THE EVE EDITION
AFTERGLOW | SAT OCT 24
Three days after losing by 26 points in Atlanta, the Golden State Valkyries walked back into State Farm Arena down 2-1, with a building ready to watch the Dream move within a win of the title. They led by 16 at halftime and spent the second half holding on while Atlanta came at them, through a six-point game midway through the fourth quarter and a Rhyne Howard three-point play with 28 seconds left. Angel Reese, who had owned the paint all series, made two of 12 shots. The Valkyries made their free throws, and a franchise in only its second season goes home to San Francisco with the Finals level.
Saturday belonged to the people who held on. Elena Rybakina needed 11 set points before her semifinal in Ningbo turned her way, Kaylia Nemour kept her bars title a day after one vault cost her an all-around medal, and Angel City waited out a scoreless half before Gisele Thompson found the top corner. In Haenam, deep into the night, a four-shot lead slipped away on the last day, and Yuri Yoshida was the one in position to take it.
Valkyries Hold Off Atlanta to Even the Finals
The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 67-62 in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon to tie the WNBA Finals at two games each, three days after losing Game 3 by 26 points in the same building. Golden State led 42-26 at halftime and spent the second half protecting it. Atlanta cut the margin to six midway through the fourth quarter, Veronica Burton answered with a three, and Rhyne Howard’s three-point play with 28 seconds left brought the Dream within four before the Valkyries closed it out at the free-throw line. Gabby Williams led Golden State with 17 points, and Burton and Tiffany Hayes added 13 each. The defense won the game. Angel Reese, who had a double-double in each of the first three games, finished with 8 points on 2-of-12 shooting and missed layups in the fourth quarter. Atlanta’s 62 points were its fewest of the series, after 97 in Game 3.
Game 5 is Monday night at Chase Center, where the Dream won Game 2 to even the series the first time. Williams has scored in double figures in all four games, the only Golden State starter to do it.
WNBA Full Story →
Rybakina Returns to the Ningbo Final
#1 Elena Rybakina beat #6 Diana Shnaider 6-3, 7-5 in the Ningbo semifinals and is one win from defending her title. The first set took 11 set points; Shnaider saved the first 10. Rybakina was broken at love when she first served for the match and still closed it out in 1 hour and 35 minutes, with six aces to Shnaider’s one.
She plays Leylah Fernandez for the title on Sunday. Rybakina leads their series 3-2 and has dropped one set all week. A win would be her fourth title of the season and the 15th of her career.
WTA Full Story →
Nemour Keeps Her Bars Title as Blakely Adds Two Medals
Kaylia Nemour of Algeria defended her world title on uneven bars in Rotterdam with 15.333, half a point clear of Germany’s Helen Kevric, a day after a mistimed first vault left her fourth in the all-around. She lowered her difficulty to 7.0, still the highest in the final. Skye Blakely, the new all-around champion, took bronze with 14.600, her first world medal on bars and her second medal of the afternoon.
Rebeca Andrade won her third world vault title with an average of 14.466. Claire Pease took silver at 14.233 despite stepping out of bounds on her second vault, and Blakely, who led after her two vaults, took bronze at 14.166. Beam and floor close the championships on Sunday.
Gymnastics Full Story →
Ohio State Routs Colgate to Sweep the Series
#1 Ohio State beat #8 Colgate 8-0 at the OSU Ice Rink on Saturday and outscored the Raiders 11-0 over the weekend. Hilda Svensson scored from the top of the slot in the first period, and the Buckeyes scored six more in the second, two of them by Jocelyn Amos within 84 seconds, one shorthanded and one on the power play. Hayley McDonald, Ema Tóthová and Sydney Sawyer all scored their first career goals, and Sawyer added another in the third. Ohio State outshot Colgate 43-15, and Taylor Kressin made 15 saves.
Ohio State is 9-1-0 and Colgate 6-2-0. It was the Buckeyes’ first series shutout since January 2025. Svensson has scored in eight of their 10 games, and Ohio State hosts Bemidji State next weekend.
NCAAW Hockey Full Story →
Angel City Shuts Out Bay FC
Angel City beat Bay FC 2-0 at BMO Stadium on Saturday night before 20,548 and stretched its unbeaten run to nine matches, with its first playoff place since 2023 already secured. The first half finished scoreless after Jordan Silkowitz turned away Evelyn Shores in the 34th minute and kept Bay FC level. Maiara Niehues came on at halftime and changed the night inside four minutes, slipping a through ball to Gisele Thompson, who finished into the top corner from the right side of the box. Riley Tiernan converted Nealy Martin’s sliding pass from close range in the 83rd minute to settle it. Angelina Anderson kept her 10th clean sheet of the season, extending her club record, and the second goal gave Angel City the first 50-goal season in its history. Emily Menges came on late for Bay FC in her first match since April 2025, back from maternity leave.
Denver Summit beat Racing Louisville 6-1 in its home finale in Centennial and goes into Decision Day alive, needing a win at North Carolina to have a chance at the last playoff place. Natasha Flint scored twice, Janine Sonis set up two goals, and Kaleigh Kurtz, Melissa Kössler, Lindsey Heaps and Yazmeen Ryan also scored. Taylor White scored her first professional goal for Louisville. Angel City, now 14-8-7, closes the regular season against Boston Legacy on November 1.
NWSL Full Story →
Yoshida Catches Ryu to Win in Haenam
Yuri Yoshida of Japan shot a 4-under 68 in the final round of the BMW Ladies Championship and won her first LPGA title at 17-under 271, one shot ahead of Haeran Ryu and Hye-Jin Choi. She started four behind Ryu, eagled the par-5 2nd and birdied three straight holes from the 5th to take the lead alone. A bogey at the par-3 15th let Ryu draw level, and Yoshida answered with a birdie at the par-5 17th, which gave her room for a three-putt bogey on the last.
Ryu, the world #3 and the winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA and the Evian this summer, shot 73. Her drive at the 18th went left, her second found a greenside bunker and her long par putt to force a playoff came up short. Choi, still looking for her first LPGA win, closed with 69 and lipped out a birdie putt on the 18th that would have tied.
Golf Full Story →
LAST LIGHT
Monday will be the first Finals Game 5 for either franchise. Golden State is in its second season, and Atlanta won the first Finals game in its history only this week. The series is now a best-of-three, and the Valkyries have home court for two of the three, starting at Chase Center at 8:00 PM on USA and Peacock.
The Finals take Sunday off, and nothing else does. Two week-long tournaments end in Europe and Asia, the Big Ten plays through the afternoon, and the NWSL has one weekend left after this one, all of it in First Blush.