The 2022 WNBA Finals stage is set as the No. 1 Las Vegas Aces and No. 3 Connecticut Sun will square off in a best-of-five series in pursuit of each franchise’s first-ever championship.

The Aces, after finishing a league-best 26-10 in the regular season, swept the Phoenix Mercury in two games before beating the Seattle Storm 3-1 in the semifinals. First-year head coach Becky Hammon was named WNBA Coach of the Year, while A’ja Wilson earned the league’s Most Valuable Player award for the second time in her career.

The Sun went 25-11 to close out the regular season before defeating the Dallas Wings 2-1 in the opening round of the playoffs. On Thursday, they knocked off the defending WNBA champion Chicago Sky in a crucial Game 5 finale to advance to their fourth Finals in franchise history.

The Aces went 2-1 against the Sun during the regular season, with all three games decided by eight points or fewer. On May 31, the Aces won 89-81, and two days later the Sun pulled off a 97-90 victory on the road. It has been nearly two months since the teams last met. Las Vegas won their lone game in Connecticut on July 17, 91-83.

With anonymous insight from two current WNBA coaches, who studied and game-planned against Connecticut and Las Vegas during the season, we break down the key questions of the matchup and what it will take for either team to win a title.

First, the Sun are 10th in the league with 15.6 turnovers per game, while the Aces led the league with just 11.7 per game. Connecticut averaged the same amount against the Aces in their first three meetings this season. In their one win over the Aces, the Sun limited their turnovers to nine. Taking care of the basketball will be especially important for the underdogs.

Second, the Sun are not only the top rebounding team in the league but also first in offensive rebounds, pulling down 10.2 a game. They also average a league-best 13.5 points off second-chance opportunities, whereas the Aces average 6.9 offensive rebounds per game, the second-lowest mark in the WNBA during the season.

Third, half of Connecticut’s points come in the paint, whereas Las Vegas generates around 38 percent of its offense in the paint. Whichever team can control the paint consistently in this series will have a major edge.

Here is what the two WNBA coaches had to say about this Finals matchup.

How do you contain the Aces offensively?

Coach 1: Naturally playoff basketball slows down, and I don’t necessarily think that there is going to be an intention of slowing the game down. Connecticut is going to play their pace, and that has been how they’ve had success. The issue is going to be if they don’t take care of the basketball. If they have 23 turnovers again, they won’t win. Connecticut doesn’t normally take a shot early in the shot clock unless it’s a true fast break. At this point, you are very seldom trying to change what you do except alter a few things to neutralize the opponent. That might come in an occasional blitz or an occasional trap on some people, just trying to steal some possessions here and there. Everyone is too familiar with each other at this point.

Coach 2: As coaches, we always say, ‘Continue to do what got you there, but you’ve got to throw wrinkles in at this stage of the game.’ Connecticut has to focus on transition defense and dropping three and defending the rebound because Connecticut can pick up in the full court. Let’s talk about Chelsea Gray — I love her and she’s on fire. She prefers that middle range, middle right side of the floor and averages about five jump shots a game. I would pick her up a little bit before halfcourt if they can. If you notice, she will turn her hip into the defender; she doesn’t like pressure. If she does that, it takes away the shot clock and also takes away half of her vision so she doesn’t see the floor as well. So get up, pressure her, make her get the ball out of her hands.

When it comes to A’ja Wilson, throw Jonquel Jones at her. She’s shooting 58 percent at the rim this season and she loves the left block. But Connecticut a lot of times has played behind her, and there’s no way I’d let her square up her shoulders to the ball, especially on the left block. I would over-deny her. I would extend that arm, make her catch it extended off the block but also make the guards pass it to her towards the baseline. Vegas is going to expect the double team, so I would hold onto that wrinkle for later in the game and see what happens.

Kelsey Plum is Kelsey Plum — you have to match up with her in transition right away. That’s where the drop three comes into the equation. Riquna Williams is an offensive spark plug off the bench. I’d make her put it on the deck. She doesn’t make great decisions in traffic, and if you give her a straight-line drive, that’s different. Same thing with Theresa Plaisance. Eighty-five percent of her shots are from 3. Make her put it on the deck and she’s turnover-prone. I would run her off the line.

You have to get Vegas into their bench — that’s their lack of depth.

What are the keys for each team to be successful?

Coach 1: Vegas is going to be Vegas. They’re not trying to do anything any differently, and that is to outscore you. That’s the key. They figured out that they need to feed the monster first. That also plays to their need to establish an inside presence and play from the inside out.

Vegas is going to have to defend without fouling because that slows the game down. It results in easy points and will force them to have to get into their bench.

Sometimes we just assume that they’re a really good rebounding team, but they’re not. So, Vegas is going to have to rebound the basketball. Their offense is a lot of 4-out-1-in, quick shots, long rebounds, other people can get it, so you have to pursue the glass.

For Connecticut, if they can make more free throws than Vegas attempts, that’s a plus for them.

Defensively, it’s about containing the three-headed monster of Las Vegas, and you do that by breaking rhythm. Now, that’s easier said than done. You can’t have a steady diet of one scheme. Vegas kind of helps that at times because Wilson gets away from the block a lot. There have been moments when she wasn’t getting on the block a lot and she had sort of fallen in love with the jumper. For opponents, it’s like please shoot that jumper all day, and that favors Connecticut. Your percentages go down. Now Wilson’s percentages are good from the perimeter, but they aren’t what they are in the paint. It’s a game of percentages in a five-game series.

Gray is a problem. We threw all we could at her. She’s tough. We just wanted to break her rhythm. The second key is Plum. She’s hard to trap, but when you scheme for her, if she doesn’t get her touches, she gets kind of thirsty so you know when it’s going up. Try and get Wilson to fall in love with the face-up perimeter game and get Plum antsy. Nobody has been able to crack that code, but you have to contain the three-headed monster.

You’ve got to try to get Vegas into their four-guard lineup. When we first did it, it was to rest Wilson and hide Kiah Stokes. The longer they do that, it works in the Sun’s favor. It stresses them out more than the other because their playbook is shrunk. You can switch 85-90 percent of your screens, and then when they are switching everything, they have two place — if you don’t change — where they have to cover for one another. We wanted them to go to that because we knew what they were going to run.

Coach 2: Connecticut must communicate on both sides of the basketball. They’ve got to contain every player that steps on the court, get to the free-throw line, limit turnovers, box out. Offensive rebounds are also going to be big for Sun, and getting extra possessions and being able to rely on their paint points. Vegas allows a lot of paint points — that should play in the Sun’s favor majorly. Transition defense is very important, and they have to execute with discipline on offense with great spacing. Las Vegas is not overly aggressive on the first pass, so that works in Connecticut’s favor to able to run their action.

Defensively, the Sun can throw them off rhythm by throwing some traps at them, overplaying them and keeping them out of the middle of the floor. A lot of their drives and penetration come from the middle of the floor, so keep them pinned to the sideline.

Vegas has to have a no-paint mentality. Keep Connecticut away from the paint. I would sag off a bit, other than a couple players who you know can get hot, maybe DeWanna Bonner or Natisha Heideman, but really keep them off the offensive boards. Vegas has to block out.

The Aces need to be themselves, find their rhythm early and strike first. Establish Wilson early and get her going. Limit their turnovers because that’s how Connecticut gets a lot of their offense. Maybe bigger than any other stat, Las Vegas has got to rebound the basketball, which is a daunting task against the Sun at times.

Who has the edge in the paint? Backcourt?

Coach 1: Vegas has the advantage in the backcourt offensively for sure, but it depends on what you’re looking at. They’re not trying to play any defense. And then Jackie Young, if they run certain things, you can neutralize her if you put her in a ball screen with your best four and they switch. If Connecticut can make the fourth or fifth pass, get to the third side of the floor and it will slow the game down, it will stress out their defenders on the perimeter outside of Young, and that can be hugely beneficial.

