#-1: Lynx (Last Week: -2). What a difference one Game makes. On Saturday in Las Vegas, a lot of big things happened for the Lynx:
- They annihilated The Bastard Utah Starzz/San Antonio Silver Stars, 111-58, the largest margin of victory by a road team in WNBA History;
- Kayla McBride went eight-for-eight from behind the arc in the First Half, becoming the first W player ever to score so many in a half on 100% shooting (by the way, she missed a couple of her three attempts in the Second Half and was sat down in the Third Quarter for good, thereby missing a chance to set the record for most Threes made in a Game, which is nine and has been set four times;
- Napheesa Collier suffered a bad ankle sprain. It may speak to the league-wide respect Phee has garnered that once play was stopped and Collier couldn't quickly get up, not only did Lynx trainers and Lynx players but Aces players quickly surrounded her and set up a barrier of towels so she could deal with her injury in private.
Maybe this is not related, but overnight between Sunday and Monday, the Lynx swung a trade, bringing in DiJonai Carrington from The Bastard Detroit/Tulsa Shock for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson, and a their Second Round pick in the 2027 Draft. People say Miller has been inconsistent; I say she hasn't been given a chance to blossom and really be the alternate scorer all teams (but especially the Lynx) need to find another way to win in the postseason. Nevertheless, she'll have the opportunity to thrive down in Dallas. Meanwhile, even though some people believe Carrington is a locker room cancer, she is a premier shutdown perimeter defender, and she is the reigning Most Improved Player in the WNBA. Minnesota will need her to lock down Caitlin Clark or Sabrina Ionescu in the playoffs.
Plus, she can provide some role player pop on Offense. In her first Game with the Lynx last/Tuesday night at Seattle, she scored 13 Points in just 18 Minutes off the bench, helping Minnesota overcome an eight-Point Halftime deficit to win, 91-87. That completed a 3-0 screening Week that started off with Wins at home over the Libs and that immolation of Las Vegas.
They have a 5 1/2-Game lead over New York City for the #1 Seed, but with Collier out, a backslide is definitely plausible. On the other hand, while New York could go on a late run and sweep all three consecutive Games from the Lynx, they'll have to do it without Breanna Stewart, who is tending to a bone bruise in her right knee. Maybe the Lynx can clinch home-court throughout the postseason without breaking much of a sweat because both contenders lost their main woman.
They host Washington on Friday before their first of the trilogy with New York City Sunday afternoon.
#-2: United FC (Last Week: -1). The Leagues Cup went through some big format changes for this iteration. Not all Major League Soccer teams are participating; MLS and Liga MX squads are only playing Matches against teams from the other league; and Knockout Round Games will be spread out so both leagues can return to league play. Those changes were instituted to goose interest in this in-season tournament while not completely destroying the rhythm of both leagues' seasons.
However, one concession, making the Knockout Round only eight teams deep (four for each league), has a big drawback: You have to be darn well perfect to reach it, and a Loss likely eliminates you. You may drop a Point or two and not make it. In that sense, a tournament many people already ignore has given another reason to ignore it.
Welp, the Loons appear to be taking this seriously. They started by routing Queretaro at Allianz Field Wednesday, 4-1. They were on their way to going two-for-two Saturday in Houston against Club America. Frustratingly, MNUFC took a lead on the Liga MX glamour club thrice and lost it each time, the last being fire home by America's Sebastian Caceres in the 90th Minute. That meant a straight-to-PK shootout, and that's where Club America won in extras, 8-7. They are currently fourth in the MLS standings, but shit, man, they went from picking up all three Points to earning only one in a matter of ten or 15 Minutes. That inability to close might cost them tonight at home against Atletico de San Luis, and if so, it'll be curtains for the Loons. After that, they resume MLS action early Sunday afternoon when Colorado comes to town.
Of the 26 individuals that comprised the franchise's major league roster, ten of them were dealt in the 48 Hours up to Thursday. No one has yet said that is the greatest number of players cast off from a team right before the Trade Deadline in Major League Baseball history, but people sure are acting like it. And we Twinks fans certainly haven't seen anything close to it. However, we know how miserly the Pohlads are, and I think some of us were bracing for a huge sell-off considering the Pohlad family is at least continuing to say they are actively trying to sell the team.
