Over the weekend, the WNBA unveiled “The W25,” a list of the 25 greatest and most influential players in league history as voted on by media members and women’s basketball pioneers selected by the WNBA.

The list included ten current and 15 former players. The current players honored were Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Elena Delle Donne, Sylvia Fowles, Brittney Griner, Angel McCoughtry, Nneka Ogwumike, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi. The retired players were Seimone Augustus, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Cynthia Cooper, Yolanda Griffith, Becky Hammon, Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore, Ticha Penicheiro, Cappie Pondexter, Katie Smith, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and Lindsay Whalen.

We decided to approach the WNBA Top 25 from a different angle, asking those who have played, coached and been directly involved in the WNBA to select the 25 greatest players of all time. The 30 people we surveyed included former WNBA players as well as current and former WNBA head coaches, assistant coaches, general managers and team staff members.

Our voting process also differed from the official W25, which required candidates to meet a certain criteria to be included on the final ballot of 75 players. Ours listed players such as Candice Dupree and Vickie Johnson (who were absent from the WNBA ballot) and gave voters the option to write in the names of players they believed deserved recognition.

While the results of our survey had only one major difference from the W25 — the selection of Deanna Nolan over Swin Cash — the percentage of votes each player received sheds more light on the hierarchy. We’ve also listed the players who just missed out on selection into the top 25, some of whom might come as a surprise.

(Note: Players are listed by % of votes received and then alphabetically.)

1. Tamika Catchings — 30/30 votes (100%)

Catchings’ unanimous inclusion was a no-brainer. The forward spent her entire 15-year WNBA career with the Indiana Fever. Named Rookie of the Year in 2002, she would go on to make 10 All-Star Game appearances and earn seven WNBA First Team selections. She also became the only player in the WNBA or NBA to win five Defensive Player of the Year awards. In 2012, Catchings led the Fever to their first and only championship and was named Finals MVP. Five years later, the Fever retired her No. 24.

2. Maya Moore — 30/30 (100%)

In just eight seasons, Moore cemented herself as one of the most dominant players in the sport with the trophy case to prove it. Drafted first overall by the Lynx in 2011, she was named Rookie of the Year and was the driving force behind the franchise’s four championships in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. Before stepping away from basketball to focus on criminal justice reform and free Jonathan Irons from a wrongful prison conviction, Moore was a six-time All-Star, a WNBA MVP and a Finals MVP.

3. Sheryl Swoopes — 30/30 (100%)

During her 12-year WNBA career, Swoopes was a four-time champion with the Houston Comets, a three-time MVP, a six-time All Star and a five-time First Team selection. Swoopes was also the WNBA’s first three-time Defensive Player of the Year in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and the first player ever to record a triple-double in the regular season and in playoffs. In 1997, Swoopes became the first women’s basketball player to have a Nike signature shoe, the “Air Swoopes.” (Fun fact: I still have mine.)

4. Diana Taurasi — 30/30 (100%)

Taurasi and her warehouse of accolades left no room for debate as a unanimous Top 25 pick. The three-time WNBA champion, ten-time All-Star and former league MVP is also the league’s all-time leading scorer (and counting). In 2011, Taurasi was named one of the Top 15 Players of All Time. In 2016, she earned a spot on the WNBA Top 20@20. Taurasi has long been in consideration as the greatest women’s basketball player of all time, and she has my vote.

5. Sue Bird — 28/30 (93%)

The most shocking result of this exercise was that Bird, a four-time WNBA champion and 12-time All-Star, did not receive 100 percent of the vote. Bird is the only player to have won a championship in three different decades during her 18-year WNBA career, which isn’t over yet. The current WNBA all-time assists leader is considered one of the greatest facilitators and floor generals in the history of the sport.

6. Cynthia Cooper — 28/30 (93%)

For all Cooper did for the game of basketball, I was surprised that this vote was not unanimous. At the age of 34, Cooper led the Comets franchise to four consecutive WNBA championships from 1997-2000. In three of those seasons, she also led the league in scoring. Cooper was named a four-time Finals MVP, two-time MVP and three-time All-Star during her five-year WNBA career.

7. Candace Parker — 28/30 (93%)

Parker came onto the national basketball scene at a young age and rose to prominence quickly in the pros. In 2008, Parker became the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in the same season. She is also the second player ever to dunk in a WNBA game. Parker, a six-time WNBA All-Star, led the league in rebounds three times and won the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year award. After 13 years with the Los Angeles Sparks, she signed with her hometown Chicago Sky this past offseason.

8. Sylvia Fowles — 27/30 (90%)

It is impossible to discuss the WNBA’s greatest players of all time without Fowles, who is still one of the most dominant players in the league in her 14th season. The 6-foot-6 center is a former MVP and two-time WNBA champion. In 2020, the seven-time All-Star became the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder.

9. Lauren Jackson — 27/30 (90%)

During her 12 seasons with the Seattle Storm, Lauren Jackson was virtually impossible to defend. A two-time WNBA champion, seven-time All-Star, three-time MVP and one-time Finals MVP, Jackson left one of the most definitive legacies with a single franchise. She has been named to every possible all-time WNBA player list, including the All Decade, Top 15 and 20@20.

10. Seimone Augustus — 26/30 (87%)

In 15 seasons, Augustus gave us one of the nastiest crossovers and mid-range pull-ups the game has ever seen. Augustus finished her career as a four-time WNBA champion with the Lynx, an eight-time All-Star and a 2011 Finals MVP. She also ranks 11th on the all-time scoring list with 6,005 career points. Augustus, now an assistant coach with the Sparks, deserves to be in the top half of this list for all she accomplished in the league.

11. Lisa Leslie — 26/30 (87%)

The three-time WNBA MVP is well known as one of the first faces of the league. Leslie played a key role in the league’s inaugural game in 1997 and was the first player to dunk in a WNBA game in 2002. She is the career points and rebounds leader for the Sparks franchise, who in 2010 retired her No. 9 jersey. Leslie was voted to the list of the Top 15 Players of All-Time in 2011 and to the Top 20@20 in 2016. Leslie is another one I would have picked as a unanimous selection.

12. Tina Thompson — 26/30 (87%)

The Houston Comets selected Thompson in 1997 as the first draft pick in WNBA history. Thompson would go on to win four championships as part of the Comets’ dynasty. The nine-time All-Star was also named the All-Star Game MVP in 2000. After a 17-year career, Thompson retired as the league’s all-time leading scorer with 7,448 points, a mark Taurasi surpassed in 2017.

13. Katie Smith — 25/30 (83%)

Smith finished her playing career as the eighth all-time leading scorer in the WNBA with 6,452 points. Before the WNBA, she led the ABL’s Columbus Quest to two straight championships in 1997 and 1998, the two years the league existed. Smith went on to play in the WNBA for 14 seasons and lead the Detroit Shock to two WNBA championships in 2006 and 2008. Smith, now an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx, has been named to the WNBA All-Decade, Top 15 Players of All Time and 20@20 teams. She was the 2001 scoring champion and a seven-time All-Star.

14. Breanna Stewart — 25/30 (83%)

It’s hard to keep up with the pace of Stewart’s accomplishments since she joined the league in 2016. Stewart followed up a Rookie of the Year award that season with two WNBA championships, a league MVP and two Finals MVPs. She’s also a favorite to win the MVP award again this season. Stewart has quickly climbed the WNBA player ranks and, at 27 years old, has only scratched the surface of the prime of her career. Stewart has a legitimate shot to finish her career as the greatest WNBA player of all time.

15. Elena Delle Donne — 23/30 (77%)

The two-time league MVP led the Chicago Sky to the WNBA Finals in 2014 and the Washington Mystics to their first-ever WNBA championship in 2019. In that span, she was selected to six All-Star teams. In 2019, Delle Donne became the first and only WNBA player to join the 50-40-90 club, which means she shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from the 3-point line and 90 percent from the free-throw line during the season. Delle Donne’s health after two back surgeries could determine where she ends up on the all-time hierarchy at the end of her career.

16. Brittney Griner — 22/30 (73%)

Griner single-handedly took the WNBA to the next level with her imposing size, dominance in the paint and ability to throw it down. The 6-foot-9 center became the third player to dunk in a WNBA game and the first player to do so twice in a single game. Griner is a seven-time All-Star, a two-time scoring champion and a seven-time blocks leader. She won a championship with the Mercury in 2014 and is currently in the conversation for 2021 MVP.

17. Yolanda Griffith — 21/30 (70%)

Griffith could flat-out play. As one of the greatest rebounders, defensive players and efficient scorers in the history of the WNBA, she won the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1999 and went on to set the single-season offensive rebounding record in 2001 with 162. In 2005, she led the Sacramento Monarchs to their first WNBA championship and was named Finals MVP.

18. Cappie Pondexter — 21/30 (70%)

Pondexter was named to both the Top 15 Players of All Time and the 20@20 following an impressive 13-year WNBA career. In 2009, she became the first player in league history to win three consecutive Western Conference Player of the Week honors. The two-time WNBA champion was named Finals MVP in 2007 and made seven All-Star Game appearances. Pondexter’s scoring dominance, especially in the early parts of her career, were undeniable, earning her a deserved spot on this list.

19. Lindsay Whalen — 21/30 (70%)

Whalen was the floor general for the Lynx during their dynasty years. The three-time WNBA single-season assists leader finished her career as the all-time playoff assists leader with 341. Whalen was also named to five All-Star Games and three WNBA First Teams. Now head coach of the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team, Whalen had her No. 13 jersey retired in Minnesota following her playing career.

20. Tina Charles — 20/30 (67%)

With nearly every possible individual accolade on her resume, Charles is just missing a WNBA championship. The No. 1 pick of the Connecticut Sun in 2010, Charles was crowned Rookie of the Year. Two years later, she won the league MVP award and is in the conversation again this season, leading the league with 24.8 points per game for Washington. Charles is an eight-time All-Star, five-time First-Team selection, two-time All-Defensive Team and four-time rebounding champion.

21. Angel McCoughtry — 20/30 (67%)

McCoughtry, the 2009 first overall draft pick and Rookie of the Year with the Atlanta Dream, is one of the most dominant scorers in league history. The five-time All-Star led the Dream to three WNBA Finals appearances but never quite had the pieces around her to win a championship. During her ten WNBA seasons, McCoughtry has averaged 19 points per game and currently ranks 15th on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list.

22. Becky Hammon — 18/30 (60%)

Hammon never won a championship during her 16-year WNBA career, but she led her teams to playoff appearances in 13 of those seasons. Hammon left her mark as one of the game’s greatest playmakers, currently ranked sixth in all-time assists with 1,708. The San Antonio Stars retired her No. 25 jersey in 2016. Now an assistant coach in the NBA, Hammon was recognized on the WNBA’s Top 15 and 20@20 teams.

23. Ticha Penicheiro — 17/30 (57%)

Penicheiro, considered one of the best point guards in the WNBA, dazzled fans with her no-look, behind-the-back passes for 15 seasons. She led the Sacramento Monarchs to a WNBA championship in 2005, which makes me wonder how she didn’t end up higher on this list. A four-time All-Star, Penicheiro was named to the WNBA First Team twice in her career and is currently second on the all-time assists list. She led the league in assists for seven seasons during her career.

24. Deanna Nolan — 14/30 (47%)

The lone difference in our Top 25 versus the WNBA’s, Nolan was a driving force behind the success of the Detroit Shock in the early 2000s. The guard led the franchise to three WNBA championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008 and was named Finals MVP in 2006. A five-time All-Star, Nolan was listed among the Top 20 Players of All-Time in 2016 despite playing in the league for just nine seasons.

25. Nneka Ogwumike — 14/30 (47%)

Selected first overall in 2012, the Los Angeles Sparks forward went on to win Rookie of the Year. Ogwumike has since become a leader and spokesperson for the WNBA on and off the court as the president of the WNBA Players Association. In 2016, she was named MVP after leading the Sparks to their third championship in franchise history. The six-time All-Star has also earned four All-Defensive First Team selections in her ten seasons.

Who Just Missed Out:

A’ja Wilson — 13/30 (43%)
Dawn Staley — 13/30 (43%)
Teresa Weatherspoon — 11/30 (37%)
Swin Cash — 10/30 (33%)
Rebekkah Brunson — 9/30 (30%)

The UEFA Women's Champions League final kicks off in Bilbao on Saturday, with a couple of familiar foes set to face off for the trophy.

Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, making its 11th final appearance since 2010, will go head to head with a Barcelona side making its fourth final appearance in a row.

This will be the third time these two teams meet in the UWCL title game, having previously appeared in the 2019 and 2022 finals. Lyon won both of those prior games against Barcelona, alongside a total of eight Champions League trophies. That’s double that of any other club, with Eintracht Frankfurt coming in a distant second with four. 

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Should Barcelona win, this would be the team's third title — breaking a tie for the third in the UWCL total titles race. 

But as these teams return to the UWCL final, it also marks the end of an era for both clubs. The game will be the last for both club managers, as Barcelona’s Jonatan Giráldez and Lyon’s Sonia Bompastor depart for new jobs after the season's end.

Giráldez is set to leave for the NWSL's Washington Spirit, while Bompastor will take over for incoming USWNT coach Emma Hayes at Chelsea. Both coaches have earned one UWCL trophy during their tenures, while Bompastor also brought two Champions League trophies to Lyon as a player. She was the first coach to win a UWCL trophy as both a coach and player.

This season, Barcelona is looking for its first quadruple, having won a fifth Liga F title alongside the Copa de La Reina, and the Spanish Supercopa. 

"We hope he can go out with the four trophies because we know how competitive and ambitious he is," Barcelona midfielder Patri Guijarro told ESPN. "It has been a winning era with him in charge and for him to go out with all four trophies would be historic and incredible."

But Lyon's Damaris Egurrola is excited about her team's chances of overcoming Barcelona once again — and to do it in front of family and friends.

"Lyon have something special," she told Forbes ahead of the weekend's final. "We have a great team and we have the players with enough talent to win any match."

The game will be a homecoming for Egurrola, who began her professional career with Athletic Bilbao.

"I’ve been thinking of this day and night," she said. "I’ve been dreaming of playing this match. Having the opportunity to play in San Mames is amazing. This is where it all started for me."

The UEFA Women's Champions League final kicks off Saturday, May 25th at 12 PM ET and is free to stream on DAZN.

The 2024 French Open starts on Sunday, with a match schedule that promises to wrap the short clay court season up in style.

Looking for her fourth title at the major is three-time Roland Garros champion and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, considered the favorite to win the whole Slam. Three of her four major titles have come at the French tournament. 

Swiatek's career record at the French Open is a dominating 28-2, and she's currently on a 16-game winning streak fueled by victories at tune-up tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

But that doesn't mean she won't face some serious challengers along the way. Get to know some of the Polish tennis champ's strongest competitors.

Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka is ranked No. 2 in the world and faced Swiatek in the finals at both Madrid and Rome. She lost in three sets in Madrid, which included a close third-set tiebreak, before losing in straight sets at the Italian Open. 

She enters the French Open having won the Australian Open in January, successfully defending her title in the first Slam of the season. At last year’s French Open, Sabalenka reached the semifinals — a career best — before being ousted by Karolina Muchová in three sets.

Season record: 25-7

Coco Gauff

Currently sitting at No. 3 in the world, the highest-ranked American on the schedule is none other than Coco Gauff. Gauff won her first major at the US Open last year, and reached the semifinals of this year’s Australian Open. She faced Swiatek in the semifinals of the Italian Open last week, losing in straight sets. 

But her first major final came at the French Open in 2022, before being ousted by Swiatek in the quarterfinals at last year’s French Open. The two are on a crash course for a meeting before the finals, as Gauff anchors the other quadrant on Swiatek’s side of the draw, should they both advance deep into the competition.

Season record: 25-8

The Liberty’s unbeaten streak came to an end on Thursday as Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky got the upset win over New York with a final score of 90-81. 

Angel Reese stood out with a near double-double, registering 13 points and nine rebounds. She’s currently the only rookie this season to exceed 10 points in her first three games, and the first player in Sky history to begin their career with three consecutive double-digit scoring games, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Angel Reese is just the 3rd WNBA player ever to grab 15+ offensive rebounds in their first three games. 😤

– 12 PTS, 8 REB (5 OREB)
– 11 PTS, 9 REB (7 OREB)
– 13 PTS, 9 REB (3 OREB)

(via @WNBA) pic.twitter.com/yjWmUzZDc1

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) May 24, 2024

The outcome may not have come as a surprise to Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, who sung Reese’s praises ahead of the game.

"She’s a workhorse," Stewart told The Post. "She doesn’t stop. She’s tough, she’s strong, she’s tough to box out and good at cleaning up for her team offensively and defensively."

"I feel like she’s an energizer bunny," Jones added. "She doesn’t stop moving, she doesn’t stop crashing the boards. Just someone that is gonna be relentless in her approach to getting to the glass and playing tough."

It was the first time Chicago has met New York this season. The game was especially meaningful for new Chicago head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, who led the Liberty for seven years as a player and joined the team's Ring of Honor in 2011.

"This place means a lot to me... I played in that jersey, I adored that jersey, I adored every player that I had an opportunity to play with. The love that I received even today was overwhelming," Weatherspoon reflected after the game.

Following the win, Sky guard Dana Evans had some kind words for her coach.

"I mean, it's just special. She's special," Evans said. "She just breeds confidence in each and every one of us. We love her. We just wanted to go so hard and play hard for her, and I feel like this one was really for her. We really wanted this for her more than anything."

Thursday's victory brings Chicago's record to 2-1, a somewhat unlikely feat given that their offseason featured starter Kahleah Copper getting traded to Phoenix. The Connecticut Sun are now the only undefeated team left in the league this season, and will formidable foes for the Sky as they take their winning streak on the road to Chicago this weekend.

Emma Hayes has officially begun her tenure as USWNT manager ahead of the team’s June friendlies.

Hayes made the rounds on Thursday, appearing on the Today Show and speaking with select media about her goals and underlying principles with the team. It’s a quick turnaround for the decorated coach, who just won the WSL with Chelsea last weekend.

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One thing that she won’t do, however, is shy away from the high expectations that come with managing the US. The squad is looking to reinstate its winning reputation at the Paris Olympics this summer following a disappointing World Cup in 2023. 

"I know the challenge ahead of me. There is no denying there is a gap between the US and the rest of the world," she told ESPN. "We have to acknowledge that winning at the highest level isn't what it was 10 years ago. It's a completely different landscape. And my focus is going to be on getting the performances required to play at a high level against the very best nations in the world."

While Hayes was formally hired six months ago to lead the USWNT, her deal stipulated that she remain with Chelsea through the conclusion of their season. In her stead, Twila Kilgore has led the team, with the coach "drip feeding subliminal messages" to the roster on Hayes’s behalf.

"It's a bit ass-upwards," Hayes joked to reporters. "I know about the staff, and the team, and the structure behind it. We got all of that. Now it's time, I need to be with the team."

With Olympics now just two months away, Hayes dropped hints this week regarding her thought process behind building the roster, saying there’s still time for players to make their case.

"You can't go to an Olympics with a completely inexperienced squad. We need our experienced players, but getting that composition right, that's my job between now and June 16th," she said on the Today Show.

"What I can say from my time [in the US] is, I've always loved the attitude towards performance and the expectation to give everything you've got," she later affirmed to reporters.

And as for winning gold?

"I'm never gonna tell anyone to not dream about winning," she added. "But… we have to go step by step, and focus on all the little processes that need to happen so we can perform at our best level.

"I will give it absolutely everything I've got to make sure I uphold the traditions of this team."