Why this summer is the perfect time to start caring about sports

Go ahead, get on the bandwagon. | Adam Gray/Getty Images

As I watched more than 2 million people smush themselves into Lower Manhattan last week, it became crystal clear that Jalen Brunson will forever be known as the city’s hero; that Josh Hart is now a baby girl heartthrob; that Jordyn Woods’s purse is actually magic; and that there are a lot of fair-weather New York Knicks fans. The number of people who showed up for the championship parade, and the number of people proudly wearing Knicks gear in the days and weeks leading up to it, was exponentially higher than the number of Knicks devotees when the playoffs started.

But I’m not here to bury these enthusiasts for their bandwagoning. I’m here to praise them. Watching sports is a fun, joyous, and often communal experience, particularly when a team is winning; there’s nothing wrong with wanting to partake in these feelings, especially when you consider the alternative is sitting at home, dealing with a personal loneliness crisis.

It’s so much better to kick off summer, a season that’s all about having a blast and being social, with positive, lightly parasocial vibes among (new or old) friends.

If you were too late to jump on the Knicks bandwagon or are wistful for another taste of victory, you’re in luck: Summer 2026 will have many more opportunities to root for cuties, mythologize lucky charms, wear fun merch, and get deeply invested in sports analytics that you’ve never cared about before. There is no better time than the present to be a huge fan of a player or a team, even if you didn’t know them five minutes ago.

Here’s what to look forward to:

The World Cup

The big storyline this summer: The United States is actually good.

Amid all the controversy surrounding this year’s World Cup (e.g., the Trump administration’s immigration and visa policies, exorbitant ticket prices, extreme heat, hydration breaks that seem like a cash grab, etc.) the US men’s soccer team’s success has become one of the most surprising and defining stories. Historically, the US men haven’t been great at soccer. But this year’s crew went on a tear against Paraguay, and shut out Australia, clinching a spot in the knockout rounds, in fact, it’s the first time since 1930 that the US has won back-to-back World Cup games. That they’re doing on home soil only adds to the thrill that fans are feeling. The question now is whether they can keep this quality of play up and keep this run going.

The deeper cut: How many goals will Messi’s World Cup scoring record be?

Why I wrote this

I felt a little wistful for the New York Knicks. For the past few weeks, the energy in New York City was so buoyant. On my morning coffee walks, everyone I passed was in Knicks gear. People were skipping out of work early to watch games. Restaurants and bars had the Finals playing or projected every night. On the days when the team didn’t play, everyone was already anticipating the next game. Pope Leo was rooting for them!

And then they won, had the parade, and this chapter of the Knicks was done.

Desperate to find the ambient good vibes post-Knicks, I found myself tuning into World Cup matches and keeping them on while I worked. I watched some WNBA games too. Also, by sheer coincidence, Serena Williams announced her comeback, so I’m looking forward to Wimbledon.

It was then I realized that this summer was going to be a special one for sports, even for people who say they don’t like sports. And it’d be a shame if it went by and we all didn’t take advantage of the immaculate vibes and this glorious excuse to hang out and have fun, just like the Knicks showed us.

This is likely the last World Cup for 39-year-old legend Lionel Messi (though one can never count him out), and he’s setting the all-time World Cup scoring record along the way. The Argentinian superstar has been to six World Cups and scored his history-making 17th and 18th goals during his team’s match against Austria on Monday. However many goals Messi scores between now and the end of the tournament will determine the all-time World Cup record.

Hot on his cleats, though, is France’s Kylian Mbappé who is also at this year’s tourney. Mbappé’s World Cup total is already 16, and at 27, he’s more than a decade younger than Messi. It’s likely that Messi’s record will be short-lived thanks to Mbappé’s penchant for goals.

To be able to watch these two legends go goal for goal at the same World Cup is a privilege, and adds even more spectacle to an already exciting tournament.

Who to follow: Bob, because Bob loves America.

One of the riveting developments off the field this World Cup has been the cultural exchange between Americans and visiting fans. By exchange, I mean things like an introduction to everything from free refills to ranch dressing on demand.

Bob, a fan from Japan traveling across Mexico and the US to follow soccer, is one of these enthusiasts. As he makes his way to his final destination ( New York City), he is trying every delicacy he can find while fully immersing himself in the local culture. Bob tried tacos for the first time, went to a gun shop, tasted fried pickles, drank Tito’s vodka, and ate with his hands at his first seafood boil; he’s experiencing the fried, salty, slightly militaristic kaleidoscope of what the US has to offer. He may also experience the very American tradition known as heartburn.

The WNBA

The big storyline this summer: It’s the most important year for the league.

2026 marks WNBA’s 30th season and perhaps the most important one for its athletes. Back in March, the league and players’ union agreed on a new, historic collective bargaining agreement, which gave the pros massive pay raises, the league minimum is now $270,000, up from $66,079. There are also more teams and more nationally televised matchups this year.

So the league is bigger than ever, and its stars are shining even brighter. Las Vegas Ace A’ja Wilson is playing like she’ll bring home her fifth MVP. Caitlin Clark is back to shooting from the logo after a groin injury shelved much of her 2025 season. All-Stars Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen improved from their rookie campaigns and are taking on bigger roles for their respective teams. And coach Cheryl Reeve has, despite a swath of free agent departures (with the new CBA, many players were seeking out new teams and more money), rebuilt the Minnesota Lynx into title contenders and currently has the best record in the league.

The deeper cut: Rookie Olivia Miles is very, very good.

Olivia Miles has taken the league by storm. She passes as well as the best guards, and is the engine running the Lynx. While she was fantastic in college and was expected to make an impact, she’s overachieved and already considered one of the most impactful players in the W. Plus, her goggles are just cool.

Olivia Miles (right) is the frontrunner for WNBA Rookie of the Year. She also may be the coolest rookie.

| Luiza Moraes/Getty Images" data-portal-copyright="Luiza Moraes/Getty Images" /> Who to follow: If you’re wondering who to root for, the Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, and New York Liberty look like the teams we’ll be seeing in the finals when the season ends. But if you’re looking for the most entertaining team to follow, I’d recommend the Washington Mystics.

The Mystics are the youngest team in the WNBA and call themselves the “Young Hos.” They’re a couple of years away from contending, but they might be having the most fun.

Tennis

The big storyline this summer: The GOAT has returned.

After retiring in 2022, Serena Williams is playing professional tennis again. Serena, 44, is scheduled to play singles as well as doubles (with her sister Venus!) at Wimbledon, which begins on June 29.

Coming back to play on the pro tour at 44 and succeed is unheard of, but then again, Serena Williams is an outlier. And regardless of how well she does at Wimbledon, it certainly feels to hopeful fans that both Serena and Venus are testing the waters for the “real” comeback: a return to the US Open (which begins on August 30 in Queens, New York).

The deeper cut: The men look surprisingly unpredictable.

With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s endurance fading in the second round of the French Open in May, and Carlos Alcaraz (currently ranked No. 2) nursing a wrist injury, it seems that the men’s field is wide open. Alcaraz and Sinner faced each other in three Grand Slam finals last year. We’ll see who steps up at Wimbledon.

Who to follow: Do you want to see a crashout?

There is no bigger enigma in tennis than the extremely talented, antagonistic, controversial, crashout queen known as Jelena Ostapenko. Her hard-hitting game is the epitome of high risk, high reward. She is basically trying to paint the lines on every point. You never know if she is going to beat one of the best players in the world, or lose to someone ranked outside the top 300.

Ostapenko’s volatile tennis style is probably one of the reasons that she’s often seen yelling at her coaches, other players, sometimes even opposing fans during her matches. On more than one occasion, Ostapenko has tried to start a fight with the electronic line-calling system, a literal computer. One can say a lot of things about Ostapenko’s behavior and matches, but boring is not one of them.

Women’s volleyball

The big storyline this summer: Women’s volleyball in the US is about to have a moment.

The US women’s volleyball program is one of the best in the world and, despite its success, an Olympic silver medal in 2024 and gold in 2020, the sport doesn’t get a lot of attention stateside.

Indoor volleyball is often eclipsed by its cousin, beach volleyball (thanks in large part to legends Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor). Despite the fact that it’s more popular than basketball at the high school level, volleyball doesn’t even enjoy the kind of spotlight and attention that swimming, track and field, and gymnastics get every quadrennial. That’s a shame considering how explosive, fast-paced, and dramatic indoor volleyball is.

But that may change soon.

The US has two new, well-funded professional volleyball leagues for women, Major League Volleyball (MLV) and League One Volleyball (LOVB). Powerhouse college programs like Nebraska, Texas, Stanford, and Pittsburgh, and college volleyball players in general are enjoying more visibility thanks to NIL deals and social media platforms like TikTok. And right now, the US women’s national team is competing in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League (VNL), an international tournament that runs from June 3 to July 26, along with the very best teams in the world.

If the current refrain is “everyone watches women’s sports,” it’s only a matter of time before women’s volleyball starts getting the attention it deserves.

The deeper cut: Tryouts for the 2028 US Olympic team.

Despite being a powerhouse, the US is in rebuilding mode with an eye toward LA 2028. Longtime coach Karch Kiraly, who guided the US to those previous Olympic medals, is gone, as is stalwart outside hitter Jordan Larson. That means an opportunity for young talent, including reigning collegiate player of the year Olivia Babcock, to compete against world-class athletes and make their cases for 2028.

Who to follow: Harper Murray, University of Nebraska

For volleyball newbies, there is one thing you need to know: Volleyball is a religion in Lincoln, Nebraska, home of the Cornhuskers. Their players are essentially celebrities, and there is no bigger presence than outside hitter Harper Murray, a returning all-American with national team hopes. Her TikTok is a candid, silly, girly, glimpse into the life of a star player (and her dog) on the sport’s biggest stage.

So get out there. It’s time to put on a jersey with the name of someone you just found out about, learn what “usage rate” means, predict who you think Ostapenko’s going to yell at during Wimbledon, and celebrate the America-fication of soccer. Be the fair-weather fan people hate (or love) to see.