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Kelley O’Hara says Olympics are harder to win than World Cup

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The Tokyo Olympics are now just two weeks away, and athletes are in full preparation mode. That includes Kelley O’Hara, who will be competing in her third Olympics later this month with the USWNT.

O’Hara spoke with ESPN’s Katie Nolan about her Olympics prep on the latest episode of the Just Women’s Sports podcast.

While the World Cup is often considered the more significant tournament in soccer, O’Hara says the Olympics are their own unique challenge.

“Winning a gold medal is physically more difficult,” O’Hara tells Nolan. The schedule is more compact than it is at the World Cup, with the Olympics requiring teams to play every three days.

“After a 90-minute game, I’m still recovering on the third day,” O’Hara says.

While the World Cup may always be the more important tournament, O’Hara says being at the Olympics is its own unique experience.

“The Olympics are very, very cool because it is sport — it’s the world’s athletes convening in one place.”

O’Hara’s own infatuation with the Olympic games started when she was just a kid watching women’s gymnastics.

“My first Olympic memory as a child was the 1996 gymnastics team,” she recalls, adding that watching that team solidified her own Olympic dreams.

O’Hara won Olympic gold in 2012 with the USWNT, playing every minute of every game. In 2016, however, the team was upset in the quarterfinals, losing to Sweden in penalties.

“Losing in 2016, we should’ve won that game,” O’Hara says. The loss, however, taught the US defender that it’s not enough to just be the best team.

“You have to win every single game. Nothing is given, anything can happen.”

The Tokyo Olympics will give the USWNT a chance at revenge (they play Sweden in their opening game) while also giving the team a chance to make history as the first team to ever win the World Cup and the Olympics in back-to-back tries.

With an Olympic gold and two World Cups already to her name, O’Hara says she is still greedy for more wins, starting with another medal in Tokyo.

“I know that my career is finite… as a professional athlete, you have a very small window to achieve all of the things that you want to achieve.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Kelley O’Hara and Katie Nolan here.

Phoenix Mercury Beat Minnesota Lynx 89-83 in OT to Tie WNBA Semifinals

Phoenix Mercury center Natasha Mack leaps for a rebound during Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA semifinals.
The Phoenix Mercury overcame a 20-point deficit to take Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA semifinals against the Minnesota Lynx. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury went the distance on Tuesday night, overcoming a 20-point deficit against the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx to secure an 89-83 Game 2 win in overtime — and sending the 2025 WNBA semifinals to Arizona tied at 1-1.

Even more, Phoenix's come-from-behind victory set records as the third-largest comeback in WNBA playoff history.

Mercury forward Satou Sabally led the team with 24 points, while guard Sami Whitcomb added 13 points off the bench — including the game-tying three-pointer that propelled the matchup into overtime.

"Just pride, toughness, grit. I couldn't be more proud of our group for doing that," Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said afterwards. "I'm fired up. Phoenix is going to be rocking on Friday and Sunday."

After dominating Game 1, Tuesday's defeat marked the first time in Lynx franchise history that they lost a postseason game after holding a double-digit halftime lead.

"Suddenly, we lost our way," said Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve. "We didn't respond. Then when we needed to go get buckets and we had good opportunities, we weren't strong enough."

"I think we beat ourselves," forward Napheesa Collier added. "Unforced turnovers, not taking care of the ball when they were pressuring us, just keeping our composure in those situations is huge."

How to watch the Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury in Game 3

The No. 4 Phoenix Mercury will host the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx for Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA semifinals at 9:30 PM ET on Friday, airing live on ESPN2.

Las Vegas Aces Beat Indiana Fever 90-68 in Game 2, Even WNBA Semifinals 1-1

The Las Vegas Aces huddle after their Game 2 win in the 2025 WNBA semifinals.
The Las Vegas Aces scored a blowout win over the Indiana Fever in Tuesday's Game 2 to even their series in the 2025 WNBA semifinals. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces reclaimed their contender status in Game 2 on Tuesday night, taking down the No. 6 Indiana Fever in a 90-68 blowout victory to tie their best-of-five 2025 WNBA semifinals at 1-1.

Reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson fueled the Aces' bounce-back performance with 25 points and nine rebounds, backed by 10 points apiece from reserves Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans.

"I just think we came to work," Wilson said following the win. "We didn't come to work in Game 1, and that's on all of us. I think Game 2, we just decided to come to work."

Physicality on the court — as well as the referees' response to it — has played a major role in the Aces vs. Fever series, with Las Vegas clearly upping the intensity to keep Indiana at bay on Tuesday.

"It's playoffs — very physical games," said Aces forward NaLyssa Smith afterwards. "I feel like we've got to match the energy, day in and day out."

"It's hard for us to find flow when there's a foul called every 10 seconds," Fever head coach Stephanie White lamented. "When they're at the free throw line, we can't get up and down the floor, and that's a challenge."

How to watch the Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever in Game 3

The 2025 WNBA semifinals next travels to Indiana for Game 3, with the No. 6 Fever hosting the No. 2 Aces at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ESPN2.

Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings Reportedly Keep Head Coaches After Losing Seasons

Dallas Wings forward Myisha Hines-Allen, guard Aziaha James, and head coach Chris Koclanes look on from the sideline during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Dallas Wings will reportedly keep head coach Chris Koclanes on staff next season. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Despite finishing at the bottom of the 2025 WNBA standings, the No. 12 Chicago Sky and No. 13 Dallas Wings will not be moving on from their current head coaches according to a report from Front Office Sports this week.

Dallas sideline leader Chris Koclanes and Chicago manager Tyler Marsh led their sides to identical 10-34 records in their first year at the helm — the worst in the league this season.

In contrast, 2025 playoff participants Seattle and New York are already making aggressive coaching changes, dismissing Storm boss Noelle Quinn and Liberty leader Sandy Brondello following first-round postseason exits.

While some fans criticized the presumed decision, Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings stars spoke out in support of their head coaches.

"Obviously the season didn't go how we expected, but being able to have a coach like Tyler, it was amazing through the ups and downs," Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso told reporters. "He always showed up every day with the same energy, no matter what the record was."

"The team embodies the attitude of your leader," echoed Dallas guard Paige Bueckers. "And for [Koclanes] to show up every single day at work and pour into all of us…it means a lot to us as a team."

Athletes Unlimited Stacks 2026 Offseason Roster with Top WNBA Stars

Connecticut Sun forward Aneesah Morrow controls the ball during a 2025 WNBA game.
Connecticut Sun rookie Aneesah Morrow will compete in the Athletes Unlimited Basketball competition during the WNBA offseason. (Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)

With the 2025 WNBA Playoffs in full swing, many big-name players are shifting their focus to the winter, joining the 2026 roster for offseason leagues like 3×3 upstart Unrivaled and 5×5 Athletes Unlimited.

Connecticut Sun rookie Aneesah Morrow officially signed with AU Pro Basketball this week, joining WNBA veteran teammate Tina Charles, Las Vegas Aces standout and 2023 AU champion NaLyssa Smith, as well as fellow pro first-years in guards Kaitlyn Chen (Golden State Valkyries) and Te-Hina PaoPao (Atlanta Dream) on the AU court.

The 2026 Athletes Unlimited Basketball season also boasts several returning stars among its 40-player league roster, including Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse, Washington Mystics forward Alysha Clark, Seattle Storm guard Lexie Brown, and New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison.

Tipping off its fifth season in February 2026, the month-long Nashville-based competition features rotating teams and individual leaderboards, offering an alternative to both overseas play and Unrivaled's 3×3 team format.

"It's player-driven," Charles said in her own AU Basketball signing announcement earlier this month. "I think that's really neat, you know, something that I've never been a part of, nor have I seen on men's or women's side."

How to watch the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Basketball season

The upcoming 2026 season of AU Pro Basketball runs from February 5th through March 2nd, with all 24 games airing live across several different broadcasters.

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