newyorker.com / .newyorker-com-sporting-scene

Even as the league drastically evolves, the narratives around it are still orbiting its aging icons.

Haters may complain about payroll disparities, but you can't love baseball and not stand in awe watching perhaps the greatest player who has ever lived.

The team's vibes might change if they start winning, and they usually do. But is it possible to win all the time without losing joy and spontaneity?

The W.N.B.A. star Napheesa Collier's blistering critique of the league has brought it to a turning point.