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Defector

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Head coach Natalie Nakase of the Golden State Valkyries reacts to a play against the Washington Mystics during the second half of the game at CareFirst Arena on July 6, 2026 in Washington, DC.

WNBA

Eight Teams, Eight Qualms: A Guide To The 2026 WNBA Playoffs

(L-R) Donna Kelce, Singer Taylor Swift and actor Tom Cruise attend the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium on September 14, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Sept. 21: Cheeky Move

Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina interacts with Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Crossword, Sept. 14: Miscalculation

Ohio State Buckeyes goaltender Amanda Thiele (30) makes a save during the first period of the Women's Frozen Four Championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers on March 23rd, 2025, at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, MN.

The Crossword, Sept. 7: Big Resemblance

Nicole Gosling #61 of the Montréal Victoire celebrates her goal with teammates on the bench during the third period against the Ottawa Charge in Game One of the PWHL Walter Cup Final at Place Bell on May 14, 2026 in Laval, Quebec, Canada.

The Crossword, Aug. 31:  Prepare For Trouble, And Make It Double (Themeless)

A still from the Sherlock Holmes episode "The Red-Headed League"

Reds Week

“The Red-Headed League” Is A Sherlock Holmes Mystery That Can Laugh At Itself

Manager Terry Francona #77 of the Cincinnati Reds argues with umpire Chris Conroy #98 after being ejected from the game in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on June 5, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

The Crossword, Aug. 24: Bat To Ball

Kiki Rice #1 of the Toronto Tempo celebrates a basket as the Toronto Tempo play the Indiana Fever at ScotiaBank Arena in Toronto. August 18, 2026.

The Tempo Have To Take Things At Their Own Pace

Midge Purce #23 of NJ/NY Gotham FC warms up before the match against the Houston Dash at Shell Energy Stadium on August 01, 2026 in Houston, Texas.

The Crossword, Aug. 17: Roster Talks

Dominique Malonga #14 of the Seattle Storm shoots against Serah Williams #25 of the Portland Fire during the first half at Moda Center on August 08, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.

The Storm Are The WNBA’s Tank Champions

Kayla McBride #21 of the Minnesota Lynx celebrates a three-point basket with Napheesa Collier #24 and teammates during the second half against the Dallas Wings at Target Center on August 9, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Kayla McBride Keeps It Ethical

Passengers arrive on an Amtrak train at Union Station on December 04, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Amtrak carried a record 32.8 million passengers in their 2024 fiscal year, a 15 percent increase over the same period in 2023.

The Crossword, Aug. 10: Midpoint

Cotie McMahon #23 of the Washington Mystics celebrates with teammates after the game against the Dallas Wings at CareFirst Arena on August 5, 2026 in Washington, DC.

The Washington Mystics Don’t Act Their Age

JR Ritchie #60 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the second inning during the game against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on August 2, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Crossword, Aug. 3: Lucky Stars

Kelsey Plum #10 of the Los Angeles Sparks talks with Kahleah Copper #2 of the Phoenix Mercury after the game at Mortgage Matchup Center on June 13, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Kelsey Plum Is Back At The Center Of A Head-Scratching Trade

Sydney Taylor #12 of the Chicago Sky celebrates with her teammates after a game winning three-point basket during the second half against the Las Vegas Aces on August 1, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

Sydney Taylor Is The Undrafted Rookie Making Sky Games Fun

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.

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.