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For these Olympians, a gold medal in Tokyo carries special weight

Ed Sloane/World Surf League via Getty Images

An Olympic gold medal is always a big deal, but some are the culmination of extra special journeys. 

The gold medal quests of Cat Osterman, Stephanie Gilmore, and Dawn Staley are three such cases. The best pitcher of all-time is coming out of retirement for Olympic redemption. A seven-time world surf champion will have a chance to win the first ever gold medal in her sport. And for the very first time, a Black woman will serve as the head coach of the USA Women’s Basketball team. 

The six grams of gold plating on pure silver might be the physical constitution of a gold medal. But it’s the unique story of human pursuit of excellence that we truly value. And these are three of the best stories heading into Tokyo.

Cat Osterman, Softball 

Cat Osterman has a solid claim to being the greatest softball pitcher of all time. She won a gold medal as the youngest player on Team USA in 2004, leading the team in strikeouts. She graduated from The University of Texas in 2006 as a three-time National Player of the Year, four-time All-American, and two-time ESPY Award winner. She still holds the NCAA record for highest career strike-out-per-seven-inning ratio at 14.34, as well as UT records for total victories, ERA, shut-outs, and no-hitters. 

When she retired from the National Pro Fastpitch league in 2015, she was a three-time Pitcher of the Year, four-time champion, and six-time All-NPF Team selection. Last summer, playing in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited softball season, Osterman won the league’s individual title after accumulating the most player points over the course of the season. 

Osterman officially retired once from softball — in 2015. She was back on the mound for Athletes Unlimited because the southpaw pitcher has some serious unfinished Olympic business to attend to.

Ahead of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the IOC announced it would be removing baseball and softball from the Olympics after Beijing. Osterman was gutted. She was by far the best up-and-coming softball pitcher in the country, if not the world. Her counterpart on the baseball side likely had a decade-long, multimillion-dollar MLB career to look forward to, but Olympic glory once every four years was the highest stage Osterman could hope to play on. 

In the gold medal match in Beijing, Osterman came out after five innings with the U.S. trailing 2-1. Twice, the U.S. couldn’t capitalize on a one-out, bases loaded opportunity, and a wild throw home allowed Japan to score a third run in the top of the seventh. The U.S. went scoreless to finish the inning and Japan erupted into the exuberant elation of having won Olympic gold while handing the U.S. their first Olympic loss in eight years and their first non-gold medal in Olympic softball since 1996. 

For Osterman, it was the only two runs and only loss she’d allowed on the Olympic stage. The salt in the wound was knowing there would be no chance for redemption.

But when she found out a decade later that softball would be reinstated for 2020, Osterman shook off the dust, got back on the mound, and quickly proved that even in her late 30s, even as the oldest player on the roster for Tokyo, she is still one of the very best. Thirteen years later, we now have the chance to watch the sport’s greatest pitcher complete a 13-year redemption story. 

Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing

In 2007, at 19 years of age, Stephanie Gilmore won surfing’s World Title in her debut season on the World Surfing League tour. No man or woman had ever won the championship in their rookie season, and Gilmore went on to add three more consecutive World Titles, making it four in a row for the young superstar. 

Over the last decade, she has added three more to her trophy case, tying her with legend Layne Beachley for the most women’s World Titles in history. 

When speaking to Kelley O’Hara on the Just Women’s Sport podcast last winter, she said the most rewarding title of her career was the fifth, which she won in 2012. The reason? It was the first title she won after being physically assaulted by a stranger outside her home. 

Gilmore had been walking back to her apartment after plans to see a movie with a friend fell through. As she approached the stairs to her building, a stranger ran up behind her and hit her twice with a metal bar. The first blow was to her head, and she immediately saw blood everywhere. The second broke the wrist of the arm she had raised to shield herself.

While the physical injuries healed quickly, the emotional trauma was much harder to recover from, and her performance showed it when she finished 11th in 2011. After spending the first years of her career known on tour as “Happy Gilmore,” she had to discover a grittier, angrier drive to win after her confidence was so deeply rattled. Once she tapped into this more primal, competitive instinct, she got back to winning and earned her fifth and most hard-fought championship in 2012.

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Ed Sloane/World Surf League via Getty Images

Now heading into Tokyo to compete in surfing’s Olympic debut, that fighter mentality will serve her well. Countries are limited to sending two men and two women to compete in Tokyo, but Australia currently has five surfers ranked in the top ten on the women’s side. The unavoidable shuffle in rankings since qualification ended in 2019 has led some critics to question whether she deserves the spot. Winning surfing’s inaugural gold medal this summer would not only add a historic achievement to a hall of fame career, it would also silence the doubters like nothing else could.

Dawn Staley, Basketball

Dawn Staley has been head coach of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team since 2018, when she led the squad on an undefeated path to the gold medal at the 2018 FIBA World Cup, qualifying for Tokyo 2020. But her winning record with USA Basketball isn’t the most useful barometer of what she brings to the table, given the team has a 114-3 record at the World Cup and Olympic-level since 1990. 

The absolute domination of the U.S. women in international basketball is something we’ve come to lazily expect while offering little congrats in return. But Staley is still in a league of her own. She’s the first person to ever be both USA Basketball’s Player of the Year (1994, 2000) and  Coach of the Year (2018). Scrolling further down her resume are two Naismith College Player of the Year Awards, six WNBA All-Star Awards, AP National Coach of the Year (2020), Naismith Coach of the Year (2020), and an NCAA DI Championship with her South Caroline Gamecocks in 2017. 

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Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Simply put, Dawn Staley is a boss. But championships and accolades aside, Staley’s tenure at the helm of this team holds deeper significance: she is the first Black person to hold this role, and it’s not something she takes lightly.

“Nowadays, we’re hearing a lot of ‘firsts,’” she told Gamecocks Online. “Whether it’s two black coaches at a NCAA Final Four, or two black coaches competing at a SEC Championship. Now, a black coach being the head coach of an Olympic team. I know some people are like, if you can coach, you can coach. That’s true, but when it’s a first, and when it’s history-making, I think it’s something to be proud of. It also allows other doors to be opened and opportunities for black coaches to hold these positions.”

For Staley, the importance lies in what her identity signifies to her athletes. About 50% of all NCAA Division I women’s basketball student-athletes are Black (which has been the case for at least a decade). On the professional level, about 70% of WNBA players are Black. 

“There just weren’t a lot of options for me to play for someone who looked like me. Who fundamentally understood me,” she wrote in The Players Tribune in 2018. “I do think young black women have to understand how to navigate through life as a black woman. A lot of the girls playing basketball now — their paths to success are probably similar to mine.” 

If Coach Staley can lead Team USA to their seventh Olympics title in a row in Tokyo, the impact her visibility could have on the next generation could be worth more than any gold medal. 

US Tennis Stars Advance as Wimbledon Field Narrows

Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates her first-round win over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships
World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini fell in the second round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

US tennis star Emma Navarro eyes a return during a 2025 Wimbledon match.
US star Emma Navarro will face 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková in Wimbledon's Round of 32. (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

Finland Opens Women’s Euro 2025 with Upset Upset Win Over Iceland

Finland's Katariina Kosola and Emma Koivisto celebrate a goal during their opening 2025 Euro match.
Finland earned a surprise 1-0 win over Iceland in their 2025 Euro opener on Wednesday. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

Spain jersey hang in lockers ahead of the team's 2025 Euro opening match against Portugal.
Reigning World Cup champions Spain will open their 2025 Euro account against Portugal. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

USWNT Caps Summer Friendlies with 3-0 Canada Shutout

Yazmeen Ryan, Michelle Cooper, Claire Hutton, Mandy McGlynn, and Izzy Rodriguez and the rest of the USWNT huddle after their July 2025 friendly win over Canada.
The USWNT finished the summer international window with 11 goals, conceding none, across three matches. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

Seattle Storm Looks to Climb the WNBA Standings in Weekend Gauntlet

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike high-fives teammates as she's introduced before a 2025 WNBA game.
The No. 5 Seattle Storm will face No. 4 Atlanta and No. 3 New York this weekend. (Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

  • No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.

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