☠️ “Nike kept pushing the Jordan brand even though it didn’t resonate with younger Chinese, many of them born after Michael Jordan retired. One former Nike employee in China said his cousin was surprised to learn that Jordan was still alive.” www.wsj.com/business/ret...

☠️ “Nike kept pushing the Jordan brand even though it didn’t resonate with younger Chinese, many of them born after Michael Jordan retired. One former Nike employee in China said his cousin was surprised to learn that Jordan was still alive.” www.wsj.com/business/ret...

Before wide receiver Ah’Mari Stevens committed to LSU, he had played for four Florida high schools. A must-read on the money-fueled transfer path in Florida prep football, by my @WSJ colleague Harriet Ryan: www.wsj.com/sports/footb...

🏀 Something that's flown below the radar: National-TV networks have radically increased their broadcasts of WNBA games. www.sportsmediawatch.com/2026/04/wnba...

🥎 THREE college softball players are on the brink of breaking the NCAA record of 37 home runs in a season: Oklahoma's Kendall Wells (36) UCLA's Megan Grant (36) UCLA's Jordan Woolery (33). The data story behind the story: www.wsj.com/sports/softb...

Announced just now by the NCAA:

Pretty remarkable that, weeks from the first U.S.-hosted men's World Cup since 1994, there is one American player featured in Adidas' star-studded, 3-minute ad: Trinity Rodman. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJJY...

🏀 💰 🍺 🍸 🍷 Since NCAA tournament expansion is back in the news, here's what I wrote last year: The NCAA is going to pay for it by allowing the sale of official sponsorships for beer, wine and hard alcohol. The NCAA previously banned those categories. www.wsj.com/sports/baske...

Nelly Korda, the LPGA's winning machine, is on a hot streak. Actual reader comment on this story: "I would give my left, uh, golf ball for that swing." www.wsj.com/sports/golf/...

🥎 There’s a wild home-run race in NCAA softball. *Three* players are within striking distance of the single-season record of 37 HR. Kendall Wells, Oklahoma: 36 Megan Grant, UCLA: 35 Jordan Woolery, UCLA: 33 Here’s what’s going on: www.wsj.com/sports/softb...

🥎 There’s a wild home-run race in NCAA softball. *Three* players are within striking distance of the single-season record of 37 HR. Kendall Wells, Oklahoma: 36 Megan Grant, UCLA: 35 Jordan Woolery, UCLA: 33 Here’s what’s going on: www.wsj.com/sports/softb...

James Dolan sold the New York Liberty to Clara and Joe Tsai in 2019 for a reported $14 million. @Sportico estimates the team is now worth $600 million. www.sportico.com/valuations/t...

Kendall Wells goes for the NCAA season home-run record again tonight. With Oklahoma ranked No. 1, it's likely she'll have another month to break it -- and potentially run it up.

An Oklahoma freshman is about to smash the NCAA season home-run record. Even more incredible? She’s not alone. What’s driving softball’s home-run explosion: www.wsj.com/sports/softb...

Nearly a quarter of women among the nation's top 1% of earners are first-generation Americans. About one-fifth experienced times in their childhoods when the main breadwinners in their homes were unemployed. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...

Wemby: “I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions.” This is amazing.

“Extortion’s a strong word. But in essence, I think that’s the spirit of what they’re doing.” FIFA's sky-high prices for the World Cup have so repelled fans that the U.S. team opener ($1,000+ per ticket) isn't sold out. www.wsj.com/sports/socce...

This actually happened in an NBA game in 1952

This actually happened in an NBA game in 1952

During his world record-smashing marathon on Sunday, Sabastian Sawe consumed the equivalent of four large bagels as he ran. Fascinating story on a breakthrough in runners being able to scarf down energy-giving carbs without making themselves sick: www.wsj.com/sports/the-2...

Paige Bueckers addressed her relationship with Azzi Fudd in an opening statement during Wings media day: She said, in part: "Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi's personal relationship is nobody's business but our own. And what we choose to share is completely up to us. (cont.)

Yesterday was the biggest day in marathon history. THREE men broke the world record. TWO of them ran 26.2 miles in less than two hours. It was, in a word, nuts. www.wsj.com/sports/sabas...

TWO men broke the 2-hour marathon barrier in London today, the first time that's happened in an official race. Kenyan Sabastian Sawe finished first, in 1:59:30, slashing the world record by more than a minute. www.wsj.com/sports/sabas...

The original:

I found this old-timey college football cartoon to remind you: Give now to the charity bowl. It will make you feel good. www.edsbscharitybowl.com @hollyanderson.bsky.social

Delightful story about a Mankato, Minn., man who wants to use his winnings from Wheel of Fortune to buy an ATV for his alpaca farm. It includes this exquisite line: "The farm now has 16 alpacas, which Cabanilla said are less dramatic than llamas." www.startribune.com/north-mankat...

During the Depression, college football teams held games to raise money for charity. Now, all you have to do is give to the www.edsbscharitybowl.com. As your donation processes, read this unhinged 1931 story that starts with a terrible wedding analogy and ends with... well, you'll see.

During the Depression, college football teams held games to raise money for charity. Now, all you have to do is give to the www.edsbscharitybowl.com. As your donation processes, read this unhinged 1931 story that starts with a terrible wedding analogy and ends with... well, you'll see.

Did Tony Montana like college football? I don't know, but you could donate $237 to the www.edsbscharitybowl.com in honor of Montana if you want. @edsbs.bsky.social @hollyanderson.bsky.social www.wsj.com/real-estate/...

⚽ This is the first time I've seen a men's stadium be taxed to help pay for facilities for a women's pro team. Ticket fees at Columbus Crew stadium would go toward building a facility and stadium upgrades for an expansion NWSL team, if city gets one: frontofficesports.com/nwsl-columbu...

Long before superstardom, Prince was an eccentric kid who led the band at Minneapolis Bryant Junior High. "We all thought the Bryant band’s rendition of 'Shaft' was even better than the original." www.wsj.com/articles/my-...

“When you give them the box, they think it’s a joke. They think the box is empty.” Running shoes are big and cushy as ever -- but are now lighter than a newborn kitten. Here's how. www.wsj.com/sports/super...

The Artemis II crew’s camaraderie and daily high-jinks took the internet by storm, and turned the four astronauts into international celebrities. on.wsj.com/47Y1zY8

And Kiki Rice at No. 6!

Cori Close’s past eight days April 5: Coached UCLA women to first NCAA basketball title April 13: Two players selected in top five of WNBA Draft (Lauren Betts 4, Gabriela Jaquez 5)

New WNBA teams 2026: Portland, Toronto 2027: - 2028: Cleveland 2029: Detroit 2030: Philadelphia (will be 18th franchise).

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a pre-draft address mentions that the new CBA allows expanding the season to 52 games per team by 2029. The recent history: 2024: 40 games 2025: 44 2026: 44 … 2029: 52

💰 Tonight's WNBA Draft will be the most financially historic in league history because of the new labor deal. Last year, No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers got a $78,831 first-year salary. Tonight, No. 1 will get a $500,000 salary, $2.2 million over four years.

Explaining the concept of college football and its ginormous stadiums to international soccer fans is always fun.

This book by Claudia Goldin, the Nobel-winning economist who advised the WNBA on its record-setting labor deal, helps explain gender pay gaps in various professions. It also provides valuable context on why the birth rate keeps dropping: bookshop.org/p/books/care...

Players learned they had been secretly filmed after their soccer coach's arrest in 2023. Some vomited when they found out. Some needed to leave the club. Others sought psychological help. He's still allowed to coach in most of the world: www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...

Today’s @wsj.com sports page is all women’s basketball:

“The hardest thing that I’ve ever chosen to do in my life was walking in space. The second-hardest thing ...was wrestling practice.” Cool story about astronaut Victor Glover, who studied engineering, played football + wrestled at Cal Poly SLO. www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...

In 1993, then-UCLA men's basketball assistant Steve Lavin introduced young UCLA women's assistant Cori Close to John Wooden. “It was so clear right from the jump that they hit it off,” Lavin said. On Sunday, Close led the UCLA women to their first NCAA title. www.wsj.com/sports/baske...

UCLA has won its first NCAA title in women’s basketball. Coach Cori Close, who was mentored by John Wooden, is in her 15th season at UCLA. Wooden won his first title in Year 16. www.wsj.com/sports/baske...

UCLA Coach Cori Close’s sisters

No need to overthink it. This is the way

Geno Auriemma keeps stepping on rakes, my colleague Jason Gay writes. The latest: not saying Dawn Staley’s name in his apology. www.wsj.com/sports/baske...