Washington State Likely Without Tony Freeman for Road Test at Kansas State
The Washington State Cougars will have to earn their first win of the Kirby Moore era without their top receiver in Tony Freeman when they battle the Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan this weekend.
Freeman suffered a knee injury during Washington State's Apple Cup loss to Washington last Sunday, leaving the Cougars without one of their most important players on offense and special teams.
Exiting in the opening quarter, Freeman’s absence was noticeable on special teams as much as offense. Washington State struggled with punt returns, including having a dropped punt. Safety Jaylen Thomas took over as the Cougars' punt returner after Freeman exited the game and likely will continue in that role in Week 2.
Mariners Finally Take Singular Series from Rangers in 2026
At least the Mariners can play spoiler.
That is hardly where anyone on the team wanted them to end up when the season began. But the autopsy of the year - where three guys the Szymborski Projection System (ZiPS) had putting up a combined 15.2 FanGraphs wins above replacement (fWAR) only accrued 4.9 fWAR with 15 contests left in the season - is already written in the oft-surprised and oft-sullen faces of those in T-Mobile Park’s home dugout.
Going into their series against the Texas Rangers, the M’s had already squandered their last chance to jump back into the fray with a somewhat robust series loss to the Athletics over their previous four games. Things had already been dire for Seattle since at least the end of July if not earlier, but that set of games was the moment that the players on the team fully realized they had to stare down the music.
Perhaps there was a new attitude that arose a few hours, give or take, after rookie Lazaro Montes sent a Cal Quantrill meat and cheese sub to Saturn on Tuesday. If the M’s can’t make the playoffs for themselves, perhaps they can use one of their last remaining series against a contender to ruin someone else’s day.
Kade Anderson and Logan Gilbert went 13 combined innings with four runs allowed total.
Both the least experienced and most experienced starting pitchers did what the team needed of them on Wednesday and Thursday. That in and of itself was a departure from the muddy record of M’s hurlers since the All-Star Break, when the staff has suffered one of the worst stretches in recent memory up and down its roster. Before Anderson’s first career win on Wednesday, Seattle starters had logged a 4.99 ERA and 5.04 FIP in the second half, and the youngest had struggled with a 5.40 ERA and 5.63 FIP in his first three starts.
Storm Center Ezi Magbegor Suffers Torn ACL at FIBA World Cup
Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor tore her ACL during Australia’s quarterfinal qualifying game against Italy in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Wednesday, the Storm announced. She will miss the rest of the WNBA season.
Magbegor played just four minutes in Australia’s 82-80 victory before suffering the injury. It’s the third time this calendar year that Magbegor has suffered an injury that has forced her off the court.
Analysis: 5 Kraken Youngsters to Watch at Rookie Camp
Ushering in a new season, rookie camp begins for the Seattle Kraken on Friday. For many Kraken youngsters, rookie camp and the scrimmage against the Vancouver Canucks’ rookies on September 12 and 13 are just the typical preseason rituals. Many of these players will return to their junior team after training camp or are already penciled into the Coachella Valley Firebirds lineup.
But for some of these players, rookie camp serves as an extension of training camp. As part of the new NHL and NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, there’s only four preseason games and training camps were shortened. As a result, many NHL teams have invited youngsters on the bubble of the roster to get them playing early and make early assessments on their opening night rosters.
Looking towards rookie camp, which players bear watching with eyes on earning an AHL or NHL role?
Jani Nyman
Nyman has played parts of two seasons in the NHL and been a great scorer in the AHL. He averaged just 10:34 of ice time when he played in the NHL last season, and had four goals and seven points in 28 games, not taking quite the jump the organization hoped.
The 22-year-old Nyman is still waivers exempt, and is in a crowded forward group. His previous NHL games played and 49 goals in 117 AHL games might not matter. On the NHL roster, the Kraken has offensive winger options like Jared McCann, Jordan Eberle, Kaapo Kakko, Berkly Catton, and Mackie Samoskevich, who was acquired from the Florida Panthers this offseason. Competing for fourth line minutes, there’s also still recently re-signed Jacob Melanson, Curtis Douglas, Ryan Winterton, and Ben Myers.
‘Mr. Clutch’: Drew Lock Delivers Again in Prime Time, Outduels Drake Maye in Seahawks Season-Opening Win
Once the preseason comes to a close and the calendar flips to September, Drew Lock knows all too well the reality of being an NFL backup quarterback. After months of receiving ample snaps rotating behind Sam Darnold, with the start of regular season games, those opportunities dry up to next to nothing with the starter getting the lion’s share of snaps for the Seattle Seahawks.
Relegated to scout team duty or watching from the sideline, staying prepared for the possibility of having to actually play on game day can be incredibly tricky. There’s no such thing as being able to replace or replicate live reps on the field, but yet, that’s exactly what backups such as Lock have to try to accomplish with limited practice time being fully dedicated to the starters. There’s no proven, scientific formula to do so, with each backup having his own routine during a game week to remain ready if his number is called.
But now in his eighth season, after leading the Seahawks to a thrilling 13-10 comeback win over the Patriots replacing an injured Darnold in the first quarter on Wednesday night, Lock seems to have found the right recipe in Seattle. His secret? Well, it starts and ends in the bedroom - with a dry erase marker and a whiteboard - for the player defensive tackle Jarran Reed calls “Mr. Clutch.”
“I've got one next to my bed. I'll do it at night and I'll do it in the morning,” Lock explained to reporters after the game. “That's just been my thing, being able to visualize it so when I read it out it's just there in my head. Because of the lack of reps you don't get to physically do it. I got to be able to draw it from somewhere, no pun intended, and drawing it helps me draw it from somewhere.”
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Rally Behind Drew Lock, Intercept Way Past Patriots for 13-10 Win
SEATTLE, Wash. - Overcoming an early injury that knocked Sam Darnold out of action, the Seattle Seahawks roared back from a 10-point second half deficit to open the 2026 season with a 13-10 win over the New England Patriots.
Filling in admirably for Darnold, Drew Lock outplayed Drake Maye, completing 16 out of 22 passes for 187 yards and a 45-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished with 122 receiving yards to kick off the new year. The trio of Julian Love, Nehemiah Pritchett, and Josh Jobe recorded fourth quarter interceptions, with the latter picking off Maye in the end zone to ice the game inside 30 seconds to play.
Diving into a wild, adversity-filled opener, here are five takeaways from a big-time win in a Super Bowl LX rematch at Lumen Field:
1. Despite Darnold scare and a slow start for the backup, Lock comes up clutch again in relief.
On the path to a Lombardi Trophy a year ago, Seattle had relatively positive fortunes on the injury front. But only a few minutes into Wednesday’s opener, that luck got twisted upside down in a heartbeat, sending a frenzied crowd into a silenced panic. Sacked by Dre’Mont Jones on third down to end the opening series, Darnold gingerly jogged off, trying to shake off the discomfort as he headed to the sideline. Only a few minutes later, he spent a brief spell in the blue injury tent before hobbling to the locker room, sending Lock in for sub duty.
Sam Darnold Exits Seahawks Opener, Ruled Out With Hip Injury
Bringing a worst case scenario to life for the Seattle Seahawks as they begin their Super Bowl title defense, Sam Darnold exited the field after just one series in Wednesday’s season opener against the New England Patriots with a hip injury.
Replacing Darnold just one drive into the opener, Drew Lock took over at the 7:29 mark after the Seahawks’ defense forced a punt on their opening series.
After his first pass went for 13 yards to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Darnold uncorked an ugly incompletion and then found himself under duress on the ensuing third down. He managed to escape the initial blitzer with his eyes still scanning downfield, but as he tried to move to his left, he was dragged down by veteran defensive end Dre’Mont Jones for a drive-ending sack.
Out Go Vain Mariners Playoff Hopes, In Comes Mammoth Montes Might
For the first time in a half decade, September baseball in Seattle does not mean the tension of a playoff chase. Those chases were vain and doomed more often than not, but the exhilaration and anticipation of the first month of fall is not something that shall grace the cooling confines of T-Mobile Park. With the Mariners seven games back of the division lead after their 10-5 loss on Tuesday with 17 left to go, a team who had once been World Series aspirations now looks upon a wholly lost season.
Just as that fact once again became clear on Tuesday, so did another: Lazaro Montes is one of the strongest batsmen on Earth.
The rookie right fielder hit one of the longest homers in Mariners history in the bottom of the fourth against Rangers starter Cal Quantrill, the second of Montes’ career and the first at T-Mobile Park. The 474-footer was the biggest nuke most of those in attendance had ever witnessed - landing on the concourse beyond center field - but for Montes, it was another Tuesday.
“I got a couple, I think in the Dominican Republic, I have one of the long, long, long, long - more than 500 feet, easy,” Montes said. “This is not the only one; I need to now get another one.”
That moment was the sole consolation for a team that had near everything else go wrong in myriad possible ways.
Bryce Miller fell apart early and left before the end of the fourth.
Before Emerson Hancock sustained an injury late in the year, the team had planned to move Bryce Miller to the bullpen and sport a five-man rotation involving the newly-promoted Kade Anderson.
Key Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Battle Patriots in Week 1 Super Bowl Rematch
Finally beginning their march to “run it forward” after winning Super Bowl LX in February, the Seattle Seahawks will open their title defense against the same New England Patriots that they defeated in Santa Clara in a statement Week 1 Wednesday night battle at Lumen Field.
While both teams return many of the same players who played in that matchup seven months ago, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald understands that his team can’t put too much stock into what worked that night in an always unpredictable opener, especially with the changes that the Patriots have made to improve their roster over the course of the offseason.
“First game of the year is a little tricky,” Macdonald said on Saturday. “You don’t want to fall in the trap of applying last year’s things you see too much to what’s going to happen this year. Teams grow and evolve and change and there’s different personnel on both sides. Our focus is trying to do the things that we do that our guys can go play the best they can and also try to apply as much pressure as you can as well but understanding how the game goes, there’s going to be some things that we’re going to be required to make adjustments in game.”
With the Seahawks looking to start off with a win and the Patriots seeking redemption in prime time, which matchups will dictate which reigning conference champion grabs a marquee season opening victory?
Mercado's Self-Bet Results in Extension; Diallo Slowly Ramps Up
TUKWILA, Wash. — Ami Diallo, the Seattle Reign's newest forward who joined the team just last Thursday after signing on Aug. 18, was asked who she liked to watch in the NWSL before she entered the league herself. She thought for a moment and named Brazilian legend Marta. Then, quietly, as is her way, she named Maddie Mercado — her new teammate on the Reign enjoying a breakout season in 2026.
Mercado, whose notoriety is far from that of the great Marta, was on loan this time last season with the Carolina Ascent to get more minutes. The 24-year-old from Notre Dame was struggling to get on the pitch, but scored four goals in just six games for the Ascent, leading Seattle GM Lesle Gallimore to recall her ahead of the NWSL Playoffs. In 2026, a 25-year-old Mercado is up to eight goals to lead the team and has made herself irreplaceable as she tracks toward being the first Reign player to score 10 or more goals since the legendary Megan Rapinoe in 2017 (franchise record 12 goals).
But it's quite apparent that no one, even the Reign in their decision to recall her, believed in Mercado more than she believed in herself.
She put a trigger in her last contract through 2026 that would activate a player option in 2027 if she hit a minutes-played threshold this year. With eight games to play this season, Mercado already hit the threshold to push her deal through the 2027 season.
"This year I kind of had it in my mind that I wanted to earn that," Mercado said of the clause after training on Tuesday. "This year really is the first year where people have seen, I think, what I'm really capable of on the field."
Indeed, Mercado had put up just 587 regular-season minutes in her first two seasons combined after being drafted in 2024, scoring one goal in 19 regular-season appearances. As she pushed her appearances for 2026 up to 22 and her minutes to 1,805, Mercado scored her latest goal on Sunday in a 1-0 win over the San Diego Wave in which she leaped over a defender to head in what would be the game-winning score. It was her seventh game in the last 10 with a goal contribution, as Mercado has manned the right wing consistently with Mia Fishel operating at striker.
Gonzaga WBB's Lauren Whittaker Shines for New Zealand in FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifiers
As a final tune-up before her sophomore season in Spokane, Gonzaga women’s basketball forward Lauren Whittaker recently participated in the Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament for her home country, New Zealand.
This qualifying round consisted of a series of games over a week-long span, hosted in Mexico. New Zealand was part of Group A, which also included Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, South Sudan, Senegal, and the Philippines. Whittaker got the opportunity to play alongside her sister, Charlotte, a 6-3 forward who played four seasons at Colorado, and against the Zags’ all-time leading scorer, Canadian Yvonne Ejim, who was named to the tournament’s “All-Star Five”.
Canada went 5-0, securing the only available spot to advance to the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in 2028. New Zealand fell to the Canadians in the semifinals, going 2-2 overall, but it was an encouraging stretch for Whittaker, who looks to build on her WCC Player of the Year performance last season.
Storm Well-Represented in FIBA Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals
Two of the four Seattle Storm players competing in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup have qualified for the quarterfinals, and there’s a good chance all four will make it.
Dominique Malonga (France) and Awa Fam (Spain) each finished first with their teams in group play, advancing them directly to the top 8. Ezi Magbegor and Jade Melbourne (Australia) still have to win one more game in a quarterfinal qualifier against Italy.
Super Bowl LX Redux: What’s Changed for Seahawks and Patriots?
The Seahawks and Patriots are set for the Super Bowl LX rematch in Seattle on Wednesday night. The Super Bowl championship banner will be raised at Lumen Field and then the two defending conference champions will do battle to kick off the 2026 regular season. The Seahawks punished the Patriots to the tune of a 29-13 victory that certainly could’ve been more lopsided.
A lot can change in an NFL offseason. The draft, free agency, and trades always create roster turnover for all 32 teams year after year. Even though these two squads were the last ones standing last season and now are kicking off the new year, much has changed. Let’s start with what is the same.
What is the Same?
The two teams return both their head coach and starting quarterback from Super Bowl LX. Drake Maye finished as the NFL MVP runner-up last year. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is still calling plays with running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. A large chunk the offensive line returns, with a few notable additions.
Sam Darnold is still slinging it to the same bevy of weapons he had late last year, including reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, and AJ Barner. Most notably, Seattle returns all five of their starters along the offensive line.
Fall Recruiting Roundup for Huskies’ Men’s Hoops
The results have not been there for the Washington Huskies’ men’s basketball program, sitting near the bottom of the Big Ten standings each of the past two seasons and continuing a prolonged March Madness drought in the process. Despite the lack of on-court success, however, head coach Danny Sprinkle has still been remarkably successful on the recruiting trail.
In his first year, Sprinkle landed two four-star recruits, according to the 247Sports Composite: local star Zoom Diallo (No. 42) and California product Jase Butler (No. 113).
In his second year, Sprinkle signed four-star recruits J.J. Mandaquit (No. 52), Hannes Steinbach (No. 68), Jasir Rencher (No. 125), and Courtland Muldrew (No. 128).
This year, now entering his third season, Washington signed three-star Lattimore Ford (No. 263), who projects as a developmental prospect more than a rotational player.
As a result, this will be the first year in which a freshman is not projected to have significant playing time. That is likely due to the veteran-laden roster Sprinkle built in an effort to win games and get himself off the hot seat, but that also puts pressure on recruiting for the future of the program as well.
Analysis: Expect Multiplicity as Seahawks Try to Replace Nick Emmanwori in Season Opener
Now just two days away from their season opener, while the team will not make final designations until Tuesday, the odds of Nick Emmanwori being available for the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday night remain iffy at best.
Emmanwori, who underwent ankle surgery days before the start of training camp, has been gradually ramping up activity on the field since being activated from the PUP list in mid-August. This week, he has taken another positive step forward practicing with a helmet on and partaking in more individual drills, but that may not be enough to warrant rushing him back into the lineup for the opener.
Still, as expected given the fact the team doesn’t have to announce anything until Tuesday, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald kept the door open with a coy response on Emmanwori’s status after Monday’s practice.
“Nick had his most work over the last couple of days, looks great, and he practiced limited today,” Macdonald said with a subtle smirk on his face, providing a minimal update.
Until Emmanwori has been officially ruled out, there’s always an outside shot that the second-year safety manages to suit up for Seattle. But with him still not practicing in full after missing all of training camp and the preseason, signs continue to point to the team being cautious with a long season ahead, hoping to potentially have him return in Week 2 against the Cardinals when he has had another full week of practice under his belt.
Bad Tasting Apple: Washington State Falls to Washington 24-10, Loses Kirby Moore's Debut
The Washington State Cougars stayed within striking distance for much of Sunday afternoon’s season opening Apple Cup before their defense eventually ran out of gas in the fourth quarter, as coach Kirby Moore’s squad left Husky Stadium with a 24-10 loss to No. 17 Washington.
While the final score does not tell the full story, Washington State's defense repeatedly kept the Cougars close, including making a crucial goal line stop at the end of the first half, and gave the offense several opportunities to capitalize and potentially steal a road upset.
However, missed opportunities, three turnovers, and obvious issues along the offensive line ultimately proved too much to overcome in Moore’s debut on the sidelines.
The Cougars finished with just 242 total yards and struggled to sustain drives, failing to convert a single third down. Washington State also missed two field goals, leaving points on the board against a Washington defense that could prove to be the toughest unit the Cougars face all season.
What stood out from the 14-point defeat in the latest Apple Cup?
Reign Overcome Slow Second Half to Beat Short-Handed Wave
SEATTLE, Wash. — The Seattle Reign are growing up.
With the chance to sweep a San Diego Wave side that has been at or near the top of the standings all season, the Reign found themselves up 1-0 and up a player in the second half.
The talented Wave (12-8-3, 5th in NWSL), who Reign head coach Laura Harvey called "the most enjoyable (NWSL team) to watch" postgame, controlled nearly the entire second half, as stars like Ludmila and Kenza Dali helped San Diego outshoot Seattle 9-1 in the back 45 alone. Seattle had looked like the more organized team early, and capitalized as Maddie Dahlien delivered a perfect ball to breakout leading scorer Maddie Mercado in the area for a powerful header in the 29th to snatch the lead.
But the young Reign (10-8-4, 8th in NWSL), thanks in part to some late defensive changes, kept San Diego out of goal — protecting a lead Harvey knew would’ve been even more fickle earlier in the season with meltdowns and near-meltdowns against Gotham and Bay FC in mind.
"There's been moments this year, a lot of it in the first half of the season, where maybe we'd have crumbled in those moments, but we didn't," Harvey said.
Indeed, Seattle constantly got players behind the action to thwart transition chances while keeper Claudia Dickey managed six saves in the win. At the end of the game, Dickey collided with Ludmila, leaving the USWNT keeper needing stitches postgame at a local hospital. But after a lengthy stoppage to tend to Dickey, who was replaced by Cassie Miller for the final 10 minutes, Harvey reengineered her press.
San Diego didn't manage another shot on frame to close the game.
"We just couldn't get pressure on the ball and protect what we needed to protect," Harvey said of the second half before she made changes. "We decided to get our wingers to press… we should've done that earlier."
Still, Harvey knows her team needs points however it can get them. Sunday was about survival — ask Dickey and her battle scars.
“Really happy with the results. Huge three points, you know, to take six points off that team is massive,” Harvey said.
Huskies Retain Apple Cup With Sloppy 24-10 Win vs. Washington State
It lacked the offensive outburst the Washington Huskies expected, but the Apple Cup trophy will stay in Seattle this year.
Washington pulled away from an outcome that was in doubt until the final minutes for a 24-10 victory to secure the second straight win over the Washington State Cougars after head coach Jedd Fisch lost his first attempt in 2024.
‘Let ‘Er Rip’: Brian Fleury Inspiring Confidence Entering Seahawks’ - and NFL - Play-Calling Debut
Now in his third season as head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Macdonald still has the same butterflies going into the season opener as he did when he first received the opportunity to call plays at Michigan five years ago.
Whether it can be chalked up as nerves, anxiety, excitement, or a cocktail of all three, Macdonald sees those emotions all as a natural part of the equation being a football coach and kicking off a new season. From that standpoint, as Brian Fleury prepares to call plays in a regular season game for the first time, he expects the Seahawks new offensive coordinator to experience an array of such feelings when they take on the Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rematch on Wednesday.
Not seeing that blend of fervor and apprehension as necessarily a negative thing, leaning on his own play calling debut as guidance, Macdonald would advise Fleury to embrace those emotions as they come, be confident in the process and trust the work he has put in leading up to this point, and quickly remind himself that at the end of the day, Wednesday is just another football game.
“Like with the rest of our players, [it’s about] trusting our training, trusting the preparation,” Macdonald said about Fleury’s impending debut as coordinator prior to Saturday’s practice. “I still do that. You’re always going to feel there’s whatever; is it anxiety, is it excitement? Those things are natural, it means you care, it means it matters to you. I hope our players feel that. When you do have those feelings, understand like, ‘Hey, we’re still playing a football game that we’ve prepared for and take a deep breath and go let ‘er rip and let’s rock and roll.’”
WATCH: Sounders Settle for Scoreless Draw with Red Bulls, Pick Up First Clean Sheet Since April
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a 0-0 draw between the 7-9-6 Seattle Sounders (13th in Western Conference) and Red Bull New York (7-10-6) on Saturday night.
The Sounders won the expected-goals battle 2.1-1.0 and took 20 shots, but six key saves from RBNY keeper Ethan Horvath and close-range misses by Paul Rothrock and Sebastian Gomez kept the Rave Green scoreless. Defender Kalani Kossa-Rienzi was the latest in a constant stream of Sounders players to get injured, as the wingback sprained his right ankle in the first half and was confirmed to be in a boot postgame. On a positive note, the Sounders tabbed their first clean sheet since April, as keeper Andrew Thomas had four saves while Cristian Roldan, Alex Roldan and others played sound defensive games.
The Sounders will take on the team one spot ahead of them in the LA Galaxy next week, with 12 games left before the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Explore our latest Seattle sports content by clicking on your favorite team(s) below!
