Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun!
Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.
This week, the Sports Are Fun! crew is joined by sports reporter, host, and digital creator Aliyah Funschelle. And with a brand new WNBA season tipping of this Friday, the women's pro league and its many basketball superstars naturally dominate the conversation.
"In the sports betting world, Caitlin Clark is a frontrunner for MVP, which I was surprised about," starts O'Hara, referencing the sportsbooks' latest WNBA MVP odds.
"I mean, my thing is last season, she was number seven in total points," says Diaz, clearly not convinced. "She averaged about 19. A'ja Wilson averaged 26. That's a big difference."
"I don't know what clientele is setting these odds," says Funschelle. "I don't think she could be in the running. Maybe most improved? Which is crazy to say but I think Caitlin Clark has another level that she hasn't reached yet."
"Just her having the ability to rest during this offseason and build muscle," Funschelle continues. "I think she has an untapped level. She could really take step up to be like A'ja Wilson or Stewie, one of those big names."
"I saw the pictures of her and I was like, 'She's been putting in that work in the offseason.,'" agrees Diaz.
"People said it was AI!" laughs Funschelle, cracking up her co-hosts. "It was crazy."
In addition to the WNBA, the Sports Are Fun! hosts dive into the unpredictable NWSL weekend, Golden State's mascot auditions, and so much more!
'Sports Are Fun!' debates 2025 WNBA MVP award odds
The Sports Are Fun crew wastes no time in getting into the WNBA MVP conversation, with hosts throwing out potential award winners.
"MVP? I feel like Napheesa [Collier] is going to come out for everything this year," asserts Diaz, nominating the Lynx mainstay and Unrivaled 3×3 co-founder. "She wants it all.
"She wants a title, she wants MVP," O'Hara adds.
"Absolutely," says Diaz. "Given the way her season ended last year and given the way she did so well at Unrivaled, I think she has an incredible momentum and she's only building off of it."
"So for me, it's either she's going to win MVP. Or A'ja Wilson's going to get her fourth MVP," Diaz concludes.
"You don't think anyone else is contending?" asks BJ.
"Nope," says Diaz. Period.
About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara
'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.
Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.
From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"
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With the 2025 WNBA season around the corner, sportsbooks have already been setting the field for this year's MVP race, with odds heavily slanted toward three early frontrunners.
Last season's Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark leads the 2025 race, with FanDuel currently placing the Indiana Fever guard at +200, followed closely by Las Vegas's three-time league MVP A'ja Wilson (+230), and Minnesota's 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier (+300).
DraftKings rates Clark similarly at +220, putting Wilson at +225 and Collier at +400.
After a blockbuster rookie season, opinions on Clark's sophomore ceiling vary, with ESPN ranking the 23-year-old as the WNBA's overall fourth-best player entering the 2025 season, trailing just Wilson, Collier, and New York's 2023 MVP and 2024 champion Breanna Stewart.
However, the media giant's own ESPN BET has Clark leading the MVP odds at +200, a likely response to bettor interest rather than analyst predictions.
Dallas's 2025 No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers is the clear favorite for this season's Rookie of the Year award, carrying -255 odds on ESPN BET despite not making the overall preseason Top 25.
There's no such thing as a sure bet, but the market is clearly mirroring fan interest, hyping up these young players before a single team takes the 2025 season's court.
Three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson officially joined the signature shoe ranks on Tuesday, when the first edition of the Las Vegas Aces star's Nike sneaker hit shelves — only to sell out within minutes.
Wilson is now the 14th WNBA athlete across all brands to receive her own signature shoe, joining current players like Sabrina Ionescu and retired legends including Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Candace Parker.
With more colors already in the works, the 28-year-old's debut "A'One" shoe arrived in a bright "Pink A'ura" colorway — a hue also heavily used across Wilson's Nike apparel collection, which dropped at the same time as the sneakers.
The eight-piece collection includes foam slides, T-shirts, shorts, cropped tops, and a single-legged "A'Symmetric" compression tight — a nod to Wilson's on-court uniform.
"My first A'One Collection reflects both my vision for the future of the game and the inspirations that fuel my performance and style every day," said Wilson in the February announcement detailing her Nike collaboration.
Wilson honors family in A'One Nike ads
Both the design details in the A'One shoes and Nike's series of commercials celebrating the collection boast nods to those inspirations.
The sneakers include symbols representing Wilson's parents, plus a quote from her grandmother: "As a matter of fact, the best is yet to come."
Photos of Wilson's paternal grandparents, which hang in her childhood church, make an appearance in director Jenn Nkiru's Nike ad, which also featured cameos from her parents and former college coach, South Carolina boss Dawn Staley.
The WNBA icon herself took a star turn in a second Nike ad, collaborating with Malia Obama in a vignette directed by the 26-year-old former US First Daughter.
How to buy A'ja Wilson's signature Nike A'One shoe
While Nike has temporarily removed Wilson's "Pink A'ura" A'One sneaker from the sportswear giant's online store, more inventory will be released in the coming days.
In the meantime, Wilson's apparel collection is now available directly from Nike, with purchase options both online and at select retail locations.
Her sneaker's second colorway, entitled "Blue Fury," will drop in the same locations on May 15th.
The city of Columbia, South Carolina, honored South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley with her very own statue this week, reflecting the three-time national champion leader's legacy as a change-maker in women's college basketball.
The 14-foot bronze likeness, which sits just next to the university's alumni center, reflects Staley's championship prowess, with the statue showing the coach on a ladder holding a cut-down basketball net.
"This statue is a tribute, but it really doesn't encompass what she's delivered for us as a community, what she's done for women’s sports, what she's done for young people, especially young women,” Columbia mayor Daniel Rickenmann told reporters before Wednesday's ceremony.
A legendary coaching resume
After her decorated pro career, the six-time WNBA All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist took over the South Carolina coaching job in 2008, building the program into the behemoth it is today.
To date, Staley has led the Gamecocks to nine SEC regular-season titles and nine conference tournament crowns as well as seven Final Fours — including appearances in the last five NCAA tournament semifinals.
The four-time National Coach of the Year is far from done, though.
Staley, who turns 55 years old on Sunday, inked a contract in January to remain with South Carolina through the 2029/30 NCAA season.
That blockbuster deal — worth over $25 million — makes her the highest paid women's college basketball coach in history.
Staley agreed to statue to increase representation
Staley's statue now joins one of former star player and now reigning three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, who saw her own likeness installed outside Colonial Life Arena in 2021.
Though initially opposed to becoming a bronze sculpture, Staley later acquiesced to the honor in order to boost the currently low numbers of US statues depicting women, particularly Black women.
"I agreed to the statue not for me, but for the girl who will walk by one day and wonder who I was," Staley said at the Wednesday unveiling. "Maybe she'll look me up. She'll see that I did some things in basketball, of course — but I hope she sees much more."
"I hope she sees that I was a champion for equity and equality. That in my own way, I pushed for change... not as someone perfect or extraordinary, but as a regular girl who used her gifts to open doors so other girls wouldn't have to knock as hard."
WNBA superstar A'ja Wilson debuted her first-ever Nike signature shoe on Tuesday, with the sneakers scheduled to hit shelves in May 2025.
The first iteration of her "A'One" sneaker comes in "Pink A'ura," with more colorways planned for the future.
"My signature shoe is everything I need, engineered for my game and my style — and built to motivate the next generation to go big," Wilson said in Tuesday's release.
Designed for Wilson, plus basketball's next generation
"From the beginning, we designed the shoe to both accentuate my game and to provide young hoopers a tool to help them push their limits," explained the three-time WNBA MVP.
After a two-year development process, the A'One boasts foam to cushion landings, plus traction details to enable precise lateral movements on the court.
"The A’One is meant to go the distance, taking control from the jump and dominating the floor on every play," Wilson says.
The shoe also showcases details personal to Wilson, including the Celtic symbols for "mother" and "father" to honor her parents. There is also a pearl motif in reference to the necklace Wilson received from her grandmother, who also contributed a favorite saying to the outsole: "As a matter of fact, the best is yet to come."
Additionally, one of Wilson's own quotes is splashed across the heel: "Weakness, weakness. We don’t have time for that."
Along with her signature shoe, Wilson is releasing an eight-piece apparel collection that includes foam slides, T-shirts, shorts, and cropped tops.
In true Wilson fashion, the collection's highlight is her single-legged A'Symmetric compression tight, a nod to the Las Vegas star's on-court uniform.
Wilson joins star-studded roster of signature shoe athletes
When her sneakers drop in May, Wilson will become the 14th WNBA athlete across all brands to receive her own signature shoe.
The 28-year-old will join current stars like Breanna Stewart, Elena Delle Donne, and Sabrina Ionescu in the footwear department. Other iconic sneaker creators have included retired legends Sheryl Swoopes, Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and Wilson's former college coach, South Carolina boss Dawn Staley.
Wilson initially signed with Nike as a rookie in 2018 before becoming one of the sportswear giant's signature athletes in May 2024, when the brand doubled down on their investment in women's basketball.
How to purchase A'ja Wilson's signature Nike shoe
Wilson's A’One sneaker and apparel collection will be available directly from Nike, with purchase options both online and at select retail locations starting in May 2025.
Fans who packed Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena for WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark's jersey retirement snagged an additional treat on Sunday, as unranked Iowa upset No. 4 USC 76-69 to record their first Top 10 win in the post-Clark era.
Transfer guard Lucy Olsen led the Hawkeyes with 28 points, eclipsing USC sophomore superstar JuJu Watkins's 27 points. Overall, Iowa's defense held the Trojans to a low 35.4% from the field to clinch the upset win.
Despite suffering their second loss of the season, the full USC contingent remained on the court to witness Clark's No. 22 jersey rise into the rafters.
"I'm really impressed with the atmosphere here," USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the game. "We had decided prior to the outcome of the game that we were going to stay out there to honor her and women's basketball."
"We get to write our own story but are part of a synergy around women’s basketball that has in many ways, emanated from here," Gottlieb continued. "Congratulations to her. There's nothing I could say that hasn't been said. But the respect she's shown us, the humanity she's shown us, I'm definitely a fan."
South Carolina hangs up Wilson's No. 22 jersey
Another legendary No. 22 earned a Sunday celebration in South Carolina. Before taking down Auburn 83-66, the No. 2 Gamecocks retired three-time WNBA champion A'ja Wilson's jersey.
The athletic department's policy doesn't retire numbers even if a jersey is enters the rafters. However, coach Dawn Staley has clarified that no other Gamecock on the women's basketball team will ever wear No. 22.
Wilson arguably put South Carolina's program on the national map. Before becoming a three-time WNBA MVP, she was South Carolina's first-ever four-time All-American. She helped the Gamecocks to a program-first national championship in 2017, just two seasons after making their first Final Four. The 2018 National Player of the Year is still the team's all-time leader for both points (2,389) and blocks (363).
South Carolina has a five-year waiting period before former athletes can see their jersey retired. Frustrated with that policy, Staley helped push the building of Wilson's statue, which earned a spot on campus in 2021.
"I'm happy we are able to give her her flowers at such a young age where she'll be able to smell them for a very long time," Staley commented on Sunday.
That said, even Staley acknowledged that Wilson has a lot more to give to the sport.
"Everything that she's wanted to do and accomplish she has done, and she's only 28 years old. She's not even in her prime yet," she noted.
Sunday's ceremony seemed to add fuel to Wilson's drive, with the icon telling the crowd in Columbia, "As I look in the rafters and see my jersey, I am reminded how important it is to chase your dreams without fear."
No. 7 LSU survived an offensive shootout with No. 13 Oklahoma on Thursday, toppling the Sooners 107-100 in a chippy SEC battle that saw 53 personal fouls, five technical fouls, and two players ejected.
LSU forward Sa'Myah Smith and Oklahoma forward Liz Scott were both tossed in the first quarter following a shoving match in the paint. Just over four minutes into the game, Smith pushed Sooner center Beatrice Culliton to the ground, then Scott retaliated by shoving Smith.
"Pushing, I guess, is considered fighting," said LSU head coach Kim Mulkey after the game. "[Smith's reaction] was shocking. It hurt our team with her not being a part of tonight, because we're trying to develop her."
"My old mentor Leon Barmore always said you've got to keep a cool head in a hot game," commented Mulkey, who also booked herself a technical later in the matchup alongside Oklahoma head coach Jennie Baranczyk.
LSU, Oklahoma make SEC basketball history
Last night's attacking firepower made SEC women's basketball history, marking the first-ever game where each team scored at least 100 points in regulation.
Sophomore Mikaylah Williams scored a season-high 37 points to lead the Tigers over the finish line after nearly giving up a double-digit lead.
LSU stars Flau'jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow added a respective 25 and 21 points to the Tigers' tally, while Payton Verhulst led the Sooners' scoring with 26 points.
With the loss, Oklahoma falls to 4-4 in SEC play, a record that more accurately showcases the conference's strength rather than the Sooners' weakness.
NCAA teams to honor WNBA stars this weekend
The top-ranked NCAA action continues this weekend, with two WNBA superstars seeing their jerseys retired in ceremonies on Sunday afternoon.
First, No. 2 South Carolina will honor three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson alongside the Gamecocks' game against unranked Auburn, before unranked Iowa will commemorate all-time NCAA leading-scorer Caitlin Clark during a high-profile matchup with No. 4 USC.
Not long after, the Sooners will be back in the weekend's only Top 15 meeting, hosting No. 12 Kentucky late Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats improved to 7-1 in SEC play on Thursday, thanks to a 65-56 win over No. 22 Alabama.
How to watch this weekend's top NCAA basketball games
No. 2 South Carolina and Auburn will tip off Sunday's slate at 12 PM ET, live on ESPN, with Iowa's game against No. 4 USC following at 1:30 PM ET on Fox Sports.
No. 12 Kentucky's visit to No. 13 Oklahoma then begins at 4 PM ET Sunday, with live coverage on SECN.
Three-time WNBA MVP and Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson has agreed to a historic six-year contract extension with Nike, ESPN first reported on Tuesday.
The two-time WNBA champion already announced a forthcoming apparel line and signature shoe with the sportswear giant this year.
The first edition of the "A'One" shoe is expected to be released this spring, shortly before the 2025 WNBA season tips off on May 16th.
Wilson joins top tier of Nike athletes
Wilson's new deal is reportedly one of the highest-paid shoe endorsement contracts in women's basketball. The contract now places the 28-year-old alongside 2024 WNBA champion and NY Liberty sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu, 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, and USC sophomore phenom JuJu Watkins in Nike's lineup of basketball stars.
While the exact details of Wilson's contract are still to come, the $28 million eight-year deal that Clark inked was, as of its April signing, the richest sponsorship contract in the sport.
Though Wilson's May sneaker drop will mark the beginning of her signature shoe journey, there's hope she could see similar early success as that garnered by Ionescu. The Liberty guard debuted her second shoe in June, with both editions earning significant playing time on the feet of both WNBA and NBA stars.
A no-brainer signing for Nike
The fact that Nike is going all in on Wilson is no surprise, as the Las Vegas superstar dominated the league with an historic 2024 season. Wilson set the WNBA's single-season rebounding and scoring records this year, becoming the first and only player to ever break 1,000 points in a season.
She tore up the stat sheet en route to becoming just the fourth player to ever earn three MVP nods — and the first to snag it by unanimous vote since legend Cynthia Cooper in the WNBA's inaugural 1997 season.
Even more, Wilson led Team USA to an eighth-straight Olympic gold medal this summer, snagging MVP honors in Paris in the process.
Two games into the best-of-five 2024 WNBA semifinals, and the back-to-back defending champion Aces are staring down elimination while the Lynx evened the score last night.
With Friday's Game 3 offering a venue change, Las Vegas will need every ounce of their home-court advantage to continue their playoff run, while Minnesota's aim will be to silence the Connecticut crowd.
Aces on the brink of elimination after Game 2 loss
Tuesday's second-straight loss, an 88-84 defeat by the No. 1 seed Liberty in Brooklyn, has No. 4 seed Las Vegas on the brink of playoff elimination. The Aces are now the first reigning champions to ever fall to a 0-2 deficit in a WNBA playoff series.
Las Vegas has yet to conquer the Liberty this season, falling a franchise record-tying five straight times to same opponent, all after defeating New York in the 2023 WNBA Finals.
New York's Sabrina Ionescu and Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson led their teams in scoring with 24 points each, while Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot provided a crucial spark off the bench.
Should Las Vegas turn things around when the series moves back to Nevada on Friday, they'd become the first team to ever bounce back from 0-2 to reach the WNBA Finals.
Aces guard Chelsea Gray put a positive spin on the challenge, saying "I love being in the history books, so might as well try to start there. That's going to be our mentality."
Lynx level up with Game 2 semifinal win in Minnesota
No. 2 seed Minnesota evened their semifinal score with No. 3 seed Connecticut on Tuesday, earning a 77-70 win in Minneapolis to send the series back East at one victory apiece.
Courtney Williams led the Lynx in scoring with 17 points, while a physical Minnesota defense held the Sun to less than 40% shooting from the field.
In the loss, Sun forward DeWanna Bonner became the third all-time leading scorer in WNBA postseason history. She also inked her name into the league record books as the player with the most appearances in playoff history at 83 games and counting.
Friday kicks off a guaranteed two-game run in Connecticut, with the home side on a mission to reach the Finals for the first time since 2022.
How to watch Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals
Las Vegas and Minnesota will look to pick up critical wins in Friday's Game 3, with the Aces facing a must-win scenario in front of what promises to be a rocking home crowd.
The Lynx will travel to Connecticut for a 7:30 PM ET tip off on Friday, October 4th, followed by a Liberty vs. Aces showdown in Las Vegas at 9:30 PM ET. Both games are scheduled to air on ESPN2.
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie! In today's episode, our hosts cover the WNBA playoffs, three-time MVP A'ja Wilson, the Defensive Player of the Year debate, Kelley's somewhat sudden retirement, and the NWSL playoff race.
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
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