Skidding into the FIBA World Cup break on just its second losing streak of the season left the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx slightly on edge.

Or does “ravenously on guard” sound more optimistic?

Either way, “when we get back to work, we’ve got things to work on,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said.

That’s because this rare Minnesota slide has coincided with a surge from the Golden State Valkyries, who denied the Lynx a chance to clinch home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with a gutty, 77-66 victory on Aug. 24.

Golden State’s first win against Minnesota in 10 tries since joining the “W” in 2025 certainly infused intrigue into the final four games of the 2026 campaign.

Despite the slump, the break could be coming at an agreeable time for Minnesota, even as various players prepare to represent the United States, Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Spain.

Once play resumes on Sept. 17, the Lynx need any combination of two wins or Valkyries losses to earn home-court for the postseason. Last week’s loss to Golden State and Sunday’s road defeat in Atlanta showed that Minnesota must be mightier when things get physical, though.

“We’re being guarded in a way that should be illegal,” Reeve said, “but we’re not putting the referees in a position to make them see it, so you can’t fade away.”

As a sizable segment of the roster heads overseas, an international competition only can sharpen players’ focus while reinforcing the urgency of the stretch run.

While she doesn’t lack seasoning, Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who missed much of the season recovering from surgery on both ankles, figures to benefit from playing for Team USA.

“I am still coming back, but I need to do better, too,” Collier said. “It’s going to be physical. It’s going to be physical in the playoffs.”

The regular season isn’t always a picnic, either, and offers a welcome shot of respite for some Lynx not in the tournament.

Minnesota rookie point guard Olivia Miles has navigated various injuries in recent weeks and collided with a cameraman late in Sunday’s game in Atlanta. She went down at the baseline and eventually walked back under her own power.

Courtney Williams returned after missing the showdown with the Valkyries with a midfoot sprain and gets the chance for additional rest.

But Golden State will recharge, too, and is sending just four players to the World Cup. What’s more, the Valkyries’ remaining opponents – Portland twice, Los Angeles and Seattle – each have been eliminated from playoff contention and bring a collective .325 winning percentage (39-81) into the break.

Minnesota has a visit to 10-win Connecticut on the docket but otherwise will face foes jockeying for home court in the first round. The Lynx host the New York Liberty coming out of the break before finishing with a home-and-home against the Indiana Fever.

Speaking after Sunday’s win at Portland that capped a 4-1 road trip, Golden State forward Kayla Thornton said: “We just talked about that in the locker room, making sure (we) don’t go on this break and do nothing, but make sure you do what you need.

“We’ve got to come back because, you know, these next four games after World Cup are very vital heading into playoffs.”

The Lynx aren’t in a position to disagree. They know what they must do to keep their perch. Now comes nearly three weeks to reflect – and work.

The English Football League (EFL) has accused Uefa of an “unwillingness to cooperate” after it says the European governing body’s stance forced them to rearrange three domestic fixtures.

Everton and Wolves were scheduled to play their Carabao Cup third-round tie on 9 September before Liverpool and Atletico Madrid’s Champions League clash was, on Saturday, announced for the same day.

As a result, that contest and two others – Liverpool v Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and Wolves v Portsmouth in the Championship – have been rescheduled.

An EFL statement read: “On Saturday, Uefa announced that it had scheduled Liverpool v Atletico Madrid for the same date, despite it being clear that Everton and Liverpool cannot play home fixtures on the same evening.

“The EFL met with Uefa officials on Monday morning to explore available options, however in those discussions it was made clear that they were unwilling to consider rescheduling the Liverpool v Atletico Madrid fixture due to the impact on supporters travelling from overseas.

“Disappointingly, the League has therefore been forced to make changes.

“Over recent seasons the League has made a number of changes to accommodate the expansion of Uefa club competitions – a decision which was made without adequate consultation with domestic leagues.

“These changes have included splitting Carabao Cup round three ties across two weeks, and implementing draw conditions for round three which prevent scheduling conflicts for clubs playing in the Uefa Champions League and Uefa Europa League.

“This makes Uefa’s unwillingness to cooperate all the more frustrating, not least for the supporters of the five impacted clubs, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

Uefa, in response, insisted it “always does its best to accommodate reasonable requests”, but said the “potential conflict” only emerged after fixtures were published, when changes were no longer possible.

