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  • The Eagles defense has immense upside, though questions about Jonathan Greenard and Riq Woolen linger

    The Eagles defense has immense upside, though questions about Jonathan Greenard and Riq Woolen linger

    The most notable thing about the latest round of Eagles’ press conferences was Vic Fangio’s cautious tone when asked about the two newcomers who will determine the ceiling of his defense.

    The first instance concerned Jonathan Greenard, whom the Eagles handed a four-year, $98 million contract extension after losing Jaelan Phillips to the Panthers. While the team has betrayed little concern regarding the pectoral strain that has sidelined the veteran defensive end since before training camp, Fangio didn’t go out of his way to reassure fans that Greenard will be ready for the season opener.

    “We aren’t going to see him for another couple of weeks, at least,” the defensive coordinator said last week.

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    Your interpretation of that statement depends a lot on how you weigh the phrase, “at least.” Some might hear a coach who is timing Greenard’s return for the start of the week leading up to the Eagles’ Sept. 13 season opener against the Commanders. Others might instead train their angst on the uncertainty. Rarely does the phrase “at least” carry a hopeful connotation.

    Even less clear is where Fangio’s heart was in assessing new cornerback Riq Woolen. The Eagles’ signing of Woolen to a one-year, $12 million contract spoke volumes about their assessment of last year’s disappointing campaign. While the vast majority of the public attention has focused (rightly) on an offense that looked like a shadow of its previous year’s self, the Eagles clearly felt the same about the downgrade from Darius Slay to Adoree’ Jackson in the secondary. While $12 million is a small price to pay relative to the potential market worth of Woolen’s talent, it is also a lot more than Jackson was paid last season on a veteran minimum deal worth up to $5 million, per reports.

    General manager Howie Roseman consistently operates with the notion that potential salary cap dollars should be measured by how good you are at one position now vs. how much better you will become given expenditure X or Y. That logic precipitated the Eagles’ decision to sign Saquon Barkley to a contract that didn’t necessarily adhere to the current groupthink about running back value. The move to sign Woolen was an admission of how much better the Eagles think they would have been last year, and how much better they will be this year, with a legitimate outside cornerback to start opposite Quinyon Mitchell. That tells you all you need to know about Woolen’s importance to this team.

    “At times he can get a little lazy or sloppy with his technique and have a bad down or two, but he’s still showing everything that I think he can do,” Fangio said of Woolen. “He’s just got to get in such great shape and calloused to football that those don’t happen.”

    You could write off the comment as innocuous if it didn’t echo a lot of what came out of Seattle during the end of Woolen’s tenure there. One need spend only a day in the presence of Woolen to walk away convinced that Roseman and Fangio landed themselves a steal this offseason. The 26-year-old is as imposing a physical specimen as has ever played cornerback at a chiseled 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds with remarkable limb length. His All-Pro selection as a rookie in 2022 wasn’t a fluke.

    Riq Woolen was an All-Pro corner in 2022, but fell out of the Seahawks’ starting lineup last season.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    At the same time, one would be foolish to completely discount what the market says when it values such a player for what the Eagles were able to sign him. Woolen is coming off a season in which the eventual Super Bowl champs jettisoned him from the starting lineup and then, after said Super Bowl victory, let him walk as a free agent for a pittance.

    Woolen is as big of a wild card as exists on the Eagles roster. That’s not a criticism. What makes his range of outcomes so broad is the high-end potential. Woolen at his best has been more of an impact player than Slay was at the tail end of his Eagles career, when he was good enough to start for a dominant Super Bowl defense. The Eagles are coming off a season in which they allowed an opposing receiver to gain 99 or more yards in five of their first seven games. That CeeDee Lamb, Puka Nacua, Courtland Sutton, Emeka Egbuka, and Jordan Addison were all able to accomplish the feat is even more remarkable given the level Mitchell played at last season.

    Greenard factors in here, too. The Eagles were desperate enough on the edge last season that Brandon Graham came out of retirement to become a true value add. The acquisition of Phillips at the trade deadline was a massive stabilizer, particularly defending the run. The Eagles defense was still one of the best units in the NFL. But their playoff loss to the 49ers was a microcosm of the season. That is, a game that was decided by a handful of plays that the 2025 defense was not in the habit of allowing.

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    There are lots of reasons to think this year’s Eagles will be closer to 2025, even given the questions about Woolen and Greenard. Their decision to hand Jalen Carter a massive contract extension is a good indication in their confidence that the fourth-year defensive tackle will be back to his dominant self after some midseason shoulder troubles. Edge Jalyx Hunt looks poised to take another big leap forward. Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are still in the exponential growth phases of their careers.

    That said, in today’s NFL, a team is only as good as its weakest link, particularly when a weak link in the secondary is paired with a less-than-elite pass rush.

