“I’m not going to lie: Emotionally, I’m shocked,” the Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne said. “You try to do the whole thing where you want to rally for [Toliver], but we were sick. Just sick. What she’s been through with her foot, how much she’s worked to get back — and she’s feeling good. She’s talking about even next year and all those things. To see something like that happen at this point in her career, it just sucks. … She’s such a great person. So it’s brutal.”
The season two roster for Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is officially complete, with the offseason league announcing its final three players on Thursday — and revealing that some big names from the venture's inaugural campaign will not feature on the 2026 court.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese will not return for Unrivaled's second season, though league EVP and GM Clare Duwelius told The Athletic this week that they had "lots of conversations" with the players.
DiJonai Carrington will miss the 2026 campaign as well, as a mid-foot sprain suffered during September's WNBA Playoffs forced the Minnesota Lynx guard to withdraw from next year's competition.
With Carrington leaving the eight-team league's final open roster spots at three, Unrivaled rounded out their 2026 numbers with Chicago Sky guard Rebecca Allen, Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald, and Seattle Storm center and 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga.
Malonga joins the 3×3 upstart after abruptly terminating her overseas contract with Turkish club Fenerbahçe following a post-WNBA season wrist surgery.
Unrivaled also dropped the list of their 2026 head coaches this week, with returning managers Nola Henry and Teresa Weatherspoon joined by fresh faces including ex-Storm boss Noelle Quinn.
How to watch Unrivaled in 2026
Unrivaled will tip off its expanded 2026 season on January 5th, with live coverage airing on TNT.
Time has run out for Caitlin Clark to return from her lingering groin injury, with the Indiana Fever guard announcing via social media this week that she will officially sit out the rest of the 2025 WNBA season in hopes of making a healthy start in 2026.
"I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn't a big enough word to describe how I am feeling," Clark said in her Thursday post.
"Caitlin has worked so hard throughout this time, doing everything possible to recover and return to the court but, ultimately, time is not on our side," Fever COO and GM Amber Cox said in a team statement. "Her long-term health and well-being remains our top priority."
Clark featured in just 13 games for the Indiana Fever this year, averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, and five rebounds per game on the season while also earning a nod as a 2025 WNBA All-Star Game captain.
Following a season of shooting slumps and soft tissue knocks, the Indiana standout has watched the No. 8 Fever's championship hopes dwindle under the weight of additional roster shifts.
Veteran offseason signing DeWanna Bonner jumped ship midseason to join the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury, while guards Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald, and Sophie Cunningham all went down with season-ending injuries alongside forward Chloe Bibby.
"This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective," Clark wrote. "I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year."
"Now it's time to close out the season and claim our spot in the Playoffs," Clark added.
How to watch the Indiana Fever this weekend
Despite the setback, No. 8 Indiana still has a clear path to punching a postseason ticket, starting with a Friday matchup against the No. 11 Chicago Sky. The game will tip off at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ION.
Then on Sunday, the Fever will take on the No. 10 Washington Mystics in their penultimate game of the 2025 season, airing live at 3 PM ET on NBA TV.
The No. 6 Indiana Fever are officially down another guard due to injury, with the team confirming Tuesday that Sophie Cunningham suffered a season-ending right MCL tear during the squad's Sunday matchup against the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
"If you're going to hurt your knee, that is the best possible case," Cunningham explained on her podcast on Tuesday. "A couple more inches to the left, [I] would've torn a whole bunch more s—t. I'm very thankful for where I am at, so it's all good."
Cunningham posted an average of 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 46.9% from the field on the season for Indiana.
In response to losing the seven-season WNBA standout, Indiana signed veteran guard Shey Peddy to a seven-day hardship contract on Tuesday, one day after releasing previous hardship addition Kyra Lambert.
Cunningham became the third Fever guard sidelined with a season-ending injury in less than two weeks, after Indiana lost both Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald to an ACL tear and broken foot, respectively, in the same game on August 7th.
The trio join superstar guard Caitlin Clark on the Fever's injured list, after the WNBA sophomore's lingering right groin issue has seen her on the bench since before the 2025 All-Star break.
That said, Clark has reportedly been participating in practice this week, ramping up her game fitness as she eyes a return to the 2025 WNBA court.
The No. 6 Indiana Fever are laughing in the face of adversity, pulling off the biggest comeback win in team history on Sunday despite guard Sophie Cunningham exiting with a right knee injury following a second-quarter collision.
As Cunningham joined fellow guards Caitlin Clark (right groin), Aari McDonald (broken foot), and Sydney Colson (ACL tear) on the injured list, the Fever overcame a 21-point deficit to down the No. 13 Connecticut Sun 99-93 in overtime behind guard Kelsey Mitchell's 38-point performance.
"We came in at halftime, we talked about chipping away, being resilient," said Indiana forward Aliyah Boston, who notched 14 points and 13 rebounds for her 15th double-double of the year in Sunday's win, setting a new single-season Fever record. "That's kind of been our story this entire season."
Amid the myriad injuries causing the beleaguered Fever to lose steam in the WNBA standings, Cunningham's knock — which will reportedly undergo an MRI assessment on Monday — is just the latest blow in an expected banner year for the 25-year-old franchise.
Seeing increased playing time since Clark's mid-July injury, Cunningham is averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 46.9% from the field this season.
Looking to bolster their backcourt with Clark's return timeline still in question, Indiana signed veteran guard Odyssey Sims and rookie Kyra Lambert to hardship contracts last week.
"This group is tight.... They stay together," Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters following Sunday's game. "I think, for us, reiterating we've got to be where our feet are. We can't look too far behind us. We can't look too far in front of us. We've got to make sure that we're focused on one day at a time."
How to watch the Indiana Fever in this week's WNBA slate
Indiana will be thankful for a few days off this week, taking time to recover before hosting the seemingly unstoppable No. 1 Minnesota Lynx on Friday.
The Fever's clash with the league leaders will tip off at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ION.
The injury woes continued for the No. 5 Indiana Fever last week, with guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald both going down with season-ending injuries in Thursday's 95-60 blowout loss to the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury.
While 36-year-old veteran Colson tore her left ACL in the first quarter of the matchup, midseason signee McDonald broke her foot in the fourth quarter — leaving Indiana with just nine available players for Saturday's 92-70 win over the No. 11 Chicago Sky.
With star Caitlin Clark still recovering from a groin injury, Thursday saw the Fever's point guard stock dwindle even further — especially as the team initially signed McDonald to a rest-of-season contract in late June to specifically address Clark's absence and help lighten the load.
"This is the most resilient team I've ever been a part of, and I say that wholeheartedly," Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell told reporters following her game-leading 26-point performance on Saturday. "We've had a lot of mishap happen throughout the course of the season...and we've stayed resilient."
With Colson and McDonald out for 2025 and Clark's recovery timeline still uncertain, Indiana's ongoing struggle to patch together a full, healthy roster saw the Fever sign veteran guard Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract on Sunday.
How to watch the Indiana Fever this week
The No. 5 Fever will put their newest lineup to the test on Tuesday, when Indiana will host the No. 12 Dallas Wings at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN.
The Indiana Fever waived their splashiest offseason signing, two-time WNBA champion DeWanna Bonner, at her request on Wednesday.
The the 37-year-old missed the last five games due to personal reasons, with recent reports alluding to the six-time All-Star's desire to sever her Fever contract.
"Despite our shared goals and excitement heading into the season, I felt the fit did not work out and I appreciate the organization's willingness to grant my request to move on, particularly at this point in my career," Bonner said in a statement.
After bringing on key additions like Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham, the Fever were projected to take a serious leap forward under new Indiana head coach Stephanie White this season.
Unfortunately, Indiana has encountered multiple snags, with franchise player Caitlin Clark sidelined for weeks with a quad strain while White missed several games for personal reasons.
The Fever currently sit eighth in the WNBA standings with a 7-7 record, as Clark battles through a slump that saw her average just 26.5% from the field in her last three games.
She'll ride the bench again on Thursday night, as the superstar guard manages a groin injury.
To fill the gaps, Indiana signed Aari McDonald to a rest-of-season contract this week, rewarding the point guard for her strong performances in Clark's absence.
As for Bonner, she has 48 hours to clear the waiver wire, as some reports link her to a veteran minimum contract with the Phoenix Mercury for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season.
How to watch the Indiana Fever in Thursday's WNBA lineup
The Indiana Fever will try to turn things around against the LA Sparks at 7 PM ET on Thursday night.
Live coverage of the game will air on Prime.
With injuries mounting across the WNBA, several teams have started stocking up on recently waived free agents, bolstering their depleted rosters with hardship signings as they head into a busy stretch of the 2025 regular season.
With both guard Kahleah Copper and forward Alyssa Thomas sidelined, the Phoenix Mercury signed former Atlanta Dream guard and 2023 first-round draft pick Haley Jones to a rest-of-season hardship contract on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Fever picked up ex-LA Sparks guard and 2021 first-rounder Aari McDonald on Sunday, with Indiana looking to boost their backcourt depth in light of injuries to guards Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson.
These hardship signings come in clutch to keep benches stocked and WNBA teams in action.
However, the longevity of these early-season additions remains uncertain as teams attempt to balance league-maximum 12-player lineups with restrictive salary caps.
Hardship contracts allow teams to temporarily expand the salary cap, but when injured players return, so do tough roster calls — much to the dismay of front office decision-makers.
"More bodies would be good," Fever president Kelly Krauskopf told reporters with a wry laugh ahead of McDonald's signing.
Roster limitations will likely be a key issue when CBA negotiations rev up, with this week's emergency signings only adding fuel to the fire.
As the 2023 WNBA playoffs begin, teams are still dealing with a number of injuries. Take the Washington Mystics, who will be without Shakira Austin for the first two games of their first-round series against the New York Liberty.
Just Women’s Sports is keeping tabs on the most notable WNBA injuries and, where possible, providing the timetable for the player’s return. This report also includes athletes who are missing the 2023 WNBA season due to pregnancy or maternity leave.
Injured WNBA players who could return this season
Shakira Austin, Washington Mystics
Second-year center Shakira Austin went down on June 25 with a hip strain. An MRI revealed that the injury doesn’t require surgery, but she missed nearly two months as a result.
Austin returned in mid-August in a win over Chicago but has remained limited in her minutes. Weeks later against the Aces, she re-injured the hip that had kept her out nearly two months. She will miss at least the first two games of the Mystics’ first-round series against the New York Liberty.
Candace Parker, Las Vegas Aces
The two-time WNBA MVP will be out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a left foot fracture, the Las Vegas Aces announced in July.
Parker has been playing on the fracture all season, according to the team, but a recent consultation with doctors revealed that surgery was the best option to return to health and to avoid further injury.
After signing with Las Vegas in the offseason, Parker started the first 18 games of the season for the Aces, averaging 9.0 points per game.
WNBA players who have returned to the court
Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics
The two-time WNBA MVP injured her left ankle on July 9, but she returned on Aug. 18. The 33-year-old started this season fully healthy for the first time in almost three years after dealing with back issues that kept her sidelined for a significant amount of time.
NaLyssa Smith, Indiana Fever
A stress fracture in her left foot was expected to keep the 22-year-old forward out for at least two weeks, the Fever announced on July 11.
Smith made her returned on Aug. 8 and has been instrumental for Indiana since then, including a career-high 30 points in the team’s overtime win over Dallas on Sunday.
Layshia Clarendon, Los Angeles Sparks
Clarendon returned on July 22, appearing for the first time since June 9. A partial tear of the right plantar fascia ligament in their foot had kept Clarendon off the floor.
Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
Brittney Griner had been out since June 13 with a hip injury but made her return against the Storm on June 24, putting up 11 points and 6 rebounds through 20 minutes.
Ruthy Hebard, Chicago Sky
Hebard gave birth to her son, Xzavier Reid, in April. The Chicago Sky forward returned just 12 weeks later.
“All this has just shown me how much I love the game,” Hebard said one week before making her return on July 9. “I love being around my teammates. I just love everything about basketball. More than anything, I just want to be back.”
Aari McDonald, Atlanta Dream
The 24-year-old guard tore her labrum against the Las Vegas Aces on June 2, the Dream announced on June 6. She returned to action on July 20.
Diamond Miller, Minnesota Lynx
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft sprained her right ankle during Minnesota’s loss to the Dallas Wings on May 30. In a statement, the Lynx said Miller will “be reevaluated in the following weeks and further updates will be issued when available.” Miller scored a career-high 18 points in her return on June 27.
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury also went without Diana Taurasi (hamstring) through three games (all double-digit losses). Taurasi returned on June 24, playing 19 minutes and putting up 13 points and 4 rebounds against Seattle.
Injured WNBA players out for the season
Brionna Jones, Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun announced on June 24 that Brionna Jones suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in a game against the Seattle Storm on June 20 and underwent a successful surgery on June 23.
“While this is not how I envisioned this season ending for me, I am determined and ready to head into the next stage of recovery and rehab. I know I have an amazing support system behind me, and I will return on the other side of this stronger than ever,” Jones said in a statement.
Prior to the injury, Jones was first in the league in offensive rebounds (3.2/game), fifth in steals (1.8), and ninth in field goal percentage (57.1).
“We are heartbroken for Breezy. Anyone who knows her, knows she’s an amazing person, teammate and leader for our group,” said Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White.
“On the court, she has worked so hard to position herself as a cornerstone of our franchise and was playing terrific basketball. … As a team, we know we have a job to do, and we will dedicate our work toward the ultimate goal of winning a championship in a way that honors Breezy.”
Diamond DeShields, Dallas Wings
DeShields missed the regular season with a knee injury, and she remain out for the postseason.
While the 28-year-old guard appeared in a May 5 preseason game against Chicago, she did not travel for the team’s second preseason game out of precaution due to knee soreness. It’s unclear when she could make a return this season.
Rebekah Gardner, Chicago Sky
Gardner will miss the playoffs for Chicago. She missed most of the season after undergoing foot surgery for the break she sustained during a loss to the Washington Mystics on May 26.
Isabelle Harrison, Chicago Sky
The 29-year-old forward missed the season with a knee injury. The Sky revealed in May that Harrison would be out indefinitely after having surgery to repair a torn left meniscus. Harrison, who signed as a free agent with Chicago in February, has played six seasons in the WNBA.
Li Yueru, Chicago Sky
Li will miss the season with a non-WNBA injury, the Sky announced on May 18. She played for Chicago last season but missed the postseason to prepare for the 2022 World Cup with the Chinese national team.
Lou Lopez Sénéchal, Dallas Wings
The former UConn star underwent knee surgery during the first week of the season and missed the season as a result. The 25-year-old wing was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Stephanie Talbot, Los Angeles Sparks
The 28-year-old forward signed with the Sparks in the offseason but tore her Achilles while playing for the Adelaide Lightning in Australia in February.
Kristi Toliver, Washington Mystics
The 36-year-old guard suffered a torn ACL in early September, which will sideline for the 2023 playoffs.
WNBA players out due to pregnancy or childbirth
Natalie Achonwa, Minnesota Lynx
Achonwa gave birth to her first child, son Maverick, in April and missed the WNBA season on maternity leave.
Achonwa, a member of the WNBA players’ union executive committee, helped negotiate for many of the pregnancy protections and maternity benefits that were included in the league’s 2020 collective bargaining agreement.
“Previously if you were out on maternity leave you’d get fifty per cent of your base salary,” Achonwa told SportsNet.
“I will receive my full salary this year whether I’m able to make it back or not — so pending clearance from doctors and trainers and stuff like that to see if I will make it back by the end of the year — but knowing that my family will be taken care of financially while I’m out on maternity leave was huge.”
Skylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix Mercury
Diggins-Smith is out on maternity leave after giving birth to her second child during the WNBA offseason and her return timeline is unclear.
“I’m not really worried about snapping back,” she recently told Essence. “I just want to enjoy this time with my daughter.”
Katie Lou Samuelson, Los Angeles Sparks
Samuelson welcomed a baby girl in August, and her pregnancy kept out of the 2023 season. The 25-year-old forward averaged 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.5 minutes per game in 2022.
“Life is full of surprises and 2023 surprised us in the best way possible!” she wrote in a social media announcement of her pregnancy. “We can’t wait to welcome the newest member of our family!”
Emma Hruby and Alex Azzi contributed to this report.
Nike has signed seven WNBA rookies ahead of the league’s 25th season.
Charli Collier, Rennia Davis, Awak Kuier, Aari McDonald, Michaela Onyenwere, DiDi Richards and Iliana Rupert are all now Nike athletes. All seven were selected in April’s WNBA Draft, with Collier, Kuier and McDonald going Nos. 1-3.
🚨👟BREAKING: Nike Basketball welcomes seven WNBA rookies to the family: Charli Collier, Rennia Davis, Awak Kuier, Aari McDonald, Michaela Onyenwere, DiDi Richards, and Iliana Rupert.
— MADE for the W (@madeforthew) May 5, 2021
Congrats ladies 👏 pic.twitter.com/8UNNc1r3Xy
Nike’s partnership with the WNBA has spanned from apparel collections to various initiatives for girls and women in sport.
Nike has produced the WNBA uniforms since 2018.
Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are entering the wide world of NFTs.
Per Sportico, the duo will be joined by other top female athletes, including No. 1 WNBA draft pick Charli Collier and No. 3 pick Aari McDonald, all of whom are represented by Wasserman sports agency.
The series of one-of-a-kind digital trading cards will be designed in collaboration with Los Angeles- based artist Lauren Nipper and released to the public on May 10.
Rapinoe tells Sportico that the project is an opportunity for female athletes to exercise “true ownership” and “authentic creativity.”
Rapinoe and co. are not alone. USWNT teammates Christen Press and Tobin Heath jumped on the NFT game early, releasing their own digitized tokens through re–inc earlier this month.
I’m an NFT 🤓https://t.co/BgrhnaB0xx pic.twitter.com/ealOQDC2M3
— Christen Press (@ChristenPress) April 15, 2021
This latest group of athlete NFTs will be sold as individual digital collectibles, available for purchase online next month.
Other athletes involved in the series include Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, skateboarder Mariah Duran and Paralympian Scout Bassett, with additional female athletes to be announced prior to the May release.