The European governing body said in a statement: “Uefa regularly receives scheduling requests from associations, leagues and clubs and always does its best to accommodate reasonable requests wherever possible.

“In this case, no issue had been raised with Uefa during the scheduling process, and the potential conflict only became apparent after the publication of the fixture lists.

“At that stage, it was not possible to make changes, particularly given the significant number of supporters who may already have arranged international travel and accommodation. We believe that these commitments deserve to be respected.

“Uefa remains in contact with the relevant stakeholders, and we appreciate all efforts to minimise any local operational challenges.”

Everton v Wolves is now set for Wednesday, 16 September; Liverpool v Tottenham, originally slated for 16 September, is now a day earlier and Wolves v Portsmouth, also initially due to be played on 16 September, will take place on 20 October.

Young Team India left-arm spinner Manav Suthar has made an impressive start to his Test career. He made his debut against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh in June this year and picked up a total of seven wickets.

The 24-year-old also featured in both the Test matches of the recently concluded two-match series in Sri Lanka. He picked up 10 wickets in the first match in Galle as India won the Test by 165 runs. In the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, he had to work a lot harder for his six wickets.

Suthar has featured in three Test matches so far. In the wake of the impressive start to his red-ball career for India, we compare his bowling stats with those of seasoned left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja after the latter had also featured in three Test matches.

Manav Suthar vs Ravindra Jadeja – Who has more wickets and a better average after three Test matches?

In three Tests, Suthar has picked up 23 wickets at an average of 17.34. In the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, he picked up 16 wickets at an average of 21.06. On his Test debut against Afghanistan, the left-arm spinner claimed seven wickets at an average of 8.85.

After three Test matches, Jadeja had picked 14 wickets at an average of 23.28. In two Tests against Australia, he had claimed 11 wickets at an average of 19. Also, in one Test against England, he had picked up three wickets at an average of 39.

Manav Suthar vs Ravindra Jadeja – Who has more five-fers after three Test matches?

In three Test matches, Suthar has claimed two five-fers and one 10-wicket match haul. He registered figures of 6-33 from 22 overs in the first innings of his debut Test against Afghanistan. Suthar also impressed with 4-76 & 6-55 in the Galle Test against Sri Lanka. In the second Test of the same series in Sri Lanka, he registered figures of 3-85 & 3-121.

(Suthar vs Jadeja – Bowling stats comparison after three Tests)

After three Test matches, Jadeja did not have a five-wicket innings haul to his name. His best innings figures at that stage were 3-33, which came off 16 overs against Australia in Hyderabad in March 2013. Jadeja also picked up 3-33 from 18 overs in the second innings of the same Test. Earlier, he had registered figures of 2-17 and 3-72 during the same Test series in Chennai.

Manav Suthar vs Ravindra Jadeja – Who has a better record in wins after three Test matches?

In two Test wins, Suthar has claimed 17 wickets at an average of 11.35, with the aid of two five-fers and one 10-wicket match haul. In one drawn Test, he has picked up six wickets at an average of 34.33, with best innings figures of 3-85.

(Suthar vs Jadeja – Bowling stats comparison in wins after three Tests)

In two Test wins, Jadeja had picked up 11 wickets at an average of 19, with best innings figures of 3-33 and best match figures of 6-66. In one drawn Test, the left-arm spinner had picked up three wickets at an average of 39, with best innings figures of 2-58.

Manav Suthar vs Ravindra Jadeja – Who has a better away record after three Test matches?

In two away Tests, Suthar has claimed 16 wickets at an average of 21.06, with one five-fer and one 10-wicket match haul. He registered figures of 4-76 & 6-55 against Sri Lanka in Galle to finish with match figures of 10-131. In one home Test (the one-off match against Afghanistan), Suthar registered figures of 6-33 & 1-29 in Mullanpur on debut.

Jadeja’s first three Test matches were in home conditions. In six innings, the left-arm spinner picked up 14 wickets at an average of 23.28. He claimed 11 wickets in two Tests against Australia at an average of 19 and three wickets in one Test match against England at an average of 39.