The streak(s) are over. 

For the first time in the WNBA, Angel Reese has downed rival Caitlin Clark, as the Sky defended home court for an 88-87 victory. And, of course, it came down to two epic efforts by the two stars of the game. 

Angel Reese had her best performance as a pro in the win. Reese put up 25 points and 16 rebounds in the effort, and in doing so, extended her rookie record double-double streak to eight games. Of Reese’s 25, 10 came in the crucial fourth quarter.

On the other side, it wasn’t for lack of effort from the Fever: Clark and the Fever held a 15-point lead, but couldn’t quite seal the deal. Clark made sure to find her teammates in the matchup, setting a Fever record in assists in the game with 13.

It’s the first win for Reese over Clark in the WNBA, and the first win for Reese over Clark since LSU’s championship win over Iowa in 2023. The Chicago also snapped Indiana’s four-game winning streak, as the two squads battle for the final playoff spot in the W.

USA TODAY Sports covered highlights, updates and more from the Sky vs. Fever matchup below. 

Fever vs. Sky final score

Chicago Sky: 88

Indiana Fever: 87

Angel Reese stats vs. Fever

The stocks are sky high for the Sky rookie after Chicago’s win on Sunday. Reese netted 25 points and 16 rebounds in the matchup, setting a career high in points in the matchup. Reese also went 9 for 11 from the charity stripe.

Caitlin Clark sets Indiana franchise record vs. Sky

CHICAGO — Whether she’s at Iowa or in the WNBA, no record is safe around Caitlin Clark.

Clark has 13 assists – so far – against the Chicago Sky, an Indiana Fever record. She dished out the record setter on a laser to Aliyah Boston that Boston then laid into the basket. — Nancy Armour

Caitlin Clark stats vs. Sky

Clark added a double-double of her own in the matchup: She netted 17 points and 13 assists, adding six rebounds in the effort.

Sky holding on vs. Fever after three quarters

CHICAGO — The Indiana Fever are threatening to break this game open, thanks to big third quarters by Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.

Boston had seven and Mitchell had 12 in the period, including a rare four-point play with 1:31 left to give Indiana a 72-57 lead, its largest of the game. But Angel Reese converted a three-point play and then made a pair of free throws in the last minute to keep Indiana from running away with it.

With one quarter left to play, Indiana leads 72-64. — Nancy Armour

Angel Reese extends rookie double-double streak record

CHICAGO — That’s eight double-doubles in a row for Angel Reese.

Reese had 10 points and 10 rebounds midway through the third quarter to extend her own WNBA record for most consecutive double-doubles by a rookie. She added five points and a rebound by the end of the third quarter to bring her game totals to 15 points and 11 boards. — Nancy Armour

Sky’s Chennedy Carter takes hard hit, shaken up vs. Fever

CHICAGO — Chennedy Carter looked to be in some pain after she and NaLyssa Smith collided hard under the basket with 6:27 left in the third quarter. She clutched her back and rolled back and forth as her teammates surrounded her. She was able to walk off the court on her own, however, and was back on the floor to shoot the free throws after a timeout. — Nancy Armour

Fever vs. Sky locked in a tight (and expensive) battle

CHICAGO — Fans who were fortunate enough – or who paid enough – to get a ticket to this Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky game are getting their money’s worth.

Aliyah Boston had all eight of her points in the second quarter and the Fever have a 46-45 lead over the Sky at the half. Chennedy Carter leads all scorers with 15 while Angel Reese is closing in on her eighth consecutive double-double with eight points and eight boards.

This game was the toughest ticket in WNBA history, according to TickPick, and it hasn’t disappointed. It’s been an energetic, back-and-forth contest, without too many miscues. Though there’s a healthy contingent of Clark fans here for her first game in Chicago, including superfan Jason Sudeikis, the Sky fans are heard anytime Carter, Reese or Marina Mabrey scores or grabs a rebound. — Nancy Armour

Chennedy Carter making noise again in Sky vs. Fever – this time on offense

CHICAGO — Chennedy Carter is at the center of the Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky once again.

This time, however, it’s for her offense.

Carter, who delivered the hip check heard ‘round the world in the first meeting between the teams three weeks ago, led all scorers with 11 points as the Sky took a 28-26 lead after the first quarter. Kelsey Mitchell has 10 for the Fever, going 2 of 4 from 3-point range.

Caitlin Clark also has a pair of 3s while Angel Reese has four rebounds. — Nancy Armour

Chance the Rapper, Jason Sudeikis and other celebs take in Sky vs. Fever

CHICAGO — The stars came out for the first game in Chicago between the Sky and the Indiana Fever.

Chance the Rapper, who became a Sky fan during their title run in 2021, was sitting courtside next to Jason Sudeikis, who was sporting a WNBA sweatshirt. Sudeikis is a well-known Caitlin Clark fan, having attended multiple of her games both at Iowa and since she joined the NBA.

Also in attendance: Mary Dillon, CEO of Foot Locker; Arne Duncan, the former U.S. Secretary of Education; and Craig Robinson, brother of former First Lady Michelle Obama. — Nancy Armour

How to watch Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky

The Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

How to stream at Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky

The Fever vs. Sky game is available for streaming on ESPN+ and Fubo.

The game will also be available on demand on WNBA League Pass upon its conclusion. Fans can get League Pass by downloading the WNBA app.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

What time is Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky today?

Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky host Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever Sunday at 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. local). The game is at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

What are Caitlin Clark’s stats so far this season? 

Caitlin Clark has played 17 games so far in the 2024 WNBA season, through June 21, and has started each one.  

Clark is averaging a team-high 16.2 points and a team-high 6.2 assists along with 5.4 rebounds per game. Clark is shooting 39.6% from the field, 3.8% from 3-point range and 89.9% from the free throw line. She also leads the Fever steals (1.4), turnovers (5.6) and minutes per game (33.4). 

What are Angel Reese’s stats so far this season?

Angel Reese has played 14 games so far in the 2024 WNBA season, through June 20, and has started each one.

Reese is averaging 12.4 points, a team-high 10.8 rebounds and a team-high 1.9 steals per game. Reese is shooting 38.6% from the field and 75.3% from the free throw line, while adding 2.1 assists per game.

How did Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever fare in most recent game?

Caitlin Clark helped the Fever win their fourth consecutive game, leading a balanced attack Friday night in Indiana’s 91-79 road win over the Atlanta Dream.

Clark, one of five Fever players in double figures, scored 16 points and added seven assists and four rebounds as Indiana led wire-to-wire. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft hit 6-of-12 field goals and knocked down 4-of-8 3-pointers.

