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How can we restore the joy to the NBA All-Star Game? The WNBA showed the way

How can we restore the joy to the NBA All-Star Game? The WNBA showed the wayWhen’s the last time you had fun watching an NBA All-Star game?

A league’s All-Star Game is a marquee event and should be one filled with hype and excitement. But in recent years, the conversation around the NBA’s All-Star festivities has been about what needs changing to make it more interesting.

The WNBA, however, is seeing record viewership and attendance. Growing enthusiasm around the W has made its All-Star events a hot topic on social media.

The NBA All-Star Game of today is about the three Rs: rest, recovery and ramping up for the playoffs. But NBA players could take one specific note from the W: This year’s WNBA All-Star Weekend turned into a celebration of its players, fans and culture. With more people watching, WNBA players also used the opportunity to advocate for their collective bargaining discussions with T-shirts that read “Pay us what you owe us” during pregame.

Sharing the joy of playing basketball should be a layup. The NBA will soon play its 80th season, and we are now experiencing a shift in the game with more international players, as well as what looks like a changing of the guard with players such as LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant being late in their careers.

Seeing the veterans and younger players tell their stories with basketball as the background would offer a nice change of pace. Learning what niche or random interest or hobby players have would help highlight who they are for casual fans unable to recite the information typically found on the back of a trading card.

This season, the WNBA added hockey-like live-ball substitutions and the 4-point line to make things more interesting. The game itself wasn’t highly competitive (or featured much defense) as Team Collier blew out Team Clark 151-131. But the hype wasn’t around the game or skills challenges. Fans seemed to understand it was an exhibition, and players weren’t going to play super hard in a game that didn’t count.

Instead, the enjoyment came from the excitement of players and the weekend itself, helped in part by the popularity of the 72-hour StudBudz livestream.

The StudBudz, run by Minnesota Lynx players and close friends Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, gave WNBA fans a rare glimpse into players’ off-court lives, sharing behind-the-scenes looks at their experiences during their All-Star weekend. It was the kind of access traditional media doesn’t have.

Fans on social media were sharing clips of every ounce of access they could get. With the use of livestreams, WNBA players were able to give fans at home an unprecedented peek behind the curtain.

At the WNBA All-Star Game, players mingled and integrated themselves in many events like merchandise pop-ups, panels and parties with the fans. They signed everything. They showed up for their fans and, in some cases, allowed them to get close to them. Players, alumni and fans connected in a way we don’t normally get to see, but it has become common for the W.

That’s what All-Star Weekend should be about: sharing that joy and making the players accessible and relatable, allowing fans to connect beyond a player’s on-court performance.

“(WNBA) players have a clear understanding that this particular weekend is about the fans,” Connecticut Sun sideline reporter Terrika Foster-Brasby said. “You obviously want to protect your players, and you want to ensure that your players have security and that you know there aren’t random people doing and saying crazy things.

“But there is a level of accessibility that you have with women in the WNBA that you don’t have with men in the NBA. I think that kind of creates this vision that the NBA players are sort of untouchable, or that they are unapproachable.”

While that might not be so easy to do with NBA players, humanizing players is one of the things making the WNBA different from other leagues. Seeing players laughing, dancing and having fun with one another reminds fans these aren’t just athletes who accomplish incredible things on the court, but multidimensional people — something we don’t see much of at the NBA All-Star Game. Seeing coaches and even commissioner Cathy Engelbert interact with fans adds to the WNBA’s charm.

At the NBA All-Star Game, players look as if it’s a chore to be there. During the 2025 Skills Challenge, Team Spurs, composed of veteran Chris Paul and French basketball prodigy Victor Wembanyama, intentionally missed their shots to try to cut down on their time and move on to the next obstacle. The drill consisted of a variety of passes before the players reached a rack of balls to shoot. Paul and Wembanyama weren’t even trying to connect on their shot attempts.

The crowd, aware of the gamesmanship on display, rained boos on Paul. The duo was disqualified for not taking valid shots.

While Paul and Wembanyama thought this strategy would benefit them, it was a joyless moment for the fans. Seeing one of the greatest point guards of all time and a 7-4 big man show the same skills would not only have had the crowd rocking and given them something to cheer for, but also have been a great example of how NBA players’ skills have evolved.

This year’s NBA All-Star Game included a new tournament-like format, and the reception from fans was mixed. The frequent discussion of format changes around the NBA’s game has shown that ship’s probably sailed in terms of legislating the fun and excitement back into the event. Changing the rules and adding gimmicks hasn’t yet seemed to make the All-Star Game more interesting to fans or players. Fans know they’re watching a game that doesn’t count, but they still want to see their favorites putting on a show.

While there was a complete lack of defense in the women’s game, they looked as if they enjoyed being there. The celebratory feel of the WNBA’s All-Star Weekend shone through the players.

Even with several tweaks to the format throughout the last few years, the moments of joy have been fleeting recently at the NBA All-Star Weekend. The players selected for the All-Star Game are already the league’s elite, so what incentive can motivate them to play any harder?

“I think the players want to be viewed as regular guys, as regular human beings having fun, hanging out with my friends and my guys. I don’t think the league always puts them in the best position to give them that human aspect,” Foster-Brasby said. “You can see it even at W All-Star, because a lot of times NBA players are there, and they don’t necessarily have that guarded view during WNBA All-Star that they have during NBA All-Star. You can see it feels like they’re a little bit more relaxed, and they feel a little bit more comfortable within that space.”

Maybe instead of new rules, the NBA needs to make the weekend more player and fan-focused. The NBA has open practices on All-Star Saturday, but there is always room for more fan engagement.

The WNBA community has its groups and cliques among the fan base, and they’re close-knit. Access and connectivity to the players have organically created a growing interest in the league and the players as individuals. All-Star Weekend highlighted that in a way we’d never seen before.

“I think proximity and authenticity is the name of the game,” said Khristina Williams, host “In Case You Missed It,” a women’s basketball podcast. “WNBA players are digital natives. Utilizing social media … that type of technology is always going to hit for women’s sports or women’s basketball, because for years and years none of their stuff was available. They’ve capitalized on building their brands through connecting with their fans.”

The NBA All-Star break was extended during the 2013-14 season from five days to seven to allow players more time to rest, but the break isn’t the true midpoint of the season, as teams head into the break having played more than 50 games. Understandably, players don’t want to risk injury in a game that doesn’t count. But when players appear as if they don’t care about participating in the events, it’s neither fun nor entertaining.

When Major League Baseball held the first All-Star Game on July 6, 1933, at Comiskey Park in Chicago (“the Game of the Century,” according to the Chicago Tribune) to coincide with the 1933 World’s Fair, the intention was a celebration of the sport and an opportunity to showcase baseball’s top talent and their skills.

The NBA held its first All-Star Game at Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. A crowd of more than 10,000 packed the arena to see the league’s best. Inaugural All-Star MVP “Easy” Ed Macauley of the Boston Celtics finished with 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting as the East defeated the West 111-94. Like MLB, the game became a fan favorite.

But it’s not easy for any league to host an All-Star Game. Times have changed. Before interleague play, it was rare for American League fans to see National League players and vice versa. In the NBA, it was rare for someone in Cleveland to see the Denver Nuggets or the Portland Trail Blazers. All-Star games were the places to see the best in one spot. Now, with NBA League Pass and MLB Extra Innings, we can see any player at any time. The NFL and NHL have also recently changed their formats as leagues are constantly trying things to infuse new life into their midseason break.

MLB’s All-Star Game has seen its popularity diminished because superstars don’t play the majority of the game and many starters leave before it ends. This year’s Midsummer Classic ended in a tie after nine innings, so it led to the first All-Star swing-off. Despite the lack of starters like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, the mini-home run derby went over well and brought some of the joy back to the event.

If the NBA wants to infuse some enthusiasm into the events, the WNBA just gave them a great playbook to follow and make their own. Players should see All-Star Weekend as an opportunity to take off their cool and let people see who they are, honor the history of the game and celebrate with the fans.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

NBA, WNBA, Culture

2025 The Athletic Media Company

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Southampton’s Will Still: ‘I’ve always stuck out. Football’s helped me integrate’

Belgium-born coach on being tagged a ‘laptop manager’, the pressure to get Saints promoted and why village cricket is his secret to relaxing

“You don’t call it Opel, you call it Vauxhall,” says Will Still. “A Corsa, little black thing that eventually died. Actually, no, Nico, my younger brother crashed it … it was crap, though, it didn’t even have a radio.” Still, who grew up in Grez-Doiceau, near Brussels, laughs as he recounts his days driving to work as an unpaid video analyst at Sint-Truiden while living at home with his mother, Jane. “Best time of my life, to be honest. It was like the dream was coming true.”

