Wings hunt win No. 2 | US Soccer goes to college | Women's teams soar in value

Vroom vroom.

Wings look for a lift

Dallas will take aim at their second win of the season tonight, with the Wings hoping that starting point guard Paige Bueckers’s expected return gives them a much-needed boost in the WNBA standings.

• Bueckers missed three games for a May 30th concussion plus one game due to illness, with Dallas head coach Chris Koclanes telling reporters yesterday that the 2025 No. 1 draft pick has been cleared to play.

• “She’s been working behind the scenes and so she’s good to go and we’ll be all set for tomorrow,” Koclanes said.

Missing pieces: While one star returns another falls, however, as the Wings announced guard Ty Harris will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery this week.

• Harris averaged 10.5 points and three assists per game over 38 starts with the Sun last season, before moving to the bench in Bueckers’s wake in Dallas.

• Dallas is also one of several WNBA teams set to lose players to this summer’s 2025 EuroBasket, which begins on June 18th.

Rising up: At 6-4 on the season, the fourth-place Mercury will also shoot for a surge in production tonight, with forward Alyssa Thomas returning to the court after missing five games with a calf injury.

• Despite a strong start, Phoenix has struggled to maintain momentum with both Thomas and guard Kahleah Copper sidelined in recent weeks.

• “The plan is for [Thomas] to play,” said Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts. “She’s been trending in the right direction.”

Tune in: Phoenix hosts Dallas tonight at 10 PM ET, live on WNBA League Pass.

US Soccer turns to the college game

US Soccer is heading back to college, announcing the launch of the NextGen College Soccer Committee (NCS) with the goal of solidifying NCAA soccer’s place in the federation’s development system.

• The NCS will “aim to integrate the college game more deeply into the broader US Soccer ecosystem, while ensuring it remains a strong, sustainable platform for student-athlete education, player development, and community engagement.”

Big picture: As pro soccer careers become more viable on the women’s side, an increasing amount of prospects are opting to sign directly with clubs out of high school rather than follow the traditional college soccer track.

• Skipping college to go pro is common in other countries, where many clubs run their own academies for promising young players.

• To “properly consider the development pathway and progression to college soccer,” US Soccer is also working with pre-professional organizations like Elite Clubs National League, Girls Academy, and other US youth leagues.

• Members of the NCS include Kansas City Current co-owner Angie Long, NWSL COO Sarah Jones Simmer, and former Duke standout and current MLS executive Ali Curtis.

Bottom line: With this week’s announcement, US Soccer appears to be acknowledging the challenges of maintaining NCAA soccer’s appeal in the face of increasingly diverse pro opportunities — while also doubling down on college’s value.

• “College soccer is integral to the fabric and future of our sport in this country,” said US Soccer CEO JT Batson. “The individuals joining this group bring unique perspectives and expertise that will help us build a model where college soccer can thrive in a modern, connected system.”

Women’s teams soar in value

Women’s teams are big business, with global sports business conference SPOBIS International reporting this week that average WNBA franchise values rose to $90 million in 2024 while NWSL clubs weighed in at $104 million — doubling their 2023 mark.

• In May, the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty sold shares at a $450 million valuation, qualifying them as the world’s most valuable women’s sports team.

• SPOBIS’s top five is rounded out by the WSL’s Chelsea Women ($326 million) alongside Angel City FC ($250 million), the Dallas Wings ($208 million), the Kansas City Current ($182 million), and the Las Vegas Aces ($140 million).

Big picture: US teams hold a key advantage in the race to the top of the valuation table, with WNBA and NWSL sides able operate independently from men’s systems.

• Having separated from their corresponding men’s team last year, Chelsea Women were the only non-US team to make the list after Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian purchased a 10% stake in the 2024/25 WSL champs for $26.6 million last month.

• Other European teams in line for similar value boosts include OL Lyonnes and the London City Lionesses, both independently owned and operated by Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang.

Takeaway: With many factors contributing to a team’s overall value — namely capital, media deals, viewership, ownership structures, and popularity — its tough to predict the next big thing in women’s sports, but these numbers point to a skyrocketing market across major pro leagues.

Shopping. Streaming. Live Sports. It’s on Prime. 

Arsenal moves on up

2025 Champions League winners Arsenal are making the 60,704-capacity Emirates Stadium their permanent home next year, after last season’s nine-game run proved a huge success.

• Arsenal dominated the WSL in attendance during the 2024/25 season with a total of 415,000 fans, while averaging 34,110 fans for matches hosted at the men’s side’s historic Highbury home.

• The league’s season-high came in February, when 56,784 fans packed Emirates for Arsenal’s North London Derby match against Tottenham.

Big picture: While Arsenal will play all 11 WSL home games at Emirates, the reigning European champs are scheduled open their UWCL defense at the smaller Meadow Park, with matches moving to Highbury should they advance to the knockouts.

• “For us, this is just the beginning, and bringing every WSL match to the Emirates is another step for more supporters to be part of this special journey,” said head coach Renee Slegers.

Quigley makes it official

Former Chicago Sky guard Allie Quigley made her retirement official on Tuesday, announcing her decision in a piece for The Players Tribune three years after playing her last WNBA game in 2022.

• The 14-year league veteran helped lead the Sky to a WNBA title in 2021, picking up three WNBA All-Star nods and a record four 3-Point Contest wins along the way.

• “I love knowing that I can look back on my career and say it was really, really good — but it was part of the beginning of something truly great,” Quigley wrote.

Big picture: Quigley and her wife, Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot, welcomed their first daughter Jana in April 2025.

• “[A]s special as the Sky winning a championship felt, and as proud of a moment as that was, bringing a baby into the world is our accomplishment we’re most proud of,” Quigley said.

Quote of the day

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes
explaining her decision to leave Europe-based players off the roster for the upcoming USWNT friendlies.