Minnesota hosts New York with playoff seeding at stake

Back in Atlanta, Angel Reese just can’t shake that gold medal mentality.

No. 1 Minnesota has eyes on the prize

No. 1 Minnesota has a point to prove, as the Lynx return to regular-season play just two wins shy of officially clinching the WNBA’s top playoff seed.

• Despite winning seven of its last 10 games, Minnesota entered the FIBA World Cup break on a two-game losing streak — keeping seeding in flux as all eight contenders battle to book a favorable path.

• “I definitely missed my team,” said Lynx and Team USA forward Napheesa Collier. “To be back with them these past couple days in practice, it feels good.” (See full scenarios)

Scouting report: Minnesota retakes the court tonight against No. 8 New York, as the up-and-down Liberty hunts momentum ahead of its own playoff push.

• The matchup could serve as a first-round preview, with New York sitting just a half-game behind No. 7 Dallas and No. 6 Washington.

• “I think we did really well as a team coming back,” said Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu. “I feel like we got better over the break.” (See full preview)

Tune in: Minnesota hosts New York tonight at 7:30 PM ET (ION).

Top offense fuels Fever’s playoff push

No. 5 Indiana is locking in, as the playoffs-bound Fever strives for home court advantage behind the league’s top offense.

• Indiana will lean on newly minted FIBA gold medalists Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, after the 2026 World Cup put the young stars to the test.

• “The way that she got everybody involved was outstanding,” Fever coach Stephanie White said of Clark. “You could see her confidence continue to grow as the tournament progressed.” (See full clip)

Scouting report: But it won’t all be smooth sailing, as Indiana faces the third-hardest remaining schedule — starting with Sunday’s date with No. 6 Washington.

• The Mystics stomped No. 11 Chicago 110-80 last night, gaining ground in the seeding race as their young core prepares for a deep playoff run.

• “We definitely have a chemistry off the court that has just bled into on the court,” said forward Kiki Iriafen. (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: Indiana tips off against No. 13 Toronto tonight at 7:30 PM ET (ION), before taking on Washington on Sunday at 4 PM ET (NBA TV).

Gotham closes in on franchise-first Shield

Gotham is nearing a franchise-first Shield, entering the weekend five points clear atop the NWSL table with just six regular-season matches to go.

• The Bats bounced back from a streak-snapping loss to No. 10 Denver, downing No. 15 Louisville 2-1 last Friday behind goals from Guro Reiten and Jaedyn Shaw.

• “It was such a blessing, the opportunity to come to Gotham,” Shaw said postgame. “It’s honestly changed my life and my career.” (Watch full highlights)

Scouting report: Gotham can strengthen its grip with a result against No. 5 North Carolina tomorrow, as the Courage looks to shake off a 2-1 loss to No. 4 San Diego.

• Golden Boot race leader Ashley Sanchez managed to add to her record-breaking tally in the loss, registering her 19th goal of the season.

• “She has herself to thank,” Courage manager Mak Lind said of his striker. “The only thing I’ve been doing, together with the coaching side, is to make sure she understands her potential.” (See full stats)

Tune in: Gotham takes on North Carolina on Saturday at 6:30 PM ET (ION).

Catch up on the latest women’s soccer headlines, as an all-new The Late Sub presented by Ally Bank dishes up host Claire Watkins’s hottest takes on all things USWNT, NWSL, Champions League, and more.

• The NWSL coaching carousel is in full swing, and Vlatko Andonovski’s Kansas City departure might be the most confusing move yet.

• In the episode, Claire breaks down why the Current moved on after so much success, what players’ reactions say about the decision, and whether these changes could come back to haunt KC’s postseason ambitions.

Tune in: Catch The Late Sub with Claire Watkins on YouTube.

Ally Bank, Member FDIC.

LA humbles SF with 2-game WPBL finals lead

No. 2 LA is on the brink of history, taking a surprise 2-0 lead over No. 1 San Francisco in the WPBL’s inaugural best-of-five championship series.

• The Queens opened their finals run with a 7-6 comeback win over the Firebells, before doubling their lead in Thursday’s 11-7 drubbing.

• Second baseman Ayuri Shimano is fueling LA’s offense, driving in five runs off five hits through two games. (Watch full highlights)

Scouting report: San Francisco isn’t done yet, however, as the league-leading Firebells look to stave off the sweep in Saturday’s Game 3.

• Infielders Amanda Gianelloni and Andreanne Leblanc have kept it competitive with a combined seven RBIs, as SF waits for top slugger Kelsie Whitmore to dig herself out of an 0-8 series slump. (See box score)

Tune in: The WPBL championship series returns Saturday at 7 PM ET (ESPN+).

USA Softball crushes World Cup group stage

USA Softball is crushing it, exiting Oklahoma City’s WBSC Women’s World Cup group stage with a perfect 6-0 record — and a ticket to next spring’s finals.

• The US outscored Group C 59-0, as Mexico, Brazil, Netherlands, New Zealand, and China failed to take a single point off the home side.

• Left fielder Maya Brady blasted off three home runs in Wednesday’s 7-0 win over China, adding to her .647 group-stage batting average. (Watch full highlights)

Stay tuned: The WBSC World Cup next moves to Australia, kicking off the final stage in April 2027 — with trip to the 2028 Olympics on the line.

• Already-qualified USA Softball joins the 18-team field in Redcliffe, as Mexico, China, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Puerto Rico battle to make the LA 28 cut. (See full format)

Quote of the day

Incoming Stars Chief Soccer Officer Vlatko Andonovski
telling ESPN why he joined last-place Chicago after departing No. 7 Kansas City.