New York bounces back | Italy makes history | WNBA raises All-Star stakes

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New York reclaims No. 2

The Liberty appears to be back on track, after the reigning champs leapfrogged the Mercury to reclaim second place in the WNBA standings.

• Riding a three-game winning streak into All-Star Weekend, New York punctuated a strong week of results with Wednesday’s 98-77 win over a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana side, as the 2025 All-Star captain remains day-to-day with a groin injury.

• More good news is on the horizon for the Liberty, with starting center Jonquel Jones expected to return from an ankle injury post-All-Star Weekend.

Big picture: New York’s gain is now-No. 3 Phoenix’s loss, as the Mercury’s Wednesday clash with the No. 1 Lynx went in Minnesota’s favor while Phoenix stars Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper rode the bench.

• Expansion upstart Golden State has also started to skid, entering the break at No. 9 after three consecutive losses.

• Elsewhere, the No. 8 Aces have begun to regroup, following 2024 MVP A’ja Wilson’s lead into a two-game winning streak.

Bottom line: This weekend’s festivities tip off the season’s second half, with momentum at a premium as early performances roll into postseason trajectories.

Italy makes Euros history

Italy advanced to the 2025 Euro semifinals on Wednesday, defeating Norway 2-1 in dramatic fashion to make it past the quarterfinals for the first time since 1997.

• Captain Cristiana Girelli played hero, scoring both of Italy’s goals including a 90th-minute game-winner to successfully avoid extra time.

• “I felt something different, something special,” Girelli said after the match. “I have seen in the eyes of my teammates a special light.”

• Norway, however, faced a disappointing tournament exit, after captain Ada Hegerberg missed a penalty before scoring the equalizer in the second half.

What’s next: Attention now turns to Sweden vs. England, one of the round’s most-anticipated matchups.

• Sweden topped Group C with three emphatic wins, setting them up to take on Group D’s runners-up — AKA the reigning Euros champion Lionesses.

• England enters the matchup on a two-game winning streak, picking up points against the Netherlands and Wales after falling to France to open Group Stage play.

• “They’re relentless when it comes to tournament football,” England captain Leah Williamson said of the Tokyo Olympics silver medalists. “They’re just a very organized team.”

Tune in: Sweden and England face off this afternoon at 3 PM ET, live on FOX.

WNBA drops All-Star rules

The WNBA has set the scene for this weekend’s 2025 All-Star Game, laying out a handful of special rules meant to liven up the on-court action.

• The game will introduce four major changes: a four-point shot, a 20-second shot clock, live-play substitutions, and automatic points for free throws.

Upping the stakes: Four-point shots aren’t a new All-Star Game invention, but they weren’t used in last year’s matchup between the WNBA All-Stars and Team USA.

• Each of the court’s four four-point markers sit 28 feet from the rim, with players notching an extra point by sinking a shot from inside those circles.

Pedal to the metal: With four seconds taken off the shot clock to speed things up, All-Star teams will also be able to substitute players in and out while the ball is in play — so long as team in question has possession in the backcourt.

• The “No Free-Throws” rule limits free-throw shooting to the fourth quarter’s final two minutes plus overtime, with fouled players automatically earning the incident’s maximum available point(s) up until that point.

Learn more: Check out the WNBA’s official press release for all the 2025 details.

Biles headlines ESPY wins

Women’s sports athletes won big at Wednesday’s ESPY Awards, with stars from across the women’s game honored for outstanding performances over the past year.

• Olympic gold medalist gymnast Simone Biles led the way, winning both Best Athlete, Women’s Sports and Best Championship Performance.

• Biles’s Team USA teammate Suni Lee won Best Comeback Athlete, with USA Rugby star Ilona Maher taking home Best Breakthrough Athlete and both Alex Morgan and Diana Taurasi picking up Icon Awards.

Off the court: Tennis legend Sloane Stephens won this year’s Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, recognizing her foundation’s commitment to promoting diversity and providing tennis opportunities to underserved communities.

• The Jimmy V Award went to Penn State volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who led the Nittany Lions to the 2024 NCAA Championship while battling cancer.

ACFC’s King eyes full recovery

Angel City’s Savy King spoke out this week, with the defender targeting a full recovery and return to play after collapsing on the field during a May NWSL match.

• “I was just so happy that I was going to be able to recover and be as normal, almost be like a Savy 2.0 now,” King told Good Morning America yesterday. “I’ll be back, and I’ll be better than ever.”

Big picture: While King didn’t lay out a timeline for her return, she credited ACFC’s medical team for their prompt response after she lost consciousness, with the trainers quickly stabilizing her before transporting her to a local hospital.

• King was later diagnosed with an anomalous left coronary artery — a condition she was born with but was never caught — before successfully undergoing surgery to correct the issue.

• “They saved my life,” King continued. “That will stay with me forever in my heart… I play for them now, too.”

Quote of the day

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally
announcing that she won’t be playing in this weekend’s All-Star Game due to injury.