Rixon Sports Report - Mon. May 12th, 2025

NBA Draft Lottery is tonight (CBS Sports)

NBA Playoff ratings remain strong (Front Office Sports)

NFL releases some matchups ahead of Tuesday's schedule release (USA Today)

Sparks' Dearica Hamby lawsuit against Aces can continue (Sportico)

NHL's Utah Club is now the "Mammoth" (NHL)

Money puring into Utah sports ownership (Front Office Sports)

Transcript

Good morning, I’m Joe Rixon and this is the Rixon Sports Report, the fastest three minutes in sports business with today’s top stories for Monday, May 12th, 2025.

It’s officially NBA Draft Lottery Day, so get whatever incense, prayers or good vibes you need to do this morning to boost your team’s odds.  The Jazz, Wizards and Hornets all with a 14% chance of landing the opportunity to take Cooper Flagg.  Pelicans and Sixers rounding out the top 5 with a 12% and 10.5% chance respectively.  CBS Sports will the full odds breakdown, and the lottery broadcast begins at 7pm on ESPN.

Sticking with the NBA, Playoff ratings remain strong.  The Warriors game 2 Thursday night without Steph Curry only saw a 3% drop for game two vs. Tuesday’s game 1.  As of the finale of game twos last week, the NBA still seeing a 6% increase over last year.  That being said, the NBA is probably praying for a quick Curry return, as the loss of both the Lakers and Warriors would certainly create an uphill climb the remainder of the playoffs.  Front Office Sports with the ratings stats a breakdown of the Warriors game plan.

The NFL schedule release is Wednesday, but we’re getting an idea of how the schedule is set up with a few leaks and some early teases hitting the press today, USA Today with the coverage.  Looks like we’ll have a week one international game in Brazil between the Chargers and Chiefs, one of seven international matchups and the NFL officially announcing the season will kick of between the Eagles and Cowboys on Thursday, September 4th.  As always, the NFL does a great job of making their offseason events marquee must-see.

Sportico with the full breakdown on the status of the Dearica Hamby lawsuit against the WNBA and Las Vegas.  A mix of good and bad from Hamby’s perspective, with the judge dropping the lawsuit against the WNBA but allowing the suit against the Aces to continue into pretrial discovery.  The now Sparks forward was suing both entities with claims of sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and retaliation when she was traded to the Los Angeles in 2023 because she was pregnant. Hamby also claims the WNBA and Aces retaliated after she accused the Aces of discrimination on social media.  

Hamby has claimed the Las Vegas Aces gave her impermissible benefits outside of her contract, such as free housing and private school tuition for her daughters as accused Aces head coach Becky Hammon of criticizing her for becoming pregnant. Hammon, according to Hamby, suggested she was placing her personal/family interests above those of the team and went so far as to tell Hamby “your Time with the Aces is up.”  the WNBA did levy penalties to the Aces, rescinding an Aces 2025 first round pick and suspending Becky Hammon for two games “violating league and team Respect in the Workplace policies.”  Both the WNBA and Aces deny any wrongdoing.

After four rounds of voting we finally have settled one of the most important issues facing Americans - a name for the Utah hockey club.  Utah going with the Mammoth as a tribute to the animal that called the state home during the last ice age.  NHL is a full write-up.  Speaking of Utah, Front Office Sports with a great, comprehensive write up last week on the money being poured into Utah-based sports ownership.  You can find the link, as always, at RixonSports.com

This has been the Rixon Sports Report.  Have a great Monday everyone.