Deadspin | A’ja Wilson, Aces make history with reported supermax contract Oct 17, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’Ja Wilson (22) celebrates during the 2025 WNBA Championship parade at Toshiba Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson reportedly made history on Wednesday, and she didn’t even step on the court. Wilson re-signed with the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Aces. However, ESPN reported it was a three-year, $5 million supermax contract that is fully guaranteed and is the largest in WNBA history. “A’ja is truly one of one, who has led this franchise to where it is today,” Aces president and general manager Vikki Fargas said. “Not only has she catapulted into the history books and surpassed almost every record in existence, but she does so with the utmost confidence, authenticity and grace. We look forward to continuing to see her thrive in an Aces uniform.” Wilson, 29, has been with the Aces since they drafted her with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018. The seven-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year guided Las Vegas to its third title in four seasons in 2025. Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals in 40 games last season, earning her fourth MVP trophy. She has career averages of 21.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.3 steals in 267 games (266 starts). –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Aja #Wilson #Aces #history #reported #supermax #contract

Deadspin | A’ja Wilson, Aces make history with reported supermax contract
Oct 17, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’Ja Wilson (22) celebrates during the 2025 WNBA Championship parade at Toshiba Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson reportedly made history on Wednesday, and she didn’t even step on the court.

Wilson re-signed with the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Aces. However, ESPN reported it was a three-year, $5 million supermax contract that is fully guaranteed and is the largest in WNBA history.

“A’ja is truly one of one, who has led this franchise to where it is today,” Aces president and general manager Vikki Fargas said. “Not only has she catapulted into the history books and surpassed almost every record in existence, but she does so with the utmost confidence, authenticity and grace. We look forward to continuing to see her thrive in an Aces uniform.”

Wilson, 29, has been with the Aces since they drafted her with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018. The seven-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year guided Las Vegas to its third title in four seasons in 2025.

Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals in 40 games last season, earning her fourth MVP trophy.

She has career averages of 21.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.3 steals in 267 games (266 starts).

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Aja #Wilson #Aces #history #reported #supermax #contract

Sports news April 16, 2026

Oct 17, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’Ja Wilson (22) celebrates during the 2025 WNBA Championship parade at Toshiba Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson reportedly made history on Wednesday, and she didn’t even step on the court.

Wilson re-signed with the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Aces. However, ESPN reported it was a three-year, $5 million supermax contract that is fully guaranteed and is the largest in WNBA history.

“A’ja is truly one of one, who has led this franchise to where it is today,” Aces president and general manager Vikki Fargas said. “Not only has she catapulted into the history books and surpassed almost every record in existence, but she does so with the utmost confidence, authenticity and grace. We look forward to continuing to see her thrive in an Aces uniform.”

Wilson, 29, has been with the Aces since they drafted her with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018. The seven-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year guided Las Vegas to its third title in four seasons in 2025.

Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals in 40 games last season, earning her fourth MVP trophy.

She has career averages of 21.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.3 steals in 267 games (266 starts).

–Field Level Media

Source link
#Deadspin #Aja #Wilson #Aces #history #reported #supermax #contract

Doncic, Cunningham eligible for MVP award, NBA confirms <div id="content-body-70870638" itemprop="articleBody">Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham have been ruled eligible for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player race despite not meeting the 65-game minimum to enter the running for the honour, the league said Thursday.Los Angeles Lakers star Doncic and Detroit Pistons ace Cunningham both fell just short of playing in the required number of games to be eligible for the NBA’s end-of-season awards, with Cunningham playing in 63 games and Doncic in 64.But the duo will be part of the NBA’s tightly-contested MVP race after the league and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) ruled there were “extraordinary circumstances” surrounding each player.Cunningham’s regular season games tally was abbreviated after he suffered a collapsed lung in March which led to him missing 12 games. Doncic, who was sidelined for several games following a hamstring injury earlier this month after inspiring Lakers to a late-season resurgence, also missed two games to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia.“The NBA and NBPA agreed that, taking into account the totality of the circumstances for Cunningham and Doncic, each player qualified for awards under the extraordinary circumstances provision in the CBA (collective bargaining agreement),” the NBA said in a statement.However, the league turned down a request from Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards to be included in the awards picture. Edwards played in 60 games and filed a bid for inclusion under the same “extraordinary circumstances” rules.“Edwards’ challenge was denied and, as a result, he is not eligible for annual awards for the 2025-26 NBA regular season,” the NBA said.This season’s MVP race is regarded as one of the closest in years, with Doncic and Cunningham now amongst a pool of contenders led by Oklahoma City Thunder’s reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.Published on Apr 16, 2026</div> #Doncic #Cunningham #eligible #MVP #award #NBA #confirms

The March Madness logo is pictured during a second-round game in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday March 21, 2026.

The 2027 NCAA Tournament will officially expand to 76 teams following approval Thursday afternoon by the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees, the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees, the Division I Finance Committee, the Division I Board of Directors and the NCAA Board of Governors.

“Expanding the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships is the right decision for the student-athletes and programs that will now have access to the greatest events in college sports,” Board of Directors chair and Virginia Tech president Tim Sands said in an NCAA-issued press release Thursday. “As NCAA leaders, we are especially excited to provide additional, highly competitive games for fans who look forward to March Madness every year.”

As part of the bigger tournament, the expansion adds three times the number of Tuesday and Wednesday games to the men’s tournament.

Adding these bids brings the total of tournament-eligible teams in men’s basketball to 21%, the NCAA confirmed.

In confirming the decision Thursday, the NCAA said the deal allows it to “award more than $131 million in new revenue distributions to member schools participating in the basketball tournaments over the remaining six years of the NCAA’s broadcast agreements.”

To create that revenue, the NCAA said the rights agreement is set to increase by $50 million per year over the next six years and it will open “new, previously restricted product categories for the NCAA Corporate Champions and Partners Program, including beer, wine, spirits, and hard seltzer, and allows for expanded in-game advertising opportunities during the linear and streaming coverage of the tournaments.”

When the 2027 NCAA Tournament begins the Tuesday after Selection Sunday, a total of 12 games — three per day at two locations — are part of the newly approved bracket before the traditional tournament start day of Thursday.

A look at the new bracket ?? pic.twitter.com/esm18WdUSJ
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 7, 2026

Dayton, Ohio, remains one site for the men’s tournament with a second site to be determined.

With the increase in teams and games, those games will no longer be called the “First Four.”

The NCAA will shift to a label of Opening Round. The teams eligible to play in the Opening Round will be the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams and 12 lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers.

First Four contests in the women’s tournament have been single games at on-campus sites.

The change marks the first expansion of the tournament since the field moved from 65 to 68 teams with the addition of the First Four games in 2011. The field had previously been 64 or 65 teams since 1985.

The NCAA said it will also continue to provide transportation and funding for lodging, meals and other incidentals for teams in the expanded format.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #official #NCAA #tournaments #expand #76team #brackets">

mwasimuddin125 0

The March Madness logo is pictured during a second-round game in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday March 21, 2026.

The 2027 NCAA Tournament will officially expand to 76 teams following approval Thursday afternoon by the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees, the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees, the Division I Finance Committee, the Division I Board of Directors and the NCAA Board of Governors.

“Expanding the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships is the right decision for the student-athletes and programs that will now have access to the greatest events in college sports,” Board of Directors chair and Virginia Tech president Tim Sands said in an NCAA-issued press release Thursday. “As NCAA leaders, we are especially excited to provide additional, highly competitive games for fans who look forward to March Madness every year.”

As part of the bigger tournament, the expansion adds three times the number of Tuesday and Wednesday games to the men’s tournament.

Adding these bids brings the total of tournament-eligible teams in men’s basketball to 21%, the NCAA confirmed.

In confirming the decision Thursday, the NCAA said the deal allows it to “award more than $131 million in new revenue distributions to member schools participating in the basketball tournaments over the remaining six years of the NCAA’s broadcast agreements.”

