The WNBA is back and 2024 might be its most important season ever

You should watch every minute of the WNBA this season.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Gooood morning, folks! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thank you so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.

The moment has arrived, folks. The WNBA’s season officially starts today. With that start, the W also begins what is arguably its most defining moment yet as a league.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the 2024 WNBA season

That might feel a bit hyperbolic. Of course, the WNBA has had huge moments before in its 27-year history. The current moment the league is in doesn’t erase that history, but right now, it feels like the WNBA has been tossed into some of the deepest waters it’s been in yet this year, and it’s just beginning to swim.

Caitlin Clark’s impact on the league is a huge part of that. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer has all eyes on her. Clark is one of the most popular athletes in the world — not just in this league. She was the catalyst behind the women’s college basketball explosion this year. We’re already seeing the impact on the WNBA with teams making special preparations for when her Indiana Fever come to town. She’s bringing eyes the WNBA hasn’t seen since its early days.

Even without Clark, though, the league would be facing a huge watershed moment this season. This is a big show-and-prove year for the W. The league is in the middle of a broadcast deal negotiation. Historically, the W’s broadcast rights have been bundled with its NBA counterpart in a package deal. But the WNBA is reportedly considering removing itself from that package and branching out independently.

This is a huge opportunity for the league. Ratings have already increased to the highest levels since 2008 last season. Adding Clark to that mix gives another boost. The more eyes on the league this year, the more money the WNBA can command in negotiating its latest TV deal. The more money it gets in its negotiation, the more revenue the league can split with the players.

That opens up the potential for higher salaries, more roster spots, better accommodations and so much more. That’s an exciting prospect for this league that continues to blossom.

All eyes are on you, WNBA. Let’s cook.

What makes a GOAT?

Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

That’s such a fascinating question. What makes a player one of the greatest of all time? Is it the numbers? The accolades? The impact on the game? Those are all valid questions.

Our Meghan Hall set out to answer this impossible question. On her quest, she talked to current WNBA greats, future Hall of Famers, media personalities, and more on what makes a GOAT a GOAT in women’s hoops.

The entire piece is truly worth your time, but I thought Candace Parker’s thoughts here perfectly coalesced the mentality one has to have to achieve GOAT status.

After all, takes one to know one:

“I think greatness is sticking to it and doing it for an extended period of time. I don’t think you can choose greatness in the short term. Greatness is something that you choose over and over and over again. And sometimes greatness is within each day — it’s getting up and doing a workout that you don’t want to. It’s the mindset that you have to continue to be great in the longevity that you choose within a sport, to continue to do something at an extremely high level.”

Check out the full piece from Meghan here.

Jared Goff is home

Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han-USA TODAY Sports

Four years ago, when the Rams traded Jared Goff away for Matthew Stafford, LA admitted it’d made a mistake.

It’s not that Jared Goff wasn’t a fine quarterback — it was that he was just fine. He wasn’t good enough to get them to the promised land of winning a Super Bowl. And, for what it’s worth, the Rams were right! He wasn’t good enough. Stafford did what Goff could not.

At the same time, Goff has proven them wrong. He’s become a more-than-fine starting quarterback in the NFL. He’s a very good one. His new four-year, $212 million extension from the Lions makes that loud and clear for us.

Here’s Christian D’Andrea with a perfect synopsis of the Stafford-Goff trade in hindsight:

“There were no losers in the Matthew Stafford-Jared Goff swap. The Rams got a Super Bowl win. The Lions got a franchise quarterback and the draft capital to accelerate their latest rebuild. Everyone came out ahead.”

It sure didn’t feel like a win-win at the time. But today? The Lions are happy with their decision.

READ MORE: Jared Goff went from unwanted to a $212 million man

Quick hits: Next to get paid … The Golden State Valkyries … and more

— Here’s Cory Woodroof with the next five quarterbacks who could get paid after Jared Goff’s monster extension.

— The Golden State WNBA team has finally landed on the name: The Valkyries. The MCU memes are here. Meghan Hall has more.

— Here’s a running list of everything we know about the NFL schedule from Charles Curtis.

— The NFL choosing to compete with the College Football Playoff in December is such an NFL thing to do. Here’s Tyler Netunno with more.

— Caitlin Clark had a heartfelt tribute for Lisa Bluder after hearing about her retirement.

— Not sure what happened at the NBA Combine on Monday but it was weird. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading today. Appreciate you. Let’s do this again tomorrow. Peace.

-Sykes