• Slug: Sports-Suns G League Mullett, 660 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News

TEMPE – There’s a new team in Tempe.

The Phoenix Suns officially introduced their new G League affiliate team, the Valley Suns, who will play at Mullett Arena starting in November. 

During Wednesday’s press conference at the arena, Suns CEO and president Josh Bartelstein, and G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced their plans for the new team, from their logo design to their home venue.

“It’s a lot of work to get this thing going. We’re really proud of it,” Bartelstein said.  Continue reading “It’s not just for hockey: Mullett Arena to house G League Valley Suns”

• Slug: Sports-ASU NIL Education, 1,000 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Lucas Gordon
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Most college freshmen step on campus with a four-year clock to develop real-world skills to land a job in their desired industry through classroom learning, work-study and internships. On top of fulfilling academic demands, students also take on entry-level jobs to earn extra money to go toward any school expenses. However, the same opportunity isn’t afforded to college athletes. 

Athletes juggle practices, games, travel and schoolwork, leaving them with less time to pursue internships or professional connections. Previously, college athletes were prohibited from monetizing their name, image, and likeness (NIL), denying them income opportunities. 

But the landscape is shifting with the introduction of NIL rights for college athletes that allows them to capitalize on their personal brands through endorsement deals, sponsorships and other avenues for monetizing their NIL. Continue reading “More than the money: NIL deals provide career prep for ASU athletes beyond the field”

• Slug: Sports-Suns Introduce Budenholzer, 840 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Jack Reeves

Cronkite News

PHOENIX – It was an emotional Friday afternoon for new Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer.

The Holbrook native returned to his home state and received a special welcome. Budenholzer’s 94-year-old father, Vince Budenholzer, was in attendance to watch his son be introduced by legendary Suns broadcaster Al McCoy as the 22nd head coach in the organization’s history.

Budenholzer, 53, played for his father at Holbrook High School. He also rooted for the Suns growing up, watching legends such as the late Paul Westphal, and listening to McCoy call the game, all of which made the day even more memorable. Continue reading “Happy to be home: Armed with championship on resume, Budenholzer excited to guide Suns”

• Slug: Sports-Bobblehead and Baseball, 1,300 words.
• 2 photos available

By James Lotts
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – America’s pastime has long been remembered through the preservation of its memorabilia, telling its rich history through the jerseys, gloves, hats and trading cards of its legendary figures. 

Giveaways are popular around the league, but one souvenir has cemented itself as a staple to fans and collectors everywhere: bobbleheads. 

If you’ve gone to a baseball game, you’ve probably seen and heard advertisements for the team’s seasonal giveaways. Bobbleheads have been used as promotional tools for teams around the league and therefore the knick-knacks have boomed in popularity.   Continue reading “Nod to the past: The ties between baseball and bobbleheads”

• EDS: An earlier version of this story included the incorrect spelling for owner Mat Ishbia’s first name. The error appeared in the headline and first graf. The story below has been corrected, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.
• Slug: Sports-Suns Ishbia Jones Reax, 540 words.
• Photo available

By Huston Dunston
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – After the Phoenix Suns’ season came to an abrupt end, owner Mat Ishbia and general manager James Jones knew they would have to face the music.

They did Wednesday, and it was accompanied by a healthy dose of feedback.

“I’m glad that the fans are upset with how the season went, that means they care just as much as we do,” Ishbia said. Continue reading “‘Doing great’: Mat Ishbia encouraged about Phoenix Suns’ future despite sweep”

• Slug: Sports-GCU Volleyball NCAA Tournament, 700 words.
• Photo available

By Connor Manning
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Giant killers.

For the second time in five years, the Grand Canyon men’s volleyball team knocked off the No. 1 team in the country. The Lopes now join seven other programs in Long Beach, California, for the NCAA Tournament that begins competition Tuesday, with the Lopes taking on Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. MST in the quarterfinals.

“This matchup with Ohio State is going to be really, really good in terms of how comparable our teams are,” coach Matt Werle said. “With the win over UCLA and the experience of being (in the NCAA Tournament) last year, we don’t have to worry about freaking out over the lights and we can just go be us.” Continue reading “Blocked and loaded: GCU men’s volleyball on a roll as it prepares for Ohio State in NCAA Tournament”

• Slug: Sports-GCU: Sports and Religion, 1,700 words.
• 4 photos available

By Justin de Haas
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Watching men’s basketball games at Grand Canyon’s Global Credit Union Arena is an enlightening experience. The building is often packed to capacity with 7,000 frenetic fans, including the Havocs student section. The team is a perennial winner in the Western Athletic Conference, but the squad also plays for a higher purpose.

That purpose is symbolized by the three large white crosses that stand outside the arena.

GCU is an interdenominational Christian university whose messaging of faith exists in a world where religion and sports can sometimes be uncomfortable bedfellows. The topic came to a head in 2022 when the Supreme Court ruled that a Washington high school football coach who knelt and prayed on the field after games was protected by the Constitution. Continue reading “Keeping the faith: GCU, others believe religion and sports can coexist”

• Slug: Sports-Marilynn Smith Golf, 1,100 words.
• 2 photos available

By Brett Lapinski
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – When Debbie Waitkus published a story on LPGA icon Marilynn Smith following her World Golf Hall of Fame induction, it was supposed to be nothing more than a tribute to her golfing journey. However, 18 years later, that story has brought her to a place she never would’ve imagined the day she put the pen to paper.

Founded in 2020 under Waitkus following the passing of Smith in 2019, Golf It Forward has been a cornerstone in the golf community, preserving the legacy of the 13 LPGA co-founders and sharing their passion for the future of women’s golf with the world. The non-profit organization will host a series of events from Sunday to Wednesday at Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale to fundraise for scholarships.

The foundation’s roots are inspired by Smith, who was one of, if not the most prolific pioneer in women’s golf history. While she amassed 21 tournament victories during her LPGA Tour career, it was off the green that truly cemented her legacy. Smith helped co-found the LPGA and was recognized as the “LPGA’s Goodwill Ambassador” for her efforts to promote the sport. Continue reading “Golf It Forward aims to grow women’s golf, empower future generations through Marilynn Smith’s legacy”

• Slug: Sports-Basha’s Garcia Sisters, 1,600 words.
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By Hayden Cilley
Cronkite News

CHANDLER – As the Basha Bears softball and track and field teams gear up for their respective state championship runs, one pair of sisters are cementing their legacy at the school.

Gabriella and Juliana (J.J.) Garcia have been dominant in their respective sports. Gabriella, a senior infielder on the Bears softball team, recently committed to the University of Oklahoma softball team, the top collegiate program in the nation. Gabriella is currently batting .507 with 27 runs batted in and 31 runs scored. When she isn’t on the diamond, she throws the javelin and does it with excellence, placing first at every competition this season.

Her younger sister J.J., a junior, placed first in discus throws at the Red Mountain Rampage and the Shadow Ridge Showcase with a distance of 134 feet, 5 inches and 133 feet, 11 inches respectively. She also placed first in shot put at the Red Mountain Rampage with throws of 36 feet, 11 inches and at the Devon Allen Invitational with 36 feet, 11.25 inches. Continue reading “Star athletes and best friends: Basha’s Gabriella and J.J. Garcia share unique bond through sports”

• Slug: Sports-LPGA Growth, 1,660 words.
• Two photos available

By Max Williams
Cronkite News

GILBERT – With talented golfers reaching new levels of success in the sport, the LPGA’s goal is to grow with every tournament. Slowly but surely, women’s golf has gained worldwide recognition since the LPGA launched 74 years ago, and it hopes to increase its popularity at a time of greater attention to female athletes.

Take Nelly Korda, the world’s top-ranked golfer on both the Rolex and CME leaderboards. The American has won five consecutive tournaments, including an impressive 20-under-par finish at the Ford Championship at Seville Golf and Country Club in Gilbert in late March.  

“When you have star power like that, and (Korda) has been around for a while now, so many more people are taking notice of what she is doing,” LPGA Properties vice president Scott Wood said.  Continue reading “A walk toward growth: Success of Nelly Korda, improved marketing could help increase LPGA audience”

EDS: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect byline. The story below has been corrected to reflect it was written by Brett Lapinski, but clients who used previous versions are asked to run the correction found here.

• Slug: Sports-Catalina Foothills Tennis, 1,260 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Brett Lapinski
Cronkite News

TUCSON – The 2024 AIA Division II Team Championship tennis playoffs begin with first-round matches Tuesday for the girls and Wednesday for the boys.

Sixteen teams are vying for the championship in each bracket, but 15 of the schools in each bracket will be trying to do something no boys team has done since 2013 and no girls team has pulled off since 2018.

