SAN DIEGO — The 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game is officially a wrap, with Team Sharks earning double-digit victories in both the boys and girls games at the Nautilus Amphitheater this weekend. On top of that, Ole Miss commit Jaron Saulsberry (Wheeler, GA) wowed during an all-time great slam dunk contest, and Duke commit Bella Flemings (Brennan, TX) stole the show by winning the 3-point contest on her final shot.

The players and their families also got to spend time at the world famous marine park, which featured some exhibits the All-Americans participated in. Having the event a stone’s throw from Pacific Beach and Mission Bay certainly didn’t hurt, either.

Now that everyone has left San Diego and made it back home, what better time is there to recap the weekend’s sights and sounds?

Slam Dunk Showdown

Ballislife has put on some of the best high school dunk contests you’ll ever see over the years, with future NBA dunk contest winners like Zach Lavine, Mac McClung and Derrick Jones Jr. all putting on a show at our All-American Game during their respective senior seasons. That’s why we feel like we have plenty of authority to say that the 2026 contest was among the best that the company has ever put on.

Saulsberry of course stole the show with his high-flying bag of tricks, but Arkansas commit Abdul Toure (Notre Dame CT) and BYU commit Dean Ruecker (Timpview UT) also stood out during the event. Other dunkers included Kansas commit Trent Perry (Link Academy MO), Notre Dame commit Jonathan Sanderson (La Lumiere IN), and Arizona commit Cameron Holmers (Milennium (AZ).

These kids are NOT human ! Jaron Saulsberry shut down the 2026 Ballislife All-American Dunk Contest at SeaWorld San Diego with an insane dunk! @SaulsberryJaron pic.twitter.com/J20AptGGGI

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 25, 2026

Ole Miss commit Jaron Saulsberry channels Vince Carter by successfully converting the arm-in-the-rim dunk at the 2026 Ballislife All-American Dunk Contest.
Los Angeles Sparks guard Erica Wheeler reacts to Jaron Saulsberry’s dunk at the 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Slam Dunk Contest. Photo by Nick Koza.
Jaron Saulsberry and Ballislife streetball star Nasir Core after Saulsberry won the 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Dunk Contest. Photo by Nick Koza.

3-Point Stunner!

Arguably the loudest moment of the weekend came in the co-ed championship round of the 3-point contest, as girls winner Bella Flemings defeated boys winner Colben Landrew by making her final three shots to win the trophy.

Bella Flemings is the 2026 Ballislife All-American 3-point champion!

Flemings stunned Colben Landrew by making three shots on the last rack to take home the trophy.

Congrats, Bella! pic.twitter.com/kLmlFwCEOo

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 25, 2026

Bella Flemings and Colben Landrew advanced to the co-ed championship round at the 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game. Photo credit: Ballislife Staff.
Bella Flemings holds the trophy after winning the 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American 3-Point Contest. Photo by Ballislife Staff.

Boys’ Game

After the All-Americans put on a show during Friday’s festivities, SeaWorld was buzzing on Saturday ahead of the boys and girls games. The boys game started off as a competitive contest with Team Dolphins bringing a 76-73 lead to halftime, but a dominant second half from Team Sharks saw them run away with the game while former AAU teammates Tajh Ariza (Oregon, Link Academy, MO) and Jason Crowe Jr. (MIssouri, Inglewood, CA) took home the team’s co-MVP honors for the respective efforts.

Ariza led all scorers with 30 points, while Crowe set the tone with an unreal shooting display in the first half. Florida State commit Marcis Ponder earned MVP honors for Team Sharks, tallying 18 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. Ariza, Ponder and several other players including Latrelle Allmond had some ridiculous dunks in the second half as the game sort of turned into a mini dunk contest, so it was certainly entertaining even it wasn’t the most competitive game for 40 minutes.

Team Sharks and Team Dolphins ahead of the 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game. Photo by Nick Koza.
Team Sharks lined up before tip-off. Photo by Nick Koza.
Members of Team Dolphins pose ahead of the game. Photo by Nick Koza.
Team Dolphins Co-MVPs Tajh Ariza and Jason Crowe look on at the 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game. Photo by Nick Koza.

Girls’ Game

The girls game followed a similar trajectory, as Team Doplhins kept the score within four points at halftime before Team Sharks ran away with it in the second half. Texas commit Aaliah Spaight (Bishop Gorman, NV) earned MVP honors for Team Dolphins with a flashy performance that saw the Las Vegas native tally a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting overall with two makes on four attempts from long range. Indiana commit Gigi Battle took home the MVP for Team White, racking up 14 points and six rebounds despite the losing effort.

The 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American girls’ class ahead of Saturday’s game. Photo by Nick Koza.
Team Sharks MVP Aaliah Spaight backs down Rieyan DeSouze at the 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld Girls’ All-American Game.
Team Dolphins MVP GiGi Battle drives past Olivyah Edwards and Jenica Lewis at the 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld Girls All-American Game. Photo by Nick Koza.

The post Sights and Sounds: 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Weekend appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post Sights and Sounds: 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Weekend appeared first on SportRun.

Chris DeMarco and Stephanie White deal with a similar pressure as they enter a widely varied WNBA coaching experience.

BROOKLYN—Meet the new boss … same as the old boss. New York Liberty fans certainly hope so, at least in one rather vital WNBA department.

(Photos courtesy of Getty Images/ New York Liberty)

Chris DeMarco, a tenured assistant with the Golden State Warriors, has made his first appearance in the head coach’s seat on Barclays Center’s bench, making his unofficial debut at the helm of the Brooklyn ballers in a Saturday preseason duel with the Indiana Fever. DeMarco is the face leading the Liberty into the second stage of its new wave of contention, headlined by an elite triumvirate, replacing the Toronto-bound Sandy Brondello.

Despite overseeing last season’s first-round heartbreak, Brondello going down in metropolitan ledgers as the first coach to lead the basketball-loving city’s most renowned women’s team to a championship can’t be erased. It also set up her successor for unprecedented pressure, rendering the two-game exhibition slate the closest thing DeMarco will have to a honeymoon at the helm.

All that and more is built on the double-edged sword of New York welcoming back its “big three” core, comprised of Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Breanna Stewart, for the foreseeable future. Their fellow 2024 champion Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, likewise re-upped, while Satou Sabally, one of the Liberty’s round one vanquishers from Phoenix last fall, also joined the seafoam cause.

DeMarco on championship expectations:#WNBA pic.twitter.com/Luq5JTNyvT

— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) April 17, 2026

DeMarco is well aware of the expectations and has made it a point to embrace and acknowledge them whenever they come up. Fulfilling on his post-hire promise to “pour into” any bit of reading material he could find on the Liberty, DeMarco has consulted verbal and textual sources on adapting to the historic metropolitan needs. 

“I spoke to people in the building, Liberty legends, other people in the WNBA,” DeMarco, now the proud owner of a Rebecca Lobo throwback jersey as part of the “Court Origin” aesthetic rollout, the Liberty is engaged with alongside fellow original squads Los Angeles and Phoenix. “It’s just learning … It was really nice being able to be in this building and be around everybody, even if it’s like, going to a [Brooklyn] Nets game and then we’re at the Crown Club after. People could tell me about something that happened with the Liberty last year. You run into fans on the street and they’re [talking about] two years ago, this happened.”

“It’s just being connected. And I think that’s, that’s what it’s all about, and that, by the way, the energy in the city is unbelievable right now for the season to start, anywhere I go, like, people are stopping me, like, hey, you know, you guys better be ready. Like, we’ve been waiting. We’re excited. So, you know, I love that. 

Liberty Leads Light It Up

DeMarco fully expected metropolitan sloppiness to emerge in his first act, and it manifested to the tune of letting up the first eight points to a team featuring Kelsey Mitchell and a returning Caitlin Clark. New York also committed 22 turnovers that yielded the final margin and then some in an eventual 109-91 defeat that lacked presumed metropolitan contributors like Sabally and Leonie Fiebich. 

The faith of a surprisingly spirited preseason crowd was nonetheless rewarded thanks to several Brooklynites resembling their mid-season forms. Stewart, perhaps assisted by European play, had 16 points and five rebounds in less than 12 minutes while the return of Laney-Hamilton after a yearlong medically induced absence was well-received. Another returning fan favorite, Han Xu, led New York with 20 points while Anneli Maley (13 points, 7 rebounds, 5-of-5 at the line) was one of the depth stars who took advantage of an extended opportunity. DeMarco does appear to be leaving an impression on his new proteges despite her relative youth in the W.

“He’s vocal, he’s light-hearted. But he has a sternness to him as well,” Laney-Hamilton, working with her third Liberty. So it’s nice that we can joke a little bit, but it’s also like, okay, this is what we’re doing. It’s a really good environment to be a part of with him. All of the coaching staff, I think, they’ve really done a good job of coming in and implementing what it is that they want to do, but then also allowing us to kind of be us, be free.”

White’s Fight Is Surprisingly Similar

If anyone can understand the struggle of what DeMarco is working through, it’s, ironically enough, his Saturday opponent … one of the more tenured names on the current W circuit.

White is one of three current bosses to oversee her current employer’s endeavors for at least 100 games, joining Becky Hammon (Las Vegas) and Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota). This will be the second year of her second term, having previously overseen two prior tours. The first ended in the 2015 WNBA Finals, which stands as the last time Indiana stood among the last couple. 

In between her Fever tenures, White was tasked with overseeing both the Vanderbilt women’s basketball program and what perhaps will stand as the final glory days of the Connecticut Sun.

Fever head coach Stephanie White on the biggest lesson she took from last year:#WNBA pic.twitter.com/d25Erv3pjk

— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) April 25, 2026

Bringing her back alongside a plethora of talent, a good bit of it homegrown, carries the unspoken edict of a championship being the expectation, a return after a decade being perhaps the bare minimum to stay the course. White could almost be a victim of her own success: with several franchise faces injured (i.e. Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald), White guided her group to within a win of the Finals, to the point where the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces needed an overtime that didn’t feature Mitchell (yet another injury) or Aliyah Boston (fouled out) to finally flush the Fever. 

In the face of the pressure that has created more undeniable pressures, White’s embracing her new gift with the regulars back, creating perhaps the perfect blueprint for DeMarco to follow in his own first tour.

“I think the biggest takeaway from a season ago is just how connected our locker room was, and how important that is to teams,” White continued. “Connected teams are winning teams, and it’s not always going to go the way that we want it to go, individually or collectively. But maintaining that connection, being able to have honest conversations with one another, being able to hold one another accountable and be held accountable, being able to lift one another up and be each other’s biggest supporter, I think all of those things are important lessons that we learned a year ago. We wanted to be a player-led locker room, and to continue that is important.”

Indiana and New York are scheduled to meet four times this season, the first being a June 6 Brooklyn bout in primetime. 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags

The post A Tale of Two Coaches: Fever, Liberty Bosses Deal With Similar WNBA Pressure appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post A Tale of Two Coaches: Fever, Liberty Bosses Deal With Similar WNBA Pressure appeared first on SportRun.

Nasir Core has been making waves in the 1 v. 1 space for a minute now, but the performance he put on against former NBA star Gerald Green in Houston on Sunday was arguably the biggest one yet.

Nas went BTA on Green to put it simply, running him out of the gym with a 31-4 victory at The Scene League’s Faceoff Series that quickly went viral and caused a firestorm of commentary about who his next opponent should be. A star-studded crowd was on hand to see the statement victory, including Brooklyn Nets star Michael Porter Jr., Olympic gymnast Suni Lee and rapper Ice Spice. 

Nas just beat Gerald Green 31-4 in a 1v1 PPV in Houston!!!!!

(TheSceneLeauge/YT) pic.twitter.com/YPA1OUQmPC

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 27, 2026

Nas notably has two more former NBA players in Austin Rivers and Archie Goodwin on his “Hit List”, and he predictably called out both following his statement win.

“I don’t want this to be my pro, I want another pro,” Nas said. “Somebody that can go toe-to-toe with me. I don’t think that was a good representation of Gerald Green, but Archie, bring your b**** a** outside. Austin, bring your b**** a** outside. Anybody else, bring your b**** a** outside.”

Just Check Up!

After @drichtv on Instagram took exception to Nas’ disrespectful call out of Goodwin and Rivers, the top-ranked streetballer conceded that he may have went a little too far with his language but also insisted that there’s only one way to truly stop his trash talk. 

“I do apologize for my words,” Nas wrote. “I shouldn’t have called them a “B***h that was out of line a lil bit even though both of them disrespected me in some way. But it’s only one way to shut me up! JUST CHECK UP!’

The matchup between Nas and Goodwin in particular appears to be gaining steam after the pair had a verbal confrontation during a joint Instagram Live session, where Goodwin was dismissive of Nas’ resume while Nas demanded respect for his contributions to the rapidly growing space.

nasir core and archie goodwin setting up the 1 vs 1 pic.twitter.com/V6wCarlXnK

— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@Thechat101) April 26, 2026

Bigger Challenges Ahead

All in all, it was a disappointing performance from the 40-year-old Green, who could do little to stop Nas from doing whatever he wanted to both offensively and defensively. Nas mostly kept it respectful with Green following the blowout, but he did acknowledge that next time he wants a steeper challenge than what Green was able to provide. 

“I want a pro that can go toe-to-toe with me. I don’t think that was a good representation of Gerald Green. Archie Goodwin, bring ya b**** a** outside. Austin, bring ya b**** a** outside. Anybody else, bring ya b**** a** outside.”

(TheSceneLeauge/YT) https://t.co/k48GBh5iP3 pic.twitter.com/sy4pqPQSOb

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 27, 2026

“Respect to Gerald Green, you know, I don’t want to do any kind of hate or any disrespect to a legend like that,” Core said. “He came out in the city and he played me, no matter his health, no matter his condition, so I want to give all respect to him. But for all the pros that are in shape, are healthy, are ready to play, that’s who I want to play.”

Aside from Goodwin and Rivers, another massive matchup potentially on the horizon for Nas is a showdown against Zae for the definitive No. 1 crown in the 1 v. 1 space. Rivers and Goodwin still have to come outside as Nas put it, but we know for a fact Zae and Nas would put on a show for the ages just like the instant classic Nas and Skoob put on at Judgement Day last month. 

The post Nas Dominates Gerald Green 1 v. 1! Who’s Next On His Hit List? appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post Nas Dominates Gerald Green 1 v. 1! Who’s Next On His Hit List? appeared first on SportRun.

Caitlin Clark put her Indiana Fever jersey on for the first time since mid-July in a preseason game against the New York Liberty.

BROOKLYN—Call it a Caitlin Clark incubation for the Indiana Fever.

Clark unofficially returned to WNBA action on Saturday afternoon against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. She had previously partaken in World Cup qualifying action with the United States’ women’s national team, where she won MVP honors in March’s San Juan competition. But Saturday marked Clark’s first time in a Fever uniform since a mid-July win over Connecticut served as her coda thanks to a series of lower-body injuries.

(Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

Clark got the relatively awkward business out of the way fairly quickly, scoring five points within the game’s first 71 seconds. She did, however, miss her final eight under tougher defensive scrutiny from Rebekah Gardner and other New York reserves. Clark also dished out four assists and pulled in three rebounds during her 17-minute shift before the headliners’ exodus early in the third quarter. 

