Weekend Wind Down
NRLW:
The Cronulla Sharks have a two game break at the top of the table after a 5th straight win to start the 2024 season. Former Rugby Sevens star Emma Tonegato played her best game of the season, setting up three of the Sharks’ six tries in their 28-4 win over local rivals the Dragons.
Below the Sharks, an incredible six of the remaining nine teams are locked together on three wins, with the Broncos’ big 44-14 win over the Tigers lifting them to second.
North Queensland Cowboys have proven to be one of the surprise packets of the season, going to Canberra and piling on six tries in their win over the Raiders. The Cowboys have already won more games in 2024 than they did all of last season.
But the most impressive performance of the round was the Gold Coast Titans, who held the high scoring Roosters to just six points, while scoring five tries. Lauren Brown scored twice, set up another two tries, kicked three goals and had 360 kick metres in another impressive performance which has her a favourite for the Dally M medal.
BASKETBALL:
WNBA
After the weekend’s games, three team have now clinched playoff spots - Opals coach Sandy Brondello’s New York Liberty, Connecticut Sun, and Opal Alanna Smith’s Minnesota Lynx.
It was a big weekend for some of the rookie stars of the league -
Indiana’s Caitlin Clark claimed the record as the fastest to reach 500 points and 200 assists with her 23 point performance on Sunday, while Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese became the first player in WNBA history to have three consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds. Reese also now has 22 games of double double statistics (double figures in two categories), the equal most ever by a rookie, and with 11 games still to play, the record looks set to be smashed.
Not to be outdone, Clark’s Sky rookie teammate Kamilla Cardoso recorded an incredible five blocks against Las Vegas superstar and MVP favourite A’ja Wilson - the most ever one player has had against the Team USA star in a single game.
ATHLETICS:
Diamond League
There were two Diamond League events on over the weekend, as the race to the finals and prize money continues.
In Switzerland, Aussie high jump duo Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson can’t stop winning medals! The two reversed their medal colours from the Paris Olympics, with Patterson claiming silver in a season best performance and Olyslagers the bronze. Meanwhile, Australian 3000m National record holder Georgia Griffith finished 5th in that event.
Then early Sunday morning in Silesia, Italy, Sarah Billings placed 9th and Linden Hall 12th in the 1500m.
Hall will back up at the star-studded Rome Diamond League early Saturday morning, an event which will see the return of Aussie pole vault Olympic champ Nina Kennedy.
CRICKET:
An Australia A side defeated India A by 45 runs in their four day game on the Gold Coast. The red ball match concluded an entertaining series between the two teams which also featured T20 and One Day matches.
From a batting perspective, Western Australia’s Maddy Darke stood out with two centuries, including a game-winning ton in the second innings of the four day match, while South Australian fast bowler Kate Peterson took 5/16 in the same match.
Tahlia Wilson, Maitlan Brown and Grace Parsons were others to play significant roles for Australia A across the series.
FOOTBALL:
The NWSL returned to action in the US after the Olympics.
After an emotional international farewell in Paris, Brazilian legend Marta and her Orlando Pride are setting the pace. They recorded another win on the weekend to sit on top of the table.
In terms of the Matildas, San Diego Wave duo Emily van Egmond and Kaitlyn Torpey came up against a red hot Angel City rookie Alyssa Thompson, with the former number one draft pick scoring two classy goals.
Cortnee Vine made her long awaited starting debut for North Carolina Courage at Seattle in an emotional day as the home side honoured retired legend Megan Rapinoe. Seattle scored a winner in injury to spoil the Vine debut.
Mackenzie Arnold will have to wait for her debut with Portland Thorns after not getting on the pitch in their loss.
CLIFF DIVING:
Local diver and social media superstar Molly Carlson won the title in front of her home crowd in Montreal, ahead of Aussie and series leader Rhiannan Iffland.
It was another podium finish for the Australian defending champion whose record in the Red Bull series is legendary. Rhiannan sits 24 points clear of Molly on the overall standings. For context of the Aussie’s dominance, the gap between first and second on the men’s overall standings is just six points.
SURFING:
Still on Canadians, teen surfer Erin Brooks entered the Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak as a wildcard, and ended up winning the title, becoming the first woman from her country to win a World Surf League Championship event.
By making it to the semi finals, Aussie Molly Picklum did enough to clinch a spot in the top five WSL Finals in the USA next month.
ROWING:
At the Under 23 World Championships, Grace Sypher is World Champion, winning the Lightweight Single Sculls final to claim Australia’s only gold medal of the regatta.
LACROSSE:
Australia finished fourth at the Under 20 World Championships, with Miriam Suares-Jury being named in the All-World Team.