That’s taking down the tennis juggernaut that is Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson.  Continue reading “Game of Thrones: Kings, queens of Tucson Catalina Foothills High tennis seek another crown”

• Slug: Sports-Photo Essay: Top Rank Boxing, 450 words.
• 12 photos available.

By Joseph Eigo
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – The pageantry and build-up for a boxing match is unlike anything in sports.

For Top Rank’s latest event in Arizona, the intensity began to build during the Wednesday press conference before the March bout at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Phoenix.

In the main event, former two-division world champion Oscar Valdez took on Australia’s Liam Wilson for the WBO interim junior lightweight title. In the co-main event, four belts were on the line in the minimumweight title unification bout between Seniesa Estrada and Yokasta Valle.  Continue reading “Photo essay: Mexican fighters take center stage at Top Rank Boxing in Glendale”

• Slug: Sports-Coyotes Owner NHL Commissioner Speak, 1,300 words.
• Photo available.

By Zach Mott
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A week of unbearable silence for Coyotes fans ended Friday with a spirited media session featuring two key players involved in the team’s relocation to Salt Lake City.

“I’ve been presented with the most painful decision in my life, in my 40 years of business,” Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo said. “My family and I are devastated.”

Meruelo and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media on the heels of Thursday’s announcement that the Coyotes would become inactive and that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and the Smith Entertainment Group would purchase team operations for $1.2 billion. Continue reading “‘Most painful decision in my life’: Meruelo, Bettman respond to criticism about Arizona Coyotes departure”

• Slug: Sports-ASU NCAA Infractions, 660 words.
• Photo available.

By Maxwell Williams
Cronkite News

TEMPE – As Arizona State prepares to shift from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big 12, it will do so with significant baggage.

On Friday, the NCAA Infractions Committee announced the athletic department faces four years of probation, scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions for violations that occurred during Herm Edwards’ tenure as football coach.

The Level I violations also include fines, a 2023 season self-imposed football postseason ban, a vacation of records for contests that ineligible student-athletes competed in and the dissociation with an involved booster for five years. Continue reading “Walk of shame: ASU football slapped with probation, scholarship reductions due to violations during Herm Edwards era”

• Slug: Sports-Coyotes Youth Movement Sale, 1,000 words.
• Photo available.

By Zach Mott
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The action never seemed to dissipate for the Arizona Coyotes this season.

What turned into a whirlwind of a season – on and off the ice – began with one of the franchise’s best starts in the last decade. The high point came at the end of November and transitioned into early December, when the Coyotes beat each of the last five Stanley Cup winners in a row (Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, St Louis Blues, Washington Capitals). 

Heading into the All-Star break, the Coyotes sat firmly in contention for a postseason spot. But inconsistency followed an incredible stretch, as the Coyotes struggled to find their footing again. The season’s low point? A winless February, including a 14-game losing streak that hammered the team’s postseason hopes.  Continue reading “Arizona Coyotes’ turbulent season, young talent lay groundwork for fresh start in Utah”

• Slug: Sports-Coyotes Officially Gone, 620 words.
• Photo available.

By Zach Mott
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The Mullett Arena crowd roared as the Arizona Coyotes scored five goals Wednesday in their season finale. The onslaught started just under three minutes into the first period, when forward Liam O’Brien ripped one past Edmonton Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard. The Coyotes would pile on four more goals in securing a 5-2 win.

It was a season-ending victory that would normally excite fans as a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season. But most everyone in attendance at the 5,000-seat arena – along with legions of fans who had followed the Coyotes in the desert for 28 years – viewed the game as an afterthought.

They were waiting on a definitive answer from the NHL about the team’s future. Continue reading “It’s official: NHL approves Arizona Coyotes’ $1.2B Sale, relocation to Utah”

• Slug: Sports-Coyotes Last Hurrah, 600 words.
• 2 photos available.
• 1 video available

By Zach Mott
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – While so many questions remain unanswered, fans will say goodbye Wednesday in what is likely the final game for the Coyotes in Arizona.

As the day started, it was certain to be unlike any other for Coyotes players. At 10:30 a.m., the optional morning skate at the Ice Den in Scottsdale was already under way. The team had practiced Tuesday, so several veterans were granted the opportunity for the morning off.

Following the morning skate, Josh Doan remained on the ice, long after everyone else had departed. Why? To pick up pucks, of course. Continue reading “Farewell to the desert? Coyotes’ potential finale in Arizona draws emotions and memories”