The Lead

Plus: LSU makes history at the MLB draft. And a true long shot contender takes home the prize at the U.S. Open See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

A bunch of very wealthy Indian businessmen recently placed a very large bet on women’s cricket. The Women's Premier League launched in India in March, and by some measures it’s now the second most valuable women’s professional sports league in the world. Today, Mujib Mashal of the New York Times explains how the league came to be, and why it might line the pockets of the country’s elite, and give...

Whether you think it's a passing fad or the greatest thing to ever happen to sports, chances are you've heard about the fastest growing game in the United States: pickleball. And lately, a sport without much history appears to have found its biggest star, who's been crushing her competition even though she's barely old enough to drive. Today, the story of how Anna Leigh Waters went from a kid with...

Long-suffering fans of the Oakland As have had a roller coaster of a season. To express their ongoing frustration with owner John Fisher, they initially began boycotting games. Then, two weeks ago, they staged a dramatic "reverse boycott," packing the stands for a game on a Tuesday night, which resulted in a surprise victory over the best team in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays. Now, with the city of...

Connor Bedard, the presumed #1 pick in tonight's NHL Draft, is the most hyped hockey prospect we've seen since, well, some other guy named Connor. And there are those who believe Bedard could define a new era of the NHL. The Athletic's Dan Robson recently spoke with Bedard and his family at length, and he joins us today to discuss the 17-year-old's incredible rise as a player and the tragic loss t...

Plus: Atlanta pumps the breaks on baseball’s hottest young upstarts. And the Liberty get a gutty comeback win ahead of a pivotal Eastern Conference clash.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Earlier this summer in the MLB Draft League (a league for players looking to improve their draft outlook), a catcher from Uganda, Dennis Kasumba, stepped to the plate for the Frederick Keys… and struck out. For Kasumba, the result of the at-bat was a footnote — after a journey that took him from a slaughterhouse in Uganda to dreaming of Major League Baseball in the U.S. Today, the story of Ka...

Back in April, two young fighters -- Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia -- stepped into the ring in Las Vegas to determine the "new face of boxing". But before the first bell even rang, a theory had built in the boxing world that one of these fighters didn't really belong. That one of them was for real, and the other was a phony, about to be exposed in a potentially dangerous fight. Today, we go insid...

The NBA Draft is less than one week away, and everyone expects French phenom Victor Wembanyama to go first overall. Everyone except Scoot Henderson. Two years ago, he became the youngest pro player in U.S. history when he joined the G League at age 17, and today, we look at the extreme steps that Henderson has taken as a player — and as a businessman — to guarantee NBA success. Guest: Mi...

An unlikely love story has been playing out in the Nevada desert over the past six years, between the city of Las Vegas and its pro hockey team. With the Golden Knights now on the brink of winning the Stanley Cup, we explore the origins of that love affair, and explain how a shared tragedy forged a powerful bond between players and fans. Guest: Jesse Granger , The Athletic See Privacy Policy at ht...

Plus: Andrew McCutchen continues to steer the Pirates forward with a historic homecoming season. And a Yankees legend takes a hit from the broadcasting booth. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

As we get closer to the midway point of the MLB season, the Arizona Diamondbacks are a surprise leader in the NL West, ahead of the Dodgers, Padres and Giants. One big reason why is their undersized center fielder: the 5-foot-10, do-it-all dynamo, Corbin Carroll. Today, we look at how Carroll became an All-Star caliber player — despite the lingering questions about his height. The answer can...

Erling Haaland has shattered goal scoring records this season at Manchester City. But has he made his team any better? We dive into one of the more polarizing debates in soccer. Plus, a preview of this weekend's Champions League Final between Man City and Inter Milan. Guest: Sam Lee , The Athletic See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/pr...

Plus: Heat Culture shines bright in the Mile High City. And a golfing phenom does something we haven’t seen in over 70 years. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Bob Myers ended months of speculation this week by announcing that he is stepping down as the Golden State Warriors' GM. Myers, often called the architect of the Warriors dynasty, steered the team to four championships and six NBA Finals appearances over an eight-year period, and making some key trades along the way. Today, The Athletic's Sam Amick explains Bob Myers' magical touch as a GM, why he...

Around this time last year, the Florida Panthers seemed to be at a crossroads. After posting the best regular season record in the NHL, they were swept in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, a year later, the Panthers are in the Stanley Cup Final, and Matthew Tkachuk is a big reason why. Today, we look at how Tkachuk — a guy who gets under his opponent's skin, and then silences them...

Jim Brown passed away at his home in Los Angeles last week at the age of 87. The Cleveland Browns legend and three-time NFL MVP made a name for himself as a football player, actor, and social activist, and also spent years working with gang leaders to try and prevent violence. But his reputation was also marred by a long series of domestic violence accusations. Today, how to make sense of Brown's...

After more than four decades of coming up short, the Denver Nuggets are finally playing in the NBA Finals for the first time. But despite a winning record in six consecutive seasons, most of those years for Denver have ended in heartbreak. Today, we look at how the Nuggets' foundation for winning has been built on a very large pile of past failures. Plus, what it will take for Nikola Jokic, Jamal...

Plus: It’s looking like sweep season in the NHL and NBA conference finals. And Breanna Stewart flashes her MVP credentials in her home debut. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Last season, the Las Vegas Aces won the WNBA championship in style, especially when it came to their post-championship celebrations. But now, with the 2023 WNBA season about to tip off, the Aces find themselves wrapped up in not one but two controversies. Today, can the Aces move beyond their off-court problems and find a way to repeat? Or will the league's newest super team, the Ne...

If you say the name Darvin Ham to a basketball fan of a certain age, chances are they’ll think of the time he shattered a backboard playing for Texas Tech during the 1996 NCAA tournament. But what's less known about the Lakers’ first-year head coach is his life before all of this, in Saginaw, Michigan, a life that almost ended when he was just 14 years old. Today, we look at how Ham was shaped by...

Plus: Jonathan Marchessault delivers with an elimination-game silencer of his own. And Todd Bowles fulfills his mother’s dream decades in the making. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Last weekend, a 15:1 long shot named Mage raced to a dramatic victory at the Kentucky Derby. But that feel-good story was largely overshadowed by a series of tragic -- and in some cases mysterious -- racehorse deaths. Today, we explore what could be behind those deaths, the progress that horse racing has and hasn’t made in terms of animal welfare, and why people inside the sport often fail to see...

After back-to-back 100-loss seasons, and with one of the lowest payrolls in Major League Baseball, life as a Pittsburgh Pirates fan has been pretty frustrating. However, this year, they started out as one of baseball's biggest surprises, with Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen helping to fuel a 20-8 start. Then came a recent seven-game losing streak — and fans were scratching their heads once aga...

Plus: The Devils bounce back to make it a series with Carolina. And college basketball’s most famous recruit finally announces where he’ll play next season.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .