Kelsey Plum isn’t buying the idea of a superteam rivalry.

While the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces have three more meetings this season, the Plum and the Aces looked every bit the more dominant team in Thursday’s 98-81 win in Las Vegas.

“I say this with all respect, but I think it’s honestly the media (that) tries to make this out to be this crazy matchup,” Plum said after the game. “There’s a lot of really good teams in this league. We approach every game the same way, and we play the same way. We’re going to go out there and compete. It happened to be New York tonight, but for us it doesn’t change who we are.”

Plum led all Aces starters – all of whom scored in double figures – with 18 points. While Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello says the team had a “great game plan” entering the game, it didn’t hold up against what she called a “well-oiled machine.”

“Part of it was because of what they did, how fluid they were,” she said of the Aces. “They scored on us on post-ups and mismatches in our rotations. They’re in the right place all the time. They’re a scary team.”

The Aces and the Liberty both made headlines with big-name free agent signings in the offseason, and both have hovered around the top of the league standings. But the Aces placed themselves firmly at the head of the pack with their latest win.

The 2022 champions are now 14-1, tying the 1998 Houston Comets and the 2016 Los Angeles Sparks for the best start through 15 games in league history. The Liberty sit in third at 10-4.

“I think we play a fun style for the [players] and the fans, as does New York,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. “Getting up and down — people like to play that way, shooting a lot of 3s. When the ball gets popping and everybody is happy with their teammate’s success, I think that is contagious.”

When all starters score 14+ points while shooting 58% from the field 😮‍💨@Kelseyplum10: 18 PTS / 3 REB / 8 AST / 58% FG@_ajawilson22: 16 PTS / 3 AST / 66% FG@Candace_Parker:15 PTS / 6 REB / 5 AST / 2 STL / 50% FG / 3-4 3-PM@JackieYoung3 :15 PTS / 5 REB / 6 AST / 54% FG / 3-5… pic.twitter.com/CKsuBPoEj9

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 30, 2023

Incoming NWSL expansion side Boston Legacy FC announced the hiring of the club's first-ever head coach on Wednesday, tapping Benfica manager Filipa Patão ahead of the team's inaugural 2026 season.

"I'm very excited about going to Boston. I can't wait to get to the city, meet all the people and start working," said Patão, who will join the front office in July to help build the Legacy's roster.

Patão has helmed Benfica since 2020, amassing a 156-28-15 W-L-D record across all competitions, including leading the team to the 2023/24 Champions League quarterfinals — the best finish of any Portuguese club in UWCL history.

"Boston is a club where we want to develop both technical identity and have a clear style of play, but also we want a coach who thinks about more than just winning games," said incoming Boston GM Domè Guasch in a team statement. "Filipa is a coach I believe can help us build a great culture where players understand they will come here to grow and learn."

Patão adds to the Legacy's increasingly European front office, following the likes of Guasch, who joined from FC Barcelona.

"The American league is extremely competitive and that's one of the reasons I accepted this project," Patão said. "I like competition, difficulty, and getting the players to strive for more and better."

Her penchant for developing players as well as her will to win are two reasons that Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein says made Patão a perfect fit for Boston.

"Filipa demonstrates all of the qualities that personify this club and the way we want to play: with passion, grit, and style," said Epstein.

"We can’t wait to watch her build Boston's next championship team."

The world No. 1 USWNT takes the pitch against No. 25 Ireland on Thursday night, kicking off a three-friendly stretch that spans two games against the Girls in Green in Colorado and Ohio before a Washington, DC, clash against regional rivals No. 8 Canada.

"We're largely inexperienced and still learning with everything that we're looking to do, but this team, they are fast learners," US head coach Emma Hayes told media earlier this week.

After Hayes decided to give nearly all her Europe-based players a break during this international window, the USWNT enters this stretch of friendlies without a number of first-choice starters, giving young bubble players perhaps their last chance to impress.

Next week's bout with Canada will be the USWNT's last match opportunity until October's international window — the second-to-last break of 2025.

"We're at the stage where we are determining the criteria for 2027 and what that looks like," said Hayes. "From October onwards, I would say that extended pool will be the group that we will build towards 2027 with."

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Notably, Thursday's lineup could feature a boost from previously injured 2024 Olympians Rose Lavelle and Croix Bethune, with the veteran Lavelle also stepping into a newly elevated leadership role on the team.

"I had a lot of really great older players to look up to to help usher me into the position where I now can be that for the younger players, so it's definitely something that I lean into," Lavelle said on Wednesday.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Ireland on Thursday

The No. 1 USWNT will kick off their first friendly against No. 25 Ireland at 9 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage airing on TBS.

The Indiana Fever waived their splashiest offseason signing, two-time WNBA champion DeWanna Bonner, at her request on Wednesday.

The the 37-year-old missed the last five games due to personal reasons, with recent reports alluding to the six-time All-Star's desire to sever her Fever contract.

"Despite our shared goals and excitement heading into the season, I felt the fit did not work out and I appreciate the organization's willingness to grant my request to move on, particularly at this point in my career," Bonner said in a statement.

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After bringing on key additions like Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham, the Fever were projected to take a serious leap forward under new Indiana head coach Stephanie White this season.

Unfortunately, Indiana has encountered multiple snags, with franchise player Caitlin Clark sidelined for weeks with a quad strain while White missed several games for personal reasons.

The Fever currently sit eighth in the WNBA standings with a 7-7 record, as Clark battles through a slump that saw her average just 26.5% from the field in her last three games.

She'll ride the bench again on Thursday night, as the superstar guard manages a groin injury.

To fill the gaps, Indiana signed Aari McDonald to a rest-of-season contract this week, rewarding the point guard for her strong performances in Clark's absence.

As for Bonner, she has 48 hours to clear the waiver wire, as some reports link her to a veteran minimum contract with the Phoenix Mercury for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season.

How to watch the Indiana Fever in Thursday's WNBA lineup

The Indiana Fever will try to turn things around against the LA Sparks at 7 PM ET on Thursday night.

Live coverage of the game will air on Prime.

The greatest dynasty in NCAA women's basketball is back in the spotlight, with Apple TV+ announcing a new three-part docuseries focused on the UConn Huskies on Wednesday.

According to the streamer, the series "reveals the epic narrative of UConn's roller coaster path to becoming the greatest dynasty in women's sports history, with each episode featuring a blend of unique archival footage, incisive interviews, and intimate access with UConn's 2024/25 championship squad."

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The sports documentary industry has boomed in recent years, with the Huskies now finding their place at the table alongside critically acclaimed productions like HBO's ACFC-focused Angel City and Netflix's USWNT series, Under Pressure.

To tell the story of the 12-time NCAA championship basketball program, Apple TV+ tapped two top directors, handing the UConn narrative's reins to Emmy Award nominee Erica Sashin as well as Emmy Award-winning sports documentarian Matthew Hamachek, whose credits include The Dynasty: New England Patriots and Tiger.

"This series offers fans an exclusive view into 40 seasons of UConn women's basketball, and I'm really excited for audiences to be able to see all the hard work that has built this program," said coach Geno Auriemma, who's led the Huskies since 1985.

While the series is currently in production, Apple TV+ will announce the official premiere at a future date.