Celly queen Lo’eau LaBonta is on the board: Watch full highlights.

WNBA rookies shine in weekend slate

WNBA rookies are stepping up, as league debuts and scoring breakouts defined a competitive holiday weekend lineup.

• Seattle fans got a first look at No. 3 pick Awa Fam, as the 19-year-old became just the second teenager to score 10+ points in her WNBA debut, adding 10 points off the bench in Sunday’s 97-85 win over Washington.

• “It was amazing, it was another dream come true,” Fam said postgame. “I feel really, really, really good.” (Watch full highlights)

On the rise: Another top draft pick stepped into the spotlight, as Dallas’s No. 1 selection Azzi Fudd scored a career-high 24 points in Sunday’s 91-76 win over New York.

• Fudd put up six 3-pointers to break teammate Paige Bueckers’s single-game franchise record, while also notching three steals and two blocks.

• “She was drafted number one for a reason — her shot and her release is so quick, and so deadly,” Liberty star Breanna Stewart said of Fudd. “People are going to start to see that as her game grows.” (Watch full highlights)

Up next: Seattle and Washington face off again on Wednesday at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass), while Dallas takes on Las Vegas on Thursday at 8 PM ET (Prime).

No. 1 Utah’s fairytale NWSL rise continues

Utah is officially on top, as the Royals’ unexpected surge continued with Saturday’s 2-1 win over Denver — extending a nine-match unbeaten streak.

• Utah’s Mina Tanaka scored the game-winner from the penalty spot, launching the Royals over previous league-leader Portland to claim No. 1 in the NWSL standings for the first time in team history.

• “We’re putting in a shift,” said head coach Jimmy Coenraets. “You have to beat the 11 players when you’re defending, and you have to chase 11 players when you’re attacking as well.” (Watch full highlights)

Building steam: While the surging Royals benefit from a game in-hand, the race to the 2026 NWSL Shield only gets harder from here.

• Utah faced just one team above the postseason cutoff line in its last nine games, while next weekend’s clash with No. 2 Portland serves as one last test before the league’s midseason break.

• “After the game against Portland, whatever the result is, the first beer will be on me in the hotel,” Coenraets joked on Saturday. (See full schedule)

Up next: Utah kicks off against Portland on Saturday at 4 PM ET, live on ION.

Super regionals drama sets the WCWS field

The NCAA softball super regionals brought the heat, as major turnarounds and big-name upsets set the field for this week’s 2026 Women’s College World Series.

• Mississippi State ousted eight-time national champion Oklahoma with a 2-1 series win, earning a program-first trip to the WCWS while snapping the Sooners’ nine-season appearance streak.

• “I’m just so proud of this group,” said Bulldogs head coach Samantha Ricketts. “The fight and the grit that they’ve shown, and just how they’ve worked so hard for this moment.” (Watch full highlights)

Taking stock: Mississippi State joins reigning champions Texas, 2025 runner-up Texas Tech, and Tennessee in Bracket 1, while UCLA, Arkansas, Alabama, and Nebraska headline Bracket 2.

• The Bruins became the first DI team to hit 200 home runs in one season after sweeping UCF, as slugger Megan Grant continues her hunt for the NCAA’s single-season homer title.

• Texas Tech also saw fireworks in its win over Florida, as former Gator Mia Williams was hit-by-pitch five times over the course of the three-game series. (Watch full highlights)

Stay tuned: The 2026 WCWS kicks off Thursday at 12 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Barcelona wins 4th Champions League title

FC Barcelona is Europe’s champion once again, after dominating OL Lyonnes 4-0 to lift a fourth Champions League trophy on Saturday.

• After a closely contested first half, Barcelona exploded in the final 45 minutes, as forwards Ewa Pajor and Salma Paralluelo both scored braces.

• “We fought for everything, for the win, and now we are the best team in the world,” said Player of the Match Pajor. “It’s a great moment for me, for the team.” (Watch full highlights)

Big changes: Michele Kang — the US billionaire behind Lyonnes and the WSL’s London City Lionesses — was likely disappointed in the loss, as she braces for a potential UWCL dilemma with UEFA cracking down on multi-team ownership.

• The European governing body banned teams run by the same ownership group from competing in interleague competition, placing Kang’s lineup in jeopardy should both clubs qualify for Champions League. (See full report)

Club América ousts NWSL teams in Champions Cup win

Liga MX triumphed over the NWSL this weekend, as Mexico’s Club América downed Gotham and Washington en route to the Concacaf W Champions Cup title.

• After dismantling Gotham 4-1 on Wednesday, América faced the Spirit in Saturday’s continental final, building on an intense attacking output to secure the 5-3 win.

• Club América forward Scarlett Camberos won Player of the Tournament, scoring four goals in two games — including the championship’s final strike. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: The NWSL and Liga MX Femenil are now tied 1-1 for all-time Champions Cup trophies, as regional competition spreads within the women’s game.

• The win advances América to the 2027 FIFA Champions Cup, set to kick off in Miami despite no US teams qualifying for the global event.

Number of the day 

9

Northwestern won a ninth lacrosse championship on Sunday, topping North Carolina to become the first lacrosse team in 40 years to win an NCAA title at home.