Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. Remember when Hideki Matsuyama’s caddie bowed to the course after his 2021 Masters win? Robert MacIntyre did the opposite on Thursday when he flipped off the green, and now he could face disciplinary action.
In today’s SI:AM:
🔥 Rory comes out of the gate hot
☀️ Masters weather forecast
⚾ Yankees’ pitching dominance
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WNBA free agency frenzy
It’s the start of a new era in the WNBA.
The new collective bargaining agreement that the league and players union ratified last month has dramatically altered the WNBA’s financial landscape, with this season’s salary cap more than four times higher than last year’s. It’s a massive redistribution of cash from the owners to the players that reflects the league’s growing popularity.
The new financial structure will greatly benefit all players, but the first big winner is Jackie Young. Young and the Aces are reportedly finalizing a one-year contract worth $1.19 million for her to return to Las Vegas. The deal will make her the first player in WNBA history to earn a $1 million salary.
The $1.19 million figure is the regular maximum salary, while the league’s new supermax contract is $1.4 million annually.
Young was paid $169,950 last year. She was named an All-Star for the fourth straight season and was a second-team All-WNBA selection while playing for an Aces team that won its third championship in four years.
Young is the first player to crack seven figures, but more will surely follow. Ten players this week received core qualifying offers, which are one-year deals at the supermax salary of $1.4 million. The core QO is similar to the NFL’s franchise tag, allowing teams to prevent star players from hitting the open market by offering a high-value, one-year contract. Among those who were extended core QO’s are the Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, the Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale and the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier. Players can either accept the core QO or negotiate a multiyear contract, so we’ll see how many of them join Young in the $1 million club.
There’s also a bumper crop of free agents who could be poised to break the bank, as many players purposefully signed contracts in previous years that would expire before the new CBA went into effect. Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson is a free agent, but has said she won’t be leaving the Aces and is reportedly expected to ink a deal at the supermax salary once the signing period begins on Saturday. Two-time MVP Breanna Stewart has similarly said she intends to remain with the Liberty and should also be a candidate for a seven-figure salary. Perennial MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas is also available, as are All-Stars Nneka Ogwumike, Gabby Williams, Brionna Jones and Skylar Diggins. Ogwumike announced Thursday night that she plans to leave the Storm. She intends to reunite with Sparks, according to her sister and ESPN basketball analyst Chiney.
The offseason is about to get wild. Teams were allowed to start negotiating with free agents beginning on Wednesday, and today is the final day of the negotiation period before signings can commence on Saturday. The draft is on Monday and training camps open six days later on April 19. The first preseason games are on April 25 and the regular season begins on May 8. Are teams freaking out about how many players need to find homes before then or is it just me?
The best of Sports Illustrated
It was not the best first round of the Masters for Rory McIlroy, but Michael Rosenberg describes how the defending champion still took a share of the lead with his 5-under-par performance. Despite a layoff due to the birth of his second son, world No. 1 player Scottie Scheffler is lurking around in pursuit of his third green jacket, writes Max Schreiber Bob Harig reports that the Masters contenders say course conditions are expected to worsen with warm, dry weather forecasted. Even without two starters, the Yankees are dominating the league with their rotation. Stephanie Apstein writes that the key has been the breakout of Cam Schlittler. Who will go No. 1 in this year's WNBA draft? Clare Brennan explores how Monday night might unfold in her mock draft. Celtics star Jayson Tatum returned to the scene where he ruptured his Achilles tendon during the postseason. Chris Mannix was in New York and talked with Tatum about his full-circle moment. In his latest MMQB mailbag, Albert Breer answers questions about three underrated draft prospects, new Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III and whether the Jets will actually select Jeremiyah Love in the draft. David Bailey is the clear standout edge rushing prospect in the 2026 NFL draft, but he's not alone as a potential game wrecker. Gilberto Manzano breaks down the top players at the position. Matt Verderame selects the best draft pick ever for every NFL team.
The top five…
… things I saw yesterday:
5. Corey Conners’s slam dunk directly into the cup for birdie.
4. An outstanding stop by Bobby Witt Jr. to start a double play.
3. Xander Bogaerts’s walk-off grand slam in the 12th inning.
2. Reds center fielder Dane Myers’s catch while crashing into the wall.
1. Kent Anderson’s double-overtime game-winner for Denver in the Frozen Four against Michigan. It’s a good thing Anderson ended the game when he did, because the Pioneers’ coach said the team was told they wouldn’t get to eat at the hotel if they didn’t arrive by a certain time.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | The WNBA’s First $1 Million Player.
