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The Chicago Sky finished their three-game preseason schedule on Saturday night with a 92-87 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in front of 7,615 fans at Target Center. The Sky finished 2-1 in the preseason and will next play their regular season opener against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Saturday.
The Sky needed to cut their roster to 12 following their contest against Minnesota. Rookie draft picks Hailey Van Lith and Maddie Westbeld weren’t guaranteed a roster spot, though many assumed Van Lith, the No. 11 pick, would make the team.
Haily Van Lith had an up-and-down preseason
However, Van Lith struggled against Minnesota on Tuesday, scoring three points on 1-of-3 shooting with five assists in 17 minutes. She was unable to beef up her stats until the Lynx put their reserves on the court.
Van Lith played much better on Saturday night, going 3-of-4 shooting (including two made three-point shots). She finished with eight points, three assists, and one rebound in 15 minutes.
Per the Sky, the team waived Morgan Bertsch, Jessika Carer, and Ally Wilson on Sunday, clearing the roster to 12 before the start of the regular season.
The Chicago Sky are expected to keep two draft picks on the roster
Per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, Van Lith and Westbeld are set to make the final roster.
“The Sky make their final cuts to 12 players which all but confirms that Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld will make the final roster,” Poe wrote. “Both signed rookie scale contracts so no further transactions necessary to make that official.”
The Sky make their final cuts to 12 players which all but confirms that Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld will make the final roster.
Both signed rookie scale contracts so no further transactions necessary to make that official. pic.twitter.com/HmgOjb2dvH
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) May 11, 2025
Van Lith is expected to learn under Courtney Vandersloot this season, coming off the bench as she develops her craft in the WNBA.
More must-reads:
- Could Aaron Donald come out of retirement amid Rams' latest pursuit of Super Bowl?
- New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
- The 'NFL single-game completions leaders' quiz
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New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
Acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, new Los Angeles Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez believes there is a big reason why he is ready to put his injury history behind him in Anaheim. Just three days after turning 26 years old, Rodriguez is now a member of the Angels after a one-for-one trade that sent outfielder Taylor Ward to Baltimore. He is also hoping that a new location means an end to injuries that have limited him to 43 starts over the past three seasons. That includes zero starts and innings in 2025 because of an elbow issue in spring training, followed by a right lateral strain in April. More elbow problems popped up for Rodriguez in July before he underwent debridement surgery on his elbow in August, officially ending his season. That surgery, however, is, Rodriguez believes, the key to his return to the mound in 2026 as well as his ability to stay on it. Angels' Grayson Rodriguez said bone spurs have been an issue for a long time In a Zoom meeting with Angels reporters on Wednesday, Rodriguez said the bone spurs that were removed had been a problem for years. "That was something that's kind of lingered with me for about three or four years now," Rodriguez said. "I've had them for a while and kind of just got to the point where I couldn't really pitch through it. Pretty sure that's kind of what was causing some of the lat injuries." If that's the case, it could unlock a pitcher who has logged a 4.11 ERA in 238.2 innings over those 43 starts. He has also registered 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings while issuing just 2.9 walks. Getting those kinds of numbers would be a big boost for an Angels rotation that finished 28th out of MLB's 30 teams last season in ERA at 4.91. It would also represent a missed opportunity for an Orioles team that has stated it is looking for another front-line starter. Rodriguez said on Wednesday he would be ready for spring training, giving hope to the Angels that they have found a pitcher who can be a long-term answer for them on the mound. Rodriguez is not scheduled to be a free agent until the 2030 season. If Rodriguez can stay healthy and produce in Anaheim, it would be a gut punch for an Orioles team that is looking to get back into the postseason conversation in 2026. However, time will tell if those bone spurs are truly the answer to Rodriguez staying healthy and on the field.
Aaron Rodgers explains his criteria for playing Sunday vs. Bears
Aaron Rodgers has always been a tough quarterback. He has dealt with several injuries throughout the course of his career, but he's always done everything he could to see the field. That's no different now that he's with the Pittsburgh Steelers and dealing with a fracture in his left (non-throwing) wrist. Rodgers injured himself against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but he's already talking about trying to get back for Pittsburgh's Week 12 contest against the Chicago Bears. In fact, he revealed on Wednesday that he will try things out at practice before this week is over. "It feels better than it did Sunday, that's for sure," Rodgers said Wednesday afternoon, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. "... Was thankful to get today to work with [head athletic trainer Gabe Amponsah] and just focus on rehab for today. Trying to get back on the field tomorrow and see what I can do." Aaron Rodgers going to test out his wrist injury on Thursday Rodgers wants to be able to play against the Bears, a team he has owned throughout the years, but he's also saying that he'll be cautious. Remember, he is just weeks away from turning 42. A fractured wrist would be tough to play with at 24. As anyone who has ever gotten older would attest, things tend to hurt even more as you age. Throw in the fact that Rodgers is playing perhaps the most physical sport on Earth, and it makes sense that he does have a very specific standard that he must meet before he decides if he can play — and it has nothing to do with pain. "It's a safety thing," Rodgers said. Rodgers has played in 29 regular-season games against the Bears in his NFL career. Including two playoff wins, he boasts a 26-5 record against them. Since he last squared off with Chicago as the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers in 2022, he had won nine games in a row against the Bears. If he feels he can keep himself safe on Sunday, you can bet he's going to try to play.
Update surfaces on Joe Schoen's future with Giants
While the New York Giants held onto general manager Joe Schoen after they parted ways with head coach Brian Daboll, subsequent reports hinted that it was not guaranteed that Schoen would remain in his role through the winter. It seems like somebody within the Giants wants it known that Schoen won't be going anywhere anytime soon. What inside sources have heard about Joe Schoen's Giants future "While there have been some whispers about Schoen's status being tenuous, his contract runs through 2026, and multiple league sources who have spoken to the Giants believe he is likely to remain unless there is a strong head coaching candidate who wants to bring in his own general manager," ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported on Thursday. "Though, that seems unlikely considering Schoen is leading the search and compiling the list of candidates." Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch previously revealed that Schoen would "lead the search for a new head coach." That said, Schoen has been responsible for a handful of noteworthy draft misses during his tenure. Most recently, rookie pass-rusher and 2025 first-round choice Abdul Carter was benched for a series after he missed a walk-through. Additionally, the Giants have gone 11-34 since the start of the 2023 season under Schoen's watch. Nevertheless, it seems like candidates for the Giants gig aren't turned off by the fact that Schoen allegedly won't be shown the door in January. According to Raanan, "one source with intimate knowledge of the opening described the Giants' job as 'highly coveted'" due to the club's "young core" of talent that includes rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, injured wide receiver Malik Nabers, left tackle Andrew Thomas, injured rookie running back Cam Skattebo and Carter. Unnamed executive sends warning to Giants about keeping Joe Schoen For a different article published on Thursday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic spoke with an unnamed "senior executive" about the Giants potentially attaching a new head coach to Schoen. "(A) red flag, to me, when an organization just fires a coach is that they’re not being introspective enough about the shortcomings around the coach," the executive told Rodrigue. "That would be my red flag. It’s not necessarily on the GM. It’s on the owner, president, everyone. 'Oh, if we just change the coach, everything will be better.' No, there’s always stuff to change in your organization. A head coaching change is a symptom that something is wrong in your organization. It’s rarely just the coach." As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the 2-9 Giants as 10-point underdogs for this coming Sunday's game at the Detroit Lions (6-4). If that contest gets as ugly as some insiders expect, whispers about Schoen's future likely will only grow louder despite what Raanan shared.
Lakers fans should take notice of LeBron James' latest Luka Doncic push
The Los Angeles Lakers didn't need LeBron James to climb to a 10-4 record. The four-time NBA champion had to wait for several weeks before making his season debut because of a sciatica injury, and his team was rolling in his absence. He then became the first player in NBA history to suit up for at least 23 seasons, and all eyes were on him in the game against the Utah Jazz. However, as Dan Woike of The Athletic pointed out, he wanted to make sure Luka Doncic got the attention he deserved. LeBron James officially passes the torch to Luka Doncic Per Woike's report, James actually "pushed" for Doncic to be introduced last with the starters. “LeBron James stood out by fitting in during his season debut,” wrote Woike. “For example, a source tells me he pushed for Luka Doncic to be introduced last with the starters. James was introduced first.” While that might look like a minor detail, it actually speaks volumes. It was an unofficial passing of the torch from one future Hall of Famer to another. James also made sure to take a back seat to Doncic and Austin Reaves, not forcing shots, playing off the ball and finishing with just eleven points. “I can fit in with anybody,” James said after the game. “I don’t even understand why that was a question. What’s wrong with these people? I can ride with anybody.” James is one of the most cerebral players to ever lace them up, but this is uncharted territory for him. It will be the first time in his career that he won't be the face of the franchise or the primary ball-handler. Even so, it seems like he's more than ready to hand the keys to the next generation.
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