With 12 goals and counting, Denver’s Janine Sonis has officially entered the NWSL’s Golden Boot race.

Golden State sprints to a 2-0 semis lead

No. 2 Golden State is on the brink of history, as the second-year franchise held off No. 3 Las Vegas 83-81 last night to take a 2-0 semifinal lead — moving within one win of its first trip to the WNBA finals.

• The Valkyries built a 17-point lead by the third quarter, leaning on a swarming perimeter defense that left the Aces scrambling.

• Las Vegas stormed back to grab its first lead since Game 1, before Gabby Williams buried a go-ahead jumper and fed Veronica Burton for a dagger 3-pointer to seal it. (Watch full highlights)

Falling short: The result underscored the series’ emphasis on depth over star power, as Golden State met four-time MVP A’ja Wilson with its tested rotation.

• Aces coach Becky Hammon emptied her bench in search of answers, deploying Kalani Brown, Justine Pissott, and two-time champion Dana Evans.

• “If we lose, we go home,” Hammon said of her squad’s approach to Game 3. “We know we’re capable of stringing three in a row... No reverse psychology, no nothing. Just go out and get it done.” (See full remarks)

Up next: The best-of-five series moves to Las Vegas tomorrow, as the Aces host the Valkyries at 9:30 PM ET (NBC Sports).

Atlanta downs New York in OT thriller

No. 4 Atlanta eked it out last night, as the Dream outlasted No. 8 New York 101-98 in overtime to seize a 2-0 lead in the pair’s best-of-five semifinal.

• With top scorer Allisha Gray sidelined, Atlanta converted 17 turnovers into 28 points behind DPOY Angel Reese and breakout guard Jordin Canada. 

• “Adversity builds character,” Reese said. “All of us have been in situations in our life where we felt like it was the last possession, or our backs were against the wall... All of us were saying, ‘Just one more.’” (Watch full highlights)

Falling short: Liberty star Breanna Stewart put up 25 first-half points but was held to 10 after the break, while rookie Marine Fauthoux erupted for a career-high 20 — including the clutch 3-pointer that forced overtime.

• Confusion ruled the game’s final seconds, as Stewart said she called for a timeout and was denied, while the crew chief stated otherwise — leading the New York to file an official inquiry into the situation.

• “When I ask both refs if we have a reset timeout at the end, and they tell us ‘no,’ and then we leave the game with a reset timeout, it’s pretty frustrating,” she told reporters. “Would just love to have some clarity on that.” (See full clip)

Up next: The series lands in Brooklyn on Friday, as the Liberty hosts the Dream at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN2).

Coco Gauff withdraws from Wuhan Open

Coco Gauff is hitting the breaks, as the world No. 4 announced she won’t defend her Wuhan Open crown, instead skipping the season’s final WTA 1000 event to rest after Wednesday’s 6-3, 6-3 China Open loss.

• The 22-year-old was visibly fatigued as she fell to Elise Mertens, telling her camp mid-match she had “no energy” and felt like she might pass out.

• The struggles follow a wave of racist online abuse Gauff faced after stopping play during a second-round win over China’s Sun Xinran to address a flickering sign — a call supported by the WTA rulebook. (See full report)

Following suit: Gauff isn’t the only high-profile player sitting out, as No. 17 Naomi Osaka, No. 11 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 1 Elena Rybakina also withdrew from next week’s tournament.

• 2025 semifinalist No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka is expected to claim the No. 1 seed in Wuhan, as she looks to bounce back from an early upset in Beijing.

• “I’m disappointed to withdraw from Wuhan, especially as the defending champion,” Gauff wrote. “After a long year, my body needs some time to rest and recover.” (See full report)

WNBA playoffs draw record viewership

The WNBA’s ratings boom keeps rolling, as Sunday’s semifinal doubleheader averaged 1.15 million viewers — up 10% over last year.

• Game 1 between No. 4 Atlanta and No. 8 New York drew 1.17 million on ABC, before No. 3 Las Vegas and No. 2 Golden State pulled 1.12 million on NBC — marking the network’s first playoff broadcast since 2002.

• Both clashes aired opposite the NFL’s Sunday slate, holding their own to become the second- and third-most-watched semifinal openers on record. (See full report)

Big screen: The news follows a record first round that averaged 1.3 million viewers across 10 games – up 37% over 2025 — with 2.3 million tuning in to see Las Vegas oust No. 6 Indiana last week. (See full report)

USWNT & Chelsea focus on Naomi Girma’s fitness

The USWNT is teaming up across the pond, as coach Emma Hayes and US Soccer work with Chelsea to address Naomi Girma’s fitness after another calf injury sidelined the defender from this month’s camp.

• Girma has been plagued by the issue since her record $1 million transfer in early 2025, playing in just 21 matches for the Blues while making eight appearances for the US.

• “This has happened too often, and if we want her to be in a position to play games on a regular basis for club and country, I think we have to change some things,” Hayes said. (See full report)

Looking ahead: The pressure’s on as the 2027 World Cup nears, with the US kicking off its two-friendly series with reigning champion Spain this Saturday.

Number of the day 

$100 million

Golden State became the first WNBA franchise to earn $100 million in annual revenue, reaching the milestone in just its second year in the league.