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Good morning! ☕️
The first round of the WNBA Playoffs resumes tonight, with the Aces and Fever tipping off at 6:30 PM ET on Prime, followed by the Lynx and Liberty at 8:30 PM ET on USA. Both series head into Game 2.
What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today
1. Miles and Reeve Take Home Top Season Honors 🏆
The W award season is officially here. Olivia Miles was officially announced as the 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year, while her coach Cheryl Reeve was named Coach of the Year. (The Athletic)
WHY IT MATTERS: Miles was the unanimous choice, while Reeve earned 40 of 74 votes after leading Minnesota to a league-best 33-11 record. Miles felt like a lock for ROTY for months. She averaged 19.8 points and 6.0 assists while running the Lynx offense, setting WNBA rookie records with 790 points, 22 games with 20-plus points, and eight 3-pointers in a single game. Reeve’s win was less certain, but her fifth Coach of the Year award gives her the most by any coach in a major American professional sports league.
🗳️ Do you agree with the Coach of the Year award selection?
2. Big Ten Takes Stand on Pros Competing in College 🏀
Another conference is taking a stand. The Big Ten unanimously adopted a new rule that prohibits women’s and men’s college basketball players from competing for schools in the conference after signing with or appearing on a roster for a WNBA, NBA, or G League team. It also covers players who entered the WNBA or NBA Draft and did not withdraw or declare their intent to return to college by the required deadline. (ESPN)
WHY IT MATTERS: The Big Ten is joining other major conferences that want a firmer line between college and professional sports. But the larger question is far from settled. Related eligibility disputes are still playing out in court and in Congress (see the next story), so how much power conferences ultimately have to enforce rules like this remains an open question.
3. The U.S. Senate Passes College Sports Bill 🏛️
A different kind of history was made this week. The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act on Monday night by a 77-22 vote. (CBS Sports)
WHY IT MATTERS: This is the first time either chamber of Congress has approved federal legislation designed to broadly govern college athletics. The bill would put federal rules around areas including athlete eligibility, transfers, and compensation, while giving the NCAA limited protection from antitrust lawsuits for enforcing certain rules. It would also put parts of the House v. NCAA settlement into federal law. Next up is the House, but lawmakers there aren’t scheduled to return until Nov. 9.
8 Overlooked Players to Watch This Postseason
Stars get most of the attention during the playoffs, but sometimes it’s an unexpected player who ends up making a big difference.
Kim picked eight players who may not get the headlines but could have an important role in this year’s WNBA playoffs.
OVERTIME ⏱️
The Bay Goes Unrivaled: Unrivaled announced San Francisco as one of their tour stops next season, playing at Chase Center on Jan. 11, 2027.
She’s Still Got It: Elena Delle Donne visited the Mystics’ shootaround over the weekend and casually knocked down a half-court shot for fun.
🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked if you think the Liberty will knock out the No. 1 Lynx in the first round, and it’s close. 55% of you think New York will move on, while 45% think Minnesota will come back. We’ll see which side got it right tonight!
