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What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today
1. Laces and Phantom Clinch First Unrivaled Playoff Spots 🏁
The Unrivaled playoff race is officially on. Laces BC and Phantom BC have locked up the first two of six playoff spots for the 2026 season.
WHY IT MATTERS: This season, Unrivaled expanded its playoff field from four teams to six, and finishing in the top two spots comes with a major perk: a first-round bye. That extra rest helps in a condensed season and shortens the path to a title. There’s also real money on the line. Players on the championship-winning team will earn a $100,000 bonus each, double last year’s payout. With money and bragging rights on the line, players are highly incentivized to play their best.
2. Lisa Leslie Award Midseason Watchlist Is Here 🏆
Who dominates the paint? The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame released its top 10 midseason watchlist for the Lisa Leslie Award, which honors the best center in college basketball.
WHY IT MATTERS: Named after one of the greatest to ever play the game, this award has become another strong indicator of future pro impact. This year’s list includes dominant candidates like Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Madina Okot (South Carolina), Lauren Betts (UCLA), and Raegan Beers (Oklahoma). Past winners include current WNBA stars Aliyah Boston, Cameron Brink, and 4x MVP A’ja Wilson.
3. Unrivaled Makes Its First In-Season Trade 🔄
Unrivaled pulled off its first in-season trade following news that Aari McDonald is out for the season with a lower extremity injury. Courtney Williams heads to the Breeze, Saniya Rivers moves to the Vinyl, and Azurá Stevens lands with the Hive. (USA Today)
WHY IT MATTERS: This marks the second trade in Unrivaled history, and the first one to happen during the season. Last year’s trade came before opening tip. This new trade has bigger implications. The Breeze, Vinyl, and Hive are all battling for playoff positioning, so this is a competitive move with potential postseason implications.
🗳️ Which trade are you most excited about?
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OVERTIME ⏱️
Aussie Accolade: Mystics guard Lucy Olsen was named the WNBL’s Sixth Woman of the Year this season. The WNBL is Australia’s professional league.
AU Leader Watch: Kaitlyn Chen came out firing in Nashville and currently sits No. 1 on the Athletes Unlimited leaderboard after opening weekend.
🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked whether you think the new league’s CBA proposal goes far enough. The answer was pretty clear, with a resounding 77% of you saying no.
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