👋 Layup Lines: Goodbye to '25

Happy Monday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA.

• This is the last newsletter we’re going to send for a bit — thanks again for reading and following along this season!

This 478 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

🍾 Aces own the Strip

• The Aces celebrated their third title in four years with a parade down the Vegas strip on Friday night, capping one of the most improbable titles in recent sports history.

  • This season was supposed to be about the Lynx and Napheesa Collier winning her first MVP, or the Liberty going back-to-back, or Caitlin Clark taking a leap … and instead, the best player in the world won her fourth MVP and finished another season with another party down the Strip.

    • A’ja Wilson is still only 29 years old. No matter what happens in the W this offseason, she’s not going anywhere.

👀 What we’re watching

• As we’ve been writing about all year, this offseason is the most important in the 29 season history of the league.

  • We’ve got the collective bargaining agreement set to expire in 11 days, basically every non-rookie is a free agent, there’s going to be an expansion draft for two teams and four franchises need head coaches after Portland just announced one of the least inspiring hires in recent memory.

• But it all starts with the new CBA. Without it, there’s no 2026 season and no contracts to be signed.

  • I fully expect this CBA to expire, but also think the league is going to do everything in its power to get a new deal signed with the player’s association before most of its stars head down to Miami for the second season of Unrivaled in late December.

    • Having 90% of the top players in the same room making more money from another league is a bad recipe for tension.

• For more on the negotiations: ESPN, Sports Business Journal, The Ringer

🤷 What comes next for Layup Lines

• Honestly, I’m still figuring it out! I would love to do this every day but haven’t proven a sustainable business model, and legacy media companies still aren’t investing much into women’s sports coverage. There’s momentum, but we’re not there yet.

  • My goal is to take a few months to do more market research and make more calls, then decide if I can keep doing this in 2026.

• Want to help? Reply to this email with what you liked (and didn’t like) about Layup Lines. Introduce me to someone who wants to fund a WNBA newsletter. And keep consuming W content wherever you find it.

• Until then, just know I very much appreciate you reading all season and will keep you in the loop. Thanks for being here and thanks for being you.

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor