Welcome to my JWS weekly column during the WNBA season! Here, you will find my thoughts and analysis on what’s transpired in the league in the past week.

It’s easy to overreact after teams have played one to two games through the opening weekend of the season. I usually like to hold my thoughts until at least two weeks into the season, but that’s no fun, so here is what stood out to me from the first live WNBA action of 2022.

Rookies showed up and showed out

The 2022 WNBA draft class made quite the splash on opening weekend. The Fever and Dream, last year’s bottom two teams, are in a position where they need their rookies to play early and often, and the players have rewarded them so far.

While Indiana lost both of its games to the Mystics and the Sparks, I have not had this much fun watching the franchise in years. With three rookies in their starting rotation, the Fever competed on offense and defense and, unlike in past seasons, refused to roll over. Much of that has to do with the competitiveness of their draft class.

No. 2 pick NaLyssa Smith tallied a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double in her pro debut against the Mystics. Smith was aggressive from the opening tip, hunting her opportunities to score often. It’s clear the Fever’s coaching staff has given her the confidence to make plays and shoot on offense.

rookieeeess! @em__baller ➡️ @NaLyssaSmith pic.twitter.com/8ZdvLIA1EI

— Indiana Fever ⛹️‍♀️🏀 (@IndianaFever) May 8, 2022

Destanni Henderson then played like an experienced vet against the Sparks, scoring 19 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the 3-point line and leaving many to question the teams that passed on her in the draft, allowing the guard to fall to the second round.

No. 10 pick Queen Egbo is still developing her offensive skill set, but her ability to rebound, score around the rim and make her presence felt in the paint gives the Fever an element they did not have before.

In her pro debut for the Dream, Rhyne Howard showcased her potential with 16 points and four assists, playing nearly the entire game in their win over the Dallas Wings. Howard was just 4-of-15 from the field (all four of her field goals came on 3-pointers), but I expect the guard to continue to get more comfortable on the floor as time goes on, because Atlanta will give her the minutes.

I’m not sure anyone expected Shakira Austin, in her second game as a pro, to go toe-to-toe with one of the greatest centers in the history of the WNBA. But the Mystics rookie center held her own against Sylvia Fowles on Sunday night.

AND-1 for the rook 🔥 @Theylove_kira has notched a double-double w/ 13 PTS and 10 REB w/ 5:17 left!#Mystics25 // #TogetherDC pic.twitter.com/dg11zOqLwc

— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) May 9, 2022

Austin finished with a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double while shooting an efficient 6-for-8 from the field. We knew Austin had the size and skill to transition smoothly into the pros, but it was her confidence that stood out to me the most. You can tell that she not only feels like she belongs, but also that she can be great in this league.

Hellooooo Las Vegas Aces

Many of the questions about what this Aces team would be capable of in the Becky Hammon era were put to bed over the weekend.

The Aces are off to a 2-0 start after beating the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm, the latter of which was particularly impressive. The game felt like part of a best-of-five playoff series, with heavyweight superstar talent making play after play. The Aces put their foot on the gas early and controlled key areas of the game, out-rebounding the Storm 45-30 and outscoring them 42-16 in the paint to win 85-74.

Dearica Hamby and A’ja Wilson combined for 30 points and 34 rebounds, and Jackie Young added 19 points. While Kelsey Plum struggled from the field, the fact she still finished with 18 points, seven assists and 6-for-6 shooting from the free-throw line suggests she’s ready to take her pro career to the next level this season.

The Aces’ tenacity on defense fueled their offensive outbursts in both games. They controlled the glass and were disruptive on-ball and in passing lanes, forcing the Storm into tough contested shots. While we’ve become accustomed to Las Vegas’ offensive firepower, we haven’t seen this type of defensive grit from them in the past.

A'JA SAID NOT IN MY HOUSE! 🚫🚫@_ajawilson22 // #ALLIN ♦️♠️ pic.twitter.com/WShqCzcnCf

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) May 9, 2022

My biggest question remaining for the Aces lies in their depth. With four starters each playing over 34 minutes against Seattle, sustaining the pace and level of their play will be challenging. The Aces will benefit greatly from the return of Riquna Williams, but getting valuable minutes and production out of players like Kierstan Bell and Theresa Plaisance will be especially key down the road.

What’s up with the …

Minnesota Lynx

The Lynx were expected to struggle early on this season, and that certainly was the case as they fell to the Storm and Mystics over the weekend. The loss to Washington on Sunday was particularly painful to watch, but still there’s no reason to hit the panic button. Remember that Minnesota started 0-4 in 2021 and finished fourth.

The Lynx fell victim to a discombobulated offense that was unable to get the ball inside to Sylvia Fowles and a defense that seemed non-existent at times. They are still without Damiris Dantas, who is expected to return soon from injury, and Kayla McBride will rejoin the team from overseas in the coming weeks. Odyssey Sims has been with the team for just over a week and is still finding her footing.

Jessica Shepard was a bright spot for the Lynx over the weekend, with a career-high 16 points and 12 rebounds against Washington and a near double-double against Seattle. For Minnesota to have success this season, she’s going to need to elevate her play and have a breakout season. Shepard, after missing nearly all of the 2019 and 2020 seasons while recovering from an ACL tear, is on my early shortlist of Most Improved Player candidates.

I’m giving the Lynx more time before I start questioning specific pieces of this roster.

Phoenix Mercury

After a 106-88 opening loss to Las Vegas, Phoenix’s play left much to be desired. While I’m confident in the Mercury’s ability to score the basketball, I do question their ability to get stops with the makeup of their current roster. When you concede 108 points in your first game, and allow your opponent to shoot 53 percent from beyond the arc and close to 60 percent for the game, the concern is warranted.

Brianna Turner and Diamond DeShields, who reported to Phoenix on Monday, will be key defensive additions as the Mercury head into back-to-back matchups with Seattle. While the Storm struggled a bit offensively during the opening weekend, they will give the Mercury’s defense a good, early test.

Week 1 Power Rankings

1. Las Vegas Aces, 2-0
2. Seattle Storm, 1-1
3. Chicago Sky, 0-1
4. Connecticut Sun, 0-1
5. Washington Mystics, 2-0
6. Los Angeles Sparks, 2-0
7. New York Liberty, 1-0
8. Phoenix Mercury, 0-1
9. Minnesota Lynx, 0-2
10. Atlanta Dream, 1-0
11. Dallas Wings, 0-1
12. Indiana Fever, 0-2

Rachel Galligan is a basketball analyst at Just Women’s Sports. A former professional basketball player and collegiate coach, she also contributes to Winsidr. Follow Rachel on Twitter @RachGall.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.