Simone Biles will be the only returner from the “Final Five” who won gold in Rio four years ago. If selecting a five-person roster was hard in 2016, four is going to be tortuous in 2021. But that is what head coach Tom Forster and the selection committee will be forced to do since the International Gymnastics Federation reduced Olympic team rosters from five to four ahead of Tokyo (before quickly backpedaling and announcing that it will return to five for Paris 2024). 

Here’s how the roster is structured this go round.

Olympic Team (4 gymnasts):

First and second place all-around finishers at U.S. Olympic Trials, plus two spots that are selected by committee.

Individual Olympic Spots (2 gymnasts):

Jade Carey already clinched one of these places through an FIG World Cup qualification system. The last remaining individual spot will be selected by committee. These athletes can compete in individual all-around and individual event competitions but not the team competition unless a team member gets injured. 

With Biles a seeming lock for spot number one, and spot two earned at trials, the big decisions will be on team spots three and four, along with the one unfilled individual spot. Eighteen women have been invited to St. Louis to compete at the Olympic Trials June 24-27 for a chance at a ticket to Tokyo. While a few names have pulled away from the pack, the final spots are nowhere near decided.

“It’s never been done before. And it’s called, ‘The Biles.’” pic.twitter.com/5uoyYQPzWB

— Lindsay Crouse (@lindsaycrouse) June 7, 2021

The Frontrunners:

Two women are almost considered locks for the team roster: Sunisa “Suni” Lee and Jordan Chiles. Lee is an 18 year old from St. Paul who could be the first Hmong American gymnast on the Olympic team. Having recovered from an ankle injury in time to be at almost full force for U.S. Nationals a few weeks ago, Lee made an assertive claim on a roster spot by finishing in second place all-around behind Biles and taking first in the uneven bars and second on beam. It was a special night for the close-knit family, as Lee’s father was cheering in person for the first time since an accident left him paralyzed from the chest down two years ago.

Whereas Lee is an individual medal contender in a few events and then falls farther down the line in others, Jordan Chiles’ success comes from being solid across the board. The 20 year old from Washington now trains in Texas alongside Biles and has been on the senior circuit since 2017. The youngest of five siblings, Chiles has taken the long road to believing she deserves a spot on this elitist of elite rosters. Having Biles in her corner (and breathing down her neck in training) appears to be paying dividends as she recently earned silver all-around at U.S. Classics and bronze all-around at U.S. Nationals.

In The Mix:

After Lee and Chiles, the list bubbles out to a large number of athletes who are all still in the mix for a team spot. This includes 18-year-old Emma Malabuyo from California, who had a disappointing U.S. Classics showing but an incredible U.S. Nationals. Then there is Leanne Wong, who has solid potential to medal individually on floor and beam, and MyKayla Skinner, an alternate from Rio whose strengths nicely compliment the frontrunners for team medal consideration. 

Another contender is Grace McCallum, who helped Team USA earn two World Championship titles in 2018 and 2019 and is making her way back from hand surgery earlier this year. Youngster Skye Blakely, who turned 16 in February and is now eligible for the Olympics thanks to the postponement, kept her name in the conversation by tying McCallum for 7th overall at U.S. Nationals. And 2019’s junior national champion Kayla DiCello is still in the running, though her name dropped much further down the list with an 11th overall finish at nationals.

Individual Contenders:

With Jade Carey having already earned one of the two individual spots, the other one is likely to go to either Riley McCusker or MyKayla Skinner (if she’s not given a team spot). McCusker is an uneven bars specialist and Skinner is phenomenal on vault.

Whoever’s Olympic dreams come true when the selection announcement is made, the expectation that accompanies this achievement is indisputable: win team gold in Tokyo.

Tune in: The Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Trials will air on NBC on June 25 at 8pm ET and June 27 at 8:30pm ET.

While competing at the 2026 Australian Open this week, US tennis star Coco Gauff is giving back to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with the world No. 3 WTA player announcing a $150,000 donation to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to fund HBCU tennis scholarships on Tuesday.

"Education has the power to change lives, and I hope this gift will help students achieve their dreams," said Gauff in a Tuesday statement.

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Even more, this week's donation marks the two-time Grand Slam champion's second UNCF contribution in as many years, with her $100,000 pledge in 2025 bringing Gauff's total gift to $250,000.

