Mirjam Swanson

Sparks play Valkyries with 8th spot on the line SAN FRANCISCO -- The Sparks are possibly playing their biggest game in years.Winners of three in a row and eight of nine games overall, the Los Angeles Sparks have found themselves

The Sparks and Valkyries will play each other on Saturday night in Ballhalla. Both teams are 14-15 and winner will take sole possession of 8th place. Game preview in the Sporting Tribune.

Swanson: Firefighting-skateboarder Tristan Rennie is living the dreams The renowned pool skater from Rialto is juggling two dreams jobs – firefighter and pro skateboarder – including answering a call to compete at the Rockstar Energy Open in Portland.

Out there in the I.E. — checking in with firefighting pool skateboarding legend Tristan Rennie before the upcoming Rockstar Energy Drink Classic.

www.ocregister.com/2025/08/09/s...

**YOUR WNBA TEAM HAS ITS…

Excuse the extraneous word; Sparks got their swagger back, I lost my ability to type …

So much fun

The Audible: Son rises at LAFC, Keenan Allen returns, and fan offensiveness Columnists Jim Alexander and Mirjam Swanson discuss some of the week’s sports issues.

The Audible is back after a couple of weeks off for vacations. @mirjamswanson.bsky.social and I discuss LAFC's newest star, an old favorite returning to the Chargers, and ... well, let's just call it an outbreak of ugly behavior at WNBA games.

Join us.

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Swanson: Watch out, the Sparks are fun again On a hot streak, the Sparks are worth watching again as they’re running up the score and doing it in style during a late-season playoff push.

Talk about rekindling a Spark.

L.A., your WNBA team is has its swagger back.

💯💯💯💯💯 …

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Swanson: Rams’ Britain Covey reunited with Puka Nacua in LA The punt-return specialist from Utah says he’s loving Los Angeles, with a chance to play with his childhood friend and hear Sean McVay quote his grandfather.

Britain Covey is new to L.A. and the Rams, but the electric punt returner sorta expected he’d land here eventually, and he feels at home considering Puka Nacua is a little like a little brother and Sean McVay keeps quoting Covey’s grandfather…

www.ocregister.com/2025/08/05/s...

Swanson: Rams’ Britain Covey reunited with Puka Nacua in LA The punt-return specialist from Utah says he’s loving Los Angeles, with a chance to play with his childhood friend and hear Sean McVay quote his grandfather.

Britain Covey is new to L.A. and the Rams, but the electric punt returner sorta expected he’d land here eventually, and he feels at home considering Puka Nacua is a little like a little brother and Sean McVay keeps quoting Covey’s grandfather…

www.ocregister.com/2025/08/05/s...

Alexander: These are Luka’s Lakers now And the criticism from the Dallas Mavericks, who traded him to LA six months ago, might have helped motivate Doncic to become the best version of himself.

Saturday's events confirmed it: Luka Doncic is not only the Lakers' future, he's the No. 1 guy right now.

www.ocregister.com/2025/08/02/a...

Swanson: Feeling optimistic about USC, UCLA football? You should be Big Ten media members expect the Trojans and Bruins to finish ninth and 15th? Expect better from both of these programs.

Media days got me kinda excited for the upcoming college football season around here, where both USC and UCLA's goals -- living up to perennially high hopes or proving wrong doubters – ought to be achievable.

On that:

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Swanson: WNBA players aren’t afraid to ask to be paid what they’re owed No surprise – asking for a pay raise before the All-Star Game offended people unaccustomed to women negotiating fiercely.

Predictably, people have an issue with athletes asking for more money, because they already make millio-- wait.

Predictably, people have an issue with WNBA players asking for more because... women's basketball?

On the WNBA's All-Star fashion statement:

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/22/s...

Lawrence Frank: When PG decided to go to Philly, it created optionality for us

Swanson: Kiki Iriafen’s smooth evolution from WNBA rookie to All-Star The former Harvard-Westlake and USC star had a goal of playing in the WNBA, but being an All-Star in Year 1? ‘Not even on my radar.’

A column on Kiki Iriafen’s smooth evolution from WNBA rookie to All-Star: 'Not even on my radar,' the hyper-driven former Harvard-Westlake and USC star told us this week of the first-year nod.

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/18/s...

That’s what I was trying to to say — but more succinctly! Thanks for reading.

Clippers reportedly agree to sign 3-time All-Star Bradley Beal The 32-year-old guard, who became a free agent after the Suns bought out his contract, averaged 17 points per game last season.

And here's Janis Carr with the nuts and bolts:

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Swanson: Clippers get steal in Bradley Beal and look good – on paper The team that won 50 games last season is more talented now, but it’s also substantially older than other potential contenders – which leads to questions.

A journo friend once told me he tried to avoid ever writing the same sentence -- so here's a new one: Bradley Beal, on an incredible deal.

But what's that mean for the Clippers?

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/16/s...

Swanson: Angels’ 1st half ends with a loss and puzzling draft pick Forever dancing to their own beat – one step forward, two steps back – the Angels use the No. 2 overall pick to select the 18th-ranked prospect.

lol Angels

My column:

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/13/s...

Thanks, Jim. 👊🏻

Swanson: Some heroes play pickleball – ask Eaton Fire survivors Word of the wildfire spread through a WhatsApp group that has evolved into a go-to hub for Altadenans navigating life in the fire’s aftermath.

How pickleball - and a players' WhatApp group - helped save lives during the Eaton Fire.

An awesome column by my friend and colleague, @mirjamswanson.bsky.social

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/11/s...

Swanson: Some heroes play pickleball – ask Eaton Fire survivors Word of the wildfire spread through a WhatsApp group that has evolved into a go-to hub for Altadenans navigating life in the fire’s aftermath.

A friend told me about this Altadena pickleball group that rang the alarm as the Eaton Fire was starting on Jan. 7 & that's since transformed into a different life-saver -- the Eaton Fire Survivors Network Discord, the go-to hub for recovery info.

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/11/s...

Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase already has a strong case for WNBA Coach of the Year The Golden State Valkyries have done something few thought possible: created a playoff contender out of scratch. And much of that is attributable to head coach Natalie Nakase.

The Golden State Valkyries have done something few thought possible: created a playoff contender out of scratch. And much of that is attributable to head coach Natalie Nakase.

I’m one of the kids that got to meet him when I was growing up. I still have a signed ball and photo of Mr. Abbott and myself. I don’t follow baseball players, but I did him. He was way more interested in my grades than sports. It was a brief meeting, but it was one that impacted me my whole life.

Swanson: Jim Abbott’s legacy explored in ESPN documentary ‘Southpaw’ showed the former Angels one-handed pitcher, who threw a no-hitter with the New York Yankees, that there’s more to his story than even he realized.

I was just discovering sports when Jim Abbott arrived on the scene in Anaheim to play for my first favorite team - this week, I got to chat with him because ESPN has this wonderful new documentary, "Southpaw," about his legacy airing Sunday. This was fun.

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/10/s...

The Audible: On the Lakers’ and Clippers’ moves and baseball’s trade deadline Southern California News Group columnists Jim Alexander and Mirjam Swanson discuss some of the week’s sports issues.

The NBA's transaction season is almost over shortly after it began. Meanwhile, baseball's runup to the July 31 trade deadline starts now.

@mirjamswanson.bsky.social and I discuss what that means for the local teams in this week's Audible.

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/10/t...

Any “most remarkable career” list should have him at or near the top.

I remember his no hitter. That was fun.

This is dope, especially this:

“We automatically assign morality: ‘He’s a great person because he can shoot a basketball or put a hockey puck in the net.’ But Jim is who you hope he is; he’s actually that way – an incredible person. And I think I’m a better person for having gotten to know him.”

Sure was.

Swanson: Jim Abbott’s legacy explored in ESPN documentary ‘Southpaw’ showed the former Angels one-handed pitcher, who threw a no-hitter with the New York Yankees, that there’s more to his story than even he realized.

I was just discovering sports when Jim Abbott arrived on the scene in Anaheim to play for my first favorite team - this week, I got to chat with him because ESPN has this wonderful new documentary, "Southpaw," about his legacy airing Sunday. This was fun.

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/10/s...

Swanson: What if Lakers’ Rob Pelinka knows what he’s doing? Fans clamored for the Lakers to hurry and sign a free-agent center, but the GM waited for a better option to clear waivers and got Deandre Ayton at a discount.

No offense internet GMs, I love ya, but I’m glad you’ve got day jobs.

A column on the Lakers’ free agency so far.

www.ocregister.com/2025/07/03/s...