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Two first-year head coaches hoping to record the first victory of their respective WNBA careers will square off on opening night on Friday, when the Washington Mystics host the Atlanta Dream.
Washington, which parted ways with former head coach Eric Thibault after a 33-47 mark over two seasons, hired Sydney Johnson to fill the role in December. For a franchise searching for just its second winning season since 2019, Friday marks the beginning of a new era in the nation's capital.
"I'm having the time of my life so far," said Johnson, who spent last season as an assistant with the Chicago Sky. "I really enjoyed my season last year with Chicago and I'm feeling really fulfilled. ... I just come to the gym so grateful and thankful, and understanding that these opportunities aren't afforded to everyone."
Johnson, 51, compiled a 66-53 record as the men's head coach at Princeton from 2007-11 before going 116-147 at Fairfield from 2011-19.
The Mystics, however, were dealt serious blows in the months leading up to the beginning of the regular season. The team's sixth overall pick in April, Georgia Amoore, suffered a torn ACL on April 30 and will miss the entirety of her rookie season. Second-year player Aaliyah Edwards was diagnosed with a low back contusion and her timetable to return is questionable.
Washington's leading scorer from last season, Ariel Atkins (14.9 points per game), was dealt to Chicago in February. Brittney Sykes (12.2 points) returns to Washington for her ninth season in the league.
In a similar offseason, Atlanta fired head coach Tanisha Wright in October following a 48-68 record in three seasons. The Dream then hired longtime Florida Gulf Coast head coach Karl Smesko, who led the Eagles to 11 Atlantic Sun Conference titles -- including eight straight from 2017-24.
The Dream, who return their two leading scorers in Rhyne Howard (17.3 points) and Allisha Gray (15.6) and signed Brittney Griner to a one-year deal, will look to contend right away in the Eastern Conference.
"I love the roster we have and the talent that's on the team," Smesko said. "Everything has fallen into place and aligned at the right time and I'm just excited to get this season started and see what we can accomplish."
More must-reads:
- Weekly WNBA takeaways: Injuries putting damper on regular season
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- The 'NFL Defensive Players of the Year ' quiz
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Sparks storm back, edge Seattle in final seconds
Dearica Hamby turned a tie-breaking layup into a three-point play with 5.6 seconds remaining Sunday night, lifting the Los Angeles Sparks to a tense 94-91 victory over the visiting Seattle Storm. After a pair of layups by Brittney Sykes had produced the fifth and sixth ties of the fourth quarter, the latter at 91-all on a layup with 12.7 seconds remaining, the Sparks got the ball to Hamby and she was fouled at the rim by Dominique Malonga while dropping in her go-ahead shot. Hamby made the resulting free throw for a three-point advantage, after which the Storm, despite the advantage of a timeout, could not get a potential game-tying three-pointer in the air. The win allowed the Sparks (15-16) to move within a half-game of the Storm (16-16) and Golden State Valkyries (15-15) in the WNBA standings. Those three teams are dueling the Washington Mystics (14-17) for the final two playoff positions. The thrilling finish came after Seattle, down 78-75 following a Julie Allemand three-pointer with 5:57 to go, went on a 12-2 burst that put them up seven with 2:52 left. Sykes, the game's high scorer with 27 points, had a pair of three-pointers and a short-range jumper in the run. Azura Stevens got the Sparks back within two with a layup and a three-pointer, and when Hamby dropped in two free throws with 1:25 to go, Los Angeles had rallied into an 87-all tie, setting up a back-and-forth finish. Taking advantage of a team that had played — and lost — on the road the night before, the Storm blitzed the Sparks early on, holding the hosts to five points in the first 8:50 while building a 16-point lead. Nneka Ogwumike had seven points in the early flurry. But Los Angeles turned the tables quickly. After scoring nine points in the final 70 seconds of the first period, the Sparks put up 32 over the second 10 minutes, taking as much as a nine-point lead. Hamby finished with 19 points, one fewer than team leader Kelsey Plum, who also found time for seven assists. Stevens chipped in with 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Cameron Brink went for 14 points in just 11 minutes. Rickea Jackson added nine points and Allemand a game-high eight assists and three steals. Sykes' game-high point total came on 11-for-21 shooting. She also had four steals. Skylar Diggins aided the Seattle cause with 17 points and a team-high six assists. The 19-year-old Malonga recorded her second career 20-point game and third career double-double, all on the road, with 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Ogwumike posted her sixth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Mets' slide continues with arguably their worst loss of the season
The New York Mets are trending in the wrong direction, and their slide continued on Sunday with what might have been their worst loss of the season. The Mets not only were on the losing end of a 7-6 walk-off loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, they blew a 5-0 lead in the process and extended their losing streak to seven consecutive games. Even worse, they have lost 11 out of their past 12 games during a time where the Philadelphia Phillies are starting to pull away in the National League East race. The biggest issue for the Mets for most of this slump has been an offense that has gone ice cold. But that wasn't necessarily the problem on Sunday as they pushed six runs across the plate. The problem on Sunday was a rough start for Sean Manaea (four earned runs in four innings) and a bullpen that was unable to hold on to a late lead. Trade-deadline addition Ryan Helsley allowed the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning when he allowed an RBI single to Joey Ortiz. That set the stage for star closer Edwin Diaz to serve up a walk-off home run to Isaac Collins. The Mets are still holding a playoff spot in the National League, but it is getting more uncomfortable by the day. After Sunday's games they are in the third and final wild-card spot in the National League, and only have 1.5 games of cushion between them and the Cincinnati Reds. The Mets had sky-high expectations this season after making the playoffs a year ago and then adding Juan Soto in free agency. While Soto's bat has ended up being everything the Mets hoped it would be, the rest of the offense has struggled in the heat of the summer and now the pressure is only going to keep mounting if they do not get out of this slump soon. With nine of their next 12 games coming against the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals — two of the worst teams in the National League — there is at least an opportunity for them to maybe get back on track. They need to, because after that stretch they have a three-game home series against the Phillies that could go a long way toward determining the path of their season.
Eagles get big injury scare at practice regarding key starter
The Philadelphia Eagles got a major injury scare during Sunday's open practice at Lincoln Financial Field when Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson went down with a leg injury and had to be carted off to the locker room. Dickerson was reportedly unable to put any weight on his leg. Dickerson, a second-round pick (No. 37 overall) by the team in 2021 has been a starter for the Eagles over the first four years of his career and developed into one of the best offensive linemen in football. He has been named to the Pro Bowl team in each of the past three seasons and is a key cog on the Eagles' line. The Eagles' O-line is one of the team's biggest strengths and a big part of its identity, and Dickerson has taken over as one of the top leaders on that group. The Eagles are already dealing with some depth issues on the interior of their line after backup Kenyon Green had to be carted off the field in their opening preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. If Dickerson has to miss any significant time that would be a huge blow to the Eagles' offense and their running game. But it's still very early in the process and the Eagles will almost certainly know more by Monday. The Eagles were the second-leading rushing team in the NFL during the 2024 season, averaging 179 yards per game. Running back Saquon Barkley ran for over 2,000 yards as part of their season, with the offensive line playing a huge role in both of those achievements.
3 Steelers Rookies Who Impressed During The Exciting Preseason Opener Vs Jaguars
The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their 2025 preseason with a nail-biting win against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night. Rookie undrafted free agent Daryl Porter made the game-winning tackle inbounds in the final seconds, keeping the clock running and securing the 31-25 win. Porter was one of many rookies to make their debut on Saturday, in a game where 16 starters sat out both due to injury and veteran rest. Some, like defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, are expected to start right away, while others are fighting for a roster spot -- with many making a convincing case. One of these players was wide receiver Ke'Shawn Williams, who is on the outside looking in at a 53-man roster spot currently. While the receiver room in Pittsburgh is crowded, and the Steelers are unlikely to keep more than six wideouts, there have been questions about whether a young guy could steal the final spot from a veteran like Robert Woods. The speedy 5'9" receiver from Indiana made quite a case on Saturday, hauling in 2 catches for 55 yards and the game-winning TD from quarterback Skylar Thompson. If Williams wants to stick around and at least compete for a practice squad spot, it's important that he's able to prove that he's more than just a speedster, and grabbing jump balls from the hands of a defender is a good start. Williams wasn't the only offensive weapon who impressed. Rookie running back Max Hurleman also made his case for a roster spot on Saturday night. Thompson's connection with Hurleman shined in the two-minute drill to end the half, connecting on a pair of consecutive passes, one being a touchdown. While Hurleman's official position might be listed as running back, the Steelers view him as more than that. Hurleman has lined up out wide, as well as in the backfield, making him much more of a Swiss Army knife than a traditional runner. If he wants to stick around, Hurleman's versatility will be why he does so, and he will have to hope that he can usurp someone like Connor Heyward, who is a similar weapon in the passing game. Steelers' 2025 First-Round Pick Gets His First Start While guys like Hurleman and Williams fight for a roster spot, the rookie Harmon has his locked up. In fact, the Steelers have the utmost faith in the rookie, with Defensive Line Coach Karl Dunbar stating that he will be starting Week 1. "You can write that," Dunbar said earlier this summer. "He’s our starting left defensive end." Starting rookies immediately is not something that Pittsburgh typically does, and it shows that they see enough in Harmon to put him in right away. While the box score didn't pop for him on Saturday night, there was still plenty to like. Harmon was able to get in the backfield on multiple plays and create pressure -- something the Steelers have been looking for after moving on from Larry Ogunjobi earlier in the offseason. Harmon is going to add a vital piece to both the pass and run defense for Pittsburgh in 2025. The team is hoping to bounce back after a disappointing playoff performance in January that led to Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushing for nearly 200 yards and 2 touchdowns. Coming out of Oregon, Harmon was lauded for his ability to both stop the run and create pressure on quarterbacks, leading the FBS with 55 total pressures. Whether it be their first-round pick, or guys fighting on the bubble, there's no doubt that the rookies were a highlight of the team's preseason performance on Saturday. Whether they can stick around will be decided when the roster cutdown deadline passes on August 27th. Until then, they will be looking toward their next opportunity, when the Steelers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on August 16th at 7 PM ET. Which rookie's performance were you most impressed by?
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