⛹🏽‍♀️ The women’s sports revolution

Good Morning, Boston.

🍺 Derrick White’s new brew hits Boston. Sam Adams partnered with the Celtics guard to produce the (Derrick) White Ale and re-enacted lines from “The Town” with “Your Cousin from Boston.” Somewhere, Joe Mazzulla is probably punching the air over not getting an invite. 

What’s on tap today:

• Jayson Tatum’s MVP moment

• Red Sox on a roll?

• Remembering the Rocket

Let’s get into it …

LEADING OFF

The women’s revolution will be televised

Women’s sports are starting to boom. It used to be that women’s sports mainly attracted mainstream recognition during the Olympics, like the U.S. women’s soccer team, or for individual sports like tennis with Serena Williams. But the meteoric rise of Caitlin Clark spurred a banner year for the WNBA, and the popularity of college phenoms like UConn’s Paige Bueckers and USC’s JuJu Watkins could drive even bigger gains later. Now, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) are surging, too — and bringing new women’s teams to Boston.

Big names like Jayson Tatum are getting in on the action. Tatum joins Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes as superstars investing in women’s basketball, with the Celtics forward planning to put up $200 million to bring a WNBA franchise to his hometown of St. Louis. Interestingly, Connecticut Sun guard Dijonai Carrington suggested an intriguing possibility: why not try bringing a WNBA team to Boston? (Maybe the defensive ace and 2024 Most Improved Player would like to come here herself?)

Boston has played a role in the women’s revolution. This year’s WNBA showcase featuring the Sun and LA Sparks sold out at TD Garden, as did the first-ever women’s Beanpot at the venue. On top of that, Boston’s teams have a history of excellence:

• The Boston Renegades have made six straight championship games in the Women’s Football Alliance and won five straight titles from 2018-2023.

• The Boston Fleet played for a title in the Walter Cup Finals during the PWHL’s inaugural season in 2023-24.  

If you want to include the Sun, who made the WNBA Semifinals this year, New England as a whole has proven it has the appetite and track record to support women’s sports. 

The next few years could see women’s sports grow in Boston. The Fleet will play their second season in the PWHL this year, and BOS Nation FC — wish they had a more interesting name — will gear up for NWSL action in 2026. (The Fleet will even be featured in EA Sports’ NHL 25 game.) The Renegades, meanwhile, will look to tie the Patriots for the most football titles in the region with six. With the WNBA poised to continue its expansion, the Celtics or another group of investors might explore adding a franchise to the city. If that happens, the best sports town in the country will become even greater.

🤔 What women’s pro team are you most excited to watch?

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BOSTON SPORTS

Quick hits & headlines

💫 Jayson Tatum’s 3 beats the Raptors. The Celtics star missed with a chance to win in regulation against Toronto, but he redeemed himself with a shot from way downtown to end it in overtime on Saturday. It was especially remarkable because the Celtics’ designed play was blown up after Jaylen Brown was knocked to the floor. But Tatum delivered the grand finale, with his e 30-foot shot standing as the Celtics’ longest game-winner since the Milt Palacio miracle from 2000. Sure looks like an MVP to me.

😔 Matthew Stafford shreds the Patriots. New England couldn’t do much to slow down the veteran gunslinger, who torched the Pats defense for four TDs in the LA Rams’ 28-22 win. Drake Maye (283 yards, 2 TDs) kept the Patriots in the game, but some questionable decisions by Jerod Mayo and the coaching staff — as well as two more turnovers from Maye — put them behind the eight ball. The future’s still bright, but the present remains full of warts.

⚾ Alex Cora promises an “aggressive” Red Sox offseason. The Sox manager wouldn’t confirm or deny whether he went with the team’s brass to visit free-agent slugger Juan Soto. But he did say the talks between him and ownership have been about improving the big-league club rather than “player development,” which is a big difference between this regime and former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom’s tenure. Even super-agent Scott Boras has been telling people the Red Sox are aiming high. Hopefully they follow through this time.

BEYOND BOSTON

Out-of-town report

Tom Brady meets with Caleb Williams. Brady met with the No. 1 overall pick from this year’s draft before Brady broadcasted the Bears-Packers game on Sunday. The photo of Brady and Maye chopping it up on the field next season will be displayed in every bar on the South Shore for years to come.

Gronk and Shaq tease a fight. Ok, not really. But the two friends joked about duking it out while attending the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight on Friday evening. How about we leave the boxing to the boxers from now on? Also, fix your servers, Netflix. 

Ex-Celtic Robert Williams is finally healthy. It’s hard not to get nostalgic watching him leap to the rafters to throw down alley-oops like this. Just do us all a favor, Portland, and don’t trade him to the Lakers.

ON THIS DAY | NOVEMBER 18, 1986

The Rocket Rises

Roger Clemens wins AL MVP. The 23-year-old phenom made history in his third season, winning 24 games and becoming the first MLB pitcher ever to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game. He also became the first Red Sox player to earn All-Star MVP honors since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1970 — a feat Jarren Duran also accomplished this past season. The fire-balling righty helped lead the 1986 squad to the World Series, though they lost to the Mets in seven games.

Also on this day, in 1997: the Sox pulled off a blockbuster trade for Hall-of-Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez. Three All-Star games, three CY Young Awards, and a World Series title later, we can safely say that deal worked out for Boston.

THE BEST THING I SAW IN SPORTS

Never a doubt

😤 NBC Sports Boston crushed the call of Tatum’s buzzer-beater. Drew Carter’s breakdown of the busted play and nimble flip to his “Yes sir!” call as Tatum’s game-winner dropped made for excellent listening. But Brian Scalabrine’s nonplussed reaction mixed with his echo of Tatum’s “What can they say now?” quip after winning the NBA Finals was priceless. The only thing colder than the shot was the “White Mamba” stare.

🗞 That’s a wrap. I’m making a meme out of Scal’s face and breaking it out whenever Tatum nails a clutch shot (or I hear an awful take on sports radio.)

🏆 We asked, you answered … 74% of you who responded Friday said David Ortiz is your favorite Boston sports free-agent signing ever. Here’s hoping Soto eventually becomes the second!

🙌 Special shoutout to today's sponsor, Flexcar, for supporting local journalism and making transportation more affordable and accessible in Boston.

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