Let’s get ready to rumble.

WNBA All-Star captains set their teams

The 2025 WNBA All-Star teams are set, as captains Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark drafted their final rosters live on ESPN last night.

• Team Clark starters: Aliyah Boston (Indiana), Sabrina Ionescu (New York), A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas), Satou Sabally (Phoenix)

• Team Clark reserves: Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana), Gabby Williams (Seattle), Sonia Citron (Washington), Kiki Iriafen (Washington), Jackie Young (Las Vegas), Kayla Thornton (Golden State)

• Team Collier starters: Breanna Stewart (New York), Allisha Gray (Atlanta), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle), Paige Bueckers (Dallas)

• Team Collier reserves: Courtney Williams (Minnesota), Skylar Diggins (Seattle), Angel Reese (Chicago), Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix), Kelsey Plum (LA), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta)

Teammate bonds: Both captains prioritized selecting their WNBA teammates, with Collier successfully grabbing two of her fellow UConn Huskies in Stewart and Bueckers, though she couldn’t pull off a trade for third alum Gabby Williams.

• “I tried 😭 they didn’t show that part lol,” the Lynx forward posted to X, referencing her attempt to roster Williams.

• “I’m going on vibes… my team is going to be fun,” joked Clark.

Watch more: Playback last night’s full All-Star Draft on ESPN.

Clark retakes the court

Indiana star Caitlin Clark is back in action, returning to the court for the first time since June 24th for the No. 7 Fever’s 12 PM ET tip-off against No. 6 Golden State.

• Clark most recently missed five games with a groin strain, after a quad strain sidelined her for two weeks earlier this season.

• “It’s obviously hard sitting out and watching for a few weeks, so I’m excited to get out there,” the guard told reporters on Tuesday.

What to watch: While the Fever and Valkyries battle to push above the .500 mark, Wednesday’s other major matchup has even deeper implications for the WNBA standings.

• No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 2 Phoenix, 3:30 PM ET (League Pass): The top two teams in the WNBA square off this afternoon, as a steady Lynx team meets a rejuvenated Mercury hot off Monday’s revenge win over Dallas.

• No. 11 Dallas vs. No. 12 Chicago, 8 PM ET (League Pass): Young phenoms duke it out as the Sky honor 2021 WNBA champ Allie Quigley — and hope to avenge yesterday’s close loss to Washington by downing the Wings.

Bottom line: Early tip-offs can throw any team off their game, forcing every player to work hard to stay focused — or give up the ship.

Bonner signs with Phoenix

Two-time WNBA champion DeWanna Bonner is coming home, rejoining the Phoenix Mercury after parting ways with the Indiana Fever late last month.

• Bonner is rejoining the team that drafted her in 2009, accepting a slightly above-prorated veteran minimum contract for the remainder of the season.

• “It’s home. I know I’m going to get the love and the support,” Bonner said, as she reunites with fiancée Alyssa Thomas on the second-place squad.

How it happened: The Fever signed Bonner as a free agent ahead of the 2025 season, with the 37-year-old later departing the team for personal reasons after just nine games with Indiana.

• Bonner missed five games before the the Fever officially waived her on June 25th, as the renewed free agent reportedly eyed a move to Phoenix.

• “We couldn’t be more excited to have DeWanna back in a Mercury uniform,” Phoenix GM Nick U’Ren said in a statement. “She is a true winner, leader and one of the most talented and versatile players in our game.” [Read more]

Macario scores $10 million Nike deal

USWNT and Chelsea star Catarina Macario inked a 10-year, $10 million contract with Nike this week, securing one of the most lucrative sponsorship deals in the women’s game.

• Macario started her pro career as an Adidas athlete, but swapped brands after coming back from a long-term knee injury to win a domestic treble with WSL side Chelsea this year.

• The Brazilian-born US national is starring in Nike’s “Scary Good” campaign, a series of short films that “pay homage to the horror and satire of late-night television with a cast of the game’s most dominant attackers.”

• “Nike has always been a part of my journey — from Surf to Stanford, to the USWNT and now Chelsea FC,” Macario said in Tuesday’s press release. “Now, to be officially with the brand feels incredible.”

Big picture: Women’s soccer is blowing up on the sponsorship front, with payouts jumping from Norwegian superstar Ada Hegerberg’s $1.1 Nike deal in 2020 to this week’s blockbuster Macario signing.

Stay tuned: Catarina Macario’s “Scary Good” film — dubbed “The Cold-Blooded Clinic” — drops on July 16th.

Anisimova steals the spotlight

23-year-old world No. 12 Amanda Anisimova is cruising through Wimbledon, becoming the tournament’s youngest US semifinalist since Serena Williams’s 2004 run on Monday.

• Anisimova reached her second-career Grand Slam semifinal via a straight-set quarterfinal victory over Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, setting her up for a semifinal meeting with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday.

Big picture: Bursting onto the scene at just 17 with a semifinal appearance at the 2019 French Open, Anisimova went on to step away from tennis in 2023 to address burnout and mental health before returning last year.

• The 2025 Qatar Open winner will now enter the WTA’s Top 10 regardless of her final Wimbledon result.

• “Even times like today, when you’re not sure you're going to cross the finish line, I keep reminding myself to enjoy the moment,” Anisimova said on Tuesday.

Tune in: Wimbledon’s semifinals kick off on Thursday morning, live on ESPN.

NWSL closes Bay FC investigation

The NWSL released the results of an independent investigation into Bay FC coach Albertin Montoya on Tuesday, after Montoya was accused of fostering a toxic work environment earlier this year.

• The investigation concluded that Montoya did not violate the league’s anti-harassment, discrimination, and bullying policy, while also finding that “there were shortcomings in Coach Montoya’s communication style.”

• “The investigators made a series of recommendations to both Bay FC and the NWSL to facilitate more effective communication and enhance support structures, which the NWSL, Bay FC, and Coach Montoya have taken, and are continuing to take, to address such concerns,” read the press release.

Club response: “We are grateful the league has identified opportunities for additional communication improvements which we are, and have been, implementing,” said Bay FC in a separate statement. “We strive to be a player-centric club and will continue to work hard to make sure we have a supportive environment for our players.”

Number of the day 

13,000

The Dallas Wings made room for 13,000 more fans to attend their August 1st matchup with the Indiana Fever, moving the Bueckers-Clark showdown from College Park Center to the 20,000-seat American Airlines Center earlier this week.