After one of the busiest free agency periods in league history and an eventful draft night, the WNBA regular season returns May 6 with a quadruple-header on opening night.

We have evaluated every team’s offseason moves and draft selections, and now we turn our attention to the competition ahead. Here is where each of the 12 teams stand entering the season in the Just Women’s Sports preseason power rankings.

1. Chicago Sky

The reigning WNBA champions sit atop our power rankings after retaining much of their veteran core from the 2021 season and adding All-Star-level talent to the roster. Alongside former MVP Candace Parker, Chicago re-signed Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley in free agency. When you swap out the losses of Diamond DeShields and Stefanie Dolson with 2019 Finals MVP Emma Meesseman and Julie Allemand, Chicago has a chance to be even better this season.

The Sky got to sit back and watch on draft night, with no picks on the board, but they have loaded up on potential pro-ready players through training camp contracts. After the Sky won it all as the 6-seed last season, the confidence and overall talent of their roster makes them the early-season title favorites.

2. Connecticut Sun

The Sun have been one of the most consistent WNBA franchises in recent years, and they went about their business in the offseason determined to see that vision through. They secured 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones to reunite a Big Three that also includes a healthy Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner. The loss of Briann January to Seattle hurts, but Connecticut addressed it by adding a familiar face and potent scoring option in Courtney Williams.

Nia Clouden, the Sun’s No. 12 pick in the draft, gives them a strong shooting option off the bench. But considering the team’s current cap situation — they have just under $200,000 in cap room — they will have some tough final roster decisions to make out of training camp.

The Sun have showcased just how dominant they can be in recent seasons, especially behind their suffocating defense, but they have not yet been able to sustain it through the playoffs for a WNBA title. If everyone can stay healthy, the Sun have all the tools to win their first championship this season.

3. Seattle Storm

With Sue Bird returning for what is likely her final WNBA season, a championship season for the Storm would be poetic and is not out of the question. Seattle also welcomes back Jewell Loyd on the franchise tag and a healthy Breanna Stewart on a one-year, supermax deal, solidifying the superstar core that won championships in 2018 and 2020.

In free agency, Seattle added forward Gabby Williams, a versatile weapon on both sides of the floor who can impact the game in ways the Storm didn’t have at their disposal before. Veteran guard Briann January replaces Jordin Canada in the backcourt. In the draft, Seattle added 6-foot-5 NC State center Elissa Cunane, who’s capable of stretching the floor and working in tandem with Stewart.

The Storm’s chances of winning a fifth career championship will likely come down to two factors: luck and the ability to remain healthy.

4. Minnesota Lynx

Minnesota was nowhere near 100 percent last season and still finished third in the league standings. Their biggest moves of the offseason were bringing back Sylvia Fowles for her final season and signing five-time WNBA All-Star Angel McCoughtry.

While Napheesa Collier is sidelined during her pregnancy, Minnesota will need breakout play from Jessica Shepard, Damiris Dantas and Aerial Powers to compete with the best in the league. If they can stay healthy, the depth of talent on the Lynx’s roster makes them worthy of legitimate championship consideration.

Due to their current cap space situation, the Lynx opted out of the earlier rounds of the 2022 draft through a trade with the Las Vegas Aces for 2023 picks. Their late picks included potential depth options Kayla Jones and Hannah Sjerven, and they set themselves up to add pro-ready, young talent next year.

5. Las Vegas Aces

The Aces organization has a new look in 2022 with Becky Hammon behind the bench, first-year general manager Natalie Williams leading the front office and Liz Cambage off in Los Angeles. Las Vegas enters the new era continuing to build through 2020 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. Kelsey Plum has also been playing the best basketball of her career, and Dearica Hamby remains a well-rounded staple of the franchise.

Looking to secure depth at the stretch four and wing positions, the Aces moved up in the draft to address those needs, selecting Mya Hollingshed and Kierstan Bell in the first round. They added depth at nearly every other position, too, with their selections of Khayla Pointer and Aisha Sheppard.

It’s too early to tell what this team will look like under Hammon’s guidance, but the Aces have a solid foundation of veteran and All-Star talent ready to take the next step and bring a championship home to Las Vegas.

6. Phoenix Mercury

The Mercury are in a unique situation as they load up for what could be one final championship run with Diana Taurasi, while also looking ahead to the future behind first-year head coach Vanessa Nygaard. Phoenix assembled a top-tier starting lineup this offseason, adding Tina Charles and Diamond DeShields to their core of Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brittney Griner, whose status for the season is uncertain after she was detained in Russia on drug charges in late February.

While the Mercury hope for Griner’s safe return home and honor the seven-time All-Star by carrying out her Heart and Sole Shoe Drive this season, they also game-plan for various scenarios. Preparing for her likely absence this season, Phoenix drafted late-round post options in Maya Dodson and Macee Williams, before waiving Williams last Friday.

The Mercury have the talent to thrive under Nygaard’s direction, but they start the season in the middle of the pack due to the amount of questions surrounding their current situation.

7. Washington Mystics

A healthy Elena Delle Donne and Alysha Clark immediately change the trajectory of the Mystics in 2022. With Natasha Cloud running the show, Ariel Atkins on the wing and Myisha Hines-Allen returning in free agency on a three-year deal, the Mystics have the veteran players with championship experience to compete for their second trophy in four seasons.

The Mystics added two top-level prospects in the draft in 6-5 Shakira Austin and guard Christyn Williams, but took a hit when Williams went down with a season-ending injury during the first week of preseason. International signings Lee Seul Kang and Rui Machida, Japan’s hero during the Tokyo Olympics last summer, provide intriguing depth options.

8. Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks completely retooled their roster in the offseason, addressing their biggest need — offense — with a host of big-name talents: Liz Cambage, Chennedy Carter, Jordin Canada and Katie Lou Samuelson. Los Angeles also had a successful draft night with the additions of Rae Burrell, Kianna Smith, Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Amy Atwell. If Burrell and 2021 first-round pick Jasmine Walker can get fully healthy, they give this Sparks offense elements it’s lacked in recent seasons.

How quickly the newcomers can integrate with the Sparks’ core of Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney Ogwumike and Kristi Toliver will go a long way toward determining their success this season. The Sparks’ chemistry on offense will be key to their ability to go head-to-head with the consistently good teams in this league.

9. Dallas Wings

In rebuilding mode the past few years, the Wings appear to be on the precipice of breaking out in 2022. Last year, Dallas could play like a playoff team one night and a league bottom-dweller the next. The Wings did not make any major changes in the offseason outside of trading for Teaira McCowan, the 6-7 center who can help free up Arike Ogunbowale, Marina Mabrey and Allisha Gray for shots along the perimeter.

No. 7 draft pick Veronica Burton has the potential to make an immediate impact as an aggressive guard on both offense and defense. As the Wings’ young players build chemistry together and understand the process of what it takes to win in this league, this is a team that can beat anyone on any given night.

10. New York Liberty

The Liberty hit a rough patch in the second half of last season and still appear to be a couple of years away from championship contention. With the additions they made in the offseason, including hiring head coach Sandy Brondello from the Mercury, New York could take its biggest jump yet during these rebuilding years.

Stefanie Dolson joins the Liberty fresh off of winning a championship with the Sky, and Rebecca Allen returns after the best season of her career in New York. If Natasha Howard and Sabrina Ionescu can stay healthy, and Betnijah Laney and reigning Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere maintain their level of play, this team is capable of getting back to the playoffs and doing more damage this season.

The Liberty will miss draft picks Nyara Sabally and Sika Kone, as they won’t be available this season, but second-rounder Lorela Cubaj could provide valuable minutes as one of the steals of the draft. New York has the talent to exceed expectations if the team can gel faster than expected, but there are still too many unknowns from a consistency standpoint to rank them any higher.

11. Atlanta Dream

The Dream’s offseason goal was to overhaul the organization, from the new ownership team all the way down to the rookies. In addition to the promising additions of No. 1 draft pick Rhyne Howard and No. 15 pick Naz Hillmon, Atlanta brought back Aari McDonald, Monique Billings and Tiffany Hayes, and added Nia Coffey, Kia Vaughn and Erica Wheeler in free agency.

Atlanta now has a solid foundation entering the regular season, but this season is still an early step in the process of rebuilding the Dream into a playoff team.

12. Indiana Fever

The Fever’s offseason demolition included naming interim general manager Linn Dunn, cutting ties with Jantel Lavender and Julie Allemand, and adding first-round picks NaLyssa Smith, Emily Engstler, Lexie Hull and Destanni Henderson in the draft. While the franchise has made significant strides toward snapping their five-year playoff drought, they still have a lot of work to do, most notably molding the current roster and attracting top free-agent talent down the road.

It will take at least a few more years for Indiana to return to championship contention. Beyond veterans Kelsey Mitchell and Bria Hartley, the young players will need time to develop.

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.

Angel City officially cut the ribbon on their new training facility on Tuesday, showing off their expanded performance center as NWSL preseason gets underway.

The nine-acre Thousand Oaks site boasts 1.5 full-sized pitches and 50,000 square feet of indoor space, making it the league's largest NWSL-specific practice ground.

The center also houses a 5,400-square-foot gym, multiple locker rooms, medical offices, an outdoor lounge, an onsite content studio, a children's playroom, and rehab, hydrotherapy, and nutrition areas.

Having practiced at Cal Lutheran University since the expansion franchise's 2022 debut, ACFC later relocated across campus to the former home of the NFL's LA Rams. They then transformed the site into their record-setting performance center after completing a multi-million dollar remodel.

"Today we get to celebrate an extraordinary milestone for Angel City. Our new performance center reflects our commitment to the future of ACFC to its sustained excellence, and to providing our players with the best possible environment to train, to recover, and to thrive," said ACFC controlling owner Willow Bay in a statement. "My husband Bob Iger and I know how important it is, and how essential it is to ensure that our players have everything they need to be successful both on and off the pitch. This state-of-the-art performance center, let's be clear — it sets the bar, but it really should be the norm."

An unmatched tool for the new NWSL recruitment era

Offering a record-setting performance center to Angel City players could have the unexpected benefit of attracting and retaining future talent for LA.

With the abolishment of NWSL college and expansion drafts and the requirement to gain player permission for all trades taking effect under the league's new CBA, clubs now face a new era of athlete recruitment.

Rather than benefitting from the previous and arguably more passive system, NWSL franchises must now take a decidedly more active approach to roster-building by wooing potential players and impressing those currently on their squads. Adding top-tier facilities is a major way to sweeten the deal, giving Angel City a potential leg up over other clubs.

"This facility, when people have been here and seen this, I don't know how you're going to want to leave," incoming Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons told reporters at yesterday's unveiling event.

"My job has just got much, much more easy with this facility," Parsons continued. "This is unlike nowhere else. I’m excited to be a part of an organization that cares that much. But I’m also excited that my skill set just got a bit easier, because everyone’s going to want to be here."

USWNT star Naomi Girma will reportedly become the first women's soccer player to garner a transfer fee of over $1 million, as the decorated young center back narrows her overseas suitors down to WSL side Chelsea FC.

The 24-year-old defender is currently under contract with the San Diego Wave until 2026, and reported to the NWSL club's first day of preseason training as expected on Tuesday.

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While Girma's contract is still in negotiations, San Diego and the UK titans have agreed upon the deal's $1.1 million terms — by far the highest sum in the history of pro women's football. The previous record is held by Rachael Kundananji, for whom Bay FC shelled out $860,000 to Spain's Madrid CFF to roster the Zambian forward in February 2024.

Chelsea, who currently stands unbeaten in the WSL halfway through the league's 2024/25 season, is keen to bolster their back line after losing star Canadian center back Kadeisha Buchanan to an ACL injury last November.

France's Olympique Lyonnais also threw their hat in the the million-dollar ring for Girma, only to fall out of contention alongside Chelsea rival Arsenal.

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San Diego's Wave of roster turnovers

Assuming the transfer goes through, Girma will be one of several high-profile players exiting the 2023 NWSL Shield-winning San Diego club ahead of the 2025 season. Girma joins the NC Courage-bound attacker Jaedyn Shaw in making a SoCal departure.

In response, the Wave has been actively filling roster spots, signing 17-year-old defender Trinity Armstrong off of her 2024 College Cup-winning freshman season with UNC last week before adding seasoned goalkeeper and free agent Didi Haračić as well as Nigerian midfielder Favour Emmanuel on Monday. 

