What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything," Stewart told reporters on Wednesday morning.

A Monday MRI revealed a sprained MCL, and though the two-time WNBA MVP did not practice on Tuesday, she participated in the team's Wednesday shootaround and said her pain had diminished to a three out of 10.

"[As long as] I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s—t," said Stewart, "I'm willing to take that [chance of re-injury] because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK."

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Even when the game-day status for Stewart was still unknown, New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello promised that the defending champions would give their star "as much time as we can."

"We know what's at stake," Brondello told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't want to go back to Phoenix [for Game 3], but they're going to come in hungry."

Stewart echoed that sentiment on Wednesday morning, saying "We want to finish it here. Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority."

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty in Game 2

No. 5 New York will look to oust No. 4 Phoenix from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a first-round sweep on Wednesday night, when the Liberty host the Mercury for Game 2 at 8 PM ET.

The matchup will air live on ESPN.

Star sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is reaching new heights, setting a new US record for the 400-meter race in the event's Tuesday semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished the flat event in 48.29 seconds, shaving more than 0.40 seconds off the previous US record of 48.70 seconds set by track legend Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.

Both her personal best and the fastest time in the world for that event this year, McLaughlin-Levrone's performance also makes her the seventh-fastest woman of all time in the 400-meter dash — elevating expectations that she could challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 seconds, set by then-East German sprinter Marita Koch in 1985.

Known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, the 26-year-old made the decision to focus on the flat 400-meter event ahead of this year's competition. 

"I definitely wasn't expecting that time," she said afterwards. "It just shows the fitness is there. I'm excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman."

How to watch McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter final

McLaughlin-Levrone will take aim at the 2025 World Athletics Championships' 400-meter podium — and, perhaps, another record time — during the event's final on Thursday.

The US star will race against 2024 Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser when the final begins at 9:24 AM ET.

Live coverage will air on USA Network.