Fun & Games

The rivalry between Arizona State University and the University of Arizona is one of the oldest in college sports, dating back to 1899. Over the years, the schools have engaged in all kinds of rivalrous chicanery, such as painting the A on Sentinel Peak Sun Devil gold or the A on Tempe Butte in Wildcat blue and red. (There was even, many decades ago, a kidnapping.) This year, the Sun Devil Source community put some money together and purchased a billboard along Interstate 10 as a reminder of the absolute thrashing ASU gave the U of A in its December matchup. “NO PITY FOR THE KITTY,” the maroon-and-gold billboard shouted, bracketed by “70-7,” the final score of that game. ASU fans called the billboard payback for when U of A put up billboards around Phoenix trumpeting the hire of head coach Kevin Sumlin in 2018. That honeymoon didn’t last too long, though: The day after that 70-7 loss, Sumlin was fired by U of A.

Madison Bumgarner threw a seven-inning no-hitter in Atlanta against the Braves on April 25, bringing the D-backs to an even 11-11 record. At that point, it seemed, the season could go in any direction. It went in a bad direction. In fact, it would be 62 days before the D-backs won another game on the road. The team lost 24 straight road games in all, breaking a record that dated back to 1963 before finally snapping the losing streak in San Diego on June 27. As we write this, the D-backs are tied for the worst record in Major League Baseball. But since Best of Phoenix is meant to be a celebration, we’ll note that the team with the worst record gets the top pick in the following year’s draft. Here’s hoping we can pluck a Bumgarner out of the 2022 class.

When the character Annie sang about the sun coming out tomorrow in the classic musical, she imagined better days coming. This year, people imagined a better life beyond the pandemic, which made it nearly impossible to gather for shared creative experiences like crafting. Turns out, the sun never stopped shining at Sunshine Craft Co, because the craft boutique gave people so many options for keeping that maker impulse going. The shop offered in-person and online classes, but also sold kits so people would have the materials and instructions they needed to make fabulous items at home. Founder Amy Guerrero was right on trend, offering classes in macrame wall hangings while every home design show was putting the offbeat wall art front and center. People could make things just for fun, or work on projects that would actually enhance their living or work spaces. With numerous projects suited to beginners, the shop offers everyone a way to bring a bit of therapeutic crafting into their lives during a time when so many need it. With Sunshine Craft Co, the sun never stopped coming out.

Local artist Rachel Bess has a passion for pinball, spooky things, and tiki bar culture, and at Electric Bat, her arcade next to Tempe’s Yucca Tap Room, all three interests intertwine to create a place that oozes more cool than other joystick joints. Inside, the lighting is kept low and the rotating selection of 29 pinball machines (including old favorites and new releases) are kept in top shape by Bess and her husband, Cale Hernandez. Classics like Magic Sword and a few Japanese import games are also available for play, while one corner hosts the tiki-themed “Electric Bar” with cocktails inspired by horror films. Pinball wizards who win the monthly high score contest can get their names etched on a tally board, and players who accumulate the most points each year are awarded a championship belt. Those who aren’t Tommy-esque silver ball savants can still score, as the token machine occasionally dispenses “free beer” coins. It’s one of the many reasons we’ll keep coming back to roost at Electric Bat.

After La Gattara left its Tempe location last year, the popular cat lounge landed on its feet at a new space in downtown Phoenix this past spring with three times as much room for kitties and the humans who love them. Also new: a coffee bar stocked by Scottsdale’s Passport Coffee and Tea, a boutique room, and an outdoor patio and parking lot. The real reason to visit La Gattara, though, is for its playroom and crew of resident felines. Colorfully decorated by Hauspanther artist Kate Benjamin and furnished with bean bag chairs and other comfortable seating, it’s where some 40 adoptable rescue cats frolic and interact with patrons in search of pets, warm laps, and maybe even a new owner. Right now, La Gattara is only open for First Fridays and special pop-up events while it resolves permit issues with the city of Phoenix over having cats living there full time. Co-owners Missy Pruitt and Carrie Seay expect to resume normal hours later this fall, so it won’t be long until you can spend quality time making some new feline friends.

This waterworld is a kid’s dream come true and as a bonus, no one will get seasick. (But beware, if you stay a couple of nights, it might cost just about as much as a low-end cruise.) We found the place super-clean, super-big, and super-fun for fans of water slides, and day passes to the main water attractions are included in the room rate. There are rides for all ages and levels of terror-seeking. We especially loved the adrenaline-spiking Wolf Tail, which drops guests into a vertical water slide via a trap door. (We decompressed afterward on the Crooked Creek lazy river. ) There’s also a beautiful pool with shade, lounge chairs, and poolside cocktail service for the members of your party who prefer rosé to rides. The rooms are new and huge. There’s a climbing wall, a bowling alley, and even a Dunkin’ Donuts. You might feel like you’re hemorrhaging money over a long weekend at Great Wolf Lodge, but can you really put a price on family memories?

Want to race go-karts indoors or outdoors? At Octane Raceway, you need not choose. The 1/3-mile track starts indoors, winds around into the sunshine outside, and then heads back indoors so drivers can cool off from the hot race. Octane’s race track is the only one of its kind in the U.S., and drivers can take its curves quickly since the karts can go as fast as 45 miles per hour. The European go-karts alone put Octane miles ahead of the competition — its 32 electric Sodi RTX racing carts feature center-mounted motors for better balance, sleek and strong ENGEC engines, and even LED brake lights. And once you’ve satisfied your need for speed, there’s still plenty of fun to be had; Octane’s got a full food and drink menu, plus more than a dozen arcade games and an outdoor area with table tennis, cornhole, and more.

Bowling takes on cosmic significance at Let It Roll Bowl, not just because of its blacklight bowling nights, but because it’s such a tried-and-true place for friends and family to gather. During a year when we all craved more community, the city’s oldest independently owned bowling alley continued to deliver, taking steps to assure people felt safe amid COVID-19 concerns while still being comfortable going out for some good, clean fun. The casual, friendly environment filled with geometric art is unparalleled, and you don’t have to pay big bucks to bowl here. The alley is also home to an amazing cocktail lounge, so you can lean into the casual glam of swirling your fancy drink between attempts to take out all those pins that stand between you and being a local legend.

You can’t watch pro hockey all year long, but that’s no reason ice skating can’t be a permanent fixture in your otherwise heat-filled desert existence. Sometimes you’ll catch a glimpse of the Arizona Coyotes practicing at the Ice Den, but other times it’s plenty enjoyable just to join your friends and family for a bit of sliding and gliding along without a care in the world. This is the place to do it, because Ice Den has public skates on the weekend (as COVID-19 health regulations allow), special events, and affordable skating classes so all ages can get into the spirit of things no matter your skill level. There’s even a cafe that serves snacks and concessions, and a bar and grill where the lineup includes lunch, dinner, happy hour, late-night, and carryout options. You can get a shopping fix too, with the pro shop and a store that carries women’s fashion and accessories. When you’re ready to feel the chill of the air and the rink under your skates, the Ice Den is there for you.

Great Skate in Glendale has been harking back to the 1970s since opening in 2001. Though the rink, lights, and sound system are state of the art, the decor recalls the days of polyester and disco, and it’s not hard to imagine yourself in the Olivia Newton-John movie Xanadu as you glide across the rink. (There are even special ’70s music nights.) The rink holds weekly events, including Adult Night on Thursdays from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. and Glow Skate sessions on Fridays and Saturdays. Best of all, it won’t cost contemporary rates — public skate admissions are just $7 per person, and if you don’t have your own skates, rentals are only $4.50.

When you feel like taking a chance on the slots or game tables, the casino at Talking Stick Resort & Casino is the perfect destination to either boost your bank account or empty your wallet. It’s got a new-Vegas chic to it, feeling as much like a nightclub as a gambling palace. But if you want to do more than get into risk-based fun, that’s no problem. There are a number of great places to grab a meal, from the acclaimed Orange Sky to the seafood-focused Ocean Trail to a pretty solid buffet. There’s a spa where you can be properly pampered, along with a golf course and pools where a private cabana can be your oasis. And there are live entertainment choices aplenty: Its stages have featured comedians like JB Smoove and musical acts like Cheap Trick, The Psychedelic Furs, and the very casino-appropriate Air Supply.

Is it weird to have an aquarium in metro Phoenix? Yes and no. An attraction devoted to sea life may not make a lot of sense in the context of the desert, but it’s awfully nice to be able to experience a corner of the animal kingdom we’d have no hope of encountering naturally. At 200,000 square feet of space, OdySea is the largest aquarium in Arizona. It’s home to about 6,000 animals, including otters, seahorses, turtles, tropical birds, sharks, penguins, crabs, and plenty of species of fish. We love the features that allow us to get up close and personal with the denizens of OdySea, like the stingray touch tank, and the gift shop stocked full of ocean-themed merch. It’s the closest to the sea you can get around these parts.

We like golf — in small doses. We don’t often have the patience for a full 18-hole round, but dropping a few bucks on a bucket of balls at the driving range? That’s much more our speed. Our range of choice is south Scottsdale’s Coronado Golf Course, where we never feel out of place even though our swing leaves something to be desired. The grounds are nice without succumbing to a golf-snob vibe, and you can hit balls from sunrise to 9 p.m., which means we can almost always find a time that fits into our schedule (and isn’t too hot). In our opinion, the best time to go is happy hour (4 to 8 p.m.), when the price of large or jumbo buckets drops a couple of dollars, and certain cans of beer can be had for $2 or less.

Nestled close to the city, South Mountain Park is easy to access from multiple trailheads and a great place to watch the day begin. At about 5 a.m. during summer months (and maybe an hour later the rest of the year), the sun will come creeping over the skyline, exploding into reds and yellows that brighten the whole Valley. Stay long enough, and you’ll see that beautiful daytime-colored blue we all know and love so much. Stick around for a hike while you’re up there — though not, of course, if it’s too hot to climb a mountain.

Papago Park isn’t exactly a hidden gem, but we don’t often hear it mentioned as a great place to watch the sun go down. And it is. The small enclave of Sonoran Desert landscape offers a respite from the urban sprawl that is metro Phoenix, and the red-rock buttes are the perfect vantage place to watch a Technicolor sunset over the Phoenix cityscape. You can head to Hole in the Rock, of course, but that’s typically swamped with visitors. We recommend posting up on some of the rocky outcroppings just north or south of it. Go for a walk or do some mountain biking in the area just after a monsoon downpour as the sun is setting. It’s stellar.

You can’t say you love your vehicle if you haven’t taken its picture at Tempe Town Lake. Also, if you’ve never been, you’re missing out on a party. The lake’s several parking areas often transform into Barrett-Jackson Jr. on weekends, with kids in their late teens and early 20s pulling in with their souped-up Hondas, Subarus, and SUVs. The parking lot near the Marquee Theatre and the narrow lots near the north-side marina are favorites. Drivers come here to see and be seen, and what could be better than a picturesque lakeside spot with lots of parking? Search Reddit or other social media for the sporadic dates and times of these meetups. But respect The Man when he comes to break it up, which happens frequently. There’s no glory to be found at the Tempe PD impound yard.

Valley car culture often presents as 10-foot trucks or sports cars pushing 100 miles per hour. But there’s a place where cars are celebrated in a more stationary way: the Martin Auto Museum. Located on the I-17 frontage road near Bell Road, this “car-seum” opened its doors in 2005. Owner Mel Martin has filled the space with all kinds of rides, from hot rods and imports to classic cars and even a few oddballs. It’s more than a warehouse for shiny cars; the whole place feels like a down-home, Phoenix-centric celebration of what cars really mean. It’s a physical embodiment of the West Coast’s relationship to the car (as both an everyday tool and something nearing an object of worship). And it’s a place for all ages, where cars are the focal point for everyone to explore culture and history and daily life in our wonderful desert. MAM’s intention is to educate just as much as it is to present eye candy, and in that regard, it’s just as vital as any art gallery, educational center, or history museum.

The Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park is the answer to the question, “What if you designed a facility for those obsessed with speed?” It’s not just that the park has been running for nearly 40 years and is a genuine institution for racing in the state. Or that it played host to racing legends like Ayrton Senna and Mario Andretti. The park caters to every kind of conceivable racing format, from an NHRA-sanctioned drag strip and 10-turn road course to a 2.4-mile oval lake. The park is a mecca for speed freaks, a site of cultural significance for a kind of art that feels especially vital and prolific across the Southwest. It’s where the past meets the present and blazes a trail into tomorrow at 200 miles per hour. Add in some great desert vibes from the surrounding landscape, and the whole experience is a heady blend of technology and nature. Plus, where else can you enjoy popcorn and a fuel-soaked adrenaline rush?

This year, the boutique Georganne Bryant founded in 2006 and named for her grandmother underwent a significant transition when Bryant sold the shop to Jade Noble. Instead of an abrupt change, Noble opted for keeping a lot of the store’s charm and slowly brought in new offerings that gave it fresh appeal for both longtime customers and first-time visitors. Frances continues to have that perfect blend of modern and vintage flair. It’s where you want to shop for others, whether grown-ups or little people, because you know you’ll find the perfect item that isn’t sitting on every other shelf around town. But it’s also nice to shop for yourself, because you can walk away with a new hat to jazz up your jeans look, a set of highball glasses to give your bar cart new life, or something as simple as a sticker or hair clip that adds that little bit of cheer to your day. Humorous objects abound, as do items that show local love. Comfy couches signal the fact that everyone is welcome here — and remind you that shopping can be more than merely gathering objects.

One of the most underrated, and often underused, bike paths in town is the Rio Salado Pathway — which is why it’s the best. A paved path along the Salt River shore, the 19-mile stretch runs from just south of downtown Phoenix to Mesa, nearish the Bass Pro Shops. What the path cuts through is pure urban Arizona. It runs parallel to Tempe Town Lake and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and courses through fields studded with creosote bushes, areas packed with wildlife and birds, and plenty of places to rest. While you’re stopped, you may observe planes taking off and landing at Sky Harbor or watch ducks flapping around in a quarry down below, people popping around at Tempe Beach Park, or just wildflowers in general — during spring, of course. But the trek also dips through underpasses strewn with abandoned shopping carts (think of it like an obstacle course) and heads by Tempe Marketplace in case you need to stop by Target for a quick errand.

Perfect for both veterans and first-time hikers, this guide by a lifelong Phoenician will have you jonesing for the perfect trail. And now you’ll be able to find it, quickly and easily, among more than 75 great hikes in and around town. Take a Hike Phoenix, published by Moon Travel, allows readers to compare difficulty ratings and elevation gain with easy-to-read charts. Specifics like where to find the best wildlife and which trails are wheelchair-accessible are included here, too, as are detailed descriptions of what you’ll find along each trail. Menconi offers maps for each trail as well as handy tips about desert safety and how to hydrate. Kid- and dog-friendly trails are reviewed, and lists of best views and driving directions make this the only hiking guide you’ll need.

What’s better than an in-town trail that gets you off the pavement but leaves you smack-dab in the heart of the city? On Murphy’s Bridle Path, which was established more than 120 years ago by developer William J. Murphy, you’ll find families on bikes, middle-aged athletes out for a power walk, and marathoners racing past. This is a city-approved path for both bikers and hikers, one that provides real live shade via dozens of mesquite trees strategically planted along Central Avenue. It runs from Dunlap Road down to just past Bethany Home Road and affords keen looky-loo views of some of our most gorgeous residential architecture.

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale is more than 30 times the size of New York’s Central Park. It’s the largest urban preserve in the United States, and it certainly feels that way when hiking — whether you approach from Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, the Fountain Hills side, or from the far north. Within its roughly 120 miles of trails, there are so many unforgettable sights and experiences: the wind rushing and whistling at Windgate Pass, the dramatic stony face of Tom’s Thumb, the way the rocks can abruptly change from slate-blue to Martian-red. Sometimes, you even see people on horseback. Always, it’s a much-needed escape from the right angles and digital screens of life in the city.

This 2.5-mile out-and-back trail is perfect for anyone looking to fit in a short, but not exactly easy, day hike in South Mountain Park. You gain over 1,000 feet in elevation over the course of the hike and traverse a pretty diverse range of terrain while on the trail, including switchback sections, sandy washes, and minor rock scrambling. There’s also a decent amount of shade along the trail for breaks and rocky outcrops to take in views of the Valley on your way up or down. At the trailhead, you’ll find ample parking and public restrooms. You’re rewarded at the top with abundant saguaros and more great views. The hike might leave you a bit fatigued afterward, but with the exertion comes the satisfaction of knowing you challenged yourself a bit on one of Phoenix’s iconic mountains.

You probably don’t want to take your relatives from Alberta or Connecticut on one of the Valley’s double-black-diamond trails where they could risk their lives. Go easy on the old softies and take them to Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, which has several easy trails cutting through some of the most beautiful and lush Sonoran scenery in the state. We’d swear that a few hundred acres of Tucson’s Saguaro National Monument must have been transferred here — there are so many of the desert’s green giants at Spur Cross. Flat trails like Fairy Duster and Mariposa Hill are great for hikers of all ages. More intrepid non-Arizonans could try several intermediate trails that ascend low hills. Be sure to take lots of water, even for a short hike. Yes, there’s even a double-diamond trail that goes up near the summit of the area’s prominent Elephant Head formation, as long as you promise to keep your out-of-towners out of the news.

Is this the Valley’s toughest hike? Get out there and try it! What’s the worst that can happen? Quite a lot, actually. The Superstition Ridgeline is for advanced hikers only, and a mountain rescue or worse awaits anyone who doesn’t take it very seriously. For starters, it’s about 12 miles one way, with virtually no escape in between should things take a turn. You’ll need a car or bicycle shuttle between trailheads. But let’s focus on the fun: Prepare for full immersion in the Superstition Wilderness, with strenuous uphill sections, precarious boulder scrambling, navigation by cairns, world-class rock formations, Sonoran flora (albeit much of it torched from the 2020 Superstition Fire), and killer views of the southeast Valley. You’ll climb and top out on several summits as you go, including the Superstitions’ highest point. Take lots of water. It starts and ends at either Carney Springs trailhead near Peralta Trail or Siphon Draw Gully trailhead in Lost Dutchman Park — you decide which way to go. Either way, you’ve got a workout ahead of you.

If you’re ready for lead-climbing, rock on. But it’s not called the “sharp end” for nothing. With no rope fixed above to catch you in a fall, you take the rope up with you, tied to your harness, and clip into bolts or removable gear you place on the rock. If you fall, you fall twice as far as you are above your last piece of gear. So it’s best to start on something with less catastrophic consequences if you screw up. Sassy is the one for you. Once you nail it, there are plenty of other climbs to tackle in the scenic Sonoran Conservancy. Sassy is technically easy, running up a low-angle slab about 70 feet to a tree, with a good crack on your left that takes all sorts of the above-mentioned protective gear. The low angle means you can stand for a while on the rocky slope at various phases of the climb, figuring out which piece of gear to use. Assuming you got some of the gear in right, a fall would mean lots of rock-rash, not death. That’s a feature any climber new to the sport should appreciate.

