Ice cold drip.

USWNT star Crystal Dunn retires from pro soccer

Another USWNT legend is hanging up her boots, as World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist Crystal Dunn announced her retirement from professional soccer on Thursday.

• “This decision has not come easily, but I am at peace and deeply fulfilled with all that I have accomplished,” Dunn wrote. “I’ve achieved nearly everything I dreamed of in this sport and gave all I had to give.”

• “I look forward to spending more time with my family and being a more present mom,” she continued. “This was not a decision made lightly, but was one made with immense gratitude for everything I’ve experienced as a professional soccer player.” (See full post)

Storied career: The 33-year-old won two major trophies with the US as an outside back, while picking up an NWSL MVP award, Golden Boot, three league titles, and three NWSL Shields as a forward and midfielder during club stints in North Carolina, Portland, and Gotham.

• She also retires as one of the USWNT’s most prominent Black voices, with US Soccer calling her “a role model to many young players of color across the country who aspired to reach the highest levels of the game.” (See full release)

• “I’ve grown through challenges, celebrated incredible triumphs, and cherished every part of the journey,” Dunn added.

UCLA faces Iowa in top-ranked Big Ten action

The Big Ten regular-season title race is heating up, as Sunday’s top-ranked clash sees No. 2 UCLA take on a No. 8 Iowa team reeling from Thursday’s USC upset.

• While still unbeaten in conference play, the Bruins are coming off their own close call, defeating Illinois 80-67 on Wednesday — their tightest margin of victory against an unranked opponent this year. (Watch full highlights)

• “If [Illinois] can stick together… fight the urge to choose themselves or to look elsewhere… they can be in a really special place,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said afterwards. (Watch full clip)

Big picture: Despite entering the Top 10 for the first time since the Caitlin Clark era, the Hawkeyes ceded their first Big Ten loss to the unranked Trojans this week.

• Iowa slipped quickly into foul trouble, as star USC freshman Jazzy Davidson notched 21 points with the Hawkeyes forced to rotate their front court.

• “We were out of sync to start,” Iowa assistant coach LaSondra Barrett said postgame. “Foul trouble was a big thing.” (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: Iowa takes on UCLA on Sunday at 5 PM ET, live on FOX.

SEC titan Tennessee looks to test No. 1 UConn

Riding high near the top of the SEC standings, No. 15 Tennessee faces an age-old rival on Sunday as the Lady Vols visit undefeated No. 1 UConn.

• Tennessee led the SEC title race on a 6-0 conference record until Thursday, when they fell to Mississippi State 77-62 behind senior Bulldog Kharyssa Richardson’s 21 points.

• “They outworked us, they out-toughed us, start to finish,” Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell said postgame. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: For Big East leaders UConn, Sunday’s matchup likely stands as the Huskies’ final ranked test before kicking off their national title defense.

• However, UConn is currently managing a lengthy injury report, with six players sitting out Wednesday’s win over Xavier.

• But the Huskies’ depth never wavered, as backup guard Allie Ziebell sunk 10 three-pointers to secure the 97-39 victory with a career-high 34 points. (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: Uconn takes on Tennessee on Sunday at 12 PM ET, live on FOX.

Aryna Sabalenka targets 3rd Australian Open title

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is one match away from her third Australian Open title, after taking down No. 12 Elina Svitolina in straight sets on Thursday.

• The 27-year-old Belarusian won the Melbourne Grand Slam in 2023 and 2024, before dropping the 2025 final to US star No. 9 Madison Keys.

• “The job is not done yet,” Sabalenka said after her semifinal win. (Watch full highlights)

Next up: Sabalenka now faces No. 5 Elena Rybakina, after the 2022 Wimbledon champ ousted No. 6 Jessica Pegula in her own straight-set semifinal victory.

Tune in: The Australian Open final kicks off on Saturday at 3:30 AM ET, live on ESPN.

LPGA stars hit the links at the Tournament of Champions

The LPGA Tour has officially teed off, as 39 top-ranked golfers compete for a piece of the 2026 Tournament of Champions’ $2.1 million purse this week.

• Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen leads the field with the second round underway, followed closely by Nasa Hataoka, Lottie Woad, Linn Grant, Hyojin Yang, and US favorite Nelly Korda. (See full leaderboard)

Big picture: The season-opening tournament pairs pros with amateur celebrities, with this year’s event featuring USWNT legend Brandi Chastain and golf icon Annika Sorenstam.

Tune in: Second-round coverage starts today at 11:30 AM ET, live on the Golf Channel.

Unrivaled brings women’s basketball back to Philly

Unrivaled 3×3 is taking over Philadelphia, as the Miami-based league brings pro women’s basketball back to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time since 1998.

• The one-off doubleheader is shaping up to be a success, selling out the 21,000-seat Xfinity Mobile Arena with tickets averaging $165 each on the secondary market.

• “I’m just excited for the love from the city. People can really see this as a basketball city, one of the best cities in the world,” said Philadelphia native and Rose BC star Kahleah Copper, as the city gears up to launch its own WNBA expansion team in 2030.

The lineup: Unrivaled planned a star-studded bill for the event, with Paige Bueckers’s Breeze BC first taking on Philly’s own Natasha Cloud and the Phantom before Copper and Rose BC square off against Marina Mabrey’s Lunar Owls.

Tune in: Philly Is Unrivaled tips off tonight at 7:30 PM ET, live on TNT.

Number of the day 

64

Sage Hill high school senior Amalia Holguin — the youngest of Kobe Bryant’s Little Mambas — dropped 64 points in Tuesday’s 101-26 win over Laguna Beach, six years and one day after losing her former coaches and teammates in a tragic helicopter crash.