Tag: Sports

Unrivaled Week 2 storylines to watch, including what’s next for Angel Reese

Here’s what you need to know about Unrivaled Week 2.

Week 2 of Unrivaled is here after a historic opening week.

The debut of Unrivaled was fantastic. There were many incredible moments during the league’s inaugural weekend, including epic Skylar Diggins-Smith game-winning shots—twice. It was also really awesome to see teams separate from the pack.

The Lunar Owls put the whole league on notice as early championship contenders, and several other squads like the Vinyl and Laces are also in the mix. That made us think: what other storylines should we watch during Week 2?

Here are a few things to know ahead of this week’s slate of games, including what’s next for Angel Reese.

Angel Reese’s development in Unrivaled

MEDLEY, FLORIDA – JANUARY 17: Angel Reese #5 of Rose defends against Jordin Canada #3 of the Vinyl during the second half at The Mediapro Studio on January 17, 2025 in Medley, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

It’s not uncommon for WNBA athletes to use other leagues or trainers to get better during the offseason, and that’s what’s happening with second-year player Angel Reese.

Of course, Reese has been in Miami, playing with Unrivaled’s Rose BC. During her time there, she’s been connecting with other WNBA players, including Kahleah Copper, Napheesa Collier and Lisa Leslie, to focus on things like shot selection and finishing better around the rim.

It’s something to monitor as the season progresses because Reese is all-in on improving. Here’s what Copper recently said about working with Reese:

“It’s been great…On the court, it’s been great. You know, to see her on the court and really want to learn. You know, it’s a lot of young players that’s like, ‘I want to learn from the greats. I want to learn.’ And you get with them, and they don’t want to listen or they do want they want to do.

But, no. She communicates. She really wants to learn…and I see her —her growth every single day. So, respectfully, I have a lot of respect for her on the court and just how she wants to grow.”

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Which Unrivaled team pulls out its first win

(Photo courtesy of Unrivaled)
(Photo courtesy of Unrivaled)

The Phantom, Mist, and Rose basketball clubs are in trouble. Phantom can’t find its stride, Mist is struggling to finish games, and Rose is getting cooked defensively.

After one week of action, all three teams are winless. (Yes, ZERO wins.) It’s disheartening to see, given the talent level on every roster, and somebody—ANYBODY— needs to PULL IT TOGETHER.

Napheesa Collier is Unrivaled

Jan 17, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Napheesa Collier (24) of the Lunar Owls drives toward the basket as Courtney Vandersloot (25) of the Mist defends during the first half of the Unrivaled women’s professional 3v3 basketball league at Wayfair Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Jan 17, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Napheesa Collier (24) of the Lunar Owls drives toward the basket as Courtney Vandersloot (25) of the Mist defends during the first half of the Unrivaled women’s professional 3v3 basketball league at Wayfair Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

It feels very fitting that Napheesa Collier, one of the co-founders of Unrivaled, is, well, unrivaled on the league’s court.

Phee’s been on a scorched earth tear since the 2024 WNBA season, and it was turned up a notch during the WNBA Finals. Since arriving in Miami, she’s still torching everyone, averaging 29 points, 8.5 rebounds and just over one steal a matchup.

WHAT?! Excuse me, Napheesa Collier?! Sending thoughts and prayers to anyone lining up against Phee. May the odds be ever in your favor.

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13 marvelous Unrivaled pregame outfits from Week 1, including Angel Reese’s glamorous 1950’s-inpired look

The Unrivaled tunnel walk fits are off to a terrific start.

Welcome to For The Win’s inaugural edition of Unrivaled’s tunnel walk roundup, where we bring you the best looks from the league’s stars.

You didn’t think we would forget about all the fits Unrivaled unleashed during its debut, did you? (Of course, we put all the creations in one place for you to review. Of course, we did.) One of the best parts of the league’s opening weekend was so many players brought their top-tier fashion to Unrivaled, and we gotta say the fits were a whole vibe.

To the surprise of no one, Rose BC forward Angel Reese was totally glammed up for her debut, sporting a 1950s-style wardrobe, including a lovely scarf and sunglasses. “I’m wearing Pucci. I’m wearing Chanel. I’m wearing Hermes. I’m wearing diamonds,” Reese shared ahead of her first game. The rest of the league did not disappoint, and there are some fabulous outfits you need to see.

