Angel Reese pops out in eye-catching Barbie look at WNBA All-Star events originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Angel Reese did not need to step onto the court to command the spotlight during WNBA All-Star Weekend.The Atlanta Dream star popped out for Friday nights events in Chicago, embracing her famous Barbie persona with another attention-grabbing appearance. AT&T shared a look at Reese arriving for the festivities and delivered a fitting five-word introduction.A Barbie is in the house, the company wrote on social media.Reese appeared confident as she posed for the cameras and made her way inside, once again showing why she has become one of the WNBAs most recognizable fashion stars. Between her glamorous photoshoots, bold tunnel outfits and growing list of partnerships, the three-time All-Star has built a brand that extends well beyond basketball.The timing of Reeses Barbie-inspired arrival could not have been much better.Angel Reese celebrates major Barbie honorEarlier Friday, Barbie officially unveiled its Angel Reese signature doll ahead of the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game. The doll includes several details connected to Reese, including her headband, leggings, Atlanta Dream uniforms and pink Reebok basketball shoes.A Barbie is in the house Angel Reese popped out at tonights events!#WNBAAllStar | @ATTpic.twitter.com/JQ7KIEbTq2 WNBA (@WNBA) July 25, 2026Reese described the collaboration as a dream come true and a full-circle moment.Long before she entered the WNBA, Reese became widely known as the Bayou Barbie during her championship-winning career at LSU. She has continued embracing that identity as a professional, combining her physical playing style with a love for fashion and beauty.Now she has an official Barbie doll to complete the journey.Reese has also worked with Reebok on a Barbie-themed edition of her Angel Reese 1 signature shoe. The colorful basketball sneaker provided another example of how successfully she has blended her on-court career with her off-court interests.Fridays appearance gave Reese the perfect opportunity to celebrate the honor in public. With All-Star Weekend taking place in Chicago, her former WNBA home, the Dream forward made sure she arrived looking like one of the weekends biggest stars.MORE:Caitlin Clark gives fans chance to find unreleased signature shoes in ChicagoReese returns to Chicago as an All-StarReese will suit up for Team Coop in Saturdays WNBA All-Star Game, marking the third All-Star selection of her young career. The 24-year-old entered the break averaging 15.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game during her first season with Atlanta. She has helped the Dream rise near the top of the Eastern Conference while remaining one of the leagues most dominant rebounders.Reese was not selected as an All-Star starter, but her production made her an easy choice as a reserve. She will join Dream teammates Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray at the leagues showcase event. Before Reese gets down to business on the court, however, she is making the most of her time in front of the cameras.Barbie is officially in the house, and Reese once again knows exactly how to make an entrance.More WNBA news:Aliyah Boston sends heartfelt message after WNBA guard suffers season-ending injurySophie Cunningham sends heartfelt message after Adidas shoes completely sell outDiJonai Carrington leaves fans speechless with stunning new photos ahead of Sky debutSophie Cunningham declares todays the day as new Adidas shoes fly off shelvesAzzi Fudd shows off glamorous look before making rare WNBA history

You could call all the breaks the Dayton Dragons got Thursday, July 23, lucky. But manager Julio Morillo wouldnt.For starters, Cedar Rapids committed six errors. The Kernels didnt stop there, contributing in many other ways to the Dragons cause. So much that only three hits didnt prevent the Dragons from winning 5-3 at Day Air Ballpark to extend their winning streak to four games.Lucky you can put it that way, but we also created those things, Morillo said. Thats part of the game. You create those situations. And capitalizing on the mistakes that they make, thats the game as well.Cedar Rapids entered the game with 110 errors in 90 games. Their six errors Thursday equaled a season high. The Kernels record is 37-54 and 6-21 in the second half. Paraphrasing a bit what former NFL coach Dennis Green famously said, the Dragons could say, They are who we thought they were.The Kernels started by committing errors like a pro golfer who cant stop making bogeys, four in the first three innings and five in the first five.Add these mistakes to the mix in the first five innings while the Dragons (51-40, 12-13) took a 4-2 lead: three hit batters, three walks, a balk, a wild pitch (scored a run), two unearned runs, five stolen bases allowed and a Little League inside-the-park homer.One Dragons hitter had a memorable night. Victor Acosta, batting ninth as the DH, scored three runs all by himself.In the second inning, he tripled to the left-field corner. And when shortstop Jose Salas took the cutoff throw, turned and threw wildly to third, Acosta scored easily for a 2-0 lead.In the fourth, Acosta hit his fourth homer for a 3-1 lead. The fan who caught the home run on the left-field lawn with his bare hands made the best defensive play of the night against the Dragons.In the eighth, Acosta walked, stole second and third, and scored on a throwing error by catcher Enrique Jimenez, as he stole third, for a 5-3 lead.Dragons McCrystal 7.23.26Its exciting because we come in here every day to practice and then just go into the game to make it happen, Acosta said. Everything is fun, we make the playoffs, and were just excited to be here every day.The Dragons are relying more on stolen bases than they did while winning the first-half East Division title. They dont have as much home run power as they did with Alfredo Duno, Carter Graham and Kien Vu. Morillo said the plan for this series is to take advantage of the Kernels inability to control the running game.Acosta, Tyson Lewis, Peyton Stovall and Marcus Smith each stole two bases. The eight stolen bases tied the club record achieved two other times.The Kernels trouble began in the first inning when Ryan McCrystal reached on an infield error with one out. Then, Julio Carerras was hit by a pitch, and Lewis reached on another error to load the bases. With two outs, Jacob Friend was hit by a pitch for a 1-0 lead.The Dragons made the score 4-2 in the fifth. Lewis reached base when the first baseman dropped a throw. He stole second and moved to third on a balk. When Mason Neville struck out for the second out, Lewis scored on a strike-three wild pitch.The errors, the baserunning, all of it, were needed. The Dragons were 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. Other than Acostas two big hits, only Smith had a two-out single in the seventh.The Dragons committed no errors neither did Roof Man with a late-game appearance and three pitchers held the Kernels to four hits. They manufactured two runs against starter Luke Hayden and homered against Trent Hodgdon in the eighth.Hayden made his fourth start since being on the injured list with a hamstring strain from late April to July 4. Hes an important part of the rotation the Dragons will need to pitch well in the playoffs.Dragons Hayden 7.23.26Hayden pitched 4 innings, equaling his longest start this month, and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks. He struck out six, including three in order in the fourth.I feel back to normal, Hayden said. I feel like my leg is healthy. Just continuing to go out there and pitch more and work through a couple things and get a little stamina back. Thats one area where I could improve on. But other than that, I feel good.The two at-bats he wants back are a walk and a hit batter to No. 9 hitter Andy Lugo. He scored the first time and moved a runner ahead who scored the second time. When his pitch count hit 82 in the fifth, Morillo pulled him.I would like him to win more counts, but that takes time, Morillo said. His stuff is really good, but we just need to get him to win the counts so he can go deeper in the games.Dragons Lewis 7.23.26Hayden was backed by Victor Diaz (2-0) who allowed nothing in 2 innings and struck out five, including the side in order in the seventh. Hodgdon pitched the final two innings, struck out four and earned his sixth save.Victor and Trent, theyre dudes and their stuff speaks for themselves, Hayden said. Thats the whole motto is just attack guys relentlessly and get hitters on their heels. And I think thats exactly what we did tonight.Plus, control the running game, play error free and watch Acosta run around the bases.

Jul 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesI mean, what else can you say?The Phillies had an outstanding pitching performance by Jesus Luzardo go for naught since they came up against a buzzsaw in Cam Schlittler. Luzardo did all he could, going seven innings and allowing a single run in the form of a solo home run on a great piece of hitting by Paul Goldschmidt.Paul Goldschmidt puts the @Yankees on the board first! pic.twitter.com/vfI89Z3YSc MLB (@MLB) July 24, 2026There wasnt much else the lefty could do as Schlittler handcuffed the Phillies lineup all night long. Said lineup did not help much, swinging at pitches like they were being chased by bees, but thats what a great pitcher like Schlittler will do. Hell see that he can get the hitters to chase and hell keep going to the same well over and over.As the lineup got more and more looks at him though, they started to actually hit him a little harder. They couldnt do much with it until the eighth when they actually had their threat to score. With one out, J.T. Realmuto got his second hit on the night, then went to second when Gabriel Rincones was hit by a pitch. That sent Schlittler to the bench in favor of Brent Headrick, a move countered by Edmundo Sosa coming into the game. Sosa singled to right, which brings the biggest What if? moment into play. Should Realmuto have been waved home?Worst case is that hes thrown out and they still have a fast runner in Derek Hill in scoring position with Trea Turner coming up and two outs. Anthony Morales, the third base coach, opted to hold Realmuto to load the bases and, well, we know what happened next. Turner hit a soft fly ball not deep enough to score Realmuto, then was followed by Kyle Schwarber grounding out to second to end the threat.Pitchers duels are great when they go your way, but tonight did not for the Phillies. Theyll try again tomorrow night.

Tyrell Fortune and Rizvan Kuniev meet on the UFC Fight Night 282 main card Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.Last event's results: 3-2UFC main cards, 2026: 75-41-1Tyrell Fortune vs. Rizvan Kuniev UFC Fight Night 282 previewFortune (18-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) enters his second fight under the UFC banner. His debut was a successful one, winning a unanimous decision over Marcin Tybura in March.Kuniev (14-3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) looks for his second win in the promotion after facing staunch opposition right out of the gate. His debut was a split decision loss against Curtis Blaydes, but he rebounded in his sophomore appearance with a unanimous decision against Jailton Almeida.Tyrell Fortune vs. Rizvan Kuniev UFC Fight Night 282 expert pick, predictionDeath, taxes and the UFC matchmakers force-feeding us big guys on Fight Night main cards.To be fair to Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby, this is actually a somewhat sensible matchup given both men's grappling backgrounds and overall body of work.Fortune, who is an accoladed All-American wrestler, has primarily plied his trade over in Bellator before a successful UFC debut earlier this year.Although Kuniev doesn't have the same level of wrestling accolades, the Russian has proven more than capable when it comes to defending takedowns and digging out decision wins when he needs to.For that reason, I suspect that Kuniev can outlast the American in this spot. The official pick is Kuniev by unanimous decision.Tyrell Fortune vs. Rizvan Kuniev UFC Fight Night 282 oddsThe oddsmakers and the public favor the Russian fighter, listing Kuniev -340 and Fortune +260 via FanDuel.Tyrell Fortune vs. Rizvan Kuniev UFC Fight Night 282 start time, how to watchFortune and Kuniev are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 12:40 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Tyrell Fortune vs. Rizvan Kuniev prediction, pick for UFC Fight Night 282

The Texas Tech football program officially announced its new starting quarterback for the 2026 college football season on Friday.Will Hammond is the Red Raiders starting quarterback after the program announced the news via Texas Techs official X account.MORE:8 top recruits to watch in college football for 2026Hammond has been with the Red Raiders for the last two seasons, but has played sparingly. He finished the 2024 season with 471 yards through the air, two touchdowns and two interceptions. In 2025, he threw for 680 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.Hammond takes over for Behren Morton, who started for the Red Raiders last season. Morton compiled 2,780 yards through the air, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. Morton completed 66 percent of his passes.The Red Raiders had a fantastic 2025 season, finishing 12-2. Texas Tech won the Big 12 and earned a bye in the College Football Playoff before falling to the Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals. Hammond will try to take them back to the CFP this season.Season will start in SeptemberThe first game of the Hammond era will take place on Sept. 5 against the Abilene Christian Wildcats. The game will be at home for the Red Raiders before they head west to play the Oregon State Beavers on Sept. 12.The Red Raiders will then come home to play the Houston Cougars on Sept. 18 in their Big 12 opener.Kickoff for the game between the Red Raiders and Wildcats on Sept. 5 will be at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. All three of the Red Raiders first three games will be in prime time.Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead

ESPN ranked all 32 NFL teams' under-25 talent, and has the Arizona Cardinals at No. 19, the same ranking as last year.Being in the bottom half of the NFL is nothing for the Cardinals to smile about, especially when they are in the bottom half of the NFL for the second year in a row. Arizona must have needed a higher influx of young talent this offseason if they wanted to improve in these rankings, after the likes of starting left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and starting cornerback Garrett Williams turned 25 years old this offseason.Something for the Cardinals to smile about, however, is where the team stacks up within their division. Other than the Cardinals, every NFC West team won at least one playoff game last season, and both teams in the NFC Championship Game were NFC West teams (Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams). The Seahawks even won the Super Bowl.The Seahawks are the only NFC West team ahead of the Cardinals on this list, though, coming in at No. 8. The Cardinals are ahead of both the NFC West's San Francisco 49ers (who rank 27th) and the Rams (who rank last). Now, Aaron Schatz the ESPN writer who wrote the piece that ranked the teams made it clear that "you don't need to have young talent to be a Super Bowl contender.""Who needs the long term when you have so much veteran talent in the short term?" Schatz asked when referring to the Rams as the current Super Bowl favorites.The plus for the Cardinals, though, is some of the first- and second-round picks under the age of 25 who are set to come back from injury this year. 2024 No. 4 overall NFL draft selection and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of