The WNBA Finals series between the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury headlines the weekend in women’s sports, with Game 3 heading to Chicago on Friday. The NWSL is back in action as well, as teams fight for playoff positioning ahead of the regular season’s October 31st finale.

Here’s everything to watch this weekend in women’s sports:

WNBA Finals: Chicago Sky vs. Phoenix Mercury, Game 3

Friday, October 15 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN

The WNBA Finals series between the Sky and the Mercury heads to Chicago for a decisive Game 3. The Sky will play in front of a sold-out crowd at the Wintrust Arena, with around 10,000 fans in attendance.

WNBA Finals: Chicago Sky vs. Phoenix Mercury, Game 4

Sunday, October 17 at 3 p.m.  ET on ESPN

Should there be a Game 4, the WNBA Finals will stay in Chicago. The Mercury will look to contain Kahleah Copper, who has been hot all playoffs, leading the Sky’s offensive charge.

NWSL: Racing Louisville FC vs. Orlando Pride

Saturday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Paramount+

The Orlando Pride will look for a crucial three points in the NWSL standings in a last-minute playoff push before the regular season’s end on October 31. Sydney Leroux has been explosive for Orlando all year, leading the team in scoring with eight goals on the season.

NWSL: Chicago Red Stars vs. Kansas City

Saturday, October 16 at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+

On the playoff bubble, the Chicago Red Stars will look to climb the NWSL table to secure a spot in the postseason. The Red Stars head into their matchup with Kansas City as the favorites with a 6-2-2 home record.

NWSL: OL Reign vs. Washington Spirit

Saturday, October 16 at 10 p.m. ET on Paramount+

OL Reign has already clinched their playoff spot and appear to be in top form, with the likes of Rose Lavelle, Eugenie Le Sommer and Bethany Balcer all getting involved in the team’s attack. The Washington Spirit are still on the hunt for their postseason ticket, sitting firmly in the middle of a packed NWSL table.

NWSL: North Carolina Courage vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC

Sunday, October 17 at 2:00 p.m ET on CBS Sports Network

The North Carolina Courage has stayed at the top quadrant of the table throughout the season but has yet to lock up their playoff slot. The Gotham FC matchup will be one to watch as both teams fight for a postseason spot.

NWSL: Houston Dash vs. Portland Thorns FC

Sunday, October 17 at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+

After a streaky start to the regular season, the Houston Dash are hitting their stride at the right time. A win in the team’s home matchup against the Portland Thorns could be enough to push the Dash over the edge.

Tennis: BNP Paribas Open

Friday, October 15 at 9 p.m.-1 a.m. ET on the Tennis Channel (Semifinals)

Sunday, October 17 at 4 p.m- 6 p.m. ET on the Tennis Channel (Final)

Paula Badosa, Angelique Kerber and Victoria Azarenka are among those through to the quarterfinals at Indian Wells. American Shelby Rogers will have a chance to fight for a semifinal spot after surviving a challenge from teen sensation Leylah Fernandez in the Round of 16.

Golf: Aramco Team Series

Thursday, October 14, 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET on the Golf Channel

Friday, October 15, 1:00-5:00 p.m. ET on the Golf Channel

Saturday, October 16, 2:30-6:30 p.m. ET on the Golf Channel

The world’s top female golfers tee off at the Aramco Team Series in a unique event featuring teams of four, made up of three pros and an amateur. Stars from the Solheim Cup, including Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, and Anna Nordqvist, will go head to head at Glen Oaks starting on Thursday.

 

The 2026 LPGA Tour officially teed off on Thursday, when 39 top-ranked golfers began competing for a piece of this year's $2.1 million HGV Tournament of Champions purse.

Following Thursday's first round, No. 17 Nasa Hataoka (Japan) led the field with a 6-under 66 performance, with world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul (Thailand), No. 11 Lottie Woad (England), No. 24 Linn Grant (Sweden), and No. 53 Chanettee Wannasaen (Thailand) chasing her just one shot behind.

Defending Tournament of Champions winner No. 27 A Lim Kim (South Korea) enters Friday's second round three strokes back.

Leading a US contingent that includes No. 13 Angel Yin, No. 25 Lauren Coughlin, and No. 49 Lilia Vu is 2025 Tournament of Champions runner-up No. 2 Nelly Korda, who capped Thursday trailing Hataoka by two shots.

"Overall, I'm happy with my round. [It's only] Thursday, so hopefully, I can continue building momentum going into the next three days," said the 27-year-old US star. "But [I] can't complain."

Featuring 16 of the Top 25 golfers, including 2024 champion No. 6 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) and 2023 winner No. 23 Brooke Henderson (Canada), the 2026 LPGA season-opening tournament pairs pros with amateur celebrities including USWNT legend Brandi Chastain and golf icon Annika Sörenstam.

How to watch the 2026 HGV Tournament of Champions

Live coverage of the 2026 HGV Tournament of Champions airs at 11:30 AM ET on Friday and 3 PM ET on Saturday on the Golf Channel, before NBC broadcasts the LPGA season opener's final round at 2 PM ET on Sunday.

Aryna Sabalenka is one match away from her third Australian Open title after the world No. 1 tennis star took down Ukraine's No. 12 Elina Svitolina in straight sets (6-2, 6-3) in the 2026 tournament's semifinals on Thursday.

Entering her fourth straight Australian Open final, the 27-year-old Belarusian initially won the Melbourne Grand Slam in 2023 and 2024 before dropping the 2025 final to US star No. 9 Madison Keys.

"The job is not done yet," Sabalenka said following her Thursday semifinal win.

Now hunting a fifth career Grand Slam victory after claiming a second consecutive US Open title last September, Sabalenka will face Kazakhstan's No. 5 Elena Rybakina in Saturday's final, after the 2022 Wimbledon champ downed No. 6 Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6(7) in Thursday's first match.

"It got very tight. I stayed there," the 26-year-old said after defeating the last-standing US star. "I was fighting for each point."

Notably, Saturday's final will also be a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open championship clash in which Sabalenka staged a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory.

Even more, though Sabalenka holds the all-time edge with an 8-6 career record against Rybakina, the Kazakhstani star has won six of the pair's last 10 meetings — including a dominant 6-3, 7-6(0) upset victory to take the 2025 WTA Finals title in November.

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open final

The 2026 Australian Open final between No. 1 Sabalenka and No. 5 Rybakina kicks off at 3:30 AM ET on Saturday, airing live on ESPN.

Unrivaled 3×3 is taking over Philadelphia on Friday, when the Miami-based league brings pro women's basketball back to the City of Brotherly Love the first time since 1998.

As the league's its first-ever tour stop, Friday's one-off doubleheader — dubbed "Philly is Unrivaled" — is already shaping up to be a success, with Unrivaled selling out the 21,000-seat Xfinity Mobile Arena with tickets averaging $165 each on the secondary market — nearly double the price to see the NBA's Sixers at the same venue.

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"I'm just excited for the love from the city. People can really see this as a basketball city. One of the best cities in the world," said Philadelphia product and Rose BC star Kahleah Copper, as her hometown gears up to launch its own WNBA expansion team in 2030.

Friday's Unrivaled event promises a star-studded bill, with Paige Bueckers's Breeze BC first taking on Philly's own Natasha Cloud and the Phantom before Copper and the Rose square off against Marina Mabrey's Lunar Owls.

How to watch the "Philly is Unrivaled" doubleheader

Unrivaled tips off from Philadelphia on Friday when Breeze BC takes on Phantom BC at 7:30 PM ET, before Rose BC faces the Lunar Owls at 8:45 PM ET.

Both "Philly is Unrivaled" clashes will air live on TNT.

Riding high near the top of the SEC standings, No. 15 Tennessee will face an age-old rival on Sunday, when the Lady Vols visit the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season's last-standing undefeated Division I team, No. 1 UConn.

Tennessee previously led the SEC title race with a 6-0 conference record until a 77-62 upset loss to unranked Mississippi State on Thursday sent the Vols' tumbling to third on the conference table.

While claiming nearly double the rebounds as Tennessee, the Bulldog defense kept Tennessee's field goal rate under 32%, paving the way for senior forward Kharyssa Richardson to lead the charge to the Mississippi State victory with 21 points on the night.

"They outworked us, they out-toughed us, start to finish," Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell said postgame.

For Big East basketball leaders UConn, Sunday's matchup against Tennessee likely stands as the Huskies' final ranked test before kicking off the postseason — and their national title defense.

However, UConn is currently managing a lengthy injury report, with six players sidelined from their dominant Wednesday win over unranked Xavier.

Even so, the Huskies' depth never wavered, as sophomore guard Allie Ziebell sunk a program record-tying 10 three-pointers to secure the 97-39 victory on a career-high 34 points.

How to watch Tennessee vs. UConn this weekend

The top-ranked Huskies will host the No. 15 Vols at 12 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on FOX.