No. 21 Oklahoma State stunned No. 1 Oklahoma 6-4 in Wednesday night's Bedlam Classic. The Cowgirls scored in five consecutive innings to hand OU softball its first back-to-back losses of the NCAA softball season.
Ruby Meylan dominated for Oklahoma State, pitching a complete game, striking out nine batters, and improving her record to 18-6 on the year. The performance marked her 11th consecutive decision.
The Cowgirls jumped ahead early and never trailed, subsequently scoring at least one run in every inning after the first. The team combined for 10 hits with Rosie Davis, Lexi McDonald, and Tia Warsop recording two apiece while Karli Godwin added a solo home run in the third.
OU softball fought back with a pair of runs in both the third and sixth innings, as slugger Kendall Wells smashed a two-run homer in the third for her 32nd this season — claiming the fifth-most single-season home runs in NCAA DI history. Abby Dayton later doubled in two more runs in the sixth to cut the deficit to 5-4.
However, Oklahoma State answered with an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth before Meylan closed out the seventh with a perfect inning.
OU ace Miali Guachino took the loss for Oklahoma, falling to 12-1 after allowing four earned runs for her first loss of the season.
The upset marked Oklahoma State's eighth win over a No. 1 ranked team in program history. The Cowgirls last beat a top NCAA softball team in 2022, when they defeated OU in the Big 12 championship game.
Oklahoma softball was outhit 10-7 in the loss, as the Sooners move to 0-4 on the season when being outhit.
How to Watch Oklahoma Softball vs Arkansas This Week
Oklahoma won't have much time to dwell, as OU gears up to host No. 6 Arkansas for a three-game series starting Friday, live on ESPN2.
Washington Mystics rookie Lauren Betts signed a shoe deal with Reebok on Wednesday. The 2026 NCAA champion and No. 4 draft pick becomes the fifth WNBA athlete to join the brand's basketball roster.
Lauren Betts joins Angel Reese, DiJonai Carrington, Aneesah Morrow, and Lexie Brown under the Reebok umbrella. Reese released her signature shoe, The Angel Reese 1, in 2025 after signing with the brand in 2024.
"As the No. 4 pick in this year's WNBA Draft, [Betts] is a dominant interior presence, poised to bring that same impact to the pro game," Reebok wrote in its announcement.
Angel Reese welcomed Lauren Betts to the family on X.
"AHHHH! What's up CHAMP!" the Atlanta Dream forward tweeted.
Reebok relaunched its basketball division in 2024, subsequently making strategic signings in both the men's and women's game as the market continues to boom.
The UCLA center joins a growing list of current WNBA athletes with signature shoes, including Sabrina Ionescu, Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, and A'ja Wilson.
Betts isn't the only rookie signing shoe deals, as Indiana's Raven Johnson partnered with Adidas this week.
"Earned My Stripes. @adidasbasketball - what's good? From The A to the WNBA," Johnson wrote on Instagram.
The partnerships highlight women's basketball's widespread commercial appeal. Top WNBA rookies now command lucrative endorsement deals before playing their first professional game, reflecting the sport's expanded business opportunities.
The 2026 NCAA gymnastics championships roll on Thursday as eight remaining college teams kick off the national semifinal round in Fort Worth, Texas.
LSU, Florida, Georgia, and Stanford will compete in Semifinal I at 4:30 PM ET on ESPN2. Oklahoma, UCLA, Arkansas, and Minnesota battle in Semifinal II. Each session's top two teams advance to Saturday's final, completing the NC gymnastics championship bracket.
Reigning champion Oklahoma enters the semis after notching the quarterfinal's highest score. Florida, LSU, and 2025 runner-up UCLA trail close behind. The Sooners posted the highest NCAA Championship score in the sport's history in 2017 with a 198.3875.
The individual all-around trophy is also up for grabs. Competitors from both qualified and unqualified teams take center stage in the individual competition.
LSU's Kailin Chio enters as the all-around frontrunner after a dominant season. However, UCLA's Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles also stands ready to contend after earning a perfect 10 on floor at the NCAA Regional Final.
This year's field features both gymnastics powerhouses and surging programs ready to shake up the standings. While Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, and UCLA return for another battle on the national stage, Georgia, Stanford, Arkansas, and Minnesota head to Texas looking to upset the favorites.
“I’m so proud of this team,” said Golden Gophers head coach Jenny Hansen after Minnesota ousted Utah at Regionals. “Our team came in confident and excited for this opportunity. They had tremendous belief when they walked in the building that we could do something really special tonight.”
How to Watch the 2026 NCAA Gymnastics Championships Semifinals
The NCAA gymnastics championships semifinals kick off today at 4:30 PM ET, live on ESPN2.
Chennedy Carter is back in the US after signing a training camp contract with the Aces, giving Las Vegas another experienced backcourt option off the bench ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.
The Aces announced the move Wednesday, adding the Texas A&M product to a roster built around A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd. For Las Vegas, the deal adds scoring depth without a long-term commitment.
Carter did not play in the WNBA in 2025. Instead, she spent last season in Mexico, where she stayed active while awaiting another opportunity in the US. Signing with Las Vegas now gives her a chance to compete for a spot on the reigning league champion's lineup.
Entering the league as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, Carter quickly made an impact.
The athletic playmaler averaged 17.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists pregame in her professional debut year, landing her on the WNBA All-Rookie Team. She went on to average 14.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists across 84 career games, with stints in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Chennedy Carter Joins Aces After Controversial WNBA Past
Carter's recent WNBA track record showcases both her effectiveness and history of producing controversial headlines.
She found herself at the center of several incidents in Atlanta, including reportedly challenging then-teammate Courtney Williams to a fight after a 2021 matchup. Carter later faced trouble in LA, before getting benched halfway through the Sparks' 2022 season for "poor conduct," according to Los Angeles Times.
After landing in Chicago, Carter finished 2024 as the Sky's leading scorer, averaging 17.5 points on 48.7% shooting after. However, she also fell under media scrutiny after committing an away-from-the-ball foul against star rookie Caitlin Clark in an early-June game against the Indiana Fever. At the time, officials ruled the contact a common foul. But the following day, the WNBA upgraded the offense to a flagrant-1 violation, though declined to issue Carter a fine.
Chicago opted not to re-sign the seasoned point guard ahead of the 2025 season, with multiple reports citing locker room issues.
Now, with Las Vegas hunting core support ahead of yet another title push, Carter's training camp contract gives Aces coach Becky Hammon a low-risk option with proven offensive power. And for Carter, the move represents a chance to earn her way back into the WNBA — while also working to repair her reputation in the league.
WNBA star Brianna Turner is speaking up, as the league veteran and WNBPA treasurer criticized the IOC’s new transgender ban and sex verification policy in a USA Today op-ed entitled “I'm a WNBA player. Don't use athletes like me to exclude trans women.”
The IOC’s policy effectively bans transgender athletes from participating in Olympic women’s sports. It also impacts competitors with Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) — a category of congenital conditions where a person's chromosomes, hormones, and/or reproductive anatomy does not fit into the male/female binary.
Notably, the IOC abandoned a previous gender screening rule in 1999 due to its scientific ineffectiveness, with the Committee now opting to reinstate the anti-transgender policy ahead of the 2028 LA Olympics.
“This new mandate abandons that ground-breaking and collaborative framework, ignores established medical and human-rights guidance, and rejects the science that says physical appearance, chromosomes or individual traits do not determine athletic performance or success,” wrote Turner.
Brianna Turner Says Transgender Ban Doesn't Protect Women's Sports
A key member of the WNBA’s recent CBA negotiations, Turner subsequently noted that higher salaries, improved travel and health protections, and familial support are the policies strengthening women’s sports — not bans.
“In more than 15 years of organized basketball, I’ve played with and against people who are transgender and undoubtedly people with intersex variations,” wrote the newly signed Las Vegas Aces forward. “And I've never experienced any unfair advantages.”
“If we really want to protect the integrity of sport, let’s invest in fairness, opportunity and safety for every athlete,” she continued. “Let’s build a future where sport belongs to everyone.”
UCLA made history on Monday night, after a record six Bruins were selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft — including five in the first round.
The unprecedented feat came just eight days after UCLA lifted its first-ever NCAA championship trophy.
Two-time All-American Lauren Betts led the charge, as Washington selected the Final Four Most Outstanding Player No. 4 overall. The Mystics' pick tipped off a run that saw three straight UCLA products selected.
"This season has been so special. I've enjoyed every second,” Betts said afterwards. "I'm playing with my best friends, my sister. I've had the most amazing season, and I feel like you can just see all the positivity that I play with."
Chicago then took forward Gabriela Jaquez at No. 5, before expansion team Toronto Tempo selected guard Kiki Rice at No. 6. Washington later doubled down on UCLA talent, taking forward Angela Dugalić at No. 9.
Connecticut claimed the final two Bruins, selecting guard Gianna Kneepkens at No. 15 to close out the first round, before taking guard Charlisse Leger-Walker in the second.
Betts and Dugalić will reunite on the Mystics' frontcourt, while Kneepkens and Leger-Walker join forces again on the Sun. Jaquez heads to Chicago while Rice starts fresh with expansion side Toronto.
The haul shattered the WNBA's prior Draft Day record. Four teams previously shared the high-mark, with South Carolina (2023), Notre Dame (2019), and Tennessee (1999, 2008) each yielding five simultaneous draftees.
The six seniors anchored UCLA's dominant championship run, combining to score all 130 points across the Bruins' Final Four wins. UCLA beat Texas 51-44 in the national semifinal, before crushing South Carolina 79-51 in the title game.
The historic 2026 WNBA Draft success caps a 37-1 season for UCLA and head coach Cori Close.
UCLA obviously faces a significant rebuild after losing its core to the WNBA. However, the program has plenty to celebrate after a historic season in Westwood.
Amazon Prime becomes the first presenting sponsor of Time Wasting with Ali Riley and Kelley O’Hara in a campaign highlighting Prime’s speedy delivery.
LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2026) — Just Women’s Sports (JWS), the leading multimedia platform dedicated to women’s sports, today announced a new partnership with Amazon Prime that will span original video, podcast, and social content throughout the year.
As part of the partnership, Amazon Prime will serve as the presenting sponsor Time Wasting, the new soccer show hosted by NWSL legends Kelley O’Hara and Ali Riley. The collaboration marks the first brand partnership for the show, which brings fans inside the global women’s game through candid conversations, storytelling, and commentary from two of the sport’s most recognizable voices.
Amazon Prime will also integrate into The Late Sub with Claire Watkins, the go-to podcast for NWSL and women’s soccer coverage, through dedicated ad reads. The partnership will extend across a broader social content package from JWS, with each element highlighting Amazon Prime’s fast delivery and convenience for fans.
The campaign builds on a growing relationship between Amazon Prime and Just Women’s Sports. Both organizations are official partners of the NWSL, with Prime Video streaming games as part of its multi-year media rights deal with the league, while JWS serves as an official media partner distributing highlights and year-round coverage of the league.
“Amazon Prime has been a natural partner for us as we continue building the digital home for women’s sports fans,” said Haley Rosen, Founder and CEO of Just Women’s Sports. “From original shows like Time Wasting to trusted podcasts like The Late Sub, this partnership allows us to meet fans wherever they are while continuing to grow the women’s soccer ecosystem.”
About Just Women’s Sports
Just Women’s Sports Inc. (JWS) is a digital-first consumer media brand dedicated to 100% women’s sports, 100% of the time. Through original programming, digital media, and editorial coverage, JWS makes it both easy and fun to be a women’s sports fan.
Find Just Women’s Sports on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and at www.justwomenssports.com.
Media Contact:
Eric Nemeth on behalf of Just Women’s Sports
Nemeth@ericpr.com
World Sevens Football (W7F) is staging its first-ever London Edition next month, as May's three-day tournament marks the seven-a-side women's soccer tournament's third iteration — and second with Manchester United.
The famed UK team finished as runners-up in the inaugural 2025 W7F in Portugal. Aston Villa joins the Red Devils as the first two clubs confirmed for the London Edition, with six additional WSL teams expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
"Everyone is looking forward to returning," said Manchester United Director of Football Operations & Women’s Football Ameesh Manek.
"Al of our focus right now is on finishing our WSL campaign strongly, but we hope that this tournament will provide an exciting finale."
W7F features 30-minute 7v7 matches with rolling substitutions. Germany's Bayern München won the first title in May 2025, before the San Diego Wave claimed the second the following December.
This year, organizers adjusted the prize pool from $5 million to $1.5 million. The decision came as they analyze the best spending strategies in the growing women's football market. The winning team receives $500,000 while runners-up earn $250,000 each.
"World Sevens Football London Edition is the next step, showcasing one of the game's leading leagues," said tournament co-founder Jen Mackesy.
How to See Manchester United at W7F London Edition
The event features a festival-style atmosphere with back-to-back fixtures, live entertainment, and family-friendly programming. The Brentford stadium previously hosted UEFA Euro 2022 matches.
Tickets are on sale now via worldsevens.com, with both day passes and three-day packages available.
The WNBA is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a new Nike retro collection honoring the league's original 1996 logo and colorway through special-edition designs.
The WNBA x Nike collection launches as part of the league's WNBA Legacy Trail. The initiative features product drops throughout the 2026 season, with Nike's 30th anniversary line officially hitting shelves on April 13th.
The capsule is part of a three-brand anniversary launch. La Crema introduced WNBA White Wine on April 9th, followed by Nike's Court Origins on April 13th. Mitchell and Ness completes the series with an April 15th drop.
"We're building a season-long platform of activations, collaborations, and fan-first experiences designed to engage the WNBA family wherever they are," said WNBA CMO Phil Cook.
The WNBA x Nike sneaker roll-out includes a GT Cut 4, Dunk Low, and Air Force 1 Low. Each pair features split blue-and-red colorways with the number "96" subtly placed throughout. The GT Cut 4 additionally displays "this ball, this game, this hoop is ours" messaging alongside official WNBA logos.
Nike is also backing special uniforms and warm-ups designed for Court Origins Nights during the 2026 WNBA season. The throwback programming highlights nationally televised games featuring original franchises the New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks, and Phoenix Mercury.
A "Season 30" logo will mark courts, game balls, and jerseys throughout the season, as the WNBA tips off its historic 30th year on May 8th.
How to Buy the 2026 Nike x WNBA 30th Anniversary Collection
Fans can browse Nike's 30th anniversary line now at WNBAStore and Nike.com.
UConn star Sarah Strong capped a historic NCAA season on Friday by winning the 2026 John R. Wooden Award. The annual honor recognizes the nation's most outstanding women's college basketball player.
Strong became the fifth Husky to claim the Wooden Award, joining program legends Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and Paige Bueckers. The sophomore forward is additionally just the fourth underclassman to win, after USC guard JuJu Watkins and fellow UConn greats Bueckers and Moore.
Strong beat out finalists Azzi Fudd (UConn), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), and Madison Booker (Texas) after finishing the 2025/26 season with unmatched stats. Strong averaged 18.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 58.2% from the field and 40.4% from 3-point range.
"She affects every part of the game," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said of his star center. "Scoring, defending, rebounding — she does it all."
Sarah Strong Completes NCAA Sweep with Wooden Award Win
The Wooden Award completed Sarah Strong's sweep of major national player of year honors. She also won the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, AP Player of the Year, the Naismith Trophy, and the Wade Trophy.
Strong additionally earned unanimous Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Her defensive presence stood out with elite steal rates and rim protection, solidifying her as one of the most complete players in the country.
The daughter of former WNBA All-Star Allison Feaster, the 6-foot-2 forward is a former No. 1 recruit. Since joining the Huskies, Strong has emerged as one of the brightest stars in women's basketball, drawing comparisons to some of UConn's all-time greats.
The Los Angeles Athletic Club presents the Wooden Award each year, spotlighting both athletic excellence as well as character and leadership. Strong's season checked every box, cementing her place among college basketball's elite.