Prep Basketball News

Whatcom County’s top hooper is taking her talents to one of the nation’s most prominent programs.

Lynden senior Finley Parcher announced on social media today that she’s committed to UCLA.

Parcher has helped lead the Lions’ girl’s basketball team to three straight state titles. They currently own a 75-game win streak, which is one of the longest in the country.

The six-foot-one guard averaged 22 points per game on nearly 68% shooting from the field last year with Lynden, per WhatcomPreps.

ESPN ranks Parcher as No. 21 in the country for the Class of 2027.

She’ll join a storied Bruins program that’s coming off a national title and a 37-1 season under 15th-year head coach Cori Close.

NBA News

Big news out of the NBA surrounding expansion, but not involving the Sonics.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the league is expected to select the winning bid for ownership of Las Vegas’s expansion team in the “very near future.”

The franchise and a new arena are reported to fetch at least $12 to $13 billion from among three finalist groups.

ESPN’s report noted that the NBA is closing on Vegas before Seattle for several reasons, including a livelier bidding market with higher offers and more logistics around a new arena in Vegas versus Climate Pledge Arena’s expected site in Seattle.

The league is still expected to hold a formal approval process by the end of December on two expansion teams.

ESPN also reports that the runners-up in the Vegas bidding could also join the Seattle bid process. The NBA is targeting as soon as the 2028-29 season for the expansion teams, if they’re approved.

MLB News

The MLB playoffs are getting underway today.

The Braves edged the Phillies 5-3 in their opening game of the best-of-three Wild Card round.

The White Sox are playing in Houston against the Astros.

The Yankees are hosting the Red Sox at 5:00 just after announcing that three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge will miss the series with a calf injury.

The Cubs and Padres cap off the night in San Diego at 7.

NHL News

Hockey is back tonight.

The newly expanded 84-game NHL season is opening with five matches, including the Canucks’ game against the Oilers at 7.

The Kraken open their season on the road Thursday against the Calgary Flames. Coverage begins at 5:30 and puck drops at 6:00 on KPUG.

They’ll play their home opener against the Flames on Sunday.

NFL News

Week 3 of the NFL season capped off last night with another backup quarterback getting a win.

Case Keenum and the Bears crushed the Eagles 27-7 in Chicago.

Keenum threw a pair of touchdowns and ran in another to help the Bears improve to 2-1 and hand the Eagles their first loss of the season.

Bears starter Caleb Williams is expected to miss up to four weeks with a hamstring strain.

His status for Chicago’s Monday Night Football Game in Seattle on Nov. 2 is up in the air.

College Sports News

New regulations could be on their way to college sports.

The U.S. Senate voted last night to pass the Protect College Sports Act. The bill seeks to establish a federal NIL framework, increase athlete compensation through revenue sharing and creates protections for injured student-athletes among other objectives.

The bill was co-authored by U.S. Senator and Washington state Democrat Maria Cantwell, who says it’s aimed at reining in “bad practices” in college sports, including what she calls “the runaway arms race in sports spending.”

It now moves on to debate in the House of Representatives, where it could change.