Sports
NWSL roundup: Temwa Chawinga's record goal lifts Current past Bay FC
Oct 12, 2024; Bridgeview, Illinois, USA; NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams (10) scores a goal on a penalty kick against the Chicago Red Stars during the second half at SeatGeek Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images Kansas City star Temwa Chawinga set the NWSL record for goals in a season with her 19th, leading the Current to a 1-0 victory over Bay FC on Saturday night in San Jose, Calif.
Chawinga surpassed Sam Kerr, who scored 18 for the Chicago Red Stars in 2019.
Chawinga set the mark in the 35th minute when she had the ball just outside the box and ripped a right-footed laser past Katelyn Rowland and into the left corner of the net.
“It means a lot to me because I work hard to score goals,” Chawinga said of the record in a postgame interview on ION. “The whole team, we have good players and they are working so hard. I’m very happy to be with them because they help me a whole lot. I’m happy to be (with Kansas City).”
Chawinga has a six-goal edge over Orlando’s Barbra Banda in the race for the Golden Boot. The 26-year-old is in her first season with Kansas City after starring in the Chinese Women’s Super League the previous four seasons.
Almuth Schult made two saves while recording her fifth shutout of the season for the Current (14-3-7, 49 points). Kansas City moved into third place in the standings, one point behind NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Rowland made three saves for Bay FC (9-14-1, 28), who are in eighth place.
NJ/NY Gotham FC 2, Red Stars 0
Lynn Williams scored from the penalty spot in the 87th minute and Esther Gonzalez added a goal in stoppage time as NJ/NY Gotham FC beat host the Red Stars in Bridgeview, Ill.
Gotham FC (15-4-5, 50 points) earned the opportunity from the spot after Ella Stevens was taken down from behind by the Red Stars’ Cari Rocarro in the penalty area.
Ann-Katrin Berger made one save for Gotham FC, which clinched a top-four spot in the playoffs with the victory and a guaranteed home game in the postseason. It was Berger’s eighth shutout to tie a franchise record.
Gotham FC, who already qualified for a playoff spot, moved into second place in the overall standings.
The loss denied the Red Stars (10-12-2, 32 points) a playoff berth, but they can still make their way into the postseason field of eight if Racing Louisville FC loses to the Washington Spirit on Sunday.
Angel City FC 1, Courage 1
Angel City’s Christen Press scored her first NWSL goal in 28 months during second-half stoppage time, but Olivia Wingate of the North Carolina Courage answered three minutes later as the teams played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night in Cary, N.C.
Press missed more than two years due to an ACL injury that required four surgeries. She injured her right knee in the second half on June 11, 2022, against Racing Louisville. She scored a goal in the 36th minute of that match.
On Saturday, the two-time United States World Cup champion drilled a left-footed shot to the left of North Carolina goalkeeper Casey Murphy in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time to give Angel City a 1-0 lead.
But moments later, the Courage won a scramble for the ball in the midfield and Denise O’Sullivan drilled a sharp pass upfield to Wingate. Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic came out in an attempt to cut off the angle, but Wingate easily drilled a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net. It was Wingate’s second goal of the season.
The Courage (12-9-3, 39 points) reside in fifth place. Angel City (7-12-5) is in 10th place with 23 points, having recently been docked three points for a salary cap infraction.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Big 12 keeps Brendan Sorsby lawsuit active amid draft questions
Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby goes through warmups before the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium. The Big 12 is not ready to close the book on the Brendan Sorsby case, even after the Texas Tech quarterback moved to leave college football behind.
The conference’s presidents and chancellors have not withdrawn the federal lawsuit filed earlier this week, with lingering questions about Sorsby’s NFL future and whether Texas Tech could still face consequences from the legal fight, a Big 12 source told ESPN. The league’s board of directors is expected to meet early next week to discuss its options.
“We don’t know the answer to those questions,” the source said. “We haven’t done anything different at this point. We’re going to reconvene next week to run through all the options. Right now that case is still active.”
The Big 12 filed suit Monday in the Northern District of Texas, looking for a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief that would allow the conference to use its bylaws to potentially discipline Sorsby. Hours later, Sorsby moved toward the NFL supplemental draft and dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA, a step needed for him to be declared ineligible in college by Monday’s deadline.
Sorsby admitted to violating NCAA rules by placing thousands of bets, including 40 on Indiana football while he was on the Hoosiers’ roster. The NFL still has to approve his application for the supplemental draft, which has not produced a selected player since 2019.
The Big 12 could also revisit whether Texas Tech should be responsible for the costs associated with the dispute. One Big 12 athletic director said the issue is less about punishment and more about whether the entire league should absorb legal fees from a case that other schools did not start..
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brazil's Raphinha (leg) departs match vs. Haiti
June 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.; Brazil’s Raphinha in action with Haiti’s Martin Experience. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — Brazil attacker Raphinha departed in the 40th minute of Friday night’s World Cup Group C clash against Haiti in Philadelphia with an apparent leg injury.
The 29-year-old FC Barcelona winger was making his second start of the tournament for manager Carlo Ancelotti after going the full 90 in a 1-1 draw against Morocco last Saturday.
He was a critical part of Brazil’s most recent qualifying effort, scoring five of the Selecao’s 24 goals while appearing in 13 of their 18 matches.
It was unclear what caused him to drop to his haunches shortly before halftime and eventually exit in favor of Rayan. He departed with his side leading 2-0 through Matheus Cunha’s brace, before Vinicius Junior added a third in first-half stoppage time.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
Sports
UFC Freedom 250 Falls Short of Super Bowl Hype but Delivers Massive Win
UFC Freedom 250 was an unquestionable hit, but the biggest event in combat sports didn’t quite touch Super Bowl number.
Paramount+ said viewership for UFC Freedom 250 reached 17 million across the U.S. and Latin America, citing Nielsen in a press release on Thursday. The previous record was five million viewers for the first UFC card on Paramount+ in January.
How did UFC Freedom 250 compare to Super Bowl?
UFC boss Dana White was “expecting Super Bowl-type numbers” for the fight on the White House lawn. The 2026 Super Bowl was watched by an estimated 125 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
The UFC and Donald Trump promoted this event diligently. Even though they didn’t even come close to touching Super Bowl viewership numbers, this event was a massive success for the UFC.
Politics aside – the production quality of UFC Freedom 250 was awesome. Fighters walking out of the White House from all angles, surrounded by military heroes. The live band was great. The backdrops of Washington, D.C. completely trumped the visuals at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
But more importantly, the fights exceeded expectations. All seven bouts ended before decisions. Judges weren’t needed.
For the health of the sport, that’s a good thing. Casual fans love knockouts and finishes. For an event that hauled in well over 10 million more viewers than the average UFC fight, that feels like a massive win. The UFC has a few upcoming weekends of Fight Nights before UFC 329, where Conor McGregor is expected to make his long-awaited return against Max Holloway.
It’s probable that fight will pull in big ratings also, which should appease Paramount+ – as long as the streaming giant had more realistic expectations than Dana White’s Super Bowl prediction.
Over the last few years, many fans have griped that the UFC was running low on superstars. But Diego Lopes got a huge ovation from the American crowd after the first fight of the night. Bo Nickal got a much-needed victory to maintain relevance in the UFC.
More notably, Josh Hokit’s viral Michelle Obama comment got the heavyweight exactly what he wanted – attention. Even though the UFC publicly shamed these remarks, there’s no doubt that they understand his personality is polarizing and could cause fans to tune in. Similarly, Sean O’Malley earning big knockout finishes always feels good for those fans that tune in.
Sure, the point still stands that there aren’t a ton of intriguing names on the rise. But Hokit’s fights will be watched. Fans will always keep up with O’Malley. And there will be natural intrigue on what Justin Gaethje decides to do next after this win. Similarly, what will Ilia Topuria do following that first devastating defeat?
The White House card might’ve fallen hilariously short of Super Bowl expectations. Dana White loves to remind fight fans that he’s not competing with up and coming leagues like the PFL or Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. Instead, he insists that he’s competing with the NFL, NBA and MLB.
Report: Big 12 keeps Brendan Sorsby lawsuit active amid draft questions
Brazil's Raphinha (leg) departs match vs. Haiti
