Huskies Camp Day 3: Putting on the Pads, Uiagalelei Returns
Study hall is over, and the real classes have begun.
The Huskies put on the pads for the first time on Sunday, and 2026 University of Washington football school is officially in session.
“Today just felt so good getting the pads on,” second-year offensive lineman John Mills said. “Last time was a spring game, and that was it was kind of a tempo-down practice. But now we're just getting fall camp, getting ready for the season — being able to hit people is always fun.”
Sounders Snap 7-Game Skid, Down Queretaro 3-0 in Leagues Cup Group Stage
The Seattle Sounders finally got a result on Sunday afternoon, and they did it emphatically.
To snap a franchise-worst seven-game losing streak, the Rave Green took down Liga MX side Queretaro 3-0 in the second game of their Leagues Cup run, scoring in a variety of well-executed attacks.
Seattle's offense was fueled by Tacoma Defiance signee Sebastian Gomez, who made his first start on the right wing to total an early goal and an assist by the game's end. Designated player Albert Rusnak scored his first goal in three months late, while Danny Musovski scored one of two Paul Rothrock assists for the first goal by a Sounders starting striker in 2026.
Just as the good feeling peaked late in the second half, 2025 Leagues Cup MVP Pedro de la Vega made his season debut after rehabbing from a knee injury since last fall. After eight solid minutes in which he opened eyes with his individual quality on the ball, de la Vega went down with a non-contact left quad injury to put a dampener on the good vibes Seattle had meticulously accrued.
The Sounders, still on a six-game MLS losing streak at 7-7-3 and out of the playoff picture, out-possessed Queretaro at over 60% and put up over two expected goals, thanks in large part to an improved performance from a rejuvenated defending midfield.
All in all, Seattle addressed plenty of issues and filled in gaps caused by key injuries well, starting the path toward salvaging what's been a 2026 season gone awry.
"The focus was on (the team) believing that they could win," head coach Brian Schmetzer said postgame.
From all appearances, and a lighter locker room postgame, the Sounders have at least started the process of regaining that confidence.
‘I Can Do Everything': Montorie Foster Jr. Relishing Second Chance as Seahawks’ Biggest Camp Surprise
Taking the snap and moving the pocket slightly to his left, Jalen Milroe scanned the field midway through the Seattle Seahawks’ annual Fan Fest practice at Lumen Field, setting his back foot and launching the football deep down the left sideline.
Normally an excellent downfield passer with a powerful arm, Milroe’s throw seemed to catch a bit too much of the wrong current, running out of steam as the ball floated several yards short of his intended target in receiver Montorie Foster Jr. Most of the time, an incompletion would be the best case scenario on such a badly underthrown go ball, and with two defenders in the area, an interception almost seemed probable as the pass started to descend towards the turf.
However, showing great awareness tracking the football, Foster astutely worked back towards the pass with safety D’Anthony Bell not being privy to the ball coming up several yards short through the air. Taking advantage of Bell’s back being turned to the ball, the second-year wideout reeled the pass in along the sideline and then turned back inside, managing to sprint past two defenders before turning back upfield and outracing the rest of the converging defense for an unexpected 48-yard touchdown reception.
Becoming an expert at turning the unexpected into reality during his first full training camp with the Seahawks, Foster’s latest efforts didn’t surprise Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, who has reached the point where he’s run out of words to describe the upstart wideout’s emergence as he continues to stack strong practice after strong practice.
“I'm seeing the same thing as you guys are,” Macdonald said of Foster, who drew praise from receiver Rashid Shaheed after Friday’s practice. “It's great. He's doing a great job for himself. He just really is. I don't have anything else to add, except he's doing a phenomenal job.”
Washington Men’s Basketball Mid-Summer Outlook: Projected Depth Chart, Key Questions, Expectations
The Huskies men’s basketball program has not had much success in recent years. Mike Hopkins was let go in 2024 after a 17-15 season. Pullman native Danny Sprinkle was hired to lead the purple and gold back to relevance, but his first two years have been a struggle.
After reaching the Round of 32 at Utah State, Sprinkle brought his star Great Osobor to Montlake with a reshaped roster. Osobor showed up to UW notably out of shape and high expectations quickly turned into a forgettable 13-18 season. Yet re-signing freshman star Zoom Diallo and a host of high-end transfers again had fans expecting a tournament team.
Future lottery pick Hannes Steinbach teamed up with Diallo, but most of their supporting cast was injured. Sprinkle was able to get to 16-17, but again, could not get his injury-riddled team to the NCAA tournament.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Tie Season-Long Losing Streak With Loss to Fire
Dominique Malonga and Jade Melbourne combined for 44 points against a short-handed Portland Fire squad, but the Seattle Storm once again whiffed on a clutch game victory in a 100-93 loss on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Moda Center.
Melbourne set a new career-high with 23 points and five assists, while Malonga added 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The rest of the Storm’s starters struggled, however, and the bench had to contribute 32 points to keep Seattle (6-28) in the game.
Portland (13-19) lost its leading scorer early, but it got consistent offense from the entire team to win its second straight game. Bridget Carleton totaled a team-high 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Fire’s short streak comes after losing five in a row.
Analysis: Observations From Seahawks’ 2026 Football Fan Fest
Taking the next step towards their upcoming regular season opener against the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks welcomed fans back to Lumen Field for their annual Football Fan Fest practice on Saturday.
As they have done each of the previous two years with coach Mike Macdonald at the helm, Seattle held a full-fledged padded practice rather than a glorified scrimmage, mixing in plenty of individual drills, competitive 1-on-1 reps, and special teams time before implementing situational 11-on-11 team sessions. Crediting the 12s for showing up even with the Mariners playing next door, Macdonald felt pleased with the work his team got done in what amounted to a roughly 100-minute practice.
I really appreciate the effort that everybody took to get out. Thank you,” Macdonald said. “Having a lot of enthusiasm, just really felt the love from the 12s today. So that was really great. And then in addition to that, I think we got some really good work in. It wasn't the longest practice of all time, but we got some good stuff in, and we'll be ready to go next Saturday.”
What stood out at Seattle’s annual Fan Fest?
Coming Off Playoff Detour, D’Anthony Bell Blessed to Return to Seahawks With Super Bowl Ring
Under the vast majority of circumstances, having outstanding depth at a position on an NFL roster should be seen as a good problem to have.
But as D’Anthony Bell and the Seattle Seahawks learned last December, having too many good safeties on their roster ended up coming back to bite them with the playoffs right on the doorstep. Facing a numbers game with injuries and roster needs that had to be addressed at other positions, the team waived him just before the new year on December 30, believing he would be able to slip through waivers and return as a member of the practice squad with hopes of getting him back on the roster down the line.
However, the Carolina Panthers decided to throw a wrench in those plans. In the hunt for a playoff berth of their own and familiar with Bell after facing him in Week 16, they put in a claim for the veteran defender once he hit the waiver wire and wound up adding him to their roster for the final two weeks of the regular season.
In the aftermath of the unexpected claim, Bell didn’t suit up for either of Carolina’s final two games, making his lone appearance in a Panthers uniform in a wild card round loss to the Rams with 13 special teams snaps. Meanwhile, his former team notched the No. 1 seed and eventually the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, bringing home the Lombardi Trophy for just the second time in franchise history.
Washington State Adds Final Commitment to 2026-27 Basketball Roster, Signs Mohamed Sankhe
Washington State has officially added the final piece to its 2026-27 men’s basketball roster.
The Cougars landed French big man Mohamed Sankhe, who committed to Washington State. According to CougFan.com, the addition had been in the works since April. The 6-foot-10 center becomes the final addition to head coach David Riley’s roster and gives WSU another option in the frontcourt.
Sankhe was the big man
With Cap Space to Spare, Kraken Need to Upgrade Offense
The NHL offseason has hit the dog days. Gone are the draft and the initial wave of free agency. The Seattle Kraken made a flurry of moves early, trading for and then extending Mackie Samoskevich and re-signing deadline acquisition Bobby McMann. They added physical forward Curtis Douglas as well, likely to be towards the bottom of the lineup.
What they still lack is a true, proven difference maker. That still can come from their own ranks, like Matty Beniers, Berkly Catton, or Kaapo Kakko. But it feels like the Kraken are going to continue to spin their tires in the mud until either one rises to the occasion or they bring in a mercenary who can get the puck in the net.
According to PuckPedia, the Kraken have the second-most cap space at the moment, with $18.41 million still at their disposal. They also have the least amount of their cap tied up in money toward forwards in the entire NHL. For reference, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes rank third in that category. It pays to have forwards who score goals and get paid.
Two veteran free agents remain available for anyone, including the Kraken, to sign.
Mariners Offense Continues Slumber, Wastes Strong Logan Gilbert Start against Rays
The cathartic excitement of 45 seconds prior meant nothing as a 39,468-strong crowd saw Josh Naylor take the final pitch of the game for strike three, capping off a 2-1 loss and the Mariners’ 11th defeat in their past 16 games. Those fans booed relentlessly, their patience broken by the continued ineptitude of the offense.
Logan Gilbert had hurled well for Seattle, going deep into the seventh inning, but thanks to the lack of batting, it didn’t matter. The M’s barely avoided the third shutout in four games, and though they managed a run at the very end, it was still just the fifth run since the trade deadline: a stark reminder that the struggles the team had were due to the shortcomings of the stars.
Seattle went scoreless for most of the game, helpless against Rays pitching.
Where Gilbert was effective, Rays starter Drew Rasmussen was brilliant. Or perhaps the Mariners offense was once again lethargic; in truth, it was probably both.
Looking for any way to wake up the sluggish bats, Mariners manager Dan Wilson shook up the lineup. Taylor Ward led off the game with Cole Young batting second and Julio Rodríguez batting fifth. It didn’t work. Ward - whose struggles at T-Mobile Park continued in his fourth game with the M’s - went 0-4 with two strikeouts, while Young’s one hit didn’t come with anyone on base.
Seattle’s chances were relatively few and far between. Rodríguez knocked a one-out single and stole second before Naylor walked to put two men on. Brendan Donovan struck out and Cal Raleigh walked in turn to load the bases, but with Colt Emerson at the plate, Rasmussen knew what to do.
Camp Takeaways: Cooper Kupp, Seahawks ‘Sharpen Iron’ in Competitive Back-and-Forth 12th Practice
Throughout the constant ebbs and flows of an NFL training camp, most practices offer a clear winner between the offense and defense.
But on Friday morning, for those in attendance at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center taking in the Seattle Seahawks’ 12th practice and penultimate session open to fans, trying to determine a “winner” proved to be far more challenging with a balanced, back-and-forth effort featuring a blend of big plays on offense and turnovers generated on defense.
“Competition, that’s what these practices mean, especially at this time of camp,” receiver Rashid Shaheed told reporters moments after practice concluded. “With all the installs coming in, now it’s just about execution, going out and playing football. When we have a great offense and a great defense, we are going to see some back and forth and push. It’s just going to get us better at the end.”
What stood out from Seattle’s hyper-competitive 12th practice of the summer?
Analysis: Which Kraken Prospects Will Earn a Spot in 2027 World Junior Championships?
Five Seattle Kraken prospects participated at last week’s World Junior Summer Showcase, but it remains to be seen how many of those players will make their country’s 2027 World Junior Championships roster this December.
The WJC features 10 nations and their best under-20 players. The 2027 WJC begins on December 26 later this year. Last week’s WJSS gave USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland an opportunity to face one another and assess their projected rosters.
At the Windsor, Ontario showcase, recent seventh overall pick Chase Reid returned as the top Team USA defenseman while 2025 seventh-rounder Loke Krantz had an elevated role as one of few returning players for Team Sweden. Jake O’Brien was not at the tournament, but should make Team Canada.
Other Kraken prospects such as USA’s Blake Fiddler and Casey Mutryn and Sweden’s Ola Palme were invited to the showcase, but aren’t expected to make their country’s WJC roster this December.
Florida State Forward, "5-in-5" Transfer Chauncey Wiggins Commits to Gonzaga
Landing their second commitment from a “5-in-5” player in as many days, the Gonzaga Bulldogs made an intriguing addition to their frontcourt late on Thursday.
6-10 forward Chauncey Wiggins, who played his senior year at Florida State, will transfer to the Zags for his fifth and final collegiate year. He brings an interesting dynamic to GU’s frontcourt as a floor stretcher, while also possessing outlier length akin to some wings on the Bulldogs’ roster last season. Wiggins’ announcement makes the program’s fourth transfer portal addition of the offseason, and it follows Dayton guard Javon Bennett committing to the program, leaving four official spots open in Spokane.
On Wednesday morning, a Georgia judge granted an injunction to 30 student-athletes from the Class of 2022 seeking a fifth collegiate season, one of them being Wiggins. Less than 48 hours later, he committed to Gonzaga, placing another dynamic piece in one of the best frontcourts in the country.
Mariners Fall Lifeless for Shutout No. 11, Loss No. 60; Team Once Again at Brink
Less than 24 hours after another game that seemed like a potential jumping off point for the streak Seattle has sought all year, the team found themselves turned into a semi-liquid mass of pulp as the Tigers delivered one of the worst beatdowns all year: an 11-0 loss and the 11th time that the team has been shut out in the 2026 season.
The game was notable for being managed by bench coach Manny Acta, with Dan Wilson suspended one game due to Gabe Speier’s intentional hit-by-pitch on Wednesday. But it didn’t look like any sort of turned page for Seattle, who fell asleep at the dish after falling behind the Tigers early on, grounding into four double plays and failing to get an extra-base hit.
It was the 34th time this season that the Mariners have gone without an extra-base hit, most in MLB by three games. They’re on pace for 47 such games this season, which would land them in a 13-way tie for 34th most in the integration era. It would be the most ever in the 21st century.
Those extra base hits were the difference in the series against the Tigers, as the one game they managed to get more than singles, they scored four runs and logged their 56th win of the season. In the two games they didn’t, they scored zero runs in total. Thursday’s loss in particular came as a gut-punch, on the heels of benches-clearing near-fireworks on Wednesday.
The Mariners offense came crashing down to earth on Thursday, failing to score any runs.
For much of Wednesday’s game, the M’s were as scoreless as they had been on Tuesday and would be on Thursday. The scoreless tie was broken by a three-run homer from Julio Rodríguez in the sixth and Colt Emerson rocked a bomb in the eighth to cap off Wednesday’s 4-2 win, but that turned out to be all the runs the team scored in the series.
New Faces to Know on Washington State's Offense
With about a month until the Washington State Cougars kick off the 2026 season, it's time to take a look at some of the new faces on the offensive side of the ball.
A new coaching staff usually brings plenty of roster turnover in today's college football landscape, but the Cougars did an impressive job retaining most of their offensive core following the hire of Kirby Moore. Washington State returns its top three running backs, its leading returning receiver, and the majority of its offensive line despite the presence of the transfer portal. Still, the coaching staff brought in several talented additions who could make an immediate impact this fall, including a projected new starter under center.
Gonzaga Adds Fifth-Year Guard Javon Bennett From Dayton to Fortify Backcourt
There will be plenty of movement in college basketball over the next several weeks as more “5-in-5” NCAA lawsuits get settled.
Although some cases across the country that the Gonzaga Bulldogs are monitoring are still active, an Ohio judge granted an injunction for 15 players back on July 9. One of the players involved in the Ohio lawsuit was 5-10 Javon Bennett, who spent the last three seasons at Dayton, committed to the Zags on Wednesday, first reported by On3’s Joe Tipton.
Facing severe turmoil in their backcourt over the last few months, the Bulldogs add an experienced, productive guard who should give them solid minutes this upcoming season.
Seahawks Add Fullback Depth With Robbie Ouzts’ Status Uncertain
Awaiting further updates on injured starter Robbie Ouzts midway through training camp, the Seattle Seahawks added some insurance to the fullback position, reuniting running backs coach Thomas Hammock with a former pupil.
As announced by the team before a walkthrough practice on Thursday, the Seahawks have signed former Northern Illinois fullback Brock Lampe to their 90-man roster. In a corresponding move, the team released tight end Lance Mason, one of a handful of initial undrafted free agent signings made by the team in April.
While most of the NFL continues to skip out on having traditional fullbacks on their roster, the Seahawks have zigged back into the minority over the past two seasons with former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and new play caller Brian Fleury coming from the coaching tree of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. Last season, Seattle finished fifth in 21 personnel usage (11%) with two backs and one tight end on the field, while San Francisco finished first at a remarkable 36% clip, 12% more than any other team in the league.
One Big Thing Continues to Plague Mariners’ Pitching Staff
On paper, most consider the Seattle Mariners to have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. Certainly, that is true of their starting rotation. They lead all of baseball in innings pitched by their starters, while ranking seventh in starter WAR and eighth in starter ERA.
In an age of baseball where it’s a “five and dive” approach for starters - or going five innings and turning things over to flamethrowing reliever after flamethrowing reliever - the Mariners’ rotation is a bit of a throwback.
The bullpen certainly has some bright spots as well. Gabe Speier, Jose Ferrer, and Andres Munoz make up a solid back end of the bullpen. Seattle has the sixth-best bullpen ERA in MLB. Yet, there is something missing. Over the last 30 days, the Mariners’ team ERA has trickled down to 21st in the league. Sure, some of that is due to the likes of Matt Brash, Cooper Criswell, and Carlos Vargas battling injuries. That affects the overall depth of the bullpen, which is getting more and more exposed as a result.
Sounders Outclassed in Leagues Cup Opener vs. Toluca
The Seattle Sounders have lost in a variety of ways in the current seven-game losing streak they're on.
But Wednesday's Leagues Cup opener against Concacaf Champions Cup winner Toluca felt different, as Seattle lost 3-0 as a clearly outclassed squad. The Sounders, as defending Leagues Cup champions, were outshot 38-4, allowing an 18-2 shots-on-frame disparity as Toluca generated 3.5 expected goals to Seattle's 0.3.
The Sounders, still down key pieces like Cristian Roldan and Yeimar, struggled to institute their press against an uber-talented Toluca squad — which scored in the third minute. From there, 40-year-old Seattle keeper Stefan Frei, who is handling Leagues Cup duties in place of usual starter Andrew Thomas to give the club legend some minutes, was pushed to his limit with 15 saves. Thanks — solely at times — to Frei, the game stayed at 1-0 somehow despite a flurry of Toluca chances off set pieces and open-play chances alike.
Frei made multiple diving saves, even coming off his line to stop 1-on-1 chances to keep Seattle within swiping range of a team that was clearly better than it on this night.
But Toluca, the Liga MX 2024-25 second-half and 2025-26 first-half champions, kept the foot on the gas and found the second goal off a rebound in the mid-second half before similarly adding a third in second-half stoppage.
Despite the injuries, the eight-hour flight from Seattle to Toluca, the 8,000-plus foot elevation and the Sounders' recent form, the nature in which they lost was astonishing. Toluca playmakers like Jesús Gallardo and Alexis Vega broke Seattle's press with ease, making a team that started 2026 as one of MLS' great defenses look far below average with consistency.
Without the intervention of a vintage Frei, Seattle could have been on the wrong end of a remake of its 7-0 win over Liga MX powerhouse Cruz Azul last season, which propelled it to the Leagues Cup title.
Sounders skipper Brian Schmetzer, ever the competitor confident in his team’s ability to win big games, compared Seattle trying to take down Toluca to the most iconic "miracle" in American sports postgame.
"Could we have won the game? Maybe. I mean, the (U.S.) men's hockey team in 1980… beat the Russians," Schmetzer said. "We beat Miami last year in the Leagues Cup final; we were the underdogs. So things like that can happen, but this was going to be a heavy ask."
The Montlake Report: Huskies Gear Up for Fall Camp as 2026 Season Approaches
Closing in on the start of the 2026 college football season, the Washington Huskies hope to take the next step forward as a College Football Playoff contender in year three under coach Jedd Fisch.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down what he heard from coaches and players at Media Day as the Huskies prepare for a new season with high expectations as Fisch returns with plenty of offensive firepower - including quarterback Demond Williams back under center - and intriguing defensive additions to the roster.
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