Angel Reese's Interaction With Candace Parker Catches Attention After Sky-Sparks
Angel Reese's Interaction With Candace Parker Catches Attention After Sky-Sparks originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Angel Reese balled out in front of Candace Parker on Sunday — and she wasn't about to miss the opportunity to meet the WNBA legend face-to-face after the game.
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Reese dropped a season-high 24 points, along with 16 rebounds and seven assists, in the Sky's 92-85 win over the Los Angeles Sparks. It marked her 10th double-double of the season and a record-setting 36th through the first 50 games of her WNBA career.
Despite her performance, Reese was not the most important person in the building on Sunday. The Sparks retired Parker's jersey at halftime, and Reese was eager to catch up with the former Los Angeles and Chicago star after the final buzzer.
"Legendary meeting!" said a fan on X.
"THIS MEANS SOMETHING TO ME!" shouted another reply.
WNBA legend Candace Parker (left) and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (right) shared a moment.Kyle Terada, David Gonzales-Imagn Images
"So precious," wrote one user.
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"Is Angel becoming the face of the league?!" wondered a fan after seeing them meet.
Their conversation did not last very long, but Reese gave the three-time WNBA champion her flowers in her postgame press conference.
"Congratulations to Candace [Parker]," Reese said. "Everything she's done for not just our organization, but for all the organizations that she's impacted. I've watched her since I was a little girl."
Parker played 15 seasons in the WNBA, including two with the Sky. She led her hometown team to the 2021 title and will have her No. 3 jersey retired by the Sky later this season.
When asked about being included in conversations with an all-time great like Parker, Reese remained humble — even after her standout performance in Los Angeles with Parker courtside.
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"It means a lot to me to be able to be named with such great players," Reese said. "I know that I can just continue to get better every day and continue to be great."
Related: Angel Reese Makes WNBA History in 50th Chicago Sky Game
Related: Kelsey Plum's Outfit for Chicago Sky Game is Turning Heads
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
What I'm hearing about Pius Suter's market, Canucks' approach to free agency
The Vancouver Canucks spent Sunday filling out their roster for development camp, and regrouping after the NHL Draft. The club was thrilled with its 2025 draft class, as most teams are in the immediate aftermath. In particular, the Canucks were happy with the outcome from their process. They're confident that first-round pick Braeden Cootes is a special person, with an opportunity to be an organizational fixture for years to come. There is also excitement about second-round selection Aleksei Medvedev, the London Knights netminder who goaltending scout Ian Clark insisted on throughout the scouting process. Advertisement As the attention turns to the upcoming free-agent frenzy, there is some frustration that the Canucks have been unable to meaningfully tend to their significant short-term needs at centre to this point. Vancouver acquired winger Evander Kane last week to add some heaviness and skill to the forward group, but there's still a gaping hole in the middle of the top six. The Canucks had an understanding dating back two months that the unrestricted free agent market was unlikely to yield a high-impact forward. Vancouver's hockey operations leadership had also understood that attempting to fill short-term needs on the trade market would represent improving their team 'the hard way.' Aside from a trio of trades for John Gibson, Charlie Coyle and Noah Dobson, there was surprisingly little major player movement over the weekend. Most of the acquisitions fell into the Jordan Spence, Declan Chisholm or Justin Sourdif tier of minor deals. Like the leaguewide cash crunch in the fall of 2020, or the cap crunch conditions that teams operated in throughout the flat cap era, we're now seeing a talent crunch gum up the NHL marketplace. Simply put, there is more available cap space in the system at the moment than there are high-quality unrestricted free agent players on whom to spend it. Teams have enough cap flexibility that, to this point, there's limited external pressure to proactively fix roster problems or to trade NHL-level contributors for cap-neutral asset capital like draft picks or prospects. And given how much market desirability is impacting contractual outcomes, every team is scrambling to identify the players open to being part of their organization. Everyone is terrified of falling too deep into a Chicago or San Jose-like scorched-earth rebuild. As I worked the phones on Sunday to try to get a sense of where the Canucks stood ahead of July 1, the word of the day from the organization was 'caution.' Advertisement The Canucks need to be careful in navigating their way through what remains of the so-called silly season, and balancing their short-term goals with the long-term reality of a franchise that's both in transition and under significant pressure to build momentum next season. Some of the players who will be available could help Vancouver now, but they're unlikely to be especially efficient additions. As much as the Canucks want to improve their roster and try to win now, there's an understanding that overpaying for short-term upgrades could inhibit their ability to make a more impactful move down the line, when the leverage is greater, and the options more impactful. This is the time of year, after all, when mistakes get made. Conscious of that, and the significant pressure the organization is feeling to improve, the Canucks are going to spend the next 48 hours or so trying to be selective. It's fair to be skeptical. It's been well over a decade, after all, since anybody won a cent betting on the Canucks being selective with the long view in mind. Whether they're intent on managing expectations locally, or more actively recalibrating their short-term goals in light of their options and the sky high prices in free agency and on the trade market, that's the balance the Canucks are attempting to judiciously weigh as the clock ticks down toward July 1. Every time I ask my industry contacts about pending unrestricted free agent Pius Suter and what his market value could look like, the number gets a little bit higher. It's like the opposite of Jose Canseco's 40 time. What was $3.2 million ('he could double his salary') at the deadline, rather quickly became '$4 million or more' after Suter's 'ka-ching' goal-scoring run late in the season. Now, over the past two weeks, the conversation has morphed from 'maybe $4.5 million with term,' climbing all the way to between $4.5 million and $5 million, which is the figure an executive on Sunday evening suggested that Suter could realistically land on the open market. And that was before the new Morgan Geekie comparable. Advertisement Clearly, the market has broken heavily in Suter's favour. Not only have centres continued to demand a significant premium on the trade market and at the draft table, but most of the older pivots with name-brand value — Matt Duchene, Claude Giroux, John Tavares, Brock Nelson and Sam Bennett — have already extended with their teams. Outside of Mikael Granlund, Suter is probably the most credible top-six centre option still unsigned as July 1 approaches. It's also worth noting that Suter scored more goals this season (25) than Granlund did (22). The Canucks have remained in contact with Suter's camp throughout this process, but the two sides haven't been grinding away to find common ground. Given Vancouver's inability to land a significant centre upgrade on the trade market during draft weekend, however, Monday is shaping up to be a key day in determining whether or not Suter will ultimately make it to market this week. For the Canucks, it's last call on Suter, and I wouldn't be surprised if Vancouver took one final run at retaining the versatile, productive forward, with an understanding that he's surely gone if he makes it to market on Tuesday. The Canucks have always been big fans of Suter as a player and person. He's earned a significant raise and is coming off a career year. The conversation really centres on that. Was it just a career year, a one-off, or a new level of performance that Suter is likely to be able to sustain? How the Canucks ultimately decide to answer that question will determine their willingness to meet Suter's price at the 11th hour. If I were to handicap this one, it seems more likely than not that Suter will go to market. The door remains open just a crack, however, and I do get the sense that Vancouver will engage Suter's camp one last time on Monday before the door shuts for good. Advertisement By 2 p.m. PT, the Canucks will have to tender qualifying offers to their 10 pending restricted free agents to maintain their right of first refusal. We've already reported that goaltender Nikita Tolopilo will receive a qualifying offer, and there's a variety of higher-profile restricted players like Aatu Räty, Max Sasson and Arshdeep Bains who are obvious tap-ins to be qualified before the deadline. However, there are a couple of organizational depth players that the Canucks have wrestled with whether or not to qualify ahead of the deadline. I think we can take that as an indication that at least some of the 10 pending RFAs won't be qualified. Players who aren't qualified will become UFAs when the market opens on Tuesday. There's a tricky balance that the Canucks are going to try to maintain in the days ahead. This is a club that wants to improve short term, of course, they're the Canucks. I have begun to get the sense, though, in talking through offseason planning with team sources, that there's also an increasing internal recognition that this team is in transition. A realization that, perhaps, exercising some patience may be required. That recognition is in obvious tension with the fact that there is a lot of pressure, both in the Vancouver market and structurally on the Canucks, to find a way to take a big swing and connect on landing a difference-maker to improve this team. To excite this market. To convince Quinn Hughes to stay. But the Canucks want to be mindful of not doing something just to do something. Especially if that 'something' costs them an amount or an asset that they would view as reckless. Based on what team sources told The Athletic on Sunday, there appear to be moves that the Canucks could make to improve this team short-term. However, the most worthwhile among those options could cost them a key asset like their 2026 first-round pick, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Tom Willander or defender Elias Pettersson. Advertisement That's not a price that Vancouver has been willing to pay. I even get the sense that it's a price the Canucks are unlikely to be willing to pay, period, unless the return is genuinely transformative. We'll have to see if the significant pressure and desire to improve wins out over the rational plan to be disciplined. For what it's worth, the Canucks do expect the trade market to shake loose somewhat in the days and weeks ahead, especially as some teams move money around to facilitate major acquisitions. That won't necessarily apply to every team, but management appears to be keeping close tabs on these types of situations in case a scenario presents itself, one that would permit the Canucks to land a short-term, contributing player at a more manageable acquisition price. In the event, which has been more probable than not for weeks, that both Suter and Brock Boeser walk as unrestricted free agents on Tuesday, I'm hearing that the Canucks will be shopping for a centre when the market opens. The Canucks would need to send cap commitments out the door to really get into the bidding on Granlund. While I believe that Vancouver would have some interest in the player, all things being equal, breaking the bank to add him doesn't seem to be an especially probable outcome. Even with a player like Jack Roslovic, a slick-skating, right-handed forward who can play centre and who the Canucks have kicked the tires on in the past, I expect that the market will price out their interest. The Canucks, it seems, are prepared to roll with Filip Chytil and Räty as top-nine centres to open next season, but I'd also look for the team to be linked to names like Radek Faksa. Even assuming Vancouver is able to stay disciplined and focus on the long view, the Canucks will still look to strengthen down the middle this week. They just may be looking somewhat further down their lineup than they had hoped to. (Photo of Pius Suter: Simon Fearn / Imagn Images)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
How do Michigan fans grade Sherrone Moore and what's next? Our Wolverines fan survey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In an email to fans last week, athletic director Warde Manuel said Michigan is continuing to evaluate ways to pay for 82 new scholarships and $20.5 million in revenue-sharing funds that will be distributed to athletes in football, basketball, volleyball and ice hockey. If Manuel needs more input, The Athletic's Michigan fan survey is here to help. More than 1,000 fans shared their thoughts last week on scheduling more events at Michigan Stadium (yes, please), higher ticket prices (no way!) and permanent advertising inside the Big House (a definite maybe), along with numerous topics related to the upcoming football season. The overall picture reveals a fan base that, despite some short-term uncertainty, feels confident in the long-term trajectory of Michigan athletics in the revenue-sharing era. Advertisement 'I think UM is generally in a good place,' wrote Chris P. 'Football needs to take a step forward after a natty hangover year in 2024, but I like that the team finished strong last season, and I think Sherrone Moore's approaches to recruiting, the transfer portal and building his coaching staff make sense.' 'I don't think this is THE year for Michigan football,' added Noah K. 'We should be good, not great. The next two years are going to be the hot zone for Bryce (Underwood) and the elite recruiting class we just pulled in to develop.' Here's the full breakdown of the survey results. In last year's fan survey, the vast majority of Michigan fans said they were on board with promoting Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh. Moore's first season was far from flawless, but the combination of beating Ohio State and Alabama and landing the No. 1 recruit in the nation earned Moore solid marks in this year's survey. 'Sherrone Moore had me very nervous at first,' wrote Michael L. 'I think he underestimated how bad his QB was and killed the season because of it. I do think he has bounced back in a major way.' Despite the optimism, there's a sense that Moore needs to show something in 2025. Most fans seem willing to give him some runway as Underwood develops, but they'd also like to see Michigan back in the CFP conversation. 'This season is time for Sherrone to prove he can win outside of the shadow of the national championship,' wrote Bruce B. The takeaway here is that a majority of fans would accept a season similar to 2024 as long as Michigan wins its two rivalry games. There's a clear expectation that Michigan should be back in the CFP by 2026, but fans can deal with some growing pains as long as Michigan is moving in the right direction. Advertisement 'To think this team is ready to compete for a national title with a true freshman QB (though I believe he is talented) and a patchwork offensive line is probably unrealistic,' wrote Sam K. 'My hope is that we can see this team start to jell in the back half of the season, keep the core in place, and 2026 could set up for a special year.' With a freshman quarterback and two excellent running backs, Michigan's new offensive coordinator would be smart to rely on the ground game as much as possible. That's what fans expect, though many find it hard to contain their expectations for Underwood. 'I don't think I have ever been this excited for a quarterback,' wrote Adam S. 'I can't wait to see Underwood play.' The split vote reflects a defense that will rely on depth rather than star power. It will be a great sign for Michigan if Rod Moore is in the conversation given the severity of his knee injury and his lengthy path to recovery. The top choice is no surprise, but I thought Michigan's first Big Ten game in L.A. might rate a bit higher. Fans are right to be excited about the Week 2 trip to Oklahoma, a great intersectional matchup that will set the tone for the rest of Michigan's season. Aside from quarterback, wide receiver is the position that seems most ripe for a breakout season from a freshman. Even so, I might cast my vote for Earls, who has a great shot to be Michigan's third cornerback and might even work his way into the starting lineup. Fans seem confident that Michigan's defensive line won't miss a beat despite losing Josaiah Stewart, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. I expected the vote to be closer between the D-line and the running backs, though it's tough to go wrong either way. No surprises here. Michigan had one of the least productive wide receiver units in college football last season and returns many of the same players after swapping Tyler Morris for Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley. The long-term picture looks brighter thanks to a strong 2025 class and Zion Robinson's commitment for 2026, but it remains to be seen if any of the young players are ready to emerge. Advertisement My other takeaway: Michigan fans aren't sure what to make of this offensive line. I'd like to get the 7 percent who graded the O-line as the strongest position group in the same room with the 12 percent who think it's the weak link and let them hash it out. We're going on 18 months of opposing fans claiming the sign-stealing scandal is a capital offense while Michigan fans claim it's much ado about nothing. We can all agree on one thing: It will be nice to have closure. 'I feel the Connor Stalions story, while an entertaining distraction, is just that: a distraction,' wrote Nick M. 'Most people will swiftly forget it in a few years, and it will be little more than an embarrassing blip on our reputation.' I do wonder if Michigan fans are setting themselves up for disappointment if the NCAA ruling is harsher than they expect. The case wouldn't have gone all the way to an infractions hearing if the NCAA's enforcement staff was content to let Michigan off with a wrist-slap. That doesn't mean the Committee on Infractions will see it the same way, but Michigan definitely is not in the clear. The perception a few years ago was that Michigan lagged behind its peers in the NIL space. That's no longer the case. Michigan has modernized its personnel department and committed to doing what's necessary to land elite players like Underwood. Give credit to general manager Sean Magee, who has proven to be a smart hire for Moore. The vibes continue to be immaculate for May and his program. Replacing Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf is no small task, but fans are confident Michigan can build on last year's success with the additions of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Elliot Cadeau. Manuel didn't provide the exact percentages, but Michigan's strategy seems roughly in line with fan preferences. Football is the bell cow and is going to get a majority of the revenue-sharing funds. The next biggest chunk will go to basketball, with volleyball and ice hockey also receiving some funding. The distribution model may evolve over time, Manuel said, and could include payouts for top performers in sports that aren't on the initial list. Advertisement Football is king, but fans want to ensure sports like swimming, gymnastics and track and field have the resources they need to survive. Those fans will be happy to hear that, according to Manuel, cutting any of Michigan's 29 varsity sports programs is not a consideration. 'I really hope Michigan avoids cutting sports such as track, rowing, field hockey, etc.,' wrote Baker C. 'I feel having those sports plays a part in the overall athletic culture of the university and have each had moments of individual excitement and success that I would be sad to see leave.' Keeping last year's format was the most popular choice, though fans are ambivalent overall about the expanded playoff. It's notable that an option the Big Ten has pushed for — four guaranteed bids for the Big Ten and SEC, two apiece for the Big 12 and ACC, one for the Group of 5 and three at-large — was the last-place option. 'The powers that be are going to ruin college football with expanding the Playoff, doing nothing about transfers/tampering and moving away from regional conferences,' wrote Ben K. 