ESPN's WNBA draft delivers | LPGA tees off in LA | US Hockey skates on

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

WNBA Draft does numbers

Monday’s WNBA Draft scored the second-highest viewership in event history, with an average of 1.25 million viewers tuning into ESPN to witness the league’s newest young stars turn pro.

• The broadcast peaked at 1.46 million viewers, becoming just the second-ever WNBA draft to pass the million-viewer mark.

• Viewership was up 119% over 2023, with the live event weighing in as the night’s most popular programming across all TV among key demographics.

Big picture: WNBA Draft interest hit a steep peak in 2024, as an average of 2.45 million viewers watched Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark start her WNBA journey with the Indiana Fever.

• This year’s iteration also offered a wealth of star power, including No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers alongside other standouts from the equally successful 2025 Final Four.

Live from New York: “We’re just continuing to try to grow the game, expand the game, bring the viewership from the college game to the WNBA,” Bueckers told reporters gathered at The Shed in Manhattan.

• “I think the new wave and generation of basketball players are bringing so much to the game, but obviously off the foundation that the players before us have built,” she added.

Bottom line: As more NCAA basketball fans follow their favorites into the pros, it’s now up to the WNBA to sustain that interest through the regular season and beyond.

LPGA lands in LA

As the LPGA’s biggest names gear up for next week’s Chevron Championship, many will turn to tomorrow’s LA Championship for a chance to sharpen their skills — and pad their bank accounts.

• A total of $3.75 million is on the line in Southern California, with 144 top athletes shooting for one of the largest non-major purses on the LPGA Tour.

Big picture: The stars will be out in full on Thursday, headlined by World No. 1 Nelly Korda as she makes her first return to El Caballero since 2023.

• Korda has maintained her fitness since rejoining the Tour last month, after sitting out several late-season 2024 tournaments with a neck injury.

• “I kind of have the first part of year until Chevron kind of set. After that it’ll be just how my body is feeling," she told reporters in January.

Leaderboard watch: While Korda is sure to draw crowds, all eyes will be on Australia’s Hannah Green as she attempts to secure her third straight LA Championship title.

• Green is already off to a strong start this year, earning two top 10 finishes in her first four tournaments of 2025.

Tune in: The first round of the LA Championship tees off tomorrow at 6 PM ET, live on The Golf Channel.

USA Hockey skates on

The 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championships enters the knockout rounds tomorrow, as Team USA advances to the quarterfinals after a dominant group stage run.

• Winning all three games so far — including a 2-1 victory over reigning champs Canada — the US faces Germany on Thursday with a ticket to the semis on the line.

• Other quarterfinal matchups include Finland battling Sweden, Canada going up against Japan, and host nation Czechia taking on Switzerland.

Big picture: After taking silver last year, Team USA is now focused on avenging their runners-up status — as the possibility of squaring off against their North American rivals once again in Sunday’s final starts to take shape.

• The US does have momentum on their side, after veteran star Hilary Knight made history in yesterday’s 5-0 win over Switzerland by passing Hayley Wickenheiser’s all-time IIHF Women's Worlds assist record with her 50th.

Tune in: The US takes the ice against Germany tomorrow at 7:30 AM ET, with live coverage on the NHL Network.

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ESPN picks up Clark’s Iowa return

Caitlin Clark and the Fever will hit the airwaves sooner than expected this year, with multiple sources reporting that ESPN has picked up Indiana’s May 4th preseason matchup against the Brazil national team.

• The game will mark Clark’s return to Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with the Fever set to play in front of a sold-out crowd at the second-year star’s alma mater.

Big picture: The Fever aren’t the only team taking a trip down memory lane this preseason, with several teams bringing exhibition games to university arenas before the 2025 WNBA season tips off one month from today.

• Chicago will visit Angel Reese’s LSU — also familiar to new Sky recruit Hailey Van Lith — to take on Brazil on May 2nd, while Notre Dame hosts alums Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, and Jackie Young when the Aces play the Wings at Purcell Pavilion that same day.

Nike teases Sabrina 3 drop

Images of Sabrina Ionescu’s third signature shoe hit the internet this week, with an apparent leak teasing the Liberty star’s Sabrina 3 ahead of its summer launch date.

• Scheduled to hit shelves on July 10th, 2025, the sneaker reportedly comes in a ”Glacier Blue” color-way.

Big picture: A hit since its initial 2024 drop, the Sabrina 2 ranked as the most-worn new basketball shoe across the NBA last December, with Ionescu’s line growing exponentially year-over-year.

Quote of the day

LA Sparks forward Rickea Jackson
tweeting after seeing footage of Seattle’s No. 2 draft pick Dominique Salonga dunking in practice.