I’m not asking for much this holiday season — just a few simple things to help make the New Year bright for the WNBA. Coming off another successful season, with a continued rise in viewership and fan interaction across the board, there’s a lot to look forward to this upcoming season. But there are also some things the WNBA can and should improve upon next season.

In the spirit of the holidays, I present my 10-item WNBA wish list for 2023.

1. Throwback jerseys

Ahead of the regular season in 2021, the WNBA partnered with Nike to create a collection of new jerseys for each team in the league. The set featured three editions — Rebel, Heroine and Explorer — that were well-received by players and fans alike. But there have been no additions to the collection since then. NBA teams, on the other hand, have an average of four jerseys in their rotation, and recently, they’ve released new designs every season.

The WNBA is due for more jersey editions to stir up preseason hype among fans. How cool would throwbacks look for each team? Give me a 1997 New York Liberty design or a Las Vegas Aces/San Antonio Silver Stars retro look. Imagine how quickly they’d fly off the shelves.

2. Big free agency moves

WNBA free agency has never been more exciting. Just as the weather turns particularly cold and bleak in February, things heat up in the WNBA. While fans speculate, players take meetings with teams around the league who are desperately trying to lure them in. When the free-agency period kicks off, watching JWS analyst Rachel Galligan and others break new signings left and right only adds to the fun. This year, there are some big-name free agents in the mix, including Breanna Stewart, Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Alysha Clark, Brionna Jones and about half of the Chicago Sky roster — Candance Parker, Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot, Emma Meesseman and Azurá Stevens.

Taurasi and Griner have both indicated they will stay in Phoenix, but other decisions are up in the air. Will the Sky keep their core together? Will Stewie return to her home state to play for the Liberty? Will the Ogwumikes stay in Los Angeles as a package deal under new Sparks head coach Curt Miller? I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

3. Team rivalries

One of the many reasons the 2021 Finals series between the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury was so captivating is because of the on-court and off-court action. There was trash-talking, memes, Twitter beef, chippy play, a fist-fight with a locker-room door and some amazing basketball on display. But the rivalry didn’t extend into the following regular season as many had hoped, and currently, there’s no real WNBA rivalry to get behind. Remember Los Angeles Sparks vs. Minnesota Lynx? Detroit Shock vs. Phoenix Mercury? And Los Angeles Sparks vs. New York Liberty back in the day?

The WNBA needs team rivalries. They’re good for the league and fun for fans, making for must-see-TV during regular season broadcasts and upping the competitiveness for the players.

4. All-Star Weekend planning

Let’s be honest: WNBA All-Star Weekend could be so much more organized than it is, especially for fans. While last year’s festivities in Chicago were a success in terms of fan turnout and viewership, there were also some notable missteps. Saturday’s 3-point contest and skills competition were not held at Wintrust Arena due to a scheduling conflict, and fans were unable to attend. Additionally, location and event schedules weren’t released until Friday, causing confusion for attending fans.

The WNBA would benefit from getting ahead of schedule and planning accordingly this year, well before the regular season gets underway (there is already a report that the All-Star Game will return to Las Vegas in 2023). That would allow for fans to book flights, make hotel accommodations and prepare for what should be a celebratory and memorable weekend for the league.

5. All-Star Weekend activities

While we’re on the topic of All-Star Weekend, let’s talk about adding more activities. The WNBA could get extra creative, mixing in events that are fun for both the fans and players. Giving fans a chance to watch and enjoy the skills competition is a top priority, of course. But how about expanding Saturday’s lineup? Add some one-on-one games — a Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson matchup would be prime viewing. Host a rookie versus vets game, or a rookie showcase game. Invite celebrities to come and participate. There’s a lot to explore and plenty of room for All-Star Weekend to grow.

6. Honoring the past

At times, it feels like there is a disconnect between the WNBA’s past and present, especially from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Aces owner Mark Davis set the bar this season by making it a point to honor former San Antonio Silver Stars — the Aces’ previous franchise — during Aces home games. The WNBA as a whole can follow suit and become more conscious of celebrating its lineage. That might include catching up with former players on a regular podcast or video series, acknowledging them on national broadcasts throughout the season, or featuring them in articles that explain what they are up to now. There’s a rich history with the league that is worth revisiting on a more regular basis.

7. Even more games on television

Between live broadcasts and streaming, the WNBA showcased a total of 147 regular games in 2022. Disney’s group of channels (ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC) aired 25 nationally televised games, which accounted for the league’s most-viewed season since 2008. Overall, viewership between CBS and Disney networks was the highest in the WNBA’s history with those partners. Each team in the league will play 40 games in 2023, and the WNBA has yet to release its broadcast and streaming schedule. But one thing is clear: There need to be more games on television and on channels where people can easily find them. As the fan base continues to grow, those viewership numbers will keep rising.

8. New and improved marketing

Some of you might not remember the WNBA commercials from the late ‘90s — but I do. They were so well-written and funny. For those who didn’t know who Tina Thompson, Sheryl Swoopes or Cynthia Cooper were, those TV spots put a face to players’ names. They also built momentum for the league and kept the start of the regular season on peoples’ minds. What happened to them? I don’t know, but they remind me of the league’s marketing possibilities.

Last February, the WNBA announced that it had raised $74 million in investment capital. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert pledged to use a portion of that money toward marketing efforts. The league needs to keep attracting fans in order to grow, and an overall marketing strategy helps give players opportunities, lure in would-be viewers and keep the WNBA relevant during quiet periods.

9. Offseason content

In my recent conversation with Angel McCoughtry, the WNBA veteran made it a point to talk about the league’s lack of promotion of players during the offseason. The WNBA season is short compared to those of other major sports leagues, and from October to April, there’s a recognizable lull in coverage. With more and more players opting to stay stateside rather than compete overseas during the offseason, there are plenty of stories worth telling. Players are participating in the 2023 Athletes Unlimited basketball season, juggling multiple business ventures, getting into broadcasting, connecting with their alma maters as coaches and mentors, taking on modeling and fashion gigs, etc. The WNBA (and more independent media outlets) could provide fans with updates, pulling back the curtain on players’ lives when they’re not balling.

10. BG’s emotional, mental and physical recovery

Brittney Griner was unjustly detained in Russia in early February 2022, and after 10 months was finally released on Dec. 8. I can’t even begin to imagine the emotional, mental and physical ramifications of her imprisonment, and I hope she recovers in all three aspects of her life. It was encouraging to read her statement that she intends to play in the WNBA this season with the Mercury, and to see that she dunked after picking up a basketball for the first time in almost a year. My biggest holiday wish is that BG heals fully from this experience and ultimately basks in the joy of being on the court again.

Lyndsey D’Arcangelo is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports, covering the WNBA and college basketball. She also contributes to The Athletic and is the co-author of “Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League.” Follow Lyndsey on Twitter @darcangel21.

The USA wheelchair basketball team and sitting volleyball team will both compete for Paralympic gold this weekend, after thrilling semifinal wins in the final days of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

USA sitting volleyball took down Brazil 3-1 in their semifinal on Thursday, and will continue their long-held Paralympic rivalry against China on Saturday at 1:30pm ET. The US will be going for their third-straight gold medal in the event, after finishing atop the podium in 2016 and 2020.

On Sunday, the US wheelchair basketball team will take on the Netherlands in a gold medal rematch of group play at 7:45am ET, in search of their first Paralympic gold since 2016.

Breaking through

US wheelchair basketball reached their first Paralympic gold medal game since Rio on Friday with a thrilling 50-47 win over China, exacting revenge on the squad who defeated them in their semifinal in Tokyo.

Rose Hollerman led the team in scoring with 20 points, and Chicago native Ixhelt Gonzalez scored 11 points off the bench after a game-clinching performance against Great Britain in the team's quarterfinal.

On Friday, the US struggled at times with China's full court defense, but a strong third quarter performance prompted a comeback from a halftime deficit, and Team USA proved clinical enough at the free throw line to hold off a late fourth quarter push.

The US will now look to erase their only loss of the tournament thus far, taking on the Netherlands for gold after falling to the Dutch 69-56 in their second game of group play.

Familiar gold medal opponent

USA sitting volleyball's gold medal foe is very familiar, as the US and China have played each other for Paralympic gold in every Games since 2008, with China's Paralympic final streak dating back to 2004.

The US are the reigning champions, winning gold in 2020 and 2016 after falling to China in 2012 and 2008.

Team USA will look for another strong match from outside hitter Katie Holloway Bridge, who led all scorers with 21 points in the team's semifinal win over Brazil.

They will be looking for a little bit of revenge themselves, after falling to China in their Paralympic opener during group play.

TEAM USA WILL PLAY FOR GOLD!

Women's sitting volleyball moves onto the FINAL after a win over Brazil. 🇺🇸 #ParisParalympics pic.twitter.com/iQuOjNI2i0

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) September 5, 2024

“The team’s gone through a lot since they’ve been here," head coach Bill Hamiter said after the match. "To come together and keep playing, and play well enough to get into that championship match was good."

For the second year in a row, there will be a US tennis player facing Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the US Open, after Jessica Pegula wrapped up the best week of her career.

Having reached the quarterfinals in all four major tournaments, Pegula finally broke through to her first Slam semifinal and then final this week with wins over Iga Swiatek and Karolina Muchova.

A career-best run

Currently ranked No. 6 in the world, Pegula has played some of the best tennis of her career recently, reaching the quarterfinal of the Australian Open in 2021-23, and the quarterfinal of the French Open in 2022, and the US Open in 2023.

But Wednesday's straight-set win over World No. 1 Swiatek proved to be her first time breaking 'the quarterfinal curse,' with the hope of carrying the momentum all the way to the final.

Pegula had to battle back from a slow first set in her semifinal on Thursday, as Muchova took an early 6-1 lead and then a 3-0 advantage in the second set.

"I came out flat, but she was playing unbelievable," Pegula said after the match. "She made me look like a beginner. I was about to burst into tears because it was embarrassing. She was destroying me." But the 30-year-old battled back to take the second set 6-4 and rolled to a 6-2 win in the deciding third set, continuing her impressive 15-1 record since the Paris Olympics.

"I was able to find a way, find some adrenaline, find my legs," Pegula said. "At the end of the second set into the third set, I started to play how I wanted to play. It took a while but I don't know how I turned that around honestly."

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Finishing the job

Pegula will face World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated her in Cincinnati, and who advanced past Emma Navarro in straight sets on Thursday. Sabalenka has only dropped one set this US Open, after not participating in the Olympics. The Belarusian will be looking for her second-ever Grand Slam title after coming up just short against Coco Gauff in New York in 2023.

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"Hopefully I can get some revenge out here," said Pegula.

USWNT icon Alex Morgan announced today that she is retiring from professional soccer, and will lace up her boots one last time for the San Diego Wave on Sunday, September 8th. Morgan, one of the faces of the USWNT's fight toward equal pay, retires a two-time World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, and UWCL and NWSL champion.

The 35-year-old also announced on Thursday that she is pregnant with her second child, growing her family after having her daughter, Charlie, in 2020.

Morgan's off-pitch legacy changed the game

Not only did Morgan help oversee the USWNT’s fight for equal pay, which was ratified in the team's CBA in 2022, she also played a huge part in the NWSL's 2021 watershed change that enacted policies to protect players.

“We're changing lives, and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible, and I'm proud of the hand I had in making that happen,” said Morgan in a video posted to X.

“Charlie came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up she wants to be a soccer player,” Morgan explained. “And it just made me immensely proud. Not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because a pathway exists that even a four year old can see now.”

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On-field accomplishments made Morgan an international icon

Bursting onto the USWNT scene in 2010, Morgan's legacy includes her "Baby Horse" moniker and crucial goal contributions on the field.

Her most well-known scoring moments include notching the final goal of the USWNT’s Olympic semifinal match against Canada en route to their 2012 gold medal, and her soaring header in their 2019 World Cup semifinal against England — the goal that spurred her world-famous "sipping tea" celebration.

Morgan’s 176 combined international goals and assists ranks fifth all-time in USWNT history. She trails only Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Kristine Lilly, and Carli Lloyd on the national team's stat sheet.

In NWSL play, Morgan's resume includes the 2013 league championship, the 2022 Golden Boot title, and the 2023 NWSL Shield.

Ultimately, Morgan will be remembered as the face of a USWNT generation that excelled during a crucial era of the team's success — though the change she helped usher in off the pitch will arguably have an even bigger impact.

In her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal victory, No. 6-seed Jessica Pegula knocked No. 1 Iga Świątek​ out of the 2024 US Open in straight sets Wednesday night.

Now in uncharted territory, the US tennis star will aim at extending her historic run in tonight's semifinal against unseeded Czech opponent, Karolina Muchová.

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Quarterfinal victory proved Pegula's dominance

The 30-year-old Pegula, who has yet to drop a set all tournament, took control of yesterday's match immediately, winning the first game on Świątek's serve — the five-time Grand Slam winner's first broken serve in 26 games.

Świątek, the 2022 US Open champion, committed 18 unforced errors in the first set. Visibly frustrated with her performance, the Polish phenom retreated to the locker room to regroup — a move that ultimately proved unsuccessful in the wake of Pegula's relentless 6-2, 6-4 victory.

After six previous Grand Slam quarterfinal attempts, Pegula celebrated, telling the crowd post-match that "there have been so many freaking times, and I just kept losing.... So thank God I was able to do it. And finally — finally! — I can say, 'Semifinalist.'"

Two US contenders will feature in tonight's semis

Pegula isn't the only contender making her Grand Slam semifinal debut tonight. Before Pegula takes the court, fellow US player No. 13 Emma Navarro will take on reigning back-to-back Australian Open champion No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka, who fell to US star Coco Gauff in last year's US Open, hopes for better luck against Navarro — the player who ousted the No. 3 defending champ last weekend.

If both Pegula and Navarro emerge victorious, Saturday's US Open final would be the first contested by two US athletes since Sloane Stephens defeated Madison Keys for the 2017 title. It would also pit two New York locals against each other on their home Grand Slam court: Pegula hails from Buffalo, NY, while Navarro was born in NYC.

How to watch the 2024 US Open semifinals

Navarro and Sabalenka will kick off tonight's Grand Slam action at 7 PM ET, with Pegula's match against Muchová immediately following. Both semis will air on ESPN.