Have you heard the news?

The GIST: The struggling Connecticut Sun, who will officially miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016, aren’t just contending with on-court troubles — the saga surrounding the team’s potential sale is just getting started. Let’s break down yesterday’s fascinating ESPN report.

⏪ The background: On August 2nd, the NBA’s Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca reportedly reached a deal to buy the Sun from the Mohegan Tribe for $325M, with plans to relocate the squad to Boston by 2027, host home games at TD Garden, and build a $100M practice facility.

• But the W pumped the brakes, saying this relocation was not approved as Boston wasn’t one of the 12 cities that applied for a WNBA expansion team over the last three years.

❓ The issue: The W is growing rapidly, with Toronto, Portland, Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia all joining the league by 2030. If the Sun do sell and relocate, the WNBA reportedly prefers the team move to a city that submitted an expansion bid, chief among them Houston, previously home of the defunct Comets franchise.

⏩ The latest: According to ESPN, the WNBA reportedly offered to buy the Sun for $250M and facilitate a move to a market they decide on, but the Mohegan Tribe turned them down after Pagliuca’s $325M offer. That record amount was then matched by a group hoping to keep the team in Connecticut, with plans to move from Uncasville to the state capital, Hartford. Alrighty then.

• The Mohegan Tribe is now submitting four proposals to the league: the $325M Boston offer, the $325M Hartford sale, a minority stake option, and finally, a direct sale to the W, which would allow the league to put the Sun wherever they please…but for $325M, not $250M.

• In addition to the expansion bid snub, the WNBA reportedly has other concerns about Boston, including possible scheduling conflicts at TD Garden, an NBA, NHL, and concert venue where the Sun have hosted two sold-out games. All to say, this story is far from over.

The GIST: Step aside crab fishermen — the most difficult job in the world isn’t on the high seas; it’s in WNBA arenas across the country, where team medical staff are dealing with a barrage of injuries. Here’s the latest from the league’s injury report.

❤️‍🩹 Injury epidemic continues across the league: The Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham is just the latest W hooper to suffer a season-ending knee injury. Since our last update a mere three weeks ago, there’s been a whopping 38 new injuries added to The Next Hoops’ tracker, including everything from minor ankle tweaks to season-ending ACL tears.

• With just over three weeks to go in the regular season, this year’s 202 reported injuries are nearing the 203 recorded in the entirety of the 2024 season. Whether it’s scheduling struggles or something else entirely, the trend is concerning.

🏆 The playoff push continues: And yet, the show goes on. The league-leading, durable, and already playoff-bound Minnesota Lynx will be hoping to see the return of superstar Napheesa Collier (who missed her fifth straight game with an ankle injury last night), while NY Liberty icon Breanna Stewart is hoping to return before her birthday on August 27th. A gift for all of us.

• Expect their return to be as dominant as Chicago Sky standout Angel Reese’s — after missing all but two games since the All-Star break while dealing with a back injury, Reese recorded 19 points and seven rebounds last night. This Barbie is resilient.

⚾ MLB: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Pittsburgh Pirates — Today at 12:35 p.m. ET — Sportsnet

• The high-flying Jays have hit some turbulence, dropping two of their last three games and seeing star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. suffer a hamstring injury. Fingers crossed it’s nothing serious and the squad can find some smooth air in time for the series finale.

🥎 AUSL: All-Star Cup — Tonight at 10 p.m. ET — TSN

• On the heels of their successful inaugural team-based season, Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) is in the midst of the All-Star Cup, a four-week competition featuring 60 of the game’s best players duking it out for individual glory. Don’t miss a minute.

⛳ LPGA: CPKC Women’s Open — Tomorrow through Sunday — Golf Channel

• The Canadian Women’s Open tees off from Mississauga tomorrow, boasting a field of 13 homegrown Canadians, including two-time major winner and world No. 58 Brooke Henderson. Fore!