3,344 articles
Włodzimierz Sadalski
Włodzimierz Sadalski (born 1949, Poznań), nicknamed "Lala" and "Sandał", Polish volleyball setter; world champion 1974 and Olympic gold medalist 1976 with Płomień Milowice, later player-coach and Finland national coach, then PZPS development director.
WNBA draft
WNBA draft, the WNBA's annual player selection event since 1997 (first pick Tina Thompson). Three rounds, April date, lottery for four non-playoff teams, 22+ domestic and 20+ international eligibility, 2026 No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd.
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the Women's National Basketball Association's championship series, a best-of-seven 2-2-1-1-1 series since 2025. Defending champion Las Vegas Aces; 2026 features Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream.
Women's basketball
Women's basketball, also known as women's hoops, is basketball as played by women, first played in 1892 and now spanning the WNBA, NCAA college play, and FIBA international tournaments.
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (WBHOF) is a museum and hall of fame in Knoxville, Tennessee, honoring both men and women for contributions to women's basketball since 1999.
Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), professional women's basketball league founded April 24, 1996, first season 1997; oldest women's pro sports league in North America, 15 teams in 2026, expanding to 18, with a $2.2 billion media deal and a 2026 CBA raising the salary cap to $7 million.
World B. Free
World B. Free (born Lloyd Bernard Free, 1953) is an American retired NBA shooting guard (1975-88) for the 76ers, Clippers, Warriors, Cavaliers, and Rockets; 1980 All-Star, 30.2 ppg season, legally changed his name in 1981.
World beach volleyball championships
FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, the biennial world title event for two-player beach volleyball teams, first held officially in 1997 at UCLA; 15th edition Adelaide 2025, Netherlands hosts 2027.
World volleyball championships
FIVB Volleyball World Championships (renamed FIVB Volleyball World Cup from 2027): flagship national-team indoor volleyball tournaments, men's first held Prague 1949, women's 1952; 32 teams per gender, biennial since 2023, 2025 men's champion Italy.
Worthy de Jong
Worthy de Jong (born 1988, Paramaribo) is a Dutch basketball player, Paris 2024 Olympic 3x3 gold medalist and tournament MVP, former ZZ Leiden and FIBA Europe Cup all-time steals leader, now with Amsterdam Rabobank.
Würzburg Baskets
Würzburg Baskets (Fitness First Würzburg Baskets), German BBL basketball club founded 2007, home tectake ARENA, coach Saša Filipovski; Bundesliga semifinalist 2024, fifth place 2025/26, lost quarterfinal to Bonn in five games.
Wyc Grousbeck
Wycliffe "Wyc" Grousbeck, American venture capitalist, was lead owner, governor, and CEO of the Boston Celtics from 2002, winning NBA titles in 2008 and 2024 before a record $6.1 billion sale to Bill Chisholm's group.
Xaivian Lee
Xaivian Lee (born 2004) is a Canadian-American guard from Toronto who starred at Princeton, set its assist and triple-double records, transferred to Florida, and signed a 2026 Exhibit 10 deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Xavier Barachet
Xavier Barachet (born 1988, Nice) is a retired French handball right back; Olympic gold 2012, world champion 2009, 2011, 2015, European champion 2010; clubs Chambéry, Atlético Madrid, Saint-Raphaël, Paris-SG.
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball is Xavier University's NCAA Division I team in Cincinnati, Ohio, a BIG EAST member since 2013 (previously Atlantic 10), with 30 NCAA Tournament appearances, 29 since 1983, eight Sweet Sixteens, and Elite Eight runs but no Final Four.
Xu Yunli
Xu Yunli (徐云丽), Chinese middle blocker born 1987 in Fuqing, Fujian; Fujian Provincial Team player, three-time Olympian: bronze at Beijing 2008, fifth at London 2012, gold at Rio 2016, plus 2014 world silver.
Yacine Louati
Yacine Louati, French volleyball outside hitter (born 1992, Tourcoing), two-time Olympic gold medalist with France at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024; son of Tunisian international Moutaa Louati; clubs include Jastrzebski Wegiel, Fenerbahce, and Asseco Resovia.
Yam Madar (ים מדר)
Yam Madar (ים מדר), born 2000 in Beit Dagan, is an Israeli point guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv and Israel's national team; drafted 47th by Boston in 2020, he starred at Partizan (EuroLeague Rising Star 2023) and never played in the NBA.
Yan Ni
Yan Ni (颜妮), born 1987 in Shenyang, is a Chinese volleyball middle blocker, Olympic gold medalist at Rio 2016, 2018 World Championship bronze medalist, and Liaoning club player nicknamed the Northern Great Wall.
Yang Fangxu
Yang Fangxu (杨方旭), Chinese opposite hitter born 1994 in Weifang, Shandong; 2016 Rio Olympic volleyball gold medalist, 2014 world silver medalist, 2013 U20 world champion; banned four years for doping in 2019.
Yang Hansen (杨瀚森)
Yang Hansen (杨瀚森), born 2005, is a 7'1" Chinese center for the Portland Trail Blazers; No. 16 pick of the 2025 NBA draft via Memphis, formerly of the Qingdao Eagles, called the Chinese Jokic.
Yang Hao (olympedia 109155)
Yang Hao (杨昊, born 1980, Dalian, Liaoning) is a Chinese volleyball player, Olympedia ID 109155, who won women's volleyball gold at the 2004 Olympics and bronze in 2008, plus Asian Games golds in 2002 and 2006.
Yang Xiaojun
Yang Xiaojun (杨晓君), born 1963 in Beijing, Chinese women's volleyball middle blocker; 1984 Olympic gold and 1988 bronze, 1985 World Cup and 1986 World Championship winner, later player and coach in Germany.
Yang Xilan
Yang Xilan (杨锡兰), born 1961 in Tianjin, is a Chinese former volleyball setter, 1984 Olympic gold medalist and 1988 bronze medalist, 1986 World Championship captain and MVP, later a UN Geneva security coordinator in Switzerland.
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser, Swiss basketball center born 2003, Penn State, drafted 30th overall by the LA Clippers in 2025, first Nittany Lion first-round pick; rookie season ended by a Lisfranc foot injury.
Yann Genty
Yann Genty (born 1981, Enghien-les-Bains) is a French handball goalkeeper, Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion with France, first capped at 37; clubs included Chambéry, PSG, and AEK Athens.
Yao Ming (姚明)
Yao Ming (姚明), born 1980 in Shanghai, is a retired 7-ft.-6-in. Chinese center, first international player taken No. 1 in the 2002 NBA Draft, eight-time All-Star with the Houston Rockets, 2016 Hall of Famer, and former Chinese Basketball Association chairman.
Yaprak Erkek
Yaprak Erkek (born 2001, Ankara) is a Turkish volleyball outside hitter, 182 cm, for Eczacıbaşı and Türkiye; 2025 World Championship silver, 2023 Club World champion, 2026 European champion.
Yasmina Akrari
Yasmina Akrari, born in Turin in 1993, is an Italian middle blocker who plays for Chieri '76 in Serie A1 and won Olympic gold with Italy in 2024.
Yaxel Lendeborg
Yaxel Lendeborg (born 2002) is a Dominican-American forward from Pennsauken, NJ, drafted 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2026 after winning the 2026 NCAA title with Michigan as Big Ten Player of the Year.