Instead of asking for a bunch of knick-knacks or things I don’t really need this holiday season, I decided to make a WNBA wish list. I’m not asking for much — just a few additions here and there that I think will help grow the league, reward fans and improve the overall experience of the season.

The league made significant progress in 2021 and has a lot of momentum on which to build. So, I put together some reasonable requests for the 2022 season. I only hope the jolly guy in the red suit delivers.

1. A new twist to the orange hoodie

The orange hoodie has become the trademark merchandise item of the WNBA. It’s bright, comfortable and fashionable. Everyone from WNBA and NBA players, to celebrities and musicians, have been spotted wearing the sweatshirt, and it even won an award in 2020 for Best Fashion Statement of the Year.

It’s the league’s best-selling product, so why not keep the hype going with a revamped hoodie? Keep selling the classic orange, of course, but also offer it in the signature colors of WNBA teams, like Chicago Sky blue, New York Liberty seafoam, Phoenix Mercury purple, Las Vegas Aces gold, Seattle Storm green and more. How fun (and profitable) would that be?

Drake repping the now famous orange WNBA hoodie on his Instagram.

The orange hoodie is the best-selling WNBA item ever, according to Fanatics. pic.twitter.com/iLaNvYaltt

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 8, 2021

2. One more season of Sue Bird

When the WNBA announced its 2022 schedule, teams around the league shared the news on social media. The Storm got people talking when they posted their game schedule on Twitter with a graphic featuring a photo of Sue Bird. A free agent, Bird hasn’t confirmed whether she’ll return to the court next season, but she also hasn’t closed the door. If Bird were to announce this coming season as her last, the league could plan the farewell tour she deserves and fans would have the opportunity to say a proper goodbye.

3. New All-Star Game locations

The WNBA All-Star Game debuted in 1999 and has been held in a handful of cities since then, but over the years, many of the locations have been repeats. Las Vegas, for example, has hosted the past two All-Star Games in 2019 and 2021. Availability, access and facilities all factor into the decision of which city gets to host the festivities, but it would be gratifying if the WNBA expanded its horizons and gave WNBA fans in other cities a chance to experience All-Star Weekend in their hometowns. Chicago has never hosted; neither has Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta or Indiana. Let’s spread the love around.

4. Expansion, expansion, expansion

The last time the WNBA expanded was in 2009, when the Atlanta Dream entered the fold. For over a decade, the league has been content to roll with 12 teams. But for the past few years, the calls for expansion have been growing from basketball fans all over the country. And signs point to it happening sooner rather than later.

Former WNBA player Alana Beard headed up a group of investors, including the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, to bring a WNBA team to Oakland, Calif. Rapper and Toronto Raptors ambassador Drake even weighed in on the matter, telling the WNBA on Instagram that he “[needs] a Toronto team.” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said since the start of last season that if the league were successful in 2021, expansion talks would take place. Viewership numbers for the 2021 regular season were up nearly 50 percent. I’d say that’s a success.

5. Postgame TV coverage

Nothing is worse than watching a competitive, down-to-the-wire WNBA game end in a buzzer-beater win, only to have the broadcast cut to an irrelevant segment seconds later. No postgame interviews, no game breakdowns, no analysis or final thoughts — just a quick “see you later” and move on. I think legitimate postgame (and pregame) coverage in the WNBA, especially for the playoffs, is long overdue. With overall viewership numbers on an upswing, there’s clearly an appetite for it. The more television networks expand their WNBA coverage and introduce the storylines around these players and teams to fans, the more the league will continue to grow.

6. WNBA highlight show

While we’re on the topic of additional coverage, let’s get crazy. Rather than catch a WNBA highlight here or there on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” or daily NBA Show, I’d love to hear WNBA-focused analysts talk about the league on a regular basis. Maybe something like “Inside the WNBA” or “WNBA Talk,” full of game highlights, player interviews, hot takes and game-day fits — the possibilities for conversation topics are endless in a league brimming with intrigue. And between former players and current WNBA analysts and personalities, there is no shortage of possible hosts to guide the discussions and share their insights.

7. WNBA League Pass 2.0

There is a lot to love about WNBA League Pass. It’s easily accessible on any device, it’s incredibly affordable and it allows fans to watch games on demand, pause and rewind in the moment and view real-time stats. But it is not without its faults. Not every live game, for example, is available to consumers. Depending on where you live, some games are blacked out, and the app will sometimes glitch in the middle of a game, logging users out without any explanation. League Pass is a valuable resource for WNBA fans and media alike. I would love to see the WNBA invest in improving the quality of the experience.

8. More exposure for WNBA players

I was casually watching a kids’ sitcom with my 9-year-old when Candace Parker appeared on screen in a guest starring role. It was great to see, and the next time I mentioned Parker’s name out loud in the presence of my daughter, she knew exactly who I was talking about. This is why beyond-the-court exposure of WNBA athletes is so important, especially for upcoming generations. I’d love to see more players make appearances on talk shows, sitcoms, commercials, podcasts, radio segments and more. In fact, a WNBA player has never hosted “Saturday Night Live.” Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker or Liz Cambage would be naturals.

9. Giving past players their due

As part of the WNBA’s 25th anniversary celebration last season, the Las Vegas Aces honored former players throughout the franchise’s history as the Utah Starzz and the San Antonio Silver Stars. It was a way to celebrate and highlight players who had a significant impact on the franchise and the league. The WNBA would not be where it is today without those who paved the way for the longest-running professional women’s sports league in the country. Individual teams, and the league itself, should honor its past in some form every season.

10. Respect

With all of the growth the WNBA has undergone in the past five years, between the talent level on the floor to the recognition off of it, a little respect from the rest of the sports world would be nice. From a continued lack of recognition in mainstream media to dealing with swarms of Twitter trolls, the WNBA and its players are still fighting for the respect they deserve. They shouldn’t have to. Not in 2022, and not ever.

Lyndsey D’Arcangelo is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering the WNBA. She also contributes to The Athletic and is the co-author of Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League. Follow Lyndsey on Twitter @darcangel21.

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.