The highs and lows of the WNBA’s rapid growth

The GIST: Tonight’s WNBA Canada game was set to be a victory lap, celebrating the league’s growth and Toronto as its first Canadian expansion city. But some on- and off-court drama is crashing the party before the 10 p.m. ET tipoff, demonstrating the challenges of a rapid rise to the mainstream.

🌋 Conflict erupts on the court: Wednesday’s matchup between the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun made headlines for all the wrong reasons — Connecticut’s Bria Hartley and Chicago’s Rebecca Allen and Ariel Atkins were ejected when a fight for a rebound turned into an actual fight.

• The W has always been a sharp-elbowed league, but it’s under a microscope recently thanks to a spate of hard fouls on Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark, prior to her most recent injury.

• Clark’s arrival has been tremendous for the W’s popularity, bringing legions of new fans to the game — and some aren’t used to the W’s history of physicality, meaning not all of this new attention is positive.

🌡️ Off-court tension rising: Behind-the-scenes drama also rocked the league this week. Fever forward Sophie Cunningham continued her public campaign against the W’s referees on her podcast, accusing them of playing favorites with Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers. Equally messy were the conflicting narratives around the Sun’s potential sale and relocation.

• And all of this happens against the backdrop of ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations, in which the league is positioned as an adversary against its stars. Eek.

🔍 Zooming out: With the intense scrutiny the league is suddenly enduring, growing pains are to be expected. But while the public infighting draws more eyeballs, some worry that the drama isn’t good for the game. Is it true that all press is good press? Reply to this email to let us know your thoughts.