An American streak continues | New transfer record | Tobin Heath retires

Never forget the good old days.

Amanda Anisimova keeps streak alive

American tennis is keeping a very unique streak alive, as Amanda Anisimova has become the third-straight US player to reach a Grand Slam final this year.

• The 23-year-old is the youngest American since Serena Williams in 2004 to reach a Wimbledon final, advancing on Thursday after a three-set thriller against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

• “This doesn’t feel real right now,” Anisimova said after the match. “I don’t know how I pulled it out.”

Big picture: In her first career major final, Anisimova now has the opportunity to continue an ongoing sweep by American women in 2025 Grand Slams, after Madison Keys won the Australian Open in January and Coco Gauff took home the French Open title in June.

• She will face five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek in Saturday’s final, after the Polish World No. 4 dominated unseeded contender Belinda Bencic in straight sets 6-2, 6-0.

Bottom line: Anisimova is yet another example of the depth of American women’s tennis, but Swiatek will do everything to break the US’s remarkable streak.

Liverpool forward becomes first £1 million player

20-year-old Liverpool attacker Olivia Smith is the new highest-value player in women’s football, as the Canadian forward reportedly nears a record-breaking signing with reigning Champions League winners Arsenal.

• Smith will be making the move for a reported transfer fee of £1 million ($1.4 million), breaking the record set by USWNT defender Naomi Girma upon her $1.1 million transfer to Chelsea.

• Smith recorded seven goals in 20 WSL appearances in her debut season for Liverpool in 2024/25, accounting for almost a third of her club’s overall goals on the season.

Big picture: Transfer fees continue to rise in the women’s game, with more record-breaking numbers expected after Girma became the first player to break the $1 million mark in January.

• Prior to Girma’s big move, Bay FC’s reported $860,000 signing of Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji had set a new high transfer mark in 2024.

Bottom line: Smith’s transfer indicates new willingness to spend at the highest levels of women’s football — and Arsenal’s ambition to remain at the top of the sport.

Indiana tries to find their way

This weekend’s WNBA slate will see the 9-10 Indiana Fever look to right the ship, as the once-projected postseason contenders make a push prior to All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

• Indiana enters the weekend on a two-game losing streak, despite finally seeing Caitlin Clark return from injury in the team’s loss to Golden State on Wednesday.

• “You should look yourself in the mirror and find ways you can get better, and then come back to practice tomorrow, and play again on Friday,” Clark said after the game.

What to watch: The Fever don’t get an immediate assist from their upcoming schedule, as they take on an Atlanta side that feeds on mismatches in the paint on Friday.

• No. 5 Atlanta vs. No. 7 Indiana, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): The Dream can put any team in a blender with their size and stretch capabilities, and Indiana will need their three-point shooting to size up.

• No. 6 Golden State vs. No. 9 Las Vegas, Saturday at 4 PM ET (CBS): The short-handed Aces will hope to pounce on Golden State’s mercurial road form, as Las Vegas tries to keep climbing in the standings after a middling start.

• No. 5 Atlanta vs. No. 3 New York, Sunday at 3 PM ET (League Pass): An injured New York will try to hold on against the formidable Dream, as the Liberty keep battling while waiting for starters to return.

Bottom line: There’s still a lot of WNBA season ahead, but the first team in the middle of the pack to separate themselves could earn some much-needed momentum.

USWNT legend Tobin Heath announces retirement

Two-time World Cup and Olympic champion Tobin Heath officially announced her retirement from soccer on Thursday, three years after playing her final professional match.

• "Over New Year's, I actually came to the full acceptance that I wasn't going to be playing," Heath said on her podcast, The RE-CAP Show.

• "I tried f---ing everything to get back, I spent tens of thousands of dollars and [had] two surgeries, one crazy surgery. And the whole time I believed I was going to get back,” she said, referencing the cartilage injury that ended her career.

Big picture: Heath isn’t leaving the world of women’s soccer anytime soon, taking up leadership roles with World Sevens Football and joining FIFA's technical study group for the men's Club World Cup.

Mia Fishel signs with Seattle

Fans will finally get to see USWNT prospect Mia Fishel in the NWSL, as the Chelsea forward announced on Thursday that she’s signed with the Seattle Reign for a multi-year deal through 2029.

• The 24-year-old’s new contract is reported to be worth a total of almost $2.5 million, becoming the largest deal over the lifetime of a contract in NWSL history.

Big picture: Fishel was originally drafted into the NWSL by the Orlando Pride in 2022, but decided to sign with Liga MX Femenil powerhouse UANL Tigres instead — before signing with Chelsea in 2023.

Women’s boxing’s biggest rematch returns

The biggest ticket in women’s boxing returns on Friday, as Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano face off for the third and final time in a welterweight fight at Madison Square Garden, headlining an all-women boxing card.

• Taylor holds a 2-0 record over Serrano after two tightly-contested fights that went all 10 rounds, though Serrano comes into tonight’s matchup as a slight betting favorite.

• “I’m taking the fight again because I love the challenge of this. I want to take the best fights,” Taylor said this week.

Tune in: You can catch all the action tonight on Netflix starting at 8 PM ET.

Quote of the day

Two-time NWSL champion Kelley O’Hara
telling the Sports are Fun crew about the importance of post-win trophy design for celebration purposes.