At this point in the year, regular season accomplishments no longer matter. For Just Women’s Sports’ WNBA Team of the Month for August, we selected a starting five strictly based on playoff performances.

Everyone is playing at a higher level, so even with fewer teams left competing, the player selection process was a challenge.

Here is our team for August:

Candace Parker, F/C, Chicago Sky

Sky star Candace Parker has taken her game to another level in the postseason. Her 13.2 points per game in the regular season are up to 16.8 in the playoffs, and her rebounding average has also increased from 8.6 to 11.4 per game.

Parker put together a near-perfect performance in the Sky’s Game 1 semifinal loss to the Sun with 19 points, 18 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and four steals. Then, in Game 2, she guided the Sky to a much-needed victory with 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and three blocks. It was her 25th career playoff game with 20-plus points.

DeWanna Bonner, F/G, Connecticut Sun

Before her one-point performance in Wednesday’s game, DeWanna Bonner has been the X-factor for the Sun. They wouldn’t be heading into Game 3 against Chicago tied 1-1 in the semifinal series without her.

Bonner recorded 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals to guide the Sun to an upset of the Sky in Game 1. She was also reliable in Connecticut’s first-round series against the Wings, particularly in the deciding Game 3 when she finished with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Kahleah Copper, G/F, Chicago Sky

Last year’s Finals MVP picked up where she left off, recording 21, 20 and 15 points in the first three games of the playoffs against the Liberty. In the Game 1 of that first-round series, Copper also had eight rebounds for a near double-double.

She then scored 13 points against Connecticut in Game 1 of the semifinals, and followed that up with 12 in Game 2 as part of a balanced Sky attack.

Jewell Loyd, G, Seattle Storm

Jewell Loyd is the X-factor for the Storm. When she’s scoring, they’re winning, and in the first round against the Mystics, Loyd was certainly scoring. In Game 1, she had 16 points and turned it on in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 to secure the win. In Game 2, she poured in 19 points on 5-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc.

Loyd followed that up with 26 points in the Storm’s opening semifinal win over the Aces, after which head coach Noelle Quinn praised her maturity.

Chelsea Gray, G, Las Vegas Aces

Since being snubbed from the All-Star Game, Chelsea Gray has elevated her game. That increase in production has been even more prominent in the playoffs, where she has scored at least 17 points in all four games thus far.

The Aces point guard had 27 points and eight rebounds to send the Mercury home in Game 2 of the first round. Then against the Storm, Gray neared a triple-double in Las Vegas’ Game 2 semifinal victory, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

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

US Soccer submitted its World Cup bid book to FIFA last week, naming 14 US stadiums among the 2031 tournament's 20+ proposed North American host venues.

The four-country joint bid for the 2031 World Cup spanned cities across host nations USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica, with the quartet collectively identifying 50 potential stadiums while also designating their proposed core of 20 venues.

In the US, stadiums in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Seattle made the proposed shortlist, as well as Arlington, Texas, and East Rutherford, New Jersey, among others.

Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Torreón made Mexico's primary proposal, while Costa Rica and Jamaica put forward San Jose and Kingston, respectively.

The bid includes both soccer and football venues, with secondary venues also listed as possible options in eight of the first-choice US cities.

Additionally, the bid book pegged Atlanta as the World Cup draw host and Dallas as the tournament's international broadcast center, though FIFA will likely not make final decisions on 2031 venues until after the 2027 competition in Brazil.

"By proposing more than the required 20 sites, the joint bidders demonstrate a commitment to securing the best possible hosting conditions and ensuring the tournament represents the full diversity of our region on a global scale," FIFA stated.

The WNBA and WNBPA agreed to a second CBA extension late Sunday night, officially pushing the contract's deadline to January 9th, 2026, to allow for 40 more days of negotiations.

Like the original CBA extension from October 31st to December 1st, either the WNBA or WNBPA now has the option to terminate the agreement with 48 hours of notice.

"We expect substantive movement from the league within this window," the players union told Front Office Sports, while the WNBA issued a statement saying both parties are "continuing to work toward a new agreement."

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While total annual compensation offers have reportedly crossed the million-dollar mark for players earning the league's maximum, the WNBA's salary model — particularly in regards to revenue sharing — remains a core issue.

According to sources, the WNBA's proposal offers players a revenue-sharing option only after reaching certain minimums, while the WNBPA continues to advocate for a bigger cut of the exponentially growing league.

The players union is also reportedly advocating for a salary cap that increases with the league's income, rather than at an arbitrarily fixed growth rate.

With important offseason processes like the planned two-team expansion draft to stock incoming 2026 WNBA franchises the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo now delayed until a new CBA is in place, the pressure is approaching new highs on both sides of the negotiating table.

No. 4 Texas blew past two top-ranked opponents last week, setting the tone for the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season with back-to-back wins over No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 South Carolina to earn the Players Era Championship trophy on Thanksgiving Day.

Fifth-year senior Rori Harmon was named tournament MVP, putting up a game-leading 26 points and breaking the Longhorns' career assists record in Wednesday's 76-65 defeat of UCLA before hitting the game-winner to lift Texas over the Gamecocks 66-64 in Thursday's title game.

"I just read the vibe and flow of the game," Harmon said afterward. "[Texas head coach Vic Schaefer] called the play at the end of the game, and I've been in this moment before, so it felt good coming out of my hands."

Texas's win added fuel to the burgeoning SEC rivalry, with the teams squaring off five times in the last year — and South Carolina riding a narrow 3-2 advantage.

"I'm not upset at all," Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said postgame. "This is going to help us because there are a lot of things to unpack in it."

"If you can give [Texas] a run for their money in that way, I mean, you're on to something," she continued. "I like our resiliency. We've just got to clean up some things at the end of the game."

How to watch Texas, South Carolina this week

Both Texas and South Carolina have another ranked matchup on this week's NCAA docket, with the No. 4 Longhorns taking on the No. 12 UNC Tar Heels while the No. 2 Gamecocks face the No. 23 Louisville Cardinals.

Both games tip off at 7 PM ET on Thursday, with Texas vs. UNC airing live on ESPN2 while South Carolina vs. Louisville airs on ESPN.

After a year of testing and experimentation, the USWNT will look to close out 2025 on a high note on Monday night, when the world No. 2 squad faces No. 12 Italy in the second of the pair's winter friendlies.

"I've been very clear on the process to develop players and what we have to go through, so I'm not zoomed in on three losses," US manager Emma Hayes said of the team's 2025 shortcomings. "If I was, I wouldn't make changes."

"We work in an environment we're really proud of," she continued. "It's a very inclusive environment, diverse environment, and all these things contribute to the culture that hopefully leads to long-term success."

In line with her ongoing rotational philosophy, Hayes indicated that fans in Fort Lauderdale on Monday could see a departure from the combination of players that defeated Italy 3-0 in Orlando on Friday — as well as new tactics from the 2025 Euro semifinalists.

"My whole argument is that no matter who plays, the level of performance should still be high," Hayes said.

The US saw 16 players debut this year — the most since 1985 — with 51% of the team's combined 39 goals and 26 assists in 2025 involving a player under 25 years old.

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How to watch the USWNT vs. Italy on Monday

The 2025 finale for the No. 2 USWNT will see the national team kick off against No. 12 Italy at 7 PM ET on Monday, with live coverage airing on TNT and HBO Max.