Reshuffled Gotham gets the result in San Jose

One mascot, many questions — who really is Ellie the Elephant?

Reshuffled Gotham gets the result

No. 2 Gotham held on last night, as Midge Purce’s early goal secured the defending champion’s 1-0 win over No. 14 Bay FC — despite a remixed starting XI.

• Purce polished off Jaelin Howell’s knock-down header to register her 10th regular-season game-winner, breaking a club record previously shared with now-departed Esther.

• Bay goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz limited the damage with nine saves on the night — but even USWNT vet Abby Dahlkemper’s 84th-minute return from maternity leave wasn’t enough to turn things around after a disallowed Kennedy Fuller goal. (Watch full highlights)

Missing pieces: A reconfigured Gotham lineup took the pitch in San Jose, as interim coach Shaun Harris started reserve keeper Shelby Hogan over Ann-Katrin Berger, replaced injured Emily Sonnett with Jess Carter, and missed Esther’s attacking prowess up front.

• Harris said he opted to give Berger “a little bit of a rest,” while failing to provide an update on Sonnett’s status beyond Tuesday’s brief mention of knee surgery.

• “Jess had a really good game and she really showed her class, defending not just off the ball, but on the ball as well,” he said of the England international. “She’s a world class player that we really rely on.” (See full remarks)

Up next: Gotham moves on to face No. 12 Houston on Saturday at 8 PM ET (NWSL+), before Bay hosts No. 10 Seattle at 8:45 PM ET (ION).

Liberty & Aces renew rivalry in Vegas

New York and Las Vegas are running it back, as the No. 7 Liberty visits the No. 2 Aces in tonight’s 2026 Commissioner’s Cup rematch.

• New York is reeling after dropping six of its last 10 matchups, giving up 94.1 points per game during the skid despite forward Breanna Stewart’s 21.4 points and 8.4 rebounds a night.

• Las Vegas is rolling at 7-3 through the same stretch, backed by A’ja Wilson’s 26.2-point, 9.7-rebound, and 2.0-block average. (See full stats)

Head to head: The Liberty holds this season’s edge, tallying two wins over the Aces last month — including the 93-85 Commissioner’s Cup triumph.

• Though both teams are coming off post-All-Star victories, with the Aces stomping No. 9 Portland 98-83 before New York quieted No. 12 LA 113-109 on Monday.

• “We have what we need to get it done. We need to just really focus on the now,” Stewart said this week. “I feel like the first half of the season there was a little bit of hesitancy from everybody... I don’t want to have excuses.” (See full report)

Tune in: Las Vegas tips off against New York tonight at 10 PM ET (Prime).

NWSL’s Chawinga, Banda light up WAFCON

Top NWSL stars are dominating in Morocco, as 11 league players across eight WAFCON nations battle for four 2027 World Cup berths this week.

• Back-to-back MVP Temwa Chawinga made history in Malawi’s debut, as the Current star scored her country’s first-ever WAFCON goal and added the stoppage-time winner to upset 10-time champion Nigeria 3-2 — with sister Tabitha Chawinga netting her own along the way.

• “We are going to compete, not just to participate,” Chawinga told The Athletic ahead of Monday’s Group C opener. “We can think like we’re underdogs, but we’re just going there to show up like we can do it.” (Watch full highlights)

Around the horn: Golden Boot-leader Barbra Banda (Orlando) was even more prolific in her Group C clash, ripping a 27-minute hat trick en route to four goals in Zambia’s clinical 6-0 rout of Egypt.

• Banda landed the final 96th-minute blow off a cut-back cross from Bay FC’s Racheal Kundananji, producing WAFCON’s steepest scoreline since Nigeria shut out Mali by the same margin in 2016.

• “We are not relaxed,” Banda said postmatch. “We’re focused on the next game.” (Watch full highlights)

Stay tuned: WAFCON’s group stage runs through August 6th, with select matches streaming on CAF TV.

Between the Lines presented by Chase Freedom went live in Chicago, as women’s basketball legend Lisa Leslie brought more unfiltered commentary, insider perspectives, and cultural critique to 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend.

• Three-time league champion Candace Parker joined the live taping, chatting with Lisa about her favorite All-Star memories, iconic rookie-veteran duos, and dark horses in this season’s title race.

• “The Valkyries is the team who I’m like, ‘Y’all better be careful,’” Candace predicted. “The Valkyries may win the championship this year. I’m not trying to put down any other teams, I’m just saying the Valkyries are no joke.”

Tune in: Catch Between the Lines on YouTube.

USA Softball International Cup lands in OKC

USA Softball steps up to the plate today, as the 2026 International Cup returns to Oklahoma City’s Devon Park — home to September’s WBSC World Cup Group Stage Olympic qualifiers.

• The world No. 2 US is split into two squads across the seven-team tournament, with the Women’s National Team leading Group B alongside No. 4 Canada, No. 8 China, and No. 11 Australia, while Group A’s Women’s Elite Team faces No. 1 Japan, No. 5 Chinese Taipei, and No. 42 American Samoa.

Taking stock: Entering with 11 Cup titles through 14 editions, Team USA is stocked with AUSL standouts fresh off the pro league’s successful second season.

• Headliners include NCAA legend NiJaree Canady (Volts), 2026 ROY Reese Atwood (Blaze), and two-time champion ace Montana Fouts (Talons). (See full lineup)

Tune in: Action kicks off today at 11 AM ET, live on ESPN+ and USASoftball.TV.

$1M volleyball exhibition taps NCAA teams

Spikes Under the Lights is set, as organizers announced the $1 million college volleyball exhibition’s August 27th slate this week — pitting Nebraska against Florida and Penn State against SMU inside Dallas’s AT&T Stadium.

• The Nittany Lions arrive with a record 45 NCAA tournament appearances and eight national titles, while the Huskers counter with 44 appearances and five championships.

• The Gators round out the field with 36 NCAA appearances, while SMU rides three straight tournament berths into the made-for-TV event.

How it works: The three-match, best-of-three set format features two first-round winners advancing to a final showdown, all tailored to fit into a three-hour primetime window.

• Each program automatically collects a $200,000 appearance fee, before battling for another $200,000 in prize money split between the champion and runner-up. (See full report)

Quote of the day

Wings coach Jose Fernandez
commenting on Dallas’s decision-making after last night’s 82-81 loss to Atlanta.