The business of women's sports is booming, as Forbes confirmed this week in their Most Valuable Women's Sports Teams of 2025 rankings.

The publication reported that 25 women's sports organizations now boast valuations in the nine figures, with an estimated collective worth of $5.6 billion.

The WNBA's New York Liberty tops the list with an estimated value of $400 million, with women's basketball producing the inaugural rankings' five most valuable teams as the Indiana Fever, Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces, and Phoenix Mercury also punched at or above the $300 million mark.

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Notably, all 12 long-established WNBA teams feature in the Top 25, with only 2025 expansion side Golden State still building into the top echelon of women's sports valuations — though the Valkyries seem a likely future addition to the list considering their record-breaking debut season.

Soccer standouts comprised the other 13 Most Valuable Women's Sports Teams of 2025, with eight NWSL franchises and five European football clubs scoring spots on the Forbes list.

No. 6 Angel City FC and No. 7 Kansas City Current lead the NWSL at $280 million and $275 million, respectively, while No. 8 Arsenal just edged Liga F side No. 7 Barcelona and fellow WSL club No. 8 Chelsea FC to top Europe's contingent with a valuation of $260 million.

Purpose-built arena and training facilities ultimately gave US teams a valuation edge, as many European clubs remain financially tied to their men's counterparts.

All in all, women's sports valuations reflect potential as much as they do current reality, as investors cash in on one of the sector's fastest-growing markets.

Sidelined Phoenix Mercury star Satou Sabally is still down for the count, with the 27-year-old set to miss the 2026 season tip-off of Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball as she continues to recover from lingering concussion symptoms.

Sabally suffered the head injury in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals on October 8th, requiring assistance in exiting the matchup after visibly swaying upon standing.

The concussion forced Sabally to sit out the remainder of the postseason series against the eventual 2025 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.

Both Sabally and Unrivaled planned her return to Phantom BC for the league's second season, with the German national impressing in the offseason venture's debut run by averaging 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

Sabally is under a multi-year contract with the upstart, with Unrivaled promising that while the forward will be out "indefinitely," medical personnel will reevaluate her fitness "at a later date" as both parties hope to see her on the 3×3 court this season.

In her stead, Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes — who suited up for Unrivaled's Laces BC last season — will join Phantom BC as Sabally's replacement.

The second season of Unrivaled 3x3 Basketball will tip off in Miami on January 5th, 2026.

Team USA is back on top of the 3x3 court, going undefeated to win their first FIBA AmeriCup title since 2023 with a tight 21-19 victory over defending champs Canada on Sunday.

After averaging 5.0 points per game — including putting up nine in the final — while notching 14 assists over the course of the competition, 2021 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Allisha Gray added both MVP and Team of the Tournament honors to her 2025 championship haul on Sunday.

Joining the Atlanta Dream guard on Team USA's stacked 3x3 roster were three fellow WNBA titans: Gray's teammate Naz Hillmon, Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton, and Washington Mystics forward Shakira Austin.

Throughout last week's competition in León, Mexico, Hillmon and Austin led the team in scoring with 5.8 points per game each, with Hillmon also topping the US stat sheet in rebounds per game.

With this year's win, Team USA claimed its third title across the five total FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup iterations, with 2025 runners-up Canada owning the competition's only other two trophies.

Third-place winner Brazil also kept their FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup medal-winning streak alive, with the trio of nations collectively owning every podium spot in the annual tournament's five-year history.

USA Basketball dropped its 18-player December roster on Monday, selecting both standout vets and fresh faces for the national team's final training camp of 2025.

Taking place at Duke University from December 12th until the 14th, five 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalists — Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young — will anchor the Team USA lineup.

Notably, a full 10 players will join the senior team for the first time next month, as young WNBA superstars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Cameron Brink earn their first call-ups.

A pair of NCAA stars will also attend the December camp, with the national governing body tapping both UCLA senior center Lauren Betts and USC junior guard JuJu Watkins on the roster — though Watkins will not participate in on-court activities as she continues to rehab an ACL tear.

Along with the full camp roster, USA Basketball also dropped its December sideline leaders, with current WNBA head coaches Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury), Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever) comprising the assistant coaching staff for the previously announced senior national team head coach Kara Lawson.

December's camp is the team's first step toward the World Cup qualifiers in March, when the US will compete despite having already qualified for the 2026 FIBA World Cup by winning the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in July.

Overall, the clock starts now for USA women's basketball managing director Sue Bird, who is in charge of cultivating the best team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The USA Basketball December Training Camp Roster

Target is getting a WNBA makeover, with the retail giant announcing a new merch line of exclusive WNBA-licensed apparel in collaboration with fashion brand The Wild Collective this week.

With pieces "made for those who play by their own rules — on and off the court," the drop features both overall league-branded merch as well as designs highlighting six WNBA teams: the Minnesota Lynx, the Chicago Sky, the New York Liberty, the Indiana Fever, the Golden State Valkyries, and the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces.

The collection includes "statement jackets, reworked jerseys, and everyday streetwear-inspired pieces, all carrying The Wild Collective's signature mix of premium materials, tailored fits, and fashion-forward details," and all in women's or unisex cuts, according to this week's release.

Target is far from the latest retailer buying into the women's basketball game, as growing demand for the WNBA has numerous companies outside of the traditional sportswear realm linking up with the league and its stars.

In just the last two months, for instance, Danish toymaker LEGO snagged four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson for the company's YouTube Shorts series, while Chicago Sky star Angel Reese teamed up with fashion brands Juicy Couture and Victoria's Secret.

How to purchase from the WNBA x Target collection

All pieces in The Wild Collective's WNBA merch line at Target are now available for purchase both online and in select stores.

When the WNBA announced that Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase won the 2025 Coach of the Year award last week, the honor underlined an incredible year for new coaching talent in women's basketball as this year's playoffs continue. 

Nakase made headlines all season, leading Golden State to a historic playoff berth in the 2025 expansion side's first year. She stocked a brand new roster that excited fans across the country, and built the team's locker room culture from scratch. The result was flashy, modern basketball, based on playing hard, stretching the floor, and keeping the on-court tempo high.

"Her unique approach to leadership and ability to hold players accountable with care, while staying true to her values has been remarkable," Golden State GM Ohemaa Nyanin said of the debut head coach. 

And as end-of-year award momentum grew, Nakase took the attention in stride.

"Nobody really cares [about awards], honestly," she said in early September. "I'm just being deadass, our goal is to make the playoffs. To think about it, it really should be coaching staff of the year."

Nakase's success is just another example of a league that's changing, as the coaching carousel widens and new philosophies enter the game, while younger prospects take on the mantle of head coach for the first time. Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve, New York's Sandy Brondello, and Las Vegas's Becky Hammon have become synonymous with the WNBA's elite, but new entrants like Nakase alongside Atlanta's Karl Smesko and Phoenix's Nate Tibbetts are infusing the league with new ideas — all while leading their teams to historic playoff berths.

A new generation of WNBA coaches make their marks 

Even with coaching staff experience, becoming the head coach of a professional basketball franchise is never easy, Tibbetts told JWS earlier this month. He made the leap to the head coaching ranks in 2024, after spending more than 10 years as an assistant coach with multiple NBA teams including the Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic. 

"Any time you slide over those 12 inches, and go from one seat to the next seat, there's just changes," he said, noting that having the power of final say inevitably adds a whole new level of responsibility. 

"When you're a head coach, you make decisions every day, and it's not just basketball stuff," he continued. "That is probably the thing that overwhelms you."

Nakase also entered the WNBA armed with NBA experience, joining Hammon's Las Vegas staff as an assistant in 2022 after a successful stint with the LA Clippers. She later moved into the head coach's box with two league championships under her belt, announced as Golden State's inaugural boss in 2024 before immediately setting a tone for the team's future.

"I'm taking a little bit of everything [from my past]," Nakase told JWS ahead of the 2025 season. "And I'm still constantly learning." 

She recalled helping the Aces through their first title run in 2022, applying her small ball experience with the NBA to the team's matchup with the Connecticut Sun. "I remember Becky being super open with ideas, just kind of taking [that series] by the horns," she said.

In California, Nakase fell in line as a collaborative leader, transforming the squad from an unfamiliar lineup to a unified force by the end of their first regular season. 

"An assistant coaching role is way different than a head coaching role, but who Natalie is to the core has stayed the same," current Valkyries — and former Aces — guard Kate Martin recently told San Francisco Chronicle. "She wants the best out of us. She's going to love you up, but also tell you what needs to be fixed — what you need to do to be better. And I think you can always appreciate that from a coach."

Over in Atlanta, Smesko's background looked a little different. He coached at the college level, successfully leading Florida Gulf Coast for more than 20 years before making the leap to the pros in 2025. He was known as an analytic wonk in NCAA circles, earning tournament berths on a strict system of three-pointers and post layups. Though he knew working with professionals required a slightly different approach.

"I was pleasantly surprised how coachable and how eager the players at the W level are to learn," he recently told JWS. "They want to be good. They want to be taught things that are going to help them become better players."

Smesko's biggest learning curve was less about responsibility, and more tied to process. He was surprised how much less time he had to implement systems in the fast-moving WNBA, where professionals tend to be less immersed in day-to-day basketball operations than student-athletes on a college campus.

"I think that forces you, as a coach, to really be deliberate and efficient," he said of the shift. "What are the things you're going to cover, and what are you going to try to get better at that particular day?"

The rookie coaches behind the WNBA's three-point revolution

Instituting a stretch offense — where guards and forwards pose legitimate threats from outside while opening interior space up inside for post players who can shoot — has been an ongoing project in the WNBA, and the league's newest coaching class has continued its evolution. 

Basketball legend Candace Parker popularized the approach as a player in the 2010s, with Hammon later embracing it as a way to get the most out of versatile Aces forward A'ja Wilson.

While Smesko and his set certainly aren't draconian in their methods, stretch offenses have exploded in popularity this season. The highest-performing teams have consistently proven comfortable taking a healthy mix of shots from behind the arc. Nakase's Valkyries led the WNBA in regular-season three-pointers made with 427, followed closely by fellow postseason contenders Atlanta and Phoenix.

While established coaches like Brondello and Reeve also encourage players to let it fly, stretch offense devotees Nakase, Smesko, and Tibbetts helmed the year's top three teams in attempted three-pointers — with each landing more three-pointers than 2024's stat-leading team.

"It's just more space for everybody to work, more actual area for defense to cover and respect," Smesko said, noting that offensive decisions get easier when the opposing defense has to cover more ground.

Tibbetts credits the way the stretch system has entered the conversation at all levels. Coaching staffs are teaching players to optimize their points-per-shot percentage, essentially setting up every offensive action to be as efficient as possible well before they launch a high-value shot. 

"[It's] just maximizing shot attempts, getting your players to understand the true values of what a shot looks like from a points-per-shot basis," he summarized.

Phoenix registered the third-highest regular-season pace of play in the WNBA in 2025, allowing for more possessions per quarter, and subsequently more shot attempts — not to mention a higher volume of three-pointer attempts. Roster construction also played into it, with Tibbetts and the Mercury's front office making sure to surround veteran inside players like MVP finalist Alyssa Thomas with teammates that understand how to push tempo and create space.

No matter what system you run, of course, any good coach also knows it's all about balance. "I don't think you need to overdo it," said Tibbetts. "There's a ton of smart players in our league." 

Chasing WNBA teams — and coaches — at the top

There have long been plenty of smart coaches in the WNBA. And to some extent, Nakase, Smesko, and Tibbetts all run similar offenses to the league's current titans of success: Brondello, Reeve, and Hammon.

"We're all trying to catch those three," Tibbetts said, wondering aloud if WNBA teams have been casting wider hiring nets in an attempt to increase parity at the coaching level. "We've done a good job of adding talent in our league, but those three are the top tier, and we're all trying to get to that level."

Hammon received two WNBA Coach of the Year votes in the wake of Vegas's 30-14 run, while Reeves received two votes for her work leading the regular season's winningest team.

"All those teams have great players, and they're just very well coached," Smesko added, giving the Aces, Liberty, and Lynx props. "They're very disciplined. They have a plan. They follow that plan."

In Phoenix, Tibbetts posited that league experience and the proven ability to handle adversity make coaches like these difficult to de-throne. 

"It's not like we're reinventing the game. They've been doing it, and now they've all got championships under their belt," Tibbetts said. "Nothing is new to them when it comes to this league."

Putting coaching perspectives to the postseason test

The new WNBA coaching class saw quantifiable regular-season success, but the first round of the 2025 playoffs emphasized that there's still room to grow before they truly threaten the WNBA's tactical elite. 

Nakase's No. 8 seed Valkyries had their hands full against Reeve's No. 1 Lynx, ceding the series to the top seed in two games, despite a competitive final matchup at home. And despite sending the reigning league champion Liberty home with last week's decisive Game 3 win, Tibbetts's Mercury is off to a 0-1 semifinal start against Minnesota.

Smesko's Atlanta side also faced stumbling blocks, as the No. 3 seed suffered a last-minute Game 3 upset to No. 6 Indiana, stamping a successful season with a frustrating ending at home.

A playoffs exit stings, but it's far from a major setback for these early-career coaches. They value the intangibles over the Xs and Os, and players have responded to their guidance in kind. 

"The organization as a whole, it's in a great direction," Atlanta guard Allisha Gray said after the Dream's final loss. "Karl, he has so much faith in us, and we proved a lot of people wrong this year."

"I just credit 'Big Wheeze' [AKA Smekso] for the turnaround," Gray continued. "He did a great job this year and brought the vision, and we believed in it."

Regardless of their postseason performance, the Valkyries have taken Golden State by storm, selling out their home slate while establishing themselves as Northern California's premier women's sports franchise. Nakase has embraced the warm welcome, developing a reputation for supporting her players and not being afraid to speak her mind. 

"I love playing for a fiery coach who always wants to win and believes in her players so much," Martin said. "That hasn't strayed from Vegas to here, her belief in every single player she's coached." 

It's eyes on the prize for this WNBA coaching class

While vital, coaching is just one ingredient in any team's success. And Smesko believes that the WNBA's competitive upswing is primarily fueled by one thing: the talent in the locker room. 

"There's never been as many great players as there are right now," he reflected. "Combined with the movement that everyone is adopting, it leads to a really fun style to watch."

Even as their postseason hopes ebb, this generation of WNBA coaching talent is eager to get started on the future — especially as the league continues to pick up steam in both popularity and parity. 

"The game is evolving, the sport is evolving," said Tibbetts. "But I think more than anything, it's just all the new eyes on this game."

Despite falling from the playoffs on Wednesday night, Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is still ending her season on a win, with the WNBA naming the first-year expansion team sideline boss the 2025 Coach of the Year this week.

Nakase picked up 53 out of the sports media panel's 72 votes to take the title, with fellow sideline rookie Karl Smesko (Atlanta Dream) trailing with 15 votes while veteran leaders Becky Hammon (Las Vegas Aces) and Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx) tied for third place with two votes apiece.

"What this does, is it reflects on [our] whole organization," said Nakase, sharing credit with her team and staff. "Without [the players], we wouldn't have had a winning season and we wouldn't be where I am today now."

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Golden State made WNBA expansion history under Nakase

In leading Golden State to a 23-21 regular season — a league record for wins by an expansion team in their first campaign — Nakase also minted the Valkyries as the first-ever expansion franchise to make the WNBA Playoffs in their debut season.

That success came from the team's strong defense, as the Valkyries held opponents to a league-wide low in both points per game (76.3) and field goal percentage (40.5%) on the year.

Before joining the Valkyries, Nakase served as an assistant coach in Las Vegas, helping guide the Aces to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.

"Natalie has been a fierce leader from the very moment she was announced as head coach," said Golden State GM Ohemaa Nyanin. "Her core philosophy of connectivity and emphasis on high character has created an environment where everyone can thrive. Her unique approach to leadership and ability to hold players accountable with care while staying true to her values has been remarkable."

"I love playing for a fiery coach who always wants to win and believes in her players so much," said Valkyries — and former Aces — guard Kate Martin.

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx became the first WNBA team to punch their ticket to the 2025 semifinals with a dramatic come-from-behind win on Wednesday night, fighting back from a 17-point deficit to sneak past the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries 75-74 and sweep their first-round playoffs series.

Bolstered by a strong crowd traveling down to San Jose for the relocated home matchup, the Valkyries broke out into an early lead, but the 2025 expansion side couldn't hang on in the final seconds as the top-seeded Lynx rallied.

"I am just so proud of our effort," Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier said postgame. "I think it shows the grit and the resilience that this team has and what we've been talking about for two years."

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The Lynx secured the only sweep in this year's best-of-three opening postseason round, with every other series moving to a Game 3 decider.

"The games that we've watched demonstrate that level of desperation for teams in elimination games," Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve reflected.

How to watch the Minnesota Lynx in the 2025 WNBA semifinals

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx will next face the lowest seed to advance past this week's first round, with Thursday and Friday Game 3 action determining their opponent.

The 2025 WNBA semifinals will then tip off on Sunday, with live coverage airing on ESPN platforms.

Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs is in the books, with the top two seeds putting up more than 100 points each in blowout wins when the postseason tipped off on Sunday.

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx opened the playoffs' eight-team first round with a 101-72 drubbing of the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, as MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier led scoring with 20 points while guard Natisha Hiedeman added 18 off the bench.

Elsewhere, the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces' 102-77 victory over the No. 7 Seattle Storm capped Sunday's slate, with reigning MVP A'ja Wilson leading the way with 29 points alongside double-digit performances off the bench from guards Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans.

The lower seeds walked away less unscathed, as Valkyries boss and Coach of the Year favorite Natalie Nakase picked up a technical foul for arguing a call in the game's second half.

"I want a fair fight, I really do. I want a clean fight, but I love the fact that both teams are playing their hearts out," she said afterwards, criticizing Sunday's officiating. "They're fighting. But I would like it to be fair."

"I understand it, but it's the playoffs," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said in response. "Obviously, we fouled a lot at the end. But I didn't think that was a factor in the game."

How to watch the top seeds in Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

Both Minnesota and Las Vegas are now one win away from advancing to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals.

The No. 2 Aces will look to sweep the No. 7 Storm at 9:30 PM ET on Tuesday, airing live on ESPN.

Then on Wednesday, the No. 1 Lynx will try to silence the No. 8 Valkyries at 10 PM ET, with live coverage also on ESPN.

The WNBA Playoffs have officially arrived, as Thursday's regular-season finale locked in the eight teams battling in this year's postseason bracket — paving the path to the 2025 championship.

The first round tips off on Sunday afternoon, when the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx faces the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries, the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces match up against the No. 7 Seattle Storm, the No. 3 Atlanta Dream take on the No. 6 Indiana Fever, and the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury battles the No. 5 New York Liberty.

"We have that year of experience, and experience always makes better teams. We know what it takes to get there," Lynx star Napheesa Collier said of her team's mindset as 2024 runners-up Minnesota enter the postseason looking to close the deal this year.

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All four first-round series promise stiff competition, though one team's momentum is looking difficult to beat.

Las Vegas is riding into the playoffs on 16 straight wins — the longest season-ending streak in WNBA history — with star guard Jewell Loyd's former Seattle team now standing between the Aces and a 17th victory.

As for 2025 expansion team Golden State, the Valkyries already made WNBA history, but they'll need to reset from their Thursday night 72-53 loss to Minnesota before Sunday's first-round rematch.

Elsewhere, reigning champs New York will open their title defense without home-court advantage, though the injury-plagued Liberty will face Phoenix with what seems to be a healthy lineup.

Sunday will also see Indiana aiming to offset their own season of injuries, with the Fever taking on a revamped Atlanta team that more than doubled their 2024 win total this year.

How to watch the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

The best-of-three first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs tips off with all eight postseason teams in action on Sunday, beginning with No. 8 Golden State against No. 1 Minnesota at 1 PM ET.

No. 6 Indiana will visit No. 3 Atlanta at 3 PM ET before No. 5 New York contends with No. 4 Phoenix at 5 PM ET.

No. 2 Las Vegas will host No. 7 Seattle in Sunday's nightcap at 10 PM ET.

All of Sunday's matchups will air live across ESPN platforms.