Allyson Felix had no problems advancing out of the 400-meter prelims on Monday.

The 35-year-old handled her heat with ease, crossing the finish line in a time of 50.84. That time was good for third-best in the prelims.

Allyson Felix wins her prelim in the women's 400m with EASE 🐐

(via @NBCOlympics)pic.twitter.com/hnH2QFvukI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 3, 2021

Felix is no stranger to the event, having won silver in 2016 at the Rio Games. The time is also just off of her Olympic Trials time from back in June, where she qualified for the Olympics with a time of 50.02 seconds.

Prior to her race, she released a letter to her daughter, Cammy.

“I had you after four Olympic games, six gold medals, three silver,” she said. “Yet my greatest accomplishment is you.”

"I've had a lot of titles but by far, 'momma' is my favorite."
@allysonfelix is a legend on the track but what's her greatest accomplishment? Her daughter, Cammy ❤️
#TokyoOlympics | @OnHerTurfpic.twitter.com/LoHa4vZFGJ

— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021

“Do you know what they said after I had you?” she continued. “They said I’d retire, that I was too old to complete, that I couldn’t get my body back in shape, but Cammy, here I am to prove them wrong.”

Felix has an opportunity to do just that and advance to the 400-meter finals set to take place on Friday.

With just six games to play, the currently unbeaten Orlando Pride could become the first club in NWSL history to finish regular-season play without a single loss.

Having already clinched an NWSL playoff spot — the Pride's first since 2017 — Orlando extended their record-breaking unbeaten run to 21​ with Friday's 0-0 draw with third-place Kansas City. The weekend's result was also the club's fourth-straight clean sheet, setting a new club record.

However, the path to NWSL glory won't be easy: Orlando will face four top teams before the regular season's early November finale.

Portland Thorns continue late-season NWSL losing streak

Elsewhere on Friday, USWNT stars Sophia Smith​ and Sam Coffey's Portland Thorns dropped their fourth-straight​ match — the longest regular-season losing streak in club history.

After a historically slow start to 2024, Portland reassigned head coach Mike Norris and promoted assistant coach Rob Gale. The team quickly responded, rattling off result after result to climb the NWSL table and insert themselves into Shield contention. Momentum, however, has waned since the Olympic break.

With Friday's 1-0 loss to Chicago on Friday, Portland is still sixth in the standings, but a slim two points over Bay FC is all that separates them from the eighth and final playoff spot.

With the playoff race heating up​, the four-time league champs​ must rally around standouts like Smith. Otherwise, the Thorns are in danger of putting up the worst regular-season finish in club history.

Washington Spirit win books ticket to NWSL postseason

In other postseason news, the Spirit became the second club to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, downing Houston 3-0 on Sunday.

Striker Ashley Hatch led Washington's scoring with a first-half brace, while forward Trinity Rodman notched an assist before netting the team's third goal.

The WNBA has a new single-season scoring champ in A'ja Wilson, who surpassed Jewell Loyd's 2023 record of 939 points by dropping 27 against Indiana on Wednesday, boosting her season total to 956.

With four games left​ in Las Vegas's season, Wilson could easily become the first WNBA player to ever record 1,000+ points in one season.

"She's not just the best player in the world, she might be the most loved and adored by her teammates. I mean, this woman is special," commented Aces head coach Becky Hammon after the game.

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2024 has been the year of the broken WNBA record

Thanks to achievements at both the individual and team level, the 2024 WNBA season has already left a lasting impression on the record books. In addition to Wilson's points tally, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese set a new single-season rebound record before a wrist injury cut her season short.

Just five assists away from setting a new single-season assists record, Indiana rookie Caitlin Clark is on the brink of joining the bar-raising party.

While adding games likely plays a role in these feats, 2024 — the league's second 40-game run — has seen all three major stats fall in record time. Reese broke Sylvia Fowles's rebound record in 32 games this season, Wilson surpassed Loyd's scoring record in 35, and Clark is looking to break Alyssa Thomas's assist record in 38.

Final WNBA playoff spot on the line in last regular-season weekend

Tonight, Wilson and Clark will face off in their last regular-season matchup, as Indiana tries to earn their first win against the reigning champs this year.

Meanwhile, the race for the final playoff spot has never been tighter. Wednesday's huge win over Chicago putting the 10th-place Mystics just one game outside of postseason contention. With two games against ninth-place Atlanta this weekend, Washington could officially rise into that last playoff spot by Sunday night.

As for current eight-spot Chicago, the Sky will try to maintain their position by bouncing back against second-place Minnesota tonight before the top four teams in the standings battle for survival on Sunday.

Earlier this week, the WNBA Players Union (WNBPA) spoke up against controversial comments made by league commissioner Cathy Engelbert on CNBC's Power Lunch on Monday.

When asked to address concerning social media exchanges regarding superstar rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese "where race... where sexuality is sometimes introduced into the conversation," Engelbert dodged the question, choosing instead to frame what she described as a "rivalry" in a positive light.

"The one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry," said the commissioner, comparing Reese and Clark to Magic Johnson​ and Larry Bird. "That's what makes people watch. They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don't want everybody being nice to one another."

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WNBPA calls out subjects WNBA comm'r Engelbert dodged

After players began calling Engelbert out online, the WNBPA issued a statement denouncing racism, homophobia, and misogyny.

"Here is the answer that the Commissioner should have provided to the very clear question regarding the racism, misogyny, and harassment experienced by the Players," the statement read.

There is absolutely no place in sport — or in life — for the vile hate, racist language, homophobic comments, and the misogynistic attacks our players are facing on social media.... Fandom should lift up the game, not tear down the very people who bring it to life."

WNBA stars address Engelbert's CNBC comments

Some of the league's top players took to the press to reinforce the WNBPA's words, including Aces forward Alysha Clark.

"It's taken a darker turn in terms of the types of comments and the vitriol that's coming through to the players, and it's not okay," Clark told ESPN. "I wish [Engelbert] would have just said that — 'It's not okay.'"

Liberty star Breanna Stewart echoed Clark's sentiments, saying "The way that the fans have surged, and especially behind Caitlin and Angel coming to this league, but also bringing a race aspect to a different level — you know, there's no place for that in our sport."

Engelbert later responded to the Players Union's statement in a post on X, writing "there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in the WNBA or anywhere else."

Earlier this week, ESPN released the results of an anonymous study surveying all 14 NWSL general managers, providing key insights into the growing league.

While nearly all respondents agreed that depth of competition sets the NWSL apart on a global level, they hold differing opinions about the league’s inner workings.

NWSL budgets and entry draft elimination are key concerns

Budgetary practices were a common concern of GMs across the board, while the loss of the entry draft — ushered in by the league's new CBA — presented similar issues.

Some GMs pointed out that many teams aren't yet profitable enough to justify current costs, while others pushed for more spending in order to draw top players away from leagues that don't impose a hard salary cap, like the UK's WSL.

Similarly, because the US lacks any true professional development infrastructure, GMs worry that dropping the college draft will divert young US talent overseas, ultimately softening the NWSL’s competitive edge.

Some GMs claim NWSL player protections have "gone too far"

When asked about recent cultural reforms in the wake of sexual misconduct and abuse allegations, multiple GMs claimed that efforts to protect players have "gone too far," spreading fear and confusion among staff.

Yesterday, retired NWSL star Ali Krieger took to ESPN's Futbol W to respond, saying she didn't "have a lot of sympathy for those few GMs that might be a little bit more disgruntled on this topic."

"You have to, in those positions of power, be respectful and do your job and do it well," she continued. "You shouldn’t have any worry about what you say, how you say it, what you do, how you do it, if you’re just doing the right thing and you’re being respectful and you’re doing your job appropriately."