WNBA dominates Forbes most valuable women’s teams

There is a season, turn, turn, turn…

NY Liberty tops most valuable women’s teams list

The business of women’s sports is booming, as Forbes confirmed with this week’s Most Valuable Women’s Sports Teams rankings.

• The publication reported there are now 25 women’s sports organizations valued at nine figures, with an estimated combined worth of $5.6 billion.

• The WNBA’s New York Liberty tops the list with an estimated value of $400 million, with women’s basketball producing the inaugural ranking’s five most valuable teams.

Big picture: All 12 current WNBA teams feature in the top 25 valuations, alongside eight NWSL teams and five European football clubs.

• No. 6 Angel City FC leads the NWSL at $280 million, with No. 8 Arsenal heading up Europe’s contingent with a valuation of $260 million.

• Purpose-built arena and training facilities gave US teams an edge, as many European clubs remain financially tied to their men’s sports counterparts. (See full rankings)

Bottom line: Women’s sports valuations reflect future potential as much as current reality, as investors cash in on one of the sector’s fastest-growing markets.

Napheesa Collier says “nothing has changed” since viral interview

Months after Napheesa Collier set the WNBA ablaze with her viral exit interview criticizing league leadership, the Minnesota Lynx star said “nothing has changed” at the front office level — though she believes in her fellow players as CBA negotiations stall.

• “The conversation has been had now,” Collier said this week from Unrivaled 3×3 in Miami. “People are seeing that changes need to be made.”

• “I feel confident in the [union] and where we are internally with our players and the future,” she continued.

Big picture: In October, Collier said the WNBA had “the worst leadership in the world,” putting commissioner Cathy Engelbert in the hot seat amid tense CBA talks with serious implications on next season.

• The league and the WNBPA are currently sparring over revenue sharing, with diverging compensation expectations deepening the wedge.

• “Obviously, there’s frustration in that both sides are trying to get what they want, but we still have that fire within us,” Collier said. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to get what we think we deserve.”

Critical mass: As talks drag on, Collier sees the offseason 3×3 league she co-founded with Liberty star Breanna Stewart fueling the players’ fight.

• “It’s a crucial time in the CBA,” she said. “Having us all in one place is beneficial. Things are going to get done.”

2025/26 PWHL Takeover Tour hits the road

The puck dropped on this season’s PWHL Takeover Tour, as the Montréal Victoire took down the Toronto Sceptres 2-1 in Wednesday’s overtime shootout in front of a sold-out crowd in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

• 10,438 fans packed into Scotiabank Centre to see Team Canada and Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin score the shootout’s lone goal, handing No. 2 Montréal their third straight win.

• “It was amazing to see the young girls and boys in the crowd wearing our jerseys, saying our names, and wanting our autographs,” said Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie. “It’s just extremely special.” (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: The PWHL’s 16-stop Takeover Tour is just beginning, with nine games planned for Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Washington DC, Denver, and more before the league pauses for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

• “Everywhere we go, that’s the impression we want to leave — for little girls to know that they have a dream and that their dream can become a reality,” said Sceptres captain Blayre Turnbull.

• Halifax marks the third-year league’s fourth sold-out stop, joining fellow Canadian cities Edmonton, Quebec City, and Vancouver.

Up next: The PWHL pulls into Chicago’s Allstate Arena on Sunday, where Ottawa takes on Minnesota on at 2 PM ET. (Find tickets)

NCAA volleyball’s Final Four hits the court

The 2025 NCAA volleyball season is down to four teams, as the tournament’s Final Four takes the court tonight in Kansas City.

• No. 1 seeds Pitt and Kentucky survived a series of high-profile upsets to punch semifinal tickets, joined by No. 3 seeds Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

• “The Final Four is just so special, it is so incredible,” Wisconsin head coach Kelly Sheffield said. “You want as many of your players that are committed, that decide to come here, you want them to experience that.”

Big picture: Two teams will look to make history this weekend, with Pitt and Texas A&M both in pursuit of a program-first national championship — despite the Panthers embarking on their fifth consecutive Final Four appearance.

• Semifinal foes Wisconsin (2021) and Kentucky (2020) have one title each, both earned in the last five years.

Tune in: The NCAA volleyball semifinals begin tonight at 6:30 PM ET, live on ESPN.

FIFA sets Olympic women’s soccer allocations for LA 2028

As the 2028 LA Summer Games come into focus, the FIFA Council unveiled regional allocations for the first-ever 16-team Olympic women’s soccer tournament.

• According to Wednesday’s report, 2.5 slots will go to AFC (Asia), 2 to CAF (Africa), 3 to Concacaf (North and Central America), 2.5 to Conmebol (South America), 1 to OFC (Oceania), and 4 to UEFA (Europe), with one additional slot reserved for the reigning Olympic gold medalist USWNT as hosts.

Big picture: With the expanded competition allowing for greater depth, Concacaf’s representation will double from 2024, growing from two to four teams, while all four of Europe’s 2027 UEFA Nations League semifinalists will qualify.

• However, one AFC and one Conmebol team will ostensibly have to face an inter-continental playoff to determine which region gets to send an additional team to the 2028 Olympics.

Quote of the day

Portland Thorns forward Sophia Wilson
discussing her impending return to the NWSL after giving birth earlier this year.