Team USA goes for FIBA World Cup gold

The stars shone bright in Queens, as the US Open semis drew a packed celebrity row.

Team USA goes for FIBA World Cup gold

Team USA has gold in its sights, as the 2026 FIBA World Cup wraps up play this weekend with the semifinal and final rounds.

• Hot off yesterday’s dominant 108-56 quarterfinal win, the US advances to face Spain following La Roja’s similarly strong 89-66 victory over Australia.

• France and Germany square off in Saturday’s other clash, after Germany upset reigning EuroBasket champion Belgium to reach its first-ever World Cup semifinal. (See full schedule)

Scouting report: Team USA remains on a collision course with France, with a rematch of the 2024 Olympics’ tightly contested gold medal game on the horizon should both heavyweights win tomorrow.

• To keep its five-peat quest alive, the US will likely lean on veteran scoring leaders while looking to its young stars for a spark.

• “We talked about just getting better with each game,” World Cup debutant Rhyne Howard said. “If we continue to play like that and continue to keep everybody on the same page, continue to move the ball, it’s going to be really hard to stop us.” (See full report)

Tune in: The US takes on Spain tomorrow at 2 PM ET (TNT).

Top seeds cruise to US Open final

Tennis’s top two are hitting the court, as No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka takes on freshly minted world No. 1 Elena Rybakina in tomorrow’s 2026 US Open final.

• Sabalenka continues roll toward a third straight title, making quick work of No. 3 Jessica Pegula in last night’s 7-5, 6-2 semifinal victory.

• Rybakina is also living up to her new title, ousting home-court favorite No. 4 Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Thursday’s closer. (Watch full highlights)

Record books: Sabalenka and Rybakina will be the first Nos. 1 and 2 seeds to meet at a US Open women’s final since Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka in 2013.

• Sabalenka is already the first WTA star to reach four consecutive US Open finals since Serena Williams in 2014, as the 28-year-old strives to pull off the first three-peat Queens has seen since Williams’s run that same year.

• “I wanted it badly to go to the finals, and of course I want to go all the way,” she said after Thursday’s win. (See full report)

Tune in: The 2026 US Open final kicks off Saturday (ESPN).

High-stakes clashes headline NWSL slate

The NWSL playoff race is picking up speed, with multiple weekend matches primed to shape both the postseason picture and the tightest Shield race in years.

• Sitting just two points below the cutoff line, No. 9 Angel City hosts surging No. 10 Denver tonight, after the Summit silenced No. 1 Gotham 3-0 last Sunday behind three different goal-scorers.

• “In this point in the season, we’re really trying to get a playoff spot, and these next games matter,” said Denver’s Ayo Oke. (See full standings)

Around the horn: Two teams grappling with front-office upheaval also take the pitch tonight, with No. 11 Orlando parting ways with coach Seb Hines before Sporting Director Vlatko Andonovski departed No. 7 Kansas City.

• In Saturday’s Top 5 clash, Golden Boot leader Ashley Sanchez looks to push No. 3 North Carolina past steady No. 5 San Diego — with both clubs tied at 39 points.

• No. 1 Gotham and No. 2 Washington are also in the mix, as the league’s top teams look to tighten the Shield race against No. 13 Louisville and No. 14 Boston. (See full schedule)

Tune in: Gotham and Racing kick off the weekend tonight at 6:30 PM ET (NWSL+).

Catch up on the latest women’s soccer headlines, as an all-new The Late Sub presented by Ally Bank dishes up host Claire Watkins’s hottest takes on all things USWNT, NWSL, Champions League, and more.

• The NWSL Shield race looks like it’s down to two teams — Gotham and the Washington Spirit — and they’re both battling at the top of the table.

• In the episode, Claire takes a hard look at these Northeast titans, questioning how two teams can be both so similar and so strikingly different…

Tune in: Catch The Late Sub with Claire Watkins on YouTube.

Ally Bank, Member FDIC.

WPBL favorites eye semifinal sweeps

The WPBL playoffs are heating up, as No. 1 San Francisco and No. 3 LA move within one win of a trip to the inaugural championship after strong semifinal starts.

• The Firebells opened their best-of-three series with Wednesday’s 14-6 win over No. 4 Boston, fueled by right fielder Skylar Kaplan’s three-hit night.

• LA beat No. 2 New York 10-3 on Thursday, as Ashton Lansdell’s first-inning homer sparked the Queens’ offensive outpouring. (Watch full highlights)

Biting back: New York and Boston will look to extend their runs this weekend, with the Heights banking on co-home run leader Denae Benites’s bat heating up before the best-of-five title series kicks off Wednesday. (See full schedule)

Tune in: Boston takes on San Francisco in Game 2 tonight at 6 PM ET (ESPN+).

Ukrainian LSU center awarded late transfer bid

LSU center Kate Koval is on the move, with the NCAA granting her a late transfer portal waiver following last month’s abrupt departure from Baton Rouge.

• The Ukraine international left the Tigers after head coach Kim Mulkey recruited Russian center Anna Minaeva, citing Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine as motivation.

• “My father serves in the Ukrainian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country,” Koval wrote on social media. “For me, this war is not distant or abstract.” (See full post)

How it works: Koval has reportedly been granted a “legislative relief waiver,” and will be available to suit up for her new team as soon as she joins a roster.

• The 6-foot-5 junior averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds across 35 games for LSU last season. (See full report)

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