Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope you're well.
Let's get right to it.
CAITLIN CLARK AND THE INDIANA FEVER
There was no drama surrounding who would be the first pick in the WNBA Draft, but the team that made the selection is undoubtedly ecstatic it's finally official: Welcome to the Fever, Caitlin Clark!
The selection was a no-brainer. She's first in Division I history in points and 3-pointers, second in triple-doubles and third in assists. She'll join last year's top overall pick, Aliyah Boston, to form a formidable inside-outside duo for years to come, making it an "A+" selection in Jack Maloney's eyes.
Jack has grades for every first-round pick. Here's the top five:
Jack also named his three biggest winners on the night and -- in addition to the Fever -- he particularly liked what the Los Sparks and the Connecticut Sun did.
Be sure to check out our live blog and theĀ full draft resultsĀ as well.
And finally, while women's basketball is riding a wave of momentum thanks to Clark and plenty of others, two of the sport's most consistent forces -- A'ja Wilson and Dawn Staley -- are hoping that this year's collegiate support grows to pro level as well, Jasmyn Wimbish writes.
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO AND THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Giannis AntetokounmpoĀ (calf strain) is doubtful for Sunday's Game 1 of the Bucks' first-round series against the Pacers, another unwanted loop in Milwaukee's rollercoaster season.
Last season, the Bucks flamed out against the Heat in the first round with Antetokounmpo missing time. In 2022, Khris Middleton missed Milwaukee's second-round loss to theĀ Celtics. This year, for at least one game, it appearsĀ Damian Lillard, Middleton and Co. will have to carry a heavy burden.Ā
Did you miss the NBA last night? Same here. Luckily things return tonight with the West play-in games, and if you don't know how it works, we have a reminder. Basically, the (7) PelicansĀ host the (8) Lakers, with the winner of that game earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Then, the (9) Kings host the (10) Warriors, with the winner facing the Pelicans-Lakers loser on Friday for the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.
So, who earns a playoff berth tonight? Sam Quinn made his pick for Pelicans vs. Lakers. And who keeps their season alive? Sam also picked Kings vs. Warriors. ... And if you're a Lakers fan who subscribes to the theory that L.A. would be better off losing tonight's game so they could try to capture the No. 8 seed to avoid the defending champion Nuggets, Sam wants to tell you why that won't help.
And what about the playoffs themselves? All of our expertsĀ filled out their brackets and made their title picks. There's a unanimous NBA Finals matchup prediction staff-wide, and I certainly wouldn't complain if it played out that way.
Our staff also made its individual award picks, and while several are unanimous or near-unanimous -- prepare for Nikola Jokic to become ninth player with at least three MVPs -- the Clutch Player of the Year elicited four different responses. Here's Sam Quinn's take.
Half of the UEFA Champions League semifinal will be determined today. Barcelona, up 3-2 after the first leg, hostĀ PSG (preview) while Atletico Madrid heads to Borussia DortmundĀ (preview) with a 2-1 lead. Both games are available to stream on Paramount+, and Barcelona-PSG is on CBS as well.
Can a young Barcelona side hold on? In his Corner Picks, Tom Fornelli says ...
Luis Enrique has big lineup calls to make to avoid that fate, Jonathan Johnson notes.
Here are our full expert picks, key players andĀ everything else you need to know.
USA Basketball has decided who's coming to Paris for the 2024 Olympics ... almost. According to reports, 11 of the 12 roster spots for the men's team are determined. They belong to:
It's an amazing roster and an experienced one at that: All except Embiid -- who committed to the USĀ in October 2023 -- have represented Team USA in some form of international competition before.
The Americans are four-time reigning Olympic gold medalists, but they failed to medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and will face stiff competition during the Paris Games fromĀ Germany, Serbia and Canada -- who went 1-2-3 at the World Cup -- as well as from hostĀ France.
Sam Quinn ran through snubs/candidates for the final spot, including ...Ā
ā½ Barcelona vs. PSG, 3 p.m. on CBS andĀ Paramount+
ā½ Borussia Dortmund vs. Atletico Madrid, 3 p.m. onĀ Paramount+
š Lakers at Pelicans, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
š Maple Leafs at Panthers, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
ā¾ Braves at Astros, 8:10 p.m. on TBS
š Warriors at Kings, 10 p.m. on TNT
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