Napheesa Collier ruled 'probable' as Lynx chase 7th straight

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Lynx chase 7th straight in Seattle rematch

No. 1 Minnesota is back for more, tipping off today’s rematch with No. 15 Seattle as the Lynx look to cap the first half of 2026 at the top of the WNBA standings. 

• Kayla McBride torched Seattle on Monday, dropping 33 points to secure the 105-102 round-one win, while rookie Olivia Miles added 32 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists — one point shy of her July 13th career-high. 

• Miles is averaging a team-high 19.1 points and six assists per game, becoming just the ninth rookie to start a WNBA All-Star Game while fueling Minnesota’s six-game winning streak. (Watch full highlights)

Debut loading: The odds appear tipped even further in the Lynx’s favor, as star forward Napheesa Collier has been upgraded to “probable” ahead of the afternoon clash.

• The 29-year-old is coming off her best season yet, averaging 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 53.1% in 2025 before undergoing double ankle surgery in the offseason.

• “[Collier] doesn’t want a minute restriction, and she doesn’t want for people to expect less than greatness from her,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve told ESPN. “That’s what makes great players great, no matter what the situation is.” (See full report)

Tune in: The Lynx shoot to sweep the Storm in the pair’s regular-season finale today at 3 PM ET, live on WNBA League Pass.

Marina Mabrey & Azzi Fudd headline 3-Point Contest

Friday’s 3-Point Contest lineup is locked, as the WNBA dropped its six-player roster yesterday — with No. 1 draft pick Azzi Fudd representing the lone rookie.

• Bridget Carleton (Portland), Natisha Hiedeman (Seattle), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta), Janelle Salaün (Golden State), and Marina Mabrey (Toronto) round out the list.

• Dallas’s Fudd ranks 10th with 50 made threes this season, while veteran Mabrey tops the league with 82 threes on a 3.3-per-game average, and Howard sits second with 79 triples at a 3.2-per-game clip. (See full stats)

How it works: The two-round competition positions five racks around the arc, with four holding four one-point game balls and one two-point money ball, while the fifth rack holds only two-point balls and two additional three-point balls sit deep.

• The two players with the highest first-round scores advance to the winner-takes-all final round. (See full rules)

Sitting out: Some fans pushed back on Tuesday, speculating as to why a few big-name shooters didn’t make the cut.

• Per multiple reports, Minnesota’s Kayla McBride, Indiana’s Caitlin Clark, and New York’s Sabrina Ionescu declined invitations, though two-time winner Ionescu refuted the claims by commenting “Lies” on a since-deleted B/R W Sports Instagram post. (See full report)

NWSL stars suffer season-ending ACL tears

The NWSL lost two more this week, as Chicago’s Jordyn Huitema and San Diego’s Trinity Armstrong both landed on the season-ending injury list with torn ACLs.

• Huitema ruptured her left knee during Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Angel City, likely ruling the Canada international out of November’s 2027 World Cup-qualifying CONCACAF W Championship.

• “Soccer has given me so much, and having it taken away, even temporarily, hurts more than I can put into words,” the 25-year-old wrote, after tallying four goals for the struggling Stars since transferring from Seattle in March. (See full post)

Twice struck: 18-year-old Armstrong had just rejoined the Wave after suffering a left-knee injury last year, featuring in two matches before rupturing her right ACL. 

• “Six months rebuilding my left knee. Two league games in on my right,” she wrote. “Supposedly my strongest leg and third surgery in three years.” (See full post)

Big picture: The NWSL and the NWSLPA joined Project ACL in April, signing on to the multi-year initiative aimed at reducing ACL injuries in the women’s game.

• Launched in England with the top-flight WSL, the player-centric study now spans multiple pro leagues worldwide. (See full report)

PRESENTED BY AMAZON PRIME

Don’t miss ‘Time Wasting’ with Kelley O’Hara & Ali Riley

Soccer icons Kelley O’Hara and Ali Riley are back, as all-new episode of Time Wasting presented by Amazon Prime serves up another jam-packed helping of tactical breakdowns, behind-the-scenes stories, and insider perspectives.

• In the episode, Ali and Kelley make their way too early Women’s World Cup predictions ahead of the 2027 tournament in Brazil.

• The hosts then dig into the anatomy of a rivalry: Is it about location? Major games? And most importantly, what’s the best rivalry in women’s soccer?

Tune in: Catch Time Wasting on YouTube.

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LPGA launches Nanea Cup in Hawaii

The LPGA is mixing pros and prospects, introducing the inaugural Nanea Cup — a four-day, $4 million tournament taking over Hawaii’s Nanea Golf Club in March 2027.

• 95 LPGA pros will tee off alongside 25 college golfers from Stanford, Texas, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and UCLA, as Golf Channel complements live broadcasts with profiles of the NCAA participants and their coaches.

• “We look forward to putting our deep experience and relationships with today’s college golfers and coaches to work to help the LPGA build this innovative new event,” Golf Channel EVP & GM Tom Knapp said. (See full report)

Big debut: The Nanea Cup marks the first pro event at the David McLay Kidd-designed course, which opened in 2003.

• “This event checks every box,” said Commissioner Craig Kessler. “Nanea is a spectacular venue, our athletes will compete for a strong purse, and fans will get their first look at one of the most celebrated golf courses in the world.” (See full release)

Hope Solo auctions off World Cup gear

Hope Solo is hitting the auction block, as the National Soccer Hall of Famer offers up her personal collection at Lelands’s 2026 Summer Classic Auction.

• Spanning more than 45 items, the haul centers on Solo’s signed goalkeeper kit from the USWNT’s 2015 World Cup title win over Japan, plus her championship ring, FIFA Golden Glove, quarterfinal and semifinal jerseys, and the team-signed ball from her 100th US cap.

• “With soccer’s popularity in the US reaching new heights around this World Cup, it felt like the right time to let these pieces of my career become part of this sport’s history in new hands,” Solo said in a statement. (See full report)

Get yours: Bidding starts July 26th, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting SheBelongs, a nonprofit supporting refugee and underserved girls through sport. (See full collection)

Quote of the day

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson
on the biggest difference between the WNBA today and when she first debuted.