While We’re Young (Ideas) on Caitlin Clark and the WNBA

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Every decade or so, an issue comes down the pike, and it’s so complex it can only be played out on the sports pages – specifically the NBA section. The complexities have ranged from public health to race relations to geopolitical crisis to labor law. You name it, the NBA has played it.

The NBA countered with the first and most significant Anti-Drug Agreement in professional sports, and the concept was championed by NBA Players Association President Bob Lanier (RIP 1948-2022) and signed by Big Bob and then Commissioner Larry O’Brien.

Early 1980s? The NBA was embarrassed by having only a handful of games on national TV and the championship games being tape delayed, all while salaries were soaring with no end in sight.

Up stepped the NBA with a new concept in Collective Bargaining that placed player salaries in line with the overall (monetary) success of the league. The new ‘83 CBA introduced maximum (Salary Cap) and minimum team salaries along with an improved Anti-Drug Agreement. The deal was a first for pro sports, and it was lauded by New York Times labor writer A.H. Raskin as a model, not just for sports but for all of labor law. Over the years, the league and NBA Players Association worked on the CBA and improved its rules/agreements, which govern the league’s player movement to this day.

The 1990s came along, and so did the public health crisis of the HIV/AIDS virus, a decade-plus old and raging out of control around the world. Just how could the NBA intersect with such a medical crisis?

Instead of hiding or being shunned by the league, fellow players and society, Los Angeles Lakers All-Star guard and NBA champion Earvin “Magic” Johnson stepped up to a podium at the Fabulous Forum in LA and announced to the world that he had tested positive with the HIV virus and would have to retire from the NBA. Johnson stated his intention to help educate the youth of the world, stressing healthy living and teaching literally everyone the intricacies of and how to live with the virus, stressing safe sex and calling for much-needed research dollars to perfect prescription drug cocktails that were life-saving.

Johnson’s message was front page news in every publication in the world and he furthered his teachings by participating in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game where he won MVP honors in a truly magical manner. Johnson went on to play on the one and only USA Basketball “Dream Team” that took the gold medal at the ‘92 Barcelona Olympic Games.

Fast forward to 2020, and another virus ran rampant throughout the globe. It wasn’t until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver abruptly stopped the league from playing games that the general public realized just how serious COVID-19 was going to be. Only the IVY League was exercising full caution ahead of the NBA, but no one was listening until the NBA made its decisive move.

Now that’s a long introduction – we call it background in the biz – to introduce the topic of the day – maybe of the 2024-2030s – and that is the impact of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, drafted this week into the WNBA by the Indiana Fever. In one season, Clark sold more Iowa jerseys than Jersey Mike sells subs. While doing so, and now officially licensed Indiana replica uniforms and WNBA orange hoodies are flying off the shelves, the issue of “women in sports” has been raised by every media outlet in the land, from CNBC business to an Indiana-based columnist inappropriately making a “heart-shaped” sign to Clark while she was in the middle of meeting the WNBA media for the very first time.

Clark, who handled the press conference incident with grace and dignity, has done more to advance women’s basketball in one season than the WNBA has done since its inception on Memorial Day weekend in 1997. Clark led her Iowa Hawkeyes to the NCAA women’s Final Four, losing to national champion South Carolina in the championship game just weeks ago.

The coolest thing about Clark is she made the difference with her “game,” as in “She’s Got Game.” Her impact made all her teammates better and helped drive television ratings to all-time highs (According to Nielsen: 18.88 million people watched South Carolina clinch their undefeated season by beating Iowa, 87-75). The game marked the third all-time TV ratings high for the women’s game, and a 289% increase over the previous year’s NCAA championship. Only the ‘96 USA Basketball women’s national team win at the Atlanta Olympics can claim a higher ratings number (19.7 viewers).

The men’s final drew 14.8 million viewers on Turner (cable) and with that, let the comparisons begin, as media watchers noted that Clark’s Iowa team rated higher than any basketball game (men’s or women’s and college or professional) since 2019, according to ESPN, and the most viewership ever for a women’s college basketball game, as the broadcast peaked at a stunning 24 million viewers.

To put this in perspective. The games topped…

• Every World Series game last year.
• Every NBA Finals game last year.
• Every Daytona 500 since 2013.
• Every Masters final round viewership since 2013.
• All but five College Football Bowl games in 2023.

As the WNBA Draft took place, the next (semi)-logical comparison was made as Clark’s WNBA rookie scale salary calls for her base salary to be:

• 2024: $76,535
• 2025: $78,066
• 2026: $85,873
• 2027: (option year) at $97,582

Quickly, the media pointed out that the NBA’s No. 1 draft choice, Victor Wembanyama signed a No. 1 pick NBA scale contract of $55,174,766 or some $13.7 million a year.

Knee jerk reactions were a combination of disbelief and horror by many who knew next to nothing of the NBA’s vast collective bargaining history since the maximum and minimum team salaries were introduced in 1983 and the number of years, ticket sales, and new global television deals it took to grow the NBA “pie” to its record levels of today.

For instance:

• The NBA will generate about $13B in revenues this year. The WNBA will not approach that number. For additional background, the NBA’s (USA/Canada-based) national media deals pay the NBA and its teams $2.8 billion with a “b” for 2023-24. The WNBA and its teams will net $65M total for media rights.
• The NBA is finishing its 78th season in business. The WNBA is enjoying its 28th season. The comparison in years would make it 1973 for the NBA.
• In 1973, NBA players were making $15,000 (minimum), the median was $25,000 and the average was $40,000. The “key salary” figure at time was $65,000. If you were making $65,000, you were pretty good.
• In ’73, the NBA had 45 players making $100,000, and keep in mind at the time there was a bidding war factor with ABA to sign and/or entice players between the years 1967 and ’76) – (Source: New York Times: Leonard Koppett).
• Remember, the NBA plays from October to April with an 82-game season with 30 clubs and for successful playoff teams it could be some 100+ games all the way to late June. WNBA players compete in a 40-game, four-month season with 12 teams.
• In addition to her base salary, Clark can make another $500,000 or more in WNBA-related earnings (coming from league activated marketing deals) this coming season.
• Without a doubt, the marketing strength and vast WNBA TV deals will help her gain significant income through new endorsements and via existing business partnerships. Recent reports have that dollar amount exceeding $3 million and potentially jumping to an eight-figure Nike shoe and apparel deal worth $20,000,000 itself. (Be Like Mike and take the stock options).

The differences far outweigh the similarities, so it’s quite disingenuous to compare Clark’s salary to Wembanyama’s. But, if Clark were to be drafted in the first round by an NBA team this June, which is within reason, she would be slotted into the NBA’s rookie pay scale. Period. There’s no gender issue in the NBA’s CBA. Rookies selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft will make roughly $2m (for the 30th selection) to $10,504,800 for the No. 1 pick in the draft.

If Clark were to be selected with, say, the 20th overall pick of the draft, she’d make $2,780,000 for her first season, with bump-ups to $2.9m and $3.05m for the following two years. A four-year option salary would come in at 54% of her salary in 2026-27.

Now, the question of the day: Is Clark good enough to command an NBA salary? And, play it out: is the most talented musician at the Berklee School of Music good enough to gross the $2 billion Taylor Swift made in 2023? Or, we can get real serious across the entire socio-economic chart and start comparing the salaries of school teachers, bus drivers, nurses, first responders and the like to entertainers and athletes.

The point is that it’s not a fair comparison to knee-jerk and compare salaries unless you’re putting it all in context. That is the attempt in this column.

One last point: In 2020, the likes of Sue Bird and the (WNBA/NBA) Players Association heads were lauding their new CBA, and rightfully so. Said Bird, a member of the WNBA Players Association executive committee: “The deal represents moving forward both from a WNBA perspective, but also in general, for women in sports and society. We continue to push forward and there’s a lot of aspects of this deal that mark that.

“When you look at things like what we’re able to do with maternity leave and family planning … We’re going to be looked at as – I think – pioneers in the sports world.”

The players called the deal “historic,” due to its potential to change the financial landscape of women’s professional sports. “We’re betting on ourselves,” they said. “We’re betting on our ability as a league to bring to our American culture what people say they want.”

Just like Julius “Doctor J” Erving, Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the new member of the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark, can be the game changer and put the WNBA on a path to incredible heights.

And guess what? Someday soon, while Clark and her 2024 Draft Class join up with the incredibly talented veteran stars of the league – A’ja Wilson and the entire Vegas Aces roster for one, Sabrina Ionescu and the NY Liberty, along with Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year and Clark’s new teammate Aliyah Boston, and all the other fabulous players in the W – they’ll all marvel when yet another unique, amazing, hard-working and game-changing athlete comes along, Just Like Mike came along to build on the foundation set by Doc, Larry and Magic, and Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and George Mikan before him.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: On a personal note: Some of my media brethren are trying to manufacture a “Bird vs Magic” style rivalry in the WNBA between Clark and former LSU star Angel Reese, drafted by the Chicago Sky. Let’s see what happens if the rivalry manifests itself or not in the years to come, but, putting that aside, this columnist thinks the proper comparison for Clark is the great Doctor J.

While playing for UMass, the Virginia Squires, New York Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, Doc did things that we’d never seen before, and he did it pretty much every game he played. Yes, Erving operated far above the rim and had mitts the size of Montana, while Clark “operates” from the center court logo zone, a zip code away from the rim, and makes every player on her team better. She does something we haven’t seen before almost every night, sometimes astonishing Golden State’s Steph Curry. Again, it’s tough – maybe impossible – to make the comparisons.

WAYBACK: Looking in the wayback machine for the NYT story cited above, it also quoted the great Pat Williams (former GM at Orlando and Philadelphia) and noted his P.O.V. on the late Commissioner David Stern’s ability to “sell” the NBA. Said Williams: “Now, the 47-year-old Mr. Stern is embarking on his next big gambit: peddling the sport abroad. And he likes nothing better than hustling. ”We had people in this league who would have trouble selling Blue Cross to Humpty Dumpty,” said Pat Williams, the general manager of the Orlando Magic. ”David Stern can sell an anvil to a drowning man. He can sell a pogo stick to a kangaroo. You ready for this? David Stern could sell a stethoscope to a tree surgeon.

“That’s the ultimate tribute I can pay the man,” said Williams.

NUGGETS AND TIDBITS: This might come as a shock, but the Boston Red Sox rank No. 2 in MLB with 28 Home Runs, trailing only the Baltimore Orioles with 30. This fast April start for the Sox in the HR Dept. is their most through 21 games since 2002 (30) and it ties for fifth most in franchise history. … The Red Sox 17 HRs on the road ties the San Francisco Giants for most in MLB (as of April 20-AM). … Heading into Saturday’s games, OF Tyler O’Neill ranked second in the American League with seven HRs while 1B Triston Casas is tied for third with six dingers.

SURPRISE, SUPRISE: Scottie Scheffler is atop the PGA leaderboard at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Course in South Carolina. Scheffler shot an acceptable two-under (69) on Thursday but amped it up to go 69-65-63 heading into the Sunday (April 21) finale. Five golfers are within three strokes.

