Editor’s note: This story was first published in the first week of the 2023 WNBA season. The Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty will face off for the first time this season at 10 p.m. ET Thursday.

The Superteam Era of the WNBA officially has begun.

Fans have gotten their first glimpses of the new-look New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces squads. And while 10 other teams – like the Washington Mystics, who topped the Liberty 80-64 to open the season – have four months to make their cases, it’s easy to see why New York and Las Vegas are the favorites to battle it out for the WNBA title.

Here’s how they stack up.

Starting Five

Las Vegas Aces

Candace Parker, F, 6-4: The 37-year-old forward is looking to be the first WNBA player to win championships with three franchises after signing with the Aces as a free agent. She already has rings with the Sparks and the Sky in 2016 and 2021. Parker, who has been candid about being near the end of her professional career, is a two-time WNBA MVP and seven-time all-WNBA first team member. Over her 15-year career, Parker has maintained a reputation as a player who does everything. Last season she averaged 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.

A’ja Wilson, F, 6-4: Five seasons into her career and A’ja Wilson has already won two MVP awards. The South Carolina product has been dominant since her Rookie of the Year campaign in 2018, but the 2022 season was her best yet. Wilson led the Aces to their first WNBA title, averaging 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.4 steals per game.

Chelsea Gray, G, 5-11: After being snubbed for the All-Star game last year, Gray’s second half of the season became a revenge tour. Her play earned the point guard the Finals MVP trophy, as Gray averaged 21.7 points and 7.0 assists per game through the postseason while shooting 61.1% from the field and 54.4% from beyond the arc. Gray showed off her skills as a playmaker for others, and a shot-creator for herself, making over 60% of her contested looks.

Kelsey Plum, G, 5-8: Plum has gotten better every season since she was drafted No. 1 in 2017, and in 2022 she took a major step forward. The guard finished second in the WNBA in scoring with 20.2 points per game while also averaging a career-high 5.1 assists. After coming off the bench in 2021, coach Becky Hammon moved Plum back to a starting role and heavily relied on the guard throughout the season. She played 32.8 minutes per game, which ranked second in the league.

Jackie Young, G, 6-0: Young started the 2023 season on a high note, scoring 23 points in 26 minutes during the Ace’s first game of the season. Young is looking to build on a 2022 season that saw her named the league’s Most Improved Player. That’s largely because of the addition of a 3-point shot to her game. Young shot 25% in 2021 and 23.1% in 2020, but after dedicating herself to the craft, she shot 43.1% from long range in 2022. Young’s ability to shoot 3s adds another weapon to the Aces’ arsenal.

Attack mode Jack 💥

23 PTS // 5 REB // 3 AST // 61.5% FG@jackieyoung3 // #ALLINLV pic.twitter.com/RSIYQ953fe

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) May 21, 2023

New York Liberty

Betnijah Laney, F, 6-0: Laney has been in the league since 2015 but had a breakout season in 2020 for Atlanta. She’s been a key piece for the Liberty since 2021, and while she missed most of last season with an injury, she’s back in top form and could end up being the unsung hero of this superteam. With big names around her, Laney likely won’t receive the same type of attention, but she will be impactful. The 29-year-old averaged 16.8 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 2021. She also brings toughness, a scorer’s mentality and established chemistry with Ionescu.

Breanna Stewart, F, 6-4: The offseason’s most sought-after free agent landed with the Liberty after playing six seasons with the Storm. Stewart wasted no time establishing herself, setting a franchise record with 45 points in New York’s home opener. She already has won two WNBA titles and was named Finals MVP in both instances. When she signed with the Liberty, the UConn product instantly catapulted the team to the top of the WNBA.

Jonquel Jones, F, 6-6: When Jones was traded to the Liberty back in January, the move set off the superteam era. The opportunity to play with the 2021 MVP enticed Stewart and Vandersloot to sign with the Liberty, and it likely motivated Parker to sign with the Aces in order to give her a chance at a title as well. Jones is a versatile scoring threat who plays both inside and beyond the arc. In her last season in Connecticut, Jones led the Sun to the WNBA Finals and averaged 14.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.

Courtney Vandersloot, G, 5-8: The one thing the Liberty needed after signing Jones and Stewart was an elite, pass-first point guard. They got that in Vandersloot, who is third on the WNBA’s all-time assists leaderboard and holds the record for most assists in a single game with 18. Vandersloot played all 12 of her WNBA seasons with the Sky and won a title with Chicago in 2021 before joining the Liberty.