    There is no need to raise alarms with either Greenard or Woolen. Roseman’s recent decision-making has earned him the benefit of the doubt. Fangio’s first two years have shown his brilliance in making things work as the season unfolds. The schedule sets up nicely in that regard.

    Eagles defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Jeremiah Washburn (left) talks with edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who has not yet practiced since joining the team in a trade.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The Commanders will enter the season with a new offensive coordinator and a quarterback who will have played just five games in the previous calendar year. They could also potentially have a new left tackle, after five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil suffered a triceps tear in practice last week.

    Washington has done surprisingly little to build on Jayden Daniels’ promising rookie season in 2024. The last Commanders receiver besides Terry McLaurin to gain 800 or more yards in a season was Pierre Garçon, who did it in 2016, three years before the Commanders drafted McLaurin. There are high school graduates who weren’t born when Garçon was a rookie. Newly signed Stefon Diggs still carries name value, and he is coming off a 1,000-yard season with the Patriots. But there is a reason the 33-year-old was available until the last moment and only then landed a contract with slightly more of a one-year guarantee than Juaun Jennings landed to be the Vikings’ third receiver.

    In Week 2, the Eagles travel to Tennessee, where they’ll face another new coaching regime. Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll inspired little fear in the Eagles during his tenure with the Giants. This time, he has even less talent, with quarterback Cam Ward entering his sophomore season as likely to get Josh Rosen’ed as to get a contract extension down the road.

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    The immediate schedule means the Eagles defense will have a comfortable margin for error while easing into 2026. Granted, there are few unofficial bye weeks in the NFL. But the Eagles’ opening weeks are about as favorable as a team can hope when coming off an 11-6 season. They opened last season at home against the Cowboys and faced the Rams sandwiched around a road Super Bowl rematch in Kansas City. Two years ago brought the Packers in Brazil followed by the Falcons — maybe not a gauntlet, but a couple of teams with enough talent to rack up 400 or more yards of offense against an early-season defense.

    Given the health questions about Greenard and uncertainty inherent in Woolen, Fangio could need another few weeks of runway before his defense reaches its full stride. But the upside is immense, and Greenard and Woolen are two of the biggest reasons to bet on the Eagles reaching their potential. Perhaps Fangio’s understanding of this is the real source of his caution.

  • Alec Bohm’s ‘really good rhythm’ leads Phillies’ hitting surge in 6-4 win over Marlins

    Alec Bohm’s ‘really good rhythm’ leads Phillies’ hitting surge in 6-4 win over Marlins

    Alec Bohm righted himself on second base and swiped his hand on the Phillies logo across his chest, staring back across the diamond at his dugout.

    The Phillies first baseman has been riding a hot streak at the plate for the past few weeks, and he continued it Tuesday against the Marlins by punching a slider to left-center field. The RBI double was part of a five-hit, four-run outburst in the sixth inning that put the Phillies ahead for the 6-4 win over the Marlins.

    “That low, rising liner,” said Bryson Stott, who also drove in a pair, “that’s my favorite swing of his.”

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    Kyle Schwarber came a few feet foul of a three-run homer that would have turned the inning into a total bloodbath. He even completed his home run trot before the initial call of fair was overturned by replay review. Schwarber later made up for it, though, with an RBI single in the eighth inning that scored a big insurance run.

    Bohm drove in the Phillies’ first run of the game with a single in the first, and he wasn’t done after the double. He also completed an unassisted double play to help out José Alvarado in the seventh, reaching out to snag a line drive and beating Javier Sanoja back to first in one fell swoop.

    “We told him he couldn’t play in the NFL, only college, because he only got one foot in there,” Stott said jokingly. “But that was a sick play.”

    Bohm pointed to an on-field batting practice session before the Phillies’ series opener in St. Louis last week where he felt like things started to click for him offensively. Bohm sat out that game to give Bryce Harper a day at designated hitter.

    “I just felt a really good rhythm, and it wasn’t really anything I intentionally tried to do different or anything,” Bohm said. “I don’t know what it really was.”

    Whatever the cause, he felt like he carried the rhythm into the next day, and then the next day. And since the St. Louis series, Bohm has been hitting at a .500 clip. In his last eight games, Bohm has five doubles and a homer.

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    “It’s a crazy game,” Bohm said. “Obviously, I would have liked to feel great all year long and do it in April, but it’s a crazy game. Just some random little thing can kind of click or whatever.”

    The sixth-inning eruption was key for the Phillies to overcome two fielding errors and five walks issued by the pitching staff.

    Through the first four innings, the only hit starter Zack Wheeler allowed was an 0-2 count homer from Griffin Conine. But he often fell behind and had seven three-ball counts, four of which resulted in walks.