It was probably enough to earn the metaphorical postgame trip to Shake Shack from head coach Stephanie White.

“I thought she was good,” White lauded. “I thought she didn’t force anything. She played with great intention, and everything that she did was in the flow. She was communicating at a high level. If we’re talking about the shot-making, that’s going to come. They play her differently in the W than they do in international basketball. We’ve just got to find ways to free her up, to get her some easy looks.”

CAITLIN CLARK FOR THREEEEE

Feels good to be back pic.twitter.com/F4vaPtUs2Y

— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) April 25, 2026

Clark herself foresaw some of her early struggles but appreciated the early work on the path back to prominence, especially after last season’s expanded absence.

“I think anytime you get to put on your uniform and lace up your shoes, you don’t take that for granted, especially having come off of last year,” Clark said in the prelude. “I think, for me, coming into this game, there’s just a lot of excitement, not a ton of nerves. [We’ll] get out there, run around. It’s going to be probably a little sloppy here and there for both teams. That’s kind of what preseason games are about. You give everybody some run, you figure out what lineups work, what don’t, and everybody’s just trying to get their footing again. Same goes for me, too.”

Despite Clark’s misfires, Indiana eventually won the game 109-91, establishing distance thanks in part to 16 second-half points from Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. 

It Might Take More to Flush the Fever This Time

For all the talk of Clark’s returning mastery, the Fever conducted itself incredibly well after her unscheduled departure last season: led by the efforts of Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston (who did not play on Saturday), shorthanded Indiana not only won the Commissioner’s Cup in-season tournament but also fell just one win short of a WNBA Finals showing. Eventual champion Las Vegas Aces needed a Boston/Mitchell-less overtime to kick them out in a winner-take-all semifinal set.

What Clark brings to the table in her return to navy, red, and yellow is obvious, but the point guard explained what she hopes to contribute to the resilient cause in her own words prior to tip-off. All the while, she hopes that old and new teammates alike will recall the healthy stubbornness they picked up in CC absentia. 

“We went through a ton of adversity last year, and I think you have to give a lot of credit for the people that were here and that have returned, and also the people that haven’t,” Clark said. “They allowed us to still be a really great team when we had quite a few injuries. I think we have to rely on what we did last year, too. We understood adversity and what it takes to get there.”

“I think we all have a belief [that] we can be there, we can get there,” Clark said. “We know that there’s going to be highs. We know there’s going to be lows, especially me going into my third year. [In] my first two years of my career, it was like everything feels like it’s really, really good, or it’s really, really bad. That’s just kind of how pro basketball works: whether it’s on the men’s side, whether it’s on the women’s side, you kind of just got to stay right in the middle. I think that’s going to be important for our team.”

Saturday’s sneak preview had some semblance of the real deal thanks to a packed Brooklyn crowd and several star attractions living up to their reputations. Indiana led 53-48 at halftime, which signaled the end for New York’s primary women. There’s obviously plenty to work on but the half-victory was perhaps the best omen one could’ve asked for in an instant test. 

“I’m so pleased with our energy, with our communication, our ability to play through, I don’t really want to use the word mistakes, but when it wasn’t perfect, we were able to play through it,” White said, citing a need to “move the ball better” in her message to her top women. “That’s a tribute to these guys and their energy, effort, and focus.”

Supporting Cast Steps Up

Indiana (1-0) also basked in an 18-point performance from Mitchell, a trio of triples from Sophie Cunningham (who also returned after a prolonged medical absence), and a daring defensive debut from rookie Raven Johnson, who led all participants with eight assists while registering a pair of emphatic rejections. Primary veteran addition Monique Billings (who played with Clark during her recent American adventure) slid in well with two-way opportunities. 

Billings and Johnson, the most recent No. 10 pick of the 2026 WNBA draft, were the headliners of the Fever’s transactional storm while it re-upped with familiar faces (i.e., Cunningham, Mitchell, Lexie Hull). Its competition stole the headlines from Clark’s return: the Liberty signed Satou Sabally (another Saturday sit-out) while ex-Indianapolis interior star Natasha Howard, who formed a dominant tandem with Boston, could well be the missing piece in Minnesota. 

But hanging with, and besting, New York’s starters is a good start for White, Clark, and Co. in a season that is nonetheless burdened and blessed with great expectations. The effort was a solid sequel to the tone established last year, which White analyzed before continuing to place the prior tour in the rearview mirror.

Raven Johnson on her debut:#WNBA pic.twitter.com/SoeNesd1AA

— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) April 25, 2026

“I think the biggest thing is we have to control what we can control,” White said of the biggest lesson she learned last year. “There are a lot of circumstances and situations where we can, and I think our group a year ago did a really good job of that. We continued to just put one foot in front of the other, and it was next player up mentality while also embracing new players, giving grace for the journey that we had, and understanding that it’s not always going to be perfect.”

“I think the biggest takeaway from a season ago is just how connected our locker room was, and how important that is to teams,” White continued. “Connected teams are winning teams, and it’s not always going to go the way that we want it to go, individually or collectively. But maintaining that connection, being able to have honest conversations with one another, being able to hold one another accountable and be held accountable, being able to lift one another up and be each other’s biggest supporter, I think all of those things are important lessons that we learned a year ago. We wanted to be a player-led locker room, and to continue that is important.”

The Fever closes out its preseason pair on Saturday, hosting the Nigerian women’s national basketball team at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags

The post Caitlin Clark Returns in WNBA Preseason—See Who Shined for the Fever appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post Caitlin Clark Returns in WNBA Preseason—See Who Shined for the Fever appeared first on SportRun.

SAN DIEGO – An exclusive list of the top girls’ prep basketball talent throughout the country competed at the 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game on Saturday, with Team Sharks (Blue) earning an 89-71 victory over Team Dolphins (White) at the Nautilus Amphitheater.

Photo credit: Ballislife

Texas commit Aaliah Spaight (Bishop Gorman, NV) took home the MVP for Team Sharks. The Las Vegas native tallied a game-high 19 points, making 7-of-13 attempts from the field overall and 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Spaight exhibited tight handles, crossing over multiple defenders while getting to her spots with ease.

In addition to the pair of 3-pointers she hit, Spaight also converted an impressive and-one that showed her effectiveness scoring both inside and out. Spaight finished the game +25 in her minutes, eight points higher than her next closest teammate.

“I was able to do whatever my teammates trusted me to do,” Spaight said. “Being able to do that put a lot of confidence in me, and winning this means a lot to me since it’s one of my last high school games. Being able to perform and win MVP was a great moment.”

GiGi Battle Wins MVP for Team Dolphins!

Indiana commit GiGi Battle (DME Academy, FL) earned MVP honors for Team Dolphins, scoring 12 points in addition to grabbing six rebounds and dishing out two assists. Friday’s 3-point contest winner and Duke commit Bella Flemings (Brennan, TX) added 12 points of her own to match Battle for the team-high while also grabbing five rebounds herself.

As her older brother Kingston did at Houston this past season, Flemings is a prime candidate to emerge as a game-changing freshman for Duke next season.

For Battle, winning MVP among this crop of talent was the highlight of a memorable weekend spent in one of the most iconic destinations in the United States.

“It means a lot,” Battle said. “I had a great time being here, being able to be in SeaWorld. I met so many new people, and it was a really great experience. I just focused on playing hard and being myself. It was so much fun getting to see a lot of familiar faces, but also some new faces too.”

NC State commit Kamora Pruitt (Legion Prep, TX) also scored 12 points for Team Dolphins, making 5-of-10 attempts from the field overall and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc while finishing tied for the team-high in +/- at +7.

