Sports Rundown - Week of Oct. 11

The Seawanhaka Sports Rundown is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in sports news at the local, state, national and international levels.

BY: MIKIYA GREENE / STAFF WRITER

2026 WNBA Finals Matchup Is Set

Golden State Valkyries Guard #1 Gabby Williams runs alongside Atlanta Dream Forward #5 Angel Reese at Chase Center on June 26, 2026, at Chase Center, San Francisco. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries have both punched their tickets into the WNBA Finals. After sweeping the New York Liberty 3-0 in the semifinals, the 4 seed Dream have forced their way into their first Finals appearance since 2013. 

The Valkyries swept MVP A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals and made their first-ever finals appearance since the team’s establishment in 2025. 

Both teams are competing for their first-ever Championship in this Best-of-7 series. Game 1 is slated for Oct. 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center.

LIU Women’s Volleyball Keeps Serving Up Wins

From L-R: Libero/Defensive Specialist #9 Reese Teves, Outside Hitter #13 Bella Correia, Outside Hitter #3 Mia Rojas-Avila, Middle Blocker/Hitter #24 Sara Garcia, and Setter #7 Dilara Elmacioglu celebrate during the 1st set against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sept. 8, 2026 at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, NJ. (Photo Credit: LIUAthletics.com)

Our very own Lady Sharks won their sixth consecutive match on October 3, defeating Le Moyne in straight sets, 3-0. 

Senior RS Sara van Gisteren and Junior OH Bella Correia contributed 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Notable wins against Duke, Virginia Tech, and Northwestern have sparked a clear confidence in this team. 

They have jumped out to a 2-0 start in Northeastern Conference play, and look to carry their momentum on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6:00 p.m. when they take on New Haven right here on campus at the Steinberg Wellness Center. 

Let’s cheer on our Sharks this weekend! 

#1 Ranked Texas Longhorns Go Down As Time Expires

Oklahoma Kicker #29 Tim Sandell celebrates after his game-winning field goal against the Texas Longhorns on Oct. 10, 2026, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas,Texas. (Photo Credit: USAToday.com)

On Oct. 10, the unranked Oklahoma Sooners upset the No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns in a back-and-forth battle that lasted until the very end. The matchup took place at the Cotton Bowl during the yearly Red River Rivalry. 

As time expired, Sooners kicker Tim Sandell secured the victory for the visitors with a 47-yard field goal and the clock ran out. The 27-24 defeat ended Texas’s undefeated start to the NCAA season, while also giving the Sooners a huge win to talk about going forward.

Cleveland Guardians Advance To The ALCS

Cleveland Guardian Third Baseman #11 José Ramirez and Second Baseman #17 Angel Genao high-five during Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox on Oct. 7, 2026 at Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

The Cleveland Guardians advanced to the American League Championship Series on Oct. 10 after defeating the Chicago White Sox in five games of the American League Division Series. 

The Guardians made a huge comeback after losing the first two games of the series. Guardians Third Baseman José Ramirez hit a crucial two-run home run, and pitcher Gavin Williams struck out 12 Sox players to secure the Game 5 victory and reverse sweep. 

The Guardians now look to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS starting on Oct. 12 at 8:00 p.m. with a chance to advance to the World Series.

Manchester City vs. Liverpool Premier League Matchup

Liverpool Left-Back #6 Milos Kerkez battles against Manchester City Winger Iliman Ndiaye during a Premier League matchup on Oct. 11, 2026 at Anfield in Liverpool, Britain. (Photo Credit: Reuters.com)

Manchester City defeated Liverpool 3-0 in their Premier League matchup on Oct. 11 at Anfield. The match is the first time Manchester is on the pitch since the organization was found guilty of breaking over 100 Premier League regulations last month. 

The matchup had no traction until the second half, where Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch was sent out of the game at 62” for two yellow cards. Minutes later, Man City’s Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku, and Rayan Cherki all took advantage and scored a goal each. 

This victory not only gave Manchester a 6-0 record and stronger hold on being at the top of the Premier League standings - it handed Liverpool its first loss of the season.