• Slug-Sports-Emmanuel Taban Valley Suns, 725 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Alex Sanchez
Cronkite News

TEMPE – For Emmanuel Taban, basketball is more than just a game – it’s an escape, a lifeline that has been guided by mentors like his grandmother and his seventh-grade art teacher Wilie Muñoz, whose belief in Taban recently pushed him to take the next step in his journey.

The 6-foot-7 forward, a Kenyan refugee whose grandmother raised him, traveled to the U.S. in the spring of 2004 before moving to Phoenix in 2008. Last weekend, he was one of the many hopefuls who showed up for the Valley Suns’ open tryouts at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex. The new G League affiliate of the Phoenix Suns, the Valley Suns open their inaugural season Nov. 8. 

“My seventh-grade art teacher sent me the flyer (for the tryout) and said she would pay the buy-in fee if I wanted to do it,” Taban said of Muñoz. “It’s surreal, I cried when she sent me the message.  Continue reading “From Kenya to Valley Suns hopeful, Emmanuel Taban uses teacher’s motivation to reach his dream”

• Slug: Sports–WNBA Commissioner Under Fire. 400 words.
• File photo available

By Aya Abdeen
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A Phoenix Mercury forward joined the chorus of WNBA players and fans who criticized commissioner Cathy Engelbert for recent comments about social media attacks on players. 

“I am not a politics person, but that’s B.S., come on,” Natasha Mack said Wednesday. “We’ve got to hold everybody accountable. That’s all I have to say.”

Engelbert faced backlash after her statement Monday on the rivalry between league stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese and the increasing harassment of players. She compared the players to NBA legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and their long-enduring rivalry. Continue reading “Mercury player joins chorus of voices criticizing WNBA commissioner for comments on Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry”

• Slug: Sports-ASU Culture Dillingham, 750 words.
• 32photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Tucker Sennett
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Before the 2023 season kicked off, Arizona State football faced a flurry of challenges: a bowl ban, recruiting violations and a shaky administrative situation loomed.

A year after navigating through those tense times, Kenny Dillingham entered the 2024 season as the second youngest head coach of an FBS program. His love of the game, exuberant demeanor and commitment to his roots have helped him progress one of the sport’s most difficult rebuilds at a rapid pace. The 30-23 win over Mississippi State validated his efforts, marking the second straight game with over 10,000 students in attendance.

“You could feel the energy in the stadium,” he said after the win. “This is a fun place to be when it’s rocking.” Continue reading “Activated: Kenny Dillingham’s Arizona State football rebuild gains steam with statement win”

• Slug: Sports-AZ Compass Prep Recruiting, 1,240 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Dylan Ackermann
Cronkite News

CHANDLER – Prep schools are reshaping the college basketball recruiting landscape, making it easier than ever for top college coaches such as Auburn’s Bruce Pearl to identify and pursue the nation’s best high school players.

It’s why Pearl and other top college coaches, including Arkansas coach John Calipari, were at the AZ Compass Prep Pro Day. It is the fourth year that the Chandler-based basketball academy has held the pro day, which gives recruiters a chance to watch top prospects in action.

“This time of year, it’s hard to leave campus because we’re getting started in a couple months,” Pearl said. “But the prep schools have done so much of the weeding out for us.” Continue reading “AZ Compass Prep changing recruiting game with top coaches flocking to scout rising stars”

• Slug: Sports–Valley Suns Tryout. 625 words.
• Photos available.

By Connor Moreno
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Hundreds of players from varying basketball backgrounds gathered Saturday at the Tempe Sun Devil Fitness Complex, hoping to become part of a new era of Phoenix basketball.

The Valley officially adopted a new hoops darling – the G League Valley Suns – in February and open tryouts commenced with Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones among those in attendance.

“Phoenix at its core is a basketball town,” said Brendan Sabean, the new team’s general manager. “So to add another entity, and team in general, to the Valley will bring a cool environment for people to come watch games and watch some good hoops.”

