Sports
How Far Can Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever Go in 2024 WNBA Playoffs?
The WNBA playoff schedule is set, and the Indiana Fever’s path is laid out. On Sunday, Cailtin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and co. will face the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, in Game 1 of the postseason on ABC at 3 p.m. ET.
After a stellar rookie campaign that saw Clark break several records and help the Fever make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the question on a lot of folks’ minds now is this: How far can Clark and Indiana go in the postseason?
If the second half of the regular season is any indication, the second round seems like a real possibility. And once the Fever get there, it’s all about matchups in an anything-can-happen postseason tournament.
Consider that the Fever went 9-5 after the Olympic break, a stretch that included a five-game winning streak with triumphs over fellow playoff-bound teams like the Atlanta Dream and Indiana’s next opponent, the Sun. The Fever seem like a new team after that time off in late July and early August and have elevated their game. Indiana leads the WNBA in field goal percentage (45.6), effective field goal percentage (52.3) and is second in total points scored. Simply put, there isn’t a team in the league that the Fever can’t keep up with offensively.
It’s a unit led by Clark, who has continued to draw in new eyeballs to the WNBA this season with her absolutely electric play. The 2024 regular season was the most-viewed ever on ESPN platforms with an average of 1.2 million viewers per game; the All-Star game drew a record 3.4 million viewers; and a game between the Fever and the Las Vegas Aces on Sept. 11 drew 678,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed WNBA game ever on NBATV. Much of the data for increased attention and viewership in the WNBA points in Clark’s direction, which is why Indiana vs. Connecticut is getting the ABC treatment on Sunday, with all other games aired on ESPN. Excuse the suits at Disney if you find them rooting for the Fever.
Clark, of course, has backed up the hype with her play.
She’ll likely win the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award and could find herself voted to the All-WNBA First Team, both of which would be deserved honors. Clark averaged a league-leading 8.4 assists per game this season along with 19.2 points and 5.7 rebounds. She also led the WNBA in 3-pointers made with 122, or 3.1 per game. For some perspective, consider that the great Sheryl Swoopes averaged north of 19.2 points per game just once in her 12 seasons in the WNBA and never posted more than 4.3 assists per game.
That assists figure puts Clark in elite and exclusive company. Only Ticha Penicheiro and Courtney Vandersloot have ever averaged eight dimes or more in a single season. And no player in the history of the WNBA, which began in 1997, has ever posted per game averages of at least 19 points and eight assists in the same year.
But what makes the Fever a threat to make a potentially deep playoff run is more than just Clark. In the second half of the season, her teammates have stepped up in a big way. Remember, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston were both all-stars alongside Clark. Mitchell is averaging 19.6 points per game this season and just dropped 30 points in a win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday. Boston is averaging 14.1 points and 9.1 boards per game and has shown that—in addition to being a defensive anchor for the Fever—she can score in bunches too, like when she scored 30 points in a Sept. 8 win over the Dream.
A game that could be a sign of things to come for the Fever is their Aug. 28 win over the Sun, which saw five Indiana players score in double figures for a well-balanced scoring attack that led to an 84-80 triumph. Lexie Hull was crucial in that game for Indiana, knocking down four 3-pointers.
Should the Fever get past the Sun in the first round, they might bump their heads against their ceiling. Since the Olympic break, Indiana is 0-2 against the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx with a pair of double-digit losses, and the Fever are 0-4 on the year against the two-time reigning champs, the Aces. Before the break, Indiana went 1-3 against the top-seeded New York Liberty.
But if the WNBA postseason is anything like March Madness, we know there are no limits on the destination with Clark in the driver’s seat.
Sports
Reports: Dodgers acquire 2-time Cy Young LHP Tarik Skubal from Tigers
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal tips his hat to the fans after delivering his 1,000 strikeout against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The Los Angeles Dodgers are landing the biggest trade piece at this year’s deadline in two-time defending American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.
The addition of the left-handed ace is a major boost to a Los Angeles side looking to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series, a feat last accomplished by the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.
ESPN and The Athletic reported that Detroit would in turn receive three prospects in outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Skubal, 29, elevated from ninth-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Seattle University to one of the best pitchers in baseball. He became the 12th player in major league history to win consecutive Cy Young awards in 2024-25, leading the Tigers to their first two postseason appearances since 2014.
However, he’s set to be a free agent at the end of the season, and this year’s Detroit team is three games back from the final AL wild-card spot.
Skubal has a 61-42 record and 3.04 career ERA over seven seasons with the Tigers. He’s posted ERAs of 2.80 or better in each of his last four seasons, including a league leading 2.39 in 2024 and 2.21 in 2025 — earning All-Star nods both years.
He missed six weeks earlier this season after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. However, he returned ahead of schedule in June and has a 2.87 ERA with 71 strikeouts and eight walks in nine starts since returning. Overall, Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA, 14 walks and 114 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings over 16 starts.
He became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts (153 games) in what was his final start for Detroit on Wednesday.
The Dodgers’ need for starting pitching depth ramped up in the last few weeks as star slugger/pitcher Shohei Ohtani has been sidelined from pitching due to knee inflammation and bicep soreness. While his timeline for a return to the mound is uncertain, it becomes less of a major need with the addition of Skubal.
Hope, 21, is the biggest piece of the return haul for the Tigers. He ranks as the Dodgers’ No. 5 prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He’s hitting .293 with 23 homers, 87 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts in 94 games this season at Double-A Tulsa.
Ryan, 27, is the Dodgers’ seventh-ranked prospect and the No. 68 prospect in baseball. He made his major league debut in 2024 for Los Angeles, posting a 1-0 record and 1.33 ERA over four starts and 20 1/3 innings.
However, he hasn’t been back to the majors in the last two seasons and was sidelined for the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
He returned this spring and was 3-1 with a 4.46 ERA over eight starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City, striking out 43 and walking eight over 36 1/3 innings.
Smith, 21, is Los Angeles’ No. 17 prospect, reaching High-A earlier this season after he was a third-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2023. He has a career 0-10 minor league record with a 4.72 ERA over 31 outings (30 starts). He’s a combined 0-7 this season for two teams with a 4.36 ERA across 21 starts, with 113 strikeouts and 30 walks in 74 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
White Sox add veteran RHP Luis Castillo, send 3 players to Mariners
Jul 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring three-time All-Star right-hander Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.
The Mariners receive right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones, Chicago’s No. 15 prospect in minor league catcher Boston Smith and conditional cash considerations. The White Sox will pay the remainder of Castillo’s salary, according to multiple reports, which is about $30 million guaranteed from now through the 2027 season.
Castillo is in the fourth year of a five-year, $108 million contract with a $25 million vesting option for 2028. He is having his worst season at 3-9 with a 5.06 ERA in 20 games (17 starts). The 33-year-old has recorded 32 walks and 86 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings.
For his career, Castillo is 87-93 with a 3.65 ERA, 485 walks and 1,579 strikeouts in 1,510 1/3 innings over 263 regular-season games (260 starts) for the Cincinnati Reds (2017-22) and Mariners (2022-26).
He was selected to the All-Star Game with the Reds (2019, 2022) and the Mariners (2023) — finishing fifth in the American League Cy Young Award voting that season.
Castillo is 2-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings over six postseason games (five starts) — experience lacking in Chicago’s other starters.
Dominguez, 31, is 4-3 with 12 saves, a 4.10 ERA, 23 walks and 45 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings over 42 relief appearances in his first season with the White Sox.
He has a career record of 27-26 with 52 saves, a 3.57 ERA in 343 1/3 innings over 364 relief appearances. He has pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies (2018-19, 2021-24), Baltimore Orioles (2024-25), Toronto Blue Jays (2025) and White Sox. He went 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 12 appearances during the Blue Jays’ playoff run last season.
Jones, 28, is batting .247 with 30 home runs and 137 RBIs in 349 games with Cleveland (2022, 2025) and the Colorado Rockies (2023-24). Jones was batting a combined .257 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 90 games with the Guardians’ and White Sox’s Triple-A affiliates this year.
Cleveland selected Jones in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was traded to the White Sox for $250,000 in bonus pool money and cash considerations on June 11.
Smith, 23, has played 78 games in the White Sox’s minor league system from Single-A to High-A to Double-A this season and batted .291 with 22 homers and 58 RBIs.
The Washington Nationals picked Smith in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Wright State.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brewers claim best record in baseball with late rally past Angels
Aug 1, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Jake Bauers (9) is greeted by left fielder Jackson Chourio (11) in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Brice Turang drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Jake Bauers homered for the second straight game to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Jackson Chourio doubled and scored a run and William Contreras also doubled for Milwaukee, which moved atop the major league standings at 69-41, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chad Patrick (6-4) struck out five and gave up one hit over two shutout innings to pick up the win in relief. Trevor Megill pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 18th save.
Mike Trout went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and Jorge Soler doubled and drove in a run for Los Angeles, which lost its fifth straight game.
Samy Natera Jr. (1-1) picked up the loss, allowing one run on two hits in two innings with four strikeouts. Natera was the third of four pitchers used by the Angels, who elected to go with a bullpen game after scheduled starter Jose Soriano, the subject of trade rumors, was scratched a few hours before the game.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Trout singled and scored on Soler’s bloop double down the left field line.
Bauers, who hit a three-run homer to highlight a five-run fifth inning in Milwaukee’s 6-2 victory in Friday’s series opener, tied the game in the fourth inning with his 20th home run, a 401-foot line drive into the bleachers in right-center.
The Brewers took a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning when Chourio lined a double over the head of left fielder Jose Siri and scored on a bloop single to center by Turang.
Milwaukee added an insurance run in the ninth against Kirby Yates when Garrett Mitchell walked with two outs, stole second and scored on a softly hit groundball single to center by Cooper Pratt.
Brewers starter Robert Gasser allowed one run on four hits over five innings, striking out six and walking two. Angels replacement starter Brent Suter walked three and struck out one in two no-hit innings.
–Field Level Media
Reports: Dodgers acquire 2-time Cy Young LHP Tarik Skubal from Tigers
White Sox add veteran RHP Luis Castillo, send 3 players to Mariners
