Tom Goldman

The China-NBA spat heats up, the Washington Mystics are WNBA champs and American gymnast Simone Biles wins her fifth all-around world title.

The annual competition is put on by Alaska's Katmai National Park & Preserve to choose the fattest bear. This year, Holly beat out Lefty in the championship round, winning more than 80% of the votes.

Bears preparing for hibernation need to eat as much as they can for the winter. In Alaska, this habit has turned into an Ursine March Madness with bears going head-to-head to see who is the fattest.

A new California law allows college athletes to get paid in certain scenarios. That's setting up a clash with the NCAA, the governing body of college sports.

We have a recap on stories from the week in sports.

The New England Patriots have released receiver Antonio Brown. Apparently politics and Major League Soccer do not mix. And, we're down to the semi-finals of the WNBA playoffs.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri is 46 and the oldest player in the NFL. He'd been going strong - until this season. He says he is dealing with mental "demons" that some kickers can feel.

The California State Assembly is on the verge of passing a law that would make it possible for the state's college athletes to be paid for the use of their images to market products.

The U.S. Open is well underway and Serena Williams is, unsurprisingly, in the finals. The NFL's opening night was underwhelming. And more girls than ever are signed up to play high school football.

As research into head injuries expands to include women's soccer, some of the sport's former stars are calling attention to the health fallout from heading the ball multiple times.

Football season is nearly here, and the Cleveland Browns are looking good.

Clemson walloped the University of Alabama in college football's national championship last season. Now perennial powerhouse Alabama is trying to learn from the loss.

This week talks between U.S. Soccer and 28 female players broke down. Also, Jay-Z signed a deal with the NFL to be the league's "live music entertainment strategist."

Will the latest U.S. victory in the Women's World Cup lead to a surge of popularity in other women's pro sports leagues? Executives and players hope so.

After the excitement and thrill of the U.S. victory in the Women's World Cup, attention shifts back to the NWSL — the 7-year-old pro league in the U.S. Will the enthusiasm lead to sustained interest?

Two boxing deaths in one week, a preview of Olympic swimming, and a check-in about the WNBA: Host Scott Simon gets an update from NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic renew a great rivalry at Wimbledon, and NBA free agency madness.

Fresh off its fourth Women's World Cup title, the U.S. Women's National Team has its eyes set on another prize: more money. The women make less than their male counterparts.

The U.S. Women's National Team won the Women's World Cup championship for a fourth time. As the players return home, they're ramping up their fight for "equal pay for equal play."

The U.S. will face the Netherlands in the Women's World Cup Final on Sunday. The U.S. women are the defending champs and looking to secure their fourth World Cup title.