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The 2023 WNBA season's juiciest stories to follow

Superteams, and new-look squads. Scandal-riven defending champs. A former political prisoner returns. Rule changes, a pressing need for league expansion, and more. The 2023 WNBA season is here, and these are some of the most riveting storylines to follow all season long....

WNBA sends strong message with Becky Hammon suspension [Update]

It makes sense now that Becky Hammon, head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, sought permission from her bosses to interview for a head coaching position with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. Less than a calendar year removed from the confetti, champagne, and parade of bringing the Aces franchise its first WNBA...

The NFL Draft will win the day, but the NBA has already won the week

Thursday night will be one of those evenings when sports fans show their appreciation for the inventor of the “previous channel” button. Round One of the 2023 NFL Draft will be on ABC, while Game 6 of the First Round matchup between the No. 2 Boston Celtics and the No. 7 Atlanta Hawks (Boston leads ...

Janet Jackson will have to wait awhile

The Atlanta Hawks Game 5 escapade in Boston has forced the delay of a Janet Jackson concert that was supposed to take place at State Farm Arena on Thursday night. ...

Might be time for the Hawks, Mavericks to pull the plug on the stars they traded for in 2018

Zoom out on the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks 2018 draft-day trade and the results appear positive. Both franchises made a trip to the conference finals and were competitive against the eventual NBA Champion. Trae Young is a two-time NBA All-Star and was named third-team All-NBA last season. Lu...

The Atlanta Hawks have been the definition of mediocrity

The Atlanta Hawks season has been a Sisyphean quest to remain above .500. They came, they saw, and they Even Stevened for most of the season. If you ever wondered what a wedgie between the rim and the hoop personified this season was, it would be the 41-39 Atlanta Hawks. ...

What’s better than transcendent?

That felt like the March Madness we know and crave. Upsets are fantastic, certainly, and Iowa beating South Carolina was an upset, but only because of the Gamecocks’ perfect 36-0 record and 42-game winning streak overall. This wasn’t David beating Goliath. It was LeBron James taking Zydrunas Ilgausk...

March Badness: Scandals defined the year in college hoops

In a year devoid of a dominant blue blood or player, college basketball stayed in the headlines for the worst reasons. Preseason No. 1 UNC whiffed on the season and missed the tournament entirely. Gonzaga is relying on a normal supply of veteran talent, but is less interesting to watch for casual fa...

Brandon Miller and Alabama just don’t get it

In the age of social media, we see people misbehaving and exhibiting an egregious lack of self-awareness every day. Alabama men’s basketball standout Brandon Miller is the latest athlete to show the world just how tone-deaf one person can be. During Saturday’s pregame introduction against Arkansas, ...

I was depressed, but then I found roofball

Nate McMillan was a <i>Major Payne</i> to Trae Young, so who should be the Hawks' next coach?

Nearly two years to the day the Atlanta Hawks fired Lloyd Pierce, his replacement Nate McMillan met the same fate. We knew his coaching position was terminal two months ago when an argument between McMillan and Young spilled out into the public sphere. And while Young’s poor relationship with McMcMi...

Nepotism in college football hits a new low

Normally, when a football program has a competent coach who’s gone stale, the university will force out whichever coordinator is most responsible for the lack of success. If only life was that easy for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The team is stuck in an offensive malaise (to put it kindly), but can’t oust Br...

Sports networks will invest in just about anything before women’s sports — including pickleball

In a sign that ESPN and other networks can choose to devote broadcast hours to new and emerging sports, the American sports cable channel announced that it was adding pickleball to the lineup....

Is Trae Young the NBA's newest coach killer?

When a point guard averages 27 points and 10 assists, you must be talking about one of the best in the game. Trae Young is that dude. He has solidified himself as one of the most lethal scorers in the NBA. He is known as a shooter, with some going as far as comparing him to Steph Curry. We all know ...

Will Dearica Hamby’s accusations force the WNBA to finally deal with its mommy issues?

The Las Vegas Aces kicked off the WNBA free agency negotiation period on Saturday, Jan. 21, by kicking Dearica Hamby from the sidewalks of Sin City to the curbs of the City of Angels. Neither “The Heave,” which made Hamby into both a fan favorite and a household name among league aficionados, nor he...

Keep an eye on these 23 breakout stars in 2023: Part 1 [Updated]

One year ago, who would have thought that Julián Álvarez would be the breakout star of the World Cup instead of Gio Reyna, or that TCU backup Max Duggan would lead the Horned Frogs to a national championship game on the 1-yard line of 2022’s closing? Trying to predict which figures will rise to the ...

The NBA’s poverty franchises

The competitive lifespan of an NBA franchise is delicate. A team’s championship relevance depends on many factors, including the front office’s competence, coaching staff, and the totality of star power on the court. “Poverty” in the NBA sense can be defined by the corrosion of the team’s ethics and...

Dejounte Murray has been better than advertised to start the season

Following last season’s disappointing journey and final destination, the Atlanta Hawks are off to a blazing start to this season. They are 7-3 and not only look like the clear best team in the Southeast division, but also like one of the better squads in the Eastern Conference....

Who will be stepping into the limelight this NBA season?

When a new wave of players becomes NBA relevant, it usually happens over time, never all at once. It’s a gradual increase in relevance, sometimes under the radar, because it’s guys who reach their potential in small markets and losing situations. When a lottery pick hits early and fast, like Paolo B...

Jordan Brand keeps signing Duke guys because North Carolina can’t produce worthy candidates

Rivalries are all about tradition — and being petty....