Storm’s Dominique Malonga Earns First All-Star Nod
Seattle Storm forward Dominique Malonga has been named a WNBA All-Star reserve for the first time in her two-year career, the league announced on Tuesday.
Malonga, who is leading the Storm in points (15.9), rebounds (7.4) and blocks (1.2), was the only Storm player selected to play in the All-Star game. The former 2025 No. 2 overall pick has been on a meteoric rise when healthy this season and is the youngest player in this year’s event (20 years old).
The Storm (6-17) have struggled overall this season in the first year of a major rebuild. But Malonga has become the clear-cut No. 1 scoring option, which is what was expected of her when the franchise drafted her out of France last year.
Washington State Rekindles Pac-12 Ties With Familiar Opponent in Oregon State
With the Pac-12 back open for business, Washington State will get to see a well-known foe in Oregon State, the only other program returning from the old conference. Like the Cougars, the Beavers were left scrambling after the Pac-12 fell apart in 2023.
Oregon State spent the last two football seasons as an independent while many of its other sports competed in the West Coast Conference. It wasn't an easy road, but the Beavers continued to find ways to compete despite the uncertainty. Now, with the rebuilt Pac-12 officially underway, Oregon State is back where it belongs. Along with Washington State, the Beavers will help usher in a new era of Pac-12 athletics as one of the two original members leading the way.
Football enters a new chapter in Corvallis this season under first-year head coach JaMarcus Shephard. Oregon State moved on from Trent Bray after the 2025 season and turned to Shephard to help get the program back on track. Before taking over the Beavers, Shephard built a strong reputation as one of college football's top assistant coaches, particularly as a wide receivers coach and recruiter. He now faces the challenge of rebuilding a program that has struggled since Jonathan Smith departed for Michigan State following the 2023 season.
Washington State, Rebuilt Pac-12 Welcome New Opponent in Gonzaga
With the rebuilt Pac-12 officially launching on July 1, the Washington State Cougars have a new conference home. While membership varies by sport, the Cougars no longer will have to piece together schedules as they have since the Pac-12 began to dissolve in 2023.
Now that league has kicked off operations, Emerald City Spectrum will be taking a look at each of Washington State's new conference opponents in football and men's basketball. First up on the docket is a school located just over an hour north of Pullman and the closest Pac-12 opponent to the Cougars as the Gonzaga Bulldogs enter the conference.
Gonzaga will join the Pac-12 in every varsity sport it sponsors, including men's and women's basketball. Because the university does not have a football program and has no intentions of changing that anytime soon, men's basketball serves as the flagship athletic program and the department's biggest revenue generator.
Reign Collapse Late, Drop First Game Back vs. Courage
If the Seattle Reign drew up their picture-perfect return to play after over a month away from playing, it certainly wouldn't have played out like Saturday night's 3-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage.
While the Reign (4-6-2, 11th in NWSL) got off to a solid start thanks to an impressive run from striker Mia Fishel leading to a Sally Menti goal, three questionable concessions left Seattle deflated by the end of the night.
North Carolina winger Ashley Sanchez continued her nine-goal campaign with a brace, scoring in the 22nd and 71st to bookend a feel-good home outing for the Courage (6-3-3, 7th). Riley Jackson buried a penalty kick in the 64th to give the Courage the lead in an opportunity conceded by a mishandled Madison Curry tackle.
On a blistering and humid 95-degree night in Cary, head coach Laura Harvey simply saw her team run out of the juice that had propelled it to scoring first — something her struggling offense has done rarely in 2026.
"We got a little bit tired and we got a little bit stretched and ended up chasing the game," Harvey said. “It wasn’t like they had loads and loads of chances… it was just those slight little moments.”
Sounders Notebook: Intrasquad Scrimmage Ends 1-1 as Portland Looms
The excitement of the FIFA World Cup has Seattle buzzing about soccer.
Belgium's round of 32 game against Senegal on Wednesday featured a wild comeback that saw the Red Devils pull it out 3-2 in extra time at Lumen Field, or Seattle Stadium, until Monday night. The local Seattle Sounders (7-3-3, 6th in MLS Western Conference) have been sharing a facility with Belgium for the last month, and many were witnesses to the high-level play associated with a World Cup knockout match, as even the Sounders equipment staff got to attend the game, according to head coach Brian Schmetzer.
“They’re excited to be around this whole occasion of the World Cup,” Schmetzer said. “Whether that lifts their play or whether that has a little added pressure, I’d say it’s probably the first… they’re excited.”
The Sounders didn't wait long to put that excitement toward their own development, as the Rave Green held an intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday afternoon that ended in a physical 1-1 draw. It’s all part of the buildup to Seattle’s largest grudge match of every season: A July 16 home game against the Portland Timbers (4-8-2, 13th in west).
