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‘It’s a war zone’: What’s behind the WNBA’s triple-double revolution

(Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports)

CHICAGO — Sabrina Ionescu executed the perfect boxout with three seconds left in the third quarter of a game against the Chicago Sky on June 12. She leapt up and tipped the ball around the much taller — 6-foot-7 to her 5-1 — Li Yueru, before corralling it with a second on the clock.

The board was her 10th of the game, securing Ionescu the second triple-double of her career. With it, she became the first player in WNBA history to record the elusive stat line in just three quarters.

Eleven days later, Candace Parker completed the same feat, breaking her own record as the oldest player to record a triple-double. It was also the third of her career, which stood alone at the time as a WNBA record. On July 6, Ionescu added another to her tally, tying Parker. With her stat-packing style of play continuing to thrive in the league, it seems like only a matter of time before the record is broken again.

And if Ionescu doesn’t do it, someone else will. Players like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Haley Jones will soon move from college to the pros, bringing with them diverse skill sets and stat lines.

When the record is surpassed, no one in the league will be surprised. Triple-doubles are becoming more commonplace in the WNBA.

“I think the game is changing,” Parker told reporters after picking up her third triple-double. “I think we’re gonna very soon see this on a nightly basis. We’re going to see those playmakers who have the ball in their hands. So I don’t know how long I’m going to hold onto this. But I’m grateful for this opportunity to play on a team where we can spread the wealth.”

Veteran player Courtney Vandersloot also has multiple triple-doubles to her name, so the accomplishment isn’t new. It’s especially present at this year’s WNBA All-Star weekend. There have been 16 triple-doubles in league history, and Parker, Ionescu and Vandersloot are responsible for eight of them.

The frequency of double digits in a stat line is just one example, pointing to a bigger picture of basketball evolution.

Jewell Loyd, the 2015 first-round pick, is in the midst of her seventh WNBA season. And each year, she says, the on-court product becomes more exciting.

“People are coming in, and we are flooded with skill levels that are a little bit better,” she said. “I think the growth of the game, people are working on their games early on, so when you’re coming into the league, you’re not shocked. The game is so much faster and quicker.”

Atlanta Dream rookie and All-Star game participant Rhyne Howard is a prime example of WNBA readiness. Howard scored 33 points on May 15 in her fourth WNBA contest. Her transition to the league since she was selected with the first overall pick on April 11 has been seamless.

“I feel like I came in really confident and really strong with my game,” Howard said. “With my coaches and teammates telling me what they need from me, I couldn’t come in and just play mid.”

Loyd expects scoring to continue to explode across the league, as staying in front of opposing players becomes more and more challenging.

That’s not ideal for defenders, but it’s good for the league.

“It’s hard to guard people one-on-one,” Loyd said. “It’s hard to play pick-and-roll defense. A lot of solid players are able to do different things, more than one thing a lot of times. It’s a war zone.”

The Seattle Storm guard also pointed to the league being influenced by European basketball because of the contingent of women that play overseas in the offseason. Players are no longer boxed in by their position. Guards get rebounds, while bigs shoot 3s and dish dimes.

A more fast-paced and high-scoring on-court product, complete with triple-doubles and logo 3s, is reflected in the format of the All-Star Game. The WNBA announced Friday that the shot clock in Sunday’s game will be shortened to 20 seconds, and a 4-point shot will be in play. Two circles beyond the 3-point line on each end of the court will allow for even more scoring.

In addition to her ability to record triple-doubles, Ionescu is known for shooting from extra-long range. After winning the All-Star Skills Challenge on Saturday, she anticipates putting up a few 4-pointers on Sunday.

As for her fourth triple-double, that will likely have to wait until the regular season resumes.

“I’m not sure about (one in the All-Star Game),” she told JWS’ Autumn Johnson on Friday, before adding with a laugh, “But I’ll try.”

Instead, the focus for Ionescu and fellow first-year All Stars Howard, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young is a bit more attainable — and more important.

The WNBA’s next generation, while changing the game, is proving that experience doesn’t always matter. Each season, first-year players come in more polished than the last.

“There are a lot of us, and there are a lot of us that are here in the All-Star Game, which is really exciting, to see new faces and a lot of young talent,” Ionescu said. “We are trying to make a name for ourselves. We are going to keep grinding and keep getting better, showing everyone that it is possible to be young and successful in this league.”

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Marta Weighs 2027 World Cup as Brazil Hunts 2025 Copa América Title

Legendary Brazil captain Marta runs across the pitch during a 2025 match.
Marta unretired to join Brazil at the 2025 Copa América tournament. (Paulo Dias/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Though international retirement did not stick for Brazil legend Marta, with the 39-year-old currently captaining her world No. 4 national team at the 2025 Copa América tournament, her World Cup future remains in question.

Brazil will be hosting the 2027 event — the first ever held in South America — with the record-breaking attacker turning 41 years old a few months before the World Cup's June 24th kickoff.

"I don't know whether I'll still be playing in 2027 or whether I'll be fit," she told Brazilian outlet Globo on Sunday.

"I still have a very strong desire to be a mother. So, I might wake up one day and decide to call my doctor to see if it's still possible. If it is, then bye, I have to go."

Should she decide to compete, Marta will join fellow Brazilian icon Formiga in logging seven total World Cups — the most of any athlete, man or woman, in soccer history.

In the meantime, the country's all-time leading goalscorer is currently working to help claim Brazil's ninth overall Copa América trophy.

Though early in the 2025 tournament, the Seleção is already on their way to a fifth straight title, opening their campaign with a 2-0 defeat of No. 48 Venezuela on Sunday.

"Brazil is the favorite, and we know it," said Marta. "We know our responsibility to bring home the title." 

How to watch Marta in the 2025 Copa América tournament

In their second of four group-stage matches, No. 4 Brazil will play No. 105 Bolivia at 5 PM ET on Wednesday.

The match will air live on FS1.

WNBA Expansion Team Portland Reignites Original “Fire” Name

A graphic of the revived Portland Fire team name.
The 2026 WNBA expansion team is leaning into its roots by reviving the original team name, the Portland Fire. (Portland Fire)

Portland's original WNBA team name is back, with the 2026 expansion side announcing the return of the the Portland Fire moniker on Tuesday — the name held by the city's first WNBA squad from 2000 to 2002.

With details including a "Rose on Fire" emblem— a nod to Portland's "Rose City" nickname — the city-specific nods in the new logo seek to capture Portland's identity.

"[It's] an important heritage," team interim president Clare Hamill told The Athletic this week. "The opportunity to bring the Portland Fire back, reborn, was 100 percent — creatively and for the brand and for fans — the way to go."

While the team is still searching for its head coach and general manager, excitement is growing, with fans anteing up to the tune of over 10,000 season-ticket deposits since the WNBA awarded the franchise last fall.

"Portland has long stood at the forefront of women's sports, and with nearly 11,000 season ticket deposits to-date, this community has made it clear they're ready to embrace the return of women's professional basketball," said Lisa Bhathal Merage, a co-founder of RAJ Sports — the ownership group of both the WNBA team and the NWSL's Thorns. "We're proud to reignite the Portland Fire."

In addition to the Portland Fire, the Toronto Tempo will hit WNBA courts next season, with three more expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia set to tip off in 2028, 2029, and 2030, respectively.

2025 Euro Quarterfinals Take the Pitch

Italy's Elisabetta Oliviero celebrates a goal with her teammates during a 2025 Euro match.
The 2025 Euro quarterfinals kick off with Italy facing Norway on Wednesday. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The 2025 Euro quarterfinals kick off on Wednesday, with the eight remaining contenders sitting just three wins away from becoming champions of Europe.

While every win-or-go-home game promises excitement, a few of this week's matchups hold extra intrigue:

  • No. 16 Norway vs. No. 13 Italy, Wednesday at 3 PM ET (FOX): After winning Group A last week, a wobbly yet talented Norway side will kick off the 2025 Euro quarterfinals against second-place Group B team Italy — a squad with a proven ability to hit a counterpunch should they go down early.
  • No. 6 Sweden vs. No. 5 England, Thursday at 3 PM ET (FOX): Sweden looked utterly dominant in their 4-1 dismantling of Germany to win Group C on Saturday, and their reward is a date with the reigning champions, who bounced back from an early loss to France.
  • No. 2 Spain vs. No. 23 Switzerland, Friday at 3 PM ET (FOX): The 2023 World Cup champs have looked like the favorites to win it all by cruising through Group B, while a stoppage-time goal last Thursday sent the tournament hosts to their first-ever Euro quarterfinal.
  • No. 10 France vs. No. 3 Germany, Saturday at 3 PM ET (FOX): France emerged unscathed from the notorious "Group of Death," earning the Group D winners an advantage of momentum over a German side reeling from their 4-1 group-stage loss to Sweden.

Caitlin Clark Injury Clouds 2025 WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest Announcement

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark reacts to a possible re-injury as she exits a 2025 WNBA game next to teammate Aliyah Boston.
Clark exited Tuesday's game after appearing to re-aggravate a groin injury. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

The WNBA announced superstar lineups for the 2025 All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge on Tuesday, though the league will have to hope their best laid plans survive to see the weekend.

Along with the previously self-confirmed Sabrina Ionescu (New York) and Sonia Citron (Washington), Friday's 3-Point Contest roster will include Caitlin Clark (Indiana), Kelsey Plum (LA), and reigning event champion Allisha Gray (Atlanta).

Gray will also be defending her 2024 Skills Challenge title, with Natasha Cloud (New York), Skylar Diggins (Seattle), Erica Wheeler (Seattle), and Courtney Williams (Minnesota) looking to usurp the Dream guard on Friday.

Despite the WNBA's confirmation of Clark's long-awaited 3-Point Contest debut, her availability is now in question after the Fever guard appeared to re-aggravate a lingering groin injury, forcing her early exit from Indiana's 85-77 win over Connecticut on Tuesday night.

Fever head coach Stephanie White said afterwards that Clark "felt a little something in her groin," with further evaluation expected as Indiana travels to face New York on Wednesday.

This year's All-Star contingent already suffered one loss, with Atlanta guard Rhyne Howard sidelined with a left knee injury through the end of the month. In her stead, Minnesota guard Kayla McBride will step in, making her fifth career All-Star appearance.

Set to captain one of this weekend's All-Star squads, the WNBA is hoping that Clark is fully available for what's shaping up to be a huge celebration of basketball in Indianapolis.

How to watch the All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest will take the Indianapolis court at 8 PM ET on Friday, with both competitions airing live on ESPN.

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