Welcome to Screen Shots! This is where I tell you what sporting events you should watch on TV every week! Make sure you subscribe, so it comes straight to your inbox! Have your own suggestions? Shoot me an email at [email protected]!

Guess who got back on the mic? That’s right, I had to yap about the wildest NBA first round in recent memory. Tap in to hear my thoughts on each series, including the Celtics’ collapse and why we’re seeing so much blowback about Nikola Jokic’s performance!

Now, to the sports!

A couple of teams that are heading in the opposite direction. Boston sports are an absolute mess, and the Red Sox are no exception. They’ve already fired manager Alex Cora, but at least he didn’t have an affair with a reporter or blow a 3-1 lead to the 76ers. The Rays, meanwhile, are one of the more fun teams to watch. Opposing teams have been trying to avoid slugger Junior Caminero, who is on pace to nearly double his career-high base-on-balls percentage. Unfortunately for those teams, Jonathan Aranda is typically behind Caminero in the order, and he’s among the best in baseball at hitting with men on base. Best of luck to Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy!

Oh, we are so back! Technically, a rematch of the league’s first championship matchup, right? The Sun kick off their final season in Connecticut on the road. They take on a Liberty team that’s fighting to hold onto its spot among the league’s contenders under new head coach Chris DeMarco. No Sabrina Ionescu, who is out with an ankle injury, so this might be a close one!

The first regular season game in Toronto Tempo history and a UCLA reunion all wrapped up into one grand event! Kiki Rice of the Tempo faces off against her former national championship teammates Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic as they begin their WNBA careers. Both of these franchises are in the “developing young talent” phase of things, so we should see plenty of all three. That’s great for my “Lauren Betts, 2026 Rookie of the Year” prediction!

ABC is going for whatever the ratings record is to kick off the season as Paige Bueckers and the Wings take on Caitlin Clark and the Fever. This is the first time we’ve seen Caitlin in an official game since before last year’s All-Star break. Feels like this is going to be an important year for her after watching her teammates nearly make it to last season’s WNBA Finals in her absence. She’ll have some extra motivation if needed, because the WNBA just released its GM poll, and 33% of them would take Bueckers to start a franchise compared to 20% for Caitlin. I regret to inform those GMs that the correct answer was actually A’ja Wilson.

Speaking of A’ja! We get ourselves a WNBA Finals rematch, too! The poor Mercury just had nothing for Las Vegas last year. Sure, a couple of games were close, but the result just felt inevitable. The reason why, of course, was A’ja Wilson. Has there ever been a better resume through 8 seasons in all of professional sports? In half of those years, she’s been voted league MVP. She’s the favorite to win it again this season, and her team is the favorite to win yet another title, which would be the Aces’ 4th in 5 seasons. Oh, and she’s also been named the WNBA’s best defensive player three times, too. Unreal, and still firmly in her prime. Watch her play as often as possible!

I spend a great deal of time watching Austin Reaves play and wondering which white American players who came before him could replicate his production in this era. I keep a running list as I think of one, and I’d like to share it with you now since the Lakers will surely be swept out of the postseason by the next newsletter. The only rule I have is that said white player cannot have earned any honors (All-Star, All-NBA, ROY, 6MOY, etc.) in their era. So, no Drazen Petrovic (RIP) or Dan Majerle. Alright, here we go:

Okay, that’s it. Let me know if I forgot any whites!

It’s El Clàsico time! Per usual, these clubs are atop the LALIGA table, but that doesn’t mean their seasons have been without drama. Barcelona is on track for its second straight LALIGA title, but coach Hansi Flick is looking to revamp the roster as they set their sights on a Champions League title as well. That means some players will be on the move!

On the Real Madrid side, will Alvaro Carreras be on the move after just one year with the club? The defender has been benched recently after trying to fight everyone in the organization. Well, except Kylian Mbappé. At least, I’m assuming he’d already be fired into the sun if he touched Mbappé. Anyway, in case you forgot, this is the Celtics-Lakers of the ‘80s of Spanish soccer, so tap in!

Much to my surprise, Anthony Edwards has made his return as the underdog Timberwolves stole game 1 on the road. A big factor was 7’4” Victor Wembanyama going 0 for 8 from 3. Now, I know I’m old, but if you’re 7’4”, at what point do you stop shooting 3s if you’re missing all of them and just take your big ass to the paint? 4 misses? 6? See if Wemby has learned from his mistakes!

Is Duncan Robinson the Pistons’ most important player? During the regular season, Detroit went 22-4 in games where Robinson hit at least 4 3-pointers. That’s a 69-win pace. He hit 5 of them in game 1, and what do ya know, Detroit won. He only crossed that threshold once in Detroit’s 7-game battle with Orlando in the first round. Tap in to see if I’m right!

A matchup of two of the division leaders in the NL. Lucky for the Braves, this one isn’t at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are on a 13-game home winning streak. Meanwhile, Atlanta is running away with the NL East, as they’re the only ball club above .500. Should be some action as both teams are in the top-3 in runs per game!

The Sparks made some serious offseason moves, trading for Ariel Atkins and bringing back legend Nneka Ogwumike, in an attempt to contend for a title this year. However, there are still some questions about their roster that need to be answered. What better place to answer them than an actual regular-season game??? Enjoy!

As always, thank you for reading! Make sure you’re subscribed so you get this in your inbox first thing Thursday mornings! Also, share with your friends! See you next week!