The opening weekend of the WNBA season is in the books, and we’ve already been treated to several fun performances. Elena Delle Donne scored 21 in her much-anticipated return, Jordin Canada posted 21 points and eight assists in her first game as a Spark to lead L.A. to an overtime road win over the Sky, and Rhyne Howard burst onto the scene with a stat line never before achieved in a WNBA debut.

For some of you, those performances may have put you well on your way to a 1-0 start to your fantasy career (or, if your opponent was the beneficiary, an 0-1 start). With ESPN’s addition of a season-long fantasy WNBA game, the first of its kind in major women’s sports, loads of fantasy players are in the midst of their first-ever WNBA matchup this week.

In this space throughout the season, we’ll regularly break down some of the key aspects of the fantasy world. Subsequent editions may look a little different once the season is in full swing and more players return from their overseas commitments, but it’s never too early to analyze what we’ve seen so far.

Risers

The landscape in any sport is constantly fluctuating throughout the season due to factors such as injuries, hot or cold streaks and rotation adjustments. Later on, we’ll be able to give you the biggest risers and fallers from the previous week’s ESPN fantasy rankings, but for now we can use ESPN’s preseason rankings for our baseline. Everyone has played only one or two games, so make of these what you will.

Yvonne Turner: 112 spots (current 59th, preseason 171st)

Turner’s inclusion on this list may be mostly about how shorthanded the 0-2 Lynx are (her teammate Jessica Shepard checks in right behind her at fourth).

Nevertheless, Turner deserves a lot of credit for stepping in and providing coach Cheryl Reeve with some ball-handling after not having played in the league since 2019.

Dana Evans: 128 spots (current 5th, preseason 133rd)

If ESPN only counted each player’s best quarter, Evans would probably be the highest-ranked player in the league right now. The second-year Sky guard spontaneously combusted in the third quarter of Chicago’s season opener, pouring in 17 points to go along with three assists and two steals.

The 24 fantasy points Evans recorded in the quarter were more than she had ever logged in any game and alone would put her just outside of the top 50.

Jocelyn Willoughby: 146 spots (current 33rd, preseason 179th)

Believe it or not, Evans’ explosion was not quite enough for the No. 1 spot on the risers list. That belongs to another young former ACC guard.

Playing in her first career game in a WNBA arena (two years removed from the bubble season), Jocelyn Willoughby made her presence felt in 29 productive minutes. Willoughby benefitted from the absences of Betnijah Laney and DiDi Richards, and she took full advantage.

And 1️⃣ for @swishbeast #OwntheCrown👑🗽 pic.twitter.com/Sin2I3ZGPL

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 8, 2022

Fallers

On the flip side of the risers, you have the fallers — those players whose rank looked a lot better a week ago.

Erica Wheeler: 37 spots (current 57th, preseason 20th)

This one is probably a function of ESPN overrating Wheeler to start the season. Yes, Wheeler is a solid guard who should give the Dream a valuable veteran presence in the backcourt as they rebuild. But it’s hard to imagine that she finishes the season as one of the top 20 fantasy players in the game.

Plus, Atlanta has a rookie guard who looks like she’ll command a lot more usage than what ESPN projected. Speaking of Rhyne Howard’s touches…

Aari McDonald: 41 spots (current 108th, preseason 67th)

Like Wheeler, McDonald may end up with fewer counting stats than what ESPN thought thanks in large part to her new teammate. Howard entered the season ranked 38th on ESPN, but in her debut, she led the team in minutes as well as five of the six stats that count for fantasy points.

There’s also Kristy Wallace, who somehow didn’t even exist on ESPN’s preseason list but got the start and played 29 minutes for Atlanta on Saturday. McDonald came off the bench and scored just one point in 18 minutes. If Game 1 was any indication of what Tanisha Wright’s rotation will look like, McDonald may have a hard time living up to her preseason rank.

