Sports
Union Prez: WNBA players nearly unanimous yes on CBA
Sep 9, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) shoots the ball against the Golden State Valkyries during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images The WNBA labor dispute moved one step closer to a final resolution with players voting to ratify the new collective bargaining agreement with the league, according to the players’ union president on ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday.
Women’s National Basketball Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike said the results of the ratification vote were a near-unanimous yes with 90% of players taking part in the voting.
The CBA will now go back to the league for its approval.
The league, in partnership with the Players Association, officially announced on Friday that a seven-year CBA had been agreed upon.
The agreement will run through the 2032 season.
The revenue-sharing deal will increase the average salary to $583,000 this season and the maximum salary to $1.4 million, while providing over $1 billion in salaries and benefits over the contract.
“This Collective Bargaining Agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA’s 30-year history and all of women’s professional sports,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Friday in a news release. “Since its inception, the WNBA has been shaped by extraordinary athletes who believed in the league’s future. The agreement is a testament to that belief and to the tremendous progress we have achieved together.”
The salary increases represent a significant jump for WNBA players. Team salary caps will be $7 million this season — a huge leap from $1.5 million in 2025 — and will be adjusted annually based on teams and league revenue growth.
The deal projects the maximum salary to reach $2.4 million by 2032, and the average salary to surpass $1 million by then.
The minimum salary this season will range from $270,000 to $300,000, depending on service time. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft will earn approximately $500,000.
“We’ve always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it, and we’re proud to see that belief shared,” Ogwumike, the league MVP in 2016, said Friday. “We love this game enough to push for what it can become, not just for ourselves, but for those who built this league and those who will carry it forward.
“This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it.”
The players have been without a collective bargaining agreement since they opted out of their existing agreement in October 2024, a year before its Oct. 31, 2025, expiration.
All players on the WNBA championship team will receive $60,000 — the payout was $22,908 in 2025 — and the runner-ups will receive $20,000 (up from $8,521). The WNBA Finals MVP will get a $30,000 bonus (up from $5,000).
The season MVP will receive a $60,000 bonus, the Defensive Player of the Year will get $30,000 and the Rookie of the Year will receive $15,000.
The All-Star Game MVP will receive $20,000.
The length of the regular season will increase to 50 games in 2027 and 2028 and 52 from 2029-32.
The WNBA Draft is slated for April 13 with training camps opening six days later.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why Illinois Could Pull Off the Upset Against Houston in Sweet 16
It is a surprise to nobody who has watched college basketball over the last half-decade that Houston has looked like one of the most dominant teams in the country during the first weekend of the tournament. The Cougars have not lost a game in the first weekend of the tournament since 2018, and have an average margin of victory of over 20 points a game during the first weekend.
Kelvin Sampson deserves all the credit in the world for reviatilizing a dormant Houston program; however, more than just reviving a sleeping giant, he has an innate ability to get his guys to buy in. It can be easy for a heavy favorite to sleepwalk early in the tournament, just ask Jon Scheyer how he felt Duke’s energy looked in their first two games this weekend.
Houston can suffocate opponents with its defense. Many teams can lose focus on defense, but Sampson has his guys locked in from tip to buzzer. They hound ball handlers with relentless pressure. Unlike other teams that specialize in their elite defenses, Houston can turn their stops into points on the other end.
The Cougars are once again great at generating “Kill Shots”. A Kill Shot is a 10-0 that happens in a game. Houston was second in the country entering the tournament in kill shots with 38 on the season, while allowing only 11, good for fifth in the country. With that being said, the level of competition increases going into the Sweet 16, and they’ll be facing Illinois, a team that is third best in the country in adjusted Kill Shot margin.
Illinois is a bit underseeded as a three seed and will be the toughest matchup for any two seed entering the second weekend. The Illini have the second-best offensive rating in the country and can attack Houston’s interior with a ton of lengthy big men who can cause issues for Houston’s front court, which has dealt with foul issues. Illinois can also punish them at the line if they’re too aggressive, as they shoot 78.4% as a team, good for 13th in the country.
