After making progress at practice this week, injured Indiana superstar Caitlin Clark is set to return to the WNBA court against the undefeated New York Liberty this Saturday.
The Fever hope her return from injury will provide a much-needed burst of energy to a skidding Indiana side.
Struggling to find results without their central playmaker, the seventh-place Fever has fallen to 4-5 on the season. This follows Tuesday's steep 77-58 loss to the third-place Atlanta Dream.
For Indiana, the opportunity for a high-profile win against the reigning WNBA champions looms on Saturday. With Clark, the Fever could flip the script on their recent struggles by beating the best of the best.
- No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 7 Indiana Fever, Saturday at 3 PM ET (ABC): The undefeated champs take on an early-season playoff favorite, with the key to Indiana's victory chances resting in large part on Clark's availability.
- No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, Saturday at 8:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Both Seattle and Golden State enter the weekend on multi-game winning streaks, with each team looking to separate themselves from the pack as the race for the Western Conference spot in the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup narrows.
- No. 4 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 6 Las Vegas Aces, Sunday at 6 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Mercury will meet their match in an Aces squad struggling to keep up with league's contenders — a task that could be even more difficult should reigning MVP A'ja Wilson be out due to a recent head injury.
Injury returns could define the next few weeks of WNBA play, with no team happier to see their roster whole again than the currently Clark-less Fever.
According to a Thursday report from The Athletic, shares of the New York Liberty were recently sold at a $450 million valuation, making the reigning WNBA champions the most valuable franchise in women's sports.
Valued at $130 million just last year, the Liberty's new record-breaking worth is over 30 times what majority owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai paid for the team in January 2019.
The shares in the multi-investor purchase account for an ownership percentage in the "mid-teens," with the capital intended to help fund an $80 million state-of-the-art training facility near the team's Barclays Center home in Brooklyn.
Growing investment in women's sports fuel high valuations
New York's valuation more than doubles the last-known WNBA capital raise, when the Dallas Wings sold 1% of their franchise at a $208 million valuation last August.
The NWSL's Angel City FC previously held the top mark in women's sports, valued at $250 million in last summer's sale to USC dean Willow Bay and her Disney CEO husband, Bob Iger.
Earlier this month, however, WSL champs Chelsea FC surpassed the LA club behind a $26.6 million investment from Reddit co-founder and tennis icon Serena Williams's husband, Alexis Ohanian.
With varied sources placing Ohanian's stake between 8% and 10%, the Blues valuation in that transaction lands in the $265 million to $331 million range — still trailing the Liberty by a hefty margin.
According to Wu Tsai, this is just the beginning, with the business leader boldly predicting blockbuster growth for her Brooklyn team — and the WNBA at-large — at a May 2024 event.
"I believe that in 10 years — or less — I'll be able to come back here to tell you how we turned the New York Liberty into the world's first billion-dollar women's sports franchise," she said.
The 2025 WNBA season is finally here, with Friday's official tip-off leading an opening weekend full of tough competition and simmering storylines.
The reigning champion New York Liberty enter as odds-on favorites, but results are nearly impossible to predict after a very active offseason across the league.
This weekend's slate features new builds, regional rivalries, and plenty of fresh faces as top 2025 draft picks log their first pro minutes.
- Minnesota Lynx vs. Dallas Wings, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): This year's No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers makes her official WNBA debut as revamped Dallas tests itself against a Minnesota team still stinging over last year's title loss.
- Los Angeles Sparks vs. Golden State Valkyries, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Valkyries play their first-ever regular-season game, looking to form an identity against downstate rivals LA, led by new Sparks addition Kelsey Plum.
- Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty, Saturday at 1 PM ET (ABC): The 2023 champs meet the 2024 title-winners in a heavyweight clash that sees 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson take on a confident New York team led by guard Sabrina Ionescu.
- Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever, Saturday at 3 PM ET (ABC): Last year's rookie headliners Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese meet again in Indiana, with the regional rivals relying on both incoming vets and young cores to write their next chapters.
Packed with great matchups, this weekend is the ideal tip-off for a 2025 season that promises to be a wild ride — no matter which WNBA team you follow.
From the very first moment she stepped onto the WNBA court, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier has never taken no for an answer.
She's a pro at tuning out the doubters. Six years into her WNBA career, the UConn product still believes she was the top prospect in the 2019 WNBA Draft. In fact, she went on to win that season's Rookie of the Year award despite the Lynx selecting her No. 6 overall. Secondly, after giving birth to her daughter Mila in May 2022, Collier showcased her ability to be both a mother and an elite professional athlete. She returned the following year, picking up her third WNBA All-Star nod while carrying the Lynx all season long.
And most recently, she reformed the business of women's basketball as the co-founder of Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball. The offseason league debuted to great success this past January.
