WNBA

The agent for Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark argued it's impossible for the WNBA's salary structure to truly reflect the value of the 2024 Rookie of the Year.

"Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she's really worth to that league? I don't think that's possible," Erin Kane said to ESPN's Michele Steele.

"She's part of a larger player body. They all need to be paid more. She should be recognized for what she has done and what she's brought to the league from an economic standpoint. It's as simple as that."

Clark is one of the biggest bargains in sports. Her rookie contract maxes out at $97,582 for the 2027 season.

During her first year in the WNBA, the 6'0" guard received $76,535 guaranteed. For that money, the Fever had a player who averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists en route to finishing fourth in the MVP voting. According to Across the Timeline, Indiana also ranked first in attendance with an average of 17,035 fans per game, up from an 11th-place finish (4,066) in 2023.

Then there was the wider impact of Clark's arrival for the WNBA. The Indianapolis Star's Dana Hunsinger Benbow interviewed one economist, Dr. Ryan Brewer, who estimated she accounted for 26.5 percent of the league's tangible financial and growth indicators such as ticket and merchandise revenue and television ratings.

Clark isn't necessarily an anomaly.

In a salary-capped league with a maximum salary in place, the top stars won't be compensated in a way that reflects their true worth. LeBron James has made more than $528 million across his NBA career, yet he was still underpaid in some respect.

With Clark and other WNBA players, the big question is how much the next collective bargaining agreement bridges the gap between their real and contractual values.

More money is flowing into the WNBA than ever before, and that cash should filter down to the players. The supermax salary for 2025 is $249,244 and that figure could look quaint with a new CBA that represents the new normal in the W.

For Clark and the likes of Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier and others, getting a salary that equates to their full value probably requires breaking the salary cap altogether.

WNBA legend Lisa Leslie knows what part of Angel Reese's game she wants to target ahead of the Chicago Sky's 2025 season.

"The biggest advice I have for you is gonna be how you shoot your layups, period," Leslie told Reese on Thursday's episode of Unapologetically Angel (26-minute mark). "We're gonna fix that. That's fixable for you."

Reese averaged 13.6 points per game and finished as WNBA Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2024 while shooting 39.1 percent from the field.

That included a 44.5 percent shooting rate on attempts from within five feet and a 42.4 percent accuracy rate on layups.

The Sky forward, who missed the end of her rookie season after undergoing season-ending wrist surgery, has previously referred to that shooting percentage on social media "the worst you'll ever see me."

Leslie has expressed hope that she can help Reese improve her shooting before, like when she mentioned Reese's offensive "ceiling" to Kelley O'Hara in a September episode of Just Women's Sports (10-minute mark).

"She has a whole ceiling of space to improve on. Her offense, her ability to shoot, just her down-post game, her face-up game. I hope to work with Angel one day in the gym, just to really help her get to that next level, because I believe that really can," Leslie said in September.

That hope came to fruition during Unrivaled's inaugural season, when Rose BC shared a video of Reese and Leslie training together.

In their latest conversation on Reese's podcast, Leslie praised the second-year WNBA forward for wanting to improve her game.

"For me to hear from you, and see that you're like, 'Yes, I want you to work with me, I want you to help me, I want to get better,' that's what it's about," Leslie told Reese. "The fact that you already have that attitude? You're going to get better, and I can help you get better. I'm positive. I'm serious."

Before returning for her second WNBA season, Reese will look to show off some of the lessons she's learning from Leslie when Unrivaled team play resumes next Tuesday between Rose and Vinyl.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is enthusiastic about the impact she'll believe the team's two biggest offseason additions will have on the court.

On the heels of their playoff trip last year, the Fever signed six-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner and three-time WNBA champion Natasha Howard.

"They know what it takes to win, they know what it takes to get to the Finals, they know what it takes to win championships," Clark told reporters of the pair. "I think it's exactly what we needed in our locker room. But also they're not just really good basketball players, they're great leaders and great people and I know the front office prioritized that."

At 37, Bonner remained an effective two-way player for the Connecticut Sun in 2024. She averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals while appearing in all 40 games.

Howard, meanwhile, has noticeably fallen off from her peak with the Seattle Storm, yet she remains a solid inside presence. She averaged 16.9 points and 7.5 boards in her two seasons with the Dallas Wings.

There wasn't one move the Fever could've realistically made this offseason that would've vaulted them to the top of the WNBA title race for 2025.

Sure, Breanna Stewart is a free agent, but common sense would have her returning to the New York Liberty. Then the next best free agents were Alyssa Thomas, Nneka Ogwumike and Kelsey Plum, and none of the three would've single-handedly put Indiana ahead of reigning champion New York.

By adding Bonner and Howard, the former in particular, the Fever are at least making themselves look like more of a draw for established stars moving forward, and a stronger roster should help them move up the standings after a sixth-place finish.

Building a championship contender, even with young talents in Clark and Aliyah Boston, can be a long process when you're starting from the ground floor.

The Seattle Storm drafted Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart first overall in back-to-back years (2015 and 2016). It wasn't until 2018 when the Storm won the first of their two titles over a three-year span.

The Las Vegas Aces likewise didn't get their first title until A'ja Wilson's fifth year in the WNBA.

More than anything, the Fever this offseason laid a great foundation for 2026, when Clark and Boston will be a year older and almost every notable veteran will hit the open market.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow gave a shout-out to WNBA star Caitlin Clark and pledged to attend an Indiana Fever game next season to watch the superstar in action.

"Shoutout Caitlin Clark, she's always fun to watch," Burrow told reporters. "I think she's bringing a lot of fans to the WNBA. She's going to continue to get better. She's an hour and a half from Cincy, so I'll have to go and make the trip."

Burrow just completed his fifth NFL season. Despite the Bengals missing out on the postseason, he had a career year, posting 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns, both leading the league, along with a 74.7 quarterback rating.

Clark, a former Iowa State Hawkeye, lost to Burrow's alma mater, LSU, in the 2023 NCAA women's national championship game 102-85. However, she came back the following season, defeating LSU in an Elite Eight victory.

Clark, in her rookie season, averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. The Fever finished 20-20, securing third place in the Eastern Conference.

Her standout rookie season also caught the eye of NFL star Travis Kelce, whose girlfriend, Taylor Swift, was seen at a Kansas City Chiefs game alongside Clark during a postseason game.

"Oh man, she's unbelievable," Kelce told reporters ahead of Super Bowl LIX. "She's the funnest one to watch right now and one of the best basketball players I've ever seen. And it has been so cool to see her at Taylor's concert, and coming out to a Chiefs game and hanging out with us."

Clark and the Fever will kick off the regular season against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on May 17 at home, with the sidelines likely to be filled with some notable names.

An already busy WNBA offseason keeps getting juicier.

Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey has reportedly requested a trade, according to ESPN's Alexa Philippou, after just half a season with the franchise.

Mabrey was a midseason acquisition in the 2024 trade that sent Moriah Jefferson, Rachel Banham, Connecticut's 2025 first-round pick and 2026 first-round swap rights to the Chicago Sky.

Mabrey, 28, appeared in 16 games for the Sun (three starts), averaging 14.9 points and 3.9 assists while shooting 42.4 percent from three. She was even more impactful in seven postseason games, putting up 15.9 points and 2.6, though she shot just 33.9 from deep.

But the Sun appear to be rebuilding, trading away Alyssa Thompson, DiJonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris while losing Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner in free agency. The organization also parted ways with head coach Stephanie White, who has since landed the same gig with the Indiana Fever.

Mabrey would have been returning to a much-less accomplished roster that is likely to embark on a significant rebuilding phase. It would appear she would prefer to play for a contending team.

She's also no stranger to trade requests, having asked out of Chicago last season before she was dealt to the Sun.

"After a while, it's hard when you came for one thing, and it didn't really end up panning out to be the role, position, everything that you were originally planning on being in with [former Chicago head coach James Wade]," Mabrey told Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times last July after her trade to the Sun. "That's OK. Things change, and maybe it doesn't work out like you saw it working out. But [in Chicago], I learned not to create expectations anymore because it just leads to a letdown. It's hard."

It remains to be seen what her expectations will be for her next team if the Sun grant her the trade she's requested.

Cam Brink is fired up to play alongside Kelsey Plum on the Los Angeles Sparks.

"She's a real one," Brink said during a conversation with Sydel Curry-Lee on Tuesday's episode of the Wave Original Straight to Cam (39-minute mark). "She's so fun, too. … I got a PG. Thank goodness because we needed that."

Brink explained that she already knows Plum because they trained together even before she entered the league.

"She's probably one of the hardest workers I know," she added.

Plum came to the Sparks this offseason in a blockbuster trade that also sent Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces. The addition of Loyd will help the Aces account for the loss of Plum and should keep them in the championship picture with A'ja Wilson leading the way.

As for the Sparks, they now have a veteran leader for a team that is filled with young talent.

The future was already bright with Brink (No. 2 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft) and Rickea Jackson (No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft) as foundational cornerstones, but Plum is a championship-winning player with a resume that includes two WNBA titles, an All-WNBA selection and three All-Star Game nods.

She can work in pick-and-rolls with Brink and is accustomed to playing alongside a star forward considering she worked with Wilson when they were together on the Aces.

Plum is the type of point guard who can help Brink reach her own potential, which will set the Sparks up for even more success down the line.

This year's Met Gala host committee will feature a handful of high-profile athletes.

Per TMZ Sports, Angel Reese, Simone Biles and Sha'Carri Richardson are among the names on this year's Costume Institute Benefit host committee. As members of the host committee, Reese, Biles and Richardson will help plan the star-studded event, which will take place on May 5.

Joining Reese, Biles and Richardson on the host committee are names like André 3000, Spike Lee, Ayo Edebiri and more. This year's Met Gala theme is "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style."

Reese, Biles and Richardson aren't the only athletes who will play a part in this year's Met Gala, as LeBron James is this year's honorary chair and Lewis Hamilton is a co-chair.

Reese, who attended last year's Met Gala, is coming off a big year. After finishing her collegiate basketball career with LSU in the spring, she had an outstanding rookie season for the Chicago Sky, putting up 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.

Biles also had a year to remember, winning three gold medals and a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. Biles' husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, is also on the host committee.

Richardson had a successful stint at the Olympics as well, winning gold with the 4x100 meter relay team and silver in the 100 meter.

A'ja Wilson's first signature shoe has been unveiled by Nike ahead of its release this spring.

Nike released images of the A'One sneaker with the "Pink Aura" colorway that will drop in May.

Wilson added there will be different colorways coming soon, as well as different sizes, slides and an apparel collection.

Wilson first announced she was getting a signature shoe in May 2024:

"It's been incredible working with Nike toward a dream of having my collection, and it really is an honor to take this next step and become a Nike signature athlete. From my logo to the look of the shoe and the pieces throughout the collection, we've worked to make sure every detail is perfectly tuned to my game and style."

The three-time WNBA MVP originally signed a sponsorship deal with Nike in 2018. She signed a six-year extension with the apparel giant in December that was one of the richest shoe deals for a women's basketball player, per ESPN's Shams Charania and Alexa Phillippou.

Wilson will become the third active WNBA player with a signature shoe with the A'One releases, joining Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart. Caitlin Clark will also have her own signature shoe with Nike, but details about a release date have not been made available.

While Nike didn't have a specific release date for the A'One, it will likely be made available on or around the start of the 2025 WNBA season on May 16.

Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces will begin the season on May 17 against the defending champion New York Liberty at Barclays Center. The Liberty ended Vegas' quest for a three-peat by beating them in four games in the postseason semifinals.