USA Basketball roster drop causes a stir

Las Vegas’s Chelsea Gray hit not one, but two buzzer-beaters to sink the Fever in last night’s OT thriller.

A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark lead USA Basketball roster

USA Basketball made waves this week, dropping September’s 12-player 2026 FIBA World Cup roster — tapping both debutants and veteran heavyweights.

• Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and Aliyah Boston will see their first major tournament action, while Olympians Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, and Jackie Young make their first World Cup appearances.

• 2022 World Cup champions Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, and A’ja Wilson return to defend their title. (See full lineup)

Making the cut: Several big names were left off, including Olympic gold medalist Sabrina Ionescu, Fever standout Kelsey Mitchell, and rookie phenom Olivia Miles.

• The US has won a record 11 FIBA World Cup gold medals, including the last four tournaments.

• “Wearing a USA jersey is a privilege, and I know these 12 players will embrace that responsibility as we go after another gold medal,” Women’s National Team Managing Director Sue Bird said in USAB statement. “I can’t wait to see what this team accomplishes together.”

Stay tuned: The US opens group play against China on September 4th (TNT).

Young Mystics chase playoff dream

No. 8 Washington is locking in, as the young Mystics carry a five-game winning streak into twin weekend clashes with 15 regular-season games to go.

• DC earned a key midweek win over No. 5 Dallas, overcoming a 20-point deficit to silence the Wings 96-92 behind center Shakira Austin’s 27-point, 13-rebound double-double.

• “Toughness and togetherness — it’s a connected group,” said head coach Sydney Johnson. “Any lineup we put out there, we’re really trusting how connected they are.” (Watch full highlights)

Scouting report: Washington might sit 5.5 games above the playoff line, but it faces a tough test tonight in No. 4 Atlanta.

• The Dream bounced back from Monday’s steep 109-87 loss to No. 2 Las Vegas by handling No. 12 Phoenix 96-82 on Wednesday, with sharpshooters Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray combining for 43 points.

• “The first half they were just unbelievable,” head coach Karl Smesko said of the duo. “Gave us a bit of a cushion.” (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: Washington takes on Atlanta tonight at 7:30 PM ET (ION).

Seattle deepens postseason push against ACFC

No. 9 Seattle is on the rise, quietly scaling the NWSL standings to sit one spot south of playoff positioning on a two-game winning streak.

• Last weekend’s fireworks are still fresh, after Reign veteran Jess Fishlock came off the bench to instantly score the game-winner against Bay FC — helping Seattle take three of its last four matchups.

• “The young players gravitate to her,” manager Laura Harvey said of the 39-year-old Welsh star. “It’s actually really cool to see.” (Watch full highlights)

Scouting report: Seattle now enters a postseason bubble battle, taking on No. 8 Angel City — with whom Seattle is tied on points, but trails in goal differential.

• LA has dropped just one result since firing coach Alex Straus, picking up a point in Kansas City last weekend as it sharpens its own playoff push.

• “It’s a skill to play these away games against good teams, and this was a confirmation of the character of the group,” said ACFC interim manager Leif Gunnar Smerud. (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: Seattle hosts Angel City on Sunday at 9 PM ET (ESPN).

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

• In the episode, Claire digs into all the action at WAFCON, as Africa’s top national teams battle for a ticket to Brazil.

• With a stacked Group C and a tournament filled with NWSL talent, she asks, could one of these nations disrupt next year’s Women’s World Cup?

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

Ally Bank, Member FDIC.

Hard-court heavy-hitters roll in Toronto

Top WTA players are cruising in Canada, as US Open hopefuls tune up on the 2026 National Bank Open’s hard courts.

• World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Round of 16 in Thursday’s straight-sets win over Zhang Shuai, joined by No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 7 Iga Świątek, and No. 8 Amanda Anisimova.

• “I enjoy being the one being chased — it’s really fun,” Sabalenka said of her No. 1 status. “It’s tough challenges, but I love to go through it and it makes me stronger.” (Watch full highlights)

Looking ahead: With the year’s final Slam kicking off later this month in Queens, US talent has shined so far in Toronto — though the going gets tougher this weekend.

• No. 4 Coco Gauff faces Greek dark horse No. 29 Maria Sakkari tonight, before unseeded Caty McNally battles DC Open winner No. 25 Alexandra Eala after upsetting Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova on Wednesday.

Tune in: Canadian Open coverage continues today at 11 AM ET (Tennis Channel).

WAFCON quarterfinals kick off in Morocco

WAFCON 2026 is heating up, kicking off the quarterfinals this weekend after a dramatic group-stage finale with serious 2027 World Cup implications.

• Cup of Nations newcomer Malawi emerged out of Group C, taking it on tiebreakers after a tight 2-1 loss to Zambia — while Nigeria’s 6-2 win over Egypt eliminated Barbra Banda’s Copper Queens.

• Morocco, Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, Cameroon, and Ghana now join Temwa Chawinga’s Scorchers and the 10-time champion Super Falcons in the knockouts. (Watch full highlights)

How it works: Each quarterfinal winner books an automatic World Cup bid, while the four losing teams go on to battle for two inter-confederation playoff berths.

• Should world No. 153 Malawi take down Ghana on Saturday, it would become the lowest-ranked Women’s World Cup qualifier in history.

Tune in: WAFCON quarterfinals kick off tomorrow at 1 PM ET (CAF TV).

Quote of the day

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve
putting No. 1 Minnesota on blast after Thursday’s 89-82 loss to No. 9 LA.