The stars showed out in the opening games of the WNBA playoffs, but the team that wins the championship will need top-to-bottom production from its roster.

Here are the top 10 role players (in no particular order) who could provide a major spark for their teams in the first round and beyond.

👀 did you see that ?
MJ’s over the back dish to Flash!#Ownthecrown pic.twitter.com/F1FTHLv6VX

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 18, 2022

Marine Johannès, G, New York Liberty

There’s no making this list without Johannès. Even without the pass heard ’round the basketball world, Johannès has been an impact player for the Liberty. The French guard is averaging 10 points and 3.4 assists for New York and is performing at a high level both coming off the bench and when she’s in the starting lineup. On Thursday, she scored eight points and recorded seven assists in her team’s upset of the Sky. Her playmaking skills make her the perfect complement to Sabrina Ionescu, because she forces defenses to take notice of every spot on the floor. That takes some of the attention off the Oregon grad, and allows the Liberty offense to flow. Plus, her highlight-worthy plays have a way of igniting New York on the floor.

HAN XU DOES IT ALLLLL 👌@nyliberty looking for the dub to secure their playoff spot on League Pass 👏 pic.twitter.com/EEngskHp0W

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 14, 2022

Han Xu, C, New York Liberty

The depth of the Liberty can’t be ignored, so it makes sense for them to have two players on this list. Han isn’t likely to have a 20-point game, nor do I expect her to take over, but she does have the ability to change a game with impactful minutes. The 6-foot-10 center is averaging 8.5 points per game and shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. Her 3-point shooting prowess forces defenders to adjust and draws shot-blockers away from the rim. Even playing spot minutes, Han has a positive impact on New York’s offense.

Azurá Stevens, F, Chicago Sky

Stevens comes off the bench for a deep Sky team, but she often plays starter-type minutes. On Thursday, she gave the Sky a lift with 16 points as starting forward Emma Meesseman struggled, going 2-for-7 for four points. At 6-6 with a lengthy wingspan, Stevens is an asset on defense — she averages 1.1 blocks per contest — and offensively, finishing around the rim or floating outside to score from long range. Thursday proved that they Sky need everyone playing at a high level to top the Liberty, and they will especially need continued bench production from players like Stevens.

Rebekah Gardner, G, Chicago Sky

Both Gardner and Stevens have cases for Sixth Woman of the Year, with significant bench contributions throughout the season. Gardner is averaging 8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals a game for Chicago. She has a knack for catching defenders off guard and cutting to the basket for open looks, but I see her impact this postseason coming more on the defensive end.

Against the Liberty, she was one of the only players who could stay in front of Ionescu. Her defensive tenacity was also on display against the Aces in the Commissioner’s Cup. Again, she managed to stay in front of Kelsey Plum, another skilled guard, when her teammates struggled. Having someone who can disrupt a skilled ball-handler may prove vital to the Sky as they try to avoid first-round elimination.

we love a megan gustafson moment #4TheValley | #WNBATwitter pic.twitter.com/RhTeq9tNMS

— PHNX Mercury (@PHNX_Mercury) July 29, 2022

Megan Gustafson, C, Phoenix Mercury

Gustafson has played limited minutes (9.6 per game) for the Mercury this season, but with Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith out at the moment, Phoenix has a thin roster that’s only getting thinner. Phoenix needs someone like Gustafson to step up and provide much-needed offense, especially after Shey Peddy also went down with an injury in Game 1 on Wednesday night. Gustafson, who had 12 points and four rebounds off the bench on Wednesday, was an elite scorer at Iowa, averaging 27.8 points per game during her senior season in 2019. If she can harness that scoring ability in increased minutes (the 26 she played Wednesday marked a season-high), the struggling Mercury will have a better shot at sticking with the Aces.

First career three for Iliana Rupert 🙌 pic.twitter.com/G2LWKIVbL5

— WNBA (@WNBA) June 26, 2022

Iliana Rupert, C, Las Vegas Aces

One of the Aces’ few weaknesses is their lack of depth. Las Vegas relies on its starting five for nearly all of its offensive production. That can be an issue if anyone runs into foul trouble, but Rupert provides a viable option off the bench. In her minutes this season, the mobile center has shown her ability to read defenses and find open spaces to shoot inside and outside the arc. She’s averaging 3.8 points in 14.1 minutes per game this season but has the potential to contribute at a higher level if needed.

Veronica Burton, G, Dallas Wings

I was going to include Teaira McCowan on this list, but she’s since graduated from role player to centerpiece for Dallas. Still, there was clearly something missing in the Wings’ loss to Connecticut on Wednesday. Enter Burton. Without Arike Ogunbowale, the Wings need Burton to step up offensively. The point guard is known for her defense, but the Wings need her not only to set up her teammates — she averaged 1.5 assists in 15.2 minutes per game — but score on her own as well. The rookie averaged 17.8 points per game during her senior season at Northwestern. If she can tap into that scoring potential, it will be a huge help for Dallas.

Brionna Jones, C, Connecticut Sun

Jones is the frontrunner for Sixth Woman of the Year for a reason. The 6-3 center scores 13.8 points, grabs 5.1 rebounds and dishes 1.3 assists per game off the bench for the Sun. She brings efficiency, shooting 56.9 percent from the field, and a different style of post play than the Sun get from starting forwards DeWanna Bonner and Jonquel Jones. Brionna Jones is more of a traditional big who isn’t afraid to use her strength to battle through contact in the paint. In addition to her skill set, Jones brings a unique toughness to the Sun.

Shakira Austin, C, Washington Mystics

Austin has been a key piece for the Mystics this season, averaging 12 points, 7 boards and one block per game. The rookie leads her team on the glass and is a dynamic shot-blocker. She played well against the Storm in Game 1 with 12 points and seven rebounds but missed shots she shouldn’t have down the stretch. Still, Austin has been consistent throughout the season, and I’d be surprised to see her miss opportunities like that again. With defenses focusing on Elena Delle Donne, Ariel Atkins and Natasha Cloud, Austin has the opportunity to put up big numbers for Washington.

Ezi Magbegor gets it to go with 0.1 seconds remaining 😮 pic.twitter.com/hOjqauxAtz

— ESPN (@espn) June 19, 2022

Ezi Magbegor, C, Seattle Storm

Magbegor is second in the league in blocked shots with 1.8 per game, so her defensive presence is an obvious advantage for the Storm. But she’s contributed across the board this season, averaging 9.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Magbegor provides production in all categories for the Storm off the bench, and her ability to keep them at a high-level when subbed in for a member of the starting lineup is a luxury the Storm can take advantage of as they look to advance past the Mystics.

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

With half of the Elite Eight now set, a few Big Ten underdogs still have a shot at disrupting the No. 1 seed stronghold at the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament this weekend.

The No. 3-seed Purdue Boilermakers are through to the quarterfinals after defeating No. 2-seed SMU 3-1 on Thursday, while the No. 4-seed Indiana Hoosiers, No. 3 seed-Wisconsin Badgers, and the still-undefeated overall No. 1 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers all face stiff Sweet Sixteen competition on Friday afternoon.

Coming off a strong regular season, the Big Ten could still field half of the quarterfinal round — though that would require the first No. 1-seed upset of the 2025 national tournament in the form of an Indiana victory over top-seeded Texas.

Bolstered by their defensive leader, senior middle blocker Madi Sell, the Hoosiers booked just their second-ever Sweet Sixteen trip with last week's win over No. 5 Colorado, with Indiana now hoping their lucky run continues against the 2022 and 2023 champion Longhorns.

Meanwhile, the No. 1 Huskers will look to keep rolling against No. 4-seed Kansas while the No. 3 Badgers aim to snag another Big Ten spot in the Elite Eight by ousting No. 2-seed Stanford on Friday.

How to watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament this weekend

The NCAA volleyball tournament's Sweet Sixteen action will wrap with four games on Friday, starting with No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Indiana at 12 PM ET.

The Elite Eight will then meet at the net on Saturday and Sunday to determine the last-standing teams heading to next week's Final Four in Kansas City.

All of this weekend's NCAA tournament games will air live across ESPN platforms.

Team USA is on a roll, officially taking the four-game 2025 Rivalry Series against Canada before the slate of friendlies is even over, with the US collecting three consecutive wins so far — and one shot left at making it a clean sweep.

The US downed their northern neighbors by a commanding 10-4 scoreline in Edmonton on Wednesday, marking Team USA's first-ever 10-goal victory against the reigning Olympic champs — all while upping the 2025 series' goal tally to 20-6.

While each team fine-tunes rosters ahead of the 2026 Olympics, one test remains for both international hockey titans before the Winter Games take the ice in February.

"The work doesn't stop. Our Olympic team is not named. There's still one more game to go," said USA captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, acknowledging that her squad is not taking their foot off the gas despite the recent lopsided results.

"We have one more game against them before the Olympics," echoed Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin. "We're all aware of that."

How to watch Team USA vs. Canada in the 2025 Rivalry Series

The puck drops on the final match of the sixth annual hockey Rivalry Series between the USA and Canada in Edmonton, Alberta, on Saturday.

Live coverage of the clash will begin at 9 PM ET on the NHL Network.

The latest FIFA women's soccer rankings dropped on Thursday, with Spain widening their lead at No. 1 after winning a second consecutive UEFA Nations League title earlier this month.

The USWNT held steady at No. 2, ceding 7.48 points after losing an October friendly to No. 22 Portugal before going on to secure four straight wins over Portugal, No. 35 New Zealand, and No. 13 Italy to close out 2025.

Elsewhere in the FIFA Top 10, No. 3 Germany and No. 6 Brazil both saw boosts after successful fall runs, while Canada skidded to No. 10 amid a recent five-match winless streak, with Les Rouges's last victory coming against No. 43 Costa Rica last June.

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The biggest changes, however, occurred outside the top ranks, as No. 96 Nicaragua, No. 118 Burkina Faso, and No. 137 American Samoa all rose by 16 spots.

Notably, upcoming USWNT opponent Paraguay saw the largest drop in this month's Top 50, sliding five spots to No. 46.

Ultimately, as the USWNT battled to keep pace in a year of roster experimentation — and without a major competition on the team's 2025 docket — the many international competitions in Europe benefitted victors and challenged losers in this week's FIFA rankings update.

The No. 16 USC Trojans are gearing up for another top-ranked test, hosting the reigning national champion No. 1 UConn Huskies in the weekend's flashiest NCAA women's basketball matchup on Saturday.

Coming off their second ranked win of the season, USC topped No. 20 Washington 59-50 last Sunday, with 22 points and 12 rebounds from freshman Jazzy Davidson helping pull the Trojans to a 7-2 record.

"I saw a resolve in our team," said head coach Lindsay Gottlieb afterwards. "I knew we could get the next stop, I knew we could get the next play."

USC will face a particularly familiar foe against the Huskies — this time without sidelined star junior JuJu Watkins — after UConn knocked the Trojans out of the NCAA tournament two years in a row.

Notably, sophomore guard Kayleigh Heckel departed USC over the summer for the Huskies, with the former Trojan averaging 7.7 points per game entering Saturday's clash with her old team.

"I just try to take one game at a time, but I'm excited to go back," Heckel said ahead of her first trip back to LA since transferring. "I had a great freshman year there, and I learned a lot, and it was a great experience, a lot of fond memories. So I'm looking forward to it."

How to watch No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 USC on Saturday

The Trojans will host the Huskies with tip-off set for 5:30 PM ET on Saturday.

Live coverage of the clash will air on FOX.