"I feel like HBCU tennis a lot of times doesn't get the funding that they need," Gauff said after advancing to Thursday night's Australian Open third round. "I would always try to uplift marginalized communities and support where I can."

One of the youngest major donors in organization's 80-year history, the 21-year-old star's Coco Gauff Scholarship Program has already sponsored multiple HBCU tennis athletes.

"My family has a deep-rooted history with HBCUs," Gauff wrote in a 2025 press release. "As a young Black athlete, I understand how impactful it is to see people who look like me thriving in both sports and education…. My hope is that this scholarship gives more young Black players the confidence to chase their dreams, knowing they have a strong community behind them and a bright future ahead."

PWHL players made their voices heard this week, as The Athletic published the results of the third-year league's first-ever anonymous player poll on Wednesday, surveying athletes on everything from the best trash-talkers to which nation's team will win Olympic gold at next month's 2026 Winter Games.

Leading the poll's individual accolades is 34-year-old Team Canada and Montréal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin, dubbed the PWHL's best player by 80% of respondents.

Poulin's Team USA counterpart, Seattle Torrent forward Hilary Knight, snagged second as each standout prepares for a fifth career Olympic run.

As for who will win gold in Italy, all but one player predicted a Canada vs. USA Olympic Final, with a 50/50 split on the eventual victor.

Athletes also answered overarching questions about the growing league in the player poll, with Detroit earning the most nods as a PWHL expansion city — though Denver and Chicago also scored double-digit votes.

As for the future face of the league, current New York Sirens forward and 2024 PWHL No. 1 draftee Sarah Fillier narrowly edged out current University of Wisconsin senior and Team USA Olympic defender Caroline Harvey in the players' poll.

Toronto Sceptres forward Emma Maltais beat out Montréal's Abby Roque by one vote for the title of top PWHL trash-talker, though most players tapped her for quantity over quality — an assessment Maltais herself agrees with.

"I'm not trash-talking," clarified the 26-year-old Canadian. "I'm just yapping."

WNBA star Angel Reese is lighting up the silver screen, with the Chicago Sky forward racking up multiple film and TV credits during the league's offseason.

On Tuesday, Netflix revealed that Reese will play a character called "Trainer Barbie" in the second season of the streamer's hit show, The Hunting Wives.

Already a fan of the series, Reese's told Hunting Wives creator Rebecca Cutter to "just let me know if you need me for season 2" on X last summer — a conversation that helped spark the basketball star's casting.

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Tuesday's news follows last week's announcement that Reese and Las Vegas Aces star center A'ja Wilson will each voice a role in the upcoming animated film GOAT, produced by the NBA's Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry.

When the film hits theaters on February 13th, fans will see Reese as Propp, a polar bear, while Wilson plays a reptile called Kouyate.

Reese first opened her acting portfolio by playing herself in a cameo in the October 2025 Netflix film A House of Dynamite, with Hunting Wives marking the 23-year-old's first foray into a scripted series.

The eight-episode second season of the Netflix show is currently in production, though a premiere date is still unknown.

USWNT manager Emma Hayes is eager to see star forward Trinity Rodman back on the pitch, as the 23-year-old forward returned to the national team roster for the first time since April this week.

"This week, I said we've missed you in many ways, most of all because she just brings a little bit of color," Hayes said on ESPN's Futbol W on Wednesday. "She's got a great personality and she injects that into the environment."

"I've given her some responsibility this week and I think it's good for her," Hayes continued. "And she wants that, she's ready to take the next steps in her career."

A lingering back injury compounded by a late-season MCL sprain saw Rodman's USWNT appearances severely limited in 2025.

The NWSL free agent also made headlines when this month's non-FIFA window US training camp roster dropped, with Rodman listed as "unattached" as she negotiates a new contract with the Washington Spirit.

"I think the thing for her this year is she's got to take responsibility, not just on the field but off the field," Hayes said of Rodman's recovery. "It's all about the other 22 hours, and what you do with that. If she can nail that, then I expect her to continue to thrive."

How to watch Rodman with the USWNT this week

The world No. 2 USWNT will take on No. 46 Paraguay in the team's first 2026 friendly on Saturday.

The clash will kick off live at 5:30 PM ET on TNT.