Search

No matter how good guards like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Courtney Vandersloot or Sabrina Ionescu have been, they haven’t been able to compete with forwards when it comes to winning MVP. That may be changing... December 18, 2025 Is the WNBA’s Era of Forward Dominance Coming to an End? Steve Pimental As we pointed out in our look at five unbreakable WNBA records , the WNBA has been dominated by bigs for a long time. No guard has been named the league’s MVP since Diana Taurasi in 2009. Since then, the best player in the league has always been a forward or a center. Players like Candace Parker, Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones could all handle and shoot like guards while having the size and skill to play inside. No matter how good guards like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Courtney Vandersloot or Sabrina Ionescu have been, they haven’t been able to compete with forwards when it comes to winning MVP. That may be changing. To be clear, it’s probably not changing next season. Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson turns 30 next year, as does MPV runner-up Napheesa Collier. Barring injury, it is hard to envision anyone else winning the award, though 33-year-old Alyssa Thomas and 31-year-old Breanna Stewart could be in the mix. What is interesting is that nearly all of the young players coming up in their wake are guards. Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu had their seasons derailed by injury but they have the combination of talent and popularity that could win them the award. Paige Bueckers was the nearly unanimous choice for Rookie of the year, and her season was arguably better than Caitlin Clark’s rookie season. The only other rookie to receive ROY votes, Sonia Citron, is also a guard. Rhyne Howard and Veronica Burton both received an MVP vote in 2025, their age 24 season. Three of the expected top five picks in the 2026 draft are guards as well. Once Wilson and Collier age out of the award, it sure looks like the best players in the league will mostly be guards. The biggest exception is Aliyah Boston, who finished tied for sixth in MVP voting in her age 23 season and was a huge part of the Indiana Fever pushing the Las Vegas Aces to the brink in their second-round playoff matchup. Boston does not have the perimeter game of many of the previous MVP winners, but she is dominant in the paint and in the midrange, much like A’ja Wilson. One thing that could hurt Boston is if she splits MVP votes with her teammates. Kelsey Mitchell was fifth in MVP voting in 2025 and Caitlin Clark finished fourth in 2024. Boston could struggle to win MVP if it's not clear she’s even the best player on her own team. I think the sleeper MVP candidate in this conversation could be Cameron Brink. She has played just 34 games across two WNBA seasons due to injury, but she has demonstrated the size and athleticism that made her the second overall draft pick in 2024. She probably needs to shoot the three better at some point, but among the good young forwards in this league, I think her game most closely resembles some of the big wings who have won the award previously. Brink may not be the kind of scorer who traditionally wins MVP, but she has averaged 3.8 blocks per 36 minutes in each of her two seasons, and she is a very good passer. If we’re discussing Cameron Brink, we probably need to to mention her teammate who was drafted two picks later, Rickea Jackson. I’m not sure how Jackson received an MVP vote last season, but she may have enough of an inside/outside game to earn MVP votes in the future. Jackson has shot 34.7 percent on threes in her career but just 48.6 percent on twos. She’ll need to increase her usage and her efficiency inside the arc, but based on her draft pedigree and production through her first two seasons, I wouldn’t put it past her. While the 2026 MVP race figures to come down to Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson yet again, I will be watching to see if any young players can establish themselves and MVP candidates. If anyone can, I suspect it will be one of the star guards, but only time will tell. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepherd mix, Hootie.

With the league calendar expanding and the league adding new teams at a record pace, even more records will fall in the coming years. With that in mind, I have set out to identify several WNBA records that will never be broken. December 16, 2025 5 Unbreakable WNBA Records Steve Pimental As a sports fan, I love when new records are set. One of the things that makes this a great time for the WNBA is that new records are seemingly set weekly. Caitlin Clark is constantly rewriting the three-point record book while setting the record for most career games with 25+ points and 10+ assists just 42 games into her WNBA career. Meanwhile, Angel Reese finds new ways to grab more rebounds than anyone ever has. With the league calendar expanding and the league adding new teams at a record pace, even more records will fall in the coming years. With that in mind, I have set out to identify several WNBA records that will never be broken. This is a more difficult exercise than for other sports leagues for a few reasons. First of all, the WNBA has not been around as long as other leagues. We don’t even have 30 years’ worth of history to unpack. Leagues like the NBA, MLB, and NFL have been around so long and seen their sports evolve so much that certain records will be unbreakable simply because the game is different. The WNBA game isn’t that much different in 2025 than it was in 1997. One thing that is different is that the season is longer, so many season-long and even career records could be in jeopardy, just because future players will have more games with which to break records. In fact, if the WNBA adopts my idea to move the season to the winter , we could see a lot of records fall in short order. Candace Parker is the only rookie to win WNBA MVP Caitlin Clark was the most popular rookie