Can the Lynx pick up a playoffs win on the road?

Cancun camp 3, 2, 1…

Can Minnesota overcome their first big playoff test?

The No. 1 Lynx land in Phoenix tonight, looking to secure a crucial Game 3 win against the No. 4 Mercury after tying up the best-of-five semifinal series back home.

• “Our response to [Phoenix] was a little bit uncharacteristic,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said after the Lynx blew a 20-point lead to cede Game 2. “We needed to go get buckets, and we had good opportunities. We weren't strong enough, we weren't tough enough.”

• "Nobody said this stuff was gonna be easy," she added.

At a crossroads: Coming off just their third home loss all year, Minnesota’s backs are now against the wall, forced to either take two games from the Mercury on their home court or shoot for a decisive Game 5 back in Minneapolis.

• The Lynx went 14-8 on the road this year, mirroring Phoenix’s 15-7 home record — plus a first-round home win that sent New York packing — with Minnesota now looking to avoid the turnovers that led to Tuesday’s downfall.

• “It’s frustrating, but it’s a series,” said Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier. “So we need to go to Phoenix and take care of business.”

Tune in: Phoenix hosts the Lynx for Game 3 tonight at 9:30 PM ET (ESPN2), followed by Game 4 on Sunday at 8 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Injured Indiana bets on home court advantage in Game 3

No. 6 Indiana is banking on home court advantage, as the underdogs tip off their own Game 3 against No. 2 Las Vegas tonight — with the short-staffed Fever looking to avenge the Game 2 loss that saw the Aces pull the semifinal series level 1-1.

• “We’re excited,” Fever guard Lexie Hull said ahead of tonight’s clash. “Just to be able to have two more [home games] for our fans that have been there with us all season, really excited for that, and we definitely do feed off of their energy.”

Big picture: Indiana will need the crowd to be their metaphorical sixth man this weekend, as they continue to navigate a hefty injury list and up-and-down record.

• Hull remains questionable with a lingering back issue, playing through discomfort in light of Indiana’s roster constraints.

• “I’m feeling sore still, but I think just a lot of treatment, trying to get our bodies as ready as we can be,” she said. “I think for everyone, is it’s the end of the season, everyone’s a little fatigued and a little sore.”

Tune in: The Fever host Las Vegas for Game 3 tonight at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN2), followed by Game 4 on Sunday at 3 PM ET, live on ABC.

No. 2 Washington fights to stay atop the NWSL table

While No. 1 Kansas City has officially run away with the NWSL Shield, the race for top playoff seeding rages on down below, as No. 2 Washington fights to hold their ground against unpredictable No. 9 Houston this Sunday.

• Bolstered by star Trinity Rodman’s return from injury, the Spirit enters the weekend on a nine-game unbeaten streak, going up against a motivated Dash side sitting just two points outside of postseason contention.

• “Every game we just need to be a lot more clinical in the final third,” Rodman said after last weekend’s 2-2 draw with No. 11 Angel City. “We’re doing all the hard stuff and then it’s [lacking] quality at the end.”

Big picture: Washington isn’t without top-table challengers, with No. 3 Gotham riding a five-game unbeaten streak into tonight’s matchup with No. 4 Portland.

• “At this stage, almost everyone still has a real chance to make the playoffs, which is great for the league,” said Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amoros after last week’s 1-1 draw with Bay FC. “But it also means nothing can be taken for granted.”

Tune in: Gotham faces Portland tonight at 8 PM ET (NWSL+), before the Spirit battles Houston on Sunday at 1 PM ET, live on Paramount+.

Your favorite WNBA show is back, as an all new episode of JWS digital series Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie presented by State Street brings another helping of unfiltered commentary, insider perspective, and cultural critique to basketball fans everywhere.

• In this week’s Between the Lines, sports broadcaster and former Stanford and Nigerian national team star Ros Gold-Onwude joined Leslie to hash out some of the league’s biggest storylines.

• Dropping this week, the episode takes a deep dive into the action-packed first round of the WNBA playoffs, analyzing who’s in, who’s out, and how this year’s postseason is shaping up to be the best one yet.

Tune in: Catch Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie on YouTube.

Rugby World Cup comes down to England vs. Canada

The 2025 Rugby World Cup culminates on Saturday, as host nation England battles Canada for a shot at their first Women’s Rugby World Cup title in more than a decade.

• The top-ranked Red Roses will look to avenge their narrow 2022 World Cup loss to New Zealand, squaring off against No. 2 Canada in front of an sold-out crowd inside London’s Twickenham Stadium — with another women’s rugby attendance record on the line.

• “You feed off of that energy, especially knowing what this game is going to be,” England defense coach Sarah Hunter said. “It’s a cliche but [the crowd] almost becomes the 16th person in those moments where you need them.”

Tune in: The Women’s Rugby World Cup Final kicks off at 11 AM ET on Saturday, live on Paramount+.

Liverpool scores emotional win in Matt Beard tribute

Liverpool earned an emotional 5-0 League Cup win over Sunderland on Wednesday, dedicating the shutout victory to former manager Matt Beard after the 47-year-old’s sudden passing last weekend.

• “A really emotional night and an emotional few days for everyone involved,” Liverpool’s Jenna Clark said afterwards. “We have pulled through together as a team the best we could and you saw that on the pitch tonight.”

• Beard won back-to-back WSL titles with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014, departing the Reds in 2015 for a two-year stint with the NWSL’s Boston Breakers before making his return to England.

Up next: Liverpool continue their WSL campaign against Manchester United on Sunday at 7 AM ET, live on ESPN.

Wisconsin volleyball sees soaring attendance

Wisconsin’s volleyball is off to the races, averaging 8,620 fans per match this season to become this NCAA’s best-attended program — while narrowly beating rival Nebraska’s 8,602 average.

• No other college volleyball team has surpassed 6,000 fans per match this year, with the Badgers poised to break their record 7,761 average set in 2022.

• “We’re really, really excited; we’re going to exceed $2 million in volleyball ticket sales for the first time ever,” Wisconsin deputy athletic director Mitchell Pinta told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Get in on it: Wisconsin hosts Rutgers tonight at 8 PM ET, streaming on B1G+.

Quote of the day

WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers
congratulating former UConn teammate Nika Muhl on her return from injury.