u/IndependentMix1489

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The Louisville product finally cleared the Round 2 wall that's haunted him his entire career. 26/8/7 with zero turnovers in a road Game 7 blowout against the #1 seed. A great performance in the most important game of his career.

People forget that the Knicks were the frontrunner to get him in 2022 before the Jazz pivoted to Cleveland. Obviously, the Knicks have done just fine --even better, but this series might still be a referendum on that decision.

More details in our blog: https://fandaily.io/blog/the-knicks-passed-on-him-now-mitchell-s-coming-to-collect

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Posted this piece ahead of today's game:

Think about what's actually happening on May 9:

• Aliyah Boston (South Carolina, 2023 No. 1 pick) — Indiana
• Caitlin Clark (Iowa, 2024 No. 1 pick) — Indiana
• Paige Bueckers (UConn, 2025 No. 1 pick) — Dallas
• Azzi Fudd (UConn, 2026 No. 1 pick) — Dallas

Four consecutive No. 1 picks. Same game. Opening day. On ABC.

And then there's everything else: Clark's first game since July 2025 after a season-ending injury. The Clark-Bueckers college rivalry (split 1-1 in two of the most-watched women's college basketball games ever). Fudd's pro debut alongside Bueckers, her former UConn teammate. A Dallas team trying to figure out if two consecutive top picks can finally turn them from a 10-34 embarrassment into something real.

Full piece: https://fandaily.io/blog/wnba-opener-has-more-storylines-than-any-game-should

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Wanted to share something I put together ahead of the WNBA opener this week, because what's happening right now is genuinely remarkable and does not get enough attention in one place.

The salary cap just went from $1.5M to $7M in a single offseason. More than 30 players will earn $1M+ in 2026 — a number that was literally zero a year ago. Aliyah Boston (South Carolina) signed a $6.3M deal that is the richest total contract in league history. A'ja Wilson (South Carolina) has the richest average annual value. The new CBA is a genuine structural overhaul, not an incremental tweak.

And then there is Clark. She played 13 games in 2025 due to injuries, watched her team reach the semifinals without her, and spent the offseason rehabbing. She is back now, returning for a season opener against Paige Bueckers (UConn) that the league deliberately scheduled as its marquee opening weekend game.

The piece tries to give credit where it's due without overclaiming — Clark was a major driver of the financial momentum that made this CBA possible, but she was not the only one. The college-to-pro pipeline in women's basketball has never produced a more exciting moment than right now.

Anyone who followed the CBA negotiations — did the new deal go far enough? Full piece here: https://fandaily.io/blog/a-healthy-caitlin-clark-looks-very-good-for-the-wnba

We wrote on Conley because his 2026 season is genuinely one of the more absurd veteran stories in recent memory — and it doesn't get enough attention.

One year at Ohio State. Program record 238 assists as a freshman. Led the Buckeyes to the national championship game alongside Greg Oden. Drafted 4th overall. Twelve seasons in Memphis where he became the all-time franchise scoring leader without ever making an All-Star team.

This season: traded to Chicago, flipped to Charlotte the next day, waived the day after that — all in 48 hours. Re-signed by Minnesota 12 days later on a minimum deal.

Now he's a starting point guard in the second round of the playoffs because Edwards, DiVincenzo, and Dosunmu are all hurt.

The college-to-pro pipeline doesn't always produce flash. Sometimes it produces this. Full article at https://fandaily.io/blog/mike-conley-the-ultimate-veteran — would genuinely love to hear from Buckeye fans or anyone who followed the Grit and Grind era.