Caitlin Clark lit up the Fever locker room this week, gifting fresh Nike Caitlin 1s to the whole Indiana crew.

Seeding scrambles headline WNBA return

The playoff field is set — but the bracket is not, as the WNBA tips off the last week of regular-season play with all eight postseason seeds still up for grabs.

• No. 1 Minnesota can derail No. 2 Golden State’s path to the top with two wins, though the Lynx are staring down a tough closing lineup featuring back-to-back clashes with No. 5 Indiana.

• The Valkyries and No. 3 Las Vegas both face an already-eliminated slate, with the Aces’ 3-0 regular-season series lead good for the tiebreaker should the pair finish level. (See full schedule)

Around the horn: Indiana and No. 4 Atlanta sit tied at 26-14, with the Fever and Dream battling for home-court advantage under the 1-1-1 playoff format. 

• Indiana will lean on its league-high points per game against Minnesota, while the Dream must survive its own two-game run against No. 6 New York.

• The Liberty, No. 7 Washington, and No. 8 Dallas are knotted at 24-16, with the Wings gearing up for a fully eliminated final stretch. (See all scenarios)

Tune in: The WNBA returns tonight at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass/USA).

Aces tip off final stretch against Storm

No. 3 Las Vegas is back in action, visiting eliminated No. 15 Seattle tonight in search of a playoff seeding boost with four regular-season games to go.

• The last-place Storm dropped eight of its last 10 clashes, likely looking to French big Dominique Malonga for a spark with the sophomore averaging 17.0 points per night on 48.2% shooting.

• Las Vegas enters on a three-game winning streak, while also taking the Western Conference foes’ previous meeting 101-91. (See full preview)

Back on track: A’ja Wilson is expected to suit up after catching flack for skipping the FIBA World Cup — a choice coach Becky Hammon defended while pointing out a gendered double-standard.

• Despite dealing with lingering injuries, the four-time MVP averaged 21.6 points over her last 10 games, buoying the Aces’ 6-4 run.

• “A’ja has every right to do what she feels is best health-wise," Hammon told USA Today. “If this was a man making this decision, there would be nothing to say.” (See full report)

Tune in: Las Vegas takes on Seattle tonight at 10 PM ET (USA).

2027 WTA Finals land in Charlotte

The WTA is planting a new flag, announcing plans to move the season-ending WTA Finals to Charlotte’s Spectrum Center — home to the NBA’s Hornets — starting in 2027.

• Chair Valerie Camillo framed the decision as a bid to create “the Super Bowl for women’s sports,” pitching the 1000-level event as a gathering for women’s tennis and its related businesses.

• The Tour is also relocating its headquarters from Florida to North Carolina, while fully taking over WTA Finals operations for the first time. (See full report)

Big shifts: The WTA recently cut ties with previous host Saudi Arabia, holding this year’s event at California’s Indian Wells amid rising conflict in the Middle East.

• Slotting into an active NBA arena means shrinking the tournament from eight days to five, as officials weigh new formats to accomodate four singles and four doubles matches per day.

• “We have an incredible opportunity to build an event that matches the scale, energy, and ambition of women’s sports today,” Camillo said. “In North Carolina, we found partners who believe just as strongly.” (See full release)

Brazil ends USWNT’s U-20 WWC run

The USWNT’s U-20 World Cup run is over, falling to Brazil 5-4 on penalties after drawing Wednesday’s Round of 16 clash 1-1 through extra time.

• As Canarinhas struck first, knocking in a header off an in-swinging cross in the 59th minute — shortly before Seattle’s Ainsley McCammon forced the shootout with a 63rd-minute equalizer.

• The US edged Brazil in possession (53%-47%) and shots on goal (4-2), but went on to convert four of its five penalties while Brazil buried each one. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: The exit caps a bumpy tournament for coach Vicky Jepson’s side, as an inexperienced lineup and group-stage struggles raised high-profile concerns about US Soccer’s pipeline. (Watch explainer)

Alex Eala risks fine to chase Asian Games gold

Alexandra Eala is choosing country over career, opting to skip the upcoming China Open to represent the Philippines at the 2026 Asian Games — risking a $10,000 fine and WTA rankings drop.

• The Philippine Tennis Association has formally requested a waiver from the WTA, but joins the Philippine Olympic Committee in supporting Eala’s campaign regardless of the outcome.

• Despite former doubles partner Janice Tjen (Indonesia) withdrawing after her exemption bid failed, the world No. 18 is determined to become the first Filipina to top the event’s singles podium since its 1958 debut.

Going for gold: “The WTA has its rules and breaking the rules has penalties,” said POC president Abraham Tolentino. “But Alex will be in Nagoya, for flag and country.” (See full report)

Number of the day 

1.2 million

TNT reported 1.2 million viewers tuned in to see the US top France in Sunday’s FIBA gold medal game — the third-most watched women’s clash in World Cup history.