Curling will get its moment on the international stage at the 2022 Winter Olympics, featuring three events (men’s curling, women’s curling and mixed doubles curing) in Beijing.

In the team event, four players will compete per match, with ten teams overall participating in the Olympic tournament. After initial round-robin play, the four best squads will advance to the semifinals and the medal matches.

The women’s curling event, set to begin on Feb. 9, features a highly competitive field.

Here are the five curlers to watch for in Beijing.

1. Anna Hasselborg, Team Sweden

Anna Hasselborg will lead Team Sweden in its quest to defend the country’s 2018 curling gold medal. The 32-year-old Swede has continued to dominate the sport since PyeongChang, making history in 2018 as the first curling athlete in history to hold the European Curling Championship gold medal, the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship gold medal and the Olympic gold medal simultaneously. Hasselborg and teammates Agnes Knochenhauer, Sara McManus and Sofia Mabergs are heavy favorites to repeat gold in Beijing.

2. Tabitha Peterson, Team USA

 Tabitha Peterson returns for her second Winter Games, leading a team that includes sister Tara Peterson as well as Nina Roth, Becca Hamilton and alternate Aileen Geving. The American skip is looking to improve upon her eighth-place finish in PyeongChang and put United States curling on the map. Peterson has had some promising results of late, including a bronze-medal finish at the 2021 World Championships that earned the U.S. its first medal there in 15 years.

3. Silvana Tirinzoni, Team Switzerland

Reigning world champion Silvana Tirinzoni headlines Switzerland’s Olympic curling team, which also includes Alina Pätz, Esther Neuenschwander, Melanie Barbezat and Carole Howald. The 41-year-old looks to lead the group to a playoff spot after finishing seventh overall in PyeongChang. Tirinzoni and Switzerland are head into the competition in Beijing poised to challenge Team Sweden for a curling gold medal.

4. Jennifer Jones, Team Canada

Jennifer Jones is set to compete in her second Winter Games, joined by teammates Dawn McEwen, Jocelyn Peterman, Kaitlyn Lawes and alternate Lisa Weagle. The skip will aim to clinch her second gold medal after topping the podium at the 2014 Sochi Games with an undefeated 11-0 run. At 47 years old, Jones is poised to make history in Beijing as Canada’s oldest winter Olympian ever.

5. Eve Muirhead, Team Great Britain

Eve Muirhead will make her fourth Olympic appearance in Beijing, entering the Winter Games with a 2014 bronze medal from a commanding performance in Sochi. After narrowly missing the podium in 2018, Muirhead will hope to lead her team of Jennifer Dodds, Vicky Wright, Hailey Duff and alternate Mili Smith to an Olympic medal.

Two key upsets headlined Thursday's WNBA bill, sending the Phoenix Mercury soaring into third place in the league standings while the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries continued to outwit opponents.

The red-hot Mercury snagged their fourth straight win by taking down the No. 2 New York Liberty 89-81 on Thursday night, overcoming an 35-point performance from two-time MVP Breanna Stewart with five double-digit Phoenix scorers.

Meanwhile out West, the Valkyries stifled a surging No. 7 Fever, downing Indiana 88-77 in part by holding star guard Caitlin Clark to just 3-for-14 from the field — and 0-for-7 from behind the arc.

"We were being disruptive, we know that she doesn't like physicality, we know that she wants to get to that left step-back," Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase said about the Valkyries' strategy to effectively contain Clark.

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Though the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx and 2024 WNBA champions New York still hold court atop the table, Thursday's actions proves that other squads are making some unexpected in-roads.

Putting together an impressive road record are the Mercury, who will ride a 4-2 away record into their Saturday matchup against the No. 11 Chicago Sky — the last stop on a four-game road trip that's been perfect for Phoenix thus far.

Already flipping the script on expectations is Golden State, with the 2025 expansion team rising despite relying on a hodgepodge roster as several players compete at EuroBasket 2025. The Valkyries will aim to keep their winning momentum in their Sunday clash with the No. 12 Connecticut Sun.

How to watch the Mercury, Valkyries this weekend

Both of Thursday's victors will be back in action this weekend, with Phoenix facing Chicago at 1 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on ABC.

Then on Sunday, Golden State will host Connecticut at 8:30 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

In another weekend full of WNBA action, all eyes are on Las Vegas, as the No. 8 Aces will try to curb a two-game losing streak against two formidable opponents.

A successful weekend for Las Vegas could hinge on three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's potential return from injury, with the star forward recently upgraded to "questionable" after landing in concussion protocol last week.

Overall, the margin for error has narrowed in the middle of the WNBA pack, as talented teams continue to translate quality performances into consistency.

• No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Aces will try to end their free fall in Friday's head-to-head battle with a Seattle side that can beat anybody at their best.

• No. 7 Indiana Fever vs. No. 8 Las Vegas Aces, Sunday at 3 PM ET (ESPN): Las Vegas next faces a Fever team still smarting from Thursday's away loss to the Golden State Valkyries, with both teams narrowly clinging to positions above the playoff line.

• No. 2 New York Liberty vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, Sunday at 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Liberty have a comfortable hold on second place, but with two losses in their last three games, New York is flirting with danger entering their Sunday game with Seattle — particularly if star big Jonquel Jones is out after suffering a knock to the ankle on Thursday.

Ultimately, there's no rest for the weary in the WNBA, as a series of difficult matchups can see a single error quickly slide into a losing streak.

The final NWSL weekend heading into the league's six-week summer break has arrived, giving teams one more chance to prove themselves before regular-season play pauses to make way for major international tournaments.

With a five-point gap separating No. 1 Kansas City from No. 2 Orlando in the NWSL standings, the Current will enter the break as the 2025 Shield frontrunners regardless of this weekend's results.

Despite Kansas City's grip atop the table, there's still plenty of room for movement both above and below the postseason cutoff line, as clubs across the NWSL look to wrap their midseason finales on a high note:

• No. 1 Kansas City Current vs. No. 10 Angel City FC, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Angel City has a shot at launching themselves above the cutoff line on Friday, but they'll have to snap the Current's five-game winning streak to make it happen.

• No. 8 Gotham FC vs. No. 9 Bay FC, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Gotham and Bay FC enter the weekend tied on points while staring at each other from on opposite sides of the playoff line — meaning a Saturday win for either club could set the tone for the rest of the 2025 season.

• No. 3 San Diego Wave FC vs. No. 4 Washington Spirit, Sunday at 10 PM ET (CBS Sports): The weekend's only top-table clash could see San Diego sprint back into second place — unless Washington leapfrogs the upstart Wave to claim the third-place spot.

The LPGA Tour has turned its attention to Texas, with the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship — the third major of the pro golf season — teeing off in Frisco to a flurry of first-round action on Thursday.

All of the sport's Top 100 athletes are participating in this week's event, including No. 1 Nelly Korda, who sits in a 14th-place tie with an even-par first-round performance, and surging US dark horse No. 50 Lexi Thompson, who tied for 10th in her Thursday return from a brief retirement.

However, leading the pack heading into Friday's second round is Thailand's world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, who finished the first day of competition atop the leaderboard with a score of 4-under-par.

Australia's No. 24 Minjee Lee also posted a strong start, capping Thursday at 3-under to sit in second place.

While the sport's best chase victory on the links, the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship is already making history off the green.

Not only is it the first-ever women's major to tee off at Frisco's Fields Ranch East, the tournament also increased its purse to $12 million on Tuesday — nearly tripling the $4.5 million prize pool from just four years ago and tying the US Women's Open for the LPGA Tour's highest payout in the process.

How to watch the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The third LPGA Grand Slam of 2025 continues through Sunday.

Friday's second round will air live on the Golf Channel, while coverage of Saturday and Sunday's final rounds will air across NBC and Peacock.