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When LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson can make over $1 million a year while still in college, the incentive to “go pro” becomes a lot less urgent. For years, early declarations to the draft were the dream—and often, the only financial option. But the rise of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) earnings is flipping the script.
NIL Is Outpacing Rookie Contracts
In women’s college basketball, the economic upside of staying in school is hard to ignore. The top four picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft earned just $78,831 in their rookie year—less than what some NIL athletes make in a month. Johnson and Iowa star Caitlin Clark have turned their brands into business empires before ever signing a pro deal. Clark, now with the Indiana Fever, made less than many NBA G-League players last season. “The longer the players stay in school, the more they prepare themselves for life beyond the game,” said Courtney Altemus, NIL expert and managing partner at Advance.
Men’s Football and Beyond: NIL Shaping Decisions
It’s not just women’s hoops. The 2021 NFL Draft saw 128 underclassmen declare early—this year, only 70 did. Players across sports, from golf to baseball, now have room to grow, build their brands, and even finish degrees—without rushing into uncertain pro careers. Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles, a projected top-five WNBA pick, shocked everyone by entering the transfer portal instead. Her move to TCU signals a deeper shift: athletes are treating college as a long-term career platform, not just a stepping stone.
The Bottom Line
Injuries remain a risk, but NIL is changing the math. As long as players can make six figures—or more—without leaving campus, expect to see fewer early exits and more stars sticking around. For fans, that means deeper connections, more highlights, and extended college careers from their favorite athletes.
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- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
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Accounts Claim Dream Star Allisha Gray's Role in Fever Fan Ousting from Playoff Game
At one point during the fourth quarter of the Indiana Fever's 77-60 WNBA playoff win against the Atlanta Dream on September 16, Dream star Allisha Gray took one offensive possession off to turn around and engage in a seemingly heated exchange with a fan in the stands. X user @RashticReport posted a video of a clearly exasperated Gray emphatically arguing with this person in the stands. After a dead ball, the ESPN broadcast showed Gray walking away from the area where the fan sat, clearly irked. The broadcast then stated that the fan was being removed from the game while Gray was being calmed down by her teammate, Rhyne Howard. Several (Supposed) Accounts of Allisha Gray Exchange With Indiana Fever Fan There is nothing conclusive about what actually happened during this exchange, and what was said that got Gray so upset. However, there have been several social media posts that have gotten a lot of attention from fans who claim (although it can't be confirmed) to have been sitting close enough to the exchange to hear what was said. The supposed account of the moment that has gotten the post attention came from Reddit account @razorecon111, who said, "The guy in the black hat yelled to Lexi Hull who was running to guard Gray and said 'you're good Lex, she's not even trying anymore'. Gray lost her s*** and said some very nasty words to the guy and the people next to him. The guy did not say anything out of line whatsoever. They were let back shortly after. When asked what happened, he said they said it was protocol to remove the fan to allow the player to calm down. Gray had a bad night and there is no excuse for the things she said or the way she acted." It's worth noting that this fan account claims the fan ultimately returned to their seat, which means they weren't actually ejected. It's also worth reiterating that none of what was said can be confirmed, and there's no way of knowing whether this Reddit user was actually a fan present at the game and sitting nearby. Several other supposed fan accounts have surfaced, with one X user writing, "I was right there and they said nothing out of line. Gray overreacted. Security realized that and brought the fans back in. Let’s see what stories y’all make up who were not there." There have been other fan accounts on Reddit claiming that the fan was calling Gray a flopper, which seemingly set the three-time WNBA All-Star off. Unless Gray is asked to share her side to this story, fans will probably never get a definitive version of what was said or what actually happened in this exchange. What's for sure is that it added another storyline to what's already going to be a dramatic Game 3 in Atlanta for the Fever on September 18.
Concerning report emerges about Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin's health
The Washington Capitals began their first day of training camp with an injury scare, as star left winger Alexander Ovechkin left practice early with a lower-body injury. Alexander Ovechkin addresses the media It wasn't immediately clear if the injury affected the same leg that Ovechkin broke last year, when a fractured fibula cost the Capitals captain 16 games. The injury was not severe enough to restrict Ovechkin from speaking to reporters following Thursday's practice. Per NHL.com's Tom Gulitti, Ovechkin sounded "unconcerned" about his lower-body injury, but he added that the Capitals captain might not skate on Friday when training camp resumes. Gulitti added that Washington head coach Spencer Carbery called the decision "precautionary" to take Ovechkin off the ice. Ovechkin, who turned 40 on Wednesday, enters the 2025 season as the NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer with 897 tallies. When asked if he is approaching this season as if it would be his last, Ovechkin said he didn't know. Ovechkin is also the NHL's all-time leader in regular-season power-play goals (326), game-winning goals (136) and shots on net (6,864). Depending on the severity of this injury, Capitals fans may have to wait to watch Ovechkin continue padding those totals and try to lead the Caps to their second Stanley Cup.
Braves claim longtime Orioles pitcher
The Braves have claimed righty Carson Ragsdale off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, per an announcement from the O’s. Atlanta has not yet announced the move, but David O’Brien of The Athletic reports that outfielder Jake Fraley is being transferred to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man roster spot. Baltimore designated Ragsdale for assignment on Monday. Baltimore originally claimed Ragsdale off waivers from San Francisco following the trade deadline. The 27-year-old is a longtime Giants farmhand but never pitched in the majors until a brief three-inning cup of coffee with the O’s. He was tagged for eight runs on nine hits and a walk with two punchouts during that initial MLB audition. A look at Carson Ragsdale's career A 2020 fourth-round pick by the Phillies (who traded him to the Giants for Sam Coonrod), Ragsdale has solid numbers throughout his minor league tenure, but appeared to hit a roadblock in Triple-A this season, logging a subpar 4.87 ERA with a 19.7% strikeout rate and 12% walk rate that are both worse than average. That said, he posted a 2.93 ERA in High-A and a 3.49 mark in Double-A before stumbling in Triple-A. He’s averaged 92.6 mph on his four-seamer this year and paired that pitch with a splitter and a curveball that sits in the high 70s. Ragsdale has a pair of minor league option years remaining beyond the current season. For the Braves, Ragsdale adds some optionable depth to a rotation mix that’s been absolutely hammered by injuries this season. Spencer Strider began the year on the injured list rehabbing from last year’s UCL surgery, and he’s looked shaky in his return while also missing time due to a hamstring injury. Chris Sale was out for two months due to fractured ribs. Reynaldo Lopez made just one start before undergoing shoulder surgery. Young righty AJ Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June. Spencer Schwellenbach suffered a fractured elbow just a couple of weeks later. Righty Grant Holmes suffered a partial tear of his UCL in late July. He’s attempting to rehab without surgery (knowing that late-July/early-August surgery would’ve wiped out his entire 2026 campaign anyhow). There’s no guarantee that Ragsdale will last the entire offseason on Atlanta’s 40-man roster, but with so many of those pitching injuries extending into next season, it’s understandable that they’d take a late look at an optionable depth arm who won’t turn 28 until late next May. Bolstering the rotation will be a point of focus for Atlanta this offseason, but stockpiling depth in this fashion will be plenty important in its own right.
Data shows who is to blame for the offensive struggles, and confirms the one area the Commanders must improve in
The Washington Commanders' passing offense hasn't been what we're used to through the first two weeks, and a lot of people are trying to pinpoint what's going on. The passing struggles were expected with a new offensive line, new weapons on offense, and Terry McLaurin missing a lot of time right before the season, but the data shows it's much more than that. The offensive line hasn't helped the passing game at all, but the real story is what the wide receivers are doing, and not doing downfield. The real factor in the lack of production Jayden Daniels has done everything possible with what he's been given, but we all expected the offense to be clicking with all the new additions this offseason. Through the first two games, Daniels has had his worst performances to date, and has a completion percentage of only 59.7%. When you watch the film, though, he's not getting much help downfield with wide receivers getting separation, and the data backs it up. As a whole unit, the Commanders' wide receiver corps has the worst overall separation score in the league. Noah Brown has the best separation score for the Commanders, and he's barely in the positives. Meanwhile, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and Jaylin Lane are all in the negatives. Kingsbury expects improvement Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury talked about the offensive struggles and what he expects moving forward. "As far as Green Bay went," Kingsbury said. "First off, you gotta give them a lot of credit. I think that the defensive staff does a tremendous job there. They have a really good defense, a talented defense, and they got after us. Any opportunities we had, we didn't seem to make the most of, but it's week two. Gotta keep getting better, gotta keep learning together. We haven't been together that much as a complete unit, getting on the same page, and so it was good to get back this week and actually practice and get out there and try to build. But yeah, I just think we're a work in progress right now.” McLaurin is obviously the biggest part of the offense, and he only has 75 yards, which is third on the team, and has yet to find the endzone. There have been a couple of missed opportunities by Daniels, but a big factor is the lack of separation on offense, which can be blamed on both skill and scheme. Both are fixable, and the Raiders' secondary allows the offense to open up regardless of who plays QB on Sunday.
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