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.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.