    Zack Wheeler has not completed six innings in his last five starts.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Two of those walks came back to bite him in the fifth. Wheeler lost the zone against Brian Navarreto and Jakob Marsee, issuing free passes to both. Xavier Edwards laced a line drive into center field for a single that scored a run. But an outfield assist from Justin Crawford, who combined with Trea Turner and Luis Arraez to catch Edwards sliding into second, limited the damage there.

    The deep counts drove up Wheeler’s pitch count, and he was lifted after 98 pitches and five innings. The Phillies right-hander has not completed six innings in his last five starts, although that includes a rain-shortened outing in Baltimore on Aug. 2.

    “That’s the frustrating part, really. It’s just not characteristic of me, and I feel like I’ve been walking too many guys the past handful of games,” Wheeler said.

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    Wheeler made an adjustment after his last start that helped him get back into his legs more in his delivery. That helped his fastball, and his velocity was back to normal after losing a tick in his previous start in St. Louis. Three of his seven strikeouts came on the pitch.

    But this time, he didn’t have feel for his off-speed pitches.

    “It’s hard to pitch with one pitch,” Wheeler said. “Worked out well at the beginning, and then just kind of got sloppy toward the end.”

    Even so, Wheeler is confident he will put all the pieces together. Interim manager Don Mattingly said he wasn’t worried either, since Wheeler’s stuff was still at its normal quality, even if his command was inconsistent.

    Bryson Stott is riding a 19-game on-base streak.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    “I know I still got it, and there’s no question about that,” Wheeler said.

    The Marlins capitalized on throwing errors from Arraez in the sixth inning and Orion Kerkering in the eighth to score two unearned runs.

    But the offense responded. Their sixth-inning outburst started with Turner getting hit by a pitch. Arraez used his bat-to-ball skills to reach down for a slider well below the zone, flaring it into center for a single to put two on for Bohm.

    After his RBI double, Bohm scored standing up on a single up the middle from Stott. Brandon Marsh and Crawford each joined the party with singles, giving the Phillies a 5-3 lead in a game they trailed 3-1.

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    “Just as a whole, it’s been a lot more of the focus of just getting on base and trying to set up the next guy,” Bohm said. “And just trying to string things together, and just get a lot of traffic.”

    That focus has led to tangible results. The Phillies collectively have a .371 on-base percentage in August, which leads baseball. Going into the All-Star break, they had a .303 marker that ranked third-worst in baseball.

    A big part of that has been Stott and Harper, who extended their on-base streaks to 19 games and 22 games, respectively, on Tuesday.

    Trea Turner sits on the ground after being hit on the wrist by a pitch in the seventh inning.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Turner was hit with a fastball on the wrist in the seventh inning, but the umpires ruled that he had swung and it was deemed a strikeout instead. Turner was checked out by trainers but remained in the game.

    With closer Jhoan Duran unavailable after pitching back-to-back games, Brooks Raley delivered a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his first save as a Phillie. He was helped out by two diving plays from Stott at third base.

    “Both those plays right there at the end were right in Bohm’s chest, so it’s always good to have a really good third baseman,” Wheeler said. “The guys also picked me up tonight. We’ve been putting together some good at-bats lately, and that’s what good teams do.”

  • Trea Turner uses Bryson Stott’s extra glove to help solve his fielding woes: ‘It’s a lot longer’

    Trea Turner uses Bryson Stott’s extra glove to help solve his fielding woes: ‘It’s a lot longer’

    After Trea Turner fielded the first grounder of the game Monday, third baseman Bryson Stott came over and gave the Phillies shortstop’s glove a tap.

    Or rather, Stott tapped his own glove. It just happened to be on Turner’s wrist, because he was borrowing it.

    The glove, a custom black model with red lacing, is from Rawlings’ Pro Preferred line. It’s also embroidered with Stott’s last name and his No. 5 in red. Turner has used it for the past few weeks while fielding grounders pregame, but Monday was the first time he tried it out in a game.

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    It was tested right away. On the first pitch of the game, Marlins outfielder Estury Ruiz hit a grounder to the hole between short and third. Turner was playing deep enough to cut it off, jump, and make the throw to first while in midair.

    “It kind of gave me a little bit [of a] different feeling [on] ground balls,” Turner said. “It’s a lot different than what I have. It’s a lot longer.”

    While it looks just like the glove Stott was using a few feet away at third, the one Turner borrowed was an extra, brand-new glove that he then broke in himself. (“I wouldn’t let him touch mine,” Stott said. “I wouldn’t let anyone touch mine.”)

    Stott has been using the same Rawlings model for a while. At the beginning of each season, he receives several Rawlings models.

    “I break one in and fall in love with that one,” Stott said, “and then I have three or four extra.”

