General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 21, 2026, 6:50 PM ET
NBA
LeBron James scored 14 points on his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers as they beat the Knicks on opening night. The Celtics extended espn.com their form in a separate test of contenders, while the WNBA Finals took center stage as the Dream evened the series espn.com with a 30-point, 16-rebound performance from Angel Reese espn.com.
WNBA Finals
Reese's redemption effort espn.com included 30 points and 16 rebounds, while Allisha Gray added 18 points as Atlanta beat the Valkyries at Ballhalla. The Valkyries lost espn.com for the first time at home this postseason. Several breakout stars have also finally gained espn.com recognition on the biggest stage, and Gabby Williams arrived espn.com for Game 2 showing her 49ers fandom.
College Football
Ohio State plans espn.com to play without the injured Julian Sayin for the rest of the postseason, with coach Ryan Day declining to give a timeline. Auburn dismissed espn.com linebacker Xavier Atkins, who plans to enter the transfer portal. BYU's win over Notre Dame lifted espn.com the Cougars to No. 2, and the CFP bubble picture espn.com remains wide open at midseason. Notre Dame rose espn.com to the top of the odds boards after a chaotic Week, and the bowl projections shifted espn.com sharply. The Big 12 commissioner said espn.com the league would find a new event if the CFP ends conference title games. Jeremiah Smith leads espn.com the midseason awards conversation.
Rugby
Scotland will face the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time in 27 years. Wales boss Steve Tandy named bbc.co.uk uncapped Dragons backs Aneurin Owen and Che Hope in his squad, and Tandy defended his tough selection calls. Taulupe Faletau remains bbc.co.uk a World Cup contender in Tandy's view. Aicha Sutcliffe makes bbc.co.uk her first Scotland start against Australia. England's Brad O'Neill rejected bbc.co.uk claims that his side were underprepared for the World Cup. Saracens owner Dominic Silvester backed bbc.co.uk CEO Ed Coetzee amid chaos claims.
Cricket
Temba Bavuma's 179 drags South Africa bbc.co.uk back into their Test series against Australia.
Tennis & Snooker
Iga Swiatek ends bbc.co.uk her season early after failing to qualify for the WTA Finals, calling it her most demanding year. Mark Allen lost bbc.co.uk to Jordan Brown on his return and is considering bbc.co.uk retirement. Ronnie O'Sullivan faces a battle bbc.co.uk to stay in the world's top.
Motorsport & Other
Kimi Antonelli nears espn.com F1 history as he approaches becoming the youngest world champion. Nearly $1 million in trading cards was stolen espn.com from a FedEx truck in California. The Florida Bar suspended espn.com an employee over comments made to a Miami football player. South Carolina topped espn.com the AP women's preseason poll, while Florida sits at No. 1 espn.com in the men's preseason Top.
Coming Up
The WNBA Finals continue espn.com with the series now tied. Champions League action kicks off espn.com with Dortmund in action on Tuesday.