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WNBA midseason poll: Most likely to win MVP? Biggest surprise? Most underrated?

(Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

What did the first half of the 2021 WNBA season tell us about where teams and players stand entering the final stretch? The WNBA’s break for the Olympics over the past month seemed like the best time to answer that question by getting the pulse of those within the league.

We polled seven WNBA experts — consisting of general managers, coaches, agents and PR representatives, and each representing different teams — to get their anonymous responses to seven questions. The topics ranged from the top performers to the biggest surprises and most glaring disappointments.

A lot can change between now and the WNBA playoffs, which begin next month. Our panelists give us a taste of what to take away from the first half of the season and what to expect as the games tip off again.

Who would you bet on right now to win the championship?

Seattle Storm: 4 votes
Chicago Sky: 2
Connecticut Sun: 1

The choices here, for the most part, reflect the top of the WNBA standings. Perhaps most surprisingly, none of our panelists picked the Las Vegas Aces, currently in second place behind the Storm at 15-6.

In their own words:

“Seattle knows what it takes to win it all and will likely have a renewed sense of urgency as Sue [Bird]’s career is winding down. Can Las Vegas generate the sustained focus needed to get it done?”

“Breanna Stewart is clearly the best player in the world, and I think that makes you the favorite to win it all. With Jewell Loyd and Sue Bird playing at All-Star levels, combined with Ezi Magbegor’s development this year, this team is the most versatile.”

“The hunger aspect of this is a huge factor in any team winning a championship. Chicago is starving for it. This could be Allie [Quigley]’s last year, [Courtney Vandersloot] has not performed well in playoff play, Candace [Parker] wants at least one more. When you keep losing in the playoffs in a bad way, it will make you hungrier. And I think they have it the most, to go along with the shortest window, to get it done and keep the whole team together.”

“The Sun’s chemistry is something special. They are a gritty team capable of taking teams out of what they want to do. They have been on that stage and are ready to go take one despite the odds.”

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Jonquel Jones has been a force for the Connecticut Sun all season. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Who would you bet on right now to win MVP?

Jonquel Jones: 3 votes
Breanna Stewart: 3
Tina Charles: 1

The official race for WNBA MVP should come down to the wire this season, so it’s no surprise these votes are as close as they are.

Two panel members gave another player the nod over Jonquel Jones — who’s averaging a double-double this season for the Sun — solely because of the games she missed to compete with Bosnia and Herzegovina at EuroBasket in June. Tina Charles leads the WNBA in scoring with 26.3 points per game, while Breanna Stewart continues to do a little bit of everything for the No. 1 Storm.

In their own words:

“Tina Charles’ numbers are ridiculous and Washington has been able to win some games, despite all of the injuries, because of her. Jonquel Jones would have my vote, but she has missed too many games at this point.”

“When it is all said and done, Breanna Stewart will be the best player on the best team, and that puts you in a prime position to win this award.”

Which team has been the biggest disappointment?

Phoenix Mercury: 3 votes
Atlanta Dream: 2
Los Angeles Sparks: 1
Indiana Fever: 1

The responses to this question were mixed. The Dream have gone through multiple changes internally this season, including interim head coach Mike Petersen stepping down in late July due to health reasons, and dropped their last four games before the break. They also have had to address questions about the locker room after second-year guard Chennedy Carter was suspended indefinitely for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

The 4-16 Fever and 6-13 Sparks have also underwhelmed this season. But, to most of our panelists, it’s the Mercury who have most glaringly failed to meet expectations through the first half of the season.

In their own words:

“Phoenix traded two firsts for [Kia] Nurse and [Megan] Walker and the return has been substandard. Would you rather have [Michaela] Onyenwere and your pick next year or what they have now? If you are going to trade away those picks, it’s a chips-to-the-middle-of-the-table type of move, and I’m really not sure they have the cards they thought they had.”

“With three Olympians, the Phoenix Mercury should be well above .500. Not 9-10”

“Atlanta has a ton of talent, speed and scoring, especially when Tiffany Hayes is healthy. But, I guess chemistry goes a long way.”

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WNBA All-Star Game MVP Arike Ogunbowale and the Dallas Wings have delivered multiple upsets this season. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Which team has been the biggest surprise?

Seattle Storm: 3 votes
Dallas Wings: 1
Minnesota Lynx 1
New York Liberty: 1

The panelists who chose the Storm cited their ability to remain as dominant as they have been despite missing key players from their 2020 WNBA championship team, such as Alysha Clark and Natasha Howard.

A common refrain for the Wings through the first half of the season is that their 9-12 record doesn’t reflect their talent. Minnesota ended the first half on a seven-game winning streak, earning them recognition. The Liberty overhauled their roster in the offseason and are currently sixth in the league at 10-11. One panelist felt there were no major surprises yet this year.

In their own words:

“Dallas has a young group. They’re starting to figure it out and can really score the ball. They are going to be really dangerous come playoff time.”

“In spite of all of their injuries, Minnesota has been able to get it together and finish the first half of the season strong after so many people wrote them off after their bad start.”

“New York has been the biggest surprise to me, in terms of how quickly they have been able to integrate so many new pieces after only winning two games last season.”

Which team has been most affected by injuries/absences?

Los Angeles Sparks: 4 votes
New York Liberty: 1
Chicago Sky: 1
Washington Mystics: 1

The Sparks were the runaway winner in this category due to the adversity they faced in the first half of the season.

Meanwhile, New York has missed Natasha Howard, their marquee free-agent addition, for most of the season with a knee injury. Chicago garnered only one vote despite suffering an 0-7 slump early in the season when they were without All-Stars Allie Quigley and Candace Parker as well as Stefanie Dolson and Astou Ndour-Fall, who’s having a career year. The Mystics have missed 2019 MVP Elena Delle Donne and 2019 Finals MVP Emma Meesseman for the entire season, as well as Natasha Cloud for parts of the season.

In their own words:

“The Sparks were without Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, Maria Vadeeva, Kristi Toliver and Jasmine Walker for part of the season. Washington is a close second for me, but at least they have an MVP-caliber player in Tina Charles to help make up for it.”

“The Liberty traded the No. 1 overall pick for a player that positively changes everything they do on both ends of the floor and they’ve only had her for two games. [Jocelyn] Willoughby went down in preseason, [Leaonna] Odom was out nearly the first month, [Rebecca] Allen was a late arrival and missed time due to injury. It will be interesting to see what a healthy group in the second half can do.”

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Michaela Onyenwere, the No. 6 pick in the 2021 draft, is leading all rookies in points and minutes per game. (Jesse Louie/Just Women's Sports)

Which rookie will have the best WNBA career?

Michaela Onyenwere: 5 votes
Jasmine Walker: 2

Onyenwere, the current frontrunner for WNBA Rookie of the Year, garnered the most votes after averaging 9.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 24 minutes per game for the Liberty through the first half of the season.

Walker played in just two regular-season games before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. Her two voters cited the 6-foot-3 forward’s preseason performances and long-term potential as reasons for their confidence.

One panelist talked about how difficult this question was to answer because of the shortcomings of the 2021 draft class as a whole.

In their own words:

“Onyenwere is so tough, she is so strong, and she competes at such a high level for her age.”

“Pure athleticism and skill.”

“To me, this is the toughest question. This class is not overly amazing in my opinion. I’m just going to say the obvious answer based on what she has been able to do this season so far in Michaela Onyenwere.”

Which player is the most underrated?

Brionna Jones: 2 votes
Sami Whitcomb: 2
Jackie Young: 1
Jonquel Jones: 1
Kahleah Copper: 1

Our panelists struggled with this question and included many honorable mentions as a result, such as Jackie Young, Courtney Vandersloot, Betnijah Laney, Jonquel Jones and Kahleah Copper.

In their own words:

“They are both All-Stars this year, but Brionna Jones and Kahleah Copper play on teams where other people get the shine, but they come in everyday and contribute in a major way. You don’t hear them complain about anything. They just do what is asked of them.”

“Did anyone in the league think [Sami Whitcomb] would be this good playing this many minutes? She is shooting close to 50 percent from the field, 45 percent from the 3-point line and tallying career-highs in nearly all statistical categories.”

As our panelists’ responses show, there are few clear favorites or obvious answers after an eventful first half of the season. Many WNBA teams battled through injuries, late arrivals, mid-season absences and streaky play. Now, with the Olympics behind us and just over a month left to play in the regular season, we’ll see which teams can make up ground and which can hold on to the top playoff seeds.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes: From Gap Year to the NCAA Tournament

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes. 

Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.

#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.

When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”

#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.

 In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”

#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?

“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”

#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.

“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”

#5 Fun facts about Forbes:

She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

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