Las Vegas Aces rise to No. 2 after 12 straight wins

Loose lips sink chips.

Aces shoot to No. 2 with 12th straight win

Las Vegas is silencing the competition, shooting to No. 2 in the WNBA standings on Wednesday after taking down now-No. 3 Atlanta 81-75 behind 2024 MVP A’ja Wilson’s 34 points.

• The Aces have now won 12 straight games, rising from No. 8 to No. 2 as Wilson sits Top 5 league-wide in points, rebounds, and blocks per game.

• “Don't call me Curry,” Wilson joked after tying her season-high two made-threes in the matchup. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: Las Vegas’s unbeaten streak dates back to August 2nd’s 53-point blowout loss to No. 1 Minnesota, with last night’s statement win over a fellow postseason favorite cementing the 2023 WNBA champions’ newfound effectiveness.

• “This is our eighth game in 15 days. I was very concerned with our legs coming into this game,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “When you talk about gears and that ability to kick it up an extra notch, we really have been able to do that on the defensive end — and it’s winning us games.”

• While Las Vegas already clinched a playoff berth, the path ahead won’t be easy, as they look to avenge their 0-3 head-to-head record against the Lynx with one regular-season meeting to go.

Up next: Atlanta will have a chance to bounce back tomorrow against No. 13 Dallas, while the Aces get some rest before September 4th’s top-table clash with Minnesota.

Heated battles headline US Open action

The US Open is putting the WTA’s best to the test, with a few top-ranked players pushed to three-set epics in the annual Grand Slam’s first round.

• World No. 6 Madison Keys suffered the first major upset of the tournament on Monday, falling to unseeded Renata Zarazúa 6-7 (10), 7-6 (3), 7-5 over three hours and 10 minutes of play.

• No. 3 Coco Gauff also found herself in a three-set battle, narrowly defeating Ajla Tomljanović 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5 in her own three-hour endurance trial.

• “This is the match that I needed,” Gauff said afterwards. “I don’t think it can get any more stressful than this.” (Watch highlights)

Chalking it up: Other top talents have seen smoother rides, with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Świątek, and No. 4 Jessica Pegula all dispatching opponents with relative ease.

• Fan favorite No. 24 Naomi Osaka also cruised through her first-round matchup against Greet Minnen, downing the Belgian in straight sets to meet US star Hailey Baptiste in today’s second-round.

Parting remarks: US contender Taylor Townsend served Latvia’s No. 26 Jeļena Ostapenko a 7-5, 6-1 upset on Wednesday, with the pair’s heated postmatch exchange causing a stir.

• “She told me I have no class and no education and to see what happens when we get outside the US,” Townsend relayed in her on-court interview.

Stay tuned: The US Open’s second round continues today, live on ESPN.

Travis Kelce’s AE collection spotlights NIL stars

UConn star Azzi Fudd, Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, and other college talents struck a pose this week, teaming up with Kansas City Chiefs tight end — and freshly minted fiancé — Travis Kelce to launch his new American Eagle collection.

• The Tru Kolors campaign highlights NCAA athletes, with Fudd and Lee joined by UNC tennis commit Anna Frey plus three men’s sports standouts.

• “I’m inspired by where I come from and the people around me. That’s why we chose six incredible athletes — Anna, Azzi, Drew, Kiyan, Suni, and Jeremiah — who stay true to themselves while changing the game,” Kelce said in Wednesday’s press release.

• “Each athlete shares Travis’s beliefs of staying true and living life beyond boundaries,” the statement continues, describing Fudd as one of “college basketball’s most resilient and dynamic players.”

Big picture: College phenoms like Fudd and Lee have been able to funnel their athletic success into increasingly high-profile NIL deals, from sneaker endorsements to celebrity-fueled fashion campaigns.

• Fudd has had a particularly lucrative year off the court, with this latest venture closely following a collab with Meta earlier this month. (Read more)

Get yours: The initial 90-piece True Kolors run hits shelves this week before a second release drops September 24th, both available at American Eagle.

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NWSL changes policy after KC heat delay rift

The NWSL quietly updated its heat delay policy this week, after extreme temperatures paused an August 16th match between the Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride — and controversy ensued.

• According to The Guardian, the league’s rulebook now omits a previously instated clause allowing on-site staff to stop a match if temperatures fall within one degree of 92.3°F, the official delay threshold.

• In response, the NWSL Players Association said they had not approved nor been made aware of the alteration.

• The game in question was subject to multiple delays, with NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman reportedly threatening to fine the Current after they missed their national CBS broadcast slot. (Read more)

Big picture: Player safety concerns lie at the heart of the dispute, just the latest in a series of NWSL protocol issues dating to the handling of Angel City defender Savy King's mid-match medical event earlier this season.

• “It was too hot to play… and there’s a lot of confusion and lack of communication as well on what the next steps were,” Orlando head coach Sebastian Hines said after the 0-0 draw in Kansas City. “It’s brutal, three o’clock, sun’s beaming. We have to have the best interest for everyone who’s involved here at the stadium.”

NWSL makes moves as transfer window shuts

As another NWSL transfer window shutters, big-name trades, transfers, and loans are reshaping rosters ahead of the regular-season’s home stretch.

• Recently acquired Angel City duo Alanna Kennedy and Katie Zelem are headed to the UK, joining billionaire multi-team owner Michele Kang’s newly promoted London City Lionesses for undisclosed transfer fees.

• Racing Louisville also got in on the action, picking up versatile Washington Spirit defender Makenna Morris for $115,000 in allocation funds.

Big picture: While the window may have closed, intra-league trades and loans are allowed until October’s roster freeze, while teams can sign upcoming free agents anytime before the end of the 2025 regular season.

• Many top talents remained unattached for 2026, including Spirit star Trinity Rodman, Chicago keeper Alyssa Naeher, and Gotham forward Midge Purce.

Quote of the day

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley
discussing her NBA coaching prospects on Post Moves with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston.