how to start the phantom assignments

Here's your guide to unlocking all the Phantom Assignments for Battlefield 4

You've probably seen the Phantom Bow and want to unlock one. Well, before you could even consider unlocking it, you'll need to first complete all the Phantom Assignments, and we just happen to have a detailed guide for that.

In order to get Battlefield 4's Phantom Bow , you must complete the three Phantom Assignments.

We've got videos detailing how to unlock each one below.

First off, let's take a look at the the Phantom Prospect.

Then onto the Phantom Trainee.

And finally, the Phantom Initiate.

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Battlefield 4™

Originally posted by Kynor : It is, in fact, possible to start the assignments, still, but they've been relocated to the age ratings page, at this spot: https://i.ibb.co/cwJKF4F/battlelogskull.png Here is the link for the age ratings page of Battlelog: https://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/agerating/

Originally posted by Kynor : It is, in fact, possible to start the assignments, still, but they've been relocated to the age ratings page. I've made a guide for it: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2602925775

Originally posted by Mark : Originally posted by Kynor : It is, in fact, possible to start the assignments, still, but they've been relocated to the age ratings page. I've made a guide for it: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2602925775

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Mp1st reader blog: how to complete the phantom initiate assignment in battlefield 4.

The MP1st reader blog is an open discussion lead by MP1st readers about the multiplayer titles and topics we cover. To learn how to have your voice heard, check out the Blog section on the  MP1st Forums  in the Multiplayer’s Lounge.

To complete the Phantom Initiate assignment, you must be a Premium member for Battlefield 4. To unlock it, you need to go into the Leaderboards section on Battlelog and click the skull on the bottom left of the page. Once all the text populates, type in t he passwords:

24344241893

Once you enter the passwords, the screen will be look like the photo below. If your screens look the same, you successfully unlocked the Phantom Initiate assignment.

However, in order to unlock Phantom Initiate, you must first unlock (you do not need to complete) the first two Phantom assignment. The password for Phantom Prospect is: bumpinthenight” (without the quotes). The password for Phantom Trainee is: “epic dream worlds” (without the quotes).

To complete this assignment, you must complete the following objectives:

• Get 200 kills with LMG
• Get 50 kills with explosives
• Get 25 roadkills

For the LMG kills, you need to be in a ranked server. I perso nally recommended that you join Domination/TDM game mode servers with high tickets. The Type 88 is good choice for low rank players in addition to the AWS, MG4, PKP Pecheneg, and M240B for high rank players.  Battlefield YouTube personality Xfactor made a great tutorial on how to dominate with an LMG.

[youtube id=”LJ9P8bSjj6U”]

For explosives kills, you’ll need to be in a ranked server. You can use C4, XM25 Airburst, M32 MGL, Claymore, M2 Slam, AT Mine, RGO Impact, V40 mini, Frag grenade, Mortar, UCAV, M320, M320 LVG, or M320 3G. All AT/AA launchers count as an explosive kill as well. I’m not sure if the battle pickups count as explosives kills. I personally recommend that you go on Operation hurt Locker or Operation Metro to spam a few grenades. Please do not put C4 on flags.

[youtube id=”K2Qpui1hYBw”]

For roadkills, you need to be in a ranked server. You need to be the driver of any vehicles, including the SUAV, Jets, and Helicopters. I personally recommended that you join full conquest 64 player server, unless you’re playing BF4 on last-gen console. I also personally recommended that you go on big and empty maps like Golmud Railway, Lancang Dam, Lost Islands, Rogue Transmission, and Caspian Border.

If you watch any videos from YouTube personality  ChaBoyy and Azzy, they show you the right and the wrong ways to get roadkills.

[youtube id=”BrOKQluf4oA”]

Note:  You want do this in order because, if you don’t follow these instructions in order, you may need to start over. Make sure you take care in following these steps, since Battlelog is known to have a few issues.

I hope my guide helps you complete the Phantom Initiate assignment. Here are the  Phantom Initiate camos on the Assault soldier.

Author:  Mechcell

Check out the original blog post on the MP1st forums  right here .

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Battlefield 4 Phantom Initiate Password – How to Complete the Assignment

Some people don’t like Easter eggs. They feel the developers at DICE should spend their time wisely instead of programming gigantic, pre-historic sharks into a first-person shooter like Battlefield 4 . Those people are crazy and shouldn’t be listened to.

After a Massive Shark Hunt that turned up no results, DICE finally gave the masses what they wanted and Added a Megalodon in the Naval Strike DLC map, Nansha Strike. While that’s all well and good, it appears they may have added a second Megalodon in honor of Shark Week. Nothing is confirmed, but you can check out the video from FRANKIEonPCin1080p where he talks about it. Skip to the four-minute mark if you want to hear about the rumor of a Megalodon on Paracel Storm.

If that wasn’t enough, just yesterday, DICE tweeted the image below. While we’re not entirely convinced this is more than just a developer troll, we must admit we are a bit excited about the possibility of more giant sharks, so long as they remain in digital form.

Beware these waters. #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/yNJDc75KjS — Battlefield (@Battlefield) August 11, 2014

Even though that is all speculation, what we do know for sure is that the Phantom Initiate password has been cracked and the assignment requirements were revealed. For those players out to complete every assignment that Battlefield 4 has to offer, this one takes more work than most.

First, you must unlock and complete the Phantom Prospect and the Phantom Trainee assignments before you can unlock the Phantom Initiate. Second, you must have access to Battlelog in order to enter the password.

After signing into Battlelog, click on the Leaderboards tab and scroll to the bottom. Near the left side of the page you’ll see the tiny image of a skull. If you click on this, you’ll be prompted to enter a password, which is 24344241893 . If you’re looking for an explanation to how that very cryptic login credential was calculated, check out the video below from JackFrags , which explains it in detail.

Once the assignment is unlocked, you still have to go about the business of completing it, which requires you to do the following.

• Get 200 LMG Kills
• Get 50 Kills with Explosives
• Get 25 Road Kills

The LMG kills took us about two days to complete, while the 50 kills with explosives can be accomplished naturally by tossing grenades. The road kills, on the other hand, might actually take some effort if you don’t want to work on this assignment for the next several weeks and months. For this, we hit up the China Rising DLC and more specifically, the map Silk Road. Jump on a Dirt Bike, then start motoring around, running over enemy soldiers as they scurry about the desert. Even if you focus on just this, you can still expect the road kills to take several games to finish. As an alternative, consider using the SUAV from the Recon class if you aren’t a fan of motorcycles.

We know the Phantom Initiate password is real, but what about a second Megalodon near the islands of Paracel Storm? Is it possible that DICE added another giant, prehistoric shark? We certainly don’t have all the answers, but we’ll keep a close eye on the situation over the next few days.

• Battlefield 4: Naval Strike
• Battlefield 4: China Rising
• Battlefield 4: Second Assault
• Battlefield 4: Dragon's Teeth
• Battlefield 4: Final Stand

Battlefield 4 DLC Assignments

• View history

The expansions of Battlefield 4 introduce dozens of new Assignments, functioning in the same manner as those featured in the base game. Upon completion, they unlock new weapons, gadgets, or camouflages for use in-game.

There are currently a total of fifty-six downloadable content assignments (eight Premium , ten China Rising , ten Second Assault , ten Naval Strike , ten Dragon's Teeth , eight Final Stand ).

• China Rising
• Second Assault
• Naval Strike
• Dragon's Teeth
• Final Stand
• 1 XFAD-4 Draugr
• 2 EMKV90-TOR
• 3 Battlefield 2042

How to Watch NFL Schedule Release 2024 Online: Live Stream and Coverage Information

The NFL is releasing their regular season schedule tonight. Here's how to watch it live on streaming.

Football  is (almost) back! 

Well, technically we still have a few months to go until the first 2024-2025 NFL season game kicks off. But we don't have to wait any longer for a taste of the sport because tonight, Wednesday, May 15, the National Football League will release its 2024 schedule. The dates for every game of the regular season will be revealed, so NFL enthusiasts can prepare for any much-anticipated future matchups. The NFL schedule release broadcast will air on the NFL Network. For those without cable, one of the easiest ways to watch the schedule release live is by streaming  the event on Sling TV.

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Upon the release, fans will see when the biggest games of the season will take place. The schedule will reveal when a rematch between Super Bowl LVIII opponents the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will happen, as well as an NFC title rematch between the Lions at 49ers. There are also a couple of quarterback revenge opportunities coming up when Kirk Cousins' Falcons take on his former team, the Vikings, and the Saints versus Raiders game featuring Derek Carr. We're also excited for the Bears at Commanders where we may see rookies Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels go head to head.

All this to say — we can't wait to see what's in store for the 2024-2025 NFL season. Keep scrolling to learn everything you need to know to watch the NFL schedule release on streaming.

When is the 2024 NFL schedule release broadcast?

The 2024 NFL schedule release is happening today, Wednesday, May 15 at 8 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.

How to watch the 2024 NFL schedule release online:

The coverage will air on the NFL Network. For those without a cable package that includes the NFL Network, there are live TV streaming services that offer the channel and many more. Read on about Sling TV, FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV.

Watch the NFL Schedule Release on Sling TV

With Sling TV's Blue package, you will get access to NFL Network to watch the 2024 NFL schedule release, as well as other sports-carrying channels like ABC, FOX and FS1. Right now, Sling TV is offering half off your first month.

For Your First Month

Watch the NFL Schedule Release on FuboTV

Watch NFL Network along with over 260 other channels on FuboTV. A Fubo subscription costs $79.99 per month, but the streamer is offering a seven-day free trial right now to watch the NFL schedule release at no cost.

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Watch the NFL Schedule Release on Hulu + Live TV

A Hulu + Live TV subscription will give you access to over 95 of the top channels, including the NFL Network to watch the NFL schedule release. Plans start at $76.99 monthly and give you access to Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.

Free 3-Day Trial

How to watch the 2024 NFL schedule release for free:

There are a couple of ways to watch the NFL schedule release free of cost. Both FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV offer eligible subscribers a free trial, which means you could sign up for the service and watch the NFL schedule release free of charge — as long as you cancel your subscription within the trial period, which is seven days for FuboTV and three days for Hulu + Live TV.

Sign Up for FuboTV

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What to expect during the NFL schedule release coverage:

Hosted by Rich Eisen and Colleen Wolfe, the NFL regular season schedule release will break down the games division by division while analyzing the top matchups. Special guests will make appearances during the coverage, including Sunday Night Football broadcaster Mike Tirico, Monday Night Football broadcaster Joe Buck, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson and others. 

For those who want to know everything about the upcoming NFL season, it will be a night you won't want to miss.

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How did Caitlin Clark do in WNBA debut? Indiana Fever vs Connecticut Sun highlights

It was Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut , but really, the night belonged to Alyssa Thomas.

The 11th-year veteran for Connecticut reminded everyone why she was in MVP contention last season as she recorded her 12th career triple-double, scoring 13, grabbing 10 rebounds and handing out 13 assists, as the Connecticut Sun cruised to a 92-71 win over the Indiana Fever .

Clark finished with 20 points but it took the rookie some time to get going, and she shot just 5-of-15 from the field. The top pick in the 2024 draft also threw the ball away 10 times, a stat that’s sure to nag at her — and definitely not the type of double-double she wanted to record.

Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner tied Clark for the game’s high scorer, with 20, while DiJonai Carrington and Ty Harris scored 16 each for the Sun. Connecticut forced the Fever into 25 turnovers, which the Sun turned into 29 points.

The Fever, which had the top pick in the WNBA Draft the last two years (they selected Aliyah Boston in 2023) missed the playoffs last season and have won just 43 games the last five seasons. The hope is that Clark will lift them into the postseason, but Tuesday night was a reminder that this team has a long way to go.

Clark makes her home debut Thursday vs. the New York Liberty.

How Connecticut Sun stifled Caitlin Clark

DiJonai Carrington knew early on that she’d draw the assignment of guarding Caitlin Clark, the top pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft.

And while she did a tremendous job — Clark scored a game-high-tying 20 points, but it took her a long time to get going and she scored a lot when the game was out of hand — her teammates didn’t want her thinking too highly of herself.

“To take on that job, we’re proud of her,” Sun star Alyssa Thomas said after Connecticut’s win. Then she turned to Carrington with a warning. “But don’t get too big-headed.”

It was a fun, lighthearted moment in a celebratory press conference. Carrington, one of the most improved and best sixth players in the league last year, moved into a starting role this season for Connecticut. She was great at both ends Tuesday night, scoring 16 points, grabbing five rebounds and snagging two steals in the Sun’s win.

One of those steals came just before halftime, when she picked Clark’s pocket and raced to the other end for a score.

It was nothing Connecticut coach Stephanie White hasn’t seen before.

“She does a lot of things in practice that show us she’s an elite defender,” White said. “But I tell her, you’ve gotta be an elite decision-making defender, and tonight she was … that’s part of growing into a starting role, and that’s gonna continue to be her challenge but she’s ready for a challenge.

“She knew (tonight) was an opportunity for her, and she’s taken ownership of it.”

Caitlin Clark highlights

Final: connecticut sun 92, indiana fever 71.

Sun star Alyssa Thomas recorded a triple-double (13-10-13) to help Connecticut cruise past Indiana 92-71 in Caitlin Clark's WNBA debut.

Caitlin Clark stats

Clark scored 20 points, tied for the game high, on 5-for-15 shooting (4-for-11 from 3). She had 10 turnovers, though, while recording just three assists. She had two steals and committed four fouls.

Sun's Alyssa Thomas records triple-double in season opener

A new WNBA season, another Alyssa Thomas triple-double.

In her first game of the 2024 season, Thomas recorded the impressive stat line with 3:30 to play, when she grabbed her 10th rebound of the night. She also has 13 points and 13 assists, and the Sun have an 81-67 lead.

It is Thomas’ 12th career triple-double, including playoffs. (All other WNBA players have combined for 21 total in the regular season.) In 2023, Thomas set a new league record for both double-doubles (28) and single-season assists (316). The 32-year-old is a four-time WNBA All-Star.

Caitlin Clark heating up

Caitlin Clark is starting to feel it.

After struggling for much of the game, turning over the ball a game-high eight times and shooting inefficiently, Clark found a rhythm as the Indiana Fever attempted to chip away at the Connecticut Sun's fourth-quarter lead.

Clark hit back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter and got to the line for a pair of free throws on another possession. Inefficient or not, she was tied with the Sun's DeWanna Bonner with a game-high 20 points as the Fever trailed 81-67 with 3:29 left.

End of third quarter: DeWanna Bonner moves up WNBA's all-time scoring list

It’s been a great day for DeWanna Bonner, who midway through the third quarter moved up to fifth on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list with 6,897 points. Bonner has 16 so far tonight, and her team has a 65-57 lead on Indiana at the end of the third quarter.

Bonner, 36, is in her 14th WNBA season, and her fifth with Connecticut (she previously played for Phoenix, helping the Mercury to two WNBA championships). Based on her production — last season she averaged 14.9 points and 6.1 rebounds — you’d never guess her age.  

Meanwhile, it’s been a rough night for Caitlin Clark, who has 12 points but also eight turnovers. Yikes. (She had nine, but one got taken away on the official stats.) She’s 3-of-10 from the field, struggling against Connecticut’s length defensively; it can’t be fun to be defended by Bonner, who has switched on to Clark a couple times. The Fever have 18 turnovers total, which Connecticut has turned into 18 points.

Final: New York Liberty 85, Washington Mystics 80

It feels fitting that in the most highly anticipated WNBA season in more than 20 years, the first game of 2024 went down to the wire.

The Washington Mystics had three chances to take the lead in the final 39 seconds after blowing an eight-point lead, but the New York Liberty made every look tough and Sabrina Ionescu hit all four free throw attempts at the end, holding on for an 85-80 win.

New York’s Jonquel Jones led all scorers with 25, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton chipped in 20 and Ionescu flirted with a triple-double with 15 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Four Mystics players scored in double figures, led by Ariel Atkins (20). Brittney Sykes had a great all-around game for Washington with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

New York next travels to Indiana to play the Fever in Caitlin Clark’s home debut on Thursday.

Caitlin Clark struggling in WNBA debut

The struggles for Caitlin Clark continue.

Clark (10 points) picked up her game-high seventh turnover of the game midway through the third quarter of the Indiana Fever's opening game against the Connecticut Sun. She was also tied for a game-high with three fouls. 

The Sun led, 59-47, with 4:32 left in the third quarter. Clark committed an eighth turnover with 3:32 to go in the quarter with the Fever down 62-51.

Halftime: Caitlin Clark held to seven points in first half of WNBA action

If this was supposed to be a matchup of Caitlin Clark vs. whoever guarded her, DiJonai Carrington is winning.

Right now, by a lot.

Carrington, in her fourth year after playing college ball at both Stanford and Baylor, has 14 points in the first half, including a bucket after she picked Clark’s pocket with just under two minutes to play in the second quarter. Behind Carrington’s play, Connecticut has a 49-39 lead over Indiana at halftime.

Clark had just four points, on a layup and two free throws, until 30 seconds to play, when she connected on a 3 on Indiana’s baseline out-of-bounds play. It was her first score on Carrington directly, who got caught in a screen.

Part of Indiana’s problem the first half was that the Fever throw the ball away too much — 13 times, to be exact (Clark had five of them, with just one assist). Connecticut has turned those into 16 points.

Ty Harris has 11 points and DeWanna Bonner has 10 for the Sun. NaLyssa Smith is the only Fever player in double figures, with 11 points.

Caitlin Clark hits first 3-pointer

Clark finally hit from long range off a designed play in the final minute of the first half.

Caitlin Clark gets first points in WNBA

It took a quarter and a half, but Caitlin Clark got her first WNBA points with a baseline layup in the second quarter of the Indiana Fever's opening game against the Connecticut Sun.

Clark started the game 0-for-4 from the field and 0-for-2 from beyond the arc before making her first bucket. Clark spent much of the first quarter on the bench in foul trouble.

The host Sun led the Fever, 34-25, with 4:50 left in the first half.

Sun 19, Fever 13: Caitlin Clark still looking for first points after first quarter

We’ve been informed by our man on the ground that no, Mohegan Sun Arena is not selling Caitlin Clark jerseys.

But there’s no question why this game is a sellout.

Thousands have shown up to watch the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, and voiced their displeasure when Clark was whistled for her second foul early in the first quarter. At the time of that call, Clark was 0-for-3 from the field, with one assist and one turnover.

She was sent to the bench for most of the back half of the first, which helped Connecticut take a 19-13 lead at the end of the first period. Ty Harris has been an early bright spot for the Sun, scoring nine points, all on 3s.

Meanwhile NaLyssa Smith, who looked great in both of the Fever’s preseason games, has continued her tear, scoring seven quick points, grabbing three rebounds and blocking a shot.

Caitlin Clark checks back in

Caitlin Clark checked back in to her first WNBA regular-season game after racking up two early fouls against the Connecticut Sun.

Clark also missed her first three shots of the game before taking a seat on the bench.

After assisting on the first play of the game to give the Indiana Fever an early lead, Clark opted into a shoot-first mentality on Indiana's next few possessions and came up empty-handed.

Clark's second foul was loudly booed by the sellout crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena. Many fans in attendance arrived in Clark gear, be it of the Iowa or Indiana variety.

WNBA season kickoff: Mystics lead Liberty at half

Just a reminder that Caitlin Clark isn’t the only show in town tonight.

At halftime, the Washington Mystics lead the New York Liberty 43-40 after a 3 from Shakira Austin with 5.6 seconds to play before the break.

The halftime score might turn some heads considering the Liberty were one of the so-called “super teams” that came together during free agency in 2023, and played for the WNBA championship last year.

The first game of the 2024 season — New York-Washington tipped off about 30 minutes before Indiana-Connecticut — has been the Jonquel Jones show, as the 2021 WNBA MVP already has 14 points and four rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu, meanwhile, already has five assists (and only one turnover). Not bad for a guard known more for hitting 3s like Steph Curry.

Meanwhile, Stefanie Dolson has scored 11 points for Washington, and Ariel Atkins has already grabbed three steals.

One thing to remember: Because the WNBA season is so short compared to the NBA, and some of the league’s stars will miss games due to the Olympics, every single game matters when we talk league standings and playoff seeding.

Caitlin Clark gets into early foul trouble in season opener

This was not the start that Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark had hoped for.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft picked up two early fouls midway through the first quarter. And she was still looking for her first points. After five minutes of play, Clark was 0-for-3 from the field and missed her only 3-point shot attempt, though she did dish an assist early in the contest.

The Connecticut Sun lead 10-7 at the first TV timeout.

Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun tips off at Mohegan Sun Arena

FEVER STARTING LINEUP

• PG Erica Wheeler
• SG Caitlin Clark
• SF Katie Lou Samuelson
• PF NaLyssa Smith
• C Aliyah Boston

SUN STARTING LINEUP

• PG Tyasha Harris
• SG DiJonai Carrington
• SF DeWanna Bonner
• PF Alyssa Thomas
• C Brionna Jones

Caitlin Clark builds on ’99 soccer team’s moment in lifting women’s sports 

A year and a half ago, a vast majority of Americans had no idea who she was, an athletic young woman tucked away in a Midwestern university town, known to women’s college basketball fans but otherwise hidden from the gaze of the national media.  

Now  Caitlin Clark  is the most popular athlete in the nation, the driving force behind the greatest days in the history of women’s sports, America’s girl next door all grown up and the personification of everything the country was hoping Title IX might give us.  

Read more from Christine Brennan here.  

2024 WNBA rookies to watch 

 The 2024 WNBA rookie class is one of the most anticipated in history, led by none other than  Caitlin Clark , the scoring phenom from Iowa who re-wrote the college record books.  

But she’s not the only newcomer expected to make a big impact, and do so immediately. There hasn’t been this sort of attention and excitement around  WNBA rookies  since 2013, when  Brittney Griner , Elena Della Donne and Skylar Diggins-Smith joined the league.  

To get you ready for the  2024 WNBA season that tips Tuesday , USA TODAY Sports' Lindsay Schnell gives a primer on the nine rookies she thinks will have the biggest impact this season. 

Read more from Lindsay Schnell here.  

How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun 

The Fever at Sun will be televised on ESPN2 with Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), and Holly Rowe (sideline) on the call. 

How to stream Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun 

Streaming options for Fever at Sun include the ESPN app, ESPN+ , Disney+ and  Fubo . 

The game will also be available on demand on the  WNBA’s League Pass  upon its conclusion. Fans can get League Pass by downloading the WNBA app. 

SIGN UP FOR FUBO: Access to WNBA games during the season  

When is Caitlin Clark's first home game with the Fever? 

The Fever’s home opener is Thursday against the New York Liberty.

What to know about 2024 WNBA season 

Arguably one of the  most highly-anticipated WNBA seasons  in the league's history has arrived. 

The 2024  WNBA  season is set to tip off, and it is shaping up to be one of the most exciting times in professional women's basketball. The  game and interest in the league has exploded to new heights , and the  incoming draft class  has  generated more buzz . 

College stars such as  Caitlin Clark ,  Angel Reese ,  Cameron Brink  and more will be making their debuts at the professional level, but there is already plenty of stars they'll go up against, including New York Liberty forward and 2023 Most Valuable Player  Breanna Stewart , Liberty guard  Sabrina Ionescu  and Las Vegas Aces forward  A'ja Wilson . Can the rookies lead their teams to immediate success? Or will star-studded teams continue to shine? 

Read more from Lorenzo Reyes and Jordan Mendoza here.  

2024 WNBA GM survey predictions 

The WNBA on Tuesday released results from its survey of team general managers, who made predictions for the season. 

• Here are some of their picks:   MVP: A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces. Wilson, who guided Las Vegas to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, received 67 percent of the MVP votes. The Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas, the 2023 MVP runner-up, was next with 25 percent, and reigning MVP Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty was third with eight percent.
• Best defender: Wilson, a two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, received 42 percent of the votes to finish ahead of Thomas, who was second with 25 percent.
• Rookie of the Year: The Fever’s Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, received 92 percent of the votes. The Los Angeles Sparks’ Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall pick, got the remaining eight percent.
• Most likely to have breakout season: Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever. Boston won WNBA Rookie of the Year honors last season.

10 bold predictions for WNBA season 

The 28th WNBA season tips off tonight, so it’s time to start thinking about what’s in store for women’s professional basketball the next few months.   

There’s  never been more excitement  around the women’s game. With a  star-studded draft class , a team going for its third consecutive championship and a Summer Olympics that will help drum up interest in women’s basketball, the WNBA is headed into its  most-anticipated season  since the league debuted almost three decades ago.   

So what can we expect this summer? For starters, Caitlin Clark will lead the WNBA in assists and make the Olympic team. Read Lindsay Schnell’s bold predictions here .  

WNBA’s newest team now has a name 

The WNBA's newest team, which will join the league from the Bay Area in 2025, now has a name. 

The league announced that the new team will be named the  Golden State Valkyries  and displayed a new logo and colors on its new website. The team's colors are known as Valkyrie Violet. 

The announcement coincides with the start of the WNBA's 28th season, which tips off tonight at 7 p.m. ET when the New York Liberty take on the Washington Mystics, one of four games on the schedule. 

The team said that a Valkyrie originates "from Norse mythology and that the nickname represents" a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike." Read more from Scooby Axson here.  

Las Vegas Aces star lands Nike shoe deal 

Las Vegas Aces  star  A'ja Wilson  is the latest athlete to get her own signature shoe, announcing the news Saturday as the two-time defending champions were preparing to play a preseason exhibition against the Puerto Rican national team. 

Wilson joins  New York Liberty  guard  Sabrina Ionescu  as WNBA players to have a Nike signature shoe in recent years. Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark reportedly  signed a deal worth $28 million  that would also include her own signature shoe with Nike. 

Read more from Scooby Axson here.  

What time is Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun?  

The Fever-Sun tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. 

How did Caitlin Clark play in WNBA preseason 

In what was maybe the most-anticipated preseason game in the 28-year history of the WNBA, Clark and the Fever played in Dallas against the Wings on May 3.  Indiana dropped the game, 79-76 , but Clark played well in her first-ever WNBA action. 

She started the game and played 28 minutes, and finished 6-of-15 from the floor – including 5-of-13 from 3-point range – to score 21 points. She also added three rebounds, two assists and two steals, but committed five turnovers. She made all but one of her five free throw attempts. 

As she did throughout her college career at Iowa, Clark flashed her ability to elude defenders in the perimeter with her dribbling and showed off her deep range. 

In Indiana's second preseason game,  Clark and the Fever beat the Atlanta Dream , 83-80. Clark played 32 minutes and went 4-of-12 from the field, including two-of-nine from 3-point range, to finish with 12 points. Similar to her first game, Clark committed a game-high six turnovers, but she added eight rebounds and six assists. 

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

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October 2015

Re: How to activate the phantom assignments

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MLB Trade Rumors

Jasson Dominguez Begins Rehab Assignment

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | May 14, 2024 at 6:32pm CDT

Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez began a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday, per a team announcement. That effectively presses the start button on a 20-day rehab window before he must either be optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre or reinstated to the MLB roster. He’s starting out in Class-A Tampa, though he’ll very likely move up the ladder over the next couple weeks.

Dominguez underwent Tommy John surgery last summer, so it’s fairly natural that Yankees skipper Aaron Boone indicated over the weekend that the 21-year-old will be limited to DH work in the early stages of rehab. This will be the first game action for Dominguez since early September, when he burst onto the big league scene with a promising .258/.303/.677 batting line in 33 plate appearances. Dominguez homered off notable big leaguers like Justin Verlander and Cristian Javier , ultimately popping four round-trippers in his brief debut before being diagnosed with a ligament tear in his elbow.

Prior to that debut, Dominguez had split the season between Double-A and Triple-A, recording 507 plate appearances at the former level and 37 at the latter. He batted a combined .265/.377/.425 despite being just 20 years old. He was about four years younger than his average opponent in Double-A and more than six years younger than the average Triple-A player.

Had Dominguez been healthy, the Yankees’ offseason could well have looked different. They’d still quite likely have made an aggressive push to land Juan Soto from the Padres, but it’s fair to wonder whether Alex Verdugo would’ve still been a prominent trade target with both Dominguez and Aaron Judge projected to be healthy. It seems likely that would not have been the case.

Now, with Verdugo, Soto and Judge all hitting well and Giancarlo Stanton still providing thump from the DH spot (despite a .283 OBP), it’s not as clear how Dominguez might fit onto the roster. He’d certainly be expected to outproduce the surprisingly anemic .069/.270/.172 line that Trent Grisham has mustered thus far, but that’s come in a sample of only 38 plate appearances. There’s likely some merit to the idea that a longtime starter like Grisham has struggled mightily with the move to such a limited role, but the minimal playing time he’s received is the primary reason why Dominguez likely wouldn’t be considered for such a role.

Even if the Yankees felt Dominguez could outperform that pace (which they surely do), putting a touted 21-year-old in a position to get seven or eight plate appearances per week would be a poor move for his development. Whenever Dominguez is deemed healthy enough to be reinstated from the injured list, the Yankees presumably want him to be ticketed for regular at-bats. The current construction of the big league roster doesn’t look ideal for that setup, though all it would take would be one injury to Verdugo, Judge, Soto or Stanton to open up some more substantial playing time.

Of the current outfielders, only Verdugo seems even remotely plausible as a trade candidate, but he’s produced a respectable .243/.329/.397 batting line (111 wRC+) while drawing more walks (11.4%) than strikeouts (10.8%). There’d be ample risk (to put it mildly) in moving a steady veteran enjoying that type of performance to free up playing time for a 21-year-old with eight games of big league experience, regardless of his prospect status. There’s been some speculation about a potential Verdugo trade among fans and pundits alike, but such a scenario seems decidedly unlikely.

Barring an injury in the big league outfield, an eventual minor league assignment for Dominguez feels almost inevitable. He’s still only played in 17 total games above the Double-A level. But with Verdugo and Soto both set to become free agents at season’s end and Grisham playing his way into a non-tender candidate, there’s still a clear path to a prominent role for Dominguez in the long-term — it just might not happen this season.

DJ LeMahieu will follow Dominguez in beginning a minor league rehab stint later this week, tweets Greg Joyce of the New York Post. It’s the second time he’ll start a rehab assignment as he returns from a season-opening injured list stay. LeMahieu joined Double-A Somerset on April 23 but was removed in the first inning after experiencing renewed soreness in his right foot. The veteran infielder was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture in his foot at the end of Spring Training.

Oswaldo Cabrera and  Jon Berti have split the third base work in LeMahieu’s absence. Cabrera started the season well before a recent slump dropped his batting line to .252/.295/.390 in 132 plate appearances. The speedster Berti is hitting .263 without an extra-base hit and only two walks in 41 trips.

13 Comments

18 hours ago

Just in time for the playoff push. Guy’s gonna rake in that lineup. Yanks will look pretty good in the second half of the season with Cole, LeMahieu & Dominguez back in the lineup.

Not to worry…Stanton and/or Judge will be on a lengthy IL stay soon, opening up an active roster spot.

If it’s Stanton, which is a good possibility, he may never regain that starting spot back. Dominguez is immensely talented and hopefully he can continue producing at the rate he was.

That’s the news Yankee fans were all waiting for!

17 hours ago

Hoping that they play “Indian Love Call” as his walk up music.

16 hours ago

Slim Whitman reference from Mars Attacks. Nice.

I’m with OP. There’s going to need to be an injury or Dominguez is gonna have to go bananas in AAA to come up before September. He’s a huge part of the future but Grisham is the ideal 4th outfielder until someone’s on the IL.

Stanton is currently sitting at 106 OPS+. He’s hardly a stumbling block if Dominguez is hitting well in AAA.

Stanton is hitting just enough to hold his spot. The team’s not run in a vacuum, benching Stanton with that salary may be a bridge too far. He’s got three full years guaranteed after this season. The Marlins money kicks in by 2026, that’s when you may see him benched/fired into the sun…

13 hours ago

Stanton is hitting above average by OPS+ and he’s on pace for 30 HRs. He’s makes a ton of money. There’s your block.

They could eventually work out a platoon that’s beneficial to all, but worry about that in July, assuming Dominguez does his part.

5 hours ago

Agreed. Also we’d need to jettison Grisham if everyone’s healthy. With championship aspirations I’m not sure they want to dump the only guy on the roster who can play gold glove caliber D anywhere in the outfield.

With my contacts briefly bubbling and causing blurred vision, I thought it said he “begins retirement”

Doubt we’ll see him before July if not August. The Yankees don’t need him at the moment so they’ll bring him along slowly, and they will almost assuredly get “back” service time.

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Unlikely Angels Outfielder Sets Franchise Record With Red-Hot Start

J.p. hoornstra | may 14, 2024.

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It's an obscure record, one no Angels fan has been thinking about this season — if ever. Still, for a team that is practically begging for outstanding offensive contributions from any player capable of swinging a bat, no batting accomplishment is too small for the Angels right now.

Enter Kevin Pillar. Designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox (baseball's worst team at the time) in April, he quickly landed with the Angels after Mike Trout suffered a meniscus injury . No one expected Pillar, a .160 hitter in 17 games with the White Sox, to replace Trout's production. Trout was co-leading MLB in home runs at the time of his injury.

And yet, eight games into his tenure with the Angels, Pillar is doing something no one has done for the franchise since 1977:

With his 8th inning RBI single, Pillar has tied Joe Rudi for the most RBI (12) through his first eight games with the #Angels . https://t.co/vP9J876BGl — Matt Birch (@MattBirch12) May 14, 2024

Tying the unheralded "most RBIs through eight games with the Angels" record isn't the type of achievement that will cause a player's stock to rise. Pillar, however, might be the rare exception. Pillar, 35, was playing with his son at their home in Arizona when he got a call from the Angels on April 30. Now, he's batting .400 (10 for 25) with three home runs, a double and a triple in eight games with his new team.

It's too soon to say that Pillar is assured of a roster spot once Trout is healthy enough to play again, but he's at least forced one Angels veteran off the roster. Aaron Hicks, 34, was released on May 1 with a .140 batting average through his first 18 games.

The Angels signed Hicks to a league-minimum contract, but so far the swap of veteran outfielders is looking like a smart move. Pillar batted sixth in his Angels debut on May 1, and has steadily moved up in the batting order, hitting cleanup in each of his last three starts.

Entering Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Angels are 15-27.

J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra writes and edits Major League Baseball content for Halos Today, and is the author of 'The 50 Greatest Dodger Games Of All Time.' He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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Sandy alderson: i didn’t like billy eppler, but i didn’t rat him out in mets’ phantom il scandal.

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Sandy Alderson was not a fan of former Mets general manager Billy Eppler, but he denied being the one who sent an anonymous letter to Major League Baseball tipping them to a scheme to fabricate injuries in order to create roster spots. 

The former Mets team president addressed the topic during the latest episode of “The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman.” 

“Was I a big fan of Billy’s? No, but that’s separate apart from anything else,” Alderson said. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think Major League Baseball ever determined who wrote the letter. And there were things in that letter that I was unaware of. So the short answer is no.”

Eppler was suspended earlier this year by MLB until the conclusion of the World Series after a four-month probe confirmed that the baseball exec had improperly placed players on the IL while deliberately fabricating injuries during his tenure as Mets general manager. 

An anonymous whistleblower believed to be a Mets employee provided the league with injury-related records that forced MLB to launch an investigation, which Eppler was fully cooperative with. 

Eppler resigned as Mets GM on Oct. 5 which was the same day that the investigation became public. 

“If I had wanted to communicate with the commissioner’s office, I would have communicated directly to Dan Halem, the commissioner, people I’ve known for 20 or 30 years,” Alderson said. “From my standpoint, I thought that issue was behind the Mets, behind us and had no reason whatsoever to write such a letter. But anybody that knows me knows that’s not the avenue I would have pursued.”

Alderson rejoined the Mets organization as team president in 2020 after Steve Cohen bought the ballclub and he helped hire Eppler for the general manager role in November 2021.

Alderson held the team president position until he stepped down in September 2022. 

He said during the podcast appearance that, while he didn’t want to get into details, he was aware of Eppler’s phantom IL practices while he was with the Mets and that he did do things to stop it. 

Depending on who you ask, the opinions vary on how widespread the phantom IL practice is in Major League Baseball. 

Alderson said that he had done it once in his 40-year career as a baseball executive and it occurred back in the 1980s. 

“I can tell you the player who was involved. I felt terribly about it and never did it again,” he said. “It is not in my view a common practice and to the extent it is a common practice it shouldn’t be.  Clearly there are gray areas with respect to the injured list and there are judgment calls that need to be made. But in some cases, and not focusing exclusively on what happened with the Mets, the injured list was being used improperly, has been used improperly around the league from time to time. But what disappointed me more than anything else was the reaction to this in the media, which is to say nobody was terribly upset about it, nobody thought it was something that didn’t happen all the time. 

“And actually, the only person I saw who reacted that way was Zack Scott, who does his own little podcast. But in any event, it’s not something that I think is widespread and it shouldn’t be, so Major League Baseball took action where it thought it needed to.”

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Yankees injuries: DJ LeMahieu nears rehab assignment, Gerrit Cole throws another bullpen

FILE - New York Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu bats against the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning of a baseball game July 29, 2023, in Baltimore. The Yankees delayed the start of LeMahieu’s minor league injury rehabilitation assignment after an MRI showed the fracture in his right foot has not fully healed. The 35-year-old, a two-time batting champion, has been sidelined since fouling a ball off the foot during a spring training game March 16. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez,, File)

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Injured New York Yankees players DJ LeMahieu and Gerrit Cole are headed back to New York after spending time rehabbing at the team’s complex in Tampa, Florida, with LeMahieu likely to start a rehab assignment later this week.

