WNBA GM survey predicts 2026 frontrunners

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WNBA GM survey spotlights 2026 predictions

WNBA execs are spilling the tea, as the league’s annual GM survey provides anonymous predictions for expected standouts, top roster moves, and the season’s projected champion.

• 33% of GMs tapped Dallas guard Paige Bueckers as the best player to build a franchise around, leapfrogging 2025 nominee Caitlin Clark (20%).

• Lynx rookie Olivia Miles got 73% of the 2026 Rookie of the Year vote, while execs pegged the Wings as both most improved (67%) and most fun to watch (36%).

Calling the shots: 40% chose defending champion Las Vegas to win the 2026 title, followed by New York (33%) and Atlanta (27%) — with no mention of last year’s predicted winner Minnesota.

• Aces star and four-time MVP A’ja Wilson stole 60% of the 2026 MVP vote, while also picking up best defender, forward, center, and leader.

• Other races were tighter, as Seattle’s Dominique Malonga and Chicago newcomer Rickea Jackson shared “most likely to have a breakout season” with 15% each, while Connecticut’s Nell Angloma and LA’s Ta’Niya Latson split “biggest rookie steal” at 21%. (See full report)

PWHL taps Detroit for 2026/27 expansion team

Pro women’s hockey is coming to Detroit, as the PWHL made its expansion plans official at this morning’s press conference.

• Joining as the third-year league’s ninth team, Detroit shot out as an early frontrunner after hosting four Takeover Tour matchups over the past two years — and setting a US women’s hockey attendance record in 2025.

• “Detroit has been part of PWHL history since the beginning,” said PWHL EVP of business operations Amy Scheer. “From the support shown at our first-ever neutral site game at Little Caesars Arena, the city and fans have helped lead the way for the future of pro women’s hockey.” (See full report)

Bright future: Nearing the end of another successful season, the PWHL is pairing an aggressive expansion phase with next month’s college draft — reportedly held in Detroit.

• The league is already preparing to roll out new roster-building rules, forgoing a traditional expansion draft in favor of multiple signing windows as a means of prioritizing player choice.

• “Detroit sports fans are the best in the world,” said Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer. “From selling out arenas to setting attendance records, our fans show out when women’s hockey shows up.”

WNBA legend Tina Charles retires

Another WNBA great is hanging up her sneakers, as the league’s all-time top rebounder Tina Charles announced her retirement on Tuesday.

• Considered the best player to never win a title, the three-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-time All-Star won 2010 Rookie of the Year and 2012 MVP, trailing only Diana Taurasi on the all-time scoring list after 14 seasons.

• “I’ve experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, and I’m thankful for all of it,” Charles wrote. “Through it all, I learned how to show up. When doubt got loud and narratives were written about me, I kept showing up.” (See full post)

End of an era: The two-time NCAA champion with UConn represented a generation of players who excelled overseas, winning the 2024 FIBA Europe SuperCup with Turkish titan Fenerbahçe, among other international titles.

• Charles averaged 16.3 points per game in her final WNBA season — playing for the same Connecticut franchise that drafted her No. 1 overall in 2010.

• “Growth requires honesty, and for me, that meant recognizing when my impact was being called in a new direction,” she continued. “That’s not failure, that’s clarity. I’m at peace with this decision.” (See full report)

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Soccer icons Kelley O’Hara and Ali Riley are back, as all-new episode of Time Wasting presented by Amazon Prime serves up another jam-packed helping of tactical breakdowns, behind-the-scenes stories, and insider perspectives.

• In the episode, Kelley and Ali discuss the highs and lows of expansion teams, debating if it’s possible for first-year squads to get it right straight out the gate.

• “The biggest thing I took from being part of an expansion team was the difficulty as a player, as a team, of being a new entity,” Kelley said, recalling her time with the Utah Royals. “There’s no culture, no history, no expectations. So the question is, who sets that?”

Tune in: Catch Time Wasting on YouTube.

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NCAA announces $1 million volleyball exhibition

The college volleyball business is booming, as four NCAA programs announced plans to join August’s $1 million Spikes Under the Lights mini-tournament.

• Florida, Nebraska, Penn State, and SMU will take over Dallas’s AT&T Stadium, showcasing two three-set semifinals and a final within a three-hour broadcast window.

• Each team receives a $200,000 appearance fee, with an additional $200,000 in prize money on the line.

Big splash: Nebraska is no stranger to flashy exhibition games, after welcoming a record 92,003 fans to a 2023 one-off at Huskers football’s Memorial Stadium.

• “We are excited and honored to be part of this historic event that showcases the continued growth of women’s volleyball,” Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly said. “Hopefully a lot of Husker fans will be able to experience it with us in Dallas.” (See full report)

WTA players threaten French Open boycott

WTA players are putting the French Open on blast, as several big names claim the women’s draw was offered less than 15% of the Paris Grand Slam’s total revenue.

• Players requested Roland Garros divert 22% of its revenue into the prize pool, mirroring the standard for ATP and WTA combined 1000-level events.

• This year’s tournament increased its payout to €61.7 million ($72.19 million USD), trailing the US Open’s $90 million and the Australian Open’s $80.06 million. (See full report)

Big picture: Both men’s and women’s players are looking to negotiate higher winnings across the board, leaving a potential boycott on the table.

• “I think at some point we will boycott it,” world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka told reporters. “I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights.”

Quote of the day

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers
on improving her ability to evade screens at this year’s WNBA training camp.