NEW YORK — “Are you here for the Hulu theater?” the woman asked passersby, in her thick New York City accent, “or da fight?”

Madison Square Garden on Saturday night played host to twin attractions: Franco Escamilla, the comedian, told jokes in the smaller Hulu Theater. Upstairs, in the main building, with the concave ceiling and the championship banners and the 140 years of boxing history, was “da fight.”

The MSG official ended up directing far more people to her left, toward women’s sports history. For the first time ever, two women main-evented a boxing card at the World’s Most Famous Arena, and Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano put on a show for the announced sellout crowd of 19,187.

Taylor successfully defended her WBA, IBF, WBO and WBC lightweight (135 pounds) titles in a split decision over Serrano, but not before a thrilling finish. Both fighters, correctly sensing the decision would be tight, unleashed a flurry of heavy head shots as the final bell approached, foregoing defense as the crowd reached a fever pitch.

Two judges scored the fight 97-93 and 96-93 for Taylor, and a third 96-94 for Serrano.

“I had to produce a career-defining performance to actually win tonight,” Taylor said afterwards, with a cut over her right eye. “Everyone was talking about coming into this fight, it was the biggest fight in women’s boxing history, but I think it actually exceeded everything that people were talking about.”

That was hardly an easy task, given the heavy promotional campaign spearheaded by Taylor’s representation, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, and Serrano’s representation, Jake Paul of Most Valuable Promotions.

Paul and his brother, Logan, are a pair of YouTube stars who in recent years have cashed in on their fame inside the boxing ring. Brash, blond and surprisingly competent as boxers, the brothers have pulled in millions for their fights, against other social media stars and former mixed martial arts fighters and boxers (Logan lasted all eight rounds in an exhibition fight against Floyd Mayweather).

The Pauls, depending on the perspective, have either resuscitated boxing, a sport facing decades of decline, or squeezed it for its last drips of profitability. Either way, there’s no denying the renewed interest and bigger paydays for fighters across the board. Serrano and Taylor, who both pulled in seven-figure purses for Saturday’s bout, aired exclusively on DAZN, can both attest to that after years of being underpaid.

A night to stir the soul! Humbled by all the support at @TheGarden. A special fight on a special night. 💚 pic.twitter.com/gigYeP7Qbr

— Katie Taylor (@KatieTaylor) May 1, 2022

The excitement surrounding the event was clear Saturday night as the fighters walked to the ring.

Serrano, who was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Brooklyn, beamed as her fans sang along in Spanish to her entrance music — “Pepas” by Mau Giemenez Ft. Dj Zeeggo. Taylor, the biggest name in women’s boxing and one of Ireland’s most decorated athletes, was stone-faced as she walked down the aisle. Her fans raised Ireland flags and waved green light sticks.

“Just looking at the packed stadium — unbelievable,” Taylor said later.

The first round was low on histrionics. The fighters were feeling each other out, each landing some notable combinations. Then, Serrano, who holds world championships in seven divisions but is a natural 126-pounder, went on the offensive in the fifth round, busting up Taylor’s nose with a steady stream of powerful blows. At several points in the round, Taylor needed to lean on Serrano to remain upright, and all three judges scored the round for the challenger (10-8, 10-9, 10-9).

Taylor was able to recover, however, and was the clear victor in the final three rounds. With the win over Serrano (42-2-1, 30 KOs), Taylor (21-0, six KOs) remained undefeated in her professional career.

“She’s tough. She’s a warrior. She’s Irish,” Serrano said. “She was able to withstand the power.”

It’s been quite the run for a fighter who was not even legally allowed to box when she began her amateur career. Pretending she was a boy named Kay, Taylor carved her own path and literally blazed the trail for female boxers in her country and abroad.

She faced perhaps her stiffest yet Saturday against Serrano, who looked impressive in defeat. So impressive, in fact, that the boxing world — including Serrano and Paul — is already looking toward a potential rematch.

“We’re going to get the next one,” Paul said, “in Ireland.”

Josh Needelman is the High School Sports Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JoshNeedelman.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.