The Sportsletter - Clarkmania in the 'W'

BY JEFF YODER

APR. 16, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

It’s official. Caitlin Clark is a member of the Indiana Fever, and her jersey sold out on Fanatics within an hour of getting drafted. Mix a basketball star with a basketball state and everybody's catching the Fever. The ‘W’ just got interesting. This is a 10,000-plus watch party for the WNBA Draft?

Plus, there’s a four-team wild card finale brewing in the NHL. Team USA’s Olympic basketball roster dropped before tonight’s NBA Play-In games. And we have a new champ at the Boston Marathon.

Letter Rip!

PROGRAMMING

Our primary writer, Jeff, will be out Wednesday-Friday of this week. The team will still produce abbreviated editions focused on the NBA (Play-Ins), NHL (Playoff Races), MLB, and Champions League. We'll return to our normal production next week. Thanks!

WNBA DRAFT

Clarkmania Comes to Indy

Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images

Indiana Fever Select Iowa's Caitlin Clark No. 1 Overall in WNBA Draft

No surprise here, but a major moment nonetheless. The Indiana Fever made it official and selected Iowa’s Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 overall pick in last night’s WNBA Draft. Clark, the all-time NCAA scoring record-holder, was the surefire top pick for the entire season. We all witnessed Clarkmania take over the NCAA women’s basketball slate this year. She’ll join a franchise with plenty of championship-level history and some iconic past players, like Tamika Catchings, but the Fever haven’t had a winning season since 2015. Can Clark revitalize the franchise?

Fun Fact: Clark’s No. 22 Fever jersey sold out on Fanatics within an hour.

Other Notable 1st-Round Picks: Cameron Brink (Sparks) and Kamilla Cardoso (Sky) were the top post players in the draft pool, and they went second and third as some great culture fits. The Sparks also had the fourth pick and selected Rickea Jackson out of Tennessee. Angel Reese went to the Sky with the seventh pick, and Chicago walked out of Round 1 with Cardoso and Reese — a pair of title-winning front-court players.

WNBA Draft (1st Round)

1. Fever: PG Caitlin Clark (Iowa)

2. Sparks: PF Cameron Brink (Stanford)

3. Sky: C Kamilla Cardoso (South Carolina)

4. Sparks: SF Rickea Jackson (Tennessee)

5. Wings: SG Jacy Sheldon (Ohio State)

6. Mystics: PF Aaliyah Edwards (UConn)

7. Sky: PF Angel Reese (LSU)

8. Lynx: SF Alissa Pili (Utah)

9. Wings: SG Carla Leite (France)

10. Sun: PG Leila Lacan (France)

11. Liberty: SF Marquesha Davis (Ole Miss)

12. Dream: PF Nyadiew Puoch (Australia)

Full 3-Round Draft Recap (WNBA)

Yahoo! Sports: The Caitlin Clark Effect: The No. 1 Overall Pick is Primed to Assist Fever to New Heights

NHL

Wild Card: 1 Spot, 1 Game, 4 Teams

Photo: Nic Antaya / Getty Images

Islanders Clinch & Rangers Capture Presidents' Trophy, But Red Wings, Capitals, Penguins, And Flyers Set Up Incredible Wild Card Scenario

Most of the NHL has played 81 games (out of 82) as of Monday night’s conclusion, and we still don’t know who owns the final wild-card spot in the East. It was a successful night for New York teams as the Rangers clinched the Presidents' Trophy and the Islanders clinched the playoffs with a win over the Devils, but one Eastern Conference wild card spot remains. The Flyers weren’t in action Monday, but they’re still mathematically alive. Three other teams — Red Wings, Capitals, and Penguins — were all victorious in must-win games, and we’ve got a four-way showdown this week for the final playoff bid. Tiebreaker scenarios are determined by regulation wins, which makes things quite interesting.

East Wild Card Scenarios

Red Wings: 89 Points (40-32-9)

Regulation Wins: 27

Final Game: @ Canadiens

Detroit got an overtime winner from Lucas Raymond last night after they rallied from three goals down to beat the Canadiens (5-4, OT). They’ll end the season tonight against Montreal (again). It’s win-and-pray for Detroit who needs a victory and a loss (or overtime) for the Capitals to clinch the wild card.

Capitals: 89 Points (39-31-11)

Regulation Wins: 30

Final Game: @ Flyers

Washington was also a winner last night, putting the Bruins to rest (2-0) on a night where Boston appeared to rest some players before the postseason. The Caps will end the season tonight in Philadelphia against the Flyers. A regulation victory will secure the final wild card, but any myriad of outcomes is possible in the event of a loss or overtime.

Penguins: 88 Points (38-31-12)

Regulation Wins: 31

Final Game: @ Islanders

Sidney Crosby won’t go quietly. There’s still some fight left in the Penguins. Pittsburgh beat the Predators (4-2) last night to set up a last-ditch effort against the Islanders on Wednesday. They’ll need a win and a lot of help against the Red Wings and Capitals. The Pens haven’t made the playoffs for the past two seasons.

Flyers: 87 Points (38-32-11)

Regulation Wins: 30

Final Game: vs. Capitals

Never say never! Philly is still mathematically breathing, but the Flyers will need all the help they can get. A regulation victory tonight leaps them over the Capitals, but they’ll need both the Red Wings and Penguins to fall. Philly only has itself to blame after an eight-game skid (0-6-2) from March 24 to April 9.

The NHL regular season ends on Thursday.

NHL: Raymond’s Heroics Keep Red Wings Alive in Wild-Card Scramble

OLYMPICS 🏅

Team USA Roster Revealed

Photo: Harry How / Getty Images

LeBron James & Stephen Curry Headline Team USA Olympic Roster for Paris 2024

The Team USA Olympic roster was revealed last night, and ESPN’s NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news just before the WNBA Draft. This particular lineup has one big takeaway: Experience. After disappointing results in FIBA and other recent international competitions — with rosters largely filled with younger talent — USA Basketball decided on a more accomplished roster. The initial report revealed 11 players with the team planning to keep one open position for now. Veterans LeBron James (39) and Stephen Curry (36) headline the roster, although minutes distribution is always interesting in Olympic pool play. Anthony Edwards (22) and Tyrese Haliburton (22) are the only players under the age of 25.

🇺🇸 Team USA Olympic Roster

LeBron James (Lakers)
Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Joel Embiid (76ers)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Kevin Durant (Suns)
Devin Booker (Suns)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
Bam Adebayo (Heat)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
Jrue Holiday (Celtics)

Coaches: Steve Kerr (Head Coach), Tyronn Lue (Assistant), Erik Spoelstra (Assistant, Mark Few (Assistant)

2024 Olympics Begin: July 26

ESPN: The Favorites, The Underdogs & The Lakers: All You Need to Know Ahead of the NBA Playoffs

RUNNING

Boston Marathon Champs

Sisay Lemma (Men) & Hellen Obiri (Women) Claim 128th Boston Marathon Titles

The 128th edition of one of the most iconic road races in the United States took place yesterday morning on a beautiful Monday in Boston. Kenyan Hellen Obiri defended her title with another victory (back-to-back) in the women’s race while Ethiopian Sisay Lemma stunned the men’s favorite, Evans Chebet. Chebet had won each of the last two Boston Marathons and was favored to win it again.

Winner Highlights & Times

Men’s Race: Sisay Lemma (2:06:17)

Women’s Race: Hellen Obiri (2:22:37)

STORYLINES

🏀 Final NBA Report Cards

The 2023-24 NBA season is over. Plenty of teams exceeded expectations. Others fell short. And that all found its way into the rubric for our final grades. (Bleacher Report)

⚾️ MLB’s ‘Jackie Robinson Day’

Major League Baseball celebrated the 77th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the sport's color barrier on Monday, hailing his strength and courage with nothing but No. 42 jerseys. (ESPN)

⛳️ Golf’s Most Pleasant Destroyer

Don’t let the aw-shucks exterior fool you. With his second Masters win, Scottie Scheffler is proving he’s a generational force capable of much more than he lets on. (The Ringer)

NEWS 📰

🏈 Eagles Give WR DeVonta Smith 3-Year, $75 Million Extension (FOX Sports)

🏀 Suns & Grayson Allen Agree to 4-Year, $70 Million Extension (ESPN)

🏈 Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb Raises Eyebrows, Skips Voluntary Workouts (SI)

🏈 Colts Extend Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner to 2-Year, $46 Million Contract (Yahoo! Sports)

🏀 Rockets’ Boban Marjanovic Purposefully Misses Free Throw to Earn Fans Free Chicken (CBS Sports)

🏀 Kentucky Transfer Aaron Bradshaw Commits to Ohio State After Calipari’s Exit (B/R)

⛳️ LIV Golf Commissioner Greg Norman Makes Ridiculous Claim About Masters Experience (SI)

🏀 Nets Prepared to Hire Kings’ Jordi Fernandez as Next Head Coach (ABC News)