Fear the Links: What do we actually know about Isaiah Thomas’ injury?

Happy Thursday, everyone. Here are today’s links, where we are going to talk more and more about Isaiah Thomas’ hip.

If you’re looking for WNBA coverage, I’d recommend Swish Appeal and Summitt Hoops.

At ESPN, Tom Haberstroh goes long on Thomas’ injury status and why he might be in trouble than anyone realize. This is essential Cavs reading.

At Sports Illustrated, Rob Mahoney get into how Derrick Rose might fit as Thomas’ replacement. This line is key, to me: “This is both the most talented replacement the Cavs could hope for under these circumstances and a particularly awkward fit—the sort of experiment that puts the chemistry of the game on full display.”

At Yahoo, Michael Lee profiles Kyrie Irving and in the article, Irving’s high school says the former Cavs guard will win MVP this year.

The New Yorker’s Alexis Okeowo writes about the fight for women’s basketball in Somalia. Save some time for this one.

Lastly, at FiveThirtyEight, Mike Goodman looks at how the U.S. is screwing itself in World Cup qualifying.