Last Week around the Leagues
by Fran Stuchbury
October 25, 2022 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
This past week due the Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed 2021 Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Player quarterback Zach Collaros to a three-year contract extension, the Women's National Basketball Association Los Angles Sparks named Curt Miller their new head coach, USL Championship awarded an expansion team to Milwaukee for the 2025 season and the Cleveland Charge selected Sam Merrill with the first overall pick in the NBA G League Draft. Highlights from this week come from the Canadian Football League, Women's National Basketball Association, NBA G League, Canadian Elite Basketball League, United Soccer League Championship, National Women's Soccer League, United Soccer League One, American Hockey League, North American Hockey League, Federal Prospect Hockey League, Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Northwoods League, and Premier Lacrosse League.
FOOTBALL
Canadian Football League
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers announce the club has agreed to terms with all-star quarterback Zach Collaros on a three-year contract extension through the 2025 season. He was scheduled to become a free agent in February. Collaros (6-0, 222; University of Cincinnati; born: August 27, 1988, in Steubenville, OH) is the Canadian Football League's reigning Most Outstanding Player and a leading candidate for the award again in 2022. He has posted career-high passing totals this season, having thrown for 4,115 yards and 35 touchdowns.
CFL Plays of the Week
United States Football League
The USFL announced the hiring of new General Managers for two teams. Lonnie Young joins the Pittsburgh Maulers and Dave Razzano lands with the Tampa Bay Bandits. Both Young and Razzano bring decades of experience to the USFL after building Super Bowl teams in the NFL.
Indoor Football League
The Frisco Fighters announced that the team has signed head coach Billy Back to a two-year contract extension. The contract will run through the 2024 season. In his inaugural season with the Fighters, Back recorded a 15-3 record and guided the team to the Eastern Conference Finals where the team fell short in a devastating last second loss to the Quad City Steamwheelers. Under Back's guidance, the Fighters produced the most All-IFL players amongst the league, including RB Justin Rankin, WR Jerminic Smith, Center JR Hensley, OL Darius James, DL Charles Williams, DL Zaycoven Henderson, DB Trey Wafford, DB Santos Ramirez, and DB Cedric Poole.
National Arena League
The National Arena League is excited to announce its 2023 schedule. The regular season will launch Saturday, April 1st and will conclude Saturday, July 22. Playoffs will begin immediately following the regular season with the NAL Championship Game being held the weekend of August 12. All teams return from last season; the Albany Empire, Carolina Cobras, Columbus Lions, Jacksonville Sharks, Orlando Predators, and San Antonio Gunslingers, along with our two newest members, the Fayetteville Mustangs and West Texas Warbirds.
BASKETBALL
Women's National Basketball Association
The Los Angeles Sparks announced the hiring of Curt Miller as the next Head Coach of the franchise. Miller spent the last seven seasons as the Head Coach of the Connecticut Sun, six of those with the General Manager title, compiling a regular season record of 140-86. "The Sparks are thrilled to name Curt Miller our Head Coach," Managing Partner Eric Holoman said. "After conducting a thorough search, we are confident that Curt is the right person to lead the next era of Sparks basketball. ¬Â
Curt Miller leaving Connecticut Sun for LA Sparks. Miller was voted the 2022 Coach of the Year and took the Sun to the WNBA Finals where they eventually lost to the Las Vegas Aces. He heads to a Sparks team that has missed the postseason two years in a row.
WNBA Draft Lottery 2023 presented by State Farm will be broadcast on Friday, Nov. 11, at 5:30 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will air a 30-minute WNBA Draft Lottery special leading into its women's college basketball game that evening featuring defending National Champion South Carolina at Maryland (6 p.m. ET). WNBA Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin will reveal the results of the Lottery during ESPN2's coverage from Bristol, Conn. ESPN networks will present the Draft Lottery for the 11th consecutive year.
NBA G League
The Cleveland Charge selected Sam Merrill (6-4, 205, Utah State) with the first overall pick of the 2022-23 NBA G League Draft which was held virtually. The Wisconsin Herd selected Joe Wieskamp with the second overall selection, while the Greensboro Swarm selected Aaron Wheeler with the third pick. In 2021-22, Merrill played six games with the Memphis Grizzlies and seven contests with the Memphis Hustle. Merrill averaged 14.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists during his time with the Hustle last season. The Albuquerque-native was selected No. 60 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Draft 2020.
NBA champion Sam Merrill was taken with the first pick in the NBA G League Draft by the Cleveland Charge.
Canadian Elite Basketball League
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) unveiled its newest franchise at a press conference at WinSport's Canada Olympic Park (COP) in Calgary. The Calgary Surge will begin play when the 2023 season tips off in May, with WinSport Event Centre serving as the team's home. Usman Tahir Jutt and Jason Ribeiro were introduced as the duo who are bringing pro-basketball to Calgary.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League introduced its newest franchise on Oct 19 - the Calgary Surge. Logan Stein reports.
SOCCER
United Soccer League Championship
The United Soccer League today announced the awarding of a new USL Championship franchise to a local investment group in Milwaukee, Wis. The club, led by local investors Kacmarcik Enterprises and Milwaukee Pro Soccer, will begin play in 2025 and will serve as the primary tenant of a new, 8,000-seat stadium to be constructed in the transformative sports and entertainment district called Iron District MKE. The new club will be the first professional outdoor soccer team in Milwaukee in more than two decades. Its founding reinforces Jim Kacmarcik's belief in the state of Wisconsin as a soccer hotbed, following his investment as lead owner of Forward Madison FC, which plays in USL League One.
A grass roots group of soccer lovers are celebrating. Eight years after they sought a higher-level pro soccer team for Milwaukee, it's on the way.
National Women's Soccer League
Amazing goals from Rocky Rodríguez and Crystal Dunn lifted the Portland Thorns to a 2-1 win vs. San Diego Wave FC in the 2022 NWSL Semifinal.
Alexis Loera and Kristen Hamilton scored in the Kanas City Current 2-0 victory over top-seeded OL Reign, winners of this season's Supporters' Shield.
NJ/NY Gotham FC announced the re-signing of forward/defender Taylor Smith to a three-year contract through the 2025 season. Over her career, Smith has won an NWSL championship, the NWSL Challenge Cup, the She Believes Cup as a member of the U.S. National Team, and an NCAA championship with UCLA.
United Soccer League One
One Knoxville SC today announced it will compete in USL League One beginning in 2023 and host home matches at the University of Tennessee's Regal Soccer Stadium. After a successful inaugural 2022 season in pre-professional USL League Two, One Knox will advance to the professional level by joining USL League One in 2023. With this move, the club will transition from a three-month, pre-professional league to a seven-month, fully professional national schedule. In addition, One Knox will host all 15 home games at Regal Soccer Stadium, home of University of Tennessee Lady Vols soccer.
Professional soccer is officially coming to Knoxville that One Knoxville Sporting Club will join USL League One in 2023.
Benevolent Sports Tucson announced it has sold the FC Tucson brand rights to a new, Tucson-based ownership group led by FC Tucson founder and current head coach Jon Pearlman. FC Tucson will join USL League Two in 2023, and Pearlman's group has acquired an option for the club's USL League One rights that is contingent upon a long-term stadium solution in Tucson.
FC Tucson changes league
Major Arena Soccer League
Alexander Gomez was selected as the first pick of the 2022 MASL Pro Player Combine Draft. The Draft took place in the ballroom of the Statler Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Each of the League's 14 teams had an opportunity to scout talent at the Pro Player Combine held in Mesquite, Tex. over the three days prior. Players came from as far as France and Australia and as close as Dallas to showcase their talents and hopefully land a roster position on one of the League's teams. The draft consisted of three rounds with team's having a pick in each. Teams also had the opportunity to trade or sell their picks. ¬ÂIt feels great, it's everything I could have asked for, I worked hard to get here," said Gomez. "I'm grateful for the opportunity, all the coaches, the MASL and the Commissioner, who gave me a lot of tips and motivated me throughout the whole process. ¬Â
HOCKEY
American Hockey League
Syracuse Crunch Felix Robert's 1st career AHL hat trick earned him star of the night honors.
ECHL
The Atlanta Gladiators introduced Alex Campbell and Anson Carter as the new owners of the team. Campbell will serve as the majority owner while Carter will serve as the minority owner. The pair will own and operate the team as ATL Hockey Group LLC. Both were unanimously approved by the ECHL Board of Governors. "I am excited to be a part of professional hockey here in my adopted hometown," said Carter. "I'll be actively involved to ensure that Gladiators hockey is widely accepted not only here in Atlanta, but becomes a brand known internationally in the hockey world. ¬Â
Federal Prospect Hockey League
FPHL All out brawl Watertown Walls and Motor City Rockers
North American Hockey League
The top plays in the NAHL from October 10-16, 2022
Western Hockey League
WHL Top 10
Ontario Hockey League
The 2022-23 American Hockey League season got underway this past weekend, with a total of 149 OHL alumni included on rosters to begin the campaign. The Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, lead the way with nine OHL graduates on their roster while four clubs, the Colorado Eagles, Ontario Reign, Toronto Marlies and Tucson Roadrunners, trail with seven each. A total of 25 players who spent the 2021-22 season in the Ontario Hockey League are on season-opening AHL rosters.
OHL Plays of the Week
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Top 5 - Week 4
BASEBALL
Northwoods League
The new Northwoods League expansion team hosted a public event at Corbett Field to announce their official team name. The Magic City has spoken, and after beating out the other 4 finalists, The Minot Hot Tots will be bringing the heat for their inaugural season in 2023! The team is named after a North Dakota staple, tater-tot hotdish. Not only is tater-tot hotdish one of the most popular dishes in North Dakota, but it is also said that the word "hotdish" comes from the Norwegian word "varmrett", which translates to "warm dish". The name ties back perfectly to Minot's heritage and is something relatable to people in the community.
Minot Hot Tots coming to Corbett Field in the summer of 2023. The team revealed its name after getting more than 300 submissions.
Eastern League
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, announced that Michael Neis has been named the organization's new General Manager. Neis joins the experienced executive leadership team and will focus on the team's day-to-day business operations. Neis returns to Manchester, where he began his career in professional sports as an Inside Sales Representative with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. He also spent parts of seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, most recently serving as the Director of Membership and Premium Services.
American Association
The Lincoln Saltdogs have announced the hiring of Shane Tritz as the team's new General Manager. Shane joins the club after spending the previous three-plus years as the Executive Director of the United Sports Academy in North Sioux City, SD. "Having Shane join the Lincoln Saltdogs front office team is a great addition to the organization and the Lincoln community," President Charlie Meyer said. "Shane's knowledge and experience of the American Association and Independent Professional Baseball will be a real asset for all of us. ¬Â
LACROSSE
Premier Lacrosse League
The Premier Lacrosse League has announced that Atlas LC head coach and general manager Ben Rubeor is stepping down. Assistant coach Steven Brooks will be named the interim head coach entering the offseason trade window. The PLL will form a hiring committee to determine the next head coach of Atlas LC.
Professional Box Lacrosse Association
The Professional Box Lacrosse Association (PBLA) announced today that its ninth team for its inaugural season will be the "JIM THORPE ALL-AMERICANS." The league also announced that its championship trophy will be named the "Jim Thorpe Trophy" in honor of Jim Thorpe, a man many consider to be the greatest American athlete of the last century. Thorpe, a Native American, was an Olympic Gold Medalist, a Major League Baseball player, and a Hall of Fame football player. He was also a great high school lacrosse player.
Did we miss anything newsworthy or downright fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from October 25, 2022
- WNBA Statement Regarding Brittney Griner - WNBA
- Last Week around the Leagues - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
