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
- Lauren Betts (UCLA)
- Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever)
- Cameron Brink (LA Sparks)
- Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings)
- Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries)
- Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics)
- Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)
- Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury)
- Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces)
- Brittney Griner (Atlanta Dream)
- Dearica Hamby (LA Sparks)
- Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics)
- Rickea Jackson (LA Sparks)
- Brionna Jones (Atlanta Dream)
- Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks)
- Angel Reese (Chicago Sky)
- JuJu Watkins (USC)
- Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces)
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.
Five WNBA stars became cover stars this week, as Glamour Magazine named Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull, Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally, and New York Liberty centers Jonquel Jones and Nyara Sabally as the 2025 Women of the Year on Monday.
In the feature story, the players discussed the ongoing CBA negotiations, how they manage the WNBA's booming popularity, and other key issues.
"This is the best women's league in the world for a reason," said Jones. "The best athletes and the best competition, and people are seeing that now… It's time that we're paid like that."
Though the interview occurred weeks before her now-viral exit interview calling out WNBA leadership, Collier was already pointing out the disparities between player success and compensation.
"The amount of money that Caitlin Clark has made the league is insane, and she's getting 0% of it because we have no rev share," Collier said in her Glamour interview. "She gets less than $80,000 a year, and she's bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars. It's insane."
Hull also made waves, speaking to Clark's popularity with the Fever going on to battle injury adversity all the way to the 2025 WNBA semifinals.
"I think there is a level of jealousy when it comes to the Fever, just because of the media attention and the fans that have shown up for us ever since Caitlin got here," she told the magazine. "We've heard people and players and teams talking in their locker room about, 'We can’t let the Fever win.'"
WNBA All-Star Weekend is returning to the Windy City, with the league announcing Thursday that it will hold the 2026 All-Star Game in Chicago next summer.
The game will tip off on Saturday, July 25th, inside the 20,917-seat United Center, while the 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge will take place the night before at the 10,380-capacity Wintrust Arena, home to the Chicago Sky.
"The WNBA is thrilled to bring AT&T WNBA All-Star back to Chicago, which will undoubtedly deliver unforgettable competition and community outreach," said commissioner Cathy Engelbert in Thursday's statement. "Together with the Chicago Sky, we look forward to celebrating the game's brightest stars, engaging WNBA fans around the world, and showcasing the energy of one of basketball's most iconic cities."
The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game will mark Chicago's second time hosting the midseason event after the 2022 edition landed in the Windy City.
"We can't wait to build on the success of the previous All-Star Game and celebrate the explosive growth of the league by showcasing the WNBA's biggest stars on a world-class stage," Chicago Sky CEO and president Adam Fox said.
While the first All-Star Game in Chicago took place at Wintrust Arena, next year's stage includes a significant venue upgrade to the United Center.
The Sky played their first-ever games at the Bulls' NBA arena this past season, taking on the Indiana Fever for two regular-season 2025 WNBA matchups.
"We're ecstatic to host the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game and build on the two sell-out Chicago Sky games played at the United Center this year," said United Center VP of booking Jerry Goldman.
The WNBA will be eager to showcase its growth since its last All-Star visit, as investment — both internal and external — remains a hot topic heading into the league's 2026 season.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is hitting the links again, returning to The Annika Pro-Am to show off her golf game on the 2025 LPGA Tour following a WNBA season rife with injuries.
The annual event will take place at the Pelican Golf Club in Tampa on Wednesday, November 12th, and will be open to the public.
"I had an amazing time at The Annika last November and participating in the Pro-Am alongside Nelly Korda and Annika Sörenstam, two of the best in the game," Clark said in a Thursday press release.
One of Clark's sponsors, Gainbridge, also backs the annual competition, with The Annika serving as the penultimate stop in a parity-filled, up-and-down 2025 LPGA season.
"[Clark] added such a great dynamic to our event [last year], and her passion for golf and competitiveness were fun to witness firsthand," the tournament's namesake, retired Swedish golf pro Annika Sörenstam, said of the 23-year-old basketball star. "I look forward to having her back and continuing to introduce the great game of golf to the next generation."
How to buy tickets to The Annika Pro-Am
Fans can watch the WNBA star tee off at the 2025 edition of The Annika Pro-Am in Tampa on Wednesday, November 12th.
Tickets to the event are on sale now at TheAnnika.com.
Caitlin Clark is standing with Napheesa Collier, with the Indiana Fever star backing up the Minnesota Lynx forward's WNBA leadership concerns during her Thursday exit interview.
"I think what people need to understand, we need great leadership at this time across all levels — this is straight-up the most important moment in this league's history," Clark said in her first media availability since July.
"I have a lot of respect for Phee, and I think she made a lot of very valid points," she added.
Comments from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert about Clark have come under fire this week, after Collier reported that Engelbert responded to a question about the WNBA's low rookie salaries by saying Clark and her fellow rookies "should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars" for the media exposure the league provided.
The Indiana guard said she wasn't aware of Engelbert's comments, nor had the commissioner reached out since Collier's exit interview went viral.
"I'd say the most important part of leadership, whether that's the WNBA, whether that's corporate America, I think it comes down to relationships and really caring about the people you surround yourself with," Clark said.
With a new CBA on the line and little response from leadership, more and more WNBA players are speaking out — fueling tensions on both sides of the negotiating table.
Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell appears to be in the clear, with the 29-year-old guard posting an injury update following her early exit in the third quarter of Tuesday's Game 5 semifinal in Las Vegas.
After trainers and medical staff carried Mitchell off of Tuesday's court and sent her to the hospital, reports originally described her condition as extreme lower-body cramping.
Following the Fever star's hospital discharge, Mitchell revealed on Wednesday that doctors diagnosed her injury as a rare muscle condition called rhabdomyolysis.
"I went into sense of numbness/paralyzing feeling with no movement from my lower extremities for up to 5 to 7 seconds," she said. "It was an out of body experience for me and I thank God for covering me at a time like that."
Often brought on by overexertion, rhabdomyolysis involves muscle tissue breaking down and releasing harmful proteins into the bloodstream, causing muscle stiffness and potentially leading to serious kidney damage.
"My muscles stopped producing positive blood to my bloodstream, my body locked up from a physical standpoint and from there fatigue and cramping settled in," Mitchell explained before relaying that she is now "moving at a slow pace" and expected to make a full recovery.
"I played literally til my wheels fell off," she added. "THANK you for the prayers, love, respect, and support throughout all of this."
The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces are headed to the 2025 WNBA Finals, surviving the No. 6 Indiana Fever's Game 5 upset bid with a 107-98 overtime win to close out the semifinal series 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson and two-time league champion Jackie Young combined for 67 points in the victory, with Young and point guard Chelsea Gray additionally swapping clutch buckets to seal the deal as the clock ticked down.
"It's not just one person, it's not just five people, it's everybody. Everybody you see contributed to this game," Wilson said after leading the Aces to their third WNBA Finals in four years.
With six players already sidelined with injury, the Fever took another big hit in the third quarter, when leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell exited the game with lower-body cramps.
Short-staffed Indiana never let up, however, with former hardship signing Odyssey Sims contributing 27 points as the Fever pushed the home team to the brink of elimination.
"They're a great example to everybody of what it means to just put one foot in front of the other," Fever head coach Stephanie White said afterwards. "To persevere, to welcome people into the fold, to not give in to circumstance."
How to watch the 2025 WNBA Finals
The 2025 WNBA Finals are officially a battle in the desert, with the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces hosting the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series on Friday.
The first clash of the championship series will tip off live at 8 PM ET on ESPN.
With one half of the WNBA Finals locked up, the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces will host the No. 6 Indiana Fever in a winner-take-all Game 5 semifinals battle on Tuesday night, as each team hopes to join the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury in the league's 2025 championship series.
"Our players understand what we have to do," said Indiana head coach Stephanie White. "We have to leave it all out on the floor."
"Honestly, you just do your work," Aces star A'ja Wilson said prior to Tuesday's decider. "You gotta do your work early and make it different."
Up and down performances on both sides led to the win-or-go-home Game 5, with Indiana opening the series by stealing a road victory before Las Vegas roared back with double-digit wins in Games 2 and 3.
However, the injury-riddled Fever don't know when to quit, scraping together a Game 4 victory on Sunday behind stellar play from guard Kelsey Mitchell plus 34 trips to the free-throw line — more than three times the Aces' tally.
"We didn't get a lot of stops. They shot a lot of free throws. We didn't," Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said after Sunday's loss. "That all affects the flow of the game, but it was us on the defensive end."
How to watch Indiana vs. Las Vegas in Game 5 of the semifinals
The No. 2 Aces and No. 6 Fever will close out the 2025 WNBA semifinals with a high-stakes Game 5 clash in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
The action tips off at 9:30 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN2.
The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury are headed to their first WNBA Finals since 2021, clinching their spot in the 2025 season finale after sweeping a two-game semifinals homestand against the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx with Sunday's 86-81 Game 4 win.
The Mercury are now the first team in WNBA Playoffs history to battle back from multiple 14-point deficits in a single series, with Phoenix star forward Alyssa Thomas putting up a team-leading 23 points to complete Sunday's comeback win.
"No one has had expectations for us except ourselves," Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts said following Game 4. "The pride and the togetherness for such a new group, it's pretty impressive."
After ceding a 20-point lead in Game 2, the Lynx's championship prospects took an even bigger hit on Friday, as leading scorer Napheesa Collier exited Game 3 with a serious ankle injury that left her sidelined for Sunday's big Game 4.
"You just want it for the people around you," said Minnesota guard Kayla McBride, who posted a game-leading 31 points in Sunday's loss. "You want it for the people who grind with you every single day, good days, bad days, bus rides, locker room."
"In pro sports, it doesn't get any better than what we have in our locker room," McBride continued. "I would feel [this emotion] one hundred times over to be with the people that I've been with."
While Minnesota's season is officially over, No. 4 Phoenix will now await the winner of Tuesday's semifinal Game 5 between the No. 6 Indiana Fever and No. 2 Las Vegas Aces, with the best-of-seven 2025 WNBA Finals set to tip off on Friday.