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What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today
1. Unrivaled Is Heading to Detroit 🚘
The Motor City is getting women’s pro basketball next year, at least for one night. Unrivaled is taking its tour to Detroit for the first time, with games at Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 11. (Unrivaled Basketball)
WHY IT MATTERS: Detroit hasn’t had a WNBA team since the Shock left in 2009, and its new expansion team won’t arrive until 2029. That makes this tour stop an interesting opportunity to see what the local fan base looks like before the WNBA returns. And it gives fans a chance to see high level hoops without having to wait another 3 years.
🗳️ Do you think Unrivaled will sell out tickets in Detroit?
2. Oregon State Players Make Their Union Case ⚖️
Keep your eyes on Oregon this week. Several members of the Oregon State women’s basketball team have asked the Oregon Employment Relations Board to recognize them as university employees who can form a union, and the hearing started this week. (Yahoo Sports)
WHY IT MATTERS: College athletes have tried to unionize before, but Oregon State being a public university makes this case different. It puts the decision in the hands of a state board rather than the federal government. What happens in Oregon could become an important part of the larger debate over whether college athletes should be considered employees and allowed to collectively bargain.
3. Upshot Is Looking for a New Commissioner 🏀
We didn’t see this one coming. Donna Orender’s tenure as commissioner of the Upshot League ended Aug. 31, the league announced Monday. Former WNBA All-Star Taj McWilliams-Franklin has been promoted to deputy commissioner while league ownership searches for Orender’s replacement. (USA Today)
WHY IT MATTERS: For a league only one season old, losing a commissioner with Orender’s experience is a surprising move. The Upshot League wants to develop players who eventually reach the WNBA, and Orender brought a useful perspective to that goal as a former WNBA president. Now the league has to find someone new who can turn that idea into something sustainable.
Celebrate Team USA’s Gold 🇺🇸
Team USA is coming home from Berlin with another World Cup gold medal! If you’re still celebrating the win, we’ve got a USA basketball-inspired hat so you can show a little love for Team USA long after the tournament is over.
*If you buy through this link, 30 Second Timeout will earn a commission. Thank you for supporting our work.
OVERTIME ⏱️
Goggles for Safety: Caitlin Clark found out pretty quickly why champions wear goggles when popping the champagne. Watch their celebration video until the end.
World Cup All-Stars: Iyana Martin, Jackie Young, Gabby Williams, Leonie Fiebich and Breanna Stewart were named to the FIBA Women’s World Cup All-Star Five.
🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked if you were ever worried Team USA might lose this World Cup, and this one was close, but a lot of you were nervous. 53% of you said Yep, while 47% said Not really.
