Sports
KOI, Surge post Round 1 sweeps at CDL Stage 4 Minor
A backlit keyboard is part of the gear online video game streamer Jordan Woodruff uses in his Gilbert home.
Jordan Woodruff
The Vancouver Surge and Toronto KOI opened with sweeps, while the Riyadh Falcons and G2 Minnesota also prevailed in Round 1 of the Call of Duty League’s Stage 4 Minor on Friday to reach the quarterfinals.
All 12 CDL teams are competing in the tournament, which will reward $20,000 and 30 CDL points to the champion. The single-elimination bracket is seeded based on teams’ standing following the Stage 3 Major. All matches are best-of-five until the final on Sunday, which will be best-of-seven.
Facing Cloud9 New York, Toronto rolled to victory with wins on Sake Hardpoint (250-176), Raid Search and Destroy (6-3) and Den Overload (4-3).
Vancouver followed suit against the Miami Heretics, posting victories on Gridlock Hardpoint (250-234), Raid Search and Destroy (6-3) and Scar Overload (4-3).
The Falcons had to work much harder against Carolina despite opening with a 250-174 victory on Hacienda Hardpoint. The Royal Ravens evened the match on Raid Search and Destroy (6-3) before the Falcons regained the lead on Gridlock Overload (4-3). Carolina again pulled even with a win on Sake Hardpoint (250-176) before Riyadh finally clinched the victory on Gridlock Search and Destroy (6-1).
Facing the Boston Breach, G2 Minnesota opened with a 250-180 loss on Hacienda Hardpoint, then reeled off three consecutive victories to advance to the quarterfinals — 6-5 on Hacienda Search and Destroy, 4-1 on Gridlock Overload and 250-193 on Gridlock Hardpoint.
The Saturday schedule (quarterfinals):
–OpTic Texas vs. Riyadh Falcons
–Paris Gentle Mates vs. Toronto KOI
–FaZe Vegas vs. Vancouver Surge
–Los Angeles Thieves vs. G2 Minnesota
Call of Duty League’s Stage 4 Minor prize pool
1. $20,000, 30 CDL points
2. No money, 20 CDL points
3-4. No money, 10 CDL points
5-8. No money, no CDL points
9-12. No money, no CDL points — Carolina Royal Ravens, Cloud9 New York, Miami Heretics, Boston Breach
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rookies Parker Messick, Chase DeLauter push Guardians past Marlins
Jul 10, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) throws during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Parker Messick took a no-hit-bid into the sixth inning, and Chase DeLauter slugged a two-run homer as the Guardians cooled off the host Miami Marlins 3-2 on Friday night.
All-Star closer Cade Smith pitched a scoreless ninth, earning his major-league-best 28th save. It was the third time in three days that Smith pitched.
It was also DeLauter’s 10th homer of the season — one less than team leader Angel Martinez, who hasn’t played since June 13 because of a foot injury.
Messick (8-5) lasted six innings, allowing one hit, four walks and one run. The left-hander struck out just one batter, but he got 10 groundouts.
DeLauter and Messick are both rookies.
Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara, who had won seven straight starts, took the loss. Alcantara (10-5) allowed five hits, zero walks and three runs while fanning eight in seven innings.
Miami, which had its six-game win streak snapped, got a homer from Heriberto Hernandez to break up the no-hit bid. It was Hernandez’s 13th homer of the season and his fifth in his past seven games. Leo Jimenez also went deep.
Cleveland opened the scoring in the fourth inning as Brayan Rocchio singled and scored on DeLauter’s 430-foot homer to right-center on a 97-mph fastball.
The Guardians extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth as Austin Hedges and Steven Kwan singled, and Travis Bazzana lofted a sacrifice fly.
The Marlins broke up the no-hit bid with one out in the sixth as Hernandez pulled a 2-0 curve over the left field fence, cutting Miami’s deficit to 3-1. The pitch was in the middle of the plate, and Hernandez slugged it 380 feet to left.
Miami made it 3-2 in the seventh as Jimenez blasted a 1-0 fastball 407 feet for a homer. Later in the inning, Miami had runners on second and third with one out. But reliever Colin Holderman struck out Joe Mack on a ninth-pitch sweeper and got Otto Lopez on a groundout.
