AUSL’s top defender got her flowers, as OKC Spark shortstop Sydney Romero won the league’s first Rawlings Gold Glove Award honoring the year’s best fielder.
Romero anchored the Spark infield through a 13-12 season. She beat out fellow finalists Jadelyn Allchin (Utah) and Alyssa Brito (Carolina) after tallying 45 assists, five double plays, and a .974 fielding percentage.
“Sydney embodies everything the Rawlings Gold Glove Award represents,” said Rawlings CMO Mike Thompson. “Her instincts, athleticism, consistency, and leadership set the standard for defensive excellence.”
Launched in the MLB in 1957 before expanding to NCAA softball in 2022. Rawlings added the AUSL to its roster following the pro softball league’s explosive second season.
Rutgers women's basketball alum Kahleah Copper is a Hall of Famer. The school named the Phoenix Mercury guard to its Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026, alongside field hockey scorer Amy Lewis, sprinter Gabrielle Farquharson, and men's soccer great Steve Rammel.
From Rutgers Women's Basketball to WNBA All-Star
Before joining the WNBA, Copper carried Rutgers women's basketball for four seasons under C. Vivian Stringer, pacing the Scarlet Knights in scoring three years running.
Her 1,872 career points still rank third in program history, trailing only Sue Wicks and Cappie Pondexter. As a sophomore, the future Olympian also fueled Rutgers's 2014 WNIT title run and took home tournament MVP.
In 2016, the Washington Mystics drafted her seventh overall before a trade to Chicago followed the next year. Copper eventually powered the Sky's 2021 championship run while earning Finals MVP.
Her recent stint with the Phoenix Mercury only adds to an already stacked WNBA resume. She averaged a career-high 21.1 points in 2024 and finished third in the league in scoring. She also added Olympic gold in Paris with Team USA that same summer.
Rutgers will honor Copper and the rest of its Hall of Fame class in an October 2nd ceremony at Jersey Mike's Arena.
Lauren Betts’s dream season keeps rolling, as the Mystics rookie won the 2026 Honda Cup for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year on Monday.
The UCLA product beat out Pittsburgh volleyball’s Olivia Babcock and Nebraska softball’s Jordyn Frahm for the honor, becoming the 17th basketball player to lift the Cup following Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Breanna Stewart, Candace Parker, Dawn Staley, and more.
Betts led UCLA to its first NCAA title in March, winning Most Outstanding Player and sweeping the Big Ten awards. She then went fourth-overall in April’s WNBA Draft.
“Lauren has distinguished herself among the very best in collegiate athletics,” said CWSA Executive Director Chris Voelz.
“She represents the excellence, determination, and character that have defined CWSA honorees for five decades.”
Pro softball celebrated its stars on Friday, announcing the winners of the second annual AUSL Awards ahead of the season’s weekend finale.
Chicago’s Sami Williams won Batter of the Year after setting records in both doubles (12) and RBIs (34) while batting .427 — good for second in the league.
Rookie of the Year went to Carolina catcher Reese Atwood, after the Texas alum followed up back-to-back WCWS titles with a .309 batting average, eight home runs, and 25 RBIs.
Two-time champion Utah’s Montana Fouts took home Pitcher of the Year — just days before clinching a second title with the Talons.
Comeback Player of the Year went to Fouts’s teammate Bri Ellis, after she batted .353, tallied five home runs, and posted a .450 OBP.
Simone Biles made the ESPY 2026 Awards her runway on Wednesday night in New York City. The 29-year-old arrived at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in a champagne high-low gown styled by Marc Desir.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Make Statement on ESPYs 2026 Red Carpet
The cut was paired with strappy heels, soft glam makeup, flowing curls, and a statement necklace to complete the red carpet look. Beside her, husband Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens coordinated in an all-brown suit as the two posed for photographs hand-in-hand.
Once inside, Biles swapped her gown for a black body-hugging dress with a deep-plunge neckline and gold embellishments. She then took the stage to present Best Team, naming the New York Knicks as the winner.
An Olympic Legend Returns to the Spotlight After Health Scare
The outing came just weeks after Biles posted about a medical emergency she called one of the "scariest experiences" of her life.
"Almost dying wasn't on my bingo card earlier this week," Biles shared on her Instagram story, promising she'd share more updates when she was ready.
The incident happened while Owens was away at offseason practice for the Colts. She's kept a lower profile since. Still, the record-setting gymnast appeared at ease all evening during last night's ESPY Awards.
Olympics superstar Alysa Liu won the Best Breakthrough Athlete award at the 2026 ESPYs on Wednesday night. The US figure skating star, 20, beat out a field that included Macklin Celebrini, Drake Maye, and Fernando Mendoza.
Alysa Liu's 2026 Olympics US Figure Skating Comeback
Her award caps a two-year return to competitive skating. Liu, one of the youngest skaters to land a triple Axel, competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics when she was just 16. She retired shortly after and enrolled at UCLA. After nearly two years away, she returned to the ice in 2024.
That decision paid off at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Liu's skate to Laufey's "Promise" went viral as she used the routine to tell her story of coming back to the sport. The performance won the women's singles gold, ending a 24-year US drought as she became the first US woman to take the title since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
Alysa Liu Discusses Her 2026 ESPYs Breakthrough Win
Accepting the ESPY at Lincoln Center in New York City, Liu reflected on her path back to the Olympics.
"I've been in my sport since I was 5 years old, and I had some really rough times in it, and I took two years off," Liu said. "So, for me, it really feels like I broke through in my own way, for myself and for my sport."
Flavor Flav is back in USA Hockey’s corner. The rapper offered to fund the squad’s trip to next week’s ESPY Awards — where the 2026 Olympic gold medalists are nominated for Best Team.
In response to ESPN’s limited invites, Flav pledged to arrange travel, makeup, and wardrobe for the full team after telling captain Hilary Knight he wanted to see them there together.
“The ESPYs offer ALL teams the same number of invites to rep the team at the awards, leaving many out,” he posted. “These women deserve to represent and celebrate together.”
Hotel heiress and former high school ice hockey player Paris Hilton also got in on the action. She promised the players 2.5 million Hilton Honors Points to cover their visit to New York.
“Flav, this is so iconic!” Hilton wrote. “A lot of people don't know this, but I played ice hockey in high school and loved it... I would love to help these amazing women out too.”
The news comes ahead of MGM Resorts and Flavor Flav’s SHE Weekend celebration. Set for July 16th, the Las Vegas party honors elite US women’s sports athletes.
“Letz continue to celebrate the United States women’s gold medal hockey team together and let them celebrate ALL together,” Flav continued. “I have my team working on all the arrangements now.”
Christine Sinclair has been promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian rank. Governor General Louise Arbour announced the distinction on Friday, placing the retired women's soccer captain among a select group limited to 180 living members.
The citation described Sinclair as "one of the most influential athletes in Canadian history," recognizing her advocacy beyond the pitch. Still, her playing résumé speaks for itself.
Christine Sinclair's Record-Breaking Women's Soccer Career
Sinclair retired from international soccer in 2023 with 190 goals in 331 appearances. That record makes her the all-time leading scorer in both men's and women's soccer. She represented Canada at six FIFA Women's World Cups and four Olympic Games, earning bronze medals in 2012 and 2016. Sinclair also led the team to its first Olympic women's soccer gold at the Tokyo Games.
Sinclair joined 61 Canadians appointed or promoted within the Order.
The Order also named actor and advocate Michael J. Fox a Companion while appointing Montreal Canadiens great Yvan Cournoyer as an officer.
But Sinclair's promotion carries particular weight for women's sports, a formal recognition that her impact extends well beyond the final whistle.
Vancouver landed its franchise player, as the Goldeneyes selected Wisconsin and USA Hockey defender Caroline “KK” Harvey No. 1 overall at Wednesday’s 2026 PWHL Draft.
23-year-old Harvey enters the league with a stacked résumé, including winning Olympic gold and tournament MVP in Milan, three NCAA titles, and IIHF Player of the Year — with the final honor announced just hours before the draft.
Abbey Murphy went second to Seattle, followed by Tessa Janecke to Las Vegas, and Laila Edwards to San Jose at No. 4, making the Wisconsin product the league’s highest-drafted Black player on record.
Boston Fleet Sweeps 2026 PWHL Awards
Boston cleaned up at this week’s PWHL awards, as goalie Aerin Frankel took home both the Billie Jean King MVP trophy and Goalie of the Year — becoming the first PWHL goalie to win MVP honors.
TIME is giving women’s sports its due, as the magazine highlighted top athletes and leaders in this week’s TIME 100 Most Influential People in Sports.
Olympic game-changers, WNBA superstars, soccer greats, coaching icons, and front office giants all made the cut, as multi-team owner Michele Kang, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, and Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai joined athletes like A’ja Wilson, Alex Morgan, and Alysa Liu.
“The inaugural TIME100 Sports list recognizes individuals who are not only excelling in their fields, but also shaping culture, expanding opportunity, and influencing the world far beyond competition,” said TIME CEO Jessica Sibley said in a statement.
TIME took special interest in the Winter Olympics, after the stars of Milan Cortina broke into the public consciousness this past February.
US and Canada hockey rivals Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin headlined the selection, while skiers Lindsey Vonn, Eileen Gu, and Mikaela Shiffrin, and Paralympian Oksana Masters joined Liu in the spotlight.
The WNBA also got the TIME treatment, as Wilson shared the honors with Caitlin Clark, Nneka Ogwumike, and Aces head coach Becky Hammon.