WNBA

Skylar Diggins-Smith wants to find a new team to play for next season. ''I don't plan on playing in Dallas next year,'' Diggins-Smith told The Associated Press in a phone interview Sunday. Diggins-Smith missed last season after giving birth to a son last spring.

Breanna Stewart will make her return from an Achilles injury on Monday night. It was Kobe Bryant who reached out to her and helped her through the process.

Alana Beard, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who won a WNBA championship with the Los Angeles Sparks, is retiring after 15 years. In 2016, she helped the Sparks win a third WNBA title. The Sparks announced her decision Thursday.

Minnesota Lynx star Maya Moore will sit out a second straight WNBA season to continue her push for criminal justice reform. Moore told The New York Times in a story published Wednesday of her choice to stay off the court for 2020. Moore's agent confirmed her decision to The Associated Press.

The WNBA season is expanding to a 36-game schedule and adding the Commissioner’s Cup tournament the league announced Thursday. The league had a 34-game schedule since 2003. The games will be the first home and road games against conference opponents.

The WNBA and its union announced a tentative eight-year labor deal Tuesday that will allow top players to earn more than $500,000 while the average annual compensation will surpass six figures for the first time. The collective bargaining agreement also provides enhanced family benefits, travel standards

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Lynx hired Katie Smith, the franchise's third-leading all-time scorer and Hall of Fame player, as the lead assistant Tuesday on coach Cheryl Reeve's staff.

Whether Tom Brady will return as quarterback of the New England Patriots next season is still an open question. In an Instagram post to fans, Brady said ''I still have more to prove'' following a season that ended with the Patriots failing to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since

It's been a busy offseason for the New York Liberty and now the franchise has a new coach - Walt Hopkins. The team held a news conference Wednesday at Barclays Center, its new home for the coming season, to introduce Hopkins. Hopkins had been an assistant for the Minnesota Lynx since 2017.

Minnesota Lynx assistant coach Walt Hopkins will be hired as the next head coach of the New York Liberty, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The Liberty have scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at Barclays Center, where the team will play its home games this season

The Associated Press polled a panel of WNBA coaches and general managers for a mock draft of the first two rounds this spring. Obviously, a lot can change between now and draft day, as far as team needs go, with a new collective bargaining agreement being worked on, and free agency set to begin on Feb

The WNBA and the players' union announced Thursday that they have agreed to extend their labor agreement for two weeks as they continue to negotiate a new one. The current collective bargaining agreement was reached in 2014. ''We are making substantial progress toward a new collective bargaining

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve has signed a multiyear contract extension.

The Indiana Fever needed a proven leader to take over as their next head coach. Marianne Stanley seemed like the perfect fit. On Tuesday, Fever officials announced they had hired the Women's Basketball Hall of Famer, who just celebrated her most recent championship last season as an assistant coach

There's truth to Lauren Jackson's comments. But Cambage isn't without her points.

Tiana Mangakahia could have been a WNBA draft pick, but chose to stay at Syracuse. She was diagnosed with breast cancer two months later.

With USA on her uniform this time, Nneka Ogwumike dazzled as she has always done in Maples Pavilion. Tara VanDerveer's young Stanford team put on an impressive show of its own hosting U.S. stars Ogwumike, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi on Saturday in what the Hall of Fame coach counted on providing

The Capitals, Mystics and Nationals have all won championships in the last two years. You'd think that would be a run worth remembering.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Skylar Diggins-Smith's outlook on life has changed after giving birth to her son last spring.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The WNBA and the Players Association have agreed to extend their labor agreement until the end of the year.

Smith ripped into her critics in a series of tweets.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota Lynx leading scorer Odyssey Sims has been suspended for two games to start the 2020 season, stemming from a drunken-driving charge last summer.

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) -- The Atlanta Dream are getting a new home.

Minnesota Lynx scoring leader Odyssey Sims has been sentenced to house arrest after pleading guilty to a drunken-driving charge. A Hennepin County judge issued a one-year sentence, including 10 days of house arrest to be served at her home in Irving, Texas. Judge Francis Rondoni said Tuesday the remainder

A diversity report shows the WNBA remains the leader among all professional sports leagues in hiring women and minorities for coaching and front-office positions. The league earned an overall A-plus grade, including an A-plus for racial hiring and an A for gender hiring, The Institute for Diversity

The New York Liberty are not renewing the contract of head coach Katie Smith the team announced Wednesday. Smith's current contract ends this month. ''On behalf of the entire Liberty organization, we want to thank Katie for her time with our franchise,'' New York Liberty general

Elena Delle Donne and the Washington Mystics capped an eventful WNBA season with the team's first championship. A year that began with the league missing some of its top players because of injuries and rest ended with a compelling five-game championship series. Delle Donne battled through injuries

Elena Delle Donne felt cursed. The league's MVP wouldn't let that keep her from her first WNBA championship. Emma Meesseman scored 22 points and Delle Donne added 21 to help the Washington Mystics beat the Connecticut Sun 89-78 on Thursday night in the winner-take-all Game 5 of the Finals.

Connecticut fell one game short of winning its first WNBA championship, but the Sun's title hopes don't end with Thursday's loss to the Washington Mystics in Game 5 of the Finals. Coach Curt Miller will return a young team in 2020 that he believes could be perennial contenders. ''

Gerrit Cole pitched another playoff masterpiece and the Houston Astros jumped to a quick lead, turning back the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 Thursday night in Game 5 to set up a titanic showdown with the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series. After fellow aces Zack Greinke and Justin Verlander were unable

The WNBA will crown a first-time champion Thursday night when the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics play the decisive Game 5 of the Finals. ''We're having the time of our life right now,'' Connecticut coach Curt Miller said after a thrilling 90-86 win on Tuesday night to send

The WNBA will crown a first-time champion Thursday night when the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics play the decisive Game 5 of the Finals. ''We're having the time of our life right now,'' Connecticut coach Curt Miller said after a thrilling 90-86 win on Tuesday night to send

The U.S. women's national basketball team's college tour is set to tip off next month. USA Basketball announced Wednesday that members of the women's team will play exhibition games at Stanford, Oregon State, Texas A&M and Oregon in early November to prepare for the FIBA tournament later

With the season on the line, Alyssa Thomas and the Connecticut Sun turned up their defense to stop the Washington Mystics and force a decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. Thomas had 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds and the Sun held the Mystics without a point over the final 2:10 to beat Washington

Elena Delle Donne spent the last five days fighting a back injury and doing everything she could to play in the pivotal Game 3 of the WNBA Finals. The league MVP and the Washington Mystics are one win away from the first title in franchise history after a 94-81 victory on Sunday. Delle Donne, who has

Washington, of course, would take its first WNBA championship no matter where it happens. Mike Thibault spent 10 years in Uncasville and led the Connecticut Sun to eight playoff appearances, including Finals in 2004 and 2005. The winningest coach in WNBA history is now on the verge of winning both

Whether it is being a role player because of her back injury or needing to be the go-to player in stretches of crunch-time, Elena Delle Donne just wants to win her first title. Delle Donne and the Washington Mystics have the chance to do that Tuesday night in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Connecticut

Whether it is being a role player because of her back injury or needing to be the go-to player in stretches of crunch-time, Elena Delle Donne just wants to win her first title. Delle Donne and the Washington Mystics have the chance to do that Tuesday night in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Connecticut

Washington didn't need Elena Delle Donne to be a superstar on Sunday, they just needed her to be out on the court. The WNBA's MVP provided an emotional lift by playing through a back injury and her teammates responded with a solid effort to beat Connecticut 94-81 and move the Mystics within

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) -- WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne was in Washington's starting lineup for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday, five days after leaving the team's Game 2 loss to Connecticut with back spasms.

Washington Mystics coach Mike Thibault says his team is prepared to play the pivotal Game 3 of the WNBA Finals without league MVP Elena Delle Donne and guard Ariel Atkins. The pair combined for 43 points last week in leading the Mystics to a nine-point opening-game win, but both were listed as questionable

The WNBA Finals started out promising for the Washington Mystics, but thanks to injuries, the potential for more success has turned dim. With the status of injured star Elena Delle Donne questionable at the moment, the Mystics likely need to dig deep when they visit the Connecticut Sun for Game 3 on

The WNBA Finals started out promising for the Washington Mystics, but thanks to injuries, the potential for more success has turned dim. With the status of injured star Elena Delle Donne questionable at the moment, the Mystics likely need to dig deep when they visit the Connecticut Sun for Game 3 on

The Los Angeles Sparks fired general manager Penny Toler on Friday, a move that followed a postgame tirade when the team lost Game 2 in the second round of the WNBA playoffs. The team said Eric Holoman, the team's managing partner and governor, will replace Toler as GM and executive vice president

Penny Toler's tenure as Sparks general manager is ending after 20 seasons and three WNBA titles.

The WNBA is looking into an obscenity-laced speech that included racial epithets made by Los Angeles general manager Penny Toler in the locker room after the Sparks lost Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals in Connecticut. A story on ESPN, citing anonymous players, says the Sparks general manager went into

Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne has a herniated disk in her back. The league's MVP left Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Tuesday night after playing only a few minutes in the first quarter because of back spasms. Delle Donne is undergoing treatment and the team said it would update her status

The Connecticut Sun know they'll get to play two games at home. The Washington Mystics hope to have Elena Delle Donne back for both of them. Jonquel Jones scored 32 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, and the Sun took advantage of Delle Donne's early injury exit to beat the Mystics 99-87 in Game

Elena Delle Donne left Game 2 of the WNBA Finals after playing only a few minutes in the first quarter because of back spasms. Without the league's MVP, Washington lost to Connecticut 95-86 on Tuesday night, evening the best-of-five series at 1-1. Mystics coach Mike Thibault said that his star

The Connecticut Sun are game-planning to get Jonquel Jones more involved in the WNBA Finals after their versatile 6-foot-6 center took just eight shots in the opener. Jones, who led the team in scoring and rebounding during the regular season, will try to get more in the flow Tuesday night in Game 2

As if the Connecticut Sun did not have enough challenges on the defensive end in the WNBA Finals trying to stop league MVP Elena Delle Donne and breakout Belgian forward Emma Meesseman, here comes Ariel Atkins as an additional source of firepower for the Washington Mystics. Atkins and the Mystics look