A better combo than peanut butter and chocolate

The GIST: Just ahead of the regular season resuming post-Olympics, the NWSL and its players association announced a historic new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), effective immediately, that grants players more agency, compensation, and benefits than ever before. HYFR.

NWSL breaks American precedent, eliminates the college draft: A first among major American sports leagues, the NWSL has eliminated the draft, a move that increases player agency by allowing them to negotiate with teams in an open market rather than anxiously wait to see which club chooses them.

• Though operating without a draft is a novel move in the States, it’s the norm in top overseas footy programs like the Premier League and the Women’s Super League.

• The new CBA also removed limitations on season start and end dates, making it possible for the NWSL to run from fall to spring (like most international soccer leagues) in the future as opposed to its current March to November format.

Say hello to guaranteed contracts, unrestricted free agency, and more: The list goes on and on when it comes to new player benefits. All contracts are now fully guaranteed and individual salary caps have been eliminated. Plus, the league’s minimum salary is set to raise from $48.5K in 2025 to $82.5K by 2030. Keep on climbin’.

• Additionally, all players will be granted unrestricted free agency when their contract expires, a shift from the previous CBA, which only permitted such autonomy to players of a certain tenure.

• Perhaps best of all, all trades will require player consent, meaning athletes can’t be sent to a new squad without agreeing to it first. Love to see it.

Putting people at the center: Last but not least, the CBA expands parental leave, childcare benefits, and mental health services, and cements charter flights for teams for up to six legs (three round trips) in a season. This agreement is more than historic — it’s a new precedent for professional athletes worldwide.

The GIST: Speaking of innovation in women’s sports, the fifth annual Athletes Unlimited (AU) Pro Softball season comes to a thrilling end this weekend, with 60 of the world’s best softballers jockeying to top the leaderboard and claim the AU crown.

• Championship weekend begins tonight at 6 p.m. ET and culminates with Sunday’s 5:30 p.m. ET season finale — here’s what to know before the first pitch is thrown.

How it works: Along with the leagues in the broader AU network, AU softball is a fun, fantasy-style competition in which athletes compete to earn individual points. Teams are re-drafted week-to-week as chosen by captains — the top-four performers the week prior.

• Athletes earn points for individual inning and overall game wins as well as individual MVP honors as voted by their fellow players. This league truly has it all.

The race to top the leaderboard: Outfielder Amanda Lorenz jumped to the top spot back in Week Two and hasn’t looked back, entering Week 5 with a comfy 230-point cushion. If anyone can catch her, it’s pitchers Georgina Corrick and 2021 champ Aleshia Ocasio, who currently sit in second and third, respectively, with higher point-earning opportunities thanks to their positions.

• That said, Lorenz will be tough to beat — she leads the league in batting average, is tied for first in home runs, and boasts a jaw-dropping, league-best .700 slugging percentage. Literally knocking it out of the park.

⛳ LPGA: AIG Women’s Open — Today through Sunday — Golf Channel

• Forget Winnie the Pooh, it was the LPGA and the Blustery Day when the fifth and final major of the season teed off yesterday. Expect more typical British weather heading into the final three rounds as the current leader, England’s Charley Hull, swings for her first major win.

🏌️ PGA: BMW Championship — Today through Sunday — TSN+

• The PGA’s top 50 golfers hit the links for the second leg of the FedEx Cup. American Keegan Bradley leads a star-studded field after the first round, with only the top 30 finishers advancing to next weekend’s Tour Championship.

🏈 CFL: B.C. Lions vs. Ottawa Redblacks — Tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET — TSN1/4

• East meets West in a battle of two teams trending in opposite directions: The Redblacks are undefeated on home turf this season and haven’t lost since the beginning of July, while the Leos have lost their last four, scoring an abysmal 27 points total in the month of August.

🏎️ F1: Dutch Grand Prix — Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET — TSN1/5

• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sits atop the Driver’s Championship standings heading into his home race, but with the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri hot on his heels, the Dutchman will need the speediest of starts when the lights go out in Zandvoort.