As many of the NCAA’s best descend on New York City for the WNBA draft, which starts at 7 p.m. ET Monday on ESPN, Just Women’s Sports has rounded up the projected first-round picks from the latest the mock drafts.

For an analysis on the top 50 prospects in this class, see Just Women’s Sports’ Draft Big Board.

No. 1: Atlanta Dream (from Washington)
Consensus: Rhyne Howard (Kentucky, Guard)

• JWS: Rhyne Howard (Kentucky, Guard)
• ESPN: Rhyne Howard (Kentucky, Guard)
• CBS Sports: Rhyne Howard (Kentucky, Guard)
• Bleacher Report: Rhyne Howard (Kentucky, Guard)
• The Athletic: Rhyne Howard (Kentucky, Guard)

JWS analysis: Rhyne Howard “is an all-around playmaker and scorer who can come in and make an immediate impact as the Dream look to build around her for the future,” according to Lyndsey D’Arcangelo.

No. 2: Indiana Fever
Consensus: NaLyssa Smith (Baylor, Forward)

• JWS: NaLyssa Smith (Baylor, Forward)
• ESPN: NaLyssa Smith (Baylor, Forward)
• CBS Sports: NaLyssa Smith (Baylor, Forward)
• Bleacher Report: NaLyssa Smith (Baylor, Forward)
• The Athletic: NaLyssa Smith (Baylor, Forward)

JWS analysis: NaLyssa Smith “has the impact potential the Fever can build around for the future, and she fills an immediate (and desperate) need on their roster with her size, competitiveness and athleticism,” Rachel Galligan says.

No. 3: Washington Mystics (from Atlanta)
Consensus: Shakira Austin (Ole Miss, Center)

• JWS: Nyara Sabally (Oregon, Center)
• ESPN: Shakira Austin (Ole Miss, Center)
• CBS Sports: Shakira Austin (Ole Miss, Center)
• Bleacher Report: Nyara Sabally (Oregon, Center)
• The Athletic: Shakira Austin (Ole Miss, Center)

JWS analysis: Shakira Austin’s “pro-readiness is too appealing to pass up, especially as Elena Delle Donne’s health remains up in the air,” according to managing editor Hannah Withiam.

No. 4: Indiana Fever
Consensus: Kierstan Bell (FGCU, Guard)

• JWS: Shakira Austin (Ole Miss, Center)
• ESPN: Emily Engstler (Louisville, Forward)
• CBS Sports: Kierstan Bell (FGCU, Guard)
• Bleacher Report: Shakira Austin (Ole Miss, Center)
• The Athletic: Kierstan Bell (FGCU, Guard)

JWS analysis: Kierstan Bell “has good size at the guard spot and the overall skill and strength to do well in the pros,” per Galligan.

No. 5: New York Liberty
Consensus: Emily Engstler (Louisville, Forward)

• JWS: Emily Engstler (Louisville, Forward)
• ESPN: Nyara Sabally (Oregon, Center)
• CBS Sports: Emily Engstler (Louisville, Forward)
• Bleacher Report: Emily Engstler (Louisville, Forward)
• The Athletic: Nyara Sabally (Oregon, Center)

JWS analysis: Emily Engstler’s “instincts and length would be a game-changer for the Liberty on defense,” according to Galligan.

No. 6: Indiana Fever (from Dallas)
Consensus: –

• JWS: Kierstan Bell (FGCU, Guard)
• ESPN: Elissa Cunane (NC State, Center)
• CBS Sports: Nyara Sabally (Oregon, Center)
• Bleacher Report: Veronica Burton (Northwestern, Guard)
• The Athletic: Christyn Williams (UConn, Guard)

No. 7: Dallas Wings (from Chicago)
Consensus: –

• JWS: Elissa Cunane (NC State, Center)
• ESPN: Rae Burrell (Tennessee, Guard)
• CBS Sports: Rae Burrell (Tennessee, Guard)
• Bleacher Report: Kierstan Bell (FGCU, Guard)
• The Athletic: Sika Kone (Mali, Forward)

No. 8: Las Vegas Aces (from Minnesota)
Consensus: –

• JWS: Sika Kone (Mali, Forward)
• ESPN: Sika Kone (Mali, Forward)
• CBS Sports: Destanni Henderson (South Carolina, Guard)
• Bleacher Report: Khayla Pointer (LSU, Guard)
• The Athletic: Emily Engstler (Louisville, Forward)

No. 9: Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)
Consensus: –

• JWS: Rae Burrell (Tennessee, Guard)
• ESPN: Kierstan Bell (FGCU, Guard)
• CBS Sports: Christyn Williams (UConn, Guard)
• Bleacher Report: Rae Burrell (Tennessee, Guard)
• The Athletic: Elissa Cunane (NC State, Center)

No. 10: Indiana Fever (from Minnesota)
Consensus: –

• JWS: Destanni Henderson (South Carolina, Guard)
• ESPN: Destanni Henderson (South Carolina, Guard)
• CBS Sports: Nia Clouden (Michigan State, Guard)
• Bleacher Report: Christyn Williams (UConn, Guard)
• The Athletic: Queen Egbo (Baylor, Center)

No. 11: Las Vegas Aces
Consensus: –

• JWS: Naz Hillmon (Michigan, Forward)
• ESPN: Naz Hillmon (Michigan, Forward)
• CBS Sports: Elissa Cunane (NC State, Center)
• Bleacher Report: Evina Westbrook (UConn, Guard)
• The Athletic: Rae Burrell (Tennessee, Guard)

No. 12: Connecticut Sun
Consensus: –

• JWS: KiKi Smith (Florida, Guard)
• ESPN: Christyn Williams (UConn, Guard)
• CBS Sports: Veronica Burton (Northwestern, Guard)
• Bleacher Report: Destanni Henderson (South Carolina, Guard)
• The Athletic: Nia Clouden (Michigan State, Guard)

The Naomi Osaka comeback tour at the 2025 US Open has ended, as the two-time New York Grand Slam champion and world No. 24 star ceded her Thursday semifinal to No. 9 Amanda Anisimova, who battled back to claim the 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory.

