June is in the WNBA rearview mirror, and with it came highlights aplenty. From triple-double records to 35-point games to overtime battles, the stars of the league showed out.

Each month through the end of the regular season, Just Women’s Sports will select five starters and five reserves making up the team of the month.

As teams fight for playoff position, records become extra important. When making my selections for June’s lineup, team success was a key component in the evaluation process. There will always be outliers who can’t be ignored, but overall if a player is putting up big numbers but not necessarily propelling their team to victory, they have a lower chance of making the team of the month.

Here’s who made the cut for June.

Courtney Vandersloot, G, Chicago Sky

Though she’s a four-time All-Star, the Chicago Sky guard often performs in the background for her team. Vandersloot is elite at running the show and setting up her teammates, which is always her focus as a traditional point guard. Her numbers reflect that, with Vandersloot averaging 11 points, 6.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds a game this season.

But the veteran player is also a skilled scorer when she wants to be. In June, Vandersloot led the Sky in scoring in three straight games, with 25, 15 and then 18 points. She also recorded a 20-point, 10-assist double-double to help the Sky close out an 88-86 win over the Liberty on June 12. The Sky were 9-2 in June, with Vandersloot leading the team in assists in six of those contests.

Sabrina Ionescu, G, New York Liberty

May was a month to forget for the Liberty, as the team went 1-7 to open the season. The New York squad greatly improved in June, going 7-4 and inching closer to a winning record. A big part of the successful month was Ionescu, who averaged 20.3 points per game in June and led the Liberty in scoring in six of their 11 contests.

Ionescu’s triple-double on June 12 was a highlight, but it was also indicative of the well-rounded play she brought all month. She led the Liberty in at least one category in all 11 games, led in two categories in four games and led in three categories twice.

Money @EmmaMeesseman, back in effect💰#skytown #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/iPDVVmuOhW

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) June 19, 2022

Emma Meesseman, F, Chicago Sky

The Sky were the best team in the WNBA in June, recording just two losses, so it makes sense to have two players on this list. Joining Vandersloot is fellow All-Star Meesseman, who has been a key contributor to the reigning champions in her first season in Chicago. Meesseman averaged 14.4 points per game in June and had her biggest performances in close contests.

After leading the Sky with 20 points and 11 boards in an 88-86 win over the Liberty on June 12, she added 17 points and 12 rebounds in a 106-100 overtime victory over the Dream five days later. Meesseman was also efficient with her opportunities, shooting 57 percent from the field over the nine games.

Jonquel Jones, F, Connecticut Sun

The reigning WNBA MVP is having another stellar season, averaging 14.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for Connecticut. Jones was particularly strong in June, recording five double-doubles in 11 contests. She led the Sun in points seven times and in rebounding seven times, and there were four games in which she led in both categories.

Jones got her team off to a hot start in June, recording 20, 24, 25 and 16 points in the Sun’s first four games (all wins). Her efforts have helped Connecticut stay in fourth place in the league standings, just two games behind the first-place Sky.

Nneka Ogwumike, F, Los Angeles Sparks

I promised the occasional outlier in choosing the WNBA Team of the Month, and here it is. The Sparks went 2-5 in June, but Ogwumike was a noticeable bright spot. She led her team in scoring in every contest, averaging 18.6 points, while also recording two double-doubles. Ogwumike has been the most consistent piece on a rocky Sparks squad, and her play in June was particularly indicative of the seven-time All-Star’s individual dominance this season.

Reserves

Skylar Diggins-Smith, G, Phoenix Mercury

The 10-15 Mercury are struggling, but Diggins-Smith is not. The guard leads the league in minutes played and is third in points. She had 25 points or more in four games in June.

Kelsey Plum scores an All-Star Game record 30 PTS and is your 2022 @ATT #WNBAAllStar Game MVP! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/a81vWOXCQm

— WNBA (@WNBA) July 10, 2022

Kelsey Plum, G, Las Vegas Aces

Plum could easily be a part of this month’s starting five. The All-Star Game MVP is in the midst of a breakout season and averaged 23 points per game in the month of June.

A’ja Wilson, F, Las Vegas Aces

Wilson, averaging 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game this season, had five double-doubles in June alone. Her month included a 35-point performance in an 89-72 win over the Sparks, tying her career-high.

Breanna Stewart, F, Seattle Storm

Stewart averaged 22 points a game in June, leading the Storm in scoring six times. Stewart was also efficient with the ball, turning it over just nine times all month as she helped the 16-8 Storm hold onto third place in the standings.

Alyssa Thomas, F, Connecticut Sun

While Jones continues to put up huge numbers for the Sun, Thomas has had a hand in every victory, contributing in multiple ways. She led her team in rebounding four times and in assists 10 times. The highlight of her month was a double-double in a win over the Storm, with 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

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

Rose Lavelle is hoping to return to the field soon. 

The 28-year-old midfielder has been sidelined with a lower leg injury since the Gold Cup in early march. Since then, she has yet to play for new club Gotham FC in the NWSL. She also missed a potential USWNT appearance at the SheBelieves Cup in April, where senior team newcomer Jaedyn Shaw saw success assuming Lavelle's role in the attacking midfield. 

At the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee media showcase on Monday, Lavelle told reporters that she’s doing well and hopes to be back soon.

"I’m doing good — I’m hoping I’ll be back in the next couple weeks," Lavelle said. "It’s frustrating to start the year off with an injury, just because I feel like you come off preseason and you’re revving to go, so it’s so annoying."

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Lavelle is still looking to compete for one of just 18 Olympic roster spots. When healthy, she ranks as one of the national team’s most trusted assets, but considering this most recent injury, her health is an obvious concern. Faced with an onslaught of experienced competitors and young talent, incoming USWNT coach Emma Hayes will have some big decisions to make when selecting the Paris-bound squad — a reality Lavelle seems to be taking in stride as she works to regain full fitness.

"We have so many special players, we have so much depth, and so many different weapons to utilize on and off the bench," Lavelle said. "Unfortunately that means really good players are going to get left off, too. And I think for all of us, it’s just about being ready for whatever role is given to us, embracing that, and looking to put it into a collective picture so that we can go into the Olympics ready to go."

Stanford has found its replacement for legendary head women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer in associate head coach Kate Paye.

The Cardinal confirmed the hiring on Tuesday via a press release. Paye was largely expected to replace the longtime head coach, as the college mentioned they were still negotiating Paye's contract when they announced VanDerveer's retirement.

In Tuesday's statement, Paye reported that she was "humbled" to have been tapped to lead the women’s program.

"Stanford University has been a central part of my life for as long as I can remember and I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead its women’s basketball program," Paye said. "I’d first like to thank Tara, who has played such a pivotal role in my career for her friendship and guidance. It’s not what she’s done, but how she’s done it, that has had such a profound impact upon me."

A Woodside, California native, Paye played under VanDerveer from 1992 to 1995, taking home a national title her freshman year. After graduation, Paye briefly joined San Diego State as an assistant coach before making her professional debut with the ABL's Seattle Reign in 1996. After finishing her playing career with the WNBA's Seattle Storm, she joined the team’s coaching staff in 2007 and has been with the organization ever since, picking up another national title win — this time as associate head coach — in 2021. Paye's brother John played quarterback for Stanford from 1983 to 1986, while also serving as a point guard on the basketball team.

In her own response, VanDerveer said that she was "grateful" that Stanford picked Paye to follow in her stead. Last week, the decorated coach stated that this year would be her last after 38 seasons at the helm and three national titles under her belt.

"She has long been ready for this opportunity and is the perfect leader for Stanford at this time of immense change in college athletics," VanDerveer noted. "Kate was the choice for this job and I am confident she will achieve great success as head coach."

The 2024 WNBA Draft has officially concluded, leaving the newly minted rookie class facing a tough road ahead.

Only 144 roster slots are available throughout the league’s 12 teams, the reason why the players are sometimes referred to as the “144.” And Monday’s draft picks are set to join a large group of established players competing for those same roster spots, from seasoned veterans to young athletes determined to prove their value on the court.

Last year, just 15 of the league’s 36 draftees made it onto their drafting team's opening-day squad.

In reality, there are oftentimes fewer than 144 spots available, as not every team maxes out their roster. Per the league's CBA, each team roster must maintain a minimum standard of 11 players, but those lists can include players out with injuries or on other forms of leave. Players can also be assigned to short-term hardship contracts, something waived players must be prepared for at any point during the season.

Earlier this week, Laeticia Amihere — a 2022 national champion with South Carolina who currently plays for the Atlanta Dream — took to TikTok to provide some insight into the WNBA training camp process. 

"You can either get drafted on Draft Night, or you can get signed by a team," she said. "Once that happens, you go to training camp literally like two weeks later... Basically everybody's got to try out. There's 12 roster spots, and there's like 18 people at the at the trial."

@laeticiaamihere Replying to @dantavius.washington #wnba #draft ♬ original sound - Laeticia Amihere

Amihere also had an important point to make: Getting cut does not signify a player’s abilities. 

"If you get cut after training camp, that does not mean you're not good," she said. "That does not mean that player sucks, don't stop supporting that player. Literally, there's so many reasons somebody can get cut."

"If you guys look at the best players in the league, most of them have bounced around teams," she added. "And I promise you it is not a bad thing, it's just how the league is."

Things, however gradually, are changing. With Golden State's WNBA team scheduled to launch in time for the 2025 season, league expansion is just around the corner. On Monday, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league is aiming to grow to 16 teams by 2028. But by then, it might be too little too late for the generation of talent emerging from an increasingly competitive NCAA system.

Monday night’s WNBA draft added to the nationwide uptick in record-breaking women's sports viewership, pulling in 2.45 million viewers throughout the nearly two-hour broadcast and peaking at 3.09 million, according to an ESPN release. 

That number shatters the previous draft viewership record — 601,000 in 2004 — which was fueled primarily by then-No. 1 pick Diana Taurasi entering the league after UConn's historic three-peat March Madness performance.  

The 2023 WNBA draft drew 572,000 viewers, the most for any televised WNBA event since 2.74 million tuned in to NBC for a Memorial Day matchup between the New York Liberty and Houston Comets back in 2000.

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While many came to watch Caitlin Clark get drafted No. 1 overall, it’s important to note that viewership didn’t take a massive dip after the superstar shooter left the stage. The numbers show that a bulk of the audience stuck around to watch the remainder of the show, making 2024's event not just the most-viewed WNBA draft in history, but also the most-viewed WNBA program to ever air on ESPN platforms.

Draft Day's popularity is yet another sign indicating an expected rise in WNBA regular season viewership. Clark and Iowa's NCAA tournament showdown with the Chicago Sky-bound Kamilla Cardoso's South Carolina side drew a record 18.7 million to ABC's Sunday afternoon broadcast. Banking on this trend, 36 of Indiana's upcoming 40 games are set to be shown on national television. In-person ticket sales are also soaring, leading the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces to re-home their matchup with the Fever to a venue that can accommodate some 6,000 more fans.