The WNBA officially rescinded the technical foul assessed to Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers during Friday's game against the Atlanta Dream.
Officials originally penalized Bueckers in the third quarter after she clapped three times following a whistle. At the time, Dallas was staging a comeback before ultimately losing 86-69.
The league's reversal wipes out Bueckers's automatic $500 fine, preserving her clean disciplinary record for the season.
Bueckers expressed surprise over the original whistle. On Saturday, the second-year guard stated that she was simply celebrating during a scoring run.
"I was hyped and showing passion and joy and I got penalized for that," Bueckers told press during a practice session after the game.
"I know they're putting an emphasis on controlling the game more, not letting it get to be a bloodbath as much as it was last year. [But] we were down a ton and we're making a run, so we're obviously going to be hyped up and showing a bunch of passion and joy and fire, like, that's what basketball's all about."
Paige Bueckers-Alysha Clark Bet Stays Intact After WNBA Call
Teammate Alysha Clark reportedly assisted Bueckers with the official appeal process. The veteran forward provided evidence to submit to the league, saying she felt the penalty was unwarranted.
The reversal keeps a friendly offseason bet alive between the pair. Bueckers wagered that she could finish the season without a technical foul. However, Clark joked that she preferred to win legitimately rather than via an undeserving penalty.
Despite her frustration with the whistle, Bueckers acknowledged that WNBA officials face a very difficult task.
"I would never want to be a ref. It's a really extremely hard job," she said. "And they get criticized just as much as the players."
Bueckers and the Wings next face the Las Vegas Aces at home on Thursday at 8 PM ET, live on Prime.
WNBA free agency is in full swing, as teams across the league scramble to sign big-name players before preseason training tips off this Sunday.
Expansion side Toronto Tempo is filling in the gaps, picking up former Golden State center Temi Fagbenle on a reported $1 million, one-year deal, while also signing Canadian guard Kia Nurse.
“To have the opportunity to play at home, for Canada’s team, means everything to me,” Nurse said in a team statement.
“This country has supported me throughout my career, and being part of the Tempo as the WNBA comes to Canada is incredibly meaningful. I’m proud to represent Canada, will be proud to wear this jersey, and excited to help build something special here.”
Dallas is making a similar push, signing veteran guards Alysha Clark and guard Odyssey Sims after pairing No. 1 draft pick Azzi Fudd with UConn teammate — and 2025 Rookie of the Year — Paige Bueckers.
WNBA Teams Scout Undrafted Rookies Amid Free Agency Chaos
Undrafted rookies are also making a splash, as teams size up undervalued talent with an eye toward identifying development players.
Oklahoma center Raegan Beers will join Connecticut in training camp, while Richmond forward Maggie Doogan and Indiana guard Shay Ciezki get a shot with Phoenix.
Standing 6-foot-4, Colorado-born Beers began her college career with Oregon State before transferring to Oklahoma, finishing her NCAA run averaging 16.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game across 129 appearances. Doogan led mid-major Richmond with 21.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game through the 2025/26 season, while shooting 50.6% from the field, 40.4% from 3-point range, and 89% from the free throw line.
Ciezki capped her senior year averaging 22.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. She additionally shot 52.6% from the field, 44.6% behind the arc, and 90.8% from the free throw line — one of just two players joining the 50-40-90 club last season, alongside Nebraska's Britt Prince.
WNBA leadership is on the clock, as the league's front office failed to produce a new proposal during Monday's in-person CBA meeting with the players union.
"They volunteered that they did not have a proposal prepared at the top of the meeting," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told Front Office Sports on Monday. "That kind of set the tone for the conversation because we were hoping to hear otherwise."
Reports now indicate that the WNBA plans to officially respond to the union's December CBA proposal, though the timeline for the league to do so remains unclear.
Negotiations between the WNBA and WNBPA are currently at an impasse, as talks drag on months after the old contract's late-October expiration — and weeks past the double CBA deadline extensions — with a work stoppage still possible entering the 2026 season.
"After the meeting today, [a strike is] still on the table," WNBPA VP Alysha Clark told FOS on Monday.
However, the Washington Mystics forward also tempered the possibility of a work stoppage, adding "Until we get a response from the league about proposals, there's nothing that we've been able to negotiate and go back and forth with to even warrant 'Ok, what does a strike look like?'"
The WNBA's most recent proposal features a $1.3 million maximum salary, with the parties continuing to spar over a revenue sharing plan — arguably the highest priority item according to the players.
"The sooner it gets to a WNBA season, we're prepared to do it — to not play," WNBPA VP Breanna Stewart said on her Game Recognizes Game podcast this week. "But we don't want to. We want to play."
With the 2025 WNBA Playoffs in full swing, many big-name players are shifting their focus to the winter, joining the 2026 roster for offseason leagues like 3×3 upstart Unrivaled and 5×5 Athletes Unlimited.
Connecticut Sun rookie Aneesah Morrow officially signed with AU Pro Basketball this week, joining WNBA veteran teammate Tina Charles, Las Vegas Aces standout and 2023 AU champion NaLyssa Smith, as well as fellow pro first-years in guards Kaitlyn Chen (Golden State Valkyries) and Te-Hina PaoPao (Atlanta Dream) on the AU court.
The 2026 Athletes Unlimited Basketball season also boasts several returning stars among its 40-player league roster, including Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse, Washington Mystics forward Alysha Clark, Seattle Storm guard Lexie Brown, and New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison.
Tipping off its fifth season in February 2026, the month-long Nashville-based competition features rotating teams and individual leaderboards, offering an alternative to both overseas play and Unrivaled's 3×3 team format.
"It's player-driven," Charles said in her own AU Basketball signing announcement earlier this month. "I think that's really neat, you know, something that I've never been a part of, nor have I seen on men's or women's side."
How to watch the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Basketball season
The upcoming 2026 season of AU Pro Basketball runs from February 5th through March 2nd, with all 24 games airing live across several different broadcasters.
The No. 3 Atlanta Dream still have something to say, entering Wednesday's matchup with the No. 8 Seattle Storm on a five-game winning streak — and, notably, just a half-game behind the No. 2 New York Liberty in the WNBA standings.
"We know it doesn't get any easier," Dream head coach Karl Smesko said of his team's remaining regular-season slate. "This is a trip where we're playing a lot of really good teams."
With stars Rhyne Howard and Brittney Griner back in the lineup, Atlanta is returning to the height of their power at exactly the right time: "I thought BG was great," Smesko said of his once-injured center. "She was moving great. She looked really good out there."
As for Seattle, however, the Storm finds themselves on the opposite trajectory, riding a five-game losing streak into Wednesday's clash.
Adding insult to injury, former Storm guard Alysha Clark confirmed this week that she requested her midseason trade to the No. 10 Washington Mystics.
"Asked Alysha Clark if she had conversations with Seattle before the trade and she said she requested to be moved," tweeted Washington Post journalist Kareem Copeland on Tuesday. "Things hadn't worked out as they envisioned and she told herself at 38 years old she was going to stay in control of her career."
Clark's admission follows 2024 reports that volatile locker room dynamics and front office disputes prompted former Seattle star Jewell Loyd to request a trade last season.
How to watch the Atlanta Dream vs. Seattle Storm on Wednesday
The Dream will put their winning streak to the test while trying to take advantage of the Storm's skid at 10 PM ET on Wednesday.
Live coverage of the game will air on ESPN3.
Thursday's WNBA trade deadline came and went with one final flurry of activity, as the No. 10 Washington Mystics leaned all the way into their rebuild by sending 2024 No. 6 draft pick Aaliyah Edwards to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
"Bringing Aaliyah to the Connecticut Sun is more than just a roster move.... Aaliyah is a transformational talent with the mindset and drive that aligns with our vision of building a championship culture," Sun GM Morgan Tuck said in a statement. "Aaliyah is the kind of person and player who can help redefine the future of this organization and we're ready to build that future together."
In return for Edwards, Connecticut sent 2024 No. 5 draft pick Jacy Sheldon to the Mystics, with Washington also receiving the right to a first-round pick swap in 2026 WNBA Draft in the trade deal.
The move follows a Tuesday trade in which the Mystics offloaded their leading scorer Brittney Sykes to the No. 6 Seattle Storm in return for forward Alysha Clark and a 2026 first-round draft pick.
While a few major midseason moves emerged this week, seven of the league's 13 teams decided to forego any trades, with No. 2 New York, No. 3 Atlanta, No. 4 Phoenix, No. 5 Indiana, No. 8 Golden State, No. 9 LA, and No. 11 Chicago holding their rosters steady in the final week of the transaction window.
The clock is ticking down toward the WNBA trade deadline, as teams around the league evaluate their rosters and make midseason moves ahead of Thursday's 3 PM ET final whistle.
The No. 10 Washington Mystics made the most recent transactional splash, sending leading scorer Brittney Sykes to the No. 6 Seattle Storm on Tuesday.
In return, Washington received forward Alysha Clark, guard Zia Cooke, and a 2026 first-round draft pick — though the Mystics immediately waived Cooke as well as center Sika Koné.
Teams now have a little more than 24 hours to decide if they’re stocking up for the postseason or punting this year's potential to shore up future prospects.
Though the WNBA trade deadline has historically been less dramatic than other leagues thanks to hard salary caps and roster limitations, ramped-up expansion and the promise of a new CBA appear to be greasing the wheels this year.
While not every title contender has roster room to spare, teams in line for the lottery will likely look to clean house this week.
To that end, Washington may still be dealing: 2024 No. 6 overall draft pick Aaliyah Edwards played just seven minutes for the Mystics in their 78-64 loss to the No. 11 Chicago Sky on Tuesday, sparking rumors of another potential big trade.
As for the last-place Connecticut Sun, guard Marina Mabrey could serve as a last-minute asset after the team initially denied Mabrey's offseason trade request.
WNBA roster shakeups kept rolling this week, with a deluge of moves radically reshaping the 2022 and 2023 league champion Las Vegas Aces.
After three seasons in Las Vegas, backup guard and popular locker room presence Sydney Colson signed a one-year deal with Indiana on Thursday. The Fever, who've been aggressive about inking athletes they believe will bring a title back to Indianapolis, targeted Colson for her veteran experience.
"[Colson] brings a championship pedigree to the Fever, adding depth to our point guard position, said Fever COO and GM Amber Cox in the team's announcement. "We have the utmost confidence in her ability to step into any situation and deliver on both ends of the floor."
Joining Colson in leaving Las Vegas is forward Alysha Clark. A key factor in the Aces' 2023 title run — which ultimately earned her the WNBA's Sixth Woman of the Year award — Clark is returning to the Seattle Storm, where she played from 2012 to 2020.
The Aces are also losing their 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year, Tiffany Hayes. Despite the Aces protecting her in December's expansion draft, the free agent guard will take her talents to incoming franchise Golden State. There, she'll link up with former Las Vegas assistant coach-turned-Valkyries boss Natalie Nakase.
"Having coached Tiffany last season in Las Vegas, I know firsthand the impact she brings both on and off the court," Nakase noted. "Her versatility, intensity, and ability to score will be invaluable as we build our team's identity."
Las Vegas Aces take aim at refreshed dynasty
After falling short of a three-peat championship last season — despite three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's outstanding 2024 performance — a significant Aces roster reshuffling was all but guaranteed ahead of the 2025 season.
Las Vegas kicked things off by shipping All-Star guard Kelsey Plum off to the LA Sparks last month. The blockbuster three-team trade sent Seattle's two-time champ Jewell Loyd to the Aces in return.
To shore up their front-court, Las Vegas inked 6-foot-4 power forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus on Thursday. The 2023 All-Star averaged 15 points and 6.7 rebounds for Atlanta that season, and was on her way to matching that production last year when an ankle injury curbed her 2024 run.
Ultimately, Las Vegas's roller coaster offseason reflects both the WNBA's shifting landscape and the Aces' quest to revive their former dynasty, hoping a fresh start can fuel them all the way to another league title in 2025.
Earlier this week, the WNBA Players Union (WNBPA) spoke up against controversial comments made by league commissioner Cathy Engelbert on CNBC's Power Lunch on Monday.
When asked to address concerning social media exchanges regarding superstar rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese "where race... where sexuality is sometimes introduced into the conversation," Engelbert dodged the question, choosing instead to frame what she described as a "rivalry" in a positive light.
"The one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry," said the commissioner, comparing Reese and Clark to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. "That's what makes people watch. They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don't want everybody being nice to one another."
WNBPA calls out subjects WNBA comm'r Engelbert dodged
After players began calling Engelbert out online, the WNBPA issued a statement denouncing racism, homophobia, and misogyny.
"Here is the answer that the Commissioner should have provided to the very clear question regarding the racism, misogyny, and harassment experienced by the Players," the statement read.
There is absolutely no place in sport — or in life — for the vile hate, racist language, homophobic comments, and the misogynistic attacks our players are facing on social media.... Fandom should lift up the game, not tear down the very people who bring it to life."
WNBA stars address Engelbert's CNBC comments
Some of the league's top players took to the press to reinforce the WNBPA's words, including Aces forward Alysha Clark.
"It's taken a darker turn in terms of the types of comments and the vitriol that's coming through to the players, and it's not okay," Clark told ESPN. "I wish [Engelbert] would have just said that — 'It's not okay.'"
Liberty star Breanna Stewart echoed Clark's sentiments, saying "The way that the fans have surged, and especially behind Caitlin and Angel coming to this league, but also bringing a race aspect to a different level — you know, there's no place for that in our sport."
Engelbert later responded to the Players Union's statement in a post on X, writing "there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else."
The Las Vegas Aces want to take their talents to a different type of game –”Family Feud.”
On Sunday, Kiah Stokes posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the game show, asking if there was any way the two-time reigning WNBA champions could be featured as contestants. She even wanted to take the pitch directly to host Steve Harvey.
“Can we go on ‘Family Feud’??” she wrote, speaking about the Aces. “Who got Steve’s number?”
The Aces have had quite the championship tour, which already has included attending Usher’s residency in Las Vegas. And everyone – including the Aces’ social media admin – appeared to be on board with a potential “Family Feud” appearance.
“Let’s goooooo!! I’m down someone let Steve know!!” A’ja Wilson wrote.
“Count me in!!!!” Alysha Clark added.
“Oh yeah I guess I shoulda asked if y’all would be down,” Stokes responded.
Let’s goooooo!! I’m down someone let Steve know!! https://t.co/7ZDVXtAmeJ
— A'ja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) November 27, 2023
Meanwhile, the Aces kept tweeting out Steve Harvey reactions with various captions, including calling out Sydney Colson – whose answers would undoubtedly warrant a classic Harvey reaction.
“We would be doin’ the most,” Colson wrote Monday.
Steve as soon as it’s @SydJColson’s turn. pic.twitter.com/7I1DYaNleE
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) November 27, 2023