CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx handles the ball against Azzi Fudd #35 of the Dallas Wings in the third quarter at Target Center on June 09, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lynx defeated the Wings 100-76.

WNBA

Olivia Miles Is The Throwback Point Guard Of The Future

Bryce Young hugs NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected first overall by the Carolina Panthers during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 27, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Capital

Whose League Is It Anyway?

Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky grabs the rebound during he first half of a WNBA game against the Connecticut Sun

Angel Reese Has Genius In Her Fingertips

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks on during the game against the New York Liberty on May 16, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

On The Caitlin Clark Beat, Everyone’s Plotting

A view of the first period of the PWHL game between Minnesota and Boston at Tsongas Center on January 03, 2024 in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Women's Hockey

The First CBA In Women’s Hockey Is A Picture Of The Future, And A Story Of The Past

Serena Williams of United States prepares to serve against Maya Joint of Australia during their Ladies' Singles first round match on day two of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 30, 2026 in London, England.

Crosswords

The Crossword, July 27: Way Downtown (Themeless)

Sophie Cunningham announces a round in a lightweight fight during the UFC 329 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sophie Cunningham Is About As Edgy As A Beach Ball

ABC/ESPN sideline reporter Katie George interviews head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs after the Friday afternoon college football game between the UGA Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on November 28, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

The Crossword, July 20: No Half Measures

A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces drives against Aliyah Boston #7 of the Indiana Fever in the second quarter of their game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on July 12, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Which Version Of The Indiana Fever Is The Real One?

Amanda Gutierres #9 of Boston Legacy FC defends Joelle Anderson #18 of Bay FC during a game between Boston Legacy FC and Bay FC at PayPal Park on May 15, 2026 in San Jose, California.

The Crossword, July 13: Flat Out

Skylar Diggins #4 of the Chicago Sky warms up prior to the game against the Portland Fire at Wintrust Arena on June 26, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois

The Long-Awaited Blowup Between Skylar Diggins And The Sky Has Finally Arrived

Allisha Gray #15 of the Atlanta Dream shoots against the Golden State Valkyries in the fourth quarter at Gateway Center Arena on July 4, 2026 in College Park, Georgia.

The Atlanta Dream Are Getting Drowsy

France's Marie Wattel, France's Leon Marchand and France's Yohann Ndoye-Brouard react after the final of the mixed 4x100m medley relay final swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, on August 3, 2024.

The Crossword, July 6: We’re Halfway There

American musician violist Richard O’Neill performs onstage as member of Takacs Quartet during Musica Insieme at Manzoni Theater on March 16, 2026 in Bologna, Italy.

The Crossword, June 29: Cooler Heads (Themeless)

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever passes the ball during the game against the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Don’t Let Bored Football Fans Tell The Story Of Caitlin Clark’s Season

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 22: Kennedy Burke #25 of the Connecticut Sun goes up for a shot defended by Natasha Cloud #9 of the Chicago Sky in the first quarter at Mohegan Sun Arena on June 22, 2026 in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The Chicago Sky Have Nothing To Look Forward To

James Harden #1 of the LA Clippers reacts as he is fouled by Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a 135-118 Los Angeles Lakers win at Crypto.com Arena on November 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

The Crossword, June 22: Position Changes

Interviews

Justin Ellis TELLS ALL About Minneapolis Life In This EXCLUSIVE Interview

Artemis II Pilot Victor smiles during a press conference at the NASA Johnson Space Center on April 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Their historic 10-day mission around the moon concluded successfully nearly one week ago.

The Crossword, June 15: I Need Some Space

A'ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat chat during a delay of a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat game on January 8, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois

The Crossword, June 8: Double Teams

The Indiana Fever flag waves during a WNBA game between the Portland Fire and the Indiana Fever on May 20, 20, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis, IN.

Indiana Fever Revoke Beat Writer’s Press Credentials Over Caitlin Clark Injury Report

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with the trophy at the end of the Finalissima trophy 2022 football match between Italy and Argentina. Argentina won 3-0 over Italy.

The Crossword, June 1: Bleus Band

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton #44 and Pauline Astier #18 of the New York Liberty celebrate after a timeout during the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Mercury at Barclays Center on May 27, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

Don’t Think Too Hard About The New York Liberty

Head Coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars reacts during the second half in the Final Four game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils at the Alamodome on April 05, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.

The Crossword, May 25: Astrobiology (Themeless)

Paige Bueckers #5 and Azzi Fudd #35 of the Dallas Wings confer against the Chicago Sky during the first half at Wintrust Arena on May 20, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.

The Dallas Wings Can Find A Bucket Anywhere

Chennedy Carter #23 of the Las Vegas Aces handles the ball during the WNBA game between Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun on May 15, 2026, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

Who Can Keep Up With Chennedy Carter?

Christian Koss #50 of the San Francisco Giants gets a gatorade bath after the game at Oracle Park at Oracle Park on September 8, 2025 in San Francisco, California.

The Crossword, May 18: One In A Million

A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces drives to the basket against Cameron Brink #22 of the Los Angeles Sparks during the first half of their game at Crypto.com Arena on May 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

Cameron Brink Is All Tangled Up

Dancers of the Monte-Carlo ballet wait to perform on stage on the Opening Night of the "Ma Bayadere" ballet show, a creation by French dancer and choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot, in Monaco, on December 26, 2025. The show will take place from December 27, 2025 until January 4, 2026 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

The Crossword, May 11: She’s A Rainbow

A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces shoots over Alanna Smith #8 of the Dallas Wings