Clark, in her 17th game, surpassed 100 assists in her young career and tied legendary point guard Sue Bird as the third-fastest player to reach that milestone. – Ellen J. Horrow

Forget the online rancor, Caitlin Clark helping WNBA break through to fans of all ages

To experience Caitlin Clark as a topic on the internet and to experience her playing basketball in real life are two very different things.

On social media sites, she is a blank canvas for bad-faith actors to push agendas and stir discord. But in person, she’s doing what the world’s most online sports fans seem to hate the most.

She’s making more people enjoy watching sports. There’s a disconnect between how people are experiencing the Clark phenomenon online and what’s actually happening – as they were in Atlanta on Friday night when a lot of real human beings paid real money to fill an arena that even some very good NBA teams have struggled to sell out in years past.

How did Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky fare in most recent game?

Angel Reese recorded her seventh straight double-double Thursday to power the Chicago Sky over the Dallas Wings 83-72. Reese scored 16 points and grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds to set the WNBA rookie record for most consecutive double-doubles. It broke the mark she shared with Tina Charles (2010) and Cindy Brown (1998).

Reese is the only rookie this season to be averaging a double-double. In the Sky’s first 14 games, she’s had just one that she has not reached double digits in either points or rebounds. She also leads the entire league in offensive rebounds (68). – Nancy Armour

Angel Reese wasted no time proving those who doubted her game wrong

All those folks who doubted whether Angel Reese’s game would translate to the WNBA must feel pretty silly these days.

Reese’s transition has been seamless, however. Or she’s made it look that way, anyway. Reese isn’t just Chicago’s most productive player, either. She’s been its most dependable, too. In 14 games with the Sky, she’s scored fewer than 10 points only twice. There’s been just one game where she failed to reach double figures in either points or rebounds.

‘I knew coming into the league what I was going to bring,’ Reese said after Thursday’s win over the Dallas Wings. ‘I don’t really care about outside things. I knew my game was going to translate because I rebound and I play hard. I play hard all 40 minutes and you can’t teach that. You can’t teach that dawg mentality.’

What is the Indiana Fever’s record vs. the Chicago Sky this season?

The Indiana Fever are 2-0 vs. the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA season, winning both games in Indianapolis. The Fever scored their second win of the 2024 WNBA season and their first home win on June 1 when they beat the Sky 71-70. On June 16, the Fever beat the Sky 91-83.

Following today’s game, the teams will play one more time in the regular season: Friday, Aug. 30 in Chicago.

Why Fever vs. Sky Round 3 isn’t at the United Center

CHICAGO — Blame Justin Timberlake for why the Fever-Sky game was such a tough ticket.

Timberlake played at the United Center both Friday and Saturday nights, which meant it was unavailable even if the Sky had wanted to move the game to take advantage of the massive interest in it. The United Center seats roughly 20,000 while Wintrust Arena, the Sky’s home arena, seats a little over 10,000.

“A little bit smaller of an arena so a harder ticket to get,” Caitlin Clark said before the game. “We were driving by and there’s just so many lines of people already trying to get in. So I think people are just really excited to see this matchup. It’s two WNBA teams right in the Midwest where I grew up, and I know how much they love women’s basketball in this area.

“You can just feel it driving up from the bus,” she added. “I think once everybody gets in the building, it will be special.”

Tickets for the Fever-Sky game were sold out long ago. With a get-in price of $271, it’s the most expensive ticket in WNBA history, according to TickPick.

The interest in the game, the first this season in Chicago between the teams, is not a surprise. Clark and the Sky’s Angel Reese have been linked since the 2023 NCAA championship game, when Reese taunted Clark after her LSU team beat Clark’s Iowa squad for the title. Their first meeting as pros only ratcheted up the hype, with the Sky’s Chennedy Carter knocking Clark over with a hip check off the ball that was later upgraded to a Flagrant 1.

Though Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said it’s too soon to call this a rivalry, it sure has all the makings of one.

“It’s going to be lit in here,” Reese said. “I love it for women’s sports because they haven’t had sold-out crowds in a long time. Being able to do this and being able to be here in this moment and continue to grow women’s basketball is what’s important to me.”

Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark arrive for Sky vs. Fever in style

Don’t let the ‘fits fool you – the Sky and Fever are donning their super suits in just a matter of time.

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and the rest of the rosters for Sky and Fever arrived with some killer looks ahead of their matchup on Sunday afternoon. Of course, the only thing that matches their on-the-court dominance is their off-the-court style.

How many points did Caitlin Clark score against the Sky in their last matchup?

Caitlin Clark flirted with a triple-double (again) as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft helped the Indiana Fever win 91-83 for their second win over the Chicago this season.

Clark led all scorers with 23 points and also dished nine assists and grabbed eight rebounds. After a couple rough shooting games, Clark found a rhythm against Chicago, hitting her first three attempts and finishing 7 of 11 from the field; she also went 6-of-6 from the free throw line. – Lindsay Schnell

How many points did Angel Reese score against the Fever in their last matchup?

Angel Reese tallied 11 points and 13 rebounds in the 91-83 loss to the Indiana Fever last Sunday. But the league’s top offensive rebounder had to sit for a long stretch in the third quarter due to foul trouble and shot just 4 of 13 from the floor. – Lindsay Schnell

Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese: Fever-Sky tickets most expensive in WNBA history

The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has carried over to the WNBA. The hype around their next matchup is resulting in record ticket prices.

The average purchase price of a ticket for the Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky game on Sunday is $271 on TickPick, making it the most expensive WNBA game on record, according to the ticket marketplace. The get-in price for the game on TickPick was $231 as of Thursday evening. Sunday’s contest is four times more expensive than the get-in price of $57 for their last matchup in Indianapolis less than a week ago. – Jordan Mendoza

Angel Reese wasted no time proving those who doubted her game wrong

All those folks who doubted whether Angel Reese’s game would translate to the WNBA must feel pretty silly these days.

Reese’s transition has been seamless, however. Or she’s made it look that way, anyway. Reese isn’t just Chicago’s most productive player, either. She’s been its most dependable, too. In 14 games with the Sky, she’s scored fewer than 10 points only twice. There’s been just one game where she failed to reach double figures in either points or rebounds.

‘I knew coming into the league what I was going to bring,’ Reese said after Thursday’s win over the Dallas Wings. ‘I don’t really care about outside things. I knew my game was going to translate because I rebound and I play hard. I play hard all 40 minutes and you can’t teach that. You can’t teach that dawg mentality.’

LOUDON, N.H. — Christopher Bell outlasted the rain, darkness, repeated cautions and the rest of the field to win the 2024 USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Bell, who also won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, stood victorious in a race that lasted more than six hours after a rain delay that lasted 134 minutes and 14 cautions.

It marked Bell’s second win in five career starts at New Hampshire. He is now second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with eight races remaining in the regular season.

Bell also won the first stage of the race after overtaking polesitter Chase Elliott on lap 43. Denny Hamlin then found the lead to end Stage 2, but heavy rain entered the track during the last stage and the field was equalized.

Drivers were forced onto wet tires for the last 80 or so laps that saw several spin-outs and wrecks due to tricky conditions.

Chase Briscoe finished second, Josh Berry came home third, Kyle Larson was fourth and Chris Buescher fifth.

Results: USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series race

Here are the top 10 finishers Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (starting position in parentheses):

Christopher Bell (4), No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
Chase Briscoe (23), No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford
Josh Berry (10), No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford
Kyle Larson (19), No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (15), No. 17 RFK Racing, Ford
Tyler Reddick (12), No. 45 23XI Racing, Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (13), No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet
John Hunter Nemechek (28), No. 42 Legacy Motor Club, Toyota
Martin Truex Jr. (7), No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
Ross Chastain (8), No. 1 Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet

Bubba Wallace involved in multi-car wreck

Another lap, another caution flag.

Noah Gragson lost control of his No. 10 Ford and collected the cars of both Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace to produce a 10th caution flag at the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Wallace was forced to retire.

It has been a tumultuous race filled with collisions, spin-outs and weather delays. Christopher Bell leads the pack from Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson.

USA TODAY 301 race restarts in New Hampshire

LOUDON, N.H. — We are back underway in Loudon. Tyler Reddick leads the pack at the 2024 USA TODAY 301 race with less than 80 laps remaining at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The race had been delayed for two hours and 14 minutes due to inclement weather. Crews worked to clear the track of standing water and teams switched cars to wet-weather ties, which are relatively new to NASCAR.

Moments before the race restarted, two-time NASCAR Series champion Kyle Busch, who was already having a rough day after multiple incidents, slammed into the outside wall under caution coming out of Turn 3. Busch had enough, climbing out of his Chevrolet and getting into the NASCAR safety truck as another truck towed his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing car off the track.

NASCAR trying to get New Hampshire race going again

LOUDON, N.H. — After a significant amount of rainfall at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, team crews and NASCAR staff are trying to get ‘The Magic Mile’ back in racing shape to complete the USA TODAY 301.

Teams do have wet-weather tires available, and race officials have told teams to prepare the cars to use them. However, there is still a significant amount of water on the track. Puddles and spray could be an issue if the red flag gets lifted because the cars do not have windshield wipers.

Tyler Reddick would stand to be the race-winner as the leader after 219 laps if the race does not restart.

Race red-flagged due to weather

LOUDON, N.H. — The 2024 USA TODAY 301 was paused due to significant rain in the area on lap 220 of 301.

Tyler Reddick and his team are looking quite prudent, as the No. 45 23XI Racing team decided not to pit following Stage 2 in favor of track position with heavy rain creeping in on the area. He leads the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway from Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin is in an interesting spot, as he is a co-owner – along with Michael Jordan – of the No. 45 Toyota piloted by Reddick, but he could also be in position for the win should the race resume from Loudon, New Hampshire.

If NASCAR officials call the race early, Reddick would be the winner with the USA TODAY 301 becoming official once Stage 2 ended.

Keselowski makes contact with Truex

LOUDON, N.H. — Martin Truex Jr. got tipped from behind by Brad Keselowski early in stage 3 after a slow pit stop dropped him from among the leaders to mid pack. The contact caused damage to his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Truex previously had a problem with his right rear tire on a pit stop and went from second to 26th position.

Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick leads from Denny Hamlin with less than 90 laps to go. Reddick did not pit after Stage 2, so fuel would be a concern if cautions and incoming storms do not shorten the race.

Slow stop burns Truex as storms inch closer

LOUDON, N.H. — Martin Truex Jr., at one point the race leader and second-place finisher in Stage 2, dropped to 26th on the restart after a slow pit stop while changing the right rear tire.

Others also chose to change tires during the break while some drivers elected to stay out, hoping the storms reach the track before their tires and/or fuel performance go under. With two stages complete, the race would be official if storms end the race early.

Tyler Reddick was the big winner, starting in front at the Stage 3 restart in front of Michael McDowell.

Meanwhile, Joey Logano experienced a lockup on the first lap of the Stage 3 restart and suffered damage to his car. Chase Elliott also took damage on the accident.

Denny Hamlin eyeing history at New Hampshire

LOUDON, N.H. — Denny Hamlin could be on the way to his fourth win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver started 14th and took advantage of the chaos caused by a flurry of cautions to win the second stage of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 race in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Martin Truex Jr. (second) is right on Hamlin’s tail, followed by Joey Logano (third), Christopher Bell (fourth), Ryan Blaney (fifth), Todd Gilliland (sixth), Kyle Larson (seventh), Josh Berry (eighth), Chase Elliott (ninth) and Ross Chastain (10th).

A fourth win at New Hampshire would tie Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton for most wins at New Hampshire all time. It would also be Hamlin’s fourth victory of the season, which would lead the series.

Cautions piling up in New Hampshire

LOUDON, N.H. — A pair of cautions in a matter of a few laps threw a wrench into the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

First, a Daniel Hemric spin on lap 142 caused a flurry of activity in the pit lane. Just a few laps later, Kyle Busch hit the wall and brought out yet another caution flag late in the race’s second stage.

Meanwhile, Alex Bowman suffered an engine problem during the caution laps for the Hemric incident and was forced to take his car to the garage.

Denny Hamlin led from Joey Logano with both Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell close behind.

Martin Truex Jr. passes Bell on lap 138; weather looming

LOUDON, N.H. — Martin Truex Jr. overtook Christopher Bell on lap 138 of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Truex started seventh and got the move done a few laps after both he and Bell made green-flag pit stops for fresh tires.

Truex was behind only Todd Gilliland, who has yet to pit, at the time of the move.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms are looming west of the track and the region remains under a tornado watch.

Bell, Logano big winners after Stage 1; Elliott scuffles

LOUDON, N.H. — Christopher Bell held his position for the final 27 laps of the first stage to maintain his lead of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Joey Logano, a New England native, edged polesitter Chase Elliott on the final lap of Stage 1 to finish second in the stage. Elliott might be looking to around to see what exactly went wrong after leading the first 42 laps of the race.

The others to receive points after Stage 1 were Ryan Blaney (fourth), Josh Berry (fifth), Martin Truex Jr. (sixth), Denny Hamlin (seventh), Ross Chastain (eighth, Tyer Reddick (ninth) and Alex Bowman (10th).

Christopher Bell takes lead on lap 43

LOUDON, N.H. — Could Christopher Bell do it two days in a row?

The winner of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Bell made a move on the inside of Chase Elliott to take the lead on the 43rd lap of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Bell, who started fourth Sunday, methodically trimmed Elliott’s lead over the previous 10 laps. Elliott led by more than three seconds at one point. Still, Elliott remains about a second behind Bell with a little more than 20 laps to go in the first stage. — Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

Chase Elliott jumps out to lead on first lap

LOUDON, N.H. — Polesitter Chase Elliott went three lanes deep as the green flag dropped and made a statement run on the first lap to lead the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Christopher Bell was right behind in second place, followed by Ross Chastain, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.

What time is the USA TODAY 301 NASCAR race?

The New Hampshire race started at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.

How to watch the USA TODAY 301 NASCAR race

USA Network is broadcasting the race. It is also available to stream on the NBC Sports App and fuboTV. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and PRN Radio will also have the race.

NASCAR starting lineup for race today

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford
William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet
Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Toyota
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford
Josh Berry, No. 4 Ford
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford
Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Ford
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet
Carson Hocevar, No. 71 Chevrolet
Noah Gragson, No. 10 Ford
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet
Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Ford
Justin Haley, No. 51 Ford
Michael McDowell, No. 34 Ford
Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Chevrolet
Harrison Burton, No. 21 Ford
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet
Ryan Preece, No. 41 Ford
Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota
Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Chevrolet
Zane Smith, No. 71 Chevrolet
Kaz Grala, No. 15 Ford
Ty Dillon, No. 16 Chevrolet

Qualifying canceled for USA TODAY 301 NASCAR race

Where a drivers starts can have a lot to do with where they finish, and this race’s starting lineup was determined by NASCAR’s metric after qualifying was scrubbed due to weather on Saturday. There were benefactors, particularly Chase Elliott, who will start from the pole position, and last week’s winner, Ryan Blaney, who will start alongside Elliott on the front row with William Byron, Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman rounding out the top five.

Weather update for New Hampshire NASCAR Sprint Cup race today

It’s been raining all morning but finally stopped around 11:15 a.m. ET. The sky is looking cloudy with humid and hazy conditions for the race. But everything is not in the clear yet. The National Weather Service placed the area under a tornado watch until 8 p.m. ET. It said storms could move across the region this afternoon and have ‘the potential to produce damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes.’

— Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

Drivers to watch at USA TODAY 301 NASCAR race

Which drivers have the best chance to claim victory at the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway? These are the top drivers to watch Sunday in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Martin Treux Jr. is looking to go back-to-back after winning in New Hampshire last year, while Chase Elliott will look to stand on the top step of the podium from pole position.

If it’s not either of those two hoisting the trophy after 301 laps, a good bet could be Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin or Christopher Bell — all have wins in 2024 as well as previous wins at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

— Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

NFL star Matthew Judon talks NASCAR, driving pace car

Wet weather ruined the opportunity for New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon to drive the pace car before the start of Sunday’s Cup Series race, which is a shame since Judon believes he is the best driver among his Patriots teammates.

A soggy track meant Judon’s pace car training had to be canceled, so the four-time Pro Bowler will instead ride shotgun inside the official Toyota Camry XSE pace car before the green light at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

‘I probably wouldn’t ask my teammates anything about driving,’ Judon said before the race. ‘I think I’m the best driver on the team. I came into it fresh, no knowledge and I’m just happy for real. This is just a new experience.’

Could Judon’s driving skills lead to a future career in professional racing?

‘For sure, no,’ Judon said. ‘I don’t even know how to drive a stick car.’

— Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. − The feelings have been burnt into his soul for more than a half-century, and now returning to the same community that left him humiliated, fuming and frightened for his life, Reggie Jackson’s words, with raw, unadulterated emotion, pierced the heavy air.

Jackson, a Hall of Famer, has often expressed his feelings about playing in the Deep South in 1967 while in the minor leagues in Birmingham, Alabama, but on this day at a luncheon in the afternoon, and again on national TV at night, it was different.

This was meant for the world to hear.

Jackson, in an open forum in Birmingham Thursday, was asked if he were a better person having come up through the city where Jim Crow laws existed and whether he was stronger after enduring the social inequities in Birmingham.

“I paused for 30 seconds,’ Jackson told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday morning, “and I said, ‘Sir, I would never want to do that again. I wouldn’t ask anyone else to do it again. I don’t want anyone to think that because I went through that, it made me a better person. It did not make me a better person.’

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“Humans are not built for that. You don’t put a human being in a situation like that and think they’re better for it. I wouldn’t want a white person in a prejudiced community, to go through that, frightening their life to make him better. I wouldn’t want a Black person to go through that. I wouldn’t want a Native American to go through that. I wouldn’t want a member of the LGBTQ community to go through that.

“To go through that, and think it makes you a better person?

“(Expletive) you!’

Jackson, who attended the historic Rickwood Field Game in Birmingham, was not a guest of Major League Baseball. He was not a paid guest for Fox. He came to pay respects to the Negro Leagues and the passing of Willie Mays.

So, when Alex Rodriguez simply asked Jackson his thoughts of returning to Birmingham before the game, the emotions that he vented earlier in the day came flooding out.

“I’ve talked about this plenty of times,’’ Jackson said, “but it was always in print, just newspapers and magazines.’

This time it was live TV.

It was during prime time at Rickwood Field.

Uncensored. Raw emotions.

And powerful, reminding America of the horrifying times in this country and the reality that many of those things have not gone away.

“Coming back here is not easy,” Jackson, 78, told Rodriguez. “The racism when I played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled, fortunately I had a manager and players on the team that helped me get through it. But I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.’’

Jackson wasn’t done.

He was just getting started.

‘I walked into restaurants and they would point at me and say ‘The (N-word) can’t eat here.’ I would go to a hotel and they would say ‘The (N-word) can’t stay here.’ We want to Charlie Finley’s country club for a welcome home dinner, and they pointed me out with the N-word, ‘he can’t come in here.’ Finley marched the whole team out. Finally, they let me in. He had said ‘We’re gonna go to a diner and eat hamburgers; we’ll go where we’re wanted.’

‘Fortunately, I had a manager in Johnny McNamara, that if I couldn’t eat in the place, nobody would eat and we’d get food to travel. If I couldn’t stay in a hotel, they’d drive to the next hotel and find a place where I could stay.”

Jackson, who thanked Finley for telling the country club manager that the entire team would leave for another diner if Jackson couldn’t stay, went on to thank his white teammates like Joe Rudi, Dave Duncan and Rollie Fingers for helping him cope in a city that still believed in the Jim Crow laws.

