Nebraska pitcher Jordy Frahm finished her season with a 1.37 ERA and 20 home runs — before revealing she’s three months pregnant.

NWSL Championship returns to Washington

DC is stepping back into the soccer spotlight, as the league officially tapped the Spirit’s Audi Field to host its 2026 NWSL Championship.

• The title match returns to the East Coast for the first time since 2022, when Portland beat Kansas City to lift a third NWSL trophy at Audi Field.

• “Washington, DC has become one of the premier destinations for women’s soccer, with an incredibly engaged fan base, a vibrant soccer culture, and a community that continues to champion the growth of our game,” said Commissioner Jessica Berman. (See full release)

Rowdy Audi: The Spirit became the fourth women’s club in the world to average 15,000+ fans per match last season, with the 20,000-seat venue already selling out three of the team’s first five home games this year.

• “DC shows up for women’s sports like few cities in the world,” said Spirit CEO Kim Stone. “A fan base this passionate deserves events like this.”

Stay tuned: The Championship airs in primetime on CBS for the fifth straight year, with tickets on sale this summer — and presale access signups open now.

Young Mystics top the falling Sky

The No. 9 Mystics played beyond their years on Tuesday, as the WNBA’s youngest squad squashed veteran-heavy No. 12 Chicago 90-72.

• Washington found success in the paint despite missing scoring leader Sonia Citron, as center Shakira Austin led the game with 17 points, backed by second-year forward Kiki Iriafen’s 15 points and 11 rebounds — her fourth double-double this year.

• “It’s exciting to be able to go out there and compete every day, and just bring them along with me,” Austin said of her teammates. (Watch full highlights)

Taking stock: With eight rookies contributing to an average age of just 23.5, the Mystics are building towards the future while the experienced Sky appear stuck in first gear.

• Chicago sits 13th in points per game, after losing leading scorer Rickea Jackson to a season-ending ACL tear last month.

• “We’re not the only team going through it,” said head coach Tyler Marsh. “We’re nine games in, and we can’t keep letting nights like this slip away from us.”

Up next: Chicago aims for redemption against Connecticut on Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION), before Washington faces Atlanta on Saturday at 6 PM ET (WNBA League Pass).

Phoenix shoots to stop the skid against Seattle

Phoenix is hunting the light at the end of the tunnel, as the No. 14 Mercury carries a six-game losing streak into tonight’s matchup with No. 13 Seattle.

• After opening the season with a dominant 99-66 win over the defending champion Aces, Phoenix has since gone 1-for-7 — punctuated by Monday’s 111-77 drubbing at the hands of No. 1 Minnesota.

• “We are searching — we’re on a hunt,” said guard Kahleah Copper. “I don’t think [the loss] really reflects who we are and what we want to be able to represent for the organization.” (See full standings)

Taking stock: The Mercury returned four of its five starters after reaching the 2025 WNBA Finals, with the veteran lineup’s defensive troubles coming as a surprise.

• “What it took for us to do that last year, it’s not easy,” Copper continued. “It doesn’t carry over just because you did it. For us, it’s about just everybody looking in the mirror.”

• Phoenix will look to even the playing field in Seattle, as the struggling Storm rides its own three-game losing streak into tonight’s bottom-table clash.

Tune in: The Mercury visits the Storm tonight at 10 PM ET, live on USA.

WTGL adds more high-profile investors

WTGL is back in the headlines, as some of the biggest names in women’s sports invested in the budding indoor women’s golf league this week.

• Tennis titan Aryna Sabalenka, hockey great Hilary Knight, basketball legend Diana Taurasi, and WNBA stars Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Nneka Ogwumike, and Gabriela Jaquez joined soccer icon Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures in backing TMRW Sports’ women’s league.

• “It’s an honor to be a part of this investment supporting WTGL and helping grow women’s golf in a new and innovative way,” Sabalenka said. (See full release)

Building steam: Set to kick off after the 2026 LPGA Tour, 14 top golfers will feature in WTGL’s debut season, including Charley Hull, Lydia Ko, and Jeeno Thitikul.

• The upstart’s big miss might be world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who told Golfweek she would prefer LPGA stars join the men’s TGL, rather than create a separate competition. (See full report)

Gotham passes ticket milestone for Queens Classic

Gotham FC is charting toward history in Queens, as the reigning NWSL champion surpassed more than 20,000 ticket sales for next month’s Queens Classic at MLB stadium Citi Field.

• The 2025 title rematch against Washington will mark the first pro women’s sporting event held at the Mets’ home — and the first-ever NWSL game played inside New York City limits.

• The night also features a pregame networking event with local business leaders, while the first 7,500 fans receive a limited-edition Rose Lavelle bobblehead. (See full release)

Big swing: The Bats upped the ante this week, partnering with with nutrition brand Grüns to donate 1,000 free tickets to area youth soccer groups ahead of the July 15th clash.

Be there: Gotham is offering JWS subscribers 20% off Queens Classic tickets using code JUSTWOMENSSPORTS at mlb.tickets.com.

Number of the day 

21

Tonight’s Texas vs Texas Tech showdown marks the first back-to-back WCWS Finals rematch since NCAA softball adopted the best-of-three format 21 years ago.