Sports
Greenberg: Angel Reese walks the walk in Sky's rivalry win over Caitlin Clark, Fever
CHICAGO — With 43.4 seconds left and the clock stopped after a foul, Angel Reese walked by herself toward the faraway Chicago Sky basket, smiling and clapping with that familiar look on her face.
Forget Vogue and the Met Gala, this was a proper runway.
After two losses to the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis, Reese and the Sky were in the lead, in control, and Reese knew it.
While the remaining basketball after that moment was, to put it nicely, a little frenzied, Reese and the Sky held on for an 88-87 victory over Caitlin Clark and the Fever on Sunday at a raucous, packed Wintrust Arena.
Round 3 goes to Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.
During the week leading up to the game, Sky forward Marina Mabrey told a few of us that if this really were a rivalry, she hoped it would be billed as “Sky-Fever” and not “Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese.” Mabrey knew the drama was good for the league but didn’t think the two highly scrutinized rookies needed that extra weight.
But let’s be real: Clark and Reese are inexorably linked after their college battles. After two Clark wins in the WNBA portion of this personal series, it was Reese who came out on top in a nationally televised ESPN game, and she needed it.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are inexorably linked. (Melissa Tamez / Icon Sportswire via Associated Press)
On the 40th anniversary of the Ryne Sandberg Game on the North Side, Chicago got the Angel Reese Game in the South Loop.
In the win, which moved the Sky (6-9) just past the Fever (7-11) in the WNBA standings, Reese had 25 points and 16 rebounds. It was her eighth consecutive double-double, and she became the first rookie to have a 25-15 line since A’ja Wilson in 2018.
Ryno’s statue outside of Wrigley Field was unveiled at the same time this game tipped off, but there was no better place to be in Chicago other than Wintrust Arena. This was a real-deal, big-time basketball game. There was no viral drama about technical fouls, no talks of jealousy or chips on shoulders. It was just two up-and-coming teams starring rookies with championship dreams.
It was a sellout crowd of 9,872. Tickets were going for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market and the Sky gave out 75 media credentials.
Celebrities abounded, though most were of the local variety. Caitlin Clark super-fan Jason Sudeikis sat next to Chance the Rapper on one end of the court, while Knicks point guard and suburban Chicago native Jalen Brunson was near rapper Lil Durk on the other. We had a halftime concert from Durk and a pregame set from Vic Mensa. Bears president Kevin Warren probably would’ve given a speech if anyone had asked. Reese got a huge hug from Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes after the game.
“I mean, of course it’s good for the game,” Reese said. “Good for women’s basketball, but also good for women’s sports. You see NBA players, rappers, legends that played in the league for long time, come out and stand and show support. Everybody’s watching right now. I think this is one of the most important times right now. We just continue to keep putting on. I think both teams did an amazing job putting on a show. And it was fun. I had a great time. I’m sure the other team had a great time. So I’m just happy we won tonight.”
Not to doubt Reese, but I’m not so sure the Fever had a great time after blowing a 15-point lead in the third quarter. They had plenty of chances down the stretch but seemed out of sync in their offense, shooting 5-of-17 from the field and committing four turnovers in the fourth. Though she still finished with 17 points and 13 assists, Clark was almost invisible late in the game.
Meanwhile, Reese was spurring the Sky to the win with 10 points and 5 rebounds in the fourth.
“It was amazing, you know,” said her rookie teammate Kamilla Cardoso, who was pretty amazing herself with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. “Just her energy. I feel like she brings a lot of energy for all of us. It rubs off.”
There was a moment midway through the fourth when Fever forward NaLyssa Smith scored on Reese and gave the “too small” gesture. On the other end, Reese scored on Smith and drew the foul for a three-point play. The two barked each other for the rest of the game, though Reese would later play coy about Smith’s disrespect.
“My teammates had to tell me about that,” she said with a laugh. “I didn’t even know she did that. That’s crazy. Me and NaLyssa, I’ve been competing against each other since I was at Maryland and she was at Baylor, so it’s nothing. No hard feelings. Me and Nalyssa just two great competitors.”
Their back-and-forth gave the end of the game a little more juice. That’s for sure. This is just entertainment, after all. And while Clark knows how to command the spotlight, Reese’s game is down in the blocks. While Clark has made her fame and fortune as a long-range shooter and a passing whiz (some of her passes Sunday lifted me out of my baseline seat), Reese can win a game in the paint.
Just before she walked down the court clapping, Reese got a play called for her out of a timeout and she hit a jump hook just outside the restricted area to put the Sky up 86-84.
“I’m a dog,” Reese told ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “You can’t teach that.”
Angel Reese: “I’m a dog, you can’t teach that” pic.twitter.com/TRdDgyNPa0
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 23, 2024
But, she later elaborated, you can teach her how to improve. Film review helps.
Reese, who came into the game shooting below 40 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free-throw line, went 8-of-12 and 9-of-11, respectively. While she had “only” three offensive rebounds, below her league-leading average of 4.7, she led everyone with 13 defensive rebounds. She had only one personal foul in 36 minutes.
“I was efficient tonight, finally,” she said. “I didn’t get in foul trouble, finally. I got some rebounds. I mean, I turned the ball over three times but I feel like I’m just getting better. I’m gaining confidence. I’ve watched film with T-Spoon (coach Teresa Weatherspoon). I’ve watched film with David (Simon, the player development coach). He showed me every shot that I’ve missed, every shot that I’ve missed around the basket. That’s why I tried to take my time today, finish around the basket. I’m getting and-1s and I’m being more efficient, so I just continue to try to grow every game.”
It wasn’t just her coaches who gave her the advice of slowing herself down with the ball.
“(Atlanta Dream forward) Tina Charles told me I got as much time as I need around the basket, and I that’s what I took today,” Reese said.
Time. It’s something that both Reese and Clark have plenty of. They went right from the NCAA Tournament into the WNBA season, and it seems like it’s been one big news cycle since March. But whenever someone starts going off on something Reese says, I want to remind them that she’s just 22 years old. The same with Clark, who deals with unreal expectations and a never-ending culture war outside of her control.
“I’m a perfectionist,” Reese said. “So it’s kind of hard. I’m really hard on myself, and I don’t try to get myself grace, but I’ve been trying to get myself grace. My teammates and our coaches have done a great job texting me and telling me, like, ‘You’re doing great. You’re fine. You’re doing a really good job.’ I do have a lot on my plate. I do have a lot going on, and (they) just being able to reassure me is something I need.”
When it comes to their rivalry, we’ll judge them, of course, on wins and losses.
Reese won the national title in 2023 and Clark got her revenge, albeit in the Elite Eight, this spring. Clark got the first two in the WNBA and Reese took the third. They’ll play again at the end of August in Chicago with a possible playoff spot on the line.
I’m predicting that Chicago and the WNBA will once again have Sky Fever.
(Top photo: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
Sports
Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History
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The best Indianapolis 500 finish could be subjective, depending on which driver a fan was rooting for to win.
It certainly is in the eye of the beholder.
So take this list for what it’s worth. One view of the 10 best finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Of course, it skews to more recent decades when the runs have come a little faster and the finishes have had a tendency to be a little closer.
We’ll add one each day to this list of fantastic finishes ahead of the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
10. Ericsson outduels O’Ward (2022)
After a red flag, Marcus Ericsson held off Pato O’Ward in a two-lap shootout. The shootout didn’t last two laps, though, as there was a crash on the final lap behind them. Ericsson had a comfortable lead when the red flag came out for a crash with four laps to go, a situation where in past Indianapolis 500 races, they likely would have ended the race under caution with Ericsson as the winner.
9. Foyt survives chaos (1967)
How does a driver who wins by two laps end up on this list? It’s because the win nearly didn’t happen on the last lap. A big crash with cars and debris littering the frontstretch just ahead of Foyt as he came to the checkered flag forced him to navigate through the wreckage for the win.
8. Sato can’t catch Franchitti (2012)
This was one of those finishes where the leader holds on for the win, but boy did the leader have to hold on. Takuma Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti early on the final lap but to no avail and Franchitti sped off for the victory. This was one of those Indy 500s that made you hold your breath all the way to the checkered flag.
Sports
UCLA softball pummels South Carolina to advance to NCAA super regional
No. 8 UCLA stuck with right-hander Taylor Tinsley throughout the Los Angeles Regional and that faith in the senior paid off.
During the Bruins’ NCAA tournament opener at Easton Stadium, Tinsley gave up 10 runs before her teammates rallied for a walk-off win. She returned less than 24 hours to pitch against South Carolina, giving up two earned runs in a victory. Tinsley was back in the circle Sunday afternoon, yielding one run in UCLA’s 15-1 victory over the Gamecocks to advance to the super regionals.
“I am proud of Taylor’s resiliency, the ability to do whatever she can to help this team,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “She got stronger through the weekend. I am proud of that.”
Tinsley and her teammates will host Central Florida in a super regional that begins Friday.
“I feel good,” Tinsley said after pitching three key games in three days. “I could have gone more innings if needed.”
South Carolina right-hander Jori Heard gave up only one hit through two innings, keeping UCLA’s potent bats relatively quiet. The Gamecocks had runners on first and second with two outs in the second, but Tinsley escaped the inning with a pop-up to left field.
The Bruins got on the board first with a two-run home run from left fielder Rylee Slimp in the third inning. The Bruins followed it up by loading the bases with no outs in the fifth for right fielder Megan Grant.
Grant cooked up a grand slam to make it 6-0. She has 40 home runs, extending her hold on the NCAA single-season home run record. Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells trails Grant with 37 homers.
“Its just incredible because I am blessed to be able to say the number 40,” Grant said.
South Carolina broke through on an RBI single from left fielder Quincee Lilio to cut UCLA’s lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning after being held to just one hit since the first inning. The Gamecocks couldn’t cash in the rest of the way.
The Bruins resumed scoring in the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and Grant at bat again. Fans at Easton Stadium anticipated another grand slam, holding up their cellphones hoping to catch some magic. Grant served up a two-run RBI single to expand the lead 8-1.
Jordan Woolery added to the scoring with a two-run RBI double down the left-field line, and Kaniya Bragg hit a home run to left-center field. Soo-jin Berry put a bow on the win with one more home run.
Sports
Pro wrestling star learns what ‘land of opportunity’ means in US as he details journey from Italy to America
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Cristiano Argento has been tearing up opponents in the ring for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as he worked his way up the ladder to get a few shots at some gold.
But the path to get to one of the most prestigious pro wrestling companies in the U.S. was long and a path that not many wrestlers have taken.
Argento was born and raised in Osimo, Italy – a town of about 35,000 people located on the east side of the country closer to the Adriatic Sea. He told Fox News Digital he started training in a ring at a boxing gym before he got started on the independent scene in Italy. He wrestled in Germany, Sweden, France and Denmark before he came to the realization that, to become a professional wrestler, he needed to make his way to the United States.
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Cristiano Argento performs in the National Wrestling Alliance (Instagram)
He first worked his way to Canada to get trained by pro wrestling legend Lance Storm. He moved to Canada, leaving most of his friends and family behind and without a firm grasp on the English language.
“At the time, my English was horrible. I didn’t speak any English at all,” he said. “But I was with my friend, Stefano, he came with me and he translated everything for me. I probably missed 50% of the knowledge that Lance Storm was giving to us because I was unable to understand. I was only given a recap and everything I was able to see. I’m sure if I was doing it now with a proper knowledge of English, it would have been a different scenario.
“Eventually, I moved back to Italy after the training and I said, OK, now, I want to go to the U.S. So, I studied English more properly, and eventually I got my first work visa that was in Texas. I was in Houston for a short period of time. I trained with Booker T at Reality of Wrestling. I got on his show, which was my debut in the U.S. That was awesome. I eventually got a new work visa in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I currently live since 2017. Since then, my wrestling career, thankfully, kept growing, growing, growing and growing until now wrestling for the NWA. One of the bigger promotions in the U.S.”
Argento said that his family thought he was “nuts” for chasing his pro wrestling dream.
He said they were more concerned about his well-being given that he was half-way around the world without anyone he knew by his side in case something went sideways.
“My family, friends, everybody was like why do you want to move to the opposite side of the world not knowing the language, not knowing anybody, by yourself, to try to become a professional wrestler? And I was like, well, we have one life, I love, and that’s what I’m gonna do,” he told Fox News Digital. “Eventually, my family was really supportive. But when I first said, ‘Hey, mom and dad, I want to do that.’ They looked at me like, ‘Are you nuts? Are you drunk or something? What are you talking about?’ And I said, no that’s what I want to do. And they knew I loved this sport because in Italy I was traveling around Europe, spending time in Canada training, so they started to understand slowly that’s what I want to do with my life. They were proud of me.
Cristiano Argento works out in the gym. (Instagram)
“They’re still proud of me. I think more like the fact that you’re gonna try that, that it’s hard than more like you’re gonna leave us. The fact like, oh, my son is gonna go on the opposite side of the world for a six-hour time difference and we’re gonna see him maybe, when, like, I don’t know. Not often. I think it was more that. And for me too, it was really hard. It was heartbreaking not being able to see my family every day or every month. Like once a year if I’m lucky. I think that was the biggest part for them because of concern or that I was here by myself and if I have any issue or any problem, I didn’t have nobody. So they were scared. Like, you get sick, if you have a problem, anything, and they’re not being able to be here next to me. But they were really supportive since day one.”
Argento is living out his dream in the U.S. He suggested that the moniker of the U.S. being the “land of opportunity” wasn’t far from what is preached in movies and literature – it was the real thing.
“I was inspired by people who came to the U.S. and made it big,” Argento told Fox News Digital. “The U.S. was always like the land of opportunity. That’s how they sell it to us and this is what it is. I feel like, in myself, that was true because anything I tried to do so far I was able to reach a lot more than if I wasn’t here. I’m not yet where I’d like to be but I see like there’s so many opportunities in this country. Not just in wrestling but like in any business to reach the goal. I’m really happy of the choices I did here.
National Wrestling Alliance star Cristiano Argento poses in Times Square in New York. (Instagram)
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“But my big inspirations were big-time actors who moved to the country, who didn’t know English, with no money, no support system. I had one dream, I have to go right there to make it happen and I’m gonna go and do it and I’m gonna make it happen. So those people were always the biggest inspiration even if it wasn’t in wrestling, just how they handled their passion, how they pursued their dream without being scared of anything, how far you are, how alone by yourself … You don’t know the language, you’re like, let’s go, let’s do it.”
Outside of the NWA, Argento has performed for the International Wrestling Cartel, Enjoy Wrestling and Exodus Pro Wrestling this year.
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