BROOKLYN, NY — The day before the Liberty took the Barclays Center court for the last time this season, in a game they had to win to remain in the playoff hunt, coach Walt Hopkins organized a film session.

The Liberty came out of the Olympic break in mid-August with control of their own destiny. Instead, they lost nine of 10, including a 29-point thumping by the No. 1 Sun on Wednesday, and entered Friday night’s regular season finale against the Mystics with their postseason chances hanging on by a thread.

So on Thursday, Hopkins took them through a film session where everything was on the table. The players and coaches aired frustrations, held each other accountable and bought into the team-oriented culture they’re building in New York.

“I think that one of the reasons that they’ve continued to respond well all season is that they really do trust one another, they trust the staff,” Hopkins said before the game. “So the primary focus for them is not just that we’re doing this for now, but we’re doing this because we’re building something. Every single game matters and the way that we play matters.”

The Liberty came out Friday night and played for the present and the future, holding off a resurgent Mystics team in the second half to win 91-80 in front of their home crowd.

For the Liberty to earn their first playoff berth since 2017, they need both the Mystics and Sparks to lose Sunday and they would advance with the head-to-head advantage.

The way Hopkins and the players talked after the game, Sunday’s results are not top of mind. For them, Friday night’s game was about proving to themselves that they’re capable of executing when the stakes are highest. Whether they carry those lessons into a postseason or next season, they walked away feeling proud of their effort and growth.

“We were faced with an opportunity to say, ‘Not this time. Not tonight,’” guard Sami Whitcomb said after the game. “We’re establishing that level of excellence we want to move forward with.

“Hopefully it’s the postseason for us where we get to really expand on that, but if it’s not, we’ve set the tone for us moving forward.”

Whitcomb has been a revelation for the Liberty since they acquired her and Natasha Howard in a trade with the Seattle Storm in February. Howard led New York with 24 points and 10 rebounds Friday night, while Whitcomb tallied 13 points and seven rebounds.

Whitcomb and Howard bring experience and championship pedigree to the Liberty, with five WNBA titles between them. Hopkins has leaned on them and Betnijah Laney to set the tone for this young team. Leading Rookie of the Year candidate Michaela Onyenwere, for one, has taken the veterans’ advice to heart.

“You can grow apart, you can break apart — our team has never done that,” Onyenwere said. “We’ve had every reason to do that in these hard games and we haven’t done that, so I think that says a lot about our team morale and team chemistry.”

The team’s support has been especially valuable for Sabrina Ionescu, who battled through injury and adjusting to the point guard role this season.

On Friday night, Ionescu looked like the player the Liberty drafted first overall in 2020, the one who left the University of Oregon as one of the most decorated college players of all time. She filled up the stat sheet with 22 points, nine assists and five rebounds, helping the Liberty close out the game with eight points in the fourth quarter while rallying the fans with her energy.

. @sabrina_i20 put on for the city tonight! 🗽 pic.twitter.com/FNeuSIl1Y8

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) September 18, 2021

Ionescu’s play was one of many reasons the Liberty are bullish about their future.

“I think that the way we lost the games down the stretch was very much what young teams do,” Hopkins said. “Just give us a little time. We’re gonna be a problem.”

“Whatever happens the rest of the season, I don’t think it really matters,” Ionescu said. “At the end of the day, we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but it’s only the beginning. I’m really excited to see what the future holds for this team.”

Las Vegas Aces star forward A'ja Wilson is teaming up with Nike and Danish toymaker LEGO as part of the two brands' new multi-year collaboration, the apparel giant announced on Thursday morning.

According to the release, the partnership aims to "inspire kids everywhere to play both on and off the court."

Nike and LEGO's collaboration will include experiential activations in the US, UK, and China this summer in conjunction with the United Nations' International Day of Play on June 11th.

The companies are also releasing product collections, beginning with the 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set, which features an iconic Nike Dunk sneaker, a brick basketball, and the "Dunk" slogan.

Three-time WNBA MVP Wilson will support the project "by helping engage kids through a reimagined world of play that will come to life across digital channels," with more information on her involvement to come.

Fresh off the launch her smash-hit A'One signature shoe, Wilson has become one of Nike's most prominent athletes. Her addition to the Nike x LEGO team comes on the heels of a lucrative six-year contract extension between Wilson and the sportswear brand late last year.

"I have loved playing with LEGO bricks since I was a kid and know that my creativity and play helped me not only in sports but also at school and in life," said Wilson.

How to buy drops from the Nike x LEGO collection

The LEGO Nike Dunk set will hit shelves on July 1st, though it's currently available to preorder online.

The first Nike footwear, apparel, and accessories products from the collaboration will drop in the brand's retail locations and online on August 1st.

The WNBA is dominating the air waves in its 2025 season, with last weekend's slate of games blowing past yet another TV viewership record.

The New York Liberty's 90-88 win over the Indiana Fever averaged 2.22 million viewers on CBS, with the Saturday showdown marking the second-highest WNBA viewership in network history.

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That clash follows a record-setting 2025 season tip-off, in which ABC's May 17th doubleheader became the most-watched WNBA opening weekend ever on ESPN's platforms, earning a 115% viewership increase over last year's regular-season coverage.

Notably, both New York and Indiana contributed to that record-setting initial Saturday slate. A 92-78 Liberty win over the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.3 million viewers, before the Fever's 93-58 defeat of the Chicago Sky claimed an average audience of 2.7 million fans.

The closing matchup between Indiana and Chicago made even more history, peaking at 3.1 million viewers to become the most-watched regular-season WNBA game in 25 years.

The Midwest rivals also tallied the second-largest audience in league history, surpassed only by the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game's 3.44 million viewers.

With Fever star Caitlin Clark set to miss at least four games with a quad strain, concerns over lags in attendance and viewership have started to crop up this week.

Those fears, however, might be overblown, as 11,183 fans packed Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena to watch the Washington Mystics take on the Fever on Wednesday night — while Clark looked on from the bench.

The Washington Mystics have continued to impress in the early 2025 WNBA season, earning another big win on Wednesday with an 83-77 victory over a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever.

As the star guard watched from the sidelines, the Mystics leaned into their depth, securing the win behind a 21-point, nine-rebound performance from guard Brittney Sykes.

Now sitting sixth in the league with a 3-3 record, Washington's rebuild appears to be moving ahead of schedule, with rookie duo Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron looking pro-ready from the jump.

Seizing their opportunity as day-one starters, the pair put up a collective 29 points against Indiana on Wednesday, joining Sykes and forward Shakira Austin as the only Mystics to finish in double digits.

Indiana, on the other hand, looked shaky without their injured young superstar.

Despite veteran forward DeWanna Bonner coming off the bench to lead the Fever with 21 points on Wednesday night, Indiana dropped to 2-3 on the season with Clark out for at least three more games.

"We weren't sharp enough to be a contender for anything tonight," Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who led Indiana's starters with 14 points, told reporters after the loss. "I think getting punched in the mouth early is humbling, because it shows where we need to be."

How to watch the Mystics and Fever in this week's WNBA action

Both Washington and Indiana will be back in action on Friday night, when the Mystics will test their form against the surging New York Liberty while the Fever tip off against the still-winless Connecticut Sun at 7:30 PM ET.

Both games will air live on ION.

With the 16-team UEFA Euro 2025 set to kick off in Switzerland in less than five weeks, UEFA is seizing the opportunity to expand its global footprint following a breakout 2022 tournament.

The continental governing body is starting stateside, with Fox Sports announcing Wednesday that its platforms will air 20 matches from the upcoming 31-game European Championship live — marking the women's side's largest US media deal on record.

With no major events scheduled for the USWNT, international women's soccer will take center stage this summer, as the Euro, Copa América, and Africa Cup of Nations all return in July.

Fox Sports will also bring Copa América action to US viewers for the first time ever this summer, with broadcast details still to come.

England raises prize money for Lionesses

England is also upping its investment, with the FA agreeing to pay the Lionesses a record £1.7 million bonus package — nearly $2.3 million — should they successfully defend their 2022 title.

This year's total more than doubles the amount England players received for reaching the 2023 World Cup final.

While exact sums will vary, player payouts would average £73,000 each (over $98,000) — up some £18,000 ($24,000) from the Lionesses' 2022 earnings.

The move follows UEFA's earlier decision to double its own prize pool in 2025, raising the total purse to £34 million (almost $46 million), including an extra £4.3 million ($5.8 million) for the winner.

How to watch the 2025 Euros this summer

The 2025 European Championship kicks off on July 2nd when Iceland faces Finland at 12 PM ET before Switzerland takes on Norway at 3 PM ET, live on Fox.