Cronkite Sports Stories

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives to the basket in front of Orlando Magic guard Evan Fourn...
Dylan Hunter Carter | Cronkite News

Suns’ Monty Williams, Devin Booker react to proposed rule changes

The NBA is looking at some groundbreaking changes to their playoff formatting that could completely change the way the Phoenix Suns compete for a postseason berth.
4 years ago
(Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)...
Alex Simon | Cronkite News

How Open Division has played out for Arizona high school football

Chandler and Saguaro will square off in Sun Devil Stadium in order to crown Arizona's first undisputed champion of high school football.
4 years ago
Junior running back Eno Benjamin rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the Sun Devils' 24-14 w...
Matthew Roy | Cronkite News

ASU’s Eno Benjamin cements legacy in Territorial Cup win

Arizona State football captures their third consecutive territorial cup victory, 24-14, over their most hated rival, the University of Arizona. But on senior day, it was a junior that made the biggest impact.
4 years ago
With GCU Esports’ state-of-the-art practice facility, other Arizona schools have something to loo...
Warren Younger I Cronkite News

Arizona universities work to secure prospects for new esports programs

Schools take different approaches to recruiting for their esports programs because there is no defined standard. Esports didn’t exist 20 years ago.
4 years ago
Battling both an injury and an illness, Jamie Loera continues to push through adversity and is dete...
Nathan Hiatt | Cronkite News

Arizona State guard Jamie Loera continues to push through adversity

Jamie Loera has had an injury-plagued start to her ASU women’s basketball career, but she is determined to return this season.
4 years ago
ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne has raved about Ja’Tavia Tapley. Throughout the first three matchu...
Nathan Hiatt I Cronkite News

Ja’Tavia Tapley has excelled in new home with ASU women’s basketball

Even while still getting acclimated to life as a Sun Devil, Tapley has quickly proven herself to be a valuable player for coach Charli Turner Thorne.
4 years ago
OUAZ football players run drills on Spirit Field during an evening practice. The AstroTurf field op...
Erica Block I Cronkite News

Ottawa University: from nonexistent to football playoff contenders in just two years

Despite only opening its classrooms to students in 2017, the football program at Ottawa University has rapidly ascended to a playoff contender.
4 years ago
Brenden and his dad Jerry Rice. (Photo courtesy of Jackie Edwards)...
Stephen Perez, Cronkite News

More than a name: Hamilton’s Brenden Rice hopes to forge own path

A legacy runs deep when you are related to the greatest wide receiver ever. For Brenden Rice, it's about the legacy he makes separate from his father.
4 years ago
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Tyler Dunn | Cronkite News

Ricky Rubio brings flashes of Steve Nash back to Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker may be the face of the franchise, but Ricky Rubio has been a steadying force behind the Phoenix Suns’ success.
4 years ago
Tosh Baker (79), Adam Verbalatis (57) and Clay Zupke (24) walking down the field with JD Johnson (1...
John Levally, Cronkite News

‘Unbelievable’: Pinnacle’s J.D. Johnson grateful Michigan honored scholarship

The Pinnacle quarterback and Michigan commit J.D. Johnson was forced to medically retire from football, but the Wolverines will honor his scholarship.
4 years ago
Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne yells to her players during the first half of a first-roun...
Nathan Hiatt | Cronkite News

ASU women’s hoops confident despite key player losses

After a Sweet Sixteen appearance for ASU women’s basketball, the Sun Devils look to build upon last season with a new-look lineup and playing style.
4 years ago
A Canyon Athletic Association (CAA) state tournament girls volleyball match between Caurus Academy ...
Christopher Linsday | Cronkite News

Reaction strong after racist taunts aimed at Salt River High athletes

Salt River High School volleyball players were targets of racial taunts. Their governing body is organizing a committee to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
4 years ago
Devin Booker (left) and Kelly Oubre Jr. have both impressed the Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams w...
Dylan Hunter Carter | Cronkite News

Phoenix Suns’ hot start linked to defense, ball movement

For a Suns team led by athletic, young stars who haven’t recently been accustomed to winning basketball, Williams’ systematic stylings have proven critical.
4 years ago
Six of the eight football games featuring Arizona State and coach Herm Edwards this season have bee...
Alex Simon | Cronkite News

Ranked matchup shows complex position Pac-12 is in with TV network

Opportunities are plentiful for the Pac-12 Networks’ future as the conference prepares for 2024, but the path to get there will continue to be challenging.
4 years ago
(Photo by Karrissa D. Herrera/Cronkite News)...
Matthew Roy, Cronkite News

Here’s the kicker: Once a walk-on, Zendejas plays key role for ASU

Cristian Zendejas, son of ASU legend Luis Zendejas, is now starting for the school for which his father played. And he is trying to make his own way.
5 years ago
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) meets with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalto...
Tyler Dunn | Cronkite News

Breakthrough they needed: Kingsbury feels good about Cardinals’ progress

Kliff Kingsbury and the Arizona Cardinals tallied their much-needed first win of the season against the Cincinatti Bengals on Sunday.
5 years ago
Phoenix Suns’, head coach Monty Williams, middle, chats with, guard, Devin Booker during their tr...
Nathan Hiatt | Cronkite News

Phoenix Suns enthusiastic heading into new NBA season

After a 19-63 season last year, the Phoenix Suns made numerous changes that have generated optimism as the new season approaches.
5 years ago
Hundreds of GCU students camp out in preparation for the basketball team's Midnight Madness scrimma...
Christopher Lindsay, Cronkite News

Midnight Madness: GCU students camp outside for basketball kickoff

The GCU Basketball team kicks off their 2019-20 season with a Midnight Madness pep rally that numerous students camped out for.
5 years ago
Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns reacts during the final moments of the NBA game against the M...
Tyler Dunn | Cronkite News

Early takeaways from training camp with the Phoenix Suns

Monty Williams, Deandre Ayton and Ricky Rubio hope to begin flipping the script for the Suns at training camp in Flagstaff.
5 years ago
Scottsdale’s Jeremy Wolf is a Jewish-American Olympian with a heart for baseball’s minor league...
Tyler Dunn | Cronkite Sports

Out of baseball to Olympian: Jeremy Wolf’s path to aliyah and Team Israel

Jeremy Wolf, who is a Scottsdale native, is a Jewish-American Olympian that has a heart for minor league baseball players.
5 years ago
Matthew Roy | Cronkite Sports

California’s Fair Pay to Play Act has Arizona sports figures divided

Arizona sports figures are divided over a California law permitting college athletes to benefit off of their names, images and likenesses.
5 years ago
NASCAR driver Michael McDowell (right) answers questions during a promotional event in Scottsdale. ...
Madisen Carter | Cronkite News

NASCAR vet Michael McDowell starts week in Scottsdale, ends in hospital

NASCAR veteran and Glendale native Michael McDowell started his week in Scottsdale promoting his sport and ended it in a hospital because of kidney stones.
5 years ago
Julia Chambers is not the only female athlete who showed interest in joining the football team at S...
Cronkite Sports

RB and wrestler Julia Chambers looks to break barriers for Skyline football

As Skyline High School's first female running back, Julia Chambers uses her wrestling prowess and cross-country experience to contribute on the gridiron.
5 years ago
Herm Edwards was a standout defensive player at California and still holds the single-game intercep...
Alex Simon | Cronkite News

Return to Cal stirs memories for ASU’s Herm Edwards

Arizona State’s Herm Edwards and Rob Likens have fond memories of the time they spent at Cal.
5 years ago