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The Mystics Are All in on WNBA Rookies Kiki Iriafen & Sonia Citron
Things got a little heated in the fourth quarter of last week's Washington Mystics win over Chicago. The DC-based WNBA team held a slim 62-60 lead over the Sky, when a contested rebound turned into a jump ball that Chicago head coach Tyler Marsh strongly disagreed with — costing him a technical foul from the sideline. Washington veteran Brittney Sykes could have taken the subsequent free throw, adding to a 32-point performance on a night when it felt like the 31-year-old couldn't miss. Fourth-year center Shakira Austin was also on the floor, as was third-year guard Sug Sutton. Instead, the player stepping up to the stripe turned out to be rookie guard Sonia Citron. She calmly sank the shot for her 11th point of the game, giving Washington a little more daylight as they held on for their fifth win of the season. Story by Claire Watkins
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Ingrid Engen joins Lyon after winning 13 trophies with Barcelona
LYON, France (AP) — Norway defender Ingrid Engen has joined the Lyon women’s team from Barcelona on a two-year deal, the French club said Friday. The 27-year-old Engen played 152 matches across competitions with Barcelona, winning 13 trophies during a four-season spell with the Catalan club. Those titles included the Women’s Champions League twice — 2023 and ’24 — as well as four Spanish leagues. Lyon said Engen’s technical skills make her a versatile player capable of playing in the heart of the defense and in midfield. Engen has been selected to play at the European Championship in Switzerland next month alongside her new Lyon teammate and fellow Norwegian, Ada Hegerberg. Story by AP News
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MLB invests in pro softball, Women’s College World Series opens with a bang
Yesterday was like Christmas for softball fans, starting with the news that MLB will make a strategic investment in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) ahead of their debut season next week, followed by a high-octane opening day of the Women’s College World Series (WCWS). Let’s unpack all the latest. Story by The GIST
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Auston Kim Records Career-Best Finish in a Major at KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
FRISCO, Texas — Auston Kim dropped her putter in disbelief on the par-4 16th hole at Fields Ranch East. Her birdie putt had just kissed the right edge of the cup, sliding only a couple of inches by, and Kim couldn’t believe it didn’t fall, as the ball had been right on line until the very last second. It was pretty much Kim’s last chance to put any pressure on leader Minjee Lee coming down the stretch at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and when the 24-year-old closed out her final round at the year’s third major with a pair of routine pars to post at 1-under overall, Lee dropped the hammer late to polish off her third career major victory and first LPGA Tour title since 2023, leaving Kim three shots behind, in a tie for second with Chanettee Wannasaen. Story by Sarah Kellam
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Jeeno Thitikul Stays Patient and Goes on a Birdie Streak to Take First-Round Lead at Women's PGA
aFRISCO, Texas (AP) — Jeeno Thitikul walked off the fifth green after a double bogey in the first round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship reminding herself to stay patient and that some missed shots are going to happen. "Majors, you're going to miss anyway," said Thitikul, who's No. 2 in the women's world ranking. "A way to bounce back, it's more important." Thitikul certainly found a way to do that on a hot and windy Thursday, finishing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke lead over Minjee Lee (69). Haeran Ryu, Rio Takeda and Somi Lee all shot 70. That only hole over par for Thitikul was followed by a par before she made five birdies in a six-hole stretch, with a 60-footer on the par-3 eighth hole in the middle of three in a row. "My putter went really well," said the 22-year-old from Thailand, who is seeking her first major title. "In the front nine we had a lot of breeze going, and more than the back nine, but like (made) putts 7, 8, 9, which boosts the confidence up making the turn to the back nine." Thitikul, who lives in the Dallas area, needed only 25 putts on the Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco. Her makes measured 199 1/2 feet. Only 15 of 156 players broke par, with no bogey-free rounds on a day when temperatures reached the mid-90s Fahrenheit and it felt even hotter. There were also the ever-present Texas winds on a more open layout after last year's Women's PGA at tree-lined Sahalee outside Seattle. Maja Stark, who three weeks ago won the U.S. Women's Open, shot a 3-over 75. Defending champion Amy Yang finished with a 76, and was one of the last players off the course on a day with six-hour rounds. Story by Associated Press
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NWSL Stars Headline USWNT Roster Drop Ahead of Summer Friendlies
The USWNT announced a few welcome returns on Wednesday morning, tapping a roster heavy on NWSL talent for the world No. 1 team's upcoming friendlies against No. 25 Ireland and No. 8 Canada. Veteran midfielder Rose Lavelle is back in the fold, with the Gotham standout coming off ankle surgery to join her first US camp since November 2024. Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune is also making a return, as she continues her recovery protocol following an August 2024 knee surgery. The roster's lone European club player is star center back Naomi Girma, with head coach Emma Hayes opting to give most of the team's Europe-based stars a crucial break. "[Girma] felt really strongly that she needed the minutes," Hayes explained, referencing the defender's recent months off the pitch due to a calf injury. "She wants to be involved with the national team because she felt she's missed a really key camp for us." Story by Claire Watkins
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The champion who never left: Olga Morozova’s five-decade reign in Queen's
Fifty-two years after lifting the trophy at Queen’s Club, Olga Morozova is back, older, wiser and ... still technically the defending champion. Her 1973 win at the Rothman’s London Grass Court Championships came in the very first title match of the new WTA era. Armed with a wooden racquet and seeded eighth, the Moscow-born right-hander defeated No. 3 seed Evonne Goolagong 6-2, 6-3 to claim what remains arguably the biggest singles title of her career. “It’s got to be some kind of record, right?” Morozova said with a mischievous glint, chuckling at the idea that her reign as Queen’s champion has quietly stretched across five decades. For reasons that would soon become historic, Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals skipped singles that week -- they won the doubles instead -- but the singles draw was stacked. Margaret Court and Chris Evert led the 64-player field, and most of the world’s best showed up for what was, at the time, a key grass-court tune-up. Story by Adam Lincoln
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BMW Korea Extends Hosting of Korea’s Annual LPGA Tournament, “BMW Ladies Championship,” Through 2029
*Total prize money to increase annually, starting from $2.3 million this year, reaching up to $2.6 million by 2029 *Tournament to rotate across prestigious courses nationwide, modeled after the U.S. Open and The Open Championship *Starting 2019, the event has drawn over 250,000 spectators across five editions BMW Korea (CEO Sang-yoon Han) has announced the extension of its agreement with the LPGA Tour for the “BMW Ladies Championship,” Korea’s annual official LPGA Tour tournament, confirming that the event will continue through 2029. One key change in the extended agreement is the increase in prize money. Starting this year with $2.3 million—$100,000 more than the previous edition—the total prize pool will increase annually, reaching up to $2.6 million by 2029. This positions the BMW Ladies Championship as the highest-paying women’s golf tournament held in Korea. The tournament will maintain its existing format: 72-hole stroke play over four rounds with no cut. A total of 78 players will compete, including 68 top-tier LPGA Tour players and special invitees. In addition, the event will continue to support the development of Korean golf talent by offering tournament entries to promising amateur players. Story by LPGA Communications
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Former Chicago Sky Star Allie Quigley Officially Retires From the WNBA
Former Chicago Sky guard Allie Quigley made her retirement official on Tuesday, announcing her exit from professional basketball in a piece for The Players Tribune, nearly three years after her final WNBA game in September 2022. The 14-year league veteran spent the last decade of her career playing for her hometown team, helping lead the Sky to a WNBA championship in 2021 while also picking up three All-Star nods and two WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year awards. With a career average of 10.9 points per game and 39.4% shooting from beyond the arc, Quigley also claimed four 3-Point Contest victories, winning in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022 to set a record that still stands across the WNBA and NBA. Story by JWS Staff
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