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Good morning! âď¸
Weâll be off Monday for Labor Day, but luckily thereâs plenty of World Cup basketball to keep us busy over the long weekend. Enjoy the hoops, have a great weekend, and weâll see you Tuesday.
What to Know About Womenâs Basketball Today
1. Team USAâs World Cup Run Starts Today đ
The 2026 FIBA Womenâs Basketball World Cup begins today in Berlin and runs through September 13. Team USA is in Group D with China, Italy, and Czechia.
Hereâs the U.S. group-play schedule (ET):
Friday: USA vs China, 8:15 AM
Sunday: USA vs Italy, 2:45 PM
Monday: USA vs Czechia, 2:45 PM
The winner of each four-team group advances straight to the quarterfinals. The second- and third-place teams play for the remaining spots. All 36 games will stream on Courtside 1891 (DAZN) and HBO Max, with select games on TNT and truTV. (Yahoo Sports)
WHY IT MATTERS: Team USA has won the last four World Cups and nine of the past 12, so they enter Berlin as the favorite again. Thereâs plenty of WNBA experience throughout the tournament too, with 70 current and former WNBA players and coaches involved, including strong groups from France, Australia and Spain.
Head coach Kara Lawsonâs U.S. roster has 12 current WNBA players, from vets like Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier and Chelsea Gray to first-time World Cup players like Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
2. Unrivaled Is Going Back to New York đ˝
Unrivaled 3-on-3 announced New York as the first stop on its 2027 tour. Four teams will play two regular-season games at Barclays Center on Jan. 22, with tickets already on sale through Ticketmaster. (Unrivaled)
WHY IT MATTERS: Brooklyn was an easy city for Unrivaled to revisit after the league sold out Barclays Center for last seasonâs semifinals. This is only the start of the 2027 tour rollout, with the remaining host cities set to be announced through early October.
3. Satou Sabally Is Out for the Season
Itâs official: Satou Sabally will miss the rest of the season as she continues to recover from a concussion suffered on June 23. She played 13 games in her first season with New York. (ESPN)
WHY IT MATTERS: Sabally was one of the Libertyâs biggest offseason additions, but injuries kept her from having the impact New York hoped for. She has now suffered two concussions in the past year, and this announcement unfortunately closes the door on a return for the Libertyâs playoff push.
đ Get Ready for the World Cup
The FIBA Womenâs Basketball World Cup tips off today, so I put together a quick video with five things to know before the games begin. If you want to follow along over the next 10 days, this will get you caught up and ready to watch.
OVERTIME âąď¸
Commercial Break: Youâve probably seen the WNBA ads with Sheryl Swoopes this summer. Former WNBA players Sydney Colson and Theresa Plaisance made their own version, and itâs worth a watch.
New in New York: The Liberty signed Madison Scott to a development contract on Thursday.
đłď¸ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked if you were surprised by any of the August award picks, and it was pretty unanimous. 82% of you said not at all.
