A disrupted WNBA leadership landscape continued to reconfigure last week, with both the Dallas Wings and Las Vegas Aces making moves. That and more news from around the sport:

Curt Miller named GM of Wings

Curt Miller is the new general manager of the Dallas Wings. Head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks for the past two seasons, Miller previously was head coach of the Connecticut Sun for seven seasons (2016-22), while serving as general manager of the franchise for six of those seasons.

Miller only will occupy an executive role in Dallas, where the first order of business will be hiring the team’s new head coach. On Nov. 17, the Wings will participate in the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery, hoping to secure the No. 1 pick with their 45.4 chance. Miller also will be responsible for preparing the organization for the Golden State Expansion Draft on Dec. 6. Following that will be a busy free agency period, when Miller will be expected to navigate the unrestricted free agencies of Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard, among other team-building imperatives.

On hiring Miller, Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb said:

Curt Miller is a proven winner with deep experience building and leading WNBA rosters and staffs. I believe Curt’s ability to construct winning teams as well as his success in coaching in the WNBA and beyond will prove invaluable for our organization as we continue our pursuit of a WNBA Championship.

Miller expressed his appreciation for the opportunity, saying:

The potential of the Dallas Wings is immeasurable. With a new arena and practice facility on the horizon, a talented roster which is impactful both on the court and in the community, exciting positioning in the upcoming draft, a passionate and loyal fanbase, a fully invested ownership group, and a dedicated front office staff, now is the time for the Wings. As a veteran head coach and GM in the WNBA, I’m looking forward to bringing my experience, passion, and leadership to Texas while we strive to hang a WNBA Championship Banner in Dallas.

The organization also made additional moves within its leadership team. First, Travis Charles was promoted to senior vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager. Charles, who has been with the organization for 11 seasons, previously served as vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager. Jasmine Thomas, who just completed her first season as Dallas’ director of player programs and development coach, has been promoted to vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager. Thomas has plenty of familiarity with Miller, playing eight of her 13 WNBA seasons under his coaching.

Aces add Ellis as assistant coach

After losing assistant coaches Natalie Nakase and Tyler Marsh to head coaching jobs this offseason, the Las Vegas Aces are beginning to replenish their staff, hiring Ty Ellis. The founder of The Ellis Performance Group, a growth mindset consulting firm, Ellis has extensive coaching experience, serving as an assistant coach in the NBA and holding head and assistant coaching positions in the NBA G League, in addition to working with USA Basketball’s men’s teams.

On the opportunity to join the Aces, Ellis said:

The organization’s success is a testament to the culture that Nikki, Becky, the entire staff, and players have built. Their commitment to excellence and championship-level standards in everything they do is truly inspiring. I’m grateful for the opportunity and I can’t wait to serve and add value to the entire organization.

Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said of Ellis:

I’m super excited to add Ty Ellis to our coaching staff. He brings a wealth of experience both as a head coach and as an assistant from the NBA, G League and international play. Not only is his energy palpable, but his character and work ethic are things I highly value.

USA Basketball announces 3×3 camp

After winning the inaugural 3×3 women’s basketball gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, USA Basketball appeared to take for granted that the American women would dominate the 3×3 court, just as they have done in 5×5 for almost three decades.

In Paris, the Americans discovered otherwise when they suited up a 3×3 foursome that had never played together prior to the Olympics. Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Hailey Van Lith and Cierra Burdick experienced several rough outings before establishing enough cohesion to earn the bronze medal. However, the program’s apparent lack of serious preparation might have cost the United States a brighter medal.

USA Basketball should have know better, as the dominance of the women’s 5×5 team has been the product of intentional cultivation, beginning with USA Basketball’s significant investment ahead of the 1996 Atlanta Games. Now, it seems that USA Basketball will begin to adopt that approach for 3×3, ensuring that the American side is in better position to grab another gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

A first step is a 13-athlete developmental camp that will be held in Phoenix from Nov. 8-10. The list of participants features players with a wide range of experience, from WNBA veterans with All-Star honors to their names to younger, WNBA hopefuls who have yet to establish themselves in the league. Most all of them have prior experience with USA Basketball. The 13 participants, listed with the WNBA team that currently holds their rights in parentheses, are:

• Shakira Austin (Washington Mystics)
• Grace Berger (Indiana Fever)
• Rae Burrell (Los Angeles Sparks)
• Emily Engstler (Washington Mystics)
• Natasha Howard (Dallas Wings)
• Abbey Hsu (Connecticut Sun)
• Taylor Mikesell (Los Angeles Sparks)
• Alissa Pili (Minnesota Lynx)
• Jaylyn Sherrod (New York Liberty)
• Maddy Siegrist (Dallas Wings)
• Azurá Stevens (Los Angeles Sparks)
• Sug Sutton (Washington Mystics)
• Brittney Sykes (Washington Mystics)

Sydney Johnson, who has been with USA Basketball since 2020 and led the 2023 3×3 Men’s U23 World Cup team to gold, will lead the camp.

2025 recruiting class check in

The early signing period for the class of 2025 begins this coming Thursday. Of ESPN’s top 100 prospects, 89 have announced their college destinations.

Most recently, forward Grace Knox, the No. 6-ranked prospect in the class of 2025, and guard ZaKyiah Johnson, the No. 13-ranked prospect, committed to LSU. The duo gives LSU four top-30 commitments, and the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, according to ESPN’s Shane Laflin. Divine Bourrage (No. 12) and Isabella Hines (No. 3) already had committed to head coach Kim Mulkey’s program.

North Carolina and head coach Courtney Banghart currently claim the nation’s second-best class, with wing Nyla Brooks (No. 20), wing Taliyah Henderson (No. 23) and guard Taissa Queiroz (No. 76). New Stanford head coach Kate Paye has three top-100 prospects headed to Palo Alto, giving her the third-best class. The group is headlined by guard Hailee Swain (No. 9). Forward Alex Eschmeyer (No. 31), who our Stephanie Kaloi recently highlighted as a high school star to watch, and forward Nora Ezike (No. 84) also have committed to the Cardinal.

UConn currently has the fourth-best class with two top-100 recruits in guard Kelis Fisher (No. 27) and post player Gandy Malou-Mamel (No. 73). New head coach Tricia Cullop has Miami positioned for the nation’s fifth-best class, with four top-100 players set to come to Coral Gables in guard Camille Williams (No. 36), guard Danielle Osho (No. 54), forward Natalie Wetzel (No. 79) and guard Meredith Tippner (No. 93).

Among the top-100 prospects who have yet to make their college choice, two are ranked in the top five, including No. 1-ranked prospect Aaliyah Chavez. The 5-foot-11 guard from Lubbock, TX has narrowed her destinations to Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, UCLA and South Carolina. No. 4-ranked prospect Agot Makeer, a 6-foot-1 wing from Canada, continues to consider UConn, South Carolina, Michigan State and Kentucky.

More AU additions

Athletes Unlimited has announced three more new participants for the forthcoming 2025 season in Nashville: a two-time national champion at UConn and eight-year WNBA vet in Bria Hartley, another national champ in South Carolina’s and the Indiana Fever’s Victaria Saxton and the Harvard-to-USC standout McKenzie Forbes.

A Final Four rematch between the No. 1-ranked and defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks and No. 9-ranked NC State Wolfpack headlines the 2024 Ally Tipoff in Charlotte, NC on Sunday, Nov. 10 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN).

The Gamecocks, of course, triumphed in that Final Four showdown, using a 29-6 third quarter to pull away for a 78-59 win. South Carolina was powered by a 22-point and 11-rebound double-double from Kamilla Cardoso, an advantage they will be without now that the 6-foot-6 center is in the WNBA. The Gamecocks should have the services of junior forward Ashlyn Watkins. Watkins, who corralled 20 rebounds in the Final Four game, is expected to make her season debut, having been suspended from the team due to assault and kidnapping charges that were dismissed last week.

However, both South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and NC State head coach Wes Moore will be more concerned about what the matchup means for their teams this season, rather than what happened in April. Neither squad looked particularly sharp in their season opener.

On Monday, South Carolina struggled to put away a spunky Michigan team, eventually escaping Las Vegas with a 68-62 win. The Wolverines stymied the Gamecocks’ offense with a zone defense, a strategy which was made more effective by South Carolina’s 5-for-26 3-point shooting. South Carolina also failed to control the glass in expected fashion; Michigan matched the defending champs with 52 rebounds. But the Gamecocks’ defense proved as decisive as ever, turning over the Wolverines and holding them to 21 percent shooting in the second half. Junior forward Chloe Kitts led South Carolina with a 19-point and 14-rebound double-double. Sophomore guard Tessa Johnson was the one Gamecock whose shot was falling, as she made three 3s and scored 15 points from off the bench.

On Tuesday, NC State found themselves with only a three-point halftime advantage over visiting East Tennessee State. Like the Gamecocks, the Wolfpack suffered through a poor shooting performance from behind the arc, going 5-for-20 from 3. Yet, enough shots began to fall in the second half, allowing them to separate for a comfortable 80-55 win. Senior guard Aziaha James scored 15 of her 17 points after halftime, while sophomore guard Zoe Brooks led the team with a career-best 21 points.

Moore, however, seems unsure about his frontcourt rotation. Senior center Lizzy Williamson got the start, but played only six minutes. From the bench, Moore doled out frontcourt minutes to sophomore center Mallory Collier (16 min.), freshman center Lorena Awou (11 min.), freshman forward Tilda Trygger (10 min,) and sophomore forward Maddie Cox (eight min.). The quintet of bigs combined for 14 points and 15 rebounds.

That’s not going to cut it against a South Carolina froncourt that, even without Cardoso, is one of the deepest in the country. Along with Kitts and Watkins, there’s freshman forward Joyce Edwards, who had 10 points and seven boards in her 29-minute college debut. Staley also can call on senior forward Sania Feagin, junior forward and Arkansas transfer Maryam Dauda and redshirt freshman forward Adhel Tac.

To get his most talented players on the court, Moore likely would need to go with four-guard lineups. Yet, those lineups risk getting overwhelmed by South Carolina’s size and athleticism, especially on the glass. The ability of Kitts, Watkins and Edwards to guard effectively on the perimeter also can nullify any small-ball advantages NC State could conjure.

Barring a severe shooting disparity that favors NC State, it’s hard to see South Carolina not ultimately pulling away for the victory, just as they did in the spring.

New eras clash in Virginia Tech-Iowa

Last season, Virginia Tech and Iowa met in the lone Ally Tipoff game, when a 44-piece from Caitlin Clark pushed the No. 2 Hawkeyes past the No. 18 Hokies, 80-76, despite 31 points from Georgia Amoore and a 16-point and 16-rebound double-double from Liz Kitley.

None of those names will take the court in Charlotte on Sunday (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The coaches on the sidelines also have changed, as Jan Jensen has taken over for the retired Lisa Bluder at Iowa and Megan Duffy has succeeded the departed Kenny Brooks at Virginia Tech. It’s a new era for both programs. And Sunday’s matchup will provide a hint as to whether Jensen’s Hawkeyes or Duffy’s Hokies are more likely to exceed the muted expectations for their unranked teams.

Both teams began their seasons with wins over overmatched opponents. As our Zachary Draves documented, newcomer Lucy Olsen, a senior guard transfer from Villanova, appeared to quickly acclimate to wearing white, black and yellow, leading her new team with 19 points in the win over Northern Illinois. For the Hokies, it was returning players who did the heavy lifting against UNC-Wilmington. Senior forward Matilda Ekh had 18 points and 14 boards, while senior forward Rose Micheaux, sophomore guard Carleigh Wenzel and sophomore forward Carys Baker all added 14 points. Because that foursome stuck around Blacksburg, Duffy is equipped with an experienced squad during her debut season.

Will that experience and familiarity help the Hokies prevail over a Hawkeye team that features newer, less experienced players?

No. 1 South Carolina (1-0) vs. No. 9 NC State Wolfpack (1-0)

When: Sunday, Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC

How to watch: ESPN

Virginia Tech Hokies (1-0) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0)

When: Sunday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET

Where: Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC

How to watch: ESPN2

2025 WNBA Draft watch: Shyanne Sellers

The Maryland Terrapins are looking to bounce back from a somewhat disappointing 2023-24 season, and a big part of that will be surrounding All-Big Ten First Teamer Shyanne Sellers with the talent she needs to excel as the team’s primary scorer.

Coming out of Loyola Marymount (2019-23) and Stony Brook (2023-24), Denver native Khari Clark plans on playing professional basketball for as long as she can, but with her degree in biochemistry, she also has a solid Plan B, or rather Plan A2 (with basketball being Plan A1).

Apart from that, Clark talked with Swish Appeal about her college career, playing in Mexico and the art of rebounding. Highlights from the talk include:

On how she started playing basketball:

Honestly, my dad gave me an ultimatum. He was like, “You’re gonna play sports. Which one do you want to play, volleyball or basketball?” And I was like, “Okay, I guess I’ll play basketball.” And it was that simple. And I was like, “Okay, I’m playing basketball.”

On whether she intends to remain socially active in the places she’s playing in:

I think that I am a student at best, and I can’t really say, globally, I’m very aware of the stuff that’s going on at a level that I would like to be. For instance in Mexico, it was a really great experience because not only did we play basketball, we did a lot of community outreach and we got to meet a lot of different organizations within the community. We were doing community service through basketball, of course, but it was just really nice to be able to see the kids. And I don’t know what it is, but the community in Mexico, the kids really appreciate women’s basketball. The energy was so different. They were just really happy to see us and I think using my platform to just be an inspiration is always great and when I can do that in different countries, it’s lovely. The experience that I had in Mexico is the reason why I continue to play professionally…just being involved in different communities. I was just like, “Wow, I have a platform that I can use and inspire kids,” and it was just really great. It was a great feeling and I hope that I can be able to do that overseas and be able to sustain my overall happiness while doing it. That’s something that would be great.

A special thank you to Lorenzo Gallotti of Two Points agency for arranging the interview.

Mediocrity is not something the Maryland Terrapins, one of the country’s premier women’s basketball programs, is used to. And yet, in 2023-24, Maryland finished 19-14 and 9-9 in conference play—by far the program’s worst record since joining the Big Ten in 2014—and got bounced in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament by Iowa State. It was the first time since head coach Brenda Frese was hired over two decades ago that Maryland failed to advance past its first-round tournament matchup.

There’s optimism, though, that last season was a fluke, and that Maryland’s flurry of activity in the transfer portal will put the Terrapins back to where they’re used to being: at the top of the Big Ten standings. Senior guard Shyanne Sellers certainly believes so.

“It’s time to chop it up. Maryland basketball is back.”

Sellers is among the most instantly recognizable players in the Big Ten, and not just because of her signature goggles she wears during games. She’s also one of just four returning members of last season’s Terrapins team and was the team’s leading scorer as a junior, which is a role she’ll probably keep this season.

Perhaps most importantly, Frese will be relying on Sellers to lead Maryland’s new-look roster back to excellence, which may involve her changing her game to better complement the players around her. Let’s consider how that could impact her status as a WNBA Draft prospect for 2025.

Honors and statistics

Hailing from Aurora, OH, Sellers earned All-State honors in each of her four years in high school, and was ranked as the No. 22 recruit in the class of 2021 by ESPN’s HoopGurlz. Sellers was described by prolific basketball scout and ESPN contributor Dan Olson as an athletic, versatile guard who excels at creating shots and has notable elevation on her jumper.

Though Sellers played behind stars such as Diamond Miller, Angel Reese and Ashley Owusu in her first season at Maryland, her impact off the bench was great enough to earn Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year honors, as well as a spot on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. As a sophomore, Sellers’ role grew substantially. She averaged 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, and was named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team thanks to her 1.8 steals per game.

In her junior season, Sellers was one of the most productive players in the Big Ten, leading Maryland in both scoring (15.6 points) and distributing (5.5 assists) while also averaging 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Throughout the season, she was named to watch lists for the Wooden and Nancy Lieberman Awards, and she earned All-Big Ten First Team honors for her performance.

Sellers is primed for a career year in leading the Terrapins

During her time at Maryland, Sellers has proven to be a player who can contribute to her team in a variety of ways. A natural scorer on the wing, Sellers meshes well with Frese’s general philosophy of playing in transition as much as possible and fielding several athletic perimeter players who can both handle and shoot, rather than playing through a single ball-dominant guard.

Last season, though, Maryland lacked the firepower to play at that pace effectively, with noticeable holes both in the backcourt and at center forcing several players out of their respective comfort zones. Sellers found herself cast as the team’s primary offensive initiator, a role that emphasized her playmaking abilities but also resulted in poorer shooting percentage and turnover numbers.

With the addition of reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Sarah Te-Biasu (VCU) and former All-Big Ten Second Teamer Kaylene Smikle (Rutgers) in the transfer portal, Sellers will be flanked by the kind of talent that will ensure she won’t have to carry the Terrapins offensively like she did as a junior. Even if Sellers continues to function as the Terrapins’ de facto point guard, playing alongside other proven scorers like Te-Biasu and Smikle will keep the floor spread and allow Sellers to play with much more freedom.

What that freedom will look like is still a work in progress for the Terrapins, who Frese said had “nerves and kinks” to deal with in their season-opening win over UMBC, but Sellers herself is looking forward to playing through those challenges.

“There’s no more loading up on Shy, making me do whatever,” Sellers told media. “You’re going to get a 20-piece from somebody every night.”

There’s little doubt about that. At 6-foot-2, Sellers has above-average size for a guard and lengthy strides that give her an advantage in getting past defenders off the dribble. Complementing that driving game is a smooth midrange jumper; if Sellers can’t beat an opponent off the dribble, she can just as easily pull up and drain a shot over them.

The term “three-level scorer” may not apply to Sellers quite yet—in her first three collegiate seasons, she shot the 3-pointer at a 32.6 percent clip, and as a junior only 14.4 percent of her field goal attempts came from long range—but don’t rule it out as a possible development. Playing in a more balanced offense won’t just benefit Sellers as a playmaker, but as a scorer, too. She should be able to shot the ball more efficiently, and that may mean finding herself open for more spot-up 3-pointers than she did as a sophomore and junior.

Then there’s the playmaking, which could be Sellers’ ticket to a WNBA Draft selection. Though the 2025 Draft class has a handful of lead guards who already seem locked into first-round pick status, there aren’t as many wing players who seem like sure bets at this time. Sellers can certainly score, and she’ll get an extended look by WNBA coaches and executives based on that and her size; if they see her as a potential secondary or tertiary playmaker, that will make her all the more appealing to anyone seeking a taller guard who can make an impact in several key areas of team offense.

Watch her play

Maryland doesn’t have the strongest non-conference schedule this season, but there are a couple of upcoming matchups that figure to be good ones. This Sunday, Nov. 10, the Terrapins take on the Duke Blue Devils, currently ranked No. 11 in the country. Sellers and the Terrapins will get a chance to prove themselves against Duke’s tough defense, broadcasted live on FS1.

The following Wednesday, Nov. 13, Maryland will then face the Syracuse Orange, who the Terrapins played and narrowly defeated in non-conference play last year. Sellers played well in that game, recording 19 points, eight rebounds and five steals. This year’s rematch will be televised on ACC Network.

Looking ahead to 2025, Maryland has a string of must-watch games on its schedule, including matchups with No. 3 USC (Jan. 8; FS1), No. 4 Texas (Jan. 20; FOX), No. 14 Ohio State (Jan. 23; Big Ten Network) and No. 5 UCLA (Jan. 26; NBC). The Terrapins will have their hands full in each of them, particularly against conference newcomers USC and UCLA.

All statistics and team records for the 2024-25 NCAA season are current through November 8, 2024.

From Sydney, Australia, after enjoying a day on the beach, Celeste Taylor talked to Swish Appeal about her first weeks in Australia, where she’s playing for the WNBL’s Sydney Flames.

We also talked about growing up in a Colombian household in New York, moving from to Texas to start college, entering the transfer portal twice and playing for three teams—the Indiana Fever, Connecticut Sun and Phoenix Mercury—as a WNBA rookie. Highlights from the talk include:

On moving from New York to Texas to play for the Longhorns:

I’ve always been very independent since I was young and my parents kind of always knew that I would end up not close to home, so not in New York, not kind of local. And so I was looking at a lot of different schools. Once I narrowed my list down, I went on my visit to Texas and I just fell in love with it. I love the warm weather. I love the sun. That’s definitely a major part for me. But when I went there, the coaches that recruited me made me feel at home. They were like a second family to me, but at the same time, you have ups and downs with your family. Your parents are on top of you, and that’s how my coaches were, they wanted me to be a great leader, a great basketball player and a great person. And I felt that from them. I felt the family aspect. I loved the university and everything that it had to offer. From their resources to everything that was around, and then the the girls that were there were great.

On being cut by the Indiana Fever, the team that drafted her No. 15 overall:

As a rookie, you come in and you’re just trying to find your role. You’re trying to find your spot, especially if you’re not a household name, like Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese or Kamilla [Cardoso], you’re trying to find your place. And so when I was in Indiana, I was just trying to navigate my whole rookie year. You know, you go into something and you’re excited, but you still have a focus on making the team, and so Indiana had a different situation where we had 13 players on a roster for a certain amount of time. Somebody was injured, so one person always had to go since the beginning. And so obviously, I was the rookie, so I understood that at some point it could have been me, but I got positive feedback from the coaches and the GM telling me, “You’ve done everything we asked you to, it’s only 144 spots.” So it’s really up to them who they decide to keep and who they decide to have in their program. And it’s not a knock on me. A lot of people do take it, like, a confidence thing. And it kills your confidence. But me personally, I felt like I belonged. I knew I belonged, and so I think you have to have that and you have to consistently have that fight and that hunger in you to know that you belong somewhere in order to get back there.

On Diana Taurasi’s leadership:

I think when you have vets like that, it’s not so much about necessarily playing against them, but more of being able to watch them. I think that you can learn a lot by watching someone and I think that the way she came in, the way she prepared for games, for practices, the way she took care of her body, the way she spoke to her teammates, her coaches, the amount of input she had on the team, and just her voice and her leadership, I think that alone helped me grow. When you think of it, she’s been playing in the league almost since I was born! It’s crazy to go and be able to play with the GOAT of women’s basketball.

A special thank you to Cymonne New of Octagon for arranging the interview.