Houston has struggled at times this year to find consistent offense and can deal with scoring droughts. That cannot happen against Illinois, as they will bury Houston if they go multiple minutes without scoring.
It’ll be a tough matchup for Houston, but they’ll essentially be playing a road game, as the game will be at the Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets. Illinois has also struggled when they’re matched up with tough defenses. They are 2-4 this season against teams with a top-25 defensive rating, scoring only 74 points per game, 10 fewer than their season average.
Houston opens this game as 2.5-point favorites, and it doesn’t make a ton of sense. Neither team likes to speed the game up, and if Illinois can deal with Houston’s elite ball pressure, they could be in line to pull off the minor upset.
I really like Balkan Bloc on the road in the Sweet 16.
Sports
Blue Jays extend manager John Schneider, GM Ross Atkins
Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins celebrates with manager John Schneider (14) after winning game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images The Toronto Blue Jays rewarded their leadership for last year’s World Series appearance by extending the contracts of manger John Schneider and general manager Ross Atkins on Monday.
Both were entering the final years of their contracts. Schneider is now on board through 2028 and Atkins through 2031.
“Schneids has been, and will continue to be, an exceptional leader and manager in professional baseball because of his unwavering commitment to players,” Atkins said in a statement. “Schneids understands what it takes to build a winning environment and works tirelessly to create exactly that. His blend of emotional intelligence and deep baseball knowledge truly sets him apart.”
Schneider, 46, worked his way up through managing in the Blue Jays’ minor league system before taking over as the big-league skipper in 2022 when Charlie Montoyo was fired after a slow start.
He has a 303-257 record at the helm, leading Toronto to three postseason appearances (2022, 2023, 2025) and one pennant. Toronto fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games in the 2025 World Series after finishing the regular season at 94-68 to claim the American League East title.
“I am ecstatic to continue leading the Blue Jays as we work to bring our incredible fans a championship team,” Schneider said. “It’s been a privilege to be part of this organization for nearly 25 years, and the work the Blue Jays continue to do excites me every day.”
Schneider finished second in 2025 American League Manager of the Year voting.
Atkins, 52, is the second-longest tenured general manager in Blue Jays’ history, holding the position since December 2015.
The team reached the postseason five times under Atkins, though it also struggled through a rebuild in 2018 and 2019.
“Ross has done an outstanding job in building a deep foundation with an accomplished Baseball Operations team, best-in-class resources, and a collaborative culture,” said Mark Shapiro, Toronto’s president and CEO. “I am a strong supporter of stability and continuity, and Ross continues to make us better.”
The Blue Jays open the 2026 season on Friday with the start of a three-game home series against the Athletics.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba to become highest-paid WR
Feb 11, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) reacts during the Super Bowl LX parade. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba recently said he expects to become the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.
He got his wish with a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension that includes $120 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports on Monday.
Smith-Njigba’s $42.15 million annual salary surpasses Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase, who averages $40.25 million per season on his four-year, $161 million deal.
“I think I deserve to be the highest-paid at my position, just what I give to the game and the community, I give it my all. And I think that’s worth a lot, lot more,” Smith-Njigba told WFAA-TV in February.
“I would play this game for free, I love this game so much, but you don’t have to. I’m learning to be a good businessman, and we need that check at the end of the day.”
The Seahawks had exercised Smith-Njigba’s fifth-year option last Friday.
He was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 when he set franchise records with 119 receptions and 1,793 receiving yards. He also caught 10 scoring passes.
He had 17 catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs last season, including four receptions for 27 yards as the Seahawks beat the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX.
Smith-Njigba, who turned 24 in February, has 282 receptions for 3,551 yards and 20 touchdown catches in 51 NFL games (36 starts). The 20th overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State is a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
–Field Level Media
Why Illinois Could Pull Off the Upset Against Houston in Sweet 16
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