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Sky reunite Angel Reese with ex-LSU teammate through WNBA Draft
The Sky are hoping the second time's the charm for teammates Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith.
On Monday, the Sky selected Van Lith with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft, reuniting her with Reese, her 2023-24 teammate at LSU.
Van Lith's arrival in Baton Rouge came weeks after the Tigers' 2023 national championship, but she didn't have the season many expected playing with All-American talent Reese in the frontcourt.
LSU went 31-6 and lost to Iowa in the regional finals. In 33 games, Van Lith shot a career-low 37.8 percent and averaged 11.6 points, 3.6 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game.
"We ain't do it right the first time," Reese said in a social media post. "Let's run it back."
We ain’t do it right the first time. Let’s run it backkkkk https://t.co/8PXLsHkUyN
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 15, 2025
Van Lith rebounded for a sensational 2024-25 season at TCU. She led the Horned Frogs to the Elite Eight, their deepest NCAA tournament run in team history.
Van Lith averaged 17.9 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting and was named Big 12 Player of the Year.
The Sky are coming off consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2017-18. Van Lith joins a completely remade backcourt in Chicago.
Earlier this offseason, the Sky added guard Courtney Vandersloot and Kia Nurse in free agency and acquired guards Ariel Atkins and Rebecca Allen in trades.
Vandersloot rejoined the organization after two seasons with the Liberty, where she won the 2024 WNBA title. Vandersloot played her first 12 seasons with the Sky, averaging 10.2 points and 6.6 assists per game during that span (2011-22).
Nurse, a 2019 All-Star, appeared in all 40 games (27 starts) for the Sparks in 2024 and averaged 7.6 points per game.
Atkins, a five-time All-Defense team member, averaged 14.9 points and 1.5 steals per game with the Mystics in 2024. Nine-year WNBA veteran Allen only played in 18 games last year but is a reliable three-point threat with a career 36.3 percent rate from deep.
Van Lith will have the opportunity to learn behind Chicago's multiyear veterans. However, as a 3x3 women's basketball Olympian, she already has experience playing with pros, so her curve shouldn't be as steep as most rookies.
She could have the opportunity to play meaningful minutes for the Sky, who already have an excellent frontcourt led by Reese and fellow 2024 first-round pick Kamilla Cardoso.
The duo helped Chicago lead the league in rebounds per game (36.6), and Reese set the WNBA record for most rebounds (446) in a single season. The team's backcourt upgrades could be what it needs to move up the standings and back into the playoffs after a one-year absence.
Things didn't go as planned for Van Lith and Reese the last time they were teammates. The Sky have put in the work this offseason to potentially make things much better for the duo on the second go around.
More must-reads:
- Wings choose UConn star Paige Bueckers with No. 1 overall pick
- Paige Bueckers solidifies future with Unrivaled ahead of 2025 WNBA Draft
- The 'WNBA Draft first overall picks' quiz
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Report: Steelers turned down wild trade from Commanders for Terry McLaurin
The Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver situation has once again stolen attention heading into the season. The team has DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson ready to lead the way, along with tight ends Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington. That is a solid group of pass-catchers for Aaron Rodgers to work with, but many fans remain concerned about depth and the inevitable injuries that occur in the NFL. In a league where it is truly next man up, even one significant injury can dramatically affect a team’s offensive production. On Tuesday, new details emerged revealing that the Washington Commanders reportedly made a wild trade offer to Steelers general manager Omar Khan. Insider Andrew Fillipponi reported on 93.7 The Fan that a former NFL assistant GM said the offer included a second-round draft pick and Freiermuth in exchange for star wide receiver Terry McLaurin. "But one thing that did get thrown out at me from a guy who used to be an assistant general manager in the NFL, was the following trade proposal: He thinks Washington floated this to the Steelers, and it got quickly shut down.... He thinks Washington pushed for this deal and the Steelers were the ones who laughed at it." Such a blockbuster move would have dramatically reshaped Pittsburgh’s offense, but the team ultimately decided to pass. The Steelers would have been unwise to accept it. Trading a young tight end and a second-round pick for a talented but 29-year-old wide receiver who would demand top-tier money at the position would have been financially imprudent for the organization. That is likely why the team quickly dismissed the idea of such a wild trade. Still, it is intriguing to see that Pittsburgh may have been presented with a path to acquire McLaurin, even if it would have been a clearly bad deal. Steelers' 2025 season set to draw tons of extra attention The 2025 season is drawing a lot of attention, largely due to the addition of new faces on offense such as Rodgers and Metcalf. The two are expected to form a lethal duo, but concerns remain about the depth beyond Metcalf. That is why many Steelers fans feel that adding one more offensive weapon would provide greater comfort heading into the season. If the Steelers see a good deal that makes sense and improves their roster, they will take it, but for now, they appear to be staying patient. Khan is as aggressive as they come as of late. He's got his eyes set on bringing a Super Bowl back to Pittsburgh. Whether it can happen in the 2025 season remains to be seen. However, anything is truly possible in the NFL.
Steelers undrafted rookie reportedly upset Mike Tomlin before being cut
The Pittsburgh Steelers surprisingly had a few quality undrafted free agents during 2025 training camp and preseason, as many of them have put up an actual fight to make it to the 53-man roster. Unfortunately, there is very little room on the team, so some very tough decisions will have to be made on that front. Guys like Max Hurleman and JJ Galbreath have been stating their case throughout camp and into gameday, giving the coaching staff a good problem. One decision was surprisingly easy, however. During his weekly Q A chat, insider Ray Fittipaldo was asked about undrafted rookie Roc Taylor and why he was let go right after the preseason Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spoke about something that happened right before that contest. "[Roc Taylor] actually got in Tomlin's doghouse at the joint practice," Fittipaldo said. "Not sure if that's the sole reason he was cut, but maybe part of it." Fittipaldo would not expand on what happened, but head coach Mike Tomlin saw enough of the rookie before gameday. It looked like Taylor would at least get first dibs on a practice-squad spot if he was released on roster cutdown day, but now, it seems like his chance of developing in Pittsburgh is gone entirely. Now, he is just hoping someone gives him a call for a chance to be on a practice squad elsewhere. It seemed like Taylor's stock was rising after preseason Week 2. Hurleman had a very rough game, and the former Memphis Tigers standout had three receptions for 39 yards against the Bucs. He was the second-leading receiver on the team, only behind Roman Wilson. It looked like he was forcing himself onto a roster spot, but apparently, Tomlin might have just been waiting until after the game to tell him to pack his bags and try again somewhere else. Steelers' Recent Receiver Issues Make Taylor Cut Even More Concerning What makes this decision even more rough is the fact that the Steelers have three receivers who are not healthy at all. Calvin Austin III is trying to return after missing multiple weeks of practice with an injury, Ben Skowronek recently developed a toe issue and utility man Jonnu Smith has barely participated in practice since July. Spots were opening up for undrafted rookies to take, but Taylor may have said or done something inexcusable enough to lose that chance. The Steelers entered training camp with questionable wide receiver depth, and now it's only more concerning. Wilson's recent development has been the bright spot of the preseason at that position, as Scotty Miller has been taking over the role of WR3 since the game against Tampa Bay. That's why they brought in another possibly injured veteran, Gabe Davis, for a visit, and now they may be hoping that he does not sign elsewhere. Instead of Taylor taking the opportunity to push for a roster spot, guys like Hurleman and Brandon Johnson will be looking to make the team and stick around as numerous players recover from their injuries. With Davis having another visit on Wednesday and the Steelers playing in the preseason finale on Thursday, he most likely will not be signed until after that game. That means the bubble players can prove to the team that they don't need him. It's not public in regards to what Taylor did to get himself in trouble, but he could have had this prime opportunity to be on an active roster as an undrafted rookie. He could have easily been above Hurleman and Johnson on the depth chart. Instead, he is just hoping he makes any team's practice squad now.
Former Green Bay Packers RB to miss entire 2025 NFL season due to injury
The Green Bay Packers are dealing with some concerning injuries to significant members of their roster. As their fans are well aware, the Packers have seen multiple wide receivers projected to be at the top of the depth cart go down during training camp with various injuries. Christian Watson, of course, has not been practicing all offseason as he is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears. In addition to him, the Packers also played their previous preseason game without Romeo Doubs (back), Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf). And while Doubs returned to practice this week, Reed and Wicks remain out. Elsewhere around the NFL, other teams are dealing with injuries of their own, and some involve players that are former Packers. Former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor is out for the 2025-26 NFL season One of these players is former Packers running back Patrick Taylor, who played in Green Bay from 2021-2023. An undrafted free agent who often filled in as Green Bay’s third running back, he accumulated 261 rushing yards and a touchdown in his three seasons with the Packers. He found himself out of a job when the Packers revamped their running back room before the 2024 NFL season. Taylor ended up with the San Francisco 49ers last season and had the best year of his career with 183 rushing yards and a touchdown while appearing in 13 games. He will not be playing any games this season as San Francisco just put him on season-ending injured reserve: NFL teams can only have so many players on an injured reserve list. Interestingly, Taylor’s injury led to the 49ers to release another former Packer, wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who was placed on injured reserve last week. In order to release an injured player, teams and that player must come to an injury settlement, which St. Brown received. He is now free to sign with any team in the NFL should he be able to pass a physical.
Jon Rahm's $18 million payday highlights flawed system
Jon Rahm captured the season-long LIV Golf individual championship to cash in on an $18M bonus, and he has the league's nonsensical point system to thank. It's hard to argue that Rahm deserves the most lucrative season-long prize on the LIV Golf League in 2025. The Spaniard didn't win a single event in 13 LIV starts this year. He did finish runner-up four times, but was edged out in those tournaments by Adrian Meronk, Talor Gooch, Dean Burmester and Sebastian Munoz. Rahm had golden opportunities to win the last two events in Chicago and Indianapolis, but he fell short in a playoff both times. Despite going winless in 2025, Rahm still earned more points than Joaquin Niemann, who won five times and finished T4 at the final individual event in Indianapolis. No other player on LIV Golf won more than once this season. Somehow, winning nearly 40% of the league's tournaments this season wasn't enough to earn Niemann the individual championship. Instead, Rahm walked away with the top spot and an $18M bonus, while Niemann took home the $8M prize for second place. This highlights a major flaw in LIV's season-long individual competition. Rahm shouldn't have even had a chance to surpass Niemann in the standings with no wins on his resume. Wins need to matter more. For reference, Scottie Scheffler has also won five times this season, giving him 7,456 FedEx Cup points heading into the Tour Championship. Rory McIlroy, the next-closest player to Scheffler, has only 3,687. If the PGA Tour crowned a season-long champion based on points, which is how LIV Golf operates, no one would be able to come close to Scheffler at the season finale. Considering how much he dominated the PGA Tour this season, that would be a just conclusion that rewards the best player. Niemann was the best player on LIV Golf in 2025, but he lost out on $10M due to the league's unfair point system. If all Rahm cares about is money, he sure made the right decision to ditch the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. The 30-year-old didn't win a tournament all year and still banked $31.6M in prize money from LIV Golf alone. Last year, he made $34.8M in the rival league.
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