Who is Tyler Bilodeau? Meet the Nets' newest draft pick from one of basketball's most athletic families originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Brooklyn Nets added another intriguing frontcourt prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft by selecting former UCLA standout Tyler Bilodeau. Bilodeau arrives in Brooklyn after steadily improving throughout a four-year college career split between Oregon State and UCLA. By the time he finished with the Bruins, he had developed into one of the Big Ten's most efficient forwards, averaging 17.6 points while shooting an impressive 51.8% from the field, 46.4% from three-point range and 87.3% from the free-throw line during his senior season.But basketball fans are just beginning to learn that Bilodeau comes from one of the most accomplished athletic families in the country.Tyler Bilodeau grew up in a professional sports familyProfessional sports have always been part of Bilodeau's life.His father, Brent Bilodeau, was selected 17th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1991 NHL Draft before spending more than a decade playing professional and semi-professional hockey. His mother, Cass Bauer-Bilodeau, enjoyed a successful professional basketball career, playing in both the American Basketball League (ABL) and the WNBA over seven seasons.It's no surprise, then, that Tyler grew up playing multiple sports. As a child, he played both hockey and basketball before ultimately deciding to focus on basketball full time. The influence of both parents helped shape his competitive approach, but his mother has had an especially meaningful impact on his career.In fact, Bilodeau changed his jersey number from No. 10 to No. 34 during his sophomore season at Oregon State to honor his mother, who wore No. 34 during her college career at Montana State and throughout her professional career."My mom is who I look up to," Bilodeau said during his time at Oregon State. "She's the reason I play basketball."Athletics run throughout the family. Tyler also has a twin brother, Jacob, and a younger sister, Alexa.MORE: Isaiah Stewart trade details: Grizzlies acquire rugged Pistons big man in deal for three second-round picksA breakout career at UCLABilodeau entered college as a three-star recruit at Oregon State before blossoming into one of the nation's top transfer forwards. After averaging 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds as a sophomore with the Beavers, he transferred to UCLA, where his offensive game reached another level.He led the Bruins in scoring during both of his seasons in Westwood, earning Third-Team All-Big Ten honors in both 2025 and 2026. His senior campaign was his best yet.Bilodeau averaged 17.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and shot an outstanding 46.4% from beyond the arc, leading the entire Big Ten in three-point percentage while also finishing among the conference leaders in overall field-goal percentage and free-throw shooting. The 6-foot-9 forward also demonstrated his ability to take over games, scoring a career-high 34 points against UC Riverside while recording three 30-point performances during his final collegiate season.What Bilodeau brings to BrooklynThe Nets are getting one of the draft's more polished offensive forwards. Bilodeau can stretch the floor, score inside, and has shown steady improvement every season since arriving in college. At 6-foot-9 with a reliable outside shot, he projects as a modern NBA forward capable of fitting alongside multiple frontcourt combinations.Just as importantly, Brooklyn is adding a player who understands what it takes to reach the professional level. Growing up with a former NHL first-round pick as a father and a former WNBA player as a mother, Bilodeau has been surrounded by elite athletes his entire life. Now he'll have the opportunity to continue that family tradition as he begins his NBA career with the Nets.More NBA news:Isaiah Stewart trade details: Grizzlies acquire rugged Pistons big man in deal for three second-round picksESPN just made a massive Darryn Peterson prediction that Jazz fans will loveRanking the 10 greatest moments of Giannis Antetokounmpo's legendary Bucks careerWhy Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards is suddenly in NBA trade rumorsThe same man who built Shaquille O'Neal's empire is helping shape AJ Dybantsa's future

Boston Celtics draft picks tracker 2026: Live results, grades, updates, list of selections and trades originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Boston Celtics could be in the headlines soon if the Jaylen Brown trade rumors continue.But amid all of that, the 2026 NBA Draft has arrived.It's both a chance for the Celtics to consider a Brown trade more fully, but also a chance to simply make their team better.Boston overachieved relative to expectations in 2025-26, but now hoped to be at full health in the season ahead, the Celtics will have high hopes.That puts pressure on a draft pick to be ready quickly or risk not playing at all.Below, we'll keep track of how the Celtics approach things on draft night.MORE: Giannis legacy with the Bucks remains intactBoston Celtics draft picks 2026Refresh for the latest.Who did the Celtics draft?The Celtics are making these picks:Round 1, Pick 27: Chris Cenac Jr. (Houston)Round 2, Pick 40: Dillon Mitchell (St. John's)Boston Celtics NBA Draft gradesRefresh for the latest.These are how Sporting News grades each of the Celtics' draft picks:Round 1, Pick 27: Chris Cenac Jr. - B+A lanky frontcourt player who can really shoot it, Cenac was a top-10 player in his class. He didn't quite shine at Houston, but he's got great offensive upside.Round 2, Pick 40: Dillon Mitchell - BThis a high-variance 'B' grade. If Mitchell scores at all, he can be a starter. If he doesn't -- and right now, he really can't -- then his defense and passing will have to be exceptional to keep him around. Boston Celtics NBA Draft updates, tradesRefresh for the latest.If the Celtics get involved in any action on draft night, we'll have details here.When is the NBA Draft?The NBA Draft begins with the first round on Tuesday, June 23.The second round will be on Wednesday, June 24.More NBA news:This is what a Timberwolves trade for Derrick White would look likeWarriors want Kawhi Leonard, but there's a problemHow Heat can unite Giannis with his brothersKnicks had a superstar opportunity but didn't go for it

Jake Fischer: Memphis is trading these same three second-round picks that the Grizzlies received from the Pistons last night, sources say, back to Detroit, in order to land Isaiah Stewart.x.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Memphis is trading these same three second-round picks …

Omari Sankofa II: Source confirms the Pistons have traded Isaiah Stewart, their longest-tenured player, to the Grizzlies. The three picks they’re getting back are the three they traded last night (2029 2nd that’s the second-best of Pistons, Knicks and Bucks, a 2031 Mavs 2nd and 2032 Pistons 2nd)x.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The three picks they’re getting back are the three …

The Detroit Pistons have reportedly traded center Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for three future second-round picks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.This breaking news story will be updated.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10677-3Porous polyacrylonitrile membranes—typically used as non-selective support layers—can be used to achieve effective molecular refining of crude oil at steady state, enabling substantial reductions in energy consumption, cooling water, and CO2 emissions compared with distillation processes.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10688-0AI models for medical diagnostics are vulnerable to membership inference attacks.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10684-4Ring laser gyroscope lock-in has been eliminated using spontaneous symmetry breaking in a He–Ne laser, enabling accurate near-zero rotation sensing without external components, improving miniaturization and precision.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10683-5Integrated pharmacological, biochemical, biophysical and structural analyses of small-molecule β-arrestin inhibitors show how they block β-arrestin engagement with activated GPCRs, revealing their mechanism of action and uncovering a previously unrecognized allosteric regulatory site.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10708-zA boron-stabilized oxide-strengthened tantalum alloy combines exceptional room-temperature ductility with record ultrahigh-temperature strength, enabling load-bearing applications above 2,000 °C.

Ms. Russini’s closeness to a coach, Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots, led to her breakup with The Athletic and its parent, The New York Times Company.

Tyler Nickel, formerly of Vanderbilt basketball, was selected in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2026 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks on June 24.Nickel, a onetime 4-star recruit, started his career at North Carolina and also played a year at Virginia Tech before heading to Vanderbilt for the 2024-25 season. He spent two seasons with the Commodores, and the best one for the 6-foot-7, 222-pounder came as a senior in 2025-26. The forward helped lead Vanderbilt to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, including an appearance in the second round in 2026.He is the first Vanderbilt player drafted since 2020.What Tyler Nickel brings to the TEAM in 2026 NBA DraftNickel projects as a role player at the NBA level. He brings excellent size and shooting as a career 39% 3-point shooter. Nickel is also efficient at scoring around the rim, though he was rarely asked to do that at Vanderbilt, and from the mid-range. He rarely turns the ball over or makes mistakes.Tyler Nickel highlights, strengths, weaknesses at VanderbiltNickel was one of 10 players in the SEC in 2025-26 to attempt at least 150 3-pointers and shoot at least 40% from deep. Of those players, Nickel's 275 3-point attempts were tied for the most.It is worth noting that Nickel provides limited shot creation, as 95% of his 3-pointers were assisted.Nickel also shot 75% at the rim and 47% on mid-range jumpers, so his scoring ability is not limited to beyond the arc.Nickel didn't have the ball in his hands often and rarely drove to the rim. He attempted just 36 layups and 59 free-throws all season. While he doesn't turn the ball over, he doesn't pass it out much either, recording 26 turnovers and 43 assists.During non-conference play, Nickel hit eight threes in a game twice within the span of eight days.All 🎱 @tnick_5 threes from Sunday 👀Dores to hit 8+ triples twice in a season:🔘 Shan Foster🔘 Tyler Nickel#AnchorDown⚓️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/aohzAFoz3J— Vanderbilt Men's Basketball (@VandyMBB) December 22, 2025Tyler Nickel stats at VanderbiltIn 2025-26, Nickel started all 36 games and played 30.6 minutes per game. He shot 44.5% from the field and 40% from three with an 84.7% free-throw percentage.He averaged 4.3 rebounds per game, most of which were defensive rebounds, as well as 1.6 assists, one steal and 0.7 blocks.In his career, which included two years at Vanderbilt plus one at North Carolina and one at Virginia Tech, Nickel had a 43.3% field-goal percentage, a 39.4% 3-point percentage and an 83.8% free-throw percentage.Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tyler Nickel of Vanderbilt basketball picked by New York Knicks in NBA Draft

The Pacers traded into the second round of the 2025 draft to get backcourt depth. Now they're trading the guard they got in that draft to get into the second round of the 2026 draft to get another point guardThe Pacers traded Kam Jones -- taken with the No. 38 pick in the 2025 draft after the Pacers acquired that selection from the Spurs -- to the Bulls along with two pick swaps for the No. 38 pick in the 2026 draft and used that selection to take Purdue All-American, Westfield High School star and 2022 Indiana Mr. Basketball Braden Smith. Smith led Purdue to Sweet 16s in each of his last three seasons and finished with an NCAA Division I record 1,103 career assists, 8.8 per game.The Pacers had hoped that Jones would be a fixture as a bench guard after he earned second-team All-America honors as a senior at Marquette, but a lower back injury derailed the early portion of his rookie season and the Pacers didn't see as much progress as they would have liked once he got on the floor. Jones averaged 4.4 points per game as a rookie on 40.2% shooting including 29.3% from 3-point range. He averaged 3.2 assists per game against 1.0 turnovers. In Smith, the Pacers get the shortest and lightest player who was invited to the NBA Draft Combine at 5-10 1/4, 166 pounds. However, they've seen in T.J. McConnell that undersized point guards can be effective, especially in a bench role. With McConnell now 34 years old, the Pacers have to expect they'll need to replace him in the rotation at some point and it's still helpful to have four point guard options on the roster.Like McConnell, Smith is limited in the defensive matchups he can take, but he can take ball-handlers at the point of attack and he's one of the best distributors in college basketball history. He can also get to the rim and shoot from outside so Smith can also brings points as a depth piece in the backcourt. He averaged 15.8 points per game as a junior and 14.3 per game as a senior, earning first-team All-America honors in each of those two seasons. By moving a current player off the books instead of just trading picks, the Pacers helped their financial situation and can keep a roster spot open for free agency. Smith will likely make close to the $2.1 million Jones was due in 2026-27, but this means the Pacers don't have to pay both players and inch closer to the first luxury tax apron. It would still help them to move more salary to get full access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but this at least doesn't chop into the salary flexibility they already have. Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers bet on Braden Smith’s playmaking in NBA Draft, move on from Kam Jones

The Pacers traded into the second round of the 2025 draft to get backcourt depth. Now they're trading the guard they got in that draft to get into the second round of the 2026 draft to get another point guardThe Pacers traded Kam Jones -- taken with the No. 38 pick in the 2025 draft after the Pacers acquired that selection from the Spurs -- to the Bulls along with two pick swaps for the No. 38 pick in the 2026 draft and used that selection to take Purdue All-American, Westfield High School star and 2022 Indiana Mr. Basketball Braden Smith. Smith led Purdue to Sweet 16s in each of his last three seasons and finished with an NCAA Division I record 1,103 career assists, 8.8 per game.The Pacers had hoped that Jones would be a fixture as a bench guard after he earned second-team All-America honors as a senior at Marquette, but a lower back injury derailed the early portion of his rookie season and the Pacers didn't see as much progress as they would have liked once he got on the floor. Jones averaged 4.4 points per game as a rookie on 40.2% shooting including 29.3% from 3-point range. He averaged 3.2 assists per game against 1.0 turnovers. In Smith, the Pacers get the shortest and lightest player who was invited to the NBA Draft Combine at 5-10 1/4, 166 pounds. However, they've seen in T.J. McConnell that undersized point guards can be effective, especially in a bench role. With McConnell now 34 years old, the Pacers have to expect they'll need to replace him in the rotation at some point and it's still helpful to have four point guard options on the roster.Like McConnell, Smith is limited in the defensive matchups he can take, but he can take ball-handlers at the point of attack and he's one of the best distributors in college basketball history. He can also get to the rim and shoot from outside so Smith can also brings points as a depth piece in the backcourt. He averaged 15.8 points per game as a junior and 14.3 per game as a senior, earning first-team All-America honors in each of those two seasons. By moving a current player off the books instead of just trading picks, the Pacers helped their financial situation and can keep a roster spot open for free agency. Smith will likely make close to the $2.1 million Jones was due in 2026-27, but this means the Pacers don't have to pay both players and inch closer to the first luxury tax apron. It would still help them to move more salary to get full access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but this at least doesn't chop into the salary flexibility they already have. Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers bet on Braden Smith’s playmaking in NBA Draft, move on from Kam Jones

Although it came a bit later than expected, Isaiah Evans, a former Duke Blue Devil for two seasons saw his NBA dreams come true Wednesday night, being selected No. 33 overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2026 NBA Draft.Although Evans made just three starts for Duke during his freshman season, the Fayetteville, NC., native came on strong in his sophomore campaign, averaging 15 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks. He also shot an impressive 36.1% from 3-point range, leading Duke in 3-pointers made during the 2025-26 season. For that reason, Evans was viewed as one of the stronger shooting prospects in the draft, especially toward the end of the first round. Now with the Nets for the 2026-27 season, Evans will need to prove himself worthy of extra minutes in Nets' rotation.This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Duke's Isaiah Evans lands with the Brooklyn Nets in 2026 NBA Draft

Take Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch off the NHL free agent list.Tuch, who had been the top available player, is going to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade deal. He will average $10.5 million in his eight-year contract. The Sabres get back a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and forward David Kampf.Tuch, 30, has three 30-goal seasons, including 33 goals this past season. His cap hit had been $4.75 million.It's the second major recent move by the Capitals, who acquired Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues and are deep on right wing.They still don't know if left wing Alex Ovechkin will return or retire, but one of the NHL all-time leading goal scorer's factors was whether the team would be competitive after missing the playoffs in 2025-26.This year's once-spectacular crop of free agents has been whittled down with Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin, Adrian Kempe, Kyle Connor, Evgeni Malkin, Darren Raddysh and now Tuch signing extensions.But there are intriguing names left on the board. Here's what to know about NHL free agency:When does NHL free agency open?The free agent market opens at noon ET on July 1.Who are the top NHL unrestricted free agents?10. Frederik Andersen, Carolina HurricanesThe goalie got the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Final before an injury kept him out for the final three games of Carolina's run. Current cap hit: $2.75 million.9. Patrick Kane, Detroit Red WingsThe 2007 No. 1 pick became the top U.S.-born scorer this past season. He has topped 50 points the last two seasons. Current cap hit: $3 million.8. Anders Lee, New York IslandersHe has been the Islanders' captain since 2018 and is usually good for 20-plus goals, though he had 19 in 2025-26. Current cap hit: $7 million.7. Mason Marchment, Columbus Blue JacketsHe struggled with the Seattle Kraken after his offseason trade, but his trade to Columbus revived his season with 32 points in 39 games. He's also an agitator. Current cap hit: $4.5 million.6. Anthony Mantha, Pittsburgh PenguinsHe's the third-highest-scoring player on the free agent list with 64 points after he signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh. Will a general manager be tempted to think he can do that again or look at his subpar production before that? Current cap hit: $2.5 million.5. Viktor Arvidsson, Boston BruinsThe forward bounced back from a couple subpar seasons and had 25 goals and 54 points after being traded to Boston. Current cap hit: $4 million.4. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida PanthersThe goalie won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles and owns two Vezina Trophies. He'll be 38 next season. Current cap hit: $10 million.3. Alex Ovechkin, Washington CapitalsThe NHL's all-time leading goal scorer is expected to either re-sign with the Capitals or retire. Otherwise, he'd lead the list. He scored 32 goals at age 40. Current cap hit: $9.5 million.2. Rasmus Andersson, Vegas Golden KnightsThe defenseman was traded to the Golden Knights this past season by the Flames. He can provide offense with one 50-point season and others topping 40 points, including 47 points in 2025-26. He had an average playoffs. Current cap hit: $4.55 million.1. John Carlson, Anaheim DucksCarlson, the Capitals' all-time leader in scoring among defensemen, was traded to the Ducks in a shocker. He totaled 60 points in 71 games. Current cap hit: $8 million.Others to watch: Mats Zuccarello, Boone Jenner, Brent Burns, Jacob TroubaThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Capitals acquire Alex Tuch in sign-and-trade deal with Sabres

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10599-0A Review of the immunological mechanisms of mRNA–lipid-nanoparticle vaccines for infectious diseases discusses how the components of this vaccine platform can be modified to fine-tune immune responses against challenging pathogens.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10647-9In Streptomyces spp., a conserved biosynthetic gene megacluster produces an arsenal of distinct antimicrobials that converge on bacterial biotin biosynthesis as a naturally evolved combination therapy.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10662-wOptical cooling in two-dimensional semiconductor heterostructures is demonstrated through phonon-assisted interfacial charge transfer, enabling cryogen-free thermal management without stringent quantum-efficiency requirements.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01803-2A temperature difference of more than 100 kelvin can be created between stacked layers of 2D material by irradiating them with laser light.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10702-5Using the parameter-free Angular Distribution of Pairwise Distances for measuring directional correlations, evidence is found for coherent anisotropic structures extending over gigaparsec scales, challenging the assumption that the Universe becomes statistically isotropic on sufficiently large scales.

TORONTO (AP) — Joey Loperfido scored the tiebreaking run on Jeff Hoffman's errant pickoff throw in the eighth inning and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Wednesday night for their sixth victory in eight games.Loperfido tripled off the center field wall with one out and scored when Hoffman’s pickoff throw sailed past third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. Okamoto was standing well wide of the base.Loperfido beat his former team Tuesday with a tiebreaking home run in the 11th inning of Houston’s 9-7 win.Hoffman (5-5) lost for the first time since May 30 at Baltimore.Isaac Paredes had an RBI double in the first and Jeremy Peña’s infield single scored an insurance run in the ninth as the Astros won with only four hits.Steven Okert (1-0) pitched one inning for the win and Josh Hader finished for his sixth save in six chances.Toronto’s Luis Urías hit a one-out single off Bryan King in the eighth and advanced on a passed ball. The threat ended when Urías got doubled off second base after Cam Smith made a leaping catch at the wall on George Springer’s deep drive.Houston’s Mike Burrows allowed one run and two hits in six innings. Nathan Lukes hit a one-out homer in the first but Toronto didn’t score again.Lukes’ homer was his third.Toronto starter Trey Yesavage allowed one run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings. Yesavage threw a career-high 105 pitches. He walked five and struck out five.Up nextAstros RHP Tatsuya Imai (4-3, 6.15 ERA) was scheduled to start at Detroit on Thursday against Tigers RHP Troy Melton (4-0, 2.56). Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (4-5, 4.04 ERA) was set to start Thursday against Texas RHP MacKenzie Gore (4-6, 4.07).__AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The ACC now spans from coast to coast and that’s led to some new wrinkles when discussing “local” recruiting.Stanford and Cal have to compete with high-profile programs outside the conference in the Golden State. North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest all often compete in intra-league recruiting battles every cycle.Which ACC schools are keeping things close in the 2027 cycle? Rivals takes a look at which recruiting classes are the closest to home on average: 1. SMUAverage Commit Distance: 101 milesIn-State: 86% Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 73It’s no surprise that SMU is keeping it close to the Lone Star State with its recruiting efforts. Rhett Lashlee and the Mustangs have just seven commits in their class to date, but they do all hail from Texas or Louisiana. Four-star WR Trey Haralson headlines as the No. 35 player in Texas, while four-star QB Malachi Zeigler is the No. 10 player in The Boot. Don’t expect SMU’s average commit distance to grow too much as it fleshes out its pledge list this summer and fall.2. LouisvilleAverage Commit Distance: 220 milesIn-State: 35%Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 27The 2027 cycle is a good one for talent in the Bluegrass State and Jeff Brohm’s program is taking advantage. There’s six in-state commits in Louisville’s class thus far and they are all top-20 players in the state overall. Four-star CB Allen Evans is atop the haul, checking in as the No. 2 player in Kentucky and No. 17 corner nationally. Additionally, five prospects from Ohio are in the Louisville class, including four-star athlete D’Angelo White and high three-star WR Chuck Alexander Jr.3. VirginiaAverage Commit Distance: 223 milesIn-State: 58%Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 63Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers currently have 12 commits this cycle and seven are inside the Old Dominion. Three-star QB Lonnie Andrews III highlights that crew, checking in as the No. 16 player in the state. Virginia has held his commitment since October. Andrews, EDGE Camden Chalkley, safety Derek Fisher and safety Zayvon Miller are all top-20 in-state prospects. Florida, the Carolinas, Maryland and Georgia are states also featured in the UVA haul, as of June 24. 4. Georgia TechAverage Commit Distance: 225 milesIn-State: 56%Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 24Leaning on being close to a wealth of high school talent in the Southeast, Brent Key and Georgia Tech have already landed essentially a full class. There’s 25 commits in the mix and 23 of them hail from Georgia, Florida or Alabama. Four-star OT Joshua Sam-Epelle, the No. 16 player in Georgia, is the Yellow Jackets’ top in-state pledge. Four-star RB Moonie Gipson and four-star EDGE Justin Weeks are among the other touted Peach Staters that are planning to head to The Flats next year.5. Florida StateAverage Commit Distance: 281 milesIn-State: 33%Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 41Mike Norvell and his staff in Tallahassee are starting to find some recruiting momentum this summer, and to no surprise, they are closing the deal with some key local targets. Of the 12 commits in Florida State’s class to date, nine are from Florida or Georgia. That includes four-star safety Jernard Albright, a top-200 prospect who flipped from South Carolina earlier this month. Four-star EDGE Anthony Cavallaro, the No. 36 player in Florida, has been committed since the end of January and remains the top in-state commit in the class.ACC Average Commit Distance Nos. 6-176. Clemson — 297 miles7. Wake Forest — 434 miles8. Duke — 552 miles9. Syracuse — 557 miles10. Cal — 588 miles11. Miami — 605 miles12. Virginia Tech — 620 miles13. Boston College — 633 miles14. Pitt — 667 miles15. North Carolina — 698 miles16. NC State — 731 miles17. Stanford — 1,264 miles

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark left Wednesday’s game in the third quarter with a back injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.She subbed out with 5:15 left in the frame.Clark finished with 19 points and eight assists in 20 minutes. Her abbreviated night snapped her WNBA record of six straight games with at least 20 points and five assists.Clark, a two-time All-Star, has missed one game this season due to a sore back, which was a 90-73 victory over the Portland Fire on May 20. In the 13 games since, Clark had been listed as probable on the Fever’s injury report due to her back. She temporarily left the season opener multiple times with a back issue as well, saying afterward she was receiving adjustments.This article originally appeared in The Athletic.Indiana Fever, WNBA2026 The Athletic Media Company

Alex Kennedy: The Pistons will try to go big-game hunting after the Isaiah Stewart trade, per @WindhorstESPN on ESPN's draft broadcast. He said Detroit was going to make a run at Austin Reaves before the Lakers locked him up. He mentioned Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James as possible targets.x.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: He said Detroit was going to make a run at Austin …

The 49ers have considered relocation to a new practice facility. Let the jokes and conspiracy talks fly, but San Francisco isn't exploring a new practice site for those assumed reasons of a nearby electrical substation causing injuries to players.49ers CEO Al Guido said in an interview with The Athletic's Vic Tafur that San Francisco can spend as much money as it wants on coaches and support staff for players, as well as renovation of the team’s facilities"You want to give yourself the best hand," Guido said.Tafur reported that the San Francisco is "exploring a possible nearby relocation" because the team is running out of space at Levi’s Stadium and neighboring land.More: George Kittle defends Kyle Shanahan, says critics are 'not the smartest'The discussed move for their practice venue allegedly has nothing to do with a conspiracy theory that a nearby electrical substation is causing injuries to 49ers players.Despite finishing with a 12-5 record in the 2025 season, San Francisco suffered injury blows — many of which were tendon and ligament tears — to key players throughout the season, including Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams and Fred Warner.The hypothesis, though not scientifically proven true, has since gone viral on social media.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: 49ers consider new practice facility, want more space away from Levi's Stadium

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01952-4Researchers who study what divides people also have the tools to explore strategies to unite them.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10674-6A deep-learning model trained on electrocardiogram (ECG) waveforms identifies an easily visible biomarker that predicts sudden cardiac death more accurately than the current clinical state of the art.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01804-1Soil bacteria make cocktails of molecules that synergistically inhibit the growth of microbial pathogens — suggesting a strategy for tackling antibiotic-resistant infections.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10698-yHigh-resolution spatial transcriptome analysis of a human embryo at Carnegie stage 6 reveals three distinct developmental trajectories from the epiblast towards amnion, primitive streak and axial mesoderm, and detects the initiation of haematopoiesis before gastrulation, originating from hypoblast rather than epiblast.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01896-9An inexpensive, porous polymer membrane helps to separate raw crude oil, without heat or selective coating. Heavy hydrocarbons self-assemble inside the pores to create channels that are likely to be less than 2 nanometres wide, enriching the resulting permeate mix into light, ‘naphtha range’ hydrocarbons with 30% less energy cost and carbon dioxide emissions than conventional distillation.

Japan believe they have cracked the code to becoming a football superpower and it has everything to do with joy. Four years ago the JFA released a manifesto outlining exactly how they plan to win the World Cup by 2050. As hosts, no less. The strategy is filled with the familiar ingredients of pyramid graphics and bullet points, mentions of synergy and talent identification, but the headline that sets The Japan Way apart arrives on the first page.“To become the happiest country in the world through football.”Smiles on the Japanese players’ faces are hardly a rare sight (Reuters)It is an outcome so fantastical that most first-time readers of the 58-page blueprint will stifle a smirk but there is a bit more to it than players having a smile on their face – even if that is a very common sight. The language used throughout is often repetitive and vague. Two of the half dozen keys to their defensive strategy are “play proactively” and have a “proactive mentality.” One of the six tenets to their attacking vision is to “decide the match with getting the goal.”Yet beneath the LinkedIn labels is the recipe for a front-footed, positive style that is beginning to pay increasingly handsome dividends and force even the most hardened cynic into wondering if they may well be on to something.Hajime Moriyasu’s team arrived in North America buoyed by beating Brazil and deservedly bettering England at Wembley in friendlies. Against Thomas Tuchel’s rotated team, they were canny, tenacious and ruthless. “Well-drilled,” was Tuchel’s description, though The Japan Way prefers to describe it as “seamless transition in attack and defence.”Japan impressively beat England ahead of the World Cup (Getty)In the opening two games of a group that looked difficult even before several key players were ruled out through injury pre-tournament, they have followed the prescription and look well set to advance before a meeting with Sweden in Dallas at 12am BST on Friday.On and off the ball, the priority is speed. Defending? Pressure fast to win the ball back. Attacking? Use quick thinking and passing to get the forwards into a shooting position in the fewest seconds possible. It is great fun but energy-sapping to watch; it must be equally enjoyable and exhausting to execute.Deep within the strategy is a breakdown of every position on the pitch and the key characteristics Japan internationals of the future must have. There is also recognition of their present weaknesses – a lack of height compared to many opponents – and proposed solutions to ensure the perception that “Japan as physically weak is a thing of the past.” Speed, in both physical and mental sense, is repeated over and over and over but it is far from a case of pace. “What is more important is ‘when, where, and how to utilise that speed?’”And while they are benefitting from having a squad with an increasing proportion of players who perform in Europe’s big leagues, there is also recognition of the need to be dynamic and diversify as the game develops and trends shift.Moriyasu has been in charge since August 2018 and has defined the current squad's style of play. (Reuters)Moriyasu, approaching eight years as head coach having been assistant before that, has built his team into a 3-4-3 with a major emphasis on the wing-backs – yet there is no commitment to a specific formation in the wider strategy and the next manager is free to reshape things once a code of etiquette is adhered to and the principles of speed remains.“We firmly oppose the stance of pursuing the [idea of] winning at all costs,” their guide to an ideal coach states. “We believe that true victory lies in enhancing the elements necessary to enrich one's life while striving for success.”Instead Moriyasu has taken a slightly different approach to how his team is developing. “We are resolved to become better than we are now at all costs and pave the way for the future,” he said before the tournament started. “As winning is important in the world of soccer, we will accumulate wins. In the best scenario, we will grow by winning.”What success looks like this summer was obvious from the outset. This may be a seventh consecutive World Cup but Japan are yet to win a knockout tie. To reach the last 16 here would represent progress for a team that, alongside Morocco, now appear the most obvious candidate to become the first non-European or South American nation to become world champions.Japan have looked good so far in North America but winning a knockout match is the real aim (Getty)“We are happy when we find our own way to enjoy playing, watching, or being involved in football. We are happy when we support an attractive national team as they compete on the world stage,” reads the conclusion page of The Japan Way, although the sign-off reiterates how idealism is matched by unwavering ambition.“We shall join the ranks of nations possessing a rich football culture capable of genuinely aspiring to World Cup victory. We shall consistently be among the favourites in the World Cup title race, nurturing and sharing this joy with ever more people.”They are not there quite yet but few should be surprised if they reach nirvana.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Natasha Howard had 21 points and a season-high 15 rebounds, Olivia Miles scored 10 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter, and the Minnesota Lynx rallied from a 12-point deficit Wednesday night to beat the Washington Mystics 78-76. Kayla McBride made five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points for the Lynx (14-4). Miles hit a step-back jumper that cut Minnesota’s deficit to a point with 3:32 to play. After a Mystics timeout, the Lynx forced a shot-clock violation before Miles fed Howard for a wide-open layup that made it 72-71 — Minnesota’s first lead since 17-16 — and hit a 3 with 1:07 remaining that made it 78-74. McBride hit the last of her four first-half 3-pointers with 1.1 seconds left in the second quarter to make it 40-all at halftime, but the Lynx made just 3 of 16 (19%) from the field in the third and trailed 65-53 with seven minutes to play. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve has 378 career wins, one behind Mike Thibault for most in WNBA history. Washington (8-8) had won their last three.Sonia Citron led the Mystics with 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Kiki Iriafen had 13 points and 11 rebounds, her fifth double-double this season, and Shakira Austin added 11 points and 16 rebounds. Washington beat the Lynx 84-79 in Minneapolis on Sunday. Up nextLynx: Visit Dallas on Sunday. Mystics: Play Friday at Connecticut. ___AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JUNE 10: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (12) runs through a drill during the Indianapolis Colts Minicamp on June 10, 2026 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images This offseason has marked a stark contrast to years past, because there are a number of starting positions up for grabs regarding the Indianapolis Colts–whereas typically, there’s usually only been one or two under general manager Chris Ballard, who’s admittedly wanted more open competition throughout his entire roster. The Colts didn’t make a ton of external noise this offseason, as their biggest moves were re-signing both starting quarterback Daniel Jones and lead wide receiver Alec Pierce to lucrative multi-year deals, as well as trading a pair of longtime veteran pillars to other NFL teams: Michael Pittman Jr. (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Zaire Franklin (Green Bay Packers). However, there was one under-the-radar veteran pickup at wide receiver, which it’s worth highlighting here, the Colts starting outside WR2 position opposite Pierce is currently up for grabs. The Favorite: Nick Westbrook-IkhineThe 29-year-old former Indiana University standout was signed to a modest 1-year, $1.402M deal, as he looks to rebound from a quiet sole season with the Miami Dolphins in 2025. Specifically, Westbrook-Ikhine caught just 11 receptions for 89 total receiving starts during 15 games (3 starts) this past season for the Dolphins before being released in mid-February of this year. However, the 6,2″, 211 pound wideout is just a year removed from a breakout 2024 season for the Colts’ rival Tennessee Titans, in which he recorded 32 receptions for 497 total receiving yards and 9 touchdown receptions in 17 games (9 starts). That earned him a short-lived 2-year, $6.5 million contract from Miami back in mid-March of 2024 before his recent offseason release. Like the man, he’ll be helping to replace, Pittman Jr., Westbrook-Ikhine is a pretty big bodied wideout himself, with reliable hands, who’s a consistent red zone threat and willing run blocker along the outside. The Challenger: Ashton DulinSimilarly to Westbrook-Ikhine, Dulin is another former undrafted free agent, only he was originally signed by the Colts back in the 2019 offseason coming out of Division II Malone University. Since then, Dulin has worked his way on the Colts’ active 53-man roster as a core special teams player, where he continues to add a lot of versatility and value to the club as a gunner, speed demon, and kick returner. However, he’s only continued to improve and get better, as he’s even worked his way on the field with the Colts first-team offense as a rotational wideout in more recent years–even making 2 starts each of the past two seasons for the Horseshoe. This past season he had 5 receptions for 106 total receiving yards (21.2 ypr. avg) in 12 games. Outlook: It’ll be interesting to see if one of Westbrook-Ikhine or Dulin can win the starting outside WR2 outright by separating from the other, or whether this will ultimately end up being more of a ‘wide receiver-by-committee approach’ throughout 2026 with rookie 7th round diminutive speedster Deion Burks even getting some deep looks or wide receiver screen/gadget opportunities situationally. Make no mistake about it, Pittman Jr. leaves some big shoes to fill for the Colts wide receiver room next season. Even though Pittman Jr.’s receiving production no longer matched his increasingly large salary cap hit (which is why he was traded to Pittsburgh), he still did a lot of the little things that helped the Colts offense out there. As the initial frontrunner headed into Colts camp, Westbrook-Ikhine from a playing style perspective, can help do some of the little things that Pittman Jr. did so well that didn’t show up on the box score–albeit at a discounted and likely lesser rate. Meanwhile, Dulin’s been here long enough to not exactly bet against him–only continuing to stick and improve. The Colts will likely also be looking to both slot wideout Josh Downs and 2nd-year tight end Tyler Warren to replace the lost receiving production from Pittman Jr. with bigger roles from each this upcoming campaign.

😎​ Blessed World Cup! The world's best are inspiredTwo of the greatest footballers of all time and three players tipped to dominate the new generation completed a run of braces in the span of just 72 hours. The opening day of the week began with a simultaneous triple impact. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland took to the pitch inspired and each scored a brace in their respective matches.The goalscoring baton was then picked up by the Portuguese legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was not to be outdone and added his own brace to the tournament’s historic tally.The finishing touch to the sequence came from the Brazilian, Vinícius Júnior, who sealed the final brace in this unbelievable chain of goals.Seeing Messi, CR7, Mbappé, Haaland, and Vini Jr. all hit such an extraordinary peak of form in the same week is something to savor.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 21: Derek Hill #49 of the Philadelphia Phillies meets with teammate Brandon Marsh #16 prior to the game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, June 21, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images In Sam Raimi’s 2009 horror flick Drag Me To Hell, a woman makes a mistake at work and is eventually condemned to eternal damnation for it. This is highly relatable for the Nationals’ bullpen arms, wh0 made a mistake at work and were sentenced to hell for it. Well, surrendering a pinch-hit go-ahead homer to a team down to their final strike isn’t quite hell, but it’s close enough; I’m fairly certain Dante mentioned it somewhere in his Inferno, somewhere between the guy who’s eternally having his head bitten and the guys who are eternally trees. But before the drama of a last-ditch comeback repeated, a less appealing narrative recurred: Aaron Nola’s struggles with the long ball continued, as Luis García Jr. took a sinker that hung up in the middle of the zone to center for a 1-0 Washington lead in the first. An inning later, Jorbit Vivas took a curveball that did the same and did the same. 2-0, Nationals. Meanwhile, the Phillies struggled through three against opener Carson Palmquist, putting only one baserunner aboard in the form of Brandon Marsh, who promptly got picked off.Marsh was also the Phillies’ second baserunner, singling up the middle to lead off the fourth. Afterwards, Palmquist’s opening job was over, and Miles Mikolas took his turn. He quickly found trouble. Alec Bohm reached safely on a grounder when Nasim Nuñez booted it, and Bryson Stott hit a fly ball that found its way over James Wood’s head in right for a double. The Phillies had their first run of the night. They had their second on a sacrifice fly from J.T. Realmuto, and their third on a single from Gabriel Rincones Jr. Nola kept the good vibes going with a three up, three down fourth. Only a potential injury to Bohm, who came up limping while running the bases on the fourth, still needled the Phillies, and given that he remained in the game, this turned out not to be a big issue. The Nationals seemed like they might have a big issue though: the pitching of Mikolas, who gave up singles to Trea Turner and Marsh in the fifth. He fought his way through it without further damage, but the tilt of the game still seemed to favor the Phillies. Kyle Backhus took over in the sixth, with Nola’s final line standing at 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K. Backhus faced the minimum of three, getting two out and allowing a baserunner, and was pulled for Jonathan Bowlan as Don Mattingly played the matchup game, pitting righty against righty. It did not go as planned. The first pitch to Curtis Mead went flying into deep left, towards the foul pole, remaining fair and ending the Phillies’ lead. José Alvarado took the seventh. He got the first two batters out, but faced trouble with José Tena, who hit a shallow fly to left that Marsh dove for and missed. The result was a triple. CJ Abrams was up next; the duel between him and Alvarado saw a quartet of fouled off 3-2 pitches , and finally a walk. But Alvarado got the next batter out to keep the deficit at one. But the Phillies offense remained stagnant, unable to put a runner aboard in the eighth. Seth Johnson was tasked with the ninth and keeping the game within reach of more last-ditch heroics. A simple 1-2-3 inning set the Phillies up well for the sequel to yesterday’s fireworks. Realmuto, Rincones, Jr. and Edmundo Sosa were the trio tasked with setting them off. Their opponent was Orlando Ribalta. He shares his name with the great knight of both myth and history (also known as Roland); unfortunately for the Phillies, the game took place at Nationals Park and not Roncevaux Pass. Realmuto grounded out, Rincones Jr. struck out. But then, high drama: Kyle Schwarber, who was left out of the starting lineup thanks to back tightness, was called in to pinch hit for Sosa. He took the first pitch for a ball, swung and missed at the second, took the third, but saw it called for a strike. Once more, the Phillies were down to their final strike. A poorly-advised challenge from Nationals backstop Drew Mills on ball 3 brought some levity to the proceedings, but soon enough it was tense again. He fouled off some pitches, one of which got enough air to stop some hearts, momentarily. He ended up walking, bringing Garrett Stubbs to the plate as a pinch-hitter, and as the winning run. But he didn’t stay there long: the Nationals swapped pitchers (to Richard Lovelady, less useful for references to epic poems) , Stubbs was swapped to the pinch-runner role, and Derek Hill got the call to bat. When the Phillies traded for him, I noted that whoever got the first recap in which he did something notable would get the glory of the Running Up That Hill pun title. Last night, writing the question of the day post, I got impatient and wasted the pun on the subhead. As Hill sent a poorly-placed fastball over the wall in right-center, I sincerely regretted this. Thank god Kyle Schwarber had been more patient than me. Once more, the Phillies had gone down to their last strike and struck back. Thus, Jhoan Duran was called in to bring it home. He did, with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of strikeouts. The final strike was a close one on the corner; the Nationals challenged. Or tried to. They were out of challenges, and so all they had was a plaintive head-tap. The Phillies had crested the Hill, and found victory on the other side. The Phillies are 44-36. They’ll conclude the series against the Nationals tomorrow at 6:45.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10681-7A versatile platform of miniaturized Fourier-optics-based diffractive elements enables multifunctional pixels that fully control and sense the amplitude, phase and polarization of optical wavefronts for advanced photonic applications.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10810-2Role of methanesulfonic acid in atmospheric particle nucleation and growth

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01958-yFrom AI to biotechnology, today’s scientific breakthroughs raise ethical and social challenges that technical expertise alone cannot solve.

Nature, Published online: 24 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10813-zAuthor Correction: cBAF complex components and MYC cooperate early in CD8+ T cell fate

Nature, Published online: 23 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02029-yThe space agency will lift the orbit of a falling satellite by around 200 kilometres. Plus, Europe’s efforts to take on the US and China as a science superpower and the narcissism of bosses who want to nix remote working.

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 12: Florida State Seminoles guard Lajae Jones (10) during the ACC Men's basketball tournament between the Florida State Seminoles and the Duke Blue Devils on March 12, 2026 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The first NBA Draft pick of the Luke Loucks era is off the board, as LaJae Jones was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 54th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Jones was on the bubble of getting drafted, but with a smaller prospect pool than usual, the Warriors decided to pick up the 22-year-old in day two of the NBA Draft.From Florida State to the Bay!@cartainc || #DubsDraftpic.twitter.com/AgzwXxfp6r— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 25, 2026Jones’ draft pick is a success story for both him and Loucks. He transferred to Florida State for his senior year after spending his junior campaign at St. Bonaventure. Initially, his 25-26 season started off rocky, as he struggled to get his shot to fall and make an impact on both sides of the floor. However, as the Seminoles righted the ship, Jones was at the forefront of the turnaround. His offensive rebounding shifted the dynamic on the glass for FSU, and his defensive tenacity helped Florida State shut down opponents in the second half of the year. With improved play on both sides of the court, his shooting picked up, and Jones finished in double figures in 11 of the Noles’ final 12 games of the season. For Loucks, he campaigned on the fact that he could get college players into the NBA after spending all of his time coaching in the professional ranks, and Jones is proof of concept. He developed Jones from a streaky shooter with a low chance of being drafted into a versatile wing who can guard multiple positions and provide value to an NBA franchise. Certainly, it did not hurt that Loucks began his coaching career with Golden State, but turning a mid-major transfer into an NBA draft pick in year one of the Loucks era is another feather in his cap. Jones is FSU’s only player drafted in 2026, and follows Jamir Watkins who was picked by the Washington Wizards in the secound round last year.Jones’ bio from Seminoles.comHONORS2026 All-ACC Tournament Second TeamON JONESThe second official commitment to Luke Locks and his Florida State staff…entered the NCAA transfer portal on March 24, 2025 and committed to Florida State on March 31, 2025…has one year of eligibility remaining as he plays the 2025-26 season under Loucks and his staff at Florida State…In 2024 Jones was named as a Second-Team All-American and led Barton Community College to the NJCAA National Championship in his only season at the Kansas-based school…played at Barton – the same school his father, Jackie, stared at, during his illustrious college career…his father was enshrined in the Barton Community College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024 – the same year Lajae led Barton to the national championship in basketball…an exceptional athlete who is very versatile…has a natural ability to score the basketball, is a tenacious defender, and has the ability to stretch the floor giving him strong abilities at all three levels…a natural lefthander with a disruptive wing span…a talented passer with an incredible ability to find his teammates for easy buckets on the offensive end of the court…the most important part of his high basketball IQ is said to be in his shot selection…his passing ability leads to extra passes, which in, turn leads to easier baskets for his teammates and more points for his team…displayed his athletic ability as a wide receiver on the Fletcher High School football team.AS A SENIOR (2026) (AT FLORIDA STATE) Earned All-ACC Tournament Second Team honors as he averaged 21.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games against Cal and No. 1 ranked Duke…totaled a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds in Florida State’s first exhibition game of the season against Alabama (Oct. 16)…tied for the team-high with 15 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 2 steals in Florida State’s 88-54 exhibition game win over Florida A&M (Oct. 26)…scored 18 points with a team-high 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in Florida State’s 108-76 win over Alcorn State in the 2025-26 season opener for both teams (Nov. 4)…scored a game-high 20 points with 6 rebounds and 1 assist in the Seminoles’ 101-64 win over Alabama State at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Nov. 7)…totaled 12 points with 5 rebounds and 3 steals in Florida State’s 87-73 win over UT Martin at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Nov. 18)…scored his career high of 36 points in Florida State’s victory over Georgia State at the Donald L. Tucker Center…tied the all-time school record with 10 3-point field goals made on a school-record 21 3-point shot attempts…his single-game 3-point shots made record tied Seminole Hall of Famer George McCloud, who made 10 3-point field goals against La Salle during the 1988-89 season (Nov. 21)…an all-around night with 5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocked shots, and 1 steal in Florida State’s 89-59 win over CSU Bakersfield (Nov. 25)…totaled 3 points with 5 rebounds and 1 blocked shot against Texas A&M at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa (Nov. 28)…scored 12 points with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in Florida State’s game against No. 7/8 Houston in the Houston Hoops Showdown at the Toyota Center in Houston (Dec. 6)…finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots in the Orange Bowl Classic against UMass (Dec. 13)…scored in double figures with 14 points and a team-high 8 rebounds against Dayton at the University of Dayton Arena (Dec. 16)…totaled 10 points with 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot in Florida State’s 87-63 win over Jacksonville in Tallahassee (Dec. 22)…scored in double figures with 10 points in his first career ACC game as he totaled 10 points with 5 rebounds and 1 assist against No. 12/12 North Carolina at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC (Dec. 30)…scored 7 points with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 blocked shot in Florida State’s 91-87 loss to No. 5/6 Duke at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Jan. 3)…in double figures with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in Florida State’s game against NC State at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Jan. 10)…scored 13 points with a team-high 7 rebounds and 2 steals on the road in ACC play at Syracuse (Jan. 13)…totaled seven points, a game-high 10 rebounds, and 1 blocked shot in Florida State’s game against Wake Forest in Tallahassee (Jan. 17)…his first Florida State double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds included a career-high tying 12 rebounds and 4 3-point field goals made against SMU on the road in ACC play (Jan. 24)…totaled 9 points, a team-high 8 rebounds, 2 blocked shots, 1 assist, and 1 steal in Florida State’s 63-61 win over Cal in the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee (Jan. 28)…scored 18 points with a team-high 5 rebounds and 2 assists in Florida State’s 88-80 win over Stanford at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee (Jan. 31)…scored 11 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists in Florida State’s 82-79 win over Notre Dame on the road in ACC play (Feb. 7)…a game-high 21 points with a career-high and game-high 13 rebounds to go along with 2 steals in Florida State’s 61-58 loss to No. 15 at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee (Feb. 10)…scored 17 points with 7 rebounds and a career-high tying 3 blocked shots in Florida State’s 92-69 win over Virginia Tech on the road in ACC play (Feb. 14).. .scored 10 points with 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot in Florida State’s victory over Boston College at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Feb. 17)…totaled 13 points with a career-high tying 3 blocked shots and 3 rebounds in Florida State’s 70-65 win over No 24 Clemson on the road in ACC play (Feb. 21)…scored 21 points with 3 blocked shots and 2 rebounds against Miami in Tallahassee (Feb. 24)…scored 4 points with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in Florida State’s 80-71 victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta (Feb. 28)…scored 18 points with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 blocked shot in Florida State’s 75-74 victory over Pitt on the road in ACC play (March 4)…scored 12 points with 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists in Florida State’s 91-78 win over SMU in Tallahassee (March 7)…scored 15 points with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and a game-high 3 steals in Florida State’s victory over Cal in the second round of the ACC Tournament at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte (March 11)…totaled a team-high 28 points with 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 blocked shot in Florida State’s 90-89 loss to No. 1 Duke in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte (March 12)…AS A JUNIOR (2025) (AT ST. BONAVENTURE)Averaged 10.8 points (fifth on the team), 5.8 rebounds (second), 1.5 steals (second), and 0.8 blocked shots per game (second) while shooting .458 percent from the field. .389 percent from the 3-point line and .800 percent from the free throw line…a starter on St. Bonaventure’s NIT team in 2025…started a career-high 33 games including each of the final 32 games of the season…in the starting lineup for St. Bonaventure in each game from November 13 against Florida Gulf Coast through the Bonnies final game of the season against Kent State in the NIT…averaged a near double-double of 14.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in two games during the Atlantic 10 tournament in Washington, D.C. as the Bonnies defeated Duquesne before falling to VCU in the quarterfinals of the tournament…averaged in double figures in 18 Atlantic 10 games…scored in double-figures in 20 of his 32 appearances with his career-high coming against La Salle (Jan. 11) and against Duquesne (Feb. 22)…totaled 23 or more points in three games: 24 against La Salle (Jan. 11), 24 against Duquesne (Feb. 22), and 23 against Dayton (Jan. 28)…totaled two double-doubles with 16 points and 10 rebounds at Fordham (Jan. 4) and 10 points and 10 rebounds in the Atlantic 10 Tournament against VCU (March 14)…career-high of 12 rebounds at Davidson included a career-high six offensive and six defensive rebounds (March 8)…double figure rebounds came against three opponents: 12 at Davidson, 10 at Fordham (Jan. 10), and 10 against VCU in the Atlantic 10 Tournament (March 14)…his career-high with five steals against Duquesne (Feb. 22) and totaled 12 steals in a three-game stretch against Duquesne (five steals), at St. Joe’s (four steals), and against UMass (three steals)…averaged 4.0 steals during the three game run of games…totaled at least one blocked shot in 18 different games…his career-high of three blocked shots came at Bucknell (Dec. 4) and against UMass (Feb. 5)…named as the St. Bonaventure Player of the Game in the Bonnies victory over Niagara with 16 points and 8 rebounds (Dec. 21)..chose St. Bonaventure over Memphis, Oral Roberts, and Stephen F. Austin.AS A SOPHOMORE (2024) (AT BARTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE)Averaged 15.4 points (first on the team) and 9.2 rebounds (first) while shooting .540 from the field (first) and .747 from the free throw line (sixth) in his one season at Barton Community College in Great Bend, Ks…led Barton to a 34-3 record – a record that included a 27-game winning streak – as he led the Cougars to the national junior college championship…earned All-American Second-Team honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association in 2024…a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds for Barton in its national championship victory over Triton College (March 30)…the NJCAA Championship was the first in the history of the program…also named to the Region VI/KJCCC (Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference) First Team…earned KJCCC Player of the Week honors four times and NJCAA National Player of the Week honors once…the leading scorer Barton (Ks.) Community College with a near double-double scoring and rebounding…named as the Most Valuable Player of the NJCAA Division I Tournament (winning the William French Most Valuable Player Award), named to the to the NJCAA Division I All-Tournament team and earned All-American Second Team honors…named as the MVP of the NJCAA National Championship tournament in leading Barton the junior college national championship…totaled a double-double of 14 points in leading Barton over Triton College for the junior college national championship in Hutchinson, Ks…the Cougars’ victory over Triton in the NJCAA national championship game was their 27th consecutive victory in a steak that began on December 2, 2023 with a 65-61 win at Butler Community College and ran through their 88-73 win over Triton for the title…considered to be the top transfer from the junior college ranks following his one season at Barton…chose St. Bonaventure over Memphis, Colorado State, and USF…was as the No. 7 ranked junior college player in 2024 as he chose to transfer to junior college…played in and started all 37 games for the Cougars…averaged 26.7 minutes played per game…scored in double figures in 32 of 37 games and totaled team-high 571 total points…totaled a team-high 342 rebounds and totaled double figure rebounds in a team high 17 games…totaled a team-high 15 double-doubles including double-doubles of 25 points and 15 rebounds against Cloud Community College (Nov. 26, 2023), 23 points and 15 rebounds against Coffeyville Community College (Feb. 17, 2024) and 26 points and 17 rebounds against Dodge City Community College (Feb. 28, 2024)…his junior college career-high of 30 points came in his debut Barton debut as he made 12 of 17 field goals including six of seven 3-point field goals in the Cougars’ 93-58 season-opening victory over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College…Scored 20 or more points in a team-leading eight different games…Scored 30 points against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, 26 against Dodge City Community College (Feb 28, 2024), 25 at Cloud Community College (Nov. 26, 2023), 25 against Indian Hills Community College (March 28, 2024), 23 against Independence Community College (Nov. 18, 2023), 23 against Coffeyville Community College (Feb. 17, 2023), 23 against Butler Community College (March 15, 2024) and 21 against McPherson College (Nov. 6)…ranked 10th in NJCAA Region VI in scoring with his 15.4 points per game scoring average.AS A FRESHMAN (2023) (AT TARLETON STATE)Averaged 3.6 points (11th on the team) and 1.4 rebounds (10th) while shooting .571 from the field (first) in 10 games played during his first collegiate season…averaged 6.1 minutes played per game…totaled his season-high of 13 points in his first career game against Kansas Christian (Nov. 10)…was six of eight from the field and made his only free throw against the Falcons…scored nine points on four of six shooting from the field and pulled down his season-high of five rebounds in a 110-45 victory by Tarleton State over Southwestern Assemblies of God (Feb. 28)…five points and two blocked shots came against Wiley University (Dec. 3) and four blocked shots came at Seattle (Jan. 19).BEFORE FLORIDA STATEGraduated from Fletcher High School in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. in 2022…voted by his teammates as the team captain during both his junior and senior seasons…earned All-State First-Team honors All-First Coast honors during his senior season…named as the District Player of the Year as a senior and earned All-conference honors as a junior and senior…played four years on the Fletcher varsity…averaged 20.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game through his senior season…totaled 1,426 points, 594 rebounds, 197 assists, 176 steals and 165 blocks in his high school career…became the first player from Fletcher High to sign for a Division I men’s basketball program directly out of high school since 1997…voted team captain in junior and senior seasons.PERSONALBorn: May 21, 2004…LaJae is the son of Nava Heral and Jackie Jones…his dad also played a Barton and earned All-American Second-Team honors during the 1989 season…his father, Jackie, finished his Barton career as one of the most prolific players in Cougar history…he averaged a double-double in points and rebounds in helping the team to a then program record wins including the program’s highest ever ranking at the time…he moved onto the University of Oklahoma where he is still in the Sooner record book for blocks during his Big Eight Newcomer of the Year one season at Oklahoma…averaged 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds during his one season at Oklahoma…his dad played at the University of Oklahoma and with the Rapid City Thrillers of the CBA…was a first round draft choice of the Thrillers in 1991…was a member of the Dallas Mavericks’ roster prior to the start of the 1991 NBA season…from a basketball playing family, LaJae began playing the game when his father handed him a basketball the day after he was born…major is social science.

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu acknowledged Sweden's "world-class" forwards (Stacy Revere)Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu said Wednesday his side were focused solely on beating "a very strong" Sweden in their final group match and hoping that would be enough to finish top of Group F.If Japan achieve a better result against the Swedes in Dallas on Thursday than the Netherlands do against already-eliminated Tunisia, they will advance in first place from the group and avoid Brazil in the last 32.The group winners will face Morocco in Monterrey with the runners-up taking on the five-time World Cup champions in Houston the same day.A draw would be enough to secure qualification for the Japanese, but Moriyasu said they only had victory in mind."As for our objectives, we want to win and qualify in first place," Moriyasu told reporters at a pre-match news conference."I think playing in Monterrey would be the best option. "We had a pre-tournament training camp there, we played against Tunisia there, and the players have already experienced the atmosphere of the stadium as well as the pitch conditions and how the venue works. "So being able to play in a place we’re already familiar with is definitely an advantage."Japan and the Netherlands drew 2-2 in the opening group game.The Japanese hammered Tunisia 4-0 last time out but lie second behind the Netherlands, who also have four points, on goals scored with the sides having an identical goal difference.Sweden were crushed 5-1 by the Netherlands, but Moriyasu is wary of their potent attacking threat led by Premier League marksmen Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres."Sweden are a very strong side," said Moriyasu. "They're solid in defence and quick in attack. It won't be an easy match. First and foremost, we need to focus on winning."I hope our defenders enjoy coming up against world-class strikers like Isak and Gyokeres."I hope they make the most of this as a valuable experience to help them improve their own game."Japan have reached the knockout stage at the World Cup on four previous occasions, but have never gone beyond the last 16. They lost on penalties to Croatia at that stage in 2022.bur-dh/gj

Mar 7, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images With the 55th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli, further validating Chris Collins’ ability to develop and nurture pro-level talent amidst an ever-evolving college basketball landscape.Los Angeles came out of nowhere and traded up with the Houston Rockets to pick Martinelli, after initially trading down to pick 57 in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks earlier Wednesday night. The Clippers were not reported to have met with Martinelli in the pre-draft process, but his resume likely spoke for itself to where LA President Lawrence Frank felt comfortable taking a flyer on the Wildcats legend.Martinelli leaves Evanston as one of the most decorated scorers in program history. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, he averaged 23.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists on 51/41.7/80.9 shooting splits in his senior season, winning the Big Ten scoring title for the second straight year and setting a new Northwestern single-season record with 759 points. He is also a two-time First-Team Academic All-American, and one of only three Wildcats in program history to play in four NCAA Tournament games alongside Boo Buie and Brooks Barnhizer.The pick extends a run of Collins-developed players earning professional opportunities that would have seemed improbable when Northwestern made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017. Barnhizer went to the then-reigning-champion Oklahoma City Thunder at pick 44 in last year’s draft and earned real two-way trust in a system that has come to define what second-round development can look like. Martinelli’s path to Wednesday night was similar in spirit: four years in Evanston, steady improvement at every level, work ethic that draft evaluators rave about and a senior season that made the skeptics run out of arguments.His selection also made history for the program itself, as Martinelli and Barnhizer are the first Northwestern duo to get selected in consecutive years since the NBA Draft shrank to its current two-round format in 1989.The most realistic projection for Martinelli heading into Wednesday night was always late in the second round for a team wanting maturity and IQ from day one, intangibles that should prove beneficial for his staying-power in the league. With Los Angeles making that call, they are banking on his foul-drawing ability, interior physicality, his senior-year three-point leap as proof that his shooting can hold at an efficient rate, and the belief that his defensive limitations can be managed in the right system.His .418 free throw rate was the highest of his career, and he converted at a career-high 80.9% clip, a significant jump from 72.8% as a junior. In a league where getting to the line and making foul shots is as valuable as ever, that translates regardless of role.He joins the aforementioned Barnhizer, along with Pete Nance and Pat Spencer as former ‘Cats currently active in the association.Martinelli finished his high school career at Glenbrook South in Glenview, Illinois, with 1,331 points and a spot on the 2022 Associated Press Class 4A First-Team All-State, following in the footsteps of older brother Dominic, an All-State player himself. He arrived at Northwestern as a three-star recruit, played sparingly as a freshman, earned an expanded role as a sophomore, and exploded as a junior, averaging 20.5 points and breaking John Shurna’s single-season scoring record, which he then broke again as a senior.The arc of that career, from a three-star recruit who barely got recruited to a player hearing his name called at Barclays Center, is the clearest possible argument for what Collins has built at Welsh-Ryan Arena. It is not a program that produces McDonald’s All-Americans or one-and-done lottery picks. It is a program that takes players seriously and makes them better, year over year, until the result speaks for itself. Martinelli is perhaps the loudest version of that result the program has ever produced.

