The LA Sparks are hitting their stride, riding an 8-2 record into a Tuesday night home matchup against the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty.
Despite falling to the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries over the weekend, LA's recent run has lifted the Sparks to No. 9 in the WNBA standings, with four of their last five wins coming against teams above the playoff line — including a 101-99 victory over No. 2 New York on July 26th.
"That's just learning how to win," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said on Sunday. "The worst thing you can do is fear losing."
Bolstered by 2024 No. 2 overall draftee Cameron Brink's return from injury, a Tuesday win could launch the Sparks into postseason positioning — but they'll have to top a motivated Liberty side looking to avenge their Sunday home loss to the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx.
"I think the most important part is when it gets hard for us, tough for us, we don't really stay together, and I think we have to do a better job," New York guard Marine Johannes told reporters.
The Liberty will take the court without veteran star forward Breanna Stewart, who is targeting an end-of-August return from a bone bruise in her right knee.
How to watch the LA Sparks vs. New York Liberty on Tuesday
The No. 9 Sparks will tip off against the visiting No. 2 Liberty at 10 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage on NBA TV.
The No. 6 Seattle Storm continue to lose ground, sliding down the WNBA standings after falling to No. 1 Minnesota 91-87 on Tuesday night — even as injured Lynx star Napheesa Collier watched from the sidelines.
Sitting as high as No. 4 this season, the Storm are now on a three-game losing streak, despite a string of very narrow score lines.
"We know those deposits are going to pay dividends coming up, but yeah, I think this group needs to feel a win," Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said after Sunday's 78-74 loss to the No. 5 Indiana Fever.
While Seattle is skidding, another West Coast team is on the rise, as the No. 9 LA Sparks recorded their seventh win in eight games on Tuesday, snapping Indiana's five-game winning streak with a 100-91 LA victory.
The win lifted the Sparks over the No. 10 Washington Mystics in the standings.
Forward Rickea Jackson and guard Kelsey Plum combined for 50 points to book the win, while newly returned forward Cameron Brink tied her career-high with five registered blocks on the night.
Ultimately, while some teams are struggling, others are surging toward the postseason, leaving the lottery-likely to decide whether to throw their weight behind a playoff push or shift their focus to next year.
The No. 9 Golden State Valkyries emerged as the WNBA's big winners on Tuesday night, with the 2025 expansion side shaking off a tough Sunday loss to the last-place Connecticut Sun with a 77-75 win over the No. 5 Atlanta Dream.
Golden State forward Cecilia Zandalasini scored a team-leading 18 points off the bench — including the game-winner — as Golden State built up a 30-point third quarter to narrowly hang onto the lead.
"We were talking about resilience, so it felt really good, especially on the road," starting guard Tiffany Hayes said after the win.
While Golden State secured momentum with the upset win, Tuesday's result wasn't quite enough to catapult the Valkyries over the postseason cutoff line.
Both the No. 7 Las Vegas Aces and the No. 8 Washington Mystics held fast to their playoff positions with Tuesday victories over No. 10 LA and No. 12 Chicago, respectively — denying both the Sparks and the Sky any headway in pushing out of their current lottery slots.
LA did see some upside in forward Cam Brink's return from injury, with the 2024 No. 2 draft pick contributing five points and three rebounds in her limited 14-minute performance.
With such parity, any WNBA team — including Golden State — can make a run up the 2025 table, so long as the squads at the top cede any ground.
Second-year LA Sparks forward Cameron Brink is gearing up to make her long-awaited return on Tuesday night, stepping back on the WNBA court after missing more than a year of action due to a June 2024 ACL tear.
Brink's return couldn't come at a better time for LA, as the Sparks continue to take serious aim at a postseason run after rattling off five wins in a row.
The 2024 No. 2 overall draftee will likely be on a minutes restriction as she works her way back into full-game fitness, with the Sparks easing her in during their Tuesday matchup against Las Vegas.
"It means the world," Brink told the Long Beach Press Telegram about her WNBA return earlier this week. "I'm just very excited, very humbled by this experience. It's no easy thing to come back from."
Brink's comeback will close out a trio of WNBA games on Tuesday:
- No. 9 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): After a hot start, the Valkyries slid into a free-fall, leaving Golden State hoping to improve on their 2-6 July record against a gelling Dream side.
- No. 12 Chicago Sky vs. No. 8 Washington Mystics, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The young Mystics are currently clinging onto the final playoff spot, with a chance to push ahead against the injury-riddled Sky.
- No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 10 Los Angeles Sparks, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks are the shiniest team in the WNBA right now, but they'll have their work cut out against an Aces team desperate to bust out of the mid-table doldrums.
As the fight for survival takes over the 2025 WNBA standings, the No. 10 LA Sparks are eyeing a spot above the postseason cutoff line — but the path to the Top 8 is anything but clear-cut.
With 2024 No. 2 draft pick Cameron Brink nearing a return from last year's ACL tear, the Sparks enter Thursday's clash with the long-suffering No. 13 Connecticut Sun on a three-game winning streak, giving the young squad a distinct edge.
However, LA's 9-14 record exposes their inconsistencies, having dropped two games to the No. 11 Chicago Sky in late June before turning things around ahead of the All-Star break.
The Sparks have a long way to go before playoff contention, but Thursday's lopsided matchup presents an opportunity to keep building:
- No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): LA tries to make it four in a row while the Sun hunt their fourth win of the season.
- No. 6 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 7 Indiana Fever, 7 PM ET (Prime): An injured Caitlin Clark will once again ride the bench for this tight showdown, with the Fever able to retake sixth place should they snap the Aces' three-game winning streak.
- No. 4 Seattle Storm vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle attempts to bounce back from Tuesday's upset loss to the No. 12 Dallas Wings, while an up-and-down Chicago looks to stir up momentum for a second-half push.
Only eight teams will earn spots in the 2025 WNBA postseason and, while there's plenty of games left to play, the time to make moves is now.
Tuesday's WNBA tilts feature a season-first clash between two young pro cores, as the No. 11 LA Sparks host the No. 7 Washington Mystics in the teams' last tilt before the 2025 All-Star break.
While Washington is a consistent presence above the playoff line in this season's standings — thanks in large part to the Mystics' two All-Star rookies, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — LA is still finding their way.
Led by champion veterans Kelsey Plum and Azurá Stevens, the Sparks' roster includes youthful talent like forward Rickea Jackson and rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, with this month's return of guard Rae Burrell from injury also boosting the young LA lineup.
"She's just the energizer bunny," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said of Burrell. "She puts pressure on the defense. I feel like she's getting in a groove."
Even more, the Sparks are eyeing the return of their 2024 No. 2 overall draftee Cameron Brink, with the forward inching close to competitive play just over a year after an ACL tear ended her rookie campaign.
Currently sitting in a lottery position, LA will aim to dig out a win — and some much-needed midseason momentum — in their last game before the All-Star break:
- No. 7 Washington Mystics vs. No. 11 Los Angeles Sparks, Tuesday at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Fresh off a Sunday victory over the No. 13 Connecticut Sun, the Sparks will look to claim their first back-to-back home wins this season when they try to upend a Mystics side that's comfortable playing in the clutch.
- No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, Tuesday at 8 PM ET (ESPN): The Fever are on a roll, hoping to tack on a third-straight win as they eye a deep post-All-Star run.
While most WNBA stars hit the court running this weekend, a few saw their 2025 campaigns already shortened as teams released season-opening injury reports.
Phoenix forward Kahleah Copper will miss four to six weeks of play, the Mercury reported on Saturday, after the 2024 Olympic gold medalist underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on her left knee last week.
Another knee injury has LA's Rae Burrell sidelined for the next six to eight weeks, after the fourth-year guard took a knock to the right leg just 41 seconds into the Sparks' 2025 debut win over Golden State.
On Friday, the Mystics released updates on both second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards and rookie guard Georgia Amoore. While another assessment of the Unrivaled 1v1 runner-up's back injury will occur in two more weeks, Washington confirmed that the Australian standout will miss the entire 2025 WNBA season after undergoing a successful surgery to repair her right ACL.
Seattle's Katie Lou Samuelson is also out for the full 2025 campaign, with the 27-year-old Storm forward recovering from last week's successful surgery after tearing her right ACL in practice on May 1st.
Kitley makes long-awaited WNBA debut as Brink eyes return
In more uplifting news, LA's Cameron Brink is on track to return to the Sparks sometime next month, one year after her standout rookie season came to a halt in a left ACL tear.
Already celebrating, however, is 2024 second-round draftee Elizabeth Kitley, who battled back from injury to make her WNBA debut and score her first league points in Las Vegas's Saturday loss to New York.
The Aces took a draft chance on Kitley, despite the center suffering an ACL tear in her final NCAA postseason. In response, the former Virginia Tech star successfully translated her year-long delayed shot at a pro career by surviving Las Vegas's brutal 2025 roster cuts.
Notably, Kitley's close friend and collegiate on-court counterpart with the Hokies is the aforementioned Amoore, who will aim for a rookie-season redo of her own next year.
Former perennial contender Stanford basketball's 36-season NCAA tournament streak are likely over, as the unranked Cardinal fell out of the ACC tournament in the first round on Wednesday.
No. 14-seed Clemson delivered the 63-46 tournament-ending blow to No. 11-seed Stanford, who shot just 31.5% from the field to score their fewest points of the season.
"We’re not going to let this one game define us or who we are," said head coach Kate Paye. "We’re hopeful we get to continue to play, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to be here today."
March Madness chances dim with Stanford loss
While the NCAA basketball committee will have the final say on March 16th's Selection Sunday, the loss is a statistical death knell for Stanford's March Madness hopes, as the Cardinal drops to an underwhelming 16-14 record with Wednesday's loss.
Stanford has featured in every edition of the NCAA tournament since failing to advance in the 1986/87 season, racking up three national championships and 15 Final Four berths in that time.
The Cardinal holds the second-longest streak of appearances in the Big Dance, trailing only eight-time champion Tennessee, who have featured in every one of the NCAA's 42 tournaments.
The dramatic drop-off comes during a season of significant change for the Cardinal, who saw star Cameron Brink graduate into the WNBA, legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer retire after 38 seasons at the helm, and standout forward Kiki Iriafen transfer to USC last spring.
Even more, the dissolution of the Pac-12 had Stanford joining the ACC in last summer's conference realignment fray.
Rebuilds shape NCAA as top teams become 2024/25 underdogs
While the Cardinal experienced arguably the biggest upheaval since last season, they're far from the only top NCAA program enduring a rebuilding era.
After losing a handful of 2023/24 standouts, Stanford’s former Pac-12 foe Oregon State — who now competes in the West Coast Conference — faces slim national prospects after going unranked all season despite last year’s Elite Eight finish.
Similarly, back-to-back Final Four contenders Iowa also finds itself on shaky ground, taking the No. 11 seed in the steep Big Ten tournament as they strive to rebuild in the post-Caitlin Clark era.
All in all, the 2024/25 NCAA bracket will likely look a little different than in years past, as former March Madness shoo-ins struggle to find their footing amid graduating stars, heightened transfer portal activity, and conference realignment growing pains.
Iowa eyes bracket-busting March Madness run
Of all the rebuilding programs, Iowa is potentially the team most poised to make some noise during March Madness, with the Hawkeyes snagging some key ranked wins already this season — including last month’s upset of No. 2 USC.
With Clark’s alma mater aiming to bust brackets in the Big Dance, the Hawkeyes will use Wednesday's big 81-54 win over No. 14-seed Wisconsin to fuel them in Thursday's second round of the Big Ten tournament, where they'll face No. 6-seed Michigan State.
Earlier this season, Iowa fell in a slim 68-66 December loss to MSU, and the teams enter Thursday's matchup with nearly identical season records.
How to watch Thursday's NCAA conference tournament games
The unranked Hawkeyes will tip off against the No. 24-ranked Spartans at 9 PM ET. Live coverage will air on Fox Sports.
Picking up right where they left off, 2024 NCAA champions South Carolina claimed the No. 1 spot on yesterday's AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll. This marks the fourth time in five years the Gamecocks have topped the preseason rankings.
"We knew we'’'d have a target on our backs this season as the reigning champions and this preseason ranking just confirms that," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, who swept the 2024 Coach of the Year awards, told the AP.
"We appreciate the recognition, but I know our coaching staff and our team are more focused on what we see in the gym every day," she continued. "And that's every player working extremely hard to get better individually and as a team."
The 2024/25 Gamecock roster is nearly identical to last season's undefeated squad. With all but one starter — Chicago Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso — returning, fans can expect to see stars like MiLaysia Fulwiley, Ashlyn Watkins, and Te-Hina Paopao continuing to set the standard in Columbia.
The Gamecocks, who blasted Memphis 106-63 in an exhibition game Tuesday night, will officially tip off their hunt for a third national championship in four seasons when they take on Michigan on November 4th. Over the previous three seasons, South Carolina has lost only three games.
Bueckers, Watkins boost NCAA teams' preseason stock
The impact of big-name players is palpable on the AP's preseason Top 25 list.
Dynasty UConn is on South Carolina's heels at No. 2, thanks in large part to projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Paige Bueckers. Though like many Huskies, Bueckers battled injuries over the last few seasons, hampering UConn's impact.
Her return last year fueled the Huskies all the way to the Final Four. This season — both Bueckers's final collegiate season and legendary head coach Geno Auriemma's 40th year at the helm — she'll take aim at bringing UConn's first NCAA trophy since 2016 back to Storrs.
On the other coast, USC clocks into the AP poll at No. 3 behind headliner JuJu Watkins, who put up arguably the most impactful freshman campaign in NCAA history last year.
Watkins aside, the Pac-12 implosion and resulting conference realignment has other aspects of USC looking decidedly different this season. Now representing the Big Ten alongside fellow former Pac-12 squad No. 5 UCLA, USC picked up top transfers Kiki Iriafen (Stanford) and Talia von Oelhoffen (Oregon State) in the offseason to build a title-contending 2024/25 roster.
Last season's Big 12 champion No. 4 Texas will now play in the SEC. With standout Rori Harmon back from ACL injury to duet with Madison Booker — who stepped up in a huge way last season in Harmon's stead — the Longhorns look a tough addition to the conference.
Former college basketball powerhouses omitted
With the departure of top players, a couple of last season's powerhouse teams failed to make the preseason Top-25 cut.
Without 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, plus the retirement of longtime head coach Lisa Bluder, 2024 NCAA runners-up Iowa fell from the rankings.
The biggest snub, however, belongs to new ACC addition Stanford, who went unranked for the first time since 1999. The Cardinal lost LA Sparks rookie Cameron Brink alongside transfer Kiki Iriafen after Tara VanDerveer — the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history — retired last April.
The preseason AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll
1. South Carolina (SEC)
2. UConn (Big East)
3. USC (Big Ten)
4. Texas (SEC)
5. UCLA (Big Ten)
6. Notre Dame (ACC)
7. LSU (SEC)
8. Iowa State (Big 12)
9. NC State (ACC)
10. Oklahoma (SEC)
11. Duke (ACC)
12. Baylor (Big 12)
13. Kansas State (Big 12)
14. Ohio State (Big Ten)
15. UNC (ACC)
16. West Virginia (Big 12)
17. Louisville (ACC)
18. Maryland (Big Ten)
19. Florida State (ACC)
20. Ole Miss (SEC)
21. Creighton (Big East)
22. Kentucky (SEC)
23. Nebraska (Big Ten)
24. Alabama (SEC)
25. Indiana (Big Ten)
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese's first WNBA season was cut short as the Rookie of the Year contender suffered a season-ending injury in Friday's 92-78 win over LA. Reese fractured her left wrist in a third-quarter fall, but still finished the game with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
"The risk of not having surgery, I could literally have arthritis at 22-years-old — that wasn't an option," Reese told her TikTok followers on Sunday.
Without mentioning a specific recovery timeline, the star said she anticipates being able to participate in Unrivaled's upcoming season. The 3×3 league's inaugural competition begins in early 2025.
Reese made WNBA history in record-breaking rookie season
With new WNBA records for both consecutive double-doubles and single-season rebounds, Reese had a historically strong rookie year.
"I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol," Reese posted to Instagram after her injury.
This year's WNBA rookie class will surely go down as one of the most impactful drafts of all time. But as the league's grueling schedule takes a toll, injuries to standouts like Cameron Brink and Reese are also part of the story.
Despite the injury, weekend wins keep Chicago in playoff contention
Chicago held onto the eighth and final playoff spot this weekend. After beating LA and Dallas, the Sky gained a one-game lead on ninth-place Atlanta.
That said, the Sky's fight is far from over. Chicago will next face a motivated 10th-place Washington on Wednesday before September 17th's big game against Atlanta.
In other playoff news, the Sparks and the Wings have been officially eliminated from postseason contention. Both teams are now guaranteed lottery picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft.