Get the latest updates on your favorite sports, from thrilling matches and championship events to player transfers and team rivalries. Dive into insightful analysis, expert opinions, and behind-the-scenes stories that bring you closer to the world of sports.
The Miami Dolphins have released wide receiver Tyreek Hill with immediate effect.
The 31-year-old has been selected for the Pro Bowl in eight of his first 10 seasons in the NFL but is currently recovering from a serious knee injury.
The Dolphins cited “failed physical” as the reason for Hill’s departure as they also released offensive lineman James Daniels and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on Monday.
Know as ‘the Cheetah’, Hill has been one of the quickest players in the NFL since being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016, helping them win the Super Bowl in 2020.
The Chiefs traded him to Miami in 2022 to make room under their salary cap and since then he has ranked sixth for most receiving yards in he NFL.
The Dolphins went on to finish the season with their second straight losing record under head coach Mike McDaniel, who has since been replaced by Jeff Hafley.
He has set about rebuilding the Dolphins roster, with Tua Tagovailoa also linked with a move from Miami having failed to establish himself as their franchise quarterback.
Jamaica’s Mica Moore, from Newport in south Wales, finished four places ahead of Nicoll in 14th and was delighted with the outcome following her switch in 2022 from representing GB after claiming she had witnessed “damaging and offensive behaviour”.
Moore told BBC Sport: “I’m so happy. It has been a real tough journey to get here, it hasn’t been easy at all. I guess to me it is just a story of not giving up.
“I had a really difficult time with Great Britain and that is not secret at all and I’m just so proud I didn’t give up on myself and I’m so grateful for my family and friends for digging myself out of the trenches when it was really tough and just keep going. Moments like this make it really worth it.”
Moore began her sporting career as an athlete – representing Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games – before switching to bobsleigh.
Her grandfather, Venson Byfield, came to the UK in the Windrush generation and settled in Wales.
“It is a really proud moment,” she added.
“I’ve spoken a lot about my grandfather and how we came over with the Windrush generation and I never got the pleasure of meeting him, but my mum has told me so many stories about him and I just had that in my heart the whole time. I just wanted to make my family proud.
“They’ve supported me for so long. I’m 33 now so I’m quite old and they’ve never wavered in their support.
“I’ve just had the most lovely career because of them.”
NBA star Jaylen Brown had a public spat with the Beverly Hills Police Department Saturday night after police shut down a brand event he was hosting.
Brown, who signed a $285-million contract with the Celtics in 2023, was in Los Angeles for the National Basketball Assn.’s All-Star festivities.
He told ESPN that the event was hosted at Oakley founder Jim Jannard’s house. Brown is sponsored by Oakley.
The event took place in the Trousdale section of Beverly Hills and was shut down about 7 p.m. In a video posted on Brown’s Instagram account, the NBA star could be seen arguing with a BHPD officer who was shutting the party down.
“The owner didn’t say we needed a permit,” Brown told the officer in the video. Brown claimed the event was not a party, but rather a panel on culture.
“300k down the drain,” Brown wrote in a post on X after the incident, tagging the Beverly Hills Police Department.
“An event permit had been applied for and denied by the City due to previous violations associated with events at the address,” BHPD said in a statement.
“Despite the fact that the permit was denied, organizers still chose to proceed with inviting hundreds of guests knowing that it was not allowed to occur,” the statement continued.
Brown plays for the Boston Celtics, a historic rival of the Los Angeles Lakers, but added that he was surprised at his treatment by the city of Beverly Hills.
“I feel like we’re being targeted right now,” he said in a video posted to Instagram.
1.Yoshiki Ideguchi, who traveled from Tokyo, watches at Dodgers spring training at Camelback Ranch in Arizona Monday.(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)2.Children lean against a fence and wait to greet players during Dodgers spring training at Camelback Ranch in Arizona on Monday.(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)3.A fan holds a World Series bobblehead while waiting to greet players at Dodgers spring training at Camelback Ranch in Arizona on Monday.(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — It’s all downhill after 40.
Downhill at screaming speeds, that is, fast enough to capture Olympic gold, which is precisely what 41-year-old Elana Meyers Taylor did Monday night in the women’s monobob.
America’s most successful female bobsledder finally got her gold medal. She was four one-hundredths of a second faster than Germany’s Laura Nolte — compiled over four heats — netting her sixth Olympic medal.
Those prizes — a gold, three silvers and two bronzes — tied Meyers Taylor with speedskater Bonnie Blair as the most decorated U.S. woman in Winter Olympic history.
“I still can’t even put into words what this means having the gold medal,” Meyers Taylor said. “It’s still surreal.”
She became the oldest American woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Games, having covered the winding course four times in two days in a total of 3 minutes, 57.93 seconds.
American gold medalist Elana Meyers Taylor and bronze medalist Kaillie Humphries pose for a photo during the medal ceremony for monbob bobsled in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Monday.
(Julian Finney / Getty Images)
Monobob is a women’s event that made its debut at the Beijing Olympics four years ago. Only one person competes, pushing the sled at the start and piloting down the course at speeds of 70 to 80 mph. There were 20 competitors in the inaugural event, and American Kaillie Humphries — who claimed the bronze Monday — won the first gold medal in the event.
The triumph came after Meyers Taylor went a whole World Cup season without standing on a podium, finishing 10th in the standings.
“The season was miserable,” she said, noting she has suffered back problems for months.
Her husband and two young children were waiting for her at the finish line, and Meyers Taylor is about as down-to-earth as an elite athlete can get. Both of their children have special needs and are deaf.
American Elana Meyers Taylor celebrates after winning the monobob bobsled competition in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Monday.
(Al Bello / Getty Images)
She taught them some new words in sign language in the days leading up to the race.
“We went over what ‘champion’ is,” she said, adding she also taught them to sign “bobsled race” and “gold.”
Asked about her pre-race assessment that a gold medal would mean everything and nothing to her, she smiled and said: “It still is everything, and it still is nothing. Because at the end of the day, in six days I’ve got school pickups and dropoffs in the middle of Texas.”
Humphries — who has three golds and two bronzes in her career — was tied with Meyers Taylor heading into the fourth and final heat. They are both mothers who split time between intense training and all the challenges of parenthood.
“I hope it inspires other people to go out and chase it, whatever it may be,” said Humphries, 40.
“I grew up in a sport where if you have kids once you get to 40, it’s all downhill and alumni … I get to be proof that that’s not true.”
American gold medalist Elana Meyers Taylor and bronze medalist Kaillie Humphries celebrate with Humphries’ son after the monobob competition at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Monday.
(Julian Finney / Getty Images)
Meyers Taylor, who was born Oct. 10, 1984, is eight days older than American ski racing legend Lindsey Vonn, who is recovering from a violent crash in the women’s downhill and has undergone multiple operations in the last week.
“I was at the Alpine race when she went down, and that was heartbreaking,” Meyers Taylor said.
“To do that at 41, she’s incredible.”
Humphries said staying atop the sport will be quite a challenge for the monobob medalists.
“These girls are young,” she said. “They’re putting up a good fight. I won’t lie, the starts are challenging, so we’ve got some work to do.”
Mike Trout says he would prefer to return to center field for the Angels, and the star slugger says he will skip the World Baseball Classic because of insurance issues.
The 11-time All-Star who been plagued by injuries since 2021 says his familiar position isn’t as physically demanding as the corner outfield spots, contrary to traditional thinking.
Trout played his most games since 2019 last season, finishing at 130. The three-time American League MVP started 22 of his first 29 games in right field before a knee injury sidelined him for a month. The 34-year-old was exclusively a designated hitter when he returned in late May.
Trout had 26 home runs but hit just .232, by far the worst average of his career when he had at least 400 at-bats.
He spent time in left field early in his career but was a center fielder for 11 consecutive seasons before the switch to right. Injuries limited Trout to 111 games the previous two years.
Trout said conversations with first-year manager Kurt Suzuki have included the idea of a return to center.
“I feel like I’m at my best when I’m in center,” Trout told reporters at the club’s spring training facility Monday. “If I have to go to the corner, I’ll go to the corner.”
Trout said a return to center will be good for his health.
“When I was in center, it was less on my body than the corners,” Trout said. “To be honest, in right field I felt I was running a lot. Talking to some other outfielders and they’re saying that they feel the same way sometimes, center is less on your legs. I just feel … confident in center.”
Trout, who played in his only WBC three years ago, had said he was interested in playing again before insurance issues arose.
“It’s disappointing,” Trout said. “I wanted to run it back with all the guys.”
Promising young Boston outfielder Roman Anthony has been named as a Team USA injury replacement for Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, who has a broken bone in his right hand.
PHOENIX — Position players reported to spring training at Camelback Ranch for the Dodgers on Monday, but manager Dave Roberts revealed that it will be without its versatile second baseman and utilityman Tommy Edman when the team opens the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks at home on March 26.
The 30-year-old Edman underwent ankle surgery during the offseason after being limited to 97 games in 2025 in his first full season with the Dodgers.
“I think just looking at where his ankle is at, trying to play the long view that you don’t want to have any regression or setbacks,” Roberts said. “So, how can we methodical with it? Just for me, knowing that he’s just taking swings is enough. We’re not going to rush it. We want to put him in the best position, so I think it just kind of became [clearer] very recently.”
Edman will open the season on the injured list, something he is at peace with. He felt that a return before Opening Day was a bit ambitious, and that it would be better to err on the side of caution.
“That was always kind of a stretch, just due to the nature of the injury and the timing of the surgery and everything,” Edman said. “I think, having been out of the boot for a little over a month now, I was just kind of waiting to see how it progressed, and everything has gone exactly on-schedule. We were kind of leaving Opening Day open, just in case it happened to feel way better than expected. Everything’s on the expected schedule so far. As I get into more baseball stuff, I still have to work into the adaptation of volume. As the volume goes up, the swelling kind of increases a little bit, so I’ve got to take it slow and let the progress play out the way it was planned all along, instead of trying to speed it up.”
For now, Edman is slow-playing it.
“He took some swings a couple days ago, [from] both sides,” Roberts said. “He did some skipping, some light jogging, I think it was. He’s getting his body into baseball shape, so obviously he’s not going to be ready for the start of camp. He’s in that same bucket of, ‘When he’s ready, he’s ready.’ But each day, there’s been progress.”
Evan Phillips excited to be back
Days after signing a one-year contract to return to the Dodgers — despite being non-tendered earlier in the offseason — Evan Phillips expressed relief at being back.
“[The offseason] was quiet for a little bit,” Phillips said. “I leaned on my agent to be patient and trust that things were going to work out and we’re certainly glad that we’re back. It was definitely a very, very wild ride this offseason. It feels like I never left, so it’s kind of weird to get all the handshakes and hugs, but it’s just another spring training to me. I’m certainly glad to be back in Dodger blue.”
Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes told reporters Sunday that Phillips should return to the Dodgers sometime in the middle of the season. He underwent Tommy John surgery last June.
“[I’ve been] doing long toss a few times a week, hoping to get on the bullpen or on the mound for a bullpen next month,” Phillips said. “I’ll start that mound progression here in the next couple of weeks. I think, actually, Tuesday I’ll throw off of the mound for the first time, but it won’t be to a catcher or anything. It’ll just be a catcher standing up and there’s a slow progression, week by week. So [there will be] plenty of steps ahead that’s going to keep me busy here in Arizona, but I’m definitely looking forward to that progression.”
MILAN — After a one-hour on-ice training session and on the way to yet another interview, Isabeau Levito has one big problem on her mind.
One of the plants in the U.S. figure skater’s room has started growing mold. She needs to figure out how to wrangle it.
“That’s our task of the day,” Levito said Monday.
Nevermind that the biggest competition of her life was starting in about 24 hours.
Isabeau Levito competes during the free skating competition at the U.S. figure skating championships on Jan. 9 in St. Louis.
(Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
Levito and the United States’ “Blade Angels” are trying to stay calm under pressure at the Olympics, where chaos has reigned at Milano Ice Skating Arena.
The United States was expected to dominate figure skating in Milan, but has yet to win a gold medal in an individual event entering Tuesday’s women’s short program. A supposed sure-fire gold medal disappeared in stunning fashion with Ilia Malinin’s eighth-place collapse. Three-time reigning world ice dance champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates settled for a “bittersweet” silver that was marred by judging controversies.
But the talent and depth on what is likely the best U.S. women’s Olympic team in decades could help end a 20-year Olympic medal drought in women’s singles skating. The last U.S. woman to stand on an Olympic podium for an individual event was Sasha Cohen in 2006. Sarah Hughes’ 2002 gold medal was the last for the United States in women’s singles.
Alysa Liu has already ended one skid. The reigning world champion was the first U.S. woman to win the world title since 2006. With blonde horizontal stripes dyed into her black hair and a piercing in her upper lip, the 20-year-old Liu is putting an alternative spin on figure skating.
Three-time national champion Amber Glenn combines power in her triple axel with emotion on the ice.
Levito, the 2024 world silver medalist, is the classic balletic skater who packs a humorous punch behind her teenage smile.
In a sport that once pitted young women against each other to fit a singular “ice princess” mold, the “Blade Angels” find their strength in their diversity.
“I really like that we’re all so different,” Levito said. “We have our own strengths and our own personalities and our own ways we want to look and appear. … We all have the same passion for the sport and have very aligned goals of wanting to do our best, and once we do that, we’re all happy, regardless of who beat who.”
NBC announcing team Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir dubbed the trio of medal contenders “the big three,” but the skaters workshopped their own nickname after nationals. They nixed “Babes of Glory” and “Powerpuff Girls” for copyright concerns. Their final choice was a mashup of “Blades of Glory” and “Charlie’s Angels.” If you like it, credit Liu.
“If people don’t like it,” Liu said, “don’t say I made it.”
Liu and Glenn have already won a gold medal in Milan, helping the United States win the team event in dramatic fashion. But with the two events spaced more than one week apart, “being in a high-pressure atmosphere for so long takes its toll,” Glenn said.
The 26-year-old has faced additional challenges on social media at the Games. She had to resolve potential copyright issues concerning her free skate music and received threats for comments she made during a news conference when asked about President Trump’s policies regarding the LGBTQ+ community. Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, encouraged people in the queer community to “stay strong during these hard times,” refusing to avoid political conversations because “politics affect us all.”
American Amber Glenn competes during the team skate at the Winter Olympics in Milan on Feb. 8.
(Natacha Pisarenko / Associated Press)
While she said Monday she doesn’t regret the comments, she has also had to take a break from social media to focus on her remaining competitions at the Olympics.
“I’m happy to do what I do and stand for what I stand for,” Glenn said. “But it has been —”
She paused.
“Complicated.”
Not only are the Olympic Games the largest stage for many sports and a dream that begins from childhood, but the spotlight has only increased with social media in recent years, Glenn said. Amid the pressure, she tries to lean on her teammates and embody the advice of U.S. figure skating alumni who tell her simply “enjoy it.”
“Four years ago, I could never have imagined even making it here,” Glenn said. “To just be here is a privilege that I don’t take lightly, and I need to remind myself of that and to just really soak in the experience, not just the results.”
Isabeau Levito skates during the U.S. figure skating championships on Jan. 11 in St. Louis.
(Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
To reset after the team competition, the “Angels” went with the pairs skaters — whose competition started one week after the team event wrapped — to train at a U.S. facility in Bergamo, about a 50-minute drive outside of Milan. The training sessions are longer than what’s available at the competition venue, said Levito, who only took two training sessions in Milan before Tuesday’s short program.
The last U.S. figure skater to take Olympic ice, Levito has passed her time at the Games in the Olympic village. After making the Olympic team, the New Jersey native was most excited about the village. To her, it was going to be like “a magic kingdom,” she said before the Games.
It’s lived up to every expectation. She walks by the Olympic rings every morning. She and her teammates lounged in front of the TV watching the pairs competition Sunday and Glenn ordered ramen. Levito and U.S. ice dancer Christina Carreira named the adopted plants in their shared room Christabeau and Isatina. Levito is loving the experience so much that she won’t even harp on the fact that she briefly battled food poisoning.
She felt “horrible” off the ice, but it didn’t affect her training.
“When I was skating,” Levito said, “I flipped a switch in my head.”
GB’s Kirsty Muir finishes fourth for the second time at the 2026 Winter Olympics after scoring an incredible 93 points on her second run, before falling on her third.
England have not had a competitive fixture since winning Euro 2025 as they beat China 8-0 and Ghana 2-0 in friendly matches at the end of last year.
Before that, they suffered a 2-1 defeat by Brazil on their homecoming return but recorded a 3-0 win over Australia three days later.
The matches gave Wiegman an opportunity to test new players and formations – handing a debut to 30-year-old goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse in the process.
Among those to receive their first senior call-ups to the squad were defenders Anouk Denton, Taylor Hinds and forward Freya Godfrey.
There was also time for England stars Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze and Lauren James to recover from lengthy injuries.
Chelsea defender Millie Bright, who captained England to the World Cup final in 2023, announced her retirement in October having withdrawn from the Euros.
There was a serious blow for Arsenal forward Michelle Agyemang – one of England’s key players in Switzerland – as she was carried off on a stretcher after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during the win over Australia.
But it’s been a successful time for the other Lionesses in Arsenal’s squad, including captain Williamson, who lifted the Champions Cup in February.
And Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was named the world’s best goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or awards in September, as Wiegman picked up the best coach award.
Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where I have emerged from my Hawaiian vacation and probably should be stopped before I buy a Maui timeshare. Please send help.
All jokes (and future debt) aside, we’re ready to roll after a weeklong break on the beach, just in time for the home stretch of the college basketball regular season. Both USC teams are still on the bubble midway through February, albeit one much more comfortably than the other.
Fight on! Are you a true Trojans fan?
The Trojan men’s March hopes are the more tenuous of the two. The sudden ascent to stardom of freshman Alijah Arenas has injected new hope into a hard-luck season. There’s still a ways to go: USC must face Illinois and Nebraska, not to mention UCLA twice, and could still use a couple more Quad 1 wins to bolster its resume. But the talent is there for USC to do some damage in the tournament … if it can make it to March.
The Trojan women are on much steadier ground, slotted at 22nd in the NCAA’s NET rankings. They’ve yet to lose a non-Quad 1 game this season and haven’t lost a game at all since Jan. 25. If the tournament started today, they’d be firmly in the field.
Lindsay Gottlieb has found a means to make it work over the last month, in spite of some shortcomings in a lineup that lost not just JuJu Watkins, but also all the other stars who might’ve lined up to play with her this season. Still, USC has weathered 25 games with a Watkins-sized hole in its lineup, a limited frontcourt and inconsistent play at point guard.
Gottlieb, as coach, deserves a lot of credit for that. As does Kara Dunn, the Trojans’ sharp-shooting grad transfer, who is shooting 51% and averaging 21 points, six rebounds and three assists over her past 11 games.
But USC could not have come this far this season if not for the best freshman in college basketball.
Jazzy Davidson has been every bit the difference-maker in her debut season that she was advertised to be as the top recruit in the 2025 class. She has been an elite defender, a dynamic and varied scorer, a poised and determined leader. She’s delivered in the clutch. She’s dragged USC out of deficits. She leads the Trojans in every statistical category: points (17.2), rebounds (6.3), assists (4.4), steals (1.9) and blocks (2.2).
The numbers only really tell part of the story. When Davidson signed with USC, she expected to play her first season with Watkins. Instead, Watkins injured her knee. The rest of USC’s Elite Eight lineup left. And Davidson suddenly found herself the centerpiece of the team’s hopes. As a freshman.
Those expectations would have weighed heavily on most first-year players, even before considering Watkins’ shadow looming over all the proceedings. But in this case, they haven’t seemed to faze the star freshman in the slightest. She’s been a picture of poise through a season that asked her to be just that. It’s an impossible thing to ask of most 18-year-olds.
And yet, in Davidson’s case, it’s working.
“You talk about overdelivering, to be a freshman and carry the load for us,” Gottlieb said, “she’s just capable of doing almost anything on a basketball court. She’s unique. I know there are several good freshmen in the country. We know how good she is. We see it every day, and we think there’s no one better.”
Someone in SEC country will surely make the case that Vanderbilt point guard Aubrey Galvan has been the nation’s top freshman. Advanced metrics, for one, will tell you that Galvan is worth 3.3 win shares compared to 3.1 for Davidson. She’s certainly been special on the offensive end, pairing up with national player of the year candidate Mikayla Blakes to make the most lethal 1-2 punch in women’s college basketball.
But Galvan is the No. 2 in that attack. That’s the role Davidson was supposed to play as a freshman. Instead, Davidson has been the focal point of opposing team’s game plans from the start, and yet still managed to adjust to the college game on the fly. Her usage rate (28.8%), which measures how often a possession ends with the ball in one’s hands, is higher than any freshman in the country. And she’s only getting better with the ball in her hands.
USC’s hopes this March hinge on Davidson continuing that ascent. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. But here we are. And in some strange, roundabout way, the experience might wind up making USC and its star freshman much better in the long run.
Because next year, USC will welcome not only Watkins back from injury, but also the No. 1 recruit in the nation, Saniyah Hall, as well as 6-foot-4 Aussie forward Sitaya Fagan, who’s redshirting this season. That lineup might be the most talented in USC history.
How it fits together will be the story of next season. But in this one, Davidson has proven she can be whatever USC needs her to be.
Not only the best freshman in college basketball, but the glue that’s kept this Trojans season together.
Mater Dei wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt pulls in a long reception to score against St John Bosco.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
—One last thing about Jazzy. She could stand to be more efficient from the three-point line, where she has made just nine of her last 52 attempts (17%). USC, as a team, has really struggled from behind the arc, which is not something you want in March.
—Chad Baker-Mazara should be back this week. It’s not clear if he’ll be ready for Wednesday’s big matchup. When USC welcomes No. 8 Illinois to Galen Center, it will have been more than two weeks since Baker-Mazara sprained his medial collateral ligament against Indiana. A Grade I sprain usually requires sitting out a week or two, so the timeline is pretty normal. USC is going to need its full arsenal, Baker-Mazara included, to hold its own against the Illini. But if not Wednesday, the sixth-year senior will definitely be back by Saturday against Oregon.
—Chad Bowden wasn’t subtle about his expectations for next season. USC’s general manager told reporters that he was “on a warpath” heading into 2026. He made clear that success next season is “black and white. You’re either in the playoffs or you’re not,” he said. He added that fans “should be unhappy” with a nine-win season and that he was “sick to his stomach” about it. Strong words from someone whose opinion matters a lot within Heritage Hall. Chalk it up as more evidence that a Playoff appearance is the baseline of expectations for Lincoln Riley next season.
—Blue-chip pass-catching prospects Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Mark Bowman both took less money to sign with USC. That’s a good sign. Bowden said USC hadn’t talked to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt in three or four months while the top-50 receiver recruit was committed to Ohio State. But Dixon-Wyatt decided out of the blue that he was coming to USC, to stay home and play in front of family, even if it meant taking less money than he would’ve gotten in Columbus. He wasn’t the only one. On signing day, Lane Kiffin and LSU swooped in to offer Dixon-Wyatt’s Mater Dei teammate, tight end Mark Bowman, “significantly more” than the deal he had with USC, Bowden said. Bowman made Bowden wait most of the day before reassuring he was always bound for USC. We might look back on that decision as a pretty consequential one, if Bowman lives up to his billing from Bowden as “one of the best players in the country.”
—USC is putting a lot of faith in its linebacker room for 2026. Bowden says he thinks the room will “take the biggest leap” of any position next season, but for the moment, that would require quite a bit of projection. Riley pointed to the progress from Desman Stephens down the stretch of last season, as well as the late emergence of Jadyn Walker, as reasons why USC didn’t feel the need to add more in the transfer portal. USC did add Deven Bryant, who the front office viewed as a quality run defender, and welcomes a freshman in Talanoa Ili who could be involved right away.
—The Big Ten is still pushing the 24-team Playoff – *shakes head* – but its plan isn’t all bad. I am not a fan in the slightest of doubling the size of the Playoff. That would significantly devalue the regular season, while lining the coffers of college football’s ruling class. The Big Ten has dominated the last three years of the 12-team Playoff, and yet it wants to open the field up more? It doesn’t make sense. What does sound logical to me, amid an otherwise insane plan, is the elimination of the conference championship games. Not only would that cut a full week out of the calendar, which needs to happen, it would do away with any questions about whether teams can hurt their resume just by playing another game. Go to 16 teams, do away with conference championship games and please — I beg you — stop tweaking the system.
—USC baseball’s season opened with a combined no-hitter. After beating Pepperdine in its season opener, the Trojans went one step further in their Saturday matchup, serving up the school’s first no-hitter in eight years. Sophomore right-hander Grant Govel went seven innings and struck out 10 batters while walking just one, and freshman Cameron Fausset closed the door with another hitless inning before Andrew Lamb hit a two-run homer to invoke the 10-run rule. Hard to imagine a better start to USC’s first season back on campus.
Olympic sports spotlight
After winning its first indoor NCAA title in 53 years last season, the future of USC men’s track has looked strong this indoor season.
Jack Stadlman, a Temecula native, set the indoor 400-meter freshman record at USC, finishing in second with a 45.51 on Day 1 of the Don Kirby Elite Invite on Friday. Stadlman actually didn’t start running track until his junior year at Temecula Valley High and didn’t start running the 400 until last spring. Now already he’s run the fastest indoor time ever for a freshman at USC and the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA in the event this season. That should set Stadlman up nicely for next month’s NCAA indoor championships.
Freshman Cordial Vann also made a strong impression, tying the indoor freshman record at USC with a 6.60 in the 60-meter sprint. The NCAA best so far this year is a 6.49.
I finally had the chance this past weekend to watch “Marty Supreme,” the best picture nominee starring Timothée Chalamet and directed by Josh Safdie. And boy was it worth the wait.
Let me start by saying that I generally dislike sports movies. There are exceptions to this rule, of course. But as someone who spends a lot of time thinking about the beauty and romance and drama inherent to sports, I am a documented hater of the genre.
“Marty Supreme,” though, was no ordinary sports movie. This was a propulsive, anxiety-inducing roller coaster ride as we follow Marty Mauser, played by Chalamet, as he tries to become the face of the emerging sport of table tennis in a post-World War II America. Those plans, as you might imagine, unravel along the way, and in the process, Chalamet gives one of the best performances of the year.
I’m still partial to “One Battle After Another” if we’re talking best picture in next month’s Academy Awards, but “Marty Supreme” is no doubt one of the best movies of the last year.
Until next time …
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
MILAN — The U.S. advanced to the final of the women’s hockey tournament at the Milan-Cortina Olympics with a 5-0 rout of Sweden on Monday and will meet the winner of the second semifinal between Canada and Switzerland in Thursday’s gold-medal game.
The goals came from Cayla Barnes, Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne, Hayley Scamurra and Abbey Murphy. Hannah Bilka had two assists while Aerin Frankel turned back 23 shots in pitching the Americans’ fifth consecutive shutout, running their scoreless streak to more than 331 minutes. The unbeaten U.S. has scored at least five times in each of its six games, outscoring opponents 31-1 overall.
Kendall Coyne, top left, celebrates with her teammates after scoring against Sweden in the second period Monday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Barnes got things started 5:09 into the first period, taking a pass from Kelley Pannek behind the goal line, settling it inside the right faceoff circle, then blasting a shot over the shoulder of Swedish goalie Ebba Svensson Traff for her first goal of the Games. Barnes is the 15th American to score in the tournament.
But that was all the U.S. would get in a first period in which it built a 13-2 shot advantage.
Heise doubled the advantage midway through the second period, although Bilka did most of the work, taking the puck at center ice and driving hard up the right wing before slipping a deft pass across the front of the goal for Heise, who had an easy tap-in.
Six minutes later Murphy made it 3-0 and the rout was on, with Coyne and Scamurra adding goals 109 seconds apart to extend the U.S. lead to 5-0 heading into the second intermission.
U.S. forward Abbey Murphy, right, scores past Sweden goalkeeper Ebba Svensson Traff in the second period Monday.
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — World-class athletes, thrilling events, stirring medal ceremonies, I will remember all of those from the Winter Olympics. But what I experienced Sunday on my 45-minute bus ride from my hotel to Cortina will stay with me longer.
There was a young woman sitting across the aisle. She looked to be in her mid-20s, about the age of my daughter, and was wearing a knit cap with a Switzerland logo. Her dark hair was in long, thin braids and framed her friendly face.
“How’s it going?” I asked, setting down my backpack.
“Nervous,” she said with a faint smile.
That started the conversation, one that would have me repeatedly wiping my eyes with my sleeve.
Her name was Michelle Gloor. She’s 25 and from a small town outside of Zurich. Her boyfriend, Cedric Follador, is pilot of the Swiss bobsled team and has races throughout the week. She was heading to watch him practice.
Michelle knows all about the sport. In fact, she had been the brake woman on the Swiss national team and had hoped to be competing in these Olympics herself. She grew up as a track-and-field athlete, a sprinter, and only took up bobsled in 2022.
Women’s bobsled — or bobsleigh, as Europeans call it — is a two-person operation with a pilot in front and brake woman in back.
“The first responsibility is pushing the sled as fast as I can, together with my pilot,” she said in a German accent and near-flawless English. “I have to sit still and count the curves until we reach the finish line, when I have to pull the brakes. I’m responsible that the sled won’t crash into something.”
Her best friend had made the transition from track to bobsled, was looking for a brake woman, and convinced Michelle to give it a try.
“My first bobsleigh ride was in St. Moritz and I was so nervous,” said Gloor, a third-year law student at the University of Zurich. “I think I was crying in the back of the sled because I’d never felt anything like that, all the G-forces and you don’t have any cushion in the sled. It all hurts.
“But after the second run, I felt the adrenaline and it was great. It caught me from then. It took me two runs.”
She was 22 and the future was bright. They entered the Swiss championships and won. Michelle got serious about her new sport, training every day, eating right, building muscle.
Immersed in that world, she met Cedric but for the first 1½ years they were just casual friends. Their conversations were all bobsled-related.
“Then in spring 2024 he texted me and asked, ‘How are you?’” she said. “More personal stuff.”
They had been dating for about six months when a discovery would dramatically change their lives.
In November 2024, during a routine check-up, a gynecologist found evidence of cancer in Michelle’s ovaries. If there were signs she was ill, Michelle hadn’t noticed them. She had been tired the prior summer, yes, but she attributed that to her training.
“It was pretty advanced,” she said of the cancer. “I went to the women’s doctor every year and they couldn’t explain why they couldn’t see it earlier. I don’t know. I’m not questioning that anymore. It’s just … yeah.”
There was no time to wait. By December, she was in surgery. Doctors opened her abdomen from her breast bone down, looking for more growths. They deemed the operation a success, and six months of chemotherapy began in February.
“I lost my hair,” she said. “I had long, black hair. Losing that wasn’t bad. But I lost the hair on my face — my eyebrows, my eyelashes — that was hard. But I always knew it just had to be.”
Her doctor told her her cancer was Stage 3.
“That means it’s on the other organs too,” she said. “But the difference between Stage 3 and Stage 4 is it’s not in my lungs. It’s in my tummy area but not more upwards.”
“Women or even men my age, you live in your world, you are following your dreams. And you don’t think about something happening in your life.”
— Michelle Gloor, on being diagnosed with cancer at a young age
Cedric was by her side.
“I asked him after the diagnosis if he wants to join me in this journey or not,” she said. “I can understand if he won’t because we were together not even half a year, and I can understand if he said, ‘Hey, it’s too much for me. I can’t do that.’
“Then he took time for himself, and he came back and said he wants to stay with me. He wants to support me in every imaginable way.
“He drove me to therapy when he was in town because he had a bobsleigh season going on from November until March, in my toughest time. Every time he was home, he was there for me. When he wasn’t there, we were phoning every day. He was there all the time, even when he wasn’t there physically.”
Her parents and younger brother were there for her too, of course, but she wanted to give them some time to themselves. Cedric was her rock.
There are elements in his job as a driver that both help him in his sport, and her in her disease.
“As a driver, you really need to focus on what’s going on straight ahead of you,” she explained. “You can’t really switch away your thoughts. You have one minute of full concentration. I think you can compare it to Formula One because you only see the next curve in front of you.
“He’s very calm and I think that helps him in a sporting way to not overreact emotionally and stuff like that. But also for me as a partner, I’m very emotional. When I’m too excited or too sad or too angry, he can calm me down to a normal level. On a stress-less level, and to be stress-free is very important for someone who has cancer.”
Switzerland’s Cedric Follador, right, and Luca Rolli compete in two-man bobsled at the Milan-Cortina Olympics on Monday.
(Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)
Michelle, petite and pale, has lost about 40 pounds over the past year. Mostly muscle.
“I was avoiding sugar in the beginning of the illness,” she said. “You read so much stuff. But after losing so much weight, doctors told me just eat what you want to eat. Because having energy is more important than eating too much sugar.”
In August, doctors discovered more cancer in her. Another surgery to open her abdomen.
“They said it’s still there,” she said. “Those microcells which they couldn’t remove because they couldn’t see them, they grew. But once all those microcells have grown up and been removed, or have been killed by therapy and medication, there won’t be any new cells because the ovaries have been removed, so they don’t produce any more.”
She tries not to Google her illness anymore. It doesn’t help her frame of mind. She’s changed in other ways, too.
“I was a very direct person before my illness,” she said. “Now I’m even more direct and straight-forward. I say no, and I don’t explain myself. If I don’t want to do something, I don’t have to. I just say no.
“Before that, I had a bad feeling about myself and explained myself just because I say no. I don’t do that anymore.”
In December, she began radiation. She has another scan after the Olympics.
There are times she just can’t believe this is happening.
“Women or even men my age, you live in your world, you are following your dreams,” she said. “And you don’t think about something happening in your life. I only know young people in Switzerland, so I can only speak for them. But they don’t talk about that.
“They are not sensible about what can happen, and that’s why it’s important for me to speak out about it. For example, with a women’s doctor, you have to go. It can happen to anyone.
“I’m a young woman. I do sports since I’m 10 years old. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t smoke. But it still can happen.”
Her illness has shined a spotlight on her friendships. Lots of her old friends showed concern at first, then went on with their lives. A handful checked in on her frequently. Some are new.
“I got in touch with a woman during chemotherapy, she was there too,” Michelle said. “She has breast cancer. She saw my cross necklace, and we were talking about faith and how it helped in those hard times.
“We are still in contact now. We are writing letters to each other. We’re not texting or phoning, just writing letters and sending postcards. She’s as old as my mom, but it’s very cool to have someone with almost the same story.”
How will that story end? Michelle has her hopes, this fearless young woman who took to bobsledding on her second time down the track.
“My goal is to be in the Olympics in four years,” she said. “I’ll be 29 by then. The age is still good — even better than now for a bobsleigh athlete. And I have a great team. My bobsleigh pilot is very supportive and she said she always has a place for me in the sled.”
This week, Michelle is supporting Cedric — just a sliver, she said, of the way he has supported her. They got engaged in December. It happened at sunset in his little hometown in the Swiss Alps.
“He was talking about himself and us, and then he proposed to me,” she said. “I said yes. Of course.”
The Winter Olympics medal hopes of Team GB’s men’s curlers have been cast into doubt after a shock 8-6 defeat by Norway left them scrambling to make the semi-finals in Cortina.
Bruce Mouat’s world champions had lost two of their opening six matches, and were expected to beat the Norwegians for their fifth victory of the competition.
Leading 4-2 after six ends, they appeared to be in good shape. But a few untimely errors, combined with a disciplined display by their unheralded opponents, left them 6-4 down with two ends left.
Mouat’s attempted triple takeout in the penultimate end was a fraction out, but still yielded two to level the scores going into the last. However, Norway held their nerve with the hammer to close out an unexpected victory.
But the British rink will need to beat both Canada on Tuesday and the United States the following day (both 18:05 GMT).
“We need to win our next two to make sure we’re definitely in the semis,” lead Hammy McMillan told BBC Sport. “We’re doing a lot of the right things, we just need to find that extra inch.”
The women’s rink are not well-placed, either, but they did deliver their best in the biggest moment to beat Denmark 7-2 and keep their hopes alive.
Having lost three of their opening four, Rebecca Morrison’s rink need victories in at least four of their final five matches to have any chance of salvaging a place in Friday’s last four – and they began that quest well.
An aggressive start was rewarded with an early 2-0 advantage and the British rink led 3-2 at the break.
Another fine two-point haul in the sixth, followed by a steal in the seventh, opened up a four-point gap with three ends to play and the Scottish quartet closed out the win.
They are back on the ice against Switzerland at 18:05 GMT in another must-win contest, live on the BBC.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. At last, our long, national nightmare is over. The Dodgers re-signed Kiké Hernández.
Well, the first spring training game is Saturday against the Angels. Opening day is March 26 at home against Arizona. So what better time to look at a potential opening day roster? After all, it’s not like there will be injuries and roster moves before then, right? This will definitely be the roster.
But first, a couple of notes to catch up on:
—They are splitting up the raising of the World Series flag and the ring ceremony again. The ring ceremony is March 27.
—The Dodgers re-signed Evan Phillips to a one-year, $6.5-million deal. The Dodgers originally acquired Phillips off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays near the end of the 2021 season. Since then, he has gone 15-9 with a 2.22 ERA and 45 saves in 201 games (195 innings). His injury last season threw the bullpen into disarray. He had Tommy John surgery in June and won’t be back until the All-Star break.
—To make room for Phillips on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated Ben Rortvedt for assignment, probably hoping again that Rortvedt will go unclaimed and they can send him to the minors. However, the New York Mets claimed Rortvedt, and he will compete for a backup spot with, among other, former Dodger Austin Barnes, who signed a minor-league deal with the Mets on Jan. 29
—The Dodgers re-signed Kiké Hernández to a one-year, $4.5-million deal. He had elbow surgery in the offseason and won’t be able to play until probably the All-Star break, so expect him to be put on the 60-day IL soon. To make room for Hernández, the Dodgers put Phillips on the 60-day IL.
—The Dodgers traded Anthony Banda, whom they designated for assignment last week, to the Minnesota Twins for $500,000 of international bonus pool space.
—The Dodgers signed Max Muncy to a contract extension, giving him $7 million for the 2027 season with a $10-million team option for 2028. Muncy has said he wants to remain with the Dodgers the rest of his career, and he will be 38 when the 2028 season ends.
—In this era of high contracts, you have to look at Muncy and Will Smith, who has a 10-year, $140-million contract, and marvel. They both have left a lot of money on the table to remain with the Dodgers. Especially Smith, who is arguably the best catcher in baseball, and definitely in the top three.
Why are the Dodgers so good at getting players for under market value? Muncy said this last week to reporters:
“Part of me and who I am as a person and how I was raised, I like to be loyal to people. This organization took a chance on me when I was out of baseball, basically. That meant a lot to me. They stuck with me when things were going bad. They’ve never wavered on me at all. That means a lot to me in itself, and it’s just a place I’m very comfortable. My family’s comfortable here. We have a chance to win every single year. That’s why I play this game. I want to win. Obviously you make money in this game, but that’s not why I play. I play because I want to win. It’s the competitive fire that I want to go out and win as much as I can. That to me is worth more than money.
“I know I’m leaving money on the table, but I’m more than OK with that because I wouldn’t be OK with myself trying to chase money somewhere else watching this team win and I’m on the sidelines. That’s just not who I am. I would rather win. Another component to it is just the relationships I’ve built here. Like I was just saying, I like to be loyal and my relationships mean a lot. I’ve created such a relationship with the staff, the front office, the coaches, the medical and training staff, the clubhouse guys. I just don’t want to create that somewhere else. Being here for my entire career at this point would mean the world to me, and this gives me the chance to do that.”
So, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at the 40-man roster.
Pitchers Ben Casparius Edwin Díaz Jack Dreyer Paul Gervase Tyler Glasnow Brusdar Graterol Edgardo Henriquez Kyle Hurt Will Klein Landon Knack Ronan Kopp Bobby Miller Evan Phillips-* River Ryan Roki Sasaki Tanner Scott Emmet Sheehan Blake Snell Brock Stewart Gavin Stone Blake Treinen Alex Vesia Justin Wrobleski Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Two-way players Shohei Ohtani
Catcher Dalton Rushing Will Smith
Infielders Mookie Betts Tommy Edman Alex Freeland Freddie Freeman Kiké Hernández Hyeseong Kim Max Muncy Miguel Rojas
Outfielders Alex Call Teoscar Hernández Andy Pages Michael Siani Kyle Tucker Ryan Ward
*-on 60-day IL so doesn’t count as part of the 40-man limit.
So, let’s assume the Dodgers go with 13 pitchers and 13 position players as usual. And, Dave Roberts reiterated Thursday that they will go with a six-man rotation, at least for the first part of the season. Where does that leave us?
Bullpen (8) Edwin Díaz *Jack Dreyer Brusdar Graterol Will Klein *Tanner Scott Blake Treinen *Alex Vesia *Justin Wrobleski
*-left-handed
—Henriquez also could slip in here, it just depends on how everyone looks in spring training. Plus, knowing Dodgers history, one of these guys probably will start the season on the IL.
—Stewart is expected to miss part of the season, and there are questions about Snell, who says he slowed his process of getting ready for the season, and Graterol, who didn’t pitch last season.
—Remember, Ohtani counts as a two-way player, so he is a pitcher and designated hitter but takes only one roster spot, allowing the Dodgers to carry 14 pitchers when the official roster says 13.
Two-way player (1) Shohei Ohtani
Catchers (2) Dalton Rushing Will Smith
Infielders (6) Mookie Betts Tommy Edman Freddie Freeman Hyeseong Kim Max Muncy Miguel Rojas
Outfielders (4) Alex Call Teoscar Hernández Andy Pages Kyle Tucker
—There’s a chance Edman starts the season on the IL.
—The odds that this is the actual opening day roster are very long. Remember, this is just a guess, not a prediction, so please, no wagering.
—This is just to give you a sense of where the Dodgers stand. Dave Roberts already said it is the best team he has had. But, as I’ve said before, here is what will happen: People will say they are going to set the record for wins. Expectations will be sky high. Injuries will hit the pitching staff. Slumps will happen. Some fans will wonder what happened and say the Dodgers stink and Roberts couldn’t manage his way out of his own house. The Dodgers will end the season with around 95 wins. And then anything can happen in the postseason.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto talks about pitching and other topics with José Mota. Watch and listen here.
Until next time…
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The high school baseball season begins this week, and it’s the sport that produces the most future pro athletes in Southern California. While everyone thinks they are a scout and thousands of dollars are spent on private coaches, travel ball and showcases seeking any kind of edge, the bottom line is whether a player can produce results against quality competition. And throwing 90 mph without throwing strikes means nothing to the programs that win.
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
St. John Bosco High teammates celebrate with a dogpile on the field after winning the regional baseball title last season.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Baseball is the sport in Southern California where you think the best team can win a championship but doesn’t because there’s always another team with equally good pitching Corona was the certain team last season to win it all (just like the Dodgers), but St. John Bosco beat the Panthers in the playoff semifinals and won the Southern Section Division 1 championship.
Now St. John Bosco is the Corona of 2026: Everyone’s No. 1 team to start the season because of numerous returnees, including the Clark twins, James and Miles; closer Jack Champlin; top hitters Jaden Jackson and Noah Everly; plus the addition of a healthy pitcher, Julian Garcia, who was supposed to be the No. 1 thrower last season until an injury.
Just like Corona, however, St. John Bosco is no sure thing because there’s lots of teams with the kind of standout pitching to beat the Braves in a one-game playoff situation.
The Mission League alone has so many pitchers throwing 90 mph and above that if you don’t have a radar gun at a game, you look out of place. Harvard-Westlake, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Sierra Canyon and Loyola all have formidable pitchers capable of winning big games against top opponents.
St. John Bosco faces immediate challengers in the Trinity League, led by Orange Lutheran, which has another team filled with all-star players, including 6-foot-8 pitcher Gary Morse and Huntington Beach infielder transfer CJ Weinstein. Texas commit Brady Murrietta will be a four-year standout. The Lancers can tell anyone that being ranked No. 1 hardly guarantees success in the postseason. They haven’t been able to win a section title despite lots of great teams.
Royal has a group of pitchers with big arms ready to see where they stand. Who’s going to inflict a loss on Huntington Beach junior Jared Grindlinger? Striker Pence of Corona Santiago has been clocked throwing 101 mph.
Cypress, El Dorado, JSerra, Santa Margarita, Mater Dei, Aquinas, La Mirada, Arcadia, Norco, Gahr and Huntington Beach have no fear of taking on the big boys this season.
As far as pro prospects, outfielder Blake Bowen of JSerra, outfielder Anthony Murphy of Corona, infielder Trey Ebel of Corona and infielder Brody Schumacher of Santa Margarita are among the top players to watch.
And prepare for one of the most talented group of players from the class of 2029, led by the hero of the El Segundo Little League World Series team,Louis Lappe, who makes his freshman debut for Harvard-Westlake.
OJ Popoola of Palisades has made major contributions after transferring with his twin brother from Detroit.
(Nick Koza)
The City Section Open Division semifinals are set for Saturday at L.A. Southwest College. Palisades will face San Pedro at 6 p.m. and Cleveland will take on Fairfax at 4 p.m.
Fairfax upset No. 3-seeded Birmingham. San Pedro eliminated Coliseum League champion Washington Prep. San Pedro has the kind of veteran team that might be able to stay with the top-seeded Dolphins for a little bit if its zone is working.
The top seeds are mostly holding in Division I. The semifinals will have No. 3 Venice at No. 2 Chatsworth and No. 5 L.A. Jordan at No. 1 Granada Hills.
In Division II, No. 10-seeded Marquez is making noise behind football standout Elyjah Staples, upsetting No. 2 Eagle Rock 57-50. Marquez will be at Sylmar in the semifinals. King/Drew coach Lloyd Webster has his team in semifinals after a 52-50 win over Downtown Magnets. He also was smiling because his son, Josahn, scored 22 points for Rolling Hills Prep in its win over Orange Lutheran in Southern Section Division 1.
La Mirada got a breakthrough win in the Southern Section Open Division. Here’s the report. On Tuesday, Corona Centennial is playing at Redondo Union to determine No. 1 in its pool and ditto for Harvard-Westlake at Santa Margarita.
Blair upset top-seeded Bonita in Division 4. Blair is coached by Derrick Taylor, who’s won championships at Taft and St. John Bosco. Here’s the report.
Mater Dei and JSerra continue to dominate in Division 2 and Division 1, respectively. JSerra will face a challenge in the quarterfinals on Tuesday from Rolling Hills Prep at North Torrance. Rolling Hills Prep inflicted a loss to Orange Lutheran last week.
Girls basketball
One of the best coaching jobs this season has been turned in by Birmingham’s Victor Koopongsakorn. The Patriots are 27-3 and seeded No. 2 in the City Section Open Division despite being a young team with few returnees. Next up is a semifinal game against Hamilton on Saturday. The other semifinal has top-seeded Westchester facing Venice. Three of the four remaining teams are from the Western League.
In the Southern Section Open Division, there’s no sign any opponent is going to threaten Ontario Christian, Etiwanda or Sierra Canyon among the 12 teams in pool play. All three are preparing to inevitable meetings in the next two weeks.
Oak Park came through with a 67-44 win over Corona Centennial to make itself the likely No. 4 team to challenge the big three. Karisma Flores had 17 points and Ava Rogerson 15.
Two veteran coaches, Charlie Solomon of Brentwood and Kevin Kiernan of Troy, faceed with their teams on Saturday in Division 1. Troy won 61-48. Kiernan is the winningest coach in California history. He came out of retirement to return for a second stint at Troy. Mei-Ling Perry had 19 points and nine rebounds to advance Troy to the quarterfinals. Kelsey Sugar had 20 points for Brentwood.
Softball
Garden Grove Pacifica continues to take pride in all of its former players playing college softball. The list is at 16 for this season. As they say, “Once a Mariner, always a Mariner.”
Norco, the defending Southern Section Division 1 champions, is expected to be the preseason No. 1 with the return of pitcher Coral Williams. The Cougars open the season Tuesday at home against Aquinas.
Defending City Open Division champion Granada Hills has to find a pitching replacement for Addison Moorman, but has lots of hitters, including Zoe Justman, who batted .442, and Elysse Diaz, who hit .470. The Highlanders will try once again to prepare for City competition by playing Southern Section teams in nonleague and tournament games.
Wrestling
Birmingham’s Henry Aslikyan, seen here last year, became a four-time City Section champion on Saturday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Henry Aslikyan of Birmingham capped off a remarkable four-year run in City Section wrestling by winning his fourth City individual title. This time it was at 120 pounds, sending him on to the state championships. He has won two state titles but the 120-pound division will be the toughest in state with three returning state champions competing.
El Camino Real, South East, Marquez and Palisades are the four teams that have made it to the City Section Open Division boys soccer semifinals. On Thursday, top-seeded El Camino Real will host Palisades and No. 2 South East will host Marquez.
On Wednesday in City Open Division girls semifinals, No. 1 Cleveland plays host to Palisades and Thursday, No. 6 New West Charter hosts Granada Hills.
In Southern Section Open Division boys, the quarterfinals begin Tuesday with Orange Lutheran hosting Placentia Valencia and JSerra hosting Mater Dei. In Division 1, Servite is the fourth Trinity League still alive and plays host to Santa Monica.
In Southern Section Division 1 girls, Mission League rivals Harvard-Westlake and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will face off in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at Harvard-Westlake.
Competitive equity playoffs
The CIF governs high school sports in California.
(CIF)
There’s still coaches unhappy with the Southern Section competitive equity playoff system using computer algorithms to place teams in divisions.
The Southern Section says no system is perfect, but it’s clear the system used for basketball is flawed. How in the name of sanity (just go ask coaches) was Mater Dei placed in Division 2? They were in Division 1 all season until taking a free fall from Jan. 27 until the time the next rankings were released during seeding announcements. They happened to need an at-large berth to qualify for the playoffs and wouldn’t have earned one in Division 1, causing conspiracy theories. I don’t believe there was a conspiracy, just that the computer system got it badly wrong. Mater Dei has won its first two Division 2 playoff games by scores of 83-63 and 85-59. And look for more to come because they are a Division 1 team.
St. John Bosco has already won the transfer portal in high school football with the announcement that standout sophomore offensive tackle Elisha Mueller of Servite has arrived at the Bellflower school. Leuzinger sophomore quarterback Russell Sekona has transferred to Mater Dei. Leuzinger sophomore defensive back Pakipole Moala has transferred to Santa Margarita. Here’s the transfer portal list. . . .
Russell White has stepped down after 10 years coaching eight-man football at Flintridge Prep. He’d like to try 11-man football. White led Crespi to a Division 1 football title in 1986 playing running back and went on to star at Cal before being drafted by the Rams. . . .
Rick Garretson is the new football coach at Servite. He’s a 1974 graduate of Servite, was once a long-serving assistant coach and served as head coach at Chandler in Arizona from 2019-2024. Here’s the report.
Kicker Jacob Kreinbring of Loyola has committed to Stonybrook. . . .
Chaparral returns receivers Tycen Johnson (Arizona State commit), Michael Farinas (UCLA) and Eli Woodard (USC), all of whom get to catch passes from quarterback Dane Weber. If the line can block, maybe Corona Centennial will get some competition this fall.
Football coach James Stewart of La Quinta has resigned. Lucas Alexander will be the new coach. . . .
Randy Luna is the new football coach at Canoga Park. . . .
Fred Gambrell has resigned after two years as head football coach at Sunny Hills. . . .
Junior receiver Eli Woodard of Chaparral has committed to USC. . . .
Golfer Charlie Woods, the teenage son of Tiger Woods, has committed to Florida State as part of the class of 2027. . . .
Two top high school baseball tournaments for this spring have been finalized. The Boras Classic will begin April 7 at Mater Dei and JSerra. The National Classic also will be held in Orange County starting March. 30. Here’s the link.
St. John Bosco twins Ethan and Justin Coach, standout linebackers, have committed to Washington. . . .
Henry Polanco is the new girls flag football coach at Schurr. . . .
Kiyoshi Harris is the new football coach at JW North. . . .
Benjamin Siff, an assistant baseball coach at St. Margaret’s since 2016, has been named the head coach effective at the end of the 2026 season. Long-time coach Scott Wallis is leaving out of Orange County at the end of this season. . . .
Richard Masson has announced his retirement from coaching basketball. What a journey he’s had coaching boys and girls after winning more than 700 games. He was boys coach at L.A. Jordan for seven years, Carson boys coach for 22 years, Rolling Hills Prep girls coach for seven years, Carson girls coach for four years. He’s won championships and coached lots of great players. “Blessed to have had great players, assistant coaches and support system,” he said.
From the archives: LaMelo Ball
Chino Hills guard LaMelo Ball pulls up for a shot over Mater Dei’s Michael Wang and Matthew Weyand (21) in 2017.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
It’s been nine years since LaMelo Ball scored 92 points as a 15-year-old sophomore for Chino Hills in a 146-123 win over Los Osos in February of 2017, so why not look back.
The big debate was whether it was an accomplishment that should be celebrated or criticized.
“As a coach, if I see a player doing well, who am I to stop his shine?” Stephan Gilling, Chino Hills’ first-year coach, said in 2017.
“About the third quarter, my dad said, ‘Keep shooting,’” LaMelo said during a radio interview on KLAC-AM (570). “If I knew I was going to score that much, I would have shot more in the first half.”
From the Seattle Times, a story on former NBA guard Jamal Crawford coaching his son in high school.
From the Tennessee Bar Assn., a story on how the state is moving to loosening transfer rules with one free sports transfer.
From the Pleasantonweekly, a story from last December from a high school sportswriter detailing his frustration with the transfer issues in California high school sports.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on how Brentwood School’s athletic facilities are facing a challenge from the Veterans Administration.
Fram Angelusnews, a story on the turnaround at St. Bernard.
Tweets you might have missed
This week Clippers host NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome. Time to give kudos to Steve Ballmer. He has virtually every high school in California represented by their jersey in exhibit. Team is giving away thousands of free hoops to L.A. County residents. He’s making a difference.
Being in Los Angeles, 2026 baseball season is rizz. The Dodgers, UCLA, St. John Bosco, Mike Trout, Roch Cholowsky, elite freshmen like Louis Lappe and Jordan Leon. Enjoy the weather and the baseball.
Redondo Union coach Reggie Morris Jr. is the guest on Friday Night Live Thursday at 5 p.m. via X. Here’s a tribute clip to his father, Reggie Sr., a City Section coaching legend who was at Manual Arts. pic.twitter.com/Lr7UoRqSM3
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.
England were given another major fright but held off tournament debutants Italy by 24 runs to secure a place in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup.
After England posted 202-7, Italy threatened to pull off the greatest shock in World Cup history in pursuit – a result which would have left Harry Brook’s side facing an embarrassing group-stage exit.
Ben Manenti crashed 60 from 28 balls to take Italy within 89 of victory and, after his wicket became the first of four in quick succession, 31-year-old Grant Stewart thrashed a 45 from 25 balls to keep the contest very much alive.
Italy needed 30 from the last 12 balls but Sam Curran had Stewart caught at short third.
With 25 runs needed from the last over and two wickets in hand, Jamie Overton wrapped up the innings to leave Italy 178 all out.
But it was another unconvincing day for England, who progress after a final-ball win over Nepal, a defeat by West Indies and two nervy wins against Scotland and Italy.
Even in making their highest total of the tournament so far, they were not convincing with the bat.
They were 105-5 before Will Jacks hit 53 not out from number seven. It was his first fifty in T20 internationals and, coming in 21 balls, England’s quickest at a T20 World Cup.
The result eliminates Italy, whose tournament ends in Mumbai on Thursday against West Indies.
England’s Super 8 opponents are still to be confirmed but they will play that phase in Sri Lanka, starting on Sunday, and surely must improve to have any chance.
The Irish Rugby Football Union had to turn off comments on a social media post which congratulated debutant Edwin Edogbo, following replies which contained racial abuse.
Munster forward Edogbo came off the bench and played the final 10 minutes of Saturday’s 20-13 victory over Italy in the Six Nations.
The IRFU confirmed in a statement that the comments made on the social media post on Saturday are now subject to investigation.
“We’re aware of some targeted abuse online in recent days and continue to work with Signify and the relevant authorities to report it,” the full IRFU statement read.
“We will also continue to fully support all affected by the cowardly actions of a minority and investigations are under way alongside our partners Signify.
“It is clear that racist abuse has no place in Irish society and the IRFU has a zero tolerance policy towards racism of any form.”
The 23-year-old lock has made 24 appearances for Munster and has registered 30 points.
After that nervy victory on Saturday, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell praised the debutant’s contribution in his post-match news conference.
“Well, we need to celebrate Edwin’s first cap, that is for sure as it is one amazing story,” Farrell said.
“I am so pleased we were able to get a win and show some fight to get a win for him because his story is a phenomenal one so we will celebrate that with him.”
Tuesday’s live TV and streaming broadcasts for the Milan-Cortina Olympics unless noted (subject to change). All events stream live on Peacock or NBCOlympics.com with a streaming or cable login. All times Pacific. 🏅 — medal event for live broadcasts.
MULTIPLE SPORTS 8 p.m. — “Primetime in Milan” (delay): Figure skating, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, short track speedskating and more. | NBC
CURLING Men (round robin) 12:05 a.m. — U.S. vs. China | Peacock 12:05 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Sweden | Peacock 12:05 a.m. — Czechia vs. Germany | Peacock 3 a.m. — U.S. vs. China (delay) | USA Women (round robin) 5:05 a.m. — Denmark vs. U.S. | Peacock 5:05 a.m. — Italy vs. Japan | Peacock 5:05 a.m. — South Korea vs. Switzerland | Peacock 5:05 a.m. — Sweden vs. Canada | Peacock Men (round robin) 10:05 a.m. — U.S. vs. Italy | Peacock 10:05 a.m. — Canada vs. Britain | Peacock 10:05 a.m. — Germany vs. Switzerland | Peacock 10:05 a.m. — Sweden vs. Norway | Peacock Men (round robin) 6:30 p.m. — U.S. vs. Italy (delay) | USA
BIATHLON 5:30 a.m. — 🏅Men’s 4×7.5-kilometer relay | Peacock 6:05 a.m. — 🏅Men’s 4×7.5-kilometer relay (in progress) | USA
BOBSLED 10 a.m. — Two-man bobsled, Run 3 | Peacock 12:05 p.m. — 🏅Two-man bobsled, final run | Peacock 2:30 p.m. — Two-man bobsled, runs 3-4 (delay) | USA
FIGURE SKATING 7:20 a.m. — Women’s short program, warm-up | Peacock 9:30 a.m. — Women’s short program, Part 1 | USA 11:40 a.m. — Women’s short program, Part 2 | NBC
FREESTYLE SKIING 1:45 a.m. — Women’s aerials, qualifying | USA 4:30 a.m. — Men’s aerials, qualifying | Peacock 8 a.m. — Men’s aerials, qualifying (delay) | USA 9 a.m. — Men’s and women’s aerials (re-air) | NBC 10:30 a.m. — 🏅Men’s big air, final | NBC
HOCKEY Men (qualification playoff) 3:10 a.m. — Germany vs. France| Peacock 3:10 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Italy | Peacock 7:40 a.m. — Czechia vs. Denmark | Peacock 12:10 p.m. — Sweden vs. Latvia | USA
NORDIC COMBINED 12:10 a.m. — Men’s ski jump, large hill | Peacock 1 a.m. — Men’s ski jump, large hill (delay) | USA 4:45 a.m. — 🏅Cross-country, 10 kilometers | Peacock 6:50 a.m. — Cross-country, 10 kilometers (delay) | USA
SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING 5:30 a.m. — Men’s and women’s team pursuit, semifinals | USA 7:20 a.m. — 🏅Men’s and women’s team pursuit, finals | USA
SNOWBOARDING 4 a.m. — 🏅Women’s slopestyle, final | USA 9:45 a.m. — Women’s slopestyle, final (re-air) | NBC
Slowly, LeBron James put on a pair of ice bath toe booties and dipped his left foot and then his right foot into a bucket that had been prepared for him following a Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena. His longtime personal trainer and athletic performance coach, Mike Mancias, next wrapped both of James’ knees and his back in ice.
James closed his eyes for a few seconds and leaned back in his chair as the media gathered around him for his postgame interview.
This was just another step James has taken to care for his body, a step that shows the lengths he takes in the maintenance of his 6-foot-9 frame that has helped him have an illustrious 23-year career, longer than any player before him.
“Obviously I didn’t know it would be 23 years. I didn’t know that, but I know I didn’t want to have no six- or seven-year career. I can’t become legendary in six or seven years,” James told The Times. “I always had a mission. When I knew I could play this game at a high level, like, going to Chicago and playing with MJ [Michael Jordan] and all those guys when I was a sophomore [in high school]. And then when I went up to Cleveland and played against the Cavs when I was a junior and I was like, ‘Oh … I belong. I belong.’ I knew I still had to learn and I still had to continue to get my body right, continue to learn the game and nuances.
“But I was playing against NBA guys for a long time and I was like, ‘If I get the opportunity to crack the league, if I get the opportunity to showcase what I’m able to do, the only thing that can stop me is if I don’t take care of my body. The only thing that can stop me from being the greatest or one of the greatest to ever play this game is if I do not take care of myself.’ I did take care of my body. That’s it.”
James’ dedication to self care has become legendary in the sporting world. He is known to invest moire than $1.5 million annually for a comprehensive approach to keeping his body fine-tuned.
James considers himself a biohacker: someone who uses science and technology to make their body function better and more efficiently.
He talked about using Normatec leg compression boots, hyperbaric chambers to restore oxygen, cryotherapy, red-light therapy and other cutting-edge technologies to maintain elite performances and longevity at the age of 41.
He talked about prioritizing sleep and nutrition, avoiding artificial sugars and fried foods.
When he missed the first 14 games this season because of sciatica, James cut back on drinking wine, one of his passions, in order to get his body back to full health.
“Obviously it’s gotten even more detailed as me and Mike have built a program,” James said. “It’s been 22 years of our program.”
LeBron James jokes with trainer Mike Mancias while sitting out a game with the Cavaliers in 2010 to rest for playoffs.
(Mark Duncan / Associated Press)
It has worked for James to the highest order, as he has become the leading scorer in NBA history with 42,975 points.
Though his streak of being voted as a starter to the All-Star team was snapped at 21 years in a row, James still extended his NBA record to 22 selections when the coaches voted him in as a reserve for the tournament that will be played Sunday at Intuit Dome.
Over his career, James said, he’s received plenty of offers to try new ways to do his physical therapy. For the most part, he has said no.
“It’s all type of … that is presented to you,” James said, smiling. “[People] are always trying to get you to do s—. But once we got the connection, it wasn’t really many people that we allowed to come and be in what we do. We had a couple of guys obviously throughout the process that helped along the way. But, nah, we knew what we wanted to do.”
When James was growing up in Akron, Ohio, and it became obvious he was athletic, he said his uncle, Curt, encouraged him to start taking care of his body immediately. His mother, Gloria, advised him to listen.
“I used to stretch before I went to bed and when I woke up, when I was like 10 or 11 years old,” James said. “My uncle Curt, my mom’s younger brother, used to make me do 100 calf raises a day and he used to make me do 50 pushups and 50 situps a day.”
James shook his head and laughed recalling those moments.
LeBron James glides past Kings forward DeMar DeRozan for a reverse dunk during a game in December.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
“He told me I had to get my calves stronger if I wanted to be great,” James said, smiling. “I never knew what that meant, whatever. But yeah, my uncle used to tell me to do that, and then a good friend of mine used to always tell me to stretch before I got in the bed and after I got out of the bed when I woke up the next morning. I don’t know, man. I’ve been doing this for a long time.”
At no time during all this did James know what that advice would mean for his future.
“No, but I had people that I trusted,” James said. “I was icing after every game my rookie year. I was 18 years old. I was icing after games when I was a high school senior, a high school junior. Like, I was lifting [weights] my senior year.”
James told a story about playing in an AAU tournament with Kendrick Perkins when he was 14 and how some players were sitting in the stands eating fast food.
“They were eating McDonald’s,” James said, smiling, “and I was eating fruits.”
Jason Kidd, the Hall of Fame point guard who’s now coach of the Dallas Mavericks, was an assistant with the Lakers when James led them to the 2020 championship, and the two were teammates on the 2008 USA Olympic team that won the gold medal in Beijing.
Kidd has watched how James is averaging 22 points on 50.2% shooting, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds this season and can’t help but marvel at how he continues to be a highly effective player with so many miles on his body.
“He’s had some injuries, but he’s taken care of his body, he’s always prepared himself for the marathon,” Kidd said. “But I think it’s the mental side. I think that’s the hardest part is to wake up and say, ‘Do I need to go play against a 20-year-old or a 19-year-old?’ He’s won championships, he’s been MVP, he’s been the face of the league. He’s a billion-dollar company.
“So, it’s the mental side. Understanding that he loves competition and he loves the game of basketball. So I think for him to do it at 41 is incredible.”
When the Lakers faced Kidd’s Mavericks on Thursday night, James was back in the lab early getting his body ready about six hours before tipoff.
LeBron James talks with assistant coach Jason Kidd during a 2020 playoff game.
(Associated Press)
It didn’t matter that it was the last game before the weeklong All-Star break. In James’ eyes, if you take care of your body, it will take care of you.
“I woke up this morning, went straight downstairs, got a stretch, did a little activation, like a little small lil’ lift” of weights, James said after the game. “Then I iced after that. Then I used the Normatec to pump my legs for an hour. Then I took a nap in the hyperbaric chamber for an hour and a half. Then I got in the cold tub, again, before I came here. So, I started my process here when I got here at 1:15 and prepared for a 7 o’clock game. It’s just around the clock.”
And as it turned out, all his work led to yet another record for James.
His triple-double of 28 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds made him the oldest player to accomplish the feat, pushing him past Karl Malone, who was 40 when he did it in November 2003.
And now comes another record with the All-Star Game.
The support for Ukrainian athletes at the Milan-Cortina Games suggests there may be challenges with reinstating Russia and Belarus for the LA28 Olympics.
