SPORT

AUSTIN, Texas — Hugo Lloris finished with two saves for LAFC in a record fifth straight shutout to begin a season, and Brad Stuver stopped the only shot he faced for Austin FC in a scoreless draw on Saturday night.

Lloris and LAFC (4-0-1) began the season with four shutout victories, just one of four teams in league history to accomplish the feat. His scoreless stretch of 450 minutes is the longest in league history to begin a season.

Lloris nearly surrendered his first goal of the season in the 63rd minute, but a Myrto Uzuni netter off a corner kick by Facundo Torres was disallowed after Ilie Sánchez was charged with a foul following a video review — and that led to a yellow card on Uzuni.

Neither keeper faced a shot on goal in a scoreless first half.

Austin (1-2-2) swept LAFC last year during the regular season but couldn’t get past the Western Conference stalwarts in the playoffs. Both of the club’s losses this season have come on the road.

LAFC eliminated Alajuelense on Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The club is 7-0-2 so far through all competitions.

LAFC began the day tied with the Vancouver Whitecaps for first place in the hotly contested West.

Up next for LAFC: vs. Orlando City at BMO Stadium on April 4.

Some of the most impressive performances at UFC London came on the undercard.

Nathaniel Wood overcame the odds yet again to beat Losene Keita, while Mason Jones overwhelmed Axel Sola in a bruising back and forth fight of the year encounter.

Jones and Sola were covered in blood and breathing heavily by the end of their contest, with both fighters swinging until the final bell, using every last drop of energy.

Jones’ performance was the type that can have a lasting effect on a fighter’s career but he and Wood roused the fans on a night when the atmosphere was sometimes flat at the O2 Arena.

Fighters on the prelims like Wood and Jones don’t get as much media attention or promotion from the UFC – and strikingly less money than their headlining peers.

But in a sport that demands so much from the flesh and mind, there are arguments the athletes should be better looked after amid a changing landscape in combat sports.

Fighter pay has been questioned by athletes and the media recently after boxer Conor Benn secured a reported £11m one-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing.

Zuffa Boxing is owned by UFC president Dana White, so critics have asked why the 56-year-old isn’t paying similar amounts to his MMA fighters under contract.

The UFC gives about 20% of revenue to fighter pay, compared with boxers who get about 60% of revenue from their events.

London’s Wood, who has won 11 of 14 fights in the UFC, says he hopes the Benn deal will spark a change because he was “heartbroken” when he saw how much he would be earning.

“When you think I’ve been in the UFC for eight years, but I’m not on that, I”m not even on 1% of that,” Wood told BBC Sport before UFC London.

“Especially when I believe MMA is the tougher sport as well, but again I just try and control what’s in my hands and it’s got nothing to do with me.

“It was definitely heartbreaking to see someone is getting paid that much.”

After defeat to Klein in July 2022, Jones and UFC mutually agreed to not sign a new deal.

Reflecting on what alternative path he could have chosen, Jones gave an honest appraisal.

“I remember sitting down in my coach’s office after the whole thing in London because I was in a mess,” he recalled.

“My one coach said to me, ‘Look I think you need to go somewhere else and work with someone else because I don’t think I can give you what you need’.

“I said to him in tears at the time, ‘Please just stick with me, as long as you boys are in my corner I’ll go through anything’.

“They’ve stuck by me since then, and I can’t thank the boys enough.

“As long as those boys are there for me I’ll give them as much as they give me and I couldn’t ask for anyone else to stand by me and help me reach the top.”

For Jones there really was no other possibility than to stick to chasing his UFC dreams.

“I had an acknowledgment on this camp when I was running through the mountains, and I chose this life.

“I know it’s a weird thing to say, but every day I wake up I choose this life.”

Jones admitted the easy thing would have been to go and get a job.

“I could literally at any time just think, no, I’m done, and get a different job that pays on a weekly basis,” he added.

“After I left London I didn’t get paid for two years, I racked up credit card debt, and family members and friends told me to quit.

“I had a family business I could have gone into, done more with school.

“But for me fighting is what’s in my blood and fighting is what I want to do.”

Muchova broke 29-year-old Boulter’s serve twice in the first set and only needed one more in the second set to go 6-5 ahead before she wrapped up the victory.

Elsewhere, British number four Fran Jones also exited the tournament, retiring in the second set of her match with American Jessica Pegula through illness.

Jones, 25, had knocked out Venus Williams in the first round despite feeling under the weather but struggled against Pegula.

Pegula had won the first set 6-1 and despite a medical timeout Jones, who was seen coughing several times during the match, decided at 3-0 down in the second set she was not well enough to continue.

“I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to play Venus, but it’s a whole different ball game playing Jess,” Jones said.

“You need to be 10 out of 10 to compete against her and I’m probably a four out of 10 today. If I’m not able to give my everything out there, I don’t see the point when I’m already battling my general fitness as it is.”

Murphy came into the contest after missing out on a title fight against champion Alexander Volkanovski in January, with Diego Lopes being given the opportunity instead.

Murphy did not get the rousing reception from the home fans like Aspinall or Pimblett have in the past as he made a business-like walkout, but he was cheered as he stepped into the octagon.

Evloev was booed heavily but embraced his reception as he smiled and made a heart-shaped gesture with his fingers towards the crowd.

Encouraged by chants of “Oh Miracle Murphy”, some of the Mancunian’s best work was done with his back to the cage, as he landed a one-two uppercut combination and tried to keep Evloev at bay with leg kicks.

Evloev was predicted to grapple with Murphy but it was not until the third round, with the Briton gaining the upper hand in the striking, that he attempted his first takedown.

Murphy got to his feet quickly and drew roars from the crowd with a counter right hook, but Evloev would end the round on top as a flurry of strikes opened a cut above the Mancunian’s left eye.

The contest was delayed in the fourth round as Murphy took time to recover from an accidental groin strike in a move for which the Russian was docked a point.

But after telling his corner he had hurt his hip, Murphy struggled to defend takedowns like he had before and Evloev gained the upper hand in the closing stages.

Murphy was roared on by the crowd as he continued to get back to his feet, but Evloev’s nine takedowns by the end of the bout told a telling story.

“I told you I was a better striker than him – joking!” said Evloev.

“Me and my coach were preparing more fakes, takedowns and punches. I think my punches are hard, I can hurt the opponent. Look at his face, he is damaged. I don’t have to use my wrestling to get the win.”

Jordan Chiles captured the Big Ten all-around crown with her seventh perfect score of the season, leading UCLA to its second straight Big Ten championship gymnastics title on Saturday.

Chiles, the Big Ten gymnast of the year, posted a conference-record score of 39.825 and earned a perfect 10 in floor routine as the Bruins defeated Michigan, Minnesota and Michigan State with a total score of 198.100.

Janelle McDonald, who guided No. 5 UCLA to the regular season and conference championship crowns for the second straight year, was named the Big Ten coach of the year.

“Our team is just going up from here,” Chiles told Big Ten Network after the meet. “We haven’t hit our peak yet.

“Obviously, there are still things that we can work on as individuals, but I think the team environment is definitely there. I couldn’t be more proud of each and every single athlete that went up today and stepped in as well.”

UCLA opened with Chiles scoring a 9.925 on beam. Tiana Sumanasekera scored a 9.925, and Katelyn Rosen, Sydney Barros and Mika Webster-Longin each scored a 9.850. Rosen managed to achieve the feat after missing the last few weeks with a foot injury.

UCLA closed the first rotation in second place, 0.125 behind Michigan.

With Chiles leading the way on floor, Webster-Longin posted a 9.925, tying her career high. Sumanasekera had the same score and Ashlee Sullivan had a 9.950.

Riley Jenkins led UCLA in the vault with a 9.950. Webster-Longin celebrated her 9.875 routine with splits. Sumanasekera had a 9.850 in the event and Sullivan received a 9.850 on her Yurchenko. Chiles closed out the vault with a 9.925, keeping the Bruins in first place ahead of Michigan State by 0.325.

Chiles and Barros each had scores of 9.950 in the uneven bars — the best mark of the season in the discipline for Barros. Webster-Longin performed some celebratory splits again when she tied her season high with a 9.900 on the uneven bars. Sumanasekera and Nola Matthews each had a 9.875 in the event.

“We are coming for y’all,” Chiles said. “This is our year and I’m very proud to say that we are the Bruins.”

ORLANDO — Appearing in his 1,612th NBA regular-season game Saturday, LeBron James claimed the league’s all-time record for games played, passing Hall of Famer Robert Parish.

The 41-year-old James started for the Lakers against the Orlando Magic on Thursday with the Lakers currently on a season-best eight-game winning streak. James is averaging 21.3 points and 6.9 assists per game this season.

With the Lakers (45-25) surging up the Western Conference standings to third place during this winning streak, James has averaged 20.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists on 64.6% shooting from the field during the last five games.

Already playing his record 23rd NBA season, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer has also moved up to first in all-time field goals made, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar this month.

“He’s got to be insane,” Lakers guard Austin Reaves said when James tied Parish’s record Thursday against the Miami Heat. “Can’t be normal. Things going on in his brain to do it so well at such a high level, there’s nothing left to prove, but he finds something to continue to motivate him.

“It’s a beautiful thing, and it’s a beautiful thing to have him as one of the leaders of this team, because if there’s anybody in the world that could take games off, mentally not be there in a film session, practice, whatever it might be, it couldn’t be him, and that’s not how he’s wired.”

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is enjoying an incredible season, having scored 47 goals in all competitions for the German side, and will lead the line for England in North America.

The question is who acts as his deputy?

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the joint top-scoring English player alongside Danny Welbeck on 10 goals before the latter got his double and he has been called up to Tuchel’s squad.

The Leeds striker had an impressive run of form with seven goals in six games towards the end of 2025 but went into Saturday’s game against Brentford on the back of one goal in his previous eight games.

Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke was also called up but he has just three Premier League goals this season and is working his way back from a long injury lay-off.

Both have the profile to replace Kane but don’t have the form that Welbeck finds himself in.

“Welbeck is very unfortunate not to get the call-up,” Rooney added. “He’s 35 years of age but is showing no signs of slowing down.

“I think it was probably between him and [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin so he’s just missed out – but he’s having a fantastic season.”

Match of the day pundit Alan Shearer added: “He can count himself really unlucky he’s not in the squad considering the form he is in and the number of goals.

“Solanke has got three goals, Calvert-Lewin has got two in the last 12. I think he’s really unlucky not to be in that 35-man squad.”

Despite his omission, Hurzeler believes Tuchel will make the right call when it comes to naming his England World Cup squad.

“England have a really good German coach and he will make the right decisions,” he said.

He said it is vital to judge Welbeck on his importance “beside the pitch” and in creating “group togetherness”, adding: “That can be crucial for a World Cup.”

Roma full-back Wesley Franca has emerged as a target for Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea keen on Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga while striker Marcus Rashford faces uncertain future at Barcelona.

Arsenal have stepped up their search for a right-back with Roma’s 22-year-old Brazilian Wesley Franca a potential target. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool are ahead of Chelsea in the race to sign 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, with the Reds holding talks with the France international’s representatives on two occasions. (Caught Offside), external

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick says he does not know what will happen with England striker Marcus Rashford, with the club having an option to turn the 28-year-old’s season-long loan from Manchester United into a permanent move for £26m. (Manchester Evening News), external

Arsenal are under pressure to sell players in the summer with very few first-team players considered untouchable. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Barcelona and Brazil winger Raphinha, 29, has ruled out leaving the Nou Camp before the end of the 2026-27 season despite interest from Saudi Arabia. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, 28, is totally committed to the club and the Brazilian will not make becoming the highest earner at St James’ Park a huge part of talks over a new contract. (Newcastle Chronicle – subscription required), external

Fulham‘s bid to sign 23-year-old PSV Eindhoven and United States striker Ricardo Pepi has been put on hold despite the player completing a medical. (Fabrizio Romano), external

None of Chelsea‘s squad have asked to leave the club in the summer despite their struggles on the field. (Mail+ – subscription required), external

Barcelona and Real Madrid may be interested in Norway striker Erling Haaland but Manchester City have no intention of letting the 25-year-old leave this summer. (Football Insider), external

Juventus are assessing the possibility of signing 33-year-old Germany defender Antonio Rudiger, whose contract with Real Madrid runs out in the summer. (Tuttosport – in Italian), external

Atletico Madrid have made an offer of £30m plus £4m in add-ons for Atalanta midfielder Ederson, 26, as they prepare for the summer transfer window. (Football Italia), external

The Angels released utilityman Chris Taylor and right-handed pitcher Hunter Strickland from their minor league contracts on Saturday.

Taylor, 35, hit .186 with a .256 on-base percentage, two homers, 12 RBIs and two steals in a combined 58 games with the Dodgers and Angels last season.

He batted .248 with a .327 on-base percentage, 110 homers and 443 RBIs during a 12-year career. Taylor made the NL All-Star team while playing for the Dodgers in 2021.

Strickland, 37, went 1-2 with a 3.27 ERA and one save in 19 relief appearances for the Angels last season. He has a 26-25 record with a 3.39 ERA and 30 saves in 499 career major league appearances, all in relief.

Great Britain’s Josh Kerr wins gold in the men’s 3000m at the World Indoor Athletics Championships, with Cole Hocker taking silver for USA and and France’s yann Schrub taking bronze in Poland.

Watch the World Indoor Athletics Championships

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Warrington coach Sam Burgess told BBC Sport:

“It was very clean. Firstly, I liked our physicality early in the game. We were physical when we needed to be and kept hold of the ball – I don’t think we made an error until late in the game so it made it very hard for Castleford.

“The ball bounced our way, we had a few calls so it just fell in our lap. You have those days so we’ll take them but it was a very polished performance and I’m happy with it.

“At half-time we challenged them as we thought they might be complacent and take our foot off the gas but we were very consistent with who we want to be. Today was a good step forward for us as a group.

“Kelepi was nice for us and George [Williams] prefers playing on the left and Ewan [Irwin] slots on the right so the balance of the team was nice, and the control.”

Castleford coach Ryan Carr told BBC Sport:

“It was horrible, not good enough. They played really well, we played really poorly, and that sums it up.

“There are no excuses for it. It hurts you, losing middles to head knocks, but at the end of the day we didn’t make the decision to go out, put our bodies on the line and go after it.

“We’re not going to skim over it. We’re going to have a good look at ourselves. I feel like we have been competing in the last few games but it’s a disappointing day for us.

“It’s embarrassing and not good enough. I feel sorry for our members and our fans and we have to make sure that we fix it.

“The tries they scored were things we had talked about all week, that we’d worked hard on, specific drills to combat what they’re good at, because they’re a good footy team.

“But when they’re making a line-break straight through your middle third that’s nothing to do with personnel, that’s just whoever is in that jersey needs to make that tackle.”

Friday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Arleta 4, VAAS 2

Bell 17, Huntington Park 1

Carson 6, Wilmington Banning 4

Cleveland 3, Taft 2

Eagle Rock 6, Sotomayor 0

El Camino Real 6, Chatsworth 3

Hollywood 22, Contreras 3

LA Wilson 14, Roybal 2

Jefferson 14, Diego Rivera 3

LACES 6, Fairfax 2

Monroe 14, Van Nuys 2

Palisades 13, LA Hamilton 2

San Pedro 4, Narbonne 3

SOCES 18, Panorama 2

South Gate 17, South East 2

Triumph Charter 12, CALS Early College 1

Vaughn 11, Grant 1

SOUTHERN SECTION

AAE 14, Lucerne Valley 4

Alemany 10, Harvard-Westlake 4

Anaheim 2, Saddleback 0

Anaheim Canyon 5, Crean Lutheran 4

Apple Valley 3, Ridgecrest Burroughs 2

Arcadia 10, Hoover 0

Ayala 6, Chino Hills 1

Bassett 5, La Puente 4

Beaumont 6, La Quinta 0

Big Bear 13, Loma Linda Academy 7

Bishop Amat 7, St. Paul 0

Buena 16, Oxnard 6

Camarillo 8, Oak Park 3

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 5, St. Monica 1

Castaic 4, West Ranch 3

Chadwick 4, Rio Hondo Prep 2

CIMSA 23, Victor Valley Christian 4

Corona del Mar 8, Newport Harbor 1

Corona Santiago 9, Eastvale Roosevelt 1

Costa Mesa 4, Bonita 2

Crescenta Valley 3, Pasadena 1

Dana Hills 6, Capistrano Valley 1

Dos Pueblos 6, Oxnard Pacifica 3

El Dorado 4, Villa Park 2

El Modena 3, Brea Olinda 2

Estancia 6, Savanna 5

Fillmore 8, Carpinteria 6

Ganesha 4, Edgewood 1

Great Oak 8, San Clemente 2

Hart 15, Valencia 14

Hawthorne 6, HMSA 3

Hemet 12, Perris 1

Heritage Christian 13, Village Christian 3

Hesperia 19, Sultana 10

Hesperia Christian 14, Bethel Christian 6

Highland 4, Quartz Hill 2

Hillcrest 19, Lakeside 1

Hueneme 9, Santa Paula 5

Huntington Beach 13, Marina 1

Irvine 11, Irvine University 5

Kaiser 7, Northview 4

Katella 12, Buena Park 5

Knight 13, Antelope Valley 0

La Canada 6, San Marino 0

Laguna Beach 2, Sage Hill 1

Laguna Hills 7, Ocean View 4

Lancaster 15, Palmdale 4

Loara 3, Century 2

Liberty 8, Heritage 1

Long Beach Jordan 11, Rolling Hills Prep 8

Long Beach Poly 2, Lakewood 1

Long Beach Wilson 1, Millikan 0

Los Alamitos 6, Edison 5

Loyola 5, St. Francis 4

Magnolia 10, Santa Ana Valley 5

Maranatha 6, Whittier Christian 3

Mark Keppel 4, Bell Gardens 1

Mary Star of the Sea 31, Verbum Dei 0

Mission Viejo 7, Capistrano Valley Christian 0

Monrovia 5, South Pasadena 3

Montebello 12, Oxford Academy 0

Norco 7, Corona Centennial 4

Norwalk 4, Firebaugh 0

Nuview Bridge 11, San Jacinto Leadership 1

Oak Hills 11, Serrano 7

Orange 17, Balsa Grande 11

Paramount 18, Lynwood 1

Patriot 7, Jurupa Valley 6

Pioneer Valley 10, Bishop Diego 0

Placentia Valencia 8, Santa Ana 4

Pomona 15, Workman 5

Ramona 10, Rubidoux 0

Rancho Christian 6 Citrus Hill 4

Rancho Verde 12, Vista del Lago 0

Redondo Union 6, Mira Costa 2

Riverside North 11, Canyon Springs 6

Riverside Poly 1, Arlington 0

Rosemead 11, Pioneer 5

Royal 6, Simi Valley 2

Salesian 14, SAt. Genevieve 4

San Bernardino 19, Pacific 11

Santa Barbara 4, Rio Mesa 3

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 11, Southlands Christian 9

Santa Ynez 15, Malibu 9

Saugus 10, Canyon Country Canyon 3

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 5, Chaminade 4

Sierra Canton 19, Crespi 2

Silver Valley 19, ACE 18

South Torrance 9, North Torrance 2

St. Anthony 1, Bosco Tech 0

St. Bonaventure 12, Grace 4

St. John Bosco 13, JSerra 0

St. Margaret’s 6, Portola 2

Tesoro 3, Murrieta Valley 0

Valley View 6, Orange Vista 0

Ventura 3, San Marcos 2

Warren 6, Downey 5

Western 14, Garden Grove Santiago 13

Westminster 15, Whitney 6

Woodbridge 7, Northwood 1

INTERSECTIONAL

Fullerton 12, Idaho Owyhee 2

Marquez 4, Mountain View 2

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Animo Leadership 23, Alliance Ouchi 18

Chatsworth 5, Chavez 1

Cleveland 13, SOCES 3

Fremont 14, Diego Rivera 4

Harbor Teacher 11, LA Roosevelt 2

Marquez 11, Eagle Rock 3

Monroe 31, Canoga Park 30

Sylmar 9, Van Nuys 2

Taft 11, Northridge Academy 5

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 21, Silver Valley 0

Anaheim 12, Loara 1

Apple Valley 5, Quartz Hill 1

Aquinas 10, Carter 4

Arbor View 11, Sultana 0

Ayala 8, Diamond Bar 0

Azusa 6, Baldwin Park 4

Big Bear 18, Lucerne Valley 0

Bishop Montgomery 5, Rosary Academy 4

Canyon Springs 7, West Valley 1

Cathedral City 10, Palm Springs 0

Colony 10, Don Lugo 6

Coronado 7, Lakewood 6

Costa Mesa 17, Samueli Academy 6

Dana Hills 13, Northwood 3

Dos Pueblos 12, Oxnard Pacifica 2

Duarte 10, Gahr 0

Heritage Christian 14, Village Christian 3

Hesperia 18, Granite Hills 17

Hesperia Christian 20, Bethel Christian 8

Jurupa Valley 7, Patriot 6

La Canada 15, Muir 11

La Puente 13, Bassett 1

Mission Bay 10, Mayfield 0

Monrovia 25, Blair 1

Norte Vista 20, La Sierra 9

Northview 2, Los Osos 2

Oceanside 9, Santa Ana Foothill 6

Orange 10, Western 0

Ramona 16, Rubidoux 0

Rancho Christian 17, Sherman Indian 7

Rancho Cucamonga 12, Ontario Christian 7

Redlands East Valley 14, Heritage 2

Riverside King 10, Corona 1

Riverside Poly 10, Santa Margarita 0

San Bernardino 32, Pacific 4

San Clemente 6, Spanish Springs 2

San Dimas 10, South El Monte 6

San Marcos 6, Ventura 4

Sierra Canyon 12, Shadow Ridge 2

Sierra Vista 11, Nogales 9

South Pasadena 8, San Marino 7

Valley View 4, Riverside North 1

INTERSECTIONAL

Bakersfield Frontier 4, Paraclete 2

Carson 15, Galena 0

Carson 9, Louisville 2

Eastside 2, Bakersfield Ridgeview 0

Eastside 9, Chavez 5

Flintridge Scared Heart 12, La Jolla Country Day 0

Louisville 3, Nevada Foothill 3

Mission Viejo 6, Nevada Douglas 5

Paraclete 8, Tulare Union 4

Santa Margarita 6, Nevada Reed 0

Trabuco Hills 18, Galena 4

Utah Lehi 3, Mission Viejo 0

Alex Killorn broke a tie off a scramble at 9:09 of the second period, Lukas Dostal stopped 29 shots and the Ducks beat the Utah Mammoth 4-1 on Friday night to pad their Pacific Division lead.

After the puck was cleared off the goal line behind goalie Vitek Vanecek, the Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke ended up with it on the left side and slipped a pass to Killorn for a shot before Vanecek was set. Killorn also had two assists.

Ryan Poehling, Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund also scored to help the Ducks — playing without suspended defenseman Radko Gudas — rebound from a 3-2 overtime loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night at home. They moved three points ahead of Edmonton in the division.

Gudas served the fourth game of a five-game suspension for kneeing Auston Matthews in a loss at Toronto on March 12. Matthews tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season.

Poehling tied it with 6:23 left in the first, beating Vanecek with a nifty move on a shorthanded break. Poehling took a pass from Killorn, sped down the left side, cut right and shot against the grain to the left.

The Ducks (38-27-4) put it away with two empty-net goals, with Gauthier scoring his 36th goal on the first.

Dylan Guenther scored his 34th goal of the season for Utah — at 1:48 of the first of the Mammoth’s second shot on goal.

Utah remained six points ahead of the Kings for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

The Mammoth (36-28-6) opened a four-game homestand. They had won two straight on the road, beating Dallas 6-3 on Monday night to snap a four-game losing streak and topping Vegas 4-0 Thursday night.

Up next for the Ducks: vs. Buffalo at Honda Center on Sunday.

On a night when my family watched Austin Reaves pull off the miraculous intentional missed free throw put-back basket on the way to a thrilling Laker overtime win against the Denver Nuggets, we talked more about the newest Lakers super fan on the way home. Kudos to Bill Plaschke for recognizing and capturing the power of 6-year-old Jackson Tuyay’s passionate cheering that helped ignite the laid-back crowd and inspire the Lakers to a huge comeback win. As a lifelong Laker fan since the same age as Jackson it was so awesome to see such innocent and authentic passion for the Lakers. In an arena full of stars in the stands and on the court it was the voice of a 6-year-old that reminded us how awesome it is to be a Lakers fan for life!

Paul Stapleton
Los Angeles

To quote Jackson Tuyay, “Yeaaaaah!” It looks like the Lakers can play some defense and beat the better teams after all.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: sports@latimes.com

A review will also be allowed at the end of a point if a player feels his opponent may be guilty of hindrance.

Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper in Indian Wells last week, after the British player briefly stretched his arms out wide during a rally to signal his belief that a Medvedev forehand was long.

Umpire Aurelie Tourte watched a replay on her tablet and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance – of making either an action or a noise to disturb an opponent – and awarded the Russian the point.

Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought Medvedev had “played the rules quite well” and did not believe his gesture had been enough to distract him.

The US Open has been using video reviews since 2023, and the Australian Open since 2025.

It is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour and by next season the men’s ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its events.

Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls produced by ELC.

Spectators have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out – and at the Australian Open this year, the net posts flashed red to give the crowd a visual cue whenever a ball was out.

With exactly 100 days to go until the start of The Championships, the AELTC has also announced that capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton will increase from 3,500 to 4,000 each day.

World Boxing said that an appeal process initiated by the Chinese Taipei Boxing Association (CTBA) on behalf of Lin, and conducted in line with its mandatory sex testing, had been completed.

The test is used to detect a specific gene which World Boxing said “reveals the presence of the Y chromosome that is an indicator of male biological sex”.

World Boxing’s policy includes an appeal process so boxers that screen positive for the SRY gene can lodge an appeal and provide supporting evidence.

The body said following an initial test in 2025, the CTBA began the appeal process and submitted a series of medical documents.

“The World Boxing Medical Committee considered and evaluated the medical documentation presented and determined that the boxer was deemed to be female and eligible to compete in the female category,” it said.

Tom Dielen, secretary general of World Boxing, added: “We recognise that this has been a difficult period for the boxer and the CTBA, and appreciate the way they have approached the appeal process and their acknowledgement of World Boxing’s requirement to ensure that its eligibility policy, which is designed to deliver safety and sporting integrity, has been correctly implemented and followed.”

The CTBA said in a statement: “This is a tremendous relief for Lin Yu-ting.

“We are pleased that World Boxing’s independent medical experts thoroughly reviewed all evidence and confirmed that she has been female since birth, meeting the requirements, with no competitive advantage, and ensuring her rightful place in the women’s category.

“We recognise World Boxing’s responsibility to uphold safety and fairness in competition, and we appreciate the professional and rigorous manner in which this matter was handled.”

Algeria’s Khelif said earlier this year she would also be willing to take World Boxing’s new sex test, if it would allow her to defend her title at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The CTBA added: “Lin Yu-ting’s return marks a significant moment for both her career and the broader sporting community, reinforcing the principles of fairness, transparency and athlete welfare in international boxing.”

Lin has now been registered to take part in the upcoming Asian Boxing Championships, which take place in Mongolia from 29 March to 10 April.

Michael Conlan began his professional boxing career with great fanfare and an ambition to become a multi-weight champion, but despite going close, he was unable to replicate his success as an amateur.

The 34-year-old called time on his career following Friday’s defeat to Kevin Walsh in Belfast when his last roll of the dice to get back into title contention unravelled.

A polarising figure, Conlan could sell out arenas and outdoor venues to the tune of 12,000, while eliciting the ire of others in his home town.

What could not be disputed was he talent inside the ring, with his silky switch-hitting skills bringing his from the streets of west Belfast to the top of the amateur game and within a whisker as a pro.

“I didn’t think I lost tonight but it was too close for my liking and no matter how I would lose, no matter if it’s a robbery, I said that would be my time,” Conlan told reporters in his dressing room after his defeat to Walsh.

“It’s all very raw at the minute and how I’m answering questions is all emotion.

“How light I feel at the minute is probably relief. I’ve had so much pressure on my, so many expectations, even my own.

“I’ve not achieved what I wanted to but I said when I came back into it [in 2025] it would be if I achieve it, then great but if I don’t then so be it. This is the so be it situation and now I can spend time with my family.”

Having followed his brothers into the boxing gym as a seven year old, Conlan would blossom into one of, if not the best Irish male amateurs.

Collecting Antrim, Ulster and Irish titles as a junior, his first major international senior competition came at 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where, as a 17-year-old, he came unstuck against Australia’s Jason Moloney.

It was just the beginning as the following year, he won the first of five Irish Elite titles which earned him a place on the team for the World Championships in Baku, reaching the quarter-finals which earned a place at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

There, he made the big breakthrough, reaching the semi-finals where he lost to Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez but returned with a bronze medal to great acclaim.