Here are 13 marvelous outfits from Unrivaled’s Week 1:

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5 sporting events held in colder weather than Donald Trump’s second inauguration

Cold means something very different to sports fans and politicians.

The second inauguration of Donald Trump on Monday is moving indoors at the United States Capitol due to an arctic blast forecasted to hit Washington D.C. this weekend.

It will be the first time the ceremony has not been held on the the Capitol’s western front since the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1985 was also moved inside due to the cold.

So how frigid will it get Monday? The latest forecasts indicates a temperature in the low 20s with wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour around noon when Trump will be sworn into office. Or, in sports parlance, nowhere near vaseline cold.

Sports have broken our brains to view enduring frigid temps as a badge of honor rather than a reason to fret. And there have been so many recent examples of leagues and organizers refusing to budge on scheduling when it comes to extreme cold.

So before you start to convince yourself 20 degrees is too cold to be outside, remember that hundreds of thousands of fans have endured much worse — sometimes in minimal clothing — to support their teams.

Sports played in colder temps than Trump’s inauguration

Jan. 14, 2024: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins (-4 degrees Fahrenheit)

(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

The NFL probably should’ve rescheduled this AFC Wild Card matchup. The wind chill reached -27 degrees Fahrenheit and dozens of fans at Arrowhead Field that day were treated for frostbite — with some needing amputations. Amazingly, this was only the fourth-coldest game in NFL history.

Jan. 1, 2022: Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues (-5.7 degrees Fahrenheit)

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The coldest game in NHL history. Of course it involved Minnesota. The Wild fell to the Blues, 6-4, in the 2022 Winter Classic at Target Field with St. Louis playing mind games in the cold well before puck drop.

Oct. 22, 1997: World Series Game 4, Florida Marlins vs. Cleveland Indians (38 degrees Fahrenheit)

Photo by JEFF HAYNES / AFP)

You may be thinking 38 degrees sounds tropic compared to some of the other games on this list, but the Snow Globe Game had a wind chill of 18 degrees. The only heat came from Cleveland’s bats in 10-3 victory, though the Marlins won the series in seven games.

Dec. 31, 1967: NFL Championship Game, Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys (-13 degrees Fahrenheit)

You knew the Ice Bowl was going to appear on this list. Negative 13 at kickoff with a a -48 wind chill (that’s since been updated to -36 under current guidelines). The heating system under the turf didn’t work properly and the Packers won 21-17 in a game that 50,000 attended and millions more claimed they were at.

1994 Winter Olympics, Lillehammer, Norway (7 degrees Fahrenheit)

Feb 12, 1994; Lillehammer, Norway: The main cauldron opening ceremony for the XVII Winter Olympics. Mandatory Credit: Prevost/Presse via USA TODAY Sports

It turns out Norway is quite cold in February! The Lillehammer Games are most commonly associated with the fallout of the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan saga, but the brutal frost was even harder to avoid. At night the Olympic Village averaged -13 degrees Fahrenheit.

10 powerful Penn State volleyball photos of the Nittany Lions winning a championship

Nothing better than a championship, celebratory confetti angels and smiles.

National champion Penn State volleyball has a nice ring to it.

The Nittany Lions’ program has an eighth title, and Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first woman head coach to win a Division I women’s volleyball championship. Schumacher-Cawley and her crew had an incredible march to the Final Four, including battling cancer for the volleyball coach. But she wouldn’t let her health stop her from seeing the Nittany Lions win it all.

On Sunday, Penn State emerged victorious at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, beating the hometown Cardinals, 3-1. The championship was everything fans could hope for, including a bonkers second set that included 10 set points. Here’s the moment they won it all:

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Pretty sweet, right?

A moment like that deserves some recognition. So, here’s 10 powerful photos of Penn State celebrating its much-deserved trophy:

Penn State celebrated after they defeated Louisville 3 sets to 1 to win the NCAA Championship Volleyball match at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 22, 2024. (Mandatory Credit: Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Penn State celebrated after they defeated Louisville 3 sets to 1 to win the NCAA Championship Volleyball match at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 22, 2024. (Mandatory Credit: Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Former Steelers All-Pro WR asks Tom Brady for forgiveness

Antonio Brown’s redemption story is nearing its conclusion, as the former Steelers’ All-Pro WR asked Tom Brady for forgiveness on Tuesday.

Love is in the air for Antonio Brown, as not only did the former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro receiver begin to mend his relationship with the city of Pittsburgh, but Brown also reached out to his former quarterback on the Patriots and Buccaneers, Tom Brady, for forgiveness.

Brown burned a lot of bridges towards the end of his career but appears to be trying to make things right in his retirement from football.

Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, pulled a lot of strings to bring AB onto the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just in time for them to win Super Bowl LV together. TB12 had even let Brown live with him during their time in Tampa Bay, and while the receiver had a polarizing exit to say the least, it appears Brown and Brady wish to put that behind them.

Only time will tell, but fans would enjoy seeing the former receiver reunite with another former QB of his, Ben Roethlisberger, whether at a game or even on the QB’s podcast in the near future.

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Steelers fans react to latest All-Pro WR trade rumor

Fans are excited about the possibility of getting All-Pro WR Cooper Kupp to the ‘Steel City’. Can GM Omar Khan make it happen?

After missing out on three heartbreaking wide receiver trades in 2024 so far, the fourth time’s a charm, right? 

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and the team’s front office certainly hope so, as 31-year-old All-Pro WR Cooper Kupp remains a strong trade target for the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Fans who were frustrated by the Steelers missing out on receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams, and DeAndre Hopkins could be in for a pleasant surprise if Khan can work out a deal with the Los Angeles Rams to send the 2021 Triple Crown receiver to the ‘Steel City.’ 

Acquiring Kupp would likely take no more than a second-round draft pick, and the Rams have agreed to take on a hefty portion of his guaranteed salary. This seems like the perfect trade Pittsburgh could use to keep pace with their AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, in the race to the top of the division. Here are some of the best fan reactions to the ‘Cooper Kupp to Pittsburgh’ rumors: 

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Steelers lose WR trade target to 2024 AFC opponent

The Pittsburgh Steelers have once again lost out on another All-Pro receiver the team was previously linked to.

Three former All-Pro wide receivers previously linked as Pittsburgh Steelers trade targets have come and gone, with nothing from the Steel City to show for it. The 32-year-old receiver DeAndre Hopkins has found himself a new quarterback to catch passes from, and sadly for all the Russell Wilson fans out there, it isn’t Mr. Unstoppable, but instead three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.

As if Steelers fans couldn’t fear the Christmas Day matchup with the Kansas City even more, with a current undefeated record of 6-0 on the season, the Chiefs pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans for a conditional fifth-round pick.

Will Pittsburgh finally stop losing out on the wide receiver trade market and bring a playmaker to a WR-needy Steelers team? While Russ will cook regardless, Steelers GM Omar Khan could set up his QB for success down the stretch with such a trade.

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Will Steelers’ LB rebound in Week 8 after inconsistent start to 2024?

Patrick Queen hasn’t really lived up the hype that surrounded his signing. Can the linebacker bounce back in Week 8 against the NY Giants?

Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Patrick Queen is due for a breakout game in Week 8, right? While the word ‘elite’ may describe fellow linebackers Elandon Roberts and Payton Wilson, ‘inconsistent’ better summarizes Queen’s 2024 performance.

He’s currently on pace to record his highest number of missed tackles in any of his five NFL seasons, and he’s currently tied for the second-worst missed tackle percentage of his career this year.

With that being said, Queen’s play hasn’t been all bad—he was solid in Weeks 2, 3, and 5. However, one major setback for the fifth-year linebacker from LSU has been his pass coverage. What was once a strength during his final years in Baltimore, has taken a significant step back in 2024 with the Steelers, as he’s allowing an average passer rating of 103.2 when targeted by opposing QBs.

While Roberts and Wilson have been more consistent on the field, Queen has a good chance to bounce back against the struggling Giants’ offense in Week 8.  Tune in to Monday Night Football this week to see if Queen can finally turn things around this season, on October 27th at 8:15 PM EST.

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