Paige For Coach, Caitlin For Prada, And Other Women’s Hoops Updates

…When Flavor Flav pledged to host a party in Las Vegas for all the women Olympians and Paralympians with medals, tons of brands and folks came to his aid. There’s even a GoFundMe, so you can help, too. Here’s an exhaustive list of those brands, by the way. 

Lots of NWSL news today! ESPN dropped a three-part doc highlighting the tail end of last season. And each team dropped a new kit ahead of the upcoming season, and I’ll take one of each, please. No, but really, I need the Gotham one like a New Yorker needs a bacon, egg, and cheese.  

My newsletter editor is in Korea, at a super secret factory with On. He’s still working from there, bless his heart, but he wrote about how the brand has been fine-tuning a shoe-building robot that increases their rate of production 30-fold. Now we have to build more people so we have enough feet for the shoes. 

Netflix and Apple TV made an F1 deal. Yes, you read that right. Apple TV is letting Netflix air the Canadian Grand Prix, too. The catch? Apple TV also gets to host “Drive to Survive” on its platform. Maybe time to call your biggest opp and work it out, too. 

If you thought whimsy was dead, I’ve got a story for you. The Lakers’ trainers told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that when they want Deandre Ayton to find motivation, they wrap his water bottle and write “DA’s Crunk Juice” on it. You may not like that, but I believe we need more Weird Little Guys in the league, so I’m into it. 

Thanks, headline. I’m here reporting live from my computer to tell you all the latest in the women’s hoops world. Because it’s been a while since we checked in, and a lot has gone down. 

Caitlin Clark has been Prada’s leading scorer since she was drafted, so it’s no surprise that she was front row at the Italian brand’s show in Milan. It was a surprise that she was seated next to Eileen Gu, though!  

Speaking of the intersection of sports and fashion, Paige Bueckers’ Coach campaign has her looking more bookish than usual. 

We’re entering the final few days of Athletes Unlimited, and the world has fallen in love with the Harrison sisters. Plus, Syd and TP are up to the same old shenanigans (positive). Their series, “Word from the Wise,” is a must-watch. 

Brooklyn, Unrivaled is coming to you. Tickets are still available. Streets are saying it’s going to be the greatest basketball event in history. Me, I am saying it. Grab your tickets before they’re gone, and grab your brand spanking new Playa Society merch so you have something to wear! Run!!!  

Plus, in other very important news, Skylar Diggins is addressing the rumors that she wears her hair messy when she plans to have a game where she pops off. 

The NFL Combine is admittedly mostly just analytics and on-ball ongoings. It’s really just a career fair, except there aren’t fold-up tables and rent-a-car companies begging you to work there. But one thing this year really sticks out to me about this year’s combine is the Stompers app. 

I’m usually staunchly anti-downloading a new app, but I would download the Stompers app, I’ll tell you that right now. Gamify and competify anything, and I’m immediately in. 

I’ve been refreshing my timeline to see if anyone (the Raiders) mentions Fernando Mendoza and whether he’s a culture fit slash if his soon-to-be mentor, Tom Brady, plans to turn him into a strawberry hater, too. Nothing so far, but I’ll keep you posted.

And of course, the best part of the draft is those that emerge as the main characters. Take, for instance, Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter, who is winning hearts because of his trash talk, who is nicknamed “The Fridge” (because if anyone wants to eat, they gotta get through him), bought his mom a house, and is a doting dad. Jim Harbaugh has always been a main character, but today it’s because he bucked tradition and sat in the stands because he doesn’t mess with the suites. And Jets head coach Aaron Glenn became a main character for a reason he probably isn’t super happy about. 

The other thing about Indy is this steakhouse, which has NFL-themed items on the menu, and is the place to eat when you’re there. 

And it’s always good to see a combine post from our favorite Instagram account out of the deal.

Regardless of all of this, the combine is still a great day for the sickos. 

Watch Well Played, because this week’s episode features Brenda Song.  

Go get yourself a Magic City Atlanta Hawks hoodie. Yes, it’s real. 

Read this touching quote by Bukayo Saka, then watch Arsenal-Chelsea as the Premier League title race heats up.