A very Conrad vs. Jeremiah weekend

The GIST: One of the WNBA’s most controversial rivalries has thankfully reached its denouement — but the spiciest on-court drama is still to come with the league’s inaugural Rivals Week tipping off tonight.

• While longtime W supporters have witnessed nearly three decades of fierce competition, this nemesis-packed week will showcase the epic rivalries that are shaping the league’s future. Let’s hoop to it with three of the buzziest weekend matchups.

👀 The wannabe rivals — Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever: The future of this rivalry hinges on two of the W’s most impactful stars — the Fever’s Caitlin Clark and the Sky’s Angel Reese — but both All-Stars are sidelined with injury for tomorrow’s 8 p.m. ET tilt.

• Not to mention, the Fever, who also boast 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston, have dominated this series as of late, winning six of the last seven battles.

💜 The West Coast battle — LA Sparks vs. Golden State Valkyries: How can the expansion team Valkyries have a rival? So glad you asked. The tension between the Bay Area and LA runs deep, no matter the sport. The Valks and Sparks will carry the torch tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET, and the crowded standings make this Cali showdown all the more interesting.

🏆 The rematch — Minnesota Lynx vs. NY Liberty: Last year’s Finals were the definition of spice, so expect Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. ET showdown to be just as fierce. Yes, Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier and NY’s Breanna Stewart are still nursing injuries, but this title sequel still has plenty of starpower — and a few new faces.

• Both teams bolstered their lineups in recent weeks, with the newest seafoam superstar, Emma Meesseman, and the Lynx’s newly-acquired defensive standout, DiJonai Carrington, ready to leave their marks on this budding rivalry.

The GIST: With the US Open just over two weeks away, tennis’ hard court season is in full swing. There are high-stakes tune-up tourneys everywhere you look as players prepare to compete for a whole lot of cash in Queens, NY.

• The Cincinnati Open started yesterday, while the Canadian Open wrapped up in dramatic fashion last night. Scroll on to learn who was victorious in the Great White North — and what it means ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year.

🇨🇦 Unseeded teen Victoria Mboko defeats Naomi Osaka, wins first tour-level event: The 18-year-old hometown hero made history last night, defeating her tennis idol in three sets to become the youngest Canadian to win this tourney — a triumph that included upsets of four major champs. Mic dropped.

• Mboko has cemented herself as a player to watch at the upcoming Slam, but Osaka’s recent comeback deserves applause, too. Last night was her first WTA 1000–level final since 2022, and her performance earned her a seeded spot at the US Open.

👊 No. 4 seed Ben Shelton completes comeback for career milestone victory: The 22-year-old American won his most important tourney to date last night, defeating No. 11 seed Karen Khachanov with a third-set tiebreaker to clinch his first ATP Masters 1000 competition, a win that moves him up to No. 6 in the world rankings. Somewhere, soccer star Trinity Rodman is smiling.

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🧨 Washington Spirit vs. 🦇 Gotham FC — Tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET — ESPN

• This historically testy East Coast grudge match features two Ballon d’Or Féminin nominees, but these squads are in very different places. The Spirit are coming in hot following last week’s Trinity Rodman–powered win, while Gotham are barely hanging on to a playoff spot. “So much fun,” loading.

😇 Angel City FC vs. 🌊 San Diego Wave — Tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET — ION

• Much like The Summer I Turned Pretty, this SoCal showdown is a coming-of-age drama featuring some of the league’s best new talent. Two players to watch? ACFC rookie Riley Tiernan, who’s firmly in the Golden Boot race, and Wave newcomer (and French star) Delphine Cascarino, who just tied Alex Morgan’s record for most assists in club history.

💚 Seattle Reign vs. 🌹 Portland Thorns — Sunday at 4 p.m. ET — CBS

• And then there’s the Cascadia Clash, the rivalry of all NWSL rivalries. These teams hate each other, and with just two points separating them in the standings, this will get saucy — especially with Reign legend Jess Fishlock and Thorns superteen Olivia Moultrie on the pitch.