NWSL titans square off
A top-table battle headlines the NWSL, as No. 1 Kansas City hosts No. 2 Orlando on Saturday, plus Mystics change course and more news to know
NWSL titans face off
No. 1 Kansas City enters Saturday match against No. 2 Orlando with a 12-point lead over the rest of the NWSL. (Dustin Markland/NWSL via Getty Images)
A top-table battle headlines the NWSL this weekend, as No. 1 Kansas City hosts No. 2 Orlando for a possible postseason rehearsal on Saturday.
Led by Golden Boot frontrunner Temwa Chawinga, the Current enter the weekend 12 points ahead of the rest of the league, as reigning NWSL Shield and Championship winners Orlando push to make a statement.
“We are resilient. That is part of our identity. We never give up and we are always playing to win, and we always believe in ourselves,” Pride defender Kylie Nadaner said after Saturday’s draw with Racing Louisville. [Read more]
Big picture: More than just a clash between the top two teams in the NWSL standings, history shows very little love lost between these perennial heavy-hitters.
Orlando snapped Kansas City’s league-record 17-game unbeaten streak on the Current’s home turf in July 2024, before taking KC down again in last season’s semifinal playoff match. [Watch more]
“We will remember the way they acted after the cameras were off,” Current forward Michelle Cooper posted to social media after the midseason loss.
The Current have already issued some regular-season revenge on their way up the table this year, defeating the Pride 2-1 back in May. [Read more]
Tune in: Kansas City kicks off against Orlando on Saturday at 4 PM ET, live on CBS.
Mystics shift gears as playoffs near
Washington has won just three of their last 10 games after making a series of strategic trades. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Coming off a series of strategic transactions, the No. 10 Washington Mystics are forging ahead tonight, taking on short-staffed No. 6 Indiana with a chance to play spoiler as they reshape their 2025 expectations from below the postseason cutoff.
“There’s just so many different success stories with this group,” Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said after Wednesday’s 88-83 loss to the Valkyries.
Washington has lost five of their last six games, and will take the court tonight without injured new addition Jacy Sheldon and starting center Shakira Austin.
Big picture: Washington exceeded early-season projections this year, skyrocketing above the playoff line behind leading scorer Brittney Sykes and dynamic rookie duo Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron. [Read more]
But at the trade deadline, the now-fading Mystics shifted gears, trading Sykes to Seattle and sending second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards to Connecticut. [Read more]
With their natural 2026 draft pick secured, Washington has a shot at adding a top first-round prospect should they play out the rest of the regular season at the bottom of the WNBA standings — AKA strategically tank.
Beleaguered by injury, Indiana enters tonight’s action eyeing a win, after falling to No. 12 Dallas by just one point on Tuesday.
Tune in: The Mystics take on the Fever at 7:30 PM ET tonight, live on ION.
WNBA heads to Canada
Atlanta and Seattle head to Vancouver for the WNBA’s first-ever Canada Game on Saturday. (Scott Eklund/NBAE via Getty Images)
The WNBA is taking a weekend road trip, as No. 2 Atlanta and No. 8 Seattle head across the border to Vancouver tonight for the league’s first-ever Canada Game.
The game features a rematch of Atlanta’s 85-75 win over the Storm on Wednesday, with the win propelling the Dream up the WNBA standings — and threatening to drop Seattle out of postseason contention entirely.
“Time is running out, and the team knows it,” Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn said earleir this week. “I didn’t want to put so much pressure on them, but they know the situation, and they understand the urgency.” [Read more]
Big picture: While tonight marks the first regular-season WNBA matchup played outside the US, the league did stage two preseason games in Canada — tipping off in Toronto in 2023 and Edmonton in 2024 — both in front of sold-out crowds.
Toronto’s 2023 exhibition appeared to serve as a trial run for expansion, with the league awarding the Canadian city its first franchise earlier this year. [Read more]
While plans for a formal move to Vancouver hasn’t yet surfaced, the WNBA’s explosive popularity and rapid growth outlook provide plenty of room for new markets to enter the conversation.
Tune in: Atlanta and Seattle square off inside Vancouver’s Rogers Arena at 10 PM ET tonight, live on ION.
ON GROUND AT WITH PRIME VIDEO |  |
Prime was on the ground last week, teaming up with JWS to put NWSL fans to the test and hand out some exciting prizes as the Utah Royals hosted the Kansas City Current.
Retired NWSL and Cameroon defender Estelle Johnson led the charge, quizzing the loyal Throne on soccer stats past and present with plenty of merch and — for one lucky winner — a pair of upgraded seats on the line.
Headed to a Friday night NWSL match on Prime? Keep an eye out for the JWS crew for your chance to show off your team knowledge and win big.
Tune in: Catch all the On Ground At action on JWS YouTube.
Shopping. Streaming. Live Sports. It’s on Prime.
Bueckers and Fudd sound off in ‘Close Friends Only’
Women’s basketball stars Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers hit the podcast mic this week. (Meta)
Former UConn duo Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers made yet another splash this week, taking to Instagram’s Close Friends Only podcast to let fans in on their off-court connection, social media habits, and basketball prowess.
“We had this on-court chemistry, and you don't remember me off the court,” Bueckers teased Fudd, before accusing the UConn grad student of being a chronic clothing-stealer. [See more]
The pair recently took the women’s basketball world by storm, appearing together at events and games while also dropping hints about their relationship to their growing social media fanbase.
Big picture: Fudd spoke to JWS prior to Thursday’s episode drop, detailing how she balances her private and public life and shedding light on her whirlwind offseason.
“This has been my first offseason in a little while where I’ve been completely healthy,” she said. “So that’s been a fun change, getting to be healthy, work on some stuff, travel, relax with family — it’s been great.” [Read more]
NBA2K mixes it up
Video game NBA2K incorporated WNBA players into MyTEAM mode for the first time this week. (NBA 2K26)
NBA2K is going all in on the WNBA, with the popular video game expanding its MyTEAM mode this week to allow athletes from both leagues to star on the same team. [See more]
“Players can now mix and match current superstars and legends from both leagues, and compete with more dream lineup combinations than ever before,” NBA 2K said in Thursday’s release.
“Pair Paige Bueckers with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, throw a lob from Sheryl Swoopes to Shaquille O’Neal, or run a pick-and-roll with Angel Reese and Carmelo Anthony,” the franchise continued. [Read more]
On the rise: NBA2K has ramped up its WNBA integration significantly since 2K20’s league debut, expanding from Play Now and Season modes to 2K26’s virtual press conferences, pre-draft interviews, social media refreshes, and Top 10 player ratings.
Quote of the day
“Embracing that vocal leadership role is something I’m working on. Doing anything and everything I can to make sure I’m helping my team.”
UConn guard Azzi Fudd
speaking to JWS about her goals ahead of her final season with the UConn Huskies.
