Indiana throws down | Valks hit the court | Euros' World Cup Redux

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Indiana makes a statement

As Caitlin Clark looked on from the bench, Indiana refused to quit last night, silencing Las Vegas 80-70 to overtake the Aces at No. 6 in the WNBA standings.

• Guard Kelsey Mitchell led the team with 21 points, as the Fever secured back-to-back wins over the Aces for the first time in the team’s Las Vegas era.

• “It started out with our defense,” Indiana forward Natasha Howard said after the game. “We don’t rely on our offense a lot… When our defense is going, our offense is going.”

Big picture: The rest of Thursday’s slate saw standout performances give way to blowout victories, with Seattle and LA both earning results.

• Sparks guard Kelsey Plum tied LA-turned-Seattle star Nneka Ogwumike for most 30-point games in franchise history in the 101-86 win over Connecticut, hitting the milestone in just 24 matchups.

• 19-year-old Seattle rookie Dominique Malonga also made waves, becoming the youngest-ever WNBA player to record a double-double in the Storm’s 95-57 drubbing of Chicago.

Bottom line: While some teams heat up, others are left in the cold as the race to postseason contention grows fiercer by the day.

Valkyries make their case

Golden State returns to the court tonight, as the 2025 upstart resumes their quest to become the first WNBA expansion side to make the playoffs in their debut season.

• Entering the All-Star break on a three-game losing skid, the No. 9 Valkyries will shoot to regain momentum this weekend against No. 12 Dallas and No. 13 Connecticut.

What to watch: The weekend features tight clashes across the WNBA standings, with serious positioning implications on the line.

• No. 3 Phoenix vs. No. 2 New York: Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Both the Mercury and Liberty are getting healthy, as Phoenix aims to curb a two-game losing streak against surging New York.

• No. 12 Dallas vs. No. 9 Golden State: Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): It’s a youth-fueled battle as the quick-start Valkyries attempt to get back in the win column against young and hungry Dallas.

• No. 4 Seattle vs. No. 8 Washington, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (League Pass): The up-and-down Mystics look to prove they can hang with the heavy-hitters as they take on perennial playoff contenders Seattle.

• No. 5 Atlanta vs. No. 1 Minnesota, Sunday at 7 PM ET (NBA TV): After a turbulent July, Atlanta tests their resilience against first-place Minnesota.

Euros Final mirrors 2023 World Cup finale

Sunday’s UEFA Women's Euro Final will look familiar, as Spain and England turn the 2025 European Championship into a redux of the 2023 World Cup title match.

• “I feel like the hard work has paid off,” Spain manager Montse Tomé said after the reigning World Cup champions’ semifinal win over Germany.

• “I can’t believe what happened — the togetherness of this group is so special,” said England star Chloe Kelly following the 2022 Euro champions’ own semifinal thriller against Italy.

Big picture: While Spain claimed 2023’s higher-profile win, the underdog Lionesses have seen recent results in the two nations’ head-to-head history.

• England and Spain split their two post-World Cup matchups, taking one apiece with the Lionesses winning 1-0 February while La Roja fired back 2-1 last month.

• “[The Euros are] something we have never won and is something we are missing,” said Spain and Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey. “We respect England, but we will go for it.”

Watch more: Gear up for the Euros finale with the latest episode of The Late Sub.

Tune in: The UEFA Women's Euro Final kicks off on Sunday at 12 PM ET, live on FOX.

Clark trading card smashes records

Caitlin Clark is smashing records from the sidelines, as a signed, one-of-one trading card depicting the Indiana Fever superstar sold for $660,000 on Thursday — becoming the most expensive women’s sports card of all time.

• Entering bidding at $336,000, 26 collectors put in for the 2024 Panini Flawless WNBA Platinum Rookie Logowoman Patch card at last night’s Fanatics Collect July Premier Auction.

• Signed alongside the note “769 points and counting” — Clark’s rookie season scoring total — the sale far exceeded the previous high of $366,000 paid for the former No. 1 draft pick’s 2024 Panini Prizm card last March.

Big business: As both the WNBA and sports memorabilia surge in popularity, 10 of Clark’s official cards have now passed the $100,000 mark at auction.

• 14 of those cards have sold for more than Clark’s $78,066 second-year WNBA salary, with the most recent record-breaking bid outpacing the entirety of her four-year $338,056 contract with Indiana.

• In 2023, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu’s 2020 Panini Prizm WNBA Black Gold card went for a then-record $10,800, showcasing a massive leap in market value.

Euros make an impact

With just one match remaining, this year’s UEFA Women's Euro is already the most-attended in tournament history, passing the 600,000-fan mark during this week’s semifinal round.

• Exceeding event organizers’ predictions, Switzerland’s iteration is on track to becoming the first Women’s Euro to average 20,000+ fans per match.

Big screens: TV viewership across the world has also boomed, with live coverage reaching new highs both in Europe and abroad.

• A peak of 10.2 million UK viewers tuned into the Lionesses’ semifinal win on Tuesday, delivering broadcaster ITV their largest audience of 2025.

• Ratings are also climbing in the US, with Germany’s quarterfinal win over France averaging 925,000 viewers while broadcaster Fox Sports expects Sunday’s England vs. Spain finale to produce an even stronger turnout.

AUSL enters the postseason

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) enters its inaugural postseason tomorrow, with the Talons and Bandits set to battle it out to determine the new four-team pro league’s first-ever champion.

• The Championship Series will run as a best-of-three competition between the season’s top two finishers, with the Talons coming in as favorites after emerging with a league-best 18-6 record — plus five players tapped for end-of-season honors.

• Despite leading the AUSL in batting average, runs scored, home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and RBIs, the offense-heavy Bandits came in second on a 15-9 record after a slow start.

Anyone’s game: “They’ve been a thorn in our side a little bit,” Talons head coach Howard Dobson said, after the Bandits outscored the Talons 45-31 through eight regular-season matchups.

Tune in: The AUSL Championship Series starts Saturday at 3 PM ET, live on ESPN.

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