Sports
New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx look to reset for Game 2 after WNBA Finals’ chaotic opener
NEW YORK — It’s Thursday night, the final buzzer sounds, media obligations are over, phones are blowing up with messages from anyone and everyone, and one of the most dramatic and memorable WNBA Finals games in league history is in the rearview.
Now what?
You can attempt to live in the emotional high (or low) as long as possible, savoring the joy or remembering the pain for motivation. Or flush everything away and move forward, knowing that at least two more games remain in the series.
One thing Lynx and Liberty players had in common after Thursday’s epic Game 1 overtime win by the Lynx: many of them turned to the film. Even before the teams got together Saturday to regroup before Game 2, several players had to see the game again.
“I didn’t sleep till like 3:30 that night,” Lynx guard Kayla McBride said. “I told everybody my soul left my body when Courtney (Williams) made that 3. I had to watch the game in order to calm down.”
we’re not satisfied with one win. pic.twitter.com/ifWDJoQSWl
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) October 12, 2024
Courtney Vandersloot felt similarly after New York’s loss. Even though she wanted to be intentional about looking ahead to the great opportunity they still have in this series, she had to watch the ending once more with her wife, former WNBA champion Allie Quigley.
“We went back together and watched the last five minutes and overtime, which we usually wouldn’t do that, but there were a couple of things that we were analyzing and disagreeing on,” Vandersloot said. “I think that if we didn’t, we wouldn’t have been able to sleep. So it was kind of like let’s get it out there, let’s figure it out.”
Breanna Stewart wanted to see her missed free throw with 0.8 seconds left in regulation, the one that would have given New York the win, to make sure that she hadn’t strayed from her routine. Leonie Fiebich went through the full game three more times because it was playing over and over in her head regardless.
Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who hit the game-winner in overtime, didn’t want to watch her fadeaway over Jonquel Jones more than a couple times and stayed away from social media. But Williams didn’t have that same luxury. Despite wanting to move on to Game 2, the biggest shot of the night kept replaying around her.
“My daddy overdosed on it,” Williams said. “Even if I didn’t want to watch it, he was overdosing.”
Beyond Quigley and Don Williams, the other families and friends played a big part in the players being able to decompress from the theatrics of Game 1.
Stewart said her kids don’t notice whether she wins or loses, though she finds herself less prone to profanity in the aftermath of losses – even when her reaction to the late misses was “WTF” – because she doesn’t want the little ones hearing swear words. She also had former teammate Sue Bird and Nancy Lieberman reach out, both essentially telling her to bounce back. Sabrina Ionescu had 25 family members from California in attendance to help her think about something other than basketball. Although she said her husband’s optimism can sometimes be annoying, she acknowledged that it was helpful to have positive affirmations from the people around her.
Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve’s family took her to watch “The Lion King” musical in between hours of breaking down film. Her mind wandered during the production, which she had seen previously, but she powered through because she and her wife wanted their son to see his first Broadway show. Many of her players ended up seeing “The Notebook” — Bridget Carleton noted that the first choice, “Wicked,” was sold out – on what ended up being their first true off day in multiple weeks.
Ultimately, the off day doesn’t matter as much as what the Liberty and Lynx will do in Game 2. Stewart and Ionescu both said what made it easiest to move on was that they saw numerous ways for New York to be better than in the opener. They saw opportunities to improve their pace and increase the number of off-ball actions, both of which are in line with how the Liberty played up until this point.
And Minnesota was already thinking about how its last series went, when Connecticut stole Game 1 on the road but lost in five. If the Lynx don’t close out this series, the heroics of Game 1 will diminish and whatever high they were riding Thursday will be lost to history. In the playoffs, there is only so much time to live in the moment. Another game is always on the horizon.
“We’re definitely not coming in thinking we have this thing won,” Collier said. “We were able to steal that game but it means nothing. It means they’re going to come out even hungrier in Game 2. It’s going to be a battle.”
— The Athletic‘s Ben Pickman contributed reporting to this story.
(Photo of Kayla McBride and Sabrina Ionescu: Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
In previous years, the Round of 16 was the first knockout stage match, but with an expanded field of 48 teams— it is now the second.
