By Clare Brennan and Emma Hruby

The top three picks from this year’s WNBA draft class have wasted no time making their presence known in the league. But just how well do Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith and Shakira Austin stack up against top trios from years past?

Just Women’s Sports decided to investigate, delving into four previous sets of top picks from the past 15 years. While the sample size for Howard, Smith and Austin is small, they hold their own amid some impressive company.

2008 Draft Class: Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles, Candice Wiggins

These three players have five WNBA championships between them across the last 15 seasons, which shows their staying power – indeed, Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles are still going strong. They also all made an immediate impact upon their introduction to the league.

After setting a WNBA record in her debut, No. 1 overall pick Parker didn’t let her foot off the gas for the Sparks. She finished the season as both Rookie of the Year and league MVP. She also led the league in rebounding.

Parker failed to score in double digits in just one game all season – the final regular-season contest, in which she played just nine minutes as Los Angeles emptied its bench. Her peak performance came against Houston on July 9, when she racked up 40 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. She averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.3 blocks for the season, which remains one of the best of her career.

Fowles, the second overall pick, didn’t post the same eye-popping numbers as Parker, but her stat line (10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.1 steals) earned her a spot on the All-Rookie team and the All-Defensive Second Team. Austin boasts similar stats through her first seven games this season.

Rounding out the 2008 trio, Candice Wiggins was named Sixth Woman of the Year in her rookie season. She averaged 15.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game for Minnesota despite starting just one game all season.

2013 Draft Class: Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, Skylar Diggins-Smith

No. 1 overall pick Brittney Griner ended her first season as the WNBA blocks leader. She posted 81 blocks in 2013, then followed it up with a career-high 129 a season later. As a rookie, she averaged 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.

Elena Delle Donne, the No. 2 overall pick, was named Rookie of the Year after averaging 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 blocks and starting in all 30 games for the Sky.

In her first game, Delle Donne compiled 22 points, eight assists and four blocks to set the tone for the season. She regularly scored in double digits, and she scored at least 20 points 13 times.

Skylar Diggins-Smith took a season to come into her own. Now a star for the Mercury, she began her career with the Tulsa Shock, averaging 8.5 points, 3.8 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in her rookie season. The next season, she averaged 20.1 points per game.

2018 draft class: A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell, Diamond DeShields

A’ja Wilson headlined the 2018 WNBA draft class as the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Aces, with Kelsey Mitchell going second to Indiana and Diamond DeShields rounding out the top three after she was selected by Chicago.

The trio stepped into the spotlight from the get-go, particularly Wilson, who earned Rookie of the Year honors. The former South Carolina star averaged 20.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.67 blocked shots in her debut campaign, with Wilson joining Seimone Augustus as only the second rookie in WNBA history to average at least 20 points per game.

Right now, Howard is on pace to join the pair, as she is averaging 20.5 points through six games.

For the Fever, Mitchell logged 70 three-pointers, a tally only surpassed by two other rookies in WNBA history. She averaged 12.7 points and 2.7 assists per game, and she notched 20 or more points on six different occasions.

DeShields dropped the second-most points by a rookie that season, averaging 14.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. The Sky guard topped out at a then-career-high 28 points in one of the last games of the season, putting an exclamation point on her introduction to the league.

2020 draft class: Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, Lauren Cox

The New York Liberty had high hopes for Sabrina Ionescu when they selected the Oregon superstar as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020. The guard was one of the most exciting draft prospects in recent memory after her historic career with the Ducks.

The hype around Ioenscu’s WNBA debut, however, was dampened when the rookie injured her ankle in the Liberty’s third game, sidelining her for the remainder of the season. Ionescu averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in her three games of the 2020 campaign.

Ionescu’s Oregon teammate Satou Sabally was selected second overall by the Dallas Wings, but her inaugural campaign also was plagued by injury, with the former Duck sitting out six games. When she was on the floor, however, Sabally made an impact, averaging 13.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists across 16 games.

Lauren Cox of Baylor rounded out the top three picks, going to the Indiana Fever. The forward played in 14 games with the team, starting in just one appearance, averaging 3.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

Ahead of the 2020 season, it seemed safe to assume one of the two Oregon stars would claim Rookie of the Year honors, but the award went to second-round draft pick Crystal Dangerfield of the Minnesota Lynx. The guard was the first player not drafted in the first round to win the award.

WHAT A GAME for @howard_rhyne as she lead the @AtlantaDream to their win over the Fever with a career-high of 33 points. 🔥

And, we are only 4 games into the season 👀 pic.twitter.com/MZ7qE0jUlO

— WNBA (@WNBA) May 15, 2022

2022 Draft Class: Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith, Shakira Austin

So far, this trio has lived up to the hype, starting with top pick Howard. She has yet to score below double digits for the Atlanta Dream, and she dropped 33 points in her fourth game, which puts her in elite company.

Through six games, the guard is averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals. While there’s still plenty of ball left to be played, if her scoring trend continues, Howard could be on track for one of the best rookie seasons in league history.

Smith is also having a standout campaign. She’s scored in double digits in all but one game while stacking up the rebounds, including a season-high 17 rebounds against the Liberty on May 13. As of Tuesday, she leads the WNBA in rebounds per game with 10.0, and she is also averaging 13.0 points, good for a double-double on the season.

Since 2008, just one player has averaged more than 10 rebounds per game as a rookie: Tina Charles, who posted 11.7 per game for the Connecticut Sun in 2010.

Austin has earned a starting spot in just three games for a veteran Mystics team, but she has started to come into her own. She has dropped double-digit points totals in each of the last three games, and she’s factored heavily on the stat sheet in each, especially in a 20-point, eight-rebound performance against Dallas on May 17.

She’s averaging 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks through six games, but those averages could go up if she continues to garner more playing time.

All three of this year’s top rookies will take the court Tuesday night: Howard and Austin will face off at 7 p.m. as the Dream take on the Mystics, and Smith and the Fever will face Parker and the Sky at 8 p.m.

When San Diego's home match against the Washington Spirit ended in a 0-0 draw on June 22nd, the NWSL officially pressed pause on the regular season, entering an extended summer break as international tournaments kicked off around the world.

And while the US club league has dimmed its lights before — most recently during the 2024 Paris Olympics — this is the first year it's ever stopped play to accommodate major regional competitions like Copa América, WAFCON, and UEFA Women's Euro 2025.

Why the new approach? The league's global presence has never been stronger. And that's not just because high-profile players like Naomi Girma and Crystal Dunn swapped their NWSL jerseys for European kits earlier this year. It goes the other way, too. Once an assumed stronghold for homegrown talent, the NWSL has diversified its ranks, with top players heading overseas this window.

US broadcasters buy into growing Euros interest

No event has showcased this shift greater than the European Championship. The tournament was once siloed away from the average Stateside soccer fan. But this year, 18 NWSL players representing 12 countries are Switzerland-bound — three-times the number playing in England just three years ago.

And fans are ready to dig in. The 2025 Euros will be the most accessible in history, with FOX Sports recently doubling down on broadcasting the competition in the US.

The network has committed to 31 matches, including 19 games on linear TV and every knockout round match. It will also provide pre- and post-game analysis, aiming to develop a major market player while riding out the sport's popularity boom.

With increased visibility and plenty of familiar faces, NWSL fans are set to become Euro 2025's prime audience. And for players, showcasing the league's impact shapes the perception of football in the US, allowing the NWSL the opportunity to strengthen its reputation despite never taking the pitch this July.

Euros stars say perceptions of the NWSL are shifting

Only one NWSL player featured on England's 2022 Euros-winning roster. That was Houston forward-turned-defender Rachel Daly, before she returned to the WSL and retired from international play. 

That number tripled in 2025, after Gotham FC defender Jess Carter, Spirit defender Esme Morgan, and Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse were called up to the Lionesses's title defense in Switzerland.

It's not Carter's first Euros, but this will be the first year she joins from an NWSL team. An England mainstay since her 2017 senior debut, she said she never felt like a move to the US would jeopardize her national team standing. Just so long as her performance stayed consistent.

"People were probably apprehensive about coming here before, because it's so far away from your family and friends," Carter told Just Women's Sports. "But also because the NWSL was traditionally known as just a transitional league. And to a lot of people in Europe, it wasn't technical enough."

Carter isn't alone in her assessment. Both Morgan and Moorhouse told JWS they were familiar with the NWSL's reputation as a "kick and run" league. Though that stereotype didn't match their experiences on the ground.

"Most [NWSL] teams are trying to play possession-based football, albeit a little more direct than Europe," Morgan said. "I think that's far more exciting to be a part of, and also more challenging as a defender because there are such fast transitions."

"The league is changing here in the US," echoed Carter, who departed Chelsea for Gotham in 2024. "It's becoming more technical."

NWSL play helped Morgan secure her spot with England

That hybrid style — plus more starting opportunities — have bolstered Morgan's status with England. Coach Sarina Wiegman already knew the Manchester City product as a powerful line-breaker on the ball. And her ability to wear down the low block while holding the lion's share of possession has only improved. 

"I felt confident coming here," she continued. "As long as I continued to work on the things that I wanted to improve, and every weekend was putting in good performances for the Spirit, that would be enough to put me in the running for selection."

The NWSL's speed has also elevated her play. "[Wiegman] has spoken to me the last couple of times about being really pleased with what I've been able to do, in terms of being a little bit more aggressive, proactive, physical in my duels, and winning aerial balls," she said. "I've developed so much in that space since playing in America."

Both Morgan and Carter competed with England at the 2023 World Cup, 30-year-old Moorehouse is gearing up for her first major tournament with the national team. And coming from an Orlando side stacked with international talent — namely Brazil legend Marta and Zambia superstar Barbra Banda, among others — the goalie credited her NWSL team for keeping her on her toes every day.

"Marta humbles me on a daily basis, I'm not gonna lie," she laughed. "To see that day in-day out, it's only for the better. It's only going to improve my game."

Summer NWSL schedule benefits Euros-bound players

As coveted national team roster spots reflect both consistency and form, NWSL players have a quiet advantage. Thanks to the summer NWSL schedule, they're guaranteed to be completely match-fit going into any major tournament.

That the NWSL runs opposite to the more traditional fall-to-spring European setup has sometimes been a point of tension overseas. This was especially true in past years, when the league did not suspend regular-season play for more than a weekend or two during longer international windows. That practice forced previous Euros competitors to choose between club and country. 

This year, however, players view the cross-conditioning to be as much of an asset as an anticipated challenge when they return to finish out the season.

"I spoke to quite a few of the US girls in the past about the fact that the summer schedule might have helped their performance in international tournaments," said Morgan, pointing out the NWSL-heavy USWNT's major tournament success.

"I feel like I'm peaking at the right time, going into the tournament in midseason," echoed Moorhouse, who is set to serve as backup to Chelsea goalkeeper and presumptive England starter Hannah Hampton.

Learning to balance club and country

Still, there are downsides. It's not always easy to travel in and out of market ahead of a big international opportunity, but each player finds their own way to stay on top of whichever task is in front of them, whether at home or abroad.

Sometimes that divide between club and country is literal. "We have a [NWSL] team app where we have communication," Gotham and Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger told media after her Euros call-up. "I was like, 'Look, if you need something, you have to text me on WhatsApp. Because this app is not working for me when I'm at the international break, and the same way around.'"

For Carter, the NWSL's schedule helps her compartmentalize, keeping her laser-focused on both individual and team goals.

"I'm someone that either is all in or all off," she explained. "I've got to make sure that I'm still eating right, training right, when all I want to do is sit by the beach and have an ice cream."

"I want fans to fall in love with women's football even more"

Carter and Berger aren't the only Gotham standouts packing their passports this month. Star forward Esther González is also committed to play for the always-dangerous Spanish national team. Fellow forward Jéssica Silva will represent Portugal and recent signing Josefine Hasbo is set to join Denmark. And the excitement is palpable, both on and off the pitch.

"It's really great to see that our fans get to support us even whilst we're not at Gotham. Because they're invested in us as people, not just Gotham," says Carter. "I want fans to fall in love with women's football even more, regardless of where it's being played."

As for Morgan, she could be battling against the Spirit's newest signing, Italy's Sofia Cantore. The rest of their teammates will definitely be watching from home — along with a very special guest.

Before Morgan left, her teammates assured her they would be up in the morning cheering her on. "And mak[ing] my kitten watch too, which is very cute," she added.

She said she likes imagining NWSL fans following their favorite club players through the tournament, staying engaged in the game even as the league takes a break.

Encouraging NWSL fans to watch the 2025 Euros

Moorhouse echoed Morgan's hope that the Euros will allow US fans to continue weaving women's football into their lives during the downtime.

"In the US, when I get up on a Saturday morning, all the games are on," she said, referencing the time change. "To me, that's so cool. I'm eating my breakfast, drinking my coffee, and I've just got football on the telly."

"Go and get your breakfast," she urged. "Get your pancakes. And watch some good football."

The third Grand Slam of 2025 is officially underway, as the world's top tennis stars hit the grass courts in London for the annual Wimbledon Championships on Monday.

World No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková enters as the Slam's reigning champion, with all of the WTA's current Top 10 — none of whom have ever won at Wimbledon — looking to dethrone the 2024 victor.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula looks to be an early frontrunner, as the US star picked up steam following her defeat of No. 4 Iga Świątek 6-4, 7-5 in Saturday's championship match of the 2025 Bad Homburg Open, a Wimbledon tune-up tournament.

A 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Pegula has already earned three titles this year, gaining significant momentum as she hunts a career-first Grand Slam trophy.

"[Pegula has] an amazing game, and showed it throughout the tournament," Świątek said following Saturday's loss. "Hopefully, we will have many more finals together."

The first day of 2025 Wimbledon action saw No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka cruise through her first-round match against Canada's No. 194 Carson Branstine in straight sets, while No. 8 Madison Keys battled to a narrow three-set victory over Romania's No. 58 Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

Fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova played the most dominant first-round match of the Slam, ousting Kazakhstan's No. 33 Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-0 to open her tournament run.

Italy's No. 5 Jasmine Paolini, a 2024 Wimbledon finalist, also kicked off her 2025 run with a win, downing Latvia's No. 402 Anastasija Sevastova in three sets on Monday afternoon.

Pegula will open her campaign against Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto on the second day of first-round action at 6 AM ET, with Świątek, 2025 French Open champ No. 2 Coco Gauff, and 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinalist No. 10 Emma Navarro also rounding out Tuesday's bill.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

The 2025 Wimbledon women's tournament runs through the July 12th championship.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

The Minnesota Lynx are back on the prowl, after the return of MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier from injury fueled the WNBA-leaders to two straight weekend wins.

Minnesota first outlasted the No. 4 Atlanta Dream 96-92 in overtime on Friday before thumping the last-place Connecticut Sun 102-63 on Sunday, with Collier racking up 49 points over the two-game span.

Collier's bounce-back couldn't have come at a better time, as the WNBA announced Sunday that the Lynx forward will captain the 2025 All-Star Game alongside Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.

"It's really cool," Collier said of the news. "I went from never being a starter to captain."

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Both Collier and Clark will have an early chance to test their leadership skills in Tuesday's 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship game, when the defending champs Minnesota Lynx will take on first-time finalists Indiana.

With a second straight title on the line, red-hot Minnesota hold the advantage coming into the Commissioner's Cup final, but a healthy Clark could make all the difference for up-and-down No. 8 Indiana.

Meanwhile in the WNBA standings, as the Lynx continue to hold court at the top, this weekend saw the Mercury overtake the Liberty at No. 2, thanks in large part to Phoenix's 106-91 Friday victory over New York.

Along with Sunday's 90-81 loss to the Dream, the reigning champs have dropped five of their last seven games, as now-No. 3 New York struggles without injured center Jonquel Jones.

How to watch the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final

While the other 11 league teams rest until Thursday, the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever will take Tuesday's court in a battle for the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup.

The in-season tournament's grand finale will tip off at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on Prime.

The world No. 1 USWNT earned another lopsided result against No. 25 Ireland on Sunday, handing the Girls in Green a second straight 4-0 loss despite extensive lineup changes on both sides.

Veteran forward Lynn Biyendolo opened the scoring in her first match as USWNT captain, followed by first-ever senior team goals from both debutant defender Izzy Rodriguez and attacker Yazmeen Ryan.

Second-half USWNT sub Alyssa Thompson found the back of the net in the 86th minute to finish padding the 4-0 scoreline over Ireland.

With one more friendly against No. 8 Canada set for Wednesday, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes rotated all 11 starters on Sunday, trusting bubble players to overcome inexperience to produce a result.

"The level has been set to be relentless in the pursuit of performing and progressing," Hayes said after the game. "It's not about understanding everything in our playbook, but developing the confidence and bravery to deliver."

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The victory also marked the USWNT's 600th program win, with midfielder Sam Meza joining Rodriguez in picking up the 23rd and 24th first caps of the Emma Hayes era.

"I feel like everyone is not only trusting the process, but carrying out all the things we ask them to do," said Hayes of her new additions. "Everybody showed themselves so well."

Though the US keeps stretching its depth and coming out on top, the need to develop strong connections on the pitch could force tough roster decisions in the future.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against rivals Canada on Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET.

Live coverage of the clash in Washington, DC, will air on TNT.