LA Sparks developmental signing Kate Martin has Kelsey Plum’s vote.

US faces fierce finale against Brazil

The USWNT is hunting redemption, closing out the month’s friendly series against Brazil in Fortaleza after dropping Saturday’s matchup 2-1 in São Paulo.

• More than 40,000 fans are expected to fill the 57,000-seat stadium, creating another boisterous atmosphere for a US national team still figuring out how to navigate the intensity. 

• “This is something else,” USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said after Game 1. “The way football is experienced here, the way the crowd leans in as a 12th player… is going to intensify tomorrow.” (See full clip)

Playing time: Hayes also pointed to a structural disadvantage — 21 of the USWNT’s 26 players currently play in the NWSL, with the US league fielding far fewer matches per four-year World Cup cycle compared to its overseas counterparts. 

• Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil plays about three times as many midweek games as the NWSL, while Europe’s top-flights engage in multiple in-season tournaments in addition to domestic commitments.

• “We’ve got to be tougher in a lot of things, and we’ve got to be more durable," Hayes said. “We’ve got to expose ourselves to the elements of the game.” (See full report)

Tune in: The US kicks off against Brazil tonight at 8:30 PM ET, live on TNT.

Wings seek revenge in Lynx rematch

Two Western Conference titans are colliding, as No. 4 Dallas and No. 1 Minnesota carry unbeaten Commissioner’s Cup records into tonight’s high-stakes rematch.

• The Lynx won last month’s non-tournament clash 90-86 behind Natasha Howard’s buzzer-beating 26 points, while Dallas looks to extend a four-game winning streak after Friday's 104-96 victory over LA boosted the Wings to No. 2 in the Commissioner’s Cup race.

• “Our defense in that game was maybe right before we started figuring some things out,” top 2026 draft pick Azzi Fudd said of Dallas’s May 14th loss. “Now we have a much better understanding of our defensive identity.” (See full standings)

Rookie showdown: The clash pits Fudd against record-breaking No. 2 pick Olivia Miles, after Miles out-dueled her with 15 points and six assists in their first meeting.

• “She’s a great shooter and a great passer,” Wings forward Maddy Siegrist said of Miles. “She’s going to make a lot of ‘wow’ plays, so you just try to make everything as difficult as possible.”

• Dallas will expect reinforcement from previously injured Li Yueru and Aziaha James, while veteran Odyssey Sims remains sidelined. (See full report)

Tune in: Minnesota hosts Dallas tonight at 8 PM ET, live on WNBA League Pass.

AUSL kicks off expanded season 2

Pro softball is spreading its wings, as the Athletes Unlimited Softball League opens its expanded second season with all six teams in action tonight.

• Tennessee alum and No. 1 draft pick Karlyn Pickens will likely make her pro debut for the Carolina Blaze, pitching against a rookie-heavy Portland Cascade lineup spanning UCLA’s Megan Grant, Arizona’s Sydney Stewart, Arizona State’s Kenzie Brown, and Florida’s Kenleigh Cahalan.

• Game 2 pits the Texas Volts against 2026 newcomer the Oklahoma City Spark, with formerly independent OKC adding No. 3 overall pick Maya Johnson out of Belmont. (See full schedule)

Finals rematch: The 2025 runner-up Chicago Bandits visit the Utah Talons in the evening’s headliner, after the Talons swept the Bandits to claim the inaugural title.

• Utah rookie Taylor Tinsley arrives fresh off UCLA’s deep WCWS run, while pitcher Jocelyn Erickson (Florida) could feature behind the dish for Chicago.

• “We’re big believers in building a sustainable long-term softball league,” AU CEO and co-founder Jon Patricof said after securing big-name investors and a major media deal. “More and more organizations recognize that this sport is a national phenomenon.”

Tune in: Portland squares off against Carolina today at 5 PM ET, live on CBS Sports.

Headed to Columbus for the NWSL Challenge Cup? Join Late Sub host Claire Watkins and Just Women’s Sports on Thursday, June 25th for Challenge Cup Trivia Night, presented by Ally. 

• Drinks and appetizers are on us as we take over City Tavern from 6 to 8 PM. 

• Plus — special prizes, player appearances, and a room full of soccer fans ready to show off their knowledge. 

Start the weekend off right with the one pregame you don’t want to miss.

Be there: Spots are limited — get your $10 ticket today via Eventbrite.

French Open upsets rattle WTA rankings

Roland Garros aftershocks hit the WTA rankings, as qualifier-turned-finalist Maja Chwalińska surged 93 spots to No. 21 following her fairytale French Open run.

• Just the second Open Era qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final after Emma Raducanu, the 24-year-old also became the WTA’s lowest-ranked French Open finalist since the list’s 1975 debut.

• “I know many, many great players that are ranked outside the Top 100 — it’s such a thin line now,” Chwalińska said after ceding the title to Mirra Andreeva. “I hope that my story these last days is inspiring for them.” 

Big moves: Andreeva rose from No. 8 to No. 6, while semifinalists Marta Kostyuk hit a career-high No. 12 and Diana Shnaider jumped from No. 23 to No. 16.

• US stars tumbled, as Coco Gauff dropped from No. 4 to No. 7 after her third-round upset, while Iva Jovic fell from No. 17 to No. 19, and Madison Keys plunged from No. 19 to No. 26. (See full rankings)

2026 WCWS shatters TV records

NCAA softball stole the spotlight this year, as Texas’s Game 2 WCWS Finals win drew 2.5 million viewers on ESPN — a new college softball record.

• The title-clinching game peaked at 3 million, with the all-Texas rematch outpacing last year’s Game 3 (2.4 million) and 2007’s 2.3 million high-mark.

• Texas’s Game 1 win over Texas Tech drew 1.9 million to rank third all-time for Finals openers, while the two-game span averaged 2.2 million, tying 2025’s figures for the second-most watched Championship Series in history.

Big screen: Despite falling to the back-to-back champion Longhorns, the Red Raiders drove tournament engagement, featuring in three of the top five most-watched non-Finals matches. (See full report)

Number of the day

6,000

Las Vegas forward A’ja Wilson became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 6,000 points in Monday’s 101-91 win over Seattle.