Coach 2: Connecticut has the edge in the paint, I mean that’s how they get all their points by forcing turnovers, getting out in transition. It’s what they do. Their weakness is 3-point shooting. When they start playing individual basketball, it’s usually caused by ball pressure and teams not giving them paint touches.

Vegas has the best guards right now. Jackie Young is a silent killer. She and Kelsey Plum are unmatched if they’re in their flow and playing well.

What makes the Aces so good offensively?

Coach 1: Chelsea Gray. That’s not taking anything away from the MVP. The MVP doesn’t run the offense. The MVP is being directed to the conductor. She orchestrates it all.

Coach 2: They can score from any area on the floor, one through five. They play a little bit of that positionless basketball. Teams are forced to try and pick their poison, and it has been a headache for everyone all year long. Everyone on this team has improved, and they’re playing in a style that only enhances each of them. Everyone is in extraordinary shape and can go forever. They have a swagger and a confidence to them that goes unphased a lot of the time.

What makes the Sun so good defensively?

Coach 1: It’s length and physicality. You think about DeWanna Bonner at the three, that’s length. Alyssa Thomas at the four, that’s physicality. Jonquel Jones speaks for itself. But that same length can play with pace and crash the offensive boards, so they aren’t just one dimensional in their length. And if the ball is making extra passes, that’s when it really comes into play. You can’t play pretty against them. They won’t allow it.

I mean this in a complimentary way, but Thomas is not the most skilled. She is the least skilled of all of them out there, but her heart is the most skilled. Courtney Williams has an edge. Even if Odyssey Sims comes in for two minutes, she has an edge. They’re not going to be bullied, they aren’t going to be punked. While Vegas is the favorite, if Connecticut can muck it up, it can get ugly and Vegas can get frustrated.

Coach 2: I love Connecticut’s defense and I love the physicality. That’s what they do best. They take pride in that physicality. At times, they will drop three. At times, they will do their full-court press, which is really good. We know their defense keeps them in games. They’re active, aggressive, their shell is tight, they bring intensity, they will switch and shoot the gaps, they will ice, they will hard hedge, they force middle on pick-and-roll and force to players off hand, they play behind in the post (although I would change that a bit in this first game). They trap at times. They are last in blocks, but that’s not a big deal. They are good at altering shots and they clear the rebound.

What is it about Becky Hammon and Curt Miller that has gotten them to this point?

Coach 1: They both have a core that has experience. So then it comes down to how much experience do they personally have with their given core? Who can hold true to what’s gotten them there and challenge their players to do it better without abandoning it in the heat of the moment?

In terms of adjustments, Curt lost at point guard. So, he will be making more adjustments. Becky won’t have to in the moment. That’s OK because he has that core, he’s been doing it more. That gives Becky a chance to focus elsewhere. I think whatever lack of experience Becky has with her core, Gray and Plum help that. The MVP, DPOY and MIP all help that.

Coach 2: It’s their preparation and taking pride in what you do and doing everything you can possibly do to help your team be successful. These are things they have been preparing for since day one. They are smart, they understand the game, and they are teachers of the game. When you have a strategic mind, the way those two do, this is what you’re going to get. They listen to their players, they get advice from their players. They watch so much film. It’s a chess game, saying ‘what if this happens?’ And being ready for it. Knowing time and score, knowing special situations, who they are going to pick on. They are fully and totally prepared, and that is why they are in the championship game.

Rachel Galligan is a basketball analyst at Just Women’s Sports. A former professional basketball player and collegiate coach, she also contributes to Winsidr. Follow Rachel on Twitter @RachGall.

Looking back, UCLA coach Cori Close has mixed emotions about her team’s 2024/25 campaign.

Featuring one of the most talented starting fives in the sport, the team made historic strides all the way to a program-first Final Four appearance. But last season also served up a bittersweet ending.

The Bruins saw their dream postseason unceremoniously ended by eventual national champions UConn in an 85-51 rout. Highly touted but inexperienced on the big stage, UCLA nearly reached the mountaintop before a rough tumble, stirring up questions about the team’s ability to hang with the NCAA’s blue chip establishment.

