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Good morning! The Pulse is buying at the trade deadline.
The Good Game: The beauty of tomorrow’s WNBA All-Star Game
We have piled on All-Star Games this week. I almost feel bad. But, tomorrow, a savior emerges: an All-Star Game with real personal stakes. One that matters, at least to the players involved:
The WNBA All-Star Game airs at 8:30 p.m. ET tomorrow on ABC, and the setup is a doozy: Team USA will play Team WNBA, aka the all-stars that didn’t make the Olympic roster, in a “tuneup” dripping with angst
Per BetMGM, Team USA is a slight favorite (-225, -5.5 spread) to win, though our women’s basketball writer Sabreena Merchant told me the line feels off. Yes, the national team has the better topline, but there are other factors at play here.
Team USA is a little banged-up and needs to be cautious with the Olympics so close. Team WNBA won’t play for another month due to the Olympic break. Let it rip, right? Especially when you’re trying to prove a point.
Caitlin Clark is playing for Team WNBA and told Fever coach Christie Sides the snub from the Olympic team “woke a monster.” Arike Ogunbowale, who won All-Star Game MVP the last time this matchup happened in 2021, is too, and said she took her name out of the Team USA pool months ago because of “politics” in roster selection. Tension!
To be clear, though: The Olympic lineup is stacked. Two MVPs (A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart), Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum and more. See the full roster here.
Maybe my favorite aspect of the game: DeWanna Bonner (Team WNBA) and Alyssa Thomas (Team USA) will play against each other. The two are engaged and currently play together on the Connecticut Sun. As if we needed more fun storylines here.
Read Sabreena’s enlightening back-and-forth discussion with Ben Pickman on everything WNBA All-Star Game.
News to Know
The course won Round 1Little-known English golfer Daniel Brown led the Open Championship after the first round yesterday with a 65, as Royal Troon left some of the world’s most famous golfers befuddled by tough greens and changing winds. Rory McIlroy shot a 78. Bryson DeChambeau shot 76 and invented a word. But hey, Justin Thomas is back in top form after a first-round 68.
See the latest on Round 2 here.
Wright to leave CommandersJason Wright is no longer serving as Washington team president, the organization announced yesterday, and will leave the team after this season. Wright became the first Black team president in NFL history after taking the job in 2020. Wright’s tenure saw a name change, an ownership change and now, he hopes, a new stadium deal before he leaves the team. Read our full story here.
Russ headed to DenverRussell Westbrook is expected to land with the Nuggets after the Clippers traded him to the Jazz yesterday, where Westbrook will likely receive a contract buyout and become a free agent. Westbrook, though diminished from his MVP form, is still a valuable player in this league and should be excellent depth for a title contender like Denver. The funniest part of all this: It’s the second straight season Westbrook has been traded to and bought out by Utah. Someone send me a Westbrook Jazz jersey.
More news
The two most interesting MLB trade deadline teams
The MLB trade deadline is less than two weeks away, which means the next 10 days might be the most important of the entire season. Team’s futures, both this year and beyond, can be decided in 10 games.
In years past, the delineation between contenders and sellers is usually clearer by now, but MLB’s expanded playoff system renders that murky. Just six MLB teams are more than 7 1/2 games back of a wild-card spot right now. That means 24 clubs can say they’re contenders.
That is … too many. I asked Windup maestro Levi Weaver for help on who to watch in this crucial period:
Levi’s picks came down to two general managers, really: San Diego’s A.J. Preller and Seattle’s Jerry DiPoto. These two are known as the most aggressive, transaction-happy guys in the business. The trade deadline is their season.
The Padres enter this stretch one game back of an NL wild-card spot, while the Mariners have a one-game lead in the AL West over Houston. Both need talent to stay afloat.
Expect the Padres to hunt for pitching reinforcements, Dennis Lin reports. But a top-heavy farm system could provide pause for Preller, especially in a market with such few sellers.
Chad Jennings expects both teams to be aggressive at the deadline. The Mariners need a bat and could include pitcher Emerson Hancock in any deal. Remember, DiPoto did author one of Tim Britton’s best trade deadline performances of the last decade, too.
Two other intriguing teams to watch, both from last year’s World Series: Both the Rangers (7 1/2 games back) and the Diamondbacks (one game back) sit outside the playoffs as of now. I suspect Arizona tries to stay competitive. But Texas? Woof. A bad week next week could force a sell-off.
Stay tuned to The Windup these next two weeks for full coverage.
Golf: The Open Championship1:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET on PeacockTime to giggle at rich golfers struggling as you sit on the couch, not playing golf for money.
MLB: Padres at Guardians7:10 p.m. ET on Apple TV+Hey, baseball is back. Watch one of our trade deadline teams sweat it out against one of baseball’s best outfits.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
This is a story I’ve been waiting for: David Aldridge remembers TNT’s “Inside the NBA” from his front-row seat. There’s no one more qualified to honor the show aside from its hosts. If you read anything today, make it this one.
A fascinating look ahead from Ted Nguyen: The NFL’s new kickoff rules are going to bring a “s—t show,” apparently. Count me excited to watch.
Max Olson ran 25 simulations of the 2024 college football season on EA’s College Football 25. Unrelated: I am looking up title odds for Oregon.
Dane Brugler scouts next year’s wide receiver draft class. Neither Travis Hunter nor Luther Burden III are his top prospect.
Back to golf for a second: The par-3 eighth hole at Royal Troon, named The Postage Stamp, sounds like my personal hell.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu not participating in the 3-point contest this weekend.
