Last updated: August 7, 2026, 11:59 AM ET
WNBA: Clark, Aces and the Playoff Push
Caitlin Clark's game has grown dramatically in Year 3, with the Fever star already owning the most 20-point, 10-assist games in WNBA history. Clark says she is "trying to navigate life" as a 24-year-old and believes individuals should "speak when you feel like you want to speak" on political matters. Chelsea Gray drained two buzzer-beating 3-pointers after Clark's uncharacteristic miscues, the first forcing overtime and the second sealing the Aces' victory over the Fever. Two men were escorted from courtside seats in Gainbridge Fieldhouse during the third quarter of that matchup on Thursday night.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham wants the focus to return to basketball after her comments on transgender athletes ignited heated national debate and social media backlash. Seven teams look like WNBA playoff locks, while the Mystics, Sparks, Mercury, Sky, Fire or Tempo battle for the No. 8 seed. Minnesota and Indiana rank 1-2 in the latest WNBA Power Rankings after an offensive showcase, with Las Vegas rounding out the top three. Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and Aliyah Boston will make their first USA appearances at a major international competition next month.
Cricket: Buttler's Record and The Hundred Drama
Jos Buttler credits a conversation with England batting coach Marcus Trescothick for rediscovering the form that carried him past the all-time T20 run-scoring record. Buttler starred as Manchester Super Giants beat Welsh Fire by nine wickets in The Hundred, cementing his status as the format's greatest run-getter. BBC Sport explores how Buttler became the highest run-getter in men's T20 cricket, tracing his evolution into a record-breaking opener. London Spirit became the first side eliminated from the men's Hundred after a six-wicket defeat by MI London at Lord's.
Welsh Fire captain Phil Salt says he would ideally like The Hundred to be a week longer after his 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. Hampshire and England fast bowler John Turner has retired from cricket at 25 after more than a year out with injury. Brendon McCullum backs Harry Brook as a future Test captain but says Joe Root will do an "amazing job" in his second stint.
MLB: Trade Deadline Fallout and Award Races
The Tigers traded ace Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers after Detroit asked for final offers on Saturday, with one team emerging as the perfect match. MLB insiders graded the biggest blockbusters including the Skubal and Rutschman deals, weighing which teams had the best deadline. Here's how each club's playoff hopes have risen or fallen and how complete every MLB roster is today after the deadline frenzy. The Cubs, O's, Red Sox, Mets, Phillies and more made significant moves in a wild conclusion to trade season.
Fantasy baseball managers can track the fallout from all the key deals that went down before Monday's MLB trade deadline. Pete Crow-Armstrong is the new odds leader for NL MVP, while Shohei Ohtani leads both MVP races in the latest award odds. Surrey maintained their push for a home semi-final in the One-Day Cup with a 95-run win over Kent.
NFL: Contracts, Drafts and Training Camp Buzz
Jahmyr Gibbs' new deal is the latest in a flurry of extensions shaping the 2026 preseason, and Seth Walder stacked the 10 most notable contract moves. Is the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL draft destined to be a QB such as Dante Moore or Arch Manning, or could Dylan Stewart or Jeremiah Smith be first off the board? Eric Karabell's annual "Do Not Draft" list is back, featuring players going earlier than they should in drafts this summer. Brock Purdy shows off focus and Baker Mayfield feels the heat in the latest training camp intel from ESPN's reporters in the field. Bears new safety Coby Bryant will miss eight to 10 weeks with a leg injury, sources say.
College Football: Rankings, Schedules and Villains
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 national champions to four. Bill Connelly identified the Power 4 games with the highest combined SP+ ratings and projected scoring margins under eight points. Texas moves into the top five in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 while North Carolina falls out for UCLA, with key nonconference games circled on the calendar. Thirty-one schools have the players and schedules to reach the playoff in 2026, according to ESPN's breakdown.
Every fanbase has someone it absolutely loves to hate, and ESPN compiled the biggest villain of every Power 4 team with stories behind the fury. No one fuels fans' ire more than Lane Kiffin, but Ryan McGee weighs in on whether he's the best pot-stirrer of all time. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman wants his players focused on winning now after missing the College Football Playoff, starting with the Fighting Irish's opener. North Carolina coach Bill Belichick announced his son Steve, the defensive coordinator, is on medical leave and out indefinitely. New Purdue athletic director Tommy McClelland took a dig at champion IU, apparently forgetting Indiana won the CFP national championship in January.
ESPN ranked the 40 most important players for the 2026 season, starting with CFP-hopeful QBs and going from there. Oklahoma's 2027 recruiting surge has them as a top-10 contender, with Alabama and UNC entering the updated top. Akron is offering a unique raffle for season-ticket holders to design the opening drive alongside the head coach. Indiana defensive end Stephen Daley practiced in a limited role on Wednesday as he ramps up from a season-ending knee injury.
Tennis: Norrie's Fightback and Alcaraz's Absence
Britain's Cameron Norrie saved a match point in a superb fightback to beat world number seven Alex de Minaur at the Canadian Open. Norrie progressed to the Canadian Open last 32 with a straight-set win over Ignacio Buse. Coco Gauff said she supports "fairness in women's sports" but criticized how the WTA's gene testing creates "animosity towards the trans community." BBC Sport analyzed Carlos Alcaraz's ongoing absence from tennis at 114 days and counting, explaining why wrist injuries are so difficult to manage. Alex Eala is preparing for the US Open back on the hard courts that produced many of the biggest moments of her career.
Tour de France Femmes: Reusser's Yellow and Stage Winners
Switzerland's Marlen Reusser took the first yellow jersey of her career by winning a 21km time trial to Dijon in the fourth stage. Demi Vollering won stage five following a sprint victory over yellow jersey holder Marlen Reusser. Kimberley Le Court won a sprint finish to seal victory in stage six as Reusser held on to the overall lead. Officials will check the clothing worn by riders at the Tour de France Femmes to prevent attempts to make "aerodynamic gains."
Boxing, UFC and Combat Sports
Claressa Shields says a fight with Wales' Lauren Price is now likely in 2027, according to the pound-for-pound star. A flyweight title rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja will headline UFC 331 in September, officials announced Thursday. William Zepeda climbed the lightweight rankings after dominating Lamont Roach to capture the WBC title in the latest ESPN divisional rankings. UFC flyweight Allan Nascimento has died of an apparent heart attack at age, the promotion announced Monday. Brock Lesnar, a 10-time WWE world champ and former UFC heavyweight champion, said his match at WWE Summer Slam was his last. Bianca Belair and Montez Ford have welcomed their first child, the WWE superstar couple who have been together since 2016.
Golf: LIV Funding, Irish Open and FedEx Cup
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. After the withdrawal of Saudi Arabian financial backing, LIV Golf says it has secured a deal with an unnamed lead investor to continue next season. Robert MacIntyre, Patrick Reed, Francesco Molinari and Sepp Straka will play the Irish Open at Trump International 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.
The Ocho: Quirky Sports Take Center Stage
ESPN's 75-hour Ocho tradition showcases obscure competitions from T. rex races and pumpkin tossing to death diving and sign spinning. The Ocho will celebrate its 10th anniversary by airing the world's quirkiest, most unconventional and obscure sports. Hundreds of competitors are poised to take the turf at Emerald Downs for T-Rex races, honoring a tradition that began as team bonding. Slippery Stairs is even harder and more painful than it looks, according to a firsthand account of the iconic Ocho event. A new variation on chess called "the strangest sport in the world" will be broadcast on The Ocho at 8 a.m. ET on Aug. 8.
Rugby League and Union
Wigan Warriors kicked off the new Super Four format of the Women's Super League with a thumping 44-6 win at St Helens. St Helens will face Hull FC in Dublin as part of a Super League double-header next April, the day after Warrington take on Wigan. Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels dismissed an Ospreys merger and wants greater transparency from the Welsh Rugby Union. Former England prop Joe Marler will become BBC's first celebrity Gladiator, known as Mauler when the fourth series airs in 2027. Television presenter Nick Knowles has become a shareholder in Champ Rugby side Cornish Pirates. Great Britain Sevens players have had to find alternative employment since their contracts were stripped back to part-time last summer.
Soccer: Swansea, Derry City and the Irish Premiership
Vitor Matos insists Swansea City can operate with three senior strikers in their squad in 2026-27 after the signing of Ross Stewart. Chief executive Tom Gorringe says Swansea are now on track to compete for a return to the Premier League. Derry City chairman Philip O'Doherty says Tiernan Lynch's exit was "pretty much a snap decision" after he thought "it was time to make a change." The 2026-27 Irish League season is set to start on time after votes to endorse three proposals passed overwhelmingly at an EGM. BBC Sport NI agreed a new three-year broadcast deal with the Irish FA and Northern Ireland Football League for extensive free-to-air coverage. After a summer of transfers and uncertainty, the start of the Irish Premiership 2026-27 season has arrived with Larne the team to beat.
Hockey, Curling and Other Sports
England star Hannah French paid tribute to the team's medical staff after recovering from injury in time for next month's women's Hockey World Cup. Winter Olympic gold medallist Eve Muirhead has revoked her retirement, saying being Team GB's chef de mission inspired her to return after four years away. Chad le Clos revealed his apartment in South Africa was destroyed by a fatal fire the night after he became the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history. A powerlifter disqualified following an alleged racially motivated act says she "does not feel safe" when competing and black athletes are frequently booed.
Lucas Jumalon, a 22-year-old poker pro from Spokane, Washington, beat Finland's Lauri Saaskilahti heads-up to win the 2026 WSOP main event and $10 million. 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. Jemima Lines has become the first woman selected for the British America's Cup team in 90 years, hailing a "pivotal moment" in her sport. The planned launch of a bespoke European NBA league has the potential to take UK basketball to the "next level," says the Knicks' OG Anunoby.
London submitted its final bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships with the London Stadium as the proposed venue. The British Grand Prix will remain on the MotoGP calendar until at least 2028 as Silverstone extends its partnership. Gloucester sprinter James Arminio is racing at the Under-20 World Championships only two years after first stepping on to an athletics track. Bouldering helped Mary Falconer deal with the loss of her mother and could set her on the path to becoming an Olympian in 2028. Prime Minister Andy Burnham invited swimmer Archie Goodburn to a meeting after his impassioned plea for more brain cancer research funding. UK Sport will no longer channel investment through GB Snowsport for skiing and snowboarding, though athletes are unaffected.
PLL, NBA and Other Notes
The Waterdogs took the top spot in the PLL Power Rankings ahead of Throwback Weekend with the playoffs approaching. Four PLL games and one WLL contest are on the docket for Boston on Friday and Saturday. The Cleveland Sirens unveiled their new logo and branding for the expansion team joining the WNBA in 2028. San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet stopped in the rain to help a stranded motorist whose car broke down. Longtime college basketball announcer Dick Vitale said his tests are "very good" after being diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time in April. After firing him, the Vikings rehired Larry Fitzgerald as a ball boy and assigned him to the receivers, a move that shaped his Hall of Fame career. Salary cap regulations might not be high on everyone's reading list, but Eddie Hearn might be interested if he's keen to get Henry Pollock's £1m pay-day.