Category: NBA

Paolo Banchero is getting a maximum contract extension to stay in Orlando.

This is not a surprise — the 22-year-old All-Star was a lock to get the max — and the Magic and Banchero's representatives reached the deal, with some perks for Banchero, a deal broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by other reports. Banchero got a player option in the final year of that contract, something rarely given in rookie extensions (the last ones were Luka Doncic and Trae Young).

This is a five-year, $239.3 million contract, but it can increase to $287 million if Banchero makes an All-NBA team next season (a distinct possibility, as he would have made it this past season if he had stayed healthy and played enough games). Banchero will play one more season under his current contract at $15.3 million, then that will jump to at least $41.3 million for the 2026-27 season.

Last summer, the Magic signed Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs to five-year extensions (which kick in next season), and the recently acquired Desmond Bane's contract runs through the summer of 2029. That means the Magic have locked up their core — a group that won 47 games last season and was the No. 5 seed despite injuries. This team is poised to make a leap next season.

The 2023 Rookie of the Year averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last season, but only played in 46 games due to an oblique injury that sidelined him for months. If he and the rest of the Magic core can stay healthy this coming season, Orlando should be hosting a playoff round, at least.

The participants for the 2025 WNBA All-Star game have been set with captains Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark selecting their teams from an eight-player pool of starters and then a 12-player pool of reserves. That selection process will be revealed during an hour-long episode of WNBA Countdown on Tuesday, July 8 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will take place on Saturday, July 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

There are four first time All-Stars in Storm wing Gabby Williams, Valkyries Forward Kayla Thornton and Mystics rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.

While there were some snubs in the All-Star starters category including primarily Skylar Diggins and Alyssa Thomas, the general opinion around the starters was that the weighted voting combining the fan votes, peer votes and media votes spit out a group that was mostly very fair and rational.

But the exact opposite feeling surrounds the reserves which were announced on Sunday afternoon. Some believe that this might have been the most perplexing group of players chosen by the head coaches in recent memory.

A void that stands out in the total group of 2025 WNBA All-Stars is the sheer lack of centers with Jonquel Jones, Alanna Smith, and Brionna Jones being left off the reserves list. Two Sparks front court players in Dearica Hamby and Azurá Stevens were left off after having pretty efficient starts to their seasons. But the argument against one or both of Stevens and Hamby being selected lies in the fact that the Sparks are 6-13 this season and are 10th in the standings out of 13.

Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve expressed her confusion by the reserves selected, especially because teams like the Mystics are below .500 and will boast 2 All-Stars. Also the fourth best team in the league in the Seattle Storm will have the most All-Stars with three while the top three teams in the Lynx, Mercury and Liberty will have just two.

“Historically, teams at the top get a minimum of three, oftentimes four. So really disappointing,” Reeve said. “Really, really happy for Courtney [Williams]. The obvious one was [Napheesa Collier], but we are disappointed in the coaches voting with regard to their selections for All-Star.”

So who was snubbed and why are there a lot of questions surrounding the judgment of the 13 head coaches around the league? It’s hard to exactly know the reasons for the glaring discrepancies this season, but it’s worth remembering that there are seven first time WNBA head coaches this season.

Also, who knows what each coach considered while voting. They had from June 30 until July 2 to vote for three guards, five frontcourt players and four players of either position. Was this also a popularity contest when it comes to the players who are the most well liked around the league? Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello admitted on Sunday that she voted for Thornton, a player she coached for two seasons including during the Liberty’s championship year in 2024.

“She's been a role player all of her career,” Brondello said. “But to go into a new organization and do so well. I voted for her as an alternate. I think it would be great for her to get there, and because she deserves it.”

While Thornton hasn’t been the most efficient shooting 39.2% from the field and 27.9% from three, the Valkyries deserved a representative simply because of the season they’ve had as the best year-one expansion team in WNBA history. Thornton is their leading scorer, was a WNBA Western Conference player of the week last month and her contributions come on both ends of the floor.

Anyway, let’s get into some of the most head-scratching snubs in recent memory.

Brittney Sykes - Guard, Washington Mystics

Sykes is the Mystics’ leading scorer (17.9 ppg) and she often is tasked with defending the opponent’s best perimeter player. She is averaging 8.7 free throw attempts per game which leads the WNBA. She also leads her own team in assists averaging 4.6 per game.

Speaking of Sykes’ own team, while Sonia Citron has put together an impressive rookie season and more efficient shooting splits than her teammate, her load isn’t as demanding as Sykes. It remains bizarre to reward a below .500 team in the league with two All-Stars and one of them isn’t even their number one option and leading scorer in Sykes.

Brionna Jones - Center, Atlanta Dream

Jones might be the Dream’s second most important player after All-Star starter Allisha Gray. She has just as many win shares as All-Stars Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins and more than Sabrina Ionescu and Alyssa Thomas.

Even though Rhyne Howard is the Dream’s second leading scorer and was the second Dream player to make the All-Star team, her teammate in Jones has been leaps and bounds more efficient. Jones has been shooting 51% from the field and makes a little bit over 5 shots a game. Howard has shot 34.2% from the field and also makes a little bit over 5 shots a game.

It also begs the question if Angel Reese should have been a front court representative instead of Jones. While she has strung together a bunch of strong performances since June 10 including her first ever triple-double, Reese struggled mightily with her efficiency for the first month of the season, and her average scoring and rebounding numbers are slightly down from her 2024 All-Star season.

Kayla McBride - Guard, Minnesota Lynx

It wasn’t surprising to see a Lynx guard selected, but what was surprising was that it wasn’t McBride. Before the Lynx’s game yesterday afternoon against the Sky, which was on a back-to-back, McBride was putting together a historic season, shooting over 50% from the field, over 40% from three and over 90% from the line while averaging almost 15 points a game.

While Courtney Williams’ averages of 13.5 points and 5.9 assists are impressive, McBride has been averaging +12 plus-minus to Williams’ +7.7 in addition to being Minnesota’s second leading scorer behind Collier. It’s also worth noting that Williams had two games this season where she didn’t make a single field goal.

Alanna Smith - Center, Minnesota Lynx

Lynx head coach Reeve alluded to her team deserving more than two All-Stars, and there’s an argument to be made that besides MVP candidate Collier, it’s been Alanna Smith that steps up in critical periods. When Collier didn’t play on June 24 against the Mystics, Smith led the team in scoring with 26 points, five rebounds and six blocks.

Smith’s numbers are quite similar to first time All-Star selection Iriafen. Smith’s scoring sits below Iriafen's, averaging 12.3 ppg to Smith’s 10.1, and Iriafen also averages more rebounds (8.3 to 5.3). But, Smith averages greater efficiency shooting and more assists (2.9 to 1.3) than the rookie. Iriafen has also seen a decrease in minutes and efficiency following Shakira Austin’s reintroduction to the Mystics’ starting lineup.

Jonquel Jones - Center, New York Liberty

Luck hasn’t been very generous to the Liberty’s 2024 WNBA Finals MVP in Jones. Before she tweaked her right ankle twice, she was playing at an All-Star level averaging a hair below a double-double, in addition to 2.3 assists and 43.8% from three, the best average in her career since her third season in 2017.

The case for Jones is when you look at how her team has performed with and without her this entire season. The Liberty are 9-0 when Jones plays and then when Jones has been out, the Liberty are 3-6. With Jones on the floor when she has played, the Liberty have a 29.94 net rating, but when she’s been off the floor and not playing, New York’s net rating shrinks to 7.44.

While the case against Jones has mainly been the fact that she’s only played in nine games so far this season, the same can be said of All-Star captain Clark who only has also played in nine games so far this season. While Clark did receive the top fan vote, shouldn’t the reserves be given the same grace as well when it comes to their performance impacting their teams? A scenario I could have seen here could have been that Jones was awarded the designation and then the Commissioner Cathy Engelbert could have named a player in her place.

With three empty-slate days, the opening week of July lacked the usual amount of WNBA action. Yet, the fewer days of games didn’t equate to a shortage of news.

WNBA EXPANSION TALK

In case you missed it, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert took to the podium on the final day of June to announce “that the WNBA is expanding from our currently announced 15 teams to 18 teams over the next few years.” Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030) will follow Toronto and Portland — the 14th and 15th teams — who will begin competing in 2026.

The WNBA’s expansion from 12 teams in 2024 to 18 over a six-year period is exciting for the league and a clear reflection of the new heights it is reaching. Naturally, additional rosters will lead to more available spots for players of all types — international players, draft picks, etc. What will be interesting to watch unfold is the almost yearly expansion draft, in which select players from existing WNBA rosters will be poached and placed on the new teams. Golden State’s fast start in its inaugural season could serve as a best-case scenario for these future expansion teams, but it’s hard to envision that level of success being the case for each incoming franchise. Nonetheless, league growth is positive.

RECENT WNBA PLAYER MOVEMENT

It was also a noteworthy week in the W concerning player movement, with news ranging from minor and medium to major.

The minor: The less headline-grabbing but still relevant stories were that players have begun to trickle back into the U.S. and rejoin their WNBA teams after completing their overseas commitments. Leonie Fiebich's return to the New York Liberty’s starting lineup felt significant. In contrast, Teaira McCowan’s return suddenly feels less consequential for a Dallas Wings team that has found its groove and added a center in her absence.

The medium: The Los Angeles Sparks released Shey Peddy and waived Odyssey Sims while claiming Julie Vanloo off of waivers. If you’re like me, the string of transactions likely threw you for a loop — Sims had started the first 11 games of the season for L.A. and then missed five consecutive games for personal reasons before being cut after her first game back. Peddy, who had replaced Sims in the Sparks’ opening unit, was released on the same day. Sims had been particularly helpful on the offensive end this season. Still, head coach Lynne Roberts spoke to the media and stated the rationale behind the transactions was that the team is “starting to get some of the players back,” later referencing Rae Burrell and Julie Allemand. While her reasoning is valid, the suddenness caught me off guard and is still hard for me to move past.

The major: The Las Vegas Aces parted with a 2027 first-round pick to acquire NaLyssa Smith from the Wings via trade. The move feels like a no-brainer deal for Dallas, but my thoughts are a bit more mixed when looking at this from the Aces’ lens. On the one hand, I understand moving all your chips to the center to try to build out as competitive a roster around A’ja Wilson as possible to compete for championships while she’s in her prime years, especially when the roster addition is young, provides a glaring need, and still packs some untapped potential as a recent lottery pick. However, on the other hand, the way the current veteran-heavy version of this team is performing, there’s the uncomfortable possibility this team could find itself in an unfavorable situation by the end of the 2026 season; not owning their 2027 first-round pick in that scenario would be brutal.

2025 WNBA ALL-STARS REVEALED

Finally, we’ll put a bow on last week’s action by touching on the 2025 All-Star reserves. A big round of applause to all the first-timers, specifically the veterans Kayla Thornton and Gabby Williams — it’s cool to see players evolve and outgrow roles deep into their careers to reach new peaks. And what’s All-Star discourse without complaints around whose name was not called (although it's always tricky to name the players they should replace)? So I’ll leave it at this: here’s a brief acknowledgement to Brittney Sykes, Brionna Jones, and the other unnamed players who had legitimate cases for making it in as reserves.

With that, we proceed to this week’s five must-watch.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Golden State Valkyries @ Atlanta Dream

(Monday, July 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)

We’re approaching the midway point of the season, and somehow, these two teams will be facing one another for only the first time. Atlanta had been rolling up until the past couple of weeks and has now lost three of four games, with the latest defeat coming without the services of Rhyne Howard (arm). Meanwhile, I was admittedly wrong about the Valkyries, who I claimed in one of my preseason takes would only be a fun team that plays hard. They’ve been a joy to watch and, not only that, but would be a playoff team if the postseason began today. Their success has led to Kayla Thornton becoming the franchise’s first-ever WNBA All-Star.

When the two teams clash on Monday, it should be a fun one for the three-point lovers — the Valkyries and Dream both rank among the top teams in the league regarding three-point attempts. The difference in the game could be whichever team is hotter.

Chicago Sky @ Washington Mystics

(Tuesday, July 8 at 11:30 a.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)

How about a quick hat-tip to Angel Reese and, to a lesser extent, the Sky? Reese has been on an absolute tear over the past five games, which has naturally equated to more team success for Chicago, who’ve won two of their past four games. And although the Mystics enter Tuesday’s matchup as losers of two in a row, they’ll also enter knowing they’ve already outclassed this Sky team earlier in the season. Brittney Sykes scored a season-high 32 points in that aforementioned matchup and might also take the floor with a chip on her shoulder after not being named a 2025 All-Star. Sykes’ snub, along with the Mystics’ desire to end their losing streak, could blend well with the Sky’s resurgence to create an entertaining game on Tuesday.

Las Vegas Aces @ New York Liberty

(Tuesday, July 8 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN)

At the time of this writing, the Aces have not resembled the Aces we once knew, and injuries have knocked the defending champion Liberty off its path recently, resulting in six losses in the last nine games. Still, these are the two most recent WNBA champions whose star-studded rosters usually deliver a good viewing experience when matched up with one another. While the showdown may not be as anticipated as it has in the past, an A’ja Wilson vs. Breanna Stewart face-off is always top-tier when it comes to WNBA matchups. Both teams could really benefit from a big win at this point in the season, making Tuesday’s game one worth tuning into.

Minnesota Lynx @ Phoenix Mercury

(Wednesday, July 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET on WNBA League Pass)

The Mercury are a banged-up group as I write these words, with Kahleah Copper (hamstring), Lexi Held (lung), and Satou Sabally (ankle) all unavailable to play against the Wings on Monday. If they remain out on Wednesday, Phoenix would still be capable of winning this game (see Indiana without Caitlin Clark vs. Minnesota in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship), but it wouldn’t be one I’d spotlight as a potential game of the week. Copper and Alyssa Thomas each missed the first two matchups between the two squads, while Napheesa Collier did not suit up for the first meeting. But if these two teams can meet at full strength for the first time this season, we’ll be in for a treat on Wednesday.

Dallas Wings @ Indiana Fever

(Sunday, July 13 at 1 p.m. ET on ABC)

Everyone had circled the June 27 battle between the Wings and Fever, including me. However, injuries derailed the highly anticipated duel between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark. The good news is that there’s another bout on the schedule! The bad news is that we may potentially miss out again on the two most recent first-overall picks sharing center stage, as Clark has not taken the court since before the end-of-June matchup. So, much like the previously mentioned Lynx-Mercury game with injury caveats, the same is true for this Wings-Fever contest — it’s certainly must-see TV if the two headliners are available. Get your popcorn ready and be prepared for either scenario.

Dallas has a lineup that could be a threat to anyone in the West, especially by the time they gel for the playoffs: Anthony Davis, No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford. However, it only comes together if Kyrie Irving is playing point guard.

Irving is going to miss most of next season recovering from a torn ACL, but could he return in time for the Mavericks to make a deep run? Irving threw some cold water on that idea during a streaming Q&A (hat tip HoopsHype).

"Don't hold your breath on [a playoff return]. You know what I'm saying? That doesn't mean I won't be back, it's just — I don't want to make any predictions on when I'm going to be back. I just want to be back 150,000% better."

Irving tore his ACL on March 3 and had surgery to repair his knee closer to the end of that month. While recovery times for ACL injuries vary, the average is approximately a little under a year. While that could mean Irving makes a return in time for the postseason, he's handling this in a mature way, not setting a timeline and letting his body tell him when it's time to get back on the court.

The Mavericks have a solid guard pairing of D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum, who can carry them through the regular season, although where that roster lands in a stacked Western Conference remains to be seen. If Irving is back and gets his legs under him, nobody is going to want to face this team — but Irving can't rush back because of that. He has to make sure he's right.

This isn't a surprise, but the Pacers' President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard made it official on Monday.

Tyrese Haliburton will not play next season for the Indiana Pacers, Pritchard said.

Haliburton tore his Achilles minutes into Game 7 of the NBA Finals, a heartbreaking end to his season and a magical Pacers run. With advances in surgical techniques and recovery protocols for Achilles surgery, some players have been able to return to play after nine months. If he pushed for that timeline, it would optimistically have Haliburton back with a few weeks left in the season. Pritchard and the Pacers would rather get their star point guard, who just led them to the NBA Finals, fully healthy, than regroup for the 2026-27 season.

Haliburton averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists a game last season as the driver of the Pacers' up-tempo offense. In the playoffs, he averaged 17.3 points and 8.6 assists a game, shooting 34% from beyond the arc, and orchestrating a free-flowing Pacers offense that even the elite Oklahoma City defense had trouble controlling. To be successful, the Pacers need Haliburton to return to playing at that elite level, rather than trying to find his conditioning and timing after a long layoff. Indiana is right to take the pressure off next season and think about the long term with Haliburton.

In that same press conference, Pritchard said the Pacers intend to re-sign center James Wiseman as a reserve center. A year ago, the Pacers signed Wiseman to a two-year contract, then he tore his Achilles in the first game of the regular season. At the deadline, Indiana traded him to Toronto, which waived him. The Pacers can re-sign him to a minimum deal, and Wiseman should be healthy for the start of the season. He would play behind Jay Huff, whom the Pacers traded for this offseason to be a stretch five now that Myles Turner is in Milwaukee.