WNBA teams trim rosters | Clark tops MVP odds | Korda tees off

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WNBA teams make tough cuts

WNBA teams continued to trim rosters this week, as preseason matchups set the tone for the league’s May 16th regular-season tip-off.

• The Aces waived Harvard alum Harmoni Turner — drafted 35th overall — and fourth-year center Queen Egbo on Wednesday after wrapping their preseason slate.

• Other standouts recently shown the door include Indiana recruit Bree Hall (20th overall pick from South Carolina), Seattle’s Madison Conner (29th overall pick from TCU), and Minnesota rookie Diamond Johnson (undrafted from Norfolk State).

Big picture: Teams can sign up to 18 players to training camp rosters before whittling them down to the regular-season max of 12, spurring lots of movement — including both cuts and additions — in the days leading up to tip-off.

• Atlanta picked up second-round Golden State pick Shyanne Sellers (Maryland) on waivers this week, just in time for their Saturday showdown with Indiana.

• Dallas exercised Maddy Siegrist’s fourth-year rookie option on Tuesday, with the Villanova grad joining Indiana’s Aliyah Boston (South Carolina) as the only 2023 draftees to get extended before the season’s start thus far.

Bottom line: The WNBA has long been one of the hardest leagues to secure a place in, with even more fan favorites expected to land on the chopping block in the coming days.

Analysts rank top WNBA players

With the 2025 WNBA season around the corner, sportsbooks have already been setting the field for this year’s MVP race, with odds heavily slanted toward three early frontrunners.

• 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark leads the pack, with FanDuel currently placing the Indiana guard at +200, followed closely by three-time league MVP A’ja Wilson (+230), and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier (+300).

• DraftKings rates Clark similarly at +220, putting Wilson at +225 and Collier at +400.

Big picture: After an blockbuster rookie season, opinions on Clark’s sophomore ceiling vary, with ESPN ranking the 23-year-old as the WNBA’s fourth-best player going into the season, behind Wilson, Collier, and 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart.

• However, the media giant’s own ESPN BET has Clark leading the MVP odds at +200, likely responding to bettor interest rather than analyst predictions.

• Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers is a clear favorite for Rookie of the Year, carrying -255 odds on ESPN BET despite not making the preseason Top 25.

Bottom line: There’s no such thing as a sure bet, but the market is mirroring fan interest in hyping up these young players before a single team takes the court.

Korda attempts another bounce-back

The LPGA is back East this week, with the 2025 Americas Open teeing off today in New Jersey — and defending champ Nelly Korda on the hunt for her first win of the year.

• After an unprecedented 2024 run, the world No. 1 golfer has struggled to regain her consistency this season, despite strong individual rounds.

• “I’ve had some really good rounds, and some iffy rounds as well,” Korda told reporters earlier this week. “But I think that’s just the game of golf — it’s life, it’s up, it’s down, it’s never going to be easy. And when you think you’ve got it figured out, it’s going to humble you very quickly.”

Big picture: Korda isn’t alone in her pursuit, as fellow US star Rose Zhang returns to the links this week despite battling a lingering neck injury.

• The world No. 26 won the Americas Open in her 2023 debut, but sat out last month’s Chevron Championship — the year’s first major — citing neck discomfort.

• “I will say that I’m pain-free right now, which I’m very thankful for,” Zhang told Golf Digest. “I never realized, and obviously it goes unsaid, but the neck is very important for anything that you do.”

What’s at stake: In addition to another chance to get back on course, Korda and Zhang will also be chasing the four-day tournament’s $3 million purse.

• To up the competition, the Open follows a unique format, with 24 top American Junior Golf Association players teeing off alongside the LPGA Tour’s 240 best at Liberty National Golf Club.

Tune-in: The Mizuho Americas Open starts today at 11 AM ET, with live continuous coverage on The Golf Channel.

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FIFA drops World Cup host cities

FIFA announced the 2027 World Cup’s eight host cities on Wednesday, opting to stage games along bid-winner Brazil’s coast over tropical regions that require more extensive travel.

• Football stadiums in Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and São Paulo will host matches throughout the tournament’s group and knockout stages.

Big picture: The 2023 tournament in Australia and New Zealand ranked as the best-attended Women’s World Cup in history, with a total of 1,978,274 fans filling seats across the two host nations.

• “The host cities chosen by FIFA already have modern stadiums and training centres to welcome players and fans from all over the world,” said CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues.

• “In addition, they offer an excellent hotel network and efficient urban infrastructure, with ready-made mobility systems, security and public services to provide what an event of this magnitude requires.”

USA Basketball staffs up

USA Basketball tapped Duke’s Kara Lawson to lead the USA women’s basketball team through this summer’s FIBA AmeriCup, with assistance from Old Dominion coach Delisha Milton-Jones and Oklahoma’s Jennie Baranczyk.

• Lawson earned three Olympic golds with Team USA: as a 5×5 player in 2008, as 3×3 head coach in 2021, and as an assistant coach with the 5×5 squad last summer.

Big picture: Taking place during the 2025 WNBA season, this year’s Team USA roster will likely defend their 2023 silver medal by relying on college talent.

• “The opportunity to work with some of the top players in the country, and the opportunity to coach alongside some of the top coaches in the country is something I’m very excited about,” Lawson said.

Quote of the day

Soccer stars Kristie Mewis and Sam Kerr
introducing their newborn son via social media early Thursday morning.