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Diana Taurasi’s elbow, multiple technicals mar Mystics-Mercury game

(Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Phoenix Mercury beat the Washington Mystics 80-75 on Thursday night, but not without some extracurricular activities — starting with another controversial play from star Diana Taurasi.

With five minutes to play in the first quarter, Taurasi elbowed Ariel Atkins, who exited the game after hitting the floor hard. Atkins later reentered the game.

The game comes on the heels of another contentious physical play from Taurasi. In the Mercury’s previous game against the Minnesota Lynx, she kicked Sylvia Fowles in the groin with seconds left to play in the team’s double-overtime loss.

While Taurasi was assessed a foul on the Atkins play, there was no such foul assessed on the Fowles play during that game, something Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve discussed on her podcast.

“It’s disappointing behavior from her – not surprising, but disappointing,” she said. “There will be ramifications to that kick. Not ideal.

“I don’t know how you have three officials and there’s no one that sees that egregious of [a play].”

In the aftermath of the game, the WNBA league office has assessed Taurasi a flagrant foul 2 for the kick, Insider reported Friday. Per the league rule book, such a penalty is handed out for “an unsportsmanlike act” and the responsible player will be assessed a fine and/or a suspension.

Later in the first quarter, Phoenix’s Diamond DeShields was injured one play after blocking a Washington shot. She later attempted to come back but was on crutches after the game.

“It’s still up in the air,” DeShields said of the severity of her injury. “I’ll probably find out more tomorrow, but I think it’s okay. It was a bad series of events, but I should be fine.”

In the second quarter, more chaos ensued.

Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard received a technical foul halfway through the second quarter for arguing with the officials.

A minute later, Sophie Cunningham and Myisha Hines-Allen clashed. Hines-Allen stepped over Cunningham following a 3-point attempt, and then Cunningham responded by grabbing her leg. The two had to be separated, and both received technicals.

After the game, Cunningham attempted to play off the altercation.

“It’s nothing,” Cunningham said. “I mean, if that happened with guys, we wouldn’t even be talking about it. But I thought I got fouled, she stepped over me, so why can’t I be a little feisty and sassy?”

In the fourth quarter, Skylar Diggins-Smith committed a hard foul against Elena Delle Donne. While Delle Donne appeared to tell Diggins-Smith that the play was “fine,” each player received a technical foul of their own, though the fouls were overturned upon review.

NWSL Free Agency Shakes Up Gotham Roster

Gotham's Delanie Sheehan dribbles the ball up the pitch during a 2024 NWSL match.
Standout midfielder Delanie Sheehan left Gotham FC for the Houston Dash last week. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Three players exited Gotham FC in NWSL free agency last week, putting the NJ/NY club's superteam status in question as the early offseason brings a slew of roster shakeups.

Headlining the Gotham defectors is starting midfielder Delanie Sheehan, who notched two goals and logged the third-most minutes for the NWSL semifinalists last season. Sheehan will join the Houston Dash, inking a two-year contract with an addition option for the 2027 season last Wednesday.

Joining Sheehan in signing contracts with new clubs are defenders Maitane López, who joined the newly rebranded Chicago Stars FC on a two-year deal last Thursday, and Sam Hiatt, who inked a two-season contract with a 2027 option with the Portland Thorns on Friday.

Though Gotham has seen the biggest exodus since the end of the 2024 NWSL season, they're not the only club suffering losses. Last Wednesday, defender Madison Curry, who led Angel City in tackles by a mile with 45 in her 2024 rookie season, signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Reign.

Angel City rookie Madison Curry looks to dispossess Bay FC's Savy King during a 2024 NWSL game.
ACFC tackle specialist and new free agent Madison Curry signed a three-year contract with Seattle. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

NWSL salary cap, new CBA fuel player movement

Under the NWSL's new CBA, all players out of contract automatically become unrestricted free agents, giving athletes greater control over their professional and geographical futures as their careers progress.

Pay hikes, more playing time, and other personal and professional considerations influence player movement, encouraging league parity in light of the college draft's dissolution.

Along with individual athlete preferences and an exploding pool of free agents, NWSL front offices must still contend with the league's current salary cap. Illustrated by Sheehan's choice to join 2024 last-place Houston rather than stay with a Gotham side that won the 2023 championship and finished third last season, it can be difficult to maintain such hyper-talented rosters under the current salary cap.

This lineup reshuffling will only accelerate under the NWSL's planned two-team 2026 expansion, further burgeoning this new era of league-wide change.

Golden State Valkyries Stack Roster in WNBA Expansion Draft Results

A photo of a Golden State Valkyries jersey during the expansion draft.
The Valkyries selected 11 players in Friday's expansion draft. (Mike Rasay/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Golden State Valkyries began building their 2025 debut roster on Friday, when the first WNBA expansion draft since February 2008 saw the league's incoming 13th franchise select its first players.

Other than each team's six protected players, the Valkyries were allowed to choose a maximum of one player from each of the league's 12 current squads, including one total unrestricted free agent.

Golden State selected 11 notable 2024 contributors, leaving only the Seattle Storm's current roster intact.

Loaded with a barrage of both established and international talent, the Valkyries chose seven players who are at or over the WNBA's average age of 27, signaling the new franchise's interest in leveraging veteran talent to form a team who could immediately contend for a championship title.

Ultimately, Golden State GM Ohemaa Nyanin wants her new draftees "to be happy. I want them to understand the opportunity that they have to come and be historians. Once you get to put on that jersey and you get to sit in front of a packed Chase Center, your whole experience is going to change."

Bench stars highlight Valkyries expansion draft picks

Golden State snagged stellar talent on Friday, including some of the league's top bench contributors, like 2024 WNBA champion Kayla Thornton. The forward, who was likely only unprotected due to New York's incredibly deep roster, appeared in every 2024 Liberty contest, logging the franchise's second-most minutes off the bench.

Other new Valkyries include Phoenix forward Monique Billings, Golden State's lone permitted unrestricted free agent pick, and Connecticut guard Veronica Burton.

Perhaps the most surprising Golden State acquisition was Indiana center Temi Fagbenle, who proved a solid pairing with 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark in the Fever's 2024 campaign. Her availability in Friday's draft was a shock, giving the Valkyries a solid veteran two-way performer in the paint.

Also on the move is Las Vegas' fan-favorite guard Kate Martin. The surprise second-round 2024 WNBA Draft pick saw her playing time decrease as the Aces' injured roster got healthy last season. This move to the Bay Area, where she'll rejoin former Las Vegas assistant and new Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase, will likely give the guard more opportunities to develop and contribute.

In her live post-draft interview, Martin told ESPN, "I'm really excited. This league is all about opportunity and you just need one shot, right? I'm very thankful for the Aces and everything that I got to learn there, but I am really excited for this new beginning and to build something from the ground up with the Valkyries."

Golden State Valkyries expansion draft selected player and former Mystics guard Julie Vanloo smiles during a game.
New Golden State draftee Julie Vanloo led Washington in assists per game last season. (Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)

Valkyries roster leans on international talent

Joining the five US-born new Valkyries are six international standouts, with three from last season's WNBA courts and three from various European leagues.

Making intra-league moves are Australian forward Stephanie Talbot and Italian forward Cecilia Zandalasini, selected from the LA Sparks and Minnesota Lynx, respectively. Similarly, guard Julie Vanloo, who's first WNBA season at 31 years old had her leading the Mystics in assists per game, will relocate to the West Coast after Golden State claimed the Belgian sharpshooter.

The Valkyries secured the rights to two athletes who've never played in the WNBA — French guard Carla Leite and Spanish forward María Conde from Dallas and Chicago, respectively. French center Iliana Rupert, who helped the Aces win their 2022 championship before joining Atlanta, also earned a Golden State nod despite opting to play in Turkey rather than the WNBA last season.

Golden State GM Ohemaa Nyanin and majority owner Joe Lacob speak at the Golden State Valkyries WNBA expansion draft.
The Valkyries front office will continue roster building via free agency. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Golden State's next steps

While last week's expansion draft is an important first step in building new squads, expect even more pieces to fall into place early as free agency and the trade market heat up next year.

Though free agency remains frozen until February 1st, Valkyries will have a significant amount of salary cap wiggle room with which to negotiate, as few expansion draft selections are arriving already under contract for 2025.

Golden State will also add to their roster coffers in April's college draft. The Valkyries have been granted the No. 5 overall pick, plus the fifth pick in both the second and third rounds.

