Upsets rule the W | Golden State cashes in | Sirens stock up

Defense wins championships…?

Upsets upend the WNBA

The WNBA went crazy last night, with all four matches ending in underdog upsets to rattle the league standings.

• No. 10 Chicago snapped a three-game losing streak with a 97-86 win over No. 11 LA, No. 12 Dallas quieted No. 4 Atlanta 68-55, No. 8 Washington beat No. 1 Minnesota 68-64, and No. 7 Indiana managed to right the ship against No. 5 Seattle 94-86.

Bigger picture: The bigs were the stars of the show, as Indiana center Aliyah Boston put up 31 points, Minnesota center Alanna Smith recorded 26 points, and Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso dropped 27 of her own.

• Boston’s efforts were matched by guard Kelsey Mitchell, with the pair helping the Fever overcome forward DeWanna Bonner’s newly permanent absence as well as another off-night from Caitlin Clark.

Wings take flight: Led by Arike Ogunbowale’s 21 points, Dallas benefitted from an unexpectedly shaky Atlanta, holding them to just 23.4% shooting on the night — the Dream’s lowest shooting performance in franchise history and the worst single-game shooting performance league-wide since 2010.

• After starting the season 1-11, the Wings have now won three of their last four games.

DC dynamism: The Mystics also came to play, edging out the once-unbeatable Lynx in a defensive battle that saw Shakira Austin drop 19 points while Minnesota mainstay Napheesa Collier rode the bench.

• Rookie Kiki Iriafen combined 11 points with 11 rebounds for her fifth career double-double — more than her entire rookie class combined.

Up next: Tonight’s 10 PM ET bill provides yet another chance to shake things up, with the ailing Liberty facing the rising Valkyries (WNBA League Pass) while the last-place Sun take on the up-and-down Aces (NBA TV).

Golden State tops WNBA valuations

Golden State made a splash on Tuesday, as the 2025 expansion side topped Sportico’s annual WNBA valuation list at $500 million — marking the team’s first-ever inclusion in the report.

• With facility ownership and arena management playing major roles, the Valkyries’ current estimated worth is 10 times the amount the Warriors ownership group paid in expansion fees back in 2023.

Big picture: Sportico now puts the average WNBA team at $260 million, up 180% from the 2024 report.

• Indiana saw the biggest leap, rising to third behind Golden State and New York at a valuation of $355 million — more than 250% higher than 2024.

• New broadcast deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime are expected to generate an average of $200 million in revenue starting next season, up 500% over previous contracts.

Raking it in: While the Fever led the league in revenue last year with $33.8 million, the Valkyries are poised to run away with next year’s revenue title, with Sportico projecting Golden State to bring in more than $70 million in 2025.

• WNBA franchises are valued at an average of 12 times their revenue, claiming the highest multiple among major pro sports leagues.

• The Bay Area side already set a single-game WNBA record for revenue generated, making $3 million in just one night.

Bottom line: Business continues to boom in the WNBA, with expansion proving profitable as Golden State paves the way for 2026 debutants Toronto and Portland.

NY Sirens draft Colgate grad No. 1

Last night’s PWHL Entry Draft spotlighted the wealth of women’s hockey talent currently rising through the ranks, as the league ushered its third rookie class into the pros.

• The New York Sirens selected Colgate University alum Kristýna Kaltounková first overall, after the Czech forward finished her college career as the team’s all-time leading scorer.

• “Coming from such a small town in the Czech Republic, it’s a great honor,” Kaltounková said after the announcement.

Big picture: Eight teams selected 48 players through six rounds, with 43 draftees coming out of the NCAA system.

• Ohio State produced the most 2025 prospects with six selected players, after the Buckeyes won two of the last four national titles.

• Four players were selected from international pro leagues in Sweden and Russia, with one player repping the University of British Columbia.

First in line: With two of the eight first-round picks, New York played the Draft’s most aggressive hand, trading for the third overall pick to select forward Casey O’Brien of the 2025 NCAA champion Wisconsin Badgers.

• The Sirens previously traded top forward Abby Roque to Montréal, receiving forward Kristin O’Neill and a fourth-round pick in return.

Bottom line: League expansion has widened the PWHL’s talent pool this year, with college programs stepping up to fill the gaps as the professional game grows.

PRESENTED BY JWS & MICROSOFT COPILOT
Kelsey Plum stops by “Between the Lines”

There’s a new WNBA show in town, with JWS digital series Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie presented by Microsoft Copilot dishing up yet another serving of unfiltered commentary, insider perspectives, and cultural critique to basketball fans everywhere.

• The third episode of Between the Lines dropped last week, featuring two-time WNBA champion and three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum.

• In the all-new episode, Plum joins Leslie to chat about embracing her leadership role with the Sparks, lessons learned during her time in Las Vegas, growing parity within the league, and always keeping a competitor’s mentality.

Tune in: Catch episode three of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie on YouTube.

UEFA sets UWCL qualifying path

UEFA Women’s Champions League made next season’s first- and second-round qualifying draws yesterday, with clubs across Europe battling to for nine tickets to the continental club tournament’s league stage.

• Following the UWCL’s new format, 46 winning teams from non-automatically qualified leagues will advance through the Champions Path, while an additional 22 league non-champions head through the League Path.

• Notable clubs like England’s Manchester United, Sweden’s Hammarby, and Italy’s Roma will enter through the League Path, setting up tense battles as both parity and rising interest spreads through European women’s leagues.

How it works: Each qualifying round is played out as mini-tournaments with single-leg semi-finals, a final, and a third-place match, all hosted by one of the participating clubs.

• The winners then advance to a third-and-final qualifying round, with the eventual champs guaranteed a spot in the UWCL while the runners-up head to the incoming Europa Cup.

Stay tuned: The first round qualifying tournament kicks off July 30th, with the second round tournament following on August 27th.

NWSL stars head to WAFCON

The 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations kicks off next week, as NWSL stars depart their clubs to join their national teams with continental glory on the line.

• Running from July 5th through the 26th, 12 teams from across Africa will feature at this year’s tournament in Morocco, with defending champions South Africa looking to repeat.

Familiar faces: Orlando Pride striker and perennial MVP candidate Barbra Banda will captain a Zambia side rich with attacking talent, including Bay FC’s Rachael Kundananji and Banda’s Pride teammate Grace Chanda.

• Other NWSL standouts making the trip include Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC) and Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash), while red-hot Spirit forward Gift Monday was left off the Super Falcons roster.

Quote of the day

Gotham FC star Midge Purce
talking about her impending free agency at Sunday’s Sports Are Fun! Fanatics Fest live show in NYC.