April 14 is a long ways away. Until now and the 2025 WNBA Draft, expect more buzz about presumptive No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers’ professional future. The first round of rumors leads this week’s news:
Could Paige ditch Dallas in the draft?
Well, maybe the Dallas Wings will not be turning the Paige. Maybe Paige controls the twists and turns of the 2025 WNBA Draft.
According to Howard Megdal of The IX Newsletter, people in and around the WNBA expect UConn’s Paige Bueckers, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, to find a way not to play for the Wings, the franchise that won the No. 1 pick in last Sunday’s WNBA Draft Lottery.
Megdal cites the Wings’ track record of dysfunction as the reason Bueckers and her representation are unenthused about her ending up in Dallas, identifying the Los Angeles Sparks, Golden State Valkyries and Washington Mystics as more appealing alternatives. If the Bueckers sweepstakes were re-opened to multiple bidders, the Wings could attract quite the haul in exchange for the No. 1 pick and the promise of Bueckers’ services.
Megdal additionally notes that Bueckers could return to UConn and exhaust her final season of COVID eligibility. She also could simply sit out the 2025 WNBA season, begin her pro career with Unrivaled in 2026 and enter the 2026 WNBA Draft. That strategy could prove more lucrative than a 2025 debut, as the new CBA, to be negotiated by the WNBA and WNBPA after the 2025 season, could result in much higher rookie-scale salaries. And quite possibly, if the WNBA were to follow the example of the NWSL, the new CBA would abolish the college draft, allowing Bueckers to enter the WNBA through free agency.
In short, the book is not closed on the fate of Bueckers’ WNBA future. As Megdal writes:
Several people I spoke to around the league even suggested she had an obligation to maximize her circumstances, in the same way a free agent in men’s sports should take the highest contract offer, to improve the salaries for everyone else by setting the market.
CC on the links, pitch—but not the court
2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark has embarked on a multi-sport offseason. Golf has been the first game on Clark’s agenda. After participating in LPGA’s The ANNIKA Pro-Am alongside Nelly Korda on Nov. 13, she joined the PGA’s RSM Classic Pro-Am this past week.
A former soccer player, Clark also has joined the ownership group seeking to bring an expansion NWSL team to Cincinnati.
Breaking #NWSL news via @AdamSchefter: Caitlin Clark is part of the bid to bring a pro women’s soccer team to Cincinnati. Further context from me on the expansion process, which is imminently nearing a conclusion toward the league’s 16th team. https://t.co/MS1ILt2XPw
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) November 22, 2024
The group said in a statement:
The NWSL Cincinnati bid team is thrilled that Caitlin Clark has joined our ownership group in pursuit of bringing a women’s professional soccer team to our city.
Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region, and influence as an athlete and role model for women and girls around the world, make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman also expressed excitement about Clark joining the Cincinnati bid, saying, “Having her interest in the NWSL is an honor. And we couldn’t be more excited about her sharing her story of being a multi-sport athlete.”
Commissioner Jessica Berman of the @NWSL on Caitlin Clark joining the expansion bid in Cincinnati
“Having her interest in the NWSL is an honor. And we couldn’t be more excited about her sharing her story of being a multi-sport athlete.” pic.twitter.com/9euLj6U86z
— Vanessa Perdomo (@Vaness_Perdomo) November 22, 2024
Clark, however, will not be participating in Unrivaled’s inaugural season, a decision that follows much will-she-or-won’t-she speculation.
Fans might see Clark take the court this offseason during NBA All-Star Weekend, when she could join Sabrina Ionecsu, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in a second, expanded edition of last year’s “Stephen vs. Sabrina” 3-Point challenge.
Coaching markert murmurs
Over at The Athletic, Ben Pickman recently published a round up of coaching news, including reporting surrounding the remaining WNBA head coaching vacancies.
A WNBA coaching search grab bag, including: -Timing update for the Mystics -January/Kelly interviewed for jobs -The college to WNBA trend(?) -The time Karl Smesko almost got ANOTHER W job -What’s next for T-Spoonhttps://t.co/G3ZVXV8XQh
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) November 22, 2024
Connecticut Sun assistants Briann January and Austin Kelly have interviewed for head jobs, and its possible one of them will take over for Stephanie White, now with the Indiana Fever. If not, both could follow White to Indiana. January played under White during her previous stint in Indiana, while Kelly is the husband of Karima Christmas-Kelly, an assistant for the Fever for the past two seasons. White has indicated she’d like Christmas-Kelly to be part of her staff.
The Washington Mystics have hired a search firm to identify candidates for the organization’s open head coach and general manager positions, with the goal of making the hires by Jan. 1.
Pickman also discussed a possible return to the WNBA for Teresa Weatherspoon, who, dismissed by the Chicago Sky after one season, is serving as a head coach for Unrivaled. Asked about a return to the W as soon as next season, Weatherspoon said:
That is to be seen. One thing about me is I don’t run from anything. I don’t have to hide from anything. I don’t have to answer anything. Because I know how hard I worked. And I know that the opportunity for me will come and I’ll be ready.
Could her next opportunity be with the Las Vegas Aces as an assistant to her former New York Liberty teammate Becky Hammon? The Aces lost assistants Natalie Nakase and Tyler Marsh to head jobs in Golden State and Chicago, respectively. Thus far, the organization has hired Ty Ellis as an assistant.
The W is returning to the Land?
Cleveland was home to one of the WNBA’s original eight franchises, with the Rockers existing from 1997 to 2003. Could the W return to the Land?
The Cleveland Cavaliers ownership group, led by Dan Gilbert, is “actively pursuing” the opportunity to be the WNBA’s 16th team, according to The Athletic.
The team would play at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, home of the Cavs, and would practice at the Cleveland Clinic Peak Performance Center, the Cavs’ new training headquarters set to open in 2027. These features—a first-class arena and facility—could be crucial to the success of Cleveland’s bid. A source told The Athletic that the Cavs have worked directly with the WNBA on the bid for more than a year. If the bid is successful, the team likely would debut in 2027 or 2028.
AU adds another Tennessean for 2025 season
With Nashville native and Tennessee grad Isabelle Harrison and Jordan Horston, another former Lady Vol standout, already slated to participate in Athletes Unlimited’s fourth season in Nashville, another player with Tennessee ties will be joining the league: Mt. Juliet native and former MTSU scoring sensation Alysha Clark.
A three-time WNBA champion with the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces and the 2023 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, Clark spoke to ESPN about the opportunity to play in Tennessee during the WNBA offseason, saying, “So just to be able to kind of come back full circle … it’s really special on so many levels. The starting point of my basketball journey was there.”
In addition to the return of AU stalwarts like Harrison, Sydney Colson and Lexie Brown, the league will feature a number of new faces in 2025, with Alissa Pili, Maddy Siegrist and Kia Nurse among the WNBA players set to make their AU debuts alongside Clark and Horston. The season officially tips off on Feb. 5.
