Bueckers lands in Dallas | Madrid Open takes flight | NWSL attracts investors

The rings and things you sing about — bring ‘em out.

WNBA rookies report for duty

2025 No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers touched down in Dallas on Wednesday, tipping off a new era of Wings basketball ahead of next week’s WNBA training camp.

• "There is a lot of new in this organization, so to be a part of something where we can build with each other and create a new sisterhood, we’re really excited," Bueckers said at the Wings’ introductory press conference.

• “Plus, we got these hats, the cowboy boots — we’re ready to invest all of ourselves into Dallas,” she added, flanked by fellow Dallas rookies Aziaha James, Madison Scott, JJ Quinerly, and Aaronette Vonleh.

Meet and greets: The coming season’s training camp officially begins on Sunday, with a new generation of WNBA stars landing in their new pro markets this week.

• “I’m excited to be with everyone on this team,” Bueckers said. “We’ve got some dogs. I’m excited to build that in camp, build the passion, build the excitement of a new system, a new coaching staff, a new team."

• “Everybody’s been so welcoming,” said Mystics No. 3 overall pick Sonia Citron this week. “And you can really tell the culture that they have here.”

• “I’m not new to having to learn a new system, and a new coaching staff and new teammates,” said two-time NCAA transfer Hailey Van Lith, who went 11th overall to Chicago after a breakout season with TCU. “My mindset going into any team is, ‘How can I help this team win?’ I’ll figure that out very quick, I’m assuming.”

• “I’m really grateful to be part of this organization, especially with so many people that have poured so much into this,” said Valkyries third-round pick Kaitlyn Chen. “And to have this much support coming into such a tough league means a lot.”

Next up: The new kids will have to get their bearings quickly, with May 16th’s season tip-off — and the unavoidable roster cuts that come before it — fast approaching.

Tennis stars hit the clay in Madrid

Clay season is in full swing, as the world’s top tennis talents hit the court at the Madrid Open this week in the lead-up to May’s French Open.

• The competition’s second round kicked off early this morning, with much of the WTA’s Top 25 hunting strong performances on one of the sport’s trickiest surfaces.

Big picture: Clay is world No. 2 Iga Świątek’s specialty, as last year’s tournament winner looks to defend her Madrid title and stir up momentum for the month ahead.

• Despite ceding her No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka late last year, Świątek has been nearly impossible to beat on clay, with four French Open championships already under her belt.

• The 23-year-old is, however, coming off an upset loss to No. 18 Jeļena Ostapenko in the Stuttgart Open quarterfinals — a clay-court tournament she’s won twice before.

A familiar field: Other players to watch this week include US favorites No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 4 Coco Gauff, and No. 5 Madison Keys.

• Gauff has seen past success on clay, reaching the French Open final back in 2022 — alongside eventual winner Świątek.

• “I’ve started to believe that you can just turn it around any week. And just as quickly as you can go on a tear, you can also lose,” the 21-year-old said this week.

Tune in: The Madrid Open runs through Saturday, May 3rd, with continuing live coverage on The Tennis Channel.

NWSL teams add new owners

NWSL teams continue to attract big-name investors, with a few new ownership shake-ups making headlines in recent weeks.

• Former USWNT World Cup champion Lauren Holiday and her husband, NBA star Jrue Holiday, bought into the North Carolina Courage this week via the couple’s Holiday Family Trust.

• Retiring from pro soccer in 2015, Holiday plans to be heavily involved with the Courage, serving as an advisor, ambassador, and consultant on the operations side.

• “I'm an investor in North Carolina, but I think I have invaluable insight being as I was part of the league when it was in its inaugural season,” Holiday told ESPN.

Big picture: As club valuations skyrocket, money has flowed into the NWSL through high-profile investments — and even outright sales.

• Earlier this month, former Utah Jazz owners the Miller family purchased the Utah Royals, as well as MLS club Real Salt Lake, from short-term owner David Blitzer, with the deal weighing in at a reported $600 million.

• Last fall, Angel City sold for some $250 million, while Denver’s incoming NWSL team’s expansion fee reportedly topped $110 million.

Takeaway: With further expansion looming and NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman recently saying she sees the league growing to as many as 32 teams, expect transactions to keep building as more owners look to get into the game.

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AUSL preps for first-ever draft

Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) is moving full steam ahead, gearing up for the league’s first-ever college draft next month.

• Four teams will select from a hand-picked 12-player pool over three rounds, as the Volts, Bandits, Blaze, and Talons scout key NCAA talent for their inaugural season.

Golden tickets: Each of the 12 college picks will receive official invitations in the lead-up to the draft, with Virginia Tech pitcher Emma Lemley earning AUSL’s first “golden ticket” — and a shot at a professional softball career.

• In a rolling series of announcements, AUSL has also tapped Duke infielder Ana Gold, Arkansas infielder Bri Ellis, Florida outfielder Korbe Otis, Texas A&M pitcher Emiley Kennedy, and Arizona pitcher Devyn Netz.

Tune in: The AUSL College Draft Show kicks off on May 3rd at 9 PM, live on ESPNU.

Portland breaks ground

RAJ Sports, owners of the Portland Thorns and Portland’s 2026 WNBA expansion franchise, broke ground on a new dual-sport training complex on Wednesday, as the $150 million facility begins to take shape.

• The complex will support both squads, becoming the first facility to house a professional women’s soccer and basketball team under singular ownership.

• "I think this performance center will be changing the dynamic for women’s sports for generations to come,” RAJ Sports’ Bhathal Merage said.

Up next: The Bhathal family are also eager to reveal their incoming WNBA team’s name, telling The Oregonian they’ve “literally compiled every single comment from every single person into a massive spreadsheet and rank them in order of how popular they were.”

Quote of the day

Sports are Fun! host Kelley O’Hara
on her experience playing under former USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski.