Raven Johnson (L) of South Carolina poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (R) after being selected with the 10th pick in the first round by the Indiana Fever during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 13, 2026 in New York City.
Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images
Aliyah Boston #7 of the Indiana Fever reacts after a turnover by the Atlanta Dream in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of game three of the first round of WNBA Playoffs between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena on September 18, 2025 in College Park, Georgia.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Tyasha Harris #52 of the Dallas Wings passes the ball during the third quarter of a game between the Dallas Wings and Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena on May 24, 2025 in College Park, Georgia.
Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Maddy Siegrist #20 of the Dallas Wings prepares to shoot a free throw against the New York Liberty during the game at College Park Center on August 08, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.
Tim Heitman/Getty Images
Melanie Green reacts to her tee shot on the 4th hole during the third round of the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro at El Caballero Country Club on April 18, 2026 in Tarzana, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Harry How/Getty Images
My spring edition of “What I’m Watching in Women’s Sports” reminds me of bird watching.
The whirlwind of free agency, a new collective bargaining agreement and the influx of popular NCAA players to the WNBA have my head on a swivel trying to keep tabs on players who have migrated to new teams.
Article continues below this ad
Justwomenssports: 2026 NCAA Gymnastics Championships Final Hits Record 1.7 Million Viewers on ABC
This column is sponsored by Times Union Women@Work, the Capital Region’s network of business and professional women. Join today at: https://womenatworkny.com
Preseason practices, games and interviews aren’t normally in my sights, but this season is different. On Saturday, we get a glimpse of the New York Liberty tipping off against the Indiana Fever at Barclays Center at 3 p.m. ESPN is betting it will be a popular game, airing on the main network.
Personally, I’m excited to see former Gamecocks teammates Raven Johnson and Tyasha Harris reunite with Aliyah Boston, who has agreed to a four-year, $6.3 million contract extension with the Indiana Fever. The New York Liberty return with the big three by signing Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones to three-year deals. The New York Liberty also added three-time All-Star Satou Sabally in the off-season. The up-tempo Fever offense could be tough for the Libs this early in the season.
Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty looks on during the first half of the game against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena on September 11, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
Michael Hirschuber/Getty Images
When the regular season rolls around on Friday, May 8, the slate of opening games includes the Liberty against the Connecticut Sun and Toronto Tempo hosting the Washington Mystics. The expansion Toronto Tempo signed guard Brittney Sykes, the veteran all-star out of Syracuse, to a multi-year contract and Marina Mabry has joined head coach Sandy Brondello’s squad. The Mystics are totally revamped with a parade of NCAA favorites getting drafted and vying for playing time: Lauren Betts (No. 4), Angela Dugalic (No. 9), Cotie McMahon (No. 11), and Cassandre Prosper (No. 19). I predict Cotie McMahon, out of Ole Miss, will prove to be a fabulous pick and a terrific WNBA player. And a healthy Aussie Georgia Amoore will make her WNBA debut after going sixth in the 2025 draft, but tearing her ACL in the preseason last year.
Article continues below this ad
Make the Times Union a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our journalism when you search.
Add Preferred Source
Another incredible matchup will feature the Fever at home on Saturday, May 9, against the Dallas Wings at 1 p.m. Azzi Fudd, joining former UConn star Paige Bueckers on the Wings roster, along with Poughkeepsie’s Maddy Siegrist and Arike Ogunbowale, will make this a must-see early-season contest.
PWHL goes down to final games
The Boston Fleet, Montreal Victoire and Minnesota Frost all clinched their playoff spots. But it comes down to the last Saturday of the season to determine the final spot in the four-team PWHL playoffs and seeding.
Article continues below this ad
A unique feature of the PWHL playoff format: the top seed chooses its opponent between the seeds three and four. All series then follow a 2-2-1 format, with games 1, 2, and 5 played at the higher seed’s arena, often featuring 20-minute, 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime.
The PWHL cashed in on a huge boost in popularity after the Olympics. The league reached 1 million fans in a single season for the first time in 109 regular-season games. This record-setting achievement was achieved 46 games faster than the league’s initial pace, marking a 29 percent increase in average attendance per game compared to last season, according to the PWHL website.
Haley Winn #8 of the Boston Fleet skates during the third period against the Montréal Victoire at Place Bell on April 17, 2026 in Laval, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
Here’s the scenario for Saturday’s games:
Article continues below this ad
The Ottawa Charge control their own destiny after defeating the Boston Fleet 2-1 in overtime Wednesday at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass. The Charge sit three points ahead of Toronto and will need one point in Saturday’s head-to-head matchup on home ice to punch their playoff ticket. The Sceptres would qualify with a regulation win because Toronto has more regulation wins overall in a tiebreak scenario. The Fleet entered the game looking to pass by Montréal for first place and now sit one point behind the Victoire going into the final game. Boston will need to earn two or more points in their home matchup against New York on Saturday afternoon, more than Montréal earns in its game at Seattle, to secure the first playoff seed.
LPGA’s first major
The 2026 Chevron Championship, the first LPGA major, takes place this weekend at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.
A player to watch is Epson Tour graduate and NYSPHSAA state champion Melanie Green of Medina in western New York. She played her college golf at the University of South Florida and was New York’s top golf recruit in the class of 2020. The 2025 Epson Tour graduate finished first in the tour’s Race for the Card standings and has played well on the LPGA Tour.
Article continues below this ad
Last week, she tied for ninth in her fourth start as an LPGA professional at the JM Eagle LA Championship at Palos Verdes Golf Club.
Green won the 2024 Women’s Amateur Championship at Portmarnock, becoming the first American winner in 28 years. She also qualified for the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open.
Top contenders at Chevron include Hannah Green and Nelly Korda. Australia’s Green is on fire, earning her fourth title worldwide at the JM Eagle LA Championship on Sunday. The tournament features a $9 million purse.
Article continues below this ad