🏀 Atlanta sees your Ballhalla and raises you a sold-out State Farm Arena. The Dream routed the Golden State Valkyries Wednesday to take a 2-1 lead in the Finals. This is a franchise that was 0-10 all-time in Finals games before this series. Angel McCoughtry got them there three times. Angel Reese might be the one to finish the job. She’s been unstoppable, posting 30 and 16 in Game 2 and 21 and 12 in Game 3, which makes her the youngest player ever with three straight double-doubles in the Finals. The Valkyries have been the story of the season, a second-year franchise that blew past everyone’s expectations. But Atlanta is loaded with stars, and right now Golden State needs more firepower. If no one steps up next to Gabby Williams, the ride is over. Game 4 is Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 PM ET on NBC and Peacock, and Game 5 is Monday, Oct. 26, at 8 PM ET on USA Network and Peacock.
⚽️ There are only two weeks left in the NWSL regular season, and it’s chaos. Let’s start with the Shield. Gotham leads with 55, but San Diego is one back after five straight wins, and Washington is lurking at 52 after knocking off Gotham last weekend. Now the playoff race: seven teams, five spots, zero room for error. Friday is a pressure cooker: seventh-place Portland hosts a North Carolina team sitting just below the line and out of second chances, while Seattle, who just climbed into eighth, has to hold on in Utah. Then Sunday brings the biggest showdown of the weekend, where both races collide. Kansas City needs a win to keep its chances of a home quarterfinal alive, and Washington needs one to keep its Shield hopes alive. Somebody’s heart is getting broken, and it better not be mine! All match info HERE.
🤸‍♀️ Degree of difficulty: high. The World Gymnastics Championships wrap up this weekend, and Team USA has ground to make up. China took the team title Wednesday, the first time the Americans have lost it since 2010. Consider the individual finals the revenge tour. Skye Blakely, second in qualifying, and Claire Pease chase the all-around crown Friday, and Reese Esponda heads into Sunday’s floor final as the top qualifier. Then there’s Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade. During the Olympics in Paris, Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowed down to her on the podium after she took the gold in floor. It was the feel-good moment of the Games. Now Andrade’s back at Worlds for the first time in three years and chasing a third world vault title Saturday. All-around Friday, Oct. 23, event finals Saturday and Sunday, all on Peacock.
