PHOENIX – As Diana Taurasi spoke to reporters Saturday outside the Team USA locker room after the WNBA All-Star game, Phoenix Mercury teammate Kahleah Copper walked behind the six-time Olympian, dancing with one hand in the air and a flour taco in the other before using her unoccupied hand to play with Taurasi’s ear.
Taurasi turned, laughed and Copper leaned her head on the 20-year veteran’s shoulder.
Copper, in her first year with the Mercury, has quickly formed chemistry with her first-time teammate, a primary reason why Phoenix sits four games above its win total last year at 13-12 during the Olympic break. However, the Mercury aren’t Copper’s only new team this year, as she was selected for her first Olympic team.
Team USA reconnected during the WNBA All-Star weekend for the first time since training camp in April. Its 117-109 loss to Team WNBA Saturday night at Footprint Center exposed chemistry flaws, but Copper trusts time will heal that wound.
PHOENIX – Under a new manager and paced by a new signing, Phoenix Rising got their first win Friday night since June 8, and it came after a month of ups and downs for the club. Still, questions and concerns continue to revolve around the organization that won the USL title last season.
In the first game since a road loss to San Antonio, interim head coach Diego Gómez earned his first win at the helm Friday, as Rising defeated El Paso 2-0 at Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium.
“Happy to come back home, happy to get the three points with a home crowd,” Gómez said. “I think we owe it to the fans. The team worked very hard for this and very happy we were able to win.”
The win moved Phoenix back into the playoff picture for the first time since the departure of Danny Stone, who was fired on June 29, ending his short stint as manager. Stone, appointed in January of this year, compiled a record of 5-6-6. He was a part of Rising coaching staff since March 2021, working as an assistant under Juan Guerra, who left in January to take an assistant coaching position for Houston Dynamo in the MLS. Stone played a vital role last season in helping bring an eventual USL Championship to Phoenix.
“Although my four years in Phoenix has come to an end and I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to keep pushing together for longer, I’m very appreciative of everyone who has given so much during my time with the club,” Stone said on X. “We’ve made some great memories together that I will always remember with pride. Wishing everyone at the club all the best in the future.”
Although Rising were not on top of the league when Stone was fired, they were in the playoff picture. Stone’s last game in charge was a 5-1 defeat at Memphis. Besides the one hiccup in the record, Phoenix had only lost one league game since late April.
The firing came as a shock, especially to many of the fans who are part of the Bandidos, a loyal supporters group that can be seen and heard behind the goal every home game.
“Thank you Danny for your tireless commitment to our club,” the Bandidos wrote on X. “We are in this situation due to the front office’s repeated lack of urgency to rebuild a successful team and addressing locker room egos. Thank you Coach Stone. Bobby Dulle & Co. GET OUT of our club.”
Dulle has been Rising president since being promoted from general manager in January 2023.
There is another question that has been brewing around starting winger Panos Armenakas, Phoenix’s leader in chances created (30). For the last couple games, Armenakas has been unable for selection, resulting in further questions from fans about what is happening in the locker room.
“Panos is still unavailable for selection tomorrow,” Gómez said. “It’s an internal matter, disciplinary issues. Right now I don’t want to focus too much on that. It was something that all the staff, the club and the team, teammates and players were brought in on the situation.”
During the El Paso game, the Bandidos waved banners and porters that read, “thank you Danny Stone, siempre un bandido, siempre un campeón,” and “free Panos.”
Despite all the noise around the club, Rising were able to steady the ship and earn a much needed win at home.
JP Scearce, a local product out of Chaparral High School, scored his first of Rising’s two goals on the night.
“It’s exciting to get my first goal here at home in front of the fans, in front of my family,” Scearce said. “I’m just happy and happy we got the win in the end.”
A boost earlier in the week came on behalf of a new signing, midfielder Charlie Dennis. Dennis comes from Tampa Bay, where he was a 2023 USL Championship All-League selection, scoring 11 goals and adding three assists for the Rowdies.
Dennis was able to play immediately, as he signed a multi-year deal with the team last week. He is expected to slot into the team quickly, as Phoenix is dealing with injuries and suspensions. His first appearance came Friday after halftime.
