John Cascella

May 17, 2023 | cronkitenews.azpbs.org | Adnan Alam |Hayden Cilley |Robert Crompton |John Cascella

PHOENIX – Some say numbers never lie, and the latest measures of the WNBA’s efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion tell an honest truth about the league’s current standing. Compared to major American sports leagues, the WNBA ranks far ahead in gender and race hiring overall with a combined grade of an A with 93.2 points, according to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) 2022 report.

May 1, 2023 | cronkitenews.azpbs.org | Adnan Alam |John Cascella

PHOENIX – After 564 days removed from the sport he loves, Fernando Tatis Jr. recently made his return to Major League Baseball at Chase Field. Why so long? A wrist injury by the San Diego Padres standout was followed by an 80-game suspension for using performance enhance drugs, a violation that angered many teammates and fans. Monday night he turns to Petco Park to play in a game for the first time since Sept. 26, 2021.

Apr 27, 2023 | cronkitenews.azpbs.org | Hayden Cilley |John Cascella

Far-reaching contributionsIt wasn’t just off the court that Griner made a difference, it was on it as well. In the 2021 season, Griner averaged 20.5 points, a career-high 9.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 blocks. When the two-time Olympian was on the floor that season, her team was first in blocks (5.2), second in free throw attempts (19.4) and third in rebounds (36.2). When Griner was officially sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony, on Aug.

Apr 17, 2023 | cronkitenews.azpbs.org | Aaron Schmidt |John Cascella

TEMPE – Nearly two decades after former Sun Devils and Cardinals star Pat Tillman was killed in the line of duty, the hero’s legacy still lives on. The 19th annual Pat’s Run took place Saturday morning in Tempe as approximately 28,000 people laced up their sneakers to participate in the 4.2-mile race (0.42 for kids), representing the jersey number that Tillman wore at Arizona State. The race raises money for the Pat Tillman Foundation, generating about $24 million since 2005.

Mar 14, 2023 | cronkitenews.azpbs.org | Kayla O'Sullivan |Aaron Schmidt |John Cascella

SURPRISE – Sam Huff is used to crushing eye-popping home runs. The towering 6-foot-5, 240-pound power-hitting catcher in the Texas Rangers organization was drafted in the seventh round of the 2016 MLB draft out of Arcadia High School in Phoenix and caught the attention of coaches and fans around baseball by hammering three 500-foot home runs in the minor leagues over the last two seasons. But the 25-year-old Arizona native doesn’t want to be defined only by his stunning power.