Shyla Heal played just 31 minutes in the WNBA before losing her spot on a roster. The No. 8 pick in the 2021 draft was traded and immediately waived Wednesday in a deal that sent Dana Evans from the Dallas Wings to the Chicago Sky.

The surprised and confused reactions to Heal’s WNBA exit were swift. The 19-year-old rookie had a bumpy introduction to the league, missing the preseason with Chicago due to visa complications in her home country of Australia. After the Sky invested a first-round pick in her, she barely had a chance to prove her worth.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by S H Y L A⚡️H E A L (@shylaaheal)

The trade has reignited questions around Sky head coach and general manager James Wade’s decision to draft Heal over Evans with the eighth pick on draft night, when Evans slipped to No. 13.

In a press release, Wade said the Sky needed to move Heal’s salary in order to bring on more veterans. Chicago has gotten off to a disappointing 2-5 start to the season as Candace Parker and Allie Quigley battle injuries.

“It’s tough, but due to visa issues and injuries, Shyla wasn’t getting the chance to prove herself here, and it was unfair,” he said.

Australian and former NBA player Chris Anstey took to Twitter to criticize the Sky’s decision to cut Heal.

I’ll be a little more direct than others- the @chicagosky drafting and then cutting a 19yo for lack of experience is horseshit as a GM, as a coach, as an organisation and even more so, as human beings. @shylaheal1 will be great for this, but tough now.

— Chris Anstey (@ChrisAnstey13) June 3, 2021

The trade-and-waive is another example of limited roster spots in the WNBA hindering a team’s ability to develop young talent.

Rookie Stephanie Watts, drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks and traded to Chicago in May, was also cut on Wednesday. Since WNBA teams can only hold up to 12 players and have to meet the salary cap requirement, they often have to make hard decisions on players they wouldn’t normally cut. Second- and third-round picks, in particular, are unlikely to stay on a roster.

Shane Heal, former NBA player and father to Shyla, disclosed that his daughter found out about being cut while at the airport preparing for a road trip with the Sky.

Cheers mate. Being cut at the airport before boarding for the road trip is character building. I luv her resilience. Being 19 & sitting in an apartment alone in Chicago is tough too.She will be ok.Lots of people going thru more difficult things in life.We appreciate the support🙏🏼 https://t.co/umfLcMrexC

— Shane Heal (@ShaneHeal) June 2, 2021

The move is the latest in a series of notable roster cuts this year, making calls for league expansion even more urgent.

Mercedes-Benz is getting into the women's game, with the luxury car giant becoming the official automotive partner of England's WSL and WSL2 this week.

The deal showcases Mercedes-Benz's growing commitment to women's sports, with the auto giant also signing on as the presenting sponsor of the WTA Tour last month — adding to a resume that includes serving as the official patron of the LPGA Tour's AIG Women's Open.

"The Mercedes-Benz story began 140 years ago with a bold idea," said Mercedes-Benz UK CEO and managing director Olivier Reppert in the WSL's Wednesday press release. "Now, that same spirit of innovation and ambition drives our partnership with WSL Football."

While financial terms of the partnership are not public, Mercedes-Benz is just the latest big-name sponsor to back WSL Football, with some reports saying that the two-league outfit has tripled its commercial revenue since splitting with the FA in 2024.

"Bringing a brand of this calibre…will help us elevate the game, deepen engagement with fans and players, and accelerate long-term growth across both leagues," said WSL Football CRO Zarah Al-Kudcy.

Mercedes-Benz will also present this spring's inaugural interleague playoff, in which the third-place WSL2 club will battle the last-place WSL team for a chance at promotion as a part of the top flight's planned 14-team expansion for 2026/27.

The PWHL is coming to the Garden, as the No. 2 New York Sirens announced on Thursday that they'll host the No. 6 Seattle Torrent at Manhattan's legendary Madison Square Garden (MSG) on April 4th.

While MSG staged a fan-less PWHPA game in February 2021, this year's PWHL takeover marks the iconic arena's first-ever ticketed pro women's hockey event.

