Happy Monday…said no one ever. Last week we had a lot of big sports news, and we have some major events coming up this week as well. So, we are going to go through it all. Pull up a comfortable chair and get ready because these are some of the stories you may have missed!
WNBA DRAFT ANALYSIS
Last week, we had the WNBA Draft, and a lot happened. There was a shocker on Draft night as the Golden State Valkyries traded Flau’jae Johnson to the Seattle Storm right after they picked her at No. 8. There were audible gasps in the room as the commissioner delivered the news. The Valkyries got the Storm’s No. 16 pick, Marta Suárez, as well as a 2028 second-round pick. This kind of thing happens all of the time, but the way the Valkyries’ GM handled it raised questions.
The hometown Los Angeles Sparks did not have a pick in the first round, but they were fortunate in that Ta’Niya Latson from South Carolina dropped to them at No. 20. She was a star player with Florida State before transferring to South Carolina. She had some struggles at the three-point line last season, but if she can learn from veterans like Kelsey Plum…she might just become the steal of this draft. Overall, the Sparks did well with that they had. As I mentioned in my draft analysis article, it looks like the Sparks are going to try and run the ball more, and that is not a bad strategy to try (just ask the Showtime Lakers).
DODGERS SWEEP METS IN MOST EXPENSIVE SERIES EVER
Last week, the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers went toe-to-toe with the New York Mets. Both teams have a combined payroll of more than $1 billion, making this the most expensive series ever. One team showed they were getting their money’s worth. The other team…not so much. The Dodgers swept the Mets, and we learned some key things about both teams as the season is starting to pick up steam.
We learned that the Dodgers’ lineup is deep. Even without Mookie Betts, the Dodgers’ offense is firing on all cylinders and is either at the top or near the top in almost every major offensive category. We also learned that Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto might push each other to new heights. In fact, we may want to watch these two as a possible match race for this year’s NL Cy Young Award. But the scariest thing we learned is the state of the Dodgers’ bullpen. Last year, it was the Dodgers’ only real weakness…this year…nope. Edwin Diaz has something to do with it, sure, but it is also because of guys like Tanner Scott. Scott had a terrible first year with the Dodgers, but this year he has seemed to find his form again.
As for the Mets, let us look at the bright spot. Nolan McLean is a solid pitcher. He managed to go toe-to-toe with last year’s World Series MVP, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and held his own. Unfortunately, that is the only bright spot on this roster. Even with all the star power from Francisco Lindor or Bo Bichette, the Mets need Juan Soto back. He is the only player on this roster with the pop that can spark this slumping Mets offense. Look, losing Soto for a few weeks was a brutal break. But the Mets’ roster, after a transformative offseason that included remaking the position player core, is too expensive for the offense to crater without one player. The Dodgers are in a comparable situation missing Mookie Betts, but they have other players that can step up. The differences between these two teams were on full display during this series.
NBA PLAYOFFS BEGINS
The NBA began its postseason last week. For the Los Angeles Clippers…it was yet another short trip. It was the same familiar story: the Clippers eliminated at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. Now they will have to rebuild, with a small asterisk. The Clippers were accused of circumventing the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard. The NBA’s investigation, which began shortly thereafter, is ongoing. If they are found guilty of any wrongdoing, building out the roster this offseason and in future years could be more difficult. The penalties could include the loss of draft picks, significant fines, and suspensions of team executives, including owner Steve Ballmer. This will be something to monitor over the summer.
As for the Los Angeles Lakers, the doubters were proven wrong. No one has given the Lakers much of a chance in this series against the Houston Rockets. With both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out for a good period of time, all eyes were on LeBron James. Fortunately, Luke Kennard and Deandre Ayton stepped up to support James as the Lakers took Game One of the best of seven series against the Rockets. It remains to be seen if star forward Kevin Durant will remain out for the Rockets, but if he is…the Lakers’ chances just went from none to slim.
NHL TEAMS BEGIN RUN FOR THE STANLEY CUP
The NHL also started their postseason this past weekend. Surprisingly, the Los Angeles Kings did not draw the Edmonton Oilers for the first round this year. However, they may be heading for an early exit again against the mighty Colorado Avalanche. However, the Kings only lost the first game by a score of 2-1. This means their defense can actually keep up with one of the best offensive machines in the league. If they can generate more goals, they might have a chance to make this series interesting.
Across the freeway, the Kings’ hated nemesis, the Oilers, are facing the Anaheim Ducks instead in the first round. The two teams are familiar with each other and are pretty evenly matched. The Ducks have become extremely exciting as their years-long rebuild has finally yielded a ticket to the playoffs. Now they will have to do what their cross-freeway rivals, the Kings, have failed to do all these years: advance in the playoffs by defeating the Oilers.
MINOR LEAGUE CHECK IN
For a while now, we have been following the inaugural season for the Dodgers’ newest minor league affiliate, the Ontario Tower Buzzers. After dropping their season opener, the Tower Buzzers have managed to tread water with a 7-7 record. That is enough to put them in second place in the California League South division. The irony is that the first-place team is the Dodgers’ former minor league affiliate, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The Quakes, now affiliated again with the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim), have a half game lead over the Tower Buzzers. The Buzzers had a rough six game home series with the Fresno Grizzles, the minor league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, but managed to salvage the series with a whopping 23-7 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile up the way, the Tower Buzzers’ northern neighbors, the Ontario Reign (the minor league hockey affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings), are gearing up for the postseason. The Reign clinched the Pacific Division title in their league and thus earned a first round bye. While details of who they will play will come soon, the Reign will look to capitalize on what has been working for them all season. I will be looking for more consistency on offense for the Reign as well as cutting down on mistakes in goal.