So when a controversial foul call at the end of Game 5 of the 2024 Finals proved to be the final barrier between Collier and her first WNBA championship, she swore it would never happen to her again.
"To have it end that way, it feels super unjust," Collier told reporters last October, shortly after the Lynx lost to the New York Liberty. "I don't think that is something to get over."
Now, as a new season tips off, Collier is laser-focused on rewriting the narrative for the Lynx. But she's also making moves off the court, announcing today that she's joined the athlete roster at Jordan Brand. The Nike offshoot is building up its women's basketball footprint, currently supporting 12 WNBA players including Atlanta's Rhyne Howard and Las Vegas's Dana Evans.
For the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Jordan Brand represents an iconography of excellence. And it's one Michael Jordan himself explained to her this past winter.
"I'm really excited about everything that I saw from the outside," she told Just Women's Sports late last month. "But going through the pitch, learning what Jordan's about, just the way they exemplify greatness. It's something that I've always wanted be a part of."
"[Michael] Jordan, if you're a basketball player, just watching those games — the iconic red and black and white shoes that he wore — he was everywhere," she said of the brand's namesake NBA icon. "He's definitely still my idol."
Joining a basketball legacy at Jordan Brand
It might be too early to draw parallels between one of the greatest players of all time and a 28-year-old still growing into her full potential. But Collier's commitment to greatness does mirror His Airness.
Collier is aiming to win everything this year, from her first WNBA MVP award to her first championship with the Lynx. And it appears that the league is on board.
In this week's anonymous WNBA general manager survey, Minnesota was named most likely to win a title this season. And 67% of respondents tapped Collier for 2025 MVP — towering over three-time MVP A'ja Wilson's 25%.
Of course, it's no surprise. Collier is a wiry power forward with an unstoppable motor on both ends of the court. She has the ability to beat defenders off the dribble and a lethal fadeaway that gives opponents fits in the paint. And her balance only improves with every passing season.
Yet while experts key into Collier's rising form, they're also recognizing the fire that's been lit under Minnesota. After all, they're still convinced they were one foul call away from last year's WNBA title.
The Lynx clearly have a chip on their shoulder. And their job now is to make sure they use that as an asset, and not a liability.
"It's just the worst feeling — you don't want to feel like that again," Collier said of falling just short of the 2024 championship. "So use it to push you every day, where you're getting in the gym more than you were."
"It's just that little voice you hear when you're like, 'Okay, I'm tired,' or 'I don't have to lift today.' Or, you know, 'I shot yesterday. I don't have to shoot today,'" she continued. "It's that voice that's like, 'Well, do you want the same outcome or not?'"
Collier is making the change she wants to see
Growing up in Jefferson City, Missouri — also the hometown of retired Lynx legend and fellow Jordan Brand signee Maya Moore — Collier credits her parents for fostering her drive to create a future for herself that she hasn't always seen around her, both on and off the court.
It's a mentality that dates back to her earliest days in a pair of basketball sneakers. That's when her local youth team said they didn't have room on their roster for a young Collier discovering her love for the game.
"My parents were like, 'We'll make our own team," she recalled. "And that's what they did. They got girls from surrounding cities, and we created our own basketball team. And we ended up playing really well."
Decades later, Collier brought that same ingenuity to founding Unrivaled alongside old friend and fellow WNBA standout Breanna Stewart. And when it debuted in early 2025, the league's resounding impact sent shockwaves across the entire women's sports landscape.
"If you want to see a difference or make a change, why not just do it yourself?" Collier said. She and Stewart were done waiting for the higher-ups to capitalize on the potential they were seeing every day.
Unrivaled's timing couldn't have been better, with the 3×3 upstart riding women's basketball's "Caitlin Clark effect" wave in perfect harmony. But Unrivaled's success wasn't all the Indiana rookie's doing.
"We saw a need for something," she added. "It's something that we've been pushing for and fighting for for so long," she added, urging that women's sports's appeal, when given a platform, is undeniable. "People enjoy what we're doing, and now you see how excited people are over women's sports."
Minnesota's 2025 mantra: If it ain't broke, don't fix it
Today, Collier is leaving Unrivaled's day-to-day operations to her capable staff while she attends to unfinished business in the WNBA. The Lynx had a quieter offseason than many franchises this year, avoiding the many roster shakeups embraced across the league. In other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Collier is subsequently all in, noting that having an established core can give Minnesota an advantage. And that rings especially true as other teams scramble to put new puzzle pieces together.
"It's one of my favorite teams I've ever played on. Just the chemistry that we had from day one, the way that we were so there for each other," she said of the Lynx's personality-rich lineup. "It felt like college, honestly, where you create those bonds. You don't see that a lot in professional sports anymore."
The Lynx's training camp performances reflected that assertion. They've moved like a well-oiled machine with the ability to hit the ground running.
"We're doing things in day four of training camp that we were doing halfway through the season last year, just because everyone knows what's going on," Collier said.
That edge could be on full display in tonight's season-opener, as Minnesota takes on a revamped Dallas Wings before facing fresh rebuilds in LA and Connecticut.
Jordan Brand is striking while the WNBA iron is hot
Collier isn't giving herself much time to slow down. After playing with Unrivaled, she's jumping into this year's WNBA slate while also flexing her muscles with Jordan Brand. But she's also making time to appreciate the massive moment women's basketball is currently enjoying.
"I just feel really lucky to be able to say that I am living in this time. And get to play during this time," she said. "To see that change and to be a part of it, usually things like this happen so slowly over time. But when you see it happening in the blink of an eye, you can track the change."
No matter what this season holds, Collier will strive to embody everything that Jordan Brand hopes for in an athlete. That means a shrewd business sense, an understanding of what makes a team great, a competitive prowess, and that unwillingness to accept no for an answer as she pushes for even more progress.
"This partnership feels especially meaningful because it connects my performance on the court with impact that extends far beyond the game itself," Collier stated in Friday's press release, issued just hours before she's scheduled to hit the court in Heir Series sneakers.
"When young girls see that iconic silhouette, I want it to inspire them to aim higher than they thought possible."
The New York Liberty will open the 2025 WNBA season at the top of the league's power rankings, drumming up high expectations despite a short-staffed roster.
Trailing the reigning champions at No. 2 are 2024 runners-up Minnesota, followed by 2023 champs Las Vegas at No. 3.
Fueled by this year's overall No. 2 draft pick Dominique Malonga, the Seattle Storm claimed No. 4 in the WNBA rankings, with the revamped Indiana Fever eyeing a 2025 turnaround at No. 5.
The betting market similarly reflects the league's latest forecast, with sportsbook FanDuel setting the Liberty's title odds at +210, followed by the Aces at +360, and the Lynx at +370.
The lines also support Indiana's promise, giving the Fever the fourth-best championship odds at +390 — far higher than the fifth-best Phoenix Mercury at +1,300.
On the other hand, the Dallas Wings, LA Sparks, Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun, and Golden State Valkyries occupy the rankings' bottom half, as 2025's potential lottery teams prepare to prove themselves against top-line squads this season.
The up-for-sale Sun and brand-new Valkyries have the longest title odds on FanDuel, clocking in at +50,000 each.
While preseason action has provided some quality sneak peeks, Friday's opening tip-off represents a fresh start for the league, one where anything can — and likely will — happen.
European WNBA stars drop out of 2025 EuroBasket
Several European WNBA standouts announced they will skip out on this summer's FIBA EuroBasket, opting to prioritize league play following a pivotal 2024 Olympics.
Reigning Olympic silver medalists Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga both confirmed they will not represent France at the European tournament in June, opting to remain with the Seattle Storm.
The duo's France teammate Carla Leite is also forgoing the trip, instead remaining with the Golden State Valkyries for the entirety of the expansion side's debut season.
As a major international tournament, the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket is exempt from the WNBA's prioritization rule, meaning eligible players can miss regular-season league play to compete in the overseas contest without being in violation of WNBA protocols.
The 2025 regional FIBA competition between Europe's top national teams will tip off on June 18th.
Fresh off winning their first-ever WNBA title, the New York Liberty will kick off their 2025 preseason slate with in a Friday night clash against the Connecticut Sun — despite the reigning champs looking a little worse for wear.
Two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart has been slowly recovering from offseason knee surgery, with the 30-year-old watching from the bench on Friday in an effort to return to full fitness for next week's season opener.
Similarly, star guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is likely out for the entirety of the 2025 WNBA season with a knee injury of her own, exiting the offseason 3×3 league Unrivaled with a meniscus injury in early March.
Meanwhile, starting sharpshooter Leonie Fiebich has yet to join the Liberty in training camp as the European standout finishes her overseas season with Spain's Valencia Basket.
Liberty additions to make New York debut on Friday
That said, New York did manage to make a few savvy pick-ups ahead of the 2025 campaign, with the newly configured team eyeing a strong Friday showing to avoid rumors of a slow season start.
The Liberty traded for point guard Natasha Cloud and signed forward Izzy Harrison over the offseason, while also welcoming back guards Marine Johannes and Rebekah Gardner.
Given New York's lengthy availability report, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello noted that the team's markedly late preseason start was not strategic, but merely a scheduling solution.
"Sometimes it's just out of our hands," Brondello told reporters. "This is the first home game that we've had because we've never been able to get the arena availability, so that's it. Ideally, we would have liked to play the game by now, but it is what it is."
How to watch the New York Liberty in the 2025 WNBA preseason
New York will tip off against Connecticut at 7 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.
In today’s episode of the Late Sub, host Claire Watkins breaks down the USWNT and their 3-1 win over Iceland, including shouting out the match's top performers before examining where the US could still improve. Plus, Watkins chats about how head coach Emma Hayes is continuing to put her stamp on the team.
Then, Watkins gives her take on the Chicago Red Stars' rebrand, and how the NWSL is shedding some of its history in a bid toward the future.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
In today’s episode of the Late Sub, host Claire Watkins goes long on the epic final game that saw the New York Liberty clinch their first-ever WNBA title. Breaking down defense, officiating, rotations, and a little bit of luck, Watkins wraps up this monumental W season.
Later, Watkins offers up a quick wish list of what she’d like to see from the final NWSL regular-season weekend as teams tune up for the 2024 playoffs.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
Capping their sixth WNBA Finals campaign, the New York Liberty earned their first-ever championship in Sunday’s 67-62 winner-take-all overtime thriller.
As the last original WNBA franchise still playing to book a title, the Libs — who won the league’s inaugural game in 1997 — lifted the WNBA’s 28th trophy in front of a record-breaking sellout home crowd in Brooklyn.
"It means everything to me," said New York star Breanna Stewart, who grew up in Syracuse and attended Liberty games as a kid. "I wanted to come here and I wanted to be the first."
"I can't wait to continue to celebrate with the city," Stewart said after the game. "It's going to be bonkers."
The path to the WNBA Championship
Fueled by last year’s disappointing championship loss to the Las Vegas Aces, New York led the league in the regular season with an impressive franchise-tying record of 32-8.
After sweeping the Atlanta Dream in the first round, New York redemptively ousted the Aces in four semifinals games. The Liberty's Finals foe was the only team to defeat them multiple times this year — 2024 Commissioners Cup winners Minnesota.
In what was arguably the most competitive series to date, the 2024 Finals were marked by record-setting come-from-behind wins, game-winning shots seemingly scripted in Hollywood, and, after offensive power in the first four tilts, a defensive masterclass in the deciding Game 5.
Liberty stars show out in Championship win
Behind her team-leading 17-point, six-rebound Game 5 performance, Jonquel Jones earned the Finals MVP crown.
"I could never dream of this," said Jones after the game. "You know how many times I've been denied, it was delayed. I am so happy to do it here."
Co-signed by the Barclays Center crowd chanting her name, the championship-clinching game’s unofficial sixth player was Nyara Sabally. In her biggest showing ever in a Liberty uniform, Sabally’s spark off the bench added 13 clutch points and seven rebounds to New York’s total.
Minnesota’s defense did a lot to stifle the Liberty, holding New York to a 10-point first quarter — their most dismal opening all year. The Lynx also kept New York shooters to just two-for-23 from behind the arc.
A large part of suppressing the Libs came from Minnesota’s success in keeping New York’s Game 3 heroes Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu decidedly quiet on Sunday, smothering their respective efforts to 4-for-15 and 1-for-19 from the field.
Despite their offensive struggles, both contributed elsewhere. Ionescu added eight assists and seven rebounds to her five points and Stewart showed out on defense with 15 rebounds alongside her 13 points.
New York’s gritty 7-2 overtime run ultimately put the game out of Minnesota's reach. Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who posted an historic playoff run, fouled out in the game’s final seconds.
Lynx coach Reeve slams officiating in Finals loss
After the loss, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve had words for the officials that kept the Lynx from clinching in regulation play.
In a game that saw New York outshoot the Lynx 25-8 from the free throw line, the Lynx unsuccessfully challenged a controversial shooting foul called on Alanna Smith at the end of regulation. That ruling gave New York's Stewart the pair of free throws that sent the game into overtime.
"I know all the headlines will be 'Reeve cries foul,'" she told reporters. "Bring it on. Bring it on. Because this s--- was stolen from us."
"If we would have turned that clip in, they would have told us that it was marginal contact, no foul. Guaranteed. Guaranteed," Reeve remarked.
Notably, complaints about officiating and lopsided foul calls have been raised throughout the Finals. And not just from Reeve, who also spoke on the disparity after Game 3.
New York head coach Sandy Brondello made the same plea after Friday’s Game 4 saw foul calls favor Minnesota, saying "I know Cheryl talked about it last time, but we got no calls today... All we want is fair, OK. So if we are getting hit, that’s a foul."
Ultimately, while acknowledging Minnesota's disappointment, Reeve's appeal focused on the need for fair calls to ensure fair play. "This is for a championship," Reeve said. "For both teams, let [the players] decide it."
"This s--- ain’t that hard,” she added. “Officiating, it’s not that hard."