“There’s nothing like having a historic season, and falling a little bit short,” head coach Cori Close told JWS in October. “The hunger to do it better, but also the attention to detail that it really takes.”

“It’s one thing to know things in your head, it’s a whole other thing to have them in your heart,” she continued. “And I think our team has a higher degree of these things in our heart.”

With renewed focus and deepened experience — plus an even more complete roster that can run the court against just about anyone — the Bruins just might reach the mountaintop again in 2026.

Following another strong offseason recruiting cycle, UCLA currently sits fourth in the AP Top 25 Poll after ranked wins over No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 19 Ohio State, and No. 23 Tennessee. And now the reigning Big Ten Tournament champions are setting their sights on conference play — with Saturday’s showdown with Southern California rivals No. 17 USC front of mind.

From here on out, attention to detail could make all the difference in how this season’s story ends.

UCLA is on a mission to reduce turnovers and own the glass

Before the 2024/25 season even began, coach Close already knew exactly where her team needed to improve.

The Bruins played a fast-paced style last year, facilitating ball movement inside and out with skill players at every position. This year, Close believed her squad could excel in terms of discipline, rather than sheer talent.

“We went back and studied the last five national championship teams and talked about trends that we see that they all have, that maybe we’ve fallen short in,” she said. “We figured that we need to turn the ball over three fewer times a game.”

Defense also plays a factor. “When you really trace championship teams, they have to be dominant in their rebounding,” she added. “We have a goal to get 70 to 75% of the misses.”

13 games into the season, UCLA hasn’t quite achieved all their goals. But they are showing potential. They’re slightly up in average rebounds with 44.1 per game, while lowering average turnovers by more than three per game.

But the team’s limitations against top talent reared its head in their November 26th loss to No. 2 Texas. UCLA grabbed only 32 rebounds while committing 20 turnovers — nearly double their season average.

“I was really honest with [the players],” Close said after the 76-65 defeat. “There’s some things we’ve been talking about that haven’t gotten enough change. Maybe this will get us to change some things that led to this.”

The threat of not sizing up against the best of the best fresh in their minds, UCLA has subsequently looked stronger. They reduced their turnovers even more against then-No. 14 Tennessee in late November, before dominating the boards against No. 19 Ohio State last Sunday.

“We have an abundance of growth opportunities, we have an abundance of opportunities to invest in each other,” Close told JWS.

“We have an abundance of ways in which we can improve week by week. We’re going to just stay focused on those.”

The Lauren Betts blueprint: Efficiency over minutes

Reaching UCLA’s goals relies on team-wide commitment — and figuring out the best way to utilize the team’s biggest star.

The Bruins have a wealth of elite guards, with upperclassmen like Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez running the backcourt. But it’s no secret that the team’s attack and defense runs through 6-foot-8 All-American center Lauren Betts.

The senior is a global talent. She made her USA Basketball debut in December, and is shortlisted to become the 2026 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick once her decorated college career comes to an end.

One of the most dominant two-way bigs in the college game, Betts averaged a near-20-point, 10-rebound double-double last season. She’s an attention magnet on the court, disrupting play at the rim with the motor needed to finish the work back up the court.

Ironically, though, to get the most out of Betts, Close has found she has to actually limit her time on the floor.

“When Lauren and I had our exit evaluation meetings last year, we both agreed that she needs to have less minutes,” said Close. “And honestly maybe even less shots, but more efficiency.”

“As a 6-foot-8 player, you get beat up so much before she even touches the ball,” Close continued. “I think it’s important that we protect her wherever we can.”

Betts is aware that physicality can sometimes throw her off her game. She’s now pushing to hone her tenacity at the rim while leveraging her size through double- or triple-teams.

“Just playing the game, making the right read, is something that’s really important for me, trusting that I know what to do on the floor,” Betts at reporters from USA Basketball training camp last month.

