Women Are Sports

The WNBA has named the Los Angeles Sparks’ Azurá Stevens the winner of the 2024 Seasonlong WNBA Cares Community Assist Award, honoring her for her extensive efforts to support and uplift youth across Los Angeles and surrounding communities.

Stevens, who just completed her seventh WNBA season, participated in local events throughout the 2024 season, including:

• Air West Skills Clinic: On May 8, Stevens worked with youth on fundamental basketball drills and participated in a Q&A session.
• Shoes That Fit Community Shoe Drive: On May 22, Stevens helped distribute 900 pairs of new shoes to the entire student body of South Park Elementary School in an underserved community of South Central Los Angeles.
• UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital Visit: On July 15, Stevens made one of several visits to UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital to spend one-on-time with patients and engage with parents and nurses.
• Jr. Sparks x Shiekh Impact: On Aug. 10, Stevens attended a Jr. Sparks x Shiekh Impact back-to-school event for more than 100 girls in Compton. Additionally, on Sept. 16, she helped host a Jr. Sparks clinic and shared tips about healthy habits.
• Read to Achieve: On Sept. 20 at South Park Elementary School, Stevens visited classrooms, read to students and answered questions about being a professional athlete.

On receiving the honor, Stevens said:

Community outreach is so important because, without a strong community, we wouldn’t be where we are today. The people around us help shape our identities, and where I grew up, my community played a huge role in making me the person I am today. I’m incredibly grateful to have been embraced by the Los Angeles community, and I’m excited to continue giving back and deepening my connection here. It’s an honor to be able to inspire, serve and impact the next generation, just as my community did for me.

To recognize Stevens for earning the 2024 Seasonlong WNBA Cares Community Assist Award, the league will donate $20,000 to the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County in North Carolina.

On Sunday, Nov. 17 (5 p.m. ET, ESPN), the Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings or Washington Mystics will win the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery and earn the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The Chicago Sky also are participating in the lottery; however, because the team traded pick swap rights to the Wings to acquire Marina Mabrey in 2023, the Sky’s chances effectively belong to Dallas.

That consequential transaction gives the Wings, now under the leadership of new general manager Curt Miller, the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick at 45.4 percent. The Sparks, Miller’s former team, claim the second-best odds at 44.2 percent. The Mystics have a long shot of securing the top pick at 10.4 percent. The expansion Golden State Valkyries are not included in the lottery; the WNBA’s newest franchise will have the No. 5 pick.

While UConn redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers is expected to be the prize for whichever franchise earns the right to pick first in the 2025 draft, the class projects to be a deep one, as our Eric Nemchock already has emphasized.

Here’s a brief look at what’s a stake for the three teams that could win the No. 1 pick, as well as what having a lottery pick means for the Sky:

Dallas Wings (45.4 percent)

As head coach of the Sparks, Miller encountered little luck, as his team dealt with an inordinate amount of injuries during his two-season stint in LA. Winning the draft lottery less than two weeks after being hired as Dallas’ new general manager would suggest Miller’s luck will have shifted, with the basketball gods blessing him with the right to select Bueckers.

Building a perennial contender for a franchise that has struggled to establish any sort of consistency certainly would be easier with Bueckers on board. She and Arike Ogunbowale would form quite the fearsome backcourt. Her arrival also might make it easier for Miller to convince impending unrestricted free agent Satou Sabally to re-sign with Wings, along with luring more players from a stacked free agent class to Texas.

Los Angeles Sparks (44.2 percent)

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If LA lands the No. 1 pick, they suddenly would sport one of the league’s most promising, complementary young cores, with Bueckers in the backcourt, Rickea Jackson on the wing and a hopefully fully-recovered Cameron Brink in the post. After several lost seasons, the Sparks would begin to reclaim the sense of exceptionalism that has defined pro basketball in Los Angeles.

LA also would surround their young trio of stars with a veteran core, highlighted by 2024 All-Star Dearica Hamby. Hamby, Azurá Stevens and Steph Talbot all signed extensions during the 2024 season. In a league that could see much upheaval this offseason, the Sparks’ relative continuity, albeit infused with a new head coach and young star, could set up the team to exceed expectations in 2025.

Washington Mystics (10.4 percent)

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Unfortunately for UConn fans, Aaliyah Edwards and Bueckers did not share the court as much as they would have liked during the players’ four seasons together in Storrs. While Edwards has been an iron woman, Bueckers’ collegiate career has been interrupted by injuries. But, seeing them together in DC could still be pretty sweet.

The pairing also would provide direction for the rebuilding Mystics, who decided to dispatch the father-son Thibault leadership team and find a fresher vision for the team’s future. Winning the No. 1 pick and adding Bueckers certainly would make that future look brighter. It also might encourage a melding of past and future. Could the arrival of Bueckers, along with a new head coach, entice Elena Delle Donne to again suit up in DC?

Chicago Sky (0.0 percent)

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Yeah, seeing Bueckers set up Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso for easy scores would have been pretty fun. And yes, it will be painful if Chicago wins the No. 1 pick, only to have to give it to Dallas.

But, the Sky’s execution of last year’s draft—nabbing Cardoso at No. 3 and Reese at No. 7—should inspire confidence in the organization’s prospect evaluation process. That the 2025 draft has depth at the guard position also is fortuitous for Chicago, as the team has its frontcourt of the future with Reese and Cardoso. New head coach Tyler Marsh’s proven track record as a player development coach also should allow the organization to consider a range of players with different strengths and weaknesses, knowing that the coach could entice unexpected improvement. Marsh’s most famous pupil, Jackie Young, arrived in the WNBA with a wayward shot only to become a proficient shooter and perennial All-Star.

After (almost) three games for every WNBL team, we are beginning to get an idea of what this season is going to look like. It’s too early to make any predictions, but not too early to appreciate some of the leading players.

The vets carry the Bendigo Spirit to the top of the league

The Townsville Fire and Bendigo Spirit are the two unbeaten teams, but the Spirit have played one more game and their lowest margin of victory was 14 points. Two of those wins came against the two winless teams, the UC Capitals and Adelaide Lightning, but at this stage, three games into the season, that’s enough for them to earn the distinction as the WNBL’s best team.

On opening night, two-time WNBA champ and Seattle Storm stalwart Sami Whitcomb set the tone for the season, scoring 28 points; she remains the league leader with 26.7 points per game. She’s also averaging seven rebounds and 4.3 dimes per game. At 36 years old, the American-born shooter is still dominant on the court, just as is her 2024 Olympic teammate with the Australian Opals, Marianna Tolo. The 35-year-old big didn’t enjoy the same success in the States as Whitcomb, as she played only one season in the W for the Los Angeles Sparks back in 2015, but Tolo has been an integral part of Spirit’s hot start, averaging 15 points and 9.7 boards per game. Plus, the Spirit’s point guard, Kelly Wilson, is the league leader in assists. At 40 years old!

Americans continue to impress

While the WNBL is understandably dominated by Australians, the two roster spots for foreign players are not filled by accidental names. Lauren Cox, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, is averaging league-high four blocks per game, along with 15 points and 6.5 boards, for the undefeated Fire. Brianna Turner, of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, is the league leader in rebounds and steals, with 14 and four per contest, accordingly. Former Michigan Wolverine Nicole Munger is the league leader in 3-point percentage at 66.7 percent (8-of-12).

League standings

1. Bendigo Spirit (3-0)

2. Townsville Fire (2-0)

3. Perth Lynx (2-1)

4. Sydney Flames (1-1)

5. Geelong United (1-2)

6. Southside Flyers (1-2)

7. Adelaide Lightning (0-2)

8. Canberra Capitals (0-2)

Through one week of college hoops, the ACC has debuted as the powerhouse that fans know and love. It champions eight undefeated teams, a combined 79 percent win percentage and no program with a losing record. Although we’re a few weeks out from any wild claims being justified, it’s time to crown some early winners and losers:

Winners

Notre Dame’s title hopes

In the weeks leading up to the season, No. 6-ranked Notre Dame were showered equally in praise and expectations. Seventy out of 79 voters predicted the Irish to finish first in the ACC preseason poll. Sophomore Hannah Hidalgo was named conference Preseason Player of the Year. Senior guard Olivia Miles and junior forward Sonia Citron joined Hidalgo in the top-six vote getters for Preseason All-ACC selections.

Two games into the season, two 100-point outings for Notre Dame. It’s hard to imagine a better start for a team with a genuine shot at a national championship in April. Graduate transfer Liatu King has quickly impressed, already surpassing her commanding offensive resume from last season at Pitt. King is averaging 21 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. The starting backcourt of Hidalgo, Miles and King are combining for 63 points, 29 rebounds, 10 assists and 11 steals per game, lapping the entire production of certain 15-player rosters. As dominant as the Fighting Irish have been, they won’t see a real challenge until they travel to Los Angeles to face No. 3-ranked USC on Nov. 23.

Toby Fournier and Kara Lawson

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Kara Lawson is one of the best coaches in the business. After a stint as an assistant with the Boston Celtics, Lawson took the steering wheel for the Blue Devils while remaining a lead assistant for Team USA women’s basketball. Since her first full season at Duke in 2022, Lawson has helped her team improve on their finish in each consecutive season. After a heartbreaking eight-point loss to UConn in last season’s Sweet 16, Lawson and Duke have proven that they have what it takes to be true title contenders.

Perhaps more importantly, Lawson is beginning to find big wins on the recruiting trail. Last year, the Blue Devils landed five-star guard Jadyn Donovan, ranked third in the country. This season, they’ve added Canadian star Toby Fournier, who was ranked 10th in the most recent ESPN HoopGurlz rankings for the class of 2024. Fournier’s debut has been even louder than expected, as she leads the team in points per game at 12.7 through three contests. Despite dropping a five-point loss to No. 11 Maryland, No. 16 Duke is on pace for their most successful season in recent memory, and their youth suggests that Lawson will have an arsenal for years to come.

Losers

NC State’s frontcourt

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It’s unfair to judge a team solely based on their performance against a team that’s won 40-straight games, but the No. 13-ranked Wolfpack looked like an incomplete roster in an early dog fight with Dawn Staley and No. 1 South Carolina. Mimi Collins and River Baldwin, the starting frontcourt from last season’s No. 4-ranked NC State team, both graduated in the spring. Their absence was disappointingly apparent. South Carolina dominated the rebounding battle 38-20 en route to a 14-point win.

While it’s only two games into the season, it’s hard to argue that NC State hasn’t regressed. Advertised improvements to their roster have yet proven to be as such. Their biggest offseason move hasn’t manifested at all: Patriot League Player of the Year Caitlin Weimar, coming to Raleigh by way of Boston University, had hip surgery in late October and will be sidelined for an indefinite amount of time. Weimar averaged 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocks last season, and was projected to fill the void at center for the Wolfpack. If she could return before March, NC State’s title hopes may be revived. If not, it’s hard to see them competing with the assertive size of other ranked teams.

Still Pitt-iful

Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

It’s been exactly one decade since the Panthers won more than four games in ACC conference play. Since joining the conference in 2013, the program’s 19.1 percent conference win percentage has stuck out like a sore thumb. Second-year head coach Tory Verdi was hired to stimulate a change in direction after leading UMass to back-to-back 25-plus win seasons, but it seems like the program is still far from the promised land.

The Panthers are staying afloat at 2-1, but they barely squeezed out a three-point win against generally unimpressive mid-major Bucknell. Pitt most recently lost by 28 to No. 15-ranked West Virginia, echoing their historical inability to compete with other Power 5 rosters. Graduate Texas transfer Khadija Faye is an awesome addition to Verdi’s lineup, but experience will only take them so far. Pitt will have to turn some recruiting miracles if they want to find themselves in the upper echelon of ACC teams anytime soon.

When we think of SEC women’s basketball, will we soon, once again, think of Tennessee? The legacy of Pat Summitt looms large over Tennessee women’s basketball. And justifiably so. But to again reach the summitt of the sport, the Lady Vols need to move out of the shadow of past greats and glories.

And it seems new head coach Kim Caldwell has arrived on Rocky Top ready to do just that. Despite having only one season of Division I head coaching experience, when she immediately established Marshall as the best team in the Sun Belt and took the Thundering Herd to the NCAA Tournament, Caldwell has come to Knoxville with confidence in her ability to again make Tennessee one of the most-feared utterances in all of women’s college basketball, albeit in a new, different way.

The Caldwell way

Like Tennessee teams of lore, Caldwell demands that her players play hard, insisting that opponents will dread playing the Lady Vols. As graduate guard Jewel Spear told ESPN before the season, “I want people to know that you’re gonna hate playing us. Simple.”

Yet, these traditional principles will be accompanied by Caldwell’s modern priorities, which mete out to an aggressive, fast-paced and 3-point heavy style. She wants 85-90 shot attempts per game on one end accompanied by 20-25 turnovers forced on the other. On top of that, Caldwell asks for at least 20 offensive rebounds. Speaking to ESPN about the Lady Vols’ ideal style, Caldwell said:

I think it is just making teams uncomfortable and making people play the way they don’t want to. We’re not going to try to beat them at their own game. We’re going to try to beat them at a different game. We’re going to try to make them beat us at our game.

While small sample size caveats apply, Caldwell’s vision for the new-look Lady Vols is becoming a reality. Through the team’s first three games, she is opting to play her full rotation, allotting minutes in shorter stints so that players, for every second they are on the court, can deploy her high-energy, maximal-effort style. As Caldwell has come to understand, this strategic approach brings advantages. She told ESPN, “There’s a lot of beauty in it. It’s fun to play, it’s fun to watch, it’s hard to scout. Your teams are generally closer because you play more people, there’s more buy in, there’s less drama.”

The Lady Vols-ume 3s

And whenever they are on the court, Caldwell’s players are firing away from behind the arc.

After three games, Tennessee is third in the nation in 3-point attempts per game, getting off an average of 38.3 per contest, just a smidge behind Lipscomb’s and Utah State’s 38.5 per game. Caldwell likely is pleased that her team’s attempts have increased game by game, even if their conversion rate is not rising in tandem. The Lady Vols’ opener against Samford, a 101-53 win, saw them take 34 and make 10 triples. Even though their 3-balls were not falling against UT-Martin, Tennessee still got up 39 attempts in the 90-50 victory. In Tuesday’s 89-75 win over MTSU, the Lady Vols fired off 42 3s, making a solid 15 of them. The volume of 3s has produced a high-scoring offense, with an average of over 93 points per game. For comparison, Tennessee attempted 21.1 3s per game, while averaging 76.3 total points last season; Caldwell’s Marshall team shot 31.9 3s per game, scoring 85.3 points per contest.

At the individual level, Spear is leading the way with 8.7 3-pointers attempted per game, highlighted by the 12 she took on opening night. Last year, she took 5.6 per game. Graduate forward Tess Darby, who comes off the bench, follows with 6.7 attempts from downtown per game. She did the most damage against MTSU, swishing four of her eight attempts. Overall, eight Lady Vols are taking at least two 3-pointers per game. In the early going, senior guard and Arkansas transfer Samara Spencer has been the most accurate, making over 57 percent of her 4.7 attempts per game. She was 4-for-7 from deep and scored 17 points against MTSU.

Owning o-boards, collecting steals

The Lady Vols also are producing scoring opportunities by cleaning the glass with ferocity, just as Caldwell has demanded. Tennessee is second in the nation with 24.3 offensive boards per game, up from last season’s average of 13.1. This success on the offensive glass has been driven by guards crashing in, with junior guard Ruby Whitehorn snagging five offensive boards a game and redshirt sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper grabbing almost three. Yet, Caldwell isn’t satisfied, especially as the Lady Vols have been less successful on the defensive glass. The coach knows the struggle to snuff out opponents’ possessions could prove fatal in future, more tightly-contested games.

However, Caldwell can’t complain too much about the defensive aggression her squad has demonstrated. They’re forcing an average of 30 turnovers per game, which is in the top 13 nationally. In the SEC, they rank second in steals per game with over 19 per contest. That compares to last year’s average of 4.8 steals per game. Cooper leads the team with 4.3 steals per game, with freshman guard Kaniya Boyd coming in with 3.3 per contest.

What’s next for new-look Tennessee?

Tougher tests are coming for the Lady Vols, including back-to-back games against offensively explosive squads that should serve as good barometers for how far the team already has come under Caldwell—and how far they still have to go. On Dec. 4, Tennessee hosts Florida State in Knoxville. On Dec. 7, they meet Iowa in the Women’s Champions Classic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

But first, the Lady Vols will continue to perfect their priorities and principles as they host Liberty on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. ET.