Well Played

EDITOR’S NOTE

I'm still processing yesterday's France-Spain semifinal — and, more specifically, this video of Timothée Chalamet meeting the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. But mainly I’m just glad Lamine Yamal's little brother will get more jumbotron time. His main-character energy is what’s kept me going now that Erling Haaland’s been eliminated. Though Big Erl’s recent public appearance post-World Cup makes me think he’s doing just fine. As I wait to see whether Argentina or England will join Spain in the final on Sunday, I've caught up on the decades of drama between those two teams — this last-minute jersey swap being just the latest chapter. Beyond soccer, this weekend I’m eyeing the US Classic for an early look at who could make the LA28 women’s gymnastics team and wondering what happened to my invite to Simone Biles’s slumber party. Now, let's get to the rest of the sports headlines...

— Jordan Galloway, Editor, Katonah, NY

Let's Discuss

Where the W is taking an L

What's going on: The WNBA has spent years trying to attract more attention. Now it’s dealing with one of the downsides of getting it. In recent weeks, multiple players have spoken out about racist abuse, threats, and harassment they’ve received online. The conversation intensified after Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas said she received racist comments and her team got death threats following a flagrant 2 foul involving Caitlin Clark. Since then, Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams and Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray have also been on the receiving end of hate — which has led to at least one alleged online abuser losing their job. What began with a hard foul is now raising bigger questions about harassment, accountability, and the league's response.

Who's in charge here? Last year, the WNBA made a point to condemn harassment and launched an initiative to address it. But its leadership has been slow to respond to public outcry over the past few weeks. Players’ voices have been the loudest: Clark has publicly condemned the harassment. Meanwhile Thomas called on WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league to “step up and have our backs,” which she eventually did. Though according to Sports Business Journal, it was NBA Commissioner Adam Silver who reportedly pushed Engelbert to take action after the Thomas-Clark incident. (The WNBA, for its part, has called that allegation "absolutely false.") Lawmakers have also inserted themselves into the debate... not without controversy. The result is a conversation that keeps expanding beyond basketball — into race, politics, sports betting, and culture-war territory. The question isn't whether the WNBA cares about these issues. It's whether the league is acting fast or visibly enough to protect players.

Pick Six

More sports talkers you don't want to miss.

⚽ Victoria Beckham reminds us all why she’s known as “Posh,” not “Sporty,” Spice.

🎾 Charlize Theron may have just served up the smartest two-word strategy in doubles tennis. Love that for her.

🔥 This House of the Dragon star says he’d trade 10 Oscars for this one sports outcome — and he’ll find out today if it’s possible.

🏈 QB Josh Allen opened up about the story behind his daughter’s name while he executed the smoothest handoff of the offseason.

😂 Whoever gave Aubrey Plaza a whistle — or permission to crash an Indiana Fever practice — you have our sincerest gratitude.

📸 Kate Middleton and Prince William packed on the PDA at a polo match? Pics or it didn’t happen.

In Our Rotation

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Timeout...

Our Well Played co-hosts and friends of the show tackle listener Qs.

Wait, why does FIFA want to add more teams to the World Cup?

San Marino v Cyrpus World Cold qualifier.

For anyone just tuning in: FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last week that he may expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams. My first thought was: money grab, which… not no. But a bigger tournament could actually be a good thing. For starters, it could give smaller nations a better chance to qualify — especially African and Asian countries. It could also simplify the format by eliminating the “best third-place” rule and the mental gymnastics it required. With a field of 64, only the top two teams from each group would advance straight to the knockout round of 32, creating a simpler format with clearer stakes, a win-win for everyone.

PS: Need to sound off about your favorite athlete? Still don’t understand offsides? Call Well Played with your thoughts, questions, and concerns, at (828) 412-4825, and you might be featured in next week's episode.

Featured Expert

Caroline Hendershot

Caroline Hendershot, reporter for the New York Jets and Well Played co-host, tackles listener Qs.

On Our Calendar

Wednesday, July 15

🏆 ESPY Awards

SNL's Marcello Hernández hosts, Shohei Ohtani leads the nominations, and names like A'ja Wilson, Jalen Brunson, and Lionel Messi are all up for awards. Catch it on ABC at 8 pm ET.

⚽ NWSL’s Queens Classic at Citi Field

The matchup between Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit is the first women's sporting event ever held at the stadium. (Yes, really.) Watch it at 8 pm ET on ESPN.

Thursday, July 16

🏅 SHE Weekend begins

Flavor Flav kept his promise. The celebration of female Olympic athletes — Alysa Liu, Hilary Knight, and Amber Glenn are set to be there — and women's sports is on in Vegas with a parade, panels, and performances. Watch it here.

Friday, July 17

🍿 Live taping of theSkimm’s Well Played

Come hang with Blake, Caroline, and special guest Rachel DeMita at Fanatics Fest in NYC for a live recording of our favorite podcast, at 11 am. And we've got your discount code.

Saturday, July 18

⚽ World Cup third-place game

Who’s taking home bronze — and a whole lot of prize money? Find out at 5 pm ET, when the match kicks off in Miami, and live on FOX.

Sunday, July 19

⚽ World Cup final

One match. History on the line. The finalists — Spain and TBD, as of this writing — battle it out live on FOX at 3 pm ET. Game on.

Psst…this is just the preview: Subscribe to theSkimm app and never miss a moment.

In Our Rotation

Big news: You can subscribe and get 10% off your favorite EltaMD products, plus free shipping on repeat deliveries. May we suggest this dermatologist-recommended SPF?

We found the comfiest mock-neck sweatshirt we’ll be living in through the fall.

Psst…love our recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag).

No Notes

Tell us

Which is NOT an iconic women's soccer phrase?

Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis share a moment after the United States defeated Australia in the 2021 Olympics bronze medal soccer match.

A. “Sonnett says”

B. "They're lesbians, Stacey"

C. "Oosa, oosa, oosa-ah!"

D. "Are you having an OK time?"

Four words: Simone Biles slumber party