Author: staff

Sports

Chicago is hosting WNBA All-Stars this weekend. Here’s what we saw — and heard — around the city.

Wintrust Arena — home of the Chicago Sky — is hosting the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time.But before Sunday’s game, there’s the orange carpet, parties, community events, 3-point contest and much more. And we are tracking it all.AdvertisementFor the latest news, visit chicagotribune.com/sky and sign up for our alerts here.Gatorade unveils mural honoring Candace ParkerAdvertisementNaperville native and Sky star Candace Parker kept busy throughout All-Star weekend, including an event Saturday morning to unveil a mural by local artist Fantasia Graham and provide a $25,000 donation to Girls in the Game to honor the progress made since Title IX.this morning Gatorade unveiled a mural by Chicago artist Fantasia Graham and announced a donation of $25,000 to Girls in the Game. pic.twitter.com/jb6uS6umpk— shakeia (@curlyfro) July 9, 2022

Courtney Vandersloot and Azurá Stevens get knocked out of the skills contestSabrina Ionescu competes in the skills competition at WNBA All-Star weekend, July 9, 2022. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)In this year’s iteration of the competition, All-Stars were paired with up-and-coming high school players, who ran the first lap of the shuttle.Candace Parker broke out a Courtney Vandersloot jersey to represent her teammate on the sidelines of the competition.Vandersloot and Stevens were knocked out in the opening round. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu won the event in her first year as an All-Star.Allie Quigley sets 3-point challenge recordAllie Quigley competes in the 3-point contest at WNBA All-Star weekend, July 9, 2022. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)Sky guard Allie Quigley became the first WNBA or NBA player to win the 3-point contest four times, dropping a high score of 30 points in the second round to clinch her second-straight title. Quigley previously pledged to retire the competition after winning in 2021, but she accepted the invitation to return and claim the record this year.“It’s really cool to be a part of history with some of the greatest shooters,” Quigley said. “It’s just feels great to have that confidence from my coach, everybody in Chicago and my teammates. They’re always hyping me up and letting me know how good of a shooter I am. That really helps me go out there and do what I do.”AdvertisementRev. Al Sharpton leads rally for Brittney GrinerIn a somber news conference Friday to commence All-Star weekend, Rev. Al Sharpton joined Griner’s wife, Cherelle, and WNBPA leaders Nneka Ogwumike, Sue Bird and Terri Jackson to highlight the qualities they believe make Griner’s return to the U.S. essential — her humanity, courage and identity as an American.Read more here.All-Stars take the orange carpetThe WNBA All-Stars showed off a variety of styles at the Orange Carpet on Friday night to kick off the weekend’s festivities.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 38Chicago Sky players Courtney Vandersloot, left, and Allie Quigley walk the orange carpet Friday during WNBA All-Star weekend in Chicago. (Quinn Harris / Getty Images)

Sports

Elena Rybakina wins her 1st career Grand Slam title, beating Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the Wimbledon final

WIMBLEDON, England — Elena Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the Wimbledon final on Saturday to become the first tennis player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles championship.Rybakina is a 23-year-old who was born in Moscow and has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, when that country offered her funding to support her tennis career. The switch has been a topic of conversation during Wimbledon, because The All England Club barred all players who represent Russia or Belarus from entering the tournament because of the war in Ukraine.AdvertisementThis was the first women’s title match since 1962 at the All England Club between two players who were making their debuts in a major final.Rybakina is ranked No. 23. Since the WTA computer rankings began in 1975, just one woman ranked lower than Rybakina won Wimbledon — Venus Williams in 2007 at No. 31, although she previously had been No. 1 and already won three of her five career trophies at the All England Club.AdvertisementRybakina used her big serve and powerful forehand to overcome Jabeur’s mix of spins and slices at Centre Court on Saturday. Rybakina ended Jabeur’s 12-match winning streak, which came entirely on grass courts.

Sports

Tim Anderson is ‘very thankful’ to be the 1st Chicago White Sox shortstop to start the All-Star Game since 1970

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was close but did not get an at-bat during last year’s All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver.He’s anticipating having at least one plate appearance at this season’s Midsummer Classic after being voted the starting shortstop for the American League, becoming the first Sox shortstop to start the All-Star Game since Luis Aparicio in 1970.Advertisement“Last year I got left on-deck (in the ninth) so I have a chance to get an at-bat (this time),” Anderson said Friday. “I know I’m going to get an at-bat this year.“It’s pretty cool. I’m definitely excited about it for sure.”AdvertisementAnderson topped Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays in the final ballot voting for the position and will make his first All-Star start July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.Anderson received 55% of the vote to Bichette’s 45% in results announced Friday.“Just coming here from the jump and grinding all the way to here and now to see where it started at, it’s just a blessing,” Anderson said. “I’m very thankful to be selected to start.”Anderson is slashing .316/.357/.423 with five homers, 20 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and 35 runs in 56 games this season. He would rank fourth in the AL in batting average with the required number of plate appearances, but he was on the injured list May 30-June 20 with a strained right groin.Anderson snapped an 0-for-19 hitless streak with a single in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field. He had two hits and scored a run in Friday’s 7-5 loss to Tigers.“I have just been grinding it out through this stretch,” he said. “Just trying to find that feeling back. I feel like everything is coming back.“Had some pretty good swings (Thursday) and (Friday). Hopefully everything continues to keep clicking.”He has a weighted runs created plus (wRC+) of 123 this season, according to FanGraphs. The stat estimates a player’s offensive contribution in total runs and adjusts that number to account for external factors such as ballpark and era. The major-league average is 100, meaning Anderson is 23% above that.Advertisement“It wasn’t long into my first year here when I said he was as good as anybody out there,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said before Friday’s game. “If you see him enough, then you’ll see, you rank him with the best playing.”Anderson was one of four Sox players on last year’s AL roster, joining pitchers Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodón and Liam Hendriks. Anderson entered that game at shortstop in the eighth and was in the on-deck circle in the top of the ninth when the inning’s final out was recorded.He is the first Sox shortstop to make All-Star teams in consecutive seasons since Ozzie Guillén in 1990-91.Anderson is also the fourth Sox shortstop to start, joining Aparicio (seven times), Chico Carrasquel (three times) and Luke Appling (twice). And he will be the first Sox shortstop to start the All-Star Game since Aparicio in 1970.“You know it means a lot,” he said of the fan support. “For people to be paying attention and root for me and vote for me. I’ll forever be thankful for them making that happen.”

Lifestyle

How to treat hydrangea leaftier infestations causing rolled-up leaves

“My Annabelle hydrangeas have some leaves that appear to be rolled up. I am seeing more this year than in past years. Is this something that needs to be treated?”— Simon Becker, RiverwoodsAdvertisementYour hydrangeas, like those in other gardens around the North Shore, have hydrangea leaftier (Olethreutes ferriferana) present. The damage caused by this insect appears as up to four leaves tied together with silk at the end of a branch or top of the plant. My hydrangeas at home have some cupped single leaves at the top of the plants too. A bad infestation can consist of 10 to 20 of these groups of cupped leaves. You will find a slender greenish caterpillar with a blackish head up to a ½-inch long if you pull the leaves apart.AdvertisementHydrangea leaftier damage shows up as up to three to four leaves tied together with silk at the end of a branch or top of the plant. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)Hydrangea leaftier emerges in the spring as a small brown-and-white patterned moth that you probably will not notice in the garden. Its eggs are laid at the branch tips of different hydrangea species but are commonly seen on Annabelle hydrangeas. The hatching caterpillars web the leaves together and feed on the enclosed flower bud and surrounding leaves, which you are observing in your garden now. The larvae drop to the ground later in summer to pupate and emerge as adult moths the following spring.The damage is generally minor, but a large number of cupped leaves is obvious and can be an aesthetic issue for some gardeners. A big infestation can also reduce flowering. Generally, this is not a pest that needs to be controlled. You can carefully open the leaf pouches when you see them and smash the caterpillar inside or remove and destroy the infested leaf masses. They are difficult to control by spraying, since they are protected by the leaves. You can use a single application of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (DiPel is one trade name product) or a labeled pyrethroid, providing you can force the spray into the cupped leaves; otherwise, the sprays will not be effective.For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.