Arizona leaning toward Big 12 move as Pac-12 slips away further; Diana Taurasi makes history ... again

Happy Friday, everyone!

Let's get right to it.

😬 It's not such a good morning for ...

THE PAC-12 ... AGAIN

The collapse comes slowly and then all at once. More than a year after losing USC and UCLA to the Big Ten -- and a week after losing Colorado to the Big 12 -- the Pac-12 is primed to lose another member thanks in part to an underwhelming media rights deal presentation.

Arizona is having significant discussions to join the Big 12 and is considered a "hard lean" toward making the move, sources told Dennis Dodd. The Big 12 unanimously approved the Wildcats as the conference's 14th team, should the move happen, according to multiple reports.

Yes, this is the second straight day the Pac-12 is in this section. With Arizona leaning toward joining the Pac-12, Arizona State and Utah are strong candidates to follow suit. That would mean all four of the "Four Corners" schools (Colorado included) would be gone.
Furthermore, Big Ten school presidents authorized commissioner Tony Petitti to explore conference expansion with a focus on Oregon and Washington. The Big Ten is also examining the possibility of adding Stanford and California in addition to the Huskies and Ducks.
If you're losing track, I don't blame you. If all the teams mentioned in the above bullet points do indeed leave, the Pac-12 would be Oregon State and Washington State by the 2024-25 season. In other words, it would likely cease to exist. Yikes.
This disaster came about in large part due to the Pac-12's inability to obtain a strong media rights deal. The current agreement with ESPN and Fox ends after the upcoming season. All other Power Five conference have deals through at least 2031.

Nothing's official, but the Pac-12 as we knew it was already slipping away, and now the Pac-12 as a whole may be as well.

😞 Not so honorable mentions

The Yankees placed Anthony Rizzo on the IL with a "likely" concussion stemming from a collision from all the way back in May.
The Rays placed Shane McClanahan (forearm discomfort) on the IL.
Packers president and former Northwestern athletic director Mark Murphy was named as a defendant in two lawsuits regarding the hazing scandal at Northwestern.
Former NBA player Terrence Williams was sentenced to 10 years in prison for defrauding the league's health and welfare benefit plan.

🐐 But it's a good morning to everyone else, especially ...

DIANA TAURASI

It's been more than six years since Diana Taurasi became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, but the Mercury legend's bucket-getting ways didn't stop there. Not even close. Taurasi reached 10,000 points for her career Thursday night, exploding for 42 points -- her most since 2010 -- in a 91-71 blowout of the Dream.

Taurasi entered the night needing 18 points to reach the milestone. She got there in the third quarter. Here's the historic moment.
It was Taurasi's fourth career 40-point game, breaking a tie with Maya Moore for most in league history. At 41 years old, Taurasi also became the oldest player with a 40-pointer, five years older than Cynthia Cooper when she did it at 36 years old in 1999.
For more context, Taurasi is more than 2,500 points ahead of the second all-time leading scorer, Tina Thompson, and more than 3,300 ahead of the closest active player, DeWanna Bonner.

Jack Maloney looked back on the most memorable moments of Taurasi's career, and this one will certainly rank up there.

😃 Honorable mentions

After a tough first inning, Max Scherzer settled in and got the win in his Rangers debut.
The Bears signed Yannick Ngakoue.
DeMarcus Ware sang the national anthem ahead of the Hall of Fame Game, which the Browns won, 21-16.

⚽ Sweden vs. USWNT: Will Stars & Stripes turn it around?

It's officially do or die time for the United States women's national team. After slogging through the group stage, the USWNT faces a talented Sweden side, and yes, unfortunately, kickoff is at another inconvenient time in the United States.

But I'll be getting up early Sunday morning, and I hope you'll join me. Knockout-round soccer is amazing, and I have a feeling we'll see a much better effort. Plus, in the face of criticism, the USWNT is maintaining an upbeat attitude, notes Pardeep Cattry.

Cattry: "'We are not panicking,' forward Lynn Williams said at a press conference Thursday. 'We have made it to the round of 16. I think that we haven't played our best soccer yet, which is the most exciting part for us.' ... The team is instead taking a more positive and forward-thinking approach ahead of their encounter against Sweden on Sunday. ... To do so, the USWNT are searching for the one thing they feel they were missing during the group stage: joy on the field."

Joy should help, but it will only go so far, especially against an opponent of this caliber. Sandra Herrera has the scouting report on the Swedes.

🏈 Some Colts execs open to trading Jonathan Taylor?

Another day, another twist in the Jonathan Taylor-Colts saga. Some Colts executives are open to trading the star running back, according to reports, even though owner Jim Irsay has vowed to keep him in Indianapolis.

As we detailed on Monday, this all goes back to running backs' frustrations with their contracts, something Taylor commented on as well.
Long story short, Irsay was not supportive of the running backs' ideas, he and Taylor's agent had some pointed comments and tweets, and Taylor requested a trade.
Further complicating the situation is Taylor's injury status: He's still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, which placed him on the physically unable to perform list. Taylor also reportedly suffered a back injury while training away from the facility, though he vehemently denied that report.
Now, according to reports, Taylor is also frustrated with how the Colts managed his injuries.

There are a lot of ways this can end, but none of them are particularly appealing for the Colts or Taylor. Former agent Joel Corry looked at what to consider going forward ...

Corry: "One thing the Colts probably don't have to worry about regardless of how disgruntled Taylor is is him walking out of training camp. It would be a rare and risky move with potentially devastating consequences for the 24-year-old. ... Taylor doesn't have any leverage in the situation. Outside becoming a big enough distraction where Irsay changes his mind about a trade or getting an offer he can't refuse, Taylor is going to have play for the Colts this season in a 'marriage of convenience.'"

⚾ Which MLB star will be traded next?

One trade window ends and another one creaks open. With the MLB trade deadline having come and gone, we already have an eye toward this winter's hot stove. The next few months will determine playoff teams, and eventually, a champion; however, the byproduct is every team's outlook will change regarding the 2024 season, too. So, to wrap up trade deadline week, R.J. Anderson looked at eight stars who could be traded this winter (nearly half of the list plays for the Brewers).

Corbin Burnes, RHP -- "Burnes is listed first because he's already had a public dispute with the franchise over the arbitration process that saw him admit it harmed their relationship. ... Barring an injury or an unforeseen development, he should be in line to receive the kind of massive free-agent contract that franchises like Milwaukee seldom hand out. That doesn't mean Burnes will definitely be traded this winter. It does mean that the Brewers are probably already planning for life after him."
Willy Adames, SS -- "From where we're sitting, the free-agent deals signed by other star shortstops in recent winters makes it difficult to see him giving up a chance to test the open market when he's this close to dipping his toes in the water. As such, the Brewers would be wise to at least gauge the market for Adames this winter. You know, just in case something good is out there."
Brandon Woodruff, RHP -- "He's missed most of the campaign because of a shoulder strain. He'll need to prove that he's the same caliber of pitcher that he was before the injury, which is to say a well-above-average starter with two All-Star Game appearances and a top-five finish in Cy Young Award balloting to his name."

You can see all eight here.