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Is Alyssa Thompson a potential MVP pick? May 9, 2025 Jaden’s Picks - 3 NWSL Storylines to Follow Jaden Fode Up and Coming Player to Watch It feels wrong to say “Up and Coming Player to Watch” because she has established herself as a force in, not only the NWSL but also the USWNT, but because she’s only 20 years old it has to be Alyssa Thompson. I grew up playing club soccer in Los Angeles as did Alyssa so I always knew of her and she is nothing short of incredible. Her ability to puncture opponents' defense and finish with her accurate shooting, she has a bright future and you don’t want to miss it. You could even ask if Alyssa Thompson is a potential MVP pick? MVP My MVP pick was Trinity Rodman but because of some nagging issues with her back, she is out indefinitely. But another standout player is Esther González. She’s the third player since 2013 to score seven or more goals in the first seven games of a season. And the two others? Alex Morgan and Sophia Smith. She joins an elite company and she is an elite player. See just how far she can take Gotham FC this season. Team This might feel like an easy answer because they won the NWSL Shield and Championship last year, but I’m going with the Orlando Pride. This is a team that has to maintain a high standard but they are a talented team, with one of the best offenses in the league, that knows they can adapt to any team they face. They credit a lot of their success to team chemistry and with a team that is returning a majority of their core from last year, of course they are aiming for first place. Stay tuned to see how these picks play out! SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Hi! My name is Jaden Fode and I’m a rising senior at the University of Michigan. I grew up in Los Angeles and have been a huge sports fan my entire life whether that is LA teams or Michigan sports! At Michigan, I am the sports director of the student radio and a sideline reporter and broadcaster for Big Ten +.

What I find far more interesting is that while everyone with a podcast discusses the number of threes being shot in the NBA, that discourse is largely absent in the WNBA. Today, I want to examine why that is the case and whether or not the WNBA could face its own three-point reckoning in the future. May 20, 2025 Is the WNBA Facing a Three-Point Reckoning? Steve Pimental Much digital ink has been spilled over the proliferation of three-point shots in the NBA, and for good reason. This season the Boston Celtics, fresh off winning the NBA title, attempted a record 48.2 three-point attempts per game. In fact, eight of the top 25 team-seasons in NBA three-point attempts per game occurred in 2024-25. This has, perhaps inevitably, led to much discussion within the league, media, and fans over whether or not this reliance on the three-point shot is good for the game. I don’t personally have a problem with the number of threes being taken in the NBA, but I understand why people across the game would argue that it has gone too far. What I find far more interesting is that while everyone with a podcast discusses the number of threes being shot in the NBA, that discourse is largely absent in the WNBA. Today, I want to examine why that is the case and whether or not the WNBA could face its own three-point reckoning in the future. Before we dive into the three-point numbers in the WNBA and what that means for the league going forward, I think there is one reason this discussion has centered on the NBA that has little to do with statistics. I believe a lot of the people who criticize the number of threes being taken do so because they came of age as an NBA fan in the 90s. Whether it is former players like Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal or simply fans who grew up watching those players, there seems to be a common theme to much of the criticism that basketball was better 30 years ago when post play reigned and the three-point shot was largely an afterthought. The WNBA doesn’t have this issue for a couple of reasons. First of all, the WNBA is only in its 28th season, and most fans don’t have strong memories of watching Lisa Leslie, Theresa Weatherspoon and Tina Thompson play. Even if the game was actually more fun to watch back then, most fans don’t have personal memories to cling to. Perhaps more importantly, while NBA fans can lament the death of post play, nobody in their right mind can watch A’ja Wilson or Angel Reese or even Napheesa Collier and complain that nobody in the WNBA posts up anymore. While post play is not dead in the WNBA, the league has seen a stark rise in three-point attempts in recent seasons. The league’s three-point attempt rate, or percentage of all field goal attempts that were threes, has increased nearly every season over the last decade. Just 21.2 percent of all shots were threes in 2014, compared to a league-record 33.5 percent in 2024. That is a huge increase, but it looks different when you consider the NBA’s three-point attempt rate went from 26.8 percent in 2014-15 (the first season the Warriors won the championship) to 42.1 percent in 2024-25. By that metric, the WNBA still has farther to go before we have to consider whether players are taking too many threes. I expect three-point attempts to rise again this season, though not nearly to NBA levels. The WNBA has eight new head coaches this season, including seven making their head coaching debuts. Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko comes from Florida Gulf Coast, where his teams attempted more than 300 three-pointers nearly every season. Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts and Sky head coach Tyler Marsh also expressed a desire for their respective teams to shoot more threes this season. All three of those teams were in the bottom half of the league in three-point attempt rate in 2024, and if those coaches are successful in getting their teams to shoot more threes, it stands to reason the league as a whole will shoot it more from deep. Interestingly enough, three-point attempts in the preseason were down slightly from a year ago. I’m not going to read too much into that or the early-season numbers, but I intend to keep an eye on it as the season goes along, as well as into next season. With two more expansion teams joining the league in 2026, I think there is a chance we could see even more threes taken next season. As the number of players in the league increases and talent is dispersed, I think teams could try to lean even more heavily on the three as a way to make up for a lack of star players. If that is true, it could continue to shape the direction of the league going forward. Either way, I will be interested. 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.

The WNBA had a historic opening weekend, with several records being set. Whether players were setting franchise records, debut records or all-time records, I believe they all point to larger trends that will shape the league this season. May 20, 2025 What These Record-Setting Debuts Mean for the 2025 WNBA Season Steve Pimental The WNBA had a historic opening weekend, with several records being set. Whether players were setting franchise records, debut records or all-time records, I believe they all point to larger trends that will shape the league this season. 1. Napheesa Collier ties the WNBA record for most points in a season debut. It is worth noting that the record she tied belonged to Candace Parker (twice), Maya Moore and Katie Smith. For as much as guards around the league are beginning to have a greater impact (more on that later), the WNBA still belongs to forwards. A guard hasn’t won an MVP award since Diana Taurasi in 2009. And while most WNBA champions have had good guard play, including Kahleah Copper and Chelsea Gray being named Finals MVP in 2021 and 2022, you have to go back to Diana Taurasi, this time in 2014, to find a team that won the finals with a guard as its best player. Collier could very well carry on that tradition, which is why it is significant that the record-holders she tied were all frontcourt players. The 2024 MVP runner-up was one overtime away from winning the championship last year, and the Lynx should contend for the title again this season. Coming into this season I thought that if Collier didn’t win MVP last season, when her team finished three games ahead of the Aces, it would never happen. If she continues to play like she did in the opener against Dallas, she will prove me wrong. 2. Kelsey Plum sets the new WNBA record for most points in a season debut. Collier’s share of the record lasted just a couple of hours before Kelsey Plum eclipsed it. While Plum was an integral part of two Aces championships, that team revolved around three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. In fact, with Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young there, it wasn’t even clear most nights if Plum was the Aces best guard. With the Sparks, Plum has her first opportunity in years to drive an offense, and the early returns have been promising. Plum dropped 37 points in a blowout of the Valkyries and followed that up with 18 points and five assists against the Lynx. I think the Sparks probably need Cameron Brink and some added bench depth to truly contend, but Plum may just prove me wrong. 3. Satou Sabally set the record for most points by a player in her Phoenix Mercury debut. I think this record is telling for a number of reasons. First of all, it points to the increased player movement in the league in recent seasons, and with the Mercury in particular. This is Phoenix’s first season since Diana Taurasi retired and Brittany Griner signed with Atlanta. Both of those players debuted with Phoenix as rookies and stayed there for years. While Sabally’s 27 points are impressive, it is important to note that there were plenty of points to be had with two franchise icons out the door.Perhaps more importantly, this should serve as a reminder that Satou Sabally can be one of the best players in the league when healthy. She has topped 17 games in a season just once in her career, but that season, 2023, she earned first-team All-WNBA honors.This game also illustrated how top-heavy the Mercury are. Sabally and Alyssa Thomas became just the fourth pair of teammates in WNBA history to each score 20+ points in their team debuts. They scored 58 percent of their team’s points, and while Kahleah Copper will shoulder much of the scoring load when she is healthy, I still can’t believe the Mercury failed to surround their big three with any proven talent. Phoenix didn’t need much from its role players to thump Seattle, but they will going forward if they are going to actually contend. 4. Caitlin Clark became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach three career triple-doubles. In doing so, she tied Candace Parker for the third most triple-doubles in WNBA history. Honestly, the only takeaway here might be that the Sky are nothing more than a fringe playoff team, but this performance is still worth discussing. New Fever head coach Stephanie White said she wanted to take the ball out of Clark’s hands more this season, and her 23.0 percent usage indicates that may actually be the case. Clark had a 26.2 percent usage as a rookie, including 28.7 percent after the All-Star break.As we mentioned above, it remains to be seen if any guard can guide her team to a championship, but I wouldn’t want to bet against Clark. If she can share the load during the regular season and increase her usage when needed in the playoffs, the Fever have a chance to beat anybody. 5. DeWanna Bonner moved to third on the all-time points list. This probably says more about Bonner’s durability and the era that she has played in than anything else, but I still found it interesting. Bonner is in her 15th WNBA season. She has played in more than half of the league’s seasons. Bonner made All-WNBA twice, and was Sixth Woman of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Bonner has always played with at least one other Hall-of-Famer, first with Diana Taurasi and Brittany Griner in Phoenix and later with Alyssa Thomas in Connecticut. She only scored seven points against the Sky, but if Caitlin Clark really is going to share the offensive load more this season, Bonner should be more than capable of shouldering it. 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.

There’s an exciting buzz around the women’s game right now, it’s getting the attention and recognition it deserves, and there’s some amazing talent around the NWSL and across the world that is making women’s soccer so fun to watch and be a part of! May 28, 2025 In The Know W/ Kate Wiesner Kate Wiesner Q: As a Big Ten Tournament champ and winner of the NWSL Challenge Cup, what can you say about this time in women’s soccer? A: This is an incredibly exciting time to be in the women’s game. It’s a testament to all of the women who’ve come before us and blazed the trail for us younger players. There’s an exciting buzz around the women’s game right now, it’s getting the attention and recognition it deserves, and there’s some amazing talent around the NWSL and across the world that is making women’s soccer so fun to watch and be a part of! Q: You’ve overcome injuries in your career and succeeded at the highest levels of women’s soccer. What advice would you give to young players coming up about overcoming adversity? A: Unfortunately, injuries and adversity are a very real part of the game. I’m blessed to have had an excellent support system in place around me that helped carry me through those difficult moments. I’ve also leaned on my faith in both the good times and the bad, and trust in God’s timing and plan for me. The advice I’d give to younger players is to hold onto the joy of playing and find a “why” that is meaningful to you to come back to when things get tough. Lean into your relationships with teammates, friends, or mentors to remind you of that “why”, even when you don’t feel like it! Q: Are there particular payers and leagues in women’s sports that you are excited about watching that others should be too? A: I may be a little bit biased, but I think the NWSL is the most exciting league in the world right now. It is competitive from top to bottom and any team can win on any given day. The style of play is evolving to produce some more free-flowing, creative soccer moments that are beautiful to watch. You have your superstars in the likes of Trinity Rodman, Barbara Banda, or Delphine Cascarino who bring the flare and excitement into every game they’re a part of. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Kate Wiesner is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Penn State Nittany Lions before being selected by the Spirit in the first round of the 2024 NWSL Draft . Wiesner has been called up on numerous occations for training with the USWNT under head coach Emma Hayes . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Wiesner

I have picked out a handful of stats around the league I find interesting and/or surprising. We will take a look at why these stats stand out... June 3, 2025 Four Early-Season Stats to Know Steve Pimental On Monday, we took a deep dive into the Atlanta Dream’s 5-2 start and evaluated their status as second-tier contenders. I really enjoyed breaking down their stats to this point and speculating on what Atlanta could do to improve going forward. Let me know in our Discord if you found that useful, and what kind of content you would like to see going forward. We are doing something similar with today’s article, but rather than focus on the season stats for one team, I have picked out a handful of stats around the league I find interesting and/or surprising. We will take a look at why these stats stand out and what, if anything, they mean going forward. 1. The Liberty’s starters' minutes are down. This started out about Sabrina Ionescu, but as I dug in, I realized it actually had little to do with her and everything to do with the team as a whole. Sabrina and Breanna Stewart are averaging the fewest minutes of their careers. Natasha Cloud is averaging her fewest minutes since 2018, and Jonquel Jones and Leonie Fiebich are also down significantly from last season. It made some sense that the starters’ minutes would be down since the Liberty added Rebekah Gardner and Isabelle Harrison in the offseason to what was already a fairly strong bench. It stood to reason that the better the bench played, the less the starters would be needed. Instead, I found the starters are playing fewer minutes because the Liberty are blowing everyone out. For instance, Sabrina Ionescu played 37 minutes at Indiana and 36 in the second game against the Valkyries, which were the only two games New York has won by fewer than 14 points this season. The starters are playing a lot when they need to; they just haven’t needed to. I plan to keep an eye on how much rest New York’s starters are able to get going forward. Their net rating is 25. 1, more than double their league-best 11.7 net rating last season. The 2023 Las Vegas Aces hold the record for best net rating in a season at 15.3, so the Liberty will inevitably come back down to Earth. They have played just one game against a team that currently has a winning record, and once that changes, the rest could be harder to come by. That being said, while the Liberty and Lynx separate themselves from the rest of the league, the wear-and-tear on their best players could determine who has the advantage in the playoffs. Napheesa Collier is currently third in the league at 35.5 minutes per game while Bridget Carleton is 17th at 31.3 and Courtney Williams is 28th with 29.4 mpg. Sabrina Ionescu leads the Liberty with 28.8 mpg, good for 31st in the league. If that trend continues all season, I like the Liberty’s chances to repeat as WNBA champions. 2. Naz Hillmon leads the league in effective field goal percentage. This is among players averaging at least four minutes per game. I don’t know that I even mentioned Hillmon in my Dream article, but that was probably an oversight. Atlanta started winning once Hillmon became entrenched in the rotation. She has averaged 17.9 minutes per game in Atlanta’s five wins and 3.7 minutes per game in their two losses. Hillmon’s effective field goal percentage has gone up in every year of her four-year career, and while a jump of nearly 20 points from last season seems unlikely to sustain, it seems clear she has improved yet again. One thing to keep an eye on is Hillmon’s three-point percentage. She was 1-6 from beyond the arc in 114 career games prior to this season, and she is 4-10 in 2025. That’s not the main reason her effective field goal percentage is so high, but it would be quite valuable for Atlanta if Hillmon’s three-ball became a real weapon. 3. The Washington Mystics lead the league in free-throw attempt rate. The Mystics were ninth in offensive rating last season, and with Ariel Atkins gone, I didn’t think there was any way they would score enough points this season to be competitive. That still may be the case, but they are firmly in the middle of the pack with a 3-4 record thanks to ranking fourth in offensive rebound percentage and first in free throw rate. Brittney Sykes leads the league with 11.2 free throw attempts per game, 3.6 more than any other player. Sykes currently ranks 118th in effective field goal percentage and second in usage, so she and her teammates need to continue to get to the line at an elite rate if they are going to stay in the playoff race. 4. The Seattle Storm are third in the league in fast break points but 12th in pace. I plan to pay close attention to this the next time I watch the Storm. Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams have always been effective in transition, and both are off to strong starts to the season, but I can’t say I’ve noticed a ton of fast-break points in the games I have seen. Seattle is eighth in the league in steals but third in points off turnovers, so the only conclusion I can draw is that they are being selective when they do run and converting their fast break opportunities at a high rate. Seattle has been as middle-of-the-pack as it comes this season, with a 3-4 record and a -0.4 net rating. They look relatively safe to make the playoffs, but that could change if the fast-break points dry up. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Seattle’s coaching staff lean into this strength and try to force more turnovers. With as good as they have been in transition, it might be worth it to gamble to create more transition opportunities, even if that could lead to more open looks for opponents. 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.

May 29, 2025 Jaden's Picks - WNBA SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author

After an extra spicy opening week here are the things I’m most looking forward to this week... May 22, 2025 10 Things Mr. Women's Basketball is Looking Forward to in WNBA's Week 2 EJ Arocho After an extra spicy opening week here are the Top 10 things I’m most looking forward to in Week 2: 1. Indiana’s Big 3 (Caitlin, Aliyah, Kelsey) vs New York’s Big 3 (Sabrina, Stewie, Jonquel). Saturday’s game features the Top 2 leaders in college triple-doubles in Sabrina Ionescu & Caitlin Clark, who also happen to be the two most lethal 3PT shooters in the W. Look for logo 3’s & a lot of ‘em! 2. Kelsey Plum’s first game against her former team Vegas. We saw what she was able to do with the Aces (2x champ). Now we’re about to see what she can do against them on Friday. No one knows the scouting report better than Becky Hammon! Through 3 games this season, Plum Dawg is averaging a ridiculous 26.7 PPG! 3. A’ja Wilson vs Dominique Malonga (their last meeting was in the Paris Olympics Gold Medal Match!) The reigning MVP vs a future MVP. 4. Tina Charles vs Napheesa Collier on Friday. Husky on Husky crime! Both averaged over 20.0 ppg during opening week! Both look like they’re chasing MVP & DPOY supremacy! 5. Aneesah Morrow’s WNBA debut: Could we see the #7 Draft pick play her first-ever pro game on Sunday vs Atlanta or even Tuesday at home vs Dallas and begin her ROY campaign. She’s been hampered by a slight knee injury to start the season. After recording 104 double-doubles in college, she’ll look to bring that same fire & intensity in the W. 6. Bounce back game for Marina Mabrey & Jacy Sheldon?? Both are coming off of abysmal performances vs Vegas on Tuesday. Jacy was held scoreless (0-7 FG) and Marina, known for her 3PT shooting prowess, went just 1-5 from deep & 3-11 overall from the field. It’ll be another tall task to go up against the league’s best team currently in Minnesota but neither ducks smoke, so I’m eager to see how they perform on Friday. 7. The Battle of Cali Part II. Los Angeles vs Golden State, 2 meetings in 7 days?? I’ll take it! Kelsey Plum exploded for 37 on opening night & the Sparks won by 17. I don’t expect that to happen this time around. ***Something to note: starters Veronica Burton & Kate Martin were held to 4 points combined in that game & went 0-7 from the field. 8. Rookie rematch of the last two National Champions when Atlanta & Dallas clash on Saturday- Te-Hina Paopao (2024) vs Paige Bueckers (2025). 9. Iowa alum clash on Wednesday when Indiana heads to Washington.The face of the league Caitlin Clark takes on rookie & 23rd overall pick Lucy Olsen. I can assure you all of Hawkeye Nation will be tuned in to this one! FUN FACT: After CC graduated in 2024, Lucy Olsen transferred from Villanova to Iowa to fill the primary PG role at Iowa. 10. FIBA/Eurobasket reunion when the Valkyries & the Liberty clash on Tuesday. 7 international players for Golden State representing Belgium, Italy, the UK, France & Australia. 4 international players for New York representing the Bahamas, France & Germany. It’s like the United Nations of Basketball! The matchup I’m looking most forward to here is Temi Fágbénlé vs Jonquel Jones in the post. 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!

...there are several other reasons that I play that have nothing to do with money, some of which I have never seen discussed outside of group texts with my buddies. I wanted to share them with you today in the hopes they might help someone else find their own “why”. June 9, 2025 Why I Fantasy Game Steve Pimental My first article for Let’s Fantasy Game was The “Why” Behind Steve Pimental . In that piece, I describe my journey with women’s sports and how that brought me to the Let’s Fantasy Game team. But there is another why that is also important to me, and that is why I play fantasy games. I believe the people in my life who don’t play fantasy think I just do it to try to win money, and there is certainly some truth to that. One of the reasons I rarely play daily fantasy baseball is that I know I would essentially be lighting money on fire. If I don’t feel like I have much of a chance to win, I am less motivated to play. That being said, there are several other reasons that I play that have nothing to do with money, some of which I have never seen discussed outside of group texts with my buddies. I wanted to share them with you today in the hopes they might help someone else find their own “why”. Reason Number One: Cheer on players I like to root for. In a future article, I will get more into which players I like to root for and why, but I enjoy having a little extra incentive to cheer on the players I like. For me, this comes out most when I’m playing fantasy golf. I don’t know if it is because golf is an individual sport versus a team sport, or because I wind up playing multiple lineups, but I often devote one lineup entirely to players I like. Again, there is some element of wanting to win. I won’t play someone if I don’t think they have a chance, but it makes it even more fun when that lineup does well. While I sometimes construct entire fantasy lineups with players I like, I more often use my personal feelings as a tie-breaker. If I have a close decision between two players, I’ll default to the player I most want to root for. At the end of the day, fantasy is supposed to be fun, and while winning is fun, cheering on players I like is also fun. Reason Number Two: Hedge my bets emotionally When I’m rooting for a team, especially in a big game, I sometimes pick against them for my fantasy teams. For instance, if I’m cheering on Chicago Stars FC against Portland Thorns, I will play the Thorns for fantasy. The idea behind this is if the Stars win, I won’t care how I did in fantasy. If the Stars lose, there is a good chance I won some money. It is a good way to have my cake and eat it too. LFG’s fantasy offerings , powered by Sparket and Fantasy Sports EVO are perfect for this, since you can play an entire team in your fantasy contests, rather than needing to choose individual players from that team. Reason Number Three: Stay more engaged in a live sporting event There is something to be said for entering a fantasy lineup in the morning, going and living my life during the day, and then logging on at the end of the day to see how I did. There is also something to be said for sweating out every play and watching your fantasy fortune swing as a result. This is especially true for me when I am attending an event live. I watch every play with increased interest when there is a little something extra on the line. This is especially true if I’m watching a game that doesn’t feature one of my hometown teams. If I’m on vacation in a new city and want to check out a game, a fantasy contest is the perfect way to make that game even more interesting. Reason Number Four: Talking with friends Finding Julia Lopez Ramirez during my research for the U.S. Women’s Open was exciting, as was winning my FRL bet (even though we split it six ways) and rooting her on all weekend. I was even more excited because she was one of my six players to watch coming into the tournament. Knowing that I had shared my research with our Let’s Fantasy Game community and that they were rooting for her too, was thrilling. That is often how I approach fantasy sports with my friends. We share our research and players we like, and argue when we disagree. We brag about our successes and lament when luck is not on our side. There are plenty of times I have only played a fantasy game because my friends were too, and I didn’t want to be left out. Reason Number Five: Utilize my knowledge I cannot tell you how many times I will read an article or listen to a podcast or watch a game and learn something that I will immediately try to use for fantasy. I’ll decide I need to use Skylar Diggins, and then I will build the rest of my fantasy lineup around her. I obviously love these sports and learning more about them; using that knowledge for a fantasy game feels like the natural next step. Just like I want to share my fantasy insights with my friends and the LFG community, I want to put them to use in fantasy contests as well. What is the point of knowing that Brittney Sykes leads the league in free throw attempts if you don’t play her in a fantasy contest when she faces a team that fouls a lot? I have played fantasy sports for nearly 30 years, so I am sure I am forgetting some of the reasons I do it. Let us know on Discord or social media why you fantasy game. 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.

"A healthy Azura Stevens is the most versatile forward in the W, there I said it!" + more WNBA hot takes... May 30, 2025 Mr. Women's Basketball's Week 3 Hot Takes EJ Arocho 1. PLAY DOMINIQUE MALONGA! While it’s known that Noelle Quinn doesn’t play rookies right away, Malonga is far from your average rook! In 7.6 mpg off the bench, she’s averaging 3.2 ppg & 2.0 rpg, compared to Li Yueru’s 2.0 ppg & 1.6 rpg in 10.4 mpg. With the right balance of minutes between Ezi, Li & Dominique, Seattle might just find the recipe to success and start creating some separation this week in the Western Conference. 2. Liz Kitley IN, Kiah Stokes OUT. Vegas needs production at the 5 and A’ja Wilson needs help. So far, the Aces aren’t finding success with Stokes in the starting rotation. She’s been held scoreless in 4 starts this season. Kitley, on the other hand, has shown glimpses of greatness in her minutes off the bench. 4.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.0 spg & 1.0 bpg in 9.3 mpg. 3. This week may determine ROY: KiKi Iriafen & Sonia Citron are the frontrunners & one of them could distance herself from the other in Week 3. The Mystics have two games against New York & a game against Indiana. 4. Move Julie Allemand into the starting lineup! She brings undeniable energy and effort. In 15.0 mpg off the bench this season, she’s putting up 3.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg & 1.5 apg. In 29.5 mpg, Odyssey Sims is averting just 4.2 ppg more! I think Allemand more than deserves the starting role at PG, which may benefit everyone and get LA some more wins. Games vs Vegas & Phoenix this week will be very telling. 5. Kamilla Cardoso needs more touches! The offense should be directly flowing through her! If she gets a touch on every possession, she’ll be able to put Chicago in a position to win games… something they desperately need if they want a chance at playing postseason basketball! On the post-entry pass, she can either go up with it or kick out to 3-pt shooters Vandersloot, Atkins, Banham & Nurse. At 6’7”, she draws a lot of attention. Give her the ball & let her go to work! That strategy paid dividends at South Carolina! 6. Get more assertive, Paige! Good things typically happen when PB has the ball in her hands. Having a scoring juggernaut like Arike on your team can be tough to navigate especially as a rookie & not wanting to step on toes, but Paige should take more command and let that ball fly! She’s known for her efficiency, something we saw Tuesday in Dallas’s first win of the season over Connecticut (21 points on 8-10 shooting). We need more of that! 7. Bria Hartley IN, Jacy Sheldon, OUT. Connecticut needs to find the recipe for success & quick! They go into Week 3 winless. With the news of Lindsay Allen’s left hamstring injury (out approx. 2 weeks), CT needs to fix rotations at the guard spot. I think the perfect place to start would be to move Bria into the starting rotation & have Jacy come off the bench. She’s back after a 3-year hiatus & in 20.2 mpg off the bench, looks good! 8.4 mpg & 3.0 apg could see a big increase due to versatility at the guard spot; can play the 1 & the 2 very well. 8. Sydney Colson out, Sophie Cunningham in. While Caitlin Clark remains sidelined with injury, the Fever need a reliable point guard. Cunningham has proven to be that over the past few years, on both sides of the ball. In their loss to Washington on Wednesday, Colson got the start and went 2-7 from the floor to finish with 4 points in 31 minutes. Give Sophie the starting role at PG and let her go to work. 9. A double-double isn’t enough. If Chicago wants to get on the winning track, more efficiency will be needed from their star Angel Reese. Though a dominant force on the glass, her shooting has been abysmal to start off the season. She’s shooting it at a 31% clip, which simply isn’t going to cut it. We saw last year what happened when AR shoots the ball at a higher clip: THEY WIN GAMES. If she can shoot it 50% or better from the field, Chicago wins Saturday vs Dallas. 10. A healthy Azura Stevens is the most versatile forward in the W, there I said it! This is the best she has ever looked in her pro career. She’s currently leading LA in rebounds & blocks while ranking third in points & steals. At 6’6”, nobody plays inside-out basketball as efficiently as she does. 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!

People should know that the Northern Super League is the first ever professional women’s soccer league in Canada. My favorite part so far has been... May 22, 2025 In The Know W/ NSL's Croix Soto Croix Soto What should people know about the NSL that they may not already know? What have your favorite parts been so far? People should know that the Northern Super League is the first ever professional women’s soccer league in Canada. My favorite part so far has been getting our first win against Calgary on our home field in front of our fans and I have already made new friendships that will last a lifetime. Are there any upcoming NSL matchups that women’s sports fans should get extra excited about? I would say our upcoming Ottawa game on June 7th. It will be a home game this time around and we will get the opportunity for a rematch after we lost to them away. It will be a good opportunity for redemption at home in front of our fans. When you aren’t watching women’s soccer, what is other women’s sport and or women’s athlete that you love watching? I watch my friends who play in the NWSL because I love cheering them on and watching them do great things from a distance. I also love watching track and field especially during the Olympics. It’s amazing to watch the records be broken and watch the sport continue to grow in such a positive way. I love how track athletes are able to have their own style and personalities come out on the track. It's also super fun to see the new looks they will have when they step onto the track. Select Northern Super League (NSL) matches are available on ESPN+. Other matches can be viewed on the league's official website at https://www.nsl.ca/ . ESPN+ has signed up to show over 40 NSL matches in the inaugural 2025 season, including playoffs and the final. SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Croix Soto is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Canadian club AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League . Soto started all four years she attended University of Oregon . She played every minute of the Ducks' 2021 season, during which Oregon held nine clean sheets in 18 games. Soto was a two-time All-Pac 12 selection. Soto signed a one-year deal in 2023 with the Kansas City Current and made eight starts in 12 appearances for the NWSL side. In November 2024, she signed with Canadian club AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League for the 2025 season. Via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croix_Soto

Sitting at 1 & 2 in the Eastern Cup standings, these two will play in a game that could end up being one of the most-watched of the year! June 13, 2025 Must-Watch Games + MVP, DPOY & ROY Leaders heading into Week 5 EJ Arocho Seattle Storm vs Golden State Valkyries Saturday, June 14th at 8:30 pm ET Seattle is beginning to gel & look like the team we all thought they’d be! Balanced scoring saw a huge upset of [previously] undefeated Minnesota to take the lead in the Commissioner’s Cup Western Conference. They’ll face a pair of Cali teams in LA & Golden State for the first time this season to close out Cup play, but it’s Saturday’s contest vs the surging Valkyries that I’m circling in bright red as must-see TV! The Valks are riding a wave of momentum, beating both Vegas (in blow-out fashion) & LA last week. Rookie Janelle Salaün will be away competing in EuroBasket and leaves a sizeable hole in the offense at 11.8 PPG. This game will be crucial for both teams and could ultimately determine the Top 3 in the leaderboard. Las Vegas Aces vs Minnesota Lynx Tuesday, June 17th at 8:00 pm ET The two leaders in the early race for ROY will clash for the first time this season. Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in the league, while Vegas finds themselves in a struggle and near the bottom of the Commissioner’s Cup standings. Something that may totally change the outcome of this game will be whether or not reigning MVP A’ja Wilson will suit up. She exited Wednesday’s contest vs Los Angeles in what the team called “a head injury.” I don’t think there’s a single player on the Aces roster who can make up for the type of production A’ja brings on both offense and defense, so if she’s out, it could spell big trouble. We haven’t quite seen Jewell Loyd get going, but if she can play like the Olympian she is, Vegas has a shot against anybody. For Minnesota, it’s excellent ball movement and balanced scoring that’s been the catalyst for their early season success. While they have a clear superstar in Napheesa Collier, they have three others averaging at least 11.0 ppg and another three averaging at least 6.0 ppg. Collier (averaging 25.4 ppg) has looked like the best player in the W through one month and has emerged as the leader for MVP. New York Liberty vs Indiana Fever Saturday, June 14th at 3:00 pm ET Sitting at 1 & 2 in the Eastern Cup standings, these two will play in a game that could end up being one of the most-watched of the year! Indy has been without Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham (both have yet to play a Commissioner’s Cup game) for the past two weeks but are hopeful for a return this weekend. It’s likely New York will be missing Jonquel Jones who went down on June 5th with an ankle injury, but receive good news from Nyara Sabally who withdrew from EuroBasket and is marked “available.” With their full lineup in-tact, I think Indiana has a big chance to take down the reigning champs, but if still short-handed, I think Stewie, Sabrina & co. will prove too much to handle. Too many options, too much depth. Dallas Wings Make-or-Break Week Paige Bueckers is back and looking better than before, but Dallas still isn’t winning. While they’re certainly out of Cup contention, games this week against Vegas and Golden State will be crucial to try and swing some momentum and build confidence. It could get ugly quick if they don’t start clicking soon, and if a winless June ensues, it would drop the Wings to 1-17 & all but take them out of playoff contention. We saw what can happen when Paige gets assertive with the ball & dictates the offense: a 35-point explosion vs Phoenix. Dallas’s super-scorer Arike Ogunbowale has struggled with efficiency lately, going 2-10 from the field on Wednesday and 6-20 on Sunday. This team features one of the league’s most prolific scorers, best rookies & best defenders. If they can play to their strengths, the growing pains of playing together could all be worth it come the second half of the season. Chicago Sky vs Atlanta Dream Friday, June 13th at 7:30 pm ET A loss to Atlanta would drop Chicago to 0-3 and out of CC contention. Needless to say, they need this dub badly! They’re on a two-game skid which have both been blowouts, so a win here would do wonders for team morale and renewed focus. But it won’t be easy: The league’s leader in rebounds, Angel Reese, will face a tall task, going head-to-head with 6’9” Brittney Griner on the glass. 6’7” Kamilla Cardoso will have to be aggressive on the boards if Chicago wants to win that battle. Also, losing one of the best pass-first point guards in league history in Courtney Vandersloot (ACL tear) leaves them down a starter and focal point of their offense. Reese is coming off the best game of the season vs NY, while Bec Allen, pushed into the starting rotation for the first time, is coming off her worst. DPOY Leader: A’ja Wilson Ranking 3rd in defensive rebounds (7.5 drpg) tied for 2nd in steals (2.0 spg) & leading the league in blocks (2.6 bpg). A’ja is well on her way to winning her 3rd DPOY Award in the past 4 seasons. Others to watch: Napheesa Collier, Natasha Cloud, DiJonai Carrington, Gabby Williams, Jonquel Jones. ROY Leader: KiKi Iriafen Averaging 14.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg & 1.0 apg. She leads the Mystics in rebounds & ranks 2nd in scoring. She also currently ranks 3rd in the WNBA in o-boards, 9th in defensive boards & 4th in rebounds overall. Others to watch: Sonia Citron, Paige Bueckers, Lexi Held, Janelle Salaün. 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!

At Defy the Odds, we work with LFG – Let’s Fantasy Game because we recognize the incredible momentum behind women’s sports and the untapped potential of fantasy gaming to drive even greater engagement. April 15, 2025 Startup Accelerator Defy The Odds Partners with LFG! Defy The Odds Staff At Defy the Odds , we work with LFG – Let’s Fantasy Game because we recognize the incredible momentum behind women’s sports and the untapped potential of fantasy gaming to drive even greater engagement. Fantasy gameplay doesn’t just deepen the connection of existing fans—it also creates new pathways for audiences to discover and invest in women’s sports. By blending connections, competition, and community-building, LFG has the power to turn moments into a movement, helping to grow the popularity around women’s sports in a way that is both sustainable and meaningful. We’re excited to support their journey and help shape the future of this rapidly evolving market. VISIT WEBSITE SEE MORE ARTICLES & VIDEOS About the Author Defy The Odds (DTO) is a startup accelerator founded by gaming industry veterans Kelly Kehn, Sue Scheider, and Paris Smith. DTO is on the LFG Advisory Board.