WNBA returns | Liberty loads up | England faces Italy

Let’s hear it for the Budz.

WNBA kicks back into gear

The WNBA is back in the saddle tonight, tipping off the second half of the regular season with a stacked five-game slate as the All-Star Weekend dust settles.

• The No. 1 Lynx and No. 2 Liberty both take the court, while even tighter competition spotlights teams crowding the middle of the WNBA standings.

What to watch: After a few days of fun in Indianapolis, tonight’s top matchups will test just how well players can return their focus back to the postseason push.

• No. 10 LA vs. No. 7 Washington (ESPN3): In what could be one of the closest games of the evening, two young teams jockey for positioning as serious playoff contenders.

• No. 6 Indiana vs. No. 2 New York, 8 PM ET (ESPN): With injured superstar Caitlin Clark stuck on the sidelines, the Fever take on a surging New York side finally fully healthy.

• No. 5 Atlanta vs. No. 8 Las Vegas: Here come the Aces, as Las Vegas hunts their third-straight win against an Atlanta team struggling to hold off fellow top-ranked squads.

Bottom line: The clock is ticking as we slide into the dog days of summer, with teams staring down tough clashes sure to separate contenders from pretenders.

The Liberty loads up

The New York Liberty wasted no time getting back to work after a successful All-Star Weekend, with multiple reports pointing to 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman joining the reigning champs for the second half of the 2025 season.

• Fresh off leading Belgium to victory at FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025, Meesseman’s arrival is now dependent on her visa application’s timeline.

Big picture: Currently sitting at No. 2 in the standings, the Liberty have remained strong despite dealing with a few key absences in their starting lineup.

• Center Jonquel Jones is expected to return to the court this week after missing extended time with an ankle injury, while star guard Leonie Fiebich has already made a welcome return from EuroBasket.

• New York also picked up Australian forward Stephanie Talbot on Monday, after Golden State waived the 32-year-old free agent last week.

Making a comeback: A 2019 WNBA champion with the Mystics, Meesseman hasn’t played in the league since the end of 2022, opting instead to prioritize European play following a stint with the Chicago Sky.

• Averaging 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game in 2022, Meesseeman was reportedly also scouted by the Lynx and the Mercury before landing on the Liberty.

Tune in: See how the budding superteam stacks up against Indiana tonight at 8 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Lionesses lead off the Euros semis

The UEFA Women's Euro 2025 semifinals kick off this afternoon, as the four remaining nations — England, Italy, Germany, and Spain — battle it out with a ticket to Sunday’s tournament final on the line.

• A repeat of the 2023 World Cup Final is still on the table, with both England and Spain continuing to hold it down on opposite ends of the bracket.

What’s on: Three of the four semifinal squads showcase a wealth of international experience and history, while surprise underdog Italy attempts to shock the world.

• England vs. Italy, Tuesday at 3 PM ET (FOX): While Italy eyes their first major women’s tournament final appearance since 1993, the 2022 Euros champs look to start strong after a tightly contested quarterfinal clash.

• Germany vs. Spain, Wednesday at 3 PM ET (FOX): Expect the reigning World Cup champions to have an edge over a tested German side, but don’t discount Germany’s mental resolve after their own dramatic quarterfinal win.

Fresh legs: Availability will play a major role this round’s results, as multiple teams continue to rotate their lineups deep into the tournament.

• England will hope for captain Leah Williamson’s return after the center-back exited the team’s quarterfinal with an apparent injury, while Germany and Spain navigate absences due to mounting yellow and red card violations.

Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie went live in Indy, as the hit JWS digital series presented by Eli Lilly and Company brought another helping of unfiltered commentary, insider perspective, and a star-studded guest list to 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend.

• All-Star captain and Minnesota Lynx standout Napheesa Collier kicked off Saturday’s live taping, chatting with Leslie about her 3×3 league Unrivaled’s outsized impact on the league, balancing mom life with pro basketball, and why she stacked her All-Star roster with UConn superstars.

• Later, Dream guard Rhyne Howard stopped by to dish on Atlanta’s unexpected surge to the top of the WNBA standings before Indianapolis hometown hero Lexie Hull brought Leslie up to speed on the Fever’s booming fanbase and why she prides herself on her defense.

Tune in: Catch Between the Lines live at WNBA All-Star Weekend on YouTube.

Unrivaled lights up the WNBA

Unrivaled Basketball returned to the headlines yesterday, releasing a series of stats linking participation in the offseason 3×3 league to boosted performances in the WNBA.

• Per the league, 91% of all Unrivaled players have posted a career-high in at least one statistical category so far this season.

• Over a third of Unrivaled vets are currently seeing career-highs scoring, including league-leader — and Unrivaled co-founder — Napheesa Collier.

Big picture: Unrivaled’s impact on the WNBA player pool has proven substantial as the league continues to boom in popularity, with the 3×3 upstart signing 14 of college basketball’s biggest stars to NIL deals earlier this week.

• Unrivaled’s salary structure has also made a splash, with standouts like Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers scoring contracts that far outweigh their regular-season pay.

England confronts racism at Euros

England defender Jess Carter is stepping back from social media this week, with the Gotham star stating she’d received “a lot of racial abuse” since the start of the Lionesses’ Euros defense.

• “While I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result, I don’t agree, or think, it’s OK to target someone’s appearance or race,” she wrote in Monday’s post.

• In response, English FA CEO Mark Bullingham said the FA has contacted UK police “to ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice.”

Big picture: Carter isn’t the only player taking action, as the entire England squad has chosen not to take a knee before this afternoon’s semifinal match against Italy to show their support.

• Until now, the Lionesses have knelt just prior to kick-off as a show of anti-racist protest, though Carter’s Euros experience has prompted the team to reconsider the gesture’s effectiveness.

• “We feel as a collective, is the message as strong as it used to be?” England’s Lucy Bronze told reporters on Saturday. “Because it feels like it’s not if these things are still happening to our players in the biggest tournaments of their lives. More needs to be done in football and society.”

Quote of the day

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier
on the quick turnaround from All-Star Weekend to the WNBA’s regular season.