In just a few short games, Minnesota Aurora FC has made a name for itself on the field.

The USL W League team earned a 3-2 road win against St. Louis on Sunday, its second consecutive win and third of the season. The Aurora could be 3-0 to start the season save for a draw in their home opener against Green Bay.

Even before they started winning on the pitch, though, the Minneapolis-area team already was making a name for itself off the field.

For co-founder Matt Privratsky, the journey has been a bit unexpected. Initially, the club set an investment goal of $500,000, built upon community ownership with a minimum contribution of $100 per individual. But the club doubled that, raising roughly $1 million from 3,080 community owners whose average contribution is more than $300.

The USL W League is playing its inaugural season in 2022, with 44 teams across 20 states. It bills itself as a pre-professional league that provides development opportunities for women’s players.

The local community has rallied around Aurora in their first season. Supporters include the Como Zoo in St. Paul, which named a baby zebra after the team.

There’s also the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, who are lending use of their practice field TCO Stadium in Eagan, Minn., which serves as the USL club’s home turf. At the club’s home opener, another local team in the Minnesota Lynx showed support.

Glad to be a part of your historic moment, @MNAuroraFC 🤝 pic.twitter.com/VlESQFPBa4

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) May 27, 2022

The Aurora are seeing that support more broadly as well. The club generated $640,000 in combined ticket, merchandise and sponsorship revenue before the team ever took the field at TCO Stadium, and sold out its allotment of 3,000 season tickets.

The Aurora don’t take that support for granted, and they’re trying to show that in their product. Because the team generated more revenue than it projected, the front office made upgrades to the budget and hired more staff than originally deemed necessary.

They also have made it easy for fans to follow the team. One of their partnerships is a deal with local TV station WCCO, which ensures all matches are streamed live for free on the station’s digital platform, CBS News Minnesota.

In the home opener on May 26, fans made their presence known. TCO Stadium saw a sold-out crowd of over 5,200.

The weekly average for NWSL games so far this season is 8,105 – a number bolstered by Angel City FC’s average of 18,709 fans per game. The median attendance for the NWSL sits around 5,000 per game.

Last night was surreal.

Thank you Minnesota for coming out to cheer on this team. We cannot wait for more to come. See you all June 10th 💫 #LightTheNorth pic.twitter.com/OJm4AR7AXw

— Minnesota Aurora FC (@MNAuroraFC) May 27, 2022

The club has signed some big-name players, including Sarah Fuller, who made a name for herself as a goalkeeper at Vanderbilt and North Texas — and as the first woman to score in a Power 5 football game while at Vanderbilt.

With a dozen Minnesotans on the roster, there’s a hometown feel to the team as well. And as the NWSL considers cities for future expansion in 2024, Minnesota continues to make a case for itself as a prime destination. The Aurora could help the state’s case, as a few NWSL teams have branched into the USL W League as a way to develop talent.

“That (a NWSL club in Minnesota) would be amazing,” Minnesota Gophers head coach Erin Chastain said. “I think this would be a great market for an NWSL team. Aurora has really done a good job of putting the leg work in so that we can show the country, ‘Hey, we can do women’s soccer here at a high level.’”

The Aurora play their next home game at 8 p.m. ET Friday against Chicago City SC.

The NWSL is expanding its footprint across ESPN, with the broadcaster signing on to carry 16 additional regular-season games in both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, upping the platform's total to 33 matches per year.

ESPN will also introduce a season-long "Match of the Week" centerpiece series, as well as live coverage of NWSL Decision Day, when eight concurrent matches will close out the season on the same day. 

"The NWSL showcases some of the best athletes in the world," ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant said in a press release. "We are proud to increase our commitment on ABC and ESPN, and to further elevate women's sports and the athlete stories."

This media rights extension builds on the league's ongoing blockbuster four-year, $240 million TV deal with ESPN, adding inventory for the final two seasons of the November 2023 agreement.

The deal expansion comes in light of the league's significant growth this season, with the NWSL seeing gains across both attendance and viewership, including a 72% year-over-year ratings rise on ESPN.

"This supplemental agreement underscores the growing demand for women's soccer and ensures our players and clubs receive the visibility they deserve on some of the most prominent sports platforms," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement.

The 2025 WNBA season is over for Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but the 23-year-old star is still making headlines, with Reebok set to drop her signature Angel Reese 1 sneakers on Thursday.

The Angel Reese 1 is a cornerstone of Reebok's re-entry into the basketball market, with the sportswear giant engineering the signature shoe for on-court performance by including features like responsive cushioning and added upper support.

Inspired by the brand's classic Mobius line, the shoes will hit the shelves in three colorways — an iridescent white "Diamond Dust," a bold pink "Mebounds," and a black and white "Receipts Ready" — with Reese's personal logo incorporated into the design.

Reese first signed with Reebok as an NIL athlete at LSU in 2023, a little over six months after winning the NCAA championship with the Tigers.

This week's rollout follows the July sneak peek of the signature sneakers worn by Reese on the cover of NBA 2K26's WNBA Edition.

"This isn't just a shoe, it's my style, my story, and my stamp on the game," Reese said in Reebok's press release. "I wanted to design a basketball shoe that elevates performance, innovation, style, and creative expression, all at once."

"Reebok and I built something that's true to who I am, and I hope it pushes others to stand in their power too."

How to buy the Angel Reese 1 Reebok sneakers

All three colorways of the Angel Reese 1 sneakers will be available for a retail price of $120 beginning at 10 AM ET on Thursday at Reebok.com as well as in select stores.

No. 5 New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn't letting Sunday's left knee knock take her off the 2025 WNBA Playoffs court, with the forward planning to compete in Game 2 against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night.

An emotional Stewart finished Game 1 on the bench, going down with a knee injury in overtime of the Liberty's 76-69 upset win over the Mercury on Sunday.

"What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything," Stewart told reporters on Wednesday morning.

A Monday MRI revealed a sprained MCL, and though the two-time WNBA MVP did not practice on Tuesday, she participated in the team's Wednesday shootaround and said her pain had diminished to a three out of 10.

"[As long as] I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s—t," said Stewart, "I'm willing to take that [chance of re-injury] because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK."

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Even when the game-day status for Stewart was still unknown, New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello promised that the defending champions would give their star "as much time as we can."

"We know what's at stake," Brondello told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't want to go back to Phoenix [for Game 3], but they're going to come in hungry."

Stewart echoed that sentiment on Wednesday morning, saying "We want to finish it here. Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority."

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty in Game 2

No. 5 New York will look to oust No. 4 Phoenix from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a first-round sweep on Wednesday night, when the Liberty host the Mercury for Game 2 at 8 PM ET.

The matchup will air live on ESPN.

Star sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is reaching new heights, setting a new US record for the 400-meter race in the event's Tuesday semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished the flat event in 48.29 seconds, shaving more than 0.40 seconds off the previous US record of 48.70 seconds set by track legend Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.

Both her personal best and the fastest time in the world for that event this year, McLaughlin-Levrone's performance also makes her the seventh-fastest woman of all time in the 400-meter dash — elevating expectations that she could challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 seconds, set by then-East German sprinter Marita Koch in 1985.

Known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, the 26-year-old made the decision to focus on the flat 400-meter event ahead of this year's competition. 

"I definitely wasn't expecting that time," she said afterwards. "It just shows the fitness is there. I'm excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman."

How to watch McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter final

McLaughlin-Levrone will take aim at the 2025 World Athletics Championships' 400-meter podium — and, perhaps, another record time — during the event's final on Thursday.

The US star will race against 2024 Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser when the final begins at 9:24 AM ET.

Live coverage will air on USA Network.