The 2024 Solheim Cup tees off on Friday, with US golf stars looking to topple three-time defending champs Europe in the team tournament's 19th iteration.
Alternating between European and US host courses each edition, teams compete in three days of match play, collecting one point for every win and a half-point for every tie. The US needs a total of 14.5 points to take this year's Cup outright, while Europe needs just 14 to retain it.
Team USA spans 12 of the sport's top-ranked and most decorated athletes, including Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Megan Khang, Ally Ewing, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, and the soon-to-retire Lexi Thompson.
US golfers on a mission to reclaim Solheim Cup dominance
Team Europe has held the Cup since 2019, but the margins have been razor thin. The 2023 event actually ended in a 14-14 tie, but as reigning champions, Europe retained the title in what the team considers their eighth victory over the US.
While the US holds the advantage over Europe in overall Solheim Cup wins, they haven't raised the trophy in seven years. And unlike other competitions with continuously swelling prize purses, only international bragging rights are on the line here.
Neither team has ever won four consecutive titles, and the US will aim to keep Europe from claiming that historic victory on home soil in Gainesville, Virginia, this weekend.
Star US golfer Nelly Korda sees Solheim Cup as "unfinished business"
All eyes are now on Team USA's Korda, who's coming off a banner 2024 after winning six different LPGA Tour events, including her second major.
"Whenever you get to wear the red, white, and blue and stars and stripes, there's a different meaning to it," the world No. 1 golfer told the BBC earlier this week. "You're playing not just for yourself, but for your captains, for your teammates, and your country, and there's just nothing like it. We have got some unfinished business."
How to watch the 2024 Solheim Cup women's golf tournament
The Solheim Cup starts Friday, September 13th, at 7:05 AM, with live coverage across NBC, the Golf Channel, and Peacock.
The 2024 Paris Paralympics kicked off on Wednesday, with swimming, wheelchair basketball, dancing Phrygian Caps, and more taking center stage this week.
With 549 medal events spanning 22 sports, a record 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations, plus the most women's sports athletes and events in competition history, this year's Paralympics are capping off an exceptional summer of international sports.
How the Paralympics work
An international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, the Paralympics operates separately from the Olympic Games despite sharing a host country as well as most venues. Some sports — like swimming, track, basketball, and volleyball — have direct Olympic counterparts, while other sports like boccia and goalball are unique to the Paralympics.
According to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, para-sport athletes must have at least one of these 10 eligible underlying conditions to qualify for the Games: impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment, or intellectual impairment.
Athletes then square off in different classifications based on the type of disability they have — visual, physical, or intellectual — as well as how much their disability impacts their ability to compete in the event.
Swimmers start Team USA's medal haul
The US earned their first three medals on Thursday — all silver and all in women's swimming. Ellie Marks earned her silver in the 50-meter freestyle S6, Christie Raleigh-Crossley took silver in the 50-meter freestyle S10, and Grace Nuhfer took silver in the 100-meter butterfly S13.
On Friday, Team USA Paralympic swimmer Gia Pergolini won gold in the 100-meter backstroke S13 race, claiming first place ahead of Ireland's Róisín Ní Ríain and Italy's Carlotta Gilli. Also on Friday, Ellie Marks medaled again, capturing silver in this morning's 200-meter individual medley SM6.
Also making history this week was wheelchair rugby player Sarah Adam, who became the first woman Paralympian to compete for Team USA in the sport.
Masters, Long lead Team USA at the Paris Paralympics
US Paralympic legend Oksana Masters returned for the Paris Games, carrying the torch in Wednesday's Opening Ceremony. Next week, she'll hit the pavement in the H5 Road Race and H4-5 Individual Time Trial para cycling events.
With 29 Paralympic medals to her name, decorated Team USA swimmer Jessica Long is also back at this year's Games. She plans to compete in four events at this year's Paralympics: Saturday's 100-meter backstroke S8, Sunday's 200-meter individual medley SM8, Wednesday's 400-meter freestyle S8, and the following Saturday's 100-meter butterfly S8.
Joining them in Paris is Rio Paralympic gold medalist and Team USA's lead scorer in wheelchair basketball that year, Becca Murray, who came out of retirement to help her squad better their Tokyo bronze medal performance. Her team beat Germany 73-44 in group stage play earlier today.
Another Tokyo standout, Katie Holloway Bridge, will attempt to guide the US sitting volleyball team to a third-straight Paralympic gold after earning tournament MVP in the 2021 Games. Team USA sitting volleyball fell to China 3-1 today in their first pool stage match.
Welcome to the The Gold Standard, hosted by WNBA and Team USA basketball legend Lisa Leslie and NWSL and USWNT great Kelley O'Hara.
In today's final episode, our hosts recap their trip to Paris to see the Summer Games in person! Kelley and Lisa discuss what it was like seeing both the USWNT and USA Basketball win their gold medal matches — plus how it felt to celebrate with the teams at their epic after parties. Later, they wrap up by talking about their favorite Olympic memories from years past.
Watch along for expert insight from gold medalists, exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, and pure enjoyment of the Summer Games.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
Welcome to The Gold Standard, hosted by WNBA and Team USA basketball legend Lisa Leslie and NWSL and USWNT great Kelley O'Hara.
In today's episode, our hosts preview both the USWNT's gold medal match against Brazil and Team USA's Olympic final against France. Later, Kelley and Lisa talk all things track and field with four-time gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross.
Watch along for expert insight from gold medalists, exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, and pure enjoyment of the Summer Games.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
Welcome to The Gold Standard, hosted by WNBA and Team USA basketball legend Lisa Leslie and NWSL and USWNT great Kelley O'Hara.
In today's episode, our hosts recap the USWNT semifinal win over Germany, Team USA's 3×3 basketball bronze, Kevin Durant breaking Lisa's Olympic record, Sha'Carri Richardson's silver medal, and so much more.
Watch along for expert insight from gold medalists, exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, and pure enjoyment of the Summer Games.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
Welcome to The Gold Standard, hosted by WNBA and Team USA basketball legend Lisa Leslie and NWSL and USWNT great Kelley O'Hara.
In today's episode, our hosts recap Trinity Rodman's late winner against Japan, Simone Biles in the all around final, USA Basketball's Olympic run so far, Katie Ledecky's record-breaking performances, and so much more.
Watch along for expert insight from gold medalists, exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, and pure enjoyment of the Summer Games.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
After a number of days of pool play, USA Basketball's 5×5 and 3×3 teams find themselves on very different trajectories at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Team USA 5×5 is rolling, notching two wins in two games including a 87-74 win over medal contenders Belgium. But the 3×3 team has struggled early, beginning pool play 0-3 before rattling off three straight wins to earn a 3-3 record.
Chemistry remains key for both US basketball teams
Both teams are still trying to find their Olympic footing, with each squad having had very little practice time as a unit before shipping off to France.
The 3×3 team has been further affected by injury, with LA Sparks rookie Cam Brink tearing her ACL in June and Atlanta's Rhyne Howard sidelined with an ankle injury for a number of weeks leading up to the Olympics. Tasked with defending the Tokyo gold medal, the team's relative inexperience with 3×3 and lack of cohesion has shown, as the US fell to Germany, Azerbaijan, and Australia before grabbing their first win.
While the US 5×5 squad are also still building chemistry, they have performed well ahead of the pack against Japan and Belgium.
They've already qualified for the quarterfinal round with one game left in pool play, led by the dynamic offense of Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson. Stewart led all scorers against Belgium with 26 points and seven rebounds, while Wilson added 23 points and 13 rebounds of her own.
What's next for Team USA basketball at the Olympics?
Team USA closes out 5×5 pool play against Germany this weekend, with eyes firmly on the prize as they look to continue an epic Olympic winning streak that dates back to 1992.
Despite the early losses, Team USA's 3×3 squad is bouncing back, going 2-0 on the day after a walk-off shot from behind the arc secured the overtime win over Canada.
Where to watch USA Basketball games at the Olympics
Team USA 3×3 tips off against France in their final pool play game at 1:05 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage on NBC networks.
Team USA 5×5 will face Germany at 11 AM ET on Sunday, with live coverage on NBC networks.
Welcome to The Gold Standard, hosted by WNBA and Team USA basketball legend Lisa Leslie and NWSL and USWNT great Kelley O'Hara.
On today's episode, four-time Olympic medalist Summer Sanders joins us from Paris to talk all things swimming. Our hosts also recap the gymnastics team final, Kelley's love for Olympic Rugby Sevens, the USWNT's win over Germany, Team USA's dominant victory over Japan, Coco Gauff's controversial Singles exit, and much more.
Watch along for expert insight from gold medalists, exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, and pure enjoyment of the Summer Games.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
With arguably the most dramatic finish at the Paris Olympics so far, Team USA made the rugby sevens podium for the first time in history by upsetting Australia 14-12 in Tuesday’s bronze medal match.
Following the Olympic debut of the women's game in 2016, the US had never finished higher than fifth place before Tuesday afternoon. They entered the day knowing they’d already secured at least fourth place after clinching a semifinal berth, where they fell to eventual back-to-back gold medalists New Zealand.
Stunning finish clinches Team USA's bronze
The underdog Women's Eagles Sevens faced Rio gold medalists Australia in the bronze medal match, going toe-to-toe to end the first half tied 7-7. After going down 12-7 with what looked like a game-winning try from Australian Maddison Levi, the US blasted a chaotic comeback in the last play of the game.
With 15 seconds left on the clock, Team USA’s Alex "Spiff" Sedrick pulled off an incredible 85-meter run to score a game-tying try as time expired. The try — alongside the two-point conversion attempt it earned — counted despite the clock running out because rugby, like American football, does not end a game mid-play.
Sedrick whipped in the subsequent conversion, ticking the final score up to 14-12 and securing her 2024 squad's place in the Olympic history books.
"It was crazy because I was like no way this is happening. [She’s] been an MVP for me this whole season," teammate and social media star Ilona Maher said of Sedrick after the match.
Medal marks turning point for USA rugby
Not only did today's game marked the first time any US rugby team has medaled in the Rugby Sevens event, it was also the first time the US has medaled in any Olympic rugby event since 1924.
But the historic hardware isn’t the only thing the US will bring home from Paris. The exposure — both from winning a medal and from an influx of support courtesy of celebrities and droves of newly minted fans — has rugby sevens grabbing the kind of attention that can boost a sport’s growth.
Investment in the sport was near-immediate. Mere hours after the US bagged bronze, trailblazing women's sports owner Michele Kang announced her $4 million donation to the team to grow the sport and support its players and staff in the leadup to the 2028 LA Olympics.
USA rugby sevens player Ariana Ramsey summed up the moment post-game: "We did a lot for our program just now. We are gonna bring out so many more fans now that we are actually winning. People are gonna want to see what rugby is about and learn more about our game."
Welcome to The Gold Standard, hosted by WNBA and Team USA basketball legend Lisa Leslie and NWSL and USWNT great Kelley O'Hara.
Over the next two weeks, Lisa and Kelley will break down all the action of the Paris Games. We kick off the series by discussing some Opening Ceremony memories, the USWNT's win over Zambia, USA Basketball's quest for an eighth-straight gold, and much more.
Watch along for expert insight from gold medalists, exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, and pure enjoyment of the Summer Games.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.