Sports
Lynx trying to extend winning ways vs. Fire with break in sight
Jul 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Natasha Howard (1) and guard Olivia Miles (5) react late during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images The WNBA All-Star break is fast approaching, and the Minnesota Lynx are looking forward to a chance to rest their bodies and catch their breath.
“This is sort of a tough stretch for us,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We got off to such a fast start, and we’re maybe that runner that ran really fast and is right now trying to really push themselves to get to that finish line. The finish line for us is the All-Star break.”
But three more games remain for the Lynx before they can hit reset.
Minnesota (19-6) will go for its fifth win in a row when it tips off against the Portland Fire (11-14) on Saturday evening in Minneapolis. The game marks the end of a four-game homestand for the Lynx, who are 9-4 on their home court this season.
The Lynx hope to have standout rookie Olivia Miles back on the court Saturday. Miles left the Lynx’s most recent game after she rolled her ankle, but she returned to the bench late in the game and joined her teammates on the court after their win over the Los Angeles Sparks.
Miles averages a team-high 19.3 points and 5.7 assists on the season. She is shooting 50.5% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc.
If Miles is out, or if she is limited by the ankle injury, Courtney Williams could take on a bigger role in the backcourt. Williams (15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists per game) has provided a steady veteran presence alongside Miles this season and said she’ll do whatever is required of her.
“I don’t ever want to force it,” Williams said. “Always just kind of want to plug in where we need (support) the most, so whether that is scoring … whether that is, you know, stepping up and having to play the point guard.”
The Fire are coming off a 75-56 win over the Washington Mystics. Carla Leite led the team with 14 points and five assists, Serah Williams scored 12 points and Sarah Ashlee Barker had 10.
Leite leads Portland with 15.2 ppg on the season. Bridget Carleton, a former Lynx sharpshooter whom the Fire selected in the expansion draft, is second on the team with 13.2 points per game.
Portland coach Alex Sarama praised his players for their recent success on defense, particularly after they held the Mystics to 56 points.
“A huge part of the game plan was shrinking the floor as much as possible,” Sarama said. “(We were) playing heavily in the gaps, digging on post-ups and really building a wall so they couldn’t see space to get downhill.”
Kayla McBride will look to stay hot for the Lynx. She has led the team in scoring in each of the past six games, including a 24-point effort in their latest win against the Sparks.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Orlando City reunite with F Daryl Dike
Orlando City forward Daryl Dike (18) scores on a penalty kick during the second half against Nashville SC at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.
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Forward Daryl Dike is returning to his first professional club, signing with Orlando City SC through the 2027 MLS Sprint Season with a club option for 2027-28, the club announced on Friday.
In exchange for Dike’s Discovery Priority, Orlando City sent $75,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money (GAM) to Seattle Sounders FC. If certain performance-based metrics are reached, Orlando City will send Seattle an additional $75,000 GAM.
Dike, 26, was the No. 5 selection of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft and made 33 starts in 41 appearances across all competitions with the Lions. He scored 19 goals and compiled seven assists, highlighted by his team-leading 11 goals in 2021.
“Daryl is a player our club and our fans know well, and we’re very excited to welcome him back to Orlando,” Orlando City SC General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a statement. “He brings a powerful combination of strength, speed and physical presence, and his ability to hold up play, bring teammates into the attack and finish chances gives us another important option up front. Daryl has already shown what he can do in our league and in this city, and we look forward to helping him make an impact again in purple.”
Dike, originally from Edmond, Okla., played the past five seasons with West Bromwich Albion F.C. in England’s EFL Championship. In 138 professional matches, he scored 43 goals and added nine assists.
“I’m thrilled to be back where it all started. Orlando is where I first got the opportunity to play professionally, and returning here feels like coming home,” Dike said. “From the moment I arrived the first time, I felt welcomed, and that same feeling has only grown since I’ve come back. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, and I’m grateful to be back in Orlando.”
In 10 appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team, Dike has three goals and helped the team win the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Orlando City returns to league play Wednesday against the host San Jose Earthquakes.
–Field Level Media
Sports
ATP roundup: Top four seeds all eliminated in Gstaad
May 28, 2026; Paris, France; Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina returns a shot during his match against Jannik Sinner of Italy on day five at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images The top four seeds were all eliminated Friday at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, with Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, Casper Ruud of Norway, Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech of France each exiting the clay-court tournament in Switzerland.
Quentin Halys of France completed a rain-delayed 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (5) upset of the top-seeded Bublik after returning to serve at 5-6 in the deciding set. Aleksandr Shevchenko also finished a suspended second-round match, beating Swiss wild card Dominic Stricker 7-6 (5), 6-2. Shevchenko later defeated Halys 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
No. 6 seed Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina rallied past second-seeded Ruud 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 after trailing by a break in the second set. Seventh-seeded Raphael Collignon of Belgium edged No. 3 Vacherot 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-5, while Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas completed the sweep of the top four by defeating fourth-seeded Rinderknech 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
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Top-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev needed just 59 minutes to dispatch No. 8 Sebastian Baez of Argentina 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals at Bastad, Sweden.
Rublev converted four of his eight break opportunities while reaching the 50th ATP Tour semifinal of his career. The 2023 Bastad champion will next meet third-seeded Alejandro Tabilo of Chile, who advanced when No. 7 Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina withdrew before their match because of an injury.
Second-seeded Luciano Darderi of Italy saved three set points in the opening-set tiebreaker before defeating No. 5 Nuno Borges of Portugal 7-6 (9), 6-4. Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo claimed the remaining semifinal berth with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory over Italy’s Stefano Travaglia.
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Spain’s Daniel Merida continued his run in Croatia by defeating Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals.
Merida secured his place in the second championship match of his career after losing in the final of the Tiriac Open in April. The 21-year-old broke Burruchaga early in both sets and won five of the final six games to close out the victory.
Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be Merida’s opponent in the final after rallying past Slovakia’s Alex Molcan 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Dzumhur recovered after dropping the opening set and finished the comeback in about two hours, 45 minutes. It will mark his first appearance in a final since 2018.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tiger-Cats turn to QB Tre Ford's running ability for Argos showdown
Jun 7, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Edmonton Elks quarterback Tre Ford (2) looks to pass the ball during the second half against the BC Lions at BC Place Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images In nearly six quarters since star quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell went down July 5 with a broken ankle, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have managed a grand total of seven points.
Two field goals and a rouge are all this once-potent offense has scored in Mitchell’s absence. Little wonder, then, that Hamilton coach Scott Milanovich has settled on a new starting quarterback for Saturday night’s home contest against the Toronto Argonauts.
Former Edmonton starter Tre Ford will get the start Saturday night after coming in late Sunday for Jake Dolegala, who completed 17 of 30 passes for only 122 yards and an interception while being sacked twice versus the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Ford isn’t the precision passer Mitchell is, but, unlike the slow-footed Dolegala, he can make big plays with his feet, which could provide a spark the offense desperately needs.
“Obviously, Tre has a different skill set that we’re going to try to utilize this week,” Milanovich said. “He’s got to protect the ball first and foremost. And when they want to play coverage and things aren’t open, he’s got to create with his legs and God-given talent.”
While Hamilton (2-3) tries to create a new identity on offense, Toronto (2-3) has its own problems to work through. The Argonauts fell 30-21 on July 10 in Winnipeg despite 320 passing yards and two touchdowns from Chad Kelly.
Kelly has thrown for a league-high 1,804 yards through five games, but he has also had issues with turnovers. That’s put pressure on a defense that has allowed 36.6 points per contest.
One of the beneficiaries of Kelly’s season-opening surge has been receiver Dave Ungerer III, who’s on pace to shatter his career bests across the board. He already has 25 catches for 330 yards and three scores, which puts him on pace to grab 90 passes. His career high was last year with 53.
Going above 1,000 yards for the season would mean a lot to Ungerer.
“I’ve always felt it’s a symbol of consistency,” he said.
This is the first of three matchups between these teams over the next eight weeks.
–Field Level Media
Orlando City reunite with F Daryl Dike
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on July 18
