Weekend Rap

The Portland Fire opened their inaugural season on Saturday and set a “WNBA record for an expansion team’s season opener” with 19,335 at Moda Center. That “surpasses the mark” set by the Golden State Valkyries last season of 18,064 (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/9). The concourse was “flooded with Portlanders of all stripes, reveling in their diversity as much as their love of basketball.” The in-game atmosphere was “curated almost flawlessly by the Fire.” The attendance numbers are “no surprise to those who’ve experienced the city’s passion for women’s sports firsthand.” Saturday was about “establishing a unique identity and foothold in a place it would embrace them.” Portland has been the “subject of many a narrative in the past decade about its purported decay.” There was a “sort of catharsis to Saturday’s first WNBA game in 24 years, which can’t be ignored” (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/9).

The sellout Portland crowd makes “good on the promise that the Rose City shows up for women’s sports in ways that are special.” The Fire are “helping to show what happens when you invest in this little, proud but imperfect city” (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/9). In Portland, Ryan Clarke wrote about the moment for Portland sports under the header, “Through growing pains and with major support, the Portland Fire’s WNBA comeback is here” (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/9).

The Toronto Tempo opened their inaugural season before at sellout of 8,210 at Coca-Cola Coliseum. While the Tempo lost to the Mystics, the atmosphere of the WNBA’s debut of a Canadian team was “exactly what the team hoped to see.” The game was a “historic one -- both on and off the court.” The energy of the fans, who were “adorned in either Tempo Bordeaux and blue, or alternate white ‘Opening Night’ T-shirts that had been placed on their seats ahead of tip-off, was palpable all night.” Tempo owners Larry Tanenbaum and Masai Ujiri were “among those in attendance,” as well as WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Canadian sports royalty that included Christine Sinclair and Andre DeGrasse (THE ATHLETIC, 5/9).

The crowd was brought “to its feet” as Tempo fans “anticipated to win.” But what was “not in doubt was how successful the game was from a sales and marketing perspective.” Coca-Cola Coliseum was “sold out with hundreds of fans buying standing room only tickets.” Before the game, the “longest line on the arena’s concourse was for the merchandise stand” (CP, 5/9).

Everything about the night “was a celebration.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “sent out warm wishes in social media in both English and French.” The PR staff of the Tempo said that they “received 72 media credential requests for the game.” The official media count was 43. There has been an “explosion of basketball interest in Toronto, a Canada-wide explosion, really, since the Raptors won their title in 2019.” The women’s game is “part of that.” There will be “plenty of losses along the way, especially in Year One.” But “everything is in place for sustained success in Canada.” The league overall is “flush with U.S. television money” (CBC SPORTS, 5/9).

THE ATHLETIC’s Brian Hamilton looked inside the Tempo’s “mad dash to opening night” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/8).

The Wings and Fever opened their WNBA seasons on Saturday before 17,274 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The arena was “filled with fans and storylines” on Saturday in what was a “historic day for the WNBA and a huge moment” for the Wings, who outlasted the Fever 107-104. Wings G Paige Bueckers and Fever G Caitlin Clark each scored 20 points on Saturday (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/9).

Clark jerseys and T-shirts “remained a trendy favorite” for fans, as Clark’s “10-month wait to play a meaningful game on her home court finally ended.” Saturday’s nationally televised matinee “didn’t disappoint,” and the result “didn’t temper the fanfare surrounding this game.” Saturday’s crowd included a “small group of UConn jerseys,” a nod to both Bueckers and Wings G Azzi Fudd. David Letterman and Pacers G Tyrese Haliburton were “sitting courtside” (AP, 5/9).

Putting the Wings and Fever together was a “statement about the future” of the WNBA, which “turned out to be a scream, in every sense.” The table is “set for the next three decades,” and fans “already know who the centerpieces are” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/10).

The Liberty played their season opener on Friday, and it was a “celebration of their 30th season” that filled Barclays Center with “’90s-esque tributes harkening back to the franchise’s inaugural year in 1997″ (ESPN.com, 5/9). Barclays Center was “jam packed” with 17,615 in attendance for the matchup against the Sun, including N.Y. Mayor Zohran Mamdani (YAHOO SPORTS, 5/9).

The Storm opened their season on Friday against the Valkyries with 14,200 in attendance at Climate Pledge Arena, including Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, who sat courtside next to Storm CEO & President Alisha Valavanis (SEATTLE TIMES, 5/8).

The Aces got their 2025 WNBA championship rings before their season opener on Saturday. But the Mercury, who were swept by the Aces in the WNBA Finals, won 99-66 in the “largest margin of victory in a season opener for Pheonix.” Aces C A’ja Wilson said, “I hate ceremonies like this. Obviously, you want to enjoy it, but there’s a whole business side of the issue to take care of. It’s hard to compartmentalize that at times.” Aces owner Mark Davis and minority owner Tom Brady were “on the court for the pregame ceremony” (ESPN.com, 5/9). The loss snapped the Aces 16-game regular season winning streak dating back to last season that was tied for the second-longest in WNBA history (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/9).

Though potential buyers for the Seahawks are “starting to emerge,” the team “hasn’t generated the interest the NFL hoped for” when the estate of late former owner Paul G. Allen put the team up for sale in February. A team owner said of the market, “It’s soft.” An exec said, “There isn’t as much action as there was with Denver and Washington.” The sources said that there are “doubts along NFL owners and executives” about whether the Seahawks sale “will eclipse” the $10B mark. They said that they believe the team “will sell for slightly above” $9B, which would “still be a record price for an NFL team.” Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos, who had been a candidate to buy the Commanders, is a “potential buyer.” Celtics limited partner Aditya Mittal and former Celtics controlling owner Wyc Grousbeck are “preparing a bid, as is” 49ers limited partner Vinod Khosla (ESPN.com, 5/8).

In Seattle, Bob Condotta looked at what comes next in the process of the Seahawks sale (SEATTLE TIMES, 5/9). Also in Seattle, Matt Calkins wrote under the header, “Seahawks sale is likely inevitable. Here’s what fans should hope to avoid” (SEATTLE TIMES, 5/9).

The Bahrain Grand Prix “could return to the calendar this season” as F1 explores the “possibility of at least one of the two postponed Middle East races being added back into the second half of the season.” Sources suggested that the “most likely option is for Bahrain to return to the calendar in the first week of October,” which is presently a non-race week between rounds in Baku and Singapore, “creating another triple header.” The continuing conflict in the region means F1’s “plans are entirely flexible.” There is a scenario in which there could be “as few as 20 races on the calendar” or “as many as 24 in the very outside chance that the races is Bahrain and Saudi Arabia could be rescheduled and all other grand prix can go as planned” (London TIMES, 5/9).

With Game 4 set for Sunday in Philadelphia, Knicks fans “made their way into” Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday, “claiming it as their own” as the 76ers fell 108-94 in Game 3 to fall behind 3-0 in their second-round series. Throughout the night, Knicks fans “continued to let the Sixers know they were in the building.” Leading up to Friday, the 76ers and their fans “did everything in their power to stop another Knicks takeover from happening, similar to what happened during their 2024 playoff series.” Despite their efforts, “none of it worked” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/9). There were “audible boos inside Xfinity Mobile Arena” when 76ers C Joel Embiid went to the foul line. Fans in the lower bowl were seen “waving towels and chanting ‘Let’s go Knicks’” (N.Y. POST, 5/8).

The Knicks themselves “deserve plenty of credit for the crowd,” which included Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Timothee Chalamet. 76ers F Paul George said, “It was a lot of Knicks fans, but they travel I guess. I thought our fans were there in support as well. But it was a good showing by the Knicks crowd” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/9).

Oklahoma State AD Chad Weiberg said that the school does “not currently plan to take advantage of the line of credit” offered by the Big 12’s recent private capital agreement. Weiberg has “generally worked to avoid taking on significant debt in any fashion when possible,” so his comments Friday “align with how he has operated in his role.” Weiberg said, “I give commissioner (Brett) Yormark a lot of credit for providing opportunities.” Weiberg: “There’s a little bit of a misconception on this. This isn’t a private equity deal. There’s no ownership stake or control in the conference they’re taking. It’s more of a private investment opportunity. RedBird is a huge global entity. They’ve got a lot of partnerships. The conference office will get out of it some money to be able to invest in some other business entities, take an investment in those to try to grow revenues from a different revenue stream.” He added, “As of right now, that is something that Oklahoma State will not do at this point” (OKLAHOMAN, 5/8).

The Major League Volleyball championship on Saturday drew a sellout crowd of 4,598 to Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, as the Dallas Pulse defeated the Omaha Supernovas. The win the Saturday’s Match For A Million was the Pulse’s first title. MLV Commissioner Jaime Weston said, “This is the major leagues; this is what the highest level of professional volleyball looks like.” She added, “It’s a defining moment not just for the athletes, but for the continued growth of our league” (MLV).

PGA Tour player Rory McIlroy is “no longer opposed to LIV Golf players returning to the PGA Tour.” But he said Friday that “it’s a question of if they do want to come back.” He added that the answer will “likely depend on what happens with LIV’s financial situation” after losing PIF funding. McIlroy: “They’re going to go and try and find alternative investment, whatever that may look like. When one of the wealthiest sovereign wealth funds in the world thinks that you’re too expensive for them, that sort of says something” (AP, 5/8).

McIlroy also seemed to allude to comments from LIV Golf player Bryson DeChambeau, saying, “If you want to be the most competitive golfer you can be, this (the PGA Tour) is the place to be. And if you don’t want to play here, I think that says something about you.” McIlroy’s comments “made it clear he’s still paying attention and willing to be open-minded about players coming back.” McIlroy: “It all depends on what happens to LIV. But if it is a scenario where they have the option to come back and play on the traditional tours, you know, I think (PGA Tour CEO) Brian Rolapp has said anything that makes this Tour stronger, anything that makes the DP World Tour stronger, I think everyone should be open to that. That’s just good business practice” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/8).

YAHOO SPORTS’ Jay Busbee took in this week’s LIV event in Virginia and looked deeper into what LIV Golf is “trying to be” (YAHOO SPORTS, 5/8). In London, Rick Broadbent took an extensive look at why the Saudis sank $6B “into Golf, only to walk away” (London TIMES, 5/8).

Warriors coach Steve Kerr on Saturday “agreed in principle to a two-year contract to remain with the team through the 2027-28 season,” according to sources cited by THE ATHLETIC. A source said that Kerr will “remain the highest-paid coach in the NBA.” While his new salary is not known, he was previously making $17.5M annually. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has a deal that “will eventually pay him” $15M annually and is “known to have the second most lucrative contract” in the league. Kerr’s agreement “continues the most successful coaching tenure in franchise history.” His decision to come back “stabilizes an organization that faces significant questions heading into an uncertain offseason” (THE ATHLETIC, 5.9). There are “lucrative media opportunities available” to Kerr that “wouldn’t require near the time or mental exertion, but the ground-zero NBA competitiveness is in Kerr’s blood.” It is “why he never loved front office work, fell in love with coaching and isn’t ready to leave it” (ESPN.com, 5/9).

The NBA will hold its draft lottery on Sunday at 3pm ET on ABC, with the Wizards, Nets and Pacers having the best odds of winning the No. 1 pick at 14% each. BYU F AJ Dybantsa, Kansas G Darryn Peterson and Duke F Cameron Boozer are “widely projected to be the first three draft picks” in the NBA Draft. Framework fell into place last month on changes to the draft lottery “meant to further dissuade tanking,” and the NBA’s Board of Governors, along with its GMs, is “expected to ratify that plan in the next few weeks” (AP, 5/9).

Hawks minority owner David Moore in an op-ed for the N.Y. TIMES wrote NBA Commissioner Adam Silver “doesn’t need a more complicated lottery system.” Moore: “He needs a lottery system with a better incentive. No system that rewards losing will ever eliminate the motivation to lose. And no fans show up to games hoping their teams do anything but try their best to win.” Moore added, “The team with the best record among those teams that missed the playoffs would get the best odds at the No. 1 pick, and the rest would follow from there. The worst team? It would be assigned the worst chance at the top pick. So if you lost on purpose, you would hurt, not help, your odds” (N.Y. TIMES, 5/9).