CHICAGO (WLS) — The big party might be over, but we are still celebrating 250 years since America declared its independence.

That includes highlighting the people of Illinois, their achievements, their stories, and their contributions to this country.

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Leading the way for all of this is the Illinois America 250 Commission.

“The mission is to really make sure that everyone in Illinois feels connected and feels like they have an opportunity to be part of our country’s story,” says Commission Chair and Executive Director of Illinois Humanities Gabrielle Lyon. “And secondly, to make sure that we’re accessible and truly statewide.”

Lyon says one of her favorite experiences chairing the commission “is the everyday realization of the connections between what has happened in Illinois and our country’s story.”

“That’s everything from before we were a state. We weren’t a state until 1818. All the way up until now, I mean, the organizers, the labor movements, the artists, the musicians. You can’t really tell the story of America without the influence of Illinoisans,” Lyon said.

One of the commission’s major initiatives was to create a passport.

“This passport has a collection of 60 people, places, sites, scenic highways, all of which have ties to making good on the ideals of the Declaration of Independence,” Lyon said.

Lyon says there are a couple of ways that families can tackle the passport as they hit the road to visit some of the landmarks this summer.

“You can be like kids get in the car and just pick something you like. Or you can find an interest that one of your kids has. If they’re young, go to the John Deere Historic Museum. That innovation changed the entire nature of agriculture,” Lyons said. “The truth is, the sweep of American history complex, fraught, amazing; it’s all right here in Illinois.”

And the initiative that Lyon says she’s probably most excited about is Illinois Voices 250 led by Illinois Humanities, “which is an invitation to record a story about this moment with someone you care about.”

“And those conversations are being preserved at the Library of Congress,” she added. “The idea that we’re just celebrating something that happened 250 years ago, to me, misses the point of this moment. The Declaration of Independence is a promise. But it’s a promise you have to actively make good on. And part of that is thinking about, what kind of place do you want to live in, what do you want for your children, what does equality, pursuit of happiness mean to you? And making a conversation that’s going to make a memory is kind of the best way to both imagine it and crystalize that.”

Two WNBA Finals contenders are set to square off on Sunday night in Las Vegas, but both teams are down their best player. 

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (back) and Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (right leg) have been ruled out for this game, taking some of the shine away from this matchup.

Still, there are a ton of great players to watch – including guard Kelsey Mitchell and Jackie Young – and oddsmakers are expecting a close game, as the Aces are favored by just 3.5 points at home.

Las Vegas is coming off an overtime win against the Chicago Sky, but it’s just 1-1 since Wilson went down with this leg injury. Meanwhile, the Fever are 2-0 without Clark this season, beating the Los Angeles Sparks by 27 points without her on June 27. 

These are the No. 1 (Las Vegas) and No. 2 (Indiana) offenses in the league, so we should still see some fireworks on that end of the floor. 

After a long layoff, the Fever are looking to remain hot as they set their sights on the top spot in the Eastern Conference. 

Let’s check out the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for Fever vs. Aces in a standalone game on Sunday night. 

Fever vs. Aces Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Fever +3.5 (-112)
• Aces -3.5 (-108) 

Moneyline

Total

• 181.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Fever vs. Aces How to Watch

• Date: Sunday, July 5
• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: T-Mobile Arena
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN, Disney+
• Fever record: 11-8
• Aces record: 15-5

Fever vs. Aces Injury Reports

Fever Injury Report

Aces Injury Report 

• Janiah Barker – out
• Dana Evans – out
• A’ja Wilson – out

Fever vs. Aces Best WNBA Prop Bets

Fever Best WNBA Prop Bet

• Kelsey Mitchell OVER 23.5 Points (-116)

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell is one of the best scorers in the WNBA, and she had a massive 2025 season with Clark (groin) missing most of the campaign. 

Now, she’ll handle the No. 1 duties on Sunday against an Aces team that is just eighth in the league in defensive rating and ninth in opponent points per game. 

Mitchell has 22 or more points in five of her last six games, including a 26-point showing on June 27 with Clark out of the lineup. She had 21 points in the only other game Clark has missed in 2026, and Mitchell is averaging 21.6 points per game overall.

She should handle a few more touches on Sunday, and the star guard has been ultra-efficient this season, knocking down 49.5 percent of her shots from the floor and 40.2 percent of her 3-pointers.

I’m buying her in this matchup, especially since the Aces won’t have Wilson protecting the rim. 

Fever vs. Aces Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, I shared in my WNBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I think the Fever can cover on the road, even with Clark sidelined: 

The Aces are 1-1 since Wilson went down, losing in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game to the New York Liberty before beating the Chicago Sky in overtime on Friday. 

The fact that the Aces needed overtime to beat the Sky is a little concerning since Chicago ranks 10th in the league in net rating, 11th in offensive rating and 12th in defensive rating so far this season. The Las Vegas defense (eighth in defensive rating) is clearly worse without Wilson on the floor, which is a concern against a high-octane Fever attack.

Indiana is 2-0 this season with Clark out of the lineup, and star guard Kelsey Mitchell is more than capable of carrying this team to a win on Sunday night. While I’m not going to bet on an upset, I do think there is value in taking the Fever to cover as road underdogs.

Las Vegas is just 4-5 against the spread at home in the 2026 season, and while these are the two-best offenses in the league, losing Wilson is a huge downgrade for the Aces, as she’s averaging over 25 points per game. 

I wouldn’t be shocked if the Fever are able to hang around in this game, especially since they’ve fared pretty well without Clark over the last two seasons. After all, Indy made the WNBA semifinals in the 2025 season with the star guard playing just 13 games. 

Pick: Fever +3.5 (-112 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Find Peter Dewey’s WNBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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As the Iowa State Cyclones get set for the 2026 campaign, the program is also looking toward the future and rebuilding a program that was hit hard by departures. 

Last season, Iowa State battled a lot of injuries, but was still able to have a pretty good year. However, following the campaign coming to an end and before bowl season kicked off, the team lost head coach Matt Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions. 

As expected, a lot of players from the program ended up leaving, leaving the team with nearly an entire roster to rebuild. However, new head coach Jimmy Rogers has been able to come in and make a good impression early on. 

While Iowa State might not be as talented as they were last year, they have a good coach and a lot of depth. The Cyclones will be hoping that he can develop and get the most out of some of these new players, but the team certainly won’t be competing for a Big 12 title next season. 

For Iowa State, with at least this year being a rebuild for the program, they will be looking toward the future. With that comes a need to recruit well, and that is something Rogers and the staff have been impressive at so far. 

Iowa State Recruiting Class Shaping Up Nicely 

Following the four-star addition of Chuck Alexander, who flipped from the Louisville Cardinals, the 2027 recruiting class is looking really strong right now for Iowa State. According to Rivals, they rank 49th in the country right now, and that is a strong place to be for the team. 

With Alexander being the new top recruit for the team, he will be joining a class that has been highlighted by some good offensive talent so far. Running back Isaiah Hansen is regarded as a very good player at his position, and the team also has offensive lineman Will Slagle. 

With the three top recruits so far being offensive players, a future core might be starting to come together for Rogers and the program. While the team might be a bit more defensive-minded this year, there is clearly a focus on improving offensively for the future. 

Overall, with time still to go, this class could continue to get better. However, it is really encouraging to see what Rogers and the staff have been able to accomplish so far. Recruiting will be key for Iowa State to get back to where they want to be, and they are off to a strong start. 

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