Entering the WNBA offseason with some larger contracts coming off the books and cap space available to address needs on the roster, the Minnesota Lynx were determined to add to the team and build off a year where they returned to the postseason in 2023. The Lynx were aggressive early on in what turned out to be an active free agency period. They not only dipped into free agency but also via the trade market to add to the roster ahead of the 2024 campaign.  A few days before free agent signings could be announced, Minnesota made its first move of the offseason. The Lynx added 27-year-old f ..read more

“Our team plays so free. They do not flinch.” These, the words of South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley in the aftermath of her team’s historic 87-75 win over Iowa on Sunday, tying an emphatic bow on 38 wins, zero losses, and the Gamecocks third National Championship since 2017.  Who am I to craft a lede of my own phrasing when the moment calls for us to pause, hear Dawn Staley, and appreciate her joyous team of champions? To beam at what Staley has created and internalize how she approaches the hefty responsibility implicit in coaching college basketball?  A team in the biggest game ..read more

Breathe, basketball fans.  After an exciting record-breaking evening of hoops that saw a 41-piece from Caitlin Clark, the continuation of the Paige Bueckers comeback season, NC State knocking top-seeded Texas out, and South Carolina handing the Oregon State Beavers a ticket home, the Final Four for the women’s NCAA tournament is finally here.  The four college clubs remaining—the NC State Wolfpack, the University of Connecticut Huskies, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks—begin play on Friday, April 5, to earn a spot in Sunday’s championship game (at 3 PM E ..read more

The adjustment period from college basketball to professional basketball differs for each player. There may be feelings of surprise or subdued excitement when a star player gets to the WNBA and their first season or two does not match the high standard they set in college. Maddy Siegrist is one of many players that have fallen into that category: a talented player that is waiting to blossom. Siegrist had gone from a record-breaking college career at Villanova to being drafted third overall by the Dallas Wings in 2023. The first pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever, a ..read more

As part of the WNBA’s Player Marketing Agreement (PMA), Seattle Storm superstar Jewell Loyd took her talent and leadership skills to Africa to immerse herself in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).  Entering its fourth season this year, the BAL—in partnership with the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA)—is a professional league that features the top 12 teams in Africa. From March to June, teams compete in 48 games across Africa, including in Pretoria, South Africa; Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; and Kigali, Rwanda. This is the first time the BAL will be competing in Sout ..read more

It’s been a few months since my last mock draft, and so much has changed between now and then. We’re now post-free agency and on the cusp of March Madness, so it’s time to revisit my previous thinking, and just like last year, I’m bringing aboard the Winsidr GOAT and women’s ball expert, Rachel Galligan, to make her selections. That’s right—for this year’s Mock 2.0, we are each going to make picks. Some will surely be the same and some will be different, but we’ll provide you with our thoughts for each selection of the thought experiment. This time, there are no caveats. Every draft-eligible p ..read more

Jordin Canada is no stranger to making adjustments. She’s had to do it her whole basketball career, dating back to her time playing at UCLA. “Back when I was in college,” Canada told me, “I was sort of thrust into a starting role as a freshman. [The] starting point guard as a freshman having to lead juniors and seniors.” That required an immense mental shift even from Canada, who was accustomed to high playing time and success prior to her collegiate career. Canada had won an Alpha League title each year of high school at Windward School, just six miles south of UCLA’s campus.  But it was ..read more

The WNBA announced details for their upcoming draft. On April 15, top prospects will hear their names called in Brooklyn, New York, at the famed BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). WNBA Draft 2024 marks the first time the league’s draft will be a seated event with fans in attendance since the 2014-16 drafts were held at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will announce draft picks live on ESPN through the network’s exclusive coverage of the event. “We are focused on creating elevated events that WNBA fans won’t want to miss, at a time when the energy for the ..read more

Breanna Stewart has signed a one-year, unprotected deal to return The New York Liberty, reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Liberty assigned their core designation to the 2023 MVP on January 11, meaning that Stewart could not sign with another team during free agency. Per Her Hoop Stats, “the terms of the core qualifying offer are a fully guaranteed, one-year contract with a base salary equal to the supermax.” Stewart helped lead New York to the WNBA Finals last fall, where the team fell to Las Vegas in four games. The UConn graduate spent the first six seasons of her WNBA career p ..read more

Athletes Unlimited announced on Wednesday morning that they will be airing AU Hoops games on the ESPN family of networks for the first time this upcoming season, with six matchups set to appear on ESPN+. This is part of a larger multi-year renewal between Athletes Unlimited and ESPN, but the first time basketball has been included in the package. In addition, ESPN will have international rights for these competitions to air on TSN in Canada, ESPN Latin America, and other platforms.  “ESPN has been absolutely crucial to the success of Athletes Unlimited, showcasing our amazing world-class ..read more