Last updated: August 7, 2026, 2:47 AM ET

General Sports Briefing

WNBA: Aces-Fever Thriller Headlines a Wild Week

Chelsea Gray delivered two buzzer-beating 3-pointers, the first to force overtime and the second to give the Aces a dramatic victory over the Fever on Thursday night. Two men were escorted from their courtside seats in Gainbridge Fieldhouse during the third quarter of the heated matchup. Caitlin Clark said Thursday that it is up to individuals to "speak when you feel like you want to speak" and that she is "trying to navigate life" as a 24-year-old. Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese will make their first USA appearances at a major international competition next month at the FIBA World Cup. Seven teams look like WNBA playoff locks, with the Mystics, Sparks, Mercury, Sky, Fire or Tempo battling for the No. 8 seed. Minnesota and Indiana rank 1-2 in the latest Power Rankings after their offensive showcase, with Las Vegas rounding out the top three. The Cleveland Sirens unveiled their new logo and branding for the expansion team that will join the WNBA in 2028. Sophie Cunningham said Wednesday that she wants the focus to return to basketball after her comments on transgender athletes sparked heated national debate and three rallies.

College Football: Preseason Buzz and Offseason Storylines

Ohio State starts the 2026 season as the No. 1 team in the AFCA Coaches Poll as the Big Ten tries to extend its run of college football national champions to four. Bill Connelly's best games list features Power 4 matchups with the highest combined SP+ ratings and projected scoring margins under eight points. 31 teams have the players and schedules to reach the playoff in 2026, according to ESPN's breakdown. The 40 most important players list starts with CFP-hopeful quarterbacks like Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers who will have outsized influence on the season. Marcus Freeman wants his Fighting Irish focused on winning now after missing the College Football Playoff, starting with the opener in September. Steve Belichick is on medical leave and out indefinitely as North Carolina's defensive coordinator, his father Bill announced Thursday. New Purdue athletic director Tommy McClelland apparently forgot Indiana winning the CFP national championship in January when he said "we are here to win championships." Stephen Daley practiced in a limited role for the Hoosiers as he ramps up from a season-ending knee injury suffered in December. A.J. Williams, the No. 1-ranked player in the class of 2028, plans to reclassify into the 2027 class, he told ESPN. Every Big Ten team's ceiling and floor ranges from winning the national title to missing the tournament entirely for all 18 programs. The toughest and easiest schedules for the 2026 season are broken down by ESPN's analysts. Lane Kiffin fuels fans' ire as the top college football villain of all time, according to Ryan McGee's Supervillain Power Rankings. Akron season-ticket holders are entered into a random drawing to design the opening drive and work with the head coach.

MLB: Trade Deadline Fallout

MLB insiders weigh in on the biggest blockbusters and which teams had the best deadline, with one exec saying "I'm glad we're not in the NL." The Cubs, Orioles, Red Sox, Mets and Phillies all made major moves in a wild conclusion to trade season, and ESPN has it all covered.

The Ocho: 10 Years of Quirky Sports

ESPN's 75-hour tradition showcases obscure competitions, from T. rex races and pumpkin tossing to death diving and sign spinning, celebrating 10 years since the "Dodge Ball" joke became reality. Hundreds of competitors are poised to take the turf at Emerald Downs this year, honoring a tradition that began as a team-bonding experience. The Ocho celebrates its 10th anniversary by airing the world's quirkiest, most unconventional and obscure sports across the network. Diving chess, called "the strangest sport" in the world, will be broadcast on The Ocho at 8 a.m. ET on Aug. 8.

Cricket & The Hundred

London Spirit became the first side eliminated from the men's Hundred after a six-wicket defeat by MI London at Lord's. Jos Buttler broke the T20 runs record as Manchester Super Giants beat Welsh Fire by nine wickets, with Buttler starring in the dominant win. Buttler became the highest run-getter in men's T20 cricket, and BBC Sport explores how he achieved the feat. Phil Salt says he would like The Hundred to be a week longer after his Welsh Fire side played three matches in five days. Sophia Dunkley helped Trent Rockets beat Birmingham Phoenix, while Orla Prendergast took four wickets in Welsh Fire's victory over Manchester Super Giants. John Turner retired from cricket aged 25 after more than a year out injured, ending his Hampshire and England career. Brendon McCullum backs Harry Brook as a future Test captain but says Joe Root will do an "amazing job" in his second stint. Surrey beat Kent by 95 runs to go level with the Foxes at the top of the One-Day Cup standings.

Cycling: Tour de France Femmes

Kimberley Le Court won stage six of the Tour de France Femmes in a sprint finish on Thursday, overcoming a mechanical failure, as Swiss rider Marlen Reusser held on to the overall lead. Demi Vollering won stage five following a sprint victory over yellow jersey holder Reusser, setting up a tense battle for the maillot jaune. Reusser took the first yellow jersey of her career by winning a 21km time trial to Dijon in the fourth stage. Officials will check riders' clothing at the women's Tour to prevent attempts to make "aerodynamic gains" from bra padding, a new rule for 2026.

Tennis

Cameron Norrie progressed to the Canadian Open last 32 with a straight-set win over Ignacio Buse. Coco Gauff criticized the WTA's gene testing for creating "animosity towards the trans community" while supporting "fairness in women's sports." Carlos Alcaraz's wrist injury has kept him out for 114 days and counting, with BBC Sport analyzing why wrist injuries are so difficult to manage and how damaging the absence could be. Alex Eala is preparing for the US Open on the hard courts that have produced many of the biggest moments of her career. Eala's journey to her first WTA title in Washington made history as she became the first Filipina champion, showing "Filipino heart" along the way.

Golf

LIV Golf has secured funding from an outside investor that will keep the circuit alive beyond this season, according to league CEO Scott O'Neil. LIV Golf's deal with an unnamed lead investor came after the withdrawal of Saudi Arabian financial backing earlier this year, securing the league's future for 2027. Ryder Cup stars including Robert MacIntyre, Patrick Reed, Francesco Molinari and Sepp Straka will play the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg from 9-13 September. Players on the FedEx Cup bubble from Jackson Koivun to Brooks Koepka need strong showings at the Wyndham Championship to make the top 70 and qualify for the playoffs.

UFC & WWE

Joshua Van will face Alexandre Pantoja in a flyweight title rematch that will headline UFC 331 in September, officials announced Thursday. Allan Nascimento died of an apparent heart attack, the promotion announced Monday, with the flyweight just 34 years old. UFC owners lost $30m staging the Freedom 250 event at the White House in June, which was attended by US President Donald Trump. Ian Machado Garry credits his vegan diet for earning a welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 on 15 August. Brock Lesnar retired from combat sports, saying his match at WWE Summer Slam was his last, ending a career that included 10 WWE world championships and a UFC heavyweight title. Roman Reigns retained the World Heavyweight Championship at Summer Slam Night, ending his rivalry with Seth Rollins, while Chad Gable won his title. Bianca Belair and Montez Ford welcomed their first child together, the WWE superstar couple who have been together since 2016 and married in 2018.

Around the World of Sports

St Helens will face Hull FC in Dublin as part of a Super League double-header next April, the day after Warrington Wolves take on Wigan Warriors. Wigan Warriors kicked off the new Super Four format with a thumping 44-6 win at St Helens in the Women's Super League opener. Eve Muirhead revoked her retirement, saying being Team GB's chef de mission at this year's Winter Olympics inspired her to return to curling after four years away. Jemima Lines became the first woman selected for the British America's Cup team in 90 years, hailing it as a "pivotal moment" in her sport. The Preakness Stakes is moving to three weeks and a day after the Kentucky Derby and will be run on a Sunday for the first time in its history. Lucas Jumalon won the 2026 WSOP main event and $10 million at age, beating Finland's Lauri Saaskilahti heads-up to become the second-youngest winner ever. Dick Vitale said his cancer tests are "very good" after announcing in April he had been diagnosed for the fifth time. Luke Kornet stopped in the rain to help a stranded motorist in San Antonio whose car broke down, showing the Spurs center's offseason assist. Coby Bryant will miss eight to 10 weeks with a leg injury, sources said, a blow to the Bears' new safety. The European Athletics Championships will take place in Birmingham from 10-16 August with full BBC coverage. London submitted its final bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with the London Stadium, built for the 2012 Olympics, as the proposed venue. Chad le Clos' apartment in South Africa was destroyed by a fatal fire in a "heartbreaking tragedy" — the night after he became the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history. The British Grand Prix will remain on the Moto GP World Championship calendar until at least 2028 as Silverstone extends its partnership with Moto GP. Swansea City are now on track to compete for a return to the Premier League, according to chief executive Tom Gorringe. The Irish League season will start on time after votes to endorse three proposals were overwhelmingly passed at an Extraordinary General Meeting. Larne are the team to beat in the Irish Premiership 2026-27 season, with the new campaign finally arriving after a summer of transfers and uncertainty. Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels dismissed an Ospreys merger and wants greater transparency from the Welsh Rugby Union as their future hangs in the balance. A powerlifter who was disqualified following an alleged racially motivated act said she "does not feel safe" when competing, and says black athletes are frequently booed. Derry City chairman Philip O'Doherty said manager Tiernan Lynch's exit was "pretty much a snap decision" and that "it was time to make a change." The Waterdogs took the top spot in PLL Power Rankings ahead of Week 12 with Throwback Weekend and the playoffs approaching. James Arminio is racing for GB at the Under-20 World Championships, only two years after first stepping on to an athletics track. Joe Marler will become the BBC's first celebrity Gladiator, known as Mauler, when the fourth series airs in 2027. Nick Knowles bought a stake in Champ Rugby side Cornish Pirates, becoming a shareholder in the club. GB Sevens players have had to find alternative employment and teams since their contracts were stripped back to part-time last summer. OG Anunoby says the NBA Europe launch will take basketball in the United Kingdom to the "next level," with the New York Knicks star backing the planned league. Archie Goodburn was invited to a personal meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham after his impassioned plea for more brain cancer research funding. GB Snowsport lost UK Sport funding but athletes are unaffected as investment shifts away from the governing body. Henry Pollock's £1m-a-season deal will be hard for Eddie Hearn to find under salary cap regulations, according to BBC Sport's analysis. Ayeisha McFerran is ruled out of the forthcoming Hockey World Cup through injury, a major blow for Ireland's distinguished goalkeeper. Tom Howe remains grounded despite being tipped as one to watch for Wales before his debut for Cardiff, with the teenage hooker ignoring the hype. Andrew Benson answers questions on why we are still waiting for the "Newey effect" at Aston Martin in the latest F1 Q&A. Mary Falconer is chasing a 2028 Olympic dream in climbing, with bouldering helping her deal with the loss of her mother. The weekly sports quiz tests how much attention you've paid to the past seven days in sport, including Beckham at the Commonwealth Games. The Vikings' quarterback battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray has teammates focused on helping both succeed, according to ESPN's report.