Assistant sports editor @azcentral & Arizona Republic. @usatoday network. @azcsports. Previously breaking news, local government desks.
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Articles by Chris Coppola
Should the Arizona Diamondbacks keep Torey Lovullo? Vote in our poll Original
Sept. 25, 2026, 6:13 p.m. ET The Arizona Diamondbacks will have a big decision to make when their season ends. Manager Torey Lovullo's contract expires after the season is over. He was given a two-year extension in 2023 and is completing his 10th season at the helm for Arizona. The Diamondbacks still were alive for a National League wild card berth entering Friday's season-ending, three-game series at the San Diego Padres.
Vote in our poll. Arizona Republic's high school football play of the week
The 2026 Arizona high school football season is in full swing, and each week brings plenty of great plays from teams across the state. With that in mind, The Arizona Republic has launched a weekly online poll where readers can vote from among several nominees for the high school football Play of the Week, which will be featured in an accompanying video. The video at the top of this story features The Republic's nominees for the high school football Play of the Week from games played on Sept.
Vote for Arizona HS football Play of the Week nominees, Sept. 17-18 Original
Sept. 21, 2026, 2:39 p.m. MT The Arizona Republic is hosting a weekly online poll for the high school football Play of the Week. Readers can vote for their favorite play from a list of nominees featured in a video. Here's how fans can submit their own video clips of exceptional plays for consideration in future polls. The 2026 Arizona high school football season is in full swing, and each week brings plenty of great plays from teams across the state.
Phoenix Suns add big man depth after Mark Williams surgery
The Phoenix Suns are signing big man Duop Reath, who recently spent nearly three seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers , ESPN's Shams Charania reported late Wednesday, Sept. 16. The deal comes less than a week after the Suns announced Mark Williams, who was expected to be the starting center, had undergone surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder sustained during an off-season workout. Reath was with the Blazers from 2023-26.
Phoenix Suns add big man depth after Mark Williams surgery
The Phoenix Suns are signing big man Duop Reath, who recently spent nearly three seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN's Shams Charania reported late Wednesday, Sept. 16. The deal comes less than a week after the Suns announced Mark Williams, who was expected to be the starting center, had undergone surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder sustained during an off-season workout. Reath was with the Blazers from 2023-26.
Vote for Arizona Republic HS football Play of the Week, Sept. 10-12
The 2026 Arizona high school football season is in full swing, and each week brings plenty of great plays from teams across the state. With that in mind, The Arizona Republic is launching a weekly online poll where readers can vote from among several nominees for the high school football Play of the Week, which will be featured in an accompanying video. As part of this, we are asking readers to submit video clips of any exceptional plays they may have caught for consideration as a weekly nominee.
Vote for Arizona Republic HS football Play of the Week, Sept. 10-12 Original
Sept. 15, 2026, 1:11 p.m. MT Readers are encouraged to submit video clips of exceptional plays for consideration as weekly nominees. This week's nominees feature plays from Centennial, Desert Edge and Williams Field. Voting for the current poll is open until 7 p.m. MST on Thursday, Sept. 17. The 2026 Arizona high school football season is in full swing, and each week brings plenty of great plays from teams across the state.
Vote. Arizona Republic's high school Athletes of the Week, Sept. 7-12
Here are The Arizona Republic's nominees for the high school Athletes of the Week. The winners are chosen by readers in polls posted below and sponsored by Diamond Kitchen & Bath. Nominees are for performances during the week of Sept. 7-11, 2026. The polls below will close at 6 p.m. MST on Thursday, Sept. 17. The Athlete of the Week polls are posted each Monday afternoon (Tuesday during a holiday week), with results later posted on azcentral.com and in The Republic.
Vote. Arizona Republic's high school Athletes of the Week, Sept. 7-12
Sept. 14, 2026, 10:32 a.m. MT Three male high school athletes are nominated for their achievements in golf and football. Three female high school athletes are nominated for their accomplishments in volleyball, golf, and cross-country. Readers can vote for the winners in polls that close on Thursday, Sept. 17. Here are The Arizona Republic's nominees for the high school Athletes of the Week. The winners are chosen by readers in polls posted below and sponsored by Diamond Kitchen & Bath.
