• Slug: Sports–Footprint Center Signage. 450 words.
• Photos available.

By Jackson Shaw
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The home of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury is undergoing a light remodel. The city-owned venue formerly known as Footprint Center is managed by the Suns and Mercury, who have begun the search for a new naming rights deal.

Starting Sunday, the Footprint Center signage at the front of the arena began to come down, and by Tuesday morning, workers were seen removing the final letters from the building.

The original naming rights deal with Footprint, a plant-based engineering company based in Gilbert, was a 10-year pact, but its sponsorship arrangement with the teams has changed. Footprint will continue as official sustainability partner of the Suns and Mercury, but will no longer hold the arena naming rights, according to a statement from a Suns spokesperson.

Club officials indicated that the search for a new naming rights partner will begin immediately, and until a new partner is found, the building will be called PHX Arena.

Continue reading “Footprint Center signage removed as Phoenix Suns and Mercury seek new naming rights partner”

• Slug: Sports–Valley Suns Update. 609 words.
• Photo available.

By Jimmy Van Wickler
Cronkite News

TEMPE – After 21 regular season games, the Valley Suns have made it to the NBA G League All-Star break.

In their first season, the Valley Suns – who serve as the developmental club for the NBA Phoenix Suns – are 12-9 and fifth in the Western Conference, at times resembling their NBA counterpart, with a high-volume 3-point offense and a lineup that struggles on the offensive rebounds.

Still, the team managed the month of January with a 10-5 record while playing 11 of 15 games on the road and will get to spend more on their homecourt at Arizona State’s Mullett Arena after the All-Star break.

“January was a tough month, but I feel like we got through that,” said Valley Suns coach John Little. “We got the highs and lows of the year but feel really good overall. (I) like the camaraderie of the team and like the direction of the team.”

Continue reading “Home cooking: Valley Suns hope to feast on homecourt in NBA G League playoff race following All-Star break”

• Slug: Sports–Cactus League HOF. 808 words.
• 6 photos available

By Dan Allison
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – In upstate New York, legends are made from All-Star highlights in July and championship-winning plays in October.

But just 2,000 miles southwest of Cooperstown sits another hall of fame, where heroes are made during February and March.

With the start of spring training in Arizona, The Arizona Cactus League Association, in collaboration with the Mesa Historical Museum, is set to induct four members to their Cactus League Hall of Fame this spring. The Cactus League has been inducting members into its Hall of Fame since 2014, now housing 46 inductees.

The Hall of Fame’s exhibit, located in north Mesa just a few miles from the spring training homes of the Cubs and Athletics, tells not only the stories of such stars as Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson, but also the unsung heroes in Cactus League history.

Continue reading “Spring training’s finest: Cactus League Hall of Fame grows in celebration of baseball legends”

• Slug: Sports–ASU GSR Rates. 1,759 words
• Photo available.

By Koby Braunstein
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Arizona State sophomore defensive lineman C.J. Fite is a scholar and a baller.

A 2024 All-Big 12 Second Team selection, Fite is a business entrepreneurship major with NFL hopes and aspirations to one day open his own training facility.

“Since high school, I’ve always wanted to be my own boss,” Fite said. “When I was thinking about majors, I thought, ‘Business entrepreneurship works perfectly.’”

Continue reading “Scholar Baller effect: ASU’s formula for record athlete graduation rates”

• Slug: Sports-Boedigheimer Miracle League. 1130 words.
• Photos available.

By Tyler Bednar
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When he was 9, Scottsdale native Drew Boedigheimer received an Oregon State College Baseball World Series championship ring. Ever since he was a young kid, Boedigheimer has always loved baseball. His two Oregon State University graduate parents, Tara and Todd, frequented OSU baseball games and brought him to love the sport, too.

Boedigheimer was just 2 years old when he was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy – a heart condition that results in stiffening of the muscle. As the only cure, he received a heart transplant a month later, on May 26, 2011, which the family refers to as his “heart birthday.”

Continue reading “What makes Miracle League of Arizona so special for players with disabilities? Just ask Drew Boedigheimer”

• Slug: Sports-Cactus League Opens. 659 words.
• Photos available.

By Dylan Pescatore
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – Long before the sun began to peek over the nearby mountains, a smattering of die-hard baseball fans waited in anticipation of what the day might bring. It was 3:30 a.m., hours before the Los Angeles Dodgers would stretch and take ground balls at Camelback Ranch. By 9 a.m., more than 200 fans were lined up for the opportunity to watch the World Series Champions return to the diamond.

One of the sport’s finest rituals is again taking over the Valley. Wednesday was the first day fans could watch their favorite baseball teams play again after a long winter. Spring training has commenced.

The Cactus League, with 15 teams playing in 10 stadiums across Arizona, is ready for its 78th year of hosting spring training games. From now until the end of March, the Valley will be packed with baseball fans from all over the world as they descend on ballparks from Glendale to Mesa.

Continue reading “Baseball’s back: Valley’s Cactus League opens for 78th year of spring training with a few twists”

• Slug: Sports-Arizona L.A. Fire Athletes. 728 word
• Photos available.

By Natalie Guzman
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – One month ago, the Los Angeles fires captured national attention. The raging blazes, fueled by ferocious Santa Ana winds, have since been 100% contained after an estimated 12,000 homes were destroyed and 29 people were killed.

For four college athletes living in Arizona, the story hit close to home.

The athletes hail from various parts of the L.A. area. ASU track and field athlete Ava McCumber Gandara is from Woodland Hills, east of Calabasas. The junior communications major said her immediate family relocated to Arizona following her decision to attend ASU, but she still has family and friends in the L.A. area. She recalled first finding out about the fires.

“I go to the news app … and you know all the information just kept piling on at once,” McCumber Gandara said.

Continue reading “‘I couldn’t believe it’: Arizona-based college athletes process hometown Los Angeles fire devastation”

• Slug: Sports-Suns Nick Richards, 700 words.
• Photos available.

By Brevan Branscum
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Fourteen games into his tenure as a Phoenix Sun, Nick Richards has molded into a strong presence for the team that desperately needed one.

It’s another stop in the center’s five-year career, a journey that stretches back to when he grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and learned how to play basketball in the eighth grade.

On that journey, Richards spent two years at The Patrick School, a New Jersey high school that has developed numerous NBA prospects and players, most notably Dallas Mavericks star and NBA champion Kyrie Irving. Chris Chavannes, who coached Richards in high school, isn’t surprised by his quick impact. Continue reading “From Kingston courts to Suns, Nick Richards blossoms in Phoenix as 7-foot game-changer”

• Slug: Sports-Valley Suns, 900 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Brendon Pricco
Cronkite News

TEMPE – In July 2020 the Phoenix Suns organization, under owner Robert Sarver, sold its G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, to the Detroit Pistons organization. This created a void in the Suns’ organization that would take years to fill.

At the time of the purchase, 42% of all NBA players had G League experience. Fast forward to 2023, and the Phoenix Suns were the only NBA team without a G League affiliate. This put Phoenix at a disadvantage, hindering the team from offering young players the opportunity to develop in the G League on two-way contracts.

“In some organizations, it’s the foundation of player development,” said Brandon Rosenthal, who spent three seasons with the Suns, including the 2016-2017 season in Prescott as an assistant coach with the Northern Arizona Suns in their inaugural season. “Having an affiliate creates a location for players to develop that’s under the direction of the organization’s leadership and coaching staff.” Continue reading “G League’s Valley Suns bridge crucial development gap for Phoenix and the community”

• Slug: ASU MBB Struggles, 620 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Luc Carter
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Arizona State men’s basketball team has faced a tumultuous road this season. From close heartbreaking losses to injuries and player suspensions, the Sun Devils’ Big 12 debut has not gone as planned, especially considering the promise they showcased through non-conference play.

The window for a tournament bid is quickly closing for the Sun Devils (12-11, 3-9 Big 12), who entered Wednesday’s matchup on the road against No. 12 Texas Tech riding a three-game skid after a 9-2 start to the 2024–25 regular season. The Sun Devils have since dropped nine of their last 12 games.

Last week marked ASU’s lowest point of the season, with two losses to unranked conference opponents who both had records of .500 or under in Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Continue reading “Turmoil in Tempe: Suspensions, injuries plague ASU men’s hoops in inaugural Big 12 season”