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Winners and losers of the Jonquel Jones trade

Jonquel Jones was traded from the Sun to the Liberty on Monday. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The first major domino of the WNBA offseason fell this weekend, as the Liberty acquired Jonquel Jones from the Sun in a three-team trade. The deal, which also included the Wings, ends Jones’ six-year stint with the Sun, the team that drafted her in 2016.

In the trade, New York acquired Jones and Kayla Thornton from Dallas. In return, Connecticut gets Tyasha Harris from Dallas, plus Rebecca Allen and the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft from New York. The Wings receive Crystal Dangerfield and Natasha Howard from the Liberty.

Just Women’s Sports assigns a grade to each team based on the deal.

New York Liberty: A

Let’s start with the obvious: The Liberty dominated this trade. They get a former MVP in Jones, who also happens to be one of the league’s most versatile players, as well as a consistent utility player in Thornton.

Howard represents the biggest loss for the Liberty in the deal, not only because of her talent (she’s a two-time All-Star and an excellent defender) but also because of her experience. The 31-year-old forward has three titles to her name.

Still, Jones is an upgrade. Statistically, she is better in nearly every category — and at 6-foot-6, Jones is a walking mismatch on offense and defense. She’s the kind of player that can push a team like the Liberty from barely making the playoffs to winning a title. With stars Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney locked in, and Marine Johannes and Han Xu likely to return, the roster already is in good shape.

And the Liberty could get even better going forward. Jones will take a big chunk of money, but not so much that the Liberty can’t sign another top free agent. That means Breanna Stewart is still on the table. And if she signs with the Liberty – the only other team besides the Storm she met with last offseason – New York will loom even larger in title contention talks.

Dallas Wings: A

This is an A trade for the Wings as well. With Allisha Gray rumored to be on the move at some point this offseason, adding another guard in Dangerfield (albeit not one of Gray’s caliber) is good for the Wings.

With Howard, the nine-year veteran, Dallas gets a solid scorer, rebounder and defender. Last year’s Wings team was led by guards, as Arike Ogunbowale, Marina Mabrey and Gray were the top three scorers. Adding a post player to the scoring mix will give Dallas a more versatile attack and another scoring option if/when Gray leaves.

Expect a lot more movement on the Wings’ roster before the offseason ends, as Isabelle Harrison and Teaira McCowan are both free agents (Harrison unrestricted, McCowan restricted). The addition of Howard gives the team room to negotiate.

Connecticut Sun: D+

The majority of the time, if you trade a former MVP who also happens to be your best player, you’re not on the winning side of the deal. But the Sun didn’t have much choice when it came to dealing Jonquel Jones, and that’s the only reason this grade is a D+ and not a D or an F.

There have been rumors swirling in the WNBA space for a while now about Jones being ready to move on from the Sun. She re-signed last season, but after coming up short in the WNBA Finals and going through a coaching change, it makes sense that she wants to get a fresh start with a new franchise. And according to Rachel Galligan of Winsidr and Just Women’s Sports, Jones told the Sun that the Liberty was the team she wanted to join.

Jones would have been a free agent next offseason if she stayed in Connecticut, so the Sun had no choice but to get a deal done. If they chose not to honor her wishes, Jones likely would sit out or remain unhappy throughout the 2023 season only to walk in free agency, leaving the Sun with nothing to show for their 2021 MVP. They had to get something in return for Jones.

Still, a fanbase won’t be thrilled with a “it-could-have-been-worse” mindset, and they shouldn’t be. The hope was, of course, to keep Jones. But now, the Sun have to turn their attention to keeping Brionna Jones, one of the top free agents in the league. Losing both players would equal a disastrous offseason.

As for the Sun’s return in the trade, Harris has been a traditional, pass-first guard in her first three years, all spent in Dallas. Her numbers have stayed consistent since her rookie season in 2020, but she hasn’t had a breakout season. If she does, then the trade looks a bit better for the Sun.

Allen is a career 36.9% 3-point shooter, and after spending seven seasons with the Liberty, she brings a veteran presence to Connecticut. The Sun also need shooters, as without Jonquel Jones, they only have one player who gets consistent minutes and shoots over 35%. As far as role players go, Allen is a good get.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

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

Gotham, USWNT forward Midge Purce out with ACL tear

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce announced on Wednesday that she has torn her ACL. 

The Gotham FC and USWNT forward went down with the injury on Sunday during Gotham’s 1-0 win after tweaking it earlier in the game. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any immediate updates following the match, with further evaluation revealing the tear. 

“It’s a reality I’m still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say,” Purce wrote in a statement on social media. “I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I’m rooting for you both all year long. 

“Though you may not see it, I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field.”

Purce is just the latest women's soccer star to tear her ACL, and joins USWNT teammate Mia Fishel in having torn her ACL in the last couple of months. Other notable players include Catarina Macario and Christen Press, with Macario only just returning to the USWNT lineup after tearing hers in 2022. 

International stars such as Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson have also suffered ACL tears. 

Purce’s injury caused Amorós to call out the international schedule, which has been a growing point of concern as more players fall victim to injuries and the playing schedule becomes more packed. Kansas City’s Debinha suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s opening game, while both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have yet to play for Gotham due to injuries picked up during the W Gold Cup. 

“We lost Midge during the game which for me is a bittersweet flavor,” Amorós told reporters after Sunday’s game. “By the way, it’s another player that came from the Gold Cup. Last week, it was Debinha. We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We’re talking about protecting the players, [who shouldn’t] go to play an international competition after one week of preseason,” Amorós continued. “We’ve seen the consequences now. We’ve got Rose, Lynn, last week it was Debinha in Kansas [City] and now we have Midge. From my experience, the clubs are going to keep paying for that competition."

In her statement, Purce said that “so many friends, teammates and even players I’ve only ever competed against” reached out to offer support. 

“I am so blessed,” she wrote. “Your messages have meant so much to me throughout this process, you have consoled what, for a moment, felt inconsolable. Thank you for reminding me that our football world is not only full with incredibly talent but also, incredible kindness.”

Lauren Jackson included on Australia Olympics roster

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 01: Lauren Jackson of Australia celebrates with team mates after playing her final Opals game during the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 3rd place match between Canada and Australia at Sydney Superdome, on October 01, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Lauren Jackson has come out of retirement once again to compete for a spot on Australia’s Olympic roster. 

Jackson was included on the 26-player roster named by coach Sandy Brondello on Tuesday that will take part in training camps, tours and games in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The roster will eventually be whittled down to just 12 players selected from the 26 named on Tuesday.

Jackson helped Australia qualify for the Olympics with a win over Germany in February. After that, she announced her retirement, revealing that she struggled to spend so much time away from her two young children. 

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that Jackson and the basketball federation had come to an agreement in which they would help cover costs for her children to travel with the team for training camps and the Olympics. 

She’s largely expected to make the Opals’ Olympic roster. 

"It's always an exciting time to announce an Olympic squad and I congratulate all the athletes," Opals coach Sandy Brondello said. "They all know what it means to play for Australia and they all want the opportunity to represent their country at an Olympics. Our squad is full of exceptional talent and they will make the decision to pick a final 12 very difficult."

At the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Jackson helped Australia win a bronze medal with 30 points against Canada. She had previously retired in 2016 due to knee injuries, but slowly made a return in a domestic Australian league the last few years.

Jackson has won four Olympic medals, including three consecutive silver medals starting with Sydney in 2000 when she was a teenager. 

First two rounds of NCAA tournament boast record attendance, viewership

(David K Purdy/Getty Images)

The first two rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament broke attendance and viewership records set just last year – and it wasn’t even close. 

The NCAA announced on Tuesday that attendance for the first two rounds of the tournament was more than 292,000 – up from last year’s record, when almost 232,000 fans attended the first two rounds.

Among the host sites, Iowa had the biggest crowds with nearly 29,000 fans packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the first and second rounds. 

"We expected the historic success and quality of play and high level of competition from the regular season would carry through into March Madness. Our championship is again delivering," NCAA vice president of women's basketball Lynn Holzman said in a statement. "Record crowds, ratings, incredible performances and evolving storylines will continue to make the next two weeks a must-see for fans across the world."

And for those that couldn’t attend the sold-out Iowa games, they watched on television. Monday’s matchup between Iowa and West Virginia drew 4.9 million viewers, setting a record for a women’s D-I tournament game prior to the Final Four. 

It is also the third most watched tournament game in the last 20 years, behind last year’s national championship between LSU and Iowa (9.92 million) and Iowa’s Final Four win over South Carolina (5.6 million).

Iowa’s game against Holy Cross in the first round drew 3.23 million viewers. 

But it wasn’t just Iowa drawing big viewership. ESPN’s five games on Monday averaged 2.25 million viewers. UConn and Syracuse drew 2.05 million viewers while LSU and Middle Tennessee on ABC drew 2.01 million viewers on Sunday. 

The full, 16-game slate for the second round averaged 1.4 million viewers – a 121% increase from last year and the highest average ever for the second round.

The full tournament so far is averaging 812,000 viewers per game, a 108% increase from last year.

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