“I slept on their couch (Rudi and his wife) four nights a week for about a month and a half,” Jackson said. “Finally, they were threatened that they’d burn the apartment complex down unless I got out. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

Jackson’s response to the one question lasted more than three minutes.

No one on the Fox set interrupted him.

No producer screamed into a headset trying to stop him.

“I really didn’t think it would get as much attention as it has gotten,’’ Jackson told USA TODAY Sports after the game, “but as much response as it generated, I didn’t get one negative response. Not one.

“I didn’t know Alex would ask me that question, but I’m glad they gave me a chance to respond.

“I’m glad people listened.’

Loud. And clear.

Really, the oddest reaction was from America itself.

Folks acted as if they were shocked this was happening 50 years ago and not centuries ago.

Wake up.

It was in the ’80s when Al Campanis, general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, uttered on national TV that Blacks lacked “the necessities’ to be general managers or managers in the game.

It was in the early ’90s in Los Angeles when Rodney King was brutally beaten by police officers on the city streets and every officer was acquitted.

It was in the mid-’90s in Vero Beach, Florida, when an apartment complex refused to allow a reporter’s two black children to swim in its community swimming pool.

It was in the past five years that George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her bedroom in Louisville, and Ahmaud Arbery was murdered jogging in Georgia.

So, really, we’re shocked that Jackson couldn’t eat in restaurants, sleep in hotels and hang in country clubs with his white teammates 57 years ago?

Welcome to America.

Racism still flourishes in this country, but the only difference, as Hank Aaron once told me, “the difference back then is that they had hoods. Now, they have neckties and starched shirts.’

“In the South,’ Jackson said, “you knew they didn’t like you. You knew they didn’t want you. They didn’t hide it.’

Now, racism may not be as overt, but as Jackson reminded the country this week, don’t be naive to think it has gone away, or even greatly diminished.

Oh, and just in case you needed a reminder, there are only two Black managers in baseball, one Black general manager and there still has never been a majority Black owner. Jackson said Saturday he still is incensed the he was denied the opportunity to bid on the Oakland Athletics in 2005 when it was sold to John Fisher.

So, you really believe things have changed?

“I am glad,’’ Jackson said, “that I said what I did. It needed to be said.’

And repeated over and over again.

Oh, the memories

Jim Marshall, 93, one of the original New York Mets, says one of his greatest thrills of his career was being a teammate of Willie Mays with the Giants, spending time together on a goodwill trip to Japan.

“You hear everyone say he was a five-tool player,’ Marshall tells USA TODAY Sports, “but what they don’t say is that if you break down every tool, he was the best in every category.’’

Indeed, Mays is the only player in baseball history who led the league in 10 different categories in his career, according to STATS Perform: Hits, runs, homers, triples, stolen bases, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, total bases and walks.

Marshall, who was a backup first baseman, said his job was to throw batting practice whenever the Giants were about to face a left-hander that day.

“So here I am,’ Marshall says, “pitching against Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda and Willie Mays. I’m telling you, it was not fun. There were times I didn’t even have a screen in front of me. I always pitched Willie inside. I knew if I threw one out and over the plate, I’d be dead.’’

Marshall says his favorite time with Mays was a goodwill tour in Japan with him in 1960 and watching the Japanese fans flock to him. He was voted the MVP of the tour, even though McCovey had the superior numbers.

“We went to a few parties together, but you never had to worry about Willie,’’ Marshall said. “He did not drink. And when it was midnight, he was off to bed.

“The party was over.’’

Marshall’s favorite Mays story?

“We were in Milwaukee (April 30, 1961), Mays comes into the clubhouse and tells the manager Bill Rigney, ‘I can’t play. I’m really sick. I had some bad ribs and I just can’t do it.’

“Rigney told him, ‘Hey, there’s still an hour before the game, so let’s plan on playing, OK?’

“Well, the next thing we know, Willie’s in the lineup and he hits four home runs. Four! He was on the on-deck circle when the game ended or I would have sworn he would have hit five. No doubt about it.’’

Mays was the ninth player in history to hit four homers in a game, a list that has now expanded to 18 players.

No one has ever hit five homers.

The biggest rivalry in the game, Marshall said, was between McCovey and Mays. Mays was the star. McCovey wanted to be just as big.

“McCovey had one goal in mind,’’ Marshall said. “If Mays hit one, McCovey wanted to hit one further. There was a rivalry for popularity.

“Felipe Alou and I would just sit on the bench and watch the show. I was just looking up the other day how many homers he hit off Hall of Famers. He hit 18 homers off Warren Spahn and five off (Sandy) Koufax.

“I’m telling you, there was nobody like him.

“And there never will be.’’

Around the basepaths

≻ While Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol’s future is uncertain past this season, one name that is floating around internally as a potential replacement in 2025 is Skip Schumaker, manager of the Miami Marlins.

Schumaker, the reigning NL manager of the year, played seven years in St. Louis for Tony La Russa, who will be an integral part of the decision-making process.

≻ While the CBA has a provision that would allow two teams to play a game in Paris next season, MLB officials say there won’t be one until at least 2027. There currently is no game scheduled in Europe in 2025, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs opening the 2025 season in Tokyo.

≻ The Detroit Tigers know they have an awfully nice trade chip in starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, who signed a one-year, $14 million contract and has a 2.92 ERA.

≻ Florida Marlins lefty Jesus Luzardo is not expected to be traded now after going on the injured list with back problems. He also was on the injured list earlier this season with elbow tightness.

≻ Tony Clark, executive director of the players union, was visibly moved walking through the Negro Southern League Museum and visiting with former Negro League players and their families.

“This affords me the opportunity to just say, ‘Thank you,” Clark said, “give back and remind others as to the importance of this history and what it means in the grand scheme of things. It’s very easy for the history to get lost. It’s very easy for the history to get brushed aside.

“Having an event is great and it brings and sheds a light on that history, but it will be very important beyond this week and beyond this game that history continues to be told.’’

≻ With the passing of Willie Mays on June 18, the oldest living Hall of Famer is now Luis Aparicio, 90, followed by Sandy Koufax at 88.

≻ While the San Francisco Giants are campaigning to universally retire Willie Mays’ number (24), MLB officials say it’s unlikely.

If you retire Mays’ number, then you must retire Hank Aaron’s number. And if you retire Aaron’s number, Roberto Clemente is deserving. Jackie Robinson’s number, 42, deserves to stand alone.

≻ The New York Mets are closely watching the health of Astros ace Justin Verlander, who’s back on the injured list and in danger of not pitching 140 innings. He has pitched just 57 innings in 10 starts this season.

If Verlander reaches 140 innings, his $35 million player option for 2025 vests and the Mets are required to pay $17.5 million of it.

If he doesn’t, they’re off the hook.

≻ MLB scouts have insisted all season that Chicago Cubs prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong may not be the impact bat that’s been hyped, and so far they’ve been proved correct. He’s hitting .200 with a .570 OPS.

≻ Perhaps the scariest team in the National League the second half of the season could be the Arizona Diamondbacks, who haven’t been above .500 since April 3 and will have their three best starters back in July: Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez.

As the D-backs proved last year on their road to the World Series all you need to do is get in to the postseason.

≻ Believe it or not, the Boston Red Sox lead the American League in stolen bases. The last time they led the league in that stat? 1935.

≻ The Baltimore Orioles had four pitchers undergo season-ending surgery in a 17-day span. Yet, their starting rotation has the third-lowest ERA (3.02) in baseball, led by Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes (2.14 ERA).

“The game doesn’t stop for you,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters. “We keep playing.”

≻ The Los Angeles Dodgers, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler on the injured list, have Tyler Glasnow as their true ace, but have found a nice No. 2 without scouring the trade market: Gavin Stone, 25, is 8-2 with a 3.04 ERA in 14 starts.

≻ MLB is hoping that the automatic strike zone will be ready for the 2026 season with players able to challenge balls and strikes.

≻ In a rather ironic twist, there was an advertising billboard behind the left-center-field fence at Rickwood Field promoting … BetMGM.

Willie Mays was actually banned from working in baseball by then-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn in 1979 for being a a goodwill ambassador at Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City.

“A casino is no place for a baseball hero and Hall of Famer,’’ Kuhn said.

Mays, along with Mickey Mantle who had also been banned, were reinstated by commissioner Peter Ueberroth in 1985.

≻ Kudos to the production folks at Fox Sports with the pregame and in-game interviews featuring Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick.

≻ Just in case you haven’t noticed − and most haven’t − Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan is hitting .390 with a 1.013 OPS.

≻ Dr. Lawrence Rocks, who has a second installment of a science cartoon series debuting Sunday with White Sox shortstop Paul DeJong and Astros manager Joe Espada as voices, says one of his favorite baseball highlights was seeing the great Satchel Paige pitching at Yankee Stadium in 1948. Paige was his favorite pitcher.

≻ Just how impactful is Mets 22-year-old catcher Francisco Alvarez? The Mets are 19-1 in games he has played since April 4, with the pitchers yielding a 2.34 ERA with him and 4.11 with anyone else behind the plate.

≻ Beautiful moment for Philadelphia Phillies starter Ranger Suarez and his family who finally got to see him pitch in person last week.

Joseany Cabello, Suarez’s wife and mother of their two children, did not have a visa to come to the United States from Venezuela until they were married over the winter. They were all together to watch Suarez pitch and spend their first Father’s Day together last weekend.

≻ Do you realize that San Diego Padres infielder Luis Arraez has never woken up a single day since reaching the big leagues when he was not a .300 career hitter? He’s one of 11 players in history to accomplish the feat.

≻ Welcome back Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, who is scheduled to make his season debut Sunday for the Texas Rangers. Fellow Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom is expected to join him in August.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

It is possible to be fans of, or at least appreciate, more than one female athlete at a time.

You can think Caitlin Clark is the greatest thing to happen to women’s basketball and still be impressed with what Angel Reese brings to the game. You can want the women who laid the foundation for what the WNBA is now to get the credit they deserve and still recognize Clark is fueling unprecedented growth and attention for both the league and women’s sports.

Contrary to what society has conditioned you to believe, multiple women can have success at the same time and in the same space without it becoming a Hunger Games situation. They do not have to be pitted against each other, only one able to emerge deserving of the general public’s respect and admiration.

Not that you’d know this from the six weeks of the WNBA season. Or the last two years, really.

While acknowledging there also are troubling undercurrents of racism and homophobia involved, some of the discourse these days resembles “Mean Girls: WNBA edition.” The veterans hate Clark. Reese is jealous of her. No one is showing Clark, or the women who came before her, the proper gratitude.

For some fans, and some in the media who really ought to know better, it isn’t enough to root for someone. You have to root against her rivals at the same time. And not just root against. Denigrate and diminish so they don’t steal anyone else’s shine.

“This isn’t specific to sport, which I think is important to acknowledge. It’s such a common theme and common narrative throughout different industries and different timepoints, which means it’s larger than, `Oh, these two athletes are popular now,’” said Cheryl Cooky, a professor at Purdue University who studies the intersection of gender, sport and culture.

“This really is about maintaining patriarchal institutions and structures. It’s about our cultural anxieties about women. And women in powerful and successful positions,” Cooky said. “There’s also this sense of, `We can allow one. We have in our culture and patriarchal society space for one.’ If we have space for just one, she becomes the exception to the rule. It’s not perceived as a threat.

“But it’s not just this one. It’s all these women that are powerful and successful and posing that sort of threat to the status quo.”

Sadly, this is not new. Practically from birth, girls and women are compared to one another in ways that require knocking others down to lift someone up. Who’s the prettiest? Who has the best clothes? Who’s part of the `in’ crowd?

It’s bad enough when we women engage in it ourselves. It’s far worse when we give permission for others to do it, too. Which is what we’re doing by giving these nonsensical narratives air and allowing a transformative time in women’s sports to be reduced to a soap opera.

Again, racism and homophobia are factors and it’s disingenuous to pretend they’re not. The dog whistles are being heard loud and clear in some of the most popular narratives. Like this notion that Clark has to be “protected” in a league where the majority of players are Black and a good number are queer. Or the demand that Clark’s contributions to the WNBA’s growth get primacy over the league’s long history of advocating for social justice and equality.

But so much of this is also simply what we do to women.

Go back to the days of Serena vs. Sharapova. Or the unseemly fascination with Anna Kournikova. We’ve reduced women to one-dimensional characters for so long, we don’t know how to treat women’s sports, and the athletes who play them, normally.

We don’t know how to treat them like we do men.

The WNBA is a physical league. The women who play in it are fierce competitors. They are playing, and behaving, like any other elite athletes. Yet it’s not enough to simply debate and discuss the sport, as we do with men’s sports, because we’ve never done that.

It has to be a blood sport, with a winner and a loser. And I don’t mean on the scoreboard.

“It’s part of a larger pattern,” Cooky said. “The legacy sports news media does not know how to cover women’s sports and doesn’t know how to do so without relying on these conventional, misogynistic tropes or narratives.”

And that, in turn, keeps women in their place: Out of the conversations they deserve and out of the spotlight they’ve earned.

“You’ve got to dig deep to find out what’s actually going on in the WNBA right now,” Cooky said. “So for the average fan, it allows them permission to dismiss the league. `If they can’t get their (stuff) together, why should I care about this sport?’ It gives the average fan, the average male fan, permission to not care without then being labeled sexist or misogynist. `They’re hating on women athletes, too! They’ve got their own drama so it’s not me!’  

Clark’s Fever and Reese’s Sky play again Sunday, their third meeting of the season, and I have no faith the storylines from the game will be any more enlightened, or any more informed, than those from their previous meetings.

People are so dug in on their positions they can’t see they’re doing everyone a disservice. Including the athletes they think they’re championing.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

Texas A&M, a school that can trace the start of its baseball program back to the 19th century, had never played in the Men’s College World Series Finals until this year. The Aggies entered Sunday one win away from winning the first baseball title in program history, but the Tennessee Volunteers were not letting that happen.

After Texas A&M defeated Tennessee, 9-5, in Game 1, the Vols bounced back with a 4-1 win in Game 2.

Tennessee, who are another team with roots that reach to the 19th century, needed to win two games in a row to secure their first baseball national championship after previously finishing as runners-up in 1951. They’ve now forced a Game 3 after clutch late-inning hitting propelled them to their first CWS Finals win in program history.

The two duels from the weekend have set up a winner-takes-all Game 3 on Monday night.

Here’s everything to know about Game 2 of the 2024 Men’s College World Series Finals.

Highlights from Tennessee’s 4-1 win over Texas A&M in Game 2 of CWS Finals

When is Game 3 of the CWS Finals?

Game 3 will start at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN on Monday night.

Snead gets save, Vols force Game 3 with 4-1 win

Snead gets Kent to pop up to left field for the second out, then induced a deep flyout to the warning track in right field from pinch hitter Ryan Targac to secure the Game 2 win for the Vols. This series will conclude with Game 3 on Monday night.

Ariel Antigua draws blood on strong tag

On a soft ground ball to second base, Vols second baseman Ariel Antigua charges and lays a hard tag on a collision with Sorrell that left the latter bleeding. It’s the first out of the bottom of the ninth inning. Runners are on first and third.

RHP Nate Snead takes over with the tying run at the plate

Connell allows a single to bring the tying run to the plate, and his day is done after facing one batter. Snead enters with no outs, two runners on and a three-run lead. He will face Camarillo first.

LHP Kirby Connell in for a save opportunity in the ninth

The Vols’ Aaron Combs allows a leadoff single to begin the bottom of the ninth inning, and Tennessee makes the call to the bullpen to try to get the final three outs and force Game 3.

RHP Weston Moss relieves Peery in the top of the ninth, works clean inning

The freshman reliever enters in the final frame after Peery gets just 1/3 inning of work. He tallies a strikeout and gets a couple of groundouts to send the Aggies to a chance at last licks down by three runs.

Combs strands two in the bottom of the eighth

After a pair of quick outs, Combs allows a base hit and a four-pitch walk before getting out of the inning on a flyout to left field. The Vols still hold a 4-1 lead heading into the ninth.

RHP Brock Peery enters for Texas A&M in the eighth

Wilson’s day is done after 2 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits and three earned runs with one walk and two strikeouts. Peery becomes the Aggies’ fourth pitcher of the day and enters with the bases empty and two outs in the top of the eighth inning.

Cal Stark tacks on two more for Tennessee with another two-run blast

Tennessee’s catcher and No. 9 hitter smacked a no-doubter to right field to extend the Vols’ lead to 4-1 with two outs in the top of the eighth inning.

Combs strikes out two in clean seventh inning

Combs gets a 1-2-3 seventh inning after taking the mound with a lead for the first time. He strikes out Camarillo and Sorrell before getting Kent to fly out to left to send this game to the eighth.

Dylan Dreiling hammers two-run long ball to give Tennessee a 2-1 lead

The Vols’ left fielder pulls a 1-1 pitch into the right field stands and plates Moore to put Tennessee on the board and give them the lead for the first time in the top of the seventh inning. The team had been 0-7 with runners in scoring position before Dreiling’s home run.

Moore tags and advances from first on fly ball to center

Christian Moore reaches first base on a walk then advances to second in an unorthodox way: tagging up from first base on a Blake Burke flyout to center field.

Combs works around a pair of runners in sixth

Combs struck out the first batter he faced in the sixth before allowing a walk and a single. He works through it with a pair of flyouts to send the game to its final three frames.

Wilson induces inning-ending double play

Four pitches into his relief appearance, Wilson ended the Tennessee threat by getting catcher Cal Stark to ground into a double play to end the top of the sixth.

Cortez exits with trainer in the sixth

Cortez got through 4 1/3 innings allowing two hits and zero runs with five walks and seven strikeouts. After a four-pitch walk and 99 pitches into his relief outing, Cortez exited the game with a Texas A&M athletic trainer. It was the most pitches Cortez had thrown this year. LHP Kaiden Wilson enters with two runners on and one out in the top of the sixth inning.

Stark, Burke get Camarillo on a back-pick at first base

Tennessee catcher Cal Stark and first baseman Blake Burke catch Aggies shortstop Ali Camarillo on a back-pick to end the fifth inning. Texas A&M had two runners on with two outs.

RHP Aaron Combs enters for Tennessee

Beam’s day is done after 4+ innings of work. The Volunteers bring in Combs to relieve him with two runners on (via infield single and walk) in the bottom of the fifth inning. Beam’s final line: 4+ IP, three hits, one run, two walks and seven strikeouts.

Cortez strikes out two in 1-2-3 fifth

Cortez got two swinging strikeouts to start the top of the fifth inning then induced a flyout from Vols center fielder Hunter Ensley to end the inning. The Aggies’ right-hander is up to six strikeouts through four innings of work.

Beam works through another hitless inning

No additional strikeouts for Beam in the bottom of the fourth, but he works around a leadoff walk to keep the Aggies from adding onto their lead.

Blake Burke makes diving stop to get force out

The Tennessee first baseman ranged to his right to cut off a would-be single before making an on-target throw to get LaViolette out at second base.

Cortez gets through another bases-loaded jam unscathed

Two innings after keeping Tennessee scoreless despite allowing three baserunners, Cortez pulls the rabbit out of the hat once more. A Blake Burke check-swing ground ball to second base ends the Tennessee threat in the top of the fourth. The Vols have left eight men on base through four innings.

Jeff Kent reacts to Kaeden Kent’s baserunning blunder

The 2000 National League MVP is in Omaha to support his son, Texas A&M second baseman Kaeden Kent. After Beam picked off Kaeden in the third inning, the ESPN cameras caught the elder Kent’s reaction.

Beam strikes out two more in a scoreless third

The Tennessee pitcher tacked on a sixth and seventh strikeout of the game in the bottom of the third inning. He has struck out five of the last six Aggies batters and has faced one batter over the minimum through three.

Beam picks off Kaeden Kent

After allowing his second baserunner of the game, Beam picks off Kent to get the first out in the bottom of the third inning.

Cortez strikes out two in scoreless third

After allowing a walk to begin the inning, Cortez book-ended a groundout with two strikeouts to get through a second scoreless inning in relief.

Star Morgan Wallen shows Tennessee love at CWS

Tennessee native, country singer and former high school baseball player Morgan Wallen is at Charles Schwab Field to support the Volunteers in Game 2.

Beam strikes out the side in the second

Beam has struck out six of the seven batters he’s faced through two innings of work. The lone exception? LaViolette, whose solo home run gave Texas A&M the only run of the game thus far.

Cortez escapes bases-loaded jam

Cortez induces a groundout to second base from Moore to get out of the inning with Texas A&M’s 1-0 lead still intact.

Error loads bases for Tennessee

A throwing error by Texas A&M shortstop Ali Camarillo gives the Vols bases loaded for leadoff batter Christian Moore with two outs in the top of the second.

RHP Chris Cortez enters for Texas A&M in the second

Badmaev allows a leadoff single for the second straight inning, and Aggies head coach Jim Schlossnagle makes a call to the bullpen. Cortez enters with a runner on first and no outs in the top of the second inning.

Beam strikes out three in the bottom of the first

Tennessee RHP Drew Beam strikes out three in the bottom of the first but concedes the game’s first run on a home run from Jace LaViolette.

Jace LaViolette mashes solo homer to give the Aggies the lead

Two batters into the bottom of the first inning, Texas A&M has the lead, 1-0, after Jace LaViolette hits his 29th home run of the year. It is also the 50th of LaViolette’s career, bringing him within six of the program record.

Badmaev strikes out two in scoreless first

After allowing a single to Tennessee leadoff batter Christian Moore, Texas A&M RHP Zane Badmaev induces a flyout and gets back-to-back strikeouts to keep his sheet clean through one inning.

Tennessee 2B Christian Moore steals second in the first

After a leadoff single, Moore took second base two batters later to swipe his fifth bag of the season.

Tennessee vs. Texas A&M: TV, time, streaming and how to watch

Date: Sunday, June 23
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Cable TV: ABC
Streaming: ESPN+; YouTube TV; fuboTV

College World Series Tickets: Prices and availability

Prices for two tickets for Sunday’s game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha range from $171 to over $1,000 each before fees on StubHub.

Tennessee vs. Texas A&M betting: Odds, spread for College World Series

The Volunteers are favored to win Sunday’s game, according to the BetMGM college baseball odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering 2024 sports betting promos.

Odds listed as of Sunday.

Spread: Tennessee (-2.5)
Moneyline: Tennessee (-225); Texas A&M (+170)
O/U: 11.5

Women’s College World Series

The Oklahoma Sooners won their fourth straight Women’s College World Series with two straight wins over the Texas Longhorns in the finals.

The Sooners are now tied with Arizona for the second-most WCWS titles with eight total. Only UCLA (13) has more.

Predictions for Tennessee vs. Texas A&M

Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 4

Mike Wilson writes: ‘This pick is based on who [Tennessee RHP Drew] Beam has been in his career in clutch moments and how well he pitched against North Carolina.

Action Network: Tennessee to win the series, and take the Game 2 over

Collin Wilson writes: ‘The opening number of -210 on the Volunteers is too inflated, making the series price the better investment. The total projects at 13.1, as the gratuitous offensive winds from Saturday night turn into a 10 mph breeze from right field on Sunday afternoon. Considering these two offenses have been capable of putting up multiple runs per inning, look for the winning team to put some runs on the board.’

Sports Betting Dime: Lay the points for Tennessee and take the over

Sascha Paruk writes: ‘As long as the defense plays up to par – which is a big if – the Vols should answer back with a decisive victory on Sunday.’

Texas A&M Aggies lineup

Tennessee Volunteers lineup

College World Series bracket: Remaining schedule

Men’s College World Series Finals

Game 1: Texas A&M 9, Tennessee 5
Game 2: Sunday, June 23, 2 p.m. ET
Game 3 (if necessary): Monday, June 24, 7 p.m. ET

Texas A&M players to watch

Sophomore outfielder Jace LaViolette has 28 home runs this year to lead the Aggies after following up his 21-homer freshman year. The 20 year old is slashing .302/.446/.722 this season so far and is just eight home runs away from breaking Texas A&M’s career program record.
Sophomore second baseman Kaeden Kent, son of former major leaguer Jeff Kent, knocked in four RBIs – including a two-run home run – in Game 1 on Saturday night. He’s batting .500 since play began in Omaha with seven RBIs, a home run and a double.

Tennessee players to watch

Second baseman Christian Moore leads the Vols with 33 home runs. He has a .421 average in the College World Series and opened play in Omaha hitting for the cycle against Florida State.
RHP Drew Beam will make the start on Sunday for the Vols. In his last outing against North Carolina, he threw five innings with seven strikeouts and one run allowed.

How Texas A&M got here

Texas A&M’s road to get to this point seems less dramatic than Tennessee’s, at least on paper. The Aggies have not lost a game since the start of the postseason tournament. But the No. 3 national seed came close to a loss in their regional matchup with Texas – scoring the game-tying run on a throwing error in the eighth winning before winning in 11 innings.

After it took both games over Oregon in the super regional, the Aggies again narrowly avoided a potential loss to start the College World Series. Right fielder Jace LaViolette robbed Florida’s Cade Kurland of a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to preserve Texas A&M’s 3-2 lead. The team held on to win and won every game after to reach the CWS Finals.

Now, the Aggies are one win away from their first national title in program history.

How Tennessee got here

Tennessee were the No. 1 national seed and hosted its own regional. After the Vols swept the competition in Knoxville, they hosted Evansville – the No. 4 regional seed in the Greenville Regional – in the super regional round. Tennessee took Game 1 handily, but Evansville bounced back with a stunning upset in Game 2 before the Vols went on to win the series.

In Omaha, the Volunteers avoided a first-round upset with a four-run comeback in the ninth inning against Florida State. Tennessee went on to take care of business against North Carolina then defeated the Seminoles once more to reach the CWS Finals.

Tennessee dropped Game 1 of the best-of-3 championship series after giving up seven runs in the first three innings. The team now faces elimination once again on the brink of the program’s first national title.

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