Sabrina Ionescu, G, 5-11: The 2020 No. 1 pick transitioned seamlessly into the league, but last season was telling for the star guard. She plays best off the ball, which is why Vandersloot was such a key addition. Ionescu averaged 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 2022, while also posting her lowest turnover mark yet at 3 per contest. Known as the triple-double queen in college, she continues to do a little bit of everything in the WNBA.

Sab with the no-👀 pass 🥶 @Withings pic.twitter.com/8LcuvYBv2e

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 21, 2023

Bench Players

Las Vegas Aces

Key players: Alysha Clark, Kiah Stokes, Riquna Williams

The one knock on the Aces last season was their lack of bench. It didn’t end up mattering, as the team secured a title, and Riquna Williams ended up playing big minutes in the Finals, but Becky Hammon & Co. still bolstered the bench unit in the offseason. They added an elite defender in 10-year WNBA veteran Alysha Clark. The Aces also retained Kiah Stokes, who brings rebounding and rim protection.

New York Liberty

Key Players: Marine Johannès, Kayla Thornton, Stephanie Dolson, Han Xu

Everyone off the bench for the Liberty brings something different to the court, which is what you want from secondary players. Johannès could easily be a starter for another team, and she’s an elite passer and crafty shot-creator. Thornton is an experienced vet who played six seasons mostly in a starting role for the Wings, and Dolson brings experience as well with nine WNBA seasons under her belt. Han Xu is a question mark for the Liberty, as she hasn’t seen much time in their first two games, but her size (6-10) and unique skill set (which includes 3-point shooting) make her a threat off the bench.

Head Coach

Las Vegas Aces

Becky Hammon set the bar high in her first season with the Aces, leading them to the franchise’s first WNBA title. She’s an experienced coach who spent years as an assistant for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs before taking the Aces job. Hammon also played 15 years in the WNBA and was a 6-time all star. The signing of Candace Parker put the Aces in position to compete for the title again, but it didn’t come without controversy. The Aces traded Dearica Hamby to the Sparks in order to make space for Parker, but a WNBA investigation found that Hamby was mistreated during the trade due to her pregnancy. Hammon denied the claims, but she was suspended for the first two games of the season.

New York Liberty

Sandy Brondello, like Hammon, has experience playing in the WNBA as well as coaching. She played professionally from 1992-2004, and she also represented the Australian National team, winning two silver medals in the Olympics. She got into coaching in 2005 as an assistant for the San Antonio Silver Stars, the franchise that became the Las Vegas Aces. Brondello made her name as a coach with the Mercury, coaching in Phoenix from 2014-2021 and winning a WNBA championship in 2014 before taking the Liberty job in 2022.

Team History

Las Vegas Aces

The Aces joined the WNBA in 1997 first as the Utah Starzz, then became the San Antonio Silver Stars (later just the Stars) before moving to Las Vegas in 2018. The franchise had one conference title in 2008, and then the Aces secured the first title last season.

New York Liberty

The Liberty joined the WNBA in 1997 as well but have stayed put in the New York City area (if not always in their current home borough of Brooklyn). The team has won three conference titles, in 1999, 2000 and 2002, but has yet to win a WNBA title.

The contested bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics women's gymnastics floor exercise is heading back to court for fresh examination. The same controversy produced an iconic photograph of Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles honoring gold medalist Rebeca Andrade.

Switzerland's supreme court announced Thursday that judges have returned the gymnastics case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to review new evidence in what they termed highly exceptional circumstances. The ruling offers Jordan Chiles renewed hope of reclaiming the bronze medal initially awarded to her in Paris.

The issue centers on whether Team USA submitted a scoring appeal within the required one-minute deadline. Afterwards, Biles and Chiles created a celebrated Olympic moment at the gymnastics medal ceremony when both kneeled to honor Brazil's Andrade as she stepped onto the podium's top position.

Days after, Romania successfully appealed to CAS. The bronze medal was subsequently reassigned to Ana Maria Barbosu and presented to her in Bucharest, with the decision hinging on the US team's challenge.

The Swiss Federal Tribunal now wants CAS to examine recordings from the August 5th event that demonstrate the appeal meeting the deadline. The court indicated this evidence could likely sway the ruling in favor of Chiles.

Chiles' lawyer Maurice M. Suh expressed satisfaction with the decision, stating the video evidence conclusively supports his client's claim to the gymnastics bronze medal. He confirmed Chiles will vigorously defend her position during the review process, which could take at least one year to complete.

The 24-year-old UCLA gymnast has moved forward despite facing online criticism, some racially motivated, following the initial controversy. Chiles returned to the mat for UCLA while embracing opportunities with Dancing with the Stars, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue, and NWSL side Angel City.

Alexandra Eala saw her dream of capturing a first WTA title on home soil end Thursday, as the Filipino tennis star fell to Camila Osorio 6-4, 6-4 in the inaugural Philippine Women's Open quarterfinals.

The matchup pitted the former US Open junior champions against each other in their first professional meeting. However, Alexandra Eala proved unable to overcome the Colombian, as the world No. 49 struggled to find her rhythm against the No. 84.

The opening set saw three double-faults from each competitor, as both had difficulty finding consistency in their serves. Osorio later broke through in the seventh game of the first set, then held serve to build a 5-3 advantage. Alexandra Eala could not recover, dropping the opening frame 6-4.

The second set remained competitive through the first eight games, with the score deadlocked at 4-4 after multiple service breaks by both players. However, Osorio elevated her performance at the crucial moment, breaking Alexandra Eala's serve in the ninth game before closing out the match in the 10th.

Statistical analysis revealed tight margins between the players. Both converted second-serve points at an identical 50% rate. The difference emerged on first serves, where Osorio's 59% conversion rate surpassed Alexandra Eala's 51% efficiency, proving decisive in the straight-sets victory.

"I think it was an overall good week," Eala said postmatch.

"Of course, I'm disappointed about today. I definitely think I've had better days, but it's just how it is. I have to accept it, and there’s always next week."

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What's next for Alexandra Eala

Alexandra Eala now shifts her focus to the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open, set to kick off January 31st. The tournament presents yet another opportunity for the rising Filipina talent to pursue her breakthrough WTA title.

How to watch the Philippine Women's Open semifinals

Meanwhile, fifth-seeded Osorio advances to Friday's semifinal against Solana Sierra as she continues her quest for the Philippine Women's Open championship.

All matches stream live on WTA Unlocked's 125Live.

The hit Apple TV show Ted Lasso is switching sides, with the streamer announcing details about the upcoming Season 4 release — including the series' new focus on women's football — on Wednesday.

"In season four, Ted returns to Richmond, taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women's football team," reads Apple TV's Wednesday statement. "Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would."

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Currently in production, Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis, who previously picked up a pair of Emmys for his role as the titular character, with the longtime women's sports fan also serving as executive producer of the series.

Fan favorites Juno Temple, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift also return to reprise their roles alongside the Emmy-winning Hannah Waddingham and two-time Emmy winner Brett Goldstein, who also executive produces and writes for the show.

Debuting in August 2020, the smash-hit shattered records, earning the most Emmy nominations for a comedy show in its first season. It later took home the award for Outstanding Comedy Series in both 2021 and 2022.

Season 4 of Ted Lasso will premiere this summer.

When is Ted Lasso Season 4 streaming on Apple TV?

Fans can catch up on Ted Lasso before the summer's Season 4 release by streaming the first three seasons on Apple TV+.

The 15th WNBA team is starting to spark, with incoming expansion side Portland Fire dropping their inaugural 2026 jersey designs this week.

"Our 2026 jerseys are an embodiment this new era of the team: bold, innovative, and resilient," said Fire senior VP of marketing and communications Kimberly Veale in the team's Wednesday press release. "Every element was shaped with Portland in mind, honoring our legacy, while capturing the spirit and energy of this incredible city we represent."

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The two-jersey lineup includes the white WNBA Nike Heroine Edition with "Fire" written on the front "signifying the city's passion for the team," as well as a red WNBA Nike Explorer Edition "celebrating the Fire's legacy" in the league's return to Portland.

Both jerseys also feature a left shoulder patch for sponsor Chime, after the financial services company officially signed on to be the team's banking and credit partner on Tuesday.

Additionally, the franchise unveiled new secondary "PDX" logos on Wednesday, designed to reference local geographic icons like the Willamette River and Mt. Hood.

Notably, the team is still without a roster, as ongoing CBA negotiations have thrown the WNBA calendar in flux.

Barring a work stoppage, the first-ever Portland Fire game will tip off against the visiting Chicago Sky on Saturday, May 9th.

How to buy a Portland Fire WNBA jersey

While the white "Heroine Edition" is not yet available for purchase, fans can now buy an "Explorer" jersey, as well as apparel from the new PDX logo capsule collection, at the Portland Fire's online Team Shop.