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Good morning! I hope you get a preferred lie today.
While You Were Sleeping: And then there were 4
Each night, we are seeing seasons end. Sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Quickly:Â
- Our late game showcased the moxie of a downtrodden Jets team, one loss from elimination, routing the potent Dallas Stars 4-0 to survive and extend this series. I’m not sure if they escape Game 6, but kudos for not bowing out after a tough series thus far. This game was extremely chippy at the end, too.
- In Denver, the home team showed mettle, too. A 119-107 Nuggets victory over the 68-win Thunder forces a Game 7 in Oklahoma City on Sunday, where the top two MVP candidates face off with each other’s seasons on the line. This is what we deserve. Good for David Adelman, too, the interim Nuggets coach who’s finally getting his shine.
- In the nation’s capital, there was no mettle for Washington. The Caps’ season is over, a magical year that saw franchise legend Alex Ovechkin pass Wayne Gretzky on the all-time goals list. Carolina looks like a Stanley Cup threat after a five-game series win. It would be great if they saw the Stars in the final.Â
We have just four second-round series left across both the NBA and NHL. It’s getting close now. Let’s talk about a season beginning, though:
Big Days: A most important summer
I often hear the same question, just with slightly different wording: Sure, the Caitlin Clark story is cool, but is the rise in WNBA popularity actually real? I answer, with no hesitation: Yes. By all internal metrics available to me, interest remains incredibly high in this league, even beyond Clark.Â
Which makes this WNBA season, which tips off tonight, so important. Momentum is paramount. We have a new team in the Bay, and don’t forget that Paige Bueckers is now here.Â
We have plenty of time to discuss the nitty gritty, but for this preview, I want to hit three tentpoles:Â
1, Who’s the MVP?
This is a star-driven league, and despite Clark’s superior popularity, there is no better player than Aces center/forward A’ja Wilson at the moment. Two of our three WNBA writers agreed in their preseason predictions file, with lone dissident Sabreena Merchant opting for the talented Napheesa Collier.Â
With another MVP year, Wilson’s star could become incandescent. The 28-year-old lready has the best commercial of the year, devoted to her instantly sold-out signature shoe. She could become the league’s first-ever four-time MVP. She’s hard to bet against, though oddsmakers like Clark to win MVP for now.Â
2. Sure, but who’s winning the title?
Tougher question. Collier and the Lynx are a dark horse favorite, if you count last year’s runner-up as unheralded. Yet BetMGM favors the Liberty, Aces and even Fever more than Minnesota. The Lynx were literal seconds away from a ring last year. The fact there’s little consensus means we’re in for a good season.Â
3, OK, yes, about Clark. Will the Fever actually be good?
Oddsmakers seem to think so, and there’s plenty of logic behind that. Indiana’s offense was electric after the All-Star break last year, but the defense lagged; New coach Stephanie White is a defensive specialist, and improving that unit to just slightly above average makes the Fever a title contender. They are fourth in our first Power Rankings, too.Â
Before we go, I wanted to dive a little deeper, so I asked Ben Pickman to pick a story they think we aren’t talking enough about heading into the season:Â
💬 The Atlanta Dream, who have methodically built up its core in recent seasons, culminating this winter in free-agent signings of All-Star centers Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. They’ll also have a first-year WNBA head coach in Karl Smesko, who is joining the pro ranks after a highly successful two-decade run at Florida Gulf Coast. Smesko’s FGCU teams became known for their 3-point shooting. The Dream were No. 12 in offensive rating a season ago, but are poised to be much improved this season.
Read the full preview here. Onward:
News to Know
Williams, father tried to avoid Chicago
Caleb Williams and his father actively sought a way around the quarterback becoming a Chicago Bear, according to a new book from ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, as Williams was concerned about the team’s coaching staff. He initially hoped to land in Minnesota but changed his mind after a pre-draft meeting with the Bears. And, to be fair, some of the stories in the book detail coaching failures in Chicago during Williams’ rookie year. See those here.
A majorly confusing PGA day
Yesterday’s first round of the PGA Championship did not yield our expected results, aka Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler atop the leaderboard. Instead, we had Scheffler and other top pros miffed with rules officials after poor conditions drew bad scores. Little-known Jhonattan Vegas is your leader at 7-under, with fellow journeymen Cam Davis and Ryan Gerard in second place. The biggest winner of the day, though, may have been Luke Donald’s caddie.
Hockey Canada trial broaches group chat
The players accused in the ongoing Hockey Canada sexual assault trial created a group chat in the days following the incident and further strategized about saying “the same thing if we get interviewed” during an investigation. Players maintain the sexual encounter was consensual. Read our full report.
More news
- Former MLB All-Star Rafael Furcal was arrested and charged with two felonies, including throwing a “missile” into a public or private dwelling. See more details.
- The NFL will vote next week on whether to allow players to participate in Olympic flag football. Interesting.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods is acquiring Foot Locker for $2.4 billion. We have some exclusive analysis here.
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What to Watch
đź“ş Celtics at Knicks
8 p.m. ET on ESPN
There will be no better atmosphere in pro sports this week than this. It’s a minimum of $700 to get into the building. If New York falls here, Game 7 will be bonkers. Make a reservation with your couch or local sports bar for this game.Â
đź“ş Maple Leafs at Panthers
8 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
Another massive Friday matchup, as Florida can close out a decisive series win with four straight victories in this one. It’s hard to imagine Toronto coming back from the Game 5 loss, too.Â
đź“ş WNBA: Sparks at Valkyries
10 p.m. ET on ION
Let’s welcome in the new season with the new team. Marcus Thompson II wrote a great story on Golden State coach Natalie Nakase, who was built for this exact scenario.Â
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
What’s next for the Warriors after a quick collapse? They are understandably bitter after Steph Curry’s unfortunate injury, and despite feeling close to a title run, changes must be made — quickly. Â
It’s never too early for NFL predictions, which is why Austin Mock fired up the projection model to look at early Super Bowl favorites. A certain team with a bird mascot is on top. See all the numbers.
At Sevilla, there is turmoil. The former Europa League mainstays have reached the point of relegation worry and, upsettingly, fans showing up to the training grounds in black balaclavas. Make time for this harrowing story.Â
Mark Lazerus has a great piece on the imperceivable “line” in the NHL playoffs, which players must approach — and sometimes cross — for an edge. Read that here.Â
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on Cooper Flagg’s reaction to the Mavericks winning the NBA Draft Lottery.Â
Most-read on the website yesterday: NFL schedule winners and losers. Sickos, all of you.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)