SAD NOTE: It was very sad to get a text message from former St John’s coach Fran Fraschilla with the terrible news of (former St. John’s classmate) Howie Schwab passing away on the morning of April 20. Known to many sports fans as the “Stump the Schwab” ESPN personality, his friends knew him as the sports editor of “The Torch” at St. John’s and the kindest and most thoughtful guy you’d ever want to know. The WWYI column will delve deeper into “The Schwab” next week, but please say a prayer for Howie, his wife and family. Simply put, he was a very good man and the most loyal (to St. John’s and his ESPN employer) that you’d ever meet.

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jake DeBrusk logged a three-point game to lead the Bruins to a 5-1 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series on Saturday. DeBrusk factored into all three of Boston’s second-period goals, scoring twice in 2:32 after assisting Brandon Carlo.

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John Beecher, who was making his playoff debut, and Trent Frederic also scored, while Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy each had two assists for Boston, which won all four head-to-head meetings between the teams in the regular season.

Bruins’ goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman finished with 35 saves, stopping all 24 shots he faced over the first two periods.

David Kampf scored the lone goal and Ilya Samsonov made 19 saves on 23 shots for Toronto.

Toronto had a 36-24 shot advantage but went scoreless in three power plays while Boston went 2-for-5.

Shortly after Swayman made his second of two key early stops on a Nicholas Robertson point-blank rebound, Beecher buried Jesper Boqvist’s two-on-one pass to the left circle at 2:26 of the first period.

Boston could have extended its lead if Charlie McAvoy and Pavel Zacha hadn’t hit posts within a 2:05 span in the first period.

The Bruins began their second-period scoring onslaught at 5:47 as Carlo buried a drive from the top of the right circle off DeBrusk’s feed.

DeBrusk scored on the last two of Boston’s three power plays in the middle frame to increase the lead to 4-0, including a snapshot from the right circle at 15:02.

The third goal on Boston’s nine second-period shots occurred when DeBrusk redirected Brad Marchand’s centering pass off Samsonov and over the goal line.
The Maple Leafs broke the shutout quickly in the third. At 1:39, Kampf glided down the slot and buried Connor Dewar’s slick backhand feed.

Frederic’s empty-net goal with 2:08 left sealed the win.

Toronto forward William Nylander (undisclosed) was out of the lineup.

–Field Level Media

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

(This is a reprint of a favorite column from seven years ago. It also appeared in the Huffington Post).

BOSTON – (April 17, 2017) – The elevator door swung open on the fifth floor of the Sheraton Boston hotel and Kathrine Switzer, age 70, strode down the hallway with a purpose. With an adidas rolling bag behind her, she walked quickly as there were people to be seen and interviews to do. Her schedule resembled that of the the busiest executive on State St. or maybe, even, a Head of State like the Queen of England. On this week, leading into the 121st running of the Boston Marathon, Switzer was celebrating and being celebrated for her historic efforts 50 years ago. For the past week, Kathrine Switzer was the popular Queen of Boston.

Enjoy

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Pittsburgh Penguins are on some kind of roll yet are guaranteed nothing as they get ready to host one of the top teams in the NHL today, the Boston Bruins.

Seemingly out of the hunt for a playoff spot late last month, the Penguins (37-30-12) have stacked together a 10-game points streak (7-0-3). Thursday, they beat Detroit 6-5 in overtime to move into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

That means if they win their final three games, they are guaranteed a spot in the postseason.

Not that that will be easy for Pittsburgh, just as this stretch hasn’t been easy. Many of the bugaboos that have plagued them all season — blowing leads is at the top of the list — are still there. The Penguins have just been able to overcome them lately.

“For some reason, we like to challenge ourselves a little bit more than maybe we should,” said Pittsburgh goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, who has stolen the net from prescribed No. 1 Tristan Jarry and has started every game during the 10-game point streak.

In the critical game against the Red Wings — the teams were tied in points going into the game — the Penguins blew a two-goal, third-period lead before Erik Karlsson’s overtime winner.

Assisting on Karlsson’s goal was team captain Sidney Crosby, who has been the catalyst for Pittsburgh’s surge.

He has eight goals, 20 points in the 10 games. Thursday, his goal and two assists lifted him into 10th place all-time in the NHL with 1,591 points and gave him 1,000 career assists.

“He’s a special player; he’s an even more special person,” Crosby’s linemate, Bryan Rust, said. “He’s just leading this team right now. We’re just all getting in line behind him and doing everything we can.”

Boston (46-18-15) long ago established itself as a top team and Stanley Cup contender this season, but there is still work to be done over the final three games.

The Bruins have not locked up the Atlantic Division title, and still have a shot at the Eastern Conference championship and even the Presidents’ Trophy.

That’s a lot of home-ice advantage on the line in addition to bragging rights.

Boston also wants to fine-tune its game heading into the playoffs. The team has been off since Tuesday when its four-game winning streak was snapped in a 4-1 loss to Carolina.

“I feel good” about the team, defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “(Tuesday) was just one game.

“I think we’ve displayed how we can play. … I think we’ve been working toward our game.”

The Bruins also could settle on a go-to goalie, Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman, for the playoffs, or could continue with a rotation of the two.

“Why are we talking about two weeks from now?” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery asked coyly.

In the game in Pittsburgh, there seems to be a good chance that veteran forward Pat Maroon will make his Bruins debut. He was acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline but has been recovering from back surgery.

Montgomery put the odds of Maroon playing at 75 percent.

Maroon could replace James van Riemsdyk, who has just one point in the past 19 games.

–Field Level Media

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The usual joy of Opening Day at Fenway Park took on a somber mood this year as the club paid tribute to fan favorite Tim Wakefield and his wife, Stacy, along with longtime baseball man and former Red Sox team president and Chief Executive Officer Larry Lucchino – all who passed away in the MLB off-season.

Instead of upbeat music and crowd pleasing engagement to pay tribute to the 2004 “Reverse the Curse” World Champion Red Sox, the Sox opted for an well-edited video cut to the epically long Don MacLean hit of the 1971 song, “American Pie.”

Spirits were lifted when Wakefield’s 19 year old daughter, Brianna, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to 2004 catcher Jason Varitek, a close friend of her father.

There was barely a dry eye in the house, but it was time for baseball in Boston and the sellout crowd of 36,093 rallied on a 57-degree , sunny, gorgeous New England day. but one when the Red Sox bats could not be ignited.

Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes pitched 7.0 innings, allowing only one run on two hits. He struck out six Boston batters and walked only two, tossing 90 pitches and 58 strikes. Burnes earned his second win of the season against no losses.

The Red Sox moved the ancient Green Monster scoreboard keepers first when the second-most popular O’Neill in town, newly acquired Tyler, hit a 2-2 pitch 413-feet to record his sixth home run of the young MLB season and spot the home team a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Only former Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill, had a better start to his career in Boston. (O’Neill won the Congressional seat vacated by John F. Kennedy upon his election to be President of the United States).

The baseball-playing O’Neill came into the day as the American League leader in Home Runs, On Base Percentage, Slugging, OPS, and Runs scored. He was third in the AL in Batting Average with a .357 mark.

Baltimore struck back in the top of the second inning when LF Colton Cowser doubled-in CF Cedric Mullins after Mullins reached on a Bello issued walk and then stole second base. Baltimore made it 3-1 in the visiting half of the fourth inning when 1B Ryan Mountcastle singled, Mullins reached second base on an error by Boston LF Jarren Duran (ball lost in the sun), and Cowser doubled to left-center field to score both runners on unearned runs.

Boston starter, Brayan Bello, was lifted in the sixth inning after his 5.1 innings of work, tossing 89 pitches and 58 strikes. He let up only four hits but they resulted in three runs with only one earned. Bello is (1-1) on the year.

The Orioles added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when SS Gunnar Henderson rifled a line drive down the right field line for a double. Henderson stole third base and scored on a C Adley Rutchman single up the middle off Boston reliever Josh Winckowski.

The score went to 5-1 in the top half of the eighth When Cowser hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Ryan O’Hearn. The O’s added two more in the top of the ninth when they had the bases loaded with no outs as they sent eight batters to the plate with Henderson and Rutschman scoring additional insurance runs.

The Sox went down in the ninth without an effort. Rafael Devers, hitless on the day fouled out to third, while O’Neill struck out swinging and Triston Casas grounded out to Jacob Webb who came in for relief in a non-save situation.

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Last season, they finished with four road games, a 2-2 split with the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles. At Fenway, the Red Sox lost their last four games of the season. They finished 78-84 and in last place in the Orioles’ division. It wasn’t pretty.

This year, a challenging 10-game road trip with four at Seattle, three at Oakland and three at the LA Angels of Anaheim put doubt in the minds of the Fenway faithful. Might they head home with a record 2-8 or 3-7 and be back in the basement?

No.

The Boston Red Sox play their home opener today boasting a 7-3 record, including a split at Seattle, a sweep at (lowly/sad) Oakland and a series-winning 2-games-to-1 edge over the Angels in the outfield. That’s good enough for second place in the early-season ladder, but 1.5 behind a New York Yankees team built for October.

It is ridiculous to expect this Red Sox team to stay at a .700 percent win rate. The pace would translate to 113.4 wins in the 162-game season. Of course, the schedule would need to place the Oakland A’s as the Sox opponent for three of every 10 games, and the Sox’ 50-24 (+26) run differential would be required to win at such a clip.

What’s a more reasonable expectation (prediction) for the 2024 Boston Red Sox?

Let’s concentrate on the whopping 35 games to measure the gap between a 78-win last place finish and an absurd 113-game season. If the Red Sox can go .500 in those 35 games, they’d finish the season with 95 wins.

Last season, the Toronto Blue Jays qualified for the last AL Wild card spot with 89 victories while the Tampa Bay Rays topped the Wild Card race with 99 wins. In the NL, Arizona’s 84 wins were enough to punch a ticket to the Wild Card and that berth led them to the 2023 World Series when they lost to the Texas Rangers in six games.

As Celtics’ great Kevin Garnett might predict, “If you can make it to the Wild Card, ‘ANYTHING is POSSIBLE.'”

What will it take for a team – more often than not – picked to finish in the AL East cellar to win some 90-plus games?

Pitching.

And, staying healthy.

On the pitching: Heading into the home opener, Boston leads the Majors with a 1.49 ERA (15 ER/90.1 IP), the club’s lowest mark through 10 games in the Live-Ball Era (since 1920). The Red Sox are the 11th team in the Live-Ball Era to post an ERA below 1.50 through their first 10 games, and the first since the star-studded 2005 Florida Marlins.

That’s pretty good.

On the injury front: Not so great. The Red Sox lost starting shortstop Trevor Story, their No. 3 hitter, to an injured shoulder. Diagnosed as a dislocated shoulder some 24 hours after the injury, which occurred when Story dove for a Mike Trout ground ball towards center field, the Boston-area medical staff has not determined the prognosis for the long term. While the Sox placed Story on the 10-game injured list, there’s a chance he’s out for the year, according to the Boston Globe.

Aside from the devastating news on Story, the Sox are also missing outfielder Rob Refsnyder (toe) and infielder and highly regarded prospect, Vaughn Grissom (hamstring/groin injury).

Injuries are a part of the game, but the 2024 MLB season seems to be taking that fact to a new high. Dozens of top-notch players – league wide – are already banged up, including All-Star/Cy Young award candidates like Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves or Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber who will miss the entire 2024 season as he plans to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Those are the issues that make judging an entire season somewhat useless after only 10 games. But, let’s compare notes after the Red Sox open under a bright blue sky today and start a 10-game homestand. Might they be 14-6?

Or better?

Or worse?

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GLENDALE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Tristen Newton scored 20 points and dished out seven assists as UConn won its second straight national championship, beating Purdue 75-60 on Monday night.

Stephon Castle added 15 points and Cam Spencer and Donovan Clingan contributed 11 apiece for the top-seeded Huskies (37-3), who found a way to limit the Boilermakers on offense outside of center Zach Edey.

Edey, the two-time National Player of the Year, scored 37 points on 15-of-25 shooting, but much of his scoring in the second half came with Purdue (34-5), another No. 1 seed, facing a sizable deficit.

UConn was quicker, more efficient from the field and tougher on defense compared to the Boilermakers, who stayed close until early in the second half, when the game started to get away from them.

The Huskies are the first team to secure back-to-back NCAA Tournament titles since Florida did so in 2006-07.

Edey missed his first three shots of the second half, and UConn went ahead by nine when Castle converted a putback for a 43-34 lead with 16:08 to play. A lob from Newton to Samson Johnson for a dunk gave the Huskies a 47-34 advantage.

Newton drove the lane and flipped a two-handed layup over the 7-foot-4 Edey, whom the Huskies successfully doubled-teamed in the paint in the second half. That basket gave UConn a 51-38 cushion with 12:06 to go.

The Huskies took control for good on an Alex Karaban 3-pointer with 9:53 remaining, and Hassan Diarra followed with a layup for a 56-40 lead. Purdue couldn’t recover, trailing by at least 13 the rest of the way.

Outside of Edey, the Boilermakers went 9-for-29 from the floor for the game. Braden Smith scored 12 points and added eight assists for Purdue. Edey also hauled in 10 boards.

Edey energized Purdue for long stretches of the first half, making 7 of 12 shots in the period. In one sequence, he emphatically rejected two UConn attempts near the rim.

Edey was a force down low, even while going up against Clingan, who, despite being 7-foot-2, could only keep the 300-pound Edey from scoring when he was able to force the Boilermakers’ big man out of the interior.

But UConn made everyone else on Purdue miss their shots.

Smith hit a 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired with 2:18 to play in the first half, cutting the Huskies’ lead to 32-30. UConn scored the last four points of the half for a 36-30 lead.

The Huskies connected on 48.4 percent of their field-goal attempts for the game.

–Field Level Media

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on Sox Opening Day | + HoopHall

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – This coming Tuesday at 2pm, the city of Boston will – pretty much – shut down when the Red Sox play the Baltimore Orioles in the Sox (home) Opening Day match-up. The game will come after Boston completes a 12-game road trip to begin their season.

The Red Sox will return to Fenway with a winning record but minus their shortstop and No. 3 hitter, Trevor Story, who left Friday’s game against the LA Angels with a dislocated left shoulder. Story was placed on the 10-day DL on Saturday after MRI tests confirmed the injury, suffered when Story dove to field a Mike Trout grounder.

Story, 31, started each of the Red Sox’ first eight games, going 7-for-31 (.226) with four RBI and three walks. The Te Sox.exas native has batted .265 (892-for-3,368) with 177 home runs and 124 stolen bases in 890 career games with the Colorado Rockies (2016-21) and Red Sox (2022-24).

Taking a step back to analyze the 2024 Major League Baseball season, there’s no better way than to turn the keys over to the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball announce team who recently previewed the season in a special media conference call. Participating were play-by-play commentator Karl Ravech, analyst and five-time World Series champion David Cone and popular ESPN analyst Eduardo Pérez.

First, opinions on the Red Sox:

“As a Needham, Mass kid growing up in Boston and knowing how impactful ’04 was and given the success of the Celtics and Bruins and of course the Patriots, the Red Sox have had an opportunity to stay relevant relative to those other teams,” said Ravech to get the call rolling. “For some reason here, this season in particular, they have chosen to stand pat while other teams in the division seemingly have moved past them and the Yankees with what they’ve done and the success that the Orioles and their youth. It would tax me to remember a season, and I am 59 now, going into it where the level of optimism was so low regarding their chances,” added Ravech.

“On the other side of that, to his great credit, (Sox Manager) Alex Cora and the players inside that clubhouse will take the — well, you’ll see – approach. “Let us play it out and see where it goes. But it’s been a very, very interesting play given they brought Craig Breslow in there, and you figure every time there’s a change like that, the purse strings will be let out a little bit. That seems to not have happened.

“It’s a hard one to look at and think that they’re going to finish better than last place. That’s an odd way to go into a summer in New England,” said Ravech.

Perez jumped in: “The one thing about the Red Sox is we’re not used to seeing such a young team on the field. Trevor Story is the oldest position player out there right now at 31 years of age. Everyone else just seems to be 28 or younger.

“Ceddanne Rafaela is going to be an interesting young player to watch. I think you look at first baseman Tristan Casas with the second half of the season that he had last year. I expect him to continue to grow from that and to be that type of impact player at first base.

But it’s going to come down to their defense. You look at their infield, will Devers be able to continue to play at a high level. We know that he can do it offensively. He needs to make those routine plays at third, and then that way you have Story and Rafael Devers on that left side of the infield.

But it’s just a younger team. Even when it comes to the pitching, it’s younger, as well.

Only two guys on the roster 31 years of age or older. I think that’s going to play. But at the same time, it could be a long season for Boston considering that division, the way it’s set up.

But I don’t put anything past Alex Cora. I don’t. Last year I thought it was one of his best years of managing, and look where they finished. It didn’t really impact their standings, yet I thought he managed last year as well as anyone could have managed a team like that in a situation like that.”

What does David Cone think?

“I completely agree with Eduardo,” said Cone. “I think quietly the Red Sox – under the radar – have a good young nucleus brewing there. I think (injured 2B) Vaughn Grissom is going to be a big deal for them. we’ll see how he pans out in Boston to kind of fit into that young nucleus.

“Casas is for real at first base. He’s going to continue to get better. I think he’s a monster. He’s had another good spring. I think he’s poised for a big year.

“Obviously their outfield in Jarren Duran if he can take another big step, and as Eduardo said, Ceddanne Rafaela, what kind of talent he has, if he can take the next step.

“But quietly they have a good position player nucleus,” added Cone. “The pitching side, a little different. Brayan Bello is good. He was kind of anchor the rotation, and the extension they signed him to is a big deal, but losing Giolito was a huge blow for them. They need some veteran presence in that rotation and Giolito was a big blow.

Pitching is going to be tough for them this year, but on the position player side they have a good nucleus potentially brewing.”

Perez believes Manager Alex Cora is the key to the Sox.

“(Alex) loves the fact that his outfield is a lot more athletic with Rafaela at center, Duran at right, and also you have Tyler O’Neill, who’s a Gold Glover in left field in a shorter left field at bat. If he can come into the guy that was a couple years ago in St. Louis, you have a very dynamic outfield at least that can run it back in a way. You’ll be able to get some outs out of that. And then with a young core, as I said earlier, I think it’ll play.

“Alex makes everybody better,” said Perez. “I remember (former Reds Manager) Sparky Anderson one time telling me at the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, if you can get the players to get to the ballpark and get to the ballpark to perform, leaving their homes and leaving their families and wanting to be at the ballpark, Alex has that knack.

“He’s got that ability of wanting to get there and being able to see not only him but see the entire core nucleus of the team. That’s a gift. That’s a gift that he has and players love playing for him.

“I think that that’s going to play this year, especially with the young core of guys that they have, and I think the Red Sox fans will enjoy the athleticism that they’re going to provide this year compared to the last couple years as long as they stay healthy.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The 2023-24 college basketball season is coming to a close and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced their inductees and honorees.

The gigantic Class of 2024 was announced as the basketball world convened in Phoenix for the Men’s Final Four.

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – Class of 2024

North American Committee (in alphabetical order): Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Bo Ryan, Charles Smith

Women’s Committee: Seimone Augustus

Men’s Veteran Committee: Dick Barnett

Women’s Veteran Committee: Harley Redin

International Committee: Michele Timms

Contributors Committee: Doug Collins, Herb Simon, Jerry West

The best players in the collegiate game were recognized on Saturday. Here’s the scoop:

“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate the best in the game at every level, both men and women,” said John L. Doleva, President of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “The student-athletes who receive our Starting Five Awards are a true reflection of the Hall of Famers for whom the awards are named, both in terms of their character and abilities on the court. We are honored to recognize this remarkable group of people, and we know they will continue to achieve success wherever they go. We honor their accomplishments today and name them the Men’s and Women’s 2024 Naismith Starting Five.”

2024 Men’s Naismith Starting Five:

• Tristen Newton (UConn) – Bob Cousy (Point Guard) Award
• RJ Davis (North Carolina) – Jerry West (Shooting Guard) Award
• Dalton Knecht (Tennessee) – Julius Erving (Small Forward) Award
• Jaedon LeDee (San Diego State) – Karl Malone (Power Forward) Award
• Zach Edey (Purdue) – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Center) Award

2024 Women’s Naismith Starting Five:

• Caitlin Clark (Iowa) – Nancy Lieberman (Point Guard) Award (Three-time winner)
• JuJu Watkins (USC) – Anne Meyers Drysdale (Shooting Guard) Award
• Madison Booker (Texas) – Cheryl Miller (Small Forward) Award
• Kiki Iriafen (Stanford) – Katrina McClain (Power Forward) Award
• Cameron Brink (Stanford) – Lisa Leslie (Center) Award

“To be a three-time recipient of the Nancy Lieberman Award is truly humbling. Being selected as this season’s honoree is special with the number of talented and skilled point guards across the country. One of the pioneers in our sport, I would not be where I am today without Nancy,” said Caitlin Clark, the ‘22, ‘23 and ‘24 Nancy Lieberman Award Winner.

NUGGETS AND TIDBITS: While the focus of the basketball-loving world turned to NCAA March Madness (for both men’s and women’s games), the NBA takes a side step in what is known as the dog days of the season, but each game day is as important as can be as the NBA Playoffs loom closer and closer. … The regular season ends on April 14. The (SoFi) Play-In Tournament goes from April 16-19 and then the full round of NBA Playoffs begin on April 20. … Here are some other key dates for the NBA:

• May 6-7 (possible move-up to May 4-5) – Conference SemiFinals
• May 12 – NBA Draft Lottery (Chicago)
• May 12-19 – NBA Draft Combine
• May 21-22 (possible move-up to May 19-20) – Conference Finals
• June 6 – 23 – NBA Finals
• June 26-27 – NBA Draft
• July 12-22 – NBA Summer League
• July 27 – August 10 – Men’s Basketball at the Paris Olympic Games
• July 28 – August 11 – Women’s Basketball at the Paris Olympic Games

BIG NUMBERS: With all the well deserved hype and attention focused on women’s basketball this season, it might sound trite to say that the 2024 Women’s Final Four might go down as the most important event in the history of women’s sports. Many might cite the 1973 Battle of the Sexes Super Match between tennis Hall of Famers Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs as the most important milestone for women in sports. Back in ‘73, the 29-year old King dashed the 55-year old former Wimbledon and U.S. Championship (now US Open) title holder in straight sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-3) to earn a $100,000 ‘winner-take-all’ prize.

While that tennis challenge was a one-time gimmick, and a well orchestrated gimmick at that, the overall impact was minimal. The fact was that women’s tennis was well on its way to the upper echelon of sports because of the likes of King, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong and the incredibly popular Chris Evert. By 1975, one of the greatest rivalries in sports history was created when Martina Navratilova and Evert began a 14-year run of Grand Slam tournament battles which captured the attention of a truly global audience.

This year, the impact and all-around skills of Caitlin Clark brought millions of fans and curious television viewers to plug into the sport of women’s hoops.

The question remains: Can Clark bring those fans with her when she joins the WNBA this summer? The WNBA has been around since 1997 and it’s enjoyed success over the years, joining tennis and the LPGA golf circuit as highly engaging sports properties. But, can Clark keep the incredible momentum flowing and bring millions of fans to the TV screen for the pro game and, maybe, the Summer Olympics?

Clark is not on the current USAWNT roster but can be added by USA Basketball at any time. Clark has participated before, winning MVP honors while representing the USA at the 2021 U-19 World Championship.

SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE: While all the hype of college hoops and the all-time great TV ratings brought on by Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes team, the NBA can still state the claim to be supreme in the area of player social media popularity. Take a look:

When USA Basketball was planning the season long tour for the 1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team (coming on the amazing success and global popularity of the incredible ‘92 USA Basketball Dream Team, the NBA marketing team working on behalf of USA Basketball was looking for a catchy team moniker for the USA Women.

Ahem, yours truly stepped in and suggested the “Supreme Team,” with thoughts that we could clear some great Motown tunes of Diana Ross and The Supremes and just run with it. No dice. The idea was shot down by the ultra-conservative muckety-mucks (Thanks Tara) as being a bit too much and risking embarrassment if the USA Women fell short. Well, as we know the USA Women went (8-0) in the ‘96 Atlanta Olympic Games, winning the gold and being tagged as the greatest team in women’s sports history. Combining the Olympics with the tune-up tour the national team took part in leading into the ‘96 Games, the club went 95-0.

Beyond Supreme.

ESPN blew it, too, as they tagged their 30-for-30 documentary, “Dream On,” a great son by Aerosmith, but it was about an aging star – halfway through life or further – knowing the fact the good Lord would soon take the man in the mirror away.

The USA BASKETBALL “Supreme Team” would’ve lived on in infamy.

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: There’s always been something about the Chicago Cubs that this columnist admires. Long before first setting foot in Wrigley Field on an off-day of an NBA Playoff series, and later partying with friends on a Rooftop in Right Field, I watched the Cubs and Mets do battle for the National League pennant. I truly admired Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Fergy Jenkins, among others, but wasn’t too fond of manager Leo Durocher until someone at Shea Stadium tossed a “Black Cat” in his path right in front of the visiting dugout at Shea and the Mets outlasted the Cubs to clinch a place in the 1969 World Series.

Like the Metsies, Red Sox, the Cubbies were the Lonesome Losers, the Lovable Losers, the Frustrating as Hell Losers. We loved them all the same.

Folk singer and songwriter in Chicago’s own Steve Goodman wrote about his love for the Cubs in a sad and terribly introspective song as he stared down a terminal Leukemia diagnosis. This song was his memorial tribute:

This song was Steve Goodman’s claim to well-deserved fame as a legend in Chicago:

It’s performed by the great Arlo Guthrie.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly Sunday Sports Notebook and news column written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city news stand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes is brought to you by Digital Sports Desk.

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | April 7 appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Bruins clinched an eighth consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs while sitting idle on Thursday. When the Bruins (42-17-15, 99 points) return to the ice for a Saturday road game against the Washington Capitals, it will be all about getting back to business and continuing to build toward their top game.

The results were split during the Florida portion of an ongoing six-game road trip. Boston, which has lost three of four, beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Tuesday but lost 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.

“(Tuesday) night, there was a lot of emotion in that game. There was a lot of physical — the physical product also contributes,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “You win a big game like that, we’re sky high, and then we gotta come back and we gotta play an elite team in the league again. It’s a hard schedule.”

The Bruins have been off since, but the challenge remains against the Capitals (36-27-9, 81 points), who hold the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Boston’s power play has been one recent Achilles’ heel, clicking at just 1-for-11 over its last four games. Trent Frederic scored the only goal during that stretch, tying the score against Florida.

“It’s hard when your (power play) doesn’t go your way, so you start to lose confidence pretty quickly,” Bruins forward and leading scorer David Pastrnak said. “We’ve got eight games left and we need to make sure we get the (power play) back to where it used to be. We are a good power-play unit, so time is running out and we have to be better.”

Danton Heinen scored the Bruins’ lone goal against Tampa Bay.

Washington, meanwhile, had a three-game win streak snapped in a 5-1 road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. The Capitals were outshot 48-24 and got a lone goal from Nic Dowd.

With playoff time approaching, Washington coach Spencer Carbery was a bit concerned after his team’s loss against a high-octane offensive team — similar to the Bruins.

“From the start of the game, you could feel that our group was overwhelmed early on, just with the speed, the way things were happening,” Carbery said. “You could see a bunch of puck touches where we bobble it. We were fighting it early, and it was just too quick for us.”

Despite being positioned for the final playoff spot in the East, the Capitals have a minus-30 goal differential this season and will need to stick to their identity to have an extended stay come late April and beyond.

“We’re not a team that can play without guys getting the puck and moving their feet,” Washington forward T.J. Oshie said. “We’re not a team that can have success if we’re not keeping things simple and moving the puck quickly. And we’re certainly not a team that can turn pucks over in the neutral zone.”

Washington won 3-0 on the road against Boston on Feb. 10 in the only prior meeting between the teams this season. The win ended the Capitals’ six-game skid at the time. Charlie Lindgren needed to make only 18 saves.

–Field Level Media

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Here in Boston, we have the Duke vs Carolina rivalry of College Ice Hockey as the Hockey East finals brought No. 2 ranked Boston University and No. 1 ranked Boston College together for the fourth time this season. It’s tagged “The Green Line” rivalry and noted for the six-mile stretch of Commonwealth Avenue that separates the schools.

It’s not the 8-miles from Durham to Chapel Hill but rather a Driver and a couple three woods from Agannis Arena to Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill. BU kids vote for the Mayor of Boston, while the BC kids call the City of Newton home.

Heading into the Saturday night Hockey East finale, BC held a 2-1 edge in the 2023-24 ice hockey season, but the one BU win came in the annual Beanpot Tournament (won by Northeastern University as they’ve gone back-to-back with Beanpot wins twice in the last six years).

This year?

Boston College took the Hockey East title, as BC took a 2-0 lead into the second period. But, BU cut that lead in half with a gorgeous wrist shot goal by defenseman Gavin McCarthy, a freshman from Clarence Center, N.Y. (Population 3,337).

BC extended its lead to 3-1, on a goal by Cutter Gauthier, BC’s third power play goal of the game which came at 18:46 of the 2nd period.

Eagles’ freshman Will Smith scored his third goal of the night to make it 4-1, BC, at the 6:46 mark of the third period. Smith has 22 goals and 44 assists on the season.

BC’s key goal of the game made it 5-1, as Boston College freshman Gabe Perreaultscored on the power play, BC’s fourth power play goal of the night. All three players – Perreault, Gauthier and Smith – player on the USA Developmental team for USA Hockey.

BU tightened the score on a power play to make it 5-2. A BC empty-netter made it 6-2 for the final before the fisticuffs broke out to close out the game.

BC freshman goalkeeper, Jacob Fowler, recorded the win.

The NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship begins next week (March 28-29) and concludes at the Frozen Four, scheduled for April 11-13 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Note: The Bulldog Edition of WWYI was held for 30 minutes to see the final result of the Hockey East championship game from TD Garden in Boston.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: March Madness did not fail to entertain this week, as noteworthy upsets included No. 13 Yale defeating No. 4 in heavily favored Auburn in the first round, while No. 14 Oakland upended No. 3 Kentucky. In the second round, Oakland lost to streaking N.C. State, 79-73 in OT. N.C. State qualified for the NCAAs by winning the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament (upset over North Carolina) and with the win over Oakland, the Wolfpack move on to the South’s Sweet 16 in Dallas.

TO WIN JUST ONCE? – As the NCAA hoops tournament progresses, this column reflects to what might have been for the St. John’s Red Storm in last week’s BIG EAST Conferencde tournament. The Johnnies defeated a tough Seton Hall team in the No. 4 (Hall) vs. No. 5 (Johnnies) match-up on Thursday (Quarterfinals). As winner of the No. 4 vs No. 5, the reward was a match-up vs No. 1 UConn in the Friday night semis. You know that story.

Everyone left Madison Square Garden assured St. John’s secured a tournament bid and the speculation was whether Seton Hall and/or Providence would be “in” as well. When the Sunday Selection Show played out, all three teams were left out in the cold, as the likes of N.C. State – by winning the ACC – stole a berth, and the BIG EAST was left with only three clubs – UConn, Marquette and Creighton.

Rightfully so.

Seton Hall was closest, but their loss to St. John’s hurt the chances of grabbing a spot. St. John’s while hot during the home stretch (six game winning streak, including a big won over Creighton at MSG), did not have the overall resume as a tournament team. Losses to Michigan, Dayton and Boston College crushed St. John’s early, and two losses to each of the likes of UConn, Marquette and The Hall during the regular season was too much to overcome when the NCAA basketball committee met in Indianapolis to decide between NCAA and NIT bids.

The Johnnies quickly turned down the NIT bid, but Seton Hall (the No. 1 seed) has flourished. Guessing the Johnnies were focused on hitting the transfer portal or the seniors had enough.

Go figure, but has anyone noticed that the “Red Storm” nickname is useless, jinxed, terrible, confusing and not well liked?

It’s rebuilding time for coach Rick Pitino – make that a total renovation.

TID-BITS: In the NCAA’s, there’s plenty of Huskies, Bulldogs and other assorted animal mascots, but here, we have the two maniacs.

NATIONAL PUPPY DAY: How can we let “National Puppy Day” go by without mention of our TWO pups, the nearing “Adult Dog,” Penny (Lane) and the seven month old Max. … Penny joined us on Thanksgiving Weekend, 2020, right smack in the middle of the global pandemic due to the COVID-19 virus. In many ways, she got us through the “dog days” of that terrible year. National Puppy Day was celebrated March 23 and its founding doctrine states, “Established in 2006, National Puppy Day is a paw-some day for all dog enthusiasts to celebrate unconditional love and fawn over the undeniably cute fur balls that bring so much happiness into this world.” … True story. … It’s been a quick three and a half years that we’ve enjoyed having Penny bark and chase and play and only five months since we adopted the seven-month old “Mighty Max.” … Penny (Lane) has the obvious connection to The Beatles while Max was named as a “Silver Hammer” kinda guy, but we met his (human) parents on Springsteen Road in Albany, NY, so there was an immediate bond with “Mighty” MaxWeinberg of the E Street Band. Weinberg, born and bred in New Jersey, learned to play the drums with the influence of The Beatles’ Ringo Starr, like so many who grew up in the British Invasion era. … In the dual-meaning of names, Penny (Lane), played by Kate Hudson in the motion picture “Almost Famous” clocks in as No. 3 of my all-time favorite movies, locked in behind “Casablanca” and “The Sting.” … Happy Puppy Day to all who partake. Penny and Max have enriched all of our lives (four in the family) and they’ve made friends with all of our neighbors. It’s just GREAT.

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