Breaking News

Sports

WNBA enjoys ‘hypergrowth’ amid strained relationship

Local Sports

NEW YORK — The WNBA has grown at an exponential rate during Cathy Engelbert’s tenure as commissioner, a stewardship that at times has been tumultuous during her nearly seven years at the helm. Engelbert, the second-longest tenured WNBA president or commissioner, helped negotiate a transformative collective bargaining agreement this past spring that gives the WNBA its first core of million-dollar player salaries. “There’s not a lot of jobs where you can make over 30-plus millionaires instantly, right?” Engelbert said in a phone interview with The Associated Press heading ...

2 Mustangs make NICL first team

Local Sports

The shift to one a divisionless North Iowa Cedar League meant fewer opportunities for all-conference accolades. The East Marshall softball team still got its due. Senior pitcher Peyton Grabenbauer was named to the all-conference first team for the fourth year in a row while junior infielder ...

MLB players propose expanded draft eligibility

National Sports

NEW YORK — Baseball players proposed expanding eligibility for the amateur draft rather than decreasing it, maintaining 20 rounds of selections and moving it back to June in a signal the sport is heading to a labor confrontation this offseason. During a two-hour bargaining session Tuesday at Major League Baseball’s headquarters, the union proposed allowing college sophomores to be eligible for the draft along with those finishing their junior years, a group eligible under the current rules along with high school seniors. Players proposed moving the draft back to June, when it was ...

ESPN starts layoffs tied to acquisition of NFL Network

National Sports

ESPN is undergoing a significant round of layoffs for the first time in three years after taking over NFL Network in April. Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a memo to employees Tuesday morning, obtained by The Associated Press, that most moves are the result of ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network and other league digital assets last year. The deal was announced last August and also included NFL Fantasy and the rights to distribute the RedZone channel to cable and satellite operators. In return, the NFL got a 10% equity stake in ESPN. It was approved by government regulators in January. ...

13U Bobcats win Silver Bracket at state

Local Sports

The Marshalltown Baseball Club’s 13U team closed out its season by winning the Class 1A Division I Silver Bracket championship at the 2026 Iowa State Tournament on July 10-12, winning its last four games to raise the banner. The Bobcats went 5-1 for the weekend, losing only to the eventual ...

Injuries dampen WNBA All-Star weekend

Local Sports

NEW YORK — It was a rough week for WNBA All-Stars heading into the game this weekend. Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese both were injured Sunday. Bueckers had a rough collision with Nneka Ogwumike in the fourth quarter of Dallas’ game against Los Angeles. The second-year star guard won’t play Monday night against New York, but cleared concussion protocol the team said. Reese’s knee buckled as she jump-stopped at the basket in a win over Chicago. She fell to the ground. Reese got up quickly, but went down again after a few seconds. She went back to the bench but didn’t return. ...