But this? Well, these moves confirmed our worst fears, but it's shocking nonetheless. They didn't just trade players who were going to be Free Agents after the season. Maybe five of the ten ex-Twins were under team control through at least 2026. Also, they blew up the Bullpen; their five best relievers are gone. Add Carlos Correa, who was supposed to come in to be the veteran presence for this young club and was dealt back to Houston for some guy who might be Designated For Assignment any Minute now, and this just doesn't feel like lighting the forest on fire but also salting the earth to make sure nothing grows on it ever again.
It sure feels that way considering the players traded and how fans are reacting to the moves. It feels as though the saddest trade is of Closer Jhoan Duran. I didn't think I would miss him that much; I didn't think he was that good of a shutdown guy. But dammit, he has that entrance that puts that of Mets Closer Edwin Diaz to shame. And when Durantula (isn't that Kevin Durant's nickname?) was dealt to Philadelphia, the Twins organization did the right thing and sent them Duran's soundtrack and stadium lighting package too:
It's all well and good, and I'm heartened to see the sold-out Phillies crowd get super-hyped for Duran's maiden appearance. (He threw only four Pitches to get the Save of a Philadelphia Win over Detroit, by the way.) But if I may be a little defensive here: We (meaning the Twins) created what you just saw. With the help of the Twins front office, Duran and a local DJ Skee, Duran did that kick-ass entrance here -- first, and many times. For example, the last time Target Field was sold out was when Minnesota played The Pittsburgh Pirates. This was Joe Ryan vs. Paul Skenes, remember? And the Twins held a 2-1 lead, so they brought in Durantula:
Same music, same lighting, same Relief Pitcher, same sold-out crowd. (And Duran held on for the Save in this one as well.) Twins fans went wild for this. They went wild every time Duran came on to close, and that was a lot. But it seems as if MLB Nation just saw this for the first time and decided that this was newly born, that somehow the Phillies were the ones that came up with this. At the very least, I think people ignore that this all started in Minnesota. I truly think this is another case of flyover country being ignored. And it hurts even more to see Duran's new team flock to him like this when we loved this, and him, first. But that doesn't matter.
As some people think losing Duran was the saddest trade, people think losing Louis Varland is the most maddening. He is One Of Us, born and raised in St. Paul. He was had budding closer stuff. His wife and family came to almost every home Game. And he was signed with the Twins to 2030. But he's out too, to Toronto. The combination of a hometown boy who also couldn't go anywhere even if he wanted to go elsewhere probably has turned off a good portion of Twins Nation for good.
Falvey says that they're building for the future. Sure, they have some young pieces they got in return, but in my opinion those players don't make up for all the talent, underachieving though they may be, being sent away. No, this was a salary dump. And I am pretty sure it's all just because the Pohlad family no longer gives a good goddamn about the franchise their father bought back in the eighties. Sell now or later, what is important to them now is that they don't shell out any more money than they absolutely have to. And they're not. The Twinks only have two players under contract for next season: Byron Buxton and Pablo Lopez. Joe Ryan, probably the best Pitcher still on the roster, is not signed for next Year. Seeing what you saw last Week, do you really think he's going to sign with Minnesota on a contract worthy of his talent?
What I'm really scared of is this goes beyond parsimony. I get the feeling the Pohlad brothers do hear the accusations they're cheap-asses and they see the "Sell The Team!" chants that sometimes float round Target Field. I'm cynical enough to believe that not only do they not want to spend money, they want to piss off the fans whom they believe betrayed them after all that they've done for them. If they feel that bitterly ... shit, man, just sell the team and walk away. Just please, don't sell it to anyone from the Nashville area.
Oh, the Games -- they went 2-4 this screening Week. With the meltdown of course they dropped the series at Cleveland. After finishing up to Detroit this/Wednesday afternoon, they host Kansas City for three over the weekend -- let's see what the fan reaction is going to be on Friday! -- before heading back out and facing the Yankees in the Bronx for a trio beginning Monday.
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