SPORT

Nick Welch Jr., an improving 6-foot-9 senior center at Rolling Hills Prep, is scheduled to announce his college basketball choice on Sunday in Torrance.

Coach Harvey Kitani said, “He is the person we want all our athletes to be.”

Texas Christian, Stanford and California are the finalists for Welch, who enters his senior season much improved after three productive years of high school basketball.

His father, Nick Sr., was a standout player at Air Force.

TCU’s coach, Jamie Dixon, is a former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame star who has spent months returning to the Southland trying to recruit Welch.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Lakers show they are better without LeBron

From Bill Plaschke: They fly around the court, Luka Magic to AR to that new guy who dunks.

These joyous new Lakers have wings.

LeBron James would have grounded them.

They gesture to the crowd, point to each other, fill the postgame interviews with jokes and laughter and connection.

LeBron James would have silenced them.

Barely a week into the Lakers’ season, ignoring the records, forgetting the statistics, only one thing is abundantly clear.

The Lakers are better off without LeBron.

The Lakers are thriving without LeBron.

Continue reading here

‘A true professional’: Jarred Vanderbilt leads Lakers’ bench against Clippers

Rams discuss CTE and football

From Gary Klein: Rams players are increasingly aware of the risks of playing their sport, especially as it relates to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease.

But they try not to think about it.

This week, a Boston University study was published that analyzed the medical records of more than 2,000 deceased former NFL players. The study estimated that 74.5% of them likely had CTE.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, 35, played 10 seasons before retiring after the 2023 season. He rejoined the Rams this season. When asked about the study and CTE, Donald said, “That’s a real thing.”

But he said, “You don’t think about it. You just play. When you sign up to play football, you know what you’re signing up for.

“You obviously don’t want nothing like that to occur.”

Continue reading here

Staggering 74.5% of NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 likely had CTE, study finds

NFL Week 8 picks: Lions beat 6-0 Vikings; Steelers prevail over Browns

UCLA kicker happy to be part of team’s success

From Jordan Puente: UCLA football coach Bob Chesney trusted Mateen Bhaghani enough to trot him out for a 58-yard field goal attempt before halftime during the Bruins’ 28-10 win over Michigan State.

Bhaghani drilled a 54-yard field goal during last season’s 42-37 upset against Penn State.

His attempt to surpass his career long of 57 yards against the Spartans last week fell short, but Bhaghani doesn’t linger long on errant kicks. He knows he will only be successful when his team needs him most if he focuses on the fine details of every kick.

“I love the feeling of making field goals and helping the team win,” Bhaghani said. “It’s a different type of adrenaline; going out there, with all that pressure — is so fulfilling and relaxing for me.”

The daily attention to detail has helped Bhaghani hit all 102 of the extra points he has attempted during his college career.

The following interview with Bhaghani ahead of the Bruins’ game against Nevada Saturday has been edited for length and clarity.

Continue reading here

Kings win in overtime

Ottawa Senators forward Hayden Hodgson received a game misconduct and major penalty for boarding defenseman Brandt Clarke in the Kings’ 6-5 overtime victory Thursday night.

Hodgson took a run at Clarke, charging in at 21 mph according to the game broadcast. Clarke was just below the goal line when he was driven into the boards. The hit caused a brief scrum, and the Kings’ Erik Haula received a two-minute penalty for roughing Hodgson.

Clarke was ruled out for the rest of the game for what the Kings called an upper-body injury.

The play with 8:45 left in the second period came shortly after the Kings scored three goals in 4:03 to take a 4-1 lead and chase goalie Jonas Johansson.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

Struggling Ducks lose again

Tage Thompson had three goals and two assists, Zach Benson added a goal and two assists, and the Buffalo Sabres scored six consecutive goals during a 7-6 victory over the struggling Ducks on Thursday night.

Thompson’s 10th career hat trick tied him with Alexander Mogilny and Danny Gare for the third-most in Sabres history. One night before his 29th birthday, Thompson scored twice in 15 seconds in the second period, skating around the Ducks’ inert defense for a breakaway third goal that sent a dozen hats flying onto the Honda Center ice.

Tyson Kozak, Noah Ostlund and Jack Quinn also scored and Colten Ellis made 28 saves for the Sabres, who roared back from an early two-goal deficit and then hung on to improve to 2-0-1 on their four-game trip.

Captain Mikael Granlund scored and Leo Carlsson had three assists in the Ducks’ seventh loss in eight games.

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL standings

This day in sports history

1943 — Gus Bodnar of Toronto scores a goal 15 seconds into his first NHL game as the Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 5-2.

1945 — Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson to the Montreal Royals.

1955 — Jim Patton of New York returns a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown as the Giants beat the Washington Redskins 35-7.

1966 — Jim Nance of the Boston Patriots rushes for 208 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

1971 — Eric Allen of Michigan State rushes for 350 yards in 43-10 rout of Purdue.

1974 — Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in the eighth round in Kinshasa, Zaire, to regain the world heavyweight title in the “Rumble in the Jungle.”

1975 — John Bucyk of the Boston Bruins scores his 500th goal in a 3-2 victory over St. Louis.

1977 — Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears rushes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-0 triumph over the Green Bay Packers.

1993 — Erin Whitten becomes the first woman goalie in pro hockey to be credited with a victory as Toledo beats Dayton 6-5 in the East Coast Hockey League.

1996 — The WNBA announces the eight cities that will compete in the WNBAs inaugural season. Charlotte, Cleveland, Houston and New York will play in the Eastern Conference and Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah will compete the Western Conference.

1997 — Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona announces his retirement from football on his 37th birthday.

1997 — Violet Palmer makes pro sports history by becoming the first woman to officiate an NBA game. There is little reaction by the crowd when her name is announced just before tip-off of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Vancouver Grizzlies.

1999 — Marques Tuiasosopo becomes the first college player to pass for 300 yards and run for 200, racking up a school-record 509 yards as Washington rallied to beat Stanford 35-30. Tuiasosopo completes 19-of-32 passes for 302 yards and a touchdown and rushes 22 times for 207 yards and two TDs.

2001 — Michael Jordan misses his biggest shot of the night and commits two crucial late turnovers in the Washington Wizards’ 93-91 loss to the New York Knicks, Jordan’s first regular-season game after a 3 1/2-year retirement.

2003 — In the first regular-season game of his NBA career, 18-year-old LeBron James has 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals, but the Cleveland Cavaliers lose 106-92 to the Sacramento Kings.

2004 — Trainer Bobby Frankel finally breaks through in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, with Ghostzapper blazing to victory in America’s richest race held at Lone Star Park. Frankel, who had just two wins with 62 Breeders’ Cup starters before the $4 million Classic, had saddled the beaten favorite the past three years.

2004 — Dana College’s Tom Lensch sets an all-division college record by attempting 101 passes in a 60-35 loss to Hastings College. Lensch completes 56 passes for a school-record 507 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

2011 — The Baltimore Ravens erase a 24-3 deficit to defeat Arizona 30-27. It marks the fifth time this season a team trailed by at least 20 points and came back to win. That is the most in a single season in NFL history.

2016 — Derek Carr throws a 41-yard touchdown pass to Seth Roberts with 1:45 remaining in overtime, capping a record-breaking day for the Oakland Raiders in a 30-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carr throws for a franchise-record 513 yards — completing 40 of 59 passes without an interception — and the Raiders overcome an NFL-record 23 penalties for 200 yards.

2019 — World Series: Washington Nationals beat Houston Astros, 6-2 in Game 7 at Minute Maid Park, Houston to win first title in franchise history; MVP: Washington pitcher Stephen Strasburg.

2024 — World Series: Dodgers win eighth title in franchise history; overcome 5-0 deficit to beat New York Yankees 7-6 at Yankee Stadium for 4-1 series victory; MVP: Dodgers 1B Freddie Freeman (4 HR, 12 RBI).

Compiled by the Associated Press

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 houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Japan: Imakugi; Tsunokawa, Langford, Kataoka, Havili Kagawa; Harada, Tsukui; Komaki, Nagaoka, Kitano, Kawamura, Sato, Asari, Jennifer, Bodman,

Replacements: Kuge, Mine, Fuji, M Nishimura, Korai, Seo, Ito, S Nishimura

Wales: Neumann; N Metcalfe, Cox, Keight, A Williams; George, Lockwood, Pyrs, K Jones, Tuipulotu, B Metcalfe, Crabb, K Williams (co-capt), Lewis, Callender (co-capt).

Replacements: Reardon, Davies, E Jones, Aiono, Evans, King, Bevan, De Vera.

Referee: Julianne Zussman (RC)

Assistants: Sunny Lee (HKCR), Hibiki Ikeda (JRFU)

TMO: Matt Rodden (HKCR)

FPRO: Koki Yamauchi (JRFU)

England (0) 6

Try: Cousins Goal: Rowe

Samoa (12) 24

Tries: Crichton Ropati 3, Taulelei-Siala, Fanua Rimoni

Goal: Piliae-Rasabale Penalty: Piliae-Rasabale

England’s women took one step back in the hope of taking two forward as they exited the Rugby League World Cup at the group stage.

With Stuart Barrow’s side defeated by Samoa – despite a spirited display – their focus immediately shifts forward to 2030.

Whether that long-term strategy will bear dividends, though, is as uncertain as the location of the tournament in four years’ time, which is yet to be confirmed.

After reaching the semi-final stage at the previous four World Cups, England’s eye was clearly on the future this time.

That was reflected in Barrow’s thinking for this tournament when he named a squad containing 11 players aged 23 or under.

While the 70-6 rout of a Wales team ill-equipped to compete at this level on their bow had been anticipated and briefly raised expectation levels, what has followed has only underlined the gulf in class England still have to bridge.

And having been humbled again by the Jillaroos just under a week ago, any suggestions that the experience was the “best preparation” they could have for a make-or-break final group game were trashed on Friday in Wollongong.

Instead, the great power and pace of the Samoa players showed almost straight away.

Freedom Crichton Ropati twice went over in the right corner as England fought a rearguard action and the Parramatta Eels winger completed her hat-trick before the break as Samoa enjoyed a huge territorial advantage.

And it looked ominous for England when Mercedez Taulelei-Siala capitalised on a huge overload down the left to score straight after half-time and extend Samoa’s lead to 16-0.

However, when Evie Cousins, who had been in tears towards the end of the first period after failing to catch a routine high ball, skipped over in the left corner, after a superb line break from Hollie-Mae Dodd, it sparked England back into life.

Isabel Rowe added the extras and when Pauline Piliae-Rasabale elected to take two points from a penalty for Samoa it underlined the pressure that Barrow’s side had been able to apply.

While England went out in the last four on a dark and dank night in York four years ago, their departure from this World Cup was in an altogether more scenic setting, with the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop.

Had Fran Goldthorp been able to offload without her pass straying forward, when England had two players spare and the try-line at their mercy, it could have made for an entirely different conclusion.

Instead, when they then failed to find touch after winning a penalty, they were punished ruthlessly as Fanua Rimoni crashed over for Samoa’s fifth try to seal their passage into the last four and a meeting with New Zealand.

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

First Round

DIVISION 2

Palos Verdes 23, Rosemead 8

Murrieta Valley 14, San Marino 13

Redondo Union 8, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 7

Royal 13, Chino Hills 7

Damien 14, Upland 8

Dana Hills 13, Long Beach Poly 10

Northwood 12, Aliso Niguel 9

La Habra 23, Glendora 8

St. John Bosco 14, Anaheim Canyon 10

Pasadena Poly 14, Portola 9

Capistrano Valley 11, Irvine University 10

El Segundo 17, Corona Santiago 13

Alta Loma 17, Downey 6

Bonita 11, Redlands 6

Santa Monica 18, Temple City 7

Crescenta Valley 11, Cate 10

DIVISION 3

Camarillo 13, South Pasadena 4

Norco 14, Burbank 9

Millikan 12, Fullerton 7

La Serna 15, Placentia Valencia 10

Ayala 14, Hemet 11

Walnut 9, Agoura 7

Brentwood 10, Rancho Cucamonga 8

Troy 14, Xavier Prep 12

La Canada 17, Burbank Burroughs 8

Flintridge Prep 11, Brea Olinda 7

Elsinore 12, Malibu 10

Redlands 7, Valley View 4

Trabuco Hills 17, El Dorado 11

Los Osos 8, Murrieta Mesa 6

Cathedral 17, Great Oak 13

Los Altos 10, Villa Park 8

DIVISION 4

Liberty 16, Westminster 8

San Dimas 11, El Modena 10

Aquinas 16, Palm Desert 14

Carpinteria 16, West Torrance 6

Temescal Canyon 15, Segerstrom 12

Sunny Hills 12, Ocean View 8

West Covina 16, Don Lugo 15

Buena Park 11, Schurr 5

Yorba Linda 11, La Palma Kennedy 4

El Toro 8, South Torrance 6

Warren 9, Santa Barbara 8

Western 16, Estancia 10

Foothill Tech 12, Peninsula 6

Pasadena 10, Chino 9

Laguna Hills 13, Charter Oak 10

Arlington 13, La Quinta 9

DIVISION 5

Montebello 17, Perris 3

Keppel 11, Fontana 6

Torrance 10, Santa Ana Valley 4

San Bernardino 17, Nogales 11

Norte Vista 22, Riverside Notre Dame 8

Riverside North 9, Canyon Springs 4

San Gorgonio 16, Pacific 10

Anaheim 20, Costa Mesa 7

Whittier 20, Saddleback 6

Oxnard 7, Edgewood 6

Lakewood 11, El Rancho 5

Montclair 19, Whitney 1

Hacienda Heights Wilson 23, West Valley 6

Heritage 11, Westminster La Quinta 8

Palm Springs 8, Cerritos 7

California 15, Baldwin Park 7

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)

First Round

DIVISION 1

San Juan Hills at Mira Costa

Westlake at San Marcos

Sage Hill at Mater Dei

Riverside Poly vs. Buena at Rio Mesa

Santa Ana Foothill vs. Laguna Beach at El Toro

Orange Lutheran vs. Huntington Beach at Westminster

Yucaipa vs. San Clemente at Vista Hermosa Sports Park

Los Alamitos at Dos Pueblos

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

First Round

OPEN DIVISION

Beckman at Newport Harbor, 2 p.m.

Loyola at Oaks Christian, 11 a.m.

Corona del Mar at Harvard-Westlake, 1 p.m.

Santa Margarita at JSerra, 3 p.m.

Note: Second Round (Divisions 2-5) Tuesday, Nov. 3 at home sites; Quarterfinals (Division 1) Thursday, Nov. 5 at home sites; Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-5) Friday, Nov. 6 at home sites; Semifinals (Open Division) Saturday, Nov, 7 at home sites; Semifinals (Divisions 2-5) Tuesday, Nov. 10 at home sites; Semifinals (Division 1) Wednesday, Nov. 11 at home sites; Finals (all divisions) Saturday, Nov. 14 at Mt. San Antonio College.

Average Women’s Super League attendances surged by 192% in the season after the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph, but the speed of the boom has stalled.

Median crowds have risen by just 166 fans, from 3,070 in 2023-24 to 3,236 in 2025-2026, according to a 2026 report from YouGov and architecture firm Populous, external.

Some of the biggest fixtures are now attracting significantly smaller attendances.

Arsenal against Manchester United at Emirates Stadium fell from 46,603 in 2024-25 to 29,853 this season, while Chelsea v Arsenal dropped from 34,302 to 19,349 over the same period.

The Gunners, who averaged 34,000 at the Emirates last season – almost four times the next-highest club, Chelsea, and higher than eight Premier League sides, external – had just 19,546 for their October match against Birmingham City.

There are bright spots, including a sold-out 4,000-ticket Arsenal away allocation at Tottenham for the first time, but the wider trend for some matches is clear.

Manchester United against Manchester City was hosted at Leigh Village in October with a crowd of 5,361. The same fixture was held at Old Trafford in March 2026 with 24,983 fans.

So what is behind the decline? Marketing, scheduling, matchday experience, stadium design, product or something else?

Quinton Byfield scored at 3:37 of overtime and the Kings beat the Ottawa Senators 6-5 on Thursday night after blowing a four-goal lead in the third period.

Byfield beat goalie Samuel Ersson with a snap shot from the high slot, with Drew Doughty picking up his third assist of the night on the play.

Erik Haula tied it for the Kings (4-6-2) on a first-period power play and Trevor Moore, Mikey Anderson, Joel Armia and Artemi Panarin scored in the second to make it 5-1. Panarin capped the run on a power play after Ottawa’s Hayden Hodgson was tossed for boarding defenseman Brandt Clarke.

Clarke missed the rest of the game because of an upper-body injury.

Ottawa roared back in the third, with Shane Pinto tying it 5-5 with 1:40 left and Ersson off for an extra attacker.

Dylan Cozens scored twice in the period and Drake Batherson also connected. Cozens and Batherson struck in a 33-second span, and Cozens cut it to a goal with 7:26 remaining. Tyler Kleven opened the scoring for Ottawa (8-5-1) in the first period.

Darcy Kuemper made 17 saves for the Kings.

Jonas Johansson stopped 12 of 16 shots before giving way to Ersson in the second. Ersson made 20 saves on 22 shots.

Up next for the Kings: vs. the Buffalo Sabres at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

However, Cameron Norrie fell short of his best victory of the season when world number five Daniil Medvedev saved match point to win their last-16 match.

A frustrating year has seen Norrie drop to 41st in the world rankings and exit each of the past three Grand Slam tournaments in the first round.

But the 31-year-old showed his key attributes – tenacity, athleticism and controlled aggression – to threaten a huge upset against Medvedev.

Third seed Medvedev, fresh from winning the Almaty title last week, was left angrily punching the surface when he fell a break down in the deciding set.

Norrie served for the match at 5-3 40-30, but Medvedev picked off his opponent’s serve-volley attempt and fought back to win 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-1).

Second seed Alcaraz also progressed with a 6-1 7-6 (13-11) win over Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals were harmed by a second-round defeat at the Swiss Indoors event in Basel.

The 24-time major champion, 39, lost 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-7 (5-7) to Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, who produced some inspired tennis to beat the Serb for the first time in nine attempts.

Rams players are increasingly aware of the risks of playing their sport, especially as it relates to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease.

But they try not to think about it.

This week, a Boston University study was published that analyzed the medical records of more than 2,000 deceased former NFL players. The study estimated that 74.5% of them likely had CTE.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, 35, played 10 seasons before retiring after the 2023 season. He rejoined the Rams this season. When asked about the study and CTE, Donald said, “That’s a real thing.”

But he said, “You don’t think about it. You just play. When you sign up to play football, you know what you’re signing up for.

“You obviously don’t want nothing like that to occur.”

Receiver Puka Nacua, 25, said that as a young player he was grateful for information about the possible long-term effects.

“I think it’s something that’s obviously very prevalent in our sport and the more information, the better I think we’re able to take care of ourselves,” he said.

Offensive lineman Kevin Dotson, 30, wears a guardian cap on his helmet during practices and games but said that, “it’s almost like a placebo effect” and was “more of a dampener than a savior.”

Playing a game that rewards financially but could have long-term effects is a “double-edged sword,” Dotson said.

“It’s one of those things, you’ve just got to keep that in the back of your mind that this is a possibility,” he said. “So every time you think about retirement or stuff like that, you think the longer I play the better chance of me getting CTE.”

Hearts were one of the major stories of European football last season when they came within minutes of being the first non-Old Firm side to win the league since 1985.

Wouter Vrancken’s new-look team have made a strong start as they sit third, eight points behind Celtic and four behind Rangers despite a big summer rebuild and the Belgian implementing a new style of play which he has described as “organised chaos”.

They have certainly delivered on that – as only Celtic have scored more goals, and Hearts are a formidable opponent at Tynecastle where they are unbeaten in the league since April 2025, a run of 26 games.

Beatings have been handed out to Dundee United and St Mirren already in Gorgie.

Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at home to Rangers should have been a victory for Hearts which brought them closer to the top two – but ultimately their injury-ravaged squad was exposed late on and they remain closer to Dundee in fourth.

Those key injuries, while juggling European football, plus an unconvincing away record which included a 7-1 clobbering at Celtic Park, means Hearts might struggle to hang on to the pace set by the Old Firm.

Despite Celtic supporters being wholly unconvinced by their team, they are on course to reach over 90 points this season, having won the title with 82 last season, the lowest tally since 2017-18.

Likewise Rangers have doubters among their own, but they and their rivals are in the top two positions of a lot of key performance metrics.

Whether it’s expected goals for and against, shots on target per game, chances created, Celtic and Rangers are comfortably in the top two positions and are the only sides conceding fewer than one goal per game on average.

As they should be, given their financial advantages, and with Rangers not playing in European football this season they should be extra rested and focused on domestic duty.

Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong has been cleared by a disciplinary committee of grabbing Gavin Coombes in the groin during Leinster’s United Rugby Championship win over Munster.

Munster back row Coombes raised the allegation with match referee Andrew Brace in the first half of Leinster’s 24-18 win at Aviva Stadium, but television match official (TMO) Colin Stanley could not find conclusive video evidence.

However, three-time British and Irish Lions tourist Furlong was subsequently cited over an act of foul play under Law 9.27, which says “a player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship including but not limited to grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals”.

The disciplinary panel, comprised of Simon Thomas (Wales), Attie Heyns (South Africa) and Pamela Woodman (Scotland) met on Thursday and “unanimously concluded the citing complaint against the player should be dismissed, on the basis that he did not commit an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.27”.

While they dismissed the complaint, the disciplinary committee concluded Coombes had given “an honest account of his recollection of events surrounding the incident”.

Having avoided a sanction, Furlong, 33, will be available for selection for Ireland’s Nations Championship home matches against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa and the finals weekend fixture at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

An Indiana man was arrested this summer for allegedly stalking Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and sending her threatening and explicit messages on social media.

That’s some pretty dark stuff, but it’s the kind of thing Cunningham says she has had to deal with quite often over the last few years.

During a recent appearance on the podcast “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von,” the soon-to-be WNBA free agent made the startling revelation that she thinks that there are “20, I think, people kind of that the FBI are watching for me.”

“Me alone,” she said.

The FBI declined to comment for this article.

The topic came up as Cunningham, who just finished her sixth WNBA season, was discussing the league’s massive increase in popularity in recent years with the influx of such young stars as Fever teammate Caitlin Clark, the Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese and the Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers.

Cunningham has seen her own popularity soar over the last two years as Clark’s on-court protector. She also has become a central figure in a national debate over trans athletes in women’s sports, after telling ESPN she wanted to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

“The more you’re visible on TV, you’re going to get more fans,” Cunningham told Von. “People are going to know who you are, and that’s a really great thing. But there’s also a lot of like kind of crazy people, too. Like, we do have a lot of stalkers. I know I do. And that’s a negative side of things that people don’t think about. And so you do want to feel secure.”

One of Cunningham’s alleged stalkers is Kevin Singh, 49, who is facing felony charges for stalking and intimidation, as well as a misdemeanor harassment charge. He was arrested June 24 and held in Marion County Jail in Indiana with bail set at $40,000. Last week, a judge denied Singh’s request for alteration or revocation of bail. A jury trial is scheduled for January.

According to the arrest affidavit, Singh sent Cunningham numerous messages on X and in September 2025 personally delivered a package marked with her name to the Fever’s arena (it contained a letter and a Guns N’ Roses T-shirt sprayed with men’s cologne).

Cunningham told investigators she had been having nightmares and was staying at home more because of Singh’s behavior, the affidavit said.

At least now, she is able to joke (kind of) about it.

“His name’s Kevin. And the worst part about that is I have a miniature donkey named Kevin,” she told Von. “And now I’m like, well, s—, do I need to rename Kevin?”

Last year, a 55-year-old Texas man was sentenced to 2½ years in prison after pleading guilty to stalking and harassing Clark.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trent Alexander-Arnold may become a target for Chelsea, Bournemouth‘s Alex Scott could also be heading to Stamford Bridge and Manchester United are looking at Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Chelsea have been linked with a move for England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold if the 28-year-old Real Madrid defender becomes available. (Football Insider), external

Manchester United are considering a January move for Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 29. (Athletic – subscription), external

Manchester City are favourites to sign 17-year-old United States winger Mathis Albert from Borussia Dortmund, with Chelsea also interested. (Teamtalk), external

Chelsea could have a deal in the region of £90m agreed with Bournemouth for England midfielder Alex Scott, 23, before January. (Mail – subscription required), external

Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea are keeping a close eye on German youth international Nicolo Tresoldi, but Club Brugge have no intention of selling their 22-year-old striker in January. (Football Insider), external

Chelsea are monitoring 21-year-old Como defender Jacobo Ramon, with Arsenal and Manchester United also being linked with the Spaniard. (Mail – subscription required), external

Paris St-Germain or Barcelona may edge out Liverpool and Arsenal in the pursuit of Russia’s Galatasaray midfielder Aleksey Batrakov, 21, who is open to a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs. (Teamtalk), external

Tottenham will not receive additional funds from Bayern Munich as Harry Kane’s transfer to the Bundesliga giants in 2023 did not include a Ballon d’Or clause for the England forward, 33. (Goal), external

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is keen on bringing Spain and Tottenham full-back Pedro Porro to the club. (3Cat, in Catalan), external

Great Britain’s Jody Cundy’s 20-year reign as para cycling’s C4 kilo time trial world champion was ended by Australian Korey Boddington at the para cycling track world championships in the Netherlands.

Cundy, 48, won the world title in 2006 and had managed to hold onto his rainbow jersey in the 15 world championships since.

But battling for his 17th title in the C4 kilo discipline, Cundy had to settle for silver after finishing his kilometre in one minute and 4.93 seconds, a time which Boddington beat by 2.25 seconds on the final run.

Before the event, Cundy had said “age was catching up with him” and it would be “hard” to add to his 23 track cycling world titles.

Cundy is a nine-time Paralympic champion – with three of his medals coming in para swimming between 1996 and 2000.

Elsewhere on day one of the championships, Great Britain’s Rebecca Newark took gold in the women’s C5 kilo time trial.

In the women’s B kilo time trial, Britain’s Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl won silver and Elizabeth Jordan and pilot Anna Whitworth Hay claimed bronze.

Great Britain’s Finlay Graham also took bronze in the men’s C3 sprint final.

Jack Grealish was left out of Everton‘s Carabao Cup tie with Newcastle United on Thursday “due to a breach of club discipline”., external

Everton did not disclose any further details but it is believed it was for missing a training session.

England winger Grealish, 31, is on loan at Everton from Premier League rivals Manchester City.

He spent a large chunk of last season with the Toffees under a similar arrangement, scoring twice and providing six assists in 20 appearances, before sustaining a season-ending foot injury in January.

Grealish came on as a substitute during City’s 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal at Wembley in August.

The former Aston Villa player, who cost City £100m in 2021, also featured as a substitute during City’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

He returned to Everton before the transfer window closed and has featured five times for them this season in the Premier League.

Grealish also played in Everton‘s Carabao Cup third round win over Wolves.

Former ESPN reporter Britt McHenry says she threw a drink at a man after he said “something truly vile to me” during an incident at a Washington Wizards game last week that reportedly led to McHenry resigning from her job with the U.S. Department of State the following day.

Video footage, posted by TMZ, from the Wizards’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 21 at Capital One Arena shows McHenry talking to a male companion and an usher from her seat while fans seated around her can be heard making negative comments about her and chanting, “Kick her out!”

As McHenry and her friend eventually start to leave on their own, a clear liquid can be seen hitting or coming close to hitting her on the back of the head. She then throws a drink of her own. As she makes her way up the stairs, McHenry gives the middle finger and blows kisses to the crowd as some people heckle and throw towels at her.

On Tuesday, McHenry posted a video on Instagram giving her side of the story. She said that a man sitting in front of her was making “egregiously loud” and “vile” comments toward Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma about the appearance of his fiancée, model Winnie Harlow, who has the skin condition vitiligo.

“I then make a snarky comment — probably shouldn’t have, but everyone behind me laughed — and just said, ‘Oh, I’m sure your girlfriend’s really beautiful, right?’” McHenry said. “Guy in that row, whether he was with that man or not, turns around and says to me, ‘Why don’t you shut the f— up, you dumb b—,’ quoting him, to which I say to him, like, ‘I wasn’t even talking to you. Who are you?’ And that’s where it escalates.”

McHenry says she and her friend, whom she identifies as Andrew, left their seats and went to a foyer, where an usher offered to move them to seats in another part of the arena.

“But I say to Drew, you purchased $250 to $300 a piece tickets,” McHenry said. “Why should we have to move because these men around us can’t behave and are heckling and harassing me. No, we’re going back. In hindsight, I wish we would have left.”

After they returned, McHenry said, people started throwing drinks at them.

“And the main agitator says something truly vile to me about what should be done to me, allegedly about getting gang raped outside,” McHenry said, “and that is when I threw the rest of my beer in that direction, turned around, and said, ‘Drew, let’s get out of here.’”

One video shows McHenry later speaking with a security worker near one of the venue’s entrances. When he gestures toward the exit, she appears stunned and asks, “What did I do?”

McHenry does not mention this encounter in her video and says she decided to leave the arena. But, she said, the “main agitator” was thrown out. Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns and operates the Wizards and Capital One Arena, did not immediately respond to questions from The Times about the incident.

McHenry worked at ESPN from 2014 to 2017, then spent several years with Fox News. In September, she announced on social media that she was working as a press advisor for the State Department.

Page Six reported Friday that McHenry had been “forced to resign” the previous day. McHenry then told Front Office Sports that she signed a resignation letter. The State Department told both publications that it does not comment on internal personnel matters.

McHenry, who did not mention her employment status in her video, doesn’t seem to have any regrets about her behavior that night.

“I was sticking up for Winnie Harlow, a woman that I admire, and many women and young girls look up to,” McHenry said. “And I was sticking up for myself.”

The first tentative steps to end the 3pm television blackout in the UK have been taken by Scottish football as it seeks offers for the next broadcast cycle.

The SPFL has said that it is “flexible about the number of games” that will form part of the new deal, which will kick in from the 2029-30 season.

BBC Sport understands this includes the possibility that broadcasters could bid to show all matches live – including those shown on a Saturday afternoon.

The SPFL has created a tender with the greatest flexibility on the basis that the broadcaster does not seek to impose Article 48 of the Uefa Statutes.

Article 48 allows leagues to set specific times when matches are banned from being shown live on television. It can only be enforced when 50% of matches in a country’s top two divisions are played at the same time.

While other parts of Europe have experimented with a blackout, it is now only present in the UK between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on a Saturday.

Other leagues now tend to stagger kick-off times so the top divisions do not all play at the same time, meaning the blackout could not be applied.

In the UK, 3pm remains the traditional, default kick-off time for all leagues from the very top down through non-league.

It was introduced due to fears that televised games at 3pm could affect attendances, not just at the clubs involved but at those down the divisions too.

But as streaming has grown in popularity, critics have argued that it hinders the ability of clubs to exploit this revenue stream.

This is especially the case in the lower levels, which have had to adhere to the blackout and not show any of their games online.

In August, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters indicated the direction of travel was to end the blackout, but any decision would be 18 months away and taken in consultation with the EFL and the FA.

The upcoming broadcast cycle provides a unique opportunity for all leagues to come together and reach a consensus, as the rights deals for the Premier League, EFL and SPFL all end in 2028-29.

While the possibility to take all games is on the table in Scotland, it is by no means certain the option will be taken up.

Under the current terms, Sky Sports can show up to 60 Premiership matches a season, with Premier Sports showing up to 22.

In total, there are 228 games in the top flight, meaning only 36% of matches are shown live under the current broadcast deal.

The tender allows broadcasters to present any proposition for live coverage they see fit.

Any decision would then be up to the Premiership’s 12 member clubs, with eight votes required to approve a deal.

Clubs could potentially opt to reject an offer which would include the Saturday 3pm games.

Scotland ending the 3pm blackout would not automatically mean English, Welsh and Northern Irish football follows suit.

By the time Collin Sexton arrived at the Lakers’ practice facility Wednesday morning, just hours after a nearly three-hour slugfest against the Portland Trail Blazers, Jarred Vanderbilt was already deep into a morning workout. The Lakers were beginning a grueling five-game, seven-day stretch, but Vanderbilt was on the practice court in a full sweat at full speed.

It’s no surprise to Sexton that Vanderbilt approached his long-awaited regular-season debut the same way Wednesday against the Clippers.

“He’s always going to be ready for whenever his name is called,” Sexton said. “But that just shows a true professional.”

Vