• Slug: Sports–WM Phoenix Open Celebrities, 850 words.
• 8 photos available.

By Daniel Rios
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – A sea of green mixed with snakes littered the viewing areas of the TPC Scottsdale course as golfers took their swings.  

A typical scene for a golf course but in this instance, those views were fans representing their fandom for athletes in the WM Phoenix Open Annexus Pro-Am Wednesday, a warm-up event before the real competition starts Thursday. Packers legend and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was one of them, as jerseys were seen near him every time he prepared to tee off. 

Arizona Diamondbacks merchandise added a red hue as the local representation was felt with pitching aces Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, along with manager Torey Lovullo and team radio analyst Tom Candiotti. Not only the Diamondbacks but also the Arizona Cardinals, as legendary receiver Larry Fitzgerald took part, along with coach Jonathan Gannon.  Continue reading “From Michael Phelps to Corbin Burnes to Jelly Roll, WM Phoenix Open celebrity pro-am brings out the stars”

• Slug: Sports–Phoenix Mercury Changes, 1,100 words.
• Photo available.

By Devon Henderson
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Phoenix Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren, who joined the organization in 2023, inherited a roster of basketball legends. This offseason serves as his first chance for a full rebuild to steer the franchise in his direction – and he’s making every effort to drive this team closer to a championship.

That vision was solidified on Jan. 28, when the Mercury acquired forward Satou Sabally from the Dallas Wings and forward Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun in a four-team deal. Sabally, an unrestricted free agent, chose the Mercury over a handful of teams seeking her services before a sign-and-trade deal was executed.

Joining forces with Thomas and All-Star and U.S. Olympic gold medalist guard Kahleah Copper, Sabally completes one of the more formidable big threes in the league. As a free agent, Sabally was heavily linked with the defending champion New York Liberty, where her sister, Nyara, plays center and aided in New York’s pitch for Sabally. Continue reading “‘Phoenix, Phoenix, it’s Phoenix’: Addition of All-Stars Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas signal new era for Mercury”

• Slug: Sports–WM Phoenix Open Taylor, 440 words.
• Photo available.

By Natalie Guzman
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – Could the soundtrack to this year’s WM Phoenix Open be another rendition of “O Canada”?

With defending champion Nick Taylor returning to TPC Scottsdale, it could happen.

Taylor, who was born in Winnipeg, is no newcomer to the Valley or the Phoenix Open, which begins competition Thursday. In 2023, he came in second to current No. 1 player Scottie Scheffler. Last year, he won the tournament after a playoff against Charley Hoffman. Continue reading “Taylor-made: WM Phoenix Open is ideal fit for defending champion Canadian”

• Slug: Sports–Puppy Bowl, 1,600 words.
• 4 photos available.

By Douglas Santo
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Six months ago she was fighting for her life, and now she’ll be playing in the biggest game of the year. Felicity hasn’t had an easy journey, but she thrives on overcoming obstacles.

Felicity, a Doberman Pinscher from the Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue of Arizona in Phoenix, will participate Sunday as part of Team Fluff in the 2025 Puppy Bowl, Animal Planet’s popular alternative to the Super Bowl. Felicity is six months old, 45 pounds and full of energy.

“Dobermans are a very athletic, muscular breed. We tried to do everything to make her a receiver and not a linebacker, but she is going to be quite a bit larger than some of the other dogs out there,” said Lisa Cuto, associate director of Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue. Continue reading “Ruff play: Felicity, a Doberman Pinscher, joins Arizona puppies at Sunday’s Puppy Bowl”

• Slug: Sports–Saguaro Basketball Season. 570 words.
• Photo available.

By Nicholas Furman
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – After many years of struggles, the Saguaro High School boys varsity basketball team is turning heads this season. Long known for its domination in football as one of the best programs in the state, Saguaro is making a strong case to change its narrative on the hardwood.

After posting a 16-33 record over the past two seasons and a 4-21 mark during the 2019-20 regular season, the Sabercats are 15-6 and sit in third place in the 4A Desert Sky region.

Fifth-year Sabercats coach Lucas Ramirez has his team playing its best basketball down the stretch with one pivotal difference. Continue reading “Moving on up: Surging Saguaro boys basketball reaching new heights under coach Lucas Ramirez”

• Slug: Sports–WM Qualifier. 470 words.
• Photos available.

By Luc Carter
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – The 77-year tradition of the WM Phoenix Open Monday qualifier saw its final 89 golfers compete at Pinnacle Peak Country Club.

The historic shift comes after the PGA Tour’s structural changes, but the same high stakes took hold of players competing for an opportunity to live out their dreams and compete on one of the biggest stages in golf.

Only three golfers – Steven Fisk, Max McGreevy and Will Chandler – qualified for this year’s WM Phoenix Open. Fisk, who teed off the earliest out of the qualifiers, ended the day as the tournament’s leader, shooting 9-under-par with eight birdies and an eagle with only one bogey. Continue reading “Steven Fisk, Max McGreevy and Will Chandler earn coveted spots in final WM Phoenix Open Monday qualifier”

• Slug: Sports–Hurley Reaction. 850 words.
• Photo available.

By Tucker L. Sennett
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Rivalries breed tension and hostility in every sport at every level. The rivalry between Arizona State University and the University of Arizona is no different. Tensions reached a boiling point in the final minutes of Saturday’s matchup between the men’s basketball teams.

The events at the end of the matchup saw ASU coach Bobby Hurley face a slew of negative publicity and the ire of social media users. On Tuesday morning, Hurley appeared on the Bickley and Marotta Show on 98.7 Arizona Sports and took time to state his regrets about the events that unfolded at Desert Financial Arena.

“Once I got the starters off the floor and got them toward the locker room and knew that my entire team was gone, I should have walked over and shook (Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd’s) hand,” Hurley said. “My thoughts were very preoccupied with my team and how they were feeling. Continue reading “‘I should have’ shaken Lloyd’s hand: ASU’s Bobby Hurley responds to postgame drama against Arizona”

• Slug: Sports–WM Preview. 880 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Gregory Graves
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – After last year’s tournament, the WM Phoenix Open created another noteworthy spectacle but not in the way they hoped.

Record numbers were set at “The Greatest Show on Turf,” but in the wrong ways. A rainy and wet weekend of golf and record attendance was overshadowed by incidents off the course captured from cell phone footage of attendees. An arrest number that was at zero in 2022 skyrocketed to 54 in 2024, the Scottsdale Police Department reported.

However, the Phoenix Open, which tees off Thursday, is determined to change the narrative this week. Tournament organizers, including tournament chairman Matt Mooney, have stepped up efforts to ensure the event remains a celebration of golf and community. Continue reading “Anticipation rises as WM Phoenix Open looks to deliver unforgettable weekend after bumpy 2024 event”

• Slug: Sports–Westwood Baseball Game. 1,200 words.
• Photos available.

By Daniel Rios
Cronkite News

MESA – Chants and signs filled the Westwood High School varsity baseball field stands Saturday morning. Parents cheering from the stands typically make themselves heard at a varsity baseball game, but as the February sun shone on the signs, those cheers were for something similar but completely different.

The excitement from the stands surrounded the 11th annual “Very Special Baseball Game” at Westwood High, showcasing the talents of special education classrooms at Westwood High School and Red Mountain High School. Students who typically don’t take the field were the stars of the show.

Continue reading “Westwood High teacher bids farewell with final ‘Very Special Baseball Game’ for special needs students”

• Slug: Sports–Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Foundation. 1,680 words.
• Photos available.

By Sean Brennan
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – In Arizona and across the country, many ice rinks are private and free to operate without answering to anyone when making decisions.

That can lead to friction between two rinks whose owners do not see eye-to-eye on any issue, and those in Arizona are no exception. But when honoring the late Matt Shott by hanging his jersey, each one in the state agreed without question to the tribute.

A 10-year employee of the Arizona Coyotes, Shott passed away in 2021 at just 34 years old after a lengthy battle with liver cancer. Last week, it was announced that he will be inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame for his efforts. Now three years after his death, his lasting impact is doing the work to continue the sport’s growth through the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Foundation.

Established in 2024 to fill the void left by the Coyotes’ relocation to Salt Lake City at the end of the 2023-24 season, the organization aims to continue expanding the game of hockey in State 48. Several prominent figures in the Coyotes’ organization are behind the foundation’s creation and are looking to continue the progress Shott started.

Continue reading “Matt Shott’s legacy helps keep Arizona hockey alive through foundation, even after Coyotes’ departure”

• Slug: Sports–AHSHA Championship. 742 words.
• Photo available.

By Ari Wohl
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Mullett Arena, a building that used to house an NHL franchise, saw a few thousand fans gather Saturday to celebrate the persistence of hockey in Arizona.

While their main goal was to support two deserving teams in the Arizona High School Hockey Association Division I State Championship, their presence proved that less than a year after the Arizona Coyotes played their final home game in the state, the sport is still thriving in the desert.

“Hockey is alive and well. The head was cut off – the National Hockey League head – but … we hope we’re building something here in the future where this is going to be a game that people want to go to no matter what schools are in it,” former Arizona Coyotes broadcaster Todd Walsh said.

Continue reading “Continuing to thrive: AHSHA Championship serves as a reminder of hockey’s presence in Arizona”

• Slug: Sports–Arizona Men’s Basketball Update. 540 words.
• Photo available

By Yousef Mabrouk
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Coming off their biggest win of the season against No. 3 Iowa State, the Arizona Wildcats charge full speed ahead into enemy territory for a Saturday game against rival Arizona State.

In the first meeting of the teams as new members of the Big 12, Arizona (14-6), riding a three-game win streak, looks to improve to 9-1 in Big 12 play and stay within striking distance of No. 6 Houston for the top spot.

On the other side, the Sun Devils have been dealing with injuries all season long, but that hasn’t altered the Wildcats’ game plan or preparation. Continue reading “Arizona rolls into rivalry battle against Arizona State riding momentum from OT upset”

• Slug: Sports–Griner Leaves Mercury. 1,000 words.
• 2 photos available

By Brendon Pricco
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The sun rises on a new era in Phoenix for the Mercury.

Tuesday’s excitement of the Mercury’s blockbuster trade to acquire five-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun was soured with the gut punch of a free agency decision from Brittney Griner.

Griner, a 10-time All-Star and a face of the Mercury franchise for the last decade, plans to sign with the Atlanta Dream, she announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday night and her agency, Wasserman Group, confirmed Wednesday with Cronkite News. Continue reading “End of an era: Mercury legend Brittney Griner departs for Atlanta Dream as Alyssa Thomas arrives in Phoenix”