Kelsey Plum & Kahleah Copper rocket into the history books

Men’s World Cup? More like USWNT reunion.

Kelsey Plum & Kahleah Copper make WNBA history

WNBA fans witnessed a shooter’s duel this weekend, as LA’s Kelsey Plum and Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper became the first-ever opponents to put up 40+ points each in Saturday’s 111-102 Sparks win.

• Copper registered 41 points and 10 rebounds while Plum finished with 43 points and seven assists, powering a tight contest that went to overtime.

• “That was an offensive display,” said LA head coach Lynne Roberts. “When they both have it going like that, it’s impressive and fun to watch.” (Watch full highlights)

Stat lines: Plum’s night tied the Sparks’ single-game scoring record, while Copper became the first player in Mercury history to notch a 40-point double-double.

• Copper joined legend Diana Taurasi as Phoenix’s only two players to score 40+ points in a single game — while also becoming just the second WNBA player to drop 40 points in a loss.

• “Kah needed one of these nights,” said Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts, as Phoenix fell to 4-11. “It’s been a tough start to the year and she puts a lot of pressure on herself, all veterans do. But she let it rip tonight.” (See full standings)

Up next: LA returns tonight, facing Golden State at 10 PM ET (Peacock), while Phoenix gears up to host Las Vegas on Wednesday at 10 PM ET (USA).

Liberty clinches Commissioner’s Cup final

New York punched its Commissioner’s Cup ticket, clinching the Eastern Conference berth on a 5-0 record with one more game to play.

• The Liberty booked its third mid-season tournament final with Sunday’s 86-64 win over Washington, earning a seventh straight win behind Jonquel Jones’s 20 points.

• “It’s a pretty high number of teams that go to the Commissioner’s Cup championship that play in the [WNBA] finals,” Jones said. (Watch full highlights)

Stocking up: New York also celebrated Sabrina Ionescu’s long-awaited return, featuring in just her second game of the season after struggling with injury.

• Ionescu put up five points in 26 minutes, while 2026 signing Satou Sabally added seven points in 19 minutes as she manages her own injury recovery.

• “We’re feeling a little bit more complete as far as having our whole roster today,” said forward Breanna Stewart. “Now we’re starting to build.” (See full report)

Up next: New York is back on Wednesday, taking on Chicago at 8 PM ET (USA).

Aces aim for Commissioner’s Cup final

Las Vegas is taking aim at the Commissioners Cup, after the No. 1 Aces snapped No. 2 Minnesota’s winning streak in Saturday’s 100-97 top-table victory.

• A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray combined for 47 points, powering Las Vegas past the Lynx despite rookie Olivia Miles’s own 29 points.

• “These are two really good teams just going blow for blow,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: While both teams now sit at 10-3 on the season, the win pushed Las Vegas to the top of the Western Conference standings on a 5-0 Cup record.

• The Aces can further shut the door with a win tonight against Dallas, after Saturday’s 84-83 loss to Portland sent the Wings to 3-2 in tournament play.

• “It’s kind of like a midseason measuring stick,” Gray said of the annual contest. “It’s always good to play for charity and a bigger purpose, and you know everybody likes money, right? If we can get a couple more wins, we put ourselves in a pretty good position to do that.” (See full standings)

Tune in: Las Vegas takes on Dallas tonight at 8 PM ET, live on USA.

NiJaree Canady signs AUSL contract, ends holdout

NCAA softball star NiJaree Canady has gone pro, officially signing with the Texas Volts after a contract holdout briefly stalled her AUSL debut.

• After going No. 2 to the Volts in the 2026 AUSL Draft, Canady missed Texas’s opening seres against the Spark as she worked to finalize a deal.

• Canady reportedly took home $1 million per year in NIL money during her final two seasons at Texas Tech, in addition to off-field endorsements. (See full report)

Tough start: Canady’s debut wasn’t the smoothest, as the rookie ace gave up six runs in Sunday’s 9-1 loss to Carolina.

• No. 1 pick Karlyn Pickens earned the win for the Blaze, recording her second complete game in a row while allowing just one run on three hits. (See full recap)

Georgia wins 2nd straight NCAA Track & Field title

Georgia Track & Field is back on top, scoring 50 points at this weekend’s outdoor championship to outpace runner-up Florida and claim a second straight title.

• Freshman sprinter Adaejah Hodge set two NCAA records in the win, first in the 200-meter dash before breaking Olympian Sha’Carri Richardson’s college time in the 100-meter semifinal.

• Senior Dejanea Oakley also made the history books, setting a new NCAA record with her 400-meter victory. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: The victory marked coach Caryl Smith-Gilbert’s fourth outdoor title, after also leading the Bulldogs to victory at March’s indoor championship.

• “I didn't like getting red ribbons. I only wanted blue,” Smith-Gilbert told UGA’s student newspaper. “I got just a spirit of fire all the time… I don't know any other way to do things.” (See full report)

Quote of the day

Dallas guard Paige Bueckers
on the importance of celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride with the Wings.