WNBA

Angel Reese is speaking out after the WNBA launched an investigation into allegations of racist comments being directed toward her during a game ... thanking the league and her team for the support she's received.

The 6'3" Chicago Sky forward broke her silence after Tuesday's team practice ... when reporters asked her about the W announcing it was looking into claims of inappropriate behavior directed at Reese during Saturday's game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

"Obviously, there's no place in this league for that," the 23-year-old said.

WNBA superstar Skylar Diggins -- who told reporters this week she no longer wanted Smith included when referencing her name -- filed for divorce from her husband earlier this year, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 34-year-old hooper filed the docs on March 26 ... which state she initially separated from ex-Notre Dame football player Daniel Smith in November 2024.

In the docs, she requested the split because the "marriage is irretrievably broken."

Lisa Leslie is adding a few more assists to her stat sheet -- by surprising small businesses with $20,000 checks!!!

The WNBA legend made the special announcement in honor of Small Business Hero Day. Leslie, alongside Intuit QuickBooks and Intuit Mailchimp, presented three mom-and-pop shops with financial support at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

"It actually gives me great pride to be able to tell your stories," she said during the event. "It really warms our heart and inspires us."

WNBA star Rickea Jackson may be off the market after being spotted with Atlanta Falcons draft pick James Pearce Jr. at a watch party on Thursday ... but after her appearance made waves on social media, she elected to handle it all with some humor.

The chatter began after the Falcons traded up to pick the former Tennessee linebacker with the 26th selection of the first round ... when the broadcast went live to Pearce's viewing setup, which revealed the fellow ex-Volunteer was seated to his right and rubbing his leg.

Fans expressed their thoughts on the apparent hard launch on social media ... with some sharing their heartache after realizing the L.A. Sparks star might be unavailable.

Pete Carroll assembled an Avengers-esque lineup of guests for his USC course this week ... with none other than Tom Brady and JuJu Watkins joining the class!!

The Las Vegas Raiders coach/professor welcomed the seven-time Super Bowl champion -- and as he noted, his new boss -- to Thursday's session via Zoom ... and students in attendance understandably lost it when TB12 popped up on the big screen.

The class, called "The Game is Life," is being taught by Carroll, USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni, and adjunct professor of entrepreneurship David Belasco.

The woman who designed Kiki Iriafen's stunning WNBA draft night dress has seen her pockets grow a little fatter since the ex-USC star rocked the look ... with TMZ Sports learning her business is now surging!

The mind behind the amazing 'fit is Nneka C. Alexander ... and when we spoke with her in the days after Iriafen's gold-and-bronze get-up went viral, she said her DMs have been going crazy.

She told us people have been hitting her up seeking some custom pieces -- similar to the one Iriafen rocked on Monday.

Seems JuJu Watkins' coach doesn't have much worry her star player will be back to her normal self soon -- Lindsay Gottlieb tells TMZ Sports the 19-year-old is "doing great" in her rehab ... and attacking things with a laser focus.

Watkins, of course, tore her ACL on March 24 in an NCAA tournament game ... but Gottlieb told us out at LAX this week she's showing plenty of signs that she's going to be all right.

"She's doing great," the Trojans sideline manager said. "She's doing great. She's in focus mode, rehab mode."

The Paige Bueckers effect is already taking over Dallas ... 'cause ticket sales and prices have seen a major spike since the Wings took the UConn star with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.

Bueckers -- who won the 2025 NCAA championship with the Huskies -- was the first name called in Monday night's event ... which was quite the no-brainer for the organization.

Ever since Paige walked the stage, platforms have been overwhelmed with Wings fans trying to get their hands on game tickets ... including SeatGeek, which told us the sales are up 11x compared to five days before the draft.

Hailey Van Lith had a lot to celebrate at the WNBA Draft -- not only was she the 11th name called Monday night ... but she also sealed it with a kiss from her NBA boyfriend, Jalen Suggs!!

The sweet moment happened after the former college basketball guard was selected by the Chicago Sky ... a move that reunited her with former LSU teammate Angel Reese.

Van Lith -- who stunned in a sleek, black dress -- was all smiles after the pick ... and hugged her parents before taking the stage to shake hands with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Paige Bueckers is taking her talents to Big D! The UConn superstar and NCAA champ was just selected with the number one overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Choosing the UConn Huskies star with the first pick was a no-brainer for the Dallas Wings ... as she was widely considered the best player in the entire '25 class -- just what Dallas needs after a horrible 9-31 season.

The 6-foot guard averaged 19.8 points and 4.6 assists per game in four seasons at the Connecticut school. She also helped the Huskies win their 12th NCAA championship title earlier this month.

The death of Kyren Lacy has shocked the sports world ... with star athletes like Odell Beckham Jr. and Angel Reese paying tribute to the former star LSU receiver.

Lacy -- who scored nine touchdowns last season -- died on Saturday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a police chase in Houston, TX.

The death of the 24-year-old football star came just days before a Grand Jury was set to convene to hear evidence in a fatal traffic incident from December 2024 -- which claimed the life of a 78-year-old retired U.S. Marine. Lacy was accused of causing the crash and fleeing the scene without calling for help.

LSU hoops star Aneesah Morrow is ready to make an instant impact in the WNBA ... telling TMZ Sports she's ready to grab boards and play lockdown D -- no matter where she's drafted!

TMZ Sports spoke to the 22-year-old forward from a Raising Cane's restaurant in NYC ... when we asked her to provide a self-scouting report -- as we're just days away from the WNBA Draft, going down from the Big Apple on April 14.

"Somebody that's gonna come in and work hard every day. I'm going to work hard to get on the boards, be able to rebound, and defend," Morrow told us.

College basketball star Hailey Van Lith is trading her jersey for some beachwear ... putting her athletic figure on display for her big debut with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit!!

The TCU hooper -- who was Big 12 Player of the Year this past season -- teamed up with the publication for a digital cover photoshoot at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas ... rocking several one and two-piece swimsuits as she posed for the cameras.

HVL spoke about the cool opportunity ... saying it's all about feeling comfortable in her own skin.

If Caitlin Clark really wants to play flag football at the 2028 Olympics, she won't be getting any superstar treatment to get a spot on the team -- so say the organization's CEO!!

The WNBA superstar recently mentioned at the NFL Annual League Meeting she always dreamed of playing football as a kid ... and even tossed out the idea of suiting up for the Red, White and Blue on the gridiron when the Games come around in a few years.

"Maybe LA 2028, maybe I'll do two sports," Clark said at the meeting. "Or if basketball doesn't work out, I'll head over to flag football."

WNBA champ Elena Delle Donne is riding off into the sunset -- she just announced her retirement after 10 seasons.

The 6'5" hooper -- who played for the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics during her career in the W -- released a statement on her decision ... revealing it's something she contemplated over time before reaching the choice that's right for her.

"One of my favorite children’s books asked, 'How did it get so late so soon?'" Delle Donne said on Friday.

Former WNBA superstar Chiney Ogwumike tells TMZ Sports she's absolutely positive we'll be seeing JuJu Watkins getting buckets on the hardwood again in the near future.

The 19-year-old phenom went down with a torn ACL during USC's Monday night NCAA tournament matchup with Mississippi State ... and while everyone is holding their breath over how the devastating injury might impact her insanely bright future, Ogwumike doesn't seem to be sweating it one bit.

When we got the two-time WNBA All-Star out at LAX this week, she told us she's just certain JuJu will attack the recovery process meticulously -- and will be ready to score again on the court in no time.