Gotham’s 1-0 win over San Diego on Friday had a certain cinematic flair…

Indiana wins chippy clash in Chicago

No. 4 Indiana got the W on Saturday, defeating No. 11 Chicago 90-86 in a chippy matchup that spanned multiple technical fouls and one high-profile ejection.

• Recently returned Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was called for a Flagrant 2 foul on Sophie Cunningham in the second quarter, forcing Carrington’s exit after a quick eight-point run.

• “It was a hard foul,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said. “I don’t think that DiJonai intentionally came out to get [Cunningham] across the neck like she did. But it did happen and I thought it was the right call.” (Watch full highlights)

Tough calls: Indiana relied on stellar guard duo Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell to put the game away, as the 2026 All-Stars combined for 53 of Indiana’s 90 points.

• In the process, Clark received her eighth technical foul of the season for incidental contact with an official — meant to trigger a one-game suspension — but the foul was later rescinded.

• White was also issued a tech, after the Fever boss attempted to argue Clark’s case. “My tech was for saying that's bulls---, even though I heard the F-bomb the whole f---ing game,” she said afterwards. (See full report)

Up next: Indiana returns Tuesday, hosting No. 7 New York at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN).

Shorthanded Aces drop two back-to-back

No. 3 Las Vegas struggled over the weekend, falling to No. 1 Minnesota 98-87 on Saturday before opting to rest its starters in Sunday’s 111-71 loss to No. 7 New York.

• The Aces sat veterans Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and A’ja Wilson against the Liberty in an attempt to give the stars some rest, as New York went on to limit Las Vegas’s starting lineup to just 19 points.

• “The health and safety of players comes first,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “Wherever we end up, we end up, and we’ll play whatever hand is dealt.” (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: With next month’s 2026 FIBA World Cup looming, load management has become a hot topic as teams gear up for October’s postseason.

• League-leaders like No. 2 Golden State are putting national team players on minutes restrictions, while other teams lean on their biggest names as they jockey for playoff positioning.

• “You want people that pay for the tickets to be able to see you play,” said New York center Jonquel Jones. “But you also want to be smart and make sure you’re resting your body, and not putting yourself in a position where you can get injured.” (See full standings)

Up next: The Aces will look to bounce back against surging No. 5 Washington tomorrow at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass).

Denver earns key upset over Utah

No. 10 Denver isn’t giving up the fight, rising to just one point below the playoff line with 12 games to go after Saturday’s 2-1 win over No. 3 Utah.

• Summit forward Yazmeen Ryan opened the scoring early in the second half, before a stoppage-time free kick from Janine Solis bested Royals defender Tatumn Milazzo’s late equalizer.

• “I was in tears,” Denver forward Ally Brazier said of Solis’s game-winner. “It just shows how much we care.” (Watch full highlights)

Around the horn: The Summit’s push underlines another stacked NWSL slate, as No. 6 North Carolina upset No. 2 Washington in a 4-3 goal-fest before No. 5 Portland hit the same 4-3 scoreline in Sunday’s victory over No. 12 Boston.

• Friday’s 1-0 win over No. 4 San Diego saw No. 1 Gotham leap four points over the Spirit, as ex-Wave star Jaedyn Shaw played hero for the Bats.

• “That's part of our DNA,” Shaw said afterward. “To be physical, to be able to grind out games, and to be able to set the tone early.” (See full clip)

Malawi punches WWC ticket in WAFCON twist

Four more teams are headed to Brazil, as this weekend’s WAFCON quarterfinal winners punched their 2027 World Cup tickets — led by a tournament underdog.

• World No. 153 Malawi qualified for its first World Cup with Sunday’s 2-1 win over Ghana, spurred by a goal and assist from two-time NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga.

• Algeria also claimed a first-ever World Cup berth, with the two WWC debutantes now join past participants Cameroon and Morocco in the WAFCON semis. (Watch full highlights)

How it works: WAFCON will officially crown a first-time champion, as former winners Nigeria and South Africa drop to the losers bracket in a fight to reach Brazil via FIFA’s inter-confederation playoffs.

• Should the Super Falcons fall, Nigeria will break a 35-year World Cup streak, having participated in every tournament since its 1991 inception. (See full rules)

Tune in: The WAFCON semifinals kick off Wednesday at 1 PM ET (CAF TV).

Demi Vollering wins 2nd Tour de France title

Demi Vollering has pulled ahead, as the cyclist won her second Tour de France Femmes title after holding off Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in Sunday’s final ascent.

• Niewiadoma-Phinney and Vollering ran as a pair for much of the race’s final day, before the Dutch star made a late solo run with 16 kilometers remaining — securing the overall yellow jersey in front of a roaring crowd by a margin of one minute and 18 seconds.

• “I really would like to thank everyone who is here to support us,” Vollering said. “It’s amazing we can have such a great fanbase, to inspire the next generation.” (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: Vollering became the first cyclist in the modern era to win multiple Tour de France Femmes, after taking three out of nine stages in 2026.

• “It’s not only the dream to win in yellow here, to win a second Tour de France, but it’s the dream to live this life, to work hard together with people with a lot of passion,” she added.

Number of the day 

10

Lynx star Kayla McBride made history on Sunday, draining 10 3-pointers to lift Minnesota over Dallas — and set a new single-game WNBA record.