USMNT head into knockouts with quiet confidence
On the cusp of their biggest game in a generation, the USMNT left their base camp in Irvine as they head into what many hope will be a historic World Cup run.
Good morning! It’s trophy day in the WNBA. The Aces and Liberty meet tonight in Brooklyn in the Commissioner’s Cup final — a rematch of the 2023 title game, and the first time any franchise can claim a second Cup. The catch for Vegas: A’ja Wilson is questionable with a leg injury after rolling her ankle Sunday. Out west, Shohei Ohtani homered as the Dodgers beat the A’s 9-4 in Sacramento, and Canada is still buzzing after its historic World Cup win at SoFi. Let’s get into it.
🚨 HEADLINES
🏀 Trophy on the line. The Aces face the Liberty tonight in the Commissioner’s Cup final, chasing the first-ever second title for any franchise — TST Aces coverage.
⚾ Ohtani powers L.A. Shohei Ohtani’s three-run homer leads the Dodgers past the Athletics 9-4 in Sacramento — Brandon Slotter from Sutter Health Park.
⚽ USMNT head into knockouts with quiet confidence. On the cusp of their biggest game in a generation, the USMNT left their base camp in Irvine as they head into what many hope will be a historic World Cup run. — Jeff Kennedy from Irvine.
🏀 Parker enshrined. Sparks great Candace Parker is inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame — Holland Kaplan in Knoxville.
🛹 A new X Games era. X Games Sacramento debuts the team-based X Games League as the records keep falling — Michael Silver at Cal Expo.
See what else is trending at The Sporting Tribune.
📋 SCOREBOARD — MONDAY, JUNE 29
⚾ MLB: Dodgers 9, Athletics 4 (in Sacramento)
⚾ MLB: Cubs 3, Padres 2
⚾ MLB: Mariners 6, Angels 2
🏀 VEGAS HAS A TROPHY TO CHASE
The Aces go to Brooklyn tonight with a chance to make history. Win, and Las Vegas becomes the first franchise to claim two Commissioner’s Cups — the Aces took the inaugural prize in 2022; the Liberty answered in 2023. Las Vegas earned the Western berth at 6-1 in Cup play, edging Minnesota on a tiebreaker; New York ran the East table at 6-0 and hosts by virtue of the league’s best point differential.
The subplot is Wilson. The reigning MVP rolled her right ankle in Sunday’s tune-up win over the Sky, returned to finish with 30 points and 15 rebounds, and is now listed as questionable with a right-leg injury. The Aces have managed just one win in their last nine trips to Brooklyn, and the Liberty took the most recent meeting 87-76 in Las Vegas on June 23. There’s a $500,000 prize pool and a trophy on the line — but nothing for the standings, which makes how hard each side pushes its stars the night’s real question. Tip is 4 p.m. PT on Prime Video.
GO DEEPER
› Aces roll the Sky in their Commissioner’s Cup tune-up (The Sporting Tribune)
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⚾ OHTANI AND THE DODGERS KEEP ROLLING
The Dodgers carried their momentum out of San Diego up to Sacramento, where Shohei Ohtani launched a three-run homer and Max Muncy and Andy Pages went deep in a 9-4 win over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. It’s more of the same for the team with the best record in baseball — a deep lineup that keeps finding the seats and a club that has now turned the corner after a rocky stretch of the schedule.
› TST Images: Dodgers beat the Athletics, 9-4, at Sutter Health Park (The Sporting Tribune)
› Fredo Cervantes: Dodgers ride Sheehan’s strong start to a win over the Padres (The Sporting Tribune)
⚽ THE WORLD CUP IS STILL ALIVE AT SOFI
Sunday’s history hasn’t faded: Stephen Eustáquio’s stoppage-time volley sent Canada past South Africa 1-0 at SoFi Stadium, the first knockout-round win in Canadian men’s World Cup history, and on to a Round of 16 date in Houston on Saturday, July 4. With the tournament’s knockout rounds rolling on across North America, SoFi remains one of its signature stages — and the building isn’t done hosting marquee matches this summer.
› Arash Markazi: Eustáquio’s stoppage-time goal sends Canada to a historic World Cup win (The Sporting Tribune)
🏒 GOLDEN KNIGHTS SORT OUT THE CREASE
Fresh off a draft weekend that saw Vegas turn Pavel Dorofeyev into Juho Piiparinen and picks, the Golden Knights made a roster move that clarifies their goaltending picture heading into 2026-27. Derek Hegna breaks down what it signals for a franchise that doesn’t do rebuilds.
› Derek Hegna: Latest roster move sheds light on the Golden Knights’ goaltending situation (The Sporting Tribune)c
📺 WATCHLIST — TUESDAY, JUNE 30
🏀 WNBA: Commissioner’s Cup final — Aces at Liberty — Barclays Center — Prime Video — 4 p.m. PT
⚾ MLB: Padres at Cubs — MLB TV — 6:30 p.m.
⚾ MLB: Dodgers at Athletics — SNLA — 6:30 p.m.
⚾ MLB: Angels at Mariners — ABTV — 6:30 p.m.
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⚾ MLB: Dodgers at Athletics — $200
🌴 TST TRIVIA
The Aces can become the first franchise to win the Commissioner’s Cup twice. In what year did Las Vegas win its first Cup title?
Answer at the bottom.
🎧 THE SPORTING TRIBUNE TODAY
Today’s episode sets the table for LeBron James and Anthony Davis possibly joining Steph Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State, checks in on Ohtani and the league-best Dodgers, and looks ahead to the rest of the World Cup. Hear it on the radio across Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii via Westwood One Sports.
› Listen to the latest episode
Trivia answer: 2022. The Aces won the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup in 2022 (beating Chicago); the Liberty won it in 2023. Tonight’s winner becomes the first two-time champion.
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