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Defector

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Katie Ledecky wins the Women's 1500 Meter Freestyle during the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials on June 19, 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.

Crosswords

The Crossword, July 1: Crosstown Rivals

Pitcher NiJaree Canady #24 of the Stanford Cardinals winds up for a pitch to the Texas Longhorns in the first inning during the 2024 NCAA Women's College World Series at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park on June 3, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Texas won 1-0 to advance to the finals.

The Crossword, June 24: Nine Lives (Themeless)

Keith Hernandez, Mookie Wilson, and Sesame Street's the Count.

Life's Rich Pageant

Local Athletes, Leave Me Alone

Rihanna performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12, 2023.

The Crossword, June 17: You’re Out

The United States Women's National team celebrate their victory during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

WNBA

Basketball Isn’t A Popularity Contest, Except When It Is

Iga Swiatek of Poland in action against Jasmine Paolini of Italy (not seen) during the Women's Singles Final match on day fourteen of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros Complex in Paris, France on June 8, 2024.

The Crossword, June 10: What’s The Deal?

Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx drives to the basket during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 5, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

Napheesa Collier Grows In Every Direction

Elizabeth Cambage of Sichuan reacts during Game 5 of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association WCBA league Finals between Sichuan and Inner Mongolia in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 22, 2024.

Only One Person Can Save Us From Terrible WNBA Takes

Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the San Diego Padres bunts during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Petco Park on May 26, 2024 in San Diego, California

The Crossword, June 3: Tight Ends

Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills passes against Alex Highsmith

The Crossword, May 27: The Young And The Restless (Themeless)

MAY 21: Kahleah Copper #2 of the Phoenix Mercury celebrates during the game against the Las Vegas Aces on May 21, 2024 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Small Mercury Are Big Fun

Alysha Clark (L) #7 and Kelsey Plum #10 of the Las Vegas Aces react after receiving their 2023 WNBA championship rings before the team's home opener against the Phoenix Mercury on May 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Mercury 89-80.

The Aces Are Also A Superteam At Being Investigated

Magnus Carlsen (NOR),Sanan Sjugirov (RUS) during the FIDE Chess World Rapid Blitz 2021 in Warsaw, Poland, on December 29, 2021.

The Crossword, May 20: Refresher Course

Kelsey McKinney

Giri Nathan

David Roth

Patrick Redford

A photographer of author James Baldwin smoking a cigarette.

Defector Reads A Book

Come And Sit By ‘The Fire Next Time’ With Defector Reads A Book

Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (25) fast breaks during a WNBA game between Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun on May 14, 2024, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

The Connecticut Sun Are The Coldest Welcome To The League

Caitlin Clark #22, Erica Wheeler #17, and Assistant Coach Jessie Miller of the Indiana Fever look on before the game against the Dallas Wings

A 2024 WNBA Season Preview For Casuals And Gatekeepers Alike

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever dribbles the ball during the game against the Dallas Wings during the WNBA Preseason Game on May 3, 2024 at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

The Crossword, May 13: Tossed Salad And Scrambled Eggs

Arturs Silovs #31 of the Vancouver Canucks celebrate after defeating the Nashville Predators in Game Six to win the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 03, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Legend Of “Silvos” Is Only Beginning

German-Kurdish opera singer-soprano Pervin Chakar performs during a concert.

The Crossword, May 6: Cinderella Tails

Jackson Holliday #7 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during batting practice prior to a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 12, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Here’s How The White Sox Can Still Lose 100 Games, But In An Interesting Way

Candace Parker #3 of the Los Angeles Sparks reacts after receiving her fourth foul against the Minnesota Lynx during the second quarter of Game One of the WNBA finals at Williams Arena on September 24, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Candace Parker Remade The Game In Her Image

Runner participates during the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on November 05, 2023 in New York City.

The Crossword, April 29: The 1,203 Club (Themeless)

Ottawa Forward Daryl Watts (9) celebrates her goal with Forward Brianne Jenner (19) during second period Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) action between Toronto and Ottawa on March 23, 2024, at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, ON, Canada.

PWHL

Ottawa Is Finding Itself

Fans tailgate prior to the game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field on November 19, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois.

The Crossword, April 22: Shake, Shake, Shake

Mason Miller #19 of the Oakland Athletics delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on April 06, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.