Sports
Stifling Caitlin Clark is Connecticut Sun's Path to WNBA Playoff Victory Over Indiana Fever
Much of the attention in Game 1 of the first-round WNBA playoff series between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun centered around a pair of incidents involving Caitlin Clark and DiJonai Carrington.
In previous matchups between the Sun and Fever, things have gotten physical, and Sunday’s game was no different as the two exchanged seemingly inadvertent eye pokes. Clark got hit near her right eye by Carrington in the first quarter, and then in the fourth frame, Clark returned the favor, accidentally knocking out Carrington’s contact.
It was all part of a frustrating day for Clark, who finished with just 11 points in 36 minutes of play in a 93-69 loss to the Sun. The unanimous AP WNBA Rookie of the Year’s dissatisfaction with her own performance bubbled to the surface in the third quarter when she slapped a chair on the bench in anger.
“We didn’t play well, didn’t play to the level we’re capable of playing,” Clark said. “We didn’t shoot the ball like we’re capable of. We’re capable of winning this game.”
And of the exchanges with Carrington, Clark said: “Got me pretty good in the eye. I don’t think it affected me, honestly. I felt like I got good shots, they just didn’t go down. Obviously, a tough time for that to happen.”
No, Clark wasn’t going to blame her abysmal playoff debut on some tough guarding from an opponent.
Besides, if Clark had held Carrington liable for why she shot 4-of-17 from the floor and 2-of-13 from 3-point land, she would’ve been picking the wrong Connecticut player to hold accountable.
For the majority of the game, the player guarding Clark and making things extremely difficult for her was 37-year-old DeWanna Bonner, who used her combination of two things that Clark doesn’t have—experience and length—to make the rookie star’s first playoff game an absolute nightmare.
In the first half, Clark went 0-of-3 from the floor when Bonner was guarding her. When ESPN’s Holly Rowe relayed that stat to Bonner during an on-court interview, she had an appropriate and memorable reaction.
“Let me knock on some wood real quick,” Bonner said, bending over and tapping the court while letting out a laugh. “Because she’s a great player. I know she’s going to come out in the second half ready to go, so I got to key in.”
Clark wasn’t all that better in the second half though, going 3-of-8 from the floor with two turnovers. The play of Bonner was a big reason why.
For much of her career, the Auburn product has been underrated as a defender, making an All-WNBA Defensive Team just once—the second team in 2015. But this season, Bonner is posting a career-high in defensive win shares with 2.5, which is fifth-best in the WNBA. Her defensive rating of 92.6 is the second-best she’s posted in her 15-year career and is 11th-best in the league this season.
The part of Bonner’s defense that hasn’t been undervalued over the course of her career is her versatility and savviness. She’s guarded all sorts of players, from slashing wings to bruising centers to sharpshooting guards. Clark was just her latest victim.
The 6-foot-4 Bonner had a highlight-worthy block on Clark as she drove to the rim in the second quarter. She finished the game with two blocks in addition to 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. Alyssa Thomas posted a triple-double for the Sun in the win, but if there was an MVP of Game 1, the honor should go to Bonner.
That Connecticut had Bonner guard Clark was a surprise to many. In the Sun’s previous four matchups with the Fever, Carrington shouldered that assignment for the majority of those games. But when the Fever finally beat the Sun 84-80 in their last meeting behind Clark’s 19 points and five assists, Connecticut knew it had to attempt another strategy.
“They beat us last time, so we had to do something different,” Bonner said. “It was nothing behind it. They got two great guards, so somebody’s got to step up and play defense, that’s the only way to beat them, so I just took on the challenge. She’s a great player. I know next game she’s going to come out firing.”
Indeed, that’s the task at hand now for Bonner and the Sun: Can they stifle Clark again to take the series-clinching win?
On Wednesday evening, we’ll find out.
Sports
Reports: Dodgers acquire 2-time Cy Young LHP Tarik Skubal from Tigers
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal tips his hat to the fans after delivering his 1,000 strikeout against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The Los Angeles Dodgers are landing the biggest trade piece at this year’s deadline in two-time defending American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.
The addition of the left-handed ace is a major boost to a Los Angeles side looking to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series, a feat last accomplished by the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.
ESPN and The Athletic reported that Detroit would in turn receive three prospects in outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Skubal, 29, elevated from ninth-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Seattle University to one of the best pitchers in baseball. He became the 12th player in major league history to win consecutive Cy Young awards in 2024-25, leading the Tigers to their first two postseason appearances since 2014.
However, he’s set to be a free agent at the end of the season, and this year’s Detroit team is three games back from the final AL wild-card spot.
Skubal has a 61-42 record and 3.04 career ERA over seven seasons with the Tigers. He’s posted ERAs of 2.80 or better in each of his last four seasons, including a league leading 2.39 in 2024 and 2.21 in 2025 — earning All-Star nods both years.
He missed six weeks earlier this season after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. However, he returned ahead of schedule in June and has a 2.87 ERA with 71 strikeouts and eight walks in nine starts since returning. Overall, Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA, 14 walks and 114 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings over 16 starts.
He became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts (153 games) in what was his final start for Detroit on Wednesday.
