The WNBA has experienced significant growth over the past few years. Though it’d be great to attribute it to pure talent, that only tells part of the story.

Outsiders want drama, intense storylines and rivalries — with a touch of good basketball.

Even lifelong fans can’t resist a touch of “spiciness” to add to their fandom. However, for broadcasts, social media, blogs and journalistic outlets, when does it start straying from the factual realm and become a “hot topic” section?

In Saturday night’s first matchup of the season between the Seattle Storm (5-15) and the Atlanta Dream (12-7), the Storm earned their second consecutive win after defeating the Dream 105-90. Two games earlier, they were on an 11-game losing skid before snapping it against the New York Liberty on June 22 and carrying that momentum into Saturday against Atlanta.

That’s a storyline in itself.

Seattle’s young frontcourt is finding ways to win against dominant teams and is on track for an epic comeback story if it continues.

If that wasn’t headline-worthy enough, rookie Awa Fam scored a career-high 21 points against Atlanta’s defense-heavy lineup while shooting 5-for-6 from 3-point range. Dominique Malonga became the youngest player in WNBA history to record eight career double-doubles after finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds against Atlanta.

Flau’jae Johnson also recorded a double-double, scoring 24 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and adding four assists.

All five starters scored in double figures that night, bringing everything back to Johnson’s quote following Seattle’s June 10 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.

“They say no rain, no flowers. And I feel like as long as we’re growing, it’s (progress) going to happen…the thing about this organization is that every day it’s like next play mentality and, and good people to be around, amazing vets and everybody’s trying to get better every day,” Johnson said.

Four games later, something clicked.

This, however, wasn’t the story tied to Seattle’s win over the Dream.

This matchup marked the first professional meeting between two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese and her former LSU teammate, Johnson. Though the two have had a murky history since shortly after winning a national championship together, there haven’t been any public developments regarding where they currently stand.

With 1:02 remaining and Seattle leading by 14 points (103-89), Johnson was seen hugging and high-fiving her teammates as if the game were already over. She then walked over to Reese for a high-five, which Reese dismissively waved off as she continued toward her own teammates.

That was it.

That’s the story.

And somehow, it became the headline of the night.

Not Johnson’s postgame comments about how emotional she became after seeing her team’s unity come together.

“We had some real conversations. Some real accountability conversations in real time and we held each other accountable,” Johnson said. “At the end, we said ‘we’re in this together,’ and we shook back and we took that lead at the end of the fourth quarter… I just felt like that was so powerful. It kind of brought tears to my eyes. I told y’all, no rain, no flowers.”

That was the night.

A full-circle moment that showed the heart and dedication behind a young team learning how to work together and pull off these wins. It was about the younger players stepping up and what this could look like in upcoming matchups against teams also playing with chips on their shoulders after tough losses of their own.

On the flip side, Atlanta dropped its third consecutive game for the first time since 2024. How will the Dream get things back together? What was behind these losses? And what could this look like against a young Mystics team that’s also finding ways to win?

There were so many directions this story could have gone, rather than media outlets like ESPN leading with a narrative that encouraged fans to dig deeper into a split-second interaction.

I’d be naïve if I pretended drama isn’t entertaining. It’s a great source of conversation and can quickly turn into a storyline that gets blown out of proportion. However, at the same time, it doesn’t benefit either player or reflect the actual story of the game.

So when we call ourselves a trusted media source but continue to find ways to stir up drama, what does that say about the future of sports reporting—and about putting the athletes first?

Are we chasing clicks, or are we finding the real story?

Thursday morning wasn’t an ordinary summer morning for sprinter phenom Melanie Doggett. This morning, she was preparing for an interview.

Lying out her outfit the night before, she used the morning to get ready like any other day of preparation for a normal school day. When her parents, Brandon and Melissa Doggett, informed her of the interview, Melanie grew excited to take part in it, especially since it had been previously cancelled, but when she arrived at Landmark Christian School, she sensed something was different.

This wasn’t a normal interview.

In fact, it wasn’t an interview at all.

Melanie walked expectantly with her parents and two siblings on either side of her down the track, towards a young woman she didn’t recognize standing a few feet in front of her with a cameraman at her side, catching her every move forward.

“Good morning,” the woman called out as they grew closer.

They responded, casually and collected, while trying to match each other’s strides.

What was on the other side of the bleachers was yet to be discovered as her Coach Sierra Dukes finally appeared out of nowhere, a wide smile plastered on her face as she greeted the family, holding a massive trophy that could only mean one thing.

Melanie Doggett was the 2025-26 Gatorade National Player of the Year, becoming the first freshman to win the award in track and field.

Dukes announced this to her while handing her the illustrious vessel. As Melanie processed this, she turned slightly to her side and placed her hand over her mouth in shock.

A crowd of family, friends, teammates and coaches all cheered with congratulations, running up and embracing her with joy from behind the bleachers.

“It was a nice experience,” Melanie said in a press conference interview afterwards. “Great seeing my family and friends who came from North Carolina and Kentucky, and just to see people, and then also seeing my friends who go here, and just having my community around me was really nice.”

Prior to Melanie’s arrival, everyone got a chance to take a look at the award. Names of athletes who’ve received the same prestigious honor in the past were etched in the gold plate surrounding the trophy.

“It [Gatorade Player of the Year award] is given to the most deserving athlete, and I know that Melanie is one of the most deserving athletes,” Briana Campbell, another one of Melanie’s school track coaches, explained. “So as I read over the names, I see Sydney [McLaughlin-Levrone], I see Allison [Felix], I see Marion [Jones], I see Candace Hill. All of these are great.”

“All of these have done great things in that world of track and field for females. They have paved the way, and I just feel like Melanie is another one that is paving the way for these young girls who are looking up to her…knowing that they can start young and they can do great things as they get older, with hard work, perseverance, and loving the Lord.”

Through the hugs and congratulatory wishes of the village surrounding her, Melanie had another surprise as she received a tap on her shoulder and turned.

Instantly, she ran into the arms of a young woman behind her and teared up. The woman, who shared a resemblance, smiled widely at the crying girl in her arms.

It was her older sister, Brianna Doggett, who traveled to Georgia just for this moment.

“I just don’t see her often, because she lives in Kentucky,” Melanie said when asked about the interaction. “She’s in college… it was just good to see her.”

Melanie is no stranger to breaking records and setting standards in her events. Just last week, she won both her 100-meter (11.18 seconds) and 200-meter (22.48 seconds) events in the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

And before entering high school, she became one of the youngest athletes to sign an NIL sponsorship with Nike.

Receiving the Gatorade Player of the Year honor, however, was another level she was astonished to reach.

“Gatorade is everywhere, that’s the first electrolyte drink every person gets when they’re like five at a youth track meet,” Melanie said. “… and so it’s exciting to be honored, and for them to recognize me.”

Melanie also shared that a prior Gatorade Player of the Year athlete she looks up to is four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin [Levrone], who was the first to get the award twice in Track & Field upon her high school graduation.

To put things into perspective, the Gatorade Player of the Year program evaluates elite high school athletes across the nation to select one state winner in 12 different sports.

Though 607 athletes are honored each year, only one national winner is chosen in each of the 12 sports.

Melanie is also set to make her appearance as a finalist in this year’s ESPYs, where the top overall male and female high school athlete of the year will be presented with their trophies during the broadcast.

Not only is the committee looking for high-level talent on the field, but also commendable character off it. And there were plenty of responses to vouch for Melanie’s.

“Off the track, Melanie is definitely a really hard worker, and a just a humble kind spirit in my opinion,” Melanie’s older brother, Bryson Doggett, explained.

“Whenever she’s not running track, she’s working really hard on her schoolwork. She always asks me for help if she needs it, and she’s the kindest person at school. You see her walking through the hallway, she’s smiling at people, laughing, having a good time…she’s such a special person that uplifts all of God’s people.”

Melanie’s grandmother, Judie Crowder, flew in from Monroe, North Carolina, to witness the event. Her face beamed at any mention of her talented grandchildren, and she reminisced about Melanie’s younger years and how her exemplary characteristics were shown even then.

“When she [Melanie] was younger and racing, and they [teammates] finished the race, parents and coaches would fuss at the children, and she said, ‘That’s not right,’” Crowder explained. “She said it takes effort to run, and so when she runs her race, and at the end of the race, she greets everybody, ‘good race,’ and so that’s her humbleness, and you know, she has a good heart for people.” Crowder briefly closed her eyes and smiled. “Yeah, that’s a good story. I love that story.”

Melissa Doggett knew track would be in Melanie’s future since she was four. She would play tag with the older kids waiting at the bus stop, but would always stay out of their grasp. It was impossible for the towering 10-year-olds to catch her.

So, the next year, Melissa and Brandon found a track club to foster this sparked talent.

“I don’t think I had limits on it [her talent], but anything is possible,” Melissa said. “That mentality in eighth grade when she ran that 7.17 [ Indoor 60-meter dash], I was like, anything… I’m not even gonna put what it’s [next steps] gonna be, because I have no clue. It’s not in my hands, it’s in God’s hands.”

Coach Sam Gary, founder and director of Melanie’s summer track club, Major Impact, had the same response when asked about the highlight of coaching Melanie. She added that she was still trying to process that race and that it’ll always stick with her.

When word got to her that Melanie was receiving the Gatorade Player of the Year award, she was speechless.

“I’m obviously so proud of her, and everything that she’s accomplishing on and off the track. And again, I know a lot of you guys see Melanie and all the great things that she does on the track as an athlete, but she’s an even better person, and so I’m more proud of the person that she’s becoming,” Gary said.

The smiles and achievements didn’t come without their challenges, however. Early in Melanie’s middle school career, she tore her hip and had to learn to navigate that at such a young age.

“It really hurt my feelings, like a lot, because it’s like, okay, I can’t run and do what I love anymore, and it gave me a new appreciation for track…this is what you’ve been doing your whole life, basically, and now you have to stop because you didn’t take care of yourself,” Melanie smiled as she continued, blinking back tears. “So I vowed to never let that happen again. I’m always going to take care of myself and make sure I’m okay to run.”

Staying grounded in her faith, Melanie explained that remembering that Christ’s strength is made powerful through her weakness has helped her push forward in her already stellar career. And her advice for the athletes looking up to her is to stay focused on their own stories without worrying about how their competition performs.

“You’re your own person, and you have the steps in your life that you’re going to walk that God has set out for you…so just take your time, walk your own path, and just be you,” Melanie said.

Still in the semi-early days of summer, one might wonder how this young prodigy is planning to celebrate her newest achievement while checking a trip off her bucket list before her sophomore year begins.

Universal Studios came up as an idea.

A final message from Melanie, but this time to her parents…

“When are we going to be at the airport?” Melanie asked with a laugh. “Let’s start booking trips, start planning. Let’s buy tickets, let’s get to getting.”

The Golden State Valkyries set the tone in their first matchup against the Atlanta Dream, holding Atlanta to a season-low 66 points in a 77-66 victory.

Gabby Williams led the way with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists while going 3-for-5 from 3-point range.

The court isn’t the only place she’s showing leadership, however.

Guard Veronica Burton spoke about how the team’s selflessness and communication helped stop Atlanta, but also how she looks to Williams to push her to be a better leader.

Here is how Williams responded in the postgame press conference:

“She’s got a lot on her shoulders, and I just want to make sure she knows that she’s never alone,” Williams said. “She’s someone who thinks about her teammates before herself, and sometimes that’s a gift and a curse, because it can feel heavy, and so I just want to make sure that you know it doesn’t have to feel that way.”

“Just keep encouraging her. I think she’s doing an excellent job as our floor general, and just making sure that she never doubts that.”

Adding to this bond, head coach Natalie Nakase and members of the team repeat one word that shows up on the court: trust.

That trust, backed by the preparation and discipline Nakase consistently praises, was apparent as the Valkyries learned from their back-to-back losses and entered the matchup with renewed confidence to clinch the win.

This expansion team is becoming a force to be reckoned with. With 11 wins under its belt, Golden State is looking to make a statement with the pieces it continues to put together on the floor.

An 18-5 run helped the Valkyries build a 17-point halftime lead (44-27), giving them the boost they needed to finish what they started, even through the fourth-quarter spark the Dream have become known for.

Alongside Williams, Kayla Thornton added 17 points and five rebounds to help keep the momentum going.

“I think I just went out there and just played free, not thinking, not overthinking anything, and trusting my teammates, depending on my teammates, and so when you do that, great things happen,” Thornton said.

The Valkyries expect to see a different version of Atlanta’s offense when the teams meet again on Friday, but they’ll look to rely on the same flow-state level of play and leadership that carried them to victory in this matchup.

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