Wings scorch Fire to clinch playoff berth

LLWS phenom Kinley Rasmus is shaking things up in Williamsport.

Wings scorch Fire to clinch playoff berth

No. 8 Dallas punched its ticket, clinching the WNBA’s final playoff berth with last night’s 96-78 rout of No. 9 Portland — ending a postseason drought dating to 2023.

• Paige Bueckers notched a 22-point, 11-assist double-double, leading a balanced attack that saw all five Dallas starters reach double-digit scoring.

• The Wings took a 50-37 halftime lead before sealing the deal with a 15-4 third-quarter burst, officially eliminating the Fire from playoff contention. (Watch full highlights)

Big fight: Despite losing No. 1 draft pick Azzi Fudd to a season-ending knee injury, the 23-16 Wings have already logged their highest wins total since moving to Dallas in 2016.

• They now sit two games below fifth place as the race to secure playoff seeding tightens with five regular-season games to go. 

• “It means a lot, just in terms of all we’ve overcome throughout this season,” Bueckers said postgame. “We want to keep building and don’t want to get complacent.” (See playoff scenarios)

Up next: Dallas looks to improve its record against No. 14 Connecticut on Sunday at 8:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass).

Angel City visits red-hot Courage

No. 6 North Carolina is hunting momentum, welcoming No. 9 Angel City to Cary hot off Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 win over Boston — its fourth victory in five games.

• Player of the Week Ashley Sanchez powered the weekend comeback with her third brace of the year, taking control of the 2026 Golden Boot race.

• “Excited to play again at home in front of the fans,” said head coach Mak Lind. “We had a good performance and a great win against Boston.” (See full preview)

Scouting report: Angel City sits two points below the playoff line after Sunday’s scoreless draw with Gotham FC, eking out the result behind keeper Angelina Anderson’s late penalty save.

• Sveindis Jónsdóttir and Maiara Niehues pace LA’s attack with six goals apiece, while Emily Sams and Sarah Gorden anchor one of the league’s stingier defenses.

• “We want to win, but we know winning can take time,” said Sporting Director Mark Parsons. “Developing and growing and improving every day is important to us.” (See full standings)

Tune in: North Carolina takes on Angel City at 8 PM ET (CBS Sports).

US Open kicks off star-studded mixed doubles

The US Open kicked off with a bang yesterday, as legend Serena Williams and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka headlined the revamped two-day mixed doubles event.

• In her first competitive return to Arthur Ashe since 2022, Williams and partner Carlos Alcaraz notched a first-round win over Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool, before falling in the quarterfinals to Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. 

• “It’s always amazing to be here — I never expected to be back on this court,” Williams said afterwards. “It was just a really cool moment. I never thought this would happen.” (Watch full highlights)

Setting the field: Sabalenka’s run also ended early, as she and Novak Djokovic dropped a three-setter to Kateřina Siniaková and Henry Patten despite entering as the No. 1 seed. 

• Elina Svitolina and husband Gaël Monfils were the showcase’s big surprise, riding a wildcard into today’s semifinals alongside Top 10 singles players Mirra Andreeva and Karolína Muchová. (See full lineup)

Tune in: US Open mixed doubles wraps up tonight starting at 7 PM ET (ESPN).

Lynx sale reflects WNBA’s soaring valuations

No. 1 Minnesota is changing hands, as minority investor Marc Stad finalizes a deal to buy a majority stake in the Timberwolves and Lynx at a $4.5 billion valuation.

• MLB icon Alex Rodriguez remains on as Lynx governor and co-owner, while Elisa Stad represents the Wolves on the NBA Board of Governors.

• “I’m really excited the way he feels about Elisa, his wife, and the position that she’ll take,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said. “There’s a lot of alignment in Marc, the way he’s conducted his life and his business that sort of parallel the WNBA and how the Lynx have cared about women’s empowerment.” (See full report)

Big moves: The pending deal underscores the WNBA’s recent rise, as league-leader Minnesota leapt from an $85 million valuation in 2024 to $405 million this month.

Chelsea open UWCL bid against Real Sociedad

Chelsea’s European campaign starts now, as the eight-time WSL champion hunts redemption against Real Sociedad in the first leg of the 2026/27 UWCL qualifiers.

• The Blues are looking to punch a ticket to the League Phase after last season’s third-place WSL finish saw them miss an automatic Champions League berth.

• Preseason records favor the UK side after Chelsea shut out Auckland FC and topped the A-League All-Stars, while third-place Liga F finisher Sociedad stumbled against Portugal’s Torreense. (See full preview)

Injury report: Coach Sonia Bompastor will face both ties without Erin Cuthbert, Mayra Ramirez, and Manaka Matsukubo, as the rest of the reshuffled squad readies for its first competitive match since losing striker Sam Kerr to Gotham.

Tune in: Chelsea hosts Real Sociedad today at 1:45 PM ET (chelseafc.com).

Chicago Stars stay put in 2027

No. 16 Chicago is extending its lakeside lease, returning to Northwestern’s Martin Stadium in 2027 after scrapping plans to relocate to the football team’s new Ryan Field.

• The club received pushback from Evanston residents wary of the move, settling on becoming the 12,000-seat venue’s primary tenant as the Wildcats take over the 35,000-capacity addition. 

• “Playing another season at Martin Stadium will allow us to continue to enhance the fan experience while providing the North Shore with access to amazing athletes and the highest level of women’s professional soccer,” said Stars President Karen Leetzow. (See full release)

Big picture: Last-place Chicago is averaging just 4,316 fans per match, ranking among the league’s lowest in attendance even as season ticket sales climbed 31% over 2025. (See full report)

What you had to say

Last week, 33% of you said you’d like to see more coverage of the WPBL. Batter up.

• 33%: Women’s Professional Baseball League

• 27%: Major League Volleyball/League One Volleyball

• 16%: Women’s Elite Rugby

• 9%: USL Super League

• 7%: Women’s Lacrosse League

• 6%: Women’s National Football Conference

• 2%: World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association