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Good morning! I tried the Chicken Mac yesterday. Just okay.

A walk-off game winner, no matter the circumstances, is exhilarating. Bring multiple games into the WNBA Finals? It's hard not to love and/or respect it, even if you're a Minnesota Lynx fan.

Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu did all of that last night in New York's crazy 80-77 win over the Lynx. Just watch:

SABRINA IONESCU. ICE IN YOUR VEINS.@nyliberty | #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/jk6S70XW9H

– The Athlete (@TheAthletic) October 17, 2024

Imagine doing this on the go. My goodness. New York is now 2-1 in the finaljust one win away from a ring.

I don't know it What to do with the Dodgers?

We're less than a week removed from one of the most exciting NBA seasons in recent memory, storyline-wise, just as the WNBA season is coming to a close.

There has been parity across the NBA lately, something we haven't been able to say often in the last 40 years. This offseason, superstars like Karl-Anthony Towns and Paul George changed teams. And somehow no one seems to be talking about the defending champion Celtics, who completed one of the most impressive title runs in modern history last year.

To help us prepare, I got Zach Harper to be nice to me:

It just feels like we have to start with the Knicks. On paper, this is an excellent team, right? But despite the KAT tradethe mood is off. What can we expect from them this year?

I think the mood is pretty good, except for Mitchell Robinson crashing on social media. I have high expectations for the Knicks! The central defense will be questionable, but they have so much attacking potential. That's what it takes to win the East and I think they can do it. I won't single her out for it because I'm a coward, but it doesn't take much mental effort to realize it. They would win 55 games and reach the conference finals.

I just have no idea what the Western Conference hierarchy should look like. Who are your top 4?

I would rather risk my life solving the most difficult scientific theories than guessing how the West will fare. Why isn't Neil deGrasse Tyson doing this instead of explaining black holes for the 100th time on TikTok? Are you that smart? Tell me where everyone is going in the West, Neil! Wait, what are we doing? My top 4 in the West? I have the Thunder first, then the Mavs, Suns and Wolves. I also fully expect Nikola Jokić to make this look stupid.

Last question. You picked Ben Simmons as your most improved player. Just…why?

I did it last season. It wasn't even my worst prediction. Jordan Poole, who was benched by the Wizards, was my pick to lead the way. I don't know why I'm doing this to myself or Ben. I'm a little stuck, except it feels like a “Saw” movie at this point. But if he wins in the end… I'll look like a genius. A mad genius, but a genius nonetheless.

Be sure to sign up for Zach’s newsletter. The jumpbefore the season starts. We'll come back to Simmons later, I guess?

Clark's latest achievement

Fever guard Caitlin Clark was named to the All-WNBA First Team yesterday, the league announced, becoming the first rookie to do so since Candace Parker earned the honor in 2008. It's just another notch in her metaphorical belt. Check out the full First Team here.

England hires Tuchel

The English men's national team makes Thomas Tuchel, formerly of Chelsea and Bayern Munich, a real eye-catcher. his manager from next year. Tuchel's addition comes as a surprise to most, especially since there were no leaks prior to the announcement. Oliver Kay has a full employment breakdown – and why it's not a guarantee that Tuchel will win. It is also Tuchel I'm sorry he has a German passport.

More news

We linked to this story yesterday about the chaotic start of the NWSL's new Boston franchise, but the response over the last two days has been, well, overwhelming. A quick summary, starting with a terrible slogan:

Meg Linehan, a self-proclaimed “Masshole” and arguably the greatest NWSL expert in the world, called it “the worst NWSL start I've ever seen in the history of the league” in a trenchant column yesterday. Read this here.

Oof. It continues:

📺 MLB: Yankees at Guardians