Injury comes for Collier | Connecticut's uncertain future | Denver Summit stocks up

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Collier injury impacts WNBA slate

No. 1 Minnesota hit a snag this week, as WNBA-leading scorer and star Lynx forward Napheesa Collier is slated to miss at least two weeks after picking up an ankle sprain in Saturday’s blowout win over No. 7 Las Vegas.

• An MRI confirmed Collier avoided major injury, per ESPN, with Collier set to be “re-evaluated in the coming weeks.”

• "Obviously, you hate to see anybody go down, but especially your MVP," Lynx guard Kayla McBride said. “We just wish the best for her, we just want her to be healthy.”

What to watch: Minnesota will aim to continue their run of form without their franchise player, facing a Tuesday lineup with serious WNBA standings implications.

• No. 9 Washington vs. No. 12 Chicago, 8 PM ET (League Pass): Locked in a multi-team battle for postseason contention, the Mystics have a chance to make headway against an Angel Reese-less Sky desperate for a win.

• No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 10 Los Angeles, 10 PM ET (CBS Sports): The Fever keep rolling despite no finite return timeline for star Caitlin Clark, meeting their match in a Sparks side that’s won seven of their last 10 games.

• No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 6 Seattle, 10 PM ET (League Pass): The Lynx welcome key addition DiJonai Carrington to the fold with Collier sidelined, with a hungry Seattle looking to pounce after two straight losses.

Takeaway: With more than half the season done, it’s prime time for WNBA injuries — but it’s how shorthanded squads rally that could determine a team’s longterm future.

Connecticut on the chopping block

The Connecticut Sun’s future remains uncertain, with reports surfacing Friday that Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca struck a deal with the Mohegan Tribe to buy the team and relocate it — though the WNBA might have other plans.

• Pagliuca’s bid came in at a reported $325 million, though the July agreement has yet to be approved by the WNBA Board of Governors.

• Pagliuca’s offer includes hosting Sun games at the Celtics’ TD Garden and other stadiums in New England, while breaking ground on a $100 million dedicated practice facility, a big upgrade from Mohegan’s 9,000-capacity arena and communal training center.

• “Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors, and not by individual teams,” the league said in a statement, asserting final say.

How it happened: Having owned and operated the Sun since the team relocated from Orlando in 2003, the Mohegan Tribe began exploring a potential sale in May 2025 while also promising to keep the team at Mohegan Sun through 2026.

• Per the Globe, the WNBA has the power to force a sale to a Connecticut buyer, speculating that the league likes Boston as a 2033 expansion city.

• Hartford mayor Arunan Arulampalam weighed in this week, telling media that he’s working with a local investment group to keep the Sun in-state.

• “We have a long history of women’s basketball fandom here,” he said. “It makes so much sense for them to play right here in Hartford.”

Bottom line: With both valuations and expansion interest soaring, one-off deals could cloud the WNBA’s vision — but an ownership tug-of-war can also take its toll.

• “I know there’s still uncertainty about the future, but our loyal fans, they’re excited to be able to watch this team grow,” said Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti. “And if it ends up being our last year here, we’re going to make sure we blow it out.”

Denver starts to build

The Denver Summit scored its first-ever signing, with ESPN reporting the 2026 expansion side landed Colorado native Ally Watt from the 2024 NWSL champion Orlando Pride.

• While the trade’s a done deal, Denver will send Watt back to the Pride for the rest of the 2025 season before she officially joins the Summit in 2026.

• In return, Orlando received $75,000 in expansion allocation money, $37,500 in transfer funds, and additional salary cap relief.

Big picture: Intra-league loans are new to the NWSL, introduced in part to help incoming teams Denver and Boston build out their rosters without an expansion draft.

• Both franchises have a cache of allocation money for adding players beyond the salary cap and transfer thresholds, with the Boston Legacy opting to stock up on international signings in recent weeks.

Pro volleyball merger makes waves

Pro volleyball made headlines this week, as the Pro Volleyball Federation merged with Major League Volleyball for a total combined valuation of $325 million.

• Started as separate ventures, the PVF will now adopt MLV branding, setting up a unified eight-team league for 2026 featuring former PVF franchises, plus planned expansion side Dallas.

Big picture: The merger partially consolidates an increasingly crowded women’s volleyball landscape that saw four different leagues proposed for the upcoming year.

• The PVF had been in danger of losing marquee franchise the Omaha Supernovas to upstart MLV, after MLV raised $100 million in initial funding.

• The remaining pro leagues — Athletes Unlimited Volleyball and 2025 debutant League One Volleyball (LOVB) — continue to stand alone.

Osaka cruises through Canadian Open

Two-time US Open champ Naomi Osaka has found her form at the Canadian Open, with the 27-year-old fan favorite reaching the quarterfinal round as she sets her sights on next month’s Grand Slam in Queens.

• After recently parting ways with coach Patrick Mouratoglou, the match marks Osaka’s first WTA 1000 quarterfinal in three years.

• “I think I need to pace myself and go for the mini goals, and they’ll eventually turn into the big goals,” she said after topping Jelena Ostapenko in the third round.

• The tournament’s other quarterfinal sees US star and 2025 Australian Open winner Madison Keys face Clara Tauson, after the Danish national upset world No. 3 Iga Świątek on Sunday.

Tune in: The Canadian Open continues today starting at 6 PM ET, live on the Tennis Channel.

Korda loses top LPGA ranking

One year after tallying a record seven wins during the 2024 season, US golfer Nelly Korda lost her world No. 1 ranking after finishing the weekend’s AIG Women’s British Open tied for 36th.

• Korda has yet to win an LPGA event in 2025, with Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul claiming the No. 1 spot for the second time in her career.

• Thitikul has recorded eight top-10 finishes this year, including winning the Americas Open in May and taking second at July’s Evian Championship.

Silver lining: While she hasn’t hoisted any trophies this year, now-No. 2 Korda has managed five top-10 2025 finishes, as well as a career-best 13 made cuts across all tournaments played.

Quote of the day

Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson
responding to the news that she’ll be inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame this year.