He couldn’t love it more! READ MORE...

Just one more win.That’s all it will take for the Kaukauna baseball team to be crowned the WIAA Division 1 state champion after the Ghosts defeated Nicolet 7-1 in a semifinal contest Wednesday, June 17, at Appleton North High School.“We’re not one to sit there and advertise and broadcast it, but this team we definitely thought could get us to this point,” Kaukauna coach Mike Jenkins said. “They’ve really shown that here.”Kaukauna will play the winner of the second Division 1 semifinal – Madison Memorial or Muskego – on Thursday, June 18, at 6:05 p.m. at Fox Cities Stadium for the Division 1 title.Getting past Nicolet was no easy task given the final score, but Kaukauna senior starting pitcher Bron Schaefer was up to the task.Schaefer limited Nicolet to two hits – a single by Nick Bongard to lead off the game and a single by Matthew Hellman with two outs in the fourth inning.“That was Bron doing Bron things,” said Jenkins about Schaefer, who walked one and hit two batters while striking out eight in pitching a complete game.The only damage Nicolet was able to do came in the third inning on a hit batter, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch and a throwing error.“To get the win, I mean, I don’t care who did it as long as we’re moving on,” Schaefer said. “That’s all that matters.”Kaukauna had taken a 2-0 lead, scoring a run in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk to Bryce Urban from Nicolet starting pitcher Ari Schupper and a run in the second on a wild pitch that scored Taron Seghers.“It was good at-bats by us early, really, to draw some walks and the other guy was struggling a bit,” Jenkins said. “It was good for us to not chase and take advantage of what we had.”VOTE NOW: Choose from seven nominees for Cellcom Post-Crescent athlete of the weekSchupper lasted only 1⅓ innings for Nicolet, allowing two runs on five walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch.Schaefer, meanwhile, with the exception of the third inning, was cruising. He retired the last 10 batters he faced and struck out four of the last six.“Schaefer is our energy,” Jenkins said. “We go behind him. He’s a guy that closed out the sectional for us and the guy that’s sending us to the state title game.“He pitched exactly how we wanted. He battled every guy, really commanded things and put us on his back and did the job.”Leading 2-1, Kaukauna got breathing room in the fourth inning when Seghers opened the inning with an infield single, a walk to Blake Vandeloo and bunt single by Schaefer to load the bases.Kaden Kress drove in one run with a sacrifice fly, Brayden Jenkins singled to right to score Vandeloo and Schaefer, and then Bennett Geitner singled to left to score the fourth run of the inning.“We were knocking on the door but didn’t get it done until the fourth inning,” Schaefer said. “It’s about doing your job. There wasn’t a big hit, but there was a flare ball.”After tacking on a run in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Kress, the Ghosts’ second baseman made a diving stop to his right on a ball seemingly destined for a single to center, scrambled to his feet and threw to first in time to beat Brock Struck to first for the out.Whatever momentum Nicolet thought it still might muster was gone and four outs later the Ghosts found themselves headed to the state title game for the first time since 1953.“The big thing we’ve preached is enjoying the moment no matter what it is,” Schaefer said. “I mean, guys could be playing summer ball right now, but they’d rather be here with the group of guys they prepared all winter with.“I feel like that’s a big thing. You could be somewhere else, but being here is unbeatable.”This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Kaukauna Ghosts close in on WIAA high school state baseball title

Conor McGregor frustratingly reveals next fight date after UFC 329Ahead of his UFC 329 bout against Max Holloway next month. Conor McGregor is in New York City making his rounds with the media. McGregor did interviews with Jimmy Fallon, with CBS’s Nate Burleson, and a surprise interview with Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani. For the real MMA fans and followers of McGregor’s career, the Helwani interview was the most in-depth. McGregor touched on multiple subjects, including his relationship with the UFC, how he got to fighting Max Holloway, and revealing when he’s slated to fight after July. MORE: UFC power rankings following UFC Freedom 250Don’t expect a quick turnaround from Conor McGregorJul 10, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor before fighting Dustin Poirier during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesOn the Ariel Helwani Show, Conor McGregor revealed that after his fight against Max Holloway on July 11th, he already has his next date. It’s safe to say McGregor doesn’t like it. Conor McGregor said his next fight after UFC 329 is slated for April 2027. McGregor thinks this makes no sense, as now that he’s about to compete once again, McGregor wants to keep himself busy. After revealing the date, Conor McGregor was clearly frustrated. “It’s almost a year later! That’s ridiculous to me, I think, no? This is the way the contract was done.”MORE: Ilia Topuria vs arch rival, and more fights to make after UFC Freedom 250It’s important to keep in mind that Conor McGregor only has two fights left on his UFC contract. The Irish superstar clearly wants to explore free agency as a prize fighter, but doesn’t want to have his last two fights drag out. Why the date makes sense for the UFCJul 9, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor is greeted by UFC president Dana White during weigh ins for UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesFrom the UFC’s perspective, keeping Conor McGregor as long as possible makes total sense. The UFC will use McGregor for marketing campaigns and to drive new Paramount+ subscribers going into 2027. If Conor McGregor beats Max Holloway on July 11th, the demand for McGregor in the octagon will be as high as it’s ever been. This gives the UFC even more reason to keep McGregor on the UFC roster as long as possible. The ideal scenario for MMA fans when it comes to Conor McGregor is that he gets a win against Max Holloway and then renegotiates a new multi-fight deal with the UFC. This ensures Conor stays within the UFC, and gives the UFC reason to speed up Conor’s clock and get him back in the cage before 2026 ends.

Before the start of the season, the San Antonio Spurs were expected to, perhaps, compete for a spot in the playoffs.They lacked shooting, were inexperienced and their prized rookie, Dylan Harper, was just 19 years old, so surely he was not ready to contribute alongside Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.As we now know, this all turned out to be inaccurate.Harper, who ended up averaging over 18 points per game in the NBA Finals, is a budding star, and the Spurs won 62 games during the regular season. They should be much more dangerous next year, when everyone has improved over an offseason with added experience.Even if it means sacrificing De'Aaron Fox this summer, the pathway for Harper to reach stardom must be cleared. The sooner he and Castle can begin to share the backcourt together, the better. Harper's the real deal, and there is absolutely no way the Spurs can justify having him come off the bench next season.This season also underlined how the Spurs' primary trio is set. Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper will feature as the league's next big 3, and what's scary about that is how the Spurs can still go out this summer and get a fourth huge piece on the trade market, if they so choose.As of right now, the most important thing for this team will be to learn how to maintain leads and finish games — something they struggled with all year.2025-26 finishRecord: 62-20, second in the Western Conference. Lost to the New York Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals.Highlight of the seasonGame 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wembanyama cemented himself as superhuman, putting up 41 points and 24 rebounds in an all-time classic — a double-overtime Spurs win.Players signed for next seasonDe'Aaron FoxDevin VassellKeldon JohnsonVictor WembanyamaDylan HarperLuke KornetStephon CastleCarter BryantKey free agentsJulian Champagnie (Team option)Harrison Barnes (UFA)Projected salary$150,468,566Draft picksNos. 20, 35, 42 & 44Draft focus: It would behoove the Spurs to trade up, if possible, for a big, physical power forward who can play center. Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr. would be a strong get. He's already built like an NBA player, and his defense is expected to be Day 1-ready.Roster-building toolsThe Spurs will likely improve via trades this offseason. They don't have raw cap space, but can move deals around to get their guys. Perhaps they extend Champagnie, which would then make it even more of a necessity to use the trade market to improve.Needs and goalsThe Spurs need more offense, more frontcourt size and more wing-big depth. Adding a few genuine big men who can play both power forward and center would be a solid play, and if they have the luxury of pivoting off Fox for a real two-way small forward, that should be explored as well. The goal remains the same: win a title.

Morocco made history as the first African country to reach the semifinals in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This summer, 10 countries are represented. Algeria, Cape Verde, Ghana, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, and South Africa are competing against 38 other countries for the $50 million prize. Tuesday, Senegal faced off against France in New Jersey in a match featuring fan-favorite footballers like Sadio Mané and Kylian Mbappé. At Ike’s Cafe and Grill’s restaurants in Norcross and Marietta, attendees came out for watch parties featuring live music, a best jersey contest, and West African cuisine. “Even if you’re not from Senegal or any other African teams there, we’re just happy to see how far we can get,” Ghanaian co-owner Marcy Kwarteng told Capital B Atlanta. “It’s a beautiful thing to see that we can unite as a continent and push each other forward and do so on such a grand scale.Kwarteng shared her enthusiasm as football fans from all over the world gathered at her family-owned business.“It’s kind of fun seeing how one sport is uniting an entire continent,” she said. For Nigerian chef Okon James, of Iman West African Cuisine in Norcross, the current sense of pride and heritage in the local African community parallels what he witnessed first-hand during the 1996 Olympics in Centennial Park. He immigrated to the United States in 1984. “People were happy, and there were parties everywhere,” Okon said. “This is the first time we’ve had 10 African countries participating in the World Cup, usually we only have three or two. It’s very exciting to see.” Charles Echemuna, who came to the United States from Nigeria when he was 6, expressed enthusiasm for the World Cup to bring countries together but also shared his disappointment that his home country didn’t qualify this year.“There’s going to be all kinds of ethnicities and people from everywhere enjoying the game, but because Nigeria is not part of the Cup, it didn’t seem as exciting,” Echemuna said.Nonetheless, he recognizes the significance of 10 African countries participating.“Soccer’s an international sport, so of course, everybody’s excited,” Echemuna said. “There’s people coming in from all over different countries, specifically to see football. It’s just a really interesting time to have the World Cup here to say the least.”In addition to global solidarity, James hopes this year’s World Cup will spur political and societal change so all 58 African countries can participate in future global tournaments.“I believe back home our leaders will sit down and assess what is happening in this World Cup and come up with something important, something different,” James said. “Maybe they can set up a governing body that says soccer is to be treated as important, because at the world stage people are celebrating it.” And while France took home the win against Senegal 3-1, fans still celebrated Mbappe, whose father was born in Cameroon, for becoming the leading scorer in French history. African restaurants across Atlanta, including Ike’s Cafe and Grill, will continue to host watch parties for upcoming matches featuring African teams.Atlanta resident Godfred Amponsah, who is Ghanaian, said he believes the World Cup can be an anecdote for a divided world. “Soccer is medicine,” he said.Read More: As Fans Celebrate the World Cup in Atlanta, Racism Remains a Challenge for the Sport2026 World Cup Blog: What’s Happening in AtlantaThe post African Nations Make World Cup History as Atlanta Fans Rally Behind Them appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.

Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali warming up ahead of the Premier League match at Craven Cottage, London. Picture date: Sunday May 24, 2026. (Photo by Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images I’m on record on wondering whether Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali is a good idea or not, mostly for financial reasons. It turns out Spurs aren’t the only club interested in ol’ Sandy Toenails. According to the Athletic, Manchester City are set to test both Newcastle’s, and Tottenham’s, resolve with what could be a major transfer bid this summer.Spurs are already in talks with Newcastle over Tonali, who its said could command upwards of £100m, and I’ve argued that he’s not worth the opportunity cost at that price range. City doesn’t usually spread that kind of money around for a single player, but the Athetic supposes: what if they did? Tonali and Elliot Anderson are considered two key players in what could be a significant (and expensive) rebuild for new manager and Great Value Pep clone Enzo Maresca, who takes over this summer.Bernardo Silva has already left City and there’s speculation that Rodri may also leave with Pep this summer as City retool. Spurs are looking for high profile signings for Roberto De Zerbi’s first full Premier League season at the club, and Tonali is reportedly one of the players he is prioritizing. I’m still not sold on Tonali at Spurs, especially with Adam Wharton still (technically) available. If you’re going to spend £85m+ for a midfielder, I’d rather Spurs do it for a guy like Wharton, who is a better passer and also four years younger than Tonali. It’s not my money, but now I’m starting to wonder whether Manchester City might just save Tottenham from itself.

Nature, Published online: 17 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01868-zAnalysis of wildfire in California suggests a net reduction in exposure to blaze-related air pollution.

The president upended the majority leader’s plans by yanking his intelligence nominee from a confirmation hearing and insisting on an end to the filibuster.

The administration argues that FISA Section 702 must be renewed to preserve national security, but the president himself has threatened to veto it.

The biggest surprise in WNBA All-Star voting wasn't Caitlin Clark or A'ja Wilson originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.When the first returns for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game were released on Wednesday, most of the names near the top looked exactly as expected.A'ja Wilson led all players with more than 308,000 votes. Paige Bueckers sat second. Aliyah Boston, Breanna Stewart and Caitlin Clark rounded out the top five.Then came the first real surprise.Jessica Shepard.The Dallas Wings forward ranked sixth overall in fan voting with 211,598 votes, placing ahead of Angel Reese, Olivia Miles, Kelsey Mitchell, Kelsey Plum and several other players who generate significantly more national attention. For casual WNBA fans, Shepard's placement may have seemed unexpected.For anyone who has watched the Wings this season, it may actually be overdue. The first fan returns offered proof that one of the league's most productive players is finally getting the recognition she deserves.Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers Lead After First Returns of Fan Voting in All-Star Voting 2026 presented by Ally pic.twitter.com/MfPV1oZQ6p— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) June 17, 2026Jessica Shepard is having a breakout seasonEvery season, a few players make the leap from solid contributors to legitimate stars.Shepard has done exactly that in 2026.The veteran forward is averaging career highs across the board while establishing herself as one of the most productive frontcourt players in the WNBA. Her 13.7 points per game and 11.6 rebounds per game are both personal bests, and she has become one of the league's most reliable double-double threats.Few players impact a game the way Shepard does.She rebounds at an elite level, creates extra possessions and consistently produces in the paint. While many of the league's biggest stars dominate headlines through scoring explosions or viral highlights, Shepard has quietly become one of the most dependable players in basketball.The All-Star voting results suggest fans have been paying attention.That wasn't always guaranteed.Players who don't play in major media markets or generate constant social media buzz can sometimes get overlooked during the voting process. Shepard appears to be breaking that trend.MORE: Paige Bueckers is threatening one of Caitlin Clark's biggest WNBA crownsDallas has become one of the league's most compelling teamsShepard's rise has coincided with the emergence of one of the WNBA's most fascinating rosters.The Wings already feature Paige Bueckers, who ranks second overall in fan voting, and fellow young star Azzi Fudd, who sits just outside the top 10. Olivia Miles has also become one of the league's breakout rookies after receiving nearly 180,000 votes in the first returns.That collection of talent has transformed Dallas into a must-watch team.While much of the preseason conversation focused on Bueckers and the franchise's future, Shepard has become one of the biggest reasons the Wings have exceeded expectations.Her veteran presence has helped stabilize a young roster, and her production has often been the difference between winning and losing.It's no coincidence that her popularity has grown alongside Dallas' success.Fans tend to reward winning.And they tend to reward players who consistently deliver.What the voting results say about WNBA fansPerhaps the most interesting takeaway from Shepard's position on the leaderboard is what it says about the voting process itself.All-Star voting often becomes a popularity contest.Big names usually dominate. Social media followings matter. Highlight clips matter. National attention matters.Yet Shepard's placement suggests fans are looking beyond those factors.She doesn't have the celebrity profile of Clark. She isn't involved in the league's biggest rivalries. She isn't generating headlines every week.What she has done is produce.Night after night, game after game, Shepard has been one of the WNBA's most effective players. The first fan returns indicate that supporters around the league have noticed.Whether she ultimately earns an All-Star starting spot remains to be seen. Players and media members still have a significant impact on the final results.But one thing became clear Wednesday.Jessica Shepard is no longer flying under the radar.The rest of the basketball world is finally starting to catch up.More WNBA news:Paige Bueckers is threatening one of Caitlin Clark's biggest WNBA crownsCameron Brink turns heads with stylish arrival before Sparks-Valkyries matchupCameron Brink had fans buzzing before tipoff with unexpected pregame talentCaitlin Clark's latest post had Sophie Cunningham asking one question after Fever's record-setting win

Athletics' slugger facing heavy criticism under a massive contract extension originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.During the 2018 MLB Draft, the Athletics selected Lawrence Butler in the sixth round. He was drafted out of high school, so it took him some time to make his MLB debut. That would come in August of the 2023 season, and he would find himself on the Opening Day roster in 2024, but struggles would send him back down to Triple-A, where he would rejoin the MLB team a few months later, getting back on track and producing for his club. After rebounding well, the A's decided to give him an extension. The two sides agreed on a seven-year, $65.5 million deal that runs through the 2031 season. MORE: Why Athletics can't keep playing home games in Las Vegas this seasonAthletics' slugger facing heavy criticism under a massive contract extensionUnfortunately, Lawrence has largely struggled this year. He seems a bit lost at the plate and has gotten his playing time cut recently, becoming the fourth outfielder for the A's. He has not been all that helpful, and for that, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller tags him as the "most scrutinized" player on the roster. "This year, he has been one of the least productive regulars in all of baseball, relegated to the role of fourth outfielder since Henry Bolte's promotion to mid-May. But the A's already gave Butler a seven-year, $65.5M extension, so they're continually trying to get him going, especially with Brent Rooker also struggling and currently injured."Butler has gone from a 3.0 WAR in 2024 to a 1.5 WAR last year and now a -1.0 WAR this year. He has seemingly lost his ability to hunt fastballs this year, and opposing pitchers have really hurt him by prioritizing throwing off-speed pitches, where he has struggled. He needs to figure out how to attack fastballs as he has over the last few years, or this could be a long season for the sweet-swinging lefty. More MLB news:Guardians 'desperately' need this slumping star to turn things aroundMLB analyst puts pressure on this Orioles slugger to live up to expectationsNationals ride a dominant offense higher in the power rankingsPadres bounce back with a winning week to jump up the power rankings

Diamondbacks have four huge offensive problems to fix by MLB trade deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Arizona Diamondbacks might have one of the best players in all of Major League Baseball in Corbin Caroll, and Ketel Marte is also finally picking up the pace lately offensively.Geraldo Perdomo, Gabriel Moreno, and even Nolan Arenado are all hitting well enough this season to not pose a problem. But the same cannot be said for four other positions.Tim Britton of The Athletic pointed out how the D-Backs have four positions: first base, designated hitter, center field, and left field, all bottom-five in MLB in offensive production this season. This team needs a lot of help by the 2026 trade deadline.Diamondbacks have 4 big problems in lineup"Just a couple of years removed from owning the sport's best offense, Arizona ranks 30th in baseball in production at first base, 29th in center field, 27th at DH, and 25th in left field," Britton writes.Arizona's offense isn't nearly good enough this season, as on the year, they rank 26th in baseball with a .686 OPS. They might only have 547 strikeouts, the third fewest in baseball, but their overall offensive performance this season isn't close to good enough.It's not one single player holding this team back, as the Diamondbacks aren't getting enough production from four key spots, and these are the four positions Arizona should be looking to address at this year's deadline.MORE: Cubs’ cost to trade for Tarik Skubal from Tigers revealed by ex-MLB GMFortunately, trade options are abundant in the outfield, at first base, and obviously for the designated hitter spot.In the outfield, Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox, Mickey Moniak of the Colorado Rockies, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, and Taylor Ward of the Baltimore Orioles are good trade targets.At first base, Christian Walker of the Houston Astros, and Willson Contreras of the Red Sox could be trade options for Arizona this summer.The Diamondbacks need a lot more offensive firepower if they're to compete with the top teams in the league, and it's clear they need to add help at first base, designated hitter, left field, or center field by the August 3 trade deadline.More MLB news:5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout for CardinalsEx-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 successTarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agencyYankees’ Ryan McMahon problem has a $25 million release solution Phillies extending Cristopher Sanchez to his $107 million deal was genius

Paige Bueckers is threatening one of Caitlin Clark's biggest WNBA crowns originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The first returns from 2026 WNBA All-Star voting delivered plenty of expected results. A'ja Wilson sits atop the leaderboard. Caitlin Clark is comfortably among the top vote-getters. Several established stars are positioned to earn starting spots in Chicago next month.But one name may have produced the most fascinating storyline of all.Paige Bueckers.The Dallas Wings star ranks second overall in fan voting with 298,027 votes, trailing only Wilson and finishing ahead of some of the biggest names in women's basketball. Most notably, Bueckers currently sits ahead of Clark, who ranks fifth overall with 253,602 votes. It's an early voting update, but it highlights just how quickly Bueckers has become one of the WNBA's biggest stars.For years, Clark and Bueckers have been linked together as two of the most recognizable players in the sport. Their college careers generated endless comparisons, debates and social media discussions. Now, both have become central figures in the WNBA's next generation of stars.Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers Lead After First Returns of Fan Voting in All-Star Voting 2026 presented by Ally pic.twitter.com/MfPV1oZQ6p— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) June 17, 2026Paige Bueckers has become one of the WNBA's biggest attractionsBueckers entered the league carrying enormous expectations. Few players in recent memory arrived with a bigger following. The former UConn star spent years performing on the biggest stages in college basketball and built one of the sport's most loyal fan bases before ever playing a professional game.She's carried that momentum into the WNBA. Through the first part of the 2026 season, Bueckers ranks among the league leaders in both scoring and assists while helping elevate the Wings into one of the most intriguing teams in the league.Her popularity is clearly extending beyond Dallas. The first All-Star voting returns suggest fans across the country are embracing Bueckers as one of the faces of the WNBA. Finishing second overall behind only Wilson is a significant achievement, especially considering the amount of star power throughout the league.It's also a reminder that the WNBA's growing popularity isn't tied to a single player. The league's next generation has arrived.Caitlin Clark remains the standardNone of this changes Clark's standing within the sport. The Indiana Fever guard remains one of the most influential athletes in North America and continues to drive unprecedented attention to the WNBA. Television ratings, attendance figures and merchandise sales have all benefited from her arrival.Even with injuries limiting her availability at times this season, Clark still ranks fifth overall in fan voting and remains one of the favorites to start the All-Star Game. The Fever star is also putting together another elite campaign.Clark is averaging more than 20 points per game and continues to rank among the league's best playmakers. She recently became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 250 points and 100 assists in a season.Her popularity isn't going anywhere.What the voting results reveal, however, is that other young stars are beginning to build similar momentum.MORE: Caitlin Clark's latest post had Sophie Cunningham asking one question after Fever's record-setting winA rivalry that could define the next decadeThe most intriguing part of the voting update may be what it suggests about the future. Bueckers and Clark are likely to spend the next decade competing against one another for championships, awards and All-Star recognition. Both players are franchise cornerstones. Both have passionate fan bases. Both continue to elevate the sport every time they step on the floor.The first voting returns won't determine who becomes the bigger star. But they do show that Bueckers is rapidly closing the gap. For a league that has spent years searching for marketable young stars, that's excellent news.Clark helped launch a new era of WNBA popularity.Bueckers appears ready to help carry it forward.More WNBA news:Caitlin Clark may have just dropped the biggest clue yet about her Nike signature shoeCaitlin Clark was already making headlines before the Fever even tipped offCameron Brink turns heads with stylish arrival before Sparks-Valkyries matchupCameron Brink had fans buzzing before tipoff with unexpected pregame talentCaitlin Clark's latest post had Sophie Cunningham asking one question after Fever's record-setting win

Texas has landed a big piece to its 2027 recruiting class. Literally. 6-foot-5, 315-pound four-star offensive tackle Brian Swanson commits to UT. The South Oak Cliff prospect chose Texas over Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M and SMU. Swanson took several official visits this summer, but Texas always seemed like the leader and got to make the final impression after hosting the Dallas native over the weekend. Swanson has been a key piece of South Oak Cliff's three straight runs to the Texas state finals.Swanson is ranked as the No. 177 player in the nation, according to 247Sports composite rankings. He is the No. 17 OT. Swanson is the third offensive lineman in UT's 2027 recruiting class, joining Kenyon Hemphill-Woods and Jackson Cook. Swanson is the highest ranked off the trio. BREAKING: Four-Star OT Brian Swanson has Committed to Texas, he tells me for @RivalsThe 6’5 305 OT chose the Longhorns over Oklahoma, LSU, and SMU“Hook Em!🤘🏾”https://t.co/hXfjyYURUqpic.twitter.com/Qc0CoWxnOO— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 17, 2026Texas jumps to No. 13 in the 247Sports composite team recruiting rankings, up from No. 17 in the nation. The Longhorns class is still pretty small compared to the teams above UT in the rankings with only 14 commits. But Sark likes to make a late push for elite talent. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: COMMITMENT: Four-star 2027 OT Brian Swanson commits to Texas Longhorns

K.C. Johnson: Tiago Splitter: "It's a great moment for me, my family. . . . I'm honored to be coach of the Bulls. I think we have a great future in front of us." Said he felt connection and similar vision with Bryson Graham on initial meeting.x.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Tiago Splitter on being Bulls head coach: 'I think we have a great future in front of us'

Joel Lorenzi: Noting his Paris circumstances and last year’s Portland team, I asked Tiago Splitter how he wants to play w his own NBA team. He said that in both those stops, a lot of his style was based on the personnel he inherited. “You’ve gotta adapt your system to the players you have. You have to explore what they do best.”x.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “You’ve gotta adapt your system to the players you …

Joel Lorenzi: Tiago Splitter on Matas Buzelis: "Nobody knows yet what his ceiling is. He’s gonna slowly show what kind of player he’s gonna be. … He’s gonna shoot better. He’s gonna read better. He’s gonna be a better defender.”x.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "Nobody knows yet what his ceiling is. He’s gonna …

Bulls on CHSN: "You have to make them believe. You have to know how to teach. You have to know how to lead...show them the vision, show them the path." Tiago Splitter on the details of coaching beyond the X's and O'sx.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "You have to make them believe. You have to know how …

Bulls on CHSN: "He handled that adversity, he led during that adversity and he did it with class." Bryson Graham on the confidence he has in Tiago Splitter after he led the Blazers to the playoffs as interim head coach this past seasonx.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "He handled that adversity, he led during that …

U.S. President Donald Trumptalkas to the media after disembarking Air Force One at Paris Orly Airport, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Orly, France. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2026-06-17T20:44:40Z EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — President Donald Trump is not known to be a fan of international gatherings of world leaders, but he changed his tune at this year’s G7 summit at a French Alpine resort, where he was buoyed by support from his counterparts for his tentative agreement with Iran to end the war.It was an about-face for Trump, who weeks ago had sharply criticized his counterparts for refusing to join the United States and Israel in bombing Iran to force it to abandon its nuclear aspirations — and who last year spent only a day at the G7 summit before cutting out early and going back to Washington.“We found a great deal of unity here at the G7,” Trump told reporters at the end of the meeting. He said he had heard only positive comments from G7 leaders, who are anxious to see global oil prices drop in the wake of hostilities. “This meeting could not have come at a better time,” he said.Here are some takeaways from Trump’s trip this week: Trump finds his fall guy If the Iran deal doesn’t work outTrump famously likes to take credit when things work out and avoid blame when they don’t. In the case of the Iran deal, he pointed to Vice President JD Vance as being most likely to be held responsible if things go south.While Trump was at the G7, Vance was on a media blitz promoting the agreement, which he helped negotiate. He was expected to represent the U.S. at a ceremonial signing in Switzerland on Friday.Trump was asked by a reporter if there is a scenario in which he looks like a “genius” if he sends Vance to sign the deal and things work out — or he blames his No. 2 if things with Iran ultimately don’t work out.“I like that idea, sure,” Trump said. “This way, if it works out, I’m going to take the credit. If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD. You better be careful, JD.” Read More Leaders sing from same song sheet on Iran, UkraineThe G7 leaders demonstrated notable unity on both Iran and Ukraine, two issues where Trump and his counterparts have been sharply divided.France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and the UK’s Keir Starmer all had criticized Trump’s decision to launch the Iran war without consulting allies. But in a joint statement on the final day of the summit, the leaders welcomed the tentative deal. They even noted “the strong leadership of President Trump” made it happen. Meanwhile, the Europeans managed to get Trump to join G7 leaders in offering “unwavering support for Ukraine.” Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Trump has long claimed Ukraine has “no cards” in its war with Russia, and needs to make concessions to Moscow to bring about an endgame.But the U.S. president joined his fellow leaders to call on countries “to increase the delivery of air defense capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities” to Ukraine and commend Kyiv “for its resilience and progress on the battlefield in recent months.”Mixed messages on ChinaG7 leaders discussed how China is flooding export markets with subsidized products and destroying jobs in their countries.Macron said Beijing is a key source of global economic imbalances, citing what he described as China’s industrial overcapacity, excessive subsidies and weak domestic consumption. After the summit, leaders issued a statement saying they were united. “We seek to deter and stand ready to take actions, where necessary in a coordinated manner, against economic coercion,” the statement said.But Trump undercut that message when he spent a portion of his closing remarks thanking China and Russia — often allies with Iran — for staying “neutral” in the conflict.Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin “could have made it much more difficult for us” if they got involved. He specifically thanked Xi for not giving or selling weapons to Iran. “I just want to thank them,” Trump said, “because they made it a lot better.” Talk isn’t cheapThe “let’s chat” informality that’s been a feature of these gatherings since the first one in 1975 proved its worth — notwithstanding the carbon costs of flying in the leaders and their entourages, the security to protect them, the protests they attract and the inconvenience for local people.By spending nearly three full days with Trump, U.S. allies had ample opportunity to make themselves heard. And the value of that was possibly most evident in their talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine.European leaders who now are the chief suppliers of military and financial aid to Ukraine felt they’d made headway in demonstrating to Trump that Ukraine does hold some cards and that Russia isn’t assured of victory -- contrary to what Trump had heatedly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last year. Macron invited Zelenskyy to participate in the summit. Macron gets Trump to stay for the whole summitSeems all it took was an invitation to dine at the opulent Palace of Versailles, southwest of Paris, after the summit.After all, Trump said it himself: He’s a fan of beautiful things and his only plan was to fly back to Washington after the conference anyway.He left last year’s G7 summit in Canada before it was over, but Macron wanted to keep Trump from doing the same thing to him. Their relationship has weathered several ups and downs. Macron described the dinner as a “convivial” occasion meant to celebrate friendship between France and the United States.French officials noted that Versailles is where King Louis XVI pledged military support to Benjamin Franklin and the American revolutionaries in 1778.Macron hosted King Charles III and Queen Camilla there in 2023 for the palace’s 400th anniversary, including dinner in the Hall of Mirrors, one of the features of the palace’s 2,300 rooms.—-Superville reported from Geneva. Associated Press writer Collin Binkley in Washington contributed to this report. DARLENE SUPERVILLE Superville covers the White House for The Associated Press, with a special emphasis on first ladies and first families. SYLVIE CORBET Corbet is an Associated Press reporter based in Paris. She covers French politics, diplomacy and defense as well as gender issues and breaking news. twitter AAMER MADHANI Madhani is a White House reporter for the Associated Press whose reporting focuses on U.S. foreign policy. Contact him securely on Signal at aamermadhani.39 twitter mailto

The arrival of David Montgomery should strengthen the Houston Texans' running game in 2026, giving a new jolt of energy to an offense desperate for a bell-cow runner. Does that mean he'll be better than Woody Marks? If healthy, will the former No. 2 running back for Detroit be a No. 1 in Houston and hit his projected over in rushing yards? ESPN recently revealed its top 100 predictions for the 2026 season. Looking at the best bets entering the year, Liz Loza loves the look of the revamped Texans' offensive line as the team enters Year 2 under play-caller Nick Caley, thus signaling a sign of promise for the future run game.With the Lions, Montgomery saw his role decrease as All-Pro Jahmyr Gibbs only continued to blossom into one of the league's top young stars. Off to Houston, he'll now take over the lead-back role, so the 774.5 rushing-yard total is expected to hit so long as he can stay on the field. "Montgomery is coming off a career low in rushing yards (716). He also saw his number of carries drop below 10 per game for the first time since entering the league," Loza wrote. "Now set to lead the Texans' backfield after his trade from Detroit, his volume should rebound, boosting his overall production and allowing for a 900-plus-rushing-yard effort in 2026."Houston hopes a combination of C.J. Stroud and Montgomery in the backfield can get the franchise over the hump and into the AFC Championship conversation. He'll be 29 next month, but unlike most runners who begin to decline, Montgomery's body has avoided a slew of hits since he split carries with Gibbs in Detroit for the last three seasons, so he's basically in the body of a 27-year-old.The Texans believe in Montgomery as a lead back. It's why they passed on drafting another runner or targeting a name in free agency. After averaging less than 4.0 yards per carry last season, he'll need to be a difference-maker who can alleviate pressure on long-standing drives.This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans RB David Montgomery a heavy favorite to hit over on projected rushing yards

Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty ImagesHarry Kane was given a second chance from the spot for England against Croatia because Dominik Livakovic broke the goalkeeper rule before saving his first penalty.The incident came early in England’s 2026 World Cup opener in Arlington, Texas, after Noni Madueke won a penalty under a challenge from Luka Modric. Kane’s first effort was stopped, but VAR checked Livakovic’s position and the referee ordered a retake.The Law 14 rule being applied at FIFA World CupUnder IFAB Law 14, the goalkeeper must stay on the goal line, face the kicker, and remain between the posts until the ball is kicked. At that moment, at least part of one foot must be touching, in line with, or behind the goal line.That detail decided the Kane incident. If the goalkeeper moves fully in front of the line and then prevents the ball from entering the goal, the penalty must be retaken.Livakovic’s save was therefore cancelled because the offence affected the outcome. Kane had missed only because the goalkeeper made a save from an illegal position.Why Harry Kane’s penalty retake countedThe law works differently if the penalty is scored. When the goalkeeper offends and the ball still goes in, the goal is awarded. The attacking team is not punished for the goalkeeper moving early.That is why Kane’s retake counted once he converted. The first infringement gave England another penalty, but there was no reason to intervene after the second one went in.This is separate from outfield player encroachment. Modern guidance says encroachment by players around the box is usually punished only when it clearly affects play.The goalkeeper rule is stricter when the keeper saves. Kane was not handed a favour. The officials applied the law correctly.Read more:Why some teams stand sideways to sing the national anthem at the World CupJude Bellingham breaks historic record within one second of England vs Croatia at World CupCristiano Ronaldo should expect to be axed as Portugal vs DR Congo numbers make grim reading

Cristiano Ronaldo is objectively one of the best soccer players to ever play the game. But time catches up with everyone, and it takes selflessness to be effective as a 41-year-old at his sixth World Cup. That's a quality that Ronaldo doesn't possess, and one of the sport's greats noticed it in real time. After heavily favored Portugal played DR Congo to a 1-1 draw in Houston on Wednesday, former French superstar Thierry Henry broke down what he saw from Ronaldo in the lackluster performance. Simply put, Ronaldo was a player who watched Lionel Messi's hat trick the night before and wanted to get on the score sheet for himself. He did that at the detriment of Portugal, and it showed with the runs Ronaldo made in key situations. Henry said in the Fox postgame: "One thing that's important, people, please at home, the team needs to score. Not YOU needs to score. ... Because HE wants to score, he goes in the path of the back pass, you see both players and it's easier for you to defend. And that's my thing: The team needs to score. Not you. "He then pointed out how Ronaldo made decisions that crowded defenders in the area of teammates rather than making runs to create space for Bruno Fernandes. This holds weight coming from a legend like Henry. But as long as Portugal is beholden to a 41-year-old megastar chasing his own stats, it's hard to imagine Portugal succeeding at this World Cup. Henry only needed one game to see that. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Thierry Henry explained how Cristiano Ronaldo hurts Portugal at the World Cup

In line with his career, Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi’s educational journey has been anything but ordinary. And as the World Cup takes the international stage, plenty of fans have one similar question: where did Messi go to school?The answer begins at the public primary school General Las Heras in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, where he got his start playing for the youth division of hometown club Newell’s Old Boys.REQUIRED READING: Before soccer stardom, where did USMNT World Cup players go to high school?Messi's athletic potential quickly became apparent, and the Argentine star moved from Rosario to Barcelona at 13 to join La Masia, the storied youth academy of FC Barcelona. There, he was enrolled at Leon XII, a private school in Barcelona’s Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, where he earned a high school diploma equivalent through a special program for academy members.Young Messi did have quite a few other things on his mind – he made his official professional debut for Barcelona in 2004 at just 17 years old, playing just seven minutes in the game that would become legendary for Messi fans. He went on to a 21-year career with the club.He is currently playing with the Argentine national team in the group stage of the World Cup, making history Tuesday as the oldest player to score a World Cup hat trick during Argentina's opener against Algeria, but stars at Inter Miami CF in Miami, FL, for most of the year. He’s making sure that his three young sons follow in his footsteps – all three attend the prestigious Miami Country Day School while training with Inter Miami’s youth development program.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: See where World Cup star Lionel Messi attended high school

Disturbing trend: Tigers toppled by bottom of Astros' batting order originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Detroit Tigers continue to be upended by the bottom of an opponent's batting order. During Tuesday's 4-2 loss at Daikin Park, the six players who were slotted into the Nos. 6-9 spots of the Houston Astros' lineup combined to score all of their runs.It's becoming a disturbing trend for the Tigers (30-44).Astros catcher Yainer Diaz, right fielder Cam Smith, pinch hitter Joey Loperfido and third baseman Raynel Delgado, the ninth batter, each scored for the Astros. It was all they needed as the Tigers fell to 0-13 when the bottom four batters scored at least four runs in a game this season.During Wednesday's series finale, the Astros' seventh-place batter, Loperfido, and ninth-place hitter, Christian Vazquez, scored, fueling a 4-2 victory.The injury-plagued Tigers turned the tables during Monday's 9-3 win, paced by No. 6 hitter Colt Keith's three home runs and six RBI. He also scored three runs. Along with next batter Spencer Torkelson's solo homer, the bottom four batters accounted for nearly half of their run total.By taking the early-week series, the fourth-place Astros improved to 35-41, four games behind the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners, who were scheduled to host the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.More MLB news:Phillies' Kyle Schwarber returns to first base, blasts MLB-leading 25th homerDodgers' Justin Wrobleski replaces Shohei Ohtani in showdown vs. Rays' Drew RasmussenReds' Eugenio Suarez caps trifecta on offensive MLB achievementMasterful 'Maddux:' Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski earns extra day off

It makes total sense. READ MORE...

Former Michigan State athletic director J Batt is getting quite the pay raise with his new job at Kentucky.Batt, who left Michigan State on Monday after only one year in East Lansing, signed a six-year, $17.85 million contract with Kentucky, according to a contract posted on X by ESPN's Pete Thamel. The contract pays Batt an extra $5.25 million compared to the six-year, $12.6 million contract he signed with Michigan State in June 2025.Batt will make $2.6 million in total compensation his first year at Kentucky, then he will make an extra $150,000 of supplemental compensation each year of the contract. His final year will see a total compensation of $3.35 million.At Michigan State, Batt made $1.85 million this past year. His compensation at Michigan State ranked him in the top 10 nationally among public university athletic directors. His pay bump at Kentucky puts him in the top four.Kentucky will also pay Batt's liquidated buyout to Michigan State, a sum of $5 million. President Kevin Guskiewicz's impending departure triggered a clause in Batt's contract that would have cut that sum in half, to $2.5 million, but Guskiewicz is still technically serving his role at Michigan State, and Kentucky didn't wait around in hiring Batt.Batt, 44, had come to Michigan State in June 2025 from Georgia Tech. In his first year, he started a number of initiatives including $1 billion capital campaign FOR SPARTA and third-party revenue generating entity Spartan Ventures. He also secured a $401 million commitment from megadonors Greg and Dawn Williams, including $100 million to seed Spartan Ventures. He also announced a $500 million plan for renovations to Spartan Stadium, to begin in November 2027.Batt's tenure was short-lived, however, after Guskiewicz announced May 27 an intention to take the same position at Clemson, citing tension with three Board of Trustees members — Mike Balow, R-Plymouth; Rema Vassar, D-Detroit; and Dennis Denno, D-East Lansing. A timeline for his departure is unknown, but Guskiewicz released a statement Monday that he will assist in naming an interim athletic director before he leaves.cearegood@detroitnews.com@ConnorEaregoodThis article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Kentucky to pay former MSU AD J Batt nearly $3 million a year

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has spent the offseason familiarizing himself with the team's new offense and the work will continue at training camp this summer. David Blough took over as the team's offensive coordinator after Kliff Kingsbury's departure in January and his approach will see Daniels under center more often than he was in his first two seasons. Daniels said the team has been focusing on the basics and will need to expand on that before the start of the regular season. "I know we've got a lot more to go, but [we] just built the foundation. You just keep building off of it," Daniels said.When asked what goes into the foundation, Daniels said "why we're attacking this play, what we want to do on this play" in addition to the terminology that they'll be using this year.Daniels's rookie season included a trip to the NFC Championship Game and the offensive rookie of the year award, but he only played four full games in 2025 due to multiple injuries. Daniels said he's "done talking" about what went wrong last season and a quick start for Blough's offense this fall will help ensure that everyone else puts those discussions in the past.

Where will Houston Texans rookie offensive lineman Keylan Ruteldge line up in 2026?Every position seems to be up for grabs on the interior side of the line, including starting the year on the bench. It's still early in the stages of OTAs, but Ruteldge, the Texans' first-round pick, saw reps at left guard with the first-team offense on Wednesday. Veteran Evan Brown mostly saw reps at center and was signed the offseason to fight for first-team reps at center with Jake Andrews.That's also one of the key position battles ESPN's Ben Solak is watching entering the year. Even with Brown in the fold, the conversation seems to be on Rutledge and Andrews duking it out for first-team reps. Solak ranked it the No. 1 battle to watch throughout training camp. "The Texans made one of the more surprising picks in the first round when they snagged Rutledge out of Georgia Tech," Soalk wrote. "He was considered a fringe first-rounder, but critically, he played all of his college snaps at right guard. That spot is owned in Houston by the recently extended Ed Ingram, and the left guard spot will likely go to free agent addition Wyatt Teller."Rutledge was cross-training at center during the predraft process, but for the Texans to get immediate play out of their first-round pick, he needs to beat out an incumbent starter in Andrews. Kicking to center can be an overwhelming task, and Rutledge might not be ready by Week 1."If everything goes according to plan, the Texans will have four new starting linemen protecting C.J. Stroud. Tytus Howard was shipped off to Cleveland last offseason in exchange for a late-round pick. Teller and former Indianapolis Colts starting right tackle Braden Smith signed multi-year deals, so the duo should see first-team reps if they're healthy. Aireontae Ersery did a good enough job as a rookie to prove he's locked down the left tackle spot for next season.So that leaves Rutledge in a battle with Andrews and Brown for center reps. If he wins the job, he'll have earned his right to start, but the Texans have always been about putting the best five players out there to keep the team in tact. This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: ESPN names Texans' center the top position battle to watch during training camp

Cubs dealt harsh reality with starting rotation amid World Series pursuit originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The MLB trade deadline is on August 3, and there is still well over a month until teams need to finally make decisions on whether they're buyers or sellers, and how far they go in pursuit of a rebuild or a World Series title.For the Chicago Cubs, this team is looking to win it all. The issue for this team is that to be a legitimate contender, they need a lot more help.As The Athletic's Eno Sarris highlighted, if the Cubs are to truly contend for a World Series title, they will need to add more help to the starting rotation this summer. That means the Cubs need to trade for a good starter, which isn't a guarantee at all.Cubs dealt harsh reality of World Series title hopes"... but if the Cubs still have championship aspirations, they are probably still feeling the need for a top-end starter," Sarris writes.The Cubs were ranked by Sarris as the team with the second-greatest need for starting pitching in Major League Baseball behind only the Athletics.Considering the A's aren't a real World Series contender this season, and are instead building for the future, the Cubs are the World Series contender with the most urgent need for starting pitching this season.Cubs' current rotation outlook is bleakLooking at their current rotation, it makes sense. The 38-36 Cubs are dealing with a litany of injured starters who could make up a good starting rotation on their own.Cade Horton is done for the season, Justin Steele's setback has him well behind for a potential return, and both Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon are on the injured list.MORE: Cubs’ cost to trade for Tarik Skubal from Tigers revealed by ex-MLB GMEdward Cabrera returned from the IL recently, but during his most recent outing, he left early with trainers due to a right-hand cramp. While it might not be overly concerning, the already laundry list of hurt starters makes this issue hurt more than it should.Unfortunately, it's not just injuries posing a problem for the Cubs. Shota Imanaga has a 4.26 ERA, Colin Rea has a 5.35 ERA, Javier Assad has a 3.99 ERA, and Cabrera has a 5.21 ERA. Only Ben Brown, with his 1.74 ERA, has been a good starter this year.Boyd has a 6.00 ERA on the IL, while Taillon has a 5.19 ERA. Horton had a 2.45 ERA before his injury in his second start, and Steele has yet to pitch this season.Cubs have some trade options for help this summerOverall, the Cubs' rotation is a mess. They clearly need help, and as Sarris points out, if they want to have any hope of winning a World Series this year, they need to add an elite starter.Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers, Freddy Peralta of the New York Mets, and Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins are some solid options.MORE: Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agencyBut there are plenty of other intriguing names, like Sonny Gray, Reid Detmers, Robbie Ray, Sandy Alcantara, Casey Mize, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic, and Jose Soriano, who could work in a trade for the Cubs.Starting pitching won't come cheap, but the Cubs might not have any choice if they want to win it all this year. It's a harsh reality for the Cubs that they have to spend so much to contend this season, as their starting rotation has severely disappointed.More MLB news:5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout for CardinalsMets projected to still sell at trade deadline by ex-MLB GMEx-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 successYankees’ Ryan McMahon problem has a $25 million release solution Phillies extending Cristopher Sanchez to his $107 million deal was genius

Jamahal Hill's light heavyweight tenure was highlighted by a title victory over Glover Teixeira. | Getty/UFCJamahal Hill is leaving the light heavyweight division. The former UFC champ announced plans to move to heavyweight on his YouTube channel. The 35-year-old known as “Sweet Dreams” hasn’t competed since June 2025, when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Khalil Rountree in the UFC on ABC 8 main event. Hill has been sidelined by a knee injury since then."I'm going to go ahead and say it now: I'm going to heavyweight," Hill said. "That's the announcement, breaking news. So, I'm officially going to say it: I'm going to heavyweight. It's been something I've been working on now for a few months, putting on the necessary weight and putting on the muscle and everything like that to move up."Yeah, wouldn't it be better if I came back and went and won the heavyweight title? I think that means more than winning the light heavyweight title again. They both mean a lot. I think double champ is better than two-time champ, though. I like the way it sounds." Hill captured the vacant light heavyweight crown with a five-round verdict over Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January 2023. He had to relinquish the belt after rupturing his Achilles tendon in a pickup basketball game. Hill returned for a title shot at UFC 300, where fell to then champion Alex Pereira via first-round KO. That was part of a three-bout skid that also included setbacks to Jiri Prochazka and Rountree. The Dana White's Contender Series alum has targeted fast rising heavyweight Josh Hokit, who stopped Derrick Lewis on the UFC White House card, as a potential opponent in his new weight class. Hill hopes to return by the end of 2026 if possible."I don't want to give a for-sure timeline," Hill said. "I would really like to fight on the MSG card. ... If not, maybe headline one of the cards toward the end of the year or something like that. That’s the plan, to come back in 2026 at the latest. If we can't figure nothing out with that, beginning of the year, first quarter, right at the beginning for sure."

England assistant coach Anthony Barry was critical of his side’s first-half display against Croatia, saying it was a “complicated and confusing” opening 45 minutes. Harry Kane gave England the lead twice in Dallas, first through a re-taken penalty and second through a well-placed header, but Croatia pegged the Three Lions back as their defending was found wanting. FOLLOW LIVE: England vs Croatia latest updatesBarry, who is Thomas Tuchel’s trusted assistant, then gave a punchy interview to ITV before heading into the dressing room to speak to the players. “A complicated and confusing first half from us, really,” he said. “I think a lot of nervous energy early on. Maybe that should be accepted, and maybe expected in the opening game of a World Cup.“From there, then we made some decisions where the energy was not free in our mind, playing long when we should play short, playing short when we should play long, really not playing through the gaps, so not allowing us to accelerate our game the way we wanted to."Then you think the penalty would free us up, allow us to play more like us, look more like ourselves, but again we fall back into some fearful patterns, and yeah, we've always been able to rely on set pieces. “We get the second goal again. We're hoping that's the moment that would allow us to move forward in the game, but okay, we concede the second goal later on, and now we have to speak about that at halftime.” Whatever Barry and Tuchel said to their players at half-time seemed to work, as Jude Bellingham scored within minutes of the restart.

The Dolphins announced a roster move on Wednesday afternoon. They have signed offensive tackle Gottlieb Ayedze. No corresponding move was needed because the Dolphins had an open spot available after making other moves earlier this week. Ayedze played in 10 games with the Houston Gamblers during the 2026 UFL season. He signed with the Eagles after going undrafted out of Maryland in 2024 and spent part of that season on the Raiders' practice squad. The Dolphins have left tackle Patrick Paul and right tackle Austin Jackson back from their 2025 team. They also signed Jemaree Salyer and Charlie Heck as free agents this offseason.

Midway through IndyCar's season, the series is altering the usage of cars' hybrid powertrains. IndyCar is reducing the power output of its hybrids for this weekend's Grand Prix at Road America, the series confirmed to IndyStar.The change comes after various hybrid failures throughout the first nine races this year, which caused supply concerns due to the number of hybrid units that had to be replaced. Ahead of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 two weekends ago, IndyCar said, "A two-week break before Road America will allow suppliers the time needed to ensure the spare quantity needed for the upcoming summer schedule and push towards the finish of the 2026 championship."As that break ends, IndyCar has decided that the solution to manage the hybrid units is to decrease the horsepower limit."As part of IndyCar's evaluation of hybrid power unit supply, a recommendation was made by the Energy Storage System (ESS) manufacturer, to reduce the lap energy limit," IndyCar said in a statement to IndyStar. "After review, IndyCar is reverting to the validated electricity flow average as introduced in 2024 and for the start of the 2025 season for this weekend’s event at Road America. "The move is aimed to help reduce thermal load and aging of the ESS cells, which will help with robustness of the hybrid power unit, stabilize system fallout and assist with unit supply. Following this weekend’s event, IndyCar will re-evaluate the update to determine additional implementation this season."Introduced in the middle of the 2024 season, hybrid powertrains are an Energy Recovery System (ERS) that provides additional horsepower to a car when deployed. Hybrids have two main parts: The ESS and the Motor Generator Unit (MGU). Honda Racing Corporation US and Skeleton Technologies manufacture the ESS, while Chevrolet and Ilmor manufacture the MGU in collaboration with Empel.The ESS — which is made up of 20 supercapacitors — stores energy that can be deployed by the low-voltage MGU. After a driver has deployed said energy, they can regenerate it to the ESS to be harvested again for future deployment.In the nearly two years that the hybrid has been in IndyCar, failures have become too common, drawing the ire of teams and drivers. The severity of the failures varies, as some cars are able to drive even if the powertrains shut down, but some failures completely shut off engines.At the Detroit Grand Prix on May 31, six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon experienced a hybrid failure within the first 10 laps of the race. His No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda continued until Lap 69, when his engine shut down, ending Dixon's day in 24th."I think if you did a poll (of) the drivers or a WhatsApp group, I think it'd be 100%, get rid of them," Dixon said at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. "But there's bigger things than us, and I don't know what to tell you about that."Alexander Rossi experienced an immediate shutdown after a hybrid failure at the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 9. After jumping out of his No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet and walking across the IMS pit lane to his timing stand, Rossi expressed his frustrations with the powertrains."I mean, it's pretty annoying to have a failure in the car because of a product that we didn't ask for that doesn't improve the racing," Rossi said. "So that's frustrating."Now, IndyCar is enacting the energy reduction in hopes of limiting failures while still using the hybrids, which are located between the car's engine and transmission. As the season moves into the summer (the Grand Prix at Road America occurs on the first day of summer), hotter temperatures will place more stress on cars' 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engines that operate under extreme thermal loads.Hybrid powertrains have caused more harm than good to the racing product since being added to cars. In the penultimate season of the current Dallara DW12 chassis and engine formula, IndyCar is trying to heal its hybrid issues. The question is, are the hybrid issues simply a bruise, or are they a larger wound that needs further examination?Zion Brown is IndyStar's motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar reducing hybrid power output amid constant failures to start season

During a Thursday interview with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, agent Ron Slavin said the University of Cincinnati knew about quarterback Brendan Sorsby's gambling habits. The claim has prompted a denial by Cincinnati."They didn't do anything wrong here," Slavin said regarding Texas Tech. "If anybody should be questioned or to catch some heat, it should be Cincinnati because they knew for two years and never said anything and didn't do anything about it. So that's the part of the story that gets lost."The comment wasn't lost on Cincinnati."We will reiterate what we have said before," the school said in a statement. "All of our student-athletes receive extensive gambling education multiple times throughout the year, and we would never knowingly play an athlete who violated NCAA sports wagering regulations. If we ever became aware of impermissible wagering, we would report to the NCAA and comply with sanctions."It's not the first skirmish when it comes to the Bearcats and their former starting quarterback. Cincinnati sued Sorsby for $1 million after he transferred to Texas Tech.In the end, Texas Tech never played Sorsby in a game. Sorsby spent two years at Cincinnati after violating the NCAA's gambling rule, repeatedly. If Cincinnati knew and did nothing, that would be a problem.At a time when the NCAA has little bite when it comes to the rules regarding players, it should at least be barking around the question of whether Cincinnati knew about Sorsby's gambling and failed to do anything about it.

Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II says he's lining up against a different Denver offense in offseason practices, thanks to the arrival of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Surtain was asked what Waddle brings to the offense, and he said the blazing speed Waddle showed during his time with the Dolphins is on display on the Broncos' practice field as well."Speed, speed, speed . . . it adds a whole different dynamic for sure. It'll be fun to watch," Surtain said, via ESPN.The Broncos made a big investment in Waddle, trading a first-round pick and a third-round pick to the Dolphins to get him. That's the kind of aggressive move a team makes when it thinks a player might be the last piece of a Super Bowl-winning roster. Surtain is liking what he's seeing.

President Trump lashed out at critics who say the agreement achieves less than the one President Barack Obama signed in 2015, and he threatened to bomb Iran again if it violated the deal.

The agreement outlines a $300 billion plan to rebuild Iran, and says sanctions would be lifted in the future.

Hoops 360 host Caroline Fenton is joined by WNBA reporter, writer and podcaster Jackie Powell who dishes out the latest updates on all things Commissioner’s Cup. The duo dive into the New York Liberty’s unbeaten run through the Eastern Conference and debate who will emerge from the West: the Minnesota Lynx or the Las Vegas Aces.Plus, 10x WNBA All-Star, WNBA champion, president of the WNBPA and LA Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike joins the show! She discusses why she decided to return to the LA Sparks, her experience watching the new CBA she fought for come to life and opens up about what it’s like playing with teammate Kelsey Plum.Who do you have winning the 2026 Commissioner’s Cup Championship? Let us know in the comments!01:40 - What does the schedule expansion to 50 games in 2027 mean for the WNBA?05:43 - 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup check-in: The West20:37 - 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup check-in: The East33:35 - What could cause Liberty to fall short of a WNBA championship?40:15 - Nnneka Ogwumike joins Hoops 360!55:20 - Must-watch upcoming matchupsSubscribe to Hoops 360Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTubeCheck out all episodes of Hoops 360 and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

FIFA World CupPortugal 1 - 1 Congo DR FTPortugal were held to a disappointing draw by an impressive DR Congo side in their opening game of the World Cup.Midfielder Joao Neves headed them into a sixth-minute lead, but Roberto Martinez's side failed to convert their dominance of possession into attempts on goal.And they were punished in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time when Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa was left unmarked to meet Arthur Masuaku's cross from six yards to head home DR Congo's first World Cup goal.In their only previous appearance in 1974, the nation - then known as Zaire - lost all three matches by an aggregate score of 14-0.But DR Congo, ranked 46th in the world, appear a much tougher proposition for opponents 52 years on and were good value for their point - defending well and threatening on the counter-attack.Cedric Bakambu hit the post with a close-range shot, although it might not have counted had he scored as the referee blew up for an earlier foul, and fired another effort wide.Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo matched Argentina's Lionel Messi by playing in a sixth finals, but the 41-year-old was made to wait as he bids to become the first player to score in six different World Cups.The Al-Nassr striker's two best chances came in quick succession midway through the second half when he twice got on the end of low cut-backs by substitute Francisco Conceicao, but shot just wide on both occasions.For all their talent, they were Portugal's third and fourth shots of the match respectively, with their only attempt on target in the entire match being Neves' headed finish from Pedro Neto's left-wing cross.Follow text and radio coverage of England's opening game against Croatia'Scared to take him off' - Ronaldo struggles after fellow superstars sparkleAnalysis: Wissa, not Ronaldo, produces game's historic momentDR Congo came through a play-off tournament to qualify for the World Cup [Getty Images]Three of football's current superstars - Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland - scored seven goals between them in victories for their respective nations of Argentina, France and Norway at the World Cup on Tuesday.Before Portugal kicked off, ex-England captain Wayne Rooney joked on BBC One that his former Manchester United team-mate Ronaldo would be "raging - but in a good way" that other stars had begun the tournament so well.But DR Congo's excellent five-man defence stifled the forward and his team-mates for long spells, with Portugal struggling to create clear-cut opportunities and failing to make the most of their 75% possession.Having become the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match at the age of 41 years and 132 days, many expected Ronaldo to break new ground at the tournament, but it was Wissa instead who produced the game's historic moment.He scored just three times in 28 appearances during an injury-affected first campaign with Newcastle following his £55m move from Brentford - his last coming in January in the Champions League tie with PSV Eindhoven.But Wissa showed his quality, taking his goal extremely well by rising high to head into the net past Diogo Costa, having been awarded far too much space in the box by Portugal's defence.What's next for these teams?Portugal face World Cup debutants Uzbekistan in Houston on Tuesday, 23 June (18:00 BST).Meanwhile, DR Congo head to Mexico for their next Group K game against Colombia in Guadalajara on 24 June (03:00 BST).World Cup fixtures and group standingsHow to watch the World Cup on the BBCEverything you need to know about the World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo missed two second-half chances in Portugal's draw against DR Congo [Getty Images]Three of football's biggest superstars lit up the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday.Kylian Mbappe's two goals against Senegal made him France's all-time leading scorer.Norway's Erling Haaland then marked his World Cup debut with two goals in a victory against Iraq.Lionel Messi went one better, netting a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria to move level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the joint-leading goalscorer in World Cup finals history.On Wednesday, the stage was set for Cristiano Ronaldo to make his own mark on the tournament - but the Portugal captain was unable to follow suit.His side laboured to a 1-1 draw against DR Congo and Ronaldo struggled to make an impact in his first opportunity to make history by becoming the first man to score in six different World Cups.Ex-Premier League striker Chris Sutton, commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, was critical of boss Roberto Martinez's decision to leave the 41-year-old - who has 229 caps and 143 goals for his country - on the field for the full match in Houston.As striker Goncalo Ramos replaced midfielder Vitinha in the 83th minute, Sutton said: "That's embarrassing from Martinez. It might work but are we all watching a different game?"He's scared to take him off. He's not the manager. [Ronaldo] may end up scoring the winner but the game has passed him by today."DR Congo earn first World Cup point to frustrate Portugal and RonaldoBefore kick-off, ex-England captain Wayne Rooney joked that his former Manchester United team-mate would be "raging - but in a good way" that the other stars had begun the tournament so well the previous day."That's how he's pushed himself and his mentality is that everything is a challenge for him," said Rooney on BBC One."Over the years, him and Messi have pushed each other to get to these levels."He wants to be the best and that's not in a bad way. He'll want to go out there and score two or three tonight to show he's still at that level."But Portugal's opening group match did not go to plan for Ronaldo nor his much-lauded team-mates, despite them taking a sixth-minute lead when Pedro Neto's left-wing cross was superbly headed in by Paris St-Germain's Joao Neves.Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa nodded in a deserved equaliser for DR Congo just before half-time and for all Portugal's dominance of the ball - they had 75% possession - they managed only seven attempts at goal. Only one - the goal scored by Neves - was on target.Al-Nassr striker Ronaldo, who is closing in on 1,000 career goals for club and country, had two chances in quick succession midway through the second half.Half-time substitute Francisco Conceicao twice cut the ball back to him from the right. The first was played slightly behind Ronaldo, who sent a tame effort past the near post. While the ball was in a better position for the second opportunity, the forward was put under pressure by the DR Congo defence and his finish flew wide.Ronaldo's tally of 25 touches was the fewest of Portugal's outfield players who played the full match, while he has now gone 10 consecutive games at major tournaments without finding the net."His stats will never be the best," said Rooney at full-time. "What he needs is chances. If he gets good chances, he'll score goals."[BBC]Rooney and two former France internationals, Gael Clichy and Olivier Giroud, all thought Conceicao was in a better position to shoot at goal himself rather than try to set up Ronaldo for the striker's first chance.Former France full-back Clichy also believed Ronaldo's superstar status might "unconsciously" have an effect on how some of his team-mates play."We said at the beginning of the game that Ronaldo will be helping young players because of his character and experience, but sometimes unconsciously those kinds of players can kind of take too much light," he told BBC One."In the first chance, maybe if it was not Ronaldo, [Conceicao] would have had a go at goal."I've lived it with some players at Arsenal and Manchester City, where you feel that the player is such an important player, unconsciously he's taking everything from every player."I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but when you take them out, you can see players taking responsibility."Clichy said that situation was not necessarily Ronaldo's fault and added: "This is normal and this is where the choice of the manager is important because during the 90 minutes, we were saying 'is he going to take him out because we know he's got a goal in him?'"But at the same time, we know the game is sometimes not natural because of him being on the pitch."Play BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor gameWorld Cup fixtures and group standingsHow to watch the World Cup on the BBCEverything you need to know about the World Cup

Blue Jays Will Deploy Full Bullpen Game vs. Red Sox originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Toronto Blue Jays lost starting pitcher Max Scherzer, who was slated to start against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, to the injured list due to back spasms. The Blue Jays were forced to pivot into a full-blown bullpen game in the second game of the series. Braydon Fisher, who has the most innings pitched out of the bullpen for Toronto outside of closing pitcher Louis Varland, will be given the ball in the first inning.Fisher is coming off four days of rest. He last took the mound on Sunday, giving up three earned runs in 2/3 of an inning in an 8-3 loss to the New York Yankees. Fisher has a 3.38 ERA and 40 strikeouts through 37.1 innings pitched this season.The Red Sox are giving the ball to Triple-A call-up Jake Bennett for his second start since being optioned. Bennett was shelled in his first outing on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays recorded seven hits in five innings, plating four runners. Bennett has a 5.28 ERA and a record of one win and two losses.More MLB: Lou Merloni: Red Sox Shouldn't Trade Willson Contreras At MLB Deadline

Thousands of Caniacs are expected to line the streets Saturday as the Carolina Hurricanes celebrate their 2026 Stanley Cup championship. It's a moment some fans say they've been waiting their whole lives to experience.For many, the excitement has barely faded since the team clinched the title Sunday evening in Las Vegas.Hannah Falgout, who traveled to see the win, said the celebration still feels unreal."It really felt like one of those moments that you're just going to remember for the rest of your life," she said.ALSO SEE |Hurricanes parade expected to bring 100K people to Raleigh, city leader saysFalgout said the days since the victory have been filled with joy as players brought the Stanley Cup around town."It's been really kind of almost a surreal week ever since we brought that Cup home," she said. "It's been fun to see the boys taking the Cup out all around town, showing it off. And I can't wait to see our community come together to really support the team that has worked so hard and really deserves a Cup this year."She plans to join the crowds along the parade route as the Hurricanes continue their championship celebration.ALSO SEE |Lenovo Center closes for 8 weeks as $300M renovation project continuesSuperfan and team hornblower Mike "Big Mike" Whiting is also preparing for the big day, with plans to ride in the parade."Oh, yeah. I have my horn," he said. "I'll probably be riding a scooter in the parade here instead of walking around the float... just soaking all of it in here with the Canes."Whiting said he wants to savor every moment."I like to soak in all the moments I can and just be thankful, be happy, be in the moment, and this is right up there at the top."Fans like Lauren Lankford, who attended Game 6 with her husband, say the celebration feels like an extension of the Hurricanes' tight-knit fan community."I've actually been following Big Mike. He's sending out a lot of alerts about where the Cup might be, where you can see the players. So that's just a whole 'nother level of the family feel," she said.Even with the anticipation building, Whiting said much of Saturday's event remains a mystery."I don't think a lot of people know what's going to happen, including me," he said. "I just don't know. I'm just going to go with the flow."While details remain limited, fans say that after years of waiting, the celebration is sure to be unforgettable.The Hurricanes did announce on Wednesday afternoon that about 30 minutes after the parade ends, there will be a rally featuring players and management at City Plaza.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning after the Tampa Bay Rays scored four runs off a banged-up Shohei Ohtani in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 5-4 win on Wednesday.Freeman's 407-foot shot to center off reliever Kevin Kelly (4-3) rescued Ohtani, who trailed 4-2 after giving up five hits and four runs in the fifth.The Dodgers swept the three-game series, just their second-ever sweep of the Rays and first since August 2013.Ohtani (7-2) left the mound after six innings and was inserted in the bottom of the inning as a pinch hitter for designated hitter Miguel Rojas. Ohtani grounded out on one pitch to end the inning. It was the only at-bat Ohtani got and the Dodgers lost the DH for the rest of the game.The blister on Ohtani's middle finger of his right hand that he had in Pittsburgh last week got bloodied. The two-way superstar was already dealing with left knee inflammation that manager Dave Roberts said before the game wasn't completely resolved.Ohtani has allowed seven earned runs in his last two starts against the Pirates and Rays. The right-hander gave up four runs and seven hits, struck out five and walked one, raising his ERA to 1.47.Alex Vesia got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth by striking out Cedric Mullins to end the game and earn his third save.The Dodgers led 2-0 on a pair of two-out RBI singles by Alex Call and Alex Freeland in the fourth.The Rays went ahead 4-2 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Walls, Yandy Diaz's RBI single, a fielder's choice groundout by Junior Caminero and Richie Palacios' RBI single. It snapped a 20-inning scoreless streak by Dodgers' pitching.Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger came in with the bases loaded and walked Kyle Tucker in the fifth, getting the Dodgers to 4-3.Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman was hitless with a walk in his season debut after missing nearly three months while recovering from offseason ankle surgery.Rays starter Shane McClanahan gave up two runs and three hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked five.Up next After a travel day, the Rays open a three-game series at Washington on Friday.After an off day, Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (3-4, 4.76 ERA) starts at home Friday against the Orioles.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Scottie Scheffler has spoiled golf fans in recent seasons, so much that it's worth reminding ourselves that during his relative down year in 2026—which includes one win and seven top 5 finishes—these are his underlying statistics:1st SG: Total4th SG: Off-The-Tee16th SG: Approach19th SG: Putting30th Driving Distance26th Driving AccuracyStill fantastic, by any measure. But there's one other number that has sparked curiosity: Scheffler is missing drives to the right more than at any other point during his PGA Tour career.For a large chunk of the season, Scheffler was missing to the right more than he was missing to the left, which was a stark difference to previous years.And Brandel has a theory, which he unleashed during a fascinating segment on Golf Channel's Live From.Brandel's theory is based on a video comparison with his swing in 2015, is that Scheffler's downswing is more steep than in the past. The club is moving more vertically, and his path is moving more to the left than in the past.As we unpack in our ball flight diagnosing tool right here, a path moving more left creates the potential for two distinct type of shots:A pull left, if the clubface is matching the direction of his golf swingOr a big pull-fade, when the clubface is openInteresting stuff from Brandel, and you can watch the full breakdown here:Chef Brandel cooked here talking about Scottie Scheffler’s golf swing and the right misses we’re seeing more of this season pic.twitter.com/LcArqta2En— LKD (@LukeKerrDineen) June 17, 2026

Danilo hails Brazil's Copa organisation, praises Endrick, eyes Haiti clashRight-back Danilo praised the Brazilian National Team’s organization for the World Cup, spoke highly of Endrick’s quality and talent, and looked ahead to the match against Haiti in the second round of the competition.In a press conference held this Wednesday (17) at The Ridge hotel in New Jersey, United States, he praised the structure provided by the federation for the tournament.“I have to acknowledge that the work of the people who took over the CBF has brought greater peace of mind with things players shouldn’t have to deal with. Today there is planning and organization that is among the best I’ve ever had here. It will bring short-term benefits in this World Cup. In the medium and long term, it will help create an identity with the players coming up through the youth ranks. I truly believe we will have a beautiful World Cup, but this direction will bear good fruit in the medium term, and we have to be resilient enough to wait for the processes, which is not always easy,” he said.Danilo during a press conference for the Brazilian National Team in New JerseyCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBFExperienced, the No. 13 of the Canarinho highlighted the potential of forward Endrick, seen as one of the most promising players in Brazilian football and currently playing in his first World Cup.“Endrick is a rare gem of Brazilian football. He is a player with power, decisiveness, a star. (...) We want him to have the biggest possible role. For me, Casemiro, Neymar... This is our last chance, the National Team will keep going with these guys. Whatever we can do to make them feel important, we will do. In the last match, he didn’t come on by the Mister’s decision, but he is a player who will be important,” he stressed.Two days before facing Haiti, the defender refused to talk about a rout by Brazil in the match. For him, the focus of Carlo Ancelotti’s team should be “showing the fans the desire to win.”“There’s expectation and there’s reality. We need to approach the match with reality in mind. It would even be disrespectful to talk about a rout (against Haiti), especially given the way football has changed and evolved. We need to show the fans that we have the desire to win. And we do that by controlling possession, pushing the game, and wanting to win at every moment", he said.Danilo during a press conference for the Brazilian National Team in New JerseyCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBFNational Team in camp for 21 daysBrazil right-back Danilo highlighted the importance of the last three weeks of preparation, during which the Brazil delegation was fully immersed in planning for the World Cup. In the press conference, he said that this period allowed the group to “dive into the philosophy the players are looking for in the Brazilian National Team.”“These three weeks of work allowed us to set aside, a little, all the competitions each of us has with our own teams and, in a way, dive into a philosophy we want to have on the field with the Brazilian National Team. Each one plays for a club, where they work in a certain way, and when you bring all that together, it’s not easy to arrive at a final product with a lot of coherence,” he said.The Canarinho has been in camp for the World Cup for 21 days, since May 27, the date the players reported to Granja Comary.Danilo during a press conference for the Brazilian National Team in New JerseyCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBFGoals for the World CupThe 34-year-old player also commented on the Brazilian National Team’s goals for the 2026 World Cup. According to him, the main objective in the group stage is to secure qualification for the next round.“When you enter a group stage where there are three opponents, you want to beat them. That is our goal: to qualify in first place. If we have to qualify in second and still have a path that leads to a happy ending, we don’t have to think about that. The focus is to qualify, get through this stage, improve our play every day, and strengthen the connection between us and what happens on the field. From there, opponents, logistics, all of that becomes secondary because we don’t control it, and it’s part of the journey,” he said.The Flamengo player assessed the current moment of the Canarinho and said that the Brazilian National Team “remains in the front row” of world football. He also stressed the importance of previous generations in building that status and said the current group’s goal is to “put one more star on the shirt.”“Brazil remains in the front row. Obviously, this wasn’t built by me or by the players who are here. There are a lot of people behind us who need to be respected, and they are the ones who built this status, these achievements, and these five stars we wear on our chest. Our duty is to try, as much as possible, to honor that. If we show great commitment, responsibility, and a spirit of sacrifice to put one more little star on the shirt, that would be wonderful,” added the National Team’s No. 13.Danilo during a press conference for the Brazilian National Team in New JerseyCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBFLessons learned from the opener against MoroccoDanilo also analyzed Brazil’s draw in the opener against Morocco. For him, the match was an opportunity for the team to take positive lessons and grow in the face of adversity.“The best way to grow is to face situations with realism and clarity. We are doing that very well. That first half (against Morocco) was below what the National Team can deliver. We can find different mechanisms, maybe defend deeper, accept that they will have more possession at times. That is also maturity, understanding the moment we are in,” he concluded.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

Auburn‘s recruiting momentum continued this week as the Tigers landed a commitment from Severn (Md.) DeMatha Catholic safety Knyair Crumb.The three-star chose Auburn after a recruitment that featured more than 20 scholarship offers and a final group that included several Power Four programs.The Tigers did not enter the picture early. In fact, Auburn wasn’t even part of Crumb’s original official visit plans.“It was definitely a little later in the process when Auburn got in,” Crumb told Rivals. “Auburn was not in my initial top four official visits. At the time, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Penn State and Syracuse were the top four.“Everything changed when Auburn offered. When they came in, that’s kind of one of the ones that got a little bit of pop to them. It was nothing but to have a conversation with my dad and my agent. They kind of gave me the logistics of everything, and it opened my eyes to what Auburn would have to offer.“Things changed quickly from there.”[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]The Tigers offered in the spring after defensive coordinator DJ Durkin visited DeMatha and defensive backs coach Tim Banks continued building the relationship.One phone call in particular left a lasting impression.“I remember I was at my cousin’s house when Coach Banks called me and offered me. I kind of gravitated towards him right then and there.“A lot of times coaches get on the phone and give you an hour talk before they throw the offer. With Coach Banks, it was five or 10 minutes and he got straight to the point. That’s kind of how I’m wired. He connected with me right away.”As Auburn continued recruiting him, the Tigers steadily climbed his board.By the time he arrived for his official visit, Crumb already had a strong feeling about where things were headed.“I would say Auburn definitely took the cake on the visit,” he said. “I planned to take all of my official visits, but I had a thing made up in my head that I did want to go there and play there,” Crumb said. “The official visit was needed to confirm things. I wanted to confirm the relationships I was feeling were real and that everything wasn’t just based off a high-emotion moment.”The visit accomplished exactly that.Rather than committing before leaving campus, Crumb took time to think about everything he experienced.“I came home, slept on it, and woke up the next day,” he said. “I couldn’t shake the feeling or what I felt. After that, I called Coach Golesh and told him for the next three to four years, I would like to play under him.”Three factors ultimately separated Auburn from the competition.“Opportunity, relationships and the stage were big in my decision. Being able to go down there and see it for myself was big,” Crumb said. “You can tell me everything you want on the phone, but until I see it, I can’t speak for myself.“When the bright lights go away and everything, you get down there and it’s real life and it’s back to football. What everyone told me, from the players to the coaches, it felt real. It felt like no matter what, I was going to get the best from the coaches.”The SEC also appealed to the Maryland standout.“I think what I have pent up in my head is SEC football,” Crumb said. “I feel like that’s the best of the best. It puts me on possibly the biggest stage in college football where I can compete against the best guys out there.”

PREVIEW | Scotland vs Morocco: team news, lineups, predictions (World Cup 19/06)Scotland and Morocco face each other this Friday at the Gillette Stadium of the World Cup. The match will be broadcast live at 23:00 on ITV 1.In their last game, Scotland won 0-1 against Haiti (World Cup 2026). In their last outing, Morocco drew 1-1 against Brazil (World Cup 2026).UnavailableEscóciaMarrocosLast starting XIsScotland ( vs Haiti 2026-06-14): Angus Gunn, Aaron Hickey, Jack Hendry, Grant Hanley, Andy Robertson, Ben Gannon-Doak, Lewis Ferguson, Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Che Adams, Lawrence ShanklandMorocco ( vs Brazil 2026-06-13): Yassine Bono, Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Chadi Riad, Noussair Mazraoui, Neil El Aynaoui, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Brahim Díaz, Bilal El Khannouss, Azzedine Ounahi, Ismael Saibari

It's the first of its kind for the brand. READ MORE...

Editor's note: Follow all World Cup matches live todayARLINGTON, TX — England’s two biggest names hopped on a World Cup trend Wednesday.Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham both found the back of the net in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia, becoming the latest big stars to immediately find success at the 2026 World Cup.Bayern Munich forward Kane’s double, with a goal from the penalty spot and another from an unmarked header after a corner kick, and Real Madrid man Bellingham’s winner, came less than 24 hours after Lionel Messi’s superb hat trick for Argentina against Algeria. That put him tied atop the all-time Men’s World Cup scoring charts, which Kylian Mbappe had climbed earlier June 16 with a pair of goals against Senegal. The same day, Man City forward Erling Haaland ripped off a pair of goals on five shots for Norway in a 4-1 victory over Iraq, putting fuel on the bonfire that is Norway's chances to be a dark horse in this competition.Harry Kane ties Gary Lineker as England’s all-time top goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/5vakSnehf9— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 17, 2026This is shaping up to be a World Cup of the stars. After concerns about fitness, fatigue and longevity for many familiar and beloved names, some of the global game’s top figures have started off the World Cup in stunning style, leading their teams to early victories that set up many of the favorites for potentially deep runs.To be fair, some of the biggest names in the sport also got off to strong starts in 2022. Bellingham helped England to a 6-2 win over Iran, Mbappe chipped in to France’s 4-1 win over Australia and Messi scored from the penalty spot, though the goal came in defeat to Saudi Arabia.There also are exceptions. Lamine Yamal made only a cameo as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury and wasn’t able to find a winning goal in Spain’s draw with Cape Verde. Earlier on Wednesday, Cristiano Ronaldo tried three shots but put none of them on target in Portugal’s draw with DR Congo.But even with the expanded World Cup field potentially leading to more moments where the sport’s top stars can shine, some of the performances have come against other strong squads. Kane and Bellingham did their damage against perennial late-stagers Croatia on Wednesday, while Mbappe got rolling against Senegal, the African champions (with the usual caveats here about the paperwork being done that may strip them of that title).Perhaps the tournament will shift from a World Cup of stars to a World Cup of load management in the next week or two. If France, Argentina and England sew up the top of their groups by winning a second game, managers surely will be tempted to rest their biggest stars ahead of the longest-ever World Cup knockout round.Yet, those contests also will provide opportunities for continual rhythm-building − or stat-padding if a star or team decide it’s worth chasing a Golden Boot at the potential expense of the golden trophy awarded at the end of the competition.Certainly, the World Cup is about the stories that bubble up from under the surface onto everyone’s radar: Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha becoming a social media star after his performance against Spain, the University of Kansas community saying, “Rock Chalk, Algeria!” as they host the North Africans, Curacao scoring in its World Cup debut, Europeans explaining Waffle House. Those are the stories that make up the narrative of the first week of the World Cup, when every qualified team still has a chance, and fans are getting to know some of the new faces.For now, though, it is still the first week of the tournament and it is the familiar faces who are already making it clear: The biggest names in the sport are chasing the biggest prize, and they’re not taking any time to start the hunt.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kane, Bellingham, Messi show 2026 World Cup belongs to the stars