WNBA's Valkyries soar as FIFA president summons crisis talks in Morocco
The Golden State Valkyries have become a breakout WNBA franchise, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino called a senior-leadership meeting in Morocco after his Forward Enterprise plan collapsed.
Brian Hamilton’s feature spotlights the Golden State Valkyries, a two-year-old WNBA expansion team that already posted a 21-9 mark, tied for the league's second-best record, and qualified for the playoffs in its inaugural season. Analysts attribute the rapid ascent to owner Joe Lacob, a basketball-savvy market, and a player-centric culture. Across the sports world, FIFA president Gianni Infantino convened senior officials in Morocco to manage a self-inflicted crisis after his Forward Enterprise proposal to sell FIFA stakes was abandoned amid near-universal opposition.
The brief also covered Arsenal’s pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes, Real Salt Lake’s potential sale of Zavier Gozo to Crystal Palace, record-setting NFL deals for Bijan Robinson, Darnell Wright and Zay Flowers, and injury withdrawals by Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper from upcoming tennis events. Additional items mentioned include upcoming USMNT friendlies, the debut of the Cleveland WNBA franchise Sirens, and the inaugural Women’s Pro Baseball League in Springfield, Illinois.
Why it matters
It shows how a new sports franchise can quickly thrive and how FIFA’s leadership crisis could reshape global soccer governance.
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