Natalie Nakase will make history as the first Asian American head coach in the WNBA when the upcoming season tips off in May. For Nakase, 44, head coach of the newest addition to the WNBA , the Golden State Valkyries, being the first Asian American to lead a team is "a great responsibility," she tells PEOPLE. "I don't want to just be the first. I want to be legendary." "I just don't want to be the first and hopefully, this will open the doors for a lot of Asian Americans...

Caitlin Clark's agent has claimed it's impossible for her client to be paid what 'she's really worth' by the WNBA, as the Indiana Fever star gears up for her second season in the pros. Clark, who won the league's Rookie of the Year award and helped drive historic TV viewership numbers for the league, will make a base salary of around $78,000 next season. And with the new 3-on-3 Unrivaled league already paying players six-figure salaries, Clark's agent, Erin Kane, took aim at WNBA pay in a new interview. 'Will...

Caitlin Clark’s value to the WNBA is more than the league will ever be able to pay her, the women’s hoops superstar’s agent said in a recent interview. Speaking with ESPN, Erin Kane, Clark’s agent, called for higher salaries for WNBA players while suggesting that the league is ready to “spin off” from the NBA when it comes to media rights. Kane, an agent with Excel Sports Management, also addressed Clark’s value to the WNBA. “Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she’s really worth to that...

Before she was a national championship-winning head basketball coach at South Carolina, Dawn Staley was a star in the WNBA for the Charlotte Sting. Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/WNBAE via Getty Images State of play: Businesswoman Erica Berman is leading the bid with the support of her family, according to Nadia Eke, a consultant and spokesperson for the Charlotte bid. The team would be called the Charlotte Sting and play at Spectrum Center as early as 2028. • The bid for the 16th franchise was submitted to Allen & Company, a...

Consider no hard feelings between new teammates DeWanna Bonner and Caitlin Clark. Bonner signed a one-year deal with the Indiana Fever this offseason and was formally introduced by the team on Monday. And of course, the six-time WNBA All-Star was asked about the little incident she had with the Fever star during the 2024 WNBA playoffs. During Game 2 of the first-round series between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun, Clark complained to a referee after she felt like she was fouled by Bonner. The 15-year veteran didn't appreciate it,...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Caitlin Clark stayed relatively quiet as the Indiana Fever embarked on a major offseason overhaul. Stephanie White took over as coach. Amber Cox became general manager. The construction of a new practice facility was announced. And then the franchise brought in WNBA champs DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard. The team welcomed Bonner on Monday, and Clark was there to give a ringing endorsement of the offseason moves. "They know what it takes to win, they know what it takes to get to the Finals, they know what it...

Angel Reese celebrates a win against the Las Vegas Aces on July 16, 2024. Photo: David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images WCIU-TV has struck a deal to be the exclusive television broadcast partner of the Chicago Sky. The big picture: The deal will make over 30 games available on WCIU, which has carriage deals with Comcast, DirecTV and can be accessed for free with a digital antenna. • The news comes as WCIU recently ended its partnership with the CW network and has gone completely independent. Why it matters: This deal...

There are only two active WNBA players who’ve had their respective college jerseys retired by the South Carolina women’s basketball program. Now both of those players will play for the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces on Saturday announced the signing of South Carolina great Tiffany Mitchell. Mitchell joins her with her old South Carolina teammate, A’ja Wilson, in Sin City. “I’m super excited about joining the organization and being in such elite company,” Mitchell said in a news release. “I also couldn’t pass up playing with A’ja again at this...

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu says she would welcome a rematch with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry in a three-point shooting during All-Star if asked to participate. During last year's All-Star Game in Indianapolis, Curry won the challenge by totaling 29 points, while Ionescu had 26 points. Indiana Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark has already said she won't participate in the NBA's 3-point contest but will enter the WNBA's contest when its All-Star Game comes to Indianapolis in July. Ionescu, who won a WNBA title with the Liberty...

MEDLEY, Fla. — Unrivaled and WNBA star Dearica Hamby is going to have a tough time planning out future birthdays for her children. Hamby surprised her daughter, Amaya, for her eighth birthday by taking her to play tennis with star Coco Gauff. Amaya also received sneakers from her favorite WNBA player, Sabrina Ionescu. “It was a really neat experience, so thank you to Coco,” Hamby told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. “My daughter kinda just blacked out when she met her. I knew it was going to happen. She’s done...