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Winless Sky need to sustain effort as they welcome Wings
Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Dallas Wings earned their first victory of the season on Tuesday shortly before the Chicago Sky squandered a 16-point second-half lead to remain winless.

Gaining and sustaining control will be on both teams' minds when the Sky (0-4) host the Wings (1-4) on Thursday night.

Dallas hopes to duplicate the offensive and defensive efficiency that propelled the team to a 109-87 rout at Connecticut.

Rookie Paige Bueckers scored a career-best 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting to go with seven assists. Arike Ogunbowale added 19 points and had six of the team's 10 steals.

"I just thought everybody contributed and that's what we're after, a balance of where everyone's hunting offense and making simple plays," Wings coach Chris Koclanes said.

Koclanes picked up the first win of his coaching career, a feat Chicago counterpart Tyler Marsh is still seeking.

Chicago appeared on the verge of victory when Courtney Vandersloot hit a layup to put the Sky ahead 58-42 with 6:46 left in the third quarter of Tuesday's game at Phoenix.

But the Sky couldn't protect their lead while struggling to close out on the Mercury's 3-point shooters. Phoenix drilled a dozen treys in 18 second-half attempts after misfiring on 18-of-22 3-pointers in the first half.

"We've got to get stops," said Chicago's Ariel Atkins, who led all scorers with 21 points.

While Vandersloot (15 points, 11 assists) and Angel Reese (13 points, 15 rebounds) contributed double-doubles, the Sky realize their offensive abilities will stay muted until they bring their D up to par.

"I think it definitely felt better," Reese said. "Obviously, we're not satisfied. ... All of us are winners. We want to win. I think tonight, we definitely had some sparks where we know our advantages, we know the things we can excel at. I just think defensively, we have to continue to guard collectively."

Chicago went 3-1 against Dallas last season, including home victories by 11 and 15 points.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

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Exciting Kate Martin News Emerges on Saturday
WNBA

Exciting Kate Martin News Emerges on Saturday

The Golden State Valkyries have stunned much of the WNBA community in their first season as an official franchise. During the 2025 offseason, Golden State selected its roster with an expansion draft. One of the key additions to the Valkyries roster, whom they selected from the Las Vegas Aces, was Kate Martin. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star is currently playing in her first season with Golden State and second season in the WNBA. On Saturday, Martin took to social media to reveal her official partnership with Rakuten, a Japanese technology conglomerate based in Tokyo. Martin explained that her partnership with Rakuten will include details on her pregame tunnel outfits, giving fans a glimpse of one of her looks in her latest post. "Excited to share I’m teaming up with Rakuten throughout the season to share my pregame tunnel looks," Martin said. "Check out my IG story to shop the look from last night’s game at Saks with Rakuten and score Cash Back." Kate Martin has built a strong following on social media over the past several years, leading to off-court opportunities like this partnership with Rakuten. She was widely regarded as one of the most popular players in the college landscape before her time with the WNBA. Martin played five seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes, competing alongside former NCAA star and current Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Throughout her second season in the WNBA, Kate Martin has posted 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. The Golden State Valkyries are fresh off an 86-76 victory over Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings on Friday. Martin missed the game against Dallas, but Valkryies head coach Natalie Nakase made it clear that there is no injury concern with the Golden State guard.

NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025
NFL

NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025

While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have garnered a lot of attention lately, there is one NFC team that has quietly been flying under the radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a one-score game to the Lions in the divisional round in 2023 and followed that up with another one-score loss to QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders last season, proving how close they have been to the ultimate prize in the two seasons with Baker Mayfield under center. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, analyst and former player Ryan Clark offered high praise for Mayfield and what the Buccaneers are capable of. "Baker Mayfield is a top-10 quarterback in this league," Clark said. "Baker Mayfield is a football player. And when I say that, I know people at home are gonna be like, 'Duh, he gets paid to play football.' No, not all quarterbacks are seen as football players. Not all quarterbacks are embraced in the locker room as one of us." Clark sees the Buccaneers as a team the rest of the league should be paying attention to because of who they have returning and the close calls in the playoffs the last two seasons. "This is a team that's been on the cusp the last two years," Clark said. "Now you think about some of the pieces they've added, the confidence in their quarterback and the way that he plays, and Todd Bowles with another year to understand winning at a high level at the head coach position. This is a team you better be extremely scared of because they're stacked and they're confident." Mayfield has been sensational during his time with the Buccaneers. Although he did throw 16 interceptions, Mayfield accounted for the third-most passing yards (4,500) in the league last season and has thrown the most TD passes (69) in the last two seasons, per StatMuse. To add even more incentive for Mayfield, the team restructured his contract, which is set to expire after the 2026 season, to include $30M in guaranteed salary for that season. The Buccaneers return a lot of production on both sides of the ball, in addition to bringing in first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka, who topped 1,000 receiving yards twice at Ohio State and accounted for 26 total TDs. While Tampa Bay allowed the 17th-most points per game (22.7) last season, it returns the majority of its defensive production. On top of that, the offseason acquisition of veteran LB and two-time Pro-Bowler Haason Reddick, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal, should be a welcomed addition for a franchise that had some question marks on defense last season. The Buccaneers are projected to have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL this season and have the best chance to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season, according to ESPN Analytics. If Mayfield can cut back on his turnovers and the defense can create more pressure on opposing QBs, the Buccaneers could be a threat in the NFC once again as they look to put their recent nail-biting losses in the postseason behind them.

Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
NHL

Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal

The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.

NFL

Vikings training camp recap, Day 6: J.J. McCarthy struggles, other notes

Coming into training camp, ups and downs were expected for Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is essentially still a rookie. The team has high expectations for the 22-year-old, but also realizes that it's going to take some time for him to learn and grow and develop after he missed so many valuable reps due to his knee injury last season. Through the first handful of practices in camp, there had been a lot more good than bad from McCarthy. Saturday's practice, in particular, saw him put on a show for the fans in attendance with numerous impressive throws. With that said, Tuesday's practice was more bad than good. McCarthy's completion percentage — while I didn't track it down to the throw — was well below 50 percent in team periods. There were some that were narrow misses, some that were blatant misses or miscommunications, and a couple balls that were arguably drops by his targets. But the overall theme was that far too many balls hit the grass instead of being completed. In early route-running period near the goal line, McCarthy found Jordan Addison, but he couldn't secure the ball as Jeff Okudah appeared to punch it out. One play later, McCarthy threw just a touch high for Lucky Jackson, who made a great catch but was ruled to be out of bounds. He also failed to connect with T.J. Hockenson on two targets, one of which was well behind the tight end. McCarthy was better in 11-on-11 action in the middle of the field, highlighted by a pretty strike to Addison for a chunk gain. Then came another goal line period, this one 7 on 7, and the struggles resumed. He missed Addison in the back corner of the end zone. He threw another one back there to Addison, who caught it but landed out of bounds. He rifled one just high for Josh Oliver, with the ball deflecting off of Oliver's hands and then directly into the crossbar. McCarthy did throw a couple touchdowns during that period as well. The Vikings finished up with a situational period where the offense faced a third down and then transitioned into either a field goal, a punt, or a fourth-down attempt. McCarthy's first throw was a nice completion downfield to Aaron Jones, setting up a field goal try. But he then threw one way too high for Jordan Mason on a fourth down, and followed that by missing Jalen Nailor by quite a bit due to an apparent miscommunication. That caused McCarthy to put both of his hands on his helmet. It was that kind of day. To be clear, this isn't concerning or worth putting too much stock in. McCarthy has had a strong start to camp, and off days are going to happen. It wasn't a particularly long or high-intensity practice compared to some of the other ones we've seen. And in training camp, results on one day of practice — good or bad — are never all that meaningful, especially when it's still July. Lastly, the first-team offense remains without its two best players, Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw. McCarthy will look to shake it off and have a better day on Wednesday, which will be the second fully-padded practice of camp. Here are a few other things I saw on Tuesday: There were plenty of vet days off today. On the defensive line, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave sat out, which meant first-team reps for Jalen Redmond and rookie Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins alongside Harrison Phillips. At safety, it was Theo Jackson and Jay Ward in for Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus. Offensively, Michael Jurgens was at center for Ryan Kelly, while Brian O'Neill got some plays off, which meant Blake Brandel sliding out to right tackle. Will Fries pancaked backup defensive tackle Jonathan Harris on a screen pass to T.J. Hockenson, which drew some high fives from teammates. One of the things that shows up on Fries' Colts tape is his tenacity when it comes to finishing blocks. Dwight McGlothern just keeps making plays. After he had an interception on Monday and broke up a pass that created another pick, the second-year cornerback jumped a route and picked off Sam Howell on Tuesday. There are a lot of guys competing for roster spots in the Vikings' CB room, but it feels like "Nudie" (McGlothern's nickname) is going to be on the 53. It was a good day for the Vikings' depth tight ends. Ben Yurosek had one of the highlights of the practice with a leaping touchdown catch from Howell in red zone 7s, but Bryson Nesbit and Giovanni Ricci made some plays as well. With Gavin Bartholomew on the PUP list, those first three guys are competing for the TE3 role, as things stand. Will Reichard hasn't been automatic in the first couple days we've seen him kick. He hit the left upright from 53 yards out in the situational period, then later missed wide right from 46. I believe Reichard was 5 for 7 on the day, including makes from 48 and 50 yards. Rondale Moore and Silas Bolden got the first two punt return reps in the situational drill. More Vikings coverage

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