The Dodgers’ need for starting pitching depth ramped up in the last few weeks as star slugger/pitcher Shohei Ohtani has been sidelined from pitching due to knee inflammation and bicep soreness. While his timeline for a return to the mound is uncertain, it becomes less of a major need with the addition of Skubal.
Hope, 21, is the biggest piece of the return haul for the Tigers. He ranks as the Dodgers’ No. 5 prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He’s hitting .293 with 23 homers, 87 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts in 94 games this season at Double-A Tulsa.
Ryan, 27, is the Dodgers’ seventh-ranked prospect and the No. 68 prospect in baseball. He made his major league debut in 2024 for Los Angeles, posting a 1-0 record and 1.33 ERA over four starts and 20 1/3 innings.
However, he hasn’t been back to the majors in the last two seasons and was sidelined for the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
He returned this spring and was 3-1 with a 4.46 ERA over eight starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City, striking out 43 and walking eight over 36 1/3 innings.
Smith, 21, is Los Angeles’ No. 17 prospect, reaching High-A earlier this season after he was a third-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2023. He has a career 0-10 minor league record with a 4.72 ERA over 31 outings (30 starts). He’s a combined 0-7 this season for two teams with a 4.36 ERA across 21 starts, with 113 strikeouts and 30 walks in 74 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
White Sox add veteran RHP Luis Castillo, send 3 players to Mariners
Jul 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring three-time All-Star right-hander Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.
The Mariners receive right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones, Chicago’s No. 15 prospect in minor league catcher Boston Smith and conditional cash considerations. The White Sox will pay the remainder of Castillo’s salary, according to multiple reports, which is about $30 million guaranteed from now through the 2027 season.
Castillo is in the fourth year of a five-year, $108 million contract with a $25 million vesting option for 2028. He is having his worst season at 3-9 with a 5.06 ERA in 20 games (17 starts). The 33-year-old has recorded 32 walks and 86 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings.
For his career, Castillo is 87-93 with a 3.65 ERA, 485 walks and 1,579 strikeouts in 1,510 1/3 innings over 263 regular-season games (260 starts) for the Cincinnati Reds (2017-22) and Mariners (2022-26).
He was selected to the All-Star Game with the Reds (2019, 2022) and the Mariners (2023) — finishing fifth in the American League Cy Young Award voting that season.
Castillo is 2-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings over six postseason games (five starts) — experience lacking in Chicago’s other starters.
Dominguez, 31, is 4-3 with 12 saves, a 4.10 ERA, 23 walks and 45 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings over 42 relief appearances in his first season with the White Sox.
He has a career record of 27-26 with 52 saves, a 3.57 ERA in 343 1/3 innings over 364 relief appearances. He has pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies (2018-19, 2021-24), Baltimore Orioles (2024-25), Toronto Blue Jays (2025) and White Sox. He went 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 12 appearances during the Blue Jays’ playoff run last season.
Jones, 28, is batting .247 with 30 home runs and 137 RBIs in 349 games with Cleveland (2022, 2025) and the Colorado Rockies (2023-24). Jones was batting a combined .257 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 90 games with the Guardians’ and White Sox’s Triple-A affiliates this year.
Cleveland selected Jones in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was traded to the White Sox for $250,000 in bonus pool money and cash considerations on June 11.
Smith, 23, has played 78 games in the White Sox’s minor league system from Single-A to High-A to Double-A this season and batted .291 with 22 homers and 58 RBIs.
The Washington Nationals picked Smith in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Wright State.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brewers claim best record in baseball with late rally past Angels
Aug 1, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Jake Bauers (9) is greeted by left fielder Jackson Chourio (11) in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Brice Turang drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Jake Bauers homered for the second straight game to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Jackson Chourio doubled and scored a run and William Contreras also doubled for Milwaukee, which moved atop the major league standings at 69-41, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chad Patrick (6-4) struck out five and gave up one hit over two shutout innings to pick up the win in relief. Trevor Megill pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 18th save.
Mike Trout went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and Jorge Soler doubled and drove in a run for Los Angeles, which lost its fifth straight game.
Samy Natera Jr. (1-1) picked up the loss, allowing one run on two hits in two innings with four strikeouts. Natera was the third of four pitchers used by the Angels, who elected to go with a bullpen game after scheduled starter Jose Soriano, the subject of trade rumors, was scratched a few hours before the game.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Trout singled and scored on Soler’s bloop double down the left field line.
Bauers, who hit a three-run homer to highlight a five-run fifth inning in Milwaukee’s 6-2 victory in Friday’s series opener, tied the game in the fourth inning with his 20th home run, a 401-foot line drive into the bleachers in right-center.
The Brewers took a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning when Chourio lined a double over the head of left fielder Jose Siri and scored on a bloop single to center by Turang.
Milwaukee added an insurance run in the ninth against Kirby Yates when Garrett Mitchell walked with two outs, stole second and scored on a softly hit groundball single to center by Cooper Pratt.
Brewers starter Robert Gasser allowed one run on four hits over five innings, striking out six and walking two. Angels replacement starter Brent Suter walked three and struck out one in two no-hit innings.
–Field Level Media
Reports: Dodgers acquire 2-time Cy Young LHP Tarik Skubal from Tigers
White Sox add veteran RHP Luis Castillo, send 3 players to Mariners
