Very demure, very mindful

The GIST: Today marks exactly one month until the end of the WNBA regular season, and the playoff push is just heating up, after fiery games dominated the weekend slate ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline. Ball so hard.

NY Liberty clinch the season’s first playoff berth: The Libs are postseason bound for the fourth consecutive year after locking in one of eight playoff spots with Saturday’s 79–67 win over the two-time defending champ Las Vegas Aces.

• The top of the league seafoam stars have been glowing thanks to standout play from Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, with Ionescu dropping a team-high 23 points in their win over the Aces, while Jones contributed a double-double.

Cailtlin Clark–led Indiana Fever surging: All-Star rookie Clark proved she really is that girl with back-to-back standout performances in the Fever’s two weekend wins.

• First, she scored 29 points in Indy’s 98–89 Friday win over the Phoenix Mercury, then broke the league rookie assist record yesterday in her squad’s impressive 92–75 victory against the Seattle Storm. We see you, C-squared.

Connecticut Sun sell out first-ever women’s pro basketball game at Boston’s TD Garden: The second-place team in the W sold 19,156 tickets to tomorrow’s 7 p.m. ET game against the LA Sparks, which will be played at the Boston Celtics’ home venue in front of the biggest crowd in franchise history. A historic day in the Hub.

The GIST: The third annual Tour de France Femmes crossed the finish line yesterday, with Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma (pronounced Nye-vya-doma) edging out defending champ Demi Vollering of the Netherlands by just four seconds to win the yellow jersey. Here’s a breakdown of the week-long race by the numbers, s’il vous plaît.

3: Niewiadoma finished third during both the inaugural 2022 race and last year’s edition, finally reaching the top of the podium this time around. Third time really is the charm, huh? 

4: The four-second difference between Niewiadoma and Vollering (who put up a thrilling fight) was the narrowest margin of victory in the history of the women’s and men’s Tour races. Truly down to the wire.

9: The tour will expand from eight stages to nine next year, compared to the 21 raced on the men’s side. Tour de France Femmes organizers aren’t “closing the door on any possibilities” of future expansion, but are moving cautiously to ensure the longevity of the event.

14: As in a whirlwind 14 days for American cyclist Kristen Faulkner, who went immediately from winning the United States’ first road race Olympic gold in 40 years (not to mention a second gold in the team pursuit), to the top American finisher at the Tour de France Femmes. Casual.

The NWSL is finally back from their international break, but you know what never stopped? BMO’s efforts to create inclusive pathways to the game for kids — especially girls.

• The “Bank of Soccer” doesn’t just support pro teams like Angel City FC, they also sponsor tons of grassroots initiatives, like their partnership with BC Soccer, Ontario Soccer, and their TFC Women in Soccer Fellowship, which brings women into every level of the sport.

After nearly two decades and more than $25M invested in the game’s growth, BMO has backed over 1M kids and 11K youth teams. They’re rooting for today’s stars while cultivating the sport’s next gen by removing barriers for underprivileged players. Relentless, just like a Julia Grosso PK.

The next femininomenon? Golf. The girlies are hitting the links like never before, spurred on by Golf Canada’s initiatives to make the game more inclusive. Example A: this summer’s She Plays Golf Festival, which grew the game for everyone from first-timers to literal pros.

• Whether you’re a vet looking to expand your course community or you don’t know a five-iron from a clothes iron, She Plays Golf is all about making the game more enjoyable for all.

• Follow Golf Canada on social media for details on the next fest, and in the meantime, unleash your inner Brooke Henderson by booking a lesson or joining a women’s league today. Email Golf Canada to get started.