Twelve years on, the 32-year-old, one of the most intriguing managers in the game, has been tasked with returning Southampton to the Premier League after impressing with Lens. The only other time he lived in England was as a teenager when he spent two years studying at Myerscough College in Lancashire, where his degree included coaching Preston’s under-14s. At the time Still felt like “the little posh Belgian kid” but that period provided a handy lesson in English football-speak.

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Canadiens: When Will The Action Resume?

Fed up with summer already? You’ve had your fill of pools and terraces? Rejoice, hockey will be back soon! How soon? Well, the Prospect Showdown featuring the youngsters of the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Winnipeg Jets is scheduled for September 13 and 14. Last season, that tournament took place on September 14 and 15, and the rookie camp started on September 11.

Looking at this year’s calendar, chances are that the rookies will be asked to report to the CN Sports Complex in Brossard on September 10 or 11 for physical testing and start on ice training the next day in readiness for the Prospect Showdown.

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On September 13, the Canadiens hopefuls will take on the Jets at 7:00 PM after the Maple Leafs and Senators take on each other at 1:00 PM. Then on September 14, the Habs will take on the Leafs at 3:00 PM, and the game will be followed by a tilt between the Senators and Jets at 7:00 PM. Tickets for the event are still on sale on Ticketmaster and are a great low-cost option for families who want to introduce their kids to hockey.

Last season, the main camp started on September 18, just a few days after the Prospect Showdown, on the following Wednesday. If this year follows the same pattern, the main camp should open on September 17 since the exhibition games start on September 22.

This year will be the last one with as many exhibition games (six), starting in 2026-27. The new CBA states that teams will only be playing four exhibition games before embarking on an 84-game regular season. This is good news for players who won’t risk injury in meaningless games, but it will give the coaching staff less time to evaluate the youngsters knocking on the NHL door. This year, the Canadiens will be playing four exhibition home games (Sept. 22 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, 23rd against the Philadelphia Flyers, 25th against the Leafs, and Oct. 4th against the Senators). The two road exhibition games will be in Toronto on September 27th and in Quebec City, against the Sens, on September 30th.

Hang in there, Habs fans, there’s only a little over a month to go before your favourites hit the ice again, and we can get on with serious business. Unless, of course, Kent Hughes decides to make August a little more interesting with another surprise trade.

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Flyers Haven't Been Wise Spenders, But That's Fine… For Now

New Flyers goalie Dan Vladar should have the biggest impact of all newcomers in 2025-26. (Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)

By the analytics, the Philadelphia Flyers haven't been too wise with how they've spent their money in recent years. But that isn't a bad thing... yet.

To kick off free agency at the start of last month, the Flyers went out and signed goalie Dan Vladar, now the highest-earning goalie on the team, center Christian Dvorak, and defensemen Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert.

Based on the expected positive value, The Athletic gave the Dvorak and Vladar contracts C- grades, but, comparatively, Ivan Fedotov and Trevor Zegras's contracts also got C- grades.

For different reasons, these grades are off base.

Vladar, unlike Fedotov, has proven to be a serviceable NHL goalie, albeit in a backup role. The bar is quite low, yes, but Vladar makes only $75k more against the cap.

The Flyers are hoping that, by adding the former Calgary Flame, they'll start to win more games, which in turn rewards their young players for their efforts and expected positive development.

NHL Free Agency: Flyers Won and Lost on Day 1NHL Free Agency: Flyers Won and Lost on Day 1The Philadelphia Flyers were the one team that won as much as it lost on Day 1 of NHL Free Agency.

Ditto for Dvorak, who is only under contract for one season and can be moved (with salary retention) at the NHL trade deadline if the right deal hits the Flyers' inbox.

As for Zegras, the Flyers traded for him with the hope the 23-year-old can become a long-term piece for them offensively and return to the 60-point form that made him one of the NHL's hottest talents only two seasons ago.

The former No. 11 pick has struggled a lot defensively, at least according to most analytics, which likely factors into such a poor contract grade, but, like with Vladar, it's a bit overstated.

