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Shop at jay’s Market at 190 East Flamingo Road at the Koval Lane intersection east of the Strip.
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The MLB Athletics are not supposed to be playing ball on the Strip until 2028, but their nice start to the 2025 season is getting some attention.
With their 6-1 win over the Miami Marlins in South Florida Friday, the A’s improved to 18 wins and 15 losses, a rather impressive record for a team known for its low player payroll.
The A’s continue their Florida road trip with games against the Marlins Saturday and Sunday.
Their Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators, are also off to a nice start. The Aviators defeated the Tacoma Rainiers, 5-2, improving their record to 21 wins against ten losses. Tonight’s game at Las Vegas Ballpark had an announced attendance of 8,896, which was the 97th sellout, according to the Aviators.
The WNBA Las Vegas Aces were in South Bend, Indiana at the Notre Dame basketball arena to play their first preseason game of the 2025 season against the Dallas Wings. It was a homecoming for Aces players Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young. Both played three years at Notre Dame, with Loyd there from 2012-15 while Young played there 2016-19.
Loyd led the Fighting Irish to three straight NCAA Final Fours and was named a two-time All-American. Young, a 2018 NCAA Champion, was named AP All-America honorable mention, ACC Tournament MVP and All-ACC Second Team her junior year in 2019.
The Aces easily defeated the Dallas Wings, 112-78. Young led all scorers with 28 points and dished out 9 assists whilel Loyd scored 10 points. Three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson added 19 points and other double-digit scorers included rookie Aaliyah Nye with 17, Chelsea Gray with 13 and Tiffany Mitchell with 10.
Three UNLV players will be at NFL camps this summer.
Former UNLV All-American linebacker Jackson Woodard and defensive back Johnathan Baldwin signed contracts with teams as undrafted free agents following the league’s draft. Both players’ signings were announced by their teams Friday.
Woodard, who was the 2024 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, joined his former Rebel teammate as a member of the Seahawks after All-American wide receiver Ricky White III was selected in the seventh round by Seattle last Saturday.
Baldwin, a four-year letterman who earned Second Team All-MW as a senior, chose to ink a deal with the Green Bay Packers following the draft.
Plus, former UNLV offensive lineman Tiger Shanks Tuesday night became the program’s highest-ever pick in the Canadian Football League Draft when he went in the first round (fifth overall) to the Montreal Alouettes.
There’s no end to the sports championships held in Las Vegas. In July, some of the best ping pong players will compete in the inaugural World Table Tennis US Smash 2025 event. Here’s the lowdown:
When: Qualifying, July 3-July 5, 2025; Main draw, July 6-13.
Main Venue: Orleans Arena, Table 1.
Secondary Venue: MGM Grand, Tables 2, 3 and 4.
Draw Ceremony: July 4, time and venue TBD.
Events: Men’s Singles, Doubles; Women’s Singles, Doubles & Mixed Doubles.
Prize Money: $1.55 million.
Global Superstars to Watch For: Men: World No. 1 China’s Lin Shidong, No. 2 China’s Wang Chuqin, No. 3 Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, U.S. No. 1 Kanak Jha. Women: World No. 1 from China Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu and Chen Xingtong, U.S. No. 1 Lily Zhang
Tickets On Sale: TBD.
Trophy Time: The event marks the debut of the iconic U.S. Smash silver trophies, set to become one of the sport’s most coveted symbols of victory.
What You’ll See: A table tennis event experience like no other: loud, electric, and up close. The arenas are built for noise, energy, and drama, bringing fans and media right into the heart of every serve, smash, and shock upset.
The F1 Las Vegas folks have opened the new Grand Prix Plaza at their pit building off Koval Lane Friday.
The Grand Prix Plaza has three ticketed interactive race activities that included working the steering wheel of a race simulator, driving karts on a 1,650-foot track that includes an actual piece of the 3.8-mile race circuit and designing your own race car in a high-tech area of the F1 pit building east of the Strip.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is trying to connect with the Las Vegas host community by giving away free tickets. The road race surprised the owners of Tacotarian with tickets to the November race for earning the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 Nevada Small Business Persons of the Year award.
The NFL Raiders have also been trying to connect with Las Vegas.
The Raiders, in partnership with the Public Education Foundation (PEF), are hosting a Raiders Spirit Day event during Teacher Appreciation Week to celebrate teachers and students at Matt Kelly Elementary School.
And the Golden Knights are getting in schools, too.
The VGK are celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week May 5-9 with giveaways, school visits and discounts on food and VGK gear. Plus, there’s discounts: VGK team stores will offer all teachers with a valid Clark County School District (CCSD) ID a 20 percent discount all week (excluding jerseys and Authentics items). In addition, MacKenzie River Pizza, Grill & Pub at City National Arena and America First Center and Craggy Range Bar & Grill at Lee’s Family Forum will offer CCSD ID holders a 20 percent off discount on meals (excluding alcohol).
Beginning Monday, the Golden Knights will make visits to more than 15 CCSD schools with Chance the mascot and other VGK characters dropping off treats and team swag.
The best women’s bowlers are also dueling in a championship in Las Vegas this month when the Pro Women’s Bowling Tour visits Sin City May 14-20. The action will be at the Suncoast Bowling Center at 9090 Alta Drive.
It’s the United States Bowling Congress Queens, the first major championship of the 2025 Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour season. This marks the first time since 2023 that the USBC Queens will be in Las Vegas, and the first time that Suncoast will host a major PWBA event since the tour relaunched in 2015.