Until next year…

Bueckers gets WNBA All-Star start

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game starting lineup dropped yesterday, tapping just one rookie to join the star-studded 10-player list.

• Dallas’s No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers will be the only first-time All-Star to open the July 19th matchup, giving the guard a presumptive edge in this year’s Rookie of the Year race.

• She’ll be joined by captains Napheesa Collier (Minnesota) and Caitlin Clark (Indiana), as well as Aliyah Boston (Indiana), Allisha Gray (Atlanta), Sabrina Ionescu (New York), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle), Satou Sabally (Phoenix), Breanna Stewart (New York), and A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas).

How it works: All-Star Game starters are determined via a mix of 50% fan voting, 25% player voting, and 25% media voting, with not every group coming to a consensus.

• Despite earning a record-setting 1.29 million fan votes, Clark was ranked ninth among guards by her fellow players while the media put her at third.

What’s next: Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell and Chicago forward Angel Reese fell just short of starting at their positions — but that doesn’t mean their All-Star dreams are over.

• Head coaches across the league will now vote to select 12 reserve players, announcing the final All-Star player pool on July 6th before Collier and Clark build their teams on July 8th.

Bottom line: Reputation, skill, and popularity all factor into All-Star nods, with this year’s roster underlining just how deep the WNBA’s talent base has grown.

Euro 2025 kicks off in Switzerland

UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 touches down in Switzerland tomorrow, as 16 European nations kick off their campaign for continental dominance.

• The tournament opens with four groups of four teams, before the top two finishers in each group advance to the quarterfinal knockout round — with FOX Sports bringing every match to US fans.

Teams to watch: England enters as reigning champions, though their spot in Group D’s “Group of Death” against tough French and Dutch squads plus neighboring Wales will have the Lionesses facing an uphill climb to a repeat title.

• Group B’s Spain is a clear frontrunner, with their 2023 World Cup-winning roster mostly intact and a good track record against European competition. However, they’re still reeling from the federation dysfunction and can fall victim to their own style of play.

• Eight-time champs Germany headline Group C, but as USWNT fans know, Sweden’s stacked roster and cutthroat tournament style could see them surging out of the gate.

• You likely won’t find the Euros winner in Scandinavia-dominated Group A, but Norway’s talent and experience has them looking like relative underdogs.

• Get the full Euros breakdown on The Late Sub with Claire Watkins.

Across the pond: Stateside soccer fans will recognize some familiar faces at this year’s Euros, with 18 current NWSL players set to represent their home countries, including three members of England’s squad.

• “It’s really great to see that our fans get to support us even whilst we’re not at Gotham,” Gotham FC and England defender Jess Carter told JWS ahead of the NWSL’s midseason break. “They’re invested in us as people.”

Tune in: Euro 2025 kicks off on Wednesday at 12 PM ET, live on FOX Sports.

Commissioners Cup final tips off

The 2025 Commissioners Cup final tips off tonight, as first-time finalist Indiana looks to upset reigning Cup champs Minnesota in a winner-take-all showdown — with bragging rights and a cut of the $500,000 prize pool on the line.

• The total compensation for participating finalists caps out at $500,000, with the winning team earning around $30,000 each (plus an additional $5000 for the game’s MVP), while losing players take home $10,000.

• And while it won’t count toward the regular-season WNBA standings, tonight’s battle will be Minnesota and Indiana’s first meeting this year, with Lynx star Napheesa Collier telling reporters, “I think it’s going to feel like a playoff game — It’s going to be really fun.”

Injury reports: Despite the excitement, player availability could make a major impact on tonight’s outcome, as both Collier and Fever guard Caitlin Clark deal with recent injuries.

• Collier returned from a lingering back issue this weekend without missing a beat, but Clark missed her last two games with a groin issue and is currently listed as “questionable” for the Commissioner’s Cup.

• “Doing everything I can to put myself in position to play the next game, that's always my goal,” Clark said on Sunday.

Tune in: The 2025 WNBA Commissioners Cup final tips off at 8 PM ET, live on Prime.

Basketball is so back. And whether it's smashing viewership records or dropping logo threes, there's never been a better time to highlight all the blockbuster moments that move the WNBA.

This major moment is presented by State Farm.

Clark’s Kobes fly off the shelves

Caitlin Clark’s first Player Edition Nikes sold out within minutes on Monday, after the sportswear giant dropped a limited run of the Fever star’s Kobe 5 Protros online.

• The design was inspired by Indiana’s colors, with Nike calling the makeup a mix of Midnight Navy, Bright Crimson, and “vibrant hits of University Gold.”

• Originally going for $190 on Nike’s website, the Kobe 5 Protro PE is already topping $300 on the resale market.

Big picture: While Nike still plans to release Clark’s first signature shoe, the brand appears to be testing the waters using the guard’s preferred on-court sneakers.

WNBA trades rattle rosters

With the WNBA All-Star break looming, teams across the league aren’t waiting for the August 7th trade deadline to pull the trigger on some significant roster shakeups.

• Dallas forward Nalyssa Smith was abruptly traded to Las Vegas on Monday in exchange for a 2027 first-round draft pick, surprising Smith and her Wings teammates — including girlfriend Dijonai Carrington.

• The Aces then waived guard Tiffany Mitchell and second-year forward Elizabeth Kitley, drafted 24th overall in by the Aces in 2024 despite sitting out her rookie season with an ACL injury.

• Golden State made their own controversial move, waiving EuroBasket 2025 champion guard Julie Vanloo while she was returning to California from the European tournament.

Big picture: With roster space remaining at a premium, teams are making big swings in an effort to shore up ranks ahead of the WNBA midseason.

Number of the day

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US midfielder Kristie Mewis exited West Ham United on Monday, letting her contract expire after making just four appearances for the WSL club since her 2023 signing.