Week 3 of the WNBA season is here, with some exciting matchups in the week ahead.

Three storylines to watch

Can Liz Cambage and the Sparks upend the Las Vegas Aces?

Liz Cambage’s first game against her former team comes Monday as the Aces ride a three-game winning streak. The team is one win away from winning all four games on its homestand after a 100-80 victory over Phoenix.

Cambage is averaging 16.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks through the Sparks’ first six games. But the team has won two and lost four, despite Cambage scoring a season-high 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists against Seattle on Friday.

The Aces, meanwhile, set a franchise record for points in a quarter Saturday with 38 points in the third – also the high water mark for the WNBA this season.

Jackie Young continues to be solid for the Aces, dropping 20 points in the win alongside Kelsey Plum, who had 24 points. They’ll look to their heavy hitters once again as they attempt to win their fourth game in a row.

Round 2: Shakira Austin vs. Rhyne Howard

The Atlanta Dream and the Washington Mystics will face off once again Tuesday after the Mystics took the first game 78-73 on Friday.

That game marked the first meeting between rookies Shakira Austin and Rhyne Howard. Howard finished with 21 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals, while Austin had 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals.

Austin earned her first start alongside Elena Delle Donne on Sunday against Chicago, showing up and showing out in the game’s first half. She finished with 14 points, five rebounds, one block and one steal in Washington’s 82-73 loss.

The @WashMystics lead 42-38 at the half behind a standout performance from @Theylove_kira 🔥

- Austin (WASH): 12 pts I 2 ast I 1 stl I 1 blk
- Atkins (WASH): 10 pts I 1 stl
- Parker (CHI): 9 pts I 5 reb I 5 ast
- Quigley (CHI): 6 pts I 3 reb pic.twitter.com/9f3w9iNk01

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) May 22, 2022

The Mystics currently sit one game ahead of the Dream in the standings, making Tuesday’s contest all the more important.

Can the Connecticut Sun continue their winning ways against Dallas?

To no one’s surprise, the Connecticut Sun are off to a hot start in the season, having won their last four since dropping the season opener.

The Wings are right behind them, having won their last two games. Arike Ogunbowale leads the way with 19.7 points per game through six games. Marina Mabrey has been averaging 15.8 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Connecticut is led by Alyssa Thomas with 19 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals, while reigning league MVP Jonquel Jones is averaging 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds.

The two teams will face off twice this week, on Tuesday and again on Thursday.

Week 3 Schedule

• Los Angeles Sparks vs. Las Vegas Aces, Monday at 10 p.m. ET
• Dallas Wings vs. Connecticut Sun, Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET
• Atlanta Dream vs. Washington Mystics, Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET
• Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky, Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET
• New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx, Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET
• Phoenix Mercury vs. Los Angeles Sparks, Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET
• Dallas Wings vs. Connecticut Sun, Thursday at 7 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles Sparks vs. Indiana Fever, Friday at 7 p.m. ET
• New York Liberty vs. Seattle Storm, Friday at 10 p.m. ET
• Las Vegas Aces vs. Chicago Sky, Saturday at 3 p.m. ET
• Washington Mystics vs. Connecticut Sun, Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
• Phoenix Mercury vs. Atlanta Dream, Sunday at 12 p.m. ET
• New York Liberty vs. Seattle Storm, Sunday at 6 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles Sparks vs. Minnesota Lynx, Sunday at 7 p.m. ET

Hailey Van Lith is reportedly on her way to TCU, says Talia Goodman of The Next Hoops.

The former Louisville star joined LSU for the 2023-24 season, but a disappointing run in Baton Rouge saw her enter the transfer portal once again at the season’s end. Van Lith opted to use her fifth year of eligibility versus declaring for the WNBA draft.

Van Lith was admittedly less effective as a Tiger. Her field goal percentage decreased from .411 in 2022-23 with Louisville to .388 at LSU. She also went from averaging 19.7 points per game to just 11.6, due in part to a change of position from shooting guard to more of a point guard role.

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At an end-of-season banquet last week, LSU coach Kim Mulkey used her speech to wish Van Lith well, calling her "one of the hardest working players that I’ve ever coached."

"Her aspirations were to get drafted this year," Mulkey said, according to NOLA.com. "And she realized, 'I need another year, and I need to go back to a place where I can relax and get back to my normal position.'

"And what do you do? You hug her, and you wish her well."

The decision to commit to TCU may come as a surprise after Van Lith paid a visit to Mississippi State last weekend. The Horned Frogs finished out the 2023-24 season 21-12 overall, coming in 9th in the Big 12 and scoring an average of 69.5 points per game. The program also made headlines in January when they held mid-season open tryouts in response to an onslaught of sidelining injuries.

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."