WATCH: Sounders Settle for Scoreless Draw with Red Bulls, Pick Up First Clean Sheet Since April
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a 0-0 draw between the 7-9-6 Seattle Sounders (13th in Western Conference) and Red Bull New York (7-10-6) on Saturday night.
The Sounders won the expected-goals battle 2.1-1.0 and took 20 shots, but six key saves from RBNY keeper Ethan Horvath and close-range misses by Paul Rothrock and Sebastian Gomez kept the Rave Green scoreless. Defender Kalani Kossa-Rienzi was the latest in a constant stream of Sounders players to get injured, as the wingback sprained his right ankle in the first half and was confirmed to be in a boot postgame. On a positive note, the Sounders tabbed their first clean sheet since April, as keeper Andrew Thomas had four saves while Cristian Roldan, Alex Roldan and others played sound defensive games.
The Sounders will take on the team one spot ahead of them in the LA Galaxy next week, with 12 games left before the MLS Cup Playoffs.
‘Thrilled to Be Back’: Kraken Re-sign Jacob Melanson to Three-Year Deal
Locking up one of their young players for the foreseeable future, the Seattle Kraken re-signed winger Jacob Melanson to three-year, $4.35 million contract on Friday. The deal carries a $1.45 AAV and the 23-year-old will remain a restricted free agent when it expires.
The 6-1 Melanson played 36 games with the Kraken last season, scoring two goals and five points. He had nine goals and 19 points in 28 games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, adding a goal and five points in 11 AHL playoff games for the team. That was a big step up from 2024-25, where Melanson tallied eight goals and 13 points in 42 games with Coachella Valley.
Such improvements provided more than enough reason for the Kraken to extend Melanson, a player who they believe could have more room to grow in coming years.
“We’re excited to re-sign Jacob,” general manager Jason Botterill said in the team’s press release. “He brought a lot of physicality and energy to our group last season, and we’re looking forward to seeing more from him these next few years.”
Seahawks Prepping for ‘Guessing Game' Facing Overhauled Patriots in Super Bowl Rematch
Playing the same opponent to end one season and open another isn’t completely unprecedented in the NFL, particularly in the event that the two teams who played in the previous Super Bowl just happen to have a rare out of conference matchup slated for the following regular season.
Still, when the Seattle Seahawks kick off their Super Bowl title defense against the New England Patriots, the “same” opponent that they defeated to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara back in February, there’s no question there will be some oddities to the rematch seven months and a full offseason in the making. Beyond playing on a Wednesday night, which has only happened five times previously in league history, including twice on Christmas, the two squads will have some notable differences personnel-wise, particularly for the visitors flying in from Foxboro.
Settling into his first game planning week of the season, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald likes the “change of pace” away from the vanilla days of the preseason in August and has certainly gone back to watch Super Bowl LX as a means for preparation for the Patriots, but he understands the unpredictable nature that always comes with season openers regardless of familiarity with opponent. No matter what, there inevitably will be developments in the game that his staff and players haven’t prepared for and need to audible on accordingly.
“First game of the year is a little tricky,” Macdonald said prior to Saturday’s practice, which replaced the typical Wednesday practice to open a game week given the unique Week 1 schedule. “You don’t want to fall in the trap of applying last year’s things you see too much to what’s going to happen this year. Teams grow and evolve and change and there’s different personnel on both sides. Our focus is trying to do the things that we do that our guys can go play the best they can and also try to apply as much pressure as you can as well but understanding how the game goes, there’s going to be some things that we’re going to be required to make adjustments in game.”
What Are the Storm’s Chances of Landing No. 1 Overall Pick?
The WNBA is currently on a late-season break for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, but when the Seattle Storm return to play on Thursday, Sept. 17, they will only have four games remaining in the season.
At this point in the season, the seven teams included in the WNBA Draft Lottery have already been decided. The league’s top-8 teams heading to the playoffs are already determined.
The Storm will be joined by the Connecticut Sun, Toronto Tempo, Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky and Portland Fire — all of whom are eliminated from postseason contention. The Washington Mystics hold the Sky’s first-round pick, however, and benefit from the more games Chicago loses.
Even though they have the worst record in the league this season, the Storm are essentially stuck with the fourth-highest odds for the No. 1 overall pick. To understand why, it’s important to understand how the WNBA conducts its draft lottery.
Mariners Playoff Hopes All But Finished After Dropping First Two to A’s
Ask not for whom the bell tolls.
Friday saw the Mariners place one more stone on their own immurement, falling to 66-76 and seven games back of the division. In truth, they had long sealed themselves off from any reasonable chance of wriggling themselves out of their predicament, but they had still been in the twilight of the possible as they returned home from a series win against the Red Sox and began their first of four games against the Athletics.
Losing the first two games of that series should put any remaining embers of hope to bed. The long odds of late August have become near-impossible ones with only a few days gone in September, as the team must make up a seven-game deficit with 20 contests left to go.
The word Mariners manager Dan Wilson used after Friday’s 7-6 defeat wasn’t “tough”; it was “difficult” as he began his immediate recap postgame and “frustrating” as he concluded it. But the sentiment was identical, seemingly homologous to the great gray mass of clouds over T-Mobile Park as summer turns to autumn. Such has been the season in 2026.
Not to mention the fact that Lazaro Montes left the game early.
Logan Gilbert gave up five runs on four homers in the third as his heaters went south.
‘Surprised’ Avery Smith Excited to Join Seahawks, Carve Out Role With Defending Champs
Hours before the NFL’s roster cutdown deadline arrived, Avery Smith found himself in the same position as the vast majority of undrafted rookies around the league, restlessly sitting on pins and needles hanging onto hopes of making the Los Angeles Chargers’ 53-man roster.
But Smith’s short NFL journey took an unexpected, rare detour. Rather than being informed by the Chargers that he had made the team or been cut, the former Toledo standout learned that fate had entirely different plans, taking him to the Pacific Northwest as a member of the Seahawks, indeed making a 53-man roster but with a different team than the one he had suited up for since early May.
After scrambling to gather his belongings and embark on the trip north to the Emerald City in a matter of days, Smith’s whirlwind of a week led to him donning a No. 27 uniform in his first practice as a Seahawk on Thursday, still plenty shocked to be in his new surroundings.
“I follow football, and I haven’t really heard of an undrafted free agent getting traded before the regular season,” Smith said, expressing his excitement for joining the Seahawks amid the unexpected. “So that is what surprised me.”
Hindsight is 20/26: Re-Grading the Mariners’ Offseason Moves
The MLB regular season is heading into a sprint to the finish. There are roughly four weeks left until the playoff picture is set. The Seattle Mariners still have a chance to be in the dance, though those hopes are fading with each loss, including a series-opening defeat at the hands of the lowly Athletics on Thursday.
The Mariners certainly made moves over the offseason to try and capitalize on their trip to the ALCS last year. But fans definitely felt like they could’ve done even more, and the results on the field only have provided more evidence for that argument.
Let’s revisit some of the biggest moves the Mariners made last offseason and see how things played out. Certainly, the benefit of hindsight makes this a little unfair. Some moves that aren’t exactly looking like “A-plus” moves now felt like it back then, in the moment.
Gonzaga Women’s Soccer Falls 1-0 to Wyoming in Back-and-Forth Affair
Squaring off in another close match, Gonzaga women’s soccer (2-4-1) returned to Spokane for its home game in two weeks, taking on Wyoming (4-2) at Luger Field on Thursday.
The pendulum swung constantly throughout the 90 minutes, with both sides having ample opportunities to score, but to no avail for the first 75 minutes. But similar to the Zags’ last game on Sunday against Seattle U, the game-winner came in heartbreaking fashion, as an own goal was GU’s undoing in the 1-0 defeat.
It was otherwise a banner night for both defenses and goalkeepers, who resisted persistent attacks from opposing strikers and forwards for nearly the entire match. That’s what makes this another tough result for Gonzaga, which dropped its second straight game.
Neither team had trouble pushing the ball into the attacking third, but the backlines buckled down as more players clustered around the net, and there were some tremendous saves throughout. Zags keeper Sydney Head put together the best game of her career, with the lone goal on her ledger being a similar set piece that has recently plagued GU’s defense. Head collected five saves, including a couple of athletic parries, playing well enough to notch her first career shoutout. Cowboys’ keeper Haley Bartel, on the other hand, logged her 21st career shutout, saving seven of the Bulldogs’ shots.
BREAKING: Shane Wright ‘Fully Committed’ to the Kraken, Per Agent
Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright was reportedly set to be traded this offseason. Contrary to that reporting, Wright’s agent Kurt Overhardt tells the Emerald City Spectrum that the young center is “fully committed” to Seattle as of now.
“There is nothing we can discuss right now, we will see how things develop over the next few weeks,” Overhardt shared in a statement. “Until that time, Shane is fully committed to the Kraken and that is all he is focused on now.”
In July, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Wright’s camp was working with general manger Jason Botterill on a trade. Other executives who’ve spoken to Seattle said there’s obviously an agreement between team and agent to work together, but the Kraken made it extremely clear they expect a fair price and won’t be pressured into anything they don’t want to do.
Overhardt agreed with that reporting, telling the insider, “I can confirm that we have had positive conversations with GM Jason Botterill, and he has agreed to move Shane this summer to a team in need of a top young center.”
PODCAST: Title Defense Begins as Seahawks Ramp Up Prep for Week 1 Super Bowl Rematch
Winning the Super Bowl is, well, a difficult feat to achieve, and as the Seattle Seahawks try to become just the ninth team ever to repeat in NFL history, the climb from the bottom of the mountain will soon begin with a rematch against the Patriots at Lumen Field.
Seahawks Triple Option hosts Robert Turbin, Corbin Smith, and Rob Rang share their unique perspectives on the challenges that come with being a defending champion and assess how prepared Mike Macdonald's squad is to wear the target on their back seven months after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, dish out their roster superlatives on a number of 53-man and practice squad related scenarios, including biggest surprise and most likely to be "Wally Pipped," and break down New England's offseason changes on the offensive side of the football and how improvements could make life tougher for Seattle in a Week 1 rematch.
Subscribe to the Seattle Triple Option podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.
Washington Huskies Game-By-Game Predictions, and This Week’s Big Ten Picks
Welcome to Week 1 of Big Ten blowouts. There will be many these first three weeks.
For Washington, it starts with a potentially lopsided Apple Cup. The Huskies most likely need to win 10 games to earn Jedd Fisch’s first career College Football Playoff berth in his third season at UW. You may not need to worry much until Game 5 at USC. Will that be the first loss of the season for the Huskies? Find out below.
Trade Revisited: Brendan Donovan a Costly Miss for Mariners Thus Far
Heading into the 2026 season, the Seattle Mariners were the odds-on favorite to represent the American League in the World Series. The Mariners have drastically underperformed those expectations, however, limping to the final month of the season barely clinging to playoff life.
Many fans want to clean house. Since ownership can’t be fired, Jerry Dipoto and Dan Wilson are on the chopping block. While nobody believes Wilson will survive the offseason, Dipoto deserves to keep his job, and Seattle fans should hope he sticks around for the long haul.
One of Dipoto’s big offseason swings might be viewed as a failure by the average fan, as Brendan Donovan has had an injury-plagued season and, like the entire team, has performed below expectations.
Hindsight is 20-20, but let’s revisit the offseason blockbuster to see who came out on top almost a season later
Sale Finalized: Introducing the Khoslas, Seahawks New Ownership Group
Ushering in a new era for the franchise, one week after unanimous approval by NFL owners to take the torch from the Allen estate, the Seattle Seahawks announced on Thursday that the sale to the Khosla family has been finalized, making them controlling owners of the team.
With the sale now executed, Vinod Kholsa - founder of Khosla Ventures - will take over as Seattle’s new Chair, while his wife Neeru Khosla will be Controlling Owner and President of the Seahawks Charitable Foundation and son Neal Khosla will serve as Vice Chair.
"We are honored and excited to begin this next chapter,” Vinod Khosla said through a statement on the team’s website. “The Seahawks are known for their championship culture, winning football, and a deep connection to the 12s and the Pacific Northwest. We look forward to engaging with the Seattle community and building upon the legacy and traditions that make this franchise so special. We would like to extend our gratitude to the investors joining our ownership group and to everyone who has supported us throughout the sale process."
WATCH: Mariners’ Playoff Hopes Hanging By a Prayer, Is September Schedule Cooperating?
Still eight games under .500, Randy Arozarena and the Seattle Mariners somehow have plenty of life left in the dreadful AL West with one month to play after taking two out of three from the Red Sox in Boston.
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee breaks down the Mariners' remaining schedule for the rest of the 2026 regular season. Could a soft underbelly to wrap up the schedule be Seattle's saving grace? Or is it too little, too late?
Apple Cup Preview: Washington State Begins Kirby Moore Era Against No. 17 Washington
Washington State will officially begin the Kirby Moore era on the road when the Cougars take on the Washington Huskies in the Apple Cup, presenting a substantial challenge for the new coach as he tries to get his squad off to a fast start.
Moore will become Washington State’s third head coach in as many years, taking over a roster that has undergone significant changes throughout the offseason as they head into the first season competing in the new-look Pac-12 conference. With plenty of new faces on both sides of the ball, the Cougars will open the new campaign as a heavy underdog against a ranked Huskies team while looking to avenge last season’s loss.
What stands out as the Cougs prepare for their annual - at least for now - rivalry matchup in Seattle?
Pinnick at the Wheel for Washington State Offense
Caden Pinnick will take over as Washington State’s starting quarterback as the Cougars open the season with with plenty of changes on offense.
Pinnick, a transfer from UC Davis, was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year and will be tasked with leading an offense that features a few noteworthy returners from last year’s squad, including a backfield with Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi all returning. The Cougars will also bring back their second and third-leading receivers from a year ago in Tony Freeman and tight end Trey Leckner. Leckner, however, will miss part of the season after suffering a foot injury.
Gonzaga Adds Seattle U Assistant Bryce Douglas to Coaching Staff
In an offseason full of unexpected departures in Spokane, the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ coaching staff became down a man late in the summer.
Jorge Sanz, who had been on the Zags’ coaching staff for the last eight seasons, took a position at UNC under first-year head coach Michael Malone. As GU’s former director of basketball operations, Sanz leaving for North Carolina is about as tough a loss for the program off the court.
Although the ‘DOBO’ role is still vacant for Gonzaga, it recently restocked to five assistant coaches under Mark Few. The Bulldogs added Bryce Douglas to its sideline staff, who most recently spent three seasons at Seattle University.
While Sanz specialized in building GU’s nonconference schedule and recruiting, particularly internationally, Douglas’ background is rooted in analytics. He has 15 years of combined experience at the professional and collegiate levels, while also dabbling in the international circuit.
Joining a staff that includes Brian Michaelson, R-Jay Barsh, Stephen Gentry, and Zach Norvell Jr., Douglas brings a different approach to analytics than what was previously in the building, filling a hole already in the coaching room rather than directly replacing Sanz. And with the inevitable retirement of Few on the horizon, Douglas was a hire likely co-signed by Michaelson, Gonzaga’s head coach-in-waiting.
WATCH: Behind Untested Jadarian Price, Is Seahawks Run Game Regular Season Ready?
Losing the Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker III in free agency, the state of the run game may be the Seahawks' biggest question mark as they prepare to defend their Super Bowl title.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith revisits Seattle's crazy rushing splits from the first to second half last season and examines how concerned fans should be about the team having similar issues early in the 2026 season with a new stable of backs led by rookie Jadarian Price and a new offensive coordinator in Brian Fleury calling plays.
Sounders Trade for DC United MF Caden Clark, Loan Osaze De Rosario to Denmark
The Seattle Sounders made one more move to close out the summer 2026 transfer window as it expired Wednesday afternoon, trading for 23-year-old DC United midfielder Caden Clark, as first reported by Niko Moreno of Sounder at Heart. The Sounders ship out a 2028 Superdraft second-rounder and pick up a contract for Clark with wages of over $400,000 this season and a club option for the 2027 sprint season and ensuing 2027-28 season.
Clark, who spent a season in the German Bundesliga three years ago, has played just seven games for United and has floated all over MLS since he started his pro career at 16 years old. He played a central attacking midfielder position primarily for DC last season, but should figure into the winger conversation in Seattle.
That’s because GM Craig Waibel and head coach Brian Schmetzer had hinted at the team having more moves in the pipeline after last week's big-name addition of striker Dejan Joveljić from Sporting Kansas City. Waibel had said the team was looking for "speed in the channels" in particular, and reporting from Moreno confirmed the Sounders had a bigger name winger than Clark in mind, but the deal didn’t come to fruition.
Clark had eight goal contributions in just 12 games with the NY Red Bulls II of the USL Championship in 2020 before playing for the first team in MLS for over two seasons, notching 11 goal contributions in 47 games. His performance as teenager earned him a seven-digit transfer to RB Leipzig, but he never saw Bundesliga minutes in the 2022-23 season.
Clark, who spent a season in the German Bundesliga but didn’t play a game three years ago, has played just seven games for United this year and has floated all over MLS since he started his pro career at 16 years old. He largely played in the central attacking midfield for DC United last season, but will likely figure into the wings for Seattle.
That’s because GM Craig Waibel and head coach Brian Schmetzer had hinted at the team having more moves in the pipeline after last week's big-name addition of striker Dejan Joveljić from Sporting Kansas City. In particular, Waibel had said the team was looking for "speed in the channels," and reporting from Moreno confirmed the Sounders had a bigger-name winger than Clark in mind but couldn’t get that deal done.
FIBA Women’s World Cup: How, When to Watch All Storm Players Competing
The Seattle Storm have four players competing in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup that begins on Friday, Sept. 4, in Berlin.
Dominique Malonga (France), Awa Fam (Spain), Ezi Magbegor (Australia) and Jade Melbourne (Australia) will all be playing for their home countries in the nine-day, 16-team tournament, which has all WNBA teams taking a short break from the season near its end.
Fam was the only Storm player who had her contract temporarily suspended by the franchise, as she reported to the Spain national team early. That forced her to miss Seattle’s final game before the FIBA break on Sunday, Aug. 30 — a 90-74 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.
Malonga, Magbegor and Melbourne all played right up to the break.
The World Cup has four groups, each with four teams. Each team will play three games in the group phase, one each against the other teams in their group.
Analysis: Shane Wright, Seattle Kraken Need One Another After Rumor-Filled Offseason
Former top-five NHL draft pick Shane Wright and his camp reportedly were working on a trade from the Seattle Kraken early this offseason, and his time with the organization appeared to be coming to an end.
But with no movement yet on the trade front and training camp beginning later this month, it’s possible - if not probable - Wright at least starts next season in Seattle. And that could be best situation for his development and career.
Last season, the 2022 fourth overall pick played 74 games and finished with 24 points, good for ninth on the team. Wright averaged 13:48 of ice time, which was 10th among Seattle forwards. His ice time peaked in February, where he missed most of the month with injury, but averaged 15:40 of ice time through five games. Wright’s scoring and ice time dwindled alongside the Kraken’s playoff chances in the closing stretch.
While these numbers are underwhelming considering Wright’s promise and draft position, it’s in the player and organization’s best interest to play out this season. Wright has one year remaining on his entry level contract and will be a restricted free agent next summer, and quite frankly, there’s two big reasons why staying put would serve him and the organization well in 2026-27.
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