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The 2025 WNBA season is soon set to hit the stage, with Chicago Sky star Angel Reese entering her sophomore season at the professional level.
Before the 2025 season plays out and the attention turns to a championship hunt for teams across the league, arguably the greatest player in WNBA history announced her decision to retire.
On Tuesday, Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi retired from the WNBA after a 20-year career.
After Taurasi announced her retirement, Reese took to social media to share her thoughts on the Mercury legend.
"LEGEND," Reese said. "GOAT. WINNER. Thank you, DT."
Taurasi capped off her WNBA career with the following accolades: 2004 Rookie of the Year, 2009 MVP, five-time scoring champion, three-time WNBA champion and two-time Finals MVP. She is also the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, with 10,646 points.
The WNBA legend finished her 20-year career averaging 18.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
While Reese hasn't obtained the same league-wide success that Taurasi has just yet, she's already established herself as one of the most talented players in the WNBA.
During her rookie season with the Sky, the WNBA All-Star averaged 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
Reese led the Sky to the No. 10 seed in the WNBA standings with a 13-27 record.
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Packers starter hits back at Matt LaFleur, calls for 'bus fine'
Matt LaFleur is earning the ire of several of his Green Bay Packers players early in training camp. On Tuesday, LaFleur punished offensive tackle Rasheed Walker for his altercation with defensive end Kingsley Enagbare. However, the most interesting interaction of the day came between LaFleur and tight end Tucker Kraft. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, LaFleur called out Kraft for two questionable fumbles during the first week of practice. Both "fumbles" came after the play was over or when the ball fell out of bounds. "Certainly, we all know what kind of player Tucker Kraft is and can be," LaFleur said. "He can’t allow Evan Williams to reach around and punch a ball out, so it is challenging everybody and hopefully that makes us that much better.” The third-year tight end took issue with LaFleur calling him out in front of the media and blamed the coaching staff for implementing practice rules that made it easy for offensive players to fumble. "I’d say a lot of the times — there’s certain rules you play with in practice, like just letting the defense punch repeatedly," Kraft said. "You’re not allowed to stiff-arm. I guess all I have are excuses. Yes, I am working on not fumbling the ball in practice." Schneidman said Kraft answered the question with a tone of sarcasm. Kraft was frustrated that he couldn't defend the ball by stiff-arming a defender trying to poke the ball from his undefended arm. Kraft acknowledged that during practice, he has to "play by the rules" LaFleur makes and is trying to work on having a "yes sir, no sir" attitude with his head coach. He then made a vague reference about a "bus fine" and accused LaFleur of throwing him under the bus in front of the media. Schneidman believes the tight end might be calling for Green Bay to fine LaFleur after his discouraging quote Tuesday morning. "So yes, the Packers’ third-year tight end might be calling for his head coach to be fined — not by the league, of course, but by the team — for what he perceived as throwing him under the bus," Schneidman wrote. "Is Kraft being serious about fining LaFleur? "Probably not. Is he peeved LaFleur called him out? It sure seems like it." LaFleur might do better to have a conversation with Kraft before dragging his name into news conferences with reporters. It's clear Tucker doesn't see eye-to-eye with LaFleur about fumbles. This is a good reminder to those getting overly excited or nervous reading practice reports that what happens at practice should be taken with a grain of salt. Most likely, Tucker is going to be fine.
Trade Idea Sees Leafs Acquire Sabres Sniper at Trade Deadline
With Mitch Marner gone and several names added by general manager Brad Treliving, the Toronto Maple Leafs may be pressing pause on any further moves. That said, depending on how the season unfolds for several teams, action could pick up midseason, with the NHL trade deadline becoming an important time for Toronto. One report suggests the Maple Leafs could make a major push for Alex Tuch. The Buffalo Sabres winger is legit, but often underappreciated in a market where the team has struggled for years. He’s on the final season of $4.75 million deal and set to hit free agency with a hefty pay raise coming. According to NHL analyst Matteo Giuluano of EditorInLeaf, Tuch is the ideal rental for the Maple Leafs. Why Would the Leafs Go After Tuch This Season? Tuch, a 6-foot-4 winger entering the final year of his contract with the Buffalo Sabres, a team that often surprises everyone by the decisions they make. On the surface, there would be no reason to get rid of Tuch. However, the Sabres often run counter to conventional wisdom. Tuch adds a strong mix of skill and physicality to Buffalo’s top six. He could easily do the same in Toronto. He’s coming off a 67-point season and could slot perfectly alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on the top line—offering a power-forward presence well-suited for Craig Berube’s system. The Sabres have said they don’t plan to trade Tuch, but as Giuluano notes, feelings may change if the team falls out of contention or Tuch hints he’s set to explore the market. Tuch would then become one of the most affordable and valuable rentals in the NHL. For the Maple Leafs, the deal wouldn’t be about extending the forward. Frankly, they probably couldn’t afford to do so. Still, landing Tuch would address their need to find a top offensive producer with Marner out and add someone with playoff experience (he as 66 games on his NHL resume). If he hits the market, Toronto should be ready to pounce.
Former Angels Outfielder Calls Out Halos as Trade Deadline Nears
The Los Angeles Angels have just a few more hours until the trade deadline, and a former player recently called out his former squad for not selling. The Halos are four games back from the final Wild Card spot and recently brought in a pair of veteran relievers, but retired centerfielder Cameron Maybin thinks that the Angels should be parting ways with more pieces to build towards the future. "What are the Angels waiting for," asked Maybin on his Twitter/X account. "...start selling already!" Maybin went a step further, later asserting that closer Kenley Jansen was signed purely for trade deadline movement. "Dodgers might as well go get Kenley Jansen back at this point," Maybin wrote on X. "Pretty sure he signed with the Angels just to make the trade deadline commute smoother. "Just feels right to me!" If the Angels believe that they can make a run, holding onto a revered closer such as Jansen is certainly what the correct course of action is. After the Halos acquired Luis Garcia and Andrew Chafin from the Washington Nationals, for Jake Eder and minor leaguer Sam Brown on Wednesday, it looks like it could be the start of building a contender for this season. Another piece that the Halos would get a ton of value from is adding another starting pitcher. Perhaps flipping an expiring contract for a rotational piece so as not to give up a prospect keeps the Angels in contention for 2025, but doesn't mess with the future of the franchise. Regardless of what happens next, the Angels are still a piece or two away from being seen as a team that can make an impact in October. If the Halos do, in fact, start selling as Maybin urged, the deals must start coming in before 3:00 p.m PT.
Commanders insider raises red flag on Luke McCaffrey after tough practice
It was a slow burn for Luke McCaffrey as a rookie. The Washington Commanders brought him along gradually, but everyone associated with the franchise is expecting more this time around. McCaffrey made some outstanding plays throughout the offseason as he looks for more involvement in 2025. However, one team insider sounded the alarm on an overlooked deficiency that could hold him back when it's all said and done. The Commanders believe that McCaffrey can become an integral piece of the puzzle over time. Just how long that'll take is the big question, but the former Rice standout has looked much better, for the most part, heading into Year 2 of his professional career. With fellow wideout Terry McLaurin still not on the practice field as his contract saga continues, players like McCaffrey are getting chances to impress from prominent roles. There's been plenty of good from the No. 100 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, Lynnell Willingham from 106.7 The Fan also highlighted one major negative that could prove complicated when competitive games arrive. Commanders insider highlights Luke McCaffrey's concentration issues after rough practice Winningham noted that McCaffrey had another makeable catch hit the ground during the team portion of practice. The team reporter believes that this is rapidly becoming an ongoing trend for the receiver, which is something fans should monitor over the rest of camp and preseason games. McCaffrey is a work in progress; there's no getting away from that. He only had two years at receiver in college after transitioning from the quarterback position. Last year's experience with the squad is serving him well, but there remain some inconsistencies if Willingham's observations are any indication. Of course, not every ball is going to be caught. Everyone makes mistakes, and McCaffrey is no exception. What's important for the wideout is finding the happy medium that allows for more consistency and confidence. After that, it's all systems go. It's nothing to be overly concerned about right now. McCaffrey is catching far more balls than he's dropping. He's gaining the trust of coaches and quarterback Jayden Daniels. It's still a step-by-step process, but these reported concentration issues are easily corrected. McCaffrey is a hard worker. He's as professional as they come, learning what it takes to be a productive pro from his brother Christian and father Ed. Any flaws in his game will be rectified, and we've still got a few weeks until Washington's regular-season opener against the New York Giants. All signs point to McCaffrey having a bigger role in 2025. That won't change with a few drops at camp. More Commanders news and analysis
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