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Blueprints: As the new team took over W
On the surface, everything about the WNBA business is exciting. Viewership is growing. Expansion franchises keep popping up. The new collective bargaining agreement helped increase player salaries. The league’s profile has never been higher, and it has really tapped into the zeitgeist.
But there is something about the sudden explosion of popularity that is dangerous. The new reality brings new lessons. More importantly, can said explosion actually translate into stamina? Or is it shrinking back to its previous state?
The Golden State Valkyries are the model of this new reality as a stable, mega-popular franchise. In only their second year of existence, the Valks are already the best professional sports team that we don’t talk about enough. In two years!
That is the focus of a great feature by Brian Hamilton this week. Two points I want to make:
- You can look at most professional sports leagues (outside of the NFL) and find examples of expansion franchises being bombed. You can blame league rules, bad market, whatever. But many of these new teams fail to garner attention out of the gate. Valkyries avoided all that.
- Golden State made the postseason last year, its first ever. This year, the Valks are 21-9, tied for the second-best record in the league. They are already legitimate title contenders. Maybe it’s the owner, Warriors main man Joe Lacob. Maybe it’s a market that’s used to good basketball and ripe for supporting the WNBA.
Or, as Brian explained, maybe it’s the way the team treats its players. The examples of simple support that delight players are astounding.
News you need to know
Carl Recine/Getty Images
Infantino calls a crisis meeting
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has requested a meeting of the organization’s senior management in Morocco today to discuss a turbulent crisis of his own making that could lead to Infantino’s ouster. It comes after Infantino’s now scrapped FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, which would have essentially sold stakes in the global governing body to private investors. Criticism of this was almost unanimous, from people within FIFA and its member organisations. Every finger is pointed at Infantino.
There was other positive football news yesterday:
A reminder to keep up with ours Transfer DealSheet before the window closes on September 1.
Three big NFL contracts
Training camp is also a time for contract negotiations, as we’ve seen plenty of deals get made in the early days of the NFL season. Three big numbers from yesterday:
Tough tennis day
Injuries dominated the tennis world yesterday, as superstar Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the upcoming Cincinnati Open as he continues to rehabilitate an injured wrist. The timing is unfortunate; The Cincinnati Open is two weeks before the US Open, and Alcaraz’s continued absence means it is could have missed it third straight Grand Slam because of his wrist.
Later, Jack Draper’s elbow – a problem that had plagued him for more than a year – caused tears during his loss to Frenchman Térence Atmane at the ATP Masters 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal. Draper has missed much of the tennis calendar since late last year with a chronic elbow problem. Once ranked 4th in the world, Draper is now ranked 143rd due to inactivity. Just look at the 24-year-old Brit who realized his elbow had betrayed him again:
Brutal twist, but intends to play in the Cincinnati Open.
More news:
- The first college football preseason coaches poll is out, with Ohio State taking first place in the ranking. Check out the full 25 here.
- Pull Skubal was solid in his first game as a dodger, despite finishing with a fifth straight loss for LA “It felt like my major league debut,” he said.
- Tennessee coach Josh Heupel slammed the NCAA for suspension Vols linebacker Arion Carter. I agree with Heupel.
- Falcons edge Jalon Walker tore his ACL in practice yesterday, a source said The Athletic. Tough.
- A couple of days after I wrote about it Aaron Rodgers calming down, he began the battle with Dr. Anthony Fauci. Of course.
- Bryson DeChambeau led by a LIV A players-only meeting to discuss the uncertainties surrounding the moving league. They all sound happy, but so it seems ominous to me.
- AJ Williams, No. 1 men’s high school basketball player in the class of 2028, reclassified to 2027. Read more about him here.
- I love how online Kevin Durant he is, but sometimes it gets him into trouble. He angry former Warriors teammate Klay Thompson yesterday.
- The WNBA expansion franchise in Cleveland has a name: the sirens. Check out their logo
Viewing Guide
📺 MLB: Pirates at Brewers
7:40 PM ET on ESPN
Paul Skenes is going up against the best team in baseball, although the reigning NL Cy Young winner has had a tough road in his last two outings. Pittsburgh needs him to be good here, as the Pirates are one game under .500 and 3 1/2 games out of the NL wild card with a streak ahead.
📺 League Cup: Atlético de San Luis at Inter Miami
7:30 PM ET on Apple TV
Watch Leo Messi here after the World Cup as Miami begin their journey to the Liga Cup against a team that has struggled in Liga MX so far this season. If you’re up late or on the West Coast, stick around for LAFC-Guadalajara at 10:30 PM ET, also on Apple.
📺 WPBL: Hunters vs. Queens
7:30 PM ET on ESPN+
Need something new for the remaining days of summer? Check out the new Women’s Professional Baseball League, playing its inaugural season. The first-year schedule is a month long, with all games played in Springfield, Ill. It could be fun.
Pulse Picks
Arturo Holmes / Getty Images
I really enjoyed this column by Shakeie Taylor yesterday, about why we need to start enjoying the magic on the field basketball more than anything that comes of it. Read this today.
Relevant post-MLB trade deadline: our latest Power Rankings.
The Yankees’ top prospect, George Lombard Jr. homered in his MLB debut last night. The ball landed in the hat of a lucky fan. I liked this.
Notre Dame’s strength coach train our Pete Sampson. Here are three things he learned.
The most clicked in the newsletter yesterday: QB Tiersby a mile.
Most read on the website yesterday: ☝️