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The WNBA is boomin' right now ... and it's all thanks to Caitlin Clark and the league's new crop of rookies, at least that's according to Tina Charles, who's crediting the youngsters for injecting a whole new life into the game.

The Atlanta Dream star didn't mince words when TMZ Sports caught up with her at LAX this week ... saying straight up the WNBA's "new generation" is responsible for all of the new buzz that's now surrounding the league.

"The energy that we're getting, the reception, the eyes that we're getting on us -- this is amazing," the center said.

Austin Rogers isn't turning his nose up at the pop culture "Jeopardy!" spin-off ... saying trivia buffs like him are cool with the traditional game -- but, there's a new breed of fans out there.

We caught up with the "Jeopardy!" champ this week at his bar Gaf West in NYC ... and we had to ask him about his thoughts on the new entertainment-focused game coming to Amazon Prime.

Rogers says he loves the democratization of his fav trivia game ... mentioning people have different interests and knowledge bases -- and, that's something to celebrate, not denigrate.

The new documentary about Ashley Madison's infamous cyberattack isn't warning people away from the service ... according to one exec, it's actually boosting membership, including famous folks!

We talked with Paul Keable -- the Chief Strategy Officer for Ashley Madison -- and he tells us memberships are up in recent days thanks to "Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal" going #1 on Netflix. Paul figures it's partly 'cause people forgot the site exists until they saw the doc.

Paul says celebs do still use the site despite the 2015 hack that leaked many prominent people's names as allegedly having accounts. He thinks this is because they're dealing with the same issues as normies, feeling trapped in monogamy and it gives them a chance to explore in a safe space.

If ya don't know, Ashley Madison launched as a dating site for married people, and still promotes itself with the tagline ... "Life is Short. Have an affair."

If Paige Spiranac wants to prove to the world once and for all she does, indeed, have nipples ... TMZ Sports has learned one adult website is willing to shell out a small fortune for her to do it on camera.

Reps for Camsoda tell us ... they officially extended the offer to the Sports Illustrated model and golf influencer on Friday, after learning there were actually people on the internet who wondered if her now-famous boobs have nipples attached to them.

Paige, of course, debunked the theory with her words in an Instagram post earlier this week ... but Camsoda officials say they can fork over $250,000 for her to prove it for good on video.

Forget the first inning, Jimmy Rollins says Shohei Ohtani should focus on the ninth innings when he fully recovers from Tommy John surgery ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Dodgers star's future on the mound is as a closer.

The 29-year-old, of course, has been a starter and a designated hitter throughout the majority of his historic, two-way career ... but after having his second major elbow procedure this past offseason, Rollins told us he thinks Ohtani should have a very limited pitching future going forward.

Specifically, the former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop says he would like to see Ohtani bat at the dish and then be used out of the bullpen once healthy ... in an effort to preserve his golden arm.

Francis Ford Coppola either has another masterpiece, or a dud in his new "Megalopolis" movie -- and amid comparisons to "The Room," one of its OG stars is betting on Coppola.

Word outta Cannes is that FFC's self-financed passion project is such a mess that it compares to the 2003 cult classic film by Tommy Wiseau -- which has been labeled so-bad-it's-good.

Greg Sestero played the dude who was Tommy's best friend in the flick -- he was on the receiving end of Tommy's infamous "Oh, hi Mark" line -- and he told us if Francis' movie is being compared to their flick, he's most likely got magic on his hands.

The jersey worn during one of the most memorable no-hitters in Major League Baseball is hitting the auction block -- Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott's game-used AND autographed threads from his iconic 1993 outing.

Abbott -- who was born without a right hand -- threw the five-walk no-no in a home contest against Cleveland on September 4, 1993 ... leading New York to a 4-0 victory and solidifying his place in the history books and inspiring millions in the process.

31 years later, the top Abbott donned for the game is up for grabs via Grey Flannel Auctions ... with a starting bid of $5,000.

Scottie Scheffler makes fast friends ... he wasn't in very long, but the world's number one golfer was a hit with fellow inmates -- and even law enforcement -- while behind bars!

TMZ Sports spoke to a man who was locked up with 27-year-old Scheffler Friday morning in Louisville ... and he told us the 2x Masters winner couldn't have been cooler during his couple-hours stay in lockup.

In fact, our witness didn't even know Scheffler was a star athlete, at the center of the biggest sports story in the world, until a police officer gave him the 411 ... saying, "You know you're talking to the number one golfer in the world, right?"

We asked Scheffler's fellow inmate about the golfer's demeanor while in custody.

"He kept saying it was bulls*** that he was there."

Scottie was seemingly popular among law enforcement behind bars, too. We're told he was drawing a crowd, with several jail staff and corrections officials popping out to take a peek at Scheffler.

Our witness even says he heard staff wondering how long Scottie would be held before being released.

Turns out his stay was rather fast. Scheffler, arrested during the 6 o'clock hour, somehow made his 10:08 AM tee time ... where the best player in the world proceeded to birdie the first hole (of course), and shoot a 5-under, 66 2nd round at the PGA Championship.

In fact, Scheffler's fast release (8:40 AM) has been the source of some controversy in Lousiville ... with some questioning how he was sprung so fast despite being arrested on 4 charges, including felony assault, for allegedly injuring (wrist and knee) an LMPD detective.

After he was released, Scottie addressed the incident, calling it a "misunderstanding."

"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today."

The woman who made headlines for photobombing Stephen Curry at an NBA game is making a no-brainer business move -- she's joining OnlyFans.

As TMZ Sports previously reported ... Katherine Taylor went viral back in March when she was spotted cheering on the action in a low-cut top at the Warriors' home contest against the Milwaukee Bucks -- and a ton of horny hoop fans rushed to social media to track down her identity, which didn't take long.

The admiration got to the point where Taylor's "luxury girlfriend" service was bombarded with so many requests, she had to increase her rate to $1,500 an hour (a $600 increase).

Matt Prokop -- a former child actor who was the subject of a restraining order for allegedly abusing Sarah Hyland -- has been arrested in Texas, TMZ has learned.

Victoria PD Sergeant Dailey tells TMZ ... Prokop and his girlfriend were out together Saturday when she allegedly told someone Matt assaulted her. Police were called to the location, but say the two were gone when they arrived.

About an hour later, cops say they received a call about a disturbance at another spot in Victoria ... where they say they found Matt and his girlfriend.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori chowing down at America's Diner isn't something you'd expect, but their affordable meal comes as a major shakeup goes down at Ye's company.

New video obtained by TMZ shows Kanye -- with a white hoodie tight around his face -- walking into a Santa Barbara Denny's behind Bianca, who was in one of those skintight nude-colored bodysuits she loves. They were keeping a somewhat low profile, but it's clearly them.

We're told they arrived at the restaurant around 8 PM Monday, and were very animated with each other during their meal. Plus, eyewitnesses say an issue with the food might have sparked an argument with their server.

Gayle King is dishing on how she got cover ready for her photo shoot with Sports Illustrated ... giving cred to the very company her pal Oprah Winfrey just ditched, at least professionally.

We caught up with Gayle in NYC, where the CBS News anchor shared she never dreamed of being an S.I. Swimsuit cover model ... but hinted she really doesn't hate all the attention that comes with it.

She kinda said it all when she admitted, "I am still floating."

Tyson Fury's a superstar, and his career's been one big fight after another ... but none bigger than Saturday's scrap with Oleksandr Usyk, according to The Gypsy King himself!

35-year-old Fury joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) -- along with his 12-year-old son Prince John James -- where he talked about the magnitude of the bout.

"It's definitely up there with the big ones," Fury said, continuing, "The second Wilder fighter when we were both champions, both undefeated, he was 43-0 with 42 KOs. I was 30-0. The Klitschko fight, that was a big one for me. But this is equally as big."

Devin Funchess has successfully made the transition from NFL player to pro hooper ... but he tells TMZ Sports he's not done yet -- he still wants to make it to the NBA!!

The ex-Carolina Panthers wideout has been training for years to establish himself as a big-time baller on the hardwood ... and so far, the journey's gone well.

He's played overseas at a few stops ... with his most recent contract coming from the Colombia Basketball League -- and he says he's pleased with how the new career's going.

Ramiz Brahimaj has never lost by knockout or submission in his UFC career ... but Themba Gorimbo tells TMZ Sports that's all about to change when they face each other at UFC Vegas 92 on Saturday!!

"If you look at his records, he has not been finished yet, whether it's by submission or knockout," the welterweight said ahead of his big fight.

"The key word is 'yet' ... and I need to remove that and make it a reality and go out there and do what I do best."

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann may still be under the same roof -- but are keeping their distance big time ... including coordinating times they can each access their closet.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge laid out a very formal plan that dictates when the estranged exes are both allowed to use their shared closet at their Georgia home ... this as they continue to figure out how to navigate their ongoing divorce.

Per the paperwork ... the former 'RHOA' star has been granted access to their master bedroom closet Monday through Friday, but only between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM.