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Maitreyi Anantharaman

Dominique Malonga #14 of the Seattle Storm blocks a shot by Elizabeth Williams #1 of the Chicago Sky during the second half at Wintrust Arena on July 24, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Dominique Malonga Gets It Done In Small Doses

Brittney Sykes #15 of the Washington Mystics holds a "Pay the Players" sign following the 2025 AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

WNBA Players Want To Share In The League’s “Hypergrowth”

Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever talks to the media during a press conference before the match-up against the Brazil National Team, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 4, 2025 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Christine Brennan’s Caitlin Clark Book Is More About Gripes Than Greatness

Ray Ratto

UNCASVILLE, CT - MAY 18: Red Panda performs during halftime of a WNBA game between the Washington Mystics and the Connecticut Sun on May 18, 2025, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Get Well Soon, Red Panda

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert talks to the crowd before the game between the Washington Mystics and the Minnesota Lynx at Carefirst Arena on June 24, 2025 in Washington, DC.

The WNBA And Its Expansion Fees Are Getting Bigger

Jackie Young #0 and Jewell Loyd #24 of the Las Vegas Aces talk as they wait for an Indiana Fever player to shoot a free throw in the fourth quarter of their game at T-Mobile Arena on June 22, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Fever 89-81.

Can You Count Out The Aces?

Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase (left) talks with guard Carla Leite (right) during the second quarter of a WNBA game between the Golden State Valkyries and Dallas Wings on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at College Park Center in Arlington, TX.

The WNBA Had Too Much Going On Last Night

Isabelle Harrison #21 of the New York Liberty goes to the basket as Michaela Onyenwere #12, Angel Reese #5, and Kamilla Cardoso #10 of the Chicago Sky defend during the second half at Barclays Center on June 10, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Liberty won 85-66.

Yes, The Sky Is Falling For The Sky

Patrick Redford

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 21: Veronica Burton (center) #22 of the Golden State Valkyries celebrates with her team after the Valkyries beat the Washington Mystics at Chase Center on May 21, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Golden State Valkyries Are Beloved And Ahead Of Schedule

The Dallas Wings bench reacts during the third quarter of the game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 3, 2025 in Seattle, Washington.

All The Dallas Wings Have Left Is A Prayer

Lauren Theisen

Ellie the Elephant, the New York Liberty mascot, performs before the game between the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun

The Liberty Are Godzilla And The WNBA Is A Bunch Of Tall Buildings

Kathryn Westbeld #24 (L) of the Phoenix Mercury celebrates with Alyssa Thomas #25 after defeating the Chicago Sky 94-89 in the WNBA game at PHX Arena on May 27, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Mercury Are Getting Plenty Of Help From Their Intriguing Randos

Samer Kalaf

Caitlin Clark reacts after a turnover in a game against the Liberty.

Media Meltdowns

Christine Brennan Won’t Rest Until Caitlin Clark’s Muscle Strain Is Treated As A National Crisis

New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) drives past Indiana Fever forward DeWanna Bonner (25) and goes in for two during a WNBA game between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever on May 24, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.

Natasha Cloud Is A Kid In New York’s Candy Store

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve and Napheesa Collier #24 talk with referee Tim Greene after a foul call in the fourth quarter against the New York Liberty during Game Five of the WNBA Finals at Barclays Center on October 20, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime to win the championship.

An Old Grudge, A New Team, A Swole Caitlin: The 2025 WNBA Season Preview

<p>Maya Goldberg-Safir writes about women’s basketball and splits her time between Chicago and Oakland, where she was born and raised. She is the creator of <a href="https://wnbaroughnotes.substack.com/">Rough Notes</a>, a newsletter chronicling women’s basketball from the court, the road, and the heart.</p>


Maya Goldberg-Safir

History

How The Japanese-American Basketball Leagues Built Natalie Nakase

French player Dominique Malonga speaks to the press during the 2025 WNBA Draft at the Shed in New York City on April 14, 2025.

Dominique Malonga Is Ready To Light Up The WNBA

Azzi Fudd #35 of the UConn Huskies celebrates during the trophy ceremony after beating the South Carolina Gamecocks 82-59 to win the National Championship of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Amalie Arena on April 06, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.

College Basketball

Azzi Fudd And The Huskies Finally Got Their Crowning Moment

Sarah Strong #21 and Paige Bueckers #5 of the UConn Huskies react on the bench against the UCLA Bruins during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at Amalie Arena on April 4, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.

Sarah Strong Doesn’t Act Her Age


<p>Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


Diana Moskovitz

TCU Horned Frogs forward Sedona Prince (#13) dribbles up court during the Big 12 college basketball game between the TCU Horned Frogs and Baylor Bears on January 26, 2025 at Ed &amp; Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Silence Surrounding Sedona Prince Is A Look Into Sports’ Future

Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda #32 of the Texas Longhorns reacts in front of Hailey Van Lith #10 of the TCU Horned Frogs during the second half in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 31, 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Texas Cut TCU To Pieces

Bree Hall #23 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 30, 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks Are Escape Artists

UCLA Bruins gathers against the LSU Lady Tigers during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Spokane Arena on March 30, 2025 in Spokane, Washington.

UCLA Finally Finds Its Place

JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans is attended to by team staff after being injured against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the Second Round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Galen Center on March 24, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

JuJu Watkins’s Season Ends With A Torn ACL

JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans is defended by Paige Bueckers #5 of the Connecticut Huskies during the second half of an NCAA women's basketball game at the XL Center on December 21, 2024 in Hartford, Connecticut.

Women's Basketball