'The regular season used to be special. Now an Ohio State team can win the national title without beating Michigan. We probably don't need more than six playoff spots.' These two questions were designed to test the hypothesis that changes in college football have affected fans' attitudes more than their habits. The results bear that out: 47.6 percent of fans feel less interested, but only 22.8 percent are consuming less college football. While interest in college football remains strong, fans are expressing fatigue with the endless tinkering with Playoff formats, conference realignment, player movement and legal wrangling. 'The transfer portal, revenue sharing and NIL do not bother me in the least,' wrote Andrew R. 'However, expanding the playoff field to an absurd 12 teams has ruined the sport and greatly reduced my interest. Conference expansion at the same time has not helped, either. The regular season no longer matters, officially, so why should we care about it? It's a real shame.' Advertisement Michigan fans are divided on the Gus Johnson/Joel Klatt combo, but the Big Noon window is their clear favorite. It's interesting to me that while Ohio State fans clamor for fewer noon kickoffs, Michigan fans would gladly take more if it meant fewer night games. Perhaps that's because night games are a relatively recent phenomenon at the Big House. Hosting events at Michigan Stadium seems like a no-brainer, and I'd expect more of those in the coming years. Michigan hasn't made a decision on permanent advertising at the Big House, but the wording of Manuel's email made me think it's only a matter of time. 'Permanent advertising in Michigan Stadium has been a topic of discussion for many years, predating my tenure at Michigan,' Manuel wrote. 'It's essential for us to assess all potential advertising opportunities to generate new revenue while respecting our traditions. Every decision we make will take into account Michigan's traditions and values while also understanding the decisions we need to make to continue to support the success of our teams.' As someone who didn't grow up attending games at the Big House, my first reaction was, 'Wait, Michigan doesn't have advertising at the stadium?' I can't say that I notice the difference when I travel to other venues, but I understand that some longtime fans have strong feelings about it. 'Never, ever have advertising in or around Michigan Stadium or the uniforms!!' wrote a fan named Jim. Fans may not like it, but if the alternative is cutting sports or raising ticket prices, they'll take the ads. For a fan base that's more tradition-minded than most, Michigan fans expressed a surprising openness to private equity funding, too. 'College football is trending toward the structure of the English Premier League,' wrote Dana B. 'As such, Michigan should get ahead of the game and bring in private equity investors ASAP. Without a doubt this is the direction the sport is headed.' That's not quite the last resort, but it's fairly low on the list of options. Fans can think of much better ways to pay for those new revenue-sharing deals. 'Eminem at the Big House, anyone?' wrote Sen A.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Texas' Arch Manning shares advice from Matthew McConaughey as popularity grows
Print Close By Ryan Gaydos Published June 30, 2025 All eyes will be on Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning in 2025 as he embarks on his first season as the starter. Manning committed to Texas before the start of the 2023 season. He appeared in two games as a freshman and 10 games as a sophomore as he sat as a backup to Quinn Ewers. However, with Ewers in the NFL, the keys are handed to Manning to lead Texas to the promised land. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON The fame attached to Manning because of his football status, as well as his last name, certainly creates a celebrity atmosphere around him in Austin. However, he told reporters at the Manning Passing Academy he received some advice from Matthew McConaughey about how to handle the attention. "A few. It depends on the night, but I stay pretty low key. … I had to get used to it a little bit," he said about receiving picture requests, via The Athletic. "I've actually talked to Matthew McConaughey about that. He's given me some advice. BYU'S JAKE RETZLAFF INTENDS TO TRANSFER AS QB EXPECTS HONOR CODE SUSPENSION AFTER ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: REPORT "He's been great to have in my corner. … He just told me different ways on how to handle things in different situations. He's way more known than I am, so it's good anytime you get advice from him. … He kind of told me you still have to live your life. He says he goes to the grocery store, walks down every aisle and he lives his life. You can't let you taking a picture or signing an autograph affect your life." Manning has already gotten NFL hype thrown around him, but he says he doesn't pay attention too much to the noise around him. "I really don't pay much attention to anyone, what they think besides my coaches, my parents and some close friends that will tell me the truth. But I'm not worried about what other people think. I'm just going to go out there and have fun and play my game," he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Manning had 939 passing yards and nine touchdown passes for the Longhorns last year. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Print Close URL