For the avid climber or the beginner, and the old and young, PRG is a welcoming place. It’s the kind of rock gym that makes both visitors and hardcore members feel good just for being there. Okay, sometimes it’s that lung-bursting, forearm-burning, take-the-pain kind of good feeling, but you’re not here just for the atmosphere of camaraderie or the Karabin Climbing Museum. You’re here to test your skills, hopefully among friends, on challenging routes put up by people who know what they’re doing. With climbing gyms, it’s not just about the walls, but how the plastic holds on them are arranged, and this is where PRG excels, due to the enthusiasm its employees and owner Paul Diefenderfer have for climbing. The ratings are realistic, not soft. If you can climb a 5.12 or V5 at PRG, you can probably climb one at any gym. Spend some time at the PRG and you’ll find friends — and muscles — you never knew you had.

It’s not always seasonally appropriate to bring a book to a Phoenix park, but when the weather cooperates, there’s nothing lovelier than turning some pages under a gentle sun and a light breeze. And ever since the city’s revitalization project gave the western edge of the Margaret T. Hance Park a heavy-duty makeover, the whole strip has come alive. The park connects opposite sides of Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix, features a beautiful array of trees and desert fauna, and provides space for families, skateboarders, joggers, and dog walkers. Most importantly, it also features ample spots to post up and read for a few hours during those beautiful days when we can bear to be outside.

Your ride starts from where you are, and the destination is Fountain Hills. In other words, your experience may vary. But however you get there, it’s likely you’ll want to repeat the trip. East-siders can get a 40- to 60-mile ride starting from most locations in Tempe, east Phoenix, south Scottsdale, or Mesa, and bike paths (especially along Indian Bend Wash) or lanes are available for much of it. Naturally, there will be hills. You can add more miles and vertical feet if you go into the town, and if you’re hungry, you can hit one of the many restaurants there. But the main goal is to end up at Shea Boulevard and the Beeline Highway (AZ-87), taking one of the two roads there, and the other back home. Hardcore riders can easily double the mileage by continuing up the Beeline, then south on Bush Highway to Saguaro Lake.

When you live in a place as picturesque as the Valley, many drives are often scenic ones, each with their own respective views of various natural splendors: Jagged mountains stretching into the sky. Lush riparian areas teeming with flora and fauna. And wide-open stretches of scenery that become even more epic at sunset. A trip down Bartlett Dam Road, though, offers glimpses of all of this and more in a single drive. Navigate the twists, turns, and gentle dips along this 14-mile paved road running east from Cave Creek Road through the high desert wilderness of Tonto National Forest and prepare to be awed. Bare-rock bluffs and rolling hills surround you. Sonoran plant life like saguaro cacti, ocotillo, and teddy bear cholla dot a landscape alive with such creatures as javelinas, bald eagles, and the occasional bighorn sheep. Go in the early spring for wildflowers in bloom, after a monsoon storm for fantastic smells, or in the early evening when everything’s enhanced by the deep colors of dusk. Just keep your head on a swivel and eyes open for more than nature’s spectacle, as bikers, cyclists, and boaters going to and from Bartlett Lake also frequent the road.

Of all the roads we love to cruise, few offer as much date-night potential as a drive down Central Avenue, specifically between Northern Avenue and the downtown area. It’s the perfect road for a carefree jaunt if you have few actual plans and the time to watch the city transform from quaint, mostly suburban vibes to a modern urban oasis. When plans change, Central offers plenty to do, from dinner and drinks to cultural sites, music venues, art museums and galleries, shopping, and more. It’s just as much about accessibility as entertainment, and this drive condenses everything that is quintessentially Phoenix into an efficient, 11-mile ride. Central is where our many neighborhoods and interests and values all come together. This drive is about defining what makes this city so wonderful and unique — and part of that is how we’ve collectively built up this wonderful thing to stand the test of time. If that’s not romantic, then what is?

Not a lot of competition for this category. After bottoming out in 2019, the Suns completely turned things around this year, reaching the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2010 and the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993. There was so much to love about this team — Chris Paul’s fadeaways, Jae Crowder’s rugged defense, Devin Booker’s general offensive brilliance — but arguably our favorite thing about the Suns this year was the effect the team had on the city. We loved seeing a vendor beneath a tent on a busy Indian School Road intersection hawking cheap Suns merch. We loved the hustle and bustle outside the arena downtown (even if we couldn’t afford a ticket inside). We loved making Suns chit-chat while we waited in line at the cleaners, or with the Uber driver. Winning, it seems, makes everything better. Including Phoenix.

We gave this award to Book last year, too. Back then, inside the NBA bubble (remember that?), the Suns shooting guard’s superstar status was still incubating. His performance in the 2020-21 season was on a whole other level, though — it would feel wrong to call anybody else the Best Male Athlete, given the majestic basketball Booker played on the way to leading the Suns to their first NBA Finals in 28 years. Yes, the addition of Chris Paul was essential to the Suns’ playoff run, and players like Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, and Mikal Bridges made huge contributions. But Booker was who you came to watch night after night after night. He put up 47 points in the game that knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs. He dropped 34 to complete the sweep of the Nuggets. In Game Four against the Bucks, he scored 42 points, including 18 in the third quarter alone. (He didn’t miss a single shot from the floor during that quarter, either.) Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to win that game, or the series. But Booker’s only 24 years old, and his contract has him in Phoenix a few more years. He’ll be back, and we can’t wait.

She’s best known to some as the beautiful basketball player that snubbed rapper Drake for a kiss at the 2014 ESPY Awards, but there’s a lot more to Phoenix Mercury point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith than just her good looks. Since being chosen by the Tulsa Shock as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, the former Notre Dame standout has averaged 16 points per game over the course of her career. In her first season with Phoenix in 2020, she averaged 17 points, four assists, and three rebounds per game. She’s setting records here in 2021, becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 3,000 career points, 1,000 assists, and 200 steals. Diggins-Smith also engages in community service in the Valley, promoting benefits for the Arizona Humane Society and participating in racial equality campaigns.

Much like marijuana, legalized sports gambling in this country seems inevitable; there’s simply too much money to be made. Arizona wised up this year and passed, through the legislature, a bill that opens the state up to sportsbooks, taxing retail bets at 8 percent and online bets at 10 percent. (And for those looking to acquire a license, the cost is nearly $1 million for initial licensing fees.) Governor Doug Ducey signed it into law in April, and betting got underway in August, just in time for football season. Who knows? Maybe some of the projected $15 million in additional annual tax revenue might actually find its way to Arizonans who need it, in the form of social services or education funding. We’re not betting on it, though.

In July, sports-media supervillain Dave Portnoy posted a video online in which he sat atop a unicorn statue on the campus of the University of Arizona and announced that the company he founded, Barstool Sports, had not only secured the naming rights for the Arizona Bowl but also would be broadcasting the 2021 college bowl game through its app, website, and social media channels. Given Barstool’s profile — the site is often criticized for its misogynistic worldview — it was only a matter of time before controversy erupted. It did. The Pima County Board of Supervisors yanked $40K in funding for the bowl game, citing Portnoy’s past toxic comments. “This is not who Pima County is,” said Supervisor Sharon Bronson. Barring a larger financial or political blow, though, the Barstool Bowl will take place as planned on December 31. Portnoy has promised an entire week of local festivities leading up to the event. We’re not endorsing any of it. But we know a good story when we see one. We’ll be watching.