WNBA preseason tips off | NWSL eyes new league | Gauff shines in Madrid

Welcome to the big leagues.

WNBA preseason tips off — live on TV

As WNBA training camp tips off this week, fans will be able to watch live coverage of the entire 15-game preseason lineup for the first time in history, the league announced Monday.

• “[W]ith superstars returning to the arenas where they starred in college and in some cases, teams from around the world serving as opponents, [broadcast] brings an entirely new level of excitement to the WNBA preseason,” said WNBA chief growth officer Colie Edison in a statement.

What’s on: Starting this Friday, four preseason matchups will air nationally.

• Dallas vs. Las Vegas, May 2nd at 7 PM ET (ION)

• Brazil National Team vs. Chicago, May 2nd at 9 PM ET (ION)

• Washington vs. Indiana, May 3rd at 1 PM ET (NBA TV)

• Brazil National Team vs. Indiana, May 4th at 4 PM ET (ESPN)

• The remaining games plus three of the four nationally broadcast games will be available to stream for free on the WNBA App, excluding Indiana’s May 4th game against Brazil.

Big picture: The move underlines fan excitement surrounding the 2025 season, while teams across the country tackle the often tough realities of training camp.

• All 13 franchises have to narrow their 18-player preliminary rosters down to 11 or 12 players by May 16th’s season tip-off, as college favorites and vets on the bubble battle for a spot in a still-growing league.

• The delayed arrival of international prospects complicates the process, with high-profile recruits like 2025 No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga still yet to report to due to conflicting global schedules

• Last season, just 13 of the 36 players taken in the 2024 Draft made the opening-day cut.

What’s next: Expect roster adjustments to surface throughout the week, as teams prepare to play out a competitive preseason slate — now on the public stage.

NWSL proposes DII league

The NWSL has submitted a formal application to US Soccer to launch a Division II league in 2026, CBS Sports reported late last week, with the goal of strengthening player development in a shifting domestic landscape.

• Similar to the academy system overseas, the lower league would serve as both a testing ground and feeder system for the top-flight NWSL, keeping talent in-house while also providing professional resources and competition.

• Eight NWSL clubs are set to participate in the second-tier league’s inaugural year — North Carolina, Kansas City, Louisville, Gotham, Orlando, Bay FC, Seattle, and Washington — with the intention of all clubs joining within the next four years.

Big picture: Pro sports in the US have long relied on the NCAA to prepare future prospects, but with more young players forgoing NCAA soccer to sign pro contracts directly — not to mention the abolishment of the NWSL draft last season — new leagues continue to emerge to meet demand across North America.

• Division I operations like the USL Super League and Canada’s Northern Super League offer fully professional opportunities, while the amateur-focused WPSL will launch its own second-tier league, WPSL Pro, in 2026.

• If it goes through, the NWSL’s Division II league would be the only secondary system sharing ownership, infrastructure, and staffing with top NWSL sides.

Work in progress: On Friday, The Athletic reported that the NWSL has yet to agree upon full details for the new venture, with the submission primarily intended to meet a sanctioning deadline.

• Should the application be approved, club soccer in the US will have expanded from a single pro league in 2023 to two Division I and two Division II leagues by 2026.

Despite blackouts, US stars shine in Madrid

While rolling blackouts across the region suspended play at the Madrid Open on Monday, many top US talents worked their way through the clay court competition to great success.

• World No. 4 Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-2 in Monday’s Round of 16, exiting the court just before the arena lost power.

• “I feel like, at this point, this is only a situation you can laugh at if I was on court,” Gauff said after her post-match interview was cut short by a deadened mic. “Because it’s probably not going to happen ever again, and we’ll always remember the day the power went out at Madrid Open.”

• Gauff next faces Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, where a win could see her leapfrog the now-ousted No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the WTA rankings to reclaim No. 3 — and resume her title as the highest-ranked US player.

Back in action: The Round of 16 resumed early this morning, with fellow US star world No. 5 Madison Keys taking down Donna Vekić 6-2, 6-3 before No. 2 Iga Świątek eked out a win against Diana Schnaider 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-4.

• Keys and Świątek will now square off in the quarterfinals — their first meeting since Keys upset the Polish star at January’s Australian Open semifinal.

Tune in: The Madrid Open quarterfinals kick off tomorrow at 4 AM ET, with continued coverage on the Tennis Channel.

Players put NWSL officiating on blast

Concerns over faulty NWSL officiating took center stage this week, after Sunday’s 3-3 draw between Portland and Louisville on Sunday saw a league-record 41 fouls called — and only one card handed out in regulation.

• In the chippy, physical showdown, Louisville took a 3-1 first-half lead only to see it shortened to 3-2 after referee Corbyn May awarded Portland a penalty kick just before halftime. Portland then drew level with another converted penalty, this one awarded late in second-half stoppage time.

• Angered by May’s controversial calls, Racing Louisville’s Ary Borges was shown a post-match red card for dissent after confronting the officials on the field.

Parting remarks: “I do think that match can’t keep happening in this league. I think it’s embarrassing — it alters the match, it alters the sport,” said Portland’s Jessie Fleming after the game, remarking on Louisville’s aggressive play and the official’s lack of response. “It’s embarrassing for the league, and I think it’s embarrassing for Louisville as a club, and very frustrating for us as players.”

• Borges apologized for her outburst via social media, going on to note, “I’m not much of talking about referees because they are things that are beyond our control but what happened today in the match was a shame.”

• “For those who had two questionable penalties and spent the whole game throwing themselves in and around the penalty box, please take a moment to reflect and not talk about my team,” she continued, accusing the Thorns of contributing to the issue by over-selling fouls.

PWHL reveals 2024 championship rings

As the league’s second postseason nears, the PWHL presented the Minnesota Frost with their 2024 Walter Cup championship rings, celebrating the league’s inaugural winners in a private ceremony held Sunday.

• Featuring a sterling silver Walter Cup surrounded by amethyst gemstones and a halo of diamonds, the customized rings stem from a multi-year partnership with Paris Jewellers Canada, set to provide championship rings for the league for years to come.

• “This group will always carry the honor of being the first team in PWHL history to win the Walter Cup, and now we will forever have these special championship rings that encapsulate the journey to the top,” said Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield.

Quote of the day

@DallasWings
egging on some training camp teammate trash talk on social media this week.