them, and Schatz labeled him a "blue chip." "Blue chips" in this context "are the top 60 cornerstone assets around the league from whom teams will likely derive their biggest future value."Second-round draft pick from 2024 Trey Benson is expected to be back from injury as the season approaches, and the running back has averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his NFL career. Cardinals' first-round defensive lineman Walter Nolen has been working to get back from injury this offseason, and he had five tackles for loss in his six games played in his rookie 2025 season.Another plus is the under-25 talent in the cornerback room, with 23-year-old cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Will Johnson posting at least 10 PD's each for the Cardinals in 2025.Lastly, the Cardinals have another "blue chip" in No. 3 overall 2026 NFL Draft selection Jeremiyah Love. The running back is coming off a season in which he was a Heisman Finalist at Notre Dame and a Consensus All-American.The Cardinals barely crack ESPN's top 20 in terms of under-25 talent league-wide, and haven't improved their ranking from last year. They do rank favorably vs. two of three divisional opponents, however, and rank in the top half of their conference.This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ESPN weighs in on positives, negatives of the Cardinals' young talent

The Pittsburgh Pirates had their chances, but ultimately squandered them in a painful 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park Friday night.The Pirates had the bases loaded and nobody out and couldnt score, then had runners on first and third and couldnt score.As a result, the game got to the tenth, where a single by Dansby Swanson and a bases-loaded walk by Seiya Suzuki made it 3-1 Cubbies.With the game scoreless in the third, the Pirates got their first scoring chance.With runners on first and second and two outs, Nick Gonzales lined a ball up the middle.Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner had no play to get Gonzales at first, but fortunately for him, Henry Davis overran the bag at third, and Hoerner was able to throw him out for a rare inning-ending 5-4 putout.The Pirates finally struck in the fifth.Marcell Ozuna and Brandon Lowe walked to start the inning, and a bunt single by Jared Triolo loaded the bases with nobody out.That set the stage for Henry Davis, who reached on an infield single to score the games first run and put the Pirates ahead.With the bases still loaded, still no outs and the top of the order coming up, it looked like the Pirates could be poised for a big inning, or, at the very least, tack on another run.It didnt happen.Jack Magnum hit a shallow flyout to left field, Nick Gonzales did the same to right and the Cubs escaped with minimal damage.The Cubs tied it in the sixth on a solo home run by Pete Crow-Armstrong, then threatened to take the lead in the seventh.But reliever Wilber Dotel struck out Pedro Ramirez, then got Carson Kelly to ground out and strand runners at the corners to keep the game tied.The Bucs had a golden chance to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh when they put runners at the corners with one out.But Nick Gonzales flyout turned into a double play when Pittsburghs own Ian Happ nailed Henry Davis at the plate.Dotel gave way to Mason Montgomery in the top of the eighth, who promptly struck out the side in order.The Pirates didnt score in the eighth, then Gregory Soto shut the Cubs down to send it to the bottom of the ninth tied at 1.Then, Chicago took advantage, and a meaningless run by the Pirates in the tenth wasnt enough.The teams will meet again Saturday night at PNC Park. 1st pitch is scheduled for 6:40.The post Pirates Offense Squanders Chances in 3-2 Loss to Cubs appeared first on Pittsburgh Baseball Now.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Cam Schlitter bounced back from a poor outing and pitched three-hit ball into the eighth inning, helping the New York Yankees to a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.Pitching on four days rest after lasting only 4 1/3 innings in a loss Sunday to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Schlitter struck out 12 and threw 68 of his 99 pitches for strikes.Paul Goldschmidts home run to lead off the fourth inning was the only run in the game.Philadelphias Jesus Luzardo (9-5) took the loss. Luzardo threw 105 pitches over seven innings, striking out nine and allowing three hits, including Goldschmidts 16th homer. Schlitter (10-6) shut down the Phillies hitters all night, making Bryson Stott look bad on a strikeout to start the bottom of the eighth.J.T. Realmuto rolled a single between shortstop and third for the Phillies' third hit and his second. Schlitter then glanced a pitch off Gabriel Rincones Jr.s knee, enough for Yankees manager Aaron Boone to pull his starter.Pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa singled off reliever Brent Headrick to load the bases with one out. Trea Turner then tagged a liner to left, but right at Cody Bellinger, who had no problem keeping Realmuto at third. Kyle Schwarber then bounced out to end the Phillies threat.Yankees closer David Bednar started the ninth by getting Bryce Harper to strike out for the third time in the game. Brandon Marsh was retired on a leaping catch by Bellinger. Alec Bohm then grounded out and Bednar earned his 19th save.The Phillies announced before the game that theyd reached agreement with their first-round draft pick (No. 36 overall), shortstop Tyler Spangler from De La Salle High School in Concord, California.Up nextYankees LHP Ryan Weathers (3-7, 4.40 ERA) starts Saturday. The Phillies have not named a starter.AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

The Mets were defeated by the Dodgers 4-2 in Friday night's series opener at Citi Field.Here are some takeaways...-- Luis Robert Jr. continues showcasing himself ahead of the trade deadline. The towering outfielder opened the scoring in this one by jumped all over a 2-2 fastball at the top of the zone, crushing it 381 feet to left for his fourth homer of the season and second in three game since returning from the IL.-- Sean Manaea did well to limit the high-powered Dodgers offense. He worked around leadoff baserunners in two of the first three innings, erasing a single in the first before putting together a perfect top of the second and breezing past a double against the top of the order in the third.LA evened things up with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, but stranded two more on the corners. Manaea almost faced another leadoff man in scoring position, but the Mets used a perfect relay to gun Shohei Ohtani down trying to stretch a double into a triple en route to a perfect fifth.The lefty was hurt, then helped by his defense in the sixth. A Carson Benge bobble in right allowed Freddie Freeman to advance to second on a single and an error, but the youngster made up for it two batters later, as he gunned the veteran down trying to score from third on a sacrifice fly.Manaea ended his day allowing just the one run on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 6.0 IP.-- The lefties in the Mets' bullpen immediately wasted Manaea's strong effort. Brooks Raley allowed LA to scratch across the go-ahead run on an Ohtani sacrifice fly, then A.J. Minter served up an insurance two-run homer to Kyle Tucker an inning later, to make it a three-run ballgame. -- New York wasn't able to get much else going against LA starter Roki Sasaki, as aside from the Robert homer he held them to four other baserunners while striking out nine batters across 6.0 innings of work. Sasaki came into the night with 23 runs allowed (22 earned) over his last six starts.-- The Mets did show some fight against right-hander Evan Phillips in the bottom of the eighth, as Francisco Alvarez crushed his 14th homer of the season. The solo shot left the bat at a whopping 108.9 mph and traveled a total of 401 feet deep into the left field seats.-- They couldn't rally against Tanner Scott in the ninth, though, and dropped the series opener.-- New York suffered a big blow midway through this one, as Juan Soto was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the sixth due to left calf soreness. The outfielder has been limited to DH duties since the ASB, and he sat out Wednesday's series finale in Milwaukee, but interim manager Andy Green said pregame he was ready to go.Game MVP: Kyle TuckerTucker's eighth inning two-run homer ended up being the difference in this one.HighlightsSean Manaea gets two strikeouts in the first pic.twitter.com/VF2cSzR1Qp SNY (@SNYtv) July 24, 2026Luis Robert Jr. hits his fourth HR of the season!His second in three games since returning from the IL pic.twitter.com/hcN4uLdS9r SNY (@SNYtv) July 24, 2026Carson Benge, Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette combine on the relay to throw out Shohei Ohtani at third pic.twitter.com/1Tre3rvAfS SNY (@SNYtv) July 25, 2026Carson Benge picks up his second outfield assist of the night, with a throw to Francisco Alvarez! pic.twitter.com/3wyRthNfgk SNY (@SNYtv) July 25, 2026Francisco Alvarez hits his 12th home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/ZtaO9T8FRM SNY (@SNYtv) July 25, 2026What's nextNolan McLean takes the ball against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the middle game Saturday at 7:15 p.m.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 18: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe San Francisco Giants welcome the Los Angeles Angels to Oracle Park tonight to begin a three-game series. Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters tonights game with a 3.87 ERA, 3.54 FIP, with 85 strikeouts to 27 walks in 107 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, in which he allowed three runs on two hits with five strikeouts and a walk in six and two thirds innings. Hell be facing off against Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who enters tonights game with an 8.23 ERA, 5.22 FIP, with 27 strikeouts to 17 walks in 35 innings pitched. His last start was in the Angels 7-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, in which he allowed six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk in four innings. Join the conversation!Sign up for a user accountand get:Fewer adsCreatecommunity postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community postsNew, improved notifications system!Game #103Who:San Francisco Giants (42-60) vs. Los Angeles Angels (41-62)Where:Oracle Park, San Francisco, CaliforniaWhen:7:15 p.m. PTRegional broadcast:NBC Sports Bay Area and KNTVNational broadcast:n/aRadio:KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM