The Utah Royals have made an audacious move and brought a real star into their ranks: Mina Tanaka. The Japanese striker, who recently left Kobe Leonessa of the Japanese WE League, arrives at the club with an enviable CV. With 58 appearances and 37 goals to her name, Tanaka brings a wealth of experience and a winning mentality to a team currently struggling in the NWSL. Signed until 2025, she is the Royals’ big bet to turn the season around.

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At 30, Tanaka comes from an illustrious career in Japan. With spells at Tokyo Verdy Beleza and INAC Kobe Leonessa, she has shown her talent time and time again, including a brief spell in the German Frauen-Bundesliga. With 211 goals in 308 club games and 30 goals in 74 international games, Mina is a veritable goal machine. His signing is a clear sign that the Utah Royals are willing to do whatever it takes to move up the table.

Kelly Cousins, the Utah Royals’ sporting director, didn’t hide her excitement about the new signing. “Mina is an experienced player who can have an immediate impact on our team. Her experience will be essential to the development and culture of our young team,” said Cousins. And no wonder. With four Nadeshiko League golden boot titles and several inclusions in the league’s Best XI, Tanaka is a major addition.

Tanaka’s arrival couldn’t have come at a more crucial time. The Utah Royals are in an uncomfortable position in the table, with a record of 2-11-2 and 10 points behind the current playoff line. The team has struggled to find its form, and the presence of a top scorer like Tanaka could be just what they need to turn things around. His nose for goals and his ability in decisive moments will be key for the Royals in the coming challenges.

As well as her skills on the pitch, Tanaka brings a champion’s mentality that could inspire her new teammates. In statements before her transfer, she highlighted her enthusiasm for being part of the Royals’ project and her desire to help the team compete. “I’m very determined to be part of this club, taking the team to the level of competing in the championship title race. I’m looking forward to my journey in Utah. We’ll do it together,” said Tanaka, making it clear that she is ready to give her all for the club.

Tanaka’s signing is also a strategic move for the Royals, who are looking not only to improve their performance, but also to attract more attention and support from fans. A player of international caliber like Tanaka will certainly bring more visibility to the team and could help galvanize the fans around the team. With her imminent participation in the 2024 Olympics for Japan, Tanaka will be in the spotlight, and this could greatly benefit the Utah Royals in terms of marketing and fan engagement.

However, it won’t be an easy road. Japan’s Olympic group with Spain, Brazil and Nigeria promises to be a real litmus test. Tanaka, however, has already shown that he is capable of shining in the biggest competitions, having scored in the final Group D match at the 2023 World Cup, helping Japan beat eventual champions Spain 4-0. Her performance in international tournaments only reinforces her reputation as a top-level player, ready for any challenge.

For the Royals, Tanaka’s presence could be the spark that ignites a turnaround in the season. Her ability to score goals in all sorts of ways and her international experience bring a new dimension to the team. The challenge now is to integrate Tanaka into the team’s style of play and make the most of his abilities.

Hold the phone on the rumors of the Utah Jazz trading Lauri Markkanen. According to Jazz beat writer Tony Jones of The Athletic, there’s no motivation to trade Markkanen, but Utah does have a thresh hold that would need to be met if a trade were to come to fruition. Jones shared his insight when he joined 95.7 The Game.

“It’s different than Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The Jazz had motivation for different reasons for both of those guys to trade – both of those guys. There’s no motivation to trade Lauri Markkanen. He’s a star-level player that’s happy in Utah, and you know, the Jazz can grow with the young guys on their roster. If they’re going to trade Lauri, there’s a thresh hold that has to be met, and only they can answer that question.”

Markkanen has been the talk of the NBA this week. The dominoes have fallen on the big-name free agents and All-Star caliber players rumored to be traded this offseason. With Markkanen being the last one standing, the rumors have been coming in rapidly.

If you believe the oddsmakers, Markkanen has an equal chance of suiting up for the Golden State Warriors as the Jazz. DraftKings has both teams listed at +250 to retain his services. In contrast, the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, and Oklahoma City Thunder have a puncher’s chance of pulling off a deal, per DraftKings.

The Jazz are certainly stuck between a rock and a hard place with Markkanen. Luring free agents to Salt Lake City can be difficult, and being on the verge of signing Markkanen to an extension while he is in his prime feels like a no-brainer. However, the 2025 draft class is projected to be stacked, and by keeping Markkanen, the Jazz could be missing out on a top-five selection.

From this point of view, the Jazz could have their cake and eat it, too. Even with Markkanen, the Jazz could bottom out in an effort to draft in the top-5. Utah is on pace to have six rostered players that have been drafted in the last two years. All it would take is trading the likes of Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, or Walker Kessler. If we’re being honest, a combination of any two of these players should do the trick.

This assumes that Utah isn’t blown away with an offer it can’t refuse. As Jones said, we don’t know exactly what is being offered, but we have to assume that for Ainge to pull the trigger, the Jazz would have to get more than the haul the Brooklyn Nets received from the New York Knicks in the Mikal Bridges trade.  The Nets received:

Hopefully, Jazz fans can resolve the matter sooner rather than later, but until then, expect the rumors to keep coming.

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SALT LAKE CITY — Mikhail Sergachev was taking out the trash when he found he was being traded to Utah.

“At first, I was in shock. I didn’t expect it,” the defenseman said Friday of his reaction to being sent to the Utah Hockey Club on June 29 in exchange for defenseman J.J. Moser, forward Conor Geekie, a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman knew nothing about Utah before the trade, but speaking to the media for the first time since the deal took place, it didn’t take long for him to see the potential of what can happen with his new team.

“Talking to my agent, talking to some players, and talking to [Clayton] Keller, everybody said great things about Utah and the new franchise. It’s pretty amazing, honestly. The whole setup, the city. I’m very excited. It’s a big opportunity for me to prove myself, being a leader. I’m looking forward to it.”

The 26-year-old had 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 34 regular-season games for the Lightning in 2023-24 but missed most of the year because of a knee injury. He returned in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and had one assist in two games.

Despite the lost time on the ice, he comes into the new season as Utah’s top defenseman.

“We are in a situation where we want a proven player,” said Utah head coach Andre Tourigny on Friday. “Sergey is exactly that kind of player. He’s been in championship games, been in pressure games. He was one of those guys who was on the ice in those big moments… We still have a young group of defensemen. He will bring experience. We’re making a step in the right direction.”

When the 2023-24 season concluded, Utah general manager Bill Armstrong had to rebuild his defensive lineup from scratch. When the possibility of a trade for Sergachev came up during the draft, the team took its shot.

“I just thought to myself, as an organization, when do you get a chance?” Armstrong said. “It’s a great chance to add a number one [defenseman] to your roster at 26 years old that’s won two championships… That opportunity doesn’t come around and we jumped on it.”

Sergachev had 257 points (48 goals, 209 assists) in 475 regular-season games, and 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) in 100 career playoff games over seven seasons in Tampa Bay. He won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 as a top-four defenseman with the Lightning.

In addition to his offensive ability on the blue line, he brings a physical presence to Utah’s defense.

“Obviously I love hitting, but you try to be smart about that when you play 25, 27, or 23 minutes,” Sergachev said. “I’m just going to use my legs, use my speed, and when I need to, I’m going to lay a hit. But for me, it’s not all about that. It’s about being aggressive everywhere, not just on defense, but on offense, too.”

Sergachev will also step into a leadership role with Utah, which will head into the 2024-25 season as one of the youngest rosters in the NHL. 

“I don’t really like speaking a lot. I kind of follow the leaders that I had before, like [Steven Stamkos] and [Victor Hedman],” Sergachev said. “Most of the time they just play, they go out there and show by their example what they can do, and that speaks for itself. I feel like I’m going to do the same, and I’m just going to focus on that. Playing the right way and try to win as many games as possible.”