Atlanta forces Game 7 with sold-out WNBA Finals rout

Yesterday’s early tipoff didn’t stop ATL’s biggest stars from packing State Farm Arena for Game 6.

Atlanta forces Game 7 in home blowout win

The WNBA Finals is going the distance, after No. 4 Atlanta forced a winner-take-all Game 7 with yesterday’s sold-out 80-69 home victory over No. 2 Golden State.

• Down 3-2 with their backs against the wall, the Dream outscored Golden State 32-15 in the first quarter — and never relinquished the lead.

• “I’m proud of this group,” Atlanta’s Angel Reese said. “When we punch first, we have won every single game.” (Watch full highlights)

Scouting report: The series now shifts to Saturday’s historic Game 7, as both teams tap into their defensive cores in pursuit of a franchise-first WNBA title.

• The Valkyries will take solace in their ability to whittle away at the Dream’s Game 6 lead, narrowing the gap from as high as 25 points to as low as eight while refusing to allow Atlanta to switch up its player rotation.

• “Games 2 and 3 were ugly, and we quit,” said Golden State’s Veronica Burton. “We didn’t quit on this one.” (See full report)

Tune in: Game 7 of the WNBA Finals tips off on Saturday at 8 PM ET (USA).

Gotham & San Diego shoot for the NWSL Shield

Decision Day is here, as No. 1 Gotham and No. 2 San Diego battle for this year’s NWSL Shield — though their paths to the regular-season title aren’t so simple.

• The Bats secure a team-first Shield with win or draw against a tough No. 6 Utah side, while the Wave needs a Gotham loss plus a win over No. 14 Bay FC.

• “We just try to focus on ourselves and what is in our control, and this is just winning on the weekend,” said San Diego midfielder Gia Corley. “And then we'll see what happens after.” (See full report)

High stakes: Three teams are targeting one last playoff spot, as No. 8 Seattle, No. 9 North Carolina, and No. 10 Denver aim to keep their postseason hopes alive.

• Seattle punches its ticket with a win over No. 11 Orlando, while North Carolina and Denver face each other with a trip to the playoffs on the line.

• No. 3 Washington is competing for a home playoff berth, as the Spirit looks to regroup after midfielder Hal Hershfelt’s season-ending ACL tear. (See full schedule)

Tune in: All eight Decision Day matches kick off on Sunday at 5 PM ET (ESPN).

WNBA drops draft lottery details

The 2027 WNBA Draft is loading, as the league announced its November 15th lottery will air live on ESPN — with last season’s losers hunting a fresh start.

• Fresh off yesterday’s logo leak, relocating Connecticut gives the revived Houston Comets the highest odds, tied with Toronto at 32.9%.

• Washington holds the next best odds at 16.1% — acquired from Chicago by trade — followed by Seattle (9.3%) and Portland (5.2%).

• LA comes in last, with two shots sitting at 2.4% and 1.2% by way of Phoenix. (See full odds)

How it works: The lottery is determined by an established team’s cumulative two-season record or an expansion side’s single-season win percentage.

• Every team hopes to hear its name called early on draft night, with top college talent like USC’s JuJu Watkins, Texas’s Madison Booker, and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo all presumably up for grabs. (See full format)

U-17 USWNT shocks Spain in World Cup knockouts

The young USWNT put on a show, ousting U-17 World Cup favorite Spain 2-1 in Thursday’s Round of 16 to mark its first win over La Rojita since 2004.

• Forward Maddie DiMaria led the charge, scoring the game-winner with her 12th World Cup goal — the most by any USWNT player at a World Cup.

• DiMaria has tallied 24 goals across 22 U-17 appearances, tying former youth star Sunshine Fontes’s career high-mark. (Watch full highlights)

Next up: The US now faces another frontrunner in two-time reigning U-17 champion North Korea, with both teams shooting for the semis alongside Ghana, Japan, Brazil, China, Nigeria, and Venezuela.

Tune in: The USWNT takes on DPR Korea on Sunday at 10 AM ET (FS1).

Canada snaps USA Hockey’s winning streak

USA Hockey could use a boost, after rival Canada downed the US 5-3 in the first of two exhibition friendlies on Wednesday — snapping a near two-year losing streak against the reigning Olympic champion.

• Armed with a refreshed roster, Canada managed to hang on to its 2-0 first-period lead despite getting outshot 26-19.

• The win marked Canada’s first victory over the US since 2025, avenging the team’s second-place finish at the 2026 Olympics. (Watch full highlights)

Budding dispute: This week’s friendly series is a tune-up for the 2026 IIHF World Championships, where both powerhouses could look a bit different on the ice.

• Neither team knows if they can wear their traditional crests next month, as they enter a standoff with the IIHF over which entity controls commercial jersey rights. (See full report)

Tune in: Canada and the US play again tonight at 7 PM ET (NHL Network).

Quote of the day

Valkyries forward Gabby Williams
shooting down a question about Thursday’s early tipoff after Golden State’s Game 6 loss.