Game recognize game.

USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps signs with Denver

USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps is coming home, with 2026 NWSL expansion team Denver Summit signing the midfielder to a multi-year deal today.

• Heaps is expected to join the squad in June, kicking off the second half of the NWSL season after finishing up with French side OL Lyonnes.

• “Lindsey has won at every level of the game,” Denver coach Nick Cushing said in a statement. “Her leadership, talent, and professionalism will continue to raise the standard for Summit FC when she arrives this summer.” (See full release)

Big picture: Born and raised in Golden, Colorado, Heaps has led Lyonnes’s midfield since 2022, moving to Europe after winning two NWSL Shields and one championship with the Portland Thorns.

• She also picked up one UEFA Champions League and three Division 1 Féminine titles with the French titans.

• The 31-year-old has been a consistent presence for the USWNT, winning a World Cup and an Olympic gold medal across 170 appearances.

Gearing up: “I’m incredibly excited to come home to Colorado and join Denver Summit FC,” Heaps said. “This club represents something special, not just for the league, but for this community and for the next generation of players growing up here.”

LSU serves Texas 1st loss of the NCAA season

Another unbeaten NCAA team has fallen, as No. 2 Texas suffered their first loss of the 2025/26 season at the hands of No. 12 LSU on Sunday.

• Junior Mikaylah Williams led the Tigers with 20 points, as five starters registered double-digit scoring while LSU earned their first AP Top 2 win since 2008.

• “They played much harder than we did, and they were way tougher than we were,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said after the 70-65 defeat. “By far our worst game of the year, and we’ll give them credit for that.” (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: Just three undefeated DI teams remain — No. 1 UConn, No. 7 Vanderbilt, and No. 17 Texas Tech — with high-profile upsets continuing to shake up college basketball’s elite.

• Unranked West Virginia took down No. 11 Iowa State 83-70 on Sunday, unranked Minnesota shocked No. 21 USC 63-62, and No. 19 Ohio State upset No. 8 Maryland 89-76.

• “I think we have a lot of potential to be really good, but not if we don’t figure some things out,” said USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, after the Trojans went 0-2 this week against unranked programs. (See full rankings)

Up next: Texas won’t have much time to recoup, visiting fellow SEC titan South Carolina on Thursday at 7 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Notre Dame bounces back with Top 25 win

Another unranked team made a statement, as Notre Dame took down No. 22 North Carolina 73-50 on Sunday to earn their second ranked win of the season.

• Junior guard Hannah Hidalgo led the game with 31 points, while also recording six steals on the night.

• “Hidalgo was a real problem,” Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart said postgame. “Obviously, she disrupted us in all ways, I think most of those 27 points off turnovers was because of her.” (See full highlights)

Big picture: After a volatile offseason, the Irish saw back-to-back losses to ACC foes Georgia Tech and Duke end their 85-week AP Top 25 streak earlier this month — but have since rattled off two straight wins to put themselves back in consideration.

• “I’m challenging them in practice,” said Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey. “We’re learning from our mistakes, and we’re getting better. That’s what I love. This group allows me to do that.”

Up next: Notre Dame will get another test on Thursday, taking on surging No. 10 Louisville at 6 PM ET, live on ACC Network.

WNBA enters status quo stasis as CBA talks drag on

The WNBA’s CBA deadline came and went on Friday, leaving the league and the union in a status quo holding pattern as negotiations drag on.

• The WNBA and WNBPA are continuing talks under the conditions of the previous CBA, without a moratorium on offseason activity like qualifying offers to restricted free agents.

Domino effect: Free agency conversations were set to begin January 11th, but while teams can legally start sending offers, reports indicate players aren’t eager to sign contracts under the old CBA.

• This year’s free agency period also hinges on the league’s expected two-team expansion draft, with incoming franchises Portland and Toronto unable to build their rosters due to the delays.

Stay tuned: The WNBPA recently reserved the right to authorize a work stoppage through a strike measure, saying the “WNBA and its teams have failed to meet us at the table with the same spirit and seriousness.”

Young stars breeze through early Unrivaled 3×3 play

Fresh faces are shining on the 3×3 court, as Unrivaled newcomer Breeze BC rides a 2-1 record through three games, holding their own against veteran competition.

• First-year guard Paige Bueckers leads the team with 18.3 points per game, with the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year also sitting third in the league in assists with 7.0 per game.

• “I feel like we just stick together,” said Breeze guard Rickea Jackson. “Our chemistry is insane for us to just [now] be playing together.”

Big picture: Experience did win out on Sunday, as reigning champion Rose BC’s Chelsea Gray dropped 37 points on the young stars to secure her team’s 3-0 record. (See full highlights)

• Gray leads the league with 31.7 points per game, hitting two game-winners in the first week of play as Rose BC tops the Season 2 standings.

Up next: Breeze returns to the court on Saturday, tipping off against Vinyl BC at 8:45 PM ET, live on TruTV.

Świątek injury fears overshadows Poland’s United Cup win

Poland lifted the United Cup trophy on Sunday, but the historic win brought new concerns as world No. 2 Iga Świątek appeared rattled as the Australian Open tune-up came to an end.

• Świątek finished the singles competition with back-to-back defeats, dropping Saturday’s match against US star No. 4 Coco Gauff in straight sets before Sunday’s three-set loss to Switzerland’s No. 10 Belinda Bencic, with the 24-year-old seeking treatment between sets.

• “Everything is fine. Just super sore,” she said afterwards, downplaying fitness concerns. “First tournament of the year, it causes the body [to feel] a bit differently than during the season.” (Watch full highlights)

Up next: Świątek and her peers now have a week to recover, before the first Grand Slam of 2026’s main draw kicks off on January 18th in Melbourne.

• Each player’s Australian Open pathway will be revealed on Thursday, following the qualifying rounds.

Number of the day 

$650,000

Angel City acquired USWNT defender Emily Sams from the Orlando Pride for $650,000 in intra-league funds on Friday — the second-highest fee in NWSL history.