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Afternoon Edition

August 7, 2025

Another WNBA trade deadline has come and gone with little noise, but a major shift may be just over the horizon.

— Annie Costabile [[link removed]], Michael McCarthy [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], and Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]

This WNBA Trade Deadline Could Be League’s Last Snoozer [[link removed]]

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The WNBA has a reputation for having one of the drowsiest trade deadlines in professional sports.

That could end after this year.

As negotiations heat up between the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, one of the union’s priorities is a softer salary cap, which might give way to the kind of trade deadline fireworks set off in leagues like MLB and the NBA.

The WNBA currently operates with a hard salary cap of $1,507,100, which has limited front offices’ flexibility when it comes to what moves they’re able to execute given they aren’t able to go over the cap. Oftentimes the trades executed at the deadline were only ones that were close matches on salary.

Last year, there was one deadline-day trade: The Minnesota Lynx acquired Myisha Hines-Allen from the Washington Mystics for Olivia Époupa, Sika Koné, and a 2026 second-round pick. Hines-Allen was a key bench piece for the Lynx’ run to the Finals, appearing in 11 of Minnesota’s 12 postseason games and averaging 11 minutes.

This year, three major trades materialized in the days leading up to the deadline, including one hours before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline. (MLB, by contrast, saw more than 50 trades in the last day and a half before its deadline last week.

On Aug. 3, the Lynx acquired guard DiJonai Carrington from the Dallas Wings in exchange for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson, and a 2027 second-round draft pick.

Two days later, the Seattle Storm added to their depth with guard Brittney Sykes in exchange for three-time champion Alysha Clark and guard Zia Cooke, who was subsequently waived by the Mystics. The deal also included the Storm’s 2026 first-round draft pick.

The WNBA’s lone deadline-day trade this year was the Connecticut Sun’s acquisition of Mystics forward Aaliyah Edwards for guard Jacy Sheldon and the rights to swap 2026 first-round draft picks.

The haul the Lynx gave up for Carrington emphasizes the possibility that their championship window could be prematurely shortened by the impending free-agency chaos.

When free agency hits in the new year, or whenever a collective bargaining agreement has been ratified, more than 100 players—the majority of the league—will become unrestricted free agents. While some league executives believe there won’t be as much shuffling as fans might think, the level of uncertainty regarding 2026 has emboldened contenders’ win-now mentality.

Carrington, for example, is on an expiring contract valued at $200,000, which means the Lynx are guaranteed to have her under contract only through the end of the season. That makes her an expensive rental, especially by WNBA standards, but she bolsters the league’s top defense and adds depth to a team that is currently missing MVP front-runner Napheesa Collier due to an injury.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LIVE

Ng Joins Tuned In’s Commissioner Crew

Tuned In [[link removed]], Sept. 16 at The Times Center in Manhattan, is the only event where you can hear from all of the biggest names in sports media.

We’ve just added Kim Ng, commissioner of the AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League). She’ll reflect on key takeaways from a successful inaugural season, discuss the league’s partnership with MLB, and offer insights into future expansion plans. Ng joins a stacked speaker lineup that includes fellow commissioners Adam Silver of the NBA and Rob Manfred of MLB.

On-air talent speaking at Tuned In includes Ian and Noah Eagle, who will sit down for a father-son conversation, NBC Sports’s Maria Taylor, who will speak about her career covering the NFL at ESPN and now the NBA on NBC Sports, and more to be announced.

Top network executives include Jimmy Pitaro from ESPN, Jay Marine from Amazon, Eric Shanks from FOX Sports, and Luis Silberwasser from TNT Sports.

This must-see lineup is worth tuning in for. Rates increase in one week. Register today [[link removed]] to claim the best price.

10 Questions With ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro and NFL’s Hans Schroeder

Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images

ESPN and the NFL stunned the sports world with a sweeping deal that sends NFL Network and RedZone to ESPN in exchange for a 10% stake in the four letters worth an estimated $2.5 billion.

This complicated deal leaves a lot of unanswered questions. To get answers, Front Office Sports sat down with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, NFL chief operating officer Hans Schroeder, and Disney corporate development chief Justin Warbrooke on Wednesday.

Will anything change with RedZone?

No. Anchor Scott Hanson, who just signed a new contract with NFLN, will host for the 17th straight season. And NFLN will continue to own, operate, and produce the popular whiparound channel. RedZone will not be included in ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer platform. However, fans will be able to order an ESPN DTC bundle with the NFL+ Premium subscription service that includes RedZone.

Could there be more RedZones?

Yes. The NFL will produce RedZone and maintain its digital rights. But ESPN gets rights to the brand itself—as well as linear distribution through cable operators. So down the road we could be looking at ESPN’s NBA RedZone, College Football RedZone, NHL RedZone, and so on.

Jimmy Pitaro: “We have the opportunity to expand the RedZone brand to other sports, other leagues. We would do that in partnership, and in concert, with the NFL. Of course the other leagues would need to agree to it. We’re starting to think about what we can do. We are very passionate about the RedZone brand. We think it’s very compelling and there’s a lot of value there.”

Hans Schroeder: “ESPN is acquiring the RedZone trademark. … Certainly you could see different RedZones with different sports. They could certainly build out the RedZone channel to be more than seven hours a week if they wanted to.”

Why is ESPN doing this deal?

ESPN decided the chance to add more NFL content—under its own umbrella—was too good to pass up. Pitaro also thinks the deal will drive new business. The chairman believes more NFL content will fuel the new DTC business. And be a big selling point as ESPN negotiates with cable operators.

Pitaro: “This is incredibly consumer-friendly. It will give the sports fan and the NFL fan and the football fan another way to consume NFL content. At the same time, we believe this content, from games to studio programming on the NFL Network side, is incredibly high-quality. It will help us grow subs.”

For the rest of Michael McCarthy’s 10 questions with ESPN chair Jimmy Pitaro and NFL COO Hans Schroeder—including the league’s reason for doing the deal, how fantasy is changing, and what’s next for NFL Media— read the full Q&A here [[link removed]]. For all of our sports media news and analysis, you can subscribe to the twice-weekly “Tuned In” newsletter [[link removed]].

Smelling Salts Not Banned in the NFL, but Teams Can’t Hand Them Out [[link removed]]

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Smelling salts are not banned in the NFL after all. Players just have to secure the products themselves.

Front Office Sports obtained a message that the NFL Players Association sent to players Wednesday clarifying the supposed ban on smelling salts and any form of ammonia packets.

“This policy does not prohibit players use of these substances, but rather it restricts clubs from providing or supplying them in any form,” the statement read.

The NFLPA also said that they were “not notified” of the policy change before the NFL sent out the memo to all teams Tuesday. The memo, which was also obtained by FOS, said that teams are “prohibited from providing or supplying” ammonia in any form at NFL games.

The league referred to a 2024 FDA warning that stated the “lack of evidence supporting the safety or efficacy” of ammonia inhalants like smelling salts—and that they “have the potential to mask certain neurologic signs and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion.”

Word of the supposed ban spread after George Kittle disrupted an NFL Network interview from 49ers training camp Tuesday morning to address the league’s memo. The All-Pro tight end claimed smelling salts were “made illegal in the NFL.”

Kittle said he used smelling salts “on every drive.” He’s far from the only NFL player [[link removed]] who uses the product, which is also used in other sports, including hockey, weightlifting, and lacrosse.

More Dildo Throwing During WNBA Games Leads to Second Arrest [[link removed]]

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

A second individual has been arrested for throwing a sex toy during a WNBA game.

Kaden Lopez, 18, was arrested Tuesday night for throwing a dildo during a Phoenix Mercury game that same evening. The projectile didn’t reach the court, but hit a man and his 9-year-old niece instead. His arrest follows that of Delbert Carver, 23, who officials said threw a dildo onto the court during an Atlanta Dream game the week before.

The WNBA has had several incidents of green dildos being thrown at recent games [[link removed]], starting July 29 with the incident in Georgia when it landed on the court. Another sex toy hit the court in Chicago on Friday, and in Los Angeles on Tuesday, someone threw a dildo at Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, which appeared to hit her ankle. Also in New York on Tuesday, a spectator threw a dildo, but it didn’t reach the court.

“It’s ridiculous, it’s dumb, it’s stupid,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said postgame. “It’s also dangerous. Player safety is number one, respecting the game, all those things. I think it’s really stupid.”

The crypto predictions market Polymarket, which is banned in the U.S., has capitalized on the trend, allowing users to bet on whether a sex toy will be thrown and what color it might be. The company’s social media account has celebrated individual users who have seen big returns [[link removed]] on WNBA dildo bets. (Polymarket also posted that the WNBA had changed its bag policy [[link removed]] ahead of Wednesday night’s Golden State Valkyries game, which the team told Front Office Sports was not true [[link removed]].)

According to court documents obtained by FOS, Lopez said he was “very sorry” for following the “stupid prank that was trending on social media.”

The documents say Lopez was caught on video taking the green dildo from his sweater pocket, throwing it, and then leaving the area, after which he was tackled by an arena volunteer who waited for police to arrive.

Lopez said he bought the sex toy the day before to bring to the game and hadn’t meant to hit anyone, the documents state. He was booked in jail on counts of disorderly conduct, assault, and public display of explicit sexual material, and a judge said he will need a court-appointed attorney. His next hearing is scheduled for later this month.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Why the WNBA Trade Deadline Was So Quiet

FOS illustration

The WNBA trade deadline was at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, but there were only a few substantial trades made this week—a function of the CBA and roster limits, says FOS women’s sports reporter Annie Costabile.

Plus, LAFC has made official the largest MLS transfer in history, paying $26.5 million for Korean superstar Son Heung-min. MLS insider Tom Bogert explains why this moment is so massive for the league and how Lionel Messi factors into it all.

Also, FOS media reporter Michael McCarthy spoke to the leads at ESPN and NFL about the new RedZone mega-deal worth at least $2.5 billion, and shares his takeaways with Renee Washington and FOS editor-in-chief Dan Roberts on Front Office Sports Today.

Watch the full episode here [[link removed]].

STATUS REPORT One Up, One Down, Two Push

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

2026 NFL Draft ⬆⬇ After riding the bench the last two years at Texas, Arch Manning will make his highly anticipated debut as the full-time starting quarterback against Ohio State on Aug. 30. For teams wanting to draft Manning next year, that might not happen. His grandfather Archie Manning said, “Arch isn’t going to do that,” in regard to entering the 2026 NFL Draft, and noted, “He’ll be at Texas.”

IndyCar ⬇ The racing series says [[link removed]] it was not consulted about a DHS-generated image showing an ICE-branded race car and has asked that its intellectual property no longer be used in connection with the project. The agency posted the image after announcing a new immigration detention center near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. DHS denied any IP violation and said it will continue promoting the initiative.

DraftKings ⬆ The sports betting company just had its best quarter ever, bringing in $1.51 billion in revenue—up 37% from last year. The company also turned a $158 million profit and says [[link removed]] strong customer growth puts it on track to meet or beat its full-year financial goals. DraftKings expects to launch its mobile sportsbook product in Missouri later this year.

Garrett Nussmeier ⬆⬇ One of the Heisman Trophy favorites, LSU’s starting quarterback, clipped his knee against an offensive lineman during practice Wednesday [[link removed]] but was “fine” after he left practice. The initial fear was that Nussmeier tore his ACL. The fifth-year senior threw for 29 touchdowns and more than 4,000 yards in 2024.

Conversation Starters Northwestern unveiled its beer garden at the football team’s temporary stadium this season. Check out the amenities [[link removed]]. If internet personality the Kid Mero were the NFL commissioner, here’s the first thing he would do [[link removed]]. Walk-off home runs are electric, but what does it look like from the production room? Check out the Rangers’ Josh Jung’s blast [[link removed]] to beat the Yankees from behind the scenes. Editors’ Picks Disney CEO Bob Iger Floats Adding Sports From Other Networks to ESPN App [[link removed]]by Ben Horney [[link removed]]Could a version of Venu 2.0 be in the cards? MLB Calls Up First Female Umpire for Marlins-Braves Doubleheader [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Jen Pawol officiated in the minor leagues and MLB spring training. Trump Golf Courses Secure 2026 Stops on LIV, PGA [[link removed]]by Andrew Goodrich [[link removed]]For the fifth consecutive year, LIV golf returns to a Trump course. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Annie Costabile [[link removed]], Michael McCarthy [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], Margaret Fleming [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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