Vote. Arizona Republic's high school Athletes of the Week, Sept. 7-12
Here are The Arizona Republic's nominees for the high school Athletes of the Week. The winners are chosen by readers in polls posted below and sponsored by Diamond Kitchen & Bath. Nominees are for performances during the week of Sept. 7-11, 2026. The polls below will close at 6 p.m. MST on Thursday, Sept. 17. Print readers can find the polls online with this story at azcentral.com/sports/high-schools.
Phoenix Suns land preseason national TV game vs. Wembanyama, Spurs
The Phoenix Suns will be featured in one of five NBA preseason games televised nationally in October on ESPN or ESPN2, the league announced Sept. 9. The Suns' Oct. 10 game against the San Antonio Spurs at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix will be televised on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. MST. The Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, are the defending Western Conference champions. Phoenix and San Antonio split their season series in 2025-26, 2-2. Four other preseason games will be televised by the network: Oct.
Phoenix Suns land preseason national TV game vs. Wembanyama, Spurs Original
Sept. 9, 2026, 3:16 p.m. ET The Phoenix Suns will be featured in one of five NBA preseason games televised nationally in October on ESPN or ESPN2, the league announced Sept. 9. The Suns' Oct. 10 game against the San Antonio Spurs at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix will be televised on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. MST. The Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, are the defending Western Conference champions. Phoenix and San Antonio split their season series in 2025-26, 2-2.
Arizona high school football 2026. Top players, teams, issues Original
Aug. 19, 2026, 4:01 p.m. MT The Arizona Republic has released preseason rankings for the top players at each position. A preseason All-Arizona High School Football Team has also been announced ahead of the season. The 2026 Arizona high school football season kicks off on Aug. 20-21 with games in the AIA 3A, 2A and 1A conferences. Then, from Aug. 27-29, the big schools in 6A, 5A and 4A get going.
Dillon Brooks announced the Phoenix Suns' schedule as only he could
The Villain was having none of it. As part of the Phoenix Suns releasing their 2026-27 schedule, the team tapped forward Dillon Brooks to help make the announcement on its social media accounts on Aug. 13. The video had a humorous twist that played on Brooks' ''Villain'' persona. The video shows a crew preparing to record Brooks, who is standing on a basketball court at what appears to be the team's training center in East Phoenix.
Dillon Brooks announced the Phoenix Suns' schedule as only he could
Aug. 13, 2026, 3:30 p.m. MT The Villain was having none of it. As part of the Phoenix Suns releasing their 2026-27 schedule, the team tapped forward Dillon Brooks to help make the announcement on its social media accounts on Aug. 13. The video had a humorous twist that played on Brooks' ''Villain'' persona. The video shows a crew preparing to record Brooks, who is standing on a basketball court at what appears to be the team's training center in East Phoenix.
Best Arizona high school QB? RB? Readers, Republic differ in polls Original
July 8, 2026, 9:04 a.m. MT Reader polls were conducted to see who the public thinks is the number one player at each position. The article compares the top three player rankings from The Republic with the top three from reader voting so far. Voting remains open for positions including quarterback, running back, wide receiver and offensive linemen.
Phoenix Suns re-sign Mark Williams, who will now wear this number
The Phoenix Suns announced Tuesday, July 7, that they officially have re-signed center Mark Williams to a multi-year contract. The Republic confirmed on June 25 that Williams, a restricted free agent, agreed to a three-year, $38-million deal. “Mark played a pivotal role in our team’s success last year, helping us establish an identity that we will continue to build on,” said Suns General Manager Brian Gregory in a news release confirming the signing.
Here's what readers told us about Suns' trade for Miles Bridges Original
July 6, 2026, 9:07 a.m. MT The Phoenix Suns are making a major offseason move by trading Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale to the Charlotte Hornets for power forward Miles Bridges. News of the deal, which includes an exchange of draft picks, broke on June 28 and caused an immediate stir among NBA analysts and Suns fans on social media. The Arizona Republic posted an informal survey last week on azcentral.com, asking readers a series of questions about the Bridges acquisition.
Phoenix Suns reach deal with former Golden State guard, per report
Phoenix Suns reach deal with former Golden State guard, per report
Phoenix Suns reach deal with former Golden State guard, per report Original
July 2, 2026, 7:25 p.m. ET The Phoenix Suns have agreed to a two-way NBA contract with Pat Spencer, a 6-foot-2-inch guard who spent the past three seasons with the Golden State Warriors. ESPN's Shams Charania reported the news on Thursday, July 2. Spencer averaged 7.2 points and 3.5 assists a game last season with the Warriors. He appeared in 66 games and averaged 18.6 minutes a game, shooting 42.3% from the field, 35.7% from 3-point range.
Phoenix Suns acquiring free-agent guard Luke Kennard Original
June 30, 2026, 10:09 p.m. ET The Phoenix Suns are making another major offseason move, acquiring guard Luke Kennard, an unrestricted free agent who spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks. Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The second year is a player option. He could be the piece Phoenix needs to replace Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, two of the team's more reliable 3-point shooters last season.
Phoenix Suns acquiring free-agent guard Luke Kennard
The Phoenix Suns are making another major offseason move, acquiring guard Luke Kennard, an unrestricted free agent who spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks. Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The second year is a player option. He could be the piece Phoenix needs to replace Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, two of the team's more reliable 3-point shooters last season.
Tell us what you think about Phoenix Suns trade for Miles Bridges Original
June 30, 2026, 1:36 p.m. MT The Phoenix Suns are acquiring power forward Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets. Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale will be traded to the Hornets as part of the deal. The trade has generated a divided reaction among Suns fans on social media. The Phoenix Suns are making a major offseason move by trading Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for power forward Miles Bridges.
Social media explodes on news of Suns' trade for Miles Bridges
Reaction was swift and mixed after news broke on Sunday, June 28, that the Phoenix Suns were trading Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale for Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets. The deal, which also includes an exchange of future draft picks between the teams, was first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. The Republic's Duane Rankin confirmed the deal as well.
Brayden Burries first Arizona Wildcat selected in 2026 NBA Draft Original
June 23, 2026, 6:53 p.m. MT Brayden Burries, a standout freshman guard who helped propel the Arizona Wildcats to this year's Final Four, was selected 10th in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, June 23. The 6-foot-4 California native averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 39.1% from three-point range during his one season at Arizona. He earned First Team All-Big 12 honors.
FIFA World Cup 2026. How interested are you? Vote in polls Original
June 16, 2026, 1:13 p.m. MT The world’s biggest sporting event is taking place in North America, with FIFA World Cup 2026 matches being played across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Matches are being televised on Fox and FS1. The tournament will continue through the championship match on July 19. So how interested are you in the World Cup? Have you watched any matches? Do you know the players? Check out the polls below and tell us what you think. Tell us about your interest level.
Phil Mickelson accused of inappropriate contact with woman, per report Original
June 11, 2026, 12:05 p.m. MT Phil Mickelson, once among the most popular professional golfers in the world, was kicked out of his home golf club near San Diego amid allegations that he inappropriately touched a woman at the course. Golf Digest on Thursday, June 11, reported the incident, which it said occurred earlier this spring at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, where Mickelson lives. Mickelson has practiced at the club for years, according to Golf Digest.
Vote. The Republic's 2026 All-Arizona Girls High School Tennis Team
Here is The Arizona Republic's 2026 All-Arizona Girls High School Tennis Team, along with honorable mentions and coach of the year. The overall girls tennis player of the year, selected by The Republic's sports staff, will be announced on June 7. Readers can vote in our poll for the player they think should be No. 1 (poll closes 6 p.m. on Monday, June 8). Print readers can find the poll with this story online at azcentral.com/sports/high-schools.
Vote. Republic's 2026 All-Arizona Boys High School Tennis Team Original
June 5, 2026, 12:00 p.m. MT State champions were also crowned in singles and doubles across Divisions I, II and III. Jeremy Sweet of Hamilton was named Coach of the Year after leading his team to a dominant 14-0 season. Here is The Arizona Republic's 2026 All-Arizona Boys High School Tennis Team, along with honorable mentions and coach of the year. The overall boys tennis player of the year, selected by The Republic's sports staff, will be announced on June 7.
Vote. Republic's All-Arizona girls' high school beach volleyball team
June 5, 2026, 5:00 a.m. MT Sandra Day O'Connor won the Division I team championship, while Flagstaff secured the Division II title. Xavier Prep's Vivian Hickman and Kate Macdonald captured the Division I pairs championship. Gilbert Christian's Lillie Duitsman and Alex Heyn repeated as the Division II pairs champions. The 2026 Arizona high school beach volleyball season concluded with Sandra Day O'Connor winning the Division I team championship and Flagstaff taking Division II.
Vote. Republic's All-Arizona girls' high school beach volleyball team
The 2026 Arizona high school beach volleyball season concluded with Sandra Day O'Connor winning the Division I team championship and Flagstaff taking Division II. A Xavier Prep tandem captured the D-I pairs title, while a Gilbert Christian pair won in D-II. Here is The Arizona Republic's 2026 All-Arizona High School Beach Volleyball Team. Unlike other spring sports, we list these players as pairs because of the nature of the beach game. We have included honorable mentions and the coach of the year.
Arizona State vs. Texas softball updates. ASU ace takes the circle
The Arizona State Sun Devils and Texas Longhorns face off in Game 3 of their super regional NCAA Softball Tournament series on Sunday, May 24, at 1:30 p.m. MST. The winner will advance to the Women's College World Series next week in Oklahoma City. The Sun Devils won the first game in this best-of-three Super Regional series on Friday at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns won Saturday's game, setting up the deciding game on Sunday.
Arizona State softball season ends with super regional loss to Texas
The Arizona State softball team's magical season ended on Sunday, May 24, with a 5-0 loss to Texas in a deciding NCAA Super Regional game in Austin, Texas. The Sun Devils entered the super regional series an underdog to the defending champion Longhorns, but pulled off a stunning win in the Friday opener in the best-of-three series. Texas bounced back to win Saturday and force the deciding game Sunday on their home field at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Texas.
Hamilton, Desert Mountain take Arizona high school tennis titles Original
May 13, 2026, 12:20 p.m. MT Champions were crowned in team, singles, and doubles competitions across three AIA divisions. The Hamilton boys team completed a dominant 18-0 season to win the Division I title. The Desert Mountain girls team won its second consecutive Division I title, avenging its only loss of the season. The state boys and girls high school tennis season has concluded for the 2025-26 school year in all three Arizona Interscholastic Association divisions.
Arizona boys high school volleyball playoffs. Can anyone stop Perry?
The Arizona boys high school volleyball playoff tournaments are getting underway this week in 6A, 5A, 4A and 3A conferences. They will conclude with championship matches on May 16. Here is a rundown of teams to watch for in each AIA conference. First-round matches get underway in 6A, 5A and 4A on Friday, May 8, at the higher-seeded teams. The 3A tournament continues on Friday with quarterfinal matches. Perry is the defending champion and looks poised to repeat this year as the No. 1 tournament seed.
UConn's Geno Auriemma issues apology after postgame outburst Original
Updated April 4, 2026, 3:19 p.m. ET Connecticut men's basketball coach Geno Auriemma issued a statement on Saturday, April 4, apologizing for his post-game conduct after the Huskies' 62-48 loss to South Carolina in the NCAA women's basketball semifinals the night before. "There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina,'' the statement began. "It's unlike what I do and what our standards are here at Connecticut.
Vote. Republic's All-Arizona girls high school wrestling team 2025-26
Here is The Arizona Republic's 2025-26 All-Arizona Girls High School wrestling team, followed by honorable mentions and Coach of the Year. The 12 All-Arizona players (listed alphabetically) also are nominees for Player of the Year, which will be announced in a later story. They were selected with coaches' input and consideration of state championship performances. Tucson Sunnyside High School won the team Division I championship, while Queen Creek Crismon won the Division II championship.
For 50 years, girls officially competed in just one Arizona high school sport
The 2026 spring high school sports season is well underway in Arizona. The season carries an interesting bit of trivia. Did you know that the earliest official high school championship awarded for a girls high school sport in Arizona is played in the spring? If you took a moment to think back into early 20th-century history, you might guess what it was. It’s not softball or track and field. It’s not even golf and definitely not beach volleyball. If you guessed tennis, score an ace.
For 50 years, girls officially competed in just one Arizona HS sport
The first official high school championship for a girls sport in Arizona was for tennis in 1916. It took nearly 50 years for another girls sport, golf, to be officially recognized in Arizona. The adoption of Title IX in 1972 led to a significant expansion of girls high school sports programs. The 2026 spring high school sports season is well underway in Arizona. The season carries an interesting bit of trivia.
Trivium Prep, Gilbert Christian win AIA 2A, 3A boys soccer titles
Feb. 24, 2026, 2:53 p.m. MT Goodyear Trivium Prep defeated Glendale Prep 2-1 to win the 2A boys soccer championship. Trivium Prep's Noah Messieha scored both goals for his team in the title match. Gilbert Christian secured its second consecutive 3A championship with a 2-1 victory over Yuma Catholic. The Arizona Interscholastic Association 2A and 3A boys soccer championships took place on Feb. 21. Here is a recap.
Legislator wants AIA to examine racial taunts at Chinle-Coolidge game
Chinle High School players were reportedly taunted, called racial names, and spit on after their playoff loss to Coolidge High School. The legislator is collecting video evidence to submit a formal complaint to the Arizona Interscholastic Association. A separate incident involving a Native American fan who felt racially profiled occurred at another playoff game the same night.
Phoenix Suns' Jalen Green fined $25K by NBA for profanity on live TV
Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green has been fined $25,000 for using profanity during a live post-game television interview after the team's 115-101 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday, Dec. 29. The incident occurred when Green, who has been out recovering from a hamstring injury, ran up to teammate Collin Gillespie as he was being interviewed live on the court by Arizona's Family Sports soon after the game concluded.
NBA All-Star fan vote. Who leads early returns? When does voting end?
Dec. 30, 2025, 8:06 a.m. MT The first fan voting returns for the 2026 NBA All-Star game were released this week and only one Phoenix Suns’ player is listed. Devin Booker was 15th among the top 20 Western Conference vote-getters, with 121,123. Players were not broken down by position, but many of the top vote-getters in the West, like Booker, are listed on team rosters as guards. Booker is a four-time All-Star, last appearing in 2024. He was 17th in league scoring as of Dec.
Suns vs. Cavaliers. Phoenix coach Jordan Ott returns to Cleveland
The Phoenix Suns (19-13) conclude a four-game road trip on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at the Cleveland Cavaliers (18-16). Phoenix is looking to extend a four-game win streak in Jordan Ott's return to Cleveland — and first game against his former team — since he was hired as the Suns' head coach in early June.
Phoenix Suns defeat Washington Wizards for fourth straight win Original
Dec. 29, 2025, 8:18 p.m. MT The Phoenix Suns, fueled by three players scoring more than 20 points, defeated the Washington Wizards, 115-101 on Monday, Dec. 29, to extend their current winning streak to four games. Dillon Brooks led the Suns (19-13) with 26 points, while Collin Gillespie scored 25, going 10-of-14 from the field, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Devin Booker scored 22 points, adding six rebounds and five assists. Oso Ighodaro, who started at center, pulled in 10 rebounds.
Phoenix Suns-Washington Wizards: How to watch, who's out of Monday game
Updated Dec. 29, 2025, 6:16 p.m. CT The Phoenix Suns continue their four-game road trip on Monday, Dec. 29, at the Washington Wizards. Phoenix (18-13) has won three straight games, including back-to-back wins over the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 26 and 27. The Wizards (7-23) have won two straight, including a 116-112 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 28.
Phoenix Suns-Washington Wizards: How to watch, who's out of Monday game Original
Dec. 29, 2025, 10:34 a.m. MT The Phoenix Suns continue their four-game road trip on Monday, Dec. 29, at the Washington Wizards. Phoenix (18-13) has won three straight games, including back-to-back wins over the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 26 and 27. The Wizards (7-23) have won two straight, including a 116-112 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 28.
Injury report updated as Phoenix Suns face New Orleans Pelicans Original
Updated Dec. 27, 2025, 1:10 p.m. MT Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn is listed as questionable for the second game of a back-to-back at the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 27 with right knee soreness, according to the team's latest injury report. Dunn was injured in the second quarter of the game Dec. 26, when he collided with teammate Collin Gillespie. Dunn left the game and went to the locker room but returned to the bench later and was listed as available the rest of the game.
Republic's 2025 All-Arizona boys high school golf team. Vote in poll Original
Dec. 19, 2025, 5:03 a.m. MT Landon Ashcraft of Notre Dame became the first Arizona high school golfer to win three straight state titles. Owen Greenough of Hamilton won the Division I individual championship with the lowest score of any golfer. Scott Watkins of Notre Dame was named Coach of the Year after leading his team to a second straight Division II championship.
The Republic's 2025 All-Arizona Girls HS Volleyball Team, coach. Vote
The Republic's player of the year will be announced in a story later this month along with those from other fall sports. Xavier's Lamar-Renee Bryant was named Coach of the Year after leading her team to a second consecutive 6A title. The Xavier Gators finished the season undefeated in AIA matches and ranked No. 4 nationally by MaxPreps. Here is The Republic's All-Arizona Girls High School Volleyball Team, along with honorable mentions and coach of the year, for the fall 2025 season.
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