As Russian troops continue to march into Ukraine, some athletes have begun to speak out in support of the sovereign nation, which has since declared marshal law. Included amongst them are Ukrainian tennis players Elina Svitolina, Dayana Yastremska and Marta Kostyuk.

Svitolina took to Twitter, tweeting out in Ukrainian that she is “proud to be Ukrainian.”

“Let us unite in this extremely difficult time for the sake of peace and the future of our state,” she wrote. “Glory to Ukraine.”

Пишаюся тим, що я українка. Єднаємося у цей надскладний час заради миру та майбутнього нашої держави. Слава Україні 💙💛🇺🇦

Video made by: dorosh.raw pic.twitter.com/PFz6LqYYRa

— Elina Monfils (@ElinaSvitolina) February 23, 2022

She later tweeted out the words “I can’t…” with crying and heartbroken emojis.

I can’t…..😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔💔💔 #Україна #Ukraine

— Elina Monfils (@ElinaSvitolina) February 24, 2022

Yastremska revealed in an Instagram post that there is “so much pain and fear,” but that she is staying in her hometown of Odessa with family. Home to a naval base, Odessa is a port city in the Ukraine that was one of the cities bombed by Russian soldiers.

“I haven’t left home to do my favorite job,” Yastremska continued. “There’s a war in Ukraine! I love you all and I genuinely believe that peace will be restored soon! Stay safe!”

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Kostyuk shared a message on her Instagram stories declaring Ukraine’s sovereignty.

“Ukraine is not a ‘part of Russia,’” it reads. “It wasn’t and it never will be.”

Marta Kostyuk shares a message on her Instagram stories: Ukraine is not a "part of Russia", it wasn't and it will never be pic.twitter.com/pd3i6q0H3y

— Diego Barbiani (@Diego_Barbiani) February 23, 2022

Other tennis players and athletes have taken to social media to post messages of support. Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka tweeted out that she “can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

“I hope you know we’re thinking of you and praying for you,” she said.

Sitting here looking at the news and I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s crazy to me that we live in a world that’s so extremely “out of sight out of mind”, I hope you know we’re thinking of you and praying for you 💛💙 #Ukraine

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) February 24, 2022

Arella Guirantes, a basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks who has also spent time playing with BC Budivelnyk in Kyiv, Ukraine, said that her “heart is so heavy right now.”

“I’ve only been there for a couple of months but my experience there in Kyiv was amazing and I hold that city and the people I met there dear to my heart.”

In a statement, the International Paralympics Committee president Andrew Parsons called it “a truly horrible situation.” The Paralympics are set to begin next week in Beijing. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a direct breach of the Olympic Truce, which was adopted on December 2, 2021 and is co-sponsored by Russia. It lasts until March 20.

“We are greatly concerned about out National Paralympic Committee and Para athletes from Ukraine,” he said. “Our top priority right now is the safety and well-being of the Ukrainian delegation, with whom we are in regular dialogue. Earlier today I spoke with Valeriy Sushkevych, the President of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, who informed me that his Para athletes wish to compete in Beijing, however getting the team to Beijing is going to be a mammoth challenge.

“One key aspect of the Truce is ensuring the safe passage, access and participation of athletes, officials, and all accredited persons taking part in the Games. We need to find a solution for this as soon as possible so that the Ukrainian delegation can travel to and from the Games safely. World leaders must observe their commitment to the Olympic Truce, in particular those Member States who are a co-sponsor of the resolution.”

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

For the first time in history, three different WNBA teams have completely sold out of season ticket plans well before the league's May 14th kick-off.

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect, attribute it to this year’s tenacious rookie class, or look to the skyrocketing visibility of veteran players across the board. But no matter the cause, facts are facts: Tickets to the 2024 WNBA season are selling like never before. 

On Monday, the Dallas Wings became the third team to sell out of season ticket memberships in the league’s 27-year history. The announcement from Arlington came shortly after the Atlanta Dream issued their own season ticket sell-out statement, also on Monday, and almost seven weeks after the back-to-back WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces made headlines by becoming the first-ever WNBA team to sell out their season ticket allotment.   

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According to the Wings, season ticket memberships will fill nearly 40% of the 6,251 seats inside their home arena, College Park Center. The club also said that their overall ticket revenue has ballooned to the tune of 220% this year, spanning not just season tickets but also a 1,200% increase in single ticket sales. There’s currently a waitlist to become a Dallas season ticket holder, a status that comes with extra incentives like playoff presale access and discounts on additional single-game tickets. 

In Atlanta, season tickets aren't the only thing flying off the shelves. The Dream also announced that they broke their own record for single-game ticket sales during a recent limited presale campaign. Sunday was reportedly their most lucrative day, with five different games totally selling out Gateway Center Arena. Individual tickets for all upcoming matchups will hit the market this Thursday at 8 a.m., while a waitlist for season ticket memberships will open up next Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"Excitement around women's sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high and nowhere is that felt more than here in Atlanta," Dream president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said in the team’s statement. "We’ve continued a record-setting growth trajectory over the past three years under new ownership — both on and off the court — and 2024 is shaping up to be our best season yet."

As of Tuesday, season ticket sales revenue for Caitlin Clark’s hotly anticipated Indiana Fever debut haven’t yet been announced by the club. But if these numbers are any indication — not to mention the explosive demand for Fever away games felt by teams around the country — it won’t be long before we see some scale-tipping figures coming out of Indianapolis.

25-year-old American pro golfer Nelly Korda secured her spot in LPGA history on Sunday, notching her fifth-straight title at this weekend's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2005) as just the third LPGA player to rack up five consecutive tour wins. She is also the third No. 1-ranked player to capture The Chevron Championship victory since the rankings debuted in 2006, accompanied by Lorena Ochoa and Lydia Ko.

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The Florida native shot three-under 69 in Sunday's final, besting Sweden's Maja Stark despite Stark's valiant come-from-behind attempt in the 18th. Korda finished with a four-day total of 13-under 275, celebrating her two-stroke win by cannonballing into Poppie's Pond, much to the crowd's delight. She left The Club at Carlton Woods with $1.2 million from an overall purse of $7.9 million.

It wasn't long ago that the two-time major champion's current winning streak seemed unimaginable. After maintaining her No. 1 position for 29 weeks, Korda underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from her left arm in 2022. She returned to the course not long after, but failed to win a single tournament in 2023 before seeing a surge in form during the first four months of 2024. As of today, she hasn't lost a tournament since January.

Korda will attempt a record sixth-straight win at next week's JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, where she'll vie for a cut of the $3.75 million purse.