Articles + Interviews
A’One since Day One… A’ja Wilson’s been that
Delayed, but not denied. It's been A'ja Wilson's mantra for a while now, assuring her adoring fans her time was coming. The Nike shoe deal was only a matter of time, the face of the WNBA kept inferring. Before Wilson's May 11 homecoming in Columbia, South Carolina, where the Las Vegas Aces dominated Puerto Rico 102-50 in front of 13,507 fans, the delay was over.
Smith, Stephenson embrace Christmas as first-time dads
Golden Knights wives Tasha Stephenson, l, and Melissa Smith hold their newborns, Ford and Isla, respectively, donning personalized baby tops as they watch their fathers, Chandler and Reilly, play recently at T-Mobile Arena.
L.A. sparked by a Rae of light
Rae Burrell always had a knack for finding competition growing up. From the basketball court to the soccer field, Burrell utilized all her skills to maximize her athletic ability whenever she got the chance. This past April she was selected 9th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA Draft.
Sam Thomas’ WNBA arrival came with a huge assist
Sam Thomas is in the WNBA on her own laurels, make no mistake about it. But she couldn't have asked for a better chauffeur to training camp than the person commonly referred to as the GOAT - legend Diana Taurasi.
Sometimes believing in something deeper, is coping
I pay tribute to my own grandfather, Andrew E. Anka, and explain how I was able to transition from my pain of losing him while I was 23, to coping by looking at the next chapter of my life.
Hawley family isn’t coping; they endure
Brooke Hawley was one of three teenagers killed when a drunk driver slammed into their stopped car at a stoplight. A fourth teen survived. Life as the Hawley family knew it - full of laughter, and vibrancy, and energy, and wildness, and love, and camping, and hunting, and trips to their cabin - ended abruptly. The Hawley's nightmare continues.
Fleury has found peace since father’s passing
When Marc-Andre Fleury and I spoke in late February, he admitted it took some time to get used to playing games and not having his father to call. It was a tradition he enjoyed following games, be it directly afterward or the next day. It was something he looked forward to, quite frankly, any day of the week. Those normal everyday conversations fathers and sons have, Fleury doesn't anymore.
Lupo Masden: Saving lives, one at a time
Jody Lupo Masden and I met when she was in high school. I was covering a wide variety of community topics, and she was softball star at Bishop Gorman High School. Her parents, Joe and Sandy, are wonderful people I also became close with. Nearly 25 years later, Jody is an influential member of the Clark County Juvenile Probation Department, changing youths lives for the better, in some cases saving them. I spoke to Jody and her husband Aaron, also a juvenile probation officer, and how these kids are just as impactful as they are to them.
Knights duo Golden in their roles
Stormy Buonantony and Alyssa Girardi work for the Vegas Golden Knights, the former in front of the camera and the latter behind the scenes of the content so many adoring fans have come to enjoy. The dynamic duo recently started their own podcast championing and empowering the efforts of women who are blazing trails and who have made their marks in the hockey scene. While on a recent road trip, I had a chance to visit with these talented ladies via Zoom, as they shared their individual journeys and talked about life with the Golden Knights.
Meteoric rise has A’ja Wilson looking like the idols she once admired
A'ja Wilson, the face of the Las Vegas Aces, has seen her star on the rise since being drafted No. 1 after winning the national championship at South Carolina. She's become a role model for many young girls, and she is hoping she can reach as many lives as possible, helping people realize their potential and their dreams can come true. She was recently immortalized with a statue on the campus of South Carolina, and we spoke about that special day along with several other topics before she left for Team USA camp.
I was ready to check out from one of two places: Vegas, or life
How Las Vegas Aces guard Kayla McBride’s self-penned article in The Players’ Tribune helped one sports writer sit down and put his own journey with depression and suicidal thoughts into a column.
When love helps conquer tougher days
Shelby Estocado lost the use of her legs in a snowboarding accident. Molly Weikart suffers from anxiety attacks. The two fell in love in July and are “both learning off each other what it means to be with someone of a different disability.”
Mental Health does not discriminate
When it comes to mental health, everyone is equal. That includes three professional athletes who represent Las Vegas in respective sports: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner, Las Vegas Aced guard Kayla McBride and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller.
Chat with Metro officers an eye-opener
With the climate of today’s society in an uproar, seemingly pitting Black America vs. Law Enforcement, I wanted to speak to veteran Metro police officers from Las Vegas, to get their sides of stories and hear their emotions. One doesn’t believe in the Black Lives Matters movement, the other was told by a fellow officer: “Let’s go snatch some BMs by their corn rows.”
Subscribe to my newsletter.
Sign up with your email address to receive my latest articles directly to your inbox.