The Big Ten Conference teams collectively announced which three players would represent them at its annual media days in Chicago this summer. The Ohio State Buckeyes head coach, Ryan Day, chose a quarterback, a wide receiver, and a safety, indicating he wanted to show a balanced approach from the perspective of the program.Typically, the guys who represent the Scarlet and Gray at Big Ten media days are guys who are key members and expected to be big-time contributors during the upcoming season, and that's no different this year. There will be two Heisman contenders and a guy who has turned heads on the defense so far.Lots of eyes will be on Ohio State on July 29, the day they will be presenting. Here is a look at the three players selected to represent the Buckeyes this summer.Jaylen McClain: The Rising Voice of the DefenseThe junior safety won the starting job in the 2025 season and became one of the anchors of the Ohio State defense. He had 53 total tackles and three pass breakups last year. Playing every game during his true-freshman season that led to a national championship is now paying off for the safety.Julian Sayan: The Face of the OffenseSayan is entering his third season in Columbus and is the established starter after a breakout season in 2025. This past season, he completed 301 of 391 passes for 77 percent. He also threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns. The former five-star talent from California being sent to Chicago puts the spotlight on a player who may define the ceiling of the offense in 2026.Jeremiah Smith: The Star in the SpotlightJeremiah Smith may very well be the best player in all of college football next season, so it comes as little surprise that he will be one of the voices representing the Buckeyes. The junior wide receiver will pair with Sayin to form one of the Big Ten's most dangerous partnership tandems. It seems almost fitting that a wide receiver represents the university that considers itself "WRU."Bucks heading to the B1G stage. See you in Chicago 🌰 pic.twitter.com/WjkGFaMLYq— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 24, 2026It seems no matter the year, Ohio State always draws attention at the Big Ten Media Days due to being arguably the most consistently winning program in the country. This year will be no different as Ryan Day will kick off a season where he will try to win his second National Championship in three seasons.Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Sunny on X:@thesunnyv.This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State football sending three key players to Big Ten media days

After trading Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Detroit Pistons added a big man in the second round of the NBA Draft. The Pistons acquired the No. 53 overall pick from the New York Knicks with cash, and used it to draft Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso, a person with knowledge of the trade confirmed to the Free Press.The 21-year-old averaged 6.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in just 18.6 minutes per game, giving them a potential plus-rim protector after parting ways with their best defensive center. The pick came moments after the Pistons agreed to trade Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies for three second-round picks.TRENDING: What Isaiah Stewart trade means for Detroit Pistons' next moveIt's their second draft selection after moving up four spots to select Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie No. 17 overall on Tuesday. [ MUST LISTEN: Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ] Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons trade for Virginia's Ugonna Onyenso in NBA Draft

Lakers sign undrafted free agent who averaged 0.5 PPG in first college season at Cornell originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.AK Okereke has come a long way.His first college basketball season was at Cornell in the Ivy League, and he averaged just 0.5 points per game.On Wednesday night, he reportedly signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers.That's quite the rise.Undrafted Vanderbilt forward AK Okereke has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN.— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026MORE: Giannis legacy with the Bucks remains intactOkereke raised his numbers in years two and three with the Big Red.In 2024-25, he put up 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.That earned him a transfer to the SEC and Vanderbilt University.In his lone season with the Commodores, Okereke averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.At 6-foot-7, maybe the most important thing he did was add 3-point shooting.With Vandy, Okereke shot 40.0% from 3-point range.If he can do that in the NBA, while using his strength and skillset to contribute around the floor, he has at least a chance to make an impact in the league down the road.More NBA news:This is what a Timberwolves trade for Derrick White would look likeWarriors want Kawhi Leonard, but there's a problemHow Heat can unite Giannis with his brothersKnicks had a superstar opportunity but didn't go for itHow Bulls drafting Caleb Wilson ends the Patrick Williams bust story

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mookie Betts backed Shohei Ohtani with his 300th career home run, three hits and slick defense as the Los Angeles Dodgers finished a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday night.Ohtani helped himself with an RBI single to spark a three-run third inning against Twins starter Joe Ryan after the two-way superstar fell behind with a three-run second.Max Muncy and Alex Call drove in the tying and go-ahead runs off Ryan for the MLB-leading Dodgers, and Tanner Scott pitched the ninth inning for his 11th save.Betts, who won six Gold Glove awards as a right fielder before becoming the regular shortstop, snagged a grounder up the middle and fired an off-balance, on-target throw to first base to retire Ryan Kreidler and end the fourth with runners at second and third. Betts later made a sliding stop of a ground ball by Royce Lewis to get the last out of the sixth inning.With the sensational Ohtani (8-2) on the mound and the Twins countering with their ace Ryan (5-4), Target Field was filled for an announced crowd of 39,853 and the first sellout of the season.Ohtani finished six innings with five hits and three walks allowed and eight strikeouts. Though this was his third straight start giving up with three or more runs, after yielding two or fewer in each of his first 10 turns, Ohtani dug in after the 3-1 deficit. He struck out the side in the third and retired his last seven batters.Up nextDodgers: Starts a three-game series Friday at San Diego. RHP Roki Sasaki pitches for the Dodgers and RHP Randy Vásquez starts for the Padres. Twins: Stay home for a three-game series beginning Friday against Colorado. RHP Taj Bradley pitches for Minnesota against RHP Tomoyuki Sugano.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

The parents of former NFL running back Doug Martin have filed a lawsuit against the city of Oakland, its police officers and an ambulance company over the death of the late Pro Bowler, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.Martin died last October at the age of 36, in an incident where police were attempting to detain him during an alleged mental health episode that saw him break into a neighbor’s house. According to Oakland attorney John Burris, who is reportedly representing the family, an independent pathologist concluded that Martin likely died from “restrained asphyxia” after officers allegedly pushed him to the floor and pressed on his back. The pressure reportedly left Martin unresponsive and he later died at the hospital.Martin’s parents are reportedly seeking damages for wrongful death, loss of familial relationship, funeral and coroner expenses and loss of financial support, plus attorney’s fees.From the Chronicle:“You’d like to think that when police are called to a situation for somebody who is having a mental breakdown, the person doesn’t wind up dead,” said Burris, who added that the family has been traumatized and devastated by the loss of their only son.Burris also reportedly told the Chronicle he has yet to receive the official autopsy or toxicology report from the Alameda County coroner and hopes the lawsuit will pressure the authorities to release the findings. He is also awaiting results from neurologists who are examining Martin’s brain for CTE.Doug Martin died last October in an incident involving police.Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesMartin played seven seasons in the NFL, six for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one for the Oakland Raiders. He twice earned Pro Bowl honors, but saw his career end after his age-29 season in 2018 due to injuries. He was also suspended four games in 2016 for violating the league’s drug policy.Per the Chronicle, Martin suffered from significant mental health issues in retirement. He was reportedly placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold in the August before the death, following an incident where he alleged scuffled with sheriff’s deputies in a substance-induced psychosis at a drug rehab facility.On the day of his death, Martin was reportedly staying at his grandfather’s house in Oakland when he fled the home and entered a house two doors down. His family reportedly called the police for help, leading to the alleged incident with a group of five officers. Falck Northern California, the ambulance company named in the lawsuit, is also alleged to have arrived more than 15 minutes after the call for service and not offered timely care.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kahleah Copper made 15 of 16 from the free-throw line and finished with 28 points, and the Phoenix Mercury beat Indiana 111-109 on Wednesday night after Fever star Caitlin Clark left with a back injury in the third quarter. Clark had 19 points and eight assists in 20 minutes the Fever (10-8). Clark, who was a game-time decision due to a lingering back issue, left with 5:15 remaining in the third quarter and did not return. Alyssa Thomas had 24 points and eight assists, and DeWanna Bonner scored 11 of her 13 points in the second quarter for the Mercury (6-13). Valeriane Ayayi had a career-high 19 points and rookie Noemie Brochant added 12 points, nine assists and a season-high three steals. Boston was called for a flagrant foul with 2:12 left in the game and the Fever trailing by two. Copper made the ensuing free throws and Ayayi hit two foul shots to make it 104-98 seven seconds later. Clark had 13 points and three assists as the Fever took a 35-29 lead at the end of the first quarter. Indiana shot 72% (13 of 18) from the field, 5 of 7 (71%) from 3-point range, and hit 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in the opening period. Kelsey Mitchell hit 7 of 9 from 3-point range and finished with 30 points and six assists for Indiana. Aliyah Boston added 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Natasha Mack (foot) did not play for Phoenix. Indiana had defeated the Mercury 86-77 on Monday in a contentious and technical foul-filled game.Up nextMercury: Plays Saturday at Toronto.Fever: Host Los Angeles on Saturday. ___AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball