After one of the busiest free agency periods in league history and an eventful draft night, the WNBA regular season returns May 6 with a quadruple-header on opening night.

We have evaluated every team’s offseason moves and draft selections, and now we turn our attention to the competition ahead. Here is where each of the 12 teams stand entering the season in the Just Women’s Sports preseason power rankings.

1. Chicago Sky

The reigning WNBA champions sit atop our power rankings after retaining much of their veteran core from the 2021 season and adding All-Star-level talent to the roster. Alongside former MVP Candace Parker, Chicago re-signed Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley in free agency. When you swap out the losses of Diamond DeShields and Stefanie Dolson with 2019 Finals MVP Emma Meesseman and Julie Allemand, Chicago has a chance to be even better this season.

The Sky got to sit back and watch on draft night, with no picks on the board, but they have loaded up on potential pro-ready players through training camp contracts. After the Sky won it all as the 6-seed last season, the confidence and overall talent of their roster makes them the early-season title favorites.

2. Connecticut Sun

The Sun have been one of the most consistent WNBA franchises in recent years, and they went about their business in the offseason determined to see that vision through. They secured 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones to reunite a Big Three that also includes a healthy Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner. The loss of Briann January to Seattle hurts, but Connecticut addressed it by adding a familiar face and potent scoring option in Courtney Williams.

Nia Clouden, the Sun’s No. 12 pick in the draft, gives them a strong shooting option off the bench. But considering the team’s current cap situation — they have just under $200,000 in cap room — they will have some tough final roster decisions to make out of training camp.

The Sun have showcased just how dominant they can be in recent seasons, especially behind their suffocating defense, but they have not yet been able to sustain it through the playoffs for a WNBA title. If everyone can stay healthy, the Sun have all the tools to win their first championship this season.

3. Seattle Storm

With Sue Bird returning for what is likely her final WNBA season, a championship season for the Storm would be poetic and is not out of the question. Seattle also welcomes back Jewell Loyd on the franchise tag and a healthy Breanna Stewart on a one-year, supermax deal, solidifying the superstar core that won championships in 2018 and 2020.

In free agency, Seattle added forward Gabby Williams, a versatile weapon on both sides of the floor who can impact the game in ways the Storm didn’t have at their disposal before. Veteran guard Briann January replaces Jordin Canada in the backcourt. In the draft, Seattle added 6-foot-5 NC State center Elissa Cunane, who’s capable of stretching the floor and working in tandem with Stewart.

The Storm’s chances of winning a fifth career championship will likely come down to two factors: luck and the ability to remain healthy.

4. Minnesota Lynx

Minnesota was nowhere near 100 percent last season and still finished third in the league standings. Their biggest moves of the offseason were bringing back Sylvia Fowles for her final season and signing five-time WNBA All-Star Angel McCoughtry.

While Napheesa Collier is sidelined during her pregnancy, Minnesota will need breakout play from Jessica Shepard, Damiris Dantas and Aerial Powers to compete with the best in the league. If they can stay healthy, the depth of talent on the Lynx’s roster makes them worthy of legitimate championship consideration.

Due to their current cap space situation, the Lynx opted out of the earlier rounds of the 2022 draft through a trade with the Las Vegas Aces for 2023 picks. Their late picks included potential depth options Kayla Jones and Hannah Sjerven, and they set themselves up to add pro-ready, young talent next year.

5. Las Vegas Aces

The Aces organization has a new look in 2022 with Becky Hammon behind the bench, first-year general manager Natalie Williams leading the front office and Liz Cambage off in Los Angeles. Las Vegas enters the new era continuing to build through 2020 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. Kelsey Plum has also been playing the best basketball of her career, and Dearica Hamby remains a well-rounded staple of the franchise.

Looking to secure depth at the stretch four and wing positions, the Aces moved up in the draft to address those needs, selecting Mya Hollingshed and Kierstan Bell in the first round. They added depth at nearly every other position, too, with their selections of Khayla Pointer and Aisha Sheppard.

It’s too early to tell what this team will look like under Hammon’s guidance, but the Aces have a solid foundation of veteran and All-Star talent ready to take the next step and bring a championship home to Las Vegas.

6. Phoenix Mercury

The Mercury are in a unique situation as they load up for what could be one final championship run with Diana Taurasi, while also looking ahead to the future behind first-year head coach Vanessa Nygaard. Phoenix assembled a top-tier starting lineup this offseason, adding Tina Charles and Diamond DeShields to their core of Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brittney Griner, whose status for the season is uncertain after she was detained in Russia on drug charges in late February.

While the Mercury hope for Griner’s safe return home and honor the seven-time All-Star by carrying out her Heart and Sole Shoe Drive this season, they also game-plan for various scenarios. Preparing for her likely absence this season, Phoenix drafted late-round post options in Maya Dodson and Macee Williams, before waiving Williams last Friday.

The Mercury have the talent to thrive under Nygaard’s direction, but they start the season in the middle of the pack due to the amount of questions surrounding their current situation.

7. Washington Mystics

A healthy Elena Delle Donne and Alysha Clark immediately change the trajectory of the Mystics in 2022. With Natasha Cloud running the show, Ariel Atkins on the wing and Myisha Hines-Allen returning in free agency on a three-year deal, the Mystics have the veteran players with championship experience to compete for their second trophy in four seasons.

The Mystics added two top-level prospects in the draft in 6-5 Shakira Austin and guard Christyn Williams, but took a hit when Williams went down with a season-ending injury during the first week of preseason. International signings Lee Seul Kang and Rui Machida, Japan’s hero during the Tokyo Olympics last summer, provide intriguing depth options.

8. Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks completely retooled their roster in the offseason, addressing their biggest need — offense — with a host of big-name talents: Liz Cambage, Chennedy Carter, Jordin Canada and Katie Lou Samuelson. Los Angeles also had a successful draft night with the additions of Rae Burrell, Kianna Smith, Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Amy Atwell. If Burrell and 2021 first-round pick Jasmine Walker can get fully healthy, they give this Sparks offense elements it’s lacked in recent seasons.

How quickly the newcomers can integrate with the Sparks’ core of Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney Ogwumike and Kristi Toliver will go a long way toward determining their success this season. The Sparks’ chemistry on offense will be key to their ability to go head-to-head with the consistently good teams in this league.

9. Dallas Wings

In rebuilding mode the past few years, the Wings appear to be on the precipice of breaking out in 2022. Last year, Dallas could play like a playoff team one night and a league bottom-dweller the next. The Wings did not make any major changes in the offseason outside of trading for Teaira McCowan, the 6-7 center who can help free up Arike Ogunbowale, Marina Mabrey and Allisha Gray for shots along the perimeter.

No. 7 draft pick Veronica Burton has the potential to make an immediate impact as an aggressive guard on both offense and defense. As the Wings’ young players build chemistry together and understand the process of what it takes to win in this league, this is a team that can beat anyone on any given night.

10. New York Liberty

The Liberty hit a rough patch in the second half of last season and still appear to be a couple of years away from championship contention. With the additions they made in the offseason, including hiring head coach Sandy Brondello from the Mercury, New York could take its biggest jump yet during these rebuilding years.

Stefanie Dolson joins the Liberty fresh off of winning a championship with the Sky, and Rebecca Allen returns after the best season of her career in New York. If Natasha Howard and Sabrina Ionescu can stay healthy, and Betnijah Laney and reigning Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere maintain their level of play, this team is capable of getting back to the playoffs and doing more damage this season.

The Liberty will miss draft picks Nyara Sabally and Sika Kone, as they won’t be available this season, but second-rounder Lorela Cubaj could provide valuable minutes as one of the steals of the draft. New York has the talent to exceed expectations if the team can gel faster than expected, but there are still too many unknowns from a consistency standpoint to rank them any higher.

11. Atlanta Dream

The Dream’s offseason goal was to overhaul the organization, from the new ownership team all the way down to the rookies. In addition to the promising additions of No. 1 draft pick Rhyne Howard and No. 15 pick Naz Hillmon, Atlanta brought back Aari McDonald, Monique Billings and Tiffany Hayes, and added Nia Coffey, Kia Vaughn and Erica Wheeler in free agency.

Atlanta now has a solid foundation entering the regular season, but this season is still an early step in the process of rebuilding the Dream into a playoff team.

12. Indiana Fever

The Fever’s offseason demolition included naming interim general manager Linn Dunn, cutting ties with Jantel Lavender and Julie Allemand, and adding first-round picks NaLyssa Smith, Emily Engstler, Lexie Hull and Destanni Henderson in the draft. While the franchise has made significant strides toward snapping their five-year playoff drought, they still have a lot of work to do, most notably molding the current roster and attracting top free-agent talent down the road.

It will take at least a few more years for Indiana to return to championship contention. Beyond veterans Kelsey Mitchell and Bria Hartley, the young players will need time to develop.

Rachel Galligan is a basketball analyst at Just Women’s Sports. A former professional basketball player and collegiate coach, she also contributes to Winsidr. Follow Rachel on Twitter @RachGall.

Zimbabwean swimming legend Kirsty Coventry made history on Thursday, when she became both the first woman and first African ever elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

At 41-years-old, Coventry will also be the youngest president in the organization's 131-year history and the 10th individual to ever hold the office.

"As an nine-year-old girl, I never thought I would be standing up here one day getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours," the five-time Olympian said in her remarks.

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An extensive Olympic resume, in and out of the pool

The Auburn University grad and seven-time Olympic medal-winner — including back-to-back golds in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games — retired from competition after the 2016 Rio Olympics.

At that time, Coventry was already three years into her IOC membership, after initially joining as part of the governing body's Athletes' Commission. She joined the Executive Committee in 2023.

"I will make all of you very, very proud and hopefully extremely confident in the decision you have taken," Coventry said to her fellow members in her acceptance speech. "Now we have got some work together."

That work that awaits Coventry in her eight-year mandate will include navigating the 2028 LA Games and selecting a host for the 2036 Summer Games.

Her first Olympic Games at the helm, however, will be the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, giving her less than a year to prepare before the Opening Ceremony kicks off.

Coventry to continue IOC efforts to promote gender equity

Coventry will have a few months to adjust before assuming her new office on June 23rd, when she will succeed her mentor, 71-year-old Thomas Bach.

Bach will have served the IOC's maximum 12-year tenure in the role when he steps down, having led the governing body to stage the first-ever Olympic Games with equal numbers of women and men competing — a mark captured at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

With gender equity as a driving force in his leadership, Bach also increased the number women serving as both IOC members and in the organization's leadership roles, with women comprising seven of the body's 15-person executive board.

Coventry is one of those seven women, and Bach specifically hand-picked her as his successor.

The legacy she inherits isn't lost on Coventry, both in the efforts of Bach and in the women who paved the way — perhaps none more directly than IOC member Anita DeFrantz, a 1976 Olympic bronze medal-winning rower for Team USA and the only other woman to ever run for IOC president.

Recognizing the election's historic significance, 72-year-old DeFrantz overcame significant health issues to travel to Greece in order to vote for Coventry — with her ballot securing the exact number of votes Coventry needed to win.

"I was really proud that I could make her proud," an emotional Coventry said.

The NCAA is leveling the playing field, with Women’s March Madness teams in line to receive their first-ever prize payouts based on tournament performance — a mechanism the men’s tournament has enjoyed since 1991.

Sparked by 2021's landmark NCAA gender equity review, the NCAA will distribute a total of approximately $15 million to individual conferences based on how many games their teams play, with each March Madness performance "unit" worth about $113,000.

This year's inaugural $15 million purse represents 26% of the competition's $65 million media rights valuation — putting it proportionally on par with the percentage allocated to the men's fund.

That overall prize pool will jump to $20 million in 2026 and $25 million in 2027, before switching to a successive 2.9% increase per year.

"We are all playing in the same March Madness," said UNC Greensboro head coach Trina Patterson, whose No. 16-seed Spartans will face No. 1-seed USC in the first round on Saturday. "The treatment for the men and women should be equal. We get a unit!"

March Madness teams get additional NCAA tournament perks

While the performance payouts are new this year, women's March Madness teams also receive perks like charter flights throughout the tournament, which can make all the difference for smaller programs eyeing an upset.

"Everyone is so excited about the experience. Going from the bus directly to the plane, everyone was so happy," March Madness debutante William & Mary head coach Erin Dickerson Davis told ESPN ahead of her No. 16-seed team’s First Four victory on Thursday.

Columbia junior Perri Page, whose No. 11-seed Lions defeated Washington in their own First Four matchup on Thursday, echoed Davis' sentiment, saying, "It was cool going to the charter, and we've been taking it all in."

"We've been enjoying the whole season," the forward added, noting "It's great we can make money for the school now."

"It should have always been that way. Women's basketball has been fighting for equality for a very long time," said Davis. "I've been in this business for many, many years. I played college basketball. It's a long time coming."

"You got to start somewhere, and I think we've been so far behind," added Columbia head coach Megan Griffith.

"This is more like the whipped cream. I think the cherry on top is going to keep coming — but it's really good so far."

Less than two months before the season tips off on May 16th, the WNBA dropped its full 2025 national broadcast slate on Thursday, rewarding last year’s most in-demand teams with a significant uptick in screen time.

Fueled by the fan fervor around 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever will see a league-record 41 of their 44 regular-season games aired nationally this season.

That tally includes all five Fever matchups against regional rival Chicago, after the pair's June 23rd game averaged 2.3 million viewers — becoming the most-watched game of the 2024 regular season.

Just behind Indiana in earning significant national broadcast coverage are two-time WNBA champs Las Vegas, who will see 33 of their games aired across the country. As for the reigning champions New York Liberty, they trail the Aces by just one game, with 32 of their 2025 season games garnering national attention.

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Record WNBA ratings spur big broadcast moves

Thanks to 2024’s monster ratings, big-name networks are increasingly recognizing the WNBA as a profitable summer product, with broadcasters expanding their coverage as the league prepares for its 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights contract to kick in next year.

With the 2025 WNBA season expanding from 40 to 44 games per team, ION is leading all broadcasters with 50 regular-season games, with ABC/ESPN, CBS Sports, NBA TV, and Amazon Prime all taking a piece of the pro women's basketball league's pie.

Broadcasters are also moving games off of their sports-specific networks and onto flagship cable channels, with a record 13 matchups — a full half of Disney Networks' 26 regular-season games — set to air on ABC, including the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.

The league will also see its first-ever regular-season games earn primetime broadcast TV slots, with CBS Sports elevating two of its 20 games — the June 7th and August 9th battles between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever — to its flagship network, CBS.

As the WNBA shoots for an even more impactful 2025 season, broadcasters are helping to boost the charge, offering increased access to the league’s brightest stars and biggest games.

The NCAA tournament tips off in earnest with the bracket's 64-team first round on Friday, as eager March Madness fans look beyond the chalk to eye the competition's underdogs after a rollercoaster 2024/25 basketball season.

Early upsets aren’t exactly the norm in the women’s tournament. Only one lower seed won their first-round matchup in 2024, and no team below a No. 3 seed has ever gone the distance, but in a season of increased parity, a few lower-rated squads are rounding into underdog form.

Breaking down potential March Madness bracket-busters

For potential March Madness upset instigators, late-season momentum late season momentum is the name of the game — a dangerous factor in any single-elimination tournament.

Even without superstar grad Caitlin Clark, No. 6-seed Iowa capped their regular season on a high before narrowly losing to No. 4-seed Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament's quarterfinals. Should they advance past No. 11-seed Murray State in their first-round Saturday matchup, the Hawkeyes are poised to give No. 3-seed Oklahoma a run for their money in the second round on Monday.

Entering as a No. 10-seed, Ivy League tournament champs Harvard will have their hands full against No. 7-seed Michigan State on Saturday, but Crimson senior Harmoni Turner and her season-average 22.5 points per game could tilt the scales in Harvard's favor.

After edging out first-round opponent No. 11-seed Iowa State, No. 6-seed Michigan is playing like an upset contender. Now a potential second-round matchup against No. 3-seed Notre Dame — fresh off a recent losing skid — awaits the young squad. 

With the brackets locked and the teams loaded, the prospects of twists and turns make the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament especially exciting — even if this year’s frontrunners appear destined for Tampa.

How to watch Women's March Madness games this weekend

The Big Dance officially begins at 11:30 AM ET on Friday, when No. 11 Iowa State tips off against No. 6 Michigan on ESPN2.

Saturday's slate will complete the 2024/25 NCAA tournament's first round, with No. 6 Iowa beginning their Madness run against No. 11 Murray State at 12 PM ET on ESPN.

No. 10 Harvard will start dancing a few hours later, with the Crimson facing No. 7 Michigan State at 4:30 PM ET on ESPNews.

All games in the 2025 March Madness tournament will have live coverage across ESPN networks.