Arike Ogunbowale: 51 spots (current 68th, preseason 17th)

Arike owners, you have nothing to worry about. Ogunbowale’s game is suited perfectly for ESPN’s fantasy scoring system, which proportionally rewards scoring and shooting more heavily than defense and rebounding.

Sometimes stars just have an off night. Ogunbowale’s seven-point performance in Dallas’ opening loss was her lowest output since her rookie year. Give Atlanta’s defense plenty of credit, but don’t read anything into an anomaly to start the season.

Fantasy performances of the week(end)

Going forward, this section will recognize the top games of the past week from a fantasy perspective. However, with only one weekend under our belts, we’re taking a look at the best performances of the season so far.

Alyssa Thomas, 42 fantasy points (May 7 vs. New York)

Seeing Alyssa Thomas on the floor to open the season was refreshing after she missed the majority of 2021 with an Achilles injury. The two-time All-Star was at her best right away, pouring in 25 points with spin moves and her signature shot puts.

Add in her contributions on the other end of the floor (four steals) and on the glass (seven boards), and it was enough to give her one of the best fantasy outings of the young season.

Natisha Hiedeman ➡️ Alyssa Thomas for the and-1 😱 pic.twitter.com/sX06UMdn14

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 7, 2022

Sabrina Ionescu, 42 fantasy points (May 7 vs. Connecticut)

Thomas’ efforts weren’t enough to give her the outright title of most fantasy points in this game, nor were they enough for her team to win the game. That’s because Sabrina Ionescu did what Sabrina Ionescu does: fill the stat sheet.

While Ionescu’s efficiency left something to be desired last year, ESPN’s scoring system doesn’t care about that — only volume stats count for fantasy purposes. For that reason, the NCAA’s triple-double leader still finished in the top 20 in the league in total fantasy points in 2021, and she validated that with a stellar performance (both in real life and fantasy) to open the 2022 season.

Candace Parker, 44 fantasy points (May 6 vs. Los Angeles)

Candace Parker has made it known that her goal for this year’s regular season is to “not suck.” She probably wasn’t satisfied with the outcome of this game — an overtime loss for the Sky — but individually, it’s safe to say Parker didn’t suck.

The veteran contributed in all facets of the game. In terms of the six stats that count for fantasy points, Candace Parker’s line of 21 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals, one block and three 3-pointers hadn’t been accomplished since Breanna Stewart did it in 2016.

A’ja Wilson, 48 fantasy points (May 8 vs. Seattle)

The top fantasy total of the 2022 campaign thus far fittingly belongs to the betting favorite for MVP. It appears that Becky Hammon is cooking up something special in Las Vegas, and A’ja Wilson is a huge part of that recipe.

While much of the East Coast was sleeping on Sunday night, Wilson feasted on Seattle to the tune of 20 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. She became just the 12th player in league history to do so, and the list of the first 11 is loaded with Hall of Famers.

Miscellaneous fantasy stat of the week

It’s always fun when something quirky happens, regardless of whether it means anything. Here, we celebrate the unique and bizarre stats as they relate to fantasy points.

Brittney Sykes’ defense has been trending up over recent years: After landing on the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2020 and following that up with First Team honors in 2021, she won the WNBL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in Australia in March.

It was that defense that allowed Sykes to log 31 ESPN fantasy points without even reaching double figures in the scoring column. Her four steals and two blocks helped lead the Sparks to an overtime win and gave her a great overall stat line despite just nine actual points.

Brittney Sykes ridiculous help blocks to start the season, a W tradition unlike any other pic.twitter.com/seLTPjMMkN

— Gabe Ibrahim (@gabe_ibrahim) May 7, 2022

In thousands of player games last season, that only happened eight times. Don’t be shocked, however, if Sykes pulls it off again at some point.

Calvin Wetzel is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering basketball and betting. He also contributes to Her Hoop Stats, CBS SportsLine and FiveThirtyEight. Follow him on Twitter at @cwetzel31.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.