we have ever seen, and she was incredible after the WNBA took a month off for the Olympics. Her 130 voting points are the most for a rookie since Parker won in 2008, and Clark still didn’t receive a single first-place vote. Paige Bueckers was probably better in her rookie year than Clark was in 2024, and Bueckers didn’t receive a single vote. That illustrates another reason I don’t believe a rookie will ever win MVP again: the best college players are increasingly guards, but the WNBA remains dominated by bigs. No guard has won MVP since Diana Taurasi in 2009. Since then, every winner has been a forward or a center. Clark or Paige Bueckers could break Taurasi’s record before they are through, but there is no way a rookie guard is winning this award. It is fitting that Parker won as a rookie in 2008 and Taurasi was the last guard to win in 2009. When Parker won in 2008, four of the top six vote-getters for MVP were guards. Parker ushered in a new era of forwards who had the size to play in the paint but had guard skills to dominate on the perimeter. She was arguably the first, but she was followed by Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne, Breanna Stewart and A’Ja Wilson. Napheesa Collier, who probably should have won last season, fits that mold as well. This current crop of WNBA guards may be the best since Taurasi won MVP, but they just can’t compete with the size and skill displayed by the league’s best forwards. Even the best forwards need a few years to really become dominant in the WNBA, as we have seen with players like Collier, Wilson, and Aliyah Boston. Parker’s record should be safe for some time. Brittney Griner 4.04 blocks per game in 2015 I’m not sure Griner was ever as good offensively as her size and athleticism said she should be, but she led the league in blocks in eight different seasons, tying Margo Drydek. A’ja Wilson has led the league in blocks per game five times, including each of the last four seasons, and she has never recorded more than 2.58 blocks per game in a season. It helps that Griner is five inches taller than Wilson, but even if we see another dominant big who is Griner’s size, I don’t think she’ll earn more than four blocks per game. Griner herself averaged just 2.1 blocks per 36 minutes in 2025, down from 4.7 blocks per 36 in 2015. While being 10 years older certainly makes a difference, I think the bigger difference is the way the game is played. With the increased emphasis on floor spacing and three-point shooting, there are fewer opportunities for bigs to contest shots in the paint. They are now being forced to guard on the perimeter where it is far more difficult to block a bunch of shots. Barring a crazy rule change like the elimination of defensive three seconds, I think Griner’s record is safe. Tamika Williams .6684 field goal percentage in 2003 As we noted above, WNBA players are shooting from farther and farther away from the basket. Players who take nearly all of their shots around the basket, like Williams, are increasingly rare. Jessica Shepard led the league with a .6377 field goal percentage in 2025 but her lack of floor spacing hurt the Lynx in the playoffs, and I think she will extend her range in 2026 , which would inevitably hurt her percentage. Shooting exclusively around the basket is not a guarantee of a high percentage, as Angel Reese has proven, but you have to if you’re going to make two-thirds of your shots. Those kinds of players are virtually extinct. Ruthy Hebard had a .682 FG% as a rookie in 2020 (she didn’t play enough to qualify for the record), and she has been out of the league for two years. You simply have to be able to play away from the basket to make it in today’s WNBA. Angel McCoughtry 35.48% usage in 2011 Angel finished sixth in MVP voting that season and Atlanta was sixth in offensive efficiency. I just think defenses are too sophisticated now to allow a functional offense that is so reliant on one person. McCoughtry was a big skilled wing in the mold of Candace Parker, and one of the things that made her so formidable was her ability to get off her shot in the midrange any time she wanted it. While that is a great club to have in your bag, we now know it is not nearly as valuable as we thought 15 years ago. Someone like A’ja Wilson could have a 35 percent usage if she wanted, but her team is better off if she uses the defensive attention she draws to get open looks for her teammates. Teresa Weatherspoon 3.33 steals per game in 1998 Weatherspoon and Tamika Catchings are the only players to average more than three steals per game. No one has averaged even 2.50 steals per game since Catchings in 2013. I think the league is much more talented than it was in 1998, and teams have learned to value the ball more. I also think there is more ball movement, player movement, and floor spacing than when Weatherspoon was winning DPOY. It is nearly impossible for one person to be involved enough to get three steals per game. There are just too many possessions where you’re not involved in the action, and there’s not even an opportunity for a steal. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepherd mix, Hootie.

Breanna Stewart vs Napheesa Collier...Paige Bueckers vs Sonia Citron...Jackie Young vs Kelsey Mitchell... December 12, 2025 1-on-1 Unrivaled Matchups We're All Craving! EJ Arocho Breanna Stewart vs Napheesa Collier Paige Bueckers vs Sonia Citron Jackie Young vs Kelsey Mitchell Skylar Diggins vs Paige Bueckers Arike Ogunbowale vs Kelsey Plum Satou Sabally vs Dominique Malonga Aliyah Boston vs Aaliyah Edwards Rhyne Howard vs Naz Hillmon Rickea Jackson vs Cameron Brink Alyssa Thomas vs KiKi Iriafen Napheesa Collier vs Alyssa Thomas Kahleah Copper vs Arike Ogunbowale Natisha Hiedeman vs Courtney Williams Allisha Gray vs Jackie Young Kelsey Mitchell vs Paige Bueckers Skylar Diggins vs Jordin Canada SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author EJ Arocho is Mr. Women’s Basketball and lives in New Jersey. Lives by the shore but looking to make waves everywhere!

On Wednesday the Chicago Stars, made their first big move of the offseason in re-signing former USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher through the 2026 season. December 11, 2025 Naeher's Signing a Good First Step for Rebuilding Stars Steve Pimental On Tuesday, I wrote about Bay FC and their effort to turn their program around under their new head coach after they finished with the second-worst record in the NWSL. On Wednesday, the worst team in the league, the Chicago Stars, made their first big move of the offseason in re-signing former USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher through the 2026 season. I’m currently working on an article about women’s sports in Chicago, and one fact that is undeniable is that our stars leave, usually to go win championships elsewhere. From Sylvia Fowles to Elena Delle Donne, Kahleah Copper, Marina Mabrey, Sam Kerr and Christen Press, Chicago fans have learned to enjoy star players while they last because odds are they won’t be here very long. Alyssa Naeher is the one notable exception. Naeher has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world throughout most of her career, and 2026 will mark her 11th season with the Stars. At 37 years old and having retired from international competition in 2024, Naeher is no longer the best goalkeeper in the world. In fact, only Louisville’s Katie Lund was worse in Post-Shot Expected Goals minus Goals Allowed last season. Even so, getting Naeher to sign on for one more season is a big win for this team and this city as they look to rebound from a disappointing season in which they won just three games. While Chicago was an unmitigated disaster in the first half of the season, the second half was quite respectable. Chicago went 2-8-3 after the international break including a seven-match unbeaten streak coming out of the break. The Stars will hope to build on that momentum in 2026 with new manager Martin Sjögren, who was hired in August but stayed in Sweden to finish out the season with Hammarby. Sjögren will be Chicago’s eighth manager since Rory Dames stepped down in 2021. It will be interesting to see what kind of roster he has to work with. The Stars had the second-oldest team in the league by weighted average age. While having Naeher in goal for 2,069 minutes may skew those stats, it is unclear who on this roster, if anyone, will be on the next great Stars team. Leading goalscorer Ludmila was a revelation after she played seven games for the Stars in 2024, but she turned 31 this month. Chicago will hope to get Mallory Swanson back after she gave birth in November, and they will also hope for improvement from 23-year-old Jameese Joseph, who often looked like Chicago’s best player last season. One potential problem for the Stars is that nearly all of their best players are forwards or midfielders. That may explain why they tied for ninth in goals scored, but they allowed 12 more goals than any other team in the league. Chicago’s offense will be fine, especially if Mallory Swanson returns, but improving the defense has to be the top priority. Getting Alyssa Naeher back to be a leader in the locker room and to organize the back line was a big first step. Now they just need to get her some help. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Heading into their third year of competition, Bay FC is on its second head coach, having hired Emma Coates to replace the outgoing Albertin Montoya.

Heading into their third year of competition, Bay FC is on its second head coach, having hired Emma Coates to replace the outgoing Albertin Montoya. December 9, 2025 Bay FC In An Interesting Spot With their New Coach Steve Pimental Heading into their third year of competition, Bay FC is on its second head coach, having hired Emma Coates to replace the outgoing Albertin Montoya. While Coates and new assistant Gamma Davies have experience coaching the England Women’s U-23 squad, turning around a recent expansion team that had the second-worst record last season is a different kind of challenge. Bay FC made the playoffs in their first season, and I wonder if that set unrealistic expectations for 2025. Bay FC had a -10 goal differential in their first season, but in a year in which just six of the 14 teams had a positive goal differential, that was enough to finish with 34 points and seventh place. Bay FC had a -15 goal differential in 2025, but in a league that was more balanced from top to bottom than in the previous season, they finished 13th. Bay FC lost 14 games in both seasons but they managed just four wins in 2025 compared to 11 wins in 2024. One throughline in both seasons was that Bay FC severely underperformed their expected goals on both offense and defense. They had a -1.2 xGD this season and a -0.6 xGD in 2024. If Bay FC wasn’t as good as their playoff berth indicated in their inaugural season, they probably weren’t as bad as their 13th-place finish last season, either. What does that mean for Emma Coates going forward? On the one hand, I’m not sure wholesale changes are needed. They could get into playoff contention just by performing closer to their expected numbers. They also have the benefit of youth. Seven of their top eight players in minutes played were 26 years or younger this season. Of the 25 players who saw the field, only four were in their 30s and none was older than 32. Leading goalscorer Penelope Hocking is just 25 years old and had scored five goals in eight games before she was forced to miss seven weeks with a stress injury in her left foot. Hocking was the only player on the team to overperform her xG and her 0.62 goals per 90 minutes was three times better than anyone else on the team. I thought the other real revelation offensively for Bay was 25-year-old Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji. When they were able to generate quality chances, many of them came from Kundananji working on one of the wings and creating an opportunity for herself or her teammates. She led Bay FC in goals plus assists in both seasons, and I think Emma Coates would do well to find even more creative ways to get Kundananji on the ball with space. On the other side of the ball, Bay FC could expect to get better goalkeeping from 25-year-old Jordan Silkowitz. In her first NWSL season her numbers were pretty average, but there is some cause for optimism. Silkowitz’s post-shot xG was nearly identical to her goals allowed, which means she more or less saved the shots she should have and allowed the goals she should have. I would say that is pretty solid work for someone making the leap from the Australian A-League to the NWSL. That stat also leads me to believe that the discrepancy between Bay FC’s goals allowed and expected goals allowed may have more to do with the quality of the shots faced rather than a lack of quality from the keeper. One big difference in Bay FC’s two NWSL seasons is the number of cards. Only three teams were shown fewer yellow cards than Bay FC in 2024, but they were shown the second-most yellow cards in 2025. I would be tempted to chalk that up to youth, but five teams were younger by weighted age last season. I think it would be more accurate to say there was a lack of discipline at times, and that may be one of the areas where Emma Coates can make an immediate impact. The other area where she could make a mark is in giving the team an identity. I’m not really sure they had one last season. Bay FC were middle of the pack in goalkeeper passes and launch percentage as well as crosses faced. Offensively, they relied almost exclusively on in-swinging corner kicks. They had just four outswinging corners, 10 fewer than any other team in the league. It didn’t work particularly well, as only the Seattle Reign had fewer shots from free kicks than Bay FC. Bay FC broke ground on a new performance facility in September, and between that and the new coaching hire, they appear to be heading in the right direction. I will be interested to see what kind of changes they make to the roster in the offseason, but I think they will be a lot more competitive in their third season. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepherd mix, Hootie.

Raegan Beers | Oklahoma - Powerful and efficient big; double-double machine. Stout rim protector. Capable of popping the 3 on occasion.... December 4, 2025 15 Likely 2nd Round WNBA Draft Picks EJ Arocho Charlisse Leger-Walker | UCLA PG with praise-worthy court vision and basketball IQ; playmaking wizardry. Variety scorer; pass-first mentality. Raegan Beers | Oklahoma Powerful and efficient big; double-double machine. Stout rim protector. Capable of popping the 3 on occasion. Angela Dugalic | UCLA Pro experience with Serbia. Great size at 6'4" and offensive/defensive versatility. Inside + outside scorer. She doesn't shy away from physicality. Payton Verhulst | Oklahoma Versatile offensive skillset; dangerous 3-level scorer. Strong finisher through contact. Aggressive rebounding from the guard spot. Raven Johnson | South Carolina True point guard & proven floor general. High assist-to-turnover ratio. A+ on-ball defense. Kara Dunn | USC Stretches the defense with her 3-point shooting. Thrives in transition. Consistent scoring threat. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs | Baylor High efficiency scoring and impressive rebounding for a 6'1" guard/forward. Continued development could see her be an immediate impact player in her rookie season. Marta Suarez | TCU Wickedly versatile stretch forward; high percentage inside + outside scoring. Makes a strong effort on the glass; capable of a double-double in points & rebounds on any given night. Grace VanSlooten | Michigan State One of the best all-court forwards in college basketball. Performs well under pressure; high level finisher at the cup. Rori Harmon | Texas Quintessential point guard and one of the best two-way guards in college basketball. Speedy and excellent decision-maker; supreme court vision. Mid-range is her bread and butter. Frieda Buhner | Germany 6'2" forward boasts five years of experience playing against pros in the German DBBL. Represented Germany at the Paris Olympics. High percentage finisher around the rim. Strong rebounding. Hannah Stuelke | Iowa Paint protector and disruptor. Her athleticism really shines; agile forward. Undersized but likely 4 in the W. Kaylene Smikle | Maryland Physical, aggressive wing. High octane scorer with a reliable 3-point shot. Clutch performer with big-game capability. Maggie Doogan | Richmond Solid fundamentals and a dangerous 3-point shooting. Sharp basketball acumen. Her ability to score in a number of different ways, see the court for assists and play stout defense makes her a legit two-way forward. Ashlon Jackson | Duke Knockdown shooting is her archetype. She has a knack for making big buckets under high pressure. High clip 3-point shooter; floor spacer. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author EJ Arocho is Mr. Women’s Basketball and lives in New Jersey. Lives by the shore but looking to make waves everywhere!

Last month, I made the case for the WNBA to play in the winter...In that article, I mentioned that I thought the NWSL needed to adopt a similar schedule.  While the two leagues have quite a bit in common, there are a lot of important differences that also point towards the need for NWSL to play in the winter. December 4, 2025 Why The NWSL Should Switch Its Schedule Steve Pimental Last month, I made the case for the WNBA to play in the winter . That article seems even more poignant now that the WNBA has reportedly proposed beginning the season earlier, which would overlap with just about every international league as well as the NCAA Tournament. My very first point in that article was that the best way for the league to add more games is to play from October to May, like the rest of the basketball world. In that article, I mentioned that I thought the NWSL needed to adopt a similar schedule. While the two leagues have quite a bit in common, there are a lot of important differences that also point towards the need for NWSL to play in the winter. One of the biggest differences between the WNBA and the NWSL is that the NWSL has competition for the best players in the world. That was one of the reasons I thought the WNBA should move: now that salaries are set to increase so rapidly, the WNBA doesn’t have to worry about losing players to leagues in Europe or Asia. They can afford to play the same schedule as everyone else because nearly all the best players will want to play for more money in the U.S. The NWSL will never have all of the best women’s soccer players because the Women’s Super League exists. In this case, however, I think one of the reasons the NWSL is losing players, particularly stars, to the WSL, is the schedule. Outside of international competitions, professional soccer is not played between June and August in most of the world. I think the NWSL might be able to keep more players here if they could offer the same schedule, rather than the schedule they have now, with all of the issues it presents. Lining up the calendar with other global leagues would also make it easier to bring players in during international transfer windows. Rather than signing new players after their season ends, which is currently in the middle of the NWSL schedule, you could give new signings some time off before they would join your league, which would have a familiar schedule for the players and fans and would not conflict with international competitions. Speaking of international competitions, taking a month off in the middle of the season so that the best players can compete in Euros or the Olympics or Copa America Femenina is less than ideal. There is plenty of time for fans to forget about your league and move onto something else when they are going two months between home games. I think it also hurts the teams to have to deal with so many players in and out of lineups and dealing with injuries that may have occurred while the season was paused. Any soccer league is going to have to contend with international breaks, but taking one week off so players can compete in World Cup Qualifiers or Frendlies is entirely different than taking a month off right in the middle of the season. The only good thing about the international break in July is that it is the hottest time of year in the United States. Of course, as we saw this season, the entire can get hot, and it was an issue that hung over the NWSL for some time. The commissioner reportedly threatened the Kansas City Current ownership with a