SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " WNBA " 450 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Caitlin Clark Makes Her Opinion Around Valkyries Winning WNBA Championship Against Dream Extremely Clear
The WNBA’s growth has been impossible to ignore over the past few seasons, with rising attendance, record viewership, and new franchises adding to the league’s momentum. The 2026 season took that progress another step forward, as the Golden State Valkyries delivered a historic championship run just two years after entering the league.
The Last Disney+ Original?
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get going, I wanted to remind readers about how I plan to keep your trust while I add advertising to this newsletter. As you’ve no doubt noticed, I’m running ads now, but the danger is that it could impact my analysis and writing. I have a list of sponsors on my About Page, so if you think I’m biased, you can check out who’s sponsored this newsletter! This is something that I’m not sure anyone else in digital media does (if you’re a writer or media outlet and you do this, let me know and I’ll shout you out!) but it’s something I’d love to see embraced by the entire industry. Sunlight, i.e. transparency, is often the best disinfectant. Okay, on to this week’s issue. We (finally) have another major Disney+ TV show to talk about, so that’s my main focus for today. Plus, we had a lot of new shows come out, including the fourth seasons of The Diplomat and Tulsa King! And Love is Blind! The Lowdown! Also, four (four!) straight-to-streaming films came out this week, featuring a lot of big names and celebrities, so I’m going to look at those. All that, mixed news for the WNBA, Reacher ends its run on the charts, Skydance does well in September viewership, NYU’s Sundance dominance, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of October 12th to October 18th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Television - Disney+’s Porridge Problem Listen, per my headline, VisionQuest isn’t the last Disney+ Original. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s not. They have other MCU shows in development. Well, maybe one: But it sure feels like the end of an era. I’d call it their “porridge too hot” era, to quote myself from The Ringer. I told Ben Lindbergh that Disney+ seemingly couldn’t figure out the right amount of content. In the heights of the Streaming Bubble Era (circa 2019 to 2022), they started releasing an insane amount of TV shows. After their growth slowed, they’re down to two or three shows a year, and that might be down to 1 by 2027. Here’s my TV shows by year chart: Even at the time, I thought Disney was making too many shows (that cost too much). Today? They’re definitely making too few shows (though the budgets are more in check, at least according to the reporting). Porridge too hot, porridge too cold; too many shows, now not enough. Which makes evaluating VisionQuest so interesting. This show didn’t have a great lead-in, whether it be a Marvel Cinematic Universe film (the last non-Sony-produced-Spider-Man flick came out The Fantastic Four from July of 2025) or Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show (the two this year were Wonder Man back in January and _Daredevil: Born Again_in May, both of which underwhelmed). And so far, VisionQuest hasn’t quite recaptured the MCU Originals glory, but it has some signs of sparks. First, it made Samba TV, though at a lowly ninth place. At least it made it, a feat some other Marvel shows didn’t accomplish. (Ironheart landed on the Samba TV charts one week at tenth place, but Wonder Man and Daredevil: Born Again both missed.) VisionQuest also made Luminate, though with only 3.0 and 7.6 million hours. But it missed Nielsen in its first week. The best news might be its 7.8 on IMDb, on 12K reviews so far, great numbers, even for a superhero show. Looking at those numbers, this show will really need to pick up in future weeks—and it may since it’s coming out weekly—or Disney will have another disappointment on its hands. Disney+ binge-released their last few shows to try to boost numbers, but that meant shows like Iron Heart and Wonder Man didn’t last long on the charts. _Daredevil: Born Again’s_last season missed entirely (though it came out weekly). Here’s the Disney+ Originals by totals: And for a fun new look, here are those same shows, rearranged by the years they came out: That really shows that, in addition to Disney+ releasing fewer shows, those shows just don’t hit like they once did. If I had to offer one main explanation, it’s that Marvel Studios moved away from characters who starred in the Avengersmovies (The Scarlett Witch, Vision, Hawkeye, Loki, Falcon, Winter Soldier) to characters who didn’t (Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Iron Heart, Wonder Man, Daredevil). It sounds trite, but more popular IP tends to do better than less popular IP. In Marvel’s case, beloved, decades-old characters trump newer ones. And yes, I think this is a problem for Disney. The failure of Marvel TV shows to linger for weeks on the charts, unlike in 2021 and 2022, explains why Disney’s share of the charts has plummeted: That’s a strategic issue. Yes, these shows are really expensive, but without them, Disney+ will struggle, especially if Disney+ keeps raising prices AND licenses out its shows non-exclusively. My recommendation? Return to the core value proposition, which is Disney+ as “genre HBO”. The goal is six shows a year, coming out weekly, spaced out throughout the year. When a show hits, keep it coming back. Make three to four of those shows Marvel or Star Wars, and fill out the rest with IP swings like Percy Jackson, Goosebumps or something like National Treasure. And make YA-skewing shows like Coven Academy to fill out the schedule. Disney, you can get this porridge just right, er, make the right number of shows. Quick Notes on TV Netflix’s sophomore, er, junior, er, senior season slump abated very, very slightly this week. I speak of The Diplomat, which returned for its fourth season on 15-Oct. Credit where credit is due, this show debuted in April of 2023, and has put out new seasons every year since. Has that helped the viewership? Not really. This season opened to 16.4 million hours, which is down significantly from the first season (21.7 million hours) and down somewhat from the second season (18.0 million hours), but it is up from last year’s 14.2 million hours opening. On Samba TV, it opened to third place; that’s also very good. On Luminate, it opened to 25.0 million hours, which is good, but over thirty million hours is a hit on that platform. Netflix wisely renewed it, since it’s steady and, frankly, Netflix needs hits.1 Paramount+ put out Tulsa King’s fourth season on a Friday. After putting out most of their big, usually-Taylor Sheridan-scripted shows out on Sundays last year, they’ve clearly moved to Fridays going forward. Was this a thought-out strategic change, Netflix mimicry, or a data-inspired move? Tough to say. Fridays are crowded with new movies, but so are Sundays with new shows. Anyways, this one is coming out weekly, and we haven’t seen it hit the Nielsen or Luminate charts yet. But it did make Samba TV at fifth place, which is a good opening. Still, if this doesn’t make Luminate or Nielsen next week, I’d call it a disappointment. Netflix had two unscripted shows hit the charts this week, one a docu-series and one a reality competition show. Tyson is a four-episode docu-series about one of boxing’s most popular fighters, and it made both the Samba TV and Luminate charts, but not Nielsen. That’s a solid run for only four episodes (assuming it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to produce). Netflix’s latest season of Love Is Blind also returned for its eleventh season, which opened to 10.0 million hours, down from previous seasons. It also had 11.0 million hours according to Luminate, roughly in line with the Nielsen numbers. Last issue, I analyzed the triple successes of Below, Carrie and Crystal Lake, noting that all three have done well. I mostly used Nielsen, but all three shows also made Samba TV (see above). Crystal Lake in particular did very well on Luminate, getting 35.0 million hours, top for Peacock among first seasons: The top “show” of the week would have been Thursday Night Football again, at 41.7 million hours. This is still above last year’s game, but it continues the season’s overall downward trend, which happens every year. (Though a big week is coming, based on the news stories I’ve seen.) As I said before, I’ll do a deeper dive on all the October games later this month, with comparisons to previous years. One company is quietly on a roll, when you consider the shows it makes and streams. I speak of Skydance—a point Variety made—noting that it produces Neagley and Reacher for Amazon, along with Paramount+’s Lioness, which means it produced three of the top four shows of September according to Nielsen. By the way, Neagley fell off the Nielsen charts after four weeks, which is a pinch short for how well it started, but it’s still a huge success. (Interestingly, it finished just 7.3 million hours ahead of the cancelled Ride or Die.) The point, though, which I’ve made before, is that Prime Video still has a problem with how many co-productions it buys, most notably _The Boys_from Sony and Reacher/Jack Ryan from Skydance. It’s not a critical flaw—everyone licenses shows—but Amazon still struggles to make its own hits. Reacher finally fell off the Nielsen charts, so here’s its final rank for season four: We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… ...An example of the algorithm NOT picking a film… …whether or not Netflix buys shows simply for the movie poster… ...if East of Eden is above the Obliterated Line... ...what four star-studded straight-to-streaming films didn’t chart... ...and a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you want an idea of just how much content you’d get in a full issue, check out this older issue.
Fever's Stephanie White could get fresh start amid WNBA coaching shakeup
White had been expected to stay on in Indiana.
SF Giants Community: Congrats Valkyries!
The Golden State Valkyries are your 2026 WNBA Champs!
With gutty WNBA Finals win, Valkyries cement themselves as Bay Area legends in record time
With their fast ascension to the WNBA mountaintop, the Valkyries have ushered in a new era of Bay Area sports glory.
Gabby Williams leads Valkyries to WNBA championship
When the final buzzer sounded, the violet-clad sellout crowd at Chase Center went into a frenzy
WNBA championship: Gabby Williams leads Golden State Valkyries to first title in second season, beating Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7
Gabby Williams scored her teams final 11 points of the third quarter and dazzled through the fourth on the way to 30 points as the Golden State Valkyries captured the WNBA championship in just their second season.
Here's what fans need to know in the sports world today
Check out some of the top news of the day from the WNBA, CFB and NBA.
Golden State Valkyries defeat Atlanta Dream for franchise’s first WNBA title
The Valkyries won 68 to 63 in Game 7, clinching their first championship on the road.
Valkyries win WNBA championship 2 years into existence, beating Dream in Game 7
The Valkyries celebrated on their home court, making history in San Francisco.
Saturday Sports: WNBA Finals; injuries in the NBA; Milwaukee Brewers' World Series title
NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Howard Bryant talk about the WNBA Finals game seven, a recent surge in injuries in the NBA and the Milwaukee Brewers' World Series title.
Sun coach’s fate revealed amid move to Houston
The Connecticut Sun have played their final season at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville as the team is moving to Houston and rebranding as the former Comets for the 2027 WNBA season. One of the biggest questions surrounding the team amid the move was the future of head coach Rachid Meziane. That question has now been answered as Meziane will […] The post Sun coach’s fate revealed amid move to Houston appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Women's sports bars are having a moment, and the WNBA Finals are proof
Valkyries fans showed out at Rikki's in the Castro, despite a 9:30 a.m. tip time.
Inside the scramble that moved Thursday's WNBA Finals game to 12:30 p.m. ET
Many different options were considered before the WNBA decided to move Thursday's Game 6 of the WNBA Finals to a midday time slot.
Jen Rizzotti earns WNBA's Business Executive Leadership Award
Rizzotti joined the Sun's staff in 2021 and helped lead the franchise through its relocation to Houston.
Why Angel Reese wraps her leg for every WNBA game
It’s become one of the most recogniSable looks in basketball, but Angel Reese’s full-leg wrap is far more than a style statement. There were plenty of questions about how Angel Reese’s game would hold up in the Finals, but she answered every single one by putting the Atlanta Dream on her shoulders.
The NBA wants the WNBA to grow. This Finals scheduling blunder won’t help
The NBA, with its hands all over the WNBA's growth, needed to push for better solution than an afternoon Game 6 that could crown a champion.
Here's what fans need to know in the sports world today
Check out some of the top news of the day from the NFL, MLB and WNBA.
Valkyries' WNBA Finals run brings business and ‘incredible' vibe to Mission Bay
The emergence of the Golden State Valkyries and their improbable run to the WNBA Finals could not have come at a better time, according to Mission Bay business owners. But not all cashing in.
Valkyries’ WNBA Finals run brings business and ‘incredible’ vibe to SF
The emergence of the Golden State Valkyries and their improbable run to the WNBA Finals could not have come at a better time, according to Mission Bay business owners. But not all cashing in.
Golden State Valkyries Ride Momentum Into Game 5 of WNBA Finals Against Atlanta Dream
The Valkyries are hot off a win in Atlanta that tied up the best-of-seven series, guaranteeing the first Game 6 in WNBA Finals history.
Sports equinox on tap with MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA and NHL all in play at the same time Monday night
Monday marks the 33rd sports equinox, the first since Oct. 27, 2025, and the fourth instance with women's professional basketball included, according to Sportradar.
Sports equinox on tap with MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA and NHL all in play at the same time
If you love sports, it's tough to beat Monday night
Sports equinox on tap with MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA and NHL all in play at the same time Monday night
If you love sports, it's tough to beat Monday night.
Sports equinox on tap with MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA and NHL all in play at the same time Monday night
If you love sports, it's tough to beat Monday night.
Sports Equinox on Tap With MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA and NHL All in Play at the Same Time Monday Night
If you love sports, Oct. 26, 2026, will be tough to beat. Five professional leagues in North America are in action at the same time on Monday night, a phenomena known as a sports equinox. Major League Baseball and the NFL will compete for the most viewers while the NBA, WNBA and NHL give their ...
Sports Equinox viewing guide: How to watch every NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA game on busiest sports day of the year
The sports equinox will fall upon Monday night this year. Make sure you make arrangements to follow along.
How to watch the 2026 WNBA Finals: Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream Game 5 time, schedule, where to stream and more
Saturday Sports: The World Series; the WNBA finals
NPR's Scott Simon and sports reporter Michele Steele discuss the World Series and the WNBA Finals.
Angel Reese gets unexpected proposal during historic Finals run
Reese responded after a fan brought a marriage proposal sign to the WNBA Finals as the Atlanta Dream star continued her historic postseason run.
Disappointed primary voters weigh their choices: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Ramaswamy’s ad underscores how governor’s races could affect downballot contests.
Houston Comets on TV: WNBA games will be on KHOU, KTBU, Space City
Good news for WNBA fans: You won't have to subscribe to a streaming service or even have cable to watch Houston Comets games when they return to play next year.
Toy Story 5, Backrooms and The Breadwinner Vie to Become the Second Biggest Film This Year...
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Often, people blame “data” for ruining Hollywood, when I’d argue that hype (which can often be debunked by data) is often worse, as you can see in these two headlines. To use a common meme, here’s how it started: and how it’s going: Earlier this year, I read countless (and I mean countless) articles (in almost every mainstream media outlet) about how Heated Rivalry was a huge hit and that it “heated” interest in hockey. But Heated Rivalry wasn’t a huge viewership hit compared to the hype: [ ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/you-cant-eat-buzzdid-heated-rivalrys) [ You Can’t Eat Buzz…Did Heated Rivalry’s Buzz Translate into Actual Viewership? ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/you-cant-eat-buzzdid-heated-rivalrys) Entertainment Strategy Guy · Jan 22 [ Read full story ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/you-cant-eat-buzzdid-heated-rivalrys) In this case, the hype (Heated Rivalry is really popular) belied the data (It didn’t make the top ten charts, meaning it wasn’t a huge hit.1) Even worse, every time I write about this, I get a lot of negative feedback, hence why I only sparingly mention the show these days or add lots of caveats when I write about it, but this just further cements the hype. But companies, and the executives leading them, have to determine strategy based on reality, not media coverage. The NHL committed real marketing dollars to a campaign that didn’t work. Sure enough, the latest NHL season opened to under a million viewers. At some point, you have to focus on what the data says, because real dollars are at stake. And that’s why we have the Streaming Ratings Report! To provide and analyze cold, hard data. Luckily, this week, I can be positive and take a look at a huge opening on streaming, along with a very buzzy horror film that customers kind of like, but don’t really love. And a comedy that tried to rebound on streaming. Today, I’m covering two weeks—21-Sep and 28-Sep—so we have a lot to discuss (nearly 5,000 words worth), including a series of film misses for Netflix, another argument for weekly-released TV shows on streaming, another sitcom tries to avoid the comedy curse, Netflix has two new game shows (one powered by AI), Reacher falling off the charts after a huge run, Prime Video tries its hands at the romcom game**,** a look at the WNBA’s big season, a big night for the VMAs on CBS and MTV, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of September 14th to October 4th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - Two Hits and a Miss Come to Streaming… Three very interesting films came to streaming in one week, and I like comparing them since they show the range of theatrical films. One was a huge blockbuster, one was popular, and one was neither. One is a horror film, a buzzy genre; one is a comedy, a struggling genre; and one is an animated family film, the king of the box office. One went to a tiny streamer (HBO Max), one went to a second-tier streamer (Disney+), and one went to the biggest (Netflix). So… If you just went by box office, you’d expect Backrooms—the $197 million grosser, and partner of Obsession for “YouTube Horror Summer”—to dominate on streaming. If you read this report, though, you know that horror films don’t do great on streaming, and that’s the case again. Backrooms opened at 3.8 million hours according to Nielsen, and had 3.9 million hours in its second week. Here’s how that stacks up to other HBO Max films: We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… ...why I don’t buy Backrooms budget… …two new games shows arrive on streaming… …another sitcom struggles… ...another argument for putting out shows weekly on Netflix... ...and a whole lot more, nearly 5,000 words more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you want an idea of just how much content you’d get in a full issue, check out this older issue. Coming Soon! Next week, I’ll be taking a look at the eighth season of Hulu’s The Kardashians, answering the question: will this show ever make the charts? If Mormon wives can make it, surely one of social media’s most popular families can as well. Also, Prime Video has a new horror show based on popular IP, Carrie, Netflix has a horror show starring Josh Hartnett, Below, and Apple TV has a UK import, Small Prophets. Plus a bunch of movies like Disclosure Day heading to Peacock, The Housemaid coming to HBO Max, Ben Affleck’s latest on Apple TV, Animals, and Matchbox the Movie on Apple TV, a John Cena action comedy inspired by Hasbro’s toy cars. The week after is even busier! I’ll look at another IP-based horror show, Crystal Lake, a new MCU show on Disney+, VisionQuest, season two of The Lowdown on FX/Hulu, the fourth seasons of The Diplomat on Netflix and Tulsa King on Paramount+, another season of Love is Blind, and four straight-to-streaming films: Netflix’s Sacrifice (starring Chris Evens, Anya-Taylor-Joy, Vincent Cassel, John Malkovich, Salma Hayek. Charlie XCX), Apple TV’s Tenzing (starring Tom Hiddleston and Willem Defoe), Prime Video’s Love of Your Life (Margaret Qualley) and Masterplan (Stanley Tucci) and a whole lot more, somehow. Long term, here’s some huge IP news: a Game of Thrones movie is coming to theaters, Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest in 2029, while Jon Watts (who helmed three of the most recent Spider-Man movies) is directing the next Star Wars trilogy, to be written by Simon Kinberg. I’m cautiously optimistic for both. It feels obvious to say that making good movies matters, but for bets this big (Star Wars is on a swoon, Game of Thrones hasn’t been to theaters yet), the quality has to be there.
Bay Area sports calendar, Oct. 19-20
Cecilia Zandalasini and the Valkyries will face the Dream in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center at 5 p.m. Monday. (USA CNBC E!)
Angel Reese all business with first WNBA Finals pre-game fit, Chanel bag
Check out Angel Reese's pre-game fit for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
Obituaries: RJ Mitte, Lucian Piane, Heidi Burge Horton, Alan Mandell
Notable deaths also include a "Breaking Bad" mainstay, a former WNBA player and a music producer for "RuPaul's Drag Race."
Saturday Sports: Brewers advance, Guardians lead in MLB; WNBA finals tip off
NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Howard Bryant talk MLB playoffs and the WNBA Finals tip off.
Alanis Morissette, Rita Moreno among Valkyries Finals performers
The Golden State Valkyries have assembled a Bay Area-heavy entertainment lineup for their first two WNBA Finals games at Chase Center in San Francisco.
WNBA Superstar A’ja Wilson’s Next Big Play? Building A Business Empire
Beyond her $1.4 million Aces salary, Forbes estimates Under 30 alum A’ja Wilson will earn more than $5 million from sponsors including Nike, Chase and AT&T.
Tennis Legend Chris Evert Sends Strong 6-Word Message to WNBA in Support of Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark’s influence on women’s basketball has drawn praise from another sporting legend after a fan revisited her place on a Forbes ranking. Tennis great Chris Evert joined the conversation with a brief message about how the WNBA should treat the Indiana Fever star.
E! AND USA SPORTS ANNOUNCE LIVE FROM THE ORANGE CARPET: WNBA FINALS HOSTED BY LILLY SINGH
A global media and technology company.
Basalt to host business roundtables for community
The town of Basalt is inviting local business owners to join Basalt Town Manager Gloria Kaasch-Buerger and Basalt Chamber President and CEO Kris Mattera for an open dialogue about the business climate and local economy.
NBA, WNBA To Air PSAs On Gambling Issues
The NBA and WNBA have partnered with the National Council on Problem Gambling in hopes to educate fans on the risks of gambling.
NBA and WNBA to launch new responsible gaming campaign to reinforce risks of sports betting and prediction markets
The campaign will educate fans, particularly young adults, about the risks associated with sports betting and prediction markets.
WNBA gives Cheryl Reeve another award after playoff collapse and years of outspoken left-wing politics
Cheryl Reeve won WNBA Executive of the Year for a third time, but the Lynx's historic first-round playoff sweep raises questions about the honor.
Good health has been more than good luck for the Valkyries
akase's intentional approach to rest and depth gives Golden State a full roster heading into the WNBA Finals.
Caitlin Clark finishes behind surprising rookie in WNBA MVP voting
Thje Fever guard was not the runner-up in WNBA MVP voting.
Is a ‘blue tsunami’ going to wipe out Republicans in the midterms?
Jonathan Freedland speaks to David Nir of the Downballot about why Democrats are feeling so hopeful in deep red states
A'ja Wilson named WNBA MVP for third consecutive year, fifth time overall as Aces star extends all-time record
Golden State Valkyries become first women’s sports team to top $100m in annual revenue
The second-year WNBA franchise have become the first women’s professional sports team to surpass $100m in annual revenue, according to Sportico
TV and streaming viewing picks for October 4, 2026: How to watch MLB Postseason, NFL Week 4 and WNBA Semifinals
All Times Eastern College Field Hockey Stanford at Louisville — ACC Network/ESPN Unlimited, noon College Football ACC Huddle: Final Score — ACC Network, 8 a.m. SEC Football Final — SEC Network, 8 a.m. The Final Drive — Big Ten Network, 10 a.m. Inside College Football — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m. College Football Final —…
Now that the WNBA is mainstream, culture wars have come with it
The league’s growth has made its politics more visible while giving its critics a bigger target.
Valkyries to face defending-champion Aces, questions in semifinals
The Golden State Valkyries are the highest seed left in the WNBA playoffs, but Las Vegas was 3-0 in regular-season meetings between the teams. Can Natalie Nakase's team stop the star-studded Aces?
Saturday Sports: Major League Baseball playoff time; WNBA
NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Howard Bryant discuss the WNBA and MLB playoffs.
Sophie Cunningham’s playoff presence draws attention beyond the court
Sophie Cunningham turned heads before the WNBA playoffs with a striking all-white look featuring a mini dress, dark sunglasses and strappy heels. The Indiana Fever guard’s fashion statement added another memorable moment to her growing reputation for standout pregame tunnel style.
Bay Area sports calendar, Oct. 2-4
The Valkyries look to advance in the WNBA playoffs with a win over the Dallas Wings in Game 3 of their first-round series on Friday night at 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Caitlin Clark and the strange phenomenon of puking sports stars
The WNBA star delivered a match-winning performance after being ill at halftime Wednesday, but is far from alone
Jordin Canada Takes Over Fourth Quarter as Dream Sweep Mystics
Jordin Canada scored 13 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Dream beat the Mystics 93-75 to complete a first-round sweep.
October sports watch guide: World Series, WNBA Finals, NBA and ‘A Bears Love Story’
Here's what to watch across a glorious and busy month, which includes the Oct. 26 sports equinox.
October is already fun, plus poll results
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Extend your series today. Coming up: ‼️ A WNBA playoff thriller 📈 Three MLB teams advance 🔁 Late-night NFL trade We are in the midst of a beautiful time, and not just because it’s officially October (more on that in a bit). This week, we get to enjoy a three-game-playoff-series bonanza, in which every game really, really matters. The MLB and WNBA postseasons started days ago; multiple teams are already heading to exit...
WNBA playoffs live updates, Valkyries-Wings score: Postseason continues with Game 2 from Dallas after Dream eliminate Mystics
Atlanta Dream advance to WNBA semifinals
The Atlanta Dream are now just one series away from the WNBA Finals.
How The Golden State Valkyries Built A WNBA Business Powerhouse
The Golden State Valkyries built a WNBA business powerhouse in two seasons, driving record attendance, 12,000+ season ticket holders and a No. 2 playoff seed.
WNBA turns in best regular-season viewership since 2000
The WNBA continues to bring in new fans.
8 seeds to beat a 1 seed in WNBA: Complete history of biggest first-round playoff upsets
The Liberty made history with their first-round upset over the Lynx.
Tuesday’s chaotic TV schedule proves that it’s harder than ever to be a sports fan
On its face, Tuesday was an awesome day for sports fans to sit back, relax, and watch compelling action all day long. All four MLB Wild Card series began with Game 1, staggered across the day beginning at 2 p.m. ET. We had two elimination games in the WNBA playoffs, with Game 2 of both…
Breanna Stewart's longevity training plan: carbs, Pilates, naps
WNBA icon Breanna Stewart has dialed down her training and recovery routine to the core essentials — Pilates, naps, carbs, and post-game weights.
USA SPORTS DELIVERS VIEWERSHIP RECORDS AND MILESTONES IN INAUGURAL SEASON OF WNBA COVERAGE AHEAD OF WNBA FINALS ON USA NETWORK THIS OCTOBER
A global media and technology company.
Fever’s Stephanie White admits mental health impact of toxic WNBA discourse
White and the Fever have had an especially trying season. Little of which has had to do with basketball.
Angel Reese Is Becoming a PROBLEM for the WNBA
Remember when people questioned whether Angel Reese could become a legitimate WNBA superstar? That conversation looks ridiculous right now. Reese has been dominant in her first season with the Atlanta Dream, averaging 16.4 points and 12.1 rebounds while rewriting the record books. She became the first player in WNBA history to grab 500 rebounds in…
Bay Area sports calendar, Sept. 27-28
Veronica Burton (22) and the Valkyries will face Dallas in a WNBA first-round playoff game at 6 p.m. Sunday. (USA, CNBC)
2026 WNBA season reaches all-time high with insane demand
Don't sleep on the WNBA after the league's insane growth during the 2026 regular season.
Paige Bueckers steps onto WNBA playoff stage as next step in growth
She's ready for her WNBA playoff debut Sunday against the Golden State Valkyries.
Can the WNBA’s biggest star just play basketball? Let’s ask Caitlin Clark
"“Everybody wants her to be something." But what does Clark want to be?
WNBA playoffs 2026 tracker: Standings, clinch scenarios, schedule, playoff bracket and more
WNBA Playoff Seeding: Everything to Know Entering Final Night
The Valkyries, Aces, Fever and Mystics all have playoff seeding at stake on the final night of the WNBA regular season.
Jessica Shepard secures another triple-double and Wings beat Storm 103-91
Dallas (27-16), which won just 10 games last season, set a WNBA record for the best single-season turnaround in league history with a 17-win improvement.
Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham compares herself to Patrick Mahomes
WNBA star Sophie Cunningham invoked Patrick Mahomes after the Indiana Fever’s latest win.
Without Olivia Miles, Lynx lose to Fever, need rematch win to clinch No. 1 seed
Indiana can't slide lower than the sixth seed in the postseason with Tuesday's win.
Jessica Shepard's breakout season with the Dallas Wings doesn't surprise her
Shepard is a first-time All-Star and sudden triple-double machine, tied with career WNBA leader Alyssa Thomas of Phoenix for the most this season with five while helping the Wings reach the playoffs.
A Geico Holiday Special? Insurance Giant’s New CMO Widens Spotlight on Entertainment
Geico’s famous animated Gecko used to turn up only in TV commercials. He recently enjoyed guest-star billing on a podcast. The cartoonish figure with the sophisticated accent appeared in June on WNBA ...
TV and streaming viewing picks for September 22, 2026: How to watch WNBA on ESPN
All Times Eastern College Basketball ACC Network Basketball Podcast — ACC Network, 5 p.m. College Football Florida Atlantic Weekly Press Conference — ESPN+, 11:45 a.m. Cincinnati Football Press Conference — ESPN+, noon Oklahoma Football Press Conference — SEC Network, noon Iowa State Football Press Conference — EPSN+, 12:55 p.m. B1G Live: Football Coaches Press Conferences…
The Giants’ season is already in danger, plus an early NHL preview
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Talk to your friends about EPA today. Coming up: 🔀 Vibe shift in L.A. 🤓 The WNBA’s spectacle 📕 We’re all football nerds Football season can be so fickle. Vibes can turn on a dime. Last week, we marveled at how the new-look Giants dominated the Cowboys in primetime. We wondered if New York’s ceiling could be higher than previously thought under coaching legend John Harbaugh. And we wondered if the Rams’ dream season...
GEICO signs WNBA star Napheesa Collier amid sports marketing push
The deal follows GEICO's recent Minnesota Lynx partnership and its wider advertising comeback
Isabelle Harrison leads Toronto in rebounds against New York
Former Lady Vol Isabelle Harrison leads Toronto in rebounds against New York in the WNBA.
Angel Reese announces new shoe release after 30-point game
Angel Reese had plenty to celebrate after helping the Atlanta Dream secure a comfortable win over the Connecticut Sun in her return to WNBA action
Meet Allison Howard, the woman bringing the WNBA back to Cleveland
Allison Howard, the former president of Kansas City's NWSL team, is leading Cleveland's new WNBA franchise, the Sirens, set to tip off in 2028 with 12,000 season ticket deposits already sold.
Sophie Cunningham Gets Pulled Into Adam Silver’s WNBA Commissioner Search
The WNBA is approaching a major change at the top after Cathy Engelbert announced she will leave the commissioner’s office at the end of 2026. With the league entering its next phase, the search for her replacement has already started reaching the players themselves. That became clear when Sophie Cunningham revealed that Adam Silver had [...]
ESPN Announces 4-Part Toronto Tempo Docuseries ‘Setting the Tempo’
ESPN announced “Setting the Tempo,” a four-part docuseries centered on the creation and inaugural season of the Toronto Tempo.
USA SPORTS PRESENTS PUSH TO THE PLAYOFFS WITH NINE WNBA GAMES IN EIGHT DAYS
A global media and technology company.