Denver chases playoff dreams against Bay FC

FIBA World Cup star Paige Bueckers couldn’t leave Berlin without sampling a glizzy.

Denver chases playoff dreams against Bay FC

No. 10 Denver is fighting for the postseason, hosting No. 15 Bay FC tonight in pursuit of a win that would pull the Summit within one spot of playoff contention.

• The 2026 expansion side enters on a three-match unbeaten run, scoring 12 goals across that span — a third of its season total — including a 3-3 draw with No. 9 Angel City featuring star Lindsey Heaps’s first goal since re-joining the NWSL in July.

• “I was brought here to be in the attack and create chances,” Heaps said. “Hopefully more to come.” (Watch full highlights)

Scouting report: Bay FC has lost seven of its last nine matches, riding a three-game losing streak into Centennial Stadium after falling to No. 8 Seattle 2-0.

• USWNT prospect Jordan Silkowitz looms as the visitors’ best hope, with the keeper ranking second in the league in save percentage (76.7%) and average goals prevented (10.3).

• The team could also see a front-office boost this week, as Bay reportedly nears a deal to bring on decorated former Chelsea GM Paul Green as its new head of football. (See full report)

Tune in: Bay FC takes on Denver tonight at 9:30 PM ET (NWSL+).

SF & LA battle for 1st WPBL crown

The WPBL will soon crown its first champion, as No. 1 San Francisco meets No. 3 LA in Game 1 of the league’s inaugural best-of-five finals tonight.

• The Firebells pulled off a semifinal sweep of No. 4 Boston behind co-home run leader Kelsie Whitmore’s 2.80 playoff ERA and Skylar Kaplan’s five RBIs. 

• The Queens survived a nervier path, edging No. 2 New York 15-11 in Monday’s Game 3 decider thanks to Ayuri Shimano’s league-first postseason grand slam.

Scouting report: San Francisco finished the regular season first in runs, hits, home runs, and team batting average, leaning on a deep lineup fueled by Whitmore, Kaplan, and doubles co-leader Jill Albayati.

• Japanese ace Ayami Sato looms as LA’s X-factor after closing out the semifinal clincher, though the Firebells took the regular-season series 3-2. 

• There’s more than a title on the line, with the winning team also taking home custom Baron Championship Rings commemorating the WPBL’s landmark debut season. (See full stats)

Tune in: The WPBL championship series kicks off tonight at 7 PM ET (ESPN+).

Sydney Sweeney ad incites athlete backlash

A viral ad has the sports world fuming, as betting site Novig draws backlash from athletes accusing the company and star Sydney Sweeney of sexualizing women’s sports.

• Saying she was “infuriated,” Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus called the campaign “a kick in the face,” while pro surfer Felicity Palmateer told CNN it set women’s sports back “in the space of a 42-second commercial.”

• The criticism quickly snowballed, as everyone from British sprinter Amy Hunt to former gymnast Gracie Kramer flooded social media with training edits captioned “this is what a woman in sport looks like.” (Watch full ad)

Firing back: Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky defended the ad as it topped 47 million views on Instagram, dwarfing the prediction market’s usual reach as it strives to rival Kalshi and Polymarket.

• “We never intended to portray female sports,” he told Front Office Sports. “Sydney is an actress, the biggest movie star in the world. We’re a prediction market focused on sports. That is the story.” (Watch full clip)

Louisville’s Savannah DeMelo sues team doctors

Racing’s Savannah DeMelo is taking action, filing a lawsuit against the NWSL team’s medical partner University of Louisville Health over its handling of the heart condition that led to her 2025 collapse.

• The 28-year-old went down during an ultimately abandoned September 14th match in Seattle, going into cardiac arrest due to a later-revealed undiagnosed arrhythmia as medics rushed to her side.

• The lawsuit lists Racing’s chief medical officer as a defendant, though a source familiar with the case told USA Today the team is not expected to retain UofL Health next season. (See full report)

Big picture: Once a key USWNT prospect, DeMelo hasn’t played for club or country since last fall. 

• “I respect and appreciate the privacy everyone has met me with,” she wrote, thanking her doctors at UW and the Mayo Clinic. “I’ll never be able to fully put into words how emotionally hard this year has been.” (See full post)

WNBPA blasts NBA over betting memo snub

The WNBPA isn’t holding back, as Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson blasted the NBA for excluding the WNBA from a joint memo on betting-related harassment.

• Backed by their unions, the NBA joined the NFL, NHL, MLS, and MLB in urging state regulators to address escalating threats of violence from bettors — without including any women’s leagues.

• Jackson told Front Office Sports the omission was “deeply disappointing,” pointing to the “very public and troubling incidents of betting-related harassment experienced by our members.” (See full statement)

Context: WNBA and union officials met in July to discuss an increase in abusive messages aimed at players, resulting in added security measures.

• The NBA owns 42% of its women’s counterpart, with outgoing leader Cathy Engelbert reporting directly to NBA boss Adam Silver. (See full report)

Quote of the day

USWNT legend Kelley O’Hara
on the KC Current’s decision to part ways with Sporting Director Vlatko Andonovski.