Back in the saddle again.

Commissioner’s Cup wraps up

The WNBA’s in-season Commissioner’s Cup wraps up conference play today, as both Eastern and Western teams battle for a ticket to the Cup final — and a cut of the $500,000 prize pool.

• 12 of the league’s 13 teams face off tonight, with the results setting the stage for July 1st’s final showdown.

Best Westerns: Reigning champs Minnesota have the West’s easiest path, with a win over Las Vegas sending the Lynx to a second straight Cup final.

• Should the Lynx fall to the Aces, however, Seattle can grab the Western Conference berth by beating Los Angeles.

East enders: Surging Atlanta can land a trip to the final by topping New York tonight, while the Liberty clinch their own ticket with a win over the Dream, plus a Connecticut win over Indiana.

• If New York does take down Atlanta, the Fever could advance to the team’s first-ever Commissioner’s Cup final by beating the struggling Sun.

Full slate: Don’t miss any of tonight’s action, with the Dream tipping off against the Liberty while the Fever battles the Sun at 7 PM ET, live on WNBA League Pass.

Short-term contracts shore up WNBA rosters

With EuroBasket set to tip off tomorrow and injuries mounting league-wide, WNBA teams are filling out dwindling rosters with more short-term contracts — and resurfacing some familiar faces along the way.

• While some European standouts withdrew from EuroBasket consideration — including Phoenix’s Satou Sabally and Seattle’s Gabby Williams — others like New York’s Leonie Fiebich and Golden State’s Temi Fagbenle will join their national teams through the end of June.

How it works: Players signed due to temporary absences are technically on rest-of-season deals, though the agreements can end whenever the missing players return.

• On the other hand, any hardship signing due to injury must be released once a team tallies enough healthy rostered players to satisfy the WNBA’s 10-athlete minimum.

Making moves: Featuring a lineup stacked with international talent, Golden State made the most transactions this week, temporarily suspending four regular contracts as EuroBasket stars departed for the annual FIBA tournament.

• The Valkyries brought back 2025 draft pick Kaitlyn Chen and recent training camp participant Laeticia Amihere, in addition to guard Aerial Powers and forward Chloe Bibby.

• After losing forward Maddy Siegrist to injury and temporarily suspending the contracts of centers Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsöder, the Wings acquired center Li Yueru from Seattle in exchange two future draft picks — and could need more hardship signings this week.

Bottom line: The WNBA’s roster constraints have come to the forefront once again this week, as teams strive to find a balance between stocking up and maintaining consistency — with further league expansion fast approaching.

England’s WSL preps for expansion

The Women’s Super League is growing, with the UK league’s top two flights voting to expand its top tier from 12 to 14 teams ahead of the 2026/27 season on Monday.

• The number of matches played each season will also expand from 22 to 26 to accommodate the incoming clubs, as will established cup competitions.

Trusting the process: The WSL voted down a prior proposal to temporarily suspend the relegation and promotion process in light of this expansion, deciding instead to adopt a “two up, one playoff” model for the second-tier WSL 2 next season.

• The top two finishers of the 2025/26 WSL 2 season will automatically join the higher-tier WSL, while the WSL’s last-place team will battle the WSL 2’s third-place club for a spot in the top flight.

• After reaching 14 teams, both leagues will return to relegating the last-place WSL finisher while promoting the WSL 2’s top club for the following season.

Big picture: With increased investment in club infrastructure, a 14-team WSL would keep pace with the global women’s game, most notably the NWSL — set to become a 16-team league in 2026.

• “Our priority was to find a route that would benefit the whole women’s game pyramid, and we believe this next evolution of women’s professional football will raise minimum standards, create distinction and incentivize investment across the board,” said WSL Football CEO Nikki Doucet.

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.

New docuseries spotlights USA Rugby star

Rugby star Ilona Maher is stepping back into the spotlight, with the Olympic bronze medalist set to be the subject of an upcoming docuseries backed by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, the production announced Monday.

• With Maher serving as both star and producer, Hello Sunshine is teaming up with Ross Greenburg Productions and Range Sports to develop the project, which details Maher’s life both on and off the field.

• “Ilona shows unwavering resilience during the tough times and grounded authenticity while sitting on top of the world,” Hello Sunshine head of unscripted Sara Rea told The Hollywood Reporter. “She’s both relatable and extraordinary, and we are honored to tell her story.”

Growing her platform: Since her 2024 Olympic breakthrough with Team USA, Maher has added a second-place Dancing with the Stars finish, the cover of Sports Illustrated, and a successful podcast with House of Maher to her resume.

• “I constantly feel like I have something to say,” Maher said. “I’m a female athlete in a sport that does not get the attention it deserves in the US and yet I’ve been able to create this massive brand for myself through my own personality and authenticity.”

Reese gets the last laugh

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese made headlines this week, with the second-year forward announcing that she has trademarked word “mebounds” — a slang term opposing fans use to describe Reese rebounding her own missed shots.

• “Whoever came up with the mebounds thing, y’all ate that up because mebounds, rebounds, keybounds — anything that comes off that board, it’s mine,” she posted to TikTok on Saturday.

• “And a brand? That’s six figures right there,” she continued, referencing her trademark application.

Leaps and bounds: Currently averaging 11.9 boards per matchup, Reese is leading the WNBA in rebounds per game for the second straight season.

• “Statistically, all the rebounds that I get aren’t always just mine,” she added. “They’re the defense’s, too, or somebody else on my team.”

Number of the day

28.71

On Saturday, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s seven three-pointers were shot from an average distance of 28.71 feet — more than six feet beyond the 22-foot three-point arc.