Sports
Paraguay used to heat, but not expecting major edge vs. France
June 29, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.; Paraguay’s Junior Alonso. Mandatory Credit: David Butler Ii-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro suggested the extreme heat predicted for Saturday’s round of 16 match against heavily favored France could help his side, but only so much.
High temperatures around 100 Fahrenheit with significant humidity are forecast for the Mid-Atlantic city, with the highs coming an hour or two before the 5 p.m. ET scheduled kickoff.
Paraguay play their home qualifiers in the capital of Asuncion, where average summer highs rise into the 90s.
“We are used to the heat. Yes, we are,” Alfaro said on Friday via an interpreter. “However, you suffer the heat. What knockout match do you have in Paraguay at five in the afternoon? None. Maybe it happened once and there was a defeat. You don’t play at that time.”
He also noted it wouldn’t be the same as Mexico’s advantage playing at high altitude, conditions that Mexico have trained in for weeks.
“Even though you might have this memory, physical memory of understanding what happens with high altitude (or) what happens with heat, it’s different from what happens when you’re there,” he said.
“But the heat will affect both teams. And high altitude affects both teams, yes. But those that have a slight advantage are the ones that were able to prepare in that situation.”
Paraguay pulled off their round of 32 shock over Germany without center back Omar Alderete, who picked up a knee injury in the Albirroja’s group finale against Australia.
Alfaro said Alderete has not yet returned to full team training, but did not rule him out.
“Omar worked well yesterday, but he didn’t do anything on the field,” Alfaro said. “He did tough physical work. He responded well to the work. We’ll see today at our training to see how he responds. … “
“Let’s see if he can start or if he can come in later. He wants to be there. He’s told me, ‘Coach, I don’t want to miss this game.'”
Even though Monday’s triumph over Germany was celebrated with a national holiday, veteran Paraguay defender Junior Alonso insisted there would be no letdown in preparations to face Les Bleus.
“We have worked so hard, we have made so many sacrifices at the professional level, at the personal level, because our dream was to have Paraguay in a World Cup,” he said.
“So whether we have lost or not against Germany, it wouldn’t have meant a defeat to us because we did everything humanly possible to obtain that result and we were able to achieve that. And in this case, in the match against France, it won’t be different because we have the same mindset.
“We know what we are capable of. And the only thing that we could promise to the Paraguayan people is that we are going to give it all. Hopefully, God will be on our side and we will get the result that we want. But if that is not the case, we would have peace of mind anyway because we got prepared for this every day after getting so tired playing with Germany.”
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
Sports
Sparks still adjusting without Kelsey Plum with Storm on horizon
Jun 27, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) in the first half against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Returning home from a rough road swing, the Los Angeles Sparks will look to bounce back after a lengthy layoff when they host the Seattle Storm on Monday.
Los Angeles (8-10) dropped decisions by 28 points at Toronto on June 25 and 24 points at Indiana on June 27. The blowout losses came on the heels of the Sparks learning they would be without leading scorer Kelsey Plum for a stretch of at least four weeks.
A nine-year veteran who is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers and a career-high 23.9 points per game, Plum sustained a left leg injury that required heavy wrapping during Los Angeles’ 98-97 win over New York on June 21.
“She’s the best one-on-one player in the league. She’s having an MVP (type of) season,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said of Plum.
Roberts lamented Plum being excluded from the starting lineup of the WNBA All-Star Game, which was determined by a combination of fan, player and media balloting. Plum finished sixth among guards in fan voting, with Los Angeles teammate Nneka Ogwumike eighth among frontcourt players.
Ogwumike is averaging 16.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in Year 1 of her second tenure with the Sparks. Ogwumike leads Los Angeles on Monday against a Seattle franchise for which she finished in the top seven of MVP voting in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Ogwumike’s exit to return to Los Angeles, where she previously played from 2012-2023, is not the only change from a year ago for the struggling Storm (5-17).
Gone from Seattle’s 2025 roster after sweeping offseason changes are Gabby Williams, Skylar Diggins, Brittney Sykes and Erica Wheeler, a veteran guard who joined Ogwumike with the Sparks. Of the Storm’s top six scorers a season ago, four-time WNBA All-Defensive honoree forward Ezi Magbegor is the only one still in the Seattle organization.
Magbegor, though, was sidelined for the first 20 games of the regular season with a right foot injury. She made her 2026 debut in Thursday’s 90-67 loss at Phoenix, scoring eight points in 17 minutes. Magbegor followed that with four points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes of Seattle’s 77-72 loss Saturday to Portland.
While the new-look Storm roster adjusted before Magbegor’s return, rookie Awa Fam stepped up as one of the team’s most consistent contributors. Fam is averaging 12.0 points on 51.7% shooting from the floor, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
“It’s just been fun to see her growth over the last few games,” Magbegor said of Fam. “She’s not new to this professional life, but just to be able to see her settle into the (WNBA) is really exciting.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kelsey Mitchell leads Fever to first regular-season win at Aces
Jul 5, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) dribbles against Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) in the second quarter of their game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Kelsey Mitchell poured in 27 points and the visiting Indiana Fever pulled away from the Las Vegas Aces to win 84-68 on Sunday.
Aliyah Boston’s 18 points and 10 rebounds were critical for the Fever (12-8), who hadn’t played in more than a week. Lexie Hull added 10 points. It marked Indiana’s first-ever regular-season victory in Las Vegas.
Mitchell, who was 7-for-18 from the field and made 10 of 12 free throws, scored 25-plus points for the third game in a row as Indiana launched a four-game road trip.
Mitchell, Boston and Sophie Cunningham connected on three 3-point shots apiece for the Fever.
Jackie Young led Las Vegas with 15 points, while Jewell Loyd posted 12 points and Chelsea Gray had 10 points. Gray shot 2-for-11 from the field.
The Aces (15-6), who fell out of a first-place tie atop the league standings, made 40% of their shots. That included 4-for-19 on 3-pointers (21.1%). Las Vegas failed to reach the 70-point mark for the second time this season.
Both teams were without injured All-Star starters, with the Fever minus Caitlin Clark (back) and the Aces missing league scoring leader A’ja Wilson (ankle).
The Fever stormed out to a 66-53 lead in the third quarter. Boston scored the first eight Indiana points of the quarter.
Hull hit her second shot with the shot clock winding down when she drained a jumper from the left side to extend the margin to 75-62 with 4:24 remaining. That basket ended the Fever’s scoring drought that was approaching five minutes.
The Aces managed only five points in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Fever, despite being outscored 11-5 on free throws in the first half, went to the break holding a 42-41 lead. Neither team led by more than six points in the opening half.
Mitchell and Loyd each had 12 points at halftime to pace their respective teams.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Penguins sign F Egor Chinakhov, G Arturs Silovs
Apr 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) shoot the puck against the Florida Panthers during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Alberti-Imagn Images Forward Egor Chinakhov signed a three-year, $18.75 million contract to remain with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
Chinakhov, who was a restricted free agent, will earn an average annual salary of $6.25 million.
Pittsburgh also kept goaltender Arturs Silovs in the fold by signing the restricted free agent to a one-year, $2.8 million contract.
The Penguins acquired Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29, 2025 for forward Danton Heinen and two draft picks.
Chinakhov had six points (three goals, three assists) in 29 games for the Blue Jackets and 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) in 43 regular-season games for the Penguins. He played in six playoff games for Pittsburgh and had no points or penalty minutes with a minus-4 rating, three blocks and 11 hits.
The Russia native, 25, has career totals of 113 points (55 goals, 58 assists), 46 penalty minutes, 102 blocks and 216 hits in 247 regular-season games for Columbus (2021-25) and Pittsburgh.
Columbus selected Chinakhov in the first round (21st overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Silovs, 25, was 19-12-8 last season for Pittsburgh with a 3.07 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage in 39 games (38 starts).
For his career, Silovs is 27-20-10 with a 3.09 GAA and an .885 save percentage in 58 games (56 starts) for the Vancouver Canucks (2022-25) and Penguins. He also is 7-6 with a 2.56 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 13 postseason starts.
Vancouver selected the Latvia native in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.
–Field Level Media
Sparks still adjusting without Kelsey Plum with Storm on horizon
Kelsey Mitchell leads Fever to first regular-season win at Aces