fine over a heat delay that took a prominent game outside of their national broadcast window. That the owners were following the league’s own player safety policy is neither here nor there. Unsafe temperatures were a concern at stadiums around the country, and so long as the league plays in the summer, it is hard to see that changing. That is especially true of games scheduled during the day. You can of course have games delayed or postponed in the winter due to snow or cold, but overall I think cold temperatures are much safer for players and spectators than hot temperatures. As the Kansas City Current incident illustrates, the NWSL, like most sports leagues, is primarily a television show. Playing in the winter may hurt attendance in certain cities, but it won’t hurt the television product, and in fact may improve it. I believe any hit in attendance would be offset by increased television ratings. Not only would the league move away from the summer months when fewer people are watching TV in general, but it would also get the end of the regular season and the playoffs out of football season. In our defense of a fall-to-spring WNBA calendar, we pointed out that one reason the WNBA began playing in the summer was to avoid the NBA calendar, and that I no longer believe that is necessary. I don’t think the NWSL should change its schedule to match MLS’s change, but I don’t think it would hurt. I think the two leagues have done a reasonably good job at cross-promotion, especially in cities that host both leagues. I can personally say that at the only Chicago Fire game I’ve ever gone to, I wound up buying Chicago Stars tickets. When they held a doubleheader at Soldier Field in June, it benefited both teams. Those leagues could continue to work together even if the schedules don’t line up, but I do think it is fair to say that most of the reasons why the MLS chose to make that change also would apply to the NWSL. In some ways, this change would be more difficult for the NWSL than my proposed change for the WNBA. Basketball is an indoor sport and at the highest level of the men’s game in this country, it is played Fall-to-Spring. Soccer has had a hard enough time making inroads in the United States without trying to get fans to watch outside in the cold. That being said, I think this move will happen first in the NWSL. The MLS move has paved the way, and it also helps that the league appears to have a better relationship with its players than the WNBA. The fact that the WNBA proposed to lengthen the season but not flip the schedule seems like an indication that a change isn’t really on their radar. But with the MLS changing its schedule, I am optimistic the NWSL could do the same before long. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepherd mix, Hootie.

The WNBA and the Players Association still have not reached a new collective bargaining agreement, but they appear to have taken a step forward by agreeing (again) to extend the current agreement...there are some important things we can take away from this extension. December 2, 2025 5 Takeaways From Another CBA Extension Steve Pimental I am desperate to get into the meat of the WNBA offseason. Now that we have finally discussed all of the league’s coaching changes as well as the WNBA draft order , there is little else for fans to do until the expansion draft and free agency begin. The WNBA and the Players Association still have not reached a new collective bargaining agreement, but they appear to have taken a step forward by agreeing (again) to extend the current agreement. While this may appear to be business as usual, and is in some respects, there are some important things we can take away from this extension. This is the last extension before things get uncomfortable. Extensions are not new in contract negotiations, especially for this league. The current CBA was ratified January 17, 2020 after the previous agreement was extended multiple times months while negotiations continued. I have seen this described as a prolonged extension but unless they were extremely close to a new deal, this was realistically the shortest extension they could agree to. With the upcoming holidays, another month-long extension wasn’t happening. Nobody would want the pressure to have to come to an agreement between Christmas and New Years. Likewise, anything before Christmas would also add increased pressure. I’ve written previously about how the league should change its schedule but one advantage of the current model is that there is still time for the league to conduct all of its offseason business before the season starts. That being said, another extension would lead to an extremely condensed offseason. In a typical offseason, beginning in February wouldn’t be much of a problem, but this offseason is not typical. Two expansion teams are joining the league in 2026, and the league cannot hold its expansion draft until after the new CBA has been ratified. Teams can’t even fully prepare for the expansion draft because they don’t know for certain what the rules will be or who will be eligible. I suspect teams will need at least a week after the CBA is ratified to decide which players they will protect, and the expansion teams will need at least a week to prepare for the draft and also negotiate any trades. If this negotiation goes until the deadline, we’re looking at an expansion draft in late January. That would delay free agency, which typically begins in January. Delaying free agency wouldn’t be the end of the world, but with only two veteran players currently under contract, this will be the busiest free agency period we have ever seen. With the WNBA draft looming in April, another delay would lead to an extremely condensed offseason. 2. This extension is good news. While negotiations have been quite contentious since at least when the WNBPA opted out of the current agreement, things have been relatively quiet since the two sides agreed to the first extension. We did learn that the league was offering huge increases to the minimum and maximum contracts, but not the revenue sharing the players are looking for. I think the league was hoping to get public opinion on their side by offering a lot more money, but I think fans are savvy enough to know that players in every other major American sports league split revenue with the owners roughly 50/50. The players aren’t budging, and the fans appear to be on their side. The league is as popular as ever, making more money than ever, and new owners are lining up to pay $250 million expansion fees for a new franchise. Even the owners aren’t going to risk all of the league’s positive momentum fighting against what is pretty standard revenue sharing. I don’t think they would have agreed to such a short extension if they weren’t close to getting something done. That these negotiations have essentially followed the same pattern as last time also gives me reason for optimism. 3. The shortened offseason favors bigger front offices. We outlined above all of the business that needs to get done in a short period of time. I think the teams with professional staffs and robust front offices will have an advantage. For a team like the Dallas Wings that revamped its front office last offseason, this should be their time to shine. If there are any loopholes to be found in the salary cap or an advantage to be gained in the expansion draft, those teams should be able to find it. Its going to be a challenge for some teams to negotiate free agent contracts and trades and prepare for the WNBA draft all at the same time. The better-run organizations could have an even bigger advantage than usual. 4. Could we see less player movement than we expect? If there is less time for free agency, I wonder if players and teams will be more inclined to stick with what they know, perhaps on a shorter contract, and then test out free agency in a year or two when there are even more teams to compete for their services. The veterans around the league will not have very much time before the season starts to acclimate to a new city, team, and home. Teams won’t have much time to figure out how all of their new pieces will fit together. It may be easier to try to bring back players they are already familiar with rather than piecing together than entirely new roster. 5. Is this the last time so many players compete during the offseason? We know WNBA salaries will skyrocket no matter what the final CBA looks like. Players may be incentivized to rest and work on their game rather than playing overseas or even in Unrivaled. While those salaries are not insignificant, they will no longer be comparable to WNBA salaries. It may be more important for players to maximize their performance in the WNBA than to play year-round. This will certainly benefit the league in the long run, and could stem the tide of increased injuries the league has seen in recent years. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.

9. Sophie Cunningham, 8. Li Meng, 7. Jewell Loyd, 6. Kamilla Cardoso... November 28, 2025 Ranking the Players Committed to Project B (So Far) EJ Arocho 1. Alyssa Thomas One of the most complete games in women's basketball; all-court game. Defensive and two-way impact. Elite playmaker. 2. Kelsey Mitchell Electric with elite scoring; devastating 3-point range. One of the quickest guards in the world, especially in transition. Ridiculously high motor. 3. Nneka Ogwumike Extremely efficient; remarkable consistency. Legitimate (and dangerous) 3-level scorer. A leader on the court with a very high basketball IQ. 4. Jonquel Jones One of the most versatile players in the world. Mismatch for so many defenders; size + inside-out scoring. Dominant force on the glass & rim protector; 6'6" with a 6'10" wingspan. 5. Janelle Salaun Dangerous 3-point shooter. Exceptional versatility as a two-way forward. Not afraid of the big moments. 6. Kamilla Cardoso 6'7" height you just can't teach. Excellent speed and stamina for her size. Strong finisher at the rim, especially through contact. 7. Jewell Loyd Championship pedigree; major contributor in all 3 WNBA Chips. Clutch performer; thrives in the biggest moments. Strong handles. 8. Li Meng Stretches the floor with her excellent 3-point shooter. Historically has always been the premier scorer for her Chinese national team. Aggressive attacking the rim. 9. Sophie Cunningham Tenacious and physical guard. Consistent perimeter threat; floor spacer. Takes on tough defensive assignments. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author EJ Arocho is Mr. Women’s Basketball and lives in New Jersey. Lives by the shore but looking to make waves everywhere!

Our long national nightmare is over. A month after all the other WNBA teams filled their coaching vacancies, the Liberty hired longtime Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco... November 27, 2025 What the Chris DeMarco Hire Means for Fantasy Steve Pimental Our long national nightmare is over. A month after all the other WNBA teams filled their coaching vacancies, the Liberty hired longtime Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco. The Liberty reportedly prioritized hiring a coach with NBA experience, and they settled on one who had been with the same NBA team since 2012. While DeMarco does not have any WNBA experience, he does have head coaching experience, having led the Bahamian senior men’s national team since 2019. DeMarco actually predated Steve Kerr in Golden State, so while he probably won’t turn the New York Liberty into Warriors East, I do think we will see some innovation offensively. I still think New York’s issues last season had more to do with roster construction than with coaching , but it makes sense that Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb would turn to DeMarco to get the most out of a roster full of players who are better on the ball than off the ball. Sabrina Ionescu reportedly reached out to Steph Curry during the hiring process to ask about DeMarco, and Kolb has expressed confidence that Ionescu will return. Sabrina probably isn’t a one-to-one comp to Steph, but getting the most out of her will almost certainly be one of Chris DeMarco’s priorities. I think Sabrina needs to get off the ball more. Last season, Stewart had the highest usage of her career and her worst effective field goal percentage since 2021. She shot a career-low 29.9 percent on 8.2 threes per 36 minutes. Sabrina was seventh in the league in usage and while she is certainly good enough to warrant it, I feel like it probably could have been lower considering all the talent she shared the court with. All that being said, I don’t actually expect the DeMarco signing to affect Ionescu’s fantasy production all that much. Sabrina has averaged between 34.1 and 35.8 fppg in each of the last four seasons, and while all four of those were under former head coach Sandy Brondello, I don’t expect that to change. Sabrina may lower her usage and increase her efficiency, like she did in 2023, but the end result for fantasy players will likely be the same. I’m more interested to see what DeMarco can do for Breanna Stewart, who has already said she is returning to the Liberty next season. Stewart averaged a career-low 34.4 fppg last season; her previous worst was 39.2. Like Ionescu, Stewart had her worst three-point-shooting season of her career, at 24.1 percent. Perhaps even more problematic, Stewart attempted just 3.3 threes per 36 minutes, also a career-low. Last season, 78.2 percent of Stewart’s made field goals were assisted. If DeMarco can do a better job of getting Stewart open, or heading towards the basket with an advantage when she catches the ball, that could make a huge difference. Stewart’s days of playing more than 30 minutes per game are probably over, but prior to last season, Stewart had scored at least 1.2 fantasy points per minute in six consecutive seasons. I think last season was basically Stewart’s floor, and under DeMarco, I think she’ll get back to scoring 36+ FPPG. The rest of the roster is more up in the air, though I certainly expect the Liberty to try to bring Jonquel Jones, Benijah Laney-Hamilton, Marine Johannes and Emma Meesseeman back. Steve Kerr has never been afraid to play smart defenders who move the ball on offense, even if it meant leaving more talented scorers on the bench. If DeMarco brings that over to the Liberty, that could benefit the entire team, especially for fantasy. The Liberty had nine players averaged at least 13 FPPG last season. That number is probably a bit inflated because Nyara Sabally and Emma Meesseman each played just 17 games, but that is still a wide distribution. If DeMarco gives more time to lower-usage offensive players, that could benefit New York’s secondary playmakers. I think the best thing for their fantasy value would be for Meesseman, Jonquel Jones and Natasha Cloud to find new teams. All three were better for fantasy before they joined the Liberty. That being said, if they do return, I am fairly confident they will bounce back under Chris DeMarco. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.

While it is too early to speculate on which players will be chosen with these lottery picks, this is the perfect time to explore the options each team has with its picks. November 25, 2025 What the WNBA Draft Lottery Means for Each Team Steve Pimental The first domino of the WNBA offseason fell on Sunday with the WNBA’s draft lottery. While this draft is expected to be strong, especially in the lottery, there is not a consensus top pick. That could change as prospects still have a lot of games in college and overseas between now and the draft. Between the strength of the draft at the top and the fact that two playoff teams have lottery picks, this could be the most interesting draft in recent memory. While it is too early to speculate on which players will be chosen with these lottery picks, this is the perfect time to explore the options each team has with its picks. No. 1 Dallas Wings Pairing a second number one overall pick with Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers is the ideal scenario for the Dallas Wings. Bueckers was as good as advertised as a rookie, which made the team’s 10-34 record even more disappointing. Dallas clearly thought it would show signs of improvement by surrounding Bueckers with proven WNBA starters in DiJonai Carrington, Arike Ogunbowale, Myisha Hines-Allen and NaLyssa Smith. Instead, Ogunbowale had the worst season of her career and Smith and Carrington were traded by the deadline. All of that resulted in the firing of first-year head coach Chris Koclanes. It seems clear that Dallas wants to show improvement in Bueckers’ second year, and at the very least they should contend for a playoff spot. Dallas has a lot of young players under contract, and even after they lose a couple in the expansion draft (barring a trade), they should have a ton of cap space to pursue free agents. My best guess is that Dallas will be aggressive in free agency and perhaps the trade market to surround Bueckers and their 2026 first-round pick with a playoff-caliber roster. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only option. I wonder if Dallas would be open to trading down. Seattle has two first-round picks and Washington has three. I feel like the Wings would have to at least think about a trade that keeps them in the top five and adds an extra pick or two, either in this draft or in the future. I can’t really see Dallas trading this pick outright, but stranger things have happened. If General Manager Curt Miller feels pressure to make the playoffs or even win a round next season, he might consider trading for a more proven commodity. That gets tricky, considering how few players are under contract right now, but if the Sky offers Angel Reese and a future draft pick, they’d have to at least consider it. No.2 Minnesota Lynx Like most of these teams, what Minnesota does with this pick depends at least in part on free agency. If Napheesa Collier leaves, they will most likely make this pick and try to stay competitive while their rookie develops, much like they did after they drafted Collier. That’s probably what will happen if Collier stays, but a trade would make some sense as well. The Lynx never got a whole lot out of 2023 second overall pick Diamond Miller, and while injuries had a ton to do with that, I think part of the issue was that the Lynx were too competitive to give Miller the playing time she needed to develop. Collier turns 30 next season, and it would be ideal to pair her with a young star who could take on a greater offensive role as the years go by, but the Lynx might not have the luxury of waiting for that player to develop. This could be a landing spot for Reese, considering head coach Cheryl Reeve’s emphasis on rebounding, but I’m not expecting that. No. 3 Seattle Storm The Storm had three All-Stars last season and traded for a fourth at the deadline and still were the last team to clinch a playoff spot. The entire roster is up in the air outside of All-Rookie selection Dominique Malonga. Seattle has a new head coach, and I could certainly see them getting the band back together, adding two first-round picks in this draft, and seeing if they can’t compete for a top-four seed. They could also take Malonga and their two draft picks and pursue a full rebuild. I wouldn’t necessarily expect that to be Plan A, but if they strike out on free agency, it would not be the worst contingency plan in the world. More likely, Seattle will make both picks and try to supplement them with young players who fit better than Ezi Magbegor, Gabby Williams and Skylar Diggins did. Seattle shot the fewest threes per game of any of the playoff teams, and I suspect they will look to improve upon that while also having big roles for their young players. No. 4 Washington Mystics The Mystics proved they were fully committed to their rebuild by trading Brittney Sykes even though she had them firmly in the playoff race. Washington almost certainly isn’t going to spend draft capital on a win-now trade, but could they make a consolidation trade? They already had two rookie All-Stars last season in Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen and they have the sixth overall pick, Georgia Amoore, returning from an ACL injury. Do they really need six rotation players with a year or less of WNBA experience? If there is someone they love at the top, or if they are worried about fit with their young players, a trade up could make sense. Washington could also trade one of their later picks for a future first-round pick. The Sky are always dying to trade future assets to get back into the first round. Failing a trade, Washington might consider using one of their three picks on a foreign player who wouldn’t join the team next season. If someone like Iyana Martin or Nell Angloma indicated they didn’t want to join the Mystics until 2027, that might be an ideal situation. No. 5 Chicago Sky The Sky have made two first-round picks in each of the last two seasons and have two proven players to show for it, one of whom may or may not force her way to another team this offseason. I hope they have learned their lesson about trading into the back end of the first round, but that may be wishful thinking. There is also a decent chance that if Angel Reese is traded, it involves adding picks or perhaps even moving up in the lottery. Chicago probably doesn’t need to do anything, since this is widely considered a five-player draft. Then again, they really, really don’t need a forward, especially if Reese returns, so they might trade up if they think Lauruen Betts or Awa Fam will fall to them. Fam, especially, is considered a developmental prospect, and the Sky might not be patient enough to wait for her to become a winning player. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Steve Pimental would rather write 20,000 words about Stef Dolson than write two sentences about himself. He lives near Chicago with his beagle/shepard mix, Hootie.

If Unrivaled taught us anything earlier this year, it's that a fully healthy Aaliyah Edwards can flat out hoop! November 21, 2025 Looking Ahead: Top 10 Breakout WNBA Players Next Season EJ Arocho Dominique Malonga This list wouldn't be legitimate without her. The French phenom dazzled and showed a ton of promise in her rookie campaign, going toe to toe with the biggest and baddest and holding her own. The good thing for fans and scary part for the league is that she barely scratched the surface of her potential this year. Malonga is a future MVP and DPOY in my eyes and one who could see a huge leap from Year 1 to Year 2. Lexie Hull After putting together the best year of her career, big things are on the horizon. She recorded career high averages in points, rebounds, assists and steals in Year 4. Her defense was clutch in securing wins against the top teams and keeping competitive against Vegas in the semis. Aneesah Morrow In her rookie season, Morrow became a regular starter (23 of 41 games) averaging 7.7 PPG and 6.9 RPG in under 19 minutes. Given her rebounding instincts and physicality, she could grow into a much bigger role next year with Connecticut. Tenacity is the name of her game! Te-Hina Paopao After a seamless transition to the W from South Carolina, there's no doubt in my mind Pao comes out guns blazing next year. She's well known for her 3-point shooting and court vision but is super underrated defensively. She did great things on D that didn't always show up on the box score, including a notable effort guarding Paige Bueckers in an August meeting. Lexi Held She was an early candidate for Rookie of the Year before suffering a partially collapsed lung after a hard collision with Stewie on June 19th, sidelining her for over a month. Her return saw limited minutes and productivity, but we all saw what she was capable of at 100%. On a team stacked with talent, Lexi recorded six games in double-figures [all pre-injury], including 24 points vs Golden State. Janelle Salaun Quickly emerging as one of the league's best 3-point shooters (18th in 3's made, 29th in 3PT%). With added experience and improved consistency, she could become a real 3-and-D wing. Kennedy Burke KB turned up the heat in her sixth year as a pro averaging career best figures in points, rebounds and assists. She was a legit 6POY candidate playing for a loaded Liberty team, proving that she belonged! Kamilla Cardoso KC showed great upside as a second-year center. Her scoring, rebounding and passing are all improving,showing that she's so much more than just a rim protector! The Sky seem ready to lean on her more, and she's already flashed the ability to dominate inside. Natasha Mack Her numbers continue to increase as the seasons pass. 2025 saw career-best averages in points, steals and blocks. In fact, she is one of the best shot-blockers per-minute in the league but rarely gets the spotlight or recognition for her efforts. With consistent minutes, she could become an elite defensive anchor and future All-Defensive selection. Aaliyah Edwards If Unrivaled taught us anything earlier this year, it's that a fully healthy Aaliyah Edwards can flat out hoop! Injury and team trades interrupted her WNBA season but we still saw glimpses of greatness. She's physically elite with a high motor and is quietly improving as a finisher and defender. A full season with Connecticut could see huge success. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author EJ Arocho is Mr. Women’s Basketball and lives in New Jersey. Lives by the shore but looking to make waves everywhere!