Good morning! Clinch your series today.<\/p>\n
Pulse Power Rankings: Multiple WNBA dramas highlight frenzied day<\/p>\n
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There are not many days in which we start this newsletter by saying, \u201cI have to just tell you everything that happened yesterday.\u201d Yesterday, however, was so good that we\u2019re going to do exactly that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Consider this a power ranking of Monday\u2019s incredible playoff action, starting with the WNBA stealing the spotlight:\u00a0<\/p>\n
1. The Aces are back in the WNBA Finals, barely<\/p>\n
For the third time in four seasons, the Las Vegas Aces will play in the finals. It\u2019s an expected outcome after a most unexpected, bonkers game last night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Aces and Fever played to overtime in a Game 5 classic<\/a>, with Vegas only separating after Indiana lost Kelsey Mitchell to injury and Aliyah Boston to foul trouble. The Aces were clearly the better team, but anyone watching last night\u2019s game came away equally impressed with a Fever team that\u2019s been through a lot this year<\/a>. To come five minutes from reaching the finals after all that is almost unbelievable.\u00a0<\/p>\n The W also soaked up an entire news cycle\u2019s worth of headlines yesterday outside of the exquisite game:\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier said the league has the \u201cworst leadership in the world\u201d in a prepared statement during a news conference. Collier was largely referencing some pain points with game officials, who became a focal point after Collier suffered an ankle injury in Game 3 of Minnesota\u2019s semifinal loss to Phoenix. Collier and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve were furious with the lack of a foul call. Read Collier\u2019s full statement here.<\/p>\n Collier also referenced ongoing negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, which seem like a mess at this point. Kelsey Plum said yesterday the league is stalling. Plum and others agreed with Collier that the league needs new leadership, too. Tough day for commissioner Cathy Engelbert.<\/p>\n Oh, and the finals begin Friday. I asked Ben Pickman<\/a> for his early read on the matchup:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis series has a fascinating frontcourt matchup as the Mercury have reached the WNBA Finals in large part because of their star bigs, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, while the Aces are led by four-time WNBA MVP A\u2019ja Wilson. How the two coaches try to defend each team\u2019s frontcourt will go a long way in determining who takes home the title. Bonus interesting question: Can the Aces re-ignite any dynasty talk by winning a third title in four years?\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n 2. Shohei Ohtani went nuclear<\/p>\n In baseball\u2019s nightcap, the Dodgers took a 1-0 series lead over the Reds with a 10-5 win, fueled by Shohei Ohtani\u2019s two home runs. L.A. hit five dingers in the game, and this one felt over quickly. Look how quickly his leadoff homer got out:<\/p>\n Dude might be pretty good. Let\u2019s take a quick news break before returning to the rankings:<\/p>\n News to Know<\/p>\n Wild sign Kaprizov after all<\/p>\n The Minnesota Wild agreed to a record eight-year, $136 million extension with superstar Kirill Kaprizov, the richest in NHL history by both total salary and average annual value ($17 million). It comes three weeks after the 28-year-old Kaprizov declined to sign an eight-year deal worth $128 million, which many thought could lead to Kaprizov hitting free agency next summer. Instead, Minnesota secured its future<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n More news<\/p>\n Eagles coach Nick Sirianni insists A.J. Brown wants to be in Philadelphia despite some cryptic social posts yesterday.<\/p>\n In other WNBA news: The league agreed to an 11-year media rights deal to air games on USA Network. Read more here.<\/p>\n The Jonathan Kuminga saga is over in Golden State. The 22-year-old agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract yesterday. Full details here.<\/p>\n Golf legend Tom Watson was \u201cashamed\u201d of the American Ryder Cup crowds. See his comments.<\/p>\n The Angels will also be searching for a new manager after announcing yesterday that Ron Washington will not return.<\/p>\n Chris Koras, head of baseball for the Klutch Sports agency, abruptly resigned last week.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n A warning given to Daniil Medvedev at the China Open about his effort level was an error, according to the ATP. Strange story.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udceb\u00a0Love The Pulse? Check out our other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pulse Power Rankings, Cont.: Shout-out to pitchers<\/p>\n Back to the power rankings:\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. Boston\u2019s steely swipe<\/p>\n The Yankees entered these playoffs as arguably the hottest team in the bracket. A loaded roster and a great September made them a trendy World Series pick.\u00a0<\/p>\n The division-rival Red Sox instead went to Yankee Stadium last night and exited with a thrilling 3-1 win<\/a>. Garrett Crochet was spectacular over 7 2\/3 innings, giving up just the one run. And Aroldis Chapman, who has reinvented himself<\/a> in Boston, got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Sox can clinch tonight. Wild.\u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Tarik Skubal course-corrected<\/p>\n For now, the story of Detroit\u2019s season is its historic collapse down the stretch. The thing the Tigers needed most, after letting the AL Central slip to the Guardians, was a Game 1 win, on the road in Cleveland, in the AL Wild Card Series.\u00a0<\/p>\n Staff ace Skubal delivered just that in 7 2\/3 innings of one-run ball, as Detroit eked out a 2-1 road win. The margins are so small in this round. This was a massive, massive win<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n 5. The Cubs found a buzz<\/p>\n Chicago finished the season 92-70, which in a normal year would\u2019ve been plenty good to win a division title. But this is a wild-card team, and the emotions are more tenuous in this fan base.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The Cubbies used back-to-back home runs yesterday to beat the Padres, 3-1<\/a>, the franchise\u2019s first postseason win since 2017. There was pent-up energy<\/a> at Wrigley Field, as Patrick Mooney wrote, and a Game 1 win was cathartic.\u00a0<\/p>\n What a day all around. Let\u2019s do it again in a few hours.<\/p>\n What to Watch<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa MLB: Tigers at Guardians<\/p>\n 1 p.m. ET on ESPN<\/p>\n We have the same run of schedule today as we did yesterday. The Tigers, Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers can all advance. See all the games here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa Soccer: PSG at FC Barcelona<\/p>\n 3 p.m. ET on Paramount+<\/p>\n The Champions League also continues today with a full slate. This is probably the juiciest matchup, but decide for yourself<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Get tickets to games like these here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pulse Picks<\/p>\n The college QB class has been \u2026 surprising this year. It\u2019s still \u201cspecial,\u201d as Bruce Feldman reports, but it\u2019s different than we expected. Here\u2019s what scouts have gotten right and wrong<\/a> about the top signal callers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Want a preview of the future of college sports? Read Ralph Russo\u2019s breakdown<\/a> of the SCORE Act and the SAFE Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jurgen Klopp is one of the best managers in the modern era of European soccer. In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, he said he never wants to coach again<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n I really enjoyed Dan Woike\u2019s story from earlier in the week on Austin Reaves, who\u2019s at an inflection point with the ever-interesting Lakers. Reaves wants to stay in L.A. \u2014 but just made a huge bet on himself<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: NFL Power Rankings<\/a>, of course.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most-read on the website yesterday: \u261d\ufe0f<\/p>\n