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CBC
23 minutes ago
- CBC
WNBA 3-point line painted on Vancouver courts gives young players something to shoot for
Ahead of Vancouver hosting the first WNBA regular-season game played outside the United States, a women's basketball great was at an outdoor court in Stanley Park on Thursday to support an initiative that she hopes will strengthen the sport's grassroots. Two-time Olympic gold medallist and three-time WNBA champion Swin Cash was among those on hand at the unveiling of a WNBA three-point line painted on the Ceperley Court at Stanley Park. Cash told a group of young female basketball players who attended the event that the orange line shows that they "have a place in every playground, every park, and everywhere we want to be." Many outdoor courts, including those in Vancouver, feature a three-point line used in high school basketball, which has an arc of 19 feet 9 inches from the middle of the basket. The NBA three-point line, meanwhile, has an arc of 23 feet 9 inches. The WNBA line is somewhere in between, at 22 feet 1.75 inches. An outdoor court with a WNBA three-point line, which is similar to ones used by FIBA and the NCAA, is a way to bring the women's professional game closer to communities, according to a statement from the league. In a video produced by the WNBA about the initiative, former player Epiphanny Prince explains that growing up she used to play on outdoor courts that featured either a high school three-point line or an NBA three-point line. A bright orange WNBA three-point line has also been painted on courts at Vancouver's Hastings Community Park, Gaston Park, Kingcrest Park, and Queen Elizabeth Park. Women rising The unveiling took place a day before the Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream square off at Vancouver's Rogers Arena on Friday night. The game comes at a time when Canada's women's professional sports landscape appears to be changing. The WNBA expansion Toronto Tempo is set to begin play in the 2026 season. After just two years, the Professional Women's Hockey League has expanded to eight teams and stretched its footprint west with new franchises in Vancouver and Seattle. The six-team Northern Soccer League played its first matches in April. Cash said she is glad to see the continued growth of women's basketball. "Basketball is a global sport," she said. "The WNBA has continued to grow. We see the numbers are there, the [viewership is] there." She said she was also glad to see girls using the court at Stanley Park. "It's not only about the professional level," she said. "I think you can see that you can get to the highest level and have a career at the professional level. But ... I tell young girls getting involved in sports is important for themselves and for their leadership." Chen Kagande, a combo guard for the Britannia Bruins, a high school team, said she was happy to share the court with a WNBA legend like Cash as well as young peers who share her passion for the game. "I love any space where women's sports are being represented in such a positive light, a space where I can see people that look like me, females being put in a position to thrive and succeed," Kagande said.
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Q&A: Flames goalie Dustin Wolf on contract talks, Olympic aspirations and the Rogers Legends of Hockey
Dustin Wolf will be back in Calgary's sporting spotlight Saturday, although he'll be wearing soft-spikes instead of skates and will be hitting golf balls rather than stopping pucks. Article content The Flames' goaltender is part of a star-studded lineup for the Rogers Legends of Hockey, a fundraising shootout that follows the second round of action at the Rogers Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows. Article content Article content Also participating in this closest-to-the-pin competition are Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Sarah Fillier, Adin Hill, Meaghan Mikkelson, Mark Scheifele, Stuart Skinner and Matt Stajan, plus a pair of elite junior golfers. They will be swinging for up to $200,000 in prize money, all of it to be directed to charity. Article content The hockey heroes will sign autographs for an hour — from 2:30-3:30 p.m. — and then take aim for the green at No. 18 at approximately 5 p.m., after the PGA Tour Champions pros have completed their birdie-making business for the day. Article content Wolf, 24, will undoubtedly have the support of the local crowd, especially if he is up against Skinner, who tends twine for the arch-rival Edmonton Oilers. You may even hear a few howls from the gallery. Article content In advance of his tee-time in the Rogers Legends of Hockey, Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson connected with Wolf to chat about his golf game, his Olympic aspirations, negotiations on his next contract and summer in the Stampede City … Article content Article content Article content Wolf: 'Golf might be the worst sport on this planet, just due to the fact that you can shoot 80 one day and you can feel great, and then you can shoot a 95 the next day. It's a sport where it's the tale of two tapes. My game is in decent order. I wouldn't say it's the best. But like I said, I could play my best round two days from now and then my worst in a week. So it certainly keeps you humble, that's for sure.' Article content Q: Are there any similarities between protecting a 6×4 net and trying to hit a golf shot to six feet — or even better, four feet — from the pin? Article content Wolf: 'I don't know. I've become accustomed to standing in a 24-square-foot net. That's kind of second nature to me now. Trying to stick a very small ball tight to a very small cup isn't necessarily in my sweet spot as of yet. Maybe I can say differently if I hole one out Saturday, but it certainly makes you uncomfortable. And then you add people into the gallery and the nerves pick up and it adds a different level of stress. You just don't want to hit anybody and next thing you know, you chunk one. So hopefully I can eliminate those and stick a couple tight.'
The Province
2 hours ago
- The Province
PNE opens this weekend with a big heaping scoop of Canadiana
An all-Canadian lineup of food vendors, an international sandcastle competition and a display of First World War howitzers among this year's highlights Sand sculptor Bruce Waugh from Sandemonz sand sculpture company puts the finishing touches on a sand sculpture at the PNE Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. The Pacific National Exhibition has always been patriotic. But this year, the PNE is taking it to a new level: it's selling Canadian corn dogs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Not only that, the annual fair will be selling West Coast chowder poutine. And apple crumble perogies. The exotic treats are part of the fare from an all-Canadian lineup of food vendors at this year's fair, which opens Saturday and runs to Sept. 1. The fair unveiled its 2025 lineup at a news conference Thursday between Hastings Park racecourse and the PNE's agricultural barns. Looming nearby was the striking new curved roof for the 10,000 seat Freedom Arch amphitheatre the PNE is building on the former demolition derby site. It will open in summer 2026. PNE president Shelley Frost pointed to the amphitheatre as part of an 'incredible time of evolution for our organization.' But then, evolution has been constant in a fair that began in 1910. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Playing on its family-friendly vibe, the PNE will be transforming the Italian Garden green space beside the Forum into The Big Backyard, a celebration of Canadian sports that has areas set aside for kids to play hockey, soccer, football and basketball. 'They can try their hand at shooting pucks at targets,' Frost explains. 'They can spend some time (practising) their foot skills for soccer, they can try their hand at different sports.' Members of the R.C. Bear and the All-Canadian Dance Party perform at the PNE Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Over on Miller Drive, the fair is hosting an international sand castle competition, with sculptors from Canada, Taiwan and South Korea. The first sculpture was bring finished Thursday — the PNE logo. There will also be the Tatus Festival, showcasing Indigenous music, art and food. It will showcase 127 Indigenous artists with performances on the Festival Stage, including headliners Crystal Shawanda and George Leach. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The festival also features Indigenous food trucks and a large Indigenous arts and crafts marketplace. In addition, the fair will have a display of traditional Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) carvers at work. The big news at the site in the off-season was the discovery of several First World War-era artillery pieces. Two German howitzers that were unearthed during the excavation for the amphitheatre will be displayed between the Agrodome and Pacific Coliseum during the fair. The PNE will be handing over the old weaponry discovered at Hastings Park to the Canadian military on Aug. 19, and will be offering free admission to any active duty or retired Canadian armed forces members. The concert lineup at the Pacific Coliseum includes Canadian acts like Tom Cochrane (Aug. 29), Mother Mother (Aug. 21) and Marianas Trench (Aug. 24). International acts include Counting Crows (Aug. 16), Lynyrd Skynyrd (Aug. 17) and Gipsy Kings (Aug. 20). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Free concerts on the existing Freedom Mobile Stage in centre grounds kick off with shows by PNE favourite Bobby Bruce, otherwise known as Nearly Neil and the Solitary Band. Nearly Neil plays Aug. 16 and 17, followed by the Fleetwood Mac tribute Dreams Aug. 19 and 20. PNE president Shelley Frost (left) toasts to the upcoming opening of the annual Pacific National Exhibition. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG To help the media get into the spirit of this year's event, the PNE held a 'guilty pleasures' food and wine pairings Thursday, featuring B.C. wines with fair food. A Jimmy's Lunch burger, for example, was paired with a Cabaret Sauvignon from Black Sage winery in Oliver. PNE chef Andy Chong revealed the big secret to the delicious onions at Jimmy's Lunch: They season them with orange Fanta soft drink. In case you were wondering, the Canadian corn dog is made with maple and bacon. The West Coast chowder poutine has salmon and cod. Adult tickets to the fair are $20 online, $25 at the gate. Seniors and youth 13-18 are $14 online, $16 at the gate. Kids 4-12 are $7 online, $9 at the gate. Special rates can be found on the PNE website; on opening weekend (Aug. 16 and 17) admission is $7 for online purchases. jmackie@ The annual Pacific National Exhibition is open this Saturday. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Read More
