WNBA fandom is shifting to a more tribal, toxic atmosphere
Then, last season, after nearly three decades, everything clicked.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nets' Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf bring new wave of Jewish talent to NBA
NEW YORK — The Nets made history this summer, becoming the first NBA team to select five players in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft, including two Jewish players in Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, the first such duo selected in the same draft since 2006. Brooklyn drafted Saraf and Wolf with consecutive picks at Nos. 26 and 27, instantly doubling the league's Jewish player count from two to four, joining Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis. Amari Bailey, who played for the G League Long Island Nets last season, also identifies as Jewish. Advertisement 'To be honest, it's fantastic, the way it just worked out,' Nets general manager Sean Marks said. 'If you think about it, the game of basketball is such a worldly game, played all over the globe. … What I will say is, there's talent everywhere, and that's our job, to bring in the best talent regardless of race, ethnicity and so forth.' In 2023, the UJA-Federation of New York reported approximately 1.4 million Jews in the New York area. Brooklyn, the most crowded Jewish borough with about one-third of this population, now features two prominent ambassadors in Saraf and Wolf. Jacob Gurvis of Jewish Community Voice reports that Saraf, the son of two former Israeli professional basketball players, wears No. 77, symbolizing the Hebrew word 'mazal,' which means luck. Wolf gained Israeli citizenship to compete for Israel at the FIBA U20 European Championship in Greece. 'It's definitely going to be unique having them both here and we're excited about that,' Marks said. 'I know the borough is excited about that. I know the Jewish community here is very excited about that, too.' Advertisement Saraf, the third point guard selected by the Nets on draft night, averaged 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 42 games for Ratiopharm Ulm last season. In 2023-24, he played for Elitzur Kiryat Ata in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, earning the league's top young prospect award. He was also named MVP of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024, leading the tournament with 28.1 points per game. The 19-year-old believes his overseas professional experience will set him apart in Brooklyn. 'I've been playing pro for three years now, so I've played a lot of games so far,' Saraf said. 'I think it's going to be helpful knowing how to manage your body, to really stick to your routines and be willing to compete every night so things can translate the right away for the NBA.' Wolf, the Nets' only non-guard pick in 2025, averaged 13.2 points, 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks per game at Michigan last season, leading the Wolverines to a Big Ten Tournament title and a Sweet 16 appearance. Previously, he earned All-Ivy League honors at Yale over two seasons. The 21-year-old also helped Israel secure a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship in Greece, where he practiced with Saraf. Advertisement 'I think just the jump I made from Yale to Michigan and now — obviously the NBA is a different animal and going to have to keep working on a lot of different things, but I think there's just a lot of different things I can do on a basketball court,' Wolf said. 'Whatever coach Jordi and the staff want me to do, I'm going to do to the best of my ability, while still working and developing to become that kind of player.' Beyond their Jewish heritage and tireless work ethic, positional versatility connects Saraf, Wolf and Brooklyn's 2025 draft class. Marks credits David Blatt, a former NBA head coach and Israeli American basketball executive, for aiding in identifying Saraf and Wolf during the draft process. 'I think words of wisdom are always important,' Marks said. 'I have a lot of respect for Coach Blatt, as a person, as a coach. And when we do our due diligence, you want to watch the players themselves, but also you need to know all the things that you didn't know. And everything was very positive coming from coach Blatt. He really liked these two guys, and he knew them pretty well. So, he really helped us and finally we were lucky enough to get them both here.' Now teammates in Brooklyn, Saraf and Wolf have the opportunity to represent Israel on basketball's biggest stage. Though both are considered developmental projects — Saraf must improve his outside shooting, and Wolf needs to clean up turnover issues — their future looks promising. On a rebuilding Nets team, they could make an immediate impact. Advertisement 'I think I really enjoyed watching Ben overseas,' Marks said. 'We went over to watch him live a couple of times, so it was great to watch how hard he competes. I think that was something that really stood out, passing ability, pride on defense. I think he's playing at a high level over there. 'Danny, I think we already sort of talked a little about the high IQ and a skill set that's very unique for a person his size. So, to see him out there, other teams continue trying to figure out, well, how do we stop him? Who do we guard him with? What system do we put around him? And that's a unique problem to have, right? How do we use both of those young men to the best of their abilities and watch them grow and so forth.'
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Christian Horner fired: What led to Red Bull Formula 1 team principal's exit
USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. Christian Horner is out as the CEO team principal for the Oracle Red Bull Formula 1 team, ending a 20-year run that featured eight drivers' titles and six constructors titles on the international racing circuit. Red Bull announced the move Wednesday, firing Horner abruptly and appointing Laurent Mekies as the new CEO of Red Bull Racing. Mekies had been serving as the team principal of Red Bull's F1 sister team, the Racing Bulls, this season. Advertisement The decision comes at a fraught time for the Red Bull F1 team after Horner and four-time defending Formula 1 drivers' champion Max Verstappen again fielded questions last week concerning Verstappen's future. NEW SURVEY: Formula 1's popularity rising in US, shows series growing presence Verstappen, who currently sits in third place in the drivers' standings behind Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris of McLaren, is being pursued by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff ahead of the 2026 season. Horner called the speculation about Verstappen "a lot of noise," and Verstappen declined to comment on the situation. Verstappen's contract with Red Bull runs through 2028 but it includes an exit clause after this season if Red Bull were to be below third place in the Formula 1 constructors' standings heading into the circuit's summer break, according to ESPN. Red Bull currently sits in fourth place in the constructors' title race, trailing McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes with just two races left until the summer break. Advertisement Horner, 51, had been the team principal of Red Bull racing since it began fielding a Formula 1 team in 2005. He is married to Geri Halliwell from The Spice Girls, but became a celebrity figure in his own right through Netflix's "Drive to Survive" F1 docuseries in recent years. Horner's rivalry with Wolff and Mercedes was an ongoing focus of the show. Over the past 18 months, Red Bull has also lost car design expert Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber Motorsport. Though Verstappen won the drivers' championship for the fourth year in a row in 2024, Red Bull finished in third place behind McLaren and Ferrari. Horner's contract with Red Bull was not set to expire until 2030, according to Reuters. "We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years," Red Bull CEO of corporate projects and investments Oliver Mintzlaff said in a statement. "With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Christian Horner fired: What led to Red Bull F1 principal's exit
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Report suggests LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers may be on bad terms
It was less than two weeks ago when LeBron James made the decision to opt into the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, locking in his $52.6 million salary for the 2025-26 NBA season. While many analysts took LeBron's decision as a sign that he was entrenched in LA for at least another year, now some experts are changing their minds due to recent developments. Specifically, The Athletic's Lakers reporter Jovan Buha is now reporting that James may not be on the best of terms with the Lake Show. 'I mean, I want to be careful with what I say about Bron's relationship with the front office or the organization, but I don't think it's in the best place right now, to be completely honest. As you know, there's been no official statement about LeBron opting in. There typically is—especially for a player of that magnitude. And then he's had his stuff on social media or whatever he's posted, and there was obviously the statement when he opted in. So, I don't think things are in the best place they've ever been. I'll just say that. Make of that what you want.' Jovan Buha on LeBron James At this point, it's hard to imagine LeBron closing out his career anywhere but in a Lakers uniform. After all, California is where he's made his home for the past seven seasons, and it's where Bronny James is now trying to make a career with the Lakers' G-League team too. Advertisement Yet, if the relationship is truly too frayed to manage, then it's not unfathomable to believe LeBron could chase another opportunity to contend elsewhere. After all, he's already changed teams three times, even when it seemed like he'd never leave his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. In other words, anything is possible. Get the latest on all Los Angeles sports at Related Headlines
