How did a photo from the Tokyo Olympics spark the biggest mystery in women’s soccer? Let’s review the evidence.

Mercury faces Fever after Monday fireworks

Indiana and Phoenix are prepping for a rematch, taking the court again tonight after Monday’s 86-77 Fever win sparked some headline-making tussles.

• The fourth-quarter fireworks resulted in six technical fouls, ejecting Indiana’s Myisha Hines-Allen after she earned her second of the night while handing Caitlin Clark her fifth tech this season.

• “We should all just go on the calendar now and pick a game that I’m gonna be suspended for if I’m gonna get technicals for clapping,” a disgruntled Clark said afterwards. (Watch full highlights)

Eyes on the prize: Heightened emotions are expected, as the No. 12 Mercury fights to right the ship on a 3-7 stretch while the No. 6 Fever shoots to maintain momentum.

• Indiana will aim for a faster start, scoring just six first-quarter points on Monday — tied for a 10-year franchise-low — before Phoenix allowed a 13-point comeback.

• “We’ve got a competitive group, a veteran group,” said Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts. “They’ve been around us for a long time. They’re not afraid of the smoke.” (See full standings)

Tune in: Phoenix faces Indiana tonight at 7:30 PM ET, live on USA.

Liberty downs Aces in Cup final preview

New York came out on top last night, as the No. 4 Liberty downed the No. 3 Aces 87-76 in a sneak peek of next week’s WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final.

• New York’s Sabrina Ionescu registered a season-best 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists as she continues her return from injury.

• “I’m just better and better every day,” she said postgame. “My body’s feeling better, getting back into the rhythm of playing competitive basketball.” (Watch full highlights)

Taking stock: The Liberty is now a half-game behind Las Vegas in the WNBA standings, relying on depth and superstar power to shake off two tight losses.

• Two-time MVP Breanna Stewart and four-time MVP A’ja Wilson squared off in the matchup, as Stewart edged her frontcourt counterpart with 20 points and six rebounds to Wilson’s 16 points and nine rebounds.

• “We’ve kind of been going back and forth and going at it for years now,” Stewart said of Wilson. “Anytime we do it, we know it’s a big moment.” (See full standings)

Up next: Both teams return tomorrow at 10 PM ET, as the Aces face the Wings (NBA TV) while New York takes on Seattle (WNBA League Pass).

Mystics look to run it back against the Lynx

No. 8 Washington is starting to see results, taking on No. 1 Minnesota on a three-game winning streak that includes upset victories over No. 4 New York and tonight’s top-ranked opponent.

• Second-year Mystics guard Sonia Citron continues to impress, fueling Sunday’s 84-79 win over the Lynx with 21 points — enough to offset Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles’s own 22-point performance.

• “I think it takes time to get to where you want to go,” said Washington forward Kiki Iriafen. “And that’s something that our coaches have stressed to us.” (Watch full highlights)

Marching on: The Lynx hunt revenge tonight, dropping just their third game this season to the eager young Mystics — with a few lessons learned along the way.

• “I want it to be hard, and I want us to fail,” said Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve. “Because when you have good times, maybe you don’t really know who you actually are.”

• “You take those moments and you appreciate them, but definitely it’s frustrating to not get the result you want,” said Miles. (See full report)

Tune in: Washington takes on Minnesota tonight at 7:30 PM ET, live on League Pass.

Our annual Pride Collection has arrived, featuring limited-edition apparel inspired by the community that powers women’s sports.

Shop the JWS Pride Collection now before your favorites sell out.

Buy now: Browse the 2026 JWS Pride Collection and stock up on the JWS Shop.

NCAA votes to scale back eligibility

The NCAA is laying down the law, after the DI Cabinet unanimously voted to approve a limited-term, age-based eligibility model on Tuesday.

• Student-athletes will have five years of eligibility over five seasons, beginning either with full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday — whichever comes sooner.

• “While previous NCAA rules have served college sports well for a long time, we heard also loud and clear from NCAA members and student-athletes that eligibility rules should be easier to understand,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said. (See full statement)

How it works: The new rules will eliminate red-shirt exemptions and individual eligibility waivers, helping simplify the college recruiting process.

• The new model won’t apply to athletes who completed their fourth year of eligibility this spring, while schools were given flexibility over other students already competing at the NCAA level. (See full report)

Women’s PGA Championship sets record purse

The Women’s PGA Championship upped the stakes, raising its total purse to $13 million to become the highest-paying LPGA major ahead of this week’s tournament.

• Marking its ninth consecutive increase, the PGA Championship reclaimed the crown by narrowly eclipsing the 2026 US Open’s $12.5 million.

• “Working with the PGA of America and the LPGA Tour, we’re combining a record purse with technology that gives players better, real-time insight into their performance, along with broader, more dynamic coverage for fans,” said KPMG US Chair Tim Walsh. (See full statement)

Setting the field: Competition tees off tomorrow, as world No. 1 Nelly Korda strives to become just the second women’s golfer to start the season with three straight major wins.

• Almost all of the LPGA Points List’s Top 100 will descend on Hazeltine National this week, including reigning champion Minjee Lee. (See full field)

Number of the day 

20

With 37 points in Monday’s loss to Dallas, Seattle’s 20-year-old Dominique Malonga became the youngest-ever WNBA player to drop 30+ points in one game.