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Defector

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream reacts during the second half of game two of the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs against the New York Liberty at State Farm Arena on October 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

WNBA

Motor Matters

Angel Reese #5 defends as DeWanna Bonner #24 of the Atlanta Dream steals the ball from Jonquel Jones #35 of the New York Liberty during the fourth quarter of game one of the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs at State Farm Arena on October 04, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Atlanta Dream Can Poke And Prod You To Death

Cari Spears #23 spikes the ball during the third set of a match against the USC Trojans at Gregory Gymnasium on September 2, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Oct. 5: Overheard In New York

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Cheryl Reeve of the New York Liberty reacts in the first quarter against the Minnesota Lynx during game two of the WNBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on September 29, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

The Too-Small Lynx Will Have To Answer Some Big Questions

Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty defends against A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces during the first half of the 2025 AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Breanna Stewart And A’ja Wilson Sit At The Grown-Ups Table

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are seen arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2026 in New York City.

The Crossword, Sept. 28: You Gonna Remember Me (Themeless)

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.

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.

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.