Sarina Wiegman is receiving her coronation on the world stage, leading England to the UEFA Women’s Euro final at Wembley Stadium.

The Lionesses manager boasts an impressive résumé. As manager for the Netherlands, she led that team to a 2017 EURO title and 2019 World Cup final appearance.

Wiegman’s appointment to the England job in September 2021 catapulted the 52-year-old to an even greater level of international football fame after years of quiet and consistent success with the Dutch.

A former player herself, Wiegman captained the Netherlands national team, becoming the first Dutch player to log 100 caps in 2001. Wiegman also has experience playing in the United States, competing alongside Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly on the North Carolina Tar Heels women’s soccer team for the squad’s championship 1989 season.

After retiring from professional soccer in 2003, Wiegman signed on as manager of Ter Leede in 2006, a club she used to play for. Then, in 2007, Wiegman became head coach of ADO Den Haag, a club in the the new Dutch league Eredivisie. In her seven-year tenure, Wiegman led the team to two league titles before moving on to be assistant coach of the Dutch national team.

After an interim stint as manager of the national team in 2015, Wiegman was named the permanent manager in 2017, just months before the World Cup.

With players such as Lieke Martens, Danielle van de Donk, Sherida Spitse and Vivianne Miedema at her disposal, Wiegman quickly transformed the Netherlands into international contenders.

She led Women's EURO hosts @oranjevrouwen to victory in 2017🏆🇳🇱

Now @wiegman_s will attempt to do the same at #WEURO2022 after being appointed to coach hosts @Lionesses from September 2021🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/bRn1lLlWx1

— UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) August 14, 2020

Known for her no-nonsense and low-key demeanor, Wiegman let the results do the talking, staying out of the spotlight even as the Netherlands rose through the ranks.

Her direct way of communicating, honed during her time with the Dutch, has become a staple of Wiegman’s approach.

“What she has done really well is to know where her qualities are,” former Dutch goalkeeper Loes Geurts told The Athletic. “The staff members around her were all picked to contribute so they would make a complete team together.”

As a manager, Wiegman also has proved she isn’t afraid to make daring, perhaps even controversial, personnel decisions. Her conviction, however, grounds Wiegman’s bold choices in reason and logic.

Early in her time with the Netherlands, Weigman benched Mandy van den Berg, a move she’s replicated at England, leaving former Lioness captain Steph Houghton off the team’s Euros roster.

While risky, the change has paid off for the Lionesses, with England’s youth shining under Wiegman’s leadership. Forward Beth Mead, in particular, has succeded in Wiegman’s system, scoring a record six goals during England’s Euros run. The 23-year-old Alessia Russo is also thriving under Wiegman, with her success punctuated by a backheel goal for the ages.

.@alessiarusso7 are you kidding me?? 🤯#WEURO2022 pic.twitter.com/gyY7yzPMyi

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 26, 2022

“She’s brought such a great environment and culture to the team,” Mead said of Wiegman. “There’s a lot of clarity in the way we’ve played. And it’s that identity that has benefited England so greatly.”

Wiegman has England committed to a high press, with the Lionesses’ offense fueled by winning the ball high up the pitch. Her attack-minded approach has resulted in exciting football, with England logging 104 goals and conceding just four in Wiegman’s 19-game tenure.

Now Wiegman has the chance to underline her name in the history books as she readies her side to play in front of a home crowd at Wembley Stadium with a Euros trophy on the line. The Lionesses are going for their first major international title.

“We want to inspire the nation,” Wiegman said. “We hope that in the end, the whole country is proud of us and even more girls and boys will start playing football.”

The NWSL is expanding its footprint across ESPN, with the broadcaster signing on to carry 16 additional regular-season games in both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, upping the platform's total to 33 matches per year.

ESPN will also introduce a season-long "Match of the Week" centerpiece series, as well as live coverage of NWSL Decision Day, when eight concurrent matches will close out the season on the same day. 

"The NWSL showcases some of the best athletes in the world," ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant said in a press release. "We are proud to increase our commitment on ABC and ESPN, and to further elevate women's sports and the athlete stories."

This media rights extension builds on the league's ongoing blockbuster four-year, $240 million TV deal with ESPN, adding inventory for the final two seasons of the November 2023 agreement.

The deal expansion comes in light of the league's significant growth this season, with the NWSL seeing gains across both attendance and viewership, including a 72% year-over-year ratings rise on ESPN.

"This supplemental agreement underscores the growing demand for women's soccer and ensures our players and clubs receive the visibility they deserve on some of the most prominent sports platforms," said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement.

The 2025 WNBA season is over for Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but the 23-year-old star is still making headlines, with Reebok set to drop her signature Angel Reese 1 sneakers on Thursday.

The Angel Reese 1 is a cornerstone of Reebok's re-entry into the basketball market, with the sportswear giant engineering the signature shoe for on-court performance by including features like responsive cushioning and added upper support.

Inspired by the brand's classic Mobius line, the shoes will hit the shelves in three colorways — an iridescent white "Diamond Dust," a bold pink "Mebounds," and a black and white "Receipts Ready" — with Reese's personal logo incorporated into the design.

Reese first signed with Reebok as an NIL athlete at LSU in 2023, a little over six months after winning the NCAA championship with the Tigers.

This week's rollout follows the July sneak peek of the signature sneakers worn by Reese on the cover of NBA 2K26's WNBA Edition.

"This isn't just a shoe, it's my style, my story, and my stamp on the game," Reese said in Reebok's press release. "I wanted to design a basketball shoe that elevates performance, innovation, style, and creative expression, all at once."

"Reebok and I built something that's true to who I am, and I hope it pushes others to stand in their power too."

How to buy the Angel Reese 1 Reebok sneakers

All three colorways of the Angel Reese 1 sneakers will be available for a retail price of $120 beginning at 10 AM ET on Thursday at Reebok.com as well as in select stores.

No. 5 New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart isn't letting Sunday's left knee knock take her off the 2025 WNBA Playoffs court, with the forward planning to compete in Game 2 against the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night.

An emotional Stewart finished Game 1 on the bench, going down with a knee injury in overtime of the Liberty's 76-69 upset win over the Mercury on Sunday.

"What I felt in that moment scared me more than anything," Stewart told reporters on Wednesday morning.

A Monday MRI revealed a sprained MCL, and though the two-time WNBA MVP did not practice on Tuesday, she participated in the team's Wednesday shootaround and said her pain had diminished to a three out of 10.

"[As long as] I don't wake up from my nap and feel like s—t," said Stewart, "I'm willing to take that [chance of re-injury] because I want to be out with my team, and they told me that structurally everything looks OK."

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Even when the game-day status for Stewart was still unknown, New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello promised that the defending champions would give their star "as much time as we can."

"We know what's at stake," Brondello told reporters on Tuesday. "We don't want to go back to Phoenix [for Game 3], but they're going to come in hungry."

Stewart echoed that sentiment on Wednesday morning, saying "We want to finish it here. Not having to go back to Phoenix is our main priority."

How to watch the Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty in Game 2

No. 5 New York will look to oust No. 4 Phoenix from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs with a first-round sweep on Wednesday night, when the Liberty host the Mercury for Game 2 at 8 PM ET.

The matchup will air live on ESPN.

Star sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is reaching new heights, setting a new US record for the 400-meter race in the event's Tuesday semifinals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist finished the flat event in 48.29 seconds, shaving more than 0.40 seconds off the previous US record of 48.70 seconds set by track legend Sanya Richards-Ross in 2006.

Both her personal best and the fastest time in the world for that event this year, McLaughlin-Levrone's performance also makes her the seventh-fastest woman of all time in the 400-meter dash — elevating expectations that she could challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 seconds, set by then-East German sprinter Marita Koch in 1985.

Known for her dominance in the 400-meter hurdles, the 26-year-old made the decision to focus on the flat 400-meter event ahead of this year's competition. 

"I definitely wasn't expecting that time," she said afterwards. "It just shows the fitness is there. I'm excited for the finals and grateful to have taken down a record by an amazing woman."

How to watch McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter final

McLaughlin-Levrone will take aim at the 2025 World Athletics Championships' 400-meter podium — and, perhaps, another record time — during the event's final on Thursday.

The US star will race against 2024 Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino and silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser when the final begins at 9:24 AM ET.

Live coverage will air on USA Network.