Continue reading “Valley Suns hold first tryouts, marking new horizon for Phoenix basketball”

• Slug: Sports-Phoenix Mercury Resurgence, 830 words.
• 2 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).
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By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The NFL has always claimed that it prioritizes the health and safety of its players above everything else. Yet, as the 2024 season begins Thursday night, a topic that has concerned participants for years continues to linger. 

 The field-surface debate seems to grow louder with each passing season, sometimes with each passing down. Gruesome lower-extremity injuries appeared to consistently transpire on synthetic turf surfaces more often than natural grass in 2023, according to data from Sharp Football Analysis.  

Among the group of injured players, none was more notable than New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who tore his Achilles tendon four snaps into his Jets’ debut on Sept. 11. His injury occurred at New Jersey’s MetLife Field, which uses a synthetic turf surface.  Continue reading “Grass is greener? NFL’s field surface dilemma still a concern as 2024 season kicks off”

• Slug: Sports-Brandon Aiyuk Extension, 630 words.
• Photo available (thumbnail, caption below).

By Patrick Holleron
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Former Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has evolved into one of the top NFL wide receivers, much like first-year Arizona State wide receivers coach Hines Ward accomplished during his playing days. Now, with a fresh four-year, $120 million extension from the San Francisco 49ers, Aiyuk is also one of the top-earning players at his position like Ward. 

Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers came to terms on a four-year, $120 million extension last week, according to NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Aiyuk’s new deal includes $76 million in guaranteed money. The deal comes as the NFL season opens this week, with the 49ers hosting the New York Jets Monday night.

Aiyuk is now one of the NFL’s top 10 highest-paid wide receivers, trailing only Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, Cedee Lamb and Justin Jefferson in average salary per year. Continue reading “Former ASU WR Brandon Aiyuk’s gamble pays off with San Francisco 49ers”

• Slug: Sports-CFP Format Clark, 1,100 words.
• 3 photos available (thumbnails, captions below).

By Doyal D’angelo
Special for Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – Richard Clark, the newly appointed College Football Playoff executive director, is not going to reinvent the wheel under his new title, even as the landscape of not only college football, but also all of college sports, is shaping and shifting like never before.

“Right now, there’s a lot of change already, and it’s exciting,” Clark said Tuesday at Fiesta Bowl headquarters. “I think people are going to see things that they never imagined in what happens during this playoff.”

Part of the change is the novel 12-team CFP playoff format that Clark is inheriting, which he is preparing extensively for with training and the reliance on his selection committee to make the proper choices. Continue reading “Seismic shifts: New CFP director Richard Clark visits Fiesta Bowl, reflects on 12-team playoff”

• Slug: Sports–Arizona Training Paris Olympics, 570 words.
• Photo available.

By Abigail Scott
Cronkite News

PARIS – If the Paris Olympics taught us anything, it’s that the combination of high-altitude and extreme heat training in Arizona help prepares athletes for high-level competition. From Flagstaff’s mountainous elevations to the scorching deserts of Tucson and Phoenix, these environments are proving to be invaluable for building endurance and resilience.

Approximately 250 Olympians and Paralympians trained in Flagstaff before the Tokyo Games, and many others escaped to the Phoenix and Tucson areas for warmth during winter months. A similar amount did the same before Paris.

Among the distance runners who trained in Flagstaff and competed in Paris is Grant Fisher, who grabbed bronze in the men’s 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Many others who competed came to the Phoenix area to train in the winter for the forgiving weather, included triathlete Kirsten Kasper. Continue reading “Paris Olympics showcase athletes who choose to train in Arizona’s heat, high altitude”

• Slug: Sports–Restaurant Closures Olympics, 720 words.
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By Doyal D’angelo
Cronkite News

PARIS –  The idea of the Olympics leaves many people imagining a mega-event with flocks of people from all over the world participating in cultural exchange, contributing to a flourishing economy and filling up restaurants and bars.

Yet as many tourists and Parisians have discovered, the Olympics have not brought the expected amount of customer traffic that local businesses wanted. As a large number of Parisians have left the city to vacate the Olympics altogether, businesses like historic cafe Le Sarah Bernhardt hoped to capitalize on the event, yet this opportunity for increased business didn’t material for many.

“We didn’t think the Olympic games were like this,” said Nicolas Vernhes, general manager at Le Sarah Bernhardt. “We’ve been waiting for a lot of tourists and they’re not here.” Continue reading “Big events often hurt business, but Paris’ historic Le Sarah Bernhardt cafe perseveres during Olympics despite closure”

• Slug: Sports–Soul Food in Paris, 830 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Walker Smith
Cronkite News

PARIS – Food is sacred in Paris. From the way cafes make croissants differently to each brasserie’s take on steak and frites, the culinary scene in the City of Light is one of the most prestigious in the world. Yet tucked in a courtyard on the corner of Place du Colonel Fabien sits a restaurant that is one of a kind and has its roots in a culture far outside France’s borders. 

The first soul food restaurant in Paris: Gumbo YaYa Southern Kitchen.

Located in Paris’s 10th District, Gumbo YaYa was started in 2015 by Afro Parisian chef Lionel Chauvel-Maga. In the near decade that followed, the spot received awards, grew into a passionate community, and attracted big names to its doors, including some of the biggest current stars in American music, including Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean and Lil Yachty. Continue reading “Soul food in Paris? Popular Gumbo YaYa attracts hip hop stars, loyal following during Olympics”

• Slug: Sports–Refugee Olympic Team, 640 words.
• 4 photos available.

By Tyler Bednar
Cronkite News

PARIS – Although boxer Cindy Ngamba grew up in Cameroon, she became a refugee in 2021 because she faced imprisonment in her home country.

Why?

Because she came out as gay. Continue reading “Once facing imprisonment, Refugee Olympic Team boxer Cindy Ngamba now eyes gold medal”

• Slug: Sports–Notre Dame Cathedral, 840 words.
• 4 photos available.

By David Bernauer
Cronkite News

PARIS – April 15, 2019, is a date many Parisians can never forget.

“We heard lots of sirens here and we knew there was something big going on,” said Marleen Soto, a local tour guide.

Notre Dame, one of the planet’s finest examples of gothic architecture, a world landmark and the site of millions of visitors, was up in flames. Continue reading “Visitors still flock to see Notre Dame amid the gothic cathedral’s speedy reconstruction during Paris Olympics”

• Slug: Sports–Paris Olympics Mascot, 864 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Tyler Bednar
Cronkite News

PARIS – Those walking around one of Paris’ many districts often notice a small, red stuffed animal hat with big blue eyes and eyelashes that represent France’s flag.

The Phryge is this year’s Paris Games’ mascot. It inspired the Phrygian Cap, which fans are wearing throughout Paris.

The cap is influential in French history. It’s prominently associated with the French public in 1789, during the French Revolution. The Storming of the Bastille is one of the most important events in which the cap was worn. Continue reading “Phrygees: One Paris Olympics mascot sports running blade to promote inclusivity, another symbolizes liberty”

• Slug: Sports–Suns Popularity France, 800 words.
• 4 photos available.

By David Bernauer
Cronkite News

LILLE, France – A large swath of fans in Lille gather along portable barricades outside the Team USA hotel, L’Hermitage Gantois, hoping to catch a glimpse of the towering men’s basketball players boarding the team bus to Pierre Mauroy Stadium.

“DBook I’m Your Biggest French Fan,” says one sign carried by Axel Grégoire, a local resident.

“I love this team, and I love Devin Booker and Team USA,” Grégoire said before the team’s recent game against Puerto Rico. “I’m very grateful because I look (at the NBA app) all day during my year, and now it’s here in Lille, in my city. So it’s very, very nice.” Continue reading “‘I mean, I love them’: Suns fans from around globe head to Lille to see Devin Booker, Kevin Durant at Paris Olympics”

• Slug: Sports–On-Tap Cocktail Bar Paris, 650 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Becca Glantz
Cronkite News

PARIS – With the Summer Olympics in full swing, many are scoping out what the go-to bars and nightclubs are in the City of Light. Opening just over a year ago, The Honey Moon Paris – the first Parisian all-on-tap cocktail bar – is attracting international visitors in the 11th arrondissement.

Although the concept of serving only cocktails from custom taps isn’t new, the idea only really started picking up steam in the past decade. The approach has received some pushback, especially from bartenders who believe it took away from the art of crafting drinks, but it also found success, like at Brooklyn’s Yours Sincerely that opened in 2016. More could be opening in Arizona.

Continue reading “Cocktails only on tap? The Honey Moon Paris’ modern approach to mixology on display during Olympics”

• Slug: Sports–Sunkist Wrestling Olympics Finale, 700 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Walker Smith
Cronkite News

PARIS – Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club, a powerhouse in the wrestling world, has produced talent that has won more than 120 world and Olympic medals. In February, the program’s owner announced he would close the organization’s doors following the 2024 Paris Olympics, ending a dominant USA wrestling run.

It’s particularly poignant during the final week of the Paris Games as wrestling competition begins Monday.

Five competitors for Team USA are representing Sunkist for the last time on the Olympic mat as the club’s last dance before founder Art Martori discontinues the team after the games. Continue reading “Five Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club competitors take mat in Paris Olympics before organization shuts down”

• Slug: Sports–Paris Olympics to Normandy, 823 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Scott Sandull
Cronkite News

NORMANDY – “American?”

My attention on the calm, crashing waves and steep cliffs in front of me was halted by a distinct yet clear French accent. Looking back, I found a middle-aged male, decked out in “Team France” gear at the height of the Summer Olympics. His hand shot out of a cannon to meet mine, finishing the unexpected exchange with overwhelming gratitude.

“Thank you for what you did for our country,” he said.

He may have looked me, a 21-year-old journalism student, in the eye when expressing his compassion, but his sentiments would have been far more appropriate for the man who once wore the dog tag that now dangles around my neck.  Continue reading “A young journalist leaves the comfort of the Paris Games for an emotional journey to Normandy”

• Slug: Sports–Paris Housing Crisis, 823 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Abigail Scott
Cronkite News

PARIS – Under the spotlight of the Olympic Games, Paris’ attempt to keep middle- and lower-income residents in the heart of the city has taken center stage as concerns about gentrification grow.

One of the densest cities in the world, Paris has spent the past 20 years working to increase housing for those in need through public housing and protect residents from rising rental prices.

Parisian homeowners leaving their properties empty for much of the year or turning them into short-term rentals for tourists have complicated the issue. The government is focused on tighter regulations, including city approval requirements for Airbnb-type rentals, which are now restricted to short periods. Continue reading “The cost of living in Paris: Olympics put spotlight on city working to find affordable living solutions”

• Slug: Sports–Griner Reacts Prisoners Swap, 500 words.
• Photo available.

By Lux Butler
Cronkite News

PARIS – Twenty months after her own release, Brittany Griner called a historic prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia “a huge win.”

The swap included former marine Paul Whelan and journalist Evan Gershkovich in a multi-country deal that freed 24 people.

“Great day,” Phoenix Mercury center Griner said Thursday after Team USA’s victory over Belgium in Lille. “I’m sure it will be even more emotional a little later on. Yeah, I’m just happy. This was a big win. … I know they have an amazing group of people that are going to help them out, them and their families.”

Continue reading “Emotional Mercury center Brittney Griner calls U.S.-Russia prisoner swamp a ‘huge win’”