Lexie Brown revealed more details of the illness that kept her out for the majority of the WNBA season.

The Los Angeles Sparks guard missed 28 of 40 games this season due to a bacterial infection, which has required multiple surgeries, she revealed to reporters Wednesday.

The first surgery came in mid-June, when the infection was close to becoming septic, Brown said. While she returned to the court for three games in July, she ended up needing another surgery, which sidelined her for the rest of the season. And she will need one more surgery before she can move forward.

“My goal was always to come back,” she said. “My mentality was to always conquer this and get back on the court. And that was always the conversations we had. But my mind and my body were just not matching up.”

While dealing with the infection and the recovery from her surgeries, Brown, 28, often found herself in “too much pain” to attend games or practices — or even to leave her apartment.

“Day to day, I’m OK. I can do normal things. But I’m in pain all the time, and it’s just been really difficult,” Brown said. “I can’t do any type of exercising at all. So that’s been one of the hardest parts for me too. But I’m getting through it.”

In her 12 games, she averaged a career-high 12.4 points per game, as well as 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. She also had a career-high 48.6% shooting percentage.

As Brown navigated her health ordeal, she and the team offered few details. She did open up about her journey in a TikTok video in August, saying the recovery process has been “a lot longer” and “a lot harder” than she expected. On Wednesday, she praised the Sparks for maintaining her privacy and for offering their unwavering support.

“The team was so amazing through this entire thing. The organization was amazing. They kept it all extremely private, which I appreciate so much, because it was hard when people have a lot of opinions and thoughts of what was really going on with me…

“I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I need to start visualizing positivity more, so: I will be healthy for next season.”

"My mind and my body were just not matching up." @Lexiebrown speaks to the media about her health this season. pic.twitter.com/3dvSaaOFdW

— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) September 13, 2023

Just days ahead of taking the 2025 US Open court, US tennis star Coco Gauff has reportedly parted ways with coach Matthew Daly, after he helped guide the world No. 3 to her first French Open title earlier this year.

Gauff originally hired Daly, a grip specialist, following a disappointing 2024 US Open run, ultimately finishing out the season by adding 2024 China Open and 2024 WTA Finals hardware to her trophy case.

However, despite her breakthrough performance at this year's Roland Garros, the 21-year-old has struggled with her serve this season, most recently registering 42 double faults across her three matches at the 2025 Canadian Open and 16 in her 2025 Cincinnati Open quarterfinal clash.

In Daly's absence, Gauff will still be working with longtime coach JC Faurel while also adding Gavin MacMillan to her 2025 US Open team — a biomechanics specialist who No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has credited for helping her find consistency with her serve.

"I'm very much a perfectionist type of person," Gauff recently told reporters. "So it's really nothing satisfying until you're holding the big trophy, to be honest."

Gauff's next shot at a big trophy begins on Sunday, when the main draw of the 2025 US Open — the last Grand Slam of the year — hits courts in Queens, NY.

The 2023 US Open champion will face Australia's No. 84 Ajla Tomljanović in her first-round match.

Following the NWSL attendance record set by Chicago at the historic Wrigley Field in June 2024, Bay FC will gear up to best the Stars' title during this weekend's clash inside another MLB stadium — the San Francisco Giants' Oracle Park.

With over 35,000 tickets already sold, Bay will officially claim the league's single-game attendance record when the No. 11 NWSL club hosts the No. 4 Washington Spirit on Saturday, topping the 35,038 fans who showed up in Chicago last summer.

With a capacity of 40,260 seats, Saturday's match could significantly surpass that June 2024 mark.

The game will also set the attendance record for all US professional women's sports leagues.

"This is a landmark moment not just for Bay FC or the NWSL, but for the future of women's professional sports in the United States," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement. "Breaking the league's single-match attendance record at a venue as iconic as Oracle Park is a testament to the growing demand, passion, and momentum behind our league."

Reflecting the continued growth of the NWSL, the six most-attended matches in league history have occurred in the last four seasons, with markets like San Diego, Seattle, and Chicago all reaching new heights.

"This is about more than just a match, it is about pushing boundaries and creating something bigger than ourselves," noted Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart. "Everyone who is at Oracle Park [on] Saturday has the chance to be part of history and together show the world what's possible in women's sports."

The Connecticut Sun is still on the chopping block, with reports surfacing Tuesday that the WNBA made a $250 million offer to buy the team in order to control its final landing place.

The Mohegan Tribe — the Sun's current owners — are reportedly still seeking clarity on the league's preferred relocation destination, after two prospective outside bids stalled in front of the Board of Governors.

Multiple offers remain on the table, including two $325 million bids from groups in Boston and nearby Hartford, Connecticut — as well as a plan to raise capital via minority investments rather than a full sale.

Recent reports point to the league's desire to control the Sun's fate while preserving certain markets for expansion, with the Mohegan Tribe under pressure to bend to the WNBA's interests.

The WNBA offer to buy the Connecticut Sun outright is reportedly part of a larger plan to flip the team to a different prospective ownership group without an additional relocation fee — and rumors say Houston is in the lead.

The Mohegan Tribe already turned down a low-ball bid out of Cleveland, with WNBA later awarding the Northeast Ohio city an expansion team for a $250 million fee.

NBA co-ownership was a clear priority during the league's most recent expansion, with officials now looking to force that strategy onto the Sun's future.

While the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx watch from above, the race for the No. 2 postseason seed is taking center stage, with teams like the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury eyeing 2025 WNBA Playoffs spots as the league nears the regular-season home stretch.

Big Tuesday wins helped boost the No. 2 New York Liberty and No. 5 Las Vegas Aces up the WNBA standings, while the Mercury refused to lose pace with a 98-91 victory over the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries.

"We're just continuing to try to build," Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters afterwards. "We're on the right step, but there's still work to be done."

Multiple talent-stacked teams are continuing to sharpen their form with the 2025 Playoffs looming, with only a half-game currently separating the New York Liberty, Atlanta Dream, Phoenix Mercury, and Las Vegas Aces on the WNBA table.

The Mercury have benefitted a healthy Big Three — Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, and Kahleah Copper — with Copper leading Phoenix's five double-digit scorers by registering 25 points in Tuesday’s win.

"Our support staff has been great and our culture and my teammates have been great in helping me navigate through [early-season injuries] and just being able to get back out there," Copper said this week.

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury this week

The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will have their work cut out for them on Thursday, when they'll visit Las Vegas to tip off against the surging No. 5 Aces and their eight-game winning streak at 10 PM ET.

Live coverage of the clash will air on Prime.