Hernandez nearly went deep again in the eighth, but his drive was caught on the warning track by center fielder Kahlil Watson, and the Marlins went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Valkyries stymie Sun, ring up 7th straight victory
Jul 10, 2026; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) drives the ball against Connecticut Sun guard Charlisse Leger-Walker (4) and forward Raegan Beers (15) in the first half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Veronica Burton highlighted a productive all-around effort with a game-high 17 points, Janelle Salaun led a relentless defense with three steals and the Golden State Valkyries ran their winning streak to seven with a 79-64 thumping of the Connecticut Sun on Friday night in Uncasville, Conn.
Salaun also tallied 16 points, a team-high seven rebounds and a block for the Valkyries (17-7), who improved to 4-0 on a five-game trip that ends Wednesday at Indiana.
Diamond Miller had 14 points, Olivia Nelson-Ododa 12, Aaliyah Edwards 11 and Charlisse Leger-Walker 10 for the Sun, who had won three of their previous five games. Leila Lacan ran up a game-high-tying six assists and Nelson-Ododa a game-high eight rebounds for Connecticut.
Despite playing without star Brittney Griner, out for a second straight game with strained right quad, the Sun (5-18) led 23-19 in the game’s 12th minute before Golden State tightened the defensive screws.
The hosts scored just two more points over the final 8:19 of the half — and a total of just six in the second period — as the Valkyries wrestled away the lead for good.
The margin was just five at 49-44 after a Nell Angloma interior hoop with 49.0 seconds left in the third quarter. But Burton converted a three-point play and a layup to double the margin by period’s end, after which Kaila Charles and Burton buried 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter, completing an 11-0 run that opened a 60-44 lead.
Taking over the chief scoring role in the absence of All-Star Gabby Williams, out with a bruised back, Burton also had six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Salaun’s three steals and Laeticia Amihere’s three blocks highlighted a defensive effort that saw the Valkyries force 22 Connecticut turnovers.
The 64 points were the lowest for the Sun in a home game this season and third-lowest at all sites. They shot just 41.4% overall and hit only four of their 16 3-point attempts.
Charles and Tiffany Hayes added nine points apiece and Kaitlyn Chen eight for the Valkyries, who shot 8 of 18 from beyond the arc and 51.7% overall.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Paige Bueckers scores 34 as Wings down Tempo in front of record crowd
Jul 10, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) and Toronto Tempo forward Isabelle Harrison (21) in the first half at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Paige Bueckers scored 34 points with six rebounds and six assists as the visiting Dallas Wings defeated the Toronto Tempo 108-95 in Montreal.
Jessica Shepard added 20 points and 17 rebounds for the Wings (15-8), who have won four straight. Arike Ogunbowale scored 20 points and had seven assists as Dallas swept a four-game road trip that included two wins against the Tempo (9-13). Azzi Fudd scored 13 points and Alysha Clark scored 10 points.
The announced attendance of 20,996 is a record for a WNBA regular season game. The previous record of 20,711 was set in Washington in 2024.
Marina Mabrey scored 34 points for the Tempo, who have lost four in a row. Isabelle Harrison scored 18 points and Maria Conde had 12 points and nine assists.
Toronto led by one point going into the fourth quarter. Clark hit two consecutive 3-pointers to give Dallas a three-point lead with 7:42 to play in the fourth. Dallas used a 7-0 burst to take a six-point lead and command of the game with 5:56 to play. Clark’s layup increased the lead to nine with 3:43 left and Ogunbowale’s layup increased the margin to 13 with 1:50 to play.
Mabrey’s four 3-pointers and 17 points helped Toronto to a 33-25 lead after one quarter.
Juskaite’s 3-pointer bumped the lead to 13 with 7:40 to play in the second quarter. The Wings climbed back to within five on Fudd’s 3-pointer with 3:42 to play. Toronto led 56-52 at halftime.
Mabrey was limited to 1:58 and two points in the second quarter when she picked up her third foul and went to the bench.
Dallas scored the first five points of the third quarter to lead by one. The score was tied at 70 with 4:35 to play in the third after Mabrey and Bueckers exchanged 3-pointers. Odyssey Sims hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut Toronto’s lead to 85-84.
Toronto’s Nyara Sabally was out with an injured left knee to add to Toronto’s long injured list.
–Field Level Media
