Sports
Superwoman Napheesa Collier Can Deliver Minnesota Lynx WNBA Championship
To complete a sweep of the Phoenix Mercury in a best-of-three opening-round playoff series, the Minnesota Lynx needed a herculean effort from its lone Olympian, Napheesa Collier.
The sixth-year forward from UConn delivered.
Collier’s career-high 38 points in a seven-point Game 1 victory was followed by resetting her personal best: 42 points in a decisive 13-point Game 2 win. Collier is the first player in the history of the WNBA to score at least 35 points or more in two consecutive playoff games.
Think about that—the history of the WNBA.
Collier did something so impressive that it’s never been accomplished before by anyone. Not Sheryl Swoopes or Lisa Leslie. Not Diana Taurasi or Sue Bird. Not Lauren Jackson or Cynthia Cooper.
Collier stands alone in this exclusive club.
She scored 80 points in the Lynx’s wins over the Mercury, marking the club’s first playoff series win since the 2020 bubble. And she did it in an incredibly efficient fashion, shooting 25-of-39 from the floor, a 64 percent clip, while also making 25-of-28 free throws and 5-of-8 3-pointers. And in 77 combined minutes of play, she had just four turnovers to eight assists.
Collier is playing some of the best basketball of her career.
The question is: Is that enough to lead the Lynx to a WNBA title?
Consider that, if A’ja Wilson didn’t exist, Collier probably would’ve been the league MVP this season. Wilson won the award unanimously—and deservedly so—but Collier finished second with 467 voting points, a sizable margin in front of Breanna Stewart’s 295 points in third place. And in addition to her wild scoring totals over the Mercury, Collier is seen by many as the top defensive player in the WNBA, as evidenced by the AP voting her Defensive Player of the Year.
“I definitely think that Phee should definitely be getting kind of more attention than she’s gotten,” Stewart, Collier’s teammate at UConn, told the Washington Post. “Especially this year, just the way that she’s consistently been at the top from start to finish. People need to appreciate her game.”
In addition to her 20.4 points per game, which is fifth-best in the WNBA, Collier is averaging career highs in rebounds (9.7), assists (3.4) and blocks (1.4) per game. There’s an argument to be made that the 6-foot-1 forward from Missouri is seeing the game better than she ever has.
And back to defense for a moment, Collier is second in the WNBA in defensive win shares (2.9) and defensive rating (89.2), both of which are career-bests for her.
With Collier leading the way, Minnesota went 30-10 in the regular season, posting its best win percentage since 2017 when it went 27-7. Want to guess how that season ended for the Lynx? They won the Finals, marking their fourth championship under the guidance of Cheryl Reeve.
Since that era of Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson ended, the Lynx have been searching for a new face-of-the-franchise. It wasn’t obvious at the time in 2019 that Collier would become that when they selected her with the sixth overall pick of the draft, but it’s crystal clear now that she is. In addition to winning a gold medal this summer on a Reeve-coached Team USA squad, Collier was named to her fourth all-star team and is a lock to make her second straight All-WNBA First Team.
Collier has also already led the Lynx to capturing some hardware. Earlier this season, the Lynx went 4-1 in Commissioner’s Cup play and then, behind 21 points, six assists and six rebounds from Collier, beat the New York Liberty 94-89 for the trophy, while Collier was named the mid-season tournament’s MVP.
“She’s like an amoeba,” Reeve said of Collier. “If they’re going to let her be in the paint, then she’s going to find herself in the paint. She can screen; she can roll. She understands how to play in movement, be on the perimeter, and shoot the basketball. She’s shooting the three well. She just finds different ways to impact the game based on what’s dictated.”
The Liberty are the No. 1 overall seed in these WNBA Playoffs, but—counting the Commissioner’s Cup title game—the Lynx went 3-1 against them in the regular season. The Lynx also went 3-1 against the two-time reigning champs, the Las Vegas Aces.
Seemingly, the biggest hurdle remaining for Collier and the Lynx is their opponent in the semifinals, the Connecticut Sun. The Lynx went 1-2 against the Sun in the regular season, but those games were decided by an average of 2.6 points and Collier played just 24 minutes in a July 4 loss to Connecticut.
With a strong supporting cast around Collier of fellow all-star Kayla McBride, combined with Bridget Carleton, Alanna Smith, Courtney Williams and Myisha Hines-Allen, the sky seems to be the limit for the Lynx. If they can get past the Sun in the semifinals, adding to Reeve’s collection of championships seems increasingly possible.
Sports
Sonny Gray, Red Sox strive to stay hot in clash vs. Blue Jays
Jul 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images American League East aces will battle when the host Boston Red Sox continue their three-game weekend set with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon.
After late-inning magic led the Red Sox to a 6-4 win Friday in the opener, right-hander Sonny Gray (12-1, 2.48 ERA) will start for Boston after securing three victories during the team’s franchise-record-tying 15-game winning streak, which ended on Wednesday vs. the Baltimore Orioles.
“We are (enjoying the ride),” Boston second baseman Anthony Seigler said. “We’re obviously living in the moment, but now it’s onto the next. Turn the page quick and get ready for Saturday.”
It is easy to have that mentality when the momentum continues with Gray, who remains undefeated since April 14 entering a clash with Toronto right-hander Dylan Cease (6-5, 2.67 ERA).
Gray has nine consecutive quality starts, including a 6-1 win Sunday over the Tampa Bay Rays in which he struck out five batters across six innings of one-run ball.
In that start, Gray did not have his best stuff. He landed only 49 of his 91 pitches for strikes. Still, he found a way.
“Just as a pro does, he got through the outing and gave us six great innings,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. “So it was a gutsy outing.”
Gray is 4-4 with a 2.99 ERA in 16 career appearances (15 starts) vs. the Blue Jays. This season, he pitched seven innings in a no-decision against them on June 18 as Boston lost 4-3.
Seigler became the latest in a long line of heroes during Boston’s hot stretch, recording his first career four-hit game on Friday. He cranked a leadoff home run before adding two doubles and a single, finishing a triple shy of the cycle.
Ceddanne Rafaela also went deep, and Romy Gonzalez’s pinch-hit RBI double in the eighth inning was the difference as the Red Sox overcame losing a 4-0 lead. Toronto broke the shutout bid on Kazuma Okamoto’s three-run homer in the seventh before knotting the score in the eighth.
It was a close call, but with Tyler Rogers unavailable out of the bullpen after pitching in the previous two games, the Blue Jays faltered late and now have lost five of their past six games to return to 10 games below .500.
In a radio interview before Friday’s game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider addressed being in that position as a reigning pennant winner.
“Coming off the year we had, it makes everything that much louder this year. We’ve earned those expectations, and fans expect them to be met,” he said. “You learn to shrug off the noise. I know that people who are taking shots at me … can’t do what I do, and they can’t do what my players can do.”
Despite the loss Friday, it was a historic night for Okamoto. With his 23rd homer of the season, he passed Shohei Ohtani for the most home runs by a Japanese-born rookie in MLB history.
Cease, meanwhile, had pitched back-to-back scoreless starts before suffering a 7-1 loss Monday to the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and striking out seven over six innings. The AL All-Star Game starter surrendered his first two home runs since May in that outing.
“It’s on us. It’s not the coaches. It’s not anybody else,” Cease said after that game. “We’re just not playing up to our potential right now.”
Saturday will mark Cease’s ninth career start against the Red Sox — he has gone 2-2 with a 5.31 ERA — including his third in 2026. He pitched five shutout innings in a 6-1 victory June 16 at Fenway Park, where he has a 1.25 ERA in four career games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Struggling Hunter Brown, hot Sean Burke face off as Astros visit White Sox
Jul 19, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) talks wiht starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) on the mound during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images For most of the season, the Houston Astros have relied on a solid bullpen in hopes of hanging around in a winnable American League West.
Ahead of the second contest of a three-game set against the host Chicago White Sox on Saturday night, the Astros hope to ease the pressure on their weary relievers.
Houston, which won its fourth straight game with a 9-5 victory over Chicago on Friday, sits just two games behind the AL West-leading Texas Rangers and a half-game shy of the second-place Seattle Mariners.
Since May 1, the Astros’ bullpen has a 3.01 ERA, third in the majors behind only the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Houston had to use six relievers on Friday, though, after starter Spencer Arrighetti exited after one inning because of nerve irritation in his right foot.
Hoping to provide stability, Houston on Saturday will start Hunter Brown (1-1, 4.05 ERA), who’s struggled to find his rhythm in three July starts. An All-Star last season, the right-hander will make just his ninth start of the year after missing 2 1/2 months with a right shoulder strain. The 27-year-old is 0-1 with a 7.98 ERA in July and has failed to complete five innings in two of his past three starts.
Brown yielded four runs on three hits in 4 2/3 frames on Sunday, walking six and striking out four in a 5-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Despite Brown’s recent rough patch, Houston manager Joe Espada is trying to find the positives from his pitcher’s latest outing.
“I actually thought his stuff was so much better than his previous two starts,” Espada said. “He was just off, spraying the zone, not really throwing a ton of his strikes. That part was very uncharacteristic of him. That’s not the Hunter we’ve seen in the past, but we’ll go back to work and get him right.”
Brown’s command issues have been at the forefront of his struggles as he has allowed 15 walks in his past three starts, covering 14 2/3 innings. His average of 6.3 walks per nine innings is the highest in his five-year major league career. Brown averaged just 2.8 walks per nine innings last season.
“Just not winning the swing pitches; 2-2s and 3-2s are just turning into walks,” said Brown, who also hit two batters in his most recent start.
Vying for his first win since March 31, Brown will make his fifth career start against the White Sox. He’s 4-0 with a 2.92 ERA in the four previous matchups.
Chicago also will look for better luck on the mound after blowing a five-run lead on Friday and allowing at least nine runs for the second time in three games. The White Sox enter the contest 1 1/2 games in front of the Cleveland Guardians atop the AL Central.
Sean Burke (7-4, 3.20 ERA) will search for his third straight victory in July amid a dominant stretch for the 26-year-old right-hander. Burke is 2-0 with an 0.92 ERA in his past three starts, striking out 25 batters and walking just one. On Sunday, Burke threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five and walking one in a 3-0 road win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
“He’s just being aggressive with the fastball, and you kind of feel it when he’s doing it, and his confidence in it just radiates,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Once he’s able to establish that, he goes to the off-speed stuff. He has the cutter, slider and the curveball working for him in spots, but it really comes after the fastball for me.”
Burke will want to fare better than he did in his only previous appearance against the Astros, when he surrendered seven runs on eight hits across 3 2/3 innings in a 10-2 loss on June 11, 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LeBron James Gambled Legacy Over Nostalgia With His Sixers Decision
In a lot of ways, LeBron James picking the Philadelphia 76ers is a storybook ending.
On Saturday morning, fans of the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers are feeling scorned by their former hero. James brought two championships to Miami and broke Cleveland’s 52-year professional sports title drought. Both teams were in contention for James, who joined his fourth franchise in the Sixers for what he says is his final decision.
Fans in Miami thought LeBron would return to close that chapter the right way. Others in Cleveland believed that LeBron’s hometown deserved the farewell tour, and the chance for another ring.
But the documentary will end with LeBron in Philadelphia. Seriously. A film crew has been following LeBron for nearly a decade. It’ll have footage of LeBron playing with Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in Philadelphia uniforms.
Certainly it’ll take some getting used to. But by the end of the season? LeBron could be facing his former teams, the Cavaliers and the Heat, in the NBA postseason. In pursuit of a fifth championship, LeBron decided that bringing a title to a fourth organization would be more powerful to his legacy than winning another one in Cleveland or Miami.
And that’s what makes this decision so polarizing. The Cavs and the Heat are both contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland was on the doorstep of making it back to the NBA Finals without LeBron for the first time in the history of the Cavs. The New York Knicks swept them out of the conference finals, but the Cavs showed signs of improvement in Kenny Atkinson’s second year coaching the team.
The Heat have remained consistent playoff contenders even after LeBron left South Beach. LeBron’s Los Angeles Lakers beat the Heat in the bubble to win the 2020 NBA Championship. So there’s a complicated history. But a return to Miami to team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo would’ve improved the Heats’ title odds in this improved Eastern Conference.
Yet LeBron chose Philly, a team that traded for Brown just a few weeks ago. They’ll hope Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe continues to develop. They’ll really hope Joel Embiid can stay healthy.
But it’s a storybook ending for LeBron because he picked the most stacked roster. It’s something he’s done in every decision since he left the Cavs the first time back in 2010.
The Heat assembled a super team with LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He returned to Cleveland as Kyrie Irving emerged as one of the best young guards in the sport, and the Cavs lucked into the No. 1 overall draft pick, something that could be traded for Kevin Love, who was an MVP candidate the year before.
Many fans were quick to assume that LeBron’s move to Los Angeles was about establishing his business ventures off the court. In Cleveland, some reporters discussed the likelihood of LeBron leaving for Hollywood during the 2016 championship parade. It felt like an inevitability.
But it was also a spot for LeBron to have plenty of control over a young roster of moveable assets. Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart were packaged with three first-round draft picks (including No. 4 overall in 2019) so LeBron could team up with Anthony Davis.
The Sixers have floated the idea of trading Embiid, who has struggled to stay healthy, for the last few years. Also, if their objective is to win a title with Brown and LeBron in these next two seasons, a young star like Edgecombe could become available if the pressure cooker gets really hot to land another proven commodity.
LeBron’s deal with the Sixers is a two-year minimum deal with a player option. There’s no promise when the end of his career will be. There’s no certainty the Sixers will win a ring, or do enough in Year 1 to prove to LeBron to return to Philadelphia for another year.
Sonny Gray, Red Sox strive to stay hot in clash vs. Blue Jays
Struggling Hunter Brown, hot Sean Burke face off as Astros visit White Sox
