• Slug-Sports-Celeste Taylor Mercury. 1,100 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Connor Moreno
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Twenty-one days. It’s not a lot of time. It’s three quarters of a month; six percent of a year.

But it was enough time for rookie guard Celeste Taylor to secure a roster spot with the Phoenix Mercury for the rest of the season. All it took was three seven-day contracts, each day more important than the last.

How would Taylor describe those three weeks? Emotional, anxious and impactful.

Taylor was signed to a rest-of-season contract with the Mercury on Sept. 6 after appearing in 10 games with the team and averaging 3.3 points, 1.8 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game.

Of all the feelings and difficulties of her unique rookie season, Taylor’s initial reaction to the contract was one of fulfillment.

“(I feel) accomplished working through the things I had to work through to get to where I’m at,” Taylor said.

Continue reading “Three contracts, one dream: Celeste Taylor takes peripatetic journey to Phoenix Mercury roster”

• Slug: Sports-Isaiah Thomas Free Agency. 1,050 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Dylan Ackermann
Cronkite News

TACOMA – NBA free agency has been underway for more than two months, and many players are still searching for their next home.

Among them, only one has finished in the top five in MVP voting, top three in points per game in a season, earned All-NBA Second Team honors and is a two-time All-Star: former Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Thomas.

Since signing a one-year deal with the Wizards in the 2019 offseason, Thomas has not secured a contract before the start of the regular season. Over the past four seasons, he has played just 31 games, with the 2022-2023 season being a complete absence.

For someone who, as Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard put it, “pretty much reached the pinnacle of being at the best,” Thomas, at 35 years old, is not ready to ride off into the sunset just yet.

Continue reading “Loving IT: Former Suns guard Isaiah Thomas embraces grind in quest for NBA comeback”

• Slug: Sports–WNBA Commissioner Under Fire. 400 words.
• File photo available

By Aya Abdeen
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A Phoenix Mercury forward joined the chorus of WNBA players and fans who criticized commissioner Cathy Engelbert for recent comments about social media attacks on players. 

“I am not a politics person, but that’s B.S., come on,” Natasha Mack said Wednesday. “We’ve got to hold everybody accountable. That’s all I have to say.”

Engelbert faced backlash after her statement Monday on the rivalry between league stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese and the increasing harassment of players. She compared the players to NBA legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and their long-enduring rivalry. Continue reading “Mercury player joins chorus of voices criticizing WNBA commissioner for comments on Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry”

• Slug: Sports–Valley Suns Tryout Hopefuls. 837 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Koby Braunstein
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Kyree Walker has more to prove.

The former five-star recruit wants another G League shot to preserve his lifelong dream of earning his way onto an NBA roster.

After the Phoenix Suns became the 30th and final NBA franchise to boast a G League affiliate, the Valley Suns held open tryouts at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex last Saturday to bolster their new pathway program for their inaugural season in 2024-2025.

Walker, who played for Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, California before transferring to Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, was once on a career track that seemed destined for the NBA. Now he is seeking one of the Valley Suns’ coveted training camp spots in hopes of rekindling his pro aspirations.

“I was more in shape than I thought,” Walker said. “I felt more athletic than I did two months ago. A lot of my game is coming together.”

Continue reading “Kyree Walker, G League hopefuls take their shot at Valley Suns tryouts”

• Slug: Sports–9/11 Tower Challenge. 1,271 words.
• 5 photos available.

By Chase Clemens
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – Everyone who’s old enough remembers where they were on Sept. 11, 2001.

Angela Harrolle was a special agent with the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service in Washington, D.C. She was in the middle of training at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia when the planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City.

Class was abruptly stopped.

“They wheeled in this TV, and we were all standing around it,” Harrolle said. “And we were just overwhelmed because we had seen that the planes had hit the Twin Towers in New York. We didn’t know what to expect.”

Continue reading “Climbing for the fallen: First responders, families commemorate 9/11 heroes at Glendale’s Tower Challenge”

• Slug: Sports-ASU Culture Dillingham, 750 words.
• 32photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Tucker Sennett
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Before the 2023 season kicked off, Arizona State football faced a flurry of challenges: a bowl ban, recruiting violations and a shaky administrative situation loomed.

A year after navigating through those tense times, Kenny Dillingham entered the 2024 season as the second youngest head coach of an FBS program. His love of the game, exuberant demeanor and commitment to his roots have helped him progress one of the sport’s most difficult rebuilds at a rapid pace. The 30-23 win over Mississippi State validated his efforts, marking the second straight game with over 10,000 students in attendance.

“You could feel the energy in the stadium,” he said after the win. “This is a fun place to be when it’s rocking.” Continue reading “Activated: Kenny Dillingham’s Arizona State football rebuild gains steam with statement win”

• Slug: Sports-AZ Compass Prep Recruiting, 1,240 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Dylan Ackermann
Cronkite News

CHANDLER – Prep schools are reshaping the college basketball recruiting landscape, making it easier than ever for top college coaches such as Auburn’s Bruce Pearl to identify and pursue the nation’s best high school players.

It’s why Pearl and other top college coaches, including Arkansas coach John Calipari, were at the AZ Compass Prep Pro Day. It is the fourth year that the Chandler-based basketball academy has held the pro day, which gives recruiters a chance to watch top prospects in action.

“This time of year, it’s hard to leave campus because we’re getting started in a couple months,” Pearl said. “But the prep schools have done so much of the weeding out for us.” Continue reading “AZ Compass Prep changing recruiting game with top coaches flocking to scout rising stars”

• Slug: Sports–Cardinals Presser. 800 words.
• Photo available.

By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Arizona Cardinals had a long flight home after a 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills Sunday, a game in which they had an early lead over last season’s AFC East winners.

This is the second consecutive year the Cardinals have opened their season with a loss on the East Coast. It also was the second year in a row that they blew a halftime lead in the opener. They led Washington 13-10 at halftime a year ago.

This time, they led 17-3 in the second quarter and 17-10 at halftime and failed to execute in the second half, but the team is moving forward with three straight games at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

“When you have those opportunities to capitalize to force a punt, or a turnover, or make them kick a field goal in the red zone, you have to capitalize on them,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said Monday. “Good offenses are good, they’re good for a reason. We got to keep the score down a little bit more.”

Continue reading “Arizona Cardinals shift focus to correcting Week 1 mistakes ahead of home opener vs. Los Angeles Rams”

• Slug: Sports–Valley Suns Tryout. 625 words.
• Photos available.

By Connor Moreno
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Hundreds of players from varying basketball backgrounds gathered Saturday at the Tempe Sun Devil Fitness Complex, hoping to become part of a new era of Phoenix basketball.

The Valley officially adopted a new hoops darling – the G League Valley Suns – in February and open tryouts commenced with Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones among those in attendance.

“Phoenix at its core is a basketball town,” said Brendan Sabean, the new team’s general manager. “So to add another entity, and team in general, to the Valley will bring a cool environment for people to come watch games and watch some good hoops.”

Continue reading “Valley Suns hold first tryouts, marking new horizon for Phoenix basketball”

• Slug: Sports-Cam Skattebo ASU, 685 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

TEMPE – To say Cam Skattebo had a good game is an understatement.

Skattebo was the fulcrum of the Arizona State offense against Mississippi State, rushing for 262 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 33 carries. He also caught three passes for 35 yards.

Skattebo’s 262 rushing yards are the second most in school history and earned the senior running back Associated Press national player of the week honors. He saved his best highlight for last, breaking off a 39-yard run that allowed Arizona State to set up in victory formation and run out the clock for a 30-23 win in front of more than 45,000 fans at Mountain America Stadium. Continue reading “‘He mauls people’: Inside Cam Skattebo’s career game to push Arizona State past Mississippi State”

• Slug: Sports-Big 12 Tiebreaker Championship, 450 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Chase Clemens
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – On the eve of Week 2 games for Arizona and Arizona State, the schools learned more about how their new conference will crown its champion.

The Big 12 announced its new tiebreaking policy Friday, which determines who will play in the conference title game if there is a tie.

Both teams are 1-0 and host games Saturday night. The Widcats face Northern Arizona and the Sun Devils will take on Mississippi State.

Continue reading “Big 12 reveals tiebreaker procedures to determine 2024 conference championship teams”