9 can’t-miss sporting events this weekend

There’s an age-old saying — first made famous by the ancient Romans, I believe — and it goes: “Everybody’s working for the weekend.”

Well, my fellow workers, the weekend has arrived, and with it: SPORTS! Here, as always, is your handy-dandy Friday list of what to watch and what to read when it comes to athletics.

WNBA IS BACK!

First, read our beautiful WNBA preview that has everything you need to know about the upcoming season. Then watch your favorite women’s teams take the court for their first official games of the season on Saturday and Sunday. Here’s what we’ve got:

San Antonio Stars vs. New York Liberty, Saturday, 3 p.m. EST, NBATV, MSG

Seattle Storm vs. Los Angeles Sparks, Saturday, 5 p.m. EST, ESPN

Atlanta Dream vs. Connecticut Sun, Saturday, 7 p.m. EST, League Pass

San Antonio Stars vs. Washington Mystics, Sunday, League Pass, Monumental

Dallas Wings vs. Phoenix Mercury, Sunday, Twitter (weird, I know)

Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm, Sunday, 7 p.m. EST, League Pass, Q13/JoeTV

Chicago Sky vs. Minnesota Lynx, Sunday, 7 p.m. EST, League Pass, FS North, The U Too

GOLF! THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

The Players Championship is the biggest event of the PGA Tour season. It’s played with golf’s strongest field with all of its stars on hand, one of its richest purses, and on a fun and instantly recognizable course — TPC Sawgrass.

This is called the Stadium Course for a reason. It’s built for loud and rowdy crowds and set up perfectly for a TV broadcast. You know about the island par-3 17th and that will deliver all weekend. A renovated Sawgrass course should provide a good watch throughout, especially down the stretch on Sunday.

Coverage will be on NBC this weekend, with broadcasts running from 2 to 7 p.m. EST on Saturday and Sunday. PGA Tour Live will also be streaming featured groups and shots at the island 17th hole all day.

NBA PLAYOFFS

Hold onto your butts, because we’ve got an exciting event in the form of the Celtics-Wizards Game 6 in D.C. on Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Boston leads the series 3-2. Things have been ... not not ugly.

Since the Rockets had a spectacular meltdown Thursday night, on Sunday we get to watch the Spurs and Warriors face off in Game 1 of the Conference Finals at 3:30 p.m. EST on ABC.

HORSE RACING, IF YOU’RE INTO THAT

Maybe I’m just slightly addicted to horse racing after the Kentucky Derby, but if you want to watch some beautiful beasts gallop around a turf track, check out Nashville’s Steeplechase. It’s a tradition that’s been going on since 1941 and attracts over 25,000 people. You can livestream it here; the first race starts at 1 p.m. Central time. Last race ends around 5:30 p.m.

NHL PLAYOFFS

The conference finals, they are here! We’ve got Ducks vs. Predators on Friday at 9 p.m. EST on NBCS and Penguins vs. Senators on Saturday at 7 p.m. EST, on SN, NBC.

Also, the IIHF World Championships — Team USA plays Latvia on Saturday at 6:15 a.m. on NHL Network; Slovakia at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday.

Our hockey editor, Travis Hughes, wants you to know that the IIHF is “a dumb tournament at possibly the worst time of year” because the best players usually sit out or are still playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, he also adds that “it can be fun, and who cares about it being dumb when it’s an excuse to yell about America on a weekend morning.” The man has a point.

BASEBALL

The Yankees are retiring Derek Jeter’s No. 2 this weekend in a pregame ceremony before they face the Astros on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN, the second game of a doubleheader.

Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Chatwood will pitch against each other when the Dodgers play the Rockies, 10:10 p.m. EST on SNLA, FSFL. That should be fun.

UFC 211

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic defends his belt against former UFC champion Junior dos Santos in the main event. Joanna Jedrzejczyk puts her UFC strawweight title on the line against Jessica Andrade in the co-main event. Want to watch? Main card (PPV at 10 p.m. ET); Undercard (FX at 8 p.m. ET, UFC Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

LOL, what are you, nuts? There is none. It’s not football season. Man, it’s like you’re not even a real sports fan, SMH. (That means “shaking my head,” Mom.)

NASCAR

Sometimes the best thing to do is buckle up on your couch and watch a bunch of cars go around a track as fast as they can. On Saturday, you can do that for the Go Bowling 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles), 7:30 p.m. EST on FS1.

ON SB NATION

I wrote about what the Kentucky Derby shows us about America.

Ricky O’Donnell wrote about how Marvin Bagley III could be the future of basketball.

Bill Connelly on how Notre Dame went 4-8 (sorry, guys) and why things will get better.

Our Warriors blog on why Charles Barkley shouldn’t host a show about race.

Lamar Johnson and Andi Cwieka on how the WNBA recovered from its worst season ever

Tyler Tynes on Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s fight against the NFL for player safety.

OFF SB NATION

Caity Weaver profiled The Rock for GQ.

Wright Thompson wrote about horse farms and the graves of thoroughbreds for ESPN.

Andrew Sharp on James Harden’s meltdown for Sports Illustrated.

Jason Concepcion fixed the Cavs-Warriors problem for The Ringer.

Henry Abbott on LeBron James for ESPN.

Melissa Hoppert on American Pharaoh’s progeny for The New York Times.

Sunday is Mother’s Day, so if you can, call your mom. Or play catch with her — catch is sports!

Unrelated to Mother’s Day, I highly suggest you consider throwing your phone into a body of water and then spending a blessed few days completely unconnected from the internet and the rest of civilization until its replacement arrives.

Oh, also, go outside. It’s May. It’s nice out. Unless it’s raining. In which case, I don’t know, read a book or something.

(Correction: This post originally stated Derek Jeter’s jersey retirement would be shown before Saturday’s Astros-Yankees game. That game was rescheduled to Sunday for a doubleheader, per the Yankees.)