The WNBA announced on Saturday that it will launch a centralized replay center for the start of the 2027 season.

The league already uses replay, but shifting to a centralized system aims to speed up and enhance the review process.

A state-of-the-art replay center in Secaucus, N.J., has been used by the NBA since 2014. The WNBA will now use the same facility as its centralized hub for all reviewable game situations. The center will give on-court officials quick access to multiple camera angles and guidance from officials in New Jersey to make fast and accurate calls.

“As the WNBA continues its extraordinary growth, we’re committed to investing in every aspect of the game, including the technology and resources that support players, teams, and officials,” head of WNBA league operations Bethany Donaphin said. “Leveraging the NBA’s state-of-the-art replay center is an important step in the continued evolution of our game.

“It allows us to enhance the consistency and efficiency of replay reviews while embracing innovations that strengthen the competition and deliver the best possible experience for all our stakeholders.”

The league previously formed an officiating task force during the offseason to improve officiating, a move that has received more attention in recent weeks due to specific on-court incidents.

Perhaps most notoriously, Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas was handed a one-game suspension for “recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area” of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a game in June. No foul was called on the play, and Thomas and the Mercury were dissatisfied with the punishment process afterward, while the Fever were angry about the lack of a call.

Fever coach Stephanie White was upset after the contest that Thomas wasn’t called for a foul.

“You’ve got to call it,” White said at the time. “It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful.”

Current officials are set to rotate as staff for the center.

–Field Level Media

Nikki Hiltz won her fourth consecutive 1500-meter title in dramatic fashion at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships on Saturday in New York.

Hiltz, who has won the last four outdoor and last four indoor 1500m races at national meets, finished with a time of 4:06.92, finishing four hundredths ahead of Addy Wiley and six hundredths ahead of Emily Mackay in third place.

She’s just the second American runner this century to win four 1500m titles, joining Jenny Simpson, who did so from 2014-17.

“That was honestly, probably, I think out of all my titles, the hardest one,” Hiltz said, per NBC Sports. “I feel really, really, really happy with that one. It’s so hard to defend one. It’s hard to defend two. Now, going into this, I was the three-time defending champ. I think the weight just gets heavier and heavier and heavier. So I feel a lot of relief right now.”

The next hurdle for Hiltz, 31, will be attempting to reach her first international outdoor podium at September’s World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. At World Indoors she was a silver medalist in 2024 and a bronze medalist earlier this year.

“I want to try to medal in Budapest,” Hiltz said. “After Pre, I think I was like, maybe I could win (World Ultimate). Maybe I could win a world championship, and I think I’ve never had that belief, like, ever.”

In the men’s 1500m, Nathan Green similarly completed an indoor/outdoor sweep at national events with a 3:50.27 finish, five hundredths ahead of Vincent Ciattei.

In the 400m, Chris Bailey, who won gold at the Paris Olympics in the 4X400m relay, won his first national championship after first-place finisher Justin Robinson was disqualified for stepping on one of his lane lines multiple times.

Bailey finished with a time of 44.39 seconds, just ahead of Khaleb McRae (44.41) and Demarius Smith (44.54).

In the women’s 400m, Aaliyah Butler also won her first national championship after winning gold in Paris two years ago in the 4X400, finishing as the wire-to-wire leader with a time of 49.93 seconds. Alexis Holmes (50.47) was in second while Samaria Butler (50.89) rounded out the podium.

Alia Armstrong followed up her 60m hurdles championship at the U.S. Indoor Championships with a 100m hurdles championship on Saturday, finishing with a season-best time of 12.38 seconds. Four hundredths behind in second was Alaysha Johnson (12.42), while 2024 Olympic long jump gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall, who last competed in hurdles five years ago, finished third at 12.57.

Nathan Mountain won his first U.S. title in the steeplechase with a time of 8:13.81. He beat Carson Williams by seven hundredths despite a stumble on his landing after clearing the barrier on the final lap. Duncan Hamilton (8:14.05) finished a close third.

In the women’s steeplechase, Lexy Halladay-Lowry repeated as the American champion in decidedly less dramatic fashion, winning by nearly five seconds with a time of 9:12.54. Gabbi Jennings (9:17.42) finished in second, just ahead of Madie Boreman (9:17.68).

In the field events, the men’s triple jump came down to a tiebreaker when Salif Mane and Russell Robinson tied for the best jump of the day at 16.66m. After Mane forced the tie on his final jump and won his second U.S. title in three years with the better second-best jump of 16.11m, edging out Robinson’s 16.02. James Carter Jr. (16.15) came in third.

Curtis Thompson delivered a season-best javelin throw of 87.59m on his sixth and final throw to comfortably win his sixth national title ahead of Jordan Davis (82.36m) and Marc Anthony Minichello (75.98).

Recent Air Force graduate Texas Tanner won the men’s discus throw title with his fourth throw which traveled 65.46m, edging out Reggie Jagers (64.00) and Mitchell Weber (63.84).

Sandi Morris won her sixth national pole vault championship with a season-best jump of 4.90m, while Chase Jackson was the wire-to-wire leader in women’s shotput, winning her fifth title with her best throw of 20.55m coming on her sixth and final throw.

The event is being held in New York for the first time since 1991 as it celebrates its 150th anniversary in the city where the inaugural edition was contested.

–Field Level Media

Daniel Gazdag’s first-half penalty kick and Patrick Schulte’s four saves led the host Columbus Crew to a 2-1 comeback win over FC Cincinnati in the latest Hell Is Real derby on Saturday.

The Crew (5-8-4, 19 points) had one win in their previous six matches while Cincinnati (6-6-5, 23 points) had a three-match point streak end.

The rivalry got heated in the final minute and Cincinnati’s Gerado Valenzuela was red-carded after a scuffle broke out and the melee continued post-match in the Cincinnati tunnel.

Kevin Denkey staked Cincinnati a ninth-minute lead before the Crew rallied on scores from Jamal Thiare in the 42nd and a penalty kick by Gazdag in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time.

Columbus overcame an early deficit to take the 2-1 halftime lead on Gazdag’s second penalty kick in as many matches.

The Crew settled down after the Denkey score and Thiare found the equalizer off a corner kick by Dylan Chambost.

Thiare made a run to the middle of the box, got position on Miles Robinson and used a header for his first Crew goal after being acquired in a trade in February from Atlanta United, where he played the past three seasons.

At the 45-minute mark, Schulte made a critical stop with his right arm on a shot by Evander at the left post. The Crew followed with Max Arfsten drawing a foul at the end line from Matt Miazga that was upheld after a review.

Gazdag calmly scored from the spot for the 27th time in 28 tries in his MLS career with the Crew and the Philadelphia Union.

Cincinnati has allowed 42 goals after giving up 40 last season in 34 regular-season matches.

Denkey broke a tie with Evander for the club goal lead with his 11th but he couldn’t have done it with Evander and some poor defending by Mo Farsi.

Pavel Bucha attacked the right flank before sending a cross to the 6-yard box. Farsi tried to high kick the pass but whiffed and the ball went to Evander for a slick centering pass to Denkey, who did not miss.

Evander has a seven-match goal contribution streak (eight goals, seven assists).

This was the first meeting since Cincinnati won a best-of-three series in the 2025 playoffs.

– Field Level Media