Mike D. Sykes, II
April 5, 2024 9:47 am ET
This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you?If so, subscribe here.Have feedback?Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Goooood morning, folks! Happy Friday! Thanks so much for rocking with the Morning Win today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.
We’re getting the matchup of a generation today between UConn and Iowa. The two best players from the class of 2020 in Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark will go at it for a shot to win a national championship. This is all you can ask for as a basketball fan.
This will be the last time we get this matchup — at least on the college level. Clark is leaving for the WNBA next season. She’ll be a member of the Indiana Fever. And, with her departure, a massive void will be left in women’s college hoops.
RELATED:Check out the latest WNBA mock drafts from around the internet
There’s no question that Clark carried a lot of water this year. There was already a general buzz around women’s college basketball, but her epic journey through her final season brought more eyes to the table than usual.
So how do we fill this massive void she’s leaving next season? Who will bear the torch asthe sports story? Some might say it’s Bueckers, who is forgoing the draft to have one final season at UConn.
But Bueckers doesn’t want that. And she has a good reason not to.
When asked about potentially stepping into the spotlight that Clark has had for the last few seasons, Bueckers said she’d rather not. Not because she’s shying away, but because she thinks that’s the wrong way to cover the sport.
Take a listen:
Paige Bueckers was asked about potentially replacing Caitlin Clark as the star of women's college basketball next season.
"I honestly hope next year I'm not the focal point and the only person that gets attention. I hope as media, as players, we can spread the love a little bit… pic.twitter.com/vWGfPIf8pZ
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 4, 2024
“It’s more important for the game to share the spotlight — to grow the game and show all the stars of college basketball and not focus on one particular player, whether it be me, Caitlin, Angel [Reese], Juju [Watkins]. I mean, there’s so many names in college basketball that are huge, that are stars, that deserve credit. And I think — it’s not my job — but the media can do a better job of making sure everybody gets love.”
That’s a salient point by Bueckers. And she’s absolutely right. She’s getting right what it feels like the collective sports coverage around this season has gotten wrong all year.
This isn’t to say that Caitlin Clark’s season didn’t deserve the outsized coverage it got. That’s ridiculous. She broke the NCAA’s all-time scoring record. Something like that deserves everyone’s attention.
But, man. There were so many other stories this year. Paige’s return at UConn, for example, has been incredible. Her efficiency has been off the charts. Over at USC, Watkins broke records herself — including some of Caitlin’s. South Carolina has been unbeatable this year. LSU remained the most interesting team in the country.
I wish we’d seen more of those stories headlining this season and just a bit less of Caitlin’s. The general audience would be much better prepared to watch college basketball next season without her if we had.
In the end, I think it’ll be fine. There will be more than enough storylines to latch on to for next season. We just have to make sure we pay attention to them all so we don’t miss anything.
Are NFL contracts actually real?
Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
I ask this knowing full well that the answer is no. Deals in the NFL change all the time.
But, man. What’s happening with Stefon Diggs’ deal after his trade is wild, isn’t it? The way his deal was just shifted around is mind-boggling.
The details:
- Diggs was traded to the Texans with three years left on his contract.
- Those three years have been “wiped out,” according to ESPN. They just don’t exist anymore.
- He also got a $3.5 million guarantee in 2025 moved into this season, so now he has a $22.52 million guarantee for 2024.
Let’s be real. This is a win for Diggs in the end. He gets a prove-it year in a new situation, a bigger guarantee for this season and gets to enter a red-hot wide-receiver market next year.
As Christian D’Andrea wrote on Wednesday when the trade went down, the Texans didn’t incur much risk with this deal anyway because Houston could’ve cut him without consequences next year. This was worth it in the end.
But, man. I will never believe another NFL contract again.
Womp womp, Houston Rockets
Talk about embarrassing. Tari Eason (who isn’t even playing basketball right now!) called out the Warriors with the Rockets chasing them for the final play-in spot in the NBA’s Western Conference.
Then Golden State dismantles Houston by 23 points. You cannot make this up. Here’s Charles Curtis with more.
“Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason is out for the year and hasn’t played since New Year’s Day.
Yet he decided to start trolling the Dubs with the Golden State Warriors and his squad jockeying for position in the play-in standings. Last month, he dropped a video imitating the“WARRIORS! COME OUT TO PLAY-YAY!”from the classic movie,The Warriors. Remember that scene with the dude and the bottles clinking on his hands? See that link above.
Eason took it a step further with the Warriors and Rockets playing on Thursday. He wore a “Warriors come out to play t-shirt.” Now, he didn’t play one minute of the game, and he watched as the Warriors won 133-110.”
Sometimes, it’s best to just not say anything. Especially when Steph Curry is involved.
Lesson learned, Rockets.
Photo Friday: Sunflower Shohei
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani’s first homer as a Dodger earned him a sunflower seed shower. Don’t they look like little gnats dancing around him in this shot?
Too bad the Dodgers had to go and reportedly ruin this moment.
Quick hits: The Dodgers know how to ruin the moment … HVL on the move … and more
— Here’s an explainer on the Shohei Ohtani home run scandal. The Dodgers are having a rough go to start this year. Charles Curtis has more.
— Cory Woodroof has you covered on five potential landing spots for Hailey Van-Lith after she entered the transfer portal again.
— UConn fans are livid with the NCAA. I can’t blame them. Look at how tiny these beds are. Andrew Joseph has more.
— Christian D’Andrea and Robert Zeglinski have the best 24-and-under players at every position listed here. Tap in.
— Here’s Christian again on Cody Rhodes headlining Wrestlemania this year.
— Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with more on the ever-turning coaching carousel in men’s basketball right now.
That’s a wrap, folks! Let’s do this all again on Monday. Until then. Be easy! Peace.
-Sykes ✌️
