Joyeux anniversaire, les amies.

WNBA frontrunners right the ship

Two WNBA championship contenders found a way back to the win column on Monday, as No. 2 Phoenix and No. 5 Atlanta notched emphatic victories following disappointing weekend results.

• Energized by a 24-point performance from 2025 All-Star starter Allisha Gray, the Dream topped No. 6 Golden State 90-81 at home.

• Phoenix got a taste of revenge by beating No. 11 Dallas 102-72, with guard Sami Whitcomb’s 33 points sending the Wings’ rookie core packing.

Big picture: After last week’s surprise upset, Dallas’s injury-shortened lineup couldn’t keep pace in a rematch with the deeper, more experienced Mercury.

• 2025 expansion side Golden State also showed their limits, dropping their sixth road game of the season after a fourth-quarter collapse that saw the Dream outscore the Valkyries 26-13.

• “I’m telling the refs, ‘This is a hard game for us,’” Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said afterwards. “I get it — home cooking. But to me, I thought for sure that [Valkyries players] were going up just as aggressive as their players, and we just did not get the whistle.”

Bottom line: With All-Star Weekend fast approaching, regular-season Cinderella stories are beginning to break away from the true powerhouses, as teams keep chasing Minnesota at the top of the WNBA standings.

Young WNBA All-Stars square off

The WNBA’s top young talent takes center stage today, as young 2025 All-Stars battle it out for a spot above the playoff line.

• Indianapolis-bound Mystics rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are currently hosting fellow All-Star reserve Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky, with both teams desperate to ascend the WNBA standings.

• “She’s just more present and confident, and they’re playing through her,” Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said of Reese and her recent record rebounding — and Reese is delivering with a first half double double.

What to watch: Tuesday’s slate features four teams aiming to curb recent skids before All-Star Weekend takes over.

• No. 9 Washington vs. No. 12 Chicago, 11:30 AM ET (League Pass): The Mystics hope to break out of ninth place against a struggling Sky, though Chicago’s looking up after going toe-to-toe with Minnesota on Sunday.

• No. 8 Las Vegas vs. No. 3 New York, 8 PM ET (ESPN): Las Vegas follows their up-and-down form into a matchup with recent rivals New York, while the lagging Liberty manage injured starters and a string of tough losses.

Bottom line: All-Stars step up in the biggest moments, and every move matters as the season inches closer to its midpoint.

USWNT stars set sights on Lyon

Eight-time UWCL winners OL Lyonnes will have even more US flair next season, with the French football titan announcing the signings of USWNT stars Lily Yohannes and Korbin Albert this week.

• Joining the newly rebranded Lyon side from Dutch club Ajax on a reported €450,000 transfer fee, Yohannes’s new contract runs through 2028.

• Albert also signed a three-year deal, arriving from Première Ligue rivals PSG, where she’s played since leaving Notre Dame in 2023.

Big picture: Yohannes and Albert join USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps in the OL midfield, with US billionaire and multi-team owner Michele Kang (Washington Spirit, London City Lionesses) overseeing the operation.

• Backed by her global women’s sports organization Kynisca, Kang reportedly beat WSL giants Chelsea to the punch in signing 17-year-old Yohannes.

• OL Lyonnes has been stocking up after failing to make it past the 2024/25 Champions League semifinals, bringing on PSG’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Chelsea’s Ashley Lawrence, Barcelona’s Ingrid Engen, and Vfl Wolfsburg’s Jule Brand in addition to former Washington Spirit coach Jonatan Giraldez.

Bottom line: While international tournaments play out around the world, the player carousel continues to spin as heavyweight teams vie for the sport’s top talent.

Join Just Women’s Sports at WNBA All-Star

Just Women’s Sports and Famous Footwear are teaming up to host a star-studded event at WNBA All-Star in Indianapolis.

• We’ll be celebrating basketball’s biggest weekend with player interviews, exclusive giveaways, and the Famous Footwear Shoe Tunnel. Plus, the first 50 fans get a complimentary gift card!

Be there: Join us Saturday, July 19th from 2 to 6 pm at 110 South Pennsylvania Street. This activation is free and open to all WNBA fans.

Team USA aces AmeriCup

USA Basketball lifted the FIBA AmeriCup trophy for the fifth time on Sunday, taking down reigning champions Brazil 92-84 behind the NCAA-heavy squad’s dominant fourth quarter performance.

• Pitting a roster of college talent against pros like Brazil and Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, Team USA’s Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt) earned tournament MVP honors after scoring 27 points in the Cup final.

• “This is my first time playing with USA Basketball, and to be able to cap it off with a win, a gold medal, and to play alongside such great players and great coaches, I couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Blakes.

• “What a performance by our team,” USA head coach Kara Lawson said. “We knew it was going to be just a tough, physical game.”

Up next: The win gives the US automatic entry into Germany’s 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, where they’ll look to repeat their 2022 gold medal run.

NWSL star rule WAFCON

The NWSL is already making a splash at this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, with three of the league’s top scorers stealing the spotlight following the tournament’s July 5th kick-off.

• Zambia nationals Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda and Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji both found the back of the net in Zambia’s group stage debut against host country Morocco, taking a point after a 2-2 draw.

• Bay FC forward Asisat Oshoala wrote her name in the scoresheet for Nigeria, registering a goal in the fourth minute of the Super Falcons’ 3-0 win over Tunisia.

Up next: WAFCON action revs back up tomorrow with Zambia hunting their first win of the tournament against Senegal at 12 PM ET, live on beIN Sports.

Number of the day 

19

Golden State forward Kayla Thornton is the first WNBA All-Star in 19 years to play for a first-year expansion team, after Chicago’s Candice Dupree in 2006.