"Naomi is playing amazing tennis," the 23-year-old said of Osaka's US Open run. "She's back where she belongs. I told her I'm so proud of her after having a baby and playing at this level — it's insane."

With her Thursday win, Anisimova is now the only player to ever defeat Osaka in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, semifinal, or final — ending the Japanese fan-favorite's 13-0 run in the later rounds of tennis's major tournaments.

Anisimova's US Open success is even more impressive considering the result of her first-ever Grand Slam final — a brutal 6-0, 6-0 loss at Wimbledon in July.

In a massive turnaround, Anisimova handed No. 2 Iga Świątek, the 2025 Wimbledon champion, a redemptive straight-set loss in Wednesday's US Open quarterfinals en route to reaching this weekend's championship match.

Anisimova's victory means that a US player has now competed in every women's Grand Slam final dating back to the 2024 US Open, extending the country's championship-match streak to five straight Slams.

With even more history on the line, the US rising star now has a second shot at joining No. 6 Madison Keys and No. 3 Coco Gauff in hoisting a 2025 Grand Slam trophy for the US — a feat not accomplished by any single country since Serena Williams won the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon in 2015.

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How to watch the 2025 US Open championship match

Just like Keys and Gauff, Anisimova will have to defeat Aryna Sabalenka to claim her own 2025 Grand Slam trophy — with the hard-hitting US finalist holding a 6-3 all-time record against the world No. 1 player, most recently downing the 2024 US Open champion in this year's Wimbledon semifinals.

Anisimova will battle Sabalenka in for the 2025 US Open crown on Saturday, with live coverage of the championship match beginning at 4 PM ET on ESPN.

The sale saga of the Connecticut Sun added a new chapter this week, as the state of Connecticut submitted a bid proposal on Thursday that would see the WNBA team remain in-state.

Owned by the Mohegan Tribe since 2003, the state is just the latest entrant into an ongoing bidding war for the franchise, with Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca, ex-Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, and the WNBA itself all making offers ranging from $250 to $325 million in recent weeks.

Unlike previous relocation bids, the state's proposed sale plan sees the Connecticut Sun splitting home games between their current Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville and Hartford's larger PeoplesBank Arena, while also promising a new practice facility in the state capital.

Despite winding down 2025 in 12th place, the Sun have amassed a loyal local following, selling out their 10,000-capacity arena four times this year in a state buoyed by NCAA basketball powerhouse and current national champion UConn located less than an hour away.

"The best place for the Connecticut Sun is Connecticut because we have this very fierce fan base for women's basketball," Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz told ESPN. "We love the [UConn] Huskies. We love watching the Sun… and we've seen that the Connecticut Sun players have been great community leaders and role models."

The Chicago Sky reportedly held a team meeting to address the explosive Chicago Tribune interview of Angel Reese this week, after the star forward put the already-eliminated WNBA team on blast.

"We are aware of [Reese's comments]," Sky head coach Tyler Marsh said on Wednesday. "We're addressing it in-house as currently speaking. That's where we'll stay right now."

"Angel has shown a commitment to wanting to be here," he continued. "We as an organization continue to show a commitment that we want people that want to be here."

Reese focused much of her critique on the team's leadership and roster construction, expressing disappointment as the Chicago Sky closes in on back-to-back losing seasons.

"We can't rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she's at," the 23-year-old Reese said of veteran Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot, following the 36-year-old's season-ending ACL tear in early June. "I know she'll be a great asset for us, but we can't rely on that."

"We need someone probably a little younger with some experience, somebody who's been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before," Reese added.

Notably, Vandersloot helped the Chicago Sky snag the 2021 WNBA title before taking the New York Liberty to a franchise-first championship last season.

A high-stakes coastal clash tops this weekend's NWSL bill, with results directly impacting the increasingly tight league standings as No. 8 Gotham tries to hold off a No. 9 Angel City side sitting just one point outside of postseason positioning.

The pair last met in April, when Gotham shutout ACFC 4-0 at LA's BMO Stadium behind a brace from the NWSL's current Golden Boot leader Esther González.

"That's the key — everyone knows their role, their responsibilities, and they're willing to sacrifice for the team defensively while also bringing their quality in attack," Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós said earlier this week.

As they try to rise above the crowded mid-table traffic, both teams have seen positive results in recent weeks — along with challenging levels of upheaval.

Angel City recently lost defender Alanna Kennedy, midfielder Katie Zelem, and star forward Alyssa Thompson to midseason overseas transfers, while Gotham's had little room to breathe after defeating Concacaf W Champions Cup opponent Alianza 2-0 in El Salvador on Tuesday.

"You need to be loyal to your style, cement it, and make sure the players know it," said Amorós. "That's critical when you're playing three games in seven days and traveling almost around the world."

How to watch Gotham vs. Angel City this NWSL weekend

No. 8 Gotham will host No. 9 Angel City this Sunday, kicking off live at 5 PM ET on ESPN.