WNBA comm'r Engelbert denies Caitlin Clark comments

Priorities in check.

Cathy Engelbert breaks silence on Napheesa Collier’s viral criticism

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert faced the media on Friday, addressing Napheesa Collier’s viral leadership take-down in a pre-Finals press conference — and specifically calling out some of the Lynx forward’s more controversial claims.

• Engelbert said Collier’s account of their past conversations “had a lot of inaccuracies,” denying she said rookie stars like Caitlin Clark “should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars” for the exposure the league provided.

• “Obviously, I did not make those comments," Engelbert said. “There is a lot of inaccuracy out there through social media and all of this reporting.”

Choice words: With more players speaking out and CBA negotiations heating up, Engelbert took some responsibility for the state of the league — one Collier said had “the worst leadership in the world.”

• “I was disheartened to hear that some players feel the league and me personally don’t care about them or listen to them,” she said. “If the players in the W don’t feel appreciated and valued by the league, then we have to do better, and I have to do better.”

• Engelbert also told reporters she set up a meeting with Collier this week, with ESPN later reporting that Collier canceled the meeting after hearing the commissioner’s Friday remarks.

Bottom line: Despite growing unrest throughout the league, Engelbert denied she’d be resigning from her post as commissioner anytime soon.

• “I’ve never been a quitter,” she stated.

Explosive offense fuels Aces to 2-0 WNBA Finals lead

No. 2 Las Vegas raced to a 2-0 series WNBA Finals lead this weekend, opening the series with Friday’s close 89-86 victory over No. 4 Phoenix before pulling off a more dominant 91-78 win on Sunday.

• The Aces’ offense ruled the court, with guard Dana Evans putting up 21 points in Game 1, Jackie Young carrying Game 2 with 32 points, and 2025 MVP A’ja Wilson averaging 24.5 points per game.

• “I am so proud of Jackie,” Wilson said after Sunday’s win. “I’m a pain in the ass sometimes when she’s not doing her job, because I know that [potential] is there.” (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: Hunting their third title in four years, Las Vegas veterans Wilson, Young, and guard Chelsea Gray are combining with new signings Evans and guard Jewell Loyd to make things difficult for the new-look Mercury.

• “We have weapons,” Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said. “We want to use them all, because we’re harder to guard that way.”

• “What gives me confidence is we’ve been down before," countered Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts. "We’ve been overlooked.”

Bottom line: While no WNBA Finals team has ever bounced back from 0-2, the league’s new best-of-seven format gives the Mercury a little extra cushioning as the series heads to Phoenix on Wednesday.

Racing Louisville closes in on 1st-ever NWSL playoffs berth

With just three regular-season NWSL matchdays left, No. 7 Louisville is on the brink of franchise history after Saturday’s 3-1 win over No. 9 North Carolina shot them into playoff contention.

• USWNT rising star Emma Sears notched a brace in the victory, fueling Racing to sit four points above the postseason cutoff line.

• “I’m so proud of this group,” Louisville head coach Bev Yanez said post-game. “I think that’s a very big win in a very crucial time.” (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: Joining the league as a 2021 expansion team, Racing is still searching for a first-ever playoff berth, with an October 19th clash against surging No. 3 Gotham marking the club’s toughest test to come.

• No. 8 San Diego’s weekend skid helped Louisville climb the standings, as the Wave suffered their seventh consecutive winless match with Sunday’s 2-1 loss to postseason-bound No. 2 Washington.

Bottom line: With only four points standing between Nos. 8 and 3, expect competition to heat up as playoff pushes propel the NWSL toward Decision Day.

Champions League kicks off 2025/26 league phase

UEFA Women’s Champions League begins anew this week, as the European club competition kicks off its first-ever league phase with a blockbuster lineup.

• Juventus sets the stage against Benfica early Tuesday afternoon, before reigning champs Arsenal start their title defense against eight-time winners OL Lyonnes while 2023/24 champs Barcelona face Bayern Munich.

• “Winning last year hasn’t changed that mindset one bit,” Arsenal and USWNT defender Emily Fox said this week. “We know that any team on their day is dangerous, and especially with the new format this season, it’s not going to be easy.” (Read more)

How it works: Instead of a group stage, 18 teams will take part in the new league phase, with each club playing six matches — three at home and three away.

• The phase’s top four finishers automatically qualify for the quarterfinal round, teams 13 through 18 will be eliminated, and the 5th through 12th place teams will battle to punch quarterfinal tickets via a two-legged knockout playoff.

Tune-in: Juventus and Benfica open the 2025/26 UWCL campaign tomorrow at 12:45 PM ET, live on Paramount+.

NWSL teams stock rosters as postseason nears

As the 2025 NWSL season winds down, top players are on the move as teams across the league look to boost postseason odds or hit the ground running in 2026.

• 2026 expansion side Boston Legacy is stocking up, with NC Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy reportedly joining already-announced additions midfielder Chloe Ricketts and forward Amanda Gutierres as an unrestricted free agent next year.

• Angel City and Portland have also been busy, with the Thorns sending midfielder Hina Sugita to LA in exchange for defender MA Vignola and $600,000 in intraleague transfer funds last week.

Deadline looming: While there’s no deadline for finalizing 2026 free agent transactions, the 2025 NWSL trade window officially closes this Thursday, leaving playoff-hopeful teams scrambling to pad rosters while others focus on the future.

Quote of the day

Las Vegas guard Jackie Young
after setting a new single-quarter WNBA Finals points record in Sunday’s Game 2 victory over Phoenix.