“Also aggressiveness, I think that’s something that I can always grow into.”

UCLA enters 2026 with fresh faces — and family ties

Close sees Betts at her best with nothing to prove individually and a little extra help under the basket. And they worked hard over the offseason to get her that support, shaking things up via both traditional recruiting and the transfer portal.

Take senior transfer Gianna Kneepkins, for example. The former Utah standout is giving the Bruins a scoring boost with 14.3 points per game while carrying minutes alongside more established starters.

“She’s been a pivotal puzzle piece for us in terms of having a 50/40/90 player that’s really able to stretch the floor. She’s making everybody better around her,” Close said of Kneepkins, as the newcomer provides a tall outside presence in the paint.

Close also credits second-year transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker. She’s bolstered the team off the bench after sitting out last season to rehab her ACL.

Betts’s biggest supporter, however, stems from a little closer to home. Lauren’s little sister Sienna, the No. 2 recruit in her class, joined the Bruins this season. And she shares many of her older sister’s attributes on the court.

Listed at 6-foot-4, the freshman can stretch defenses even without her big sister on the court, strengthening UCLA’s reach through negative runs while forcing opponents to game-plan for even more frontcourt power

“[I’m] just trying to help her as much as I can,” Lauren said of her sister prior to the season start. “Especially because we’re playing kind of the same position. Just trying to help her with the plays, help her with tough practices, kind of helping her move on.”

Unfortunately, a lower leg injury delayed Sienna’s college debut by 10 games. The younger Betts missed the loss to Texas, slowing down some of the flow Close is looking to build against a big-heavy lineup. But the plan for the Betts sisters is still very much in motion, even with limited playing time.

Reverse engineering success, one UCLA game at a time

Entering the new year with a healthy roster, UCLA will now have to balance expectations both inside and outside the locker room. Because regardless of how the season ends, significant change looms on the horizon.

“I think it’s really tempting to be championship or bust, and that could not be further from our mission,” Close explained.

“I am such a big believer that you talk about your end goal one time. And then you reverse engineer the process and habits it’s going to take to get there.”

“Just staying present, recognizing that this is also a new team,” senior Kiki Rice told JWS in October. “After what happened last year, there’s lessons in the past. [But we] really just focus on being our best versions of ourselves every day.”

UCLA might have fallen short against Texas last month. But they maintain faith that increased depth, veteran leadership, and a refreshed detail-oriented outlook can guide them all the way through the postseason.

“There were certain levels of preparation, certain ways that we needed to minimize distractions, certain ways we needed to handle all of the ways that are going to be pulling on our attention,” Close said of the team’s Final Four journey, noting that she also learned some major lessons herself.

For now, UCLA is enjoying the moment — and the process — with the hope that the wins keep coming this spring.

“This is probably the most complete team I’ve ever coached,” Close added. “If we can stay healthy and stay focused, we’re going to have big things ahead.”

As the world of women’s soccer approaches 2026, the last year may well be remembered for its dynasties.

Chelsea won a sixth straight WSL title, Euros champion England and Copa winner Brazil retained their continental crowns, and Gotham FC lifted a second NWSL trophy in three years.

The winds of change also began to blow in new directions, with Arsenal upsetting Barcelona to win the Champions League final, top NWSL talent departing the US for opportunities overseas, and Kansas City reminding everyone what happens when regular-season dominance meets playoff vulnerability.

Through it all the game continued to grow, with increasingly interesting results on both sides of the pond, as the ramp-up to the 2027 World Cup and a new slate of regional competitions coincide with an ever-shifting economic landscape

So instead of looking back, we’re keeping the spirit of progress alive by presenting five bold predictions for women’s soccer in 2026.

Sophia Wilson’s return: A top contender for 2026 NWSL MVP

News of USWNT Sophia Wilson’s impending return to the Portland Thorns gave NWSL fans a boost earlier this month, with the Triple Espresso forward signing a single-year extension with her original club team.

Expect Wilson to hit the ground running as she comes back from pregnancy. The 2022 NWSL MVP has been very consistent throughout her career, and she’ll be joined by other returning Thorns attackers to bolster her opportunities in front of goal.

Fellow extended Portland star Olivia Moultrie will be paramount to the 25-year-old’s MVP campaign, especially as Wilson looks to challenge two-time reigning MVP Temwa Chawinga.

Don’t bet against Wilson showing shades of Alex Morgan’s 2023 Golden Boot run. That's when the USWNT legend blew past expectations for what new mothers could achieve in their first season back on the pitch.

No repeat champs: Why the women's soccer guards are changing in 2026

Reigning WSL winner Chelsea’s repeat bid is already shaky, with Everton snapping their 34-game unbeaten streak earlier this month. And they’re preparing to enter the new year six points behind Manchester City in the league table.

Blues manager Sonia Bompastor has seemed to prefer a static roster rotation. Of course, she’s charged with managing players from two eras: ex-coach Emma Hayes’s success and the team’s modern iteration. If there was a time for a changing of the WSL guard, 2026 is the year.

Stateside, 2025 NWSL Shield winners Kansas City continue to navigate offseason changes. The Current will start 2026 under brand new leadership, after former head coach Vlatko Andonovski announced he’ll move to a Sporting Director role.

ESPN recently reported Kansas City’s plan to hire former MLS head coach Chris Armas in 2026. But without a formal announcement and the offseason clock ticking, the Current might run out of runway to set up a repeat bid.

2025 NWSL champion Gotham has both FIFA and Concacaf Champions Cup commitments this year, complicating their quest as they maneuver a jam-packed season. The club landed one major re-signing in Midge Purce, but forward Ella Stevens departed for expansion side Boston. Thus, the team is left relying on a title-winning core with an average age over 28.

Arsenal hasn’t looked too terribly far off their Champions League game yet. But the subsequent resurgence of Barcelona and OL Lyonnes could see the WSL on the outside looking in once the tournament reaches May's final.

Despite having a few worthy clubs — including strong newcomers Manchester United — the UK league’s chances of claiming another UWCL title appear overshadowed by mainland Europe’s renewed dominance.

Emma Hayes's USWNT: Expect major roster overhauls in 2026

USWNT coach Emma Hayes embraced change in 2025, giving 43 players their first national team cap this year — the most since 2001.

Though the approach came with some speed bumps. The US matching the single-year total loss record with three dropped matches.

Considering Hayes’s approach, it seems that the future of the USWNT has arrived much sooner than expected. And looking back, those losses actually made an emphatic argument for more lineup overhauls — not less.

The team’s November loss to Portugal showcased a veteran midfield trio in Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Heaps, and Sam Coffey. The lineup exposed the old guard’s weaknesses as the team looks to hold ground among the world’s elite.

Remember — Hayes made the call to leave Alex Morgan off the gold medal-winning 2024 Olympic roster. In doing so, she laid the groundwork for even bigger calls as the US gears up for a tough World Cup qualifying run in 2026.

The global talent war: NWSL salary cap faces European threats

The NWSL closes 2025 with flashy off-field headlines and waning on-field enthusiasm, as it attempts to grapple with a rash of overseas departures.

They’ve even gone so far as to institute a new “High Impact Player” rule allowing teams to exceed the salary cap for top talent. The move comes after rejecting the Washington Spirit’s blockbuster play for superstar striker Trinity Rodman.

Viewed as a half-measure to circumvent larger salary cap issues, the NWSL Players Association has come out against the newly approved mechanism.

The union is advocating for the league to raise the base salary cap across the board. This will help clubs keep up in an increasingly competitive global market without destroying parity.

Whether or not the two parties will reach a compromise remains to be seen. Meantime, it leaves NWSL fans to hope for a solution as wealthy European clubs continue to draw top free agents away from the US league.

Of course, money isn’t everything. Raising the salary cap won’t guarantee NWSL favorites remain Stateside, as another league’s pull features more than just a pay bump. Thoughugh should the NWSL figure things out in time, US clubs might bring in a few big names themselves.

Regardless, expect more players to test their abilities in new environments when the transfer window opens back up in January. And it's especially pressing considering the looming World Cup and its national team implications.

The 2026 Men’s World Cup will transform women’s soccer

International soccer’s largest event lands in the US next year, as the 2026 Men’s World Cup promises to reshape football fandom in this country and beyond.

The NWSL remains bullish on the tournament’s ability to convert soccer fans across gender lines. Though the competition itself is subsequently bound to have a serious and immediate impact on the women’s game.

The NWSL plans to pause for the duration of next summer’s World Cup. This is in part due to infrastructural strains, as the tournament takes over venues shared between men’s and women’s club teams. The USWNT’s World Cup qualifying campaign will also hit the breaks, rendering the team’s summer international windows largely meaningless.

And with Concacaf qualifiers kicking off immediately after the 2026 NWSL Championship, top players will have to balance commitments at the end of a long year.

No matter how the 2026 World Cup ends up influencing US soccer culture, it will inevitably present some challenges as the domestic women’s game pushes to be more than an afterthought alongside the sport’s biggest stage.

No. 3 South Carolina basketball suffered a blow this week, as top transfer Ta'Niya Latson exited the Gamecocks' 96-55 win over Providence with a lower leg injury on Sunday.

"She's smiling," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said of Latson immediately following the game, offering an optimistic injury update. "She got treatment all through the second half."

The star senior guard, who turned 22 years old last Friday, joined South Carolina after leading Division I in scoring with Florida State last season.

This year, Latson's 16.9 points per game trails only sophomore forward Joyce Edwards's 21.4-point average on the Gamecocks' scoresheet.

While the full extent to Latson's injury and her potential time off the court is still unknown, any absence exacerbates the team's injury woes, as South Carolina lost standout forward Chloe Kitts to a season-ending injury before the 2025/26 campaign tipped off — with the Gamecocks battling additional availability limits throughout their roster all month.

That said, with the recent returns of forward Madina Okot and guard Agot Makeer from concussion protocol, the Gamecock bench is significantly less sparse, with both returnees impacting Sunday's South Carolina victory with a double-double.

Even more, Staley's squad will see additional roster relief when 18-year-old French center Alicia Tournebize joins the team midseason.

How to watch South Carolina basketball this week

The No. 3 Gamecocks will open the new year by tipping off their SEC slate on Thursday, when South Carolina hosts unranked Alabama at 2 PM ET.

The clash with the Crimson Tide will air live on SEC+.

The world's tennis stars are preparing to open 2026 play in Australia this weekend, with top WTA and ATP leaders on Team USA gearing up to defend their United Cup title starting this Friday.

The two-time champion US enters as the No. 1 seed in the fourth edition of the hard-court tournament, bolstered by the return of world No. 3 Coco Gauff to lead Team USA's six-player United Cup contingent.

With each tournament bout consisting of one WTA singles match, one ATP singles clash, and one mixed-doubles competition, Gauff notably claimed a straight-sets victory over Polish phenom No. 2 Iga Świątek to secure the 2025 title for the US.

"I'm super excited," the 21-year-old star said prior to this year's United Cup. "I had such a good time in my first year playing with the team, and I'm looking forward to going back."

With the 2026 Australian Open beginning in less than two weeks, the United Cup pits 18 national teams against each other as players from both the women's and men's tours tune up for next year's Slams.

Fellow WTA Top-10 stars Świątek and Italy's No. 8 Jasmine Paolini will join Gauff on the 2026 United Cup court, while fan favorite No. 16 Naomi Osaka will feature for tournament debutant Japan.

Also battling for national pride will be two winners of last season's WTA awards, with 2025 Newcomer of the Year No. 18 Vicky Mboko joining Team Canada and 2025 Comeback Player of the Year No. 11 Belinda Bencic competing for Switzerland.

How to watch the 2026 United Cup

The 2026 United Cup runs January 2nd through 11th, with live coverage airing on the Tennis Channel.