How are the Fever still here? Plus, more CFB madness

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is it Athletic’daily sports bulletin. Apply here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.

Good morning! Hit a fair ball today. Coming:

Grit: Indiana somehow thrives

Every year, in every sport, a talented team falls apart due to external factors. As much as we value production and stats on the field, chemistry and mental health are critical when a group of people are expected to work together over a long period of time to achieve success.

In any other universe, this year’s Indiana fever would have unraveled by now. Their star, Caitlin Clark, was a “political football” since entering the league three years ago. Another player, Sophie Cunningham, recently encouraged heated debate about trans athletes in women’s sports. Fair or not, this team has been the subject of more political segments this season than anything it has accomplished on the field.

Which is a shame, because this team is — somehow — very, very good.

At 24-12, Indiana is third in the WNBA standings, five games behind the first-place Lynx. They’ve won five straight and 10 of their last 12 heading into a big game against the Wings and Paige Bueckers tonight. Clark and Bueckers are already building the new great WNBA rivalryalso.

So let’s talk basketball. How are they so good, with all the noise? Here’s what Sabreena Merchant he told me:

💬 “It’s the backcourt. Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are really good, and this year is the first time Fever coach Steph White has worked with them both. Las Vegas’ Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young have been the gold standard of the WNBA backcourt for a while, but Indiana took that title.”

Strong words. Sabreena also noted that center Aliyah Boston is adept from distance, shooting 42 percent on three-point attempts this year. Add that to Clark (22.1 ppg) and Mitchell (24.3 ppg), and there’s a lot of firepower.

Clark was so good that our writers today published a case for her inclusion in the MVP debate. You can read that here.

My last question to Sabreena: Can Indiana realistically win the title this year? “I think so,” she told me.

As Brian Hamilton wrote in a great story this week, The Fever have courage. I would say so.

• PS On the Dallas side: Azzi Fudd, this year’s No. 1 pick, will undergo knee surgery next week and miss the rest of the season. the team announcedwhich is a real glitch. The news comes on the same day that we saw Fudd and Bueckers talking openly their relationship as a couple for the first time.

let’s move on:

News you need to know

John Jones / Imagn Images

Referee and another CFB transfer wrinkle
Last weekend, former LSU defensive end and current Buccaneers rookie Jack Pyburn recorded two sacks in Tampa Bay’s preseason game against the Jets. Yesterday, after a judge granted a temporary restraining order, we learned that Pyburn and 15 others could return to college football this season. The NCAA will likely appeal the decision, though the timing — college football starts in two weeks, the NFL a week later — is hairy. Read our full report here.

However, I want to check the temperature, via a pulse survey. How do we feel about this development?

• Bullshit.
• This is our new reality. Let them play.
• I lost interest.

Leave your vote in the comments or return to the newsletter to cast your vote there. We will announce the results tomorrow.

McAfee’s ESPN role is expanding
Pat McAfee will be a ubiquitous presence on ESPN screens until early fall, as the former Colts player joins the “Monday Night Countdown” table this season. That’s in addition to his current duties as daytime show host and “College GameDay” panelist. All of this comes as he is in talks with ESPN over a contract extension worth around $60 million a year. Read our full report.

LIV needs peace to survive
At a press conference yesterday, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil urged professional golf tours around the world to work together to achieve harmony among their elite players. It’s funny timing, because most world tours have worked together to… exclude LIV players from their competitions. And, as Brody Miller reported yesterday, LIV needs its roster to even make it to the second iteration of the tour, and its roster must play a full schedule to survive as professional golfers. Brody’s story is worth reading.

There’s also a sentiment floating around, crystallized by Rory McIlroy, who said this yesterday when asked about the value LIV golfers would bring back to the PGA Tour: “Have they brought value to LIV?” Ouch. Jim Nantz of CBS agreed.

More news:

• A a sheriff’s deputy tried to serve Colorado coach Deion Sanders with papers on campus last week but to no avail. Read our report.
  
• The Nuggets traded Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers in a deal with three teams that he also sent Max Strus to the Clippers. See the full store.
  
• Mavericks fans are frustrated by what they call a “bait and switch” with season ticket packages. More here.
  
• The Buccaneers and a star nose Vita Vea compensated, temporarily, via a one-year, $30 million extension. Details inside.
  
• michigan stadium, aka big house, will get ads for the first time next season.
  
• WNBA legend Nneka Ogwumika is retiring after this season. More about her career here.
  
• Two big ones EPL transfer stories cooking: Tottenham are in deep conversations to acquire Savinho and Omar Marmoush of Manchester City, while Manchester United closure on a deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba.
  
• It’s hard not to wince at this: The Edmonton Marathon he apologized after miscalculating the length of the race. Oops.

📰 Find more news here 24/7.

Things you need to see: This is fair, right?

The Yankees beat the Orioles 5-3 last night in a game that was important to both teams for the postseason. It also featured one of the more brutal calls you’ll see.

In the seventh inning, Baltimore designated hitter Pete Alonso hit what he (and the entire Orioles) thought was a good shot. That was called a foul. Here’s the relevant replay:

After further review, the ball was ruled a foul.

Pete Alonso doesn’t have a home run. pic.twitter.com/xnzXUDDHpn

— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) August 20, 2026

If that angle is to be believed, the ball is a home run, as it travels directly over the foul pole. Alonso and the Orioles were understandably furious after the game, while Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he thought it was a foul.

The Orioles are 1 1/2 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. Read the full explanation of last night’s shenanigans here.

Viewing Guide

📺 NFL: Raiders at Texans
8:00 PM ET on ESPN
That’s football on our televisions, but especially come to watch Fernando Mendoza work against a good defense. The Raiders keep insisting that Kirk Cousins ​​is the clear starter, but I wonder if the more impressive play of Mendoza will change soon. Stick around for 49ers-Chargers on NFL Network at 10 p.m

📺 WNBA: Fever in the wings
8:00 PM ET on Prime Video
If football isn’t your thing, check this out.

Pulse Picks

There is legitimate reason for hope this year for Cowboysand that starts with offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. Jourdan Rodrigue messed with him and got away with it great story.

The Perfect Idea by Sean McIndoe: Remembering Your Time NHL the team smoked a newbie during his debut. Yes, all 32 teams.

A rugby player finished his career with a traumatic brain injuries. Now, he runs 100 ultramarathons in 100 days. I’d call him crazy, but he seems pretty sane this wonderful story.

New evolution in sports gambling coming: downsizing (or long!) on the team. Read Jon Greenberg’s interesting story the the stock market coming to sport.

Most clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story of Ketel Marte absence from the Diamondbacks.

Most read on the website yesterday: Nick Kyrgios’ tested positive for cocaine.