Las Vegas Aces boss Becky Hammon spoke her mind last week, telling CNBC Sport that the WNBA might need "a change in leadership" for the league's CBA talks to successfully progress.
"I just think [player relations] might be too fractured at this point, but we'll see," Hammon said, while also noting that she's had only limited interactions with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Citing Engelbert's "private conversations...with individual players — or lack of the conversations," Hammon described the commissioner's current relationship with players as "rocky" while describing her widely criticized leadership style.
"I don't know if she can ever regret, retract, and get that traction back from those conversations," the Aces boss posited.
"When the players speak, people need to sit up and listen," she continued. "I think [Engelbert is] sitting up and listening now."
Hammon also voiced support for Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier after the five-time All-Star described the WNBA as having the "worst leadership in the world" in her now-viral 2025 exit interview.
"I completely agree with Napheesa that the players should be making more than coaches," the Las Vegas sideline leader — who publicly earns seven figures per year — continued. "They're due for a huge increase in salary, and it's got to be something that is sustainable. That's the biggest thing you got to remember, that this league is still a young league."
Ultimately, while the 2025 WNBA season is over, CBA concerns loom large over the league's current offseason and 2026 campaign, leaving Hammon and others looking to avoid a lockout as the November 30th extension deadline nears.
The 2025/26 NCAA basketball season is experiencing a slew of early shakeups, as Monday's Week 3 AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll saw numerous teams gain — and lose — significant ground.
While the reigning champion No. 1 UConn Huskies retained their spot at the top, No. 2 South Carolina earned three first-place votes after the Gamecocks claimed "The Real SC" title against then-No. 8 USC on Saturday — a clash that sent the Trojans sliding three spots to No. 11.
As the poll's biggest riser, No. 6 Michigan launched into the Top 10 this week, climbing eight spots after Saturday's statement win over now-No. 24 Notre Dame.
Preseason No. 7 Duke saw the biggest skid, falling out of the Top 25 altogether after Friday's upset loss to No. 23 West Virginia.
Jumping from No. 17 to 10, TCU emerged as the week's second biggest winner thanks to a ranked win over now-No. 16 NC State on Sunday.
TCU newcomer Olivia Miles registered a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double in the victory, with the star guard's performance complemented by a game-leading 26 points from fellow graduate transfer forward Marta Suarez.
"This is absolutely, 100%, 10-toes-down where I should be," Miles said earlier this season. "I have so much support around me to get me better and get more reps in. And that's just the energy at TCU."
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
While Top 25 NCAA basketball teams are in action throughout the week, the ranked matchups will continue when No. 7 Baylor visits No. 19 Iowa at 9 PM ET on Thursday, airing live on ESPN2.
Friday will then serve up a ranked doubleheader, as No. 11 USC takes on No. 24 Notre Dame at 6 PM ET on ESPN before No. 1 UConn hosts No. 6 Michigan at 8 PM ET on Fox.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll: Week 3
1. UConn (4-0, Big East)
2. South Carolina (4-0, SEC)
3. UCLA (5-0, Big Ten)
4. Texas (4-0, SEC)
5. LSU (5-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (3-0, Big Ten)
7. Baylor (4-0, Big 12)
8. Oklahoma (4-1, SEC)
9. Maryland (5-0, Big Ten)
10. TCU (4-0, Big 12)
11. USC (2-1, Big Ten)
12. Iowa State (5-0, Big 12)
13. Ole Miss (3-0, SEC)
14. UNC (3-1, ACC)
15. Tennessee (3-1, SEC)
16. NC State (2-2, ACC)
17. Vanderbilt (3-0, SEC)
18. Oklahoma State (5-0, Big 12)
19. Iowa (4-0, Big Ten)
20. Kentucky (5-0, SEC)
21. Louisville (3-1, ACC)
22. Michigan State (4-0, Big Ten)
23. West Virginia (4-0, Big 12)
24. Notre Dame (3-1, ACC)
25. Washington (3-0, Big Ten)
Michigan women's basketball is on the rise, as the then-No. 14 Wolverines avenged their early 2025 NCAA tournament exit with a stunning 93-54 blowout win over then-No. 18 Notre Dame on Saturday.
Michigan sophomore guard Olivia Olson led the game in scoring with 20 points as the Wolverines put together a true team effort, with six bench players combining for 38 points in the win.
The Big Ten team also dominated defensively, limiting the Fighting Irish bench to just two points while keeping Notre Dame star guard Hannah Hidalgo to a mere 12-point performance.
"We knew exactly what Michigan was going to do," said Notre Dame basketball head coach Niele Ivey afterwards. "We did not have any type of fight defensively, and that's where we have to start."
The Wolverines' victory was especially sweet after Notre Dame ousted Michigan from last season's national tournament with a 76-55 second-round Irish win.
Saturday's fallout also affected this week's AP Top 25 poll, with Notre Dame falling six ranks to No. 24 while Michigan earned an eight-spot bump to No. 6.
After quietly recruiting five-star talents like Olson and Syla Swords in 2024, Michigan — a program that has yet to earn a title at the NCAA or conference level — proved over the weekend that they are entering the 2025/26 season with added depth and experience.
"That's why I committed to Michigan," Swords told JWS at October's Big Ten Media Day. "That's why so many of us came there, because we wanted to be part of something new, part of something that's never been done."
South Carolina and USC are bringing fireworks to the 2025/26 NCAA basketball court this weekend, as the No. 2 Gamecocks take on the No. 8 Trojans in "The Real SC" showdown on Saturday.
Both standout programs enter the matchup undefeated in early-season play, with the Trojans touting a Top-10 win after narrowly edging out No. 10 NC State 69-68 last weekend.
"You don't know exactly what you have until you're put in these situations, which is why we schedule them," USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said about the upcoming clash. "And I think it's a chance for us to redefine our identity a little bit."
South Carolina's depth will likely test the new-look Trojans, as USC aims to solidify their identity with star JuJu Watkins sidelined with injury for the season.
That said, freshman Jazzy Davidson is giving the Trojans new life, with the No. 1 high school recruit co-leading the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game.
South Carolina, however, has seen early dividends from familiar faces, as sophomore Joyce Edwards leads the Gamecocks in scoring at 18.3 points per game, with high-profile transfer Ta'Niya Latson close behind with a 16.3 point average.
How to watch USC vs. South Carolina in the "The Real SC" NCAA game
No. 8 USC will welcome No. 2 South Carolina to LA's Crypto.com Arena for the inaugural "Real SC" game on Saturday.
The clash will tip off at 9 PM ET, with live coverage airing on FOX.
Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is returning to TNT, with the broadcaster announcing an expanded second-season slate as the offseason league prepares to tip off its 2026 campaign.
The season opens with a pair of doubleheaders — one in the afternoon and one in the evening — on January 5th, putting all eight teams in action on opening day.
Unrivaled will also be adding a fourth night of competition each week throughout the 2026 season, giving the 3×3 upstart four consecutive nights of programming while also eliminating back-to-back games for individual teams.
The upcoming campaign will also see the return of Unrivaled's midseason 1v1 tournament, which will run from February 11th through the 14th.
Even more, the Miami-based league's first-ever tour stop will land in Philadelphia on January 30th, featuring clashes between the Breeze and Phantom as well as the Lunar Owls and Rose BC.
The 2026 regular season will conclude with its 56th game on February 27th, with the six-team playoffs starting February 28th before Unrivaled crowns its second champion on March 4th.
How to watch the 2026 season of Unrivaled
All 2026 Unrivaled games will air live across TNT, truTV, and HBO Max, and fans looking to watch from the sidelines can score general admission tickets when they go on sale next Monday, November 17th.
Target is getting a WNBA makeover, with the retail giant announcing a new merch line of exclusive WNBA-licensed apparel in collaboration with fashion brand The Wild Collective this week.
With pieces "made for those who play by their own rules — on and off the court," the drop features both overall league-branded merch as well as designs highlighting six WNBA teams: the Minnesota Lynx, the Chicago Sky, the New York Liberty, the Indiana Fever, the Golden State Valkyries, and the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces.
The collection includes "statement jackets, reworked jerseys, and everyday streetwear-inspired pieces, all carrying The Wild Collective's signature mix of premium materials, tailored fits, and fashion-forward details," and all in women's or unisex cuts, according to this week's release.
Target is far from the latest retailer buying into the women's basketball game, as growing demand for the WNBA has numerous companies outside of the traditional sportswear realm linking up with the league and its stars.
In just the last two months, for instance, Danish toymaker LEGO snagged four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson for the company's YouTube Shorts series, while Chicago Sky star Angel Reese teamed up with fashion brands Juicy Couture and Victoria's Secret.
How to purchase from the WNBA x Target collection
All pieces in The Wild Collective's WNBA merch line at Target are now available for purchase both online and in select stores.
The No. 3 UCLA Bruins rose to the occasion on Monday, looking like 2025/26 NCAA basketball championship contenders as they took down the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners 73-59 in Sacramento.
Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens made the difference for the Bruins, leading all scorers with 20 points while opposing defenses limited both UCLA center Lauren Betts and Oklahoma big Raegan Beers to single digits.
Bruins forward Angela Dugalić also put up a standout performance, coming off the bench to score 16 points and snag 15 rebounds on Monday.
"There are so many weapons that I feel like it's hard for the defense to choose what to take away," Kneepkens said ahead of Monday's matchup. "What makes this team special is that any night could be someone's night."
Monday's clash with UCLA also served as the national broadcast debut of Oklahoma freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez, with the No. 1 high school basketball recruit seeing her first Top 10 NCAA matchup as a Sooner.
Chavez had a slow start against the experienced Bruins, registering 11 points, three assists, and two rebounds across her 32 minutes on the court.
How to watch UCLA basketball this week
The heat continues for No. 3 UCLA on Thursday, when the Bruins will host the No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels at 9 PM ET, airing live on ESPN.
Newly formed offseason league Project B is stocking up, with Phoenix Mercury star forward Alyssa Thomas becoming the second big-name WNBA player to sign with the overseas venture ahead of its anticipated November 2026 debut.
Thomas follows Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike in joining Project B, a traveling tournament-style competition reportedly offering players significant pay raises into the seven- and even eight-figure echelon — as well as equity stakes in the league.
Thomas will still feature in the 2026 season of Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball this January, with the launch of Project B expected to conflict with Unrivaled's third season in 2027.
With salaries reportedly topping both Unrivaled and the WNBA, Project B's funding sources came into question after Ogwumike's announcement last week.
In February, The Financial Times named Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund as a league investor, though Project B co-founder Grady Burnett denied those claims to Front Office Sports last week.
However, the league is working with event partner Sela, a known subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, though Burnett was quick to qualify that "Sela is one event partner that we pay money to. We do not have any dollars coming from them."
With the first season of Project B set to field 66 players, expect more high-profile signings to continue as the new venture adds to the increasingly crowded WNBA offseason space.
New offseason league Project B is raising more than eyebrows, with the international upstart reportedly far exceeding WNBA salaries as it builds out its pro women's basketball roster ahead of a planned 2026 debut.
According to Front Office Sports (FOS), Project B is offering athletes like inaugural signee Nneka Ogwumike multimillion dollar salaries, with indications that multi-year deals could see paydays reach upwards of eight figures.
Project B also gave the Seattle Storm star equity in the venture, putting WNBA stakeholders on edge as CBA negotiations continue to simmer Stateside.
Sources also reportedly told FOS that the budding league has already signed additional WNBA players.
While the winter league's F1-style tournament structure doesn't directly compete with the WNBA calendar, history shows that players will sometimes de-prioritized domestic league play if offered enough money to compete overseas.
One of the most notable instances of this occurred when now-retired superstar Diana Taurasi sat out the entire 2015 WNBA season after top EuroLeague side UMMC Ekaterinburg paid her $1.5 million to forgo that summer's competition.
Other offseason leagues are also making financial inroads that supersede the WNBA's current salary offerings, with 54 WNBA players set to take the Unrivaled 3×3 court in the winter league's 2026 season in January — including equity-holder Paige Bueckers.
Even more, big names like four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, 2024 champion Sabrina Ionescu, and two-time All-Star Angel Reese opted out of joining the 2026 Unrivaled season, leaving some speculating that seven-figure deals could see those stars instead eyeing a jump to Project B.
Ultimately, the reports of additional options for lucrative offseason contracts only increases the drama surrounding the US league's ongoing CBA negotiations, putting even more pressure on the WNBA to offer an attractive financial agreement to its athletes.
Despite missing the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season due to injury, USC superstar JuJu Watkins is staying busy, with the junior guard buying into 2026 NWSL expansion side Boston Legacy FC's investment group this week.
Besides padding her portfolio, the move also sees Watkins make history as the first-ever NCAA athlete to actively invest in a professional women's sports franchise.
"Boston Legacy FC is creating a space for women to achieve, lead, and inspire others at the highest level," Watkins said in a Thursday club press release. "I'm proud to be part of the movement pushing women's sports forward."
The 20-year-old reigning Naismith Player of the Year now joins a Boston Legacy investment core that includes the likes of Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as well as three-time Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman and actor Elizabeth Banks.
"JuJu's investment marks a groundbreaking moment for women's sports and the power of NIL," said Legacy owner Jennifer Epstein. "She's showing that today's student-athletes aren't just building their own brands — they're shaping the future of the game."
How to become a part of Boston Legacy FC history
Fans looking to take part in NWSL history can snag seats to the first-ever Boston Legacy match at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
Tickets to the expansion club's debut are currently on sale at BostonLegacyFC.com.