Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

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⚽️ U.S. heads for the knockouts

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images The pressure ratchets up significantly for the U.S. men's soccer team tonight in its quest to make a historic World Cup run on American soil, Axios' Bob Gee writes. The U.S. faces Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, Calif., in the round of 32 (8 p.m. ET, Fox). 🇧🇦 Bosnia is the lowest-ranked European team in the tournament. It's on par with Australia, a team the U.S. beat 2-0 during the group stage. 😱 Yes, but: The Americans have lost to the last 10 European opponents they've faced — a streak dating back to a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the first knockout round of the last World Cup. One big plus: USMNT's star attacker Christian Pulisic, hobbled earlier with a calf injury, says he's good to go tonight. Go deeper.

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👋 Good morning! How is it already July? Wheeling and dealing: There was a flurry of moves on Tuesday as NBA free agency officially got underway. Follow along with all the action on our live tracker. In today's edition: LeBron's leaving L.A., Kawhi's returning to Toronto, the USMNT's knockout round journey begins, Mbappé and Haaland strike again, Serena's comeback falls short, the Liberty win the Cup, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Kawhi returns to Canada: The Raptors are bringing Kawhi Leonard back for a second stint in Toronto, sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, four draft picks and a pick-swap to the Clippers for the player who led them to their first and only title back in 2019. 🎾 Shelton stunned: No. 4 Ben Shelton, the top-ranked American man at Wimbledon, is out after his first match, losing Tuesday's five-set marathon to Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen. ⚾️ Caminero joins Derby: Rays 3B Junior Caminero is the first player to confirm his participation in the eight-player Home Run Derby, coming July 13 in Philadelphia. The young star is historically hot right now, hitting eight homers in his last seven games. ⚖️ Trans ban upheld: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws in West Virginia and Idaho that ban transgender individuals from competing in women's sports. SCOTUS also unanimously ruled that transgender bans in sports are not a violation of Title IX. ⚾️ Benches clear in Boston: The Red Sox and Nationals brawled on Tuesday at Fenway Park after some post-strikeout chirping in the fourth inning between Sox 1B Willson Contreras and Nats pitcher Cade Cavalli led to the benches clearing. Contreras was ejected, while Cavalli remained in the game and had the last laugh with a career-high 13 Ks in an 8-1 win.

🏀 KING JAMES THE END OF AN ERA (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) LeBron James will indeed return for a 24th NBA season. But for the first time since 2018 he won't be playing for the Lakers, informing the team on Tuesday that his next — and, let's be honest, final — chapter will not be with the Purple and Gold. Thanks, but no thanks: The Lakers, who already have Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves signed to max deals, reportedly told James they wanted him back. Instead, the 41-year-old has opted for unrestricted free agency, where he'll be making a "happiness-led decision," according to ESPN's Shams Charania. "Wherever he lands … it will not be driven by money." Closing the book on Hollywood: The King had already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game even before joining the Lakers in 2018. Then he put together an eight-year run in L.A. — from his age-34 to age-41 seasons — that would have been Hall of Fame worthy on its own merits. He averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists before closing out his time in Los Angeles with a 23-7-7 across 10 postseason games as the best player and first option on a team that won a playoff series. And again, he did that at 41. He won the 2020 NBA Championship and Finals MVP, broke the league's all-time scoring record, made seven All-NBA teams and had three top-10 MVP finishes. He had more triple-doubles as a Laker (52) than all but 11 other players in NBA history have had, period. Oh yea, and he stuck around long enough to play alongside his son Bronny, making them the first father-son duo ever to play in the NBA together. What a treat it's been watching him these last eight years; what a treat it will be to keep watching him at least one more. Where will he land? Not since 2010's "Decision" has LeBron's future been so uncertain. We had an inkling in 2014 that he'd return to Cleveland, and all signs pointed to the Lakers in 2018. How about now? The Warriors appear to be the favorites to land his services (-500 at DraftKings), and though their combined age might limit their success, I can think of worse things than watching a reunion of Steph and LeBron's romp through the 2024 Olympics. The Cavaliers, of course, would make a ton of sense, and trail only Golden State among his most likely landing spots (+300). A retirement tour back where it all began on a team that's already a serious title contender? Why not. A return to Miami (+1000) alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo? A trip to San Antonio (+2000) alongside Victor Wembanyama? A box-office-breaking journey to join the defending champions (+3000) in the Big Apple? All plausible enough. We'll just have to wait and see. Go deeper: The LeBron James era is over for the Lakers — and it'll be a tough act to follow (Ben Rohrbach, Yahoo Sports)