“He’s a midfielder with a lot of power to score,” Gómez said. “I think he can play as an eight or as a 10 depending on the situation. In every moment of the game I think he’s a player that can come help us in build up, and also help us in the last third and score some goals.”
Gómez, 34, is the second youngest manager in the USL. He joined Rising as part of Stone’s staff in January. Regardless of his experience and the state of the club, there is optimism among the players about what is to come.
“With Diego in charge I think he’s emphasized a lot on the competition,” Scearce said. “Every day of training is competitive, everyone’s trying to win whatever the training drill is. Coming into this game it was just to fight, to fight for the fans, to make them fall in love with the team again because we’ve been going through a tough moment. I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
Phoenix Rising goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo maintains his sixth clean sheet of the season to keep El Paso Locomotive FC at bay during their 2-0 victory. (Photo courtesy of Phoenix Rising)
EDS: An earlier version of this story incorrectly incorrectly quoted E-Beth Marshall in the 20th graf. The story below has been corrected, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.
Slug: BC-CNS-Arizona IVF. 1,785 words.
Photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
By Lauren De Young Cronkite News
PHOENIX – It was Christmas Day 2012 when E-Beth Marshall and her husband’s lives were shattered.
“We finally got to go and tell everybody that we are pregnant, and then on Christmas Day, we ended up miscarrying,” Marshall said. “It was heartbreaking.”
PHOENIX – For an athlete to make it to the Olympics, it takes a village. Trainers push, facility managers open doors at odd hours and coaches endure almost as many sleepless nights as the athlete.
PHOENIX – A young boy stepped in line for a meet-and-greet with A’ja Wilson Saturday at the WNBA Live fan experience inside the Phoenix Convention Center wearing the two-time WNBA champion’s Team USA jersey. He waited patiently at the AT&T activation space for his moment to capture a picture with Wilson, and when his turn came, he wrapped his left arm around the 6-foot-4 center and smiled for the camera. However, he didn’t leave automatically. Understanding the magnitude of an opportunity he may never experience again, he screamed to the Las Vegas Aces superstar, “I love you, A’ja.”
The interaction reflected the blossoming adoration many have for the WNBA and women’s basketball as a whole. Merch sales at WNBA Live set an all-time record for All-Star merchandise sales. The WNBA’s viewership is up 183% from last season, according to PBS. WNBA All-Star voting increased 600% from last year. For Saturday’s game, Footprint Center was sold out with 16,407 fans on hand to watch Team WNBA beat Team USA, 117-109.
PHOENIX – In a star-studded matchup between Team WNBA and Team USA, a pair of rookies consistently got the loudest cheers from a sellout crowd of 16,407 fans at Footprint Center.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese were prepared for their big moment Saturday night in the All-Star spotlight. After facing off against each other for the past few years at the college level, the rookies teamed up in a 117-109 win.
PHOENIX – In a year like no other for the WNBA, the sport’s monumental growth has impacted 2024 All-Star Weekend in a huge way.
WNBA All-Star weekend kicked off Friday at the Phoenix Convention Center with WNBA Live, an interactive fan experience in downtown Phoenix. The event set the ball rolling, ahead of Friday night’s 3-point contest and skills competition at Footprint Center. The two-day event gave fans an opportunity to dive into the WNBA world, in a season that has seen massive upticks in popularity for the league. The weekend’s festivities conclude with Saturday night’s WNBA All-Star game, in a Team USA vs. Team WNBA showdown.
While there have been events outside of the big game in the past – Phoenix is hosting it for the third time – this year’s WNBA All-Star Weekend looks different than previous displays. Josie Dumlao, a diehard Seattle Storm fan who goes by @stormcraziefanframe on Instagram due to the neon green sign frame she brings to home games, observed a stark difference from last year’s WNBA Live in Las Vegas.
PHOENIX – A legend who made an immense impact on women’s basketball walked inside the Footprint Center building just as she had done thousands of times before, but this time, she entered the doors as head coach of Team WNBA All-Stars.
Cheryl Miller was the first general manager and head coach for the Phoenix Mercury from the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997 until she resigned following the 2000 season. She led the Mercury to its first appearance in the WNBA Finals in the league’s second season.
As a Ring of Honor member, Miller’s name is on a banner hanging in the Footprint rafters forever.
“How cool is Cheryl Miller?” Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi asked reporters Friday. “You’re around a lot of people in this game. A lot of people take, and she always gives. She’s always giving to this game, the younger generation, (and) players that have been in this league for a long time. She always gives her love, her passion, her energy. I just love being around (her).”
PHOENIX – When a 14-year-old Jonquel Jones immigrated from the Bahamas in 2008 and arrived at Riverside Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, school trainer Reggie Bailey first noticed her length. Training processions ensued, the season progressed and Bailey recognized the New York Liberty center’s ability to shoot the 3-pointer.
Jones committed to expanding, and Bailey acknowledged that she had continually “developed” her 3-point shot throughout her time at Riverside Baptist. Playing AAU and high school basketball in America motivated her to inherit new skills and, in turn, build her confidence to evolve on the court. Twelve years after she graduated from Riverside, Jones participated in her third WNBA All-Star 3-point contest Friday at Footprint Center as part of the weekend showcase in downtown Phoenix.
Jones and Washington Mystics veteran Stefanie Dolson were the only two centers that competed in the field of five players. Jones, who is shooting 39.6% from behind the arc this season, finished second in the competition behind Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray. For the 2021 WNBA MVP, being a contestant in the competition served a bigger purpose.
MILWAUKEE – Arizona Republicans were awestruck after a week devoted to all things Donald Trump – dazzled by a high-spirited finale and moved to tears in some cases as he recounted his narrow escape from an assassin’s bullet just five days earlier.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” he said Thursday night as he accepted the party’s nomination for the third time in eight years.
“Yes, you are! Yes, you are!” delegates packed into a downtown Milwaukee arena chanted back near the end of the 2024 Republican National Convention.
PHOENIX – In downtown Phoenix, WNBA legend Diana Taurasi took center stage in a sleek new facility, surrounded by former and current teammates, marking another accolade in her 20-year career.
The star-studded assembly also included Cheryl Miller, the Mercury’s inaugural head coach and current leader of the Team WNBA All-Star squad, Taurasi’s teammate Brittney Griner and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
The scene Thursday unfolded within the Mercury’s newly unveiled $100 million, 58,000-square-foot practice facility, a state-of-the-art complex that boasts two full-sized courts named in Taurasi’s honor. The Diana Taurasi Courts, featuring a unique logo inspired by the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, stand as a testament to her impact on the game and the franchise.
MILWAUKEE – After four speech-filled nights at the Republican convention, Arizona delegates said they’ll return home more enthused than ever about former President Donald Trump.
State Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, a first-time delegate, said the Fiserv Forum felt “electric,” especially when Trump arrived Monday, two days after an assassination attempt.
“You can’t get more drama than that,” he said.
The electricity peaked again Thursday night as Trump accepted the nomination, and delegates said they’ll leave Milwaukee with a sense of Republican unity around Trump that was even stronger than when they arrived.
MILWAUKEE – The year Donald Trump won the presidency, the Republican platform declared that “traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a free society.”
The party reaffirmed the 2016 platform four years later during the pandemic.
Slug: BC-CNS-Trump Divine Intervention. 630 words. By Keetra Bippus.
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By Keetra Bippus Cronkite News
MILWAUKEE – Among the red, white and blue crowd at the Republican National Convention, the support for former President Donald Trump is palpable. Some Arizona delegates admire the achievements of his first term and view him as a strong leader and businessman.
For others, it runs deeper – especially since Saturday, when a sniper’s bullet nicked his ear in a shocking assassination attempt that failed when Trump turned his head slightly at precisely the right moment.
PHOENIX – Before Allan Houston ended his conversation with Maya Moore at the U.S.A. Olympic Basketball 50th Anniversary celebration in Las Vegas last Wednesday, he called his daughter Rowan. Her overwhelming disbelief upon seeing Moore in the camera frame mirrored her emotions from 14 years ago when the Minnesota Lynx legend and four-time WNBA champion responded to a letter Rowan sent her for a second-grade class assignment.
Whether via mail or FaceTime, communicating with her role model gratified Rowan because she admires what Moore embodies beyond basketball prowess: faith, integrity, sacrifice, leadership and legacy.
Those five words also comprise Houston’s social impact brand, FISLL. The brand aims to disseminate those principles through fashion, sports, technology, mentorship and community engagement. Licensing agreements with the NBA and select colleges, including HBCUs, are thriving, and now the two-time NBA All-Star is stepping into a new arena: the WNBA. Houston believes the obstacles players have endured reflect the brand’s values.
“They truly are leaders in our culture and everything that they’ve been through, they continue to fight,” Houston said. “Think about where we have come in terms of this appreciation for women’s sports and the W. They are putting their life on the line for a few months and not getting paid as much. They go overseas and have to play year-round now.
PHOENIX – As the dust settles from the Arizona State women’s tennis team 36th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, a new chapter unfolds for the program. Jamea Jackson ushers in a new era following the retirement of coaching legend Sheila McInerney.
The former WTA Tour player-turned-coach is poised to strengthen the Sun Devils’ winning culture, defined by four decades of success with McInerney at the helm. The transition marks only the third changing of the guard for ASU women’s tennis since 1954. As Jackson settles into her new role with big shoes to fill, she brings an appetite to take the Sun Devils to new heights in their Big 12 debut.
“Not often does a place like ASU open up; it’s rare that you even get a sniff at an opportunity like this,” Jackson said while reflecting on her first month as head coach. “And so, everyone that I’ve talked to, be that the girls on the team, be that the people in athletics, be that the student-athlete helpers, everyone’s been so phenomenal, and I’m getting to see firsthand what I already kind of knew way off way across the country.”
PHOENIX — When the Phoenix Mercury asked local artist Antoinette Cauley to design a mural for their community project refurbishing local basketball courts, Cauley didn’t hesitate to say yes – even if it meant working in conditions that could be dangerous if she and her team weren’t careful.
Cauley used drone footage to make sketches and outline her design for the mural. She and her team began most days painting at 5:15 a.m. to beat Arizona’s crippling summer heat. Once temperatures reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the crew could no longer continue working due to the paint immediately drying when applied to the concrete.
After three weeks, Cauley and the Mercury unveiled the mural and the four refurbished courts at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex last Wednesday, just in time for the WNBA All-Star weekend, which takes place at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix. The events kick off Friday night with the skills challenge and 3-point contest, followed by Saturday’s game featuring a matchup between the WNBA All-Stars and the U.S. Women’s National Team, which will represent the country in the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris.
WASHINGTON – Many younger workers don’t believe they will ever see a dime of Social Security benefits.
“I think the program will be shut down by the time I stop working,” said Peter Fairbanks, 24, a territory manager in Phoenix at a company that sells skin care products.
The skepticism is widespread, though Gen Zers and Millennials also tend not to worry much about benefits they may or may not collect in four or five decades. So the issue may not make much difference to them on Election Day, Arizona political experts say – unless one of the presidential contenders comes up with a plan to ensure the program’s survival.
Slug: BC-CNS-Fake Electors Merch. 600 words. By Amaia J. Gavica.
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By Amaia J. Gavica Cronkite News
MILWAUKEE – At street corners all around the Republican National Convention, vendors have set up shop with merchandise that celebrates Donald Trump.
Beneath large white tents, tables are piled high with T-shirts, mugs, hats and more with the former president’s likeness. On the streets, individuals sell magnets with the words, “You’re killing us Joe.”
“We’ve been selling Trump merchandise since before President Trump took office,” said Anthony Montgomery, a South Carolinian making sales to lines of people under large tents near the Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee.
WASHINGTON – Police and firefighters in Arizona who suffer from PTSD could soon use workers’ compensation to cover therapy that involves the psychedelic drug commonly known as ecstasy or molly.
That depends on the Food and Drug Administration, which plans to vote next month on approval of MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder.
