General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 2, 2026, 2:09 PM ET
WNBA Playoffs
A'ja Wilson dropped 36 points as the Las Vegas Aces eliminated the Indiana Fever in Game 3 of their first-round series, returning to the WNBA semifinals. Wilson will face no further discipline over a fan confrontation, a source told ESPN, after she put the drama on the "back burner" and let her basketball speak. The defending champions now await the Dallas Wings-Golden State Valkyries winner, with Game 3 of that series set for Chase Center. Dallas must upend Golden State to keep its season alive, leaning on more Arike Ogunbowale magic after she set a record with 45 points in Game.
Angel Reese won the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award after a historic season, becoming the third player in league history to win the honor in her rookie campaign.
NFL
The Cleveland Browns survived a late Pittsburgh Steelers comeback, winning 27-24 on a 56-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt with 10 seconds remaining. The Browns defense held firm after the Steelers rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
College Football
Alabama, Ohio State and Florida all face ranked road tests this weekend, putting them on upset alert according to ESPN's Chris Connelly. Mississippi State and quarterback Kamario Taylor face their biggest test in an epic QB showcase at Starkville. Meanwhile, San Diego State's football team is dealing with a mumps outbreak ahead of its Pac-12 opener, with the university confirming multiple cases among players.
Coaching notes: internal hires aren't working at a few spots, while the rise of Miami's Mario Cristobal and Washington State's Jake Dickert has some coordinator questions percolating.
NBA
With the regular season less than a month away, we're tracking all the latest news and intel, including roster moves and injury updates. Abdul-Malik Olajuwon, a top-60 recruit and the son of NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, has committed to SMU's class of 2027.
UFC & MMA
The future of MMA is on display in ESPN's 30 under 30 list, featuring Joshua Van and Usman Nurmagomedov among the championship-caliber young fighters. At UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, top storylines and coaches' analysis center on the lack of women's fights on the card. At 40 years old, UFC lightweight Bobby Green is showing no signs of slowing down as he eyes a record-breaking year, having gone from homelessness to potentially making history.
Boxing
Belfast boxing legend Ray Close has died at the age of. Close, who almost handed Chris Eubank the first defeat of his professional career, was a former European champion who fought in some of the biggest bouts of the 1990s.
Rugby Union
Sale centre Alex Lozowski says the end of his decade-long stint at Saracens was "bewildering", as he reflects on a period of exile before returning to form with the Sharks. New Scarlets lock Alex Groves describes his remarkable return to rugby following heart surgery. Wales wing Josh Adams is nearing full fitness in time for the autumn internationals as he targets a third Rugby World Cup appearance.
Christian Wade sits four tries away from Chris Ashton's all-time Premiership record of, as tries continue to dominate the competition. Jack Combes and Alex Post tell BBC Sport about a "dream come true" as they prepare to face Australia in the 2027 Rugby World Cup opener, despite never having played in the Premiership.
Rugby League
Wakefield Trinity's class of 2026 eyes its first Super League Grand Final glory since 1968, with players told "you could be legends." Only five clubs have lifted the trophy in a Super League Grand Final — Warrington and Wakefield are vying to become the sixth winner.
Cricket
Brydon Carse has been charged by the Cricket Regulator over an incident outside a Derby bar, but remains available for England selection. Charlie Harmison, son of 2005 Ashes winner Steve, has signed a two-year rookie deal with Durham.
Tennis
Aryna Sabalenka says she is "trying so hard" to be easier on herself after a self-critical win over Zarazua at the Beijing Open.
Snooker
Judd Trump defeated Si Jiahui 5-2 at the Shenzhen Open, setting up a mouthwatering quarter-final meeting with Mark Selby.
Darts
Luke Humphries raced into the World Grand Prix quarter-finals, along with several other top seeds.
Cycling
French cyclist Ronan Auge has been placed in a medically induced coma following a crash at the Tour of Langkawi.
Golf
Tom Kim leads the men's leaderboard after the third round at the Asian Games, chasing gold for a military exemption. On a day when Matt Fitzpatrick began his quest for a fifth win of the year, Robert Stewart starred at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Motor Racing
Red Bull are tipped by George Russell and Charles Leclerc as the team to beat after Bahrain practice, with Russell calling them the strongest.
Judo
Chinese judoka Tang Jing has been disqualified from the Asian Games quarter-finals after allegedly biting an opponent.
Athletics
Kenyan runner Naomi Korir revealed she reduced her running because of urine leaks caused by fistula, a condition she was born with that also affects millions of women worldwide.
Soccer Transfers
Tomás Araújo is subject to interest from Manchester United and Chelsea, while several other European clubs are monitoring the Benfica defender ahead of the January window.
College Basketball
Brent Pry went from fired head coach to coordinator at Virginia Tech in a "pretty strange" turn of events, remaining in Blacksburg to help guide the Hokies' defense after being dismissed a year ago.