Put a dollar in the swear jar

The GIST: More than 2.5M fans (and counting) have packed WNBA arenas this year, making 2025 the most-attended season in league history. Amazing what can happen when folks have access to world-class hoops — here’s the latest from the ever-captivating hardwood.

🐣 A historic night for Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers: Bueckers is putting together a debut season for the ages, most recently dropping a rookie record 44 points in the Wings’ 81–80 Wednesday loss to the LA Sparks. But it’s not just what she’s doing, it’s how: Her efficiency is unmatched (she missed just four shots in that game), catapulting her into elite company.

• It’s giving shades of another dominant debutant: the legendary Candace Parker, whose 2008 rookie campaign earned her Rookie of the Year (ROY) and MVP honors. While MVP would be a stretch for Bueckers, All-WNBA honors (in addition to ROY) might be within her grasp.

🔥 Three-time MVP A’ja Wilson makes late push for record-breaking fourth award: From becoming the first W player to tally 30 points and 20 rebounds in a single game last week to logging yet another double-double, the Las Vegas Aces superstar has been on a tear. And it’s leading to big dubs — the Aces have dropped just three games since the All-Star break.

• Wilson’s on-court explosion comes at a crucial time: Minnesota Lynx Napheesa Collier — the season-long MVP favorite — missed her sixth consecutive game last night with an ankle injury. But Collier’s return is imminent, meaning this race will come down to the wire.

The GIST: From Lizbeth Ovalle’s record-setting $1.5M transfer to the Orlando Pride to The Show at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, women’s soccer history is being made from sea to shining sea in the NWSL this week.

• Here’s what you need to know about the fan-footy-tastic fun, plus how it fits into the latest trend in the women’s sports space.

🤯 Bay FC vs. Washington Spirit set to shatter NWSL attendance record: More than 35K tickets have already been sold (and there are still some available) for tomorrow’s 4 p.m. ET match at Oracle Park, home of MLB’s San Francisco Giants, which can seat over 40K fans.

• The game is already on pace to smash the attendance record set last year at another MLB venue, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, where 35,038 people watched Bay FC defeat the then–Chicago Red Stars 2–1.

• But forward Racheal Kundananji’s Bay Area squad are winless in their last five games and may have a tougher time with the Spirit. Washington boasts Ballon d’Or Féminin nominee and league newcomer Sofia Cantore, who’s already making waves.

👀 Zooming out: We’ve seen the NWSL, WNBA, and PWHL succeed in flexing games to larger venues in recent years, selling out arenas in Boston, Vancouver, and D.C., just to name a few. It’s even more impressive that Bay FC, a 2024 expansion squad currently just outside the playoff picture, is attracting a crowd of this size, underscoring the Bay Area’s devotion to women’s sports.

• Case in point? The WNBA expansion squad Golden State Valkyries sold out 17 home games so far at the Chase Center Ballahalla in their debut season, all while averaging the best attendance in the league. If you build it…

🎾 Looking to attend the US Open? Tickets are still available inside the stadiums, but for a real treat during the women’s and men’s championship matches, you should watch all the excitement from the US Open Finals Fan Fest on September 6th and 7th.

• Experience the high-octane atmosphere of the Fan Fest, complete with access to viewing parties and fan activities during the competition’s grand finales at a fraction of what it costs to cheer inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Now that’s an ace.

⛳ LPGA: CPKC Canadian Open — Ongoing — Golf Channel

• An unexpected name sits near the top of the leaderboard after yesterday’s first round: Aphrodite Deng, the 15-year-old Canadian amateur who’s tied for second after an impressive outing. What were we doing at 15? It sure wasn’t receiving flowers from the world’s No. 2 golfer.

⛳ PGA: TOUR Championship — Ongoing — NBC

• Current leader and world No. 4 Russell Henley was dropping putts like it’s his day job in yesterday’s opening round. But the best golfer on the planet, Scottie “no sandbagging” Scheffler, is hot on his heels with hopes of becoming the tourney’s first back-to-back winner.

⚾ MLB: Boston Red Sox vs. NY Yankees — Tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET — MLB.TV

• The Sox drew first blood in this rivalry battle, winning last night’s back-and-forth affair 6–3. But the fun is just beginning as the sure-to-be fiery four-game series continues through the weekend.

⚽ Serie A: Cremonese vs. AC Milan — Tomorrow at 2:45 p.m. ET — DAZN

• It’s the first week of the regular season for Italy’s most competitive men’s league, which features many of the world’s best kicking grass, including USMNT midfielders Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah (who may be on the move from Milan before kickoff).