Let’s check out the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 2 for which countries are favored to make the Round of 16 and emerge from it.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
To Reach Round of 16
Argentina: -2000 (bet $10 to win $10.50 total)
Colombia: -550 (bet $10 to win $11.82 total)
Portugal: -340 (bet $10 to win $12.94 total)
Switzerland: -235 (bet $10 to win $14.26 total)
Egypt: -148 (bet $10 to win $16.76 total)
Australia: +122 (bet $10 to win $22.20 total)
Algeria: +186 (bet $10 to win $28.60 total)
Croatia: +260 (bet $10 to win $36 total)
Ghana: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Cape Verde: +1160 (bet $10 to win $126 total)
Now let’s check out the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 2 for the matchups already in place.
SATURDAY, JULY 4
Canada vs. Morocco
To Advance: MAR -300, CAN +225
Moneyline: MAR -130, Draw +240, CAN +420
Paraguay vs. France
To Advance: FRA -1800, PRY +1140
Moneyline: FRA -600, Draw +600, PRY +1800
SUNDAY, JULY 5
Brazil vs. Norway
To Advance: BRA -245, NOR +196
Moneyline: BRA -120, Draw +260, NOR +340
Mexico vs. England
To Advance: ENG -134, MEX +110
Moneyline: ENG +145, Draw +210, MEX +200
MONDAY, JULY 6
USA vs. Belgium
To Advance: USA -110, BEL -110
Moneyline: USA +165, Draw +230, BEL +170
Sports
Thousand Oaks native Claire Liu finally reaches Wimbledon’s third round, will face Coco Gauff
LONDON — Claire Liu packed her bags and checked out of her London hotel room on Wednesday morning before heading to the All England Club.
It was more pragmatism than pessimism — a reality of a qualifier navigating her Wimbledon journey one day at a time.
But as her boyfriend reminded her while organizing her luggage: “Just because you’re packing doesn’t mean you’re leaving,” Liu recalled with a laugh.
He was right.
The Thousand Oaks native went on to win her second-round match against 51st-ranked Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey 7-5, 6-3, advancing to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her professional career. She had tried 29 previous times at majors, including qualifying rounds, since 2015.
“I was just super relieved to get through that,” said Liu, noting she had blown a set and a break lead in the French Open’s second round last month.
For Liu, who turned 26 in May, returning to the manicured lawns of SW19 brings her tennis journey full circle. Nine years ago, she captured the 2017 Wimbledon girls’ singles title — the first American to do so since Chanda Rubin in 1992 — and was the No. 1 junior in the world. She still holds fond memories of that heady achievement, including chatting with her idol, Roger Federer, at the Wimbledon Champions Ball.
Yet, the transition from teenage phenom to professional mainstay has been anything but a linear ascent. When asked if she expected to be in the third round of a major this late in her career given her junior success, Liu was candid.
“Younger me would have believed it more than now,” she said.
That shift in perspective comes after weathering some brutal setbacks.
Liu climbed as high as No. 52 in early 2023 but then endured a wrist injury and took a months-long mental health hiatus in 2024 that eventually saw her ranking plummet outside the top 400 last year.
Currently sitting at No. 146, she’s been rebuilding her standing by playing a mix of WTA 125 events and ITF tournaments before returning to the main WTA Tour, with 2026 stops in far-flung places from Bahrain to Boca Raton and plenty of places in between.
“My goals haven’t changed, but I think the stress of how I got there really took a toll on me,” said Liu.
To navigate the darkness, Liu leaned heavily into both sports psychology and traditional therapy, including EMDR, a technique that helps people process traumatic experiences. She also started a Substack newsletter called “Finding Claire-ity,” where she openly chronicles her life and struggles on the tour.
The Southern California native, who has trained at the USTA facility in Carson since she was 9 years old and resides in Redondo Beach, also split with her longtime coach last season, a difficult decision, and hired Clemens Wagner.
The switch following the U.S. Open last year is clicking.
“I saw in her someone who fought a lot of battles inside herself,” says Austrian-born Wagner, who has a background in tennis analytics.
Together, they have focused on keeping an “aggressive undertone” on the grass, emphasizing coming to the net and squeezing the most out of her game.
Wagner notes that the 5-foot-7 player’s game isn’t the flashiest, but describes her as a “silent killer” who excels at “redirecting pace, standing close to the baseline, constantly putting pressure on her opponents.”
The reboot is starting to pay significant dividends.
Liu put together her best stretch in years this spring, winning a lower-tier title in Trnava, Slovakia, her first professional title since 2024, and then qualifying for the French Open.
Having again successfully navigated three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw here, Liu has now won five consecutive matches at Wimbledon. Not surprisingly, she currently has no sponsors, just equipment support from Head Sport and Asics Corp., making her Wimbledon run particularly lucrative. By reaching the third round, Liu achieved her highest career payday: around $250,000. A victory Friday would boost that to nearly $400,000.
First, she faces her biggest test yet: a third-round contest against two-time major champion Coco Gauff on No. 1 Court, which perhaps fittingly is the same show court where Liu won the girls’ title almost a decade ago.
Gauff, 22, noted that she and Liu haven’t crossed paths much since Liu is older, but expects a serious battle. Gauff won both of their previous meetings on hard courts.
“I feel like anytime you’re playing a qualifier, it’s always tough because they have three matches already,” the seventh-seeded American said.
Liu, who didn’t even know she was playing Gauff until a reporter told her after her match, is purposefully keeping her focus narrow.
“I will just take today to be happy for winning, and then tomorrow I’ll think about it,” Liu said. “Obviously she’s one of the best players in the world right now, so that’ll be a good experience.”
Veteran Jessica Pegula, 32, the top-ranked American who also toiled away on the sport’s lower tier before becoming a top-10 mainstay, appreciates Liu’s resolve.
“It’s always nice to see girls that are figuring it out slowly but surely,” the No. 4 seed said. “I think I can relate to that.”
Liu’s accommodations? Fortunately, her mother was able to rebook the same hotel after the match, which eased some of the logistical issues for her unexpectedly extended stay in London.
“It definitely makes me stay in the moment, like, day by day,” Liu smiled of her lodging limbo.
On Wednesday morning, Liu packed her bags expecting she might leave Wimbledon. Instead, she emptied them one more time, with the biggest match of her career still waiting.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Folarin Balogun’s teammates came to his defense after the USA World Cup star was given a red card during the team’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.
Balogun received the red card after he stepped on defender Tarik Muharemovic’s right ankle. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus only gave Balogun the card after a VAR review. The red card meant Balogun will not be able to play in the team’s Round of 16 match against Belgium.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, stands by after being issued a red card by Referee Raphael Claus, of Brazil, as United States’ Weston McKennie (8) looks on during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
A FIFA official told The Athletic a team cannot appeal against the red card or the suspension. The official pointed the outlet to a portion of the organization’s rules and regulations, which states, “A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures.”
Balogun’s teammate, Weston McKennie, called the lack of an appeal process “bogus” and disagreed with the referee’s decision to issue the red card.
Bosnia’s Sead Kolasinac (5) talks to United States’ Folarin Balogun after Balogun was sent off, as Christian Pulisic (10) watches during the World Cup round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Julio Cortez / AP)
“Obviously the ref made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable,” McKennie said. “I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing.”
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said Balogun’s act “was never intentional.”
“It’s never a red card. Never. … If the intention is to damage the opponent, OK, I understand. But that never was. It was a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land,” he said.
Balogun is the third player to score in a World Cup knockout match and be sent off. He follows Brazil’s Ronaldinho in 2002’s quarterfinal match against England and France’s Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy.
Referee Raphael Claus of Brazil shows a red card to United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
It’s the fifth red card handed to an American in the squad’s World Cup history.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Eric Wynalda received one against Czechoslovakia in 1990, Fernando Clavijo got one against Brazil in 1994 and Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope each received one against Italy in 2006.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
-
Arizona2 minutes agoHigh-upside three-star CB commits to Arizona over Washington football
-
Arkansas9 minutes agoAugust special primary set for vacant southeast Arkansas state Senate seat | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
-
California12 minutes agoCalifornia returns stretch of coast to Indigenous tribes. ‘This is beyond huge’
-
Colorado17 minutes agoDouglas County, Colorado, celebrates Independence Day without fireworks
-
Connecticut24 minutes agoConnecticut 250, 251, 252, 253 . . . – New Haven Independent
-
Delaware27 minutes agoWilmington fire displaces 20, damages 6 homes on Clayton Road; cause under investigation
-
Florida32 minutes agoUSF Health brings emergency pregnancy training to rural Florida without maternal care
-
Georgia39 minutes agoMiddle Georgia looks to see a scorcher for the Fourth of July