LeMahieu took live at-bats and worked defensively before making the trip to New York while the Yankees begin a three-game series in Minnesota. Manager Aaron Boone said LeMahieu, who has been out all season after a non-displaced fracture of his right foot during spring training, would likely start a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday or Friday.

“Definitely want him to play games and get some volume under his belt,” Boone said pregame Monday, adding he was unsure of how many rehab games LeMahieu might play before being activated.

Meanwhile, Cole threw “30-some, 36 pitches or so” in his latest throwing session as he recovers from right elbow inflammation.

“Gerrit, everything went well,” Boone said. “Gerrit, just onward and upward.”

The Yankees also announced that outfielder Jasson Domínguez (Tommy John surgery recovery) and infielder Jorbit Vivas (left orbital fracture) are starting rehab assignments with Single-A Tampa. They faced former Yankee Domingo Germán, who made his first start with the Pirates’ Single-A affiliate Tuesday. Right-hander Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation) had his rehab assignment transferred to Double-A Somerset.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Upfronts 2024: TV Insiders Ready to ‘Sprint’ and Schmooze Again After 2023’s Strike Disruption (FULL CALENDAR)

By Jennifer Maas

Jennifer Maas

TV Business Writer

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When NBCUniversal kicks off TV’s traditional week of upfront presentations on Monday, picket-free sidewalks outside Radio City Music Hall will be a sight for sore eyes following last year’s noisy protests in the first weeks of what proved to be the nation’s “hot labor summer.”

Hosting a programming presentation at a megawatt New York City venue like Radio City or Javits Center is stressful enough. Executives are eager to return to business as usual in wooing Madison Avenue. Last year, the Writers Guild of America went on strike May 2, barely two weeks before the curtain went up on NBCU’s tip-off event.

2024 UPFRONTS SCHEDULE

MONDAY (May 13)

10:30 a.m.: NBCUniversal (Radio City Music Hall); 4 p.m.: Fox Corp. (Hammerstein Ballroom); 6:30 p.m. Telemundo (The Shed NYC)

TUESDAY (May 14)

9:30 a.m.: Amazon Ads (Pier 36); 11:30 a.m. TelevisaUnivision (HK Hall); 4 p.m.: Disney (North Javits Center)

WEDNESDAY (May 15)

10 a.m.: Warner Bros. Discovery (The Theater at MSG); 2:30 p.m. Netflix First-Look Presentation (Pier59 Studios); 6 p.m.: YouTube (David Geffen Hall)

THURSDAY (May 16)

All day: Netflix Experience (Pier59 Studios)

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And with writers and actors no longer on strike, NBCU and competitors Disney, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix and now Amazon, have an easier task of planning events. This year they can include talent again, rather than a parade of execs promoting projects on stage while pretending the WGA isn’t chanting unfavorable things right outside.

“There is an increased energy this year, of course, with talent and press and execs back in full force,” one source within a large legacy media company says. “ Upfronts have evolved in the last 30 years but the energy has steadily increased with slight blips — last year most obvious among them — so when the gun goes off this year, people will be ready to sprint.”

Another insider a major media conglom observes, “There’s such a good feeling that we’ll have talent and shows we can date — things that were all up in the air last year.”

Though talent can come back – and the networks and streamers are happy to have them doing the heavy lifting on stage – the assignment of being front and center at upfront programming presentations isn’t as glamorous as it once was for A-listers.

UPFRONTS 2024 : FULL COVERAGE @ VARIETY.COM

“We’re glad the strikes are settled and everyone can be friends again, but that doesn’t mean upfronts are all of a sudden this huge deal for our clients again,” an agency source says. “They’re so pared down compared to what they used to be. And even if you’re the star of a new broadcast show, you’re not the star of the upfronts anymore. It’s mostly about big live events and their whole portfolio now.”

With the strikes out of the way, there is also room for new concerns, including how much money media congloms still lay out to woo advertisers during upfront season. Questions about the ROI from glitzy upfront week events is under scrutiny at a time when most of the majors have endured deep budget cuts and layoffs have shrunk the size of the staff around to execute these events.

“The overlay is also that the ad market is still pretty soft, so there’s a lot of people feeling a lot of pressure,” a source in cable ad sales says.

Multiple individuals say media companies are sending fewer employees from Los Angeles to New York for the week this year, and the scripted departments are being relied upon less heavily to fill out the programs, as presentations are more likely to focus on sports and unscripted content.

There are also concerns that while Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA aren’t protesting outside the upfronts, other activists could use the upfront presentations of the owners of Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and ABC News as a chance to stage demonstrations surrounding the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

This year marks Amazon’s first go at the upfronts with its Amazon Ads division, following the move to bring advertising to premium streamer Prime Video. The ecommerce giant previously dabbled in newfronts for ad-supported Freevee. It’s also a fresh start for Netflix, which enterted upfront week for the the first time last year but scrambled to produce a virtual event at the last minute after the onset of the WGA strike.

Warner Bros. Discovery has held two upfronts as a unified company since its merger was completed in April 2022, but insiders see this week’s event as the first full-throttle effort to demonstrate the breadth of offerings across Max, TNT, Food Network, HGTV, Discovery, Warner Bros. and more. The 2022 event was held weeks after the completion of the $43 billion mega-merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. The second event was held last year amid the sound of WGA pickets and protesters outside shouting harsh words about WBD chief executive David Zaslav.

With cautious optimism, most industry insiders gearing up for TV’s marathon week are banking on getting away from the “bizarre” and “weird” vibes of 2023’s upfronts and seeing “more fun and lighthearted” energy in the coming week.

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