Does Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger push the envelope? Roll the tape.

Young stars collide in Indianapolis

Bright young stars hit the court tonight, as No. 5 Indiana hosts No. 7 Dallas with just 1.5 games separating them in the WNBA standings.

• Both teams returned to form this week, with Indiana compiling a two-game winning streak capped by Tuesday’s 106-92 victory over No. 6 New York — despite coach Stephanie White catching some heat as the media storm surrounding the team continues to rage.

• “I hated that our fans booed her,” guard Caitlin Clark said. “That made me a little sick, to be honest.” (See full report)

Injury report: Wings enter tonight’s matchup fresh off taking down No. 13 Toronto 94-88, snapping a three-game skid despite an increasingly shorthanded roster.

• Dallas will be without rookie Azzi Fudd (knee) for a fourth straight game tonight, as she joins Jessica Shepard and Aziaha James on the injured list.

• “Right now we’re in a return-to-play protocol,” coach José Fernández said of Fudd’s recovery. “The most important thing is her health and her return to play and her longevity.” (See full report)

Tune in: Indiana hosts Dallas tonight at 7:30 PM ET (ION).

MVP hopefuls square off as Aces host Lynx

It’s a battle at the top in Las Vegas, as WNBA playoff locks No. 1 Minnesota and No. 3 Las Vegas square off tomorrow with postseason seeding on the line.

• Both teams boast individual award hopefuls, with Aces forward A’ja Wilson leading the WNBA in points (25.9) and blocks (2.1) per game, while sitting third in rebounds with 9.7.

• The Lynx have leaned on Rookie of the Year frontrunner Olivia Miles, averaging 19.8 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game as she makes a case for even larger accolades. (See full stats)

Scouting report: Minnesota and Las Vegas are rounding into postseason form after clinching berths, as the Lynx carry a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s matchup, while the Aces arrive hot off a two-game sweep of the Mystics.

• Minnesota took the upper hand last Saturday, surging past Las Vegas 98-87 behind a combined 48 points from Miles and star veteran Napheesa Collier.

• “We’re kind of learning how to share the space and get each other touches in the right moments,” Miles said of the pair’s synergy. “I think we’re doing a good job with it.” (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: Las Vegas hosts Minnesota on Saturday at 8 PM ET (CBS).

NWSL Golden Boot race takes center stage

The 2026 Golden Boot race is heating up, with just three goals separating the NWSL’s leading scorers heading into this weekend’s lineup.

• Orlando’s Barbra Banda tops the leaderboard after netting 12 goals across just 15 games, as the Zambia star returns from WAFCON this week.

• Courage star Ashley Sanchez is just one goal behind Banda with 11, as Washington’s Trinity Rodman, Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga, North Carolina’s Evelyn Ijeh, and Portland’s Sophia Wilson sit tied at nine apiece. (See full stats)

Head to head: Fans could witness a Banda-Wilson shootout tomorrow, as the No. 5 Thorns and No. 11 Pride hunt consistency amid recent struggles.

• Injury-struck Portland has tallied just one win in its last five games, while Orlando has fallen out of playoff positioning on a similar skid.

• “The belief is still there,” Pride manager Seb Hines said. “We have to keep going. We have to keep trying, not get too out of discipline either.”

Tune in: Portland hosts Orlando tomorrow at 8:45 PM ET (ION).

Catch up on the latest women’s soccer headlines, as an all-new episode of The Late Sub presented by Ally Bank dishes up host Claire Watkins’s hottest takes on all things USWNT, NWSL, Champions League, and more.

• In the episode, Claire zooms out on the NWSL to see how five teams are trending as the season closes in on its second half.

• With Olivia Moultrie out for the season, struggling Portland could be on a skid, while Washington is feeling the burnout, Seattle is looking like the Reign of yore, and Gotham sits atop the table with the league’s best defense.

Tune in: Catch The Late Sub with Claire Watkins on YouTube.

Ally Bank, Member FDIC.

Rankings hang in the balance in final US Open tune-up

World No. 2 Elena Rybakina’s quest continues, landing at the Cincinnati Open after ceding the Canadian Open title to No. 5 Iga Świątek in straight sets last night.

• Rybakina struggled with her stamina after surviving three-set battles with No. 13 Naomi Osaka and No. 4 Coco Gauf in the lead-up to Thursday’s final.

• “I feel kind of destroyed now,” she said. “Especially when the tournament is finished, you kind of feel everything even more.” (Watch full highlights)

Scouting report: Rybakina’s loss puts the pressure on No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to maintain her grip on the WTA rankings, as she prepares to defend her 2025 US Open title with a slim 354-point cushion at the top.

• Sabalenka, Rybakina, Gauff, and No. 3 Jessica Pegula lead the draw in Ohio, alongside top seeds Świątek, No. 6 Mirra Andreeva, No. 8 Linda Noskova, No. 9 Elina Svitolina, No. 10 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 11 Marta Kostyuk. (See full field)

Tune in: Cincinnati Open coverage runs through August 23rd (Tennis Channel).

Katie Ledecky pulls off narrow 1,500-meter win

Katie Ledecky rose to the challenge, as the US swimmer defended her 1,500-meter freestyle crown by a tight margin at yesterday’s Pan Pacific Championships.

• Ledecky topped the podium with a time of 15 minutes, 36.09 seconds, edging out Australia’s Lani Pallister by just 2.53 seconds — her narrowest 1,500-meter major tournament win in 13 years.

• “Even with a swim I’m not super happy with, it’s just so much fun to be in this environment and get to experience this,” she said afterwards. (Watch full highlights)

Neck-and-neck: Heading into the 2028 Olympics, Ledecky holds the 13 fastest 1,500-meter times on record, with similar dominance in the 800-meter freestyle.

• Pallister will attempt to change that on Saturday, after finishing just .36 seconds behind Ledecky in the 2025 Worlds’ 800-meter race.

Tune in: Pan Pacific Championships coverage runs through Saturday (Peacock).

Number of the day 

35

Nigeria failed to qualify for the Women’s World Cup after yesterday’s 2-1 loss to South Africa, snapping a 35-year streak dating back to the tournament’s 1991 inception.