Bryce Miller Gem Gives M’s Sweep of Halos Despite Absent Offense
The last time the M’s and Angels faced each other, it was one of many disappointing series for the Mariners during the first half of the season. Seattle won the first game of the set, but as they would do several times in the following weeks and months, they dropped the final two and lost the series as their offense died and the pitching got ambushed.
Seattle’s bats may have fallen incredibly silent on Thursday evening as the two squads finished their three-game series the day after both took a rest due to a 2026 World Cup game a block away, but Bryce Miller beared down once again as he utterly stymied the Angels’ hitters inning after inning on his way to seven frames of brilliance. That, more than anything, was the bedrock of the team’s 1-0 win.
Bryce Miller didn’t give up a hit in the first six innings as his excellent year continued.
Even with his innings being limited with the piggybacks, Miller had been one of the Mariners’ most fearsome pitchers since returning from the injured list. His expert mixture of a four-seamer, slider, splitter throughout his starts produced tough scenes for opposing hitters.
Miller had a bit of a tougher time in his previous outing against the Pirates, however. His three earned runs in 5 ⅔ innings were perhaps downstream of the fact that the slider was conspicuously absent from his workhorse usage, with the hurler reliant on just his four-seamer and splitter for 59% of his offerings.
And yet Miller did much the same against the Angels on Thursday to clearly better results. Halo hitters went down one after another as they couldn’t effectively differentiate between his two go-to offerings. The visitors had 10 whiffs and five strikeouts during the first three innings, with Miller at 35 pitches through those frames. A big part of this was the fact that he could control his splitter effectively once his (already minimal) opening jitters were over.
Redhawks Cap Off Offseason Landing Former WCC-All Freshman Selection Tomas Thrastarson
Keeping a talented guard in the state of Washington, the Seattle U Redhawks men's basketball team announced the addition of junior Tómas Thrastarson on Monday.
Thrastarson comes to Seattle after spending his first two seasons across the state with Washington State in Pullman. A 6-foot-7 shooting guard, he thrives getting to the basket as a driver. His scoring upside comes from his long frame that allows him to draw and play through contact as he gets into the paint.
“Tómas is a versatile guard with great size and experience competing at a high level,” said head coach Chris Victor. “His success in the WCC, combined with his international experience representing Iceland, gives him a strong foundation to make an immediate impact in our program. He has the ability to affect the game in a variety of ways and we're excited to welcome him to Seattle.”
Kraken Lock Up Mackie Samoskevich, Take Low-Risk Bet on Top-Six Upside
After sending a 2027 first round pick to the Florida Panthers on June 21 to acquire the talented forward, the Seattle Kraken signed Mackie Samoskevich to a three-year, $11.55-million deal on Wednesday, securing the restricted free agent through the 2028-29 season.
When the contract expires in the Summer of 2029, Samoskevich will still be a restricted free agent, giving Seattle additional club control. While the 24th overall pick in 2021 hasn’t popped as a star in the NHL yet, signing him for three years at a reasonable cap hit is a good bet on a player of this quality who has contributed for a Stanley Cup champion.
Serving as a key role player for Florida in his first three seasons, Samoskevich should flourish with a greater opportunity with the Kraken next season and might earn a top-six forward role with consistent power play minutes.
Reign Notebook: Offense Looking to Find Itself, Jess Fishlock Back to Training
As the men's FIFA World Cup rages on, the top women's soccer league is nearly back from its June hiatus. The NWSL returns this weekend, with the struggling Seattle Reign (4-5-2, 10th) set to take on the North Carolina Courage (5-3-3, 8th) in Raleigh on Saturday.
The Reign have been back to training since last week, but started prepping in full for North Carolina this week. The Reign worked in multiple small-sided sessions and a full scrimmage on Tuesday, as their offense took center stage at times.
That unit has been a pain point for Seattle in 2026, as the Reign are among just four NWSL sides to average less than a goal per game through 11 fixtures.
Second-year winger Maddie Dahlien says the timing of the NWSL break is helping fuel her and her teammates to push through the final 19 games.
"I felt like it came at a really good time,” Dahlien said. “We've had a lot of vulnerable conversations, and coming back, like we met as a team and really just regrouped.”
Huskies Receive Commitments from Pair of Coveted Offensive Linemen
The scales are officially tipped.
Washington added the biggest missing pieces to its 2027 class on Wednesday with the commitments of offensive linemen Gecova Doyal and Tye Kennedy.
Jedd Fisch’s strong recruiting class had been light on offensive linemen prior to Wednesday, when Doyal, a four-star interior lineman out of Puyallup and Tye Kennedy, son of former UW All-American Lincoln Kennedy, became the second and third o-linemen to commit to Washington’s 2027 group.
Washington State and Colville Tribes Announce Partnership
Washington State Athletics announced a historic new partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation that marks the largest sponsorship agreement in school history, providing a jolt for the athletic department entering a new era of the rebuilt Pac-12 conference.
The five-year deal, announced on June 30, is valued at approximately $8.4 million and includes a $250,000 donation to the Cougar Athletic Excellence Fund during the first year. Beginning with the 2026-27 athletic season, every Washington State athletic team will wear the Colville Tribes logo on their uniforms. The agreement is one of the most expansive uniform sponsorships in college athletics and the first of its kind in the new Pac-12.
"This is a historic partnership rooted in Eastern Washington," Washington State athletic director Jon Haarlow said. "It brings together two tradition-rich communities as we chart an exciting new path forward as leaders in the Pacific Northwest and the new Pac-12."
Clutch Hits Overcome Absent Slug, Ample Strikeouts; Mariners Log Second Straight Win
For the first time since June 9, the Mariners won back-to-back games. Tuesday night’s 8-3 victory over the Angels marked that occasion, one that the Mariners may want to quickly forget, but the way the team played during the game is something they surely want to keep going forward as they look to claw their way into a secure first place slot.
Both starter Bryan Woo and the Mariners’ clutch hitting had a recovery, as the hurler got the win and the quality start while the team went 5-13 with runners in scoring position. There were still issues to iron out: Cal Raleigh continued scuffling at the dish, the team struck out 16 times, and there was just one extra-base knock. But they papered over their flaws on Tuesday and notched another step in their road to retaking the division.
Bryan Woo recovered from his clunker by the Allegheny, pitching into the seventh and getting the win.
Woo was the undisputed ace of the rotation in 2025, but his struggles in 2026 have been well-documented. Most recently, he gave up five runs in a four-inning outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, letting one inning run away from him and leaving well before he would have liked to. Harboring evident frustration and seemingly in a mental block, it was an outing that could have defined rock bottom for a pitcher.
Perhaps that description is apt, because Woo bounced back in force on Tuesday. Like many of the Mariners struggles that seem to have been put on hold for two games against the Angels, it’s unclear whether it’s a dead cat bounce or the beginnings of a true resurgence, but Woo certainly shoved like it was the latter during his 6 ⅓ innings of work against the Halos.
Unlike many of his outings, where he takes down the order the first time through with nothing but the fastball, Woo was mixing everything in his arsenal right from the rip on Tuesday. Leadoff man Zach Neto fought with the Mariners hurler in an eight-pitch at-bat to begin the game, and Woo’s deliveries were as follows: three sinkers, two four-seamers, two sliders, and a sweeper. Neto grounded out and Woo continued with the kitchen-sink approach.
Two Gonzaga Legends Inducted into Hooptown Hall of Fame Class of 2026
Continuing to add accolades to storybook careers, two former Gonzaga Bulldogs received prestigious honors for their impacts in the Spokane area this month.
Ex-GU head coach Dan Fitzgerald and former Zag player Jeff Brown were inducted into the Hooptown Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. The gallery honors those in the Inland Northwest who made an impact on Spokane’s basketball community, which they certainly did during their tenures with Gonzaga’s men’s basketball program in the late 20th century. This year’s class also features Kim Eng, Emily Westerburg, and the 2006-08 Ferris boys’ basketball team.
Holding its inaugural induction ceremony in 2022, the Hooptown Hall of Fame pairs Fitzgerald and Brown with an already sizable group of Zags, including Mark Few, John Stockton, the 1999 men’s squad, Adam Morrison, current women’s assistant coach Stacy Clinesmith, Tammy Tibbles, and Heather Bowman.
Securing Another Frenchman, Gonzaga Signs Experienced Point Guard to Roster
Putting the finishing touches on their 2026-27 roster, the Gonzaga Bulldogs made another addition to the backcourt, reportedly completing the recruitment of Nathan De Sousa from France.
The 6-1 point guard has spent the last six seasons playing professionally in his native country, breaking out this past year in the premier French league. De Sousa becomes the second player from France to join the Zags this offseason, as 18-year-old guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa finalized his commitment with GU last week.
With the new NCAA Division I Cabinet rules set in place, the 23-year-old will have only one year of eligibility since his ‘five-year window’ of finishing four seasons in five years started during the 2022-23 campaign. Part of a substantial roster overhaul, De Sousa will be the eighth Bulldog who is in their first year in Spokane.
Washington State Flips Safety Jayden Harris From Fresno State
Earning a significant victory on the recruiting trail, the Washington State Cougars added another piece to their growing 2027 class, landing the commitment of Jayden Harris after he initially gave a verbal to a soon-to-be Pac-12 rival.
Harris, a 6-3, 180-pound safety from Manteca High School, originally committed to Fresno State, but he reopened his recruitment and ultimately chose to switch his allegiance to Washington State. His commitment to the Cougars continues a strong recruiting push for coach Kirby Moore’s program in California and gives the staff another intriguing defensive back with size and playmaking ability to throw into the mix.
Harris is currently an unranked prospect according to 247Sports, but in addition to Washington State, he held offers from UNLV, San Diego State, and several other programs, showing there was plenty of interest in one of the bigger safety recruits in the 2027 class. Once he became available again, the Cougars were able to beat out a number of West Coast schools to secure his commitment.
Mariners Pitchers Lock Down Win Despite Continued Batting Sluggishness
A bobble from Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana in the top of the seventh seemed like the first piece of good luck the Mariners had gotten in a very long time. It came with two outs and a man on third, turning what would have been an inning-ending grounder into a go-ahead run for the Mariners. It proved the winning run in Seattle’s 3-1 victory against Cleveland.
On the one hand, none of their issues really fixed themselves. The team couldn’t get a fourth run for the 12th straight game, marking just the third such streak in team history. Pitch recognition woes and issues against left-handers continued with no real end in sight. But on the other hand, for the fifth time in those dozen games, it was enough.
Luis Castillo tossed a quality start, with all his pitches in action.
Mariners starter Luis Castillo came into the game with a better track record since the onset of his first piggyback outing, but there had still been notable inconsistencies for him. Despite a 3.38 ERA in his six appearances since the first piggyback, he was still without a quality start aside from his first outing of the year. Going into a game where the M’s did nothing but continue to crawl along on offense, he needed to find his best stuff for a full start.
Luckily for the M’s, Castillo had a firm command of all three of the pitches he needs to build a good outing. The slider was his most common delivery, followed by the four-seamer and changeup in that order, but he threw each quite often with the occasional sinker thrown in.
Former Gonzaga Wings Tyon Grant-Foster, Jalen Warley Sign Summer League Deals
Last week, ex-Gonzaga Bulldog Tyon Grant-Foster was finally cleared by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel, making him eligible for league-affiliated activities. This week, the 6-7 wing has agreed to a Summer League contract with the San Antonio Spurs, joining the reigning Western Conference Champions’ offseason circuit. Grant-Foster earns this opportunity despite not being authorized to participate in this cycle’s pre-draft events, like the NBA Combine, as well as individual or group workouts.
Also latching on in the Summer League is Grant-Foster’s former teammate, Jalen Warley, who signs on with one of the teams he had a pre-draft workout with, the Indiana Pacers. Now, both former Zags get to showcase their games over the coming weeks with the hope of earning a more standard contract for the regular season.
Kraken Make History, Select Chase Reid With No. 7 Overall Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
It’s been a somewhat challenging past 24 hours for the Seattle Kraken, who reportedly had the framework for a blockbuster sign-and-trade to acquire Dallas Stars star Jason Robertson in place on Thursday, only for the player to decline a reported eight-year, $15 million contract offer to veto the deal.
Fortunately for the Kraken, however, good fortunes appeared to smile on the franchise in Friday night’s opening round of the 2026 NHL Draft. Benefiting from a bit of good luck for a change, general manager Jason Botterill reeled in one of the best defensemen in a strong draft class by investing the No. 7 overall pick in Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) standout Chase Reid, securing a player who many expected to be gone in the first four or five picks.
The selection of Reid carries significance history-wise for Seattle, marking the first time in six drafts that the organization has selected a defenseman in the first round. And, in time, they will be hoping his arrival coincides with greater success on the ice in the near future.
Jedd Fisch Believes 2026 ‘Trenches-Based’ Huskies are Ready to Win in Big Ten
Jedd Fisch arrived at Washington in 2024 to take over a former Pac-12 football team with remnants of a 2023 College Football Playoff championship game participant.
Heading into Year 3 in a new conference and a rebuilt roster, Fisch believes he’s got a Big Ten team.
Washington State Secures Four-Star OL, Three-Star CB to Boost 2027 Class
The Washington State Cougars continue to build momentum on the recruiting trail, adding two significant commitments to their growing 2027 recruiting class, including beating out several regional rivals for a coveted four-star offensive lineman.
The Cougars recently secured pledges from offensive lineman Rashaun Lavata’i of Curtis High School in University Place, Washington and cornerback Gianni Haynes of Cathedral High School in Los Angeles. These additions represent another step forward for a Washington State program looking to strengthen its roster while joining a rebuilt Pac 12 conference.
The first four-star to commit for new coach Kirby Moore, the 6-7, 265-pound Lavata’i holds a 90 overall rating in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is currently ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Washington and one of the top offensive linemen in the Pacific Northwest. More importantly, Lavata’i becomes Washington State’s first four-star commitment since 2018, making his pledge one of the most significant recruiting victories for the program in recent memory.
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