In addition to Spaight’s big-time performance, Team Sharks also received notable efforts from Kansas commit Cydnee Bryant (Centennial, CA) and Texas commit Amalia Holguin (Sage Hill, CA) as they each tallied 16 points in the winning effort. Bryant was especially dominant on the boards with 13 total rebounds, but that was still one board shy of the team-high, which was 14 set by Seton Hall commit Inieye Oruh (Centennial, NV).

The post 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game: Aaliah Spaight, GiGi Battle Earn MVP Honors! appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game: Aaliah Spaight, GiGi Battle Earn MVP Honors! appeared first on SportRun.

SAN DIEGO – The 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game started off tightly contested but ended in a blowout, as Team Blue (Sharks) defeated Team White (Dolphins) in a 160-136 shootout at the Nautilus Amphitheater on Saturday.

Photo credit: Ballislife

Oregon commit Tajh Ariza (Link Academy, MO) and Missouri commit Jason Crowe Jr. (Inglewood, CA) earned co-MVP honors for Team Blue. Ariza led all scorers with 30 points, making 11-of-18 attempts from the field with a handful of impressive, high-flying slam dunks that we’ve become accustomed to seeing from the slasher. Crowe Jr. finished with 22 points, 16 of which came during the first half, thanks to a red-hot shooting display from the nation’s most prolific scorer.

“It means a lot to win co-MVP, especially because I got it with my best friend,” Crowe Jr. said. “We both got MVP on our team, so that’s a great feeling. I grew up with him, we were AAU teammates, and I haven’t played with him in a long time, so it just felt good in our last game as high school seniors.”

For Ariza, it was vindicating to leave San Diego with some hardware after he wasn’t selected as the MVP for the Jordan Brand All-Star Game.

“It feels good, winning in Cali,” Ariza said. “I didn’t win at Jordan, so just getting something before I finish my career. I just wanted to put on a show for everybody watching. Playing with my bros, me and J. Crowe, it’s cool.”

Marcis Ponder Wins MVP for Dolphins

Photo credit: Nick Koza

Florida State commit Marcis Ponder took home the MVP for Team White in the loss, tallying 18 points and 15 rebounds. Ponder scored 14 of those points in the second half, finishing several rim-rocking slam dunks, including a few thunderous alley-oops.

“It feels great,” Ponder said. “Coming here to Cali with some of the top players in the country, I’m just happy to be one of the best and to take home the MVP. I only got one job: running the floor, blocking shots, and getting rebounds. That’s been my main job since I was 15, so I continue to do it.”

Don’t try to dunk on Marcis!

Live stream: https://t.co/ni0c1I9ONx https://t.co/SfFeuuH88t pic.twitter.com/B5GTE145VY

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 25, 2026

Team Blue started to pull away shortly before the midway point of the second half and all but iced the game on an impressive alley-oop slam by K.J. Torbert that extended their lead to a then-game-high 21 points, 125-104, with just under eight minutes remaining.

With the outcome all but decided, the rest of the game turned into an impromptu dunk contest with a few shots from the logo mixed in. Ariza and Oklahoma State commit Latrelle Allmond (Petersburg, VA) especially showed out during the exhibition, along with Arizona commit Cameron Holmes.

Team Sharks Dominate!

Team White (Dolphins) brought a 76-73 lead to halftime, despite the incredible shooting performance by Crowe Jr. The all-time leading scorer in California prep history put on a show for his home state crowd, making four consecutive one-legged step back 3-pointers from the corner.

These weren’t wide-open, high school 3-point attempts either. They were contested, and from past the college line or deeper, and to top it all off, he hit his signature celebration each time to a progressively louder reaction from the crowd. Perhaps the most impressive part of Crowe’s takeover was the fact that it occurred primarily after the 10-minute media timeout.

“I was just trying stuff,” Crowe Jr. said. “It’s an all-star game, so it doesn’t make any sense not to try new things, just the things I practice on a day-to-day basis.”

For much of the first half, Team White’s Dakari Spear of Dallas, Texas, appeared to be making an MVP bid himself. Spear registered a dynamic three-level scoring performance, finishing with 12 points in the frame after making his first two 3-point attempts in addition to a few crafty layups at the tin and an impressive completion of an alley-oop lob that wowed the folks in attendance.

Final Score: Team Blue (Sharks) 160, Team White (Dolphins) 136

The post 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game: Tajh Ariza, Jason Crowe Jr. Lead Team Sharks to Victory as Co-MVPs appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post 2026 Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Game: Tajh Ariza, Jason Crowe Jr. Lead Team Sharks to Victory as Co-MVPs appeared first on SportRun.

The Indiana Fever‘s Big Three is intact. Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell will run it back together in 2026, the result of a record-breaking offseason in which the franchise spent what it took to make sure of it. The only target left is the team’s first WNBA championship in 14 years.

 (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Indiana sits third in FanDuel’s WNBA championship winner market at +470, behind New York at +220 and defending champ Las Vegas at +470. The Fever went 24-20 a year ago and finished third in the East. They lost six players to season-ending injuries, Clark among them, and still pushed the Aces to a decisive Game 5 in the semifinals.

General manager Amber Cox and head coach Stephanie White spent the rest of the offseason operating on the margins to fine-tune the supporting cast around them.

A Record-Breaking Spring

Two of the Fever’s spring moves rewrote WNBA contract records by rewarding franchise pillars. Mitchell, a three-time All-Star, took Indiana’s Core qualifying offer and signed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax on April 17. The 30-year-old put up 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 31.4 minutes per game in 2025.

She made the All-WNBA First Team and was an MVP finalist. Indiana drafted Mitchell second overall in 2018, and she’s never played anywhere else. Her loyalty through the ups and downs has been greatly appreciated by the Fever organization.

Boston followed five days later with a four-year extension worth an estimated $6.3 million, including a $1 million 2026 salary. It’s the largest contract in WNBA history.

3x-WNBA All-Star Aliyah Boston is signing a four-year, $6.3 million contract extension with the Indiana Fever, giving her the richest total salary in league history to date, Zack Miller of WME Basketball tells me, @ShamsCharania and @kendra__andrews.

She will make $1M in the… pic.twitter.com/UnwiDjouyz

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 17, 2026

The deal was structured under the Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract provision, a new CBA rule that provides an accelerated pathway to maximum contracts for players named All-WNBA First or Second Team, or league MVP, within their first three seasons.

The 2023 No. 1 overall pick and three-time All-Star center put up 15.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals over 44 games last year. She made about $83,000 in 2025 on her rookie deal.

Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham re-signed to round out the returning core, the same group the locker room called “Tres Leches” alongside Clark a season ago.

Bench Building

Indiana kept depth as a priority as the front office signed forward Monique Billings from the Golden State Valkyries to replace Natasha Howard, who departed in free agency. Billings presents an intriguing option at power forward next to Boston, providing size, rim finishing, screen-setting, and multi-positional defense.

The Fever also added veteran forward Myisha Hines-Allen, a physical post presence with playoff experience, and guard Tyasha Harris, a secondary ball-handler expected to reduce Clark’s on-ball burden.

Kelsey Mitchell on how she pitched Indiana/the Fever to free agents.

“Indianapolis is a city-city, like a sports city.” pic.twitter.com/rxdE4nFqsl

— hank (@Brian_Haenchen) April 22, 2026

The 29-year-old Billings already had built-in chemistry with two of Indiana’s three All-Stars before signing.

“The vision, the culture, the fit. Those were my priorities going into free agency,” Billings said. “Having played with Caitlin Clark at USA, and Kelsey Mitchell in Unrivaled, building off that synergy, I’m hype.”

White, speaking to reporters at training camp on April 22, said the fit has translated quickly.

“[Billings] is an elite communicator on the defensive end of the floor,” White said. “There shouldn’t be mistakes in coverages because she’s talking about it. She’s a hard rim runner. She’s a hard roller out of ball screens. She’s a terrific rebounder.”

Fever Load Up in Free Agency with Billings, Harris, Hines-Allen

Hines-Allen, 30, is entering her ninth WNBA season and won a championship with the 2019 Washington Mystics. She averaged 7.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists across 40 games for the Dallas Wings during the 2025 campaign. Hines-Allen told reporters at media day on April 22 that the choice came down to Clark.

“Being able to play with Caitlin Clark, I think that was a huge eye-opener,” Hines-Allen said. “I have the opportunity to play with one of the greatest players that’s ever gonna play the game of basketball. So, for me, once I also heard that she really wants me here, too, I was like, ‘Oh, well, let’s get it done then. There’s no questions about it.”

Hines-Allen also pointed to Boston as a draw.

“You got Aliyah Boston, who is amazing,” Hines-Allen said. “Last year, I was so impressed with the way she played. Just to be able to play off of her, to help her and the team to grow, it was definitely like, I need to be here, I need to do this.”

Harris, 27, is an Indianapolis-area native and Heritage Christian alum who spent two seasons playing under White with the Connecticut Sun. She is returning from a left knee injury that limited her to five games with the Dallas Wings in 2025. Harris told reporters at media day the offer was unexpected.

“Indiana came out of nowhere, honestly,” Harris said. “Amber contacted my agent, and literally the next morning, she came to my workout. She liked what she saw, and she was like, ‘let’s get this happening.'”

Raven Johnson’s One Goal in Indy

At the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Fever used the No. 10 overall pick on South Carolina guard Raven Johnson, a two-time national champion and the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year. The pick addressed a specific need. Clark finished third in the league in usage rate last season at 31.5%, and ninth as a rookie at 27.7%.

Johnson, who famously was waved off by Clark at the 3-point line during the 2023 Final Four while playing for South Carolina against Iowa, said last week that the history between them is no longer a factor.

New threads, new number

No. 10 overall pick Raven Johnson now in No. 3 for the @IndianaFever! pic.twitter.com/9cr4kK8pbP

— WNBA (@WNBA) April 22, 2026

“I think that’s in the past, honestly,” Johnson said. “We’re teammates now, and we have one goal. That’s to win a championship.”

Johnson said the Fever’s culture was a primary factor in her enthusiasm about being drafted by Indiana.

“You’re talking about a team that could possibly win the championship,” Johnson said. “I think it’s crazy. They have a lot of vets I could learn from, and they’re winners. Everybody on that team likes to win. I think that’s what makes that team special. So to go to a program like that, that has the same mentality as me of winning, is phenomenal.”

Training camp opened April 19 with 16 players competing for 12 active roster spots and two developmental spots. Forward Damiris Dantas was the lone absence from early camp sessions, unable to report due to work visa issues.

Caitlin Clark’s Impact and Health

Clark, 24, enters her third WNBA season after appearing in just 13 games last year due to a combination of lower-body injuries, including a right groin strain and a bone bruise. She averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists on 36.7% shooting from the floor and 27.9% from 3-point range when available.

Caitlin Clark “I think I’m the best transition player in the league”

That’s my goat! pic.twitter.com/1ATD87L2hV

— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) April 22, 2026

Indiana will surely want her to take advantage of her health to build on the numbers she posted as a rookie, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists, shooting 41.7% overall, 34.4% from deep, and 90.6% from the free-throw line in 40 games.

The Fever are making structural adjustments to protect Clark’s health and reduce the physical toll of her possession-heavy role. Speaking at media day on April 22, Clark said the coaching staff is working to give her more off-ball reps.

“It is exhausting, bringing the ball up 94 feet versus pressure every single time,” Clark said. “So, we certainly need to find somebody that can handle the ball a little bit and give me a little bit of a break.”

Clark Calls Herself The WNBA’s Best Transition Player

White has previously cited the physicality Clark absorbs as a factor in her 2025 health issues. Clark was fouled 175 times as a rookie, fifth in the league. The addition of Harris and the drafting of Johnson are both consistent with a plan to shift more primary ball-handling duties off Clark’s plate in order to preserve her legs over a 44-game regular season.

White, speaking at media day on April 22, emphasized that her expectations for Clark this season are more about mindset than production.

“I just want to see her play with joy,” White said. “It was such a hard year a year ago. When you’re going through injury, it’s tough. I want to see her enjoy the opportunity that we have and this team that we have.”

White added that the plan is to manage Clark’s workload throughout training camp and the preseason.

“She doesn’t have to be out there every rep, just being mindful,” White said. “Every year that she gets older, she understands the cadence is a little bit different.”

Clark spent the offseason away from competitive play, aside from an appearance in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers for the U.S. women’s national team in Puerto Rico, where she was named MVP. She has publicly stated that she chose not to play in the offseason Unrivaled league to target a full 2026 WNBA season.

While there has been plenty of focus on Clark spending more time off-ball in the half-court, she emphasized the need to push the ball in transition. Additionally, she declared herself as the “best transition player in the league,” which she certainly is in the conversation, at the very least. Getting her back healthy and playing at that level will do wonders for Indiana.

The Voice of the Locker Room

Mitchell’s return set the tone for the team’s championship framing. She has said publicly that the decision to re-sign was shaped less by contract mechanics than by group conversations held during the offseason, including while playing in the Unrivaled league.

“Me and CC talked a lot, me and AB talked a lot in Unrivaled, even Lexie,” Mitchell said. “We knew we had to make it make sense, we knew we wanted to be together. That was the easy part. We talked about making sacrifices for each other, talked about being what we needed to be for each other.”

Mitchell told reporters at training camp that there’s no version of that Game 5 loss to Las Vegas she would do differently. She came off the floor midway through the third quarter with what she described as a “numbness/paralyzing feeling” in her legs. The cause was later attributed to rhabdomyolysis.

“Hell naw,” Mitchell said. “If I’ve got to do it all over again and let my body fall out the way it did, I’m going to do it. I love the game that much. I love competing that much. Lord willing, it doesn’t happen again like that. Hopefully, it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. But I’m going to die on my sword every game, every time.”

Teammates Praise Mitchell

Clark, speaking at training camp, said Mitchell’s return was the most important on-court development of her offseason.

“Just really fortunate that she’s back here,” Clark said. “She makes my job a lot easier when you have somebody in the back court like that. There’s nobody better in the league for me to play with, so just really fortunate and lucky.”

Boston, asked about her health at training camp after her Unrivaled season ended early due to a right lower leg injury, said she is ready to go. However, she has been ruled out for Saturday’s preseason opener against New York.

“Right now I’m feeling good to go, ready to work,” Boston said.

Of her record contract, Boston said, “I’m super blessed. God is great, man.”

Boston, who was named Defensive Player of the Year of the offseason Unrivaled league with Phantom BC, said the recognition has fueled her motivation entering 2026.

“It was super fun for me. Winning DPOY was pretty good, too,” Boston said. “I think it’s gonna help motivate me this year to continue to be that defensive presence, at the rim, at the perimeter, anywhere the team needs.”

Clark, asked at media day how she views the team this year, was complimentary of the front office’s work and said she believes the group has another deep postseason run in it.

“I feel like our roster construction is great,” Clark said.

Teams That Present the Biggest Challenge

The Fever’s path to the franchise’s second championship, and first since 2012, when Tamika Catchings led the team past the Minnesota Lynx, runs through a top-of-the-league that mostly stayed put.

Las Vegas, the team that beat Indiana in five games in the 2025 semifinals, brought back nearly every meaningful piece of its third title run in four years. The Aces re-signed All-Star guards Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd, and maintained depth by getting deals done with Dana Evans, NaLyssa Smith, Brianna Turner, Stephanie Talbot, and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus. Right now, they are a premier contender, with Wilson in a prime position to compete for a historic fifth Most Valuable Player award.

The NY Liberty’s Big 3 are officially BACK.

Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, & Breanna Stewart have re-signed with the Liberty and will return to Brooklyn for the 2026 WNBA season! pic.twitter.com/jE7sHgpQaY

— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) April 17, 2026

New York went further. The Liberty re-signed their core trio of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and 2021 MVP center Jonquel Jones, and landed three-time All-Star forward Satou Sabally in free agency from Phoenix. Sabally averaged 16.3 points and 5.9 rebounds across a career-high 39 starts last season for the Mercury and 19.0 points per game across 10 playoff games.

 A New Era Under Olivia Miles in Minnesota

Minnesota’s path is more complicated than in recent years, which is why they are at just +800 and rank sixth, but they should not be overlooked when Collier gets healthy. The Lynx finished a league-best 34-10 last season but lost forward Bridget Carleton in the expansion draft and watched Jessica Shepard, Natisha Hiedeman, and reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith depart in free agency. While these losses will hurt, there is still a lot of talent on this team.

Minnesota cored 2025 MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier, re-signed All-Stars Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams, brought back former Lynx forward Natasha Howard, and used the No. 2 overall pick on Olivia Miles. How quickly Miles is ready to contribute, and whether the additions actually replace what walked out the door, will determine the Lynx’s ceiling when the playoffs arrive. Regardless, beginning the season with Collier sidelined will not help. It’ll require a strong start to avoid digging a hole that’ll be hard to climb out of.

Dream Acquires Reese, Mercury Re-Signs Thomas, Copper

The Atlanta Dream made one of the biggest moves of any team in the WNBA, acquiring two-time All-Star forward Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky in exchange for two future first-round draft picks. Atlanta then re-signed All-Stars Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Brionna Jones, and added two-time WNBA champion guard Jordin Canada. Reese joins a roster that already has four 2025 All-Stars on it. The Dream also drafted 6-foot-6 Kenyan center Madina Okot at No. 13 overall to help replace the departing Brittney Griner. Jones is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing knee surgery, but Atlanta is right behind Indiana at +600 in the odds.

ATL Barbie is headed to Atlanta!

The WNBA world was shocked when Angel Reese was traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream.

Ballislife’s @GrantAfseth breaks down what it means and grades the deal for both sides.

https://t.co/9QJskvrLJ3 pic.twitter.com/9vyZGcGbLe

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 7, 2026

Atlanta improved by 15 wins last season. Indiana eliminated the Dream in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. The version of that team Indiana will run into next year, whether in April or in the postseason, looks nothing like the one the Fever swept aside last fall.

Phoenix is a threat in the Western Conference that shouldn’t be overlooked. The Mercury lost Sabally in free agency but re-signed perennial MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas, brought back guard Kahleah Copper after her injury-shortened 2025, and retained sharpshooter Sami Whitcomb and franchise legend DeWanna Bonner. Thomas finished with 11 triple-doubles last season and has been the engine of every postseason team she has ever played for. Phoenix may not be in the title-favorite tier, but in a one-and-done first round, no team in the field wants the Mercury early.

Indiana’s Path to the WNBA Finals

No matter what, it comes down to Clark’s health for the Fever to have a chance of accomplishing a championship run. In her WNBA career so far, Clark has not played a full 44-game schedule, and the Fever’s ceiling depends on whether she is on the floor. The Harris signing and the Johnson pick were both about taking ball-handling reps off her, so she’s not the one getting pressured 94 feet every time down the court.

The other focus is defense. Billings, Hines-Allen, and Johnson were all brought in for what they do on that end. Indiana’s frontline has to be able to switch onto Wilson, hold up against Stewart in the post, and survive a four-All-Star Atlanta lineup that now involves Reese.

The question that ended last year’s run in five games against Las Vegas is the same question the Fever face in a deeper Eastern Conference this fall.

The most fascinating part is that, while Indiana operated well on the margins, the top contenders under the new CBA still managed to retain talent and add a substantial piece.

Indiana’s front office instead kept the core together, paid Boston and Mitchell record money to make sure of it, and is betting that an established top with sharper margins beats whatever the rest of the league is still trying to figure out.

For now, Indiana is in the mix but not quite a favorite.

The post Where the Indiana Fever Stand Among 2026 Championship Contenders appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post Where the Indiana Fever Stand Among 2026 Championship Contenders appeared first on SportRun.

BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa has officially declared for the 2026 NBA Draft. Many consider him the projected No. 1 prospect heading into the lottery. After 35 games averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, the 6-foot-9 wing has held the top spot on draft boards frequently, and his decision sets the most consequential question facing lottery teams: Where does Dybantsa actually fit?

(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

Some destinations would put him in contention immediately. Others would drop him into dysfunction that stunts even the most talented young players.

Here is a look at the best and worst fits for Dybantsa in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Best Fits

Utah Jazz

(Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)

After finishing the season tanking again, the Jazz appear set to finally be in a position to compete with the right lottery outcome. Utah already boasts a strong plug-and-play roster. Lauri Markkanen provides the floor spacing Dybantsa would need to attack closeouts and operate on the move. Jaren Jackson Jr. brings two-way star power and rim protection in the frontcourt, letting the Jazz play big without sacrificing speed. Keyonte George can either run the offense or play off the ball, depending on the matchup. Walker Kessler is a restricted free agent this summer, but if Utah retains him, the Jazz have a starting five built to compete the moment Dybantsa walks in.

Head coach Will Hardy has earned a strong reputation for player development. The Jazz front office is also sitting on a stockpile of assets, giving Utah the flexibility to add talent around Dybantsa to accelerate its timeline. However, he’d be able to get acclimated to the NBA by complementing established players while helping this team start winning again.

Indiana Pacers

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Getting Tyrese Haliburton back from a torn Achilles immediately puts the Pacers back in the mix in the Eastern Conference. For Dybantsa, playing with a pass-first guard who pushes the pace would be a strong complement to his game. He could be a monster in transition while also being leaned on to score in the half-court alongside Pascal Siakam. Dybantsa wouldn’t have too much on his plate early, would play meaningful basketball, and could still grow his game.

The Pacers also added Ivica Zubac at center, addressing the rim protection issue they had been dealing with after losing Myles Turner, while also adding efficient paint scoring. That gives Dybantsa room to attack downhill. Drafting him would replace Bennedict Mathurin’s wing role and complete a roster that just played in the 2025 NBA Finals. Rick Carlisle’s offense ranks near the top of the league in pace, which fits Dybantsa’s open-floor impact.

Atlanta Hawks (Via New Orleans Pelicans)

(Photo Credit: Adam Hagy/Getty Images)

While the Hawks are in a strong position to win a playoff series as they battle with the Knicks in the first round, Atlanta owns a pick swap with the Pelicans for this year’s NBA Draft. If the lottery plays out in the Hawks’ favor, they could be in a position to land Dybantsa.

If Atlanta added Dybantsa, he’d immediately slot next to Jalen Johnson, who has emerged as an All-Star, and give the Hawks a secondary frontcourt creator capable of keeping defenses honest while Dybantsa works on the perimeter. Most Improved Player of the Year Nickeil Alexander-Walker provides two-way perimeter impact, while Dyson Daniels‘ elite on-ball defense helps to set the tone. Onyeka Okongwu also brings versatility to the center position. That young core gives Atlanta a backbone three or four years younger than most contenders can match.

While Zaccharie Risacher has fallen out of the playoff rotation after going No. 1 overall a few years ago, Dybantsa would give the Hawks another swing at a foundational wing to add to this core. Jonathan Kuminga has looked impressive in the playoffs and provides another athletic forward who can score. Re-signing CJ McCollum would round out a roster that already has enough scoring to let Dybantsa develop into an all-around player.

Dallas Mavericks

(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

The Mavericks are an intriguing fit on this list as a long shot, but they are not without faults. Off the top, Cooper Flagg and AJ Dybantsa would form a wing pairing that gives a team the best start around this position group since the Celtics drafted Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Two 6-foot-9 wings with star ceilings inside their first three seasons would give the Mavericks a positional matchup advantage any front office would dream of.

Kyrie Irving is on track to start next season after a full recovery from his ACL tear, providing the veteran shot-creation that lets young wings work off the ball. His gravity in the half-court will help Flagg immensely and would do the same for Dybantsa, while giving the team a veteran closer to set the tone late. Dereck Lively II is expected back from season-ending foot surgery, and his rim-running would unlock spacing for both Flagg and Dybantsa. Jason Kidd has a reputation for getting the most out of multi-positional talent.

However, it cannot be overlooked that the Mavericks are depleted of their own first-round picks through 2031. The thought of a Flagg-Dybantsa tandem is intriguing, but this team still needs to find a permanent general manager, making it challenging to gauge how confident outsiders should be in any possible trajectory.

Memphis Grizzlies

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Memphis is in the early stages of a youth movement, and Dybantsa would arrive as the centerpiece. Ja Morant‘s future is uncertain after being a focus of trade talks in February. However, Cedric Coward and Zach Edey are intriguing players for Dybantsa to grow with, and the supporting cast has plenty of cost-controlled young talent. GG Jackson, Jaylen Wells, Santi Aldama, Walter Clayton Jr., Scotty Pippen Jr., and Ty Jerome give Memphis a combination of complementary talents that would fit with Dybantsa without forcing him to shoulder too significant a workload.

Additionally, after trading Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis is loaded with future first-round picks. The front office can patiently build around Dybantsa while having the assets necessary to get aggressive, adding talent around him when it’s time to compete. The Grizzlies have hit on draft picks as well as any team in the league recently, and the front office isn’t shy about playing the long game.

Worst Fits

Washington Wizards

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The Wizards have no proof of concept currently after adding Trae Young to pair with Anthony Davis. The two stars have not shared the floor for a single game. Davis took a non-shooting injury suffered in early January all the way to the end of the season despite electing not to have surgery after previously being projected to return in mid-March had he remained a Maverick. Meanwhile, Young barely played. The goal was to tank.

Washington drafting Dybantsa would mean asking a 19-year-old wing to figure out his role in a pairing that has not proven it works and is accustomed to a heavy offensive workload.

There are some clear questions. Young commands the ball and the offense. Davis likes to play power forward, which slows teams down and compresses spacing. Cooper Flagg flourished in Dallas after Davis was no longer a factor, with the Mavericks playing faster and Flagg having more room to get to his spots. Dybantsa would run into a similar structural problem to that of a wing who likes to use his athleticism and size when getting downhill. However, the additional complication is carving out perimeter touches between a ball-dominant star guard and a star big man who operates as the offensive hub.

Beyond the on-court fit, the front office has assets but has not yet shown a coherent vision. The Wizards have not been competitive in years, and the path to relevance runs through more questions than answers.

Sacramento Kings

(Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Kings have been rudderless for a while and now hold one of the worst cap sheets in the NBA. Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis are set to earn a combined $94 million in 2026-27, which severely limits the team’s flexibility to add complementary pieces around a young wing. Keegan Murray is a solid young piece, but he has not taken the leap his early career suggested he would, and the rest of the supporting cast lacks a clear co-star to grow alongside Dybantsa.

If the Kings cannot move on from LaVine or Sabonis, they are both players that Dybantsa could play well alongside early in his career. However, there is a clear lack of direction at that point.

Chicago Bulls

(Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)

Everything that’s been said about the Kings can apply to the Bulls. However, Sacramento at least now knows Doug Christie will be the team’s head coach next season. There is currently no clarity on who will coach Chicago or run the front office. Regardless, the Bulls’ recent track record offers nothing to entice a top prospect, and the path forward is murky at every level of the organization. They were sellers at the trade deadline and mostly have Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Anfernee Simons as talents to build around.

The Bulls have spent the better part of a decade churning between play-in mediocrity, and there is no evidence that the organizational structure is equipped to develop a transcendent prospect. Dropping an elite prospect into that vacuum is exactly the kind of mismatch that stunts star development.

Brooklyn Nets

(Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)

Brooklyn brought in many guards in last year’s NBA Draft, but none have emerged as foundational talents. That doesn’t appear set to change either. The roster lacks a clear hierarchy, and the front office’s recent strategy has been to accumulate picks rather than build around a singular star.

Michael Porter Jr. had a strong season after the Nuggets traded him, but like Nic Claxton, he is approaching 30 while Dybantsa would just be starting his career. The timelines do not align.

Brooklyn hasn’t been past the second round since the Kevin Durant era, and that team got there through trades, not by developing draft picks. The Nets haven’t shown they can grow a top prospect into a franchise piece, and the current roster doesn’t give Dybantsa the supporting cast to make the transition any easier.

Milwaukee Bucks

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Milwaukee is in turmoil. The Bucks have stripped their pick cupboard to build around Giannis Antetokounmpo, and now Antetokounmpo himself sits at the center of trade rumors. If he is moved, the return would help reset the timeline, but a Dybantsa-led rebuild stacked on top of an already depleted asset base is the worst of both worlds. If he stays, the roster is too old and too capped-out to give Dybantsa the supporting cast he would need to develop on a competitive timeline.

Taylor Jenkins is a strong hire and would be a quality voice for a young talent to learn under, given his track record of developing players in Memphis. The schemes he is bringing should accelerate the offensive growth of any rookie wing.

Outside the coaching staff, the outlook is essentially a team in turmoil. There’s a lot of dead money on the books after moving on from Damian Lillard following his Achilles tear, they are limited on future picks, and the path to long-term relevance runs through a generational star whose future is perpetually uncertain at this stage. That is not a situation that does Dybantsa any favors at the start of his career.

The post AJ Dybantsa 2026 NBA Draft: Best and Worst Team Fits appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post AJ Dybantsa 2026 NBA Draft: Best and Worst Team Fits appeared first on SportRun.

The New York Liberty is set to welcome back two-way standout Betnijah Laney-Hamilton after a prolonged quarantine.

BROOKLYN—No matter what transpires in its preseason opener on Saturday afternoon, the New York Liberty can at least take solace in the fact that Betnijah Laney-Hamilton literally hasn’t lost a step.

Photo: Courtesy New York Libety

The WNBA veteran and 2024 champion was the face—and feet—behind the reveal of the team’s “Court Origin” aesthetic package, headlined by the showcase of a throwback uniform harkening back to the Liberty’s original threads worn during the maiden voyage for both the league and franchise in 1997.

Laney-Hamilton’s heels met the hooves of the Liberty’s mastodon mascot Ellie the Elephant, the two dancing to the Liberty’s musical game day staple “Gotta Get Up” in a bedroom set yanked from the 90s. Despite the somewhat elaborate choreography, the often-stoic Laney-Hamilton labeled herself a “one-take wonder,” giving her plenty of time to get back to preparing for New York’s Saturday preseason opener against the Indiana Fever (3 p.m. ET, Ion).

“Honestly, we were a one-take wonder, got out there and did it,” Laney-Hamilton said after a Friday practice session. “I think it was very nostalgic. The setup was amazing, just seeing all of the vintage things, it was really fun. I haven’t seen the video yet, so I hope it’s pretty good. So I was just happy to be a part of that, because, again, I love it, and I’ve been asking for these old colors for a while now. So the fact that this is happening is great. I’m super excited for everybody.”

Busy Bee is Back in Brooklyn

It would appear that Laney-Hamilton is letting no opportunity to wear the Liberty’s familiar shades of seafoam go to waste after last season—or lack thereof.

The Liberty’s original postseason title defense no doubt missed her services after knee injuries ended her fifth tour of Brooklyn before it ever began. Laney-Hamilton, 32, signed on for a sixth through a one-year deal inked during the free agency fastbreak that also sent Satou Sabally east and heralded the return of headlining trio Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Breanna Stewart. Saturday will mark the first time that Laney-Hamilton’s sneakers have touched the primary Barclays Center court since the Game 5 clincher of the 2024 WNBA Finals.

With new depth stars filtering in and out of the lineup and head coach Chris DeMarco making his unofficial debut at the Brooklyn helm, the Liberty fully expects things to get a little messy on Saturday. Based on practice observations at Barclays Center in the lead-in, Laney-Hamilton is making up for lost time in the vocal department to at least partially streamline the expected sloppiness.

Amidst the squeaking of sneakers, the calling of coaches, and the post-ups of the practice squad, Laney-Hamilton’s voice almost never stops echoing through the enclosed space of Barclays Center’s downstairs practice courts. 

B on the B

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton breaks it down#WNBA #LightItUpNYL pic.twitter.com/sjE811NwSs

— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) April 24, 2026

“Watching a lot of her and her game, I know what she brings defensively, I know about her ability to shoot the ball. I probably didn’t know about the leadership piece,” DeMarco lauded. “I think she’s been super vocal and it’s contagious. She’s making sure [when] the drills that are lacking a little bit of energy, she’ll bring us back up. That’s the piece I’ve been really impressed with.”

The continued gratitude of a professional gift notwithstanding, it’s not hard to see why Laney-Hamilton’s tenacity (which Sabally is grateful to have on her side for a change after several contentious battles between the Liberty and Dallas Wings) continues to last.

By conventional standards, she probably should’ve never made it this far, being a second-round pick in the 2015 draft. To put it in perspective, all but four of the 19 names picked after her in that draft never took the floor in a WNBA game and she’s the only second rounder from the class currently signed to an active league roster.

“I’m super excited to get back out there,” Laney-Hamilton said. “I think the [biggest] thing is to just to go out there, have fun. I’m not too focused or worried about anything. I know that I’ve put in the work to be out there and I’m just taking it as a another game, another opportunity to just go out there and do what I do.”

The New B’s No Newbie

Laney-Hamilton won’t be the only one making her unofficial WNBA return on Saturday in Brooklyn: whatever minutes she gets will likely be spent trailing face of the league Caitlin Clark, who endured an injury-riddled sophomore campaign.

Laney-Hamilton proved to be a vaccine for the Fever star in her rookie tours (25 percent from three in four debut showing) and her absence was particularly noticeable when Clark broke out for 32 points, most of them coming on seven three-pointers, in an emphatic win over the Liberty in Indianapolis last June.

With both women likely facing minutes ceilings, however, Laney-Hamilton has a prime opportunity to make a good first impression on the new coaching staff, as well as connect with new and old teammates alike. The training camp process has created a throwback atmosphere in more ways than one: the Liberty roster partly resembles the one Laney-Hamilton joined in 2021, as Rebecca Allen, Han Xu, and the injured DiDi Richards join her and Ionescu from the franchise’s maiden Brooklyn voyage.

While the names in the program look familiar, Laney-Hamilton warned her presumably adoring public that things may be a little different after a year off: the 2021 All-Star thanked one reporter for noticing her strengthened back and stated that her time off allowed her to further improve her conditioning.

It’ll be intriguing to see how much further that takes Laney-Hamilton, who has played at least 30 minutes a game in four of her last five seasons. Last season, only six players aged at at least 32 reached that timed landmark but Laney-Hamilton is well-determined to join them.

“I think I had a lot of time, a lot of time right to just really work on all the things that I wasn’t able to work on before,” Laney-Hamilton said. “I really took this time to just try and focus on all of the little things, all of the things that will help take me over, where I can’t just rely on my natural physicality. I’m just trying to do whatever it is that I can and need to do to just be that much better and get back out there.”

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags

The post Betnijah Laney-Hamilton Needs No Re-Introduction to Liberty appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post Betnijah Laney-Hamilton Needs No Re-Introduction to Liberty appeared first on SportRun.

SAN DIEGO – It’s no secret that we’re in an era of unbelievable athleticism in hoops, from the prep level all the way to the pros. That couldn’t have been any more apparent than it was during the dunk contest at the 2026 Ballislife Seaworld All-American Game on Friday, where six of the nation’s highest flyers put on an unforgettable exhibition in front of an entertained crowd at SeaWorld. 

In fact, it was the most entertaining high school dunk contest in recent memory with at least four contestants that could have won the event in other years.

The highest flyer of them all was Ole Miss commit Jaron Saulsberry of Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), who entered this weekend an unranked prospect and will leave it a viral star after his performance on Friday. Saulsberry put together a collection of dunks that stacks up to the best you’ll see at any level, earning a perfect 50 on all four of his attempts to finish with 200 of 200 total points. 

These kids are NOT human ! Jaron Saulsberry shut down the 2026 Ballislife All-American Dunk Contest at SeaWorld San Diego with an insane dunk! @SaulsberryJaron pic.twitter.com/J20AptGGGI

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 25, 2026

Saulsberry’s first dunk of the afternoon was an insane reverse windmill that set the tone for his performance and put the rest of the Nautilus Amphitheater on notice. He only got better with his second dunk, going over top of an assisting Kaiden Bailey with a skyscraping reverse after retrieving the ball. However, it were his third and fourth dunks of the afternoon that really stole the show and set him home as Ballislife’s undisputed 2026 Dunk Champion. 

The third dunk resembled something like Vince Carter on steroids, as Saulsberry this time went over top of 6 ‘6 UConn commit and Wheeler teammate Colben Landrew before sticking the length of his forearm in the rim just like Carter did in the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest. The fourth dunk was the most impressive of them all, as he once again used a human as a prop before jumping entirely over said human while converting one of the most unreal Eastbay’s you’ll ever see.

Perfect Timing

It’s a dunk that’s been a bit of a white whale for Saulsberry. He’s tried it at past contests before and didn’t have enough in the tank to pull it off, but the crowd at SeaWorld gave him the energy he needed to make it happen in front of a crowd of stunned parkgoers. 

“The Eastbay, I tried it at City of Palms but I couldn’t make it,” Saulsberry said. “So I said, I’m just gonna try it again here. But I just get up high so, that was the dunk at the front of my mind (to win the contest). I love the energy, I love the fans who came out and were cheering me on even when I was missing it. I guess that just brought me a win, a championship.”

Saulsberry edged out BYU commit Dean Rueckert and Arkansas commit Abdou Toure in the final tiebreaker after Rueckert and Toure each put on a show with their first two dunks. Rueckert executed an effortless 360 on his first attempt and took an assist from Bailey off the side of the backboard before executing another 360 on his second attempt. Toure’s second attempt was among the most impressive of the day, as he converted an explosive, full rotation windmill slam that looked literally effortless.  

The post Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Dunk Contest: Jaron Saulsberry Steals The Show! appeared first on Ballislife.com.

The post Ballislife SeaWorld All-American Dunk Contest: Jaron Saulsberry Steals The Show! appeared first on SportRun.