Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Victoria Azarenka after falling to the Belarusian in straight sets Thursday in the second round of the US Open.

Instead, she offered a quick racket tap.

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk refused to shake the hand of Victoria Azarenka of Belarus after her straight sets defeat at the US Openpic.twitter.com/oDWQel5tkX

— Sam Street (@samstreetwrites) September 1, 2022

Kostyuk called it her choice not to shake Azarenka’s hand, citing her unhappiness about Russian and Belarusian players’ silence amid the war in her home country.

“I don’t feel like I don’t know any single person who condemned the war publicly, and the actions of their government, so I don’t feel like I can support this,” she told ESPN. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great competitor, I respect her as an athlete. But, it has nothing to do with her being a human being.”

She said also that she had texted Azarenka to “warn her” that she wouldn’t shake her hand, noting that she would like to have a broader conversation with the Belarusian regarding her thoughts on the war. They have not yet had such a conversation, as Azarenka was not on-site at the time.

While Azarenka has not reached out to her about having a conversation since the war began, Kostyuk said she believes that Azarenka could and should use her platform to condemn the war.

Azarenka has prominent reach both in Belarus and as a part of the WTA’s Players’ Council.

According to Azarenka, she’s reached out via the WTA to have conversations with Ukrainian athletes that she is not close with about the war but had been told “it’s not a good time.”

Pt2. Vika on Marta and Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/F0jX7nmhhz

— Ashley says abolish countries. (@littlegnome16) September 1, 2022

“I’m open to any time to listen, to try to understand, to sympathize. I believe that empathy in the moment like this is really important, which has, again, been my clear message in the beginning,” she said, noting that she’s always just been there to help after calling for peace soon after the invasion.

“I’m here to try to help, which I have done a lot,” she continued. “Maybe not something that people see. And that’s not what I do it for. I do it for people who [are] in need, juniors who need clothes, other people who need money or other people who needed transportation or whatever. That’s what is important to me, to help people are in need.

“​​I’m going to stand by that because what’s happening in the world is very difficult right now, but we shouldn’t forget we’re all human and we should treat each other that way.”

The former world No. 1 added that she is always open to listening to players like Kostyuk.

“I can’t force people to do something they don’t want to do,” she said. “But anytime, she has my number. Whatever I can do to help people, I don’t play political games. I don’t play media games. That’s not what I’m here for.”

Pt. 3 Vika on Marta and Ukraine pic.twitter.com/bUoPnlecbU

— Ashley says abolish countries. (@littlegnome16) September 1, 2022

This isn’t the first time that a Ukrainian player has refused to shake hands with Azarenka. Dayana Yastremska also refused a handshake after her match with Azarenka at the Citi Open in Washington in early August.

When asked how it felt to have been refused a handshake for a second time, Azarenka noted that it’s “not the most important thing in the world right now.”

“It is what it is,” she said. “I just move on. I cannot force somebody to shake my hand.”

Last week, Azarenka was removed from the USTA’s Peace for Ukraine event, which was meant to raise funds for Ukraine. Kostyuk had expressed her discomfort with the Belarusian’s participation in an interview with BTU, a Ukrainian news outlet.

“Imagine there is World War II and there is a fundraiser for Jewish people and a German player wants to play,” Kostyuk said.

Azarenka, meanwhile, said she immediately agreed to participate in the event, calling it a “no-brainer.”

“Like, why wouldn’t I participate in a humanitarian aid for people who are really struggling right now?” she said. “It’s not even a thought for me at that moment. When you’re asking ‘You’re not doing enough, you’re not saying enough.’ I thought that this was a gesture that really shows commitment. I’m not sure why it wasn’t taken that way.”

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.

Hailey Van Lith is reportedly on her way to TCU, says Talia Goodman of The Next Hoops.

The former Louisville star joined LSU for the 2023-24 season, but a disappointing run in Baton Rouge saw her enter the transfer portal once again at the season’s end. Van Lith opted to use her fifth year of eligibility versus declaring for the WNBA draft.

Van Lith was admittedly less effective as a Tiger. Her field goal percentage decreased from .411 in 2022-23 with Louisville to .388 at LSU. She also went from averaging 19.7 points per game to just 11.6, due in part to a change of position from shooting guard to more of a point guard role.

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At an end-of-season banquet last week, LSU coach Kim Mulkey used her speech to wish Van Lith well, calling her "one of the hardest working players that I’ve ever coached."

"Her aspirations were to get drafted this year," Mulkey said, according to NOLA.com. "And she realized, 'I need another year, and I need to go back to a place where I can relax and get back to my normal position.'

"And what do you do? You hug her, and you wish her well."

The decision to commit to TCU may come as a surprise after Van Lith paid a visit to Mississippi State last weekend. The Horned Frogs finished out the 2023-24 season 21-12 overall, coming in 9th in the Big 12 and scoring an average of 69.5 points per game. The program also made headlines in January when they held mid-season open tryouts in response to an onslaught of sidelining injuries.