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Ryan McCafferty

Ryan McCafferty is a passionate sports fan from Herndon, Va, where he follows the Washington Commanders, Wizards.  Ryan particularly enjoys covering the statistical aspect of sports, and in his spare time, he manages RJMAnalytics, a blog in which he formulates and analyzes his own advanced metrics for NASCAR and basketball. He is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, where he majored in communications and minored in sports management, and reports on local high school sports in Northern Virginia for the Falls Church News-Press

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR at Nashville Superspeedway

Here are three drivers to watch — a favorite, a contender and a dark horse — as well as one to avoid for the Cup Series' fourth race at the Nashville Superspeedway.

Wizards kick rebuild into high gear with busy NBA draft night

The 2024 NBA Draft got underway on Wednesday at 8 p.m., but the evening began a bit earlier for the Wizards when it was announced that forward Deni Avdija was traded for Malcolm Brogdon and a slew of picks.

Week 18 NASCAR power rankings: Nos. 1 and 2 stay in place, but Christopher Bell rises

The NASCAR Cup Series season is halfway over following Christopher Bell's wet-weather win in Sunday's USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

NASCAR made the right call in the rain, now it's time to take off the kiddie wheels

Sunday's USA Today 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway saw an unexpected twist when rain came along just past two-thirds of the scheduled distance.

Three to watch, one to avoid as NASCAR heads to New Hampshire

Martin Truex Jr. may have announced his retirement, but he's going to have a chance to again dominate in New Hampshire. Three to watch and one to avoid for NASCAR's first race of the summer proper.

The Wizards should draft one of these three guards with No. 2 pick

With the NBA Finals in the rearview mirror, the draft is now quickly approaching, set to occur on June 26 and 27 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. Here are three players the Wizards should consider at No. 2.

10 predictions for second half of NASCAR Cup Series season

When the checkered flag falls Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the USA Today 301, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season will be halfway over. That means that after four months of setting the stage, it's time to think about the big picture before deciding a champion at the Phoenix Raceway.

Week 17 NASCAR power rankings: Ryan Blaney rises, but a star falls

Here are our rankings as the 2024 season moves to Loudon, N.H., for the USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Inaugural race at Iowa shows there's hope for NASCAR's short-track package

Ever since the introduction of NASCAR's NextGen car at the start of the 2022 season, one common criticism has been the quality of racing on the Cup Series short tracks.

Martin Truex Jr. announces retirement: Dissecting the one-of-a-kind career of NASCAR's unlikeliest legend

All in all, Truex is a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, sitting among or near the top-20 drivers of all time in every relevant statistic.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR's inaugural Iowa Cup race

The NASCAR Cup Series will be in America's heartland this Sunday for the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway, the first time stock car racing's highest level will race on the 0.875-mile short track.

Breaking down the NASCAR playoff picture as regular season hits home stretch

There are 10 races to go for drivers to climb their way in, and the bubble is one of the tighter ones in recent years. Let's take a closer look.

Week 16 NASCAR power rankings: Kyle Larson reclaims front-runner status with Sonoma win

After winning his third race of the season in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, Kyle Larson has cemented himself as the runaway favorite for the 2024 Cup Series title. Meanwhile, let's take a look at where the rest of the field stands.

Kyle Larson cements himself as 2024 NASCAR title favorite with Sonoma performance

Kyle Larson earned his third victory of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, using fresh tires to pass Martin Truex Jr. with a handful of laps to go.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR at Sonoma

Grab a glass of wine and get ready for Sonoma.

Could Celtics' Joe Mazzulla be the NBA's next superstar coach?

The NBA, perhaps more than any other sports league, has always been driven by its superstar players. However, its history wouldn't be complete without the superstar coaches.

Week 15 NASCAR power rankings: Gateway winner races into top 16

All looked set in stone as the conclusion neared in Sunday's Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill before an empty gas tank shook up the finish, and these power rankings.

Watch: Austin Cindric wins at Gateway after Ryan Blaney runs out of fuel on final lap

The NASCAR Cup Series saw a wild, unpredictable finish in Sunday's Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway, after race leader Ryan Blaney ran out of gas on the final lap.

The Wizards continue to be the NBA's best championship farm team

One of the odd streaks in the NBA is that the past seven champions have contained at least one former Washington Wizard on their roster, with many of them playing key rotational roles.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR at Gateway

After last weekend's rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, for Sunday's Enjoy Illinois 300.

How it all went wrong for Stewart-Haas Racing

In 2020, Stewart-Haas Racing was one race away from competing for a NASCAR Cup Series championship. In 2025, Stewart-Haas Racing will not exist.

Week 14 NASCAR rankings: Larson's no-show shakes up the running order

Kyle Larson entered the weekend as the power rankings leader, but was unable to compete in the 600 due to scheduling complications from running in the Indianapolis 500, which was also impacted by rain. That means there's a new No. 1 driver this week.

Christopher Bell wins abbreviated Coca-Cola 600, Kyle Larson's double attempt foiled by rain

All the buzz leading up to NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday was about the day Kyle Larson had ahead of him.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600

Here are three drivers to watch — a favorite, a contender and a dark horse — and one you probably want to avoid in the Coca-Cola 600.

Do sports today have... too much parity?

The lines between the good teams and the truly great ones are much blurrier, and that's not necessarily a good thing.