High-stakes musical chairs

The GIST: There was no shortage of WNBA fireworks yesterday, so let’s start with last night’s on-court Game 2 action with both best-of-five semis now even. The Phoenix Mercury overcame a 20-point deficit, forced overtime, and topped the Minnesota Lynx 89–83, while NaLyssa Smith’s career-high 18 points fueled the Las Vegas Aces’ 90–68 win over the Indiana Fever.

• And that was all after one coaching update rocked the women’s hoops world prior to tip-off. Picking our jaws up off the floor as we dig in.

😱 NY Liberty part ways with head coach (HC) Sandy Brondello: Four days after the Libs’ first-round playoff exit, Brondello was let go yesterday, reportedly for failing to bring back-to-back titles to the Big Apple. The NY front office put intense pressure on the squad for a repeat performance following last season’s inaugural ’ship, despite numerous injuries.

• Brondello notably had the Libs’ superstars’ full support after the team was eliminated, a testament to her reputation in the league. NY is reportedly targeting coaching candidates with NBA experience to take the squad in a new direction.

• On the flip side, the Seattle Storm (who parted ways with HC Noelle Quinn on Sunday) along with both 2026 expansion teams, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo, have already inquired about Brondello. Guess she doesn’t have to update her LinkedIn.

🔓There are now four HC vacancies in the WNBA: Turnover isn’t new in the W (or sports in general) — there were a record seven coaching changes last offseason. But it’s worth noting a frustrating outcome: Following the aforementioned Quinn’s firing from the Storm, there are now no Black woman HCs in the league for the first time since 2020.

The GIST: World No. 1 England and No. 2 Canada will battle for glory in Saturday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final, a result of the sheer dominance both squads have shown all tourney long. It’s level on the pitch, but a different story emerges off of it…

🇨🇦 Canada crowdfunds their way to the tourney: But this wasn’t the far too common case of the men’s team receiving more money — there simply wasn’t enough for anyone, as Canadian rugby is underfunded across the board. Still, Rugby Canada asked head coach Kévin Rouet what he needed for success at the World Cup; he said $3.6M, the smallest budget at the tourney.

• The organizing body chipped in $2.6M, but the team was still $1M short, and that’s where Mission: Win Rugby World Cup 2025 was born. Fundraising wasn’t simply about getting to England but about winning there.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England blazed the trail: The Red Roses, on the other hand, have been fully professional since January 2019, when they became the first national women’s team to pay its players full-time — and they’ve only lost one game since. It was a historic milestone, one that’s already been followed by some of the game’s most dominant sides, like No. 3 New Zealand and No. 4 France.

⏩ Zooming out: Given a historical lack of domestic pro leagues, plus barriers to accessibility for fans, women’s rugby is only recently booming in North America. But that boom has transformed into an explosion in the wake of successful Sevens runs by both the Canadians and Americans at the Paris Olympics.

• Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) offers American players the opportunity to compete at home, the perfect place to develop local talent, while Canadian sports network TSN will broadcast all of the Canucks’ international matches through 2029, increasing the sport’s visibility.

• Canada’s deep run on the global stage helps too, proving talent can trump resources. Just imagine if they had both.

Rivalries aren’t just fought on the field: They’re repped in the stands. That’s why Nike’s launching NFL Rivalries jerseys, a display of tradition, grit, and fan pride designed to unite communities and fuel the rivalries they live for.

That means this weekend’s divisional drama just got a major wardrobe upgrade:

🔴 Tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. ET: Quarterback Kyler Murray’s Arizona Cardinals take on their forever foe, the Seattle Seahawks, in an NFC West clash.

🟠 Monday at 7:15 p.m. ET: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle’s ideal AFC East game day? Dancing his way into the NY Jets’ endzone, of course.

From backyard debates to stadium roars, rivalries fuel game day. Nike and the NFL are honoring that tradition, and you can too — these jerseys are made for the battles that matter most.

The GIST: The MLB playoff picture remains chaotic as ever with just five days remaining in the regular season and four spots of 12 still unclaimed. Luckily, there’s no robot needed to make a call on the latest.

• As a reminder, the winner of each of MLB’s six divisions automatically earns a playoff berth, plus either a first-round bye or a guarantee to host their Wild Card series. That makes these especially spicy American League (AL) divisional races all the more crucial. No pressure.

💙🐯 Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers battle for AL Central crown: One series does not a season make, but there’s a lot riding on this three-game set after the Guards took last night’s opener 5–2. The surging squad astoundingly overcame what was once a 15.5-game Detroit lead to tie the Tigers for the top spot in the division and notably holds the tiebreaker edge. What a turnaround.

🔱 Seattle Mariners take commanding lead in push for AL West: Fresh off a dominant weekend sweep of the second-place Houston Astros and last night’s postseason-clinching 4–3 win over the Colorado Rockies, Seattle’s in the driver’s seat as they chase their first divisional title since 2001. Big Dumper, big dubs — this team has it all.

• On the flip side, the typically competitive Astros aren’t just swinging to stay in AL West contention — they’re in danger of missing the postseason entirely for the first time since 2016. Houston, they just might have a problem.

🐦🍎 Toronto Blue Jays chase first AL East pennant in a decade: Toronto boasts a one-game lead over the NY Yankees, but the Jays have sputtered recently, losing five of their last six. The Bronx Bombers, meanwhile, stormed back to beat the lowly Chicago White Sox 3–2 last night, clinching a playoff berth in the process. It’s a tight race — we’ll see which team steps up to the plate.

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