“Every team hits a rough patch — it’s about how you respond to it.” - Dallas guard Paige Bueckers, after the Wings snapped a three-game skid against Toronto.

Valkyries roll to 5th straight win

Golden State is proving its worth, as the No. 2 Valkyries tallied a team-record 16 steals in last night’s 91-71 rout of No. 12 Chicago — marking their fifth straight win.

• Five Golden State shooters finished in double-digits, taking advantage of Chicago’s 17 turnovers despite missing starters Kiah Stokes (concussion) and Janelle Salaün (knee).

• “Communication has really stepped up,” guard Tiffany Hayes said after posting a game-high 22 points off the bench. “We have a bunch of principles that we have to stick to — that’s really Valkyries basketball. I think we did a lot of that tonight.” (Watch full highlights)

Climbing the ranks: Despite struggling with injury, the 2025 expansion side is 24-9 on the season, already surpassing last year’s record 23 wins with 11 games to go.

• “Next man up mentality, and that’s been us since the beginning,” guard Veronica Burton said. “Whoever we have available is who we’re rocking with, and we trust every single person on this roster.”

• The Valkyries now sit three games behind the No. 1 Lynx, with two more regular-season trips to Minnesota on the books. (See full schedule)

Up next: Golden State returns Monday against No. 7 Dallas at 10 PM ET (Peacock).

Last-place Chicago Stars clean house

Chicago is shaking up its sideline, as the last-place Stars parted ways with head coach Martin Sjögren and assistant Anders Jacobson on Wednesday.

• With just one win since May, Sjögren exits on a 4-1-13 record and minus-24 goal differential, while assistant Karina Báez takes over as interim coach for the rest of the season.

• Nicole Lukic comes on as Chicago’s new assistant coach, joining the NWSL after stints with USL Super League’s Spokane Zephyr and USL-W’s Minnesota Aurora. (See full report)

Familiar faces: The Stars are also bringing back former boss Lorne Donaldson as interim director of coaching — a surprising move given his abrupt midseason dismissal last year.

• “We are determined to make our club a serious contender in the NWSL and have a plan in place to do so beginning now and leading into the 2027 season,” President Karen Leetzow said in a team statement. (See full release)

Up next: Chicago returns tomorrow, facing No. 9 Seattle at 10 PM ET (NWSL+).

WTA titans square off in Toronto

The Canadian Open comes down to this, as Iga Świątek and Elena Rybakina advance to tonight’s hard-court final via twin three-set showdowns.

• World No. 8 Świątek outlasted No. 9 Elina Svitolina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, pouncing as the Ukrainian double-faulted on triple-break point in the decider to reach her first final of 2026. (Watch full highlights)

• Surging No. 2 Rybakina stormed back to beat No. 4 Coco Gauff 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, securing her second straight comeback after ousting No. 13 Naomi Osaka. (Watch full highlights)

Big moves: Rybakina is chasing her third 2026 title, nearing No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka’s top WTA ranking — with Toronto’s 1,000 points just enough to get her there.

• The finalists enter on a 6-6 head-to-head record, after Rybakina most recently upset the Polish star in the Australian Open quarterfinals.

• “It’s going to again be a very difficult match, and we know each other so well,” she said of Świątek. “I feel it’s more about the recovery after so many hours on the court, and bring as much energy as I can.”

Tune in: The Canadian Open final starts tonight at 6 PM ET (Tennis Channel).

WAFCON finalist Malawi defies the odds

World No. 153 Malawi rolls on, as the Chawinga sisters powered the WAFCON debutants past No. 74 Algeria 3-1 to meet Cameroon in Sunday’s final.

• OL Lyonnes’s Tabitha Chawinga opened the scoring with a bicycle kick off a corner in the 34th minute, before sealing the win with a 76th-minute strike.

• KC Current star Temwa Chawinga netted her fifth goal of the tournament in first-half stoppage time, pulling level with Zambia’s Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride) atop WAFCON’s Golden Boot race. (Watch full highlights)

Scouting report: No. 71 Cameroon pulled off the bracket’s other upset, as goalkeeper Michaely Bihina made four saves to beat host No. 64 Morocco 3-1 on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes.

• All four semifinalists already secured their 2027 World Cup berths, while the four losing quarterfinalists — Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria — battle for two tickets to FIFA’s inter-confederation playoffs this afternoon. (See full format)

Tune in: The 2026 WAFCON final kicks off Sunday at 3 PM ET (beIN Sports USA).

ESPN stacks its NCAA slate

ESPN is betting on women’s college sports, as the network unveiled expanded coverage across volleyball and soccer ahead of the 2026 NCAA season.

• The volleyball lineup marks the largest in ESPN history, listing more than 2,400 matches — including 106 on linear TV — starting with an August 21st showdown between Louisville and defending champion Texas A&M.

• The network will air the entire NCAA volleyball tournament, culminating in December 20th’s final in San Antonio. (See full report)

Big pitch: ESPN will carry 46 regular-season NCAA soccer matchups including 10 top-ranked clashes, with ESPN+ streaming 1,750+ games across 22+ conferences.

• 2025 champ Florida State headlines eight broadcasts, while Georgia hosts its first-ever match inside Sanford Stadium, looking to break the women’s college soccer attendance record while honoring the USWNT’s 1996 Olympic gold-medal win.

Project B adopts Olympic gender policy

Project B made headlines this week, as the offseason league told Front Office Sports it will adhere to Olympic and FIBA gender eligibility guidelines, citing “consistency and confidence for players and stakeholders.”

• The IOC effectively barred trans athletes from competing in Olympic women’s sports earlier this year, with FIBA following suit as it continues reviewing basketball-specific data through 2027.

Context: The news arrives as the media storm surrounding gender eligibility reaches new heights, after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham spoke out against trans inclusion in women’s sports.

• Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s recently formed task force found “no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA,” while the players union decried “hate, abuse, and demonization” directed at transgender people.

• Project B has signed 15 players ahead of its January debut — including Cunningham and WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike. (See full roster)

Number of the day 

3

Just three goals currently separate the NWSL’s top five Golden Boot contenders.