Mystics test winning streak against skidding Aces

18 of the 2027 World Cup’s 32 berths have been claimed — which nation will be next?

Mystics test winning streak against Aces

No. 6 Washington continues to turn heads, as the young Mystics carry a league-leading seven-game winning streak into tonight’s clash with No. 3 Las Vegas.

• Washington leveled up this week, acquiring WNBA champion Betnijah Laney-Hamilton after No. 7 New York waived the seasoned guard.

• “Having someone who has championship experience and knows what it takes to really make a final push in the playoffs is really important,” said second-year forward Kiki Iriafen. (See full report)

Scouting report: The Mystics humbled four teams in playoff position during their run, tallying wins against the Aces, No. 2 Golden State, No. 4 Atlanta, and No. 8 Dallas.

• Las Vegas looks to reverse a two-game skid, after coach Becky Hammon opted to rest her starters in back-to-back weekend road games.

• “I’m not going to put them in any kind of jeopardy to get hurt when we’ve been expending a lot of energy on travel,” she said after Sunday’s loss to the Liberty. “I don’t even think they do this in the NBA, though, where it’s less than 24 hours.” (See full report)

Tune in: Washington visits Las Vegas tonight at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass).

Minnesota preps for playoff basketball

No. 1 Minnesota is playoff ready, as the Lynx became the first WNBA team to clinch a 2026 postseason berth with Sunday’s 103-90 win over No. 8 Dallas.

• Kayla McBride set a single-game record for made 3-pointers in the victory, draining 10 from beyond the arc to finish with 43 points — and give 26-7 Minnesota a clear edge.

• “When you have a good moment, you want to just soak it all in,” McBride said afterward. “I’m 34 years old, it’s my 13th year in the league. I’m exactly where I want to be.” (Watch full highlights)

Taking stock: McBride isn’t the team’s only standout, as Rookie of the Year frontrunner Olivia Miles continues to insert herself into the MVP conversation after posting a 20-point, 13-assist double-double on Sunday.

• Miles sits fifth in the league in efficiency metrics, leading Minnesota in both points and assists in her first professional year.

• “It’s like a kid in a candy store — I’m very grateful,” McBride said of Miles. “Her ability to get in the paint and her ability in the pick and roll just creates so much for me.” (See full stats)

Up next: The Lynx face No. 9 Portland tomorrow at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass).

Elena Rybakina climbs the ranks in Canada

Elena Rybakina is taking aim at the top, as the world No. 2 enters the Canadian Open quarterfinals with a chance to pull within four points of No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

• Sabalenka’s Round of 16 loss opened the door for Rybakina, after the 2025 US Open champion fell to No. 19 Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4.

• “There are still a lot of matches I got to win,” Rybakina said of her pursuit. “I try not to think about the ranking, about the points, and just go [one] match at a time.” (See full rankings)

Scouting report: The 27-year-old Kazakhstani is gearing up for a tough test in Toronto, facing No. 11 Naomi Osaka hot off three straight-sets wins.

• “She’s an incredible player,” Osaka said of Rybakina. “She won the Australian Open this year. I’m just really excited to play her, because I have never played her.”

• No. 4 Coco Gauff battles No. 12 Belinda Bencic in tonight’s other quarterfinal, while No. 7 Iga Świątek and No. 9 Elina Svitolina await in the semis. (See full schedule)

Tune in: Canadian Open coverage continues tonight at 7 PM ET (Tennis Channel).

Comm’r Engelbert sends memo on trans athletes

Cathy Engelbert is chiming in, as the WNBA commissioner sent a memo to teams addressing issues of trans athlete rallies this week.

• “I know many of you have received questions in recent weeks regarding transgender athlete participation in women’s basketball, and I expect this topic will continue to receive significant attention,” Engelbert said.

• She added that a task force of team presidents and general managers has been compiled to further discuss the topic. (See full memo)

Big picture: Small anti-trans protests have formed alongside some WNBA games in recent weeks, after Fever guard Sophie Cunningham voiced support for trans athlete bans.

• Beyond the CBA stating that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” the league does not currently have a detailed gender policy.

• “Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm,” the WNBPA said last week. “We will continue to have hard conversations.” (See full statement)

Boston fires coach in early WPBL shakeup

The WPBL is already shaking things up, as the 1-3 Boston Hunters dismissed manager Keith Foulke three games into the pro baseball league’s debut season.

• The Hunters announced the decision 30 minutes before Sunday’s 7-6 loss to New York, as Jemile Weeks stepped in to replace the former Red Sox star.

• “We would like to thank Keith Foulke for his contributions to the team and his efforts on behalf of the club,” the team said in a statement. “We are looking forward to building a winning team culture.” (See full release)

Scouting report: The LA Queens top the WPBL standings after four games played, sitting in first place on a 3-1 record ahead of 2-2 New York and San Francisco.

• LA has leaned on its pitching, claiming the league’s best collective ERA while ex-Savannah Bananas star Ashton Lansdell leads the Queens in runs with six. (See full stats)

Tune in: WPBL action returns tomorrow, as LA takes on San Francisco at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN Select).

Quote of the day

Indiana head coach Stephanie White
addressing a recent uptick in media attention focused on Fever players.