Latest news with #Merchant
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Issue Emerges After WNBA's Controversial Decision
Chicago Sky Issue Emerges After WNBA's Controversial Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky defeated the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, giving them a 5-11 record during the 2025 WNBA season. The team will now enjoy a multi-day break before resuming play on Sunday against the 14-2 Minnesota Lynx. Advertisement During the team's six-day rest, plenty of major WNBA news broke. The league announced the starting lineup for the 2025 All-Star game on Monday, and the Commissioner's Cup took place on Tuesday, with the Indiana Fever winning 74 to 59 over the Lynx. On Monday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert also announced that the league would expand to a record 18 teams by the 2030 season. WNBA commissioner Cathy Carchietta-Imagn Images This expansion would include a franchise in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2028, one in Detroit, Michigan, in 2029 and another in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2030. The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant, however, feels that this is the wrong decision for the league. Advertisement Merchant wrote that Chicago, among other teams, is reportedly considered behind in the player experience department. The WNBA is being called to address these issues amid its controversial decision to prioritize expansion over bettering current teams. "Looking around the league, current franchises in Connecticut, Los Angeles and Chicago lag behind an acceptable standard of player experience and practice facilities," Merchant wrote. "Before bringing in expansion teams, the WNBA should make sure its existing organizations can handle the demands of this new era. The optics of expansion are better than relocation, but throwing energy and resources behind new teams instead of old doesn't solve the WNBA's problems." During the 2025 season, the Golden State Valkyries became the league's first expansion team since the Atlanta Dream in 2008. The Toronto Tempo and Portland expansion team are both slated to begin play during the 2026 campaign. The Sky will resume their season on Sunday against the Lynx. The game will take place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. Advertisement Related: WNBA Fans React to Kamilla Cardoso's Heated Moment While Away From Chicago Sky Related: WNBA Fans Upset After Angel Reese News on Monday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Rhyl Journal
a day ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Merchant camp planning to stick to Goodwood route
William Haggas' Royal Ascot winner saw the form of his King George V Stakes success enhanced when runner-up Serious Contender chased home Lambourn in the Irish Derby, but the Merchant team are at present resisting the temptation of a return to Ascot for their Group One feature on July 26. 'It's really exciting and as we know it's pretty stiff form,' said Harry Herbert of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. MERCHANT becomes our 12th Royal Ascot winner! The son of Teofilo storms home to win the King George V Stakes with Tom Marquand in the saddle for trainer William Haggas 🏆 Many congratulations to all of his owners 👏🏼#HighclereRacing #RoyalAscot — Highclere (@HighclereRacing) June 19, 2025 'I'm a great believer in you never say never and if you have the entry then you can consider all options, but I couldn't envisage him running in the King George unless Calandagan suddenly couldn't go and a couple more fell by the wayside. 'If you had Aidan O'Brien's dual Derby winner leading the betting, then that's something that might lead to another conversation but for right now the plan is to go to Goodwood.' With King George thoughts on the back burner, Merchant's route is likely to be as previously outlined, with the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on July 31 setting up a possible visit to York during the Ebor Festival. Herbert added: 'The plan is to go for the Gordon Stakes and play it one race at a time and if he happens to win there and depending on how he comes out of it, we'll probably then head to the Great Voltigeur (August 20) and take it from there. 'He's a high-class colt and like all these horses, it will all depend on how they develop on during the season and fingers crossed he's going to be a pretty important beast.'