Juulsen and Gilbert didn't even factor into the equation, which is to be expected. It's unclear if Juulsen is fully recovered from a season-ending hernia, while Gilbert is a long shot to make the NHL roster at this time.

Flyers Among NHL Leaders in Dead Salary Cap SpaceFlyers Among NHL Leaders in Dead Salary Cap SpaceThe Philadelphia Flyers will head into the 2025-26 season with the third-highest amount of dead salary cap space in the NHL.

The good news is that Flyers GM Danny Briere signed most of the best contracts on The Athletic's list, with Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, Nick Seeler, Egor Zamula, Cam York, Sam Ersson, and Noah Cates leading the way with B- grades or better.

Plus, the Flyers didn't benefit from having Matvei Michkov, who was excluded, on his entry-level contract.

But, overall, the Flyers haven't done anything that inhibits them from making an important move in the future, even if they really did overspend on players like Dvorak and Vladar. And even then, their value relative to other roster players is higher.

What happens next offseason, and even the offseason after that, will tell the full story. This is just the intro.

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Celtics' approach with Tatum hints at ‘no ceilings' mindset for 2025-26

Celtics' approach with Tatum hints at ‘no ceilings' mindset for 2025-26 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

We’re not here to sell you a gallon of green Kool-Aid. The Boston Celtics’ 2025-26 season will feature more bumps in the road than recent years and the margin for error for this talent-depleted team is razor thin, especially as Jayson Tatum rehabs from Achilles surgery.

But one thing is certain: The Celtics are approaching the obvious uncertainty ahead with remarkable vigor and an utter refusal to put a ceiling on what’s to come. 

In an offseason where it would be very easy to get discouraged — both by Tatum’s injury and a talent drain forced upon a team by a restricted new collective bargaining agreement — the Celtics remain unfailingly positive. All that matters is putting one good day after the next.

Where will that lead this team? We won’t suspect to know for sure. But we do believe the 2025-26 season will be far more enjoyable than most seem to be predicting (though we’ll also relent that there are obvious weak spots in Boston’s overhauled depth chart and an injury to any member of the remaining championship core could change the outlook of the season in a hurry).

Good luck trying to get anyone inside the Auerbach Center to buy into a so-called “gap” year. While the team endured painful-yet-inevitable changes in order to open avenues toward building the next championship-caliber roster, those in green universally refuse to put a ceiling on what’s possible for the 2025-26 squad.

“I said this when I was coaching all the time, I never put a ceiling on any team,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in July. “We were fortunate to have a number of teams there, as we led up to this kind of [championship] window, that were really fun, and that I thought never really cared about ceilings and had a chip on their shoulders. I expected this team will, too. 

“The last time that Jaylen Brown was on a team that was doubted was a long time ago. The last time that Payton Pritchard’s been on a team that was doubted — he probably hasn’t been. I mean, you go down the list, Derrick White and all these guys. I’m excited to see what this team has in store. I know [coach] Joe [Mazzulla is] excited.”

For his part, Pritchard was adamant when we talked last week that the expectations in Boston have not changed.

“We’re definitely trying to be a playoff team. We’re trying to win a championship,” said Pritchard. “It’s not even about playoffs; we have one standard in Boston and it’s to win a championship. Everybody in that locker room will have the goal of competing for a championship. And we will do everything in our power necessary to go for that. That’s what [fans] should know.”

🔊 Celtics Talk Podcast: Payton Pritchard on Celtics’ summer changes, NBA’s new heave rule and Kyrie wanting to swing on him | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

We’ve spent a lot of this offseason thinking about the radical shift in expectations for these Celtics. A championship-or-bust mentality is inevitable for a team with 18 banners hanging above its court, but it also made it hard to savor the small wins along the way. Every bump in the road hit like plane turbulence while you sometimes had to remind yourself to savor the little victories. 

One of our favorite seasons covering this team was the magical 2016-17 campaign when Isaiah Thomas thrust himself into the MVP conversation while carrying a hard-playing, mentally-strong group straight to the Eastern Conference Finals. Watching that team exceed expectations — with Thomas routinely making fourth-quarter magic — made that season almost as endearing as some of the championship seasons.

Can history repeat itself with this group? If you’re looking at Boston’s frontcourt depth chart after the summer changes and scoffing, we get it. But we’re strangely excited to simply see where this goes.

This season is going to answer a whole bunch of questions about individual players and who will be key pieces to Banner 19. Instead of fretting who’s not on the floor, it’s OK if you simply want to embrace who is. Whatever ceiling you perceive for Jaylen Brown or Derrick White or Pritchard, that might just change during the 2025-26 season.

If pressure is a privilege, who will feel it most for 2025-26 Celtics?

And then there’s Tatum.

We subscribe strongly to the notion that you don’t even consider putting Tatum back on the court until he is at full health. And given the history of Achilles injuries, it’s easy to suspect Tatum probably wouldn’t return until the start of the 2026-27 season.

But we also know Tatum is a maniac who has relentlessly attacked the first three months of his rehab. The Celtics put him in the best position to expedite his recovery by getting him into surgery just hours after the devastating injury. Spend even a little bit of time reading about the rehab of NFL running back Cam Akers, and it’s hard not to envision Tatum potentially ramping up activities early in calendar year 2026.

Again, that’s not to suggest the team ought to consider bringing him back expeditiously. But we believe the major parties involved when they suggest that there is no timeline, and that they will simply cross each medical bridge as they cross them.

The Indiana Pacers were quick to rule out Tyrese Haliburton for the 2025-26 season after a torn Achilles in the NBA Finals. The Celtics have resisted doing the same with Tatum. Our read is that Boston chose that approach so as to not put a ceiling on what’s possible.

If Tatum is hell-bent on attacking his rehab — even if just for the possibility of returning quicker than most who have navigated the same injury — then whey take away any bit of hope? The focus right now is on putting one good day in front of another. 

If the season goes sideways and the Celtics are not as competitive with this new-look roster, then maybe that allows Tatum and Co. to take a longer view on his return. If Boston exceeds expectations and plays beyond mid-April, then the player, front office, and medical staff can assess the value in an earlier return. 

After Tatum made an appearance at a community event in Providence on Thursday, Celtics team president Rich Gotham offered the latest glimpse into that no-ceilings mentality when asked about the possibility of Tatum attempting to return this season.

“[Tatum is] going to do everything he can to put us in a position to make a decision,” said Gotham.

Even that reads like Celtics catnip. The “Jay Watch” on its own will help navigate the season. Tatum’s eventual return offers hope of a brighter future regardless of how the 2025-26 season plays out. 

The Celtics have spent much of the summer getting their finances in order. The departures of championship pieces like Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, and (presumably soon) Al Horford, have not been easy for fans to endure. The team could shed even more money in a quest to get below the tax. Splurging to build a championship roster is a heck of a lot more fun than shedding to avoid the tax and aprons.

It’s on Stevens and his front office staff to put this team in position to start adding again soon. Having to navigate some of these financial pain points in a season where Tatum will miss time makes it slightly easier to endure.

But our advice is not to get too hung up on the big picture. Embrace the steps on the journey back to being a title contender. Embrace Tatum’s progress. Embrace the possibility that players like Brown, White, and Pritchard will get every opportunity to show their full potential. 

The Celtics are not putting a ceiling on this year’s team. They’re just focused on each day. We’ll see where that takes them.

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Rangers v Dundee: Pick of the stats

Rangers v Dundee stats
[BBC]
  • Rangers are unbeaten in their past 17 meetings with Dundee in all competitions (W14 D3) since a 2-1 league defeat in November 2017 under Graeme Murty.
  • Dundee have lost each of their past 19 away games at Rangers in all competitions, a run that began in 2001. Only against five sides have Rangers ever won 20+ consecutive home matches in their history, most recently an ongoing run of 21 against Dunfermline from 1999 to 2021.
  • Rangers drew 1-1 with Motherwell on matchday one but haven't failed to win both of their opening two matches of a Scottish Premiership campaign since 1989-90 under Graeme Souness (lost to St Mirren and Hibernian).
  • In their opening-day defeat to Hibs, Dundee managed just two shots, their fewest in a Scottish Premiership home game since October 2018 vs Celtic (2). The Dark Blues did, however, win three of their final five away league games last term (L2), as many as across their 17 matches prior.
  • Joe Rothwell has recorded three assists across his past eight league appearances, with each assist coming from a set-piece (2 for Leeds, 1 for Rangers) – the midfelder created the joint most chances (3) of any Rangers player against Motherwell, including his assist via a corner for James Tavernier.
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Ben Shelton rallies to beat Karen Khachanov in Toronto for biggest title of career

  • American claims third career ATP title in Toronto

  • Shelton fires 16 aces in Masters 1000 final win

  • Moves to career-high world No 6 with victory

American fourth seed Ben Shelton battled from a set down to clinch his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open on Thursday, defeating Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3).