The Golden State Valkyries expansion draft selections

  • Monique Billings, forward (Phoenix Mercury)
  • Veronica Burton, guard (Connecticut Sun)
  • María Conde, forward (Chicago Sky)
  • Temi Fagbenle, center (Indiana Fever)
  • Carla Leite, guard (Dallas Wings)
  • Kate Martin, guard (Las Vegas Aces)
  • Iliana Rupert, center (Atlanta Dream)
  • Stephanie Talbot, forward (LA Sparks)
  • Kayla Thornton, forward (NY Liberty)
  • Julie Vanloo, guard (Washington Mystics)
  • Cecilia Zandalasini, forward (Minnesota Lynx)

Upsets Rule as College Basketball Preps for NCAA Weekend Showcase

JuJu Watkins leads USC basketball onto the court for a game.
Watkins set a USC single-game three-point record with nine made shots. (Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Images)

The 2024/25 NCAA basketball season continues to impress, as stunning upsets took over college courts this week.

Kicking off the drama was Trojan superstar JuJu Watkins, who set a new USC three-point record​ in Tuesday's 94-52 win over Cal Baptist, going 9-11 from behind the arc en route to a 40-point performance that led the Big Ten newcomer to a 7-1 season record.

"The goal is to have fun always," Watkins said after the game. "I shoot my best when I'm not really thinking."

Hannah Hidalgo celebrates No. 10 Notre Dame's overtime upset women's college basketball win against No. 4 Texas.
Hannah Hidalgo scored 30 points in No. 10 Notre Dame's upset win over No. 4 Texas. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Chaos reigns on Thursday's NCAA basketball courts

Watkins's big night set the stage for a stellar week of college hoops, with Thursday's slate serving up Top-10 matchups, upsets, and overtime thrillers.

While No. 3 South Carolina dispatched No. 8 Duke 81-70 behind Chloe Kitts' career-high tying 21 points, No. 10 Notre Dame snapped their two-game losing streak by handing No. 4 Texas their season's first defeat.

Even more impressive about the 80-70 overtime victory is that the Fighting Irish clinched it with an injury-hampered roster. Only six Notre Dame players took the court, battling 11 total Longhorns.

Sophomore star Hannah Hidalgo, who competed all 45 minutes, led the Irish with 30 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Guards Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron also contributed 18 points apiece. That said, defense clinched the upset win by holding Texas to just two overtime points while Notre Dame drained 12.

"They played with their hearts," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey noted after the win. "They played with passion and fire. I'm just really proud of this group."

Also shaking up higher ranked teams on Thursday was NC State and No. 16 UNC, who downed No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 14 Kentucky, respectively. On the West Coast, Cal humbled No. 19 Alabama 69-65, sending the Tide home with their first season loss to end Bama's first 9-0 start in 24 years.

Narrowly escaping Thursday's upset party was No. 5 LSU, who needed overtime to take down unranked Stanford 94-88. Cardinal sophomore Nunu Agara impressed with a 29-point, 13-rebound double-double, but the Tigers bit back with Mikaylah Williams, Kailyn Gilbert, and Flau'jae Johnson combining for an astounding 78 points to keep LSU undefeated on the season.

UConn's Paige Bueckers dribbles past Louisville's Eylia Love in a 2023 women's college basketball game.
UConn will play Louisville in the first-ever Women's Champions Classic. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)

Top NCAA teams take over Barclays in new Champions Classic

The madness continues on Saturday with the first-ever Women’s Champions Classic. Four college basketball powerhouses will hit the court at Brooklyn's Barclays Center — home to the 2024 WNBA champion NY Liberty.

Saturday's doubleheader sees eight-time NCAA champs Tennessee take on No. 17 Iowa in their first clash since 1993, when the Hawkeyes registered their only win over three matchups with the Vols.

The nightcap between 11-time title-winners No. 2 UConn and No. 22 Louisville has an even deeper history, with legendary coach Geno Auriemma's Huskies holding a 19-3 all-time record over the Cardinals.

Unlike the 13-year-old men's Champions Classic, which features the same four teams (Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and Michigan State) each year, the new annual women's edition will always include UConn alongside three other rotating teams.

"There's never been a higher level of interest in women's basketball," Auriemma said ahead of the games. "The Champions Classic will give fans exciting, marquee matchups early in the season."

How to watch UConn college basketball at the Women's Champions Classic college basketball event

Saturday's action starts with No. 17 Iowa vs. Tennessee at 7 PM ET. No. 22 Louisville vs. No. 2 UConn follows at 9 PM ET. Both games will air live on Fox.

2024 College Cup Makes NCAA History with All-ACC Final Four

Duke celebrates making their fifth College Cup after last weekend's NCAA quarterfinal.
Overall No. 1 seed Duke is seeking a program-first national title at the 2024 College Cup. (Duke Athletics)

The 2024 NCAA College Cup kicks off on Friday with four ACC semifinalists, making the newly realigned coast-to-coast league the first conference in the Cup's 43-year history to field every Final Four team.

Even more, with WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina hosting for the 12th year, three of the four squads will have a home-state advantage. Overall No. 1 seed Duke, No. 2 Wake Forest, and No. 2 UNC all hail from the Tar Heel State.

Joining that local trio of ACC veterans looking to book a spot in Monday's championship match is conference rookie No. 3 Stanford.

Alongside UNC, the Cardinal hold championship experience advantage over Duke and Wake Forest, who are both hunting first-ever national titles. The Tar Heels' historic dynasty leads the NCAA with 21 trophies, though they haven't lifted one since 2012. Stanford has three, the most recent from 2019 when a roster of future superstars including USWNT icons Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma, and Catarina Macario brought the Cup back to Palo Alto.

NCAA Stanford women's soccer players celebrate booking their ticket to the 2024 College Cup.
Three-time champs Stanford is seeking their first title as an ACC team. (Lyndsay Radnedge/ISIPhotos/Stanford Athletics)

Wake Forest kicks off 2024 College Cup against Stanford

The first of Friday's two semifinals will see Wake Forest fight to extend their record-setting season by logging a fourth all-time win over Stanford.

The Demon Deacons handed the former Pac-12 team losses in 2000 and 2006 before clashing for the first time as conference foes this September. In then-No. 1 ranked Stanford's first-ever ACC matchup, they fell 1-0 to Wake Forest, who earned their first win over a top-ranked team in program history in the process.

The road to the 2024 College Cup required grit and some penalty kick luck for both squads. The Cardinal needed a shootout to advance past No. 2 Arkansas in the tournament's third round before shutting out No. 4 Notre Dame 2-0 in their quarterfinal to punch their ticket to Cary.

As for Wake Forest, they narrowly defeated No. 3 Ohio State 1-0, then used PKs to oust No. 1 USC to secure entrance to their second-ever College Cup.

UNC's Kate Faasse celebrates her golden goal with her teammates in the NCAA soccer quarterfinal.
UNC attacker Kate Faasse is tied atop the NCAA with 19 goals so far this season. (Andy Mead/UNC Athletics)

Rivals Duke and UNC to square off in second semifinal

The nightcap sees rivals Duke and UNC battle for the fourth time this season, as the Blue Devils look to avenge their lone 2024 loss to the Tar Heels by ousting the 21-time champs en route to a first-ever national title.

The Tar Heels lead the series by a mile with a 44-6-5 record against the Blue Devils but, as the nation's top team, Duke has been the team to beat this season — something UNC has only done once.

After the Blue Devils took both of the pair's regular-season meetings — a program-first home win on September 5th and a Halloween season finale victory — UNC booted Duke 2-1 from the ACC tournament's semifinals on the WakeMed pitch.

In their NCAA-leading 32nd College Cup appearance on Friday, UNC will look to become the first team all tournament to break through Duke's brick-wall backline. Previously, the Blue Devils have yet to concede a goal in the NCAA bracket.

The two rivals are also currently standing on opposite sides of historic coaching legacies. The preseason departure of 45-season leader Anson Dorrance has UNC hungry to prove that their dominance is not Dorrance-dependent. On the other hand, Duke is hoping to gift a program-first national title to head coach Robbie Church, who will retire post-College Cup after 23 seasons at the helm.

How to watch the 2024 College Cup NCAA soccer tournament

The 2024 College Cup contenders begin battle on Friday. First, No. 2 Wake Forest takes on No. 3 Stanford at 5 PM ET, with No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UNC following at 7:30 PM ET.

Both semifinals as well as Monday's 7 PM ET championship match will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

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