Sports
Sydney Taylor drills four 3s as Sky defeat Sparks
Jul 17, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Sydney Taylor (12) goes up for a shot against Los Angeles Sparks forward Emma Cannon (32) during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Sydney Taylor kept her hot streak rolling, knocking down four 3-pointers and pouring in 19 points as the Chicago Sky won their second in a row with a 96-82 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night in Chicago.
The undrafted rookie star shot 6-of-10 from the field on her way to reaching double figures for the sixth game in a row and the 12th time in the last 13 outings.
Kamilla Cardoso recorded her ninth double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Sky (8-16), who had five players in double figures and sent the Sparks (10-14) to their third consecutive loss.
Natasha Cloud tallied 15 points, while Jacy Sheldon finished with 14 off the bench. Azura scored 12 points, while Cloud handed out nine of Chicago’s 27 assists.
The win overshadowed a big moment for Nneka Ogwumike, who surpassed Sparks legend Lisa Leslie as the franchise’s all-time leader in points, now standing with 6,281 points. Ogwumike finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, reaching double figures for the 10th consecutive game.
Dearica Hamby tallied 18 points and Erica Wheeler scored 12 for Los Angeles, which has lost its last five road games.
Los Angeles won the first meeting of the season against Chicago, beating the Sky 102-87 on July 10, and the Sparks led 8-2 early in this one as Ogwumike drove and knocked down a jumper over a defender with 6:54 left in the first quarter to reach her scoring milestone.
Chicago answered with a 7-0 run, grabbing a 9-8 lead on a 3-pointer from Taylor with 4:45 remaining.
The Sparks led 17-16 after one, but Taylor hit a pair of 3-pointers to fuel a 14-2 run that allowed the Sky to surge in front 30-19. Taylor also scored on a jumper in the lane before Cordoso capped the spurt on a layup with 7:01 to play.
Wheeler got Los Angeles within 10 at 44-34 with 1:07 to play, but Gabriela Jaquez answered with a 3-pointer of her own and Chicago went on to lead 49-36 at halftime.
The Sky outscored the Sparks 33-19 in the second quarter, capitalizing on 12 turnovers and a 23-0 advantage in bench points.
Chicago had its lead cut to 65-59 with 1:24 to play in the third after two free throws from Ariel Atkins, but the Sky held a 69-63 advantage after three and opened the fourth on a 9-0 run.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Chandler Smith races to dominant Craftman series win at North Wilkesboro
NASCAR Truck Series driver Chandler Smith (38) races during the Allegiance 200 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn., Saturday, May 30, 2026. NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C – Last year at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Chandler Smith led one lap in winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series over Front Row Motorsports teammate Layne Riggs.
In sharp contrast, Smith was the quintessence of dominance on Saturday, leading the final 105 laps to claim victory in the FaithFest 250 presented by Mercer Transportation, again with series leader Riggs securing second place.
Last year’s race ended under caution, after the trucks of Riggs and Corey Heim collided on the last lap. On Saturday, Smith ran away with the race in the final stage, beating Riggs to the finish line by 8.479 seconds – a record margin on a short track in Truck Series history.
“We’re ready to rip,” Smith said after a race run in extreme heat on the 0.625-mile asphalt surface. “If the Lord wills it, we don’t plan on backing down from here going forward. We were just biding our time, keeping the fenders clean and taking what (the No. 38 Ford) would give me.”
Smith took the lead off pit road for a Lap 152 restart to begin the final stage and never looked back. Riggs restarted eighth and worked his way to second on Lap 210 but had nothing for his teammate over the final 40 circuits.
The race ran without a caution for the final 99 laps.
“Part of me wanted to have a restart,” Riggs said. “Part of me knew if that happened there was probably going to be some carnage. So I was very happy just finishing the race there, knowing our teammate got the win. Congratulations to Chandler. He did a great job.”
Riggs, who won the opening stage and led 25 laps, had to overcome the heat to hold second over third-place NASCAR Cup Series regular Shane van Gisbergen, who matched his best NASCAR national series finish on an oval track.
“It was hot today,” Riggs acknowledged. “I ice-bagged on every stop. My cool shirt was on – I took it off already. It was probably one of the hottest races I’ve ever been in. I think we need to add some heat shields to these things …
“But my mind stayed sharp, and I stayed in the game.”
Riggs extended his series lead to 59 points over 11th-place finisher Kaden Honeycutt.
Christian Eckes finished fourth, followed by Landen Lewis, who scored his second straight top-five finish after a runner-up run last Saturday at Lime Rock Park.
Giovanni Ruggiero, Chase Elliott, Stewart Friesen, Heim and Stage 2 winner Ty Majeski completed the top 10.
The race for the final spots in the postseason Chase tightened on Saturday. With three races left to set the Chase field, Friesen and 19th-place finisher Tyler Ankrum are tied for the 10th and final postseason berth, with Jake Garcia just 11 points back in 12th place after coming home 13th at North Wilkesboro.
Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar led 74 laps but couldn’t recover from a cut left-front tire that dropped him two laps down and relegated him to a 27th-place finish.
–Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race – FaithFest 250 presented by Mercer Transportation
North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Saturday, July 18, 2026
1. (9) Chandler Smith, Ford, 250.
2. (1) Layne Riggs, Ford, 250.
3. (19) Shane Van Gisbergen(i), Chevrolet, 250.
4. (18) Christian Eckes, Chevrolet, 250.
5. (16) Landen Lewis, Chevrolet, 250.
6. (5) Giovanni Ruggiero, Toyota, 250.
7. (6) Chase Elliott(i), Chevrolet, 250.
8. (10) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 250.
9. (4) Corey Heim, Toyota, 250.
10. (27) Ty Majeski, Ford, 250.
11. (7) Kaden Honeycutt, Toyota, 249.
12. (30) Tyler Reif, Chevrolet, 249.
13. (15) Jake Garcia, Ford, 249.
14. (22) Ben Rhodes, Ford, 249.
15. (3) Christopher Bell(i), Toyota, 249.
16. (17) Dawson Sutton, Chevrolet, 249.
17. (12) Nick Leitz, Toyota, 249.
18. (14) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 249.
19. (24) Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 249.
20. (21) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 249.
21. (23) Brenden Queen #, RAM, 249.
22. (11) Cole Butcher #, Ford, 249.
23. (20) Andres Perez De Lara, Chevrolet, 248.
24. (25) Ryan Newman, RAM, 248.
25. (8) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 248.
26. (13) Justin Haley, RAM, 248.
27. (2) Carson Hocevar(i), Chevrolet, 248.
28. (28) Mini Tyrrell #, RAM, 248.
29. (34) Corey LaJoie, RAM, 247.
30. (26) Kris Wright, Chevrolet, 247.
31. (35) Clayton Green, Ford, 246.
32. (36) Frankie Muniz, Ford, 246.
33. (29) Luke Baldwin, Ford, 245.
34. (33) Nathan Nicholson, Chevrolet, Accident, 242.
35. (31) Kasey Kleyn, Chevrolet, Electrical, 203.
36. (32) Donovan Strauss, Chevrolet, Overheating, 134.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 91.627 mph.
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 42 Mins, 19 Secs. Margin of Victory: 8.479 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 4 for 34 laps.
Lead Changes: 7 among 6 drivers.
Lap Leaders: C. Hocevar(i) 1-50;L. Riggs 51-75;J. Garcia 76-97;C. Hocevar(i) 98-121;C. Elliott(i) 122;T. Majeski 123-145;C. Smith 146-250.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Chandler Smith 1 time for 105 laps; Carson Hocevar(i) 2 times for 74 laps; Layne Riggs 1 time for 25 laps; Ty Majeski 1 time for 23 laps; Jake Garcia 1 time for 22 laps; Chase Elliott(i) 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 34,77,38,62,7,5,11,91,17,9
Stage #2 Top Ten: 88,38,99,91,52,19,44,17,5,7
Sports
Orioles, RHP Kyle Bradish agree to 5-year extension
Jun 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images The Baltimore Orioles agreed to a five-year contract extension with right-handed starter Kyle Bradish on Saturday.
The deal is worth $90 million, per ESPN. Per the report, the length of the contract buys out Bradish’s last two years of arbitration and the first three seasons of what would have been his free agency.
The 29-year-old has been a strong starter for the Orioles over the past five seasons, turning in a 3.50 ERA, 1.206 WHIP and 485 strikeouts across 465 innings with a 25-24 record.
This season, Bradish’s output has been in line with his career numbers, going 6-9 with a 3.61 ERA, 1.351 WHIP and 106 strikeouts in 107 1/3 innings.
“Keeping players of Kyle’s caliber in an Orioles uniform is an important part of our long-term vision,” Orioles owner David Rubenstein said in a statement. “We are grateful to Kyle for his commitment to our organization and to Baltimore. Thanks to (president of baseball operations and general manager) Mike Elias and the entire baseball operations department for their dedication throughout this process.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Matthew Boyd, Nico Hoerner lead Cubs past Twins
Jul 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) hits a home run during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Matthew Boyd threw six quality innings and Nico Hoerner delivered the fifth four-hit game of his career on Saturday afternoon, helping the Chicago Cubs earn a 6-2 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins.
Boyd (6-1) allowed one run on three hits, striking out four and walking one for the Cubs, who won their sixth game in nine tries and evened the weekend series after losing 5-2 on Friday. Michael Busch homered, while Pedro Ramirez and Miguel Amaya each drove in a pair of runs.
Taj Bradley (9-4) allowed five runs on seven hits across five innings, striking out six and walking three for the Twins, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Kody Clemens hit two solo home runs for Minnesota, which will search for its three-game series win at Wrigley Field since Sept. 2020 on Sunday.
Chicago opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as Busch launched his 12th home run of the season – a 402-foot shot to the right field bleachers.
Minnesota evened the score in the second on Clemens’ 17th homer of the year.
After Bradley allowed Hoerner’s one-out single and Ramirez’ walk, Amaya’s two-run double gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
Chicago tacked on two more runs in the third. Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ both worked walks off Bradley, before Hoerner’s RBI single and Ramirez’ run-scoring double made it 5-1.
Mike Paredes threw a scoreless sixth in relief of Bradley.
Caleb Thielbar took over for Boyd in the seventh, allowing Clemens’ second home run of the game, cutting Minnesota’s deficit to 5-2. The 391-foot blast cemented Clemens’ second multi-homer game of the year.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ramirez drove in another run with a single to push the margin back to four.
Jacob Webb threw the ninth, surrendering Josh Bell and Victor Caratini’s back-to-back singles to begin the frame. Brooks Lee then singled to center, but both Bell and Lee were caught in a rundown, resulting in a double play. Webb then got Clemens to strike out to end the game.
–Field Level Media
Chandler Smith races to dominant Craftman series win at North Wilkesboro
Orioles, RHP Kyle Bradish agree to 5-year extension
