In WNBA, a collective bargaining battle has replaced social activism
And if it seems a league known for its social activism has recently seemed a bit quiet in that realm, you wouldn't be the first to notice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Surridge scores, Willis earns clean sheet as Nashville beats Toronto 1-0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Sam Surridge scored his 18th goal of the season, Joe Willis earned his ninth clean sheet and Nashville beat Toronto FC 1-0 in Major League Soccer action on Saturday night. Nashville (14-5-5), which won its ninth home game this season, set a franchise record for wins during the regular season, topping 13 set in 2022 and '23. Nashville is unbeaten in its last six matches against Toronto (5-12-6), outscoring the Canadian side 8-3. Nashville is also undefeated (3-0-0) against Toronto when Surridge scores. Surridge scored in the 28th minute. Goalkeeper Sean Johnson made a diving save off of Hany Mukhtar's left-footed shot outside of the box but it spilled to Surridge for an easy finish. Surridge became the 10th player in MLS history to score at least 18 goals in his team's first 24 games of a season and the first to do so since Carlos Vela and Josef Martínez in 2019. The shutout victory marked Willis' 76th career MLS regular- season clean sheet and his 101st career MLS regular season win. ___ AP soccer: The Associated Press
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Napheesa Collier caps busy weekend with All-Star Game MVP Award in win over Team Clark
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier played the role of All-Star captain perfectly. First, she made all the right picks for her roster. Then she answered all the labor questions. And finally, she showed everyone, even the WNBA's young guns, how to stay focused on basketball. The five-time All-Star scored a record 36 points, grabbed nine rebounds and led the aptly named Team Collier past Team Clark 151-131 in the highest scoring All-Star Game in WNBA history. Naturally, Collier was selected the MVP. She made 13 of 16 shots, four from the specially designed AT&T logo 4-point-line that seemed perfectly aligned for Caitlin Clark, the other team captain who didn't play because of a right groin injury. And it was all by design. 'I tried to make my team not have that many new players," Collier said. "I've played with a lot of them and so it was good to get back with them, play with, like you said, some of those new players I haven't played with before.' But for Collier, this weekend in Indianapolis was about much more than a single game. The vice president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association executive committee and a co-founder of the Unrivaled basketball league never got distracted by a demanding schedule that forced her to prioritize the WNBA's future over adding another award to her trophy case. Collier spent Thursday afternoon negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement and Friday answering questions from a throng of reporters detailing the meeting. On Saturday, she shared the pregame stage with Clark for a news conference between the captains. And after the game, there were even more questions about the CBA. 'I feel like I haven't been able to forget it (Thursday's meeting) because people won't let us, which is amazing,' Collier said. 'Just the awareness we've raised this weekend, you guys asking these questions, the fans doing the chants, that, like, gave me chills.' But Collier also helped fuel the effort. She, like the other All-Stars, wore a T-shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us" during pregame warmups. Then she reinforced the message with a historic game. Collier broke the All-Star Game's individual scoring record while her team scored a record 82 first-half points. Another of Collier's picks, Seattle guard Skylar Diggins, became the first player with an All-Star triple-double in the same venue she led Notre Dame to the national championship game more than a decade ago. And Collier even connected with rookie Paige Bueckers, both former UConn stars, for a basket. The captain couldn't have scripted it any better. 'We set a lot of records,' Collier said. 'Skylar had a triple-double, which is insane. It was just so fun. We had a great time.' ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wizards lose Marcus Smart signing with Lakers after buying out mentor for Texas Longhorns' Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington
The Washington Wizards didn't get anything for Marcus Smart, settling for a buyout on Saturday that led to the long-time former Boston Celtic signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in a free agency shocker. Yahoo Sports' Morten Stig Jensen deemed the series of transactions a loss for the Wizards, since they ceded a potential mentor to former Texas Longhorns star Tre Johnson and second-year stud Bub Carrington. 'The Wizards have a small army of young players, and Smart would have been a strong mentor to have around for this season, especially to give defensive pointers to Bub Carrington and rookie Tre Johnson,' Jensen wrote. 'It makes sense that Smart wanted to be in a more competitive situation given his age, but the Wizards lost a player who could have made a stark difference behind the scenes. 'Granted, not having Smart on the roster does mean more minutes for the young players in the organization, which will prove crucial in their continued development. But the veteran's intensity, work ethic and understanding of how to play angles are now qualities the team will have to go without.' Washington is stuck in neutral, with no superstar building blocks and multiple draft picks falling to the wayside over the past five years. Smart wouldn't have moved the needle as much as they would've hoped. He might've even made untimely winning plays that would've spoiled their tank efforts. Meanwhile, the Lakers gamble on a player who is three years removed from being a conference-championship-winning starting point guard. Los Angeles shouldn't expect anything close to that Smart, but a little hustle would go a long way alongside Luka Doncic, who reportedly personally recruited the 31-year-old to the purple and gold.
