The New York Liberty have a new head coach. As a result, the Golden State Warriors will lose a key member of Steve Kerr’s staff at some point during the 2025-2026 NBA season.
Chris DeMarco was officially named the WNBA franchise’s new coaching hire on Friday afternoon. Shortly after it was revealed that DeMarco would be taking the job, it was reported that Steph Curry carried some influence in the process.
“Sabrina Ionescu reached out to Steph Curry during this hiring process to get his thoughts on Chris DeMarco,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported on Friday.
Ionescu, the 27-year-old star point guard for the Liberty, has been close with Curry since she was starring at Oregon from 2016 to 2020. The two also competed against each other in a historic NBA-WNBA crossover event at the NBA All-Star weekend in 2024.
Seeing as though DeMarco is a longtime assistant for the Warriors in Golden State, where Curry spent his entire career, he knows the coach from a player’s standpoint better than anybody. Ionescu must’ve received valuable information to take back to the Liberty’s organization.
DeMarco heads to a Liberty squad that’s primed for another title run. They just won the WNBA Championship in 2024. Coaching alongside a championship-winning head coach, running a roster full of stars over time, DeMarco has plenty of experience to bring to the table in New York. First, he’ll have to wrap up his time with the Warriors.
“Chris DeMarco will be on the bench tonight, and I would say the near future,” Slater reported. “Him and the Warriors are figuring out when his departure will be. It will be at some point during the season when they lose him. They are going to lose, basically, one of their defensive strategists. He’s been the right-hand man for Mike Brown, Kenny Atkinson, and now Jerry Stackhouse, you know, strategizing the defense. It’s not news that blindsided the Warriors. They were, in some ways, part of the hiring process.”
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA’s latest collective bargaining proposal would include revenue sharing with a maximum salary of more than $1.1 million available to more than one player per team growing each year, according to a person familiar with the negotiations on Tuesday night.
WNBA officials updated the board on the latest proposal at meetings this week, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because ongoing negotiations are private. The new league minimum would be more than $220,000 with an average of more than $460,000.
Those numbers would start in the first year of the deal for more than 180 players and increase over the length of the CBA.
People familiar with the WNBA’s latest proposal described the plan to the AP as a highly lucrative package providing substantial increases over prior years and designed to bring negotiations to a quick conclusion.
The current CBA was set to expire Oct. 31 when the WNBA and the players union agreed to continue negotiations to Nov. 30, allowing more time to negotiate a deal that would be revolutionary for the players in terms of salary.
The players exercised their right to opt out of the current CBA last year with hopes of getting, among other things, increased revenue sharing, higher salaries, improved benefits and a softer salary cap. When the last CBA expired in 2019, both sides agreed to a 60-day extension with a CBA eventually ratified in January 2020.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was hopeful before the 2025 All-Star Game that everyone would be talking about how great the next CBA would be at the 2026 All-Star Game.
“I’m still really optimistic that we’ll get something done that would be transformational,” Engelbert said in July.
WNBA MVP finalist Alyssa Thomas on Tuesday became the second player to join Project B, the new women’s basketball league that is expected to begin in Europe and Asia in November 2026.
The Phoenix Mercury star announced her decision on social media a week after Nneka Ogwumike told The Associated Press that she also would play in the new league offering players high salaries and an equity stake.
“Alyssa is the kind of player and person you build around,” Project B’s chief basketball officer, Alana Beard, told the AP. “Her leadership, competitiveness and professionalism elevate everyone around her. As one of the most respected players in the world, she represents the new era of player partnership and global competition that Project B stands for.”
Thomas led the Phoenix Mercury to the WNBA Finals this past season before the team lost to the Las Vegas Aces in four games. The 6-foot-2 forward spent her first 11 seasons with the Connecticut Sun, twice leading them to the WNBA Finals while earning five All-Star nods.
The 33-year-old has spent previous offseasons playing overseas before joining Unrivaled for its inaugural season last year. Thomas will be back this January in the 3-on-3 league that also features many top WNBA players. Project B and Unrivaled will have overlapping dates going forward.
“We’re confident with what we’ve built in collaboration with our athletes, partners and investors,” Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said in a statement. “We remain consistent in our approach to pay players competitively, provide a meaningful stake in the business and keep them home year-round.”
Project B will have 66 players divided into six teams. Each player will receive a larger salary than those currently offered by the WNBA. They also are expected to be higher than those at Unrivaled.
While the financial specifics haven’t been disclosed, the potential of more lucrative compensation comes at an important moment for women’s professional basketball. As interest in the sport has soared in recent years, the WNBA and players union are locked in tense negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement, with much of the dispute centered on salary and revenue sharing.
Project B plans to play the inaugural season through April 2027. That would not interfere with the typical WNBA calendar.
More than 700 community and business leaders attended the event.
Clark discussed focus, leadership, and challenges in professional sports.
She highlighted her foundation’s work supporting youth and communities.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark made her first visit to Long Island on Wednesday, speaking before more than 700 local leaders at the Long Island Association’s annual fall luncheon at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.
They were there to glean insights from the 23-year-old Indiana Fever guard, who spoke about basketball, leadership, coaching and more.
In a one-on-one conversation with Matt Cohen, president and CEO of the Long Island Association (LIA), Clark spoke about the benefits of focus and passion for the game.
“I really love my craft, and I love getting better at it,” she said, adding that not everyone shares the same passion for putting in the hours at the gym to excel.
Clark holds the distinction of being the youngest and first female professional athlete to address the LIA’s fall luncheon, an event typically featuring political leaders, authors or athletes.
On Wednesday, LIA Chair Larry Waldman told the crowd that this year the organization is taking “a break from politics,” which won applause in the room.
Cohen has described Clark as a “transformational figure” in sports who “has in many ways transcended the sport of women’s basketball, and she’s changed the economics of the league.”
In Woodbury on Wednesday, Clark said that she considers New York a top place to play basketball, adding that the crowd and support here are “really fun.”
Still, she said there are challenges that sports fans may never see. For example, injuries and setbacks bring disappointment, she said. But those experiences have helped her “become a better teammate,” she added.
She emphasized the importance of showing up for teammates, saying, that often “those are the teams that win at the end of the day.”
A businesswoman and philanthropist, Clark said earning her degree in marketing at the University of Iowa help her in these roles. Now with partnerships with such companies as Nike and Gatorade, Clark stressed the importance of collaborating with “brands that align with who I am.”
Asked by Cohen if she had any advice for some of the university leaders at the luncheon about working with student athletes, Clark pointed out that the athletes are typically 22 years old and younger who are beginning to find their footing. Support from coaches and university leaders can help young athletes navigate their paths, she said.
Philanthropy through the Caitlin Clark Foundation, Clark said, is a highlight for her. The nonprofit aims to “uplift and improve the lives of youth and their communities through education, nutrition and sport,” according to the foundation. The organization has installed athletic courts in Iowa and Indianapolis for kids to play sports, orchestrated backpack giveaways and more.
Giving back, she said, was part of her upbringing.
Clark often steered the conversation back to her family, who kept her grounded as a young athlete.
She offered advice to young athletes today.
“Just enjoy it,” she said.
Pointing out that it wasn’t that long ago since she was a high school athlete, she reflected on those days, calling them “some of my best memories.”
Caitlin Clark’s superstardom is unprecedented in the world of women’s sports.
Since her WNBA entrance as the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, Clark has facilitated countless TV viewership and in-person attendance records for the league. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer electrified the sports world in her debut professional season, setting several all-time league records and winning Rookie of the Year.
While Clark missed the majority of the 2025 WNBA season with a variety of injury issues, she remains one of the most influential athletes in the world.
On Wednesday, Forbes released its inaugural 2025 list of America’s Most Powerful Women in Sports.
Clark ranks No. 4 on the list, trailing only New Orleans Saints/Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, FanDuel CEO Amy Howe and Nike Brand president Amy Montagne.
Clark is the top-ranked active athlete on the list, leading a prestigious group featuring names like Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Coco Gauff, A’ja Wilson, Simone Biles and Nelly Korda.
“Caitlin Clark has turned her record-breaking college basketball career into early dominance in the WNBA,” Forbes writes in its description of Clark. “Her estimated $8.1 million in income from her rookie season with the Indiana Fever was bolstered by big deals with Nike, Wilson and Gatorade and signals a shift in how female athletes are being valued in the world of professional sports.
“Last month, the Fever announced that Clark would be sidelined with an injury for the remainder of the WNBA season to focus on her recovery, but the injury doesn’t change the fact that Clark has, in the last two years, been the spark that lit the match that set women’s sports on fire.”
Clark burst onto the WNBA scene in 2024, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and a league-leading 8.4 assists per game as an All-Star point guard for the Fever. She became the first rookie in WNBA history to record multiple triple-doubles in her debut campaign, and set the league’s all-time single-season assist record (337).
Clark appeared in just 13 games for the Fever in 2025, averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. Despite her absence throughout the WNBA postseason, Indiana played its way to the semifinals before ultimately falling to the eventual-champion Las Vegas Aces.
Clark will look to resume her stellar play when she returns to the court for the Fever in 2026.
The Las Vegas Aces will shut down the Las Vegas Strip on Friday, October 17 for their third WNBA championship victory parade and rally in four years. The Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in Game 4 of the finals at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Friday, October 10, completing a 4-0 sweep.
A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates with Chelsea Gray #12 and Jewell Loyd #24 after winning Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Friday, October 10, 2025. (Image: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. at Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. As with previous Aces parades, this one will travel north in the southbound lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard, turning left onto Park Avenue and Connector Road and ending at Toshiba Plaza outside T-Mobile Arena, the team’s home.
The first Las Vegas Aces’ WNBA championship victory parade and rally closes down the Las Vegas Strip on September 20, 2022. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Here, a two-hour rally will be filled with emotional speeches and live music. (In 2023, rapper 2 Chainz performed.)
To watch the rally, fans are advised by organizers to line up along the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard and Park Avenue.
Toshiba Plaza will open to the public at 3 p.m., with the celebration expected to last until around 7:30 p.m. An official Aces pop-up store will open at Toshiba Plaza at 4 p.m.
Closures
Great news for Las Vegas Aces fans eager to celebrate their favorite WNBA team means bad news for visitors attempting to navigate the Las Vegas Strip for any other reason.
Beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday, driving on the Strip will be impossible. Plan to do a lot more walking, through a lot denser crowds, than normal. Monorails will run but not RTC buses. Rideshare drop-offs are encouraged south of Tropicana Avenue.
Area Affected
Closure Details
Duration
Southbound Las Vegas Boulevard
Full closure from Tropicana Avenue to Park Avenue (near T-Mobile Arena)
Setup starts 4 p.m.; full closure 5–7:30 p.m.; reopens ~7:30–11 p.m. or later
Cross Streets (Flamingo, Harmon, Spring Mountain)
Rolling closures and detours at major intersections like Caesars Palace/Flamingo
Intermittent during parade; some setup from 6 a.m.
Tropicana Ave. to Aria Place
Partial/full southbound closure for staging
From ~4 p.m. until event ends
Park Avenue and Toshiba Plaza Area
Closure for rally and dispersal
Post-parade (~7:30 p.m. onward) until cleanup
For the latest, monitor official sources including the Aces’ website (lvaces.com) and police announcements on X (@LVMPD), as weather or logistics could adjust plans.
(CNN) — Three of a kind! The Las Vegas Aces can now call themselves the WNBA’s latest dynasty.
The Aces secured the 2025 WNBA championship following a 97-86 win over the Phoenix Mercury Friday to sweep the Finals.
It is Las Vegas’ third title in four seasons and were led by no other than superstar A’ja Wilson.
The 29-year-old Wilson finished with 31 points and nine rebounds to add another ring to her collection of accolades which include being named MVP for a record-breaking fourth time this season.
It wasn’t the only history Wilson made.
She was named Finals MVP for the second time in her career, and has now become the first player in WNBA history to win MVP, FMVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
An emotional Wilson shared an embrace with her partner, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, following the win.
“For us to be able to celebrate this, it’s truly special,” Wilson told ESPN on making history. “We worked our butts off to get to this point. And now its time to have some fun. I wish I could take this credit but this is God’s work. This ain’t got nothing to do with me. This is not about X’s and O’s. This is from what’s inside.”
Just like the story in Game 3 a few days ago, it wasn’t an easy road to victory for Las Vegas.
Despite a 16-point deficit going into halftime, the Mercury have proven in these Finals that no one can ever count them out.
Phoenix clawed their way back into the game in the third quarter, cutting the Aces lead to just 12 behind forward Kahleah Copper scoring 12 of her 30 points in the period.
Late in the third, it all came to a crashing halt as Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected after being issued a double technical for arguing a foul call on guard Monique Akoa Makani.
The second-year coach appeared to be confused after the foul call before exiting the court and heading into the locker room tunnel.
The ejection grew the ire of Copper.
“I think the refs aren’t doing a good job tonight, I’m sorry,” Copper told ESPN during an in-game interview. “But we’ve just got to keep our heads.”
The Mercury kept up their resilience throughout the fourth quarter, turning it into a six-point game at one point but Las Vegas proved to be too much.
Copper would foul out of the game late in the fourth quarter just as the Aces appeared to have all but wrapped up the victory.
The Aces have now won their third title in four seasons. Credit: Stephen Gosling/NBAE / Getty Images via CNN Newsource
As the buzzer sounded and Aces players and coaches rushed onto the Mortgage Matchup Center floor to celebrate the win, guard Chelsea Gray commended her team for getting through the adversity they faced all season.
“This team has been through hell and back,” an emotional Gray told ESPN after the game before hugging head coach Becky Hammon. “What a run. Everyone stepped up. Everybody. We got the best player in the world in A’ja Wilson. … We’re champions bro.”
The start of the 2025 season was a grueling one for the Aces, starting out 14-14 before winning their last 16 regular season games.
As WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was booed loudly while addressing the Phoenix crowd, it was Aces and NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis who got to hoist the WNBA championship trophy first.
A fiery way to end the 2025 WNBA Finals
The loss is a familiar feeling for Phoenix, who have now lost in the WNBA Finals for the second time in five years.
Tibbetts didn’t mince words about his ejection and the refereeing.
“To me, that’s embarrassing. I feel bad that I was tossed. Been around this game a long time. I think it’s one of the weakest double technicals ever,” Tibbetts told reporters after the game. “I didn’t even know I got the second one, to be completely honest. I don’t understand it.”
Tibbetts added he wasn’t trying to get himself ejected.
“We’re playing for our playoff lives. Most coaches when they get tossed, you’re doing it on purpose. That was not my intention at all,” he added. “There’s been issues with the officiating all year. I have to look at it. I feel like I didn’t deserve that.”
When asked about her comments to ESPN during the game, Copper stopped short of expanding on her feelings.
“It’s cool. It’s done. We don’t even got to talk about that. It’s cool. It’s done,” Copper said.
Phoenix has won three championships in their franchise history, the last coming in 2014. The team came into Friday’s win-or-go-home game shorthanded after forward Satou Sabally sustained a concussion late in Game 3 and suffered another blow when forward Alyssa Thomas appeared to injure her shoulder before halftime.
She returned in the second half, but it was apparent the injury bothered her the rest of the way.
Thomas told reporters her shoulder was “good” and said she was proud of the way her team responded all season.
“I think this team just showed what we’re about. It’s a game I don’t think I ever been a part of like that, but super proud of how we fought, continued to play through everything. It’s been a great season. No one expected us to even be here,” Thomas said.
“Of course it didn’t go the way that we want it to end, but we have a lot to build on.”
A’ja Wilson scored 31 points, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young both added 18, and the Las Vegas Aces won their third WNBA championship in four seasons, beating the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 on Friday night for a four-game sweep of the Finals.
The Aces made quick work of the league’s first best-of-seven Finals. It was another offensive onslaught from Las Vegas, which scored 54 points in the first half and averaged more than 90 points per game in the series.
A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates after winning game four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Oct.10, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Wilson — a four-time MVP — was in the middle of the action once again, even if she didn’t have the best shooting night. She finished 7 of 21 from the field, but made 17 of 19 free throws. Gray made four 3-pointers, including two in the fourth quarter to help turn back a final rally by the Mercury.
The Aces led 76-62 going into the fourth quarter, but the Mercury went on an 8-0 run early that cut the deficit to 76-70 with 7:56 left. That was as close as they would get.
Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 30 points, shooting 12 of 22 from the field. Alyssa Thomas had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected in the third quarter after receiving two quick technical fouls from official Gina Cross. Tibbetts was arguing a foul call against Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani, and reacted in disbelief as he was escorted off the court.
DeWanna Bonner and Copper also got called for technical fouls in the fourth quarter.
The Aces never trailed in the series clincher, building a 30-21 lead by the end of the first quarter on 55% shooting. Jewell Loyd, Gray and Dana Evans made three straight 3s early in the second quarter to put Las Vegas ahead by 19.
Las Vegas settled for a 54-38 halftime advantage. Wilson had 14 points before the break while Gray added 10.
The Mercury were without forward Satou Sabally, who suffered a concussion near the end of Game 3. They suffered another injury blow on Friday when Thomas had to leave just before halftime after taking a hard hit to her right shoulder on a screen from Loyd.
Thomas returned for the second half but was hampered by the injury.
The Mercury enjoyed a deep playoff run under Tibbetts, but couldn’t find a way to slow down the Aces. Phoenix made it to the finals after beating the defending champion New York Liberty in the opening round and knocking off the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the semifinals.
Phoenix lost in the WNBA Finals for the second time in five years, also falling to the Chicago Sky in 2021. The Mercury have won three championships, with the last coming in 2014.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Friday there’s work to be done to repair relationships with players in the league, while adding that there were “inaccuracies” in some of the comments attributed to her by Napheesa Collier in a blistering assessment earlier this week.
“I was disheartened to hear that some players feel the league and that I personally do not care about them or listen to them,” Engelbert said before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday night. “If the players in the ‘W’ don’t feel appreciated and value from the league, we have to do better and I have to do better.”
In wide-ranging comments, Engelbert said officiating will be reviewed this offseason by a new “state of the game” committee. The commissioner also said the league and the players’ union have meetings scheduled for next week to discuss a new collective bargaining agreement. Engelbert also said she plans to remain as commissioner after a CBA is finalized.
As for comments that Collier said Engelbert made in private conversations about Caitlin Clark needing the WNBA to succeed financially, the commissioner denied saying them.
“Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game,” Engelbert said. “She’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game.”
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks prior to Game 1 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series between the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Las Vegas.
John Locher / AP
During her four-minute statement, Collier described an interaction she had with Engelbert in February in which she asked how the league planned to address officiating issues. According to Collier, Engelbert responded that “only the losers complain about the refs.”
The two will meet next week, either in person or virtually, Engelbert said.
Meanwhile, Engelbert believes a new CBA deal will get done, albeit not necessarily by the Oct. 31 deadline.
“That is a real deadline from that perspective. We have extended deadlines in the past,” she said. “I know last time when I was only a couple days on the job, we got to an extension and got a deal done. … I feel confident that we can get a deal done, but if not, I think we could do an extension.”
Engelbert said higher salaries for players is a goal both sides share.
“We continue to meet and have important conversations with the players’ association. I want to reiterate that we want much of the same things that the players want,” Engelbert said. “We want to significantly increase the increase their salary and benefits, while also supporting the long-term growth and viability of the WNBA.”
Engelbert said it’s clear there are differences between the way players and coaches feel about the physical nature of the game and the way the referees officiate.
The committee tasked with reforming officiating will include players, coaches, general managers and others.
“I think it’s pretty clear that we’re misaligned currently on what our stakeholders want from officiating,” Engelbert said. “We have heard loud and clear that we have not lived up to that needed alignment.”
Engelbert said the league needs to look at “good, aggressive play that we recognize has evolved into rough play and how to calibrate the line for legal and illegal content to ensure player safety and exciting competition.”
Engelbert denied reports that she’ll be leaving the WNBA after the new CBA is finished.
“I’ve never been a quitter. I’m entering my 40th year, actually, this month in business. Never been a quitter. I’ve never shied away from tough situations,” she said.
Engelbert has delivered on many of her promises since coming into the league in 2019. She will have added six expansion teams by 2030 and secured a major new media rights deal for the next decade that will bring in more than $2.2 billion. Engelbert also had the league pay for a full charter flight program this season that the players hope will be added to the new CBA to address concerns about issues ranging from safety to travel time.
The league has enjoyed monumental growth over the last few years, and Engelbert said she knows there’s more work to be done.
LAS VEGAS — A’ja Wilson and Dana Evans each scored 21 points, and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Phoenix Mercury, 89-86, in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday night.
Wilson scored 12 of her points over the final 14 minutes, and Phoenix’s Satou Sabally missed a long 3-point attempt with two seconds left that would have tied it.
Game 2 is Sunday in Las Vegas.
Evans led an Aces bench that outscored the Mercury’s reserves 41-16. Reserve Jewell Loyd scored 18 points for second-seeded Las Vegas, and starter Jackie Young had 10. Wilson had 10 rebounds, and Chelsea Gray had 10 assists.
Kahleah Cooper scored 21 points for the fourth-seeded Mercury. Sabally added 19 points and Alyssa Thomas had 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Copper scored 19 points in the first half, one off her playoff career high for a half. Her personal best also came against the Mercury, when she scored 20 points for Chicago in the first half of Game 3 of the 2021 Finals. Copper’s five 3-pointers in the first half topped her previous high of four for a game.
If this game was any indication, these Finals – a best-of-seven series for the first time – figure to be tight throughout. The largest lead was nine points, and there were 12 lead changes and nine ties.
The Mercury threatened to take control several times, only for the Aces to respond with a run. In the end, it was Las Vegas that nearly pulled away, only for Phoenix to keep it close.
With Phoenix Down a point with 24.6 seconds left, Thomas went to the free-throw line but missed both. Young was fouled on the other end with 13.5 seconds remaining and made both free throws for the final margin.
Napheesa Collier, one of the WNBA’s top players and vice president of the players’ union, spoke out against the league’s officials and the WNBA commissioner. Her comments come after she was injured in a playoff game on a controversial play that was not called a foul.
The Indiana Fever went through about as much of an up-and-down season as any team in any sports has ever gone through. For Caitlin Clark, it was a bittersweet season that will leave her more hungry than ever for next season.
Clark was only able to play in 13 games this year due to injury issues. She missed all of the playoffs due to a groin injury. Unfortunately, the questions will remain about whether or not the Fever would have won a championship with her on the court.
On Tuesday night, Indiana saw it season come to an end in a winner-take-all Game 5 matchup on the road against the Las Vegas Aces. The Fever fought to the end, taking the Aces to overtime despite being incredibly short-staffed.
Not only was Clark out in the playoffs, Indiana was also forced to play without Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, Chloe Bibby, and Damiris Dantas. Kelsey Mitchell, the star Fever guard, also went down with an injury in Game 5.
Despite not having so many players, Indiana found a way to take Las Vegas to overtime. Heading into next season, there is no question that the Fever will be among the top-tier championship contenders.
Following Indiana’s loss to the Aces, Clark took to social media on X and shared a short and touching message to her teammates and to the Fever fan base.
“So much to be proud of,” Clark wrote. “Shoutout the fans for staying with us all year.”
Loading twitter content…
Few teams have had as much bad luck on the injury front as Indiana had this season. Stephanie White deserves a lot of credit for the job she did coaching the Fever through all of the different injuries. Even without all of those players mentioned above, Indiana was close to making it to the WNBA Finals.
While the sting of the Game 5 loss is still fresh, the future is bright for the Fever. White and Clark have a strong foundation underneath them as the team moves into the future.
Hopefully, the 2026 WNBA season will consist of much better luck. It will be interesting to see what Indiana does in the offseason and which players are back from this season. However, it was a special year and the Fever should be proud of what they were able to accomplish despite all of the adversity they faced.
For more on the Indiana Fever and for more WNBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier turned her end-of-season interview on Tuesday into a passionate and bold critique of the WNBA leadership, and referees for losing control of games.
“We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But right now, we have the worst leadership in the world,” Collier said.
In her four-minute statement, Collier described an interaction she had with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in February in which she asked how the league planned to address officiating issues.
According to Collier, Engelbert responded that “only the losers complain about the refs.”
Collier also asked about how young players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, “who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years.”
“Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,” Engelbert reportedly told Collier.
“The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings, or even missed calls, or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office,” Collier said. “Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the constant concerns about officiating, and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates.”
The Lynx were considered the best team in the league this season, but their dreams of a championship ended on Sunday with a loss in Game 4 of the semifinals to the Phoenix Mercury.
Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Collier missed the game after she was injured late in the fourth quarter of Game 3. She was tangled with Alyssa Thomas, who stole the ball from her near the three-point line, and no foul was called on the play.
Collier, who was the runner-up for MVP this season, hurt her ankle and was helped to the locker room.
“Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self sabotage,” Collier said. “Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is a lack of accountability from our leaders.”
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Engelbert said she is “disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.”
Collier’s teammates were aware she was going to issue the statement, “and we back everything Phee said,” Alanna Smith told reporters.
Head Coach Cheryl Reeve also said she supported Collier.
“Who Phee has become as a player and a person in this league is really important,” Reeve said. “Her voice is important.”
Reeve was suspended from Game 4 and fined $15,000 for her “conduct and comments” during Game 3, which included “aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing a game official on the court,” the league said in a statement.
“The officiating crew that we had tonight — for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worthy — is (expletive) malpractice,” Reeve said in a postgame press conference.
Assistant coaches Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson were also fined. Collier said the fines ignore the real problems.
“I’m sure they will fine me. I mean, it seems like anything with free speech is fined now,” Collier said.
On Tuesday, Reeve said that “being a principled person, there are things that I care deeply about. And that’s my players’ health and safety. That’s the fairness to our organization. And when those things are challenged, if I’m not going to speak up, who is going to?”
Collier also shared more details on her ankle injury on Tuesday: she tore a couple ligaments and would not have been able to play in the finals.
The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx were beaten by the Mercury 84-76 in Game 3 on Friday night, leaving Phoenix in control of their WNBA playoff semifinals series.
Satou Sabally scored 23 points for the Mercury in the game — including 15 in a stellar fourth quarter.
Phoenix has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and can reach the Finals on Sunday with a win in Game 4 in Phoenix.
Sabally hit a 3-pointer to give the Mercury a 78-76 lead with 3:05 remaining and added two free throws with 2:01 left to push the advantage to 80-76. Alyssa Thomas had a steal and layup with 21.8 seconds left that sealed the win.
A furious Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected following the layup after getting her second technical foul.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – SEPTEMBER 26: Head coach Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx is restrained by coaches after being ejected during the second half of Game Three of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena on September 26, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Napheesa Collier also got hurt on the play, rolling her ankle. She had to be helped to the locker room.
Thomas and Kahleah Copper both scored 21 points, highlighting a balanced Mercury offense. It was a tight game throughout with 15 lead changes.
Minnesota was led by Natisha Hiedeman’s 19 points off the bench. Collier added 17 points on 8 of 15 shooting while Courtney Williams added 14.
Minnesota trailed by four at halftime but rallied for a 67-63 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The 5-foot-8 Heideman gave the Lynx a big boost in the final five minutes of the third, scoring eight points.
The Mercury bounced back from an early deficit, shooting 54.3 % from the field in the first half to take a 48-44 halftime lead. Copper had 17 points before the break on 8 of 9 shooting while Thomas added 11 points and 5 rebounds. Minnesota was led by Collier’s 13 points.
The Mercury were riding high coming into Game 3 after a 20-point comeback win in Tuesday’s Game 2 that evened the series. It was tied for the third-largest comeback in WNBA playoff history.
Note: The above video first aired on Sept. 9, 2025
Satou Sabally scored 11 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and Alyssa Thomas had 19 points and 13 assists to help the Phoenix Mercury erase a 20-point deficit and beat the Minnesota Lynx 89-83 in overtime on Tuesday night, tying the WNBA semifinal series at one game apiece.
Sami Whitcomb’s 3-pointer from the wing with 4 seconds left in regulation evened the game at 79 after Thomas kept alive the possession following Whitcomb’s airballed 3 from the top of the key, and Napheesa Collier’s 18-footer for the win fell short at the buzzer to force extra time.
Thomas, who had a triple-double in the decisive Game 3 victory in the first round that ousted defending champion New York, grabbed eight rebounds and ignited the rally with her intensity after a lackluster first half. Her three-point play with 3:32 left in the fourth quarter ended a stretch of 33:28 during which the top-seeded Lynx had the lead.
Collier scored 24 points on her 29th birthday, Kayla McBride had 21 points and Courtney Williams added 20 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals for the Lynx, whose bench was outscored 25-3.
The Mercury, who played their fourth game in seven days, will host Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Friday night.
SEATTLE – The search for a new Seattle Storm coach is now underway after the team announced their head coach, Noelle Quinn, will not be returning for the 2026 season.
The WNBA team will be shaking up their leadership following the Sunday announcement.
What they’re saying:
“On behalf of our organization, I would like to thank Noelle for her time with the Storm. Her commitment to the ongoing success of our organization and to furthering the development of our players was second to none,” said Storm General Manager Talisa Rhea.
“She put us in a position to win at the highest levels of the game and for that, we are grateful,” she continued.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 11: Head coach Noelle Quinn of the Seattle Storm talks to the team during a timeout in the fourth quarter of the game against the Minnesota Lynx at Climate Pledge Arena on June 11, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle S
Noelle Quinn history with Seattle Storm
Timeline:
Quinn actually started not from a managing position, but as a regular player back in 2013. She played several years in the interim between that starting season and when she was part of the 2018 championship-winning team roster.
From there, she became an assistant coach beginning in 2019. By 2020, she had progressed to associate head coach. This was the year the team won their fourth championship.
In 2021, Quinn officially stepped into the head coaching role with the Storm.
She has the second most wins of any coach in Storm history and helped lead the team to four postseason appearances during her five-year head coaching tenure,” read the press release from team leadership, in part.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 13: Head coach Noelle Quinn of the Seattle Storm watches play during the first half of the game against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on September 13, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly ackno
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So, what are the semifinal matchups? And when will the next round begin? Here’s what to know:
Do the WNBA playoffs reseed teams?
The WNBA playoffs follow a bracket format and do not reseed teams after the first round.
What are the semifinal matchups in the WNBA playoffs?
Here’s a look at the semifinal bracket:
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 4 Phoenix Mercury
No. 2 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
How many games are in the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs?
After a best-of-three opening round, the semifinals feature a best-of-five format where the higher seed has home-court advantage in Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
When do the WNBA semifinals start?
Both semifinal series will tip off Sunday, Sept. 21.
What is the semifinal schedule in the WNBA playoffs?
Here’s what we know about the semifinal schedule so far (this section will be updated as more details are announced):
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 4 Phoenix Mercury
Game 1: Mercury at Lynx — Sunday, Sept. 21, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2: Mercury at Lynx — Tuesday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 3: Lynx at Mercury — Friday, Sept. 26, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN 2
Game 4 (if necessary): Lynx at Mercury — Sunday, Sept. 28, time TBD, TV channel TBD
Game 5 (if necessary): Mercury at Lynx — Tuesday, Sept. 30, time TBD, TV channel TBD
No. 2 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
Game 1: Fever at Aces — Sunday, Sept. 21, 3 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2: Fever at Aces — Tuesday, Sept. 23, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 3: Aces at Fever — Friday, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN 2
Game 4 (if necessary): Aces at Fever — Sunday, Sept. 28, time TBD, ABC
Game 5 (if necessary): Fever at Aces — Tuesday, Sept. 30, time TBD, TV channel TBD
How to watch, stream the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs
The WNBA postseason is airing across ESPN networks and ABC. All the action is available to stream on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark won’t return this season as injuries have forced the Indiana Fever guard to miss the remainder of 2025.
The Minnesota Lynx’s Alanna Smith was voted WNBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, sharing the award with Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson.
Each player received 29 votes from the 72 media members who participated. It’s the first time the award, first given out in the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997, went to more than one player.
The Lynx led the WNBA with 97.5 points per 100 possessions. Smith was second in combined steals and blocks with 135 and third in average blocks with 1.9 and total blocks with 80, both career highs. The total blocks set a franchise record for the Lynx.
Minnesota held opponents to 76.7 points per game on 42.3% shooting.
She is the second Minnesota player in a row to at least share this award. Napheesa Collier was voted the league’s top defensive player in 2024, making the Lynx the first team to have two different players win the award in consecutive seasons.
Wilson, who also won the award in 2022 and 2023, tied Sheryl Swoopes for the third-highest number of times capturing top defensive player. Tamika Catchings owns the record with five and Sylvia Fowles is next with four, two of which she won with Minnesota.
Wilson led the league with 2.3 blocks per game, was third with 7.9 defensive rebounds per game and finished fourth with an average of 1.6 steals.
Wilson and Collier are the front-runners for MVP, so whether the defensive player voting was any kind of harbinger for what could be a close vote remains to be seen. That award will be announced Sunday.
The Lynx captured the top seed for the playoffs, and the Aces were second. The Lynx dispatched the Golden State Valkyries in the first round and await their second-round opponent.
Wilson and Smith were far ahead of the others in votes for top defender. Seattle’s Gabby Williams was third with nine votes, Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas had three and Collier two.
September 17th, 2025; New York Liberty fall to the Phoenix Mercury 86-60 in during Round 1 Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
(Brandon Todd/New York Liberty)
The New York Liberty wanted to take advantage of home court Wednesday night to advance to the semifinals in a dominant fashion, but instead it crumbled. As soon as the second quarter started, the Phoenix Mercury realized it was win or go home, and they decided to win.
The score was tied at the end of the first quarter, but the Mercury took complete command from there to secure the 86-60 win and force a Game 3.
Phoenix swarmed whoever had the ball and New York struggled maintaining possession. The Liberty turned the ball over 15 times, which was six less than Game 1, but the Mercury capitalized and converted them into 25 points.
“We’re a way better team than what we showed today,” said New York head coach Sandy Brondello. “So I was disappointed with that. We turned the ball over and gave them easy baskets in transition and just went away from what was working for us in the first game.”
The first quarter seemed to be setting up another tight game. New York jumped out to a 14-8 lead and looked dominant on both sides of the floor for the first five minutes. However, Phoenix didn’t get too behind and fought back to tie the score at 25 at the end of the frame.
Despite the score locked, the Liberty outrebounded the Mercury 11-7 and had five blocks in the first 10 minutes. Phoenix’s advantage came from the free throw line, where it made all seven of its attempts and New York went just 2-of-7.
September 17th, 2025; New York Liberty fall to the Phoenix Mercury 86-60 in during Round 1 Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY (Brandon Todd/New York Liberty)
The second quarter was a completely different story and it no longer felt like the defending champions’ home court.
“We wanted to send this to a game three,” said Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas. “I think you could feel it out there tonight, every possession, every loose ball, every rebound, we were fighting like it was the last one. We weren’t ready for our season to be over.”
Satou Sabally started the fire with the Mercury’s first seven points of the quarter. She took advantage of Breanna Stewart not being at full health and drove past her twice. Phoenix was completely fueled from there and rattled off seven points in just 58 seconds to take a 41-30 lead with 4:46 left before halftime.
New York was desperate to spark any sort of momentum and used a technical foul given to Sabally as a glimmer of hope. The Liberty ended the quarter on a 7-2 run, but they couldn’t build on it out of the locker room.
Phoenix outscored New York 26-12 in the second quarter, with four of the Liberty’s points coming from the free throw line.
New York couldn’t get anything going on offense as every player struggled to find the bottom of the net. Emma Meesseman finished the night with a team-high 11 points, except it all came in the first and third quarter. Sabrina Ionescu was next in line with nine points, but it came from 3-of-13 field goals, 1-of-8 three-pointers, and 2-of-6 free throws.
September 17th, 2025; New York Liberty fall to the Phoenix Mercury 86-60 in during Round 1 Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY (Brandon Todd/New York Liberty)
Meanwhile, the Mercury had a list of players to choose from to get a bucket. They had five players reach double digits with Thomas and Sabally notching 15, Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner adding 14, and Kathryn Westbeld contributing 10.
“All of us have to step our game up, step our defense up, our offense up,” said New York center Jonquel Jones. “Looking at the stat sheet, we’re such a powerful team offensively, and tonight they were able to really congest us and kind of muck things up.”
The Liberty weren’t able to make the adjustments needed during halftime and allowed six points within the first four minutes to extend its deficit to 57-37. They took a timeout but still couldn’t get past their woes and the score read 69-47 at the end of the third quarter. New York held Phoenix to 69 points during the 45-minute Game 1.
The game was all but decided and the Liberty gave their starters a rest. With 4:54 left in the game they faced their largest deficit at 31 points. New York’s only player on the court with points at that time was Kennedy Burke with six.
The outcome was simply waiting for the clock to expire and the Liberty will now travel back to Phoenix for a win or go home Game 3.
“We can’t go out and play the same way we did and expect a different result,” Ionescu said. “We have to go out and make the adjustments and play like our season’s on the line, because it is, and so is theirs. It’s going to come down to who can execute, who can string together the best 40 minutes of basketball.”
Napheesa Collier made a go-ahead 18-footer with 1:24 left on the way to 24 points, and the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx rallied from a 17-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the Golden State Valkyries 75-74 on Wednesday night and move on in the WNBA playoffs.
Collier shot 10 for 16 and followed up her 20-point performance in Game 1 with a 14-point second half to bring her team back — and give the Lynx another chance to keep chasing that championship they just missed last year.
The Valkyries had one final chance with four seconds remaining following a shot-clock violation, and Cecilia Zandalasini couldn’t convert a jumper.
Kayla McBride made a go-ahead scoop shot for Minnesota with 2:48 to go after DiJonai Carrington connected on a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:18 remaining to pull Minnesota within 70-69. McBride wound up with 18 points
Veronica Burton had 13 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals as the expansion Valkyries nearly extended their special season. Monique Billings scored 15 points off the bench.
Carrington banked in a 3-pointer with 8:30 left that got the Lynx within 63-56 and McBride’s jumper made it a five-point game at the 7:19 mark before Golden State called timeout. The Valkyries immediately committed a shot-clock violation and McBride scored again.
Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half of Game 2 in the first round of the WNBA basketball playoffs against the Golden State Valkyries, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in San Jose, Calif.
Godofredo A. Vásquez / AP
The Valkyries, cheered by their raucous sellout crowd of 18,543, were in control for much of the game — unlike their 101-72 Game 1 defeat Sunday.
Billings rebounded her own miss just before the third-quarter buzzer, scored and converted a three-point play to put Golden State ahead 63-49 going into the final 10 minutes. But Minnesota kept creeping back.
After the final buzzer, fans chanted “GSV!” to celebrate a season in which Golden State made WNBA history by becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season.
And the Valkyries were unfazed playing in an unfamiliar venue for their first postseason home game. That “Balhalla” home-court advantage had to relocate nearly 50 miles south to the NHL San Jose Sharks’ SAP Center because the Laver Cup tennis showcase had booked Chase Center before Golden State had even been granted an expansion team.
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski was one of the biggest supporters, sitting courtside with owner Joe Lacob and Warriors President Brandon Schneider.
Golden State lost all four regular-season meetings, three by double figures, so this one will both sting and show these women how close they are. Starting center Temi Fagbenle was a late scratch Wednesday because of right knee pain.
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase was recognized before the game as WNBA Coach of the Year and Burton the league’s most improved player.
NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Sept. 14, 2025.
