The WNBA is entering a new era — and the numbers behind the league’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) prove it.
According to new details, the financial structure of the league is set for a dramatic transformation, marking one of the most significant turning points in women’s professional sports history.
A Historic Jump in Salary Cap
One of the most eye-catching changes is the salary cap, which is expected to start at $7 million per team, a massive leap from the $1.5 million cap in 2025.
This increase doesn’t just reflect growth — it signals a shift in how the league values its talent. Teams will now have significantly more flexibility to build competitive rosters, retain star players, and elevate overall team quality.
The new agreement also introduces an average revenue share of nearly 20% across the CBA.
While still below levels seen in some other major leagues, this marks meaningful progress. It indicates that players are beginning to benefit more directly from the league’s rising popularity, increased media coverage, and expanding fan base.
Supermax Salaries Reach New Heights
Top-tier players will see major financial gains, with supermax salaries starting at $1.4 million.
This is a game-changer for elite athletes, many of whom have historically played overseas during the offseason to supplement their income. With higher domestic earnings, the WNBA becomes a more sustainable, year-round priority for its biggest stars.
– Salary cap starts at $7M (up from $1.5M in 2025) – Average revenue share of nearly 20% across CBA – Supermax salary starts at $1.4M – Average salary in $600K range, minimum salary above $300K (minimum was $66,079 in 2025)
The impact of the new CBA isn’t limited to star players.
The average salary is projected to land in the $600,000 range
The minimum salary will exceed $300,000, a major increase from $66,079 in 2025
This across-the-board rise represents a significant step toward financial stability for all players, not just the league’s biggest names.
What This Means for the League
This new CBA reflects more than just financial growth — it represents validation.
The WNBA has seen a surge in attention, driven by rising stars, increased media exposure, and record-breaking viewership. Players have become central figures in sports culture, and the league’s economic model is finally beginning to catch up.
The Bigger Picture
While there is still room for growth, this agreement signals that the WNBA is no longer just building for the future — it is actively stepping into it.
Higher salaries, better revenue sharing, and increased investment all point to a league that is evolving rapidly and positioning itself as a major force in the global sports landscape.
For fans, players, and the business of basketball, one thing is clear:
The WNBA is leveling up — and this time, the numbers back it up.
Caitlin Clark easily became one of the most exciting players to join women’s basketball, wowing crowds with her notable shooting range, eye for the court, and never-back-down mentality. Not even with the many daggers thrown her way.
She had remarkable college performances at the University of Iowa with the 2023 NCAA Tournament Final Four game being the highlight where she earned 41 points thus sealing her as a talented player capable of shifting the momentum of the sport.
But while the WNBA is on the coattails of Clark’s popularity, the league has failed to capitalize on her talent.
In 2023, the WNBA had its most popular season, generating an estimated $200 million in revenue which is double what the 2019 season generated. With the recent increase in viewership and attendance of WNBA games at considerable levels, it is no surprise that the presence of players like Caitlin Clark has been a big help towards achieving those numbers. The Iowa native’s fandom from her collegiate career has been translated smoothly into the WNBA, with Clark’s No. 22 jersey for the Indiana Fever being a hot commodity across the nation. Her legions of fans from the University of Iowa and basketball enthusiasts alike show up enmass to witness her expertise on the court.
Despite her critics, Clark’s star power has placed her at the center of many conversations. She has broken records and dropped buckets from distances most players wouldn’t touch. She has been compared to NBA stars like Steph Curry, being one of the results of her ease at draining deep three-pointers. In her college career, Clark averaged an astonishing 27.8 points per game her junior year-a type of scoring that has directly translated to the professional level. Her firepower on offense and love for the game make her one to watch, and her appeal outreaches traditional basketball demographics. But amid all the noise and fanfare surrounding her, Caitlin Clark battles one of the most significant issues of the WNBA. Negligence!
Probably most noticeably, the physical play that has harassed her this whole season has forced the inability of the league to protect its stars into the open. Clark has continually been double- or even triple-teamed, harassed across the court by defenders. That is fair for a player of her calibre but what has stood out most is the lack of calls going in her favor. It would appear the WNBA referees seem very reluctant to blow their whistles when Clark is on the receiving end of roughing tactics.
At one point in the playoffs, this boiled over when she took a poke to her eye that left her with a black eye from Connecticut Sun DiJonai Carrington. Despite the blatant injury that knocked Clark out, Carrington was not ejected, and the physicality has only continued. In another encounter, Chicago’s Chennedy Carter came with a hard shoulder check that went almost unpunished at first but later got upgraded to a flagrant foul by the league. It shows a greater problem in the inability of the WNBA to protect its most marketable assets.
If Caitlin Clark is going to develop into a solid professional star, then the WNBA needs to do more to stand by her. The referees need to be much quicker on the whistle, calling fouls when physical play crosses a line.
As the Washington Commanders gear up for a pivotal decision in the upcoming NFL draft, all eyes are on whether they will choose to draft a quarterback with their highly coveted second overall pick. General Manager Adam Peters has indicated a state of deliberation within the organization, revealing that no concrete decision has been made yet, despite discussions with new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and a recent meeting with incumbent starter Sam Howell.
The Incumbent: Sam Howell’s Season in Review
Sam Howell’s performance in the past season has been a rollercoaster, marked by both promise and challenges. Having started 17 games, he threw for 21 touchdowns and an equal number of interceptions. Despite these mixed results, Howell managed to rack up 3,946 passing yards, ranking him 12th in the league. However, the season was not without its difficulties; Howell was sacked an NFL-high 65 times, a statistic that highlights potential vulnerabilities in the Commanders’ offensive line or Howell’s decision-making under pressure.
The Draft Dilemma: Potential Quarterback Prospects
The Commanders find themselves at a crossroads, with several intriguing quarterback prospects available in the draft. The decision is further complicated by Howell’s uneven performance and the team’s recent overhaul in ownership, coaching staff, and management. This context sets the stage for a critical decision that could shape the franchise’s future direction.
1. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye stand out as potential top picks, each offering distinct skill sets that could benefit the Commanders. Williams is noted for his dynamic playmaking ability, while Maye brings a blend of size and adaptability to the table.
2. Jayden Daniels, though perhaps less prominently discussed, offers a unique combination of intelligence and mobility that could present a different dimension to the Commanders’ quarterback strategy.
3. The example of Brock Purdy, selected with the last pick of the draft by Peters’ previous team, illustrates the potential for finding quarterback talent in unexpected places, further complicating the decision-making process.
The Strategic Implications
The Commanders’ decision at the second overall pick is fraught with strategic implications. Opting for a quarterback could signal a new era for the franchise, potentially moving on from Howell or seeking to create a competitive environment. Conversely, the decision to pass on a quarterback could reflect confidence in Howell’s development or a strategic emphasis on strengthening other areas of the team.
Adam Peters’ remarks underscore a broader strategic calculus, balancing the immediate needs against long-term franchise goals. With Howell showing flashes of brilliance amidst struggles, and the draft offering several tantalizing prospects, the Commanders’ direction remains an open question. This decision not only reflects on the quarterback position but also on the team’s philosophy towards building a competitive roster in the NFL’s ever-evolving landscape.
Final Word
In summary, the Washington Commanders are at a critical juncture, with their choice in the upcoming draft potentially setting the course for the franchise’s future. Whether they elect to fortify their quarterback position with a new prospect or commit to developing Howell further, this decision will be a defining moment for the team’s trajectory in the years to come.
Monique Billings’ contract with the Indiana Fever comes down to one date. Her $800,000 salary for 2027 reportedly becomes protected on February 1, 2027. If Indiana releases her before then, it owes her nothing for 2027 and doesn’t need a trade partner. After that date, the money is locked in.
The clause isn’t a loophole. It’s built from rules in the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, which raised the cap to $7 million and made a contract’s structure as important as its salary. This deep dive covers her deal, the CBA rules behind it, how it compares with teammate Lexie Hull’s, and the choice facing Indiana this winter. CBA rules are paraphrased from the agreement’s text, not quoted.
Case file: Monique Billings and the Feb. 1 trigger
Billings is a 6-foot-4 forward out of UCLA who spent years bouncing between short-term deals. In 2024 she played for Dallas on a hardship contract, then signed a 7-day contract with Phoenix and finished the season there. Golden State took her in the December 2024 expansion draft. She played the 2025 season for the Valkyries on a $110,000 salary.
Indiana signed her as an unrestricted free agent on April 11, 2026, after she also met with the New York Liberty. Sports Illustrated, citing Richard Cohen’s Her Hoop Stats salary database, reported the terms as two years at $800,000 per season, $1.6 million total. That is more than seven times her 2025 salary.
The key detail surfaced this week. Fever beat writer Tony East reported “a crucial and previously unreported detail” about the deal. It was summarized on X this way: her contract “is only protected after Feb 1, 2027. Fever can release her, no trade needed.”
Date
What happened
Feb. 1, 2027
2027 salary becomes protected (reported)
Jan. 31, 2027
Last day to release her with nothing owed for 2027 (fans’ reading of the Feb. 1 date)
Aug. 8, 2026
Loses her starting job to Makayla Timpson
May 13, 2026
Fever debut: 9 points, 8 rebounds
Apr. 11, 2026
Signs with Indiana: 2 years, $800,000 per season
Her season explains why the date matters. According to EssentiallySports, she averaged 7.5 points in 21.1 minutes over her first 30 games, shooting 52.8%. After Timpson took her starting spot, she averaged 4.4 points in 14.2 minutes over the next nine. Coach Stephanie White said Timpson “gives us a different look on the defensive end.” Billings and Aliyah Boston both play the 5, which overlaps. Former Fever beat writer Scott Agness called the deal “a monster off-season contract.”
A caveat: the contract text hasn’t been published. “Waive by January 31” is how fans read the reported date, and the exact condition depends on the wording of her Exhibit 2.
A loaded Fever offseason notebook with some of the latest about their front office changes and search. Plus, a crucial and previously unreported detail about Monique Billings' contract.
The new agreement was ratified in March 2026, and the long-form text was signed May 22, 2026. Four numbers set the stage for every contract decision:
Number
What it means
Where it comes from
$7 million
2026 salary cap per team
Art. VII, Sec. 1(a)
7
Maximum contracts per team with any salary protection (up from 6)
Art. V, Sec. 3(b)
2026–2032
Length of the agreement: seven seasons
Ratified March 2026
13%
Most the cap can rise or fall for 2027 (10% per year after that)
Art. VII, Sec. 1(a)(ii)
The 13% limit puts the 2027 cap at no more than about $7.9 million. That makes every guaranteed dollar heavier: an $800,000 salary would be roughly 10% of a team’s 2027 cap at that ceiling, and a larger share if the cap rises less.
What “protected” actually means
A protected contract means the player still gets paid if the team cuts her. In the NBA people say “guaranteed”; the WNBA’s CBA says “protected.” Under Article V, Section 3(b), protection is negotiated deal by deal and written into Exhibit 2 of the contract. It can cover all or part of a salary, and it can carry conditions or limits.
A team can agree to protect a player’s salary against termination for any of six reasons:
Lack of skill
A basketball-related injury
An injury or illness during a WNBA season
Any injury or illness during the contract
Mental disability or mental illness
Death
Protection has limits. Under Section 5(a) through (f), it doesn’t apply when the problem traces back to drug use, alcohol abuse, conduct during a felony she is convicted of, or a material breach of the contract.
Conditional protection: the trigger rule
The CBA lets protection switch on later, and that is what makes a date-based trigger like Billings’ legal. Three rules work together:
The ordering rule (Sec. 3(b)). A later season generally can’t be more protected than an earlier one. If year three is fully protected, years one and two must be too.
The exception (also Sec. 3(b)). A later season can carry more protection if that protection is conditional and the condition can’t be met until the earlier season ends. That is how year two can be unprotected at signing and fully protected after a set date.
Termination comes first (Sec. 5(h)). Conditional protection takes effect only if the contract hasn’t been terminated by the time the condition is met. Release the player before the trigger, and the protection never exists.
One more rule rounds it out. Under Section 5(g), protection never guarantees a roster spot. A team can always cut a player; protection only decides whether she still gets paid.
How a waiver actually works
Every release of a regular contract runs through waivers. Article V, Section 6 sets the steps:
The team releases her. It can do so at any time, in management’s sole discretion, for lack of skill (Sec. 6(a)(i)).
She goes on waivers. Before the contract can be terminated, the team must offer her to every other team (Sec. 6(b)).
She is claimed or clears. A claiming team takes over her contract. If no one claims her, the contract is terminated.
Seven-day contracts and player development contracts skip waivers.
For a player without protection, what she is owed depends on when she is cut:
When she’s cut
What she’s owed
Section
During training camp
Per diem, lodging, travel home and the coaching she received
6(f)
During the regular season
Prorated pay for the days she was under contract
6(g)
After the season’s midpoint
The rest of that season’s full salary
6(a)(i)(x)
Billings vs. Hull: two deals, two structures
Indiana re-signed Lexie Hull the same day it signed Billings, April 11, 2026, and the two deals are built differently.
Monique Billings
Lexie Hull
Salary
$800,000 in 2026 and 2027
$765,000 in 2026, $803,250 in 2027
How she signed
Unrestricted free agent from Golden State
Restricted free agent; the Fever held matching rights
2027 protection
Becomes protected Feb. 1, 2027 (reported)
Reportedly fully guaranteed from the start (unconfirmed)
Cheapest exit
Release her before Feb. 1: $0 owed for 2027
Trade, waive with $803,250 dead money, or buyout
Hull’s raise from $765,000 to $803,250 is exactly 5% of her first-year salary, the largest annual increase the CBA generally allows (Art. VII, Sec. 3(c)). Fan explainers say her money was guaranteed from day one. I couldn’t find a published source confirming that, so treat it as unverified.
The contrast is the point of the Billings clause. Hull, a homegrown starter whose rights Indiana controlled, got security. Billings, an outside free agent on a big raise, got the money with a built-in review date.
The verdict: Indiana’s call before Feb. 1
Indiana has until the end of January. Whatever it does with Billings before February 1 is cheap; after that, every option costs money.
Option
Before Feb. 1, 2027
On or after Feb. 1, 2027
Keep her
No cost until the trigger
$800,000 guaranteed for 2027
Waive her
$0 owed for 2027; a team that claims her takes the contract
Salary still owed and counted as dead money
Trade her
The new team inherits the Feb. 1 decision
The new team takes the full salary; Indiana can’t send cash to cover it
Buyout
Not needed
Negotiated cut to her protection (Art. V, Sec. 3(e))
Three things will show which way the Fever lean:
January roster moves. A waiver before February 1 is the cheap exit. If the deadline passes quietly, she stays and gets paid.
Her fit. She went from starter to backup behind Makayla Timpson. With Aliyah Boston at center, Indiana has to decide whether $800,000 for a backup big is worth it.
The contract text. Until her Exhibit 2 language is reported, the January 31 versus February 1 detail, and any other conditions, are secondhand.
The clause shows the new CBA working the way it was designed. A conditional trigger let Indiana pay Billings like a starter in 2026 while keeping the right to reconsider before 2027. In about three months, the Fever have to make that call.
The Indiana Fever are hiring Sheri Sam, a 10-year WNBA veteran and Portland Trail Blazers scouting manager, as assistant general manager focused on scouting and analytics. IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson first reported the move Friday, Oct. 30, citing sources, and ESPN reported that a source confirmed it. Sam starts Monday, Nov. 2.
The hire
Chole Peterson reported that Sam will work mainly with the Fever’s scouting staff and coaching staff on personnel and talent identification. In the short term, she will scout the NCAA women’s basketball season, which begins Sunday. She comes to Indiana from the Trail Blazers, where she has been scouting manager since March 2022 (Yahoo Sports, citing IndyStar; TSN, citing ESPN).
Sources told IndyStar the conversations about her joining began over the summer, before the Fever’s Oct. 23 front-office shake-up.
Several things are not known. The reports we read include no quotes from Sam or the Fever. There is no timeline for hiring a general manager. And it is unclear who Sam will report to once a GM is named.
🚨 BREAKING: The Indiana Fever have hired Sheri Sam as assistant general manager, adding the former WNBA player and Portland Trail Blazers scouting manager to their front office.
Sam, 52, was born May 5, 1974, in Lafayette, Louisiana, and attended Acadiana High School (Wikipedia). She went on to Vanderbilt, where she earned a degree in human and organizational development in 1996.
Her playing résumé covers a 15-year professional career: three seasons in the American Basketball League, 10 in the WNBA, and 12 seasons overseas, according to her Trail Blazers bio. She won WNBA titles with Seattle in 2004 and Detroit in 2008.
Off the court she has been a college assistant coach, a high school athletic director, a nonprofit leader and, since 2022, an NBA scouting manager. IndyStar also reported that she holds a global management certificate from NYU and an NBA CBA certification.
Vanderbilt: a four-year scoring leader
At Vanderbilt from 1992 to 1996, Sam scored 1,537 career points, seventh on the school’s all-time list, and averaged 20.4 points as a senior in 1996. The Commodores reached the NCAA Tournament in all four of her seasons, including the 1993 Final Four during her freshman year and the 1996 Elite Eight (Vanderbilt Athletics).
Her honors include two All-SEC selections (1995 and 1996), the 1995 SEC Tournament MVP award, 1996 AP third-team All-American and a finalist spot for the 1996 Naismith Trophy. Her Trail Blazers bio lists her in the Vanderbilt Athletic Hall of Fame; we could not confirm that on Vanderbilt’s own page.
A note on accuracy: Vanderbilt credits the 1993 Final Four to her freshman season, so she played on that team rather than led it.
The Indiana Fever are no longer playing around ‼️
The officially hire Sheri Sam as the new assistant general manager, focusing on scouting and analytics 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/YtKHw2tT28
Sam played in the ABL for the San Jose Lasers from 1997 to 1999, then was drafted 20th overall, in the second round, by the Orlando Miracle in the 1999 WNBA Draft. Her WNBA stops, in order:
Orlando Miracle (1999)
Miami Sol (2000–2002), where she was a 2002 All-Star
Minnesota Lynx (2003)
Seattle Storm (2004), a championship season
Charlotte Sting (2005–2006)
Indiana Fever (2007)
Detroit Shock (2008), a championship season
Her Trail Blazers bio also lists three ABL All-Star appearances and a 1996 Jones Cup gold medal with Team USA. She played overseas in Israel and Greece, per Wikipedia.
LiveWire’s read: two titles on two different rosters, and a view of seven franchises from the inside.
From coach to administrator to Blazers scout
After her playing days, Sam was an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois (2013–17, per her Blazers bio; some sources list 2014). She then worked as an athletic director and advancement officer at Mercy High School in San Francisco (2017–19) and The Bay School of San Francisco (2019–20), and became managing director of the Northern California PGA Foundation in 2020 (Wikipedia).
She returned to basketball in March 2022 as the Trail Blazers’ scouting manager. Her bio says she works with the front office to evaluate college and professional players and coordinates pre-draft scouting and the scouting of draft prospects through the season. This April she also began work as a Portland Fire studio analyst for Fox 12 Plus.
In an ESPN profile, Sam described what the return meant to her: “Basketball has been such a big part of my life. It’s a passion. I didn’t know I missed it as much when I wasn’t in it until I got back in it.”
ESPN also reported that Blazers general manager Joe Cronin offered her a choice: a scout role based in San Francisco, or the scouting manager job in Portland. She took the Portland role because it let her learn how strategy and the business side work inside a front office.
The Fever role mirrors that job. Her Portland title was scouting manager, focused on player evaluation and pre-draft scouting. In Indiana she is assistant GM, focused on scouting and analytics, working with the scouting and coaching staffs.
Why the Fever need her now
The timing explains the hire. The Fever have no general manager and no team president after Kelly Krauskopf stepped down and Amber Cox was fired, and there is no announced timeline to name a GM (Yahoo Sports). The scouting work still has to get done.
The roster math adds pressure. Sports Illustrated reported that Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are the building blocks, but salary cap space is tight and much of the bench may be filled with near-minimum contracts, which makes finding affordable talent through scouting critical. Kelsey Mitchell’s free agency is the first major decision, per the same report (SI).
The calendar is also short. The NCAA women’s season starts Sunday, and Sam is expected to begin by scouting it.
Sam is not the only addition. The Fever also hired Vernard Hollins as a scout, and sources told IndyStar the hires are part of a broader push to improve the team’s scouting and player evaluation.
The Indiana Fever’s front office was cut in half in a single day. Pacers Sports & Entertainment announced that Kelly Krauskopf will step down as team president, closing a career of nearly three decades with PS&E in which she built the Fever from its founding, delivered the franchise’s first WNBA championship, and helped open doors for women across professional basketball.
Hours later, the Fever announced the departure of COO and general manager Amber Cox. The Associated Press and Bleacher Report describe it as a firing, with The Athletic’s Annie Costabile first to report it. Neither role has a named successor, and PS&E says it will “conduct a national search” for Cox’s replacement.
Two exits, two different words
The shorthand “both fired” is not what the record says, and the difference matters.
Krauskopf: stepped down. The team says she made her decision and told leadership before the regular season ended. AP reports she had told the franchise during the season that she would leave once it ended. No outlet we read reports a firing.
Cox: fired. AP, citing a person familiar with the move, and Bleacher Report describe a firing. The team’s own post says only: “We have announced the departure of COO and GM Amber Cox.” PS&E president and CEO Mel Raines said Cox “has helped us navigate the seismic growth of both the WNBA and our franchise.” No statement from Cox was included.
Kelly Krauskopf will step down as team president, closing an extraordinary chapter in a career of nearly three decades with PS&E in which she built the Fever from its founding, delivered the franchise’s first WNBA championship, and helped open doors for women across professional… pic.twitter.com/lL3fcPW3is
Krauskopf. She started in the WNBA as the league’s director of operations and joined the Fever before its inaugural 2000 season. She served as GM from 2000 to 2017 and built the team that won the 2012 WNBA championship. She spent six seasons as assistant GM of the Pacers, the first woman in NBA history in an executive basketball management role, and returned as Fever president in 2024. She led the practice facility project. Owner Herb Simon: she “built it, delivered a championship and came back when we needed her.” Krauskopf: it was “an honor and a privilege to help build and steward the Indiana Fever.” Caitlin Clark said the organization had a lot of respect for her and she would still be seen at games.
Cox. Hired in October 2024 as GM and COO, replacing Lin Dunn, who moved to an advisory role. Before that she was COO of the Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury and VP of sports for the Connecticut Sun. The Fever went 24-20 in 2025 and reached the semifinals; they went 28-16 this season and lost in the first round. Bleacher Report counts 52-36 over her tenure, two playoff trips, and one series win (2025 first round over Atlanta), with Las Vegas eliminating them both years. Cox was the Fever’s fourth GM since 2018.
Why now
Reported: Krauskopf’s timeline was set before the season ended, so her exit is a planned handoff. The Cox firing came hours later. No outlet we read states the reason for it; the team did not give one.
The pressure points (reported):
A playoff exit. A 28-16 season ended in the first round.
Roster construction. CBS Sports reports that Krauskopf and Cox faced criticism for not building a better team around Clark, Aliyah Boston and Mitchell. The same report cites an $800K cap hit each for Monique Billings and Lexie Hull from last offseason’s deals.
A defense near the bottom of the league in several key metrics, per Yahoo Sports, alongside a historically strong offense.
The calendar. Mitchell’s free agency and Clark’s extension both come due now, and the practice facility opens in March.
LiveWire read: The likeliest reading is that ownership wants one clean reset before those decisions, with the new leaders choosing the roster. That is inference. The reason for the Cox decision has not been reported.
Known: PS&E will “conduct a national search” for Cox’s replacement. No names have been reported for either the GM job or the president job, and none of the articles we read names an interim GM.
Not known: whether the president role is refilled as one job (basketball and business, as Krauskopf held it), whether it is split, who runs basketball operations in the meantime, and whether coach Stephanie White stays. Bleacher Report sidebar headlines suggest the team is likely to keep White, but those are teasers, not reporting in the article.
What a national search signals (LiveWire opinion): an outside GM is likelier than an internal promotion. With Mitchell’s free agency ahead, the order of hires matters: a GM named first could shape the Mitchell talks, while a president named first could set the structure above the GM.
We are not listing candidates because none have been credibly reported.
The offseason moves waiting on the new leaders
Kelsey Mitchell. She is an unrestricted free agent. She said she will be “selfish” in negotiating and values “good chemistry on and off the floor,” and called it too early to decide. The team’s stated priority was re-signing her; that was Cox’s message before the firing.
Clark’s EPIC extension. Clark is eligible to renegotiate early under the CBA’s EPIC clause. She said she knows “what I deserve and what I’m worth” but that sacrifices are sometimes necessary. She has not said whether she will sign.
The cap. Re-signing both stars would put three players near 60% of the cap, per CBS Sports.
Defense and frontcourt depth. Only Makayla Timpson remained alongside Boston by season’s end, per Yahoo Sports.
The coaching staff. Stephanie White’s status is not addressed in the reporting we read.
Facility. The practice facility opens in March, ahead of 2027 training camp.
LiveWire Take
This section is LiveWire opinion.
Krauskopf’s legacy stands on its own: she built the franchise and won its first title. Cox’s exit is a different story and the first one the Fever have not explained. The team now has no president, no GM and an open coaching question at the moment Mitchell and Clark are most in play. Fans should watch the order of the hires and who has authority over the roster before the Mitchell decision.
We found no reporting that ties Caitlin Clark to either decision, and we will not suggest one.
Not confirmed: why Cox was fired, interim leadership, coach White’s status, Krauskopf’s departure date. The ESPN page could not be read, so its headline is cited only as a link.
Free agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs is set to sign a one-year deal worth up to $12 million with the Washington Commanders, giving the team a proven receiver opposite Terry McLaurin, sources told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move ends months of speculation about a hometown reunion and gives quarterback Jayden Daniels a genuine second option in the passing game heading into the 2026 season.
The Deal
The 32-year-old, four-time Pro Bowler was released by the New England Patriots in March after one productive season, in which he caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns across 17 games and helped lead New England to Super Bowl LX. His 83.3% catch rate that season ranked as the second-highest by a wide receiver over the past 45 seasons, according to CBS Sports Research. New England moved on largely for financial reasons — Diggs’ cap hit was set to jump from $10.5 million to $26.5 million in each of the next two seasons under his old deal.
The new arrangement with Washington is a one-year prove-it contract, which keeps Diggs’ options open again next offseason but also puts real pressure on him to perform in 2026. It’s the fourth different team he’ll have played for in as many seasons, following stops with the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans before landing in Washington.
Sources: The #Commanders and 2x All-Pro WR Stefon Diggs have had deep discussions and there’s mutual interest in doing a deal.
Diggs is a Maryland native who played collegiately at the University of Maryland, giving this signing a homecoming element — but according to ESPN’s reporting, that wasn’t the driving force behind it. The two sides had been talking for some time, and while the personal ties made a deal easier to close, this was primarily about giving Daniels and Washington’s offense a legitimate second threat.
The need was real. Washington’s receiver room had been widely criticized for lacking star power as training camp opened, with McLaurin — who missed seven games last season due to a leg injury — as the only established name. Diggs immediately slides in as the No. 2, pairing with McLaurin to give new offensive coordinator David Blough two proven veteran targets to build his first playcalling script around.
Diggs made his own case for that role clear in a video posted to his YouTube channel in July, arguing that regardless of who’s labeled the top receiver on a roster, “you can’t name a No. 2 better than me.” Now he gets the chance to prove it in Washington’s uniform.
The signing also appears to close the book on Washington’s long-rumored interest in Brandon Aiyuk. The Commanders had been monitoring Aiyuk’s situation with the San Francisco 49ers earlier in the offseason and would have had interest had he become available. But per ESPN, that interest cooled significantly after a string of Aiyuk social media posts — some of which directly targeted Daniels. Aiyuk, who hasn’t played in a regular-season game since tearing his ACL in October 2024, has also not applied for reinstatement from the reserve/did-not-report list as of this week, and San Francisco has already voided the remaining guaranteed money on his contract. With Diggs now in the fold, Washington has little remaining reason to pursue that scenario.
What It Means for the Room
Diggs’ arrival reshapes a receiver depth chart that also includes Antonio Williams, Treylon Burks, Luke McCaffrey and Dyami Brown, giving those younger players a clearer, more defined role rather than being pushed into a No. 2 job before they were ready. It also takes pressure off McLaurin, who no longer has to be Washington’s only proven perimeter threat every week.
For Daniels, entering a critical second full season under center in Blough’s new system, adding a receiver of Diggs’ caliber — even at 32 and on a “prove it” deal — meaningfully raises the offense’s ceiling. The move signals that general manager Adam Peters wasn’t willing to enter the 2026 season relying on unproven depth at a premium offensive position, even with a young quarterback still early in his career.
Diggs is expected to join the team and begin practicing in the coming days as Washington continues its ramp-up toward the preseason.
The WNBA has suspended Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton from attending the team’s next five home games after a confrontation with two teenage fans during Tuesday night’s game against the Indiana Fever, the league confirmed Thursday. Keaton was also fined an undisclosed amount. The punishment caps 48 hours that pulled an entire WNBA franchise into the center of the league’s ongoing fight over Sophie Cunningham’s comments on transgender athletes — and it has left almost no one satisfied.
What Happened at Climate Pledge Arena
Tuesday’s game had drama attached before it even tipped off. A pregame rally outside Climate Pledge Arena brought a few dozen supporters of Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, whose comments opposing transgender participation in women’s sports had drawn national attention the week before. A smaller group of counter-protesters supporting transgender inclusion gathered as well.
Inside the arena, two 16-year-old fans sat courtside wearing shirts from XX-XY Athletics — a brand built around opposition to transgender inclusion in women’s sports — and held signs reading “We love you Sophie” and “Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls.” According to the girls, who later spoke to independent journalist Brandi Kruse on the “Undivided” podcast, they were cheering for both teams and being “respectful” throughout the night.
That’s when, they say, a woman approached them. The girls described being told “Jesus loves everyone,” that she hoped “Jesus could forgive” them, and being called “f—ing insane” — with one saying she was left in tears by the exchange. Kruse identified the woman as Celeste Keaton, a Seattle Storm co-owner. Some fans in attendance also reported Storm players directing thumbs-down gestures toward the girls during the game, adding another layer to an already tense night. Indiana went on to beat Seattle 105-95, extending the Fever’s win streak, behind a team-high 32 points from Caitlin Clark. Neither Cunningham nor Clark were made available for postgame interviews.
I've been asked for this video by various outlets. Anyone is free to use it. Here you go. This is Ahnaleigh Wilson and her friend (prefers not to be named) explaining to me what Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton said to them. pic.twitter.com/246r4yVwIC
The Storm organization moved quickly to distance itself from Keaton’s alleged conduct. In a statement released Wednesday, majority owner Ginny Gilder said: “We are aware one of our co-owners made comments to two fans in attendance at last night’s game. We apologize that this happened. Everyone who attends a Storm game deserves to feel welcome, and we remain committed to creating an inclusive environment where every fan is treated with respect.”
That apology wasn’t the end of it. By Thursday, the WNBA confirmed to multiple outlets, including ESPN, that Keaton — who is married to Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel and holds ownership status of her own — would be barred from attending the team’s next five home games, along with a fine. Practically, that means Keaton won’t be permitted back into Climate Pledge Arena for a Storm game until September.
Cunningham herself weighed in on X after news of the suspension broke, writing in part that she believes “there is a safe space and love for EVERYBODY. Biological girls, biological boys, trans women, and trans men. Everyone is welcome at my table! You can disagree and still be kind.” She praised the two fans for “standing up for what they believe,” said she planned to send them gifts, and called Keaton’s actions “truly embarrassing.”
Seattle Storm minority owner Celeste Keaton has been fined by the WNBA and suspended for her team's next five home games following an incident Tuesday night involving a pair of Sophie Cunningham fans, per @CasNegley
If the suspension was meant to close the story, it did the opposite. The reaction split almost immediately along the same lines as the underlying debate over Cunningham’s comments.
One side saw the punishment as insufficient — pointing out that a co-owner allegedly reduced a teenager to tears and only lost access to five home games. The other side erupted in the opposite direction, arguing Keaton was being punished for a personal reaction to a politically charged display inside her own team’s arena, with some fans online writing that “she did nothing wrong” and accusing the league of “picking a side.”
That’s the bind Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s office finds itself in: virtually any level of discipline here was going to be read by one side as too lenient and by the other as an overcorrection. Notably, this isn’t happening in isolation — it lands in the same stretch as ESPN reporting that more than 20 league stakeholders have privately questioned whether Engelbert is equipped to handle the WNBA’s current run of controversies, and just days after the league quietly fumbled a separate story when it briefly posted, then deleted, video of Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese appearing to violate the league’s anti-gambling rules with a friendly wager during All-Star Weekend.
Where This Leaves the Storm
For a franchise that has otherwise stayed out of this season’s biggest storylines, the Storm now find themselves at the center of one of the WNBA’s most politically charged moments — not because of anything that happened on the court, but because of who was sitting in the stands, and who confronted them. Ginny Gilder’s apology drew a clear line between team ownership and Keaton’s conduct, but a five-game suspension for a co-owner is a rare enough disciplinary action that it will likely follow the Storm’s brand for the rest of the season, regardless of how the discourse around Cunningham’s comments eventually settles.
What happens next is unclear. Keaton has not publicly commented on the incident or the discipline as of this writing. Cunningham, for her part, has shown no sign of backing off her original comments, telling reporters last week she considers her position “common sense.” With the Fever and Storm not scheduled to meet again this regular season, the two sides most directly involved may not cross paths again — but the underlying fight clearly isn’t finished with either franchise.
The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game delivered on every front Saturday night at the United Center, as a record crowd watched Caitlin Clark’s Team Spoon outlast Marina Mabrey and Team Coop, 129-122, in a night that mixed history-making performances with a growing storyline around Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s leadership.
Record Crowd, Record Season
A total of 19,783 fans packed the United Center, setting a new all-time attendance record for a WNBA All-Star Game — topping the previous mark of 19,487, which had stood since 2007. It was a sharp jump from last year’s 16,988 in Indianapolis, and a clear sign of how far the league has come since it last brought the All-Star Game to Chicago in 2022, when the event was held at the smaller Wintrust Arena.
Engelbert used her pregame news conference to frame the weekend as part of a broader breakout season. She noted the league has already surpassed 73 million unique viewers through 117 broadcasts this season — more than the entirety of last season’s record 63 million — and that 29 games have averaged over a million viewers so far, compared to just 11 for all of last season. Attendance leaguewide is up 16% year over year, with more than 2.2 million fans through games at the season’s halfway point. Calling it the league’s “largest, most immersive, and most accessible” All-Star Weekend yet, Engelbert said the growth reflects investments in both player and fan experience.
Cathy Engelbert on online hate directed at WNBA players:
"The racism, the misogyny, the homophobia, the harassment, and threats directed to our players, has no place in sport or anywhere else."pic.twitter.com/Oghr1OdY9K
Named for Liberty general manager Teresa Weatherspoon, Team Spoon jumped out to an early lead behind long-range shooting from Clark and never fully let go of it, despite a late push from Team Coop (named for Cynthia Cooper-Dyke) that cut the deficit to single digits. The final score, 129-122, capped a game with 127 combined three-point attempts and very little defense — exactly the kind of showcase All-Star weekend is built for.
Eight Team Spoon players scored in double figures. Clark finished with 17 points, four rebounds and five assists, while Allisha Gray added 19 points off the bench. Rookie Olivia Miles nearly posted a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 12 rebounds and two assists shy of the mark — making her just the third rookie in All-Star Game history to record a double-double.
For Team Coop, Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 28 points, with Marina Mabrey adding 23 off the bench, Paige Bueckers contributing 12 points and seven assists, and Dominique Malonga posting a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double. At 20 years old, Malonga became the youngest player in WNBA history to record an All-Star Game double-double.
The biggest individual story of the night belonged to Liberty center Jonquel Jones, who came off the bench to post 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists — two assists shy of a triple-double — en route to All-Star Game MVP honors.
The performance made Jones the first player in WNBA history to win all four of the league’s marquee MVP awards: regular-season MVP (2021, with the Connecticut Sun), Commissioner’s Cup MVP (2023), WNBA Finals MVP (2024), and now All-Star Game MVP (2026). She’s also the first player to record double-doubles in four separate All-Star Games.
Jones dedicated the win to her aunt, Marilyn Anita Knowles, who died recently; the game fell on the day of her memorial. “My aunt passed away not too long ago, and today is actually her memorial. I got permission from my family to be here and to celebrate this moment,” Jones said afterward. “This one is for my auntie.”
Jones wasn’t the only player to make history Saturday. Seattle’s Nneka Ogwumike, entering the night second on the All-Star Game’s all-time scoring list behind Maya Moore, scored 11 points to move into first place with 127 career All-Star points.
The Other Story Line: Engelbert’s Leadership Under the Microscope
Even amid the celebration, the weekend doubled as a referendum on Engelbert’s leadership, a topic that has followed her for weeks. Asked to describe her relationship with the commissioner, four-time MVP A’ja Wilson gave a pointed but lighthearted answer, saying her main interaction with Engelbert comes when accepting trophies from her.
Engelbert acknowledged the criticism directly, telling reporters she plans to “institute more frequent communication” with players going forward — including texting them more regularly. It was a notable admission from a commissioner who is currently facing questions about whether her contract, which expires at the end of this year, will be renewed. WNBA players’ union president Nneka Ogwumike declined to say directly whether she believes Engelbert should stay on, saying only that the union will “rock with” whoever is in the role.
Engelbert also addressed player safety and online harassment during her availability, an issue that has intensified this season following high-profile incidents involving Caitlin Clark.
Takeaway
The 2026 All-Star Game captured a league in the middle of two stories happening at once: a business and viewership boom that’s setting records on almost every front, and a leadership credibility question that isn’t going away just because the arena was full. Jonquel Jones’ historic MVP performance and the record crowd will be the headline; whether Engelbert’s promised “more frequent communication” changes the tenor of that second story is one of the bigger threads to watch as the second half of the season begins.
Kelsey Mitchell’s sneaker future has officially been decided, and it has Indianapolis written all over it. The three-time WNBA All-Star, who has quietly built one of the most efficient and underappreciated scoring résumés in the league, signed an endorsement deal with PUMA Basketball on Monday — becoming the first athlete to join Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton’s signature Hali franchise.
For Fever fans who have watched Mitchell lace up different colorways of the Hali 1 throughout the early stretch of the 2026 season, the announcement was less of a surprise and more of a confirmation. What started as an on-court fashion choice has turned into a full-fledged partnership — and the first step in what PUMA is positioning as a genuine basketball sub-brand built around its breakout Pacers star.
From Free Agent to Family: How the Deal Came Together
Mitchell’s previous deal with Nike ran out in early 2026. Rather than rush into a new sponsorship, she spent the opening stretch of the season as a sneaker free agent, testing out different brands and styles on the court while she figured out where she wanted to land. “I’m just kind of figuring some things out and trying some things out,” Mitchell said. “But I said, ‘Why not?’”
That openness eventually pointed her toward the Hali 1, Haliburton’s debut signature shoe with PUMA, which launched roughly nine months ago. Since the start of training camp, Mitchell wore the shoe in every single Fever game this season — a real-time audition that ultimately became impossible for PUMA to ignore. “In the city of Indianapolis, with a guy like Tyrese Haliburton and all of the things he’s done for the Pacers, it was only right to see where I’m at,” Mitchell said. “PUMA feels really good today, so shout-out to Tyrese.”
The connection between the two stars runs deeper than shoe choice. Both Mitchell and Haliburton wear No. 0 for their respective Indianapolis franchises, and both have become the offensive engines of teams chasing championship relevance. Haliburton, a self-described basketball junkie, has sat courtside for the majority of Fever home games this season and has posted on social media multiple times about Mitchell wearing his shoes — including a post over the weekend before the deal became official that signaled an announcement was close.
Mitchell described the signing as one of the more natural partnerships of her career. “This partnership felt authentic from the start,” she said in PUMA’s official release. “PUMA continues to push basketball culture forward in a creative and meaningful way. Being connected to a brand that values self-expression, performance, and community means a lot to me. Seeing the success Tyrese has had with the Hali shoe from day one, I’m excited to team up with him and PUMA to trailblaze the Hali franchise into the women’s game.”
Haliburton returned the praise with a statement that spoke to far more than basketball. “Kelsey is one of the toughest competitors I know and somebody who has always stayed true to herself,” Haliburton said. “She’s earned everything through hard work and consistency, and I’m excited to see the contribution she will make to the Hali franchise as part of the PUMA family. The game continues to grow because of players like her.”
PUMA Basketball vice president Archie McEachern echoed that sentiment in welcoming Mitchell to the roster. “Kelsey represents everything we value at PUMA Hoops — confidence, competitiveness, individuality, and a genuine connection to the game,” McEachern said. “Her impact on and off the court continues to grow, and we’re excited to welcome her to the family.
Kelsey Mitchell is no longer a sneaker free agent.
The 3x WNBA All-Star has worn Hali 1 shoes since camp and on Monday, she signed a deal with PUMA to be part of Tyrese Haliburton's Hali franchise.
What makes Mitchell’s signing notable beyond the friendship angle is the structural significance of the deal. PUMA’s official press release specifically states that the partnership with Mitchell is “built upon the vision and support of Tyrese Haliburton to add high-caliber athletes to his signature Hali franchise.” In other words, Mitchell isn’t simply a PUMA-sponsored athlete who happens to wear Haliburton’s shoe — she is the first official member of an emerging sub-brand, with Haliburton functioning less like a typical signature athlete and more like the face of a growing roster, the way Jordan Brand operates under the wider Nike umbrella.
The Hali 1 only launched roughly nine months before Mitchell’s signing, making this an unusually fast turnaround from solo signature shoe to multi-athlete franchise. It raises an obvious question for sneaker watchers: could Tyrese Haliburton’s PUMA line eventually build out a full stable of athletes carrying the Hali name, with Mitchell as just the first of several signings to come? PUMA’s language suggests that is very much the plan, and Mitchell will likely receive her own player-exclusive colorways of the Hali 1 in the near future as the partnership develops.
Mitchell Joins a Growing PUMA Presence in the WNBA
Mitchell’s signing adds her to an expanding list of WNBA stars with ties to PUMA, including Breanna Stewart, Skylar Diggins, and NaLyssa Smith. Stewart remains the most prominent name in that group, with her own signature shoe, the PUMA Stewie, already a fixture in the women’s basketball sneaker market. Mitchell’s arrival under the Hali umbrella gives PUMA a second distinct pathway into women’s basketball — one tied directly to one of the league’s most marketable rising stars rather than an established veteran.
The timing lines up with a breakout season for Mitchell on the court. She has appeared in every single Fever game in 2026, averaging 21.6 points per game — third-best in the WNBA — and is on pace for her fourth consecutive All-Star selection. She finished fifth in MVP voting a season ago and chose to stay in the United States to play in Unrivaled this past offseason rather than heading overseas, a decision that kept her in front of American audiences and almost certainly raised her commercial profile in the process.
What Comes Next
For now, Mitchell will continue wearing the Hali 1 in Fever games as the partnership formally takes shape behind the scenes. Given PUMA’s stated ambition to grow the Hali franchise into a multi-athlete brand and Mitchell’s status as its first signee, speculation will naturally turn to whether a Mitchell-specific colorway — or eventually a fully separate signature shoe — is somewhere down the road.
Two No. 0s. Two Indianapolis franchises. One growing sneaker family. As the Fever push through the back half of the 2026 season and the Pacers organization continues to lean into Haliburton as the face of the city’s basketball future, Mitchell’s PUMA signing is one more sign of how tightly the worlds of Indiana’s men’s and women’s basketball stars have become intertwined — on the court, and now, on the shelf.
NEW YORK — The WNBA made it official on Thursday afternoon, announcing that Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas has been suspended for one game after the league retroactively assessed her a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty for recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area of Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark during Wednesday night’s 111-109 Mercury victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The league determined that Thomas committed a non-basketball act with 6:52 remaining in the second quarter — a ruling that triggered an automatic one-game suspension under the WNBA’s Flagrant Foul point accumulation policy. Thomas will serve her suspension Saturday when the Mercury visit the Toronto Tempo. No foul of any kind had been called on the play during the game itself, with officials later telling Fever head coach Stephanie White at halftime that they simply did not see the contact occur.
What Happened on the Court
The sequence that sparked the suspension began innocuously enough. Clark drove into the lane and tumbled onto her side after making contact with Mercury defender Lexi Held. As the ball came loose on the floor, Held, Thomas, and DeWanna Bonner collapsed onto Clark in a scramble to recover the possession. What happened next, captured clearly on video that circulated globally within hours, was the moment that made suspension inevitable: as the other players began to rise, Thomas pressed her closed right fist directly into Clark’s throat area, then stood up and deliberately stepped over her as she remained on the hardwood.
The ball was not in dispute at the point of contact. There was no basketball play being made. A baseline referee was positioned directly in the area with a clear sightline to the incident. No whistle came. Clark, visibly shaken, stayed in the game through the remainder of the second quarter but was already dealing with the back injury that has been listed on the Indiana Fever’s injury report since the season’s very first game.
The contact to Clark’s throat was not the only no-call that drew scrutiny Wednesday. Just minutes later in the same quarter, Phoenix defender Valeriane Ayayi closed out on Clark’s three-point attempt and landed on Clark’s foot as she came down — a play the officials reviewed but declined to upgrade to a reckless foul. Clark was grabbing at her back in the aftermath of that second play and, despite remaining in the game temporarily, exited for good with 5:51 left in the third quarter. She did not return. She finished with 19 points and 8 assists in just 20 minutes of play.
Caitlin Clark and every WNBA player should be protected from this targeted behavior. pic.twitter.com/JHXI6CBIbX
White Calls It “Egregious and Utterly Disrespectful”
Fever head coach Stephanie White did not hold back in her postgame press conference, delivering one of the most impassioned defenses of a player by their coach in recent WNBA memory. White said she learned of the Thomas incident at halftime and immediately brought it to the attention of the officiating crew — yet Indiana was still assessed 11 fouls in the fourth quarter compared to Phoenix’s two, and the Mercury attempted 24 free throws in the second half alone.
“It was egregious. The fact that it was a no-call — number one, you gotta call it. It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,” White told reporters. “And then number two, you’re coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago, and that still happens? Absolutely unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable. We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called.”
White went further, addressing what she sees as a systemic consistency problem in how Clark is officiated compared to other superstars in the league. “We spent all offseason looking at officiating,” White said. “All offseason. And I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency. She is not called the same way everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous. When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time again, eventually it gets frustrating.”
Stephanie White goes off on the refs on the AT fist to Caitlin & other no calls:
"The fact that it was a no-call, it's absolutely egregious & utterly disrespectful. We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar, who had two cheap shots right there that weren't called. She… pic.twitter.com/fK8NqaBuss
Wednesday’s suspension is the first of Alyssa Thomas’ 13-year professional career — a remarkable fact given her history of physical play that has drawn controversy at multiple points across her tenure in the league. Thomas received a flagrant foul earlier this season for striking Washington Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen in the throat with an elbow during a free throw rebound. She was also assessed a Flagrant 2 and ejected during Angel Reese’s rookie season after throwing Reese to the floor by her neck in a battle for a rebound. And last season, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve publicly lost her composure at officials after Thomas ran through the legs of Napheesa Collier on a play that resulted in Collier being sidelined.
The Clark incident on Wednesday did not occur in isolation. It came 48 hours after a first meeting between the same two teams on Monday that produced six total technical fouls and one ejection — Myisha Hines-Allen of the Fever receiving her second technical and being removed from the game. Clark was also assessed her fifth technical of the season during that Monday contest, a call that came after Clark clapped in response to what she viewed as a bad whistle. The Fever petitioned the league to have that technical rescinded, but the WNBA confirmed on Thursday that it will stand.
The league did, however, upgrade the Thomas contact to a Flagrant 2 using the review process the WNBA has in place to reclassify fouls — or classify fouls that were not called at all — after games conclude. The same process was used last season when Marina Mabrey, then a member of the Connecticut Sun, received a technical foul in a game against Indiana that the league later upgraded to a Flagrant 2 involving Clark.
National Outcry Forced the League’s Hand
The suspension came only after a 24-hour period of national outrage unlike anything the 2026 WNBA season had previously produced. Video clips of the Thomas contact spread to millions of views across X, Instagram, and YouTube within hours of the game’s conclusion. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy called it a “brutal cheap shot” and said the women involved “would still be flying commercial without Caitlin” and that it was “insane” she was being treated this way. Robin Lundberg, who covers the Fever, published a column demanding suspension and was direct about what the alternative would mean: “Or else you’re not a serious league.”
Fans flooded social media calling for suspensions ranging from one game to ten or more, with multiple verified accounts arguing the contact was intentional and deliberate given Thomas’ history of similar plays. Sports Illustrated published a piece Thursday morning titled “Alyssa Thomas Deserves Suspension for Dirty Play Against Caitlin Clark,” calling the play flagrant “whether the whistle blew or not” and stating the league had a responsibility to act regardless of whether intent could be proven. By Thursday afternoon, the WNBA delivered its ruling.
Clark’s Status & What Comes Next for Indiana
White said after the game she did not have an update on Clark’s status and could not confirm whether it was the Thomas contact or the Ayayi closeout that further aggravated the back issue. Clark has been listed as probable on Indiana’s injury report throughout the 2026 season — the same designation that triggered a WNBA warning to the Fever earlier this year for what the league deemed improper injury reporting practices. She has appeared in 17 of Indiana’s 18 games this season despite the lingering issue, averaging a career-best 21.2 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Indiana fell to 10-8 on the season with Wednesday’s loss and have now lost three of their last four games. The Fever’s next game is Saturday at home against the Los Angeles Sparks — the same franchise that has been at the center of trade rumors involving Clark in recent weeks — at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. Clark, assuming she is healthy enough to play, will have two full days to recover from whatever damage the Mercury series inflicted.
Thomas, meanwhile, will watch from the sideline when Phoenix plays Toronto on Saturday. It is the first suspension of her 13-year career — and a moment that arrives at a pivotal point in a season where the question of how the WNBA protects its most valuable player has gone from a recurring conversation to the defining story of the league’s 2026 campaign.
The WNBA has a $2.2 billion media rights deal. It has expansion teams in Portland, Toronto, and Golden State. It has the fastest-growing attendance in women’s sports. Almost all of that traces back to one player wearing No. 22 in Indiana. On Thursday, the league made a decision that at least acknowledged that fact. Whether one game is enough is a separate conversation — but the conversation is no longer being avoided.
After more than a year of anticipation, Caitlin Clark has finally pulled back the curtain on her first signature sneaker. The Indiana Fever superstar spent the past week dropping a string of cryptic hints on Instagram before delivering a full, image-packed reveal of the Nike Caitlin 1 — and the rollout has been every bit as carefully choreographed as the player herself.
Clark kicked things off by quietly changing her Instagram handle from @caitlinclark22 to @caitlin1 and swapping her profile photo for an extreme close-up of a textured blue material. Sneaker outlets immediately went into overdrive trying to decode the imagery, and it didn’t take long for a second clue to surface: while walking into Gainbridge Fieldhouse before a game against the Toronto Tempo, Clark was spotted wearing two custom friendship bracelets. One read “CAITLIN1.” The other read “10-01-26.”
The friendship-bracelet Easter egg was a nod to Taylor Swift, an artist Clark has been open about being a big fan of, and it gave fans exactly what they were looking for: a release date. October 1, 2026 is now circled on basketball and sneaker calendars alike as the day the Nike Caitlin 1 officially hits shelves.
“You’ve hinted at soon for your own debut of them (the Caitlin 1s.) Do you have a date in mind?”
Days after the teasers began, Clark posted what she jokingly captioned a “very, very, very, very normal photo dump” on Instagram. The carousel opened with unrelated lifestyle shots — a basketball covered in blue paint, a Formula 1 outing, some snacks — before shifting into the real headline: multiple images of the Caitlin 1 itself, including one of Clark wearing the shoe and another showing rapper Travis Scott trying on a blacked-out colorway.
The silhouette is a low-top design that nods to the Kobe 5 and Kobe 6 models Clark has frequently worn on court as player-exclusive colorways throughout her career. The debut colorway, dubbed “Racer Blue,” leans heavily into that shade, broken up by a metallic chrome Swoosh on the lateral side, a tan Swoosh on the medial side, and a small gum-rubber detail on the heel of the outsole. Additional colorways have already surfaced in the background of Clark’s reveal photos, including a black-and-chrome pair worn by Travis Scott and what appears to be a green, Grinch-inspired version spotted near a holiday-themed insole graphic.
In Clark’s Own Words
Clark has been candid about how personal this project is to her. “Having my own shoe has been a dream for as long as I can remember, and seeing it come to life is pretty incredible,” she said in a statement accompanying the reveal. “I wanted it to reflect how I play — fast, confident, and ready to let it fly. Nike and I really crushed it. It was a true partnership. They listened to every detail, and the innovation is designed for my game. Seeing the finished product for the first time will forever be a core memory.”
That sense of personal involvement traces back to August 2025, when Nike first named Clark a signature athlete and unveiled her logo — two interlocking C’s with a smaller, hidden C tucked inside. Clark said at the time the logo represented her “magnetic bond with the basketball community” and her “relentless drive, passion, and growth from within.” That logo collection launched in apparel form in October 2025, setting the stage for the shoe to follow nearly a year later.
Release Details
The Nike Caitlin 1 “Racer Blue” is set to release October 1, 2026 through Nike.com and select Nike Basketball retailers. Pricing is set at $140 for adult unisex sizing, $115 for grade-school sizing, and $105 for preschool sizing. The release caps off an eight-year, $28 million sponsorship deal between Clark and Nike that began in April 2024, and it arrives as Clark continues to be one of the most influential commercial forces in the history of women’s sports.
For a player whose impact on the WNBA’s television deals, attendance figures, and merchandise sales has been compared to Michael Jordan’s and Tiger Woods’, the Caitlin 1 represents more than a shoe release — it’s the next step in turning Clark into a permanent fixture of basketball sneaker culture, the way her on-court Kobe player-exclusives already have.
The WNBA is on the verge of a major shift as billionaire businessman Tilman Fertitta and his family finalize the purchase of the Connecticut Sun, with plans to relocate the franchise to Houston and revive the legendary Houston Comets. According to multiple reports, including ESPN, the deal is valued at approximately $300 million and signals a powerful new chapter for women’s basketball in one of the nation’s largest sports markets.
The franchise is expected to remain in Connecticut through the 2026 season before officially relocating to Houston in 2027, marking the long-awaited return of a historic WNBA brand.
A Historic Franchise Reborn in Houston
The return of the Houston Comets represents more than just relocation—it’s the revival of one of the most iconic dynasties in WNBA history. The Comets dominated the league’s early years, winning four consecutive championships from 1997 to 2000 before folding in 2008 due to ownership instability.
Now, backed by Fertitta—who also owns the Houston Rockets—the franchise is positioned for long-term success with elite resources and infrastructure.
Key highlights of the move include:
Team relocation to Houston beginning in 2027
Final Connecticut Sun season scheduled for 2026
Home games to be played at the Toyota Center
Full integration into one of the NBA’s most advanced organizational systems
This move instantly restores Houston as a major hub for women’s professional basketball while reconnecting the league with one of its most successful original brands.
BREAKING: The Connecticut Sun is being sold to the Fertitta family to bring the WNBA back to Houston, sources confirmed to ESPN
The team was sold for $300 million, sources said. Team will play final season in CT in '26 before relocation.
The reported $300 million sale underscores the surging value of WNBA franchises amid unprecedented league growth. With the league recently finalizing a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement, financial conditions are rapidly evolving.
Key financial and league developments include:
A new salary cap projected at $7 million per team
Increased player salaries, including $1.4 million supermax contracts
Expansion momentum and rising franchise valuations
Greater investment in analytics, facilities, and player development
Fertitta’s investment reflects confidence not only in the Houston market but in the WNBA’s long-term trajectory as a major sports property.
Tillman is current ambassador to Italy by Trump Administration. He owns over 600 restaurants , including Del Frisco’s(great one in NYC), The Palm, Morton’s , etc. also owns Golden Nugget casino and the Houston Rockets. 🇺🇸👍 https://t.co/DWoyKPT3nR
More Than Business: A Win for Houston and Women’s Sports
While the financials are significant, this move carries deeper meaning for the city of Houston and its sports culture. Fertitta has long emphasized that bringing the WNBA back to Houston is about more than profit—it’s about restoring a missing piece of the city’s identity.
Houston will now boast a complete professional sports lineup, including a premier women’s basketball franchise backed by top-tier ownership. Fans, who have waited nearly two decades since the Comets’ departure, will once again have a team to rally behind.
Key community and cultural impacts include:
Restoration of a historic WNBA brand in a major market
Increased visibility for women’s professional sports in Texas
Stronger fan engagement and regional support
Opportunities for youth development and community outreach
As Fertitta often says, “Know your numbers”—but this move goes beyond the balance sheet. It represents vision, legacy, and belief in the future of women’s basketball.
A New Era Begins
With the return of the Houston Comets, the WNBA continues to evolve into a league defined by growth, investment, and cultural impact. Backed by one of the strongest ownership groups in sports, the Comets are poised to become a flagship franchise in this new era.
For Houston, this is more than a team—it’s a homecoming. And for the WNBA, it’s another powerful step forward.