North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Merchant camp planning to stick to Goodwood route
William Haggas' Royal Ascot winner saw the form of his King George V Stakes success enhanced when runner-up Serious Contender chased home Lambourn in the Irish Derby, but the Merchant team are at present resisting the temptation of a return to Ascot for their Group One feature on July 26. 'It's really exciting and as we know it's pretty stiff form,' said Harry Herbert of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. MERCHANT becomes our 12th Royal Ascot winner! The son of Teofilo storms home to win the King George V Stakes with Tom Marquand in the saddle for trainer William Haggas 🏆 Many congratulations to all of his owners 👏🏼#HighclereRacing #RoyalAscot — Highclere (@HighclereRacing) June 19, 2025 'I'm a great believer in you never say never and if you have the entry then you can consider all options, but I couldn't envisage him running in the King George unless Calandagan suddenly couldn't go and a couple more fell by the wayside. 'If you had Aidan O'Brien's dual Derby winner leading the betting, then that's something that might lead to another conversation but for right now the plan is to go to Goodwood.' With King George thoughts on the back burner, Merchant's route is likely to be as previously outlined, with the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on July 31 setting up a possible visit to York during the Ebor Festival. Herbert added: 'The plan is to go for the Gordon Stakes and play it one race at a time and if he happens to win there and depending on how he comes out of it, we'll probably then head to the Great Voltigeur (August 20) and take it from there. 'He's a high-class colt and like all these horses, it will all depend on how they develop on during the season and fingers crossed he's going to be a pretty important beast.'
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Merchant camp planning to stick to Goodwood route
William Haggas' Royal Ascot winner saw the form of his King George V Stakes success enhanced when runner-up Serious Contender chased home Lambourn in the Irish Derby, but the Merchant team are at present resisting the temptation of a return to Ascot for their Group One feature on July 26. 'It's really exciting and as we know it's pretty stiff form,' said Harry Herbert of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. MERCHANT becomes our 12th Royal Ascot winner! The son of Teofilo storms home to win the King George V Stakes with Tom Marquand in the saddle for trainer William Haggas 🏆 Many congratulations to all of his owners 👏🏼#HighclereRacing #RoyalAscot — Highclere (@HighclereRacing) June 19, 2025 'I'm a great believer in you never say never and if you have the entry then you can consider all options, but I couldn't envisage him running in the King George unless Calandagan suddenly couldn't go and a couple more fell by the wayside. 'If you had Aidan O'Brien's dual Derby winner leading the betting, then that's something that might lead to another conversation but for right now the plan is to go to Goodwood.' With King George thoughts on the back burner, Merchant's route is likely to be as previously outlined, with the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on July 31 setting up a possible visit to York during the Ebor Festival. Tom Marquand aboard Merchant after winning at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA) Herbert added: 'The plan is to go for the Gordon Stakes and play it one race at a time and if he happens to win there and depending on how he comes out of it, we'll probably then head to the Great Voltigeur (August 20) and take it from there. 'He's a high-class colt and like all these horses, it will all depend on how they develop on during the season and fingers crossed he's going to be a pretty important beast.'
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Merchant camp planning to stick to Goodwood route
William Haggas' Royal Ascot winner saw the form of his King George V Stakes success enhanced when runner-up Serious Contender chased home Lambourn in the Irish Derby, but the Merchant team are at present resisting the temptation of a return to Ascot for their Group One feature on July 26. 'It's really exciting and as we know it's pretty stiff form,' said Harry Herbert of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. MERCHANT becomes our 12th Royal Ascot winner! The son of Teofilo storms home to win the King George V Stakes with Tom Marquand in the saddle for trainer William Haggas 🏆 Many congratulations to all of his owners 👏🏼#HighclereRacing #RoyalAscot — Highclere (@HighclereRacing) June 19, 2025 'I'm a great believer in you never say never and if you have the entry then you can consider all options, but I couldn't envisage him running in the King George unless Calandagan suddenly couldn't go and a couple more fell by the wayside. 'If you had Aidan O'Brien's dual Derby winner leading the betting, then that's something that might lead to another conversation but for right now the plan is to go to Goodwood.' With King George thoughts on the back burner, Merchant's route is likely to be as previously outlined, with the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on July 31 setting up a possible visit to York during the Ebor Festival. Tom Marquand aboard Merchant after winning at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA) Herbert added: 'The plan is to go for the Gordon Stakes and play it one race at a time and if he happens to win there and depending on how he comes out of it, we'll probably then head to the Great Voltigeur (August 20) and take it from there. 'He's a high-class colt and like all these horses, it will all depend on how they develop on during the season and fingers crossed he's going to be a pretty important beast.'
