Zachary Draves Articles - Page 25

Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark is confident heading into her second year. Her transcendent appeal is obvious, and she has brought a wave of new fans to women’s basketball. One of those who has been in the game for years is WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Julia Stumbaugh of Bleacher Report reported that she made clear […]

Despite a record-breaking season, the WNBA experienced an increase in hate directed towards its players. An issue that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert admits she “missed the mark” on. Various players received hate-filled messages on social media. Much of it is rooted in racism, sexism, and homophobia. Now, with the 2025 season underway, the WNBA has […]

A new book claims Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams wanted to “blow up the draft” to avoid being selected by the Bears. The book “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback” by Seth Wickersham claims that Carl Williams, Caleb’s father, wanted to uproot the draft so that his son could have a say in where […]

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers is looking ahead to her debut WNBA season. The Wings capped off the preseason with a 67-point win over the Toyota Antelopes of Japan. The Wings will start the season against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday. Bueckers will experience a “full-circle moment” as she plays against her hometown team. Full […]

The Indiana Fever is gearing up for another high-profile season. Caitlin Clark and company graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. Clark’s transcendent appeal has unleashed a wave of interest in the sport. That has captured the attention of WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. On the All in Smoke Podcast, Cooper highly praised Clark for her talents […]

The New York Knicks may not have closed out the Boston Celtics in Game 5, but history was made by one of their own. Jalen Brunson passed the late Kobe Bryant for the most fourth-quarter points scored in playoff history.  On Wednesday, Brunson finished the game with 22 points and six assists. Good enough to […]

The baseball world was thrown a curveball on Tuesday. After decades of ongoing debate, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred ruled Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson to be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame—a major shakeup for a league notorious for wanting to maintain traditional standards of morality and acceptability. Rose and Jackson, who were […]

The Boston Celtics seemed poised to win back-to-back NBA championships. That is, until the New York Knicks came along and took a 3-1 lead over the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs. Beyond that, Boston is poised to continue a 6-year trend that has prevented recent dynasties. Over the last six years, the […]

The Indiana Fever put the “D” in depth heading into the season with talk of a championship. Two of their players, Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hull, helped catapult the Fever to an undefeated preseason. A potential precursor for what is to come. When it comes to Clark, she hasn’t skipped a beat since coming into […]

All was going well for the Boston Celtics in Game 4 against the New York Knicks. The Celtics went on a 12-0 run in the first quarter in the remaining 90 seconds led partly by Jayson Tatum.  They jumped out to a 39-28 lead after one and Tatum had scored 15 points, including four 3-pointers. […]

A week ago, the Atlanta Dream gave Shyanne Sellers a chance after the Golden State Valkyries waived her. Now her hopes for a shot at the WNBA are dashed once again.  On Monday, the Dream officially waived Sellers just before the start of the season. Sellers was the 17th overall pick in the second round […]

In basketball, the simplest things can make the difference between winning and losing. For New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, attempting to make free throws can either help or hurt.  As the Knicks hold a 2-1 second-round series lead over the Boston Celtics, their fate will come down to mastering the little things. Unfortunately for […]

The Dallas Mavericks hit the lottery, literally. After a topsy-turvy season, the Mavericks secured the No.1 pick (Cooper Flagg) in the NBA Draft, with 1.8% odds.  They were expected to be a lower-tier team in the draft lottery. Then they jumped ten spots to get the No.1 pick. The latter has called into question the […]

The Edmonton Oilers feel confident leading the Vegas Golden Knights 2-0 in the second-round playoff series. But they will be missing a key link before Game 3 on Saturday.  Oilers back-up goaltender Calvin Pickard didn’t participate in the morning skate, per Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet. Therefore, Stuart Skinner will be starting.  Oilers’ coach Kris Knoblauch […]

The Florida Panthers fought tooth and nail to remain in contention against the Toronto Maple Leafs. On Friday, the Panthers defeated the Leafs in overtime 5-4 to trail Toronto 2-1 in the second-round playoff series.  Yet they are still reeling after Game 2, in which center Evan Rodrigues received an embellishment call. Rodrigues was hit […]

The defending champion New York Liberty is entering the WNBA season in style. A handful of Liberty players attended the Met Gala and are seeking to repeat as champions.  Their core four, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Betnijah Laney Hamilton, are in prime position to sustain the team’s excellence. Their chemistry was hilariously […]

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers is making headwaves before the start of the WNBA season. Bueckers is drawing Caitlin Clark comparisons as the Wings are poised to be a top draw.  Regarding adjustment, Bueckers praised the team camaraderie during Media Day on Thursday, per Colin Salao of Front Office Sports. She specifically cited coach Chris […]

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is riding the success of her new signature shoe, the “A-One.” Wilson’s shoes sold out immediately, and beyond that, she became the first WNBA player to become a “Funko Pop” figure. As for her shoe, the debut Nike commercial generated an exuberant amount of praise, in part because of […]

There is no denying the sociocultural impact of Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever. Clark is fresh off thrilling her hometown Iowa fans during an exhibition game against the Brazilian National Team at Carver Hawkeye Arena last Sunday. Those same fans heralded Clark as she expressed her goodwill by giving $300,000 to Feeding America, an […]

The WNBA’s expansion is moving ahead, and it is heading north of the border. The WNBA’s Toronto Tempo will become the first Canadian team in 2026. With one year left until their first season, the Tempo are putting the pieces together, per Myles Ditcher of CBC. Team president Teresa Resch confirmed that she will have […]

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera has had quite a season. At the start of the year, Herrera was the inaugural Cardinals catcher to hit three opening homers.  Then, Herrera was sidelined with a knee injury while running the bases in a game against the Boston Red Sox. Now, per the Cardinals, he is activated […]

The Boston Celtics are in a jam, to put it midly. The Celtics blew back to back 20 point leads and now trail 2-0 in the second round.  Certainly not what most had expected from the defending champions. Now, they are feeling the wrath of Celtics legends Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, two men who […]

Things got rough between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of the NHL second round on Thursday. The Oilers took a 2-0 series lead over the Golden Knights with an overtime victory. Consequently, the highlight of the game came when Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy viciously cross-checked Oilers forward Trent […]

The Atlanta Dream is already getting plenty out of veteran Brittney Griner. After Griner left the Phoenix Mercury following 11 seasons, she returned with a bang for her new team.  She had a double-double in her first Dream game on Wednesday against the Washington Mystics. Griner scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the […]

The names for the 2025 class of inductees for the Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame are in. One of them is tennis legend Serena Williams, fresh off a dazzling Met Gala appearance.  She won’t be alone as she joins a litany of Olympic greats in the Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, per ESPN. […]

UConn basketball is making some big moves, particularly in the transfer portal. On April 14, UConn added Dayton guard Malachi Smith and secured Georgia guard Silas Demary earlier in the month.  On Thursday, the Huskies kept it in the family by getting Jacob Ross, the younger brother of forward Jayden Ross, to commit, per Travis Branham […]

There’s no denying that Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is continuing to expand her off-court portfolio significantly. Reese walked the red carpet at the Met Gala, showcasing her sustained presence in the fashion industry and her participation in the Met Gala committee. Now she’s established a partnership with NBA legend Magic Johnson to promote financial […]

The New York Knicks are full of surprises. The Knicks overcame a brutal start to Game 2 against the Boston Celtics to win 91-90 and go up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.  Furthermore, the Knicks made history by becoming the first team in 25 years to overcome a 20-point deficit in back-to-back road games, […]

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has a flair for the dramatic. Browns fans are excited by Sanders’ workout videos, which showcase hope that he will overcome a lower-than-expected draft pick and solidify a position on the team.  As he does that, Sanders is lifting up the spirits of some young fans by visiting local […]

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman is on a roll. Freeman is pursuing 3,000 hits amid his 15th season. The Dodgers dominated the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, 10-1, and Freeman played a considerable role. He put on a clinic, going 3 for 4 with 4 RBIs. Also, he finds himself behind Aaron Judge in batting […]

The Sacramento Kings are restructuring. First, the Kings signed coach Doug Christie to a multi-year deal after a brief stint as interim coach following Mike Brown’s firing. Now, they are on the cusp of bringing on another former NBA player to their front office. The Kings are finishing a deal to hire former Chicago Bull […]

There were hopes for Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown after he sustained a knee injury before starting the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. However, Boston sports journalist Bill Simmons raised concerns about Brown’s status after a brutal Game 1 loss. On the Bill Simmons Podcast, he beat the drum loudly. “That was […]

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook is fresh off defeating his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in Monday’s Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. He also weighed in on who would win between the Thunder of 2012 and the current team. His answer was crystal clear, per Joe Mussatto of Oklahoman Sports. He chose the team […]

The Boston Celtics suffered a significant Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This loss was especially devastating considering that the Celtics made history by taking 60 three-point attempts, but they lost 108-105 in overtime.  The Houston Rockets previously held the record with 58 attempts in the 2020 Playoffs […]

The NBA on NBC provided three generations of basketball fans with timeless memories. After NBC spent $2.5 billion to acquire the NBA rights, the league will be on NBC in October.  The league scored a hard-fought win to reclaim ownership of the iconic Roundball Rock theme. The new NBA on NBC will also show player […]

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers looks forward to being “quarterback” in her first season. Her adjustment to the team has been relatively smooth, and she has already formed relationships with notable teammates, especially Arike Ogunbowale.  Bueckers hinted briefly at their relationship after the Wings exhibition against the Las Vegas Aces on Friday, per Clutchpoints. She […]

Fans at Fenway Park were stunned at the sight of Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas injuring his knee while trying to run out a groundball on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. He was subsequently carried off the field on a stretcher.  On Saturday, team chief baseball officer Craig Breslow officially confirmed Casas will be […]

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is fresh off a warm welcome to LSU, where the Sky defeated Brazil in a preseason exhibition. As she gears up for the WNBA season, Reese continues to cement her status as a fashion icon. Her most prominent endorser, Reebok, officially announced a sneaker collection in Reese’s name on Thursday. […]

Michael Jordan: the man, the mystery, and the mystique. Contrary to Anthony Edwards’ assessment that Jordan is his era’s only skilled player, the aura surrounding Jordan never wavers.  In other words, the hype matches the reality. Former Bulls teammate Craig Hodges is attempting to add to the legend by claiming on the All The Smoke […]