The world No 7 capped off an impressive week that saw him beat Italian 13th seed Flavio Cobolli, Australian ninth seed Alex de Minaur and American second seed Taylor Fritz on his way to achieving his first Masters 1000 title and the biggest title of his career.

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Yankees prospect roundup: Spencer Jones picks up two hits for Triple-A, George Lombard Jr. goes yard with Somerset

Spencer Jones is the hottest name in the Yankees' farm system at the moment, and the outfielder showed what he can do at the plate, without the need of his prodigious power. 

In Thursday's game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Jones went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Jones' first hit came in the fourth inning after striking out in his first at-bat. Leading off, Jones smacked an 81 mph knuckleball in the dirt into center field. He would score on T.J. Rumfield's homer to put the RailRiders up 2-0.  

Jones was called out on strikes in his third at-bat in the fifth inning but made up for it in the eighth. With the RailRiders still up just two runs, Jones came up with Jorbit Vivas on second and no out. Jones to a 2-0 hanging curveball and deposited it into right field to drive in the RailRiders' third run of the game. Some much-needed for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate. Jones would steal second base and eventually score on a J.C. Escarra sacrifice fly.

Jones has really picked it up since being promoted to Triple-A earlier this season. In 29 games, he's slashing .348/.426/.750 with an OPS of 1.176 to go along with his 13 home runs, 29 RBI and 14 stolen bases. 

Now, while he hasn't homered since returning from a sore back in late July, he's still 7-for-32 with a double, four RBI and eight stolen bases in that span.

Other notable hitters from this game include Vivas going 2-for-4 with a run scored and Escarra going 1-for-2 with a walk and his lone RBI.

But all of that was in support of Allan Winans. Winans, who has had only a handful of appearances with the Yankees this season, pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out seven batters. He now boasts an impressive 10-o record and a 1.16 ERA this season with Triple-A.

Down with the Somerset Patriots and George Lombard Jr. continues to excel. The Yankees' No. 1 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, showed off his power in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. 

Lombard's homer came in the first inning when he launched a R.J. Gordon pitch over the right field wall to give the Patriots an early 1-0 lead. It would be Lombard's only hit of the night (1-4) 

In 75 games in Double-A, Lombard is hitting only .208 with six home runs, 23 RBI and 16 stolen bases as the 20-year-old continues to make his way through the Yankees system.

 

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Mets' prospect Brandon Sproat pitches another six terrific innings for Triple-A

Fresh off being named International League Pitcher of the Month for his incredible July, Mets top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat kept things going by starting his August with another terrific performance.

Facing the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate for the Chicago White Sox, Sproat began his outing by filling up the strike zone and pitching a quick 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. He went back out for the second inning and kept pumping strikes while getting around a two-out double.

Sproat needed just nine pitches (all strikes) to get through the third inning. In fact, in the first three innings he threw just five balls.

The right-hander's command got away from him a little bit as he walked his first batter of the game on four pitches leading off the fourth. He got to three-ball counts on his next two hitters, but retired them both on groundouts before ending the frame with another ball on the ground.

In the bottom half of the inning, Syracuse's offense erupted for six runs while batting around. The Mets began the inning with eight straight hitters reaching base, including seven consecutive hits against reliever Chase Plymell.

Having spent so much time in the dugout during the big inning, Sproat looked a little off in the fifth and was dinged for three runs after a walk, wild pitch, double and two-run homer.

The 24-year-old righted the ship the following inning and only needed 11 pitches in a clean sixth that ended his night.

Overall, Sproat went six innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four on 84 pitches (53 strikes).

After clearing 100 innings (he now sits at 101 IP), Sproat's season ERA rose a tick from 4.07 to 4.10, but it was still another impressive start for the Mets' No. 5 prospect, per SNY's Joe DeMayo, as he continues to try and earn a big league promotion this season from his club.

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Divisional Focus: Red Wings Need To Turn The Tables Against The Senators

Although it was a tough pill to swallow for fans of the Detroit Red Wings, it was the Atlantic Division rival Ottawa Senators who returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season, thanks to a late-season surge that included two crucial victories over Detroit. 

Ottawa complied a record of 45-30-7 for a total of 97 points, 11 more points in the standings than Detroit's 86. 

Adding insult to injury was the fact that former Red Wings forward David Perron, who played such an important leadership role in the Detroit dressing room, scored in both games for his new team. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

While the Senators would ultimately fall short in the opening round of the postseason against the Toronto Maple Leafs, they did manage to make life uncomfortable for them and appear poised to take another step in their rebuilding process this season. 

Meanwhile, the Red Wings missed out on claiming a postseason spot for the ninth consecutive season thanks in large part to yet another prolonged losing streak in the month of March. 

If the Red Wings are to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, they'll need to improve their fortunes against the Senators, who have had their number over the last few campaigns. 

Ottawa has been on a remarkable run of success against the Red Wings in their last 10 matchups, winning eight of them. 

Additionally, the core of Ottawa is just getting started. They have a solid foundation led by forwards Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle, while their top-six is rounded out by Dylan Cozens (who was linked to the Red Wings in the weeks leading up to last season's NHL Trade Deadline) and Drake Batherson. 

Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot anchor the Ottawa defense, while Linus Ullmark holds down the fort in the crease. 

With veterans Perron and Claude Giroux returning for next season, the Senators appear poised to not only build off their success last season but to take another step toward once again becoming a major problem in the Eastern Conference for their opposition. 

The Red Wings won't face the Senators until after the calendar has changed to 2026, a matchup on January 5 in Ottawa. This will be followed by matchups on January 18 at Little Caesars Arena, February 26 in Ottawa, and Mach 24 back in Detroit. 

All four games will have a valuable two points up for grabs in the standings, points that the Red Wings will need to accumulate to help increase their chances of ending their playoff drought. 

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Canadian teen Victoria Mboko caps dream run in Montreal with first WTA Tour title

  • 18-year-old wins first WTA Tour title in Toronto

  • Mboko joins Urban, Andreescu as home champs

  • Osaka falls in first WTA 1000 final since 2022

Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko completed a dream run to the National Bank Open title Thursday night, overcoming a slow start to beat Japanese star Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.

The 18-year-old Mboko – ranked 85th in the world – won her first WTA Tour title and joined Faye Urban in 1969 and Bianca Andreescu in 2019 as the only Canadians to win the home event in the open era.

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Ke’Bryan Hayes returns to Pittsburgh after being traded to the playoff-chasing Reds

PITTSBURGH — Ke’Bryan Hayes said he thought he might be in Pittsburgh to stay before the Pirates traded him July 30 to NL Central rival Cincinnati.

He returned to Pittsburgh on Thursday for the first time since he was dealt, with the Pirates opening a four-game series against the Reds.

Hayes’ future with the Pirates looked secure after he signed a $70 million, eight-year contract in 2022.

“The reason I signed the contract here in Pittsburgh, I wanted to be here and maybe play here my whole career,” Hayes said. “But baseball’s a business at the end of the day.”

The Pirates played a video tribute to Hayes when he came to bat in the third inning. As the crowd cheered, with many fans standing, Hayes doffed his batting helmet.

The Gold Glove third baseman went from an organization that was well outside the playoffs race to a Reds team competing for a wild-card spot. Pittsburgh was 49-66 heading into Thursday’s game and last in the division; Cincinnati was 60-55 and three games out of a playoff spot.

“It’s been great over here,” Hayes said. “They’ve welcomed me with big arms. We’re in playoff contention.”

Hayes, the son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes and a first-round draft pick by the Pirates in 2015, struggled to find consistency at the plate following his splashy debut during the final month of the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020. He hit .376 with five homers in 24 games immediately after being called up, numbers that he didn’t come close to matching while playing a full 162-game schedule.

Hayes hit .236 with two home runs and 36 RBIs this season for the Pirates. Through six games with the Reds, he was batting .211 with a homer and three RBIs.