Just Women's Sports

On Thursday night, the ESPYs honored University of South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for her continued contributions in the field of cancer research advocacy. After paying tribute to the "immense courage and resilience" of past award recipients as well as her family's personal connection to the cause, Staley spoke about her greater journey as an advocate, both on and off the court. "I try my best to do things in the right way, knowing that some little girl is out there watching me... maybe, she's one of the 13 pairs of eyes that see every little thing I do everyday and make sure to comment on it, that's my team," she said, motioning to her Gamecocks squad seated in the audience. "... How do I not fight pay disparity, when I do the same job and get paid less but win more? I can't ask them to stand up for themselves if I'm sitting down. Nor can I ask them to use their voice for change if I'm only willing to whisper."

On Wednesday, NBA 2K25 announced back-to-back WNBA Champion, two-time WNBA MVP, and six-time WNBA All-Star A’ja Wilson as its latest cover athlete. Las Vegas's newly minted all-time leading scorer, Wilson will grace the cover of the GameStop exclusive NBA 2K25 WNBA Edition. She will also be featured on the dual-league All-Star Edition alongside 2024 NBA Champion Jayson Tatum. "Being featured on the NBA 2K25 cover is a big moment for me and a testament to the ever-growing fandom of the WNBA," said A’ja Wilson in a press release. "Seeing more and more WNBA athletes scanned into NBA 2K25 to best capture the style and confidence of the league has been empowering, and I can't wait for fans to experience it in-game." NBA 2K25 will be available on September 6th on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

On Wednesday, Nike announced the launch of a collection paying homage to the USWNT’s 1999 World Cup team, 25 years after the legendary squad lifted the trophy. In addition to replica jerseys representing iconic players like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain, Nike will also release a red and blue tracksuit featuring 1999-era USWNT branding. The collection is set to drop on July 18th.

On Saturday, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double, registering 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in the upset win over league leaders New York. A 2024 All-Star, Clark currently leads all rookies in average points per game with 16.1 and trails only 2023 MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas league-wide in average assists per game with 7.4. She's helped the Fever to a 9-13 record ahead of the WNBA's Olympic break.

Last Wednesday, the WNBA announced the premiere of YEAR 1, a four-part docuseries offering a behind-the-scenes look at a few of this year's star rookies. Simultaneously released on YouTube and the WNBA app, the series follows Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Kamilla Cardoso (Chicago Sky), Rickea Jackson (LA Sparks), and Nika Muhl (Seattle Storm) as they transition from the 2024 WNBA Draft to their current professional teams. The first episode, entitled 'Acclimating,' premiered on July 3rd.

After months of conjecture, the NWSL announced Wednesday that Kansas City will host the 2024 NWSL Championship at team-owned CPKC Stadium. The game will take place on Saturday, November 23rd, capping off the league's newly expanded eight-team postseason format. The stadium opened earlier this year as the first venue to be built specifically for an NWSL team. And while CPKC's 11,500-person capacity will bring the game's total possible attendance down from last year's record 25,011 fans in San Diego, it also means a sellout crowd is almost guaranteed.

At the US Olympic Track & Field Trials on Sunday, reigning Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set a new world record in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.65 seconds. “Just shock. Honestly shock,” said McLaughlin-Levrone after crossing the finish line. “When it first came up, it said 50.67. I was like, ‘There’s just no way.’” The win marked the fifth time McLaughlin-Levrone has lowered the event's world record. The 24-year-old beat her previous time, set in July 2022, by .03 seconds. The US track star will go on to defend her 400-meter hurdles gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles will lead Team USA to Paris after winning the all-around title at the 2024 US Olympic Gymnastics Trials. With the weekend's win, Biles became just the fourth gymnast to make three Olympic teams in US history. At 27 years old, Biles is also Team USA’s oldest Olympic gymnast since 1952. Joining Biles are three of her Tokyo teammates: reigning Olympic all-around gold medalist Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Olympic floor exercise gold medalist Jade Carey. The US hasn’t featured four veteran members since 1952 — a time when teams consisted of eight gymnasts, not five. Claiming the fifth and final spot is high school junior Hezly Rivera, who made her senior career debut less than four months ago. Rivera, who turned 16 on June 4th, is currently Team USA’s youngest Olympian across all sports.

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese made WNBA history on Thursday, tying Candace Parker's record for longest double-double streak in a single season with her ninth double-double in a row. The No. 7 overall draft pick out of LSU, Reese leads the Sky in rebounds so far this season, averaging 11.1 rebounds along with 13.5 points per game.

Exclusive: The Utah Royals are unveiling a new, multimillion-dollar sports medicine and performance facility: • 11,000 square feet • Dedicated weight room, hydrotherapy room and players’ lounge • Spaces for childcare and nursing mothers The facility will be dedicated as the SharkNinja Performance Center when it opens.