"Madison Square Garden has a storied women's sports history," said Sirens GM Pascal Daoust in the team's announcement. "New York doesn't just watch moments; it lives with them. This is one of those nights meant to be experienced together, in the building, as part of the history of our team, our league, and everyone who helps bring it to life."

The April showdown will serve as the pair's final regular-season clash, with the 2025/26 series currently tied at 1-1.

Seattle took the first meeting 2-1 behind goals from captain Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter on December 3rd, before New York stole the second game 4-3 as NYC local Casey O'Brien's hat trick lit up the league's Takeover Tour stop in Dallas on December 28th.

The Torrent and Sirens will next face off in Chicago on March 25th before closing out their four-game slate by making history at MSG at 8 PM ET on April 4th.

How to attend the PWHL clash at Madison Square Garden

While New York season ticket-holders can currently access tickets to the MSG clash, the presale for Sirens newsletter subscribers will begin on Monday before general sales opens at 10 AM ET on Tuesday via Ticketmaster.

Just one week into the 2026 NCAA season, UCLA women's gymnastics is the nation's No. 1 team for the first time since 2018, with senior Jordan Chiles — a two-time Olympic medalist in her final year of collegiate competition — leading the charge.

"It is really easy to be at the end of your career thinking, 'Okay, I am good with where I am at,' but they do not have that mentality," Bruins head coach Janelle McDonald said of her senior-heavy squad.

Winning the all-around in UCLA's January 3rd opening meet, Chiles is the current all-around No. 1, while also topping the rankings in the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor events, while sitting second in the vault.

"I've got the cutesy, I've done the hip hop," Chiles said of her updated senior floor routine. "This is more like the passionate, confident last year of being a Bruin."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Notably, Chiles and UCLA have a leg up in the scores-based national gymnastics rankings considering they began their 2026 NCAA campaign before most other top programs: Only 14 Division I squads — 10 from the Power Four conferences — have started their seasons so far.

This allowed the Bruins to lead the ranks before the rest of the field could earn any points to challenge UCLA's top spot — though that will change this weekend when the majority of the NCAA's gymnastics squads enter the fray.

Pitting some of the NCAA's best squads against each other, the annual Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad will officially kick off the 2026 season in style this weekend, welcoming 2025 champions Oklahoma, finalists UCLA and Utah, semifinalists LSU and Michigan State, and regional contenders Cal, Kentucky, and Michigan across two four-team sessions on Saturday.

How to watch UCLA at the 2026 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad

The Bruins will aim to keep their No. 1 spot in the first session of Saturday's the 2026 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, where UCLA will battle Oklahoma, Utah, and LSU at 4 PM ET on ABC.

The second session will begin at 8 PM ET, when Michigan State, Cal, Kentucky, and Michigan will compete head-to-head, airing live on ESPN2.

The winter of change is revving up for the Kansas City Current, with the 2025 NWSL Shield-winners announcing both a new manager and key player departures this week.

Former MLS head coach Chris Armas will officially take over as manager, after the Current's former sideline leader Vlatko Andonovski became the club's sporting director in November.

"[Armas] brings an abundance of experience at the highest levels," said Kansas City co-owners Angie and Chris Long in a Wednesday club statement. "We are confident he will further cultivate and enhance our competitive environment as we continue to pursue championships and expand our global footprint."

Armas will have his work cut out for him, however, as Kansas City will attempt to defend their Shield in the 2026 NWSL season despite major on-field contributors continuing to jump ship.

Most notably, Brazil national team star and 2025 NWSL MVP candidate Bia Zaneratto departed the club to pursue free agency, the Current announced on Wednesday.

"The impact that Bia had in Kansas City over the past two years is immeasurable," said Andonovski about the 32-year-old attacker. "Her quality, both on and off the field, will be greatly missed. On behalf of everyone at the Current, we thank Bia for everything she has given to this club and to this city."

All in all, Kansas City is turning over an untested leaf, committing to rolling the dice in 2026 after falling short of the NWSL championship in 2025.