General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 10, 2026, 5:40 AM ET
WNBA Finals
The Golden State Valkyries dethroned the Aces and became the quickest expansion team to reach the WNBA Finals, doing so in just their second season. Takeaways from the sweep were broken down by ESPN's analysts. Meanwhile, the Dream edged the Liberty 85-83 to reach the Finals for the first time since 2013, with Angel Reese scoring 22 points. Reese said the job isn't done, and her playoff debut has already drawn praise as she plays like a veteran. The Fever, however, face questions after another early playoff exit despite a dominant offense and Caitlin Clark's return.
College Football
Florida State suffered an "extremely poor performance" in a 44-20 loss to Louisville, with Mike Norvell shouldering the blame after the Seminoles led 14-0 early. Ahead of Week, Connelly previewed 32 reasons the sport will get real, including Georgia-Alabama and major Big Ten challenges, while the Big Ten spotlight falls on Nebraska, Indiana, UCLA and Oregon. Bob Chesney has turned UCLA around with a 4-0 start. Georgia's Gunner Stockton is eyeing another national title as a quiet leader, and Alabama believes it has fixed Ryan Coleman-Williams' drop issues using VR technology. Dickie V's preseason All-Rolls-Royce teams highlight the returners and young stars expected to lead the season. Trump will skip the Saturday SEC clash due to Hurricane Isaias, and a watchdog is checking several Power 4 schools for possible overspending.
NFL
Lamar Jackson and Monangai are out for Week, with Chase and Jeanty listed as questionable. The week's full slate is laid out in a game guide covering Bears-Packers and 49ers-Seahawks, while an analysis of the league's wild endings argues coaches must adapt to late-game scoring decisions. Mike Ditka, who coached the Bears to Super Bowl XX, has died at. The 2027 quarterback class is ranked, and former Eagles star Jason Kelce tried amateur rugby in London.
Motorsport
Kyle Busch's celebration of life drew more than 10,000 fans, with his 11-year-old son leading a burnout. Verstappen claimed sprint pole in Singapore ahead of Russell after another settings issue. Toto Wolff rejected claims of Mercedes bias against George Russell.
Boxing and Combat Sports
Dana White credited Eddie Hearn for bringing Fury-Joshua to the UK, though he said he is bored of the ongoing feud. WBA super-featherweight champion Anthony Cacace is focused on Ball despite Lomachenko interest. At WWE, fans can get up to speed with a Money in the Bank guide, and the ESPN roundtable makes its picks for ladder match winners.
Tennis and Cricket
Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise loss to Hubert Hurkacz in Shanghai. In Australia's Test return against South Africa, Nic Maddinson recorded a 33-ball duck, the longest by a Test opener this century.
Rugby
Glasgow ran in five tries to beat Connacht 36-19 and stay unbeaten, while Leicester recovered from a poor start to beat Gloucester 38-31. Shaun Edwards has joined Argentina's defence coaching staff. Aoife Wafer is ruled out of Ireland's South Africa Tests, and Joe Carpenter is pushing his England case against Furbank.
Football and Other Stories
Republic of Ireland eased past Kazakhstan 8-0 to all but assure a play-off final. Coco Gauff stars in Gunna's "Pop It" video. A Mississippi Valley State player, Qingfang Pang, is in ICE custody. Wimbledon's boss joked that the military would love to sort out influencers. Former Essex cricketer Robin Das faces trial on two rape charges. First-timers heading to the State Fair of Texas can use these tips for Red River's iconic setting. Finally, ESPN's rankings of the 25 best freshmen put a surprise player at the top.