Inking Armstrong to a three-year deal seems particularly strategic in the wake of Girma's likely departure. It signals that the Wave are again looking to young defensive talent to replace the 2022 NWSL Draft No. 1 pick.

Ultimately, a transfer fee of this magnitude solidifies Girma's reputation as one of the world's top defenders. While still accounting for less than 1% of spending in the men's game, her historic fee is further proof that the global women's market is growing at breakneck speeds.

The NWSL released its full 2025 schedule on Wednesday morning, locking in 190 league contests across all competitions.

The 2025 Challenge Cup will set the stage on Friday, March 7th with a 2024 NWSL Championship rematch between the title-winning Orlando Pride and runners-up Washington Spirit.

One week later, the official 2025 NWSL Kickoff weekend will see all 14 teams in action as the 182-game regular season gets underway. Each club will play a total of 26 regular-season matches, split equally between home and away contests, before the league's eight top teams will battle through seven playoff games in November.

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A mid-summer break begins in late June with a CBA-mandated week-off. The pause extends one month through July to allow for international play. That's when certain national team players will compete for their countries in confederation tournaments while clubs will be free to schedule friendlies. No additional NWSL tournaments will occur during that window.

In one minor adjustment from the league's earlier calendar announcement, the 2025 regular season will be played over 26 weeks (rather than 25) to mitigate the need for midweek games.

The shift also accommodates for the return of Decision Day, which is making a comeback for the first time since 2023. In the popular format, all teams will compete simultaneously to close out the regular season on Sunday, November 2nd.

Moves up season excitement

With playoff positioning often coming down to the wire, capping the regular season with a Decision Day can dramatically up the stakes and increase excitement for the impending playoffs.

In another move to capitalize on fandom enthusiasm, the NWSL has added a dedicated rivalry weekend to its 2025 calendar. From August 8th through 10th, old feuds like the Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign's Cascadia Clash will share the spotlight with newer grudges like Angel City and San Diego's SoCal Classic.

How to watch the 2025 NWSL season

Entering the second year of the league's blockbuster broadcast deal, 160 total games will air across Prime Video, ION, ESPN, and CBS platforms this season, with the remaining 30 matches streaming on NWSL+. International distribution is still in negotiations.

Starting the NWSL's 2025 action is the Challenge Cup between Orlando and Washington, which begins at 8 PM ET on Friday, March 7th, streaming live on Prime Video.

Two concurrent matches will kick off the 2025 regular season at 8 PM ET on Friday, March 14th: Houston will face Washington on NWSL+, while Orlando takes on the newly branded Chicago Stars FC on Prime Video.

South Carolina boss Dawn Staley became the highest-paid coach in women's college basketball history on Friday, when the three-time national champion inked a contract extension worth over $25 million to remain with the Gamecocks.

At an annual salary of $4 million — plus a $500,000 signing bonus and a yearly $250,000 escalator — the deal locks in Staley through the 2029/30 season.

A significant bump from her previous $3.2 million annual payday, the new contract sees Staley leapfrog over UConn legend Geno Auriemma and LSU's Kim Mulkey to top the league in compensation.

Calling her "a once-in-a-generation coach," athletic director Jeremiah Donati noted that Staley "has elevated the sport of women's basketball on the national level and here on campus, and I am excited that she will be representing our University for many years to come."

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Locking in a South Carolina legend

Since taking the helm in 2008, Staley has led South Carolina to 630 wins, 16 SEC titles, and 12 straight NCAA tournament appearances including five Final Fours and three national championships.

After taking South Carolina to an 128-4 record since her previous contract extension in 2021, this new agreement all but squashes any rumors about the coach's departure.

Despite a clause releasing Staley from an early departure penalties should she exit for a WNBA or NBA job, the legendary college leader has no intentions to leave Columbia.

"I will never leave here to go take another college job," Staley told reporters after the No. 2 Gamecocks' Sunday win over then-No. 13 Oklahoma. "[And] I don't have a passion for the next level. I don't. I would've been gone."

As the Hall of Famer continues setting the on-court NCAA standard in her 17th season with South Carolina, Staley's record-breaking contract both reflects the sport's overall rising stock and pushes for even more investment in the game.

Pledging to prove the impact of supporting both her and the game itself, Staley committed "to continuing to be an example of how an investment in women’s basketball is one that will pay off for everyone."