The WNBA’s 2023 end-of-season awards have been debated all season long. The MVP category has naturally received the most attention because of the nature of the award and the tight race among the three frontrunners: Alyssa Thomas, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson.

As a WNBA media voter, I submitted my selections for all of the major awards toward the end of the regular season. After a full-season review and careful consideration, these were my choices.

Most Valuable Player

Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun

The MVP award came down to a three-player race between Wilson (Aces), Stewart (Liberty) and Thomas (Sun). All three have compelling cases that made this the most difficult category to vote for. To me, though, Thomas’ overall importance to her team and her ability to impact every aspect of the game gives her the edge.

Thomas accomplished something this season that no other player in WNBA history has done, recording six triple-doubles in 2023. Her ability to impact the game can’t be understated, as she does everything for the No. 3 Sun.

She leads Connecticut with 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game, and she is first in the WNBA in rebounds and second in assists.

When 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones was traded to New York in the offseason, it was hard to imagine Connecticut being the third-best team in the WNBA heading into playoffs, yet here they are. That’s because of Thomas. She runs Connecticut’s offense and guards every position on defense.

Teammate DiJonai Carrington summed up Thomas’ performance well after her third triple-double of the season: “I don’t want any of y’all to get used to and normalize what she’s doing out there, for real. Like, that’s not normal.”

It’s not normal, it’s historic. And that is worthy of the MVP award.

Coach of the Year

Sandy Brondello, New York Liberty

In her second year with New York, Sandy Brondello took the Liberty from a 16-20 record to a 32-8 record. During the offseason, the Liberty saw an influx of talent with the additions of Stewart, Jones and Courtney Vanderlsoot. But Brondello’s coaching can’t be discounted simply because she now has more tools. Sure, the new talent is a large part of the franchise’s improvement, but it’s not the only piece.

Brondello was able to take a team that early in the season looked like a collection of stars who didn’t know how to play together, and turn it into a cohesive unit that is a favorite to win the WNBA title. Brondello found a way to maximize the talent of her starting five and use her bench unit wisely to elevate the whole team.

Sixth Player of the Year

DiJonai Carrington, Connecticut Sun

There were several strong candidates for Sixth Player of the Year: Dana Evans helped the Sky overcome in-season adversity and sneak into the playoffs, and Alysha Clark changed the complexity of Las Vegas on both ends of the court when she entered games. But for me, the award should go to Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington.

Early in the season, Carrington’s role was unclear and she played limited minutes. But the third-year player stayed the course and became a valuable part of the Sun playing their way to the 3-seed. In 17.2 minutes per game, she’s shooting 37% from long range and averaging 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Carrington brings an energy to both ends of the floor when she’s subbed in. Coach Stephanie White often chooses to leave her in during close game situations down the stretch, summing up her impact.

Most Improved Player

Jordin Canada, Los Angeles Sparks

It was an up-and-down season for the Sparks as they narrowly missed the playoffs, but Jordin Canada was a constant bright spot. In her second year with Los Angeles, the 28-year-old established herself as a point guard to build around.

Canada improved in every stat category this season, with career-high averages in points (13.3), assists (6.0), rebounds (3.1) and steals (2.3). Her 3-point shooting also saw a massive increase, going from 14% to 33%.

Canada has a hand in every Sparks possession when she’s on the court, both offensively and defensively. She averages 2.8 steals per 40 minutes, the best mark in the WNBA, and was also in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.

Rookie of the Year

Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever

This award has been Boston’s to lose all season. While Lynx guard Diamond Miller made a push when she returned from injury, Boston was steady from her first game to her last, earning her my vote.

The No. 1 draft pick averaged 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game for the Fever. She was also incredibly efficient when shooting the ball, making 57.8% of her attempts, the third-best mark in the league.

Though her team missed the playoffs, they improved drastically from last season, and Boston was a big part of that. Rookie of the Year is likely the first of many awards Boston will win throughout her career.

Defensive Player of the Year

A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Wilson earned my vote for the second year in a row because she continues to change the way opponents play against the Aces. Her presence in the paint is enough to make players shy away from driving to the lane, and when they dare to challenge her, Wilson leads the league in shot-blocking with 2.2 per game.

Wilson isn’t just a shot-blocker, either. She knows how to defend without fouling, averaging only 2.1 fouls per game, while pulling down the third-most defensive rebounds in the league. She also has good hands defensively and can extend outside the paint with 1.4 steals per game.

All WNBA First Team

Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Satou Sabally, Dallas Wings
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

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

One week into the 2024/25 season and the Big Ten is already leading the college basketball charge, with multiple teams tallying upsets to boost their spots in Monday's AP Top 25 update.

The biggest leap belonged to Maryland, who climbed seven spots to No. 11 after defeating now-No. 16 Duke 85-80 on Sunday. With four double-digit scorers, the Terrapins' team effort was led by junior guard Kaylene Smikle's 23 points.

Maryland's Big Ten compatriots, No. 23 Illinois and No. 25 Oregon, broke into Monday's standings after respective wins against then-No. 19 Florida State on Thursday and then-No. 12 Baylor on Sunday.

Led by former UNC standout Deja Kelly's 20 points, the Ducks staved off a late Baylor surge to secure the 76-74 win, snapping a 13-game losing streak to ranked opponents in the process.

Outside the Big Ten, Stanford also made their 2024/25 poll debut, coming in at No. 24. The Cardinal took their omission from the preseason poll — the first in 25 years with Stanford — as a challenge, defeating their first three season opponents last week by an average of 41 points.

South Carolina maintains stranglehold on No. 1

The preseason top eight teams held their ground this week behind defending champs No. 1 South Carolina, who extended their division-record active unbeaten streak to 40 games with Sunday's 71-57 win over now-No. 13 NC State.

With junior forward Chloe Kitts, who led the Gamecocks with a double-double in their season opener, ruled out due to an academic issue, South Carolina guards Te-Hina Paopao and MiLaysia Fulwiley stepped up in a big way, sinking 23 and 18 points, respectively.

SEC is still NCAA's top basketball conference

While still early days, it does appear that conference realignment and a robust transfer portal has once again emboldened the NCAA's biggest players. 

New Big Ten members No. 3 USC, No. 5 UCLA, and No. 24 Oregon join veterans No. 11 Maryland, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 21 Nebraska, and No. 23 Illinois in this week's rankings, tying the SEC with the most teams in the poll at seven.

Even so, the SEC remains the conference to beat, with not just No. 1 South Carolina setting the sport's standard, but three other Top-10 teams. Conference veteran No. 7 LSU and last season's Big 12 stalwarts No. 4 Texas and No. 9 Oklahoma round out the SEC's grip on the top of the rankings, with No. 19 Ole Miss, No. 20 Kentucky, and No. 22 Alabama also featuring in the poll.

AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll

1. South Carolina
2. UConn
3. Southern California
4. Texas
5. UCLA
6. Notre Dame
7. LSU
8. Iowa State
9. Oklahoma
10. Kansas State
11. Maryland
12. Ohio State
13. North Carolina State
14. North Carolina
15. West Virginia
16. Duke
17. Baylor
18. Louisville
19. Ole Miss
20. Kentucky
21. Nebraska
22. Alabama
23. Illinois
24. Stanford
25. Oregon

World No. 3 tennis star Coco Gauff won the 2024 WTA Finals on Saturday, becoming the youngest US player to take the tournament since Serena Williams in 2001.

Gauff's championship came by way of a grueling three-hour 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) final match win over reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.

The 20-year-old's road to the $4.8 million purse — the largest in women's tennis history — included just her second-ever win over No. 2 Iga Świątek in the group round and a semifinal victory over No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Friday.

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A winning end to a rollercoaster season

When asked about her 2024 season, Gauff told reporters, "There’s been a lot of ups and downs. At moments, it felt great. At other moments, it felt awful. Basically, a typical year on tour."

Her low point was a disappointing attempt to defend her 2023 US Open title. Gauff stumbled out of the US Grand Slam in the fourth round this fall.

That performance led Gauff to an apparently productive coaching change. She left coach Brad Gilbert, adding Matt Daly to her team to work with Jean-Christophe “JC” Faurel.

Since then, Gauff has gone 13-2, ultimately adding the China Open and WTA Finals titles to her June French Open doubles trophy.

After silencing doubters with Saturday's victory, Gauff took to social media, writing "lol safe to say I beat the bad season allegations."

A double dose of WTA Finals history

Just before Gauff took the court, Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand's Erin Routliffe were crowned the season's doubles champions.

Dabrowski and Routliffe avenged their Wimbledon final loss by defeating US player Taylor Townsend and her Czech partner Kateřina Siniaková 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday. They are now the first athletes from Canada and New Zealand to win the WTA Finals doubles title.

Top seeds stole the show in this weekend's NWSL quarterfinals, as surging strikers, clutch saves, and center-back perfection saw all four higher-ranked teams advance to the semifinals in style.

With the league's top four towering over the rest of the pack by at least 16 points at the end of regular-season play, the weekend's results held few surprises — though the stakes for next weekend's semis have officially been raised.

Orlando's offense, KC's defense shine in quarterfinal wins

Proving why they're the 2024 Shield-winners, No. 1 Orlando blasted No. 8 Chicago 4-1 to kick off the NWSL Playoffs with the club's first-ever postseason win on Friday.

After defensive midfielder Haley McCutcheon opened Orlando's account in the 26th minute with her first goal on the season, star Barbra Banda added a brace before the first-half whistle. Legend Marta topped off the Pride's goal count with a second-half penalty, rendering Red Stars forward Jameese Joseph's sneaky score too little, too late.

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After setting the league's goal-scoring standard this season — both at the team and individual level — No. 4 Kansas City secured their semifinal spot thanks to top-notch defense on Saturday.

Despite No. 5 North Carolina controlling the majority of the game's possession, the Current held strong, shutting out the Courage to let Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga's eighth-minute goal stand alone in the 1-0 victory.

East Coast sends West Coast packing

While tactically different, Sunday's doubleheader followed similar scripts: Goalless first halves led to 1-1 scorelines before East Coast powerhouses No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Gotham emerged with late 2-1 wins over No. 7 Bay FC and No. 6 Portland, respectively.

The earlier match served arguably the most drama, with the Spirit needing extra time to decide their semifinal fate. Bay FC attacker Asisat Oshoala broke the scoreless deadlock in the game's 82nd minute before Washington center back Tara McKeown notched her Iron Woman season's first goal to equalize four minutes later.

A cross from Spirit star Trinity Rodman deflected off Bay's Caprice Dydasco in the 96th minute to clinch the Washington victory.

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In the later battle between the league's last two champions, Gotham's Tierna Davidson kept the center back party going with her first-ever goal for the club in the 67th minute. Rookie Reilyn Turner equalized seven minutes later off a Portland set piece, but Rose Lavelle ended the Thorns' 2024 campaign — and soccer legend Christine Sinclair's unparalleled career — by netting the game-winner seven minutes into stoppage time.

How to watch the 2024 NWSL semifinals

No. 2 Washington will kick off the semifinal round by hosting defending NWSL champions No. 3 Gotham at 12 PM ET on Saturday. Live coverage will air on CBS.

No. 4 Kansas City will then visit No. 1 Orlando in the second semifinal at 3 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.

The PWHL unveiled all-new uniforms for its six founding teams on Thursday, after a long process that saw players competing under generic names and logos for the duration of the league's inaugural season.

Bauer — the PWHL's exclusive game and replica home jersey provider — is the sportswear company behind the uniforms. The league also worked closely with creative agency Flower Shop to refine each team's jersey design and branding.

Bauer Hockey takes the lead in PWHL jersey production

"We're proud to be the official game and replica jersey partner for the PWHL, as a next step in our long-standing commitment to girls and women’s hockey," said Mary-Kay Messier, Bauer Hockey's VP of global marketing, in Thursday's PWHL press release. "We are honored to celebrate the players, outfitting them with authentic on-ice jerseys. We are equally excited to celebrate the fans, providing premium-crafted replica jerseys so they can show their passion and support for their favorite PWHL team."

Each team's jersey incorporates elements unique to the club's regional and brand identity. Accordingly, the Minnesota Frost's uniform "embraces the chill" with a deep purple and white motif, "capturing the sharpness of the frozen landscape." Meanwhile, the Boston Fleet's jersey draws on alternating colored stripes, resulting in a "wave-like pattern that evokes a strong connection to the sea."

"Working alongside the team at Bauer, we put thought behind every color, every stitch, every fabric choice — every element— to ensure these uniforms are of the highest quality," added Jayna Hefford, PWHL SVP of hockey operations. "From the design process to final production, we aimed to create uniforms that not only reflect the spirit of each team but also deliver top-tier performance and comfort for our athletes."

PWHL brings home replica jerseys to fans

"Players and fans alike have been waiting for this moment and we couldn't be happier with the six unique looks each team will don moving forward," said PWHL SVP of business operations Amy Scheer. "These jerseys mark the latest evolution in our league's history, and we can't wait to see them showcased both on the ice and in the stands."

Fans can now purchase home replica jerseys online at the Official PWHL Shop, with key retailers following on November 14th. Replica jerseys will also be available at all home games when the season kicks off on November 30th.