• Slug: Sports-Wheelchair Curling, 635 words.
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By Katrina Villareal
Cronkite News

TEMPE – In the sweltering heat of Arizona, an unlikely winter sport is sliding into popularity. Curling, traditionally associated with icy northern climates, has found an unexpected home in the desert state. Sparked by the excitement of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the ice sport is gaining traction among Valley residents.

Ability360 capitalized on the momentum from May to June by hosting six weeks of wheelchair curling clinics at the Coyotes Curling Club in Tempe, where participants learned the techniques required to master the game on ice.

Ability360, a nonprofit organization run by and for people with disabilities to address the needs and barriers within Arizona, aims to empower individuals to achieve or continue independent lifestyles within their community. Through programs like the curling clinics, they are opening up new possibilities for adaptive sports. Continue reading “Curling in the desert: Ability360 champions wheelchair curling in Arizona heat”

• Slug: Sports-ASU Brooks Haircuts, 520 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Jordan Hampton
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Small children peeked into the window at the Arizona Barber Academy in Tempe, eagerly waiting for a free haircut Sunday. Arizona State running back DeCarlos Brooks greeted them from the inside with a wide smile, matching their excitement before the 10 a.m. start during his second annual Cutback Giveback Haircut Event.

A local sponsor booth, two bounce houses and games were set up outside the academy as the cloudy and hot day approached the lunch hour and kids stood in line, awaiting their turn to sit in the barber’s chair. The event is part of the Chandler native’s effort to give back to the Valley, where the former Arizona Offensive Player of the Year starred in the Chandler High School backfield and won three 6A state championships.

Brooks hosted his first free haircut event in 2023, servicing 30 kids, according to the Arizona Republic. The community’s positive reception played a large role in bringing the event back for a second year. Among his supporters, which included Sun Devils teammates, his father, brother and mother were present.

Continue reading “ASU running back DeCarlos Brooks hosts second annual Cutback Giveback Haircut Event for local kids”

• Slug: Sports-Caitlin Clark Spotlight, Mercury, 660 words.
• 4 photos available.

By Joshua Heron
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A father skipped celebrating his son’s birthday Sunday in Dallas. Instead, he sat courtside to witness the anticipated matchup between the Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever at Footprint Center with his brother’s two children.

As he sat and watched players warm up before tip-off, his mind wasn’t on the perks that came with his luxury seats; rather, he expressed anger through his raw, expletive speech that they missed one person walking out of the tunnel en route to the court for pregame warmups: Fever phenom Caitlin Clark.

Nearby, a middle-aged woman held up a “We love you #22” poster near women’s basketball fans of all ages showing Clark support by wearing or holding her Fever and Iowa Hawkeyes gear in hopes of getting her autograph above the same arena tunnel where the uncle missed the star rookie come out. Continue reading “‘A true professional’: Caitlin Clark’s poise under WNBA spotlight shines in near triple-double win vs. Phoenix Mercury”

• Slug: Sports-Rattlers Postseason Push, 600 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Dylan Slager
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – Win and win big – that’s the mentality of the Arizona Rattlers for the remainder of the regular season.

Rattlers coach and president Kevin Guy echoed the mantra during a June practice as the schedule reached a critical point, with five games remaining to make a playoff push.

“From this week forward, every game is a playoff game until the end of the season,” Guy told his players leading up to their matchup against the Northern Arizona Wranglers on June 15. Continue reading “Arizona Rattlers aim for IFL postseason push with win-first mentality”

• Slug: Sports-Suns NBA Draft. 1,040 words.
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By Joshua Heron
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Two years ago, Ryan Dunn departed Perkiomen School (Pennsburg, Pennsylvania) for the University of Virginia to join the Cavaliers as a walk-on. The three-star recruit stepped on the court at John Paul Jones Arena with no sense of security but determined to embrace coach Tony Bennett’s pack line defense style of play, he reminded people why offense isn’t the only part of basketball.

In his second season at Virginia, the 6-foot-8 forward utilized his 7-foot-1 wingspan to haunt opposing offenses. He ranked 16th nationally and first in the ACC in blocked shots per game and earned a 2024 ACC All-Defensive team nod.

“Once I got to UVA and had my growth spurt, I think I got some God-given talents, and coach Bennett drew out that defensive mindset in me,” Dunn said. Continue reading “Phoenix Suns snag Virginia defensive standout Dunn, former Desert Vista center Ighodaro in NBA Draft”

• Slug: Sports-Rock Climbing Recovery, 900 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Jorden Hampton
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Jillian Stannard lay in a hospital bed, her skin peeling off after battling Stevens-Johnson syndrome and fibromyalgia. She could barely eat, and her body rejected the medication prescribed by doctors to treat her illnesses.

“I was throwing up. I was shaking, I was vibrating,” Stannard recalled. “I couldn’t stop seeing the images. I couldn’t sleep through the night even with prescription medication.

“And that’s when they essentially told me, ‘There’s nothing else for us to try. You’re on every medication.’ And so I didn’t know what to do.” Continue reading “Nature’s therapy: How Jillian Stannard found healing in rock climbing”

• Slug: Sports-Hockey in Desert. 880 words.
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By Mateo Arenas
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – As Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, former Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo also gave fans a reason to cheer on the opposite side of the Sun Belt.

Meruelo reportedly decided to step away from the franchise Monday, marking the end of an era for professional hockey in Arizona, for now at least, following his sale of the team in April. While hockey fans have often bemoaned the idea of hockey in the desert, the Florida-based franchises show that the heat doesn’t melt NHL hopes in the sunshine.

With the Tampa Bay Lighting and Florida Panthers added as NHL expansion teams in 1992 and 1993, respectively, the Coyotes were formed when the Winnipeg Jets relocated to the desert in 1996. As the Panthers just added a championship to their resume, the Lightning boast three, coming off of back-to-back wins in 2020 and 2021.

Continue reading “As Florida Panthers capture Stanley Cup, Arizona’s NHL hopes fade”

• Slug: Sports-GCU Roller Hockey, 1,600 words.
• 2 photos available.

By Joseph Furtado
Cronkite News

PEORIA – Dissatisfied with limited playing time for one of the nation’s top collegiate roller hockey teams, Aydin Schwetz had no choice but to start his own program that would eventually go on to match the success of his former team.

Since its Division I debut in 2022, Grand Canyon University has established one of the nation’s premier roller hockey programs in the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association. However, Schwetz didn’t always plan to establish a new program at GCU.

His NCRHA career began at Arizona State University but was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He transferred to one of the NCRHA’s best collegiate roller hockey teams at Lindenwood University, where he appeared in 24 games in two seasons. Continue reading “Miracle on wheels: GCU roller hockey makes national championship strides in two seasons against all odds”

• Slug: Sports-Mercury Olympics, 677 words.
• 6 photos available.

By Anne-Marie Iemmolo
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Nearly two years ago, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner was set to begin her court case following her detainment in Russia. Ultimately sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison, she only served 10 months before returning home to the United States in a high-profile prisoner exchange.

Today, Griner and two of her teammates, Diana Taurasi and Kahleah Copper, are preparing to represent Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

“I guess we’ve got something special here in the Valley,” Griner said during a press conference following the June 11 announcement.

Continue reading “From Russian detention to Team USA: Brittney Griner’s third Olympic selection marks return to international stage”

• Slug: Sports-Barnes Twins, 650 words.
• 6 photos available.

By Dylan Slager
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – The recent Section 7 Basketball Tournament at State Farm Stadium showcased the top high school talent in the West, and that included the twins son of a 14-year NBA veteran. Carter and Isaiah Barnes, incoming sophomores from Crespi Carmelite High School (Encino, California), are the offspring of Matt Barnes, whose experience and mentorship have shaped their performances on the court.

“He’s preached so much to us. He’s preached mental toughness, defense, offense, consistency, body language, even playing without the ball,” Isaiah said Saturday about his father. “For this, it’s out of state. Big crowd. A lot of people trying to get in your head, but he always said, ‘Tune it out, don’t let them get in your head.’”

This advice has proved invaluable as the Barnes twins tuned out the noise to excel during the three-day competition, which features 400 boys and girls teams from the West and draws the attention of more than 500 college coaches from all levels. Carter and Isaiah scored a combined 39 points against Lincoln High School in helping Crespi storm through the 16-team Mayo Clinic Bracket, but the Celts needed a come-from-behind win against Canyon High School to cap off the weekend undefeated in their fourth and final game. Continue reading “Dynamic duo: Twin sons of NBA veteran Matt Barnes impress as Section 7 standouts with teamwork, talent”

• Slug: Sports-Mercury Coach Tibbetts, 1,740 words.
• 3 photos available.

By Joshua Heron
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – When Nate Tibbetts accepted his first WNBA coaching role this season, he faced a new challenge: answering questions about the Phoenix Mercury from his twin daughters, Jordyn and Londyn.

In 2018, as the Portland Trail Blazers’ assistant coach, Tibbetts was preparing for the future possibility of becoming a head coach while also welcoming the birth of his twin daughters. After his eight-year stint ended in 2021 with the Trail Blazers, the Orlando Magic hired Tibbetts as an assistant coach.

Last October, Tibbetts earned his first big break as the Mercury tapped him as the next head coach, hoping his extensive NBA experience could turn around the franchise after a tumultuous 9-31 season in 2023.

Continue reading “Family, legacy and leadership: Nate Tibbetts makes mark in WNBA debut season with Phoenix Mercury”

• Slug: Sports-Grass Clippings Nighttime Golf, 800 words.
• 7 photos available.
• Video available.

By Jack Reeves
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Darkness had always limited play on Arizona’s golf courses until Grass Clippings took on the challenge.

Tired of halting rounds early due to course rules, the founders of the clothing brand united to enable play into the night for all interested golfers.

For the past six months in Tempe, golfers have enjoyed playing under the lights until 1 a.m. at Grass Clippings Rolling Hills, the state’s first fully lit 18-hole golf course. Pete Wilson, Jake Hoselton, Jimmy Hoselton and Connor Riley saw the new venture was a natural next step after leading a successful business selling polos and hats at their retail location in Arcadia. Continue reading “Tempe’s Grass Clippings Rolling Hills shines new light on golf with nighttime play”