Phoenix steps up | Taurasi doc debuts | Unrivaled teases season 2

We’re all cheesin’ over here.

Phoenix keeps pace

No. 4 Phoenix is keeping up with the Joneses, rattling off two straight wins against No. 11 Chicago and No. 13 Connecticut to offset a series of midseason losses.

• Phoenix’s course-correction has revolved around a surging Alyssa Thomas, with star forward becoming the first WNBA player to record back-to-back triple-doubles this week.

• “AT’s just legendary,” Phoenix’s Satou Sabally said of her teammate. “You really have to be ready, and be in the game all the time with her. It keeps your brain on. She will make the right play.”

What to watch: The Mercury will have their work cut out for them tonight, as they gear up to face a stepped-up opponent with revenge on the mind — and a directive to remain atop the WNBA standings.

• No. 3 Atlanta vs. No. 11 Chicago, 8 PM ET (Prime): The Sky broke out of an eight-game losing streak with Tuesday’s win over Washington, but they’ll have their hands full against a deep Atlanta side with starting forward Angel Reese watching from the sidelines.

• No. 13 Connecticut vs. No. 9 Los Angeles, 10 PM ET (League Pass): The Sparks host the Sun with a big opportunity ahead, with last night’s Golden State loss giving LA a chance to climb the table should they continue their winning ways.

• No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 4 Phoenix, 10 PM ET (Prime): The Fever got the best of the Mercury last month, but Phoenix will aim to flip the script as Indiana once again hits the court without injured star Caitlin Clark.

DT hits the silver screen

Retired WNBA legend Diana Taurasi is getting the Hollywood treatment, with Prime debuting a three-part documentary on the three-time league champion’s illustrious career this week.

• “This week, my story — our story — comes to life in a new way. The documentary drops, and I can’t wait for you to see the moments behind the moments,” Taurasi posted to social media on Tuesday.

Big picture: Director Katie Bender Wynn followed Taurasi through the final months of her professional basketball career, capturing her last season with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury as well as the Team USA’s gold-medal run at the 2024 Olympics.

• Each episode highlights a specific time in Taurasi’s journey, from racking up three NCAA championships with UConn to playing overseas in Russia and Turkey as well as moments from her personal life back home.

Tune in: Catch the first episode of Taurasi, now streaming on Prime.

Unrivaled reveals season two updates

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is eyeing its return, with president Alex Bazzell telling Front Office Sports that the offseason league has already signed upwards of 90% of its 2026 roster.

• “We have a few spots left open to fill and then we’re pretty much ready to go,” Bazzell confirmed.

• While Unrivaled won’t stray from its six-team format, the overall pool will expand from 36 to 42 players, with the new slots meant to subsidize rosters in case of injury, an issue the league struggled to manage last season.

Paying the players: Unrivaled is also looking to boost athlete pay above 2025’s reported $220,000 average salary — far outpacing the WNBA’s $147,745 full-season average in a year when tense CBA negotiations continue to make headlines.

• “The numbers are going up because the business outperformed every metric that we had,” Bazzell explained. “It’s part of our business model… as the business continues to drive more revenue, the revenue is going to get funneled back into the players.”

Shopping. Streaming. Live Sports. It’s on Prime.

NC Courage sacks head coach

The Courage cut ties with manager Sean Nahas on Wednesday, abruptly announcing the firing ahead of the No. 9 Courage’s Friday clash with Houston.

• “The North Carolina Courage remain focused on the continued development of the team and maintaining a professional, competitive environment for players, staff, and supporters,” the team said in a statement.

Big picture: Nahas has helmed the Courage since October 2021, taking over as interim coach for embattled ex-manager Paul Riley before leading the team to a 36-35-19 record over nearly four years in Cary.

US Open ups the stakes

This year’s US Open champions are cashing in, with the pro tennis season’s final Grand Slam boosting overall prize money by 20% — and upping the men's and women's singles winner's payout to a record $5 million each.

• Total player compensation will rise to $90 million across all competitions, marking the highest-paying tournament in tennis history.

Making moves: Last year’s total purse weighed in at $75 million, with singles winners earning $3.6 million each — 39% lower than this year's check.

• Since then, 2024 US Open champ Aryna Sabalenka and others have spoken out about increasing both payments and transparency in pro tennis.

• Finalists and semifinalists are also getting a bump, with this year’s runners-up cashing $2.5 million checks while semifinalists walk with $1.26 million each.

WNBA fans arrested for tossing sex toys

Two WNBA fans have been arrested after anonymous crowd members disrupted five different games this week by tossing green sex toys onto the court.

• “It’s ridiculous. It’s dumb. It’s stupid,” LA Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said, after one of the flying objects nearly hit visiting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during Tuesday’s matchup.

• “It’s also dangerous, and you know, player safety is number one, respecting the game, all those things,” she continued.

Big picture: Each act appears to be the work of different individuals, with one teenage perpetrator reportedly calling it a “stupid prank that was trending on social media.”

• The first documented throwing occurred during a July 29th game between Golden State and Atlanta, before copycat incidents cropped up in Chicago, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

Quote of the day

Retired WNBA great Diana Taurasi
recounting her decision to play in Russia during the WNBA offseason due to the league’s low salaries.