The hits keep on coming for Texas softball pitcher Teagan Kavan.
Off the field, that is. She didn’t give up that many in Oklahoma City.
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Kavan led Texas to a second straight Women’s College World Series title this spring, powering Texas women’s athletics to another Capital One Cup. Texas’ fourth cup in five years was announced at the ESPYs Wednesday night and Kavan was on hand. The Horns finished ahead of Stanford, UCLA and Texas A&M and earned the school’s scholarship fund a nice $250,000 check, courtesy of Capital One.
What’s in Texas’ wallet? A quarter-mil, if you’re counting at home.
Kavan was a monster for the second straight WCWS and is my pick for the top athlete on campus for the past school year.
Texas Longhorns pitcher Teagan Kavan (17) hugs Carly Northup after winning game two of the NCAA Women’s College World Series against Texas Tech at Devon Park on Thursday, June 4, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
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Kavan and first baseman Katie Stewart grabbed the first two spots in my top five, in that order. Kavan is the best money pitcher in the sport and Stewart will enter her senior year with a chance to leave as the school’s career home run leader after blasting 28 this season and earning SEC player of the year honors.
Chew on this: No Texas team in a traditional team sport has ever won three straight national titles. At this point, I’m not about to bet against Mike White and Co. at this point though the Oklahoma Sooners, who captured the trifecta from 2021-23 will have something to say in the matter.
The Texas Longhorns celebrate a home run by infielder Katie Stewart (20) during game one of the NCAA Women?s College World Series against Texas Tech at Devon Park on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
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Junior golfer Farah O’Keefe gets the third spot after capturing the NCAA individual golf title. O’Keefe, one of the coolest athletes on campus, also earned the Honda Award and Annika Award while notching WGCA Division I player of the year honors.
Give it up for senior swimmer Hubert Kos, who led the Horns to a second consecutive national title after setting NCAA records in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. He gets the fourth spot.
Women’s basketball came up short at the Final Four, but Madison Booker had an amazing junior year despite a 3-for-23 performance in the semifinal loss to eventual champion UCLA. It was more than enough to give the two-time All-American the fifth spot. She’s the best forward in the country and one rough night doesn’t hurt that standing.
Also, shoutouts go to women’s rowing, which captured its fourth national title in six years under coach Dave O’Neill and men’s tennis which captured an ITA Indoor title under coach Bruce Berque.
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Washington Mystics guard Rori Harmon (3) dribbles the ball during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the New York Liberty, Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
Daniel Kucin Jr./Associated Press
Why is WNBA rookie Rori Harmon glued to the bench in DC?
Rori Harmon can help a WNBA team win, but it’s apparent Washington Mystics coach Sydney Johnson has a different opinion. The fiery point guard led the Horns to consecutive Final Four appearances and looked to be a nice fit with Washington, which took her with the 34th overall pick. But her rookie year has been more about the pine than her playmaking.
After playing 42 minutes in her first two games, Harmon has logged a not-so-grand total of 23 over the last 20 games entering Thursday’s game against Portland. She has gotten the DNP-CD tag — Did Not Play-Coach’s Decision — in 13 games.
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Her biggest individual highlight came in her third game when she made a massive late defensive stop on explosive All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell to preserve a 104-102 win upset win over the Indiana Fever.
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It’s nuts that Harmon is languishing on the bench of a roster that isn’t exactly awash in point guards. Kentucky product Georgia Amoore is starting one year after suffering a torn ACL in training camp, but hasn’t been that effective. She’s averaging 6.1 points, 3.5 assists and 2.1 turnovers while shooting 32% from the field.
The fans are screaming for Mystics rookie Rori Harmon. Harmon is listed as Do Not Play per Coach’s decision. When I asked Coach Johnson why she didn’t play against the Sparks he said “no reason.” pic.twitter.com/zUK8PucCQ1
— Jade (@JadeALawson) June 3, 2026
Harmon appears to be healthy, but Johnson isn’t giving her any run. Some fans have taken to social media to question why a solid pure point guard isn’t deemed good enough to play five to 10 minutes a game for a team that’s 12-10 and sixth in the league standings with the top eight advancing to the playoffs.
Having been around Harmon for five seasons where she put together a terrific college career — she’s the program’s career leader in steals and assists — it has to be killing her to not be playing.
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The Mystics should move her and give her a chance to compete for playing time in another city.
World Cup draws huge numbers
The United States has well-documented issues in the political arena, but no one ever said we couldn’t throw one hell of a party. The World Cup has been a smashing success, and then some, in 16 host cities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Spain’s 2-0 upset semifinal win Tuesday over tourney favorite France averaged 11.5 million viewers — a record for a World Cup semifinal on English language TV — and was played in front of 70,000 plus at Arlington’s Jerry World. Another 22 million watched Argentina’s scintillating comeback win Wednesday over England.
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So what does that mean for the sport in our country? Well, more kids are going to be wearing Messi, Kane, Bellingham and Ronaldo jerseys and maybe, just maybe, the MLS will see an surge in interest.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 19: Alex Freeman #16 of the United States celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Australia at Seattle Stadium on June 19, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The sport will always rank behind the NFL, college football, MLB and the NBA here, but the last three weeks have shown our country the passion international soccer can bring first hand. It’s contagious.