To create that revenue, the NCAA said the rights agreement is set to increase by $50 million per year over the next six years and it will open “new, previously restricted product categories for the NCAA Corporate Champions and Partners Program, including beer, wine, spirits, and hard seltzer, and allows for expanded in-game advertising opportunities during the linear and streaming coverage of the tournaments.”

When the 2027 NCAA Tournament begins the Tuesday after Selection Sunday, a total of 12 games — three per day at two locations — are part of the newly approved bracket before the traditional tournament start day of Thursday.

A look at the new bracket ?? pic.twitter.com/esm18WdUSJ
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 7, 2026

Dayton, Ohio, remains one site for the men’s tournament with a second site to be determined.

With the increase in teams and games, those games will no longer be called the “First Four.”

The NCAA will shift to a label of Opening Round. The teams eligible to play in the Opening Round will be the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams and 12 lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers.

First Four contests in the women’s tournament have been single games at on-campus sites.

The change marks the first expansion of the tournament since the field moved from 65 to 68 teams with the addition of the First Four games in 2011. The field had previously been 64 or 65 teams since 1985.

The NCAA said it will also continue to provide transportation and funding for lodging, meals and other incidentals for teams in the expanded format.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #official #NCAA #tournaments #expand #76team #brackets">Deadspin | It’s official: NCAA tournaments expand to 76-team brackets

As part of the bigger tournament, the expansion adds three times the number of Tuesday and Wednesday games to the men’s tournament.

Adding these bids brings the total of tournament-eligible teams in men’s basketball to 21%, the NCAA confirmed.

A look at the new bracket ?? pic.twitter.com/esm18WdUSJ
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 7, 2026

Dayton, Ohio, remains one site for the men’s tournament with a second site to be determined.

With the increase in teams and games, those games will no longer be called the “First Four.”

The NCAA will shift to a label of Opening Round. The teams eligible to play in the Opening Round will be the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams and 12 lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers.

First Four contests in the women’s tournament have been single games at on-campus sites.

The NCAA said it will also continue to provide transportation and funding for lodging, meals and other incidentals for teams in the expanded format.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #official #NCAA #tournaments #expand #76team #brackets

This is because the alternative is truly terrifying. If Russ doesn’t play for the Jets in 2026 he’s mulling over opportunities to take a TV job where he’d be an NFL analyst. If that doesn’t scare you, then you obviously haven’t watched enough Russ off the football field — because while he was an incredible quarterback, with a potential Hall of Fame resume, the man is the entertainment equivalent of wallpaper paste when he isn’t on the field.

The role of “extremely boring man” has already been filled in broadcasting by Tom Brady, who is objectively horrible as an announcer — and we don’t need another one to fill the void. Just imagine turning on the game to be greeted with this.

The choice is either the train wreck of being subjected to Wilson during Jets games in 2026, or the train wreck of Wilson being on multiple NFL broadcasts for multiple NFL teams throughout the season. It’s the football equivalent of the Trolley Problem, and I’m sorry Jets, but y’all have to be the sacrificial lamb on this one.

Eventually it seems inevitable that we’re going to have to deal with Russell Wilson in the booth calling games, because every TV executive has no imagination outside of hiring every ex-player, regardless of whether they’re skilled in broadcasting or not. It’s how we’ve ended up in a world where Tom Brady calls NFL games, Kendrick Perkins is an NBA analyst, and P.K. Subban is dredged up in hockey — all of whom are terrible for different reasons.

Let’s delay this process as much as possible. Go to the Jets, Russ. Try to get everything back on track for one more run. Who knows, maybe you can get everything clicking again, play for another five years, and cement yourself as a Hall of Fame player. Wilder things have happened, just look at Sam Darnold.

You could be the reverse Darnold, Russ. The man who saves the Jets organization. You should definitely do that instead of taking a boring on analyst job where you have to sit in a studio all day and try to be entertaining.

#Russell #Wilson #Jets #NFL #signing #fan">