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Good morning! âď¸
Great to be back after an awesome long weekend of international World Cup basketball. Hope you were able to catch some of the games.
What to Know About Womenâs Basketball Today
1. The World Cup Field Is Down to 12 đ
The World Cup Group Phase is complete, and USA, Spain, France, and Belgium have advanced directly to the quarterfinals. Eight more countries will play single-elimination games Tuesday and Wednesday for the final four spots.
Team USA went 3-0 over the weekend, beating China 94-61, surviving Italy 55-52, and closing group play with a 105-64 win over Czechia. The Americans will face the winner of Hungary vs. Japan in Thursdayâs quarterfinal. (FIBA)
WHY IT MATTERS: The World Cup has already given us some great basketball, with talent showing up from all over. Japanâs Saki Hayashi hit nine threes against Mali, while France set a World Cup team record with 22 made threes against Nigeria. Mali also upset Spain 82-73 for just its second World Cup win ever. And while Team USA is still unbeaten, its three-point win over Italy showed the Americans are susceptible.
2. Cathy Engelbert Will Retire After 2026 đ
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert will retire at the end of the 2026 season, ending a seven-year tenure that began in 2019. (Yahoo Sports)
WHY IT MATTERS: The league Engelbert leaves behind looks very different from 2019. The WNBA had 12 teams when she took over and is set to grow to 18 by 2030. Its national media rights are now worth roughly $3.1 billion, and the new CBA brought the first million-dollar annual salaries in league history. During Engelbertâs tenure, the league also added the Commissionerâs Cup and league-wide charter travel, while raising $75 million in outside investment.
3. The Sparks Have Their New GM âď¸
The Los Angeles Sparks have hired Ariana Andonian as general manager, replacing Raegan Pebley, who was fired in July. Andonian comes from the Philadelphia 76ers organization, where she was vice president of player personnel and GM of their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.(ESPN)
WHY IT MATTERS: Andonian takes over a Sparks team that will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season, so thereâs plenty to figure out. Sheâll oversee roster construction, player personnel, scouting and strategy, while also deciding the future of head coach Lynne Roberts.
Stewie Stepped Up for Team USA
Team USA needed a strong response at the World Cup, and Breanna Stewart helped lead the way. Which seems like a pretty good time to remind everyone of a simple fact: Breanna Stewart is good at basketball. We even made a shirt that says so.
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OVERTIME âąď¸
Lynx Moves: The Lynx waived Czech guard Eliska Joklova while she was away at the World Cup and signed Aari McDonald.
Hawkeye Hall: Former Hawkeye Amy Herrig-Tanny, who played from 1995-99, was inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame over the weekend.
Coffee, Anyone? Kayla McBride spent part of the WNBA break opening a new coffee shop with her sister in Concord, North Carolina.