    Turner was looking for a change after his defensive struggles had reached a fever pitch this season. He made four errors in four games after the All-Star break, along with other miscues that weren’t scored as errors but were mistakes, regardless.

    Bryson Stott (left) with Phillies shortstop Trea Turner pregame before last week’s Field of Dreams game. Turner has been using Stott’s extra glove during pregame warmups.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    So he asked Stott to borrow one of his extras.

    “Just having this on my hand feels like a little different,” Turner said. “I feel like I make a little bit [of] different decisions.”

    Stott’s gloves are a 12-inch model, which is on the larger side for an infielder — excluding first base, of course. He kept the same one when he made the position switch from second to third base to open a spot for Luis Arraez.

    Turner said his old glove was also 12 inches, but other differences in the glove’s design cause Stott’s to feel longer.

    “It kind of helped me make some plays that I don’t think I was doing perfectly,” he said. “To me, I was thinking about the other day. It’s kind of like using a different bat, whether it’s lighter, heavier, you know, longer, whatever. It’s the same swing, it’s the same player, but sometimes you just get a different feel of it.”

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    Ruiz’s groundout to open Monday’s game had an expected batting average of .260. It’s a play that earlier in the season Turner wasn’t making on a consistent basis.

    Turner’s struggles this season are well-documented. He has posted minus-6 outs above average and minus-11 defensive runs saved at shortstop this season. His 18 errors this year have already surpassed his full-season total of 17 from 2025.

    But Turner also hasn’t made an error since July 27. In August so far, he has recorded plus-3 OAA. He’s been working on not setting up too early on ground balls hit to him, which he identified as an issue leading to his misplays. And even if Turner has only used Stott’s glove in one game so far, he also thinks that’s helping, too.

    Trea Turner hasn’t made an error since July 27Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The only drawback Turner has found in the borrowed glove is the bigger size made it initially harder to make the transfer from glove to throwing hand. But he didn’t have any problems with that on Monday, and he thinks he’ll stick with it going forward.

    “It’s funny. It’s like sometimes when I think I’m going to transfer well, I transfer bad, and sometimes when I think I’m going to transfer it bad, I transfer it well, and I think it’s just kind of getting used to the glove, and the shape, and stuff like that,” Turner said. “But as far as just like playing shortstop and regular ground balls, it feels good.”

    Extra bases

    Aaron Nola (4-9, 5.33 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday’s series finale opposite Miami right-hander Sandy Alcantara (13-7, 3.43).

  • Cavan Sullivan is set to host Lionel Messi for the first time as the Union face Miami

    Cavan Sullivan is set to host Lionel Messi for the first time as the Union face Miami

    Two years ago, Cavan Sullivan was a starstruck rookie standing on the field with his idol, Lionel Messi, when the Union visited Inter Miami.

    Sullivan didn’t actually get to play against Messi until May of this year, when the Union infamously surrendered a two-goal first-half lead in a 6-4 loss that became Bradley Carnell’s last game as manager.

    Now, finally, the Union’s 16-year-old star might get to play on his own turf against the Argentine legend.

    Though there’s no guarantee Messi (or anyone) will play Wednesday night at Subaru Park (7:30 p.m., Apple TV), all signs point to it happening. So the hype machine is up and running: Messi vs. Sullivan, soccer’s greatest of all time against an American phenom in the land of underdogs.

    Cavan Sullivan (right) posing with Lionel Messi at their first meeting in 2024.Philadelphia Union

    It won’t just be those two on the field, of course. There will be several other players, and Sullivan was quick to point that out.

    “Just more excited, because I know I’ll be able to go against him and play against him,” Sullivan said. “But not just him, right? Obviously, [Sergio] Reguilón’s on the field, [Rodrigo] De Paul, Casemiro, there’s other tremendous players. But I’m not too focused on that — just focused on my play and the team preparing and just ready to go.”

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    There also will be a lot of eyes on 18-year-old Union centerback Neil Pierre as he prepares for a potential battle with a star striker more than twice his age, 39-year-old Luis Suárez.

    “It’s not going to be so much about the physical part of it, but it’s the clever movements, it’s the experience, it’s the guile, the way that he positions himself,” Union interim manager Ryan Richter said of Suárez. “The way he almost goes invisible from the game from the centerback, has been standing in an offside position, and then pops up at the right time. It’s going to take a lot of focus from Neil and a lot of communication from Andre [Blake] and from our back line to make sure that we know where he is at all times.”

    Neil Pierre (right) will face his biggest challenge yet against Inter Miami’s superstars.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    But the big picture is that the Union have never beaten Miami with Messi on the field. They’ve lost four meetings and tied one, with a combined score of 18-10. The last Union win in the series was on June 24, 2023: a 4-1 rout a few weeks after Messi announced he’d join Miami but a month before he first took the field for the Herons.

    His first meeting with the Union was his sixth of 108 games in pink, the Leagues Cup semifinal in August of 2023. It also was 4-1, but in the other direction. Messi scored Miami’s second goal in front of a bursting-at-the-seams crowd in Chester.

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    This time, Inter arrives following another 4-1 result: a shocking loss at first-place Nashville on Saturday that will echo all the way until the playoffs. It was a reminder that for all the Herons’ star power, they can be beaten.

    The Union, meanwhile, are riding a four-game winning streak in MLS games, including Sunday’s wild comeback win in New York.

    “I would say momentum exists,” Sullivan said. “We have it right now: Four wins in the league is pretty cool, coming off a poor start of the season. So, yeah, obviously vibes are high. But never too high, never too low, and we’ve just got to stay focused and be ready to go.”

    The vibes were especially high after Sunday night’s final whistle, when Sullivan and fellow Northeast Philadelphia native Frankie Westfield led the team’s celebrations with the Union fans along the first-base line at Yankee Stadium. For all the talk of Sullivan eventually going to Manchester City, that moment showed the Union are his club.

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    “That moment was really special to me,” he said. “Since my debut to now where I’m actually playing, these fans have welcomed me and supported me along the way. … Big thanks to them, and I obviously feel at home.

    So what will it take for this to finally be the time the Union beat Messi?

    Cavan Sullivan leads the Union over to the away fans’ section to celebrate the win:

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    — Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) August 16, 2026 at 8:12 PM

    “We’ve just got to come out with that fire,” Sullivan said. “We went through it today: Don’t play scared. Have that same bravery we’ve had in the past. We’re just going to put our body on the line to fight for the fans, fight for each other, and the fans will see.”

    He’s also ready, as many longtime Union fans are, for there to be a lot of pink shirts in the crowd amid the usual blue and gold. A victory could win some of them over, too.

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    Sullivan claimed he “doesn’t really focus on the fans too much,” but within a breath he admitted he knows.

    “You obviously notice when your home crowd is there to support versus when they’re not,” he said. “But, yeah, I think by the end of the night, you’ll see people buying Philadelphia Union jerseys because they watched a good game and they saw a team with spirit and fight. Maybe we have a little bit of an underdog story.”

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    For those who thought the Lionel Messi Effect had worn off, given that it’s his third MLS season, know that it’s still alive and well here in the Philly area.

    The Union’s game Wednesday night vs. Inter Miami at Subaru Park again will be in front of a near-capacity crowd with just standing room only tickets remaining, according to multiple sources.

    Lionel Messi undoubtedly will play in front of a sold-out crowd again when Inter Miami travel to Subaru Park to face the Union. Heather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

    That leaves the secondary market for an actual seat, and, as of Tuesday evening, tickets jumped close to three times their usual price. The cheapest seat was in the Union’s supporters’ section, the River End, for $187, which included fees on SeatGeek, the official secondary ticket market for several MLS clubs, including the Union. That same seat on a regular match day is a fraction of that.

    Premium tickets, like Managers Row (behind the team benches) could run you $1,229. It was $136 to stand along the Seaport Party Deck, with limited availability remaining for standing room only.

    Union interim head coach Ryan Richter says the excitement over Lionel Messi is great for the league but not what he and his team are focused on ahead of Wednesday’s match. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    But currently in a quest to lock in a playoff spot — which if you can believe that the Union are a mere five points out from the final playoff spot in MLS’ Eastern Conference — Richter says that the Messi hoopla is “an amazing thing for the league,” but at the end of the day, three points are all he and the Union are envisioning.

    “What Messi and what Miami has done for MLS and for our league has been incredible,” Richter said. “Just the following that they brought and the excitement that comes around with them coming into town. But for us … we are pushing to win the game. It’s a league game, and we’re in desperate need of three points. And that’s how we have to approach it. … We are in a moment where the three points are the most important thing. And that’s what we have to attack the game with. [Our motivation] is going for the win.”

  • LeBron James’ jersey is a hot commodity. But, no, people aren’t stealing them from Dick’s Sporting Goods locations

    LeBron James’ jersey is a hot commodity. But, no, people aren’t stealing them from Dick’s Sporting Goods locations

    LeBron James 76ers jerseys have arrived at Dick’s Sporting Goods across the Philadelphia area, and, despite some reports, officials at the store contend that they’re flying off the shelves — legally.

    On Tuesday, Crossing Broad reported that James jerseys were being kept behind the counter at the Dick’s Sporting Goods location in Cherry Hill “because the store was having trouble with people stealing them.”

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    A store manager who chose to remain anonymous at the Dick’s location in Cherry Hill said the jerseys — there were only a few left — were placed behind the counter to boost sales, not because the store was experiencing thefts.

    A representative from Dick’s corporate offices located in Coraopolis, Pa., confirmed that no jerseys were reported stolen, but that they were kept behind the checkout initially and are in the process of being moved to the floor.

    Multiple locations of Dick’s Sporting Goods across the region noted that they have had no series issues of theft surrounding the arrival of LeBron James’ jersey now in stores. David Paul Morris

    At the Dick’s location in the King of Prussia Mall, another store manager, who also chose to remain anonymous, said the James jerseys at their location are being kept on the floor and not behind the counter.

    Online, Dick’s has shirts available, but only one jersey in stock, the Nike Adult 2024-25 City Edition Philadelphia 76ers LeBron James Swingman Jersey in medium, on preorder for $125.

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    Other outfitters like Fanatics, the NBA Store, and the Sixers Shop have James’ jersey available to be reserved in royal blue in select sizes. They’ll be shipped in September.

    There are also some jerseys available by reservation in red. Both jerseys are selling for $79.99.

  • San Francisco’s Chase Center, Valkyries to host 2027 WNBA All-Star Game

    San Francisco’s Chase Center, Valkyries to host 2027 WNBA All-Star Game

    SAN FRANCISCO — The WNBA All-Star Game is coming to the Bay Area next summer.

    League commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Tuesday that the game will be July 31, 2027, at Chase Center after a weekend of All-Star activities around the San Francisco region.

    “We are thrilled to bring AT&T WNBA All-Star to the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time,” Engelbert, a Collingswood native, said in a statement. “The Golden State Valkyries have brought incredible energy and excitement to the WNBA from the moment they were announced as an expansion team in 2023, and the response from fans across the Bay Area has been remarkable. Valkyries fans have embraced this team with an extraordinary level of passion and enthusiasm, and we can’t wait to see that energy on full display for an unforgettable All-Star weekend next summer.”

    At the All-Star Game in Chicago last month, players’ union president Nneka Ogwumike, who played at Stanford, said many players felt that Golden State would be a great host for next year’s midsummer exhibition.

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    The Valkyries have sold out all of their home games at the Chase Center, which opened in 2019, since the franchise’s inception last year. They became the first expansion organization to make the playoffs in its inaugural year and ultimately lost to the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. The Valkyries clinched a playoff berth for this year on Monday night with a win over Dallas.

    The NBA All-Star Game was played at Chase Center last year.

    “Hosting AT&T WNBA All-Star in only our third season is an incredible honor and a reflection of everything this fanbase, this region, and this organization have built together,” Valkyries president Jess Smith said. “From Day 1, the Bay Area has shown up for this team in a way that’s redefined what’s possible in women’s basketball, and we can’t wait to put that same energy on display for the entire league next summer.”

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    Last week, Major League Baseball announced the 2028 All-Star Game would return to nearby Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

    The Super Bowl was played in February at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., which then hosted the World Cup this summer.

  • Flyers sign restricted free agent Hunter McDonald to a two-year contract worth $1.825 million

    Flyers sign restricted free agent Hunter McDonald to a two-year contract worth $1.825 million

    Hunter McDonald is sticking around Philly.

    The hulking 6-foot-4, 238-pound defenseman and the Flyers agreed to a two-year, $1.825 million contract with an average annual value of $912,500 on Tuesday.

    The first year is designated as a two-way deal, which means McDonald will be paid at a minor league rate for games he plays with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. The second season of the contract is one-way, which means McDonald will be paid at the NHL rate no matter what.

    McDonald, who was a restricted free agent, was the final piece of business the Flyers had on the table. They also re-signed restricted free agents Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and Nikita Grebenkin earlier in the offseason.

    A sixth-round pick in 2022, McDonald, 24, made his NHL debut in the season finale of the 2025-26 season after the Flyers clinched the third seed in the Metropolitan Division the previous night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. He registered an assist on a goal by his defensive partner Oliver Bonk, who was also making his NHL debut.

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    “Hunter took a big step last year in his development, and that’s why he played that game late in the season,” Flyers general manager Danny Brière told The Inquirer in early June.

    “I think our coaching staff was really impressed on how he took a step forward this year. He put in the work and really elevated his game, earned that NHL game at the end, and he was around the team when we played in the playoffs as well.

    “Really exciting to see him have growth to his development. It’s a big summer for him, but we’re excited about him. A big, physical defenseman like that is not easy to find, and we hope he’s going to be one of those guys, eventually. But he’s going to have to beat someone at some point to earn those minutes.”

    Oliver Bonk (left) celebrates after scoring on an assist from Hunter McDonald against the Montréal Canadiens on April 14. Derik Hamilton

    Described as a “throwback” to the Broad Street Bullies by Jerry Keefe, his coach at Northeastern, he had three assists in 11 regular-season games and one goal in six playoff games with Lehigh Valley after his 2023-24 season ended with the Huskies.

    Two seasons ago, his first as a full-time pro, he had four goals, 18 points, and 99 penalty minutes in 71 regular-season games. He led the team in games played and was tied for second in plus-minus (plus-12). The Western New York native added another goal in seven playoff games.

    McDonald registered six assists and 92 penalty minutes in 65 regular-season games in his second full season. Out of the eight players who played in at least 60 games with the Phantoms, he was one of three (Zayde Wisdom and Tucker Robertson) who had at least an even plus-minus (even).

    “He’s still learning the game and learning the type of player that he’s going to have to be to be an NHL player every day,” Phantoms coach John Snowden said.

    “I thought he did a really good job with that. And maturing too and handling the ups and downs of the season, and knowing that you’re knocking on the door, and maybe you’re not the guy called up, and then you get your call-up, and what do you do with it? We saw his one game, and he was very good.”

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    McDonald was also recalled by the Flyers in January for the three-game swing through Colorado, Las Vegas, and Utah, due to an injury to defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. He did not play in any of the games.

    The expectation is McDonald will push for a spot on the Flyers’ defensive corps when training camp opens Sept. 17. While he said in January that he had been working at not getting sent to the penalty box as often, he said he’s still a physical blueliner.

    “I think a bit. Kind of, hitting people,” McDonald said with a chuckle when asked if he considered himself a “throwback.”

    “I want to get a stick on you, ending plays. I think that’s a super important part of the game. If I can end these plays in the D zone, be a pain to play against, and then we can go play offense.”

  • The Patriot League denied Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide’s eligibility for 2026. What’s next?

    The Patriot League denied Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide’s eligibility for 2026. What’s next?

    Despite Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide being granted a preliminary injunction to play this season, the Patriot League has deemed the Wildcats starter ineligible.

    On Aug. 4, the Patriot League sent a letter to Villanova stating that the conference denied McQuaide’s eligibility waiver request. The conference’s decision conflicts with a preliminary injunction granted on Aug. 1 by Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Common Pleas Court judge Timothy P. McCormick. McQuaide, a native of Cuyahoga County, originally motioned to sue the NCAA after it denied his waiver request to play in 2026.

    In its reasoning, the Patriot League cited the original NCAA ruling which had been overruled by the Ohio court. The letter to Villanova from Patriot League Senior Associate Commissioner for Policy and Compliance Lynn Hughes states that the quarterback “has utilized four seasons of competition within five years since initial collegiate enrollment.”

    Ohio judge rules that Villanova QB Pat McQuaide will be eligible this season

    “The university is aware of the situation and are in the process of working with [McQuaide] and the Patriot League to determine next steps,” wrote Villanova athletics.

    The Patriot League declined to comment.

    “The Patriot League is now asserting [the four seasons of competition rule] as its basis to prohibit [McQuaide] from playing in any Patriot League games,” Richard Hamilton Jr., the attorney that represented McQuaide in Cuyahoga County, told the Inquirer. “My understanding is that Villanova has been informed that if he plays in any games, then they’ll be forfeited.”

    On Aug. 11, Hamilton, on behalf of McQuaide, filed a Motion for Clarification to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Hamilton is looking for the court to clarify whether the Patriot League is legally required to obey the court’s preliminary injunction. If so, the conference is required to allow McQuaide to play.

    Patriot League Senior Associate Commissioner for Policy and Compliance Lynn Hughes wrote in a letter that Pat McQuaide “has utilized four seasons of competition within five years since initial collegiate enrollment.”Courtesy of Richard Hamilton Jr.

    “It’s an extraordinary move,” Hamilton said. “No conference has done it. I have no idea why the Patriot League has insinuated itself into it, and have no idea why the Patriot League believes that it, and not the court, is the final arbiter on who plays and who doesn’t after a valid court injunction.

    “Frankly, my own legal view is that [the Patriot League is] in contempt of court. Hopefully, we can get this resolved, if not in a Cleveland court in Delaware County.”

    McQuaide contends the COVID-19 pandemic toward the end of his high school career disrupted his development and recruitment before he landed at Kent State as a walk-on. McQuaide redshirted at Kent State, before transferring to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he led the junior college ranks in passing yards, passing yards per game, and passing TDs.

    The legal question around McQuaide’s eligibility surrounds his 2022 season at Mississippi Gulf Coast. JUCO programs are not under the purview of the NCAA, but seasons spent at that level have historically counted towards student-athletes’ eligibility.

    Villanova, which submitted the waiver request to the NCAA on behalf of McQuaide, argued that the COVID-19 pandemic directly led to McQuaide’s single season at Mississippi Gulf Coast. The school described the year as a “necessary bridge rather than a choice to ‘use’ an additional season.”

    For this reason, Villanova had requested that the season should not count as one of McQuaide’s allotted seasons of eligibility.

    McQuaide subsequently played for two seasons at NCAA Division I FCS program Nicholls State before transferring to Villanova for the 2025 season.

    Villanova ranked No. 7 in preseason FCS coaches poll. Montana State at the top.

    The initial decision by the Ohio court had noted that Villanova was holding a roster spot for McQuaide, who threw for 3,123 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. McQuaide is not currently listed on Villanova’s official roster, but he has been seen at team practice. The Wildcats were recently ranked No. 7 in the preseason FCS coaches poll.

    There’s no other quarterback on Villanova’s roster who has completed a pass in college. Villanova will host William & Mary next Friday (6 p.m.) in its season opener, which is also the first-ever Patriot League game for both teams.

    Both programs were formerly longtime members of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).

  • Former U.S. Open champ Sloane Stephens to compete in inaugural Ennoble Care Philly Open

    Former U.S. Open champ Sloane Stephens to compete in inaugural Ennoble Care Philly Open

    The inaugural Ennoble Care Philly Open is bringing some big names to town, and now that field includes a past Grand Slam champion.

    On Tuesday morning, the tournament, a WTA 125 event, announced that Sloane Stephens will enter the competition as a wild card. The former world No. 3 women’s singles player in the world has been making a comeback following a fractured right foot last year.

    Currently ranked No. 240 in singles, the 33-year-old has a long history as a formidable force on the court. She won the 2017 U.S. Open and was a star for the former Philadelphia Freedoms, the World TeamTennis squad owned by Billie Jean King.

    She reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open the next year and was a finalist at the 2018 French Open. Before that, she was an Australian Open semifinalist and Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2013.

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    Stephens’ last tournament win on tour was at the 2024 Open Capfinances Rouen Métropole, a WTA 250 event on clay in Rouen, France. She has eight career singles titles.

    The Philly Open is Aug. 23-29 at Penn’s Hamlin Tennis Center. Just one week before the U.S. Open in New York, the tournament will feature 32 singles players competing for a $115,000 purse.

    Stephens has been competing around the world this season, often as a wild card. On Sunday at the Cincinnati Open, she upset No. 24 seed Anastasia Potapova in the second round. She will play the No. 10 seed Marta Kostyuk in the round of 32 on Tuesday afternoon.

  • The Union are close to a deal to bring back Mark McKenzie

    The Union are close to a deal to bring back Mark McKenzie

    Nearly six years after the Union launched Mark McKenzie to his career in Europe, the centerback is coming back to Chester.

    Multiple sources with knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Inquirer that the 27-year-old will rejoin his old team in January, moving from French club Toulouse. The Union will pay a transfer fee of around $2.5 million, a number first reported by The Athletic.

    It’s the first time that the Union will have brought one of their marquee academy products back to the club after selling him abroad. McKenzie went to Belgium’s Genk at the start of 2021 for $6 million, and moved from there to Toulouse in the summer of 2024 for $3.2 million.

    Along the way, he became one of the top American centerbacks in Europe, and a regular with the U.S. national team. McKenzie has 30 caps, was part of this summer’s World Cup, and narrowly missed out on the 2022 squad.

    Mark McKenzie during his playing days with the Union.YONG KIM / Staff Photographer

    Now the expectation is he will form a centerback pairing with one of the Union academy’s newest gems, Neil Pierre. The 6-foot-7 18-year-old is drawing raves from scouts around the world, reportedly including Spain’s Barcelona. Of course there could be a big offer for Pierre at some point, but it is clear that the Union want McKenzie and Pierre to play together.

    There’s also the intrigue of the “sprint season” to start 2027 that will lead to MLS’s calendar flip in the summer. Bringing in McKenzie in January could put the Union in a strong place for that competition, with Cavan Sullivan not leaving for Manchester City until the end of the calendar year.

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    The transfer fee will make him a Designated Player, at least for as long as MLS’s current roster rules stay in place — they might change next year along with the calendar flip. The salary might, too, when the time comes, though that isn’t known yet. But it’s a certainty that McKenzie will immediately become be a cornerstone of the club.

    McKenzie is still young enough to have good reason to stay in a top European league for a while, perhaps with one more move on from Toulouse if he could earn it. And he did have to be convinced that coming back to Philadelphia was the right move for soccer reasons.

    Mark McKenzie (left) playing for Toulouse against French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain last season.Emma Da Silva

    But the Union have wanted for some time to bring him back. They made a strong sales pitch, starting before the World Cup. McKenzie was receptive to it.

    The soccer side of it had to come first. Once he was on board, the off-the-field side could make sense, too — especially raising his young son in the United States. McKenzie is a strong family man, and many of his relatives traveled around the country to watch him at the World Cup.