⚽️ ROUND OF 32 CHARTING THE USMNT'S WORLD CUP PATH (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The USMNT's knockout round journey begins tonight against Bosnia and Herzegovina (8pm ET, Fox). And though the Stars and Stripes have rarely succeeded in World Cup elimination games, American soccer has evolved beyond treating a group stage escape as a moral victory. So how far could they go? And what, exactly, might their path to the promised land look like? Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports: The United States has won exactly one (1) knockout match in all of World Cup history. Think about that for a second. While Brazil and Argentina and Germany and France are stacking up titles, America spends every fourth year getting spanked the moment it ventures out of the warm confines of the group stage. Every World Cup, we tell ourselves it's going to be different, and every World Cup, we're sent off to bed hours before the big kids. This year, though, it's really going to be different. The USMNT is coming into the knockout stage riding two victories and a loss with a built-in excuse (we were resting our best, of course). With the apparently elusive combination of talented players and a manager who knows how to get the best out of them , the United States is as well-positioned as any in World Cup history to make a deep run. How deep? Well, now that's the real question, isn't it? Mbappé is unstoppable right now. (Al Bello/Getty Images) Tuesday scoreboard: France, Norway and Mexico advanced on Tuesday, joining Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, and Morocco in the Round of 16. France 3, Sweden 0: Kylian Mbappé lengthened his prolific goalscoring résumé, adding a brace in a decisive win over Sweden. He now owns the record for most knockout-round goals in World Cup history (nine), and though his six goals this tournament are level with Lionel Messi, Mbappé's two assists give him the Golden Boot advantage... for now. Norway 2, Ivory Coast 1: Erling Haaland (who else?) scored an 86th-minute winner — his fifth goal of the tournament — to send Norway through, while team captain Martin Ødegaard became the first player since 2010 to record an assist in three straight World Cup matches. Mexico 2, Ecuador 0: El Tri remained perfect, rattling off their fourth consecutive shutout win — and first knockout stage victory in 40 years — thanks to first-half goals from Julián Quiñones and Raul Jiménez. Next up is a date with the winner of today's England-DR Congo match at Estadio Azteca, which carries one of the best home-field advantages in the sport.

🎾 WIMBLEDON SERENA'S COMEBACK WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images) It isn't terribly surprising that Serena Williams' first singles match in four years ended in defeat, falling in three sets on Tuesday to 20-year-old Maya Joint. But it was thrilling to watch as she tried to beat the impossible; and because she's Serena, she nearly pulled it off. Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports: After 2 hours, 22 minutes of tennis that both breathed life into Williams' comeback and exposed how much more limited she is four years after we last saw her on a singles court, it was hard to tell whether this was the beginning of a new chapter or an attempt to author a different end. Maya Joint, who is so young at age 20 that she wasn't even born for Williams' first two Wimbledon titles, seemed slightly shocked and significantly relieved when Williams' final groundstroke landed long of the baseline to finally give her a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 victory. But the reality of what unfolded Tuesday wasn't surprising at all. Williams, as expected, can still hit aces and can still trade shots from the middle of the court. What she can't do, at least not with the effectiveness necessary to compete consistently against the best players in the world, is make multiple direction changes within a point. She can't go for winners to shorten points without making a multitude of errors. She can't hold up physically deep into a third set against an opponent with younger legs. Such is Williams' aura on a tennis court, however, that the mind wonders: Would she have been able to do those things if she had a series of matches under her belt rather than jumping back into singles competition at Wimbledon? Is she really that far away from being able to win matches at the highest level? With a little more fitness, a little more competition, would she round back into the kind of form that carried her to Grand Slam semifinals in 2020 and 2021? It might be best for Serena to let the mystery be.

💯 DOLLARS AND CENTS BIG NUMBERS (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images) Today's edition of Big Numbers features exclusively monetary values. What can I say, Yahoo Sports Biz has rubbed off on me.   🏀 $500,000   The Liberty won their second Commissioner's Cup on Tuesday, beating the Aces, 93-85, to claim the lion's share of the $500,000 prize pool awarded for the WNBA's sixth annual in-season tournament. New York is now the first two-time Cup winner, and they also get a small measure of revenge for Vegas' victory over them in the 2023 WNBA Finals.   Payouts: Each member of the Liberty takes home $30,000 and each member of the Aces gets $10,000. New York's Breanna Stewart earned an additional $10,000 for winning MVP after dropping 25 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, and the remaining $10,000 will be donated to a charity of the Liberty's choosing.   ⚾️ $1.19M   Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! Today, as with every July 1 from 2011 through 2035, former 16-year MLB veteran Bobby Bonilla will receive a check from the Mets for $1,193,248.20. It's part of a deferred payment plan the two sides agreed upon in 1999, transforming the $5.9 million left on his contract into a ~$30 million payout broken into 25 annual installments. And get this: It's not his only such payment! He also receives $500,000 annually (2004-28) from the Orioles.   All jokes aside: It's easy to consider Bonilla as little more than a meme, but he was once a legitimately good player, making six All-Star teams while smacking 287 career home runs with an .829 lifetime OPS. His peak came with the Pirates from 1988-91, when he averaged 4.5 WAR per season, won three Silver Sluggers and twice finished in the top three for NL MVP.   🥍 $100M   The Premier Lacrosse League announced on Tuesday that it has closed a $100 million Series E funding round led by Ares Management and Joe Tsai, owner of the Nets and Liberty. It's the largest capital raise in the history of professional lacrosse, and will help the sport prepare for what should be a major inflection point at the 2028 Summer Games, when it returns as an official Olympic event for the first time since 1908.   What they're saying: "This is a critical window of opportunity for our company, and lacrosse," PLL co-founder and president Paul Rabil told Yahoo Sports. "This capital will help accelerate that run." Specifically, these funds will be used to expand media distribution and original storytelling while also growing sponsorship and commercial partnerships, with the goal of eventually cracking $100 million in annual revenue.

📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 (Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup, Round of 32   The USMNT begins its knockout-round journey tonight in Santa Clara (8pm ET, Fox), where the Americans face Bosnia and Herzegovina with the daunting task of winning their first match against a European opponent in five years — a streak of 10 consecutive losses.   Elsewhere: England take on DR Congo in Atlanta (12pm, Fox) hoping to avoid another devastating exit. Then it's Belgium vs. Senegal in Seattle (4pm, FS1), whose winner will advance to face the winner of USA-Bosnia.   More to watch: 🎾 Wimbledon: Day 3 (6am, ESPN/ESPN+) … The second round gets underway with matches for No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (8am), No. 1 Jannik Sinner (8:30am), No. 7 Coco Gauff (9:10am), No. 7 Novak Djokovic (11:20am), and more. ⚾️ MLB: Reds at Brewers (8pm, ESPN) … The first-place Brewers (52-31) host the last-place Reds (39-45). Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.

🏆 FILL IN THE BLANKS WORLD CUP TRIVIA (Yahoo Sports) Just eight nations have won the World Cup, including two who've one exactly once. Question: Can you name those two one-time winners missing from the graphic above? Hint: One this century, one last. Answer at the bottom.

🏟️ WORLD CUP VENUES HASTA LUEGO, MONTERREY (Hector Vivas/Getty Images) Monterrey Stadium hosted its fourth and final match of the World Cup on Monday, as fans bade farewell to the iconically picturesque venue in northeastern Mexico. The Steel Giant: Nicknamed El Gigante de Acero ("The Steel Giant"), the 11-year-old venue is famous for its stunning views of the Cerro de la Silla, a natural monument that is part of the foothills system of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. Looking ahead: With Monterrey's slate now complete, and Guadalajara's ending last week, just three non-U.S. venues have any matches left in this World Cup. Toronto's BMO Field hosts one more (July 2), Vancouver's BC Place hosts two more (July 2, July 7), and Mexico City's Estadio Azteca hosts one more (July 5).

Trivia answer: England (1966) and Spain (2010)

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👋 Good morning! It's a great day to have a great day. Programming note: We'll be off tomorrow and Monday for the holiday. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here on Tuesday morning. Happy Fourth! In today's edition: The USMNT's victory for the ages, Jaylen Brown blockbuster, Swanson and Caminero can't stop hitting homers, the Tour de France is here, MLB power rankings, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...

🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 NBA blockbuster: The Celtics are trading superstar Jaylen Brown to the 76ers in a blockbuster for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. The deal comes days after Brown, coming off the best season of his career, was mentioned as a major part of Boston's potential package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. More offseason updates. ⚾️ Dansby strikes again: Dansby Swanson's hot streak continued in a big way on Wednesday, as the Cubs SS smacked 3 home runs and had 8 RBI in Chicago's 23-3 blowout win over the Padres. How's this for turning your season around: In his first 70 games, the slumping Swanson had 7 HR and 28 RBI; in 13 games since, he has 9 HR (!) and 29 RBI (!!). ⚾️ So does Caminero: Rays 3B Junior Caminero, 22, homered in his sixth straight game on Wednesday, breaking Ken Griffey Jr.'s record as the youngest player to do so in MLB's modern era (since 1900). If he goes yard in his next two games, he'll tie the longest HR streak ever. 🎾 Gauff survives, Andreeva falls: No. 7 Coco Gauff rallied in the third set to avoid an upset and reach the third round at Wimbledon. No. 5 Mirra Andreeva wasn't so lucky, as last month's French Open champion was stunned by Barbora Krejčíková on Center Court. 🏈 Buckeyes land another Harrison: Five-star WR Jett Harrison, the Class of 2028's No. 1 overall recruit in the Rivals300, has committed to Ohio State. The rising junior at St. Joe's Prep (Pa.) is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison and brother of Cardinals WR Marvin Jr., who also went to Ohio State.

🇺🇸 SURVIVE AND ADVANCE THE USMNT IS BUILT DIFFERENT (Maja Hitij/FIFA via Getty Images) The USMNT's 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, their first World Cup knockout victory in 24 years (and only their second ever), wasn't unexpected given they entered the match as heavy favorites. But the blueprint of that victory proved the simple maxim that "in football, all is possible if you believe." ICYMI: The Americans took a 1-0 lead late in the first half on Folarin Balogun's third goal of the tournament, and continued dominating until the 64th minute when VAR intervention saddled Balogun with a controversial red card. Down a man for 26 minutes and stoppage time, they could have folded; instead, they fought. Malik Tillman's 82nd-minute free kick doubled the lead, sent the crowd in Santa Clara into a frenzy and confirmed their spot in the Round of 16. Balogun will miss the next game — the U.S. can't appeal his red card after all — but the Stars and Stripes' confidence will be buoyed by its 10-man performance in his absence. Home of the brave: This team's talent level is a cut above prior cycles, to be sure, but it's their bravery and belief that have emerged to propel them into the Round of 16. Steven Goff, Yahoo Sports: There are moments and remnants from the 2-0 U.S. victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. Folarin Balogun's goal and red card — the first such combination at a World Cup since Zinedine Zidane 20 years ago. Malik Tillman's bloody sock — the result of an opponent stepping on and cutting through his shoe. U.S. bravery — on display during a shorthanded 26 minutes, plus another 10 of stoppage time. Tillman's immaculate free kick — a stunner by the team's shy, soft-spoken midfielder that triggered a roar still echoing across Northern California. Mauricio Pochettino's singing voice — prompted by the USA's celebratory song, "Country Roads," booming over the loudspeakers again after another victory. But before any of these things can be explained, perspective is necessary. The Americans have won a World Cup knockout match for the first time in 24 years and the second time in their unremarkable history. They will now head to Seattle and play in the Round of 16 on Monday against Belgium, which toyed with them in Atlanta in March, 5-2. They have won three matches in a single World Cup. While that is common for the powerhouses of soccer, sometimes in the group stage alone, the U.S. had never before accomplished that. Heck, before this summer, it had won nine World Cup matches in its history. In other words, this is not a normal World Cup for the U.S. Then again, this is not a normal U.S. team. The momentum that took hold in the first two matches and paused for an inconsequential Group D finale last week is accelerating again. "For us, it's about keep dreaming, keep working really hard and competing, and all is possible," Pochettino said. "In football, all is possible, if you believe.” England celebrate their victory with a wall of supporters. (Joosep Martinson/FIFA via Getty Images) Wednesday scoreboard: England and Belgium advanced alongside the U.S., as the Round of 16 continues to take shape. England 2, DR Congo 1: Just as a familiar dread began to envelop England's World Cup hopes, Harry Kane reminded the world why he's among its very best players. Two goals in 11 minutes reversed a 1-0 DR Congo lead that lingered into the late stages of the second half, elevating Kane to within one goal of the lead on the star-studded Golden Boot charts. Belgium 3, Senegal 2: Facing a 2-0 deficit with 85 minutes played, Belgium roared to life with two goals in three minutes to force extra time. Then Belgian captain Youri Tielemans converted a controversial penalty in the waning moments of the extra period, completing the tournament's most improbable comeback to date. Sweet revenge: The U.S. and Belgium will meet in a rematch of the 2014 Round-of-16 thriller that saw the Americans bow out in extra time despite Tim Howard's record-breaking 16-save performance. Still stings like yesterday…

🚴 TOUR DE FRANCE CYCLING'S GREATEST MODERN RIVALRY TAKES CENTER STAGE Vingegaard (L) and Pogačar sprint to the Stage 11 finish line during the 2024 Tour. (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) The Tour de France, which begins on Saturday, is shaping up to be a duel for the ages as Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard — by far the world's best riders, who are both in peak form but have yet to square off this year — prepare to chase history in the crown jewel of cycling. The defending champion: Slovenia's Pogačar, 27, has won two straight Tours de France and four of the last six. With a fifth victory this summer, he'd match Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Induraín for the most ever. His 2026 season has been nearly flawless, winning six of the seven races he's entered including three of cycling's Monuments, the sport's most prestigious one-day races. His only loss was at the Paris-Roubaix, which featured a sprint to the finish so close he was actually credited with the same official time as the winner. "Tadej is just the best cyclist we've ever seen," former pro Tejay van Garderen said on a recent podcast. "Jonas is not capable of what Tadej Pogačar is capable of." The challenger: Denmark's Vingegaard, 29, has two yellow jerseys himself, sandwiching his two wins (2022-23) between Pogačar's four (2020-21, 2024-25). And he, like Pogačar, has been on a tear this year, though he's focused on a different style of race. The Dane has won all three events he's entered, prioritizing stage races over one-day races in hopes of winning the Giro d'Italia. When he accomplished that feat in May, he became just the eighth man to capture all three Grand Tours, something not even Pogačar has done. Now he has a chance to make even more history: After winning the Vuelta a España in September and the Giro earlier this year, he can join Merckx (1972-73), Hinault (1982-83) and Chris Froome (2017-18) as the only riders to hold all three Grand Tours simultaneously. Go deeper: A rivalry for the ages: Tadej Pogačar vs Jonas Vingegaard (Escape Collective)

⚾️ 1-30 MLB POWER RANKINGS: THE SOX AND FISH ARE SURGING (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) NL teams occupy four of the top five spots in our latest MLB power rankings, in which Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman explores the league through the lens of the upcoming trade deadline. Two particularly intriguing teams? The surprisingly contending White Sox and Marlins. Back from the dead: Chicago (No. 8 in our rankings) and Miami (No. 14) haven't exactly blown the doors off the competition in recent years, but both are giving fans real reason to cheer as the season's second half gets underway. The South Siders (45-40) are in first place — I repeat, the South Siders are in first place — thanks to an exciting young ballclub that has one of the league's best offenses. Yes, they get the benefit of playing in the dismal AL Central; but for a team that won just 60 games last year, and just 41 (!) the year before, it's a stunning turnaround any way you slice it. The Fish (46-41) play in the much tougher NL, but that didn't stop them from just putting up their best month in franchise history. They went an MLB-best 20-6 in June — powered by an MLB-best 3.01 ERA — to become the first team ever to enter a month at least eight games below .500 and leave it at least six games above .500. Buyers or sellers? Chicago and Miami's success thus far doesn't necessarily make them buyers at the Aug. 3 deadline, at least not in the traditional sense. But if they continue surging through July, their front offices could consider rewarding their burgeoning young cores with some additional support rather than merely subtracting veterans on expiring contracts. (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)

📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup, Knockouts   We've got 12 elimination games between now and Monday, spanning the end of the Round of 32 and the start of the Round of 16. Not a bad way to spend the holiday weekend. Thursday (R32): Spain vs. Austria in Los Angeles (3pm ET, Fox); Portugal vs. Croatia in Toronto (7pm, Fox); Switzerland vs. Algeria in Vancouver (11pm, FS1) Friday (R32): Australia vs. Egypt in Dallas (2pm, Fox); Argentina vs. Cape Verde in Miami (6pm, Fox); Colombia vs. Ghana in Kansas City (9:30pm, Fox) Saturday (R16): Canada vs. Morocco in Houston (1pm, Fox); Paraguay vs. France in Philadelphia (5pm, Fox) Sunday (R16): Brazil vs. Norway in East Rutherford (4pm, Fox); Mexico vs. England in Mexico City (8pm, Fox) And lastly: While Monday's early game hasn't been determined yet, the USMNT faces Belgium in primetime (8pm, Fox) for a spot in the quarterfinals. Cannot wait.   🚴 Tour de France   The 113th Tour de France begins on Saturday (10am, Peacock/NBCSN), when 184 riders will embark on a 21-stage race throughout France (and Spain) that features more than 54,000 meters of vertical climbs, the third-most in the last 20 years.   Historic start: Saturday's Grand Départ is in Barcelona, marking the first time the race has begun there. And the first stage is a team time trial, which hasn't featured at the Tour de France since 2019 and hasn't opened the race since 1971.   🎾 Wimbledon, Days 4-9   The second round concludes today at the All England Club, but by the time we're back in your inbox on Tuesday morning the quarterfinals will be set, with matches airing all weekend on ESPN and ESPN+.   Who to watch: No. 6 Amanda Anisimova, last year's runner-up, faces fellow American Sofia Kenin shortly (8:15am) and defending champion No. 3 Iga Świątek plays her second-round match soon thereafter (8:30am). Third-round action begins tomorrow with No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 7 Novak Djokovic, No. 7 Coco Gauff and more.   ⚾️ "Star-Spangled Sunday"   All 30 MLB teams will play nationally-broadcast games on Sunday in a special presentation by NBC Sports, with all games streaming on Peacock and a select few airing on linear TV.   Headliners: The Mets and Braves get things started in Atlanta (12:30pm, NBC) and the Dodgers host the Padres in the standard "Sunday Night Baseball" slot (7:20pm, NBC). The Mariners also host the Blue Jays (5pm, NBCSN) in a rematch of last year's ALCS.   More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Wings at Sun (Thu. 8pm, Prime); Lynx at Liberty (Fri. 7:30pm, ION); Valkyries at Dream (Sat. 1pm, CBS); Fever at Aces (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) ⚽️ NWSL: Angel City vs. Orlando (Fri. 10pm, Prime); San Diego vs. Gotham (Sat. 8:45pm, ION); Boston vs. Bay FC (Sun. 12pm, ESPN) … The league returns from its month-long pause. 🏎️ F1: British Grand Prix (Sun. 10am, Apple) … Mercedes, which has won seven of the first eight races, will look to continue its dominant run as the season nears its halfway point. ⛳️ PGA: John Deere Classic (Thu-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … 21-year-old Jackson Koivun, fresh off one of the greatest collegiate careers of all time, makes his professional debut at TPC Deere Run in Illinois. ⛳️ PGA Champions: U.S. Senior Open (Thu-Sun, Golf/Peacock/NBC) … Stewart Cink enters the year's third major — at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio — having already won the first two. Plus: 🏀 NBA Summer League begins (Thu-Sun, Prime/ESPN); 🏁 NASCAR at Chicagoland Speedway (Sun. 6pm, TNT) and IndyCar at Mid-Ohio (Sun. 12:30pm, Fox); 🏀 BIG3 Week 3 in Miami (Sun. 1pm, CBS); 🏈 IFL Week 17 (Sun-Mon, Yahoo Sports)   Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.

🏀 2007 DRAFT NBA TRIVIA Horford and Conley during a game in 2019. (Christopher Evans/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images) Al Horford and Mike Conley, the 3rd and 4th picks of the 2007 NBA Draft, have both recently signed on for a 20th season. Question: Who were the top two picks in that draft? Hint: One is still active, the other was Conley's college teammate. Answer at the bottom.

⚽️ WHO YA GOT? WORLD CUP: MAKE YOUR PICKS! The Round of 16 in the world's biggest soccer tournament is almost here! Pick your winners for each game in 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em from Yahoo Sports and FOX One. How to play: Make picks each round, earn points for correct predictions and climb the leaderboard. You can play solo against the field, create a private group with friends to compete for bragging rights, or join a public group to play with other fans.

🏎️ START YOUR ENGINES YAHOO SPORTS x APPLE TV (Apple) This weekend's Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix 2026 continues our season-long partnership with Apple TV for F1 coverage. Tune in: Tomorrow's practice (7:30am ET) and sprint qualifying (11:30am), as well as Saturday's race qualifying (11am), will air for free on Yahoo Sports, while Sunday's race (10am) will stream on Apple TV, the new U.S. home of Formula 1.

Trivia answer: Greg Oden (No. 1 to Portland) and Kevin Durant (No. 2 to Seattle)