CHICAGO — Sabrina Ionescu executed the perfect boxout with three seconds left in the third quarter of a game against the Chicago Sky on June 12. She leapt up and tipped the ball around the much taller — 6-foot-7 to her 5-1 — Li Yueru, before corralling it with a second on the clock.

The board was her 10th of the game, securing Ionescu the second triple-double of her career. With it, she became the first player in WNBA history to record the elusive stat line in just three quarters.

Eleven days later, Candace Parker completed the same feat, breaking her own record as the oldest player to record a triple-double. It was also the third of her career, which stood alone at the time as a WNBA record. On July 6, Ionescu added another to her tally, tying Parker. With her stat-packing style of play continuing to thrive in the league, it seems like only a matter of time before the record is broken again.

And if Ionescu doesn’t do it, someone else will. Players like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Haley Jones will soon move from college to the pros, bringing with them diverse skill sets and stat lines.

When the record is surpassed, no one in the league will be surprised. Triple-doubles are becoming more commonplace in the WNBA.

“I think the game is changing,” Parker told reporters after picking up her third triple-double. “I think we’re gonna very soon see this on a nightly basis. We’re going to see those playmakers who have the ball in their hands. So I don’t know how long I’m going to hold onto this. But I’m grateful for this opportunity to play on a team where we can spread the wealth.”

Sabrina Ionescu did it all in a historic performance, becoming the first player in WNBA history to record a 30-point triple-double 👏 pic.twitter.com/2aXTB9n6aL

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 7, 2022

Veteran player Courtney Vandersloot also has multiple triple-doubles to her name, so the accomplishment isn’t new. It’s especially present at this year’s WNBA All-Star weekend. There have been 16 triple-doubles in league history, and Parker, Ionescu and Vandersloot are responsible for eight of them.

The frequency of double digits in a stat line is just one example, pointing to a bigger picture of basketball evolution.

Jewell Loyd, the 2015 first-round pick, is in the midst of her seventh WNBA season. And each year, she says, the on-court product becomes more exciting.

“People are coming in, and we are flooded with skill levels that are a little bit better,” she said. “I think the growth of the game, people are working on their games early on, so when you’re coming into the league, you’re not shocked. The game is so much faster and quicker.”

Atlanta Dream rookie and All-Star game participant Rhyne Howard is a prime example of WNBA readiness. Howard scored 33 points on May 15 in her fourth WNBA contest. Her transition to the league since she was selected with the first overall pick on April 11 has been seamless.

“I feel like I came in really confident and really strong with my game,” Howard said. “With my coaches and teammates telling me what they need from me, I couldn’t come in and just play mid.”

Loyd expects scoring to continue to explode across the league, as staying in front of opposing players becomes more and more challenging.

That’s not ideal for defenders, but it’s good for the league.

“It’s hard to guard people one-on-one,” Loyd said. “It’s hard to play pick-and-roll defense. A lot of solid players are able to do different things, more than one thing a lot of times. It’s a war zone.”

The Seattle Storm guard also pointed to the league being influenced by European basketball because of the contingent of women that play overseas in the offseason. Players are no longer boxed in by their position. Guards get rebounds, while bigs shoot 3s and dish dimes.

A more fast-paced and high-scoring on-court product, complete with triple-doubles and logo 3s, is reflected in the format of the All-Star Game. The WNBA announced Friday that the shot clock in Sunday’s game will be shortened to 20 seconds, and a 4-point shot will be in play. Two circles beyond the 3-point line on each end of the court will allow for even more scoring.

In addition to her ability to record triple-doubles, Ionescu is known for shooting from extra-long range. After winning the All-Star Skills Challenge on Saturday, she anticipates putting up a few 4-pointers on Sunday.

Sabrina Ionescu and Zoe Brooks are the 2022 WNBA Skills Challenge champs 🏆#WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/ZOE7x8jAR6

— ESPN (@espn) July 9, 2022

As for her fourth triple-double, that will likely have to wait until the regular season resumes.

“I’m not sure about (one in the All-Star Game),” she told JWS’ Autumn Johnson on Friday, before adding with a laugh, “But I’ll try.”

Instead, the focus for Ionescu and fellow first-year All Stars Howard, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young is a bit more attainable — and more important.

The WNBA’s next generation, while changing the game, is proving that experience doesn’t always matter. Each season, first-year players come in more polished than the last.

“There are a lot of us, and there are a lot of us that are here in the All-Star Game, which is really exciting, to see new faces and a lot of young talent,” Ionescu said. “We are trying to make a name for ourselves. We are going to keep grinding and keep getting better, showing everyone that it is possible to be young and successful in this league.”

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

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Washington Mystics (@washmystics)

"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.