USWNT goes again | Commissioner's Cup tips off | Texas Tech ousts Oklahoma

Happy sportsmanship season, y’all.

USWNT readies for round two

The USWNT takes on Jamaica tonight, capping the two-friendly international break with a match spotlighting both the past and future of the program.

• The US opened the stretch in St. Paul on Saturday with a 3-0 win over China PR, with major roster rotations expected tonight in St. Louis as coach Emma Hayes continues to evaluate fresh and familiar on-field combos.

• “I want to make sure that, whether you start, whether you come into the game [off the bench], it shouldn’t alter our level,” Hayes told media this week. “If anything, we should keep finding other levels in us.”

A worthy tribute: As plenty of young firepower takes the pitch, the clash will also celebrate a recently retired USWNT great.

• Two-time World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, and St. Louis native Becky Sauerbrunn will take center stage, with Energizer Park even doling out bobbleheads in her likeness.

• “I’ve got a locker room, not just of senior players but less experienced players, that talk about [Sauerbrunn] in the highest esteem,” said Hayes of the longtime USWNT captain. “Both as a leader, and as a human being.”

Tune in: The USWNT kicks off against Jamaica tonight at 8 PM ET, live on TNT.

WNBA Commissioners Cup tips off

The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup is back, as the annual in-season tournament ups the stakes and raises incentives across the league.

• Winning percentage, point differential, and head-to-head records all factor in as both Eastern and Western Conference teams battle it out for a shot at the $500,000 prize pool.

• New York officially got the party started on Sunday, securing a 48-point statement win over Connecticut to open their 2025 campaign with a bang.

How it works: Launched in 2021, the Commissioner’s Cup runs concurrently with the regular season, drawing on in-conference matchups to build a team’s overall Cup record.

• June 1st’s Liberty win tipped off three straight weeks of conference play, culminating in a July 1st final between the Eastern and Western Conference winners.

• Last season’s final foreshadowed the eventual WNBA Championship, as Minnesota topped New York to lift the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup.

Check it out: The Commissioner’s Cup runs through June 17th, with tonight’s lineup featuring Washington vs. Indiana at 7 PM ET (NBATV), Phoenix vs. Minnesota at 8 PM ET (ESPN3), and Dallas vs. Seattle at 9:30 PM ET (ESPN).

WNBA injuries spur hardship signings

With injuries mounting across the WNBA, several teams have started stocking up on recently waived free agents heading into a busy stretch of the regular season.

• With both Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas sidelined, the Mercury signed former Dream guard and 2023 first-round draft pick Haley Jones to a rest-of-season hardship contract on Sunday.

• The Fever picked up ex-Sparks guard and 2021 first-rounder Aari McDonald on Sunday, with Indiana looking bolster backcourt depth as Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson all remain limited.

How it works: As teams attempt to balance 12-player lineups with restrictive salary caps, though, the longevity of these early-season additions remains uncertain.

• Hardship contracts allow teams to temporarily expand the salary cap, but when injured players return, so do tough roster calls — much to the dismay of front office decision-makers.

• “More bodies would be good,” Fever president Kelly Krauskopf told reporters with a wry laugh ahead of McDonald’s signing.

Bottom line: Roster limitations will likely be a key issue when CBA negotiations rev up, with this week’s emergency signings only adding fuel to the fire.

Basketball is so back. And whether it's smashing viewership records or dropping logo threes, there's never been a better time to highlight all the blockbuster moments that move the WNBA.

This major moment is presented by State Farm.

CBS scores UWCL broadcast rights

CBS is bringing Champions League action to the US next season, the network announced on Saturday, after acquiring the tournament’s exclusive broadcast rights through 2030.

• Ending with English side Arsenal lifting their first UWCL trophy in 18 years, last weekend’s Champion’s League Final completed a four-year international media deal with streamer DAZN.

• Starting next season, all 75 European Championship matches will air live across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Changing the game: Further aligning with the men’s tournament, the UWCL is set to grow from 16 to 18 teams in 2025/26, while also transitioning from a group stage play-in to a single-league standings format.

• “As the competition embarks on an exciting new era, we look forward to CBS Sports delivering its dynamic and insightful coverage to American audiences, showcasing the highest level of women’s club football in its new format over the next five seasons,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, managing director at UC3, the commercial entity uniting UEFA and the European Club Association.

Texas Tech sends Oklahoma packing

Oklahoma’s hunt for a fifth straight NCAA title is over, as Texas Tech walked the Sooners off 3-2 on Monday night to book a trip to their first-ever Women’s College World Series final.

• Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady played WCWS hero once again, with college softball’s first $1 million player allowing just two runs on five hits alongside eight strikeouts through seven innings.

• “Honestly, it was a very cinematic way to go out,” Sooners infielder Cydney Sanders said of last night’s late-inning dramatics.

Big picture: With a total of eight national championships under their belt, this year’s tournament marks Oklahoma’s earliest exit since 2018.

• The finals will now be an all-Texas affair, after the Texas Longhorns also advanced with a shutout win over Tennessee.

Quote of the day

@nyliberty
responding to a tweet from @SavageSports_ claiming that New York sports teams haven’t won a major championship since 2011.