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Clark’s Milan Debut, WNBA’s First Surplus, and the Cowboys’ $27M Gamble

👋 Hey FirstFans!
In today’s edition, we break down the "CCC" controversy surrounding Clark’s Italian getaway and the internal rift threatening the WNBA's momentum. Over in the NBA, the Lakers are searching for answers as Luka Doncic faces a media firestorm and JJ Redick battles "Inside the NBA" legends. Plus, we head to the NFL Combine where the Cowboys have placed a massive $27M bet on George Pickens, and Tom Brady finds himself in the crosshairs of the WWE.
Let’s dive into the action!
Today’s WOW moments from sports world!
🏀 JOKIC LOSES HIS MIND
💃 WNBA’S MILAN TAKEOVER
🏈 WWE X NFL CROSSOVER
JJ Redick’s "Excuses," Barkley’s G-League Trolling, and Tyler Herro’s Burner Jokes
LeBron James embraced Pat Riley on the day the Lakers unveiled a statue to immortalize him. However, the Godfather’s attempts to rile up his former team fell flat, as they ended up getting embarrassed by the Boston Celtics.
That started a three-game losing streak that saw Luka Doncic get in the line of fire from analysts and former players, who felt his constant complaining to referees, his ball-hogging, and his inability to defend were costing the Lakers.
Kendrick Perkins blamed JJ Redick for holding the Slovenian accountable. Stephen A. Smith went a step further to blame their former colleague for underutilizing James. This was the second straight instance Smith defended the 41-year-old after trolling his choice of clothes earlier.
After ending their losing streak against the Warriors, Charles Barkley took the opportunity to dial back on his ‘hate’ for the Lakers, while also suggesting their opponents were G-Leaguers. One of them, Draymond Green, was seen going off on his teammates during that loss.
He was not the only one to lose his mind after Nikola Jokic reacted aggressively against the Thunder after Lu Dort tripped him with a chip block. The Serbian stood his ground on his reaction and called out Dort for an unnecessary play.
Kevin Durant went off on those criticizing American grassroots basketball programs by claiming the NBA is trying to shift away from the ‘Black Americans’ who built the league. The Rockets star trolled Adidas while also getting into a war of words with Tyler Herro.
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Prada, Profits, and the "CCC" Controversy
After spending time in Miami working out with her Indiana Fever teammates, Caitlin Clark travelled to Milan, Italy, after Prada invited the WNBA superstar for the Fall Fashion Show, which was part of the 2026 Milan Fashion Week.
She sat front row alongside some of the top young celebrities and influencers, one of whom had created a stir a week ago. That was Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who won another gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
The latter snapped a selfie with Clark and posted it on her socials. After the Fever guard reposted the same on her Instagram, several right-wingers nicknamed her CCC, as Communist Caitlin Clark, for befriending someone who had become a ‘traitor’ to the US.
On the other hand, Clark was hailed, along with Angel Reese, for fueling the change that led to the WNBA posting a $16 million profit for the first time in its history. Half of that would be shared among players, while the other half will be invested into marketing.
After that announcement, the league informed the players and their union that March 10th was the deadline by which they should come to an agreement over the next CBA. Otherwise, the 2026 season could get compromised.
The union called Clark, and Reese’s agents, along with those of A’ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, and others, to a meeting, as there are rumors that there is a section of players who do not want a strike to happen.
Cowboys Tag Pickens, Brady Scouts Mendoza, and NFL’s "Cap Casualties"
WWE superstars Liv Morgan and Kiana James came out to trash Tom Brady over his ‘wrestling is cute’ comment, with Randy Orton letting it be known that he wants to RKO the 7-time Super Bowl-winning QB.
But none of that was enough to draw a reaction from the Raiders co-owner, who is busy scouting the next quarterback for his franchise. At least Fernando Mendoza has made it clear that he wants to be mentored by the GOAT.
The Dallas Cowboys came under the spotlight at the Combine for two reasons. One was when kicker Brandon Aubrey and his wife called out reporters and radio shows for claiming he was demanding $10 million from the team.
Then, they placed the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens. Even though Jerry Jones and his son, Stephen, made it clear they want the wideout to stay for a long time, placing the non-exclusive tag had many believing they are gambling with his contract.
The combine also saw new Browns HC Tod Monken shower praise on Shedeur Sanders. A day later, he was bemused by the birthday gift the sophomore QB got him. His predecessor, Kevin Stefanski, also reiterated that he ‘loved’ coaching Sanders.
Falcons’ Kirk Cousins, and Vikings duo Aaron Jones, and Javon Hargrave, are the first names to be confirmed as possible cap casualties. Unless traded, they will be released by their respective organizations on the first day of next season.
The Steelers ranked last in facilities and home field, with players pointing out the five bathroom stalls as an obvious problem. Art Rooney II, one of the poorest owners in the league, later confirmed that their field would be re-layered before the season.
Thank you folks for reading our newsletter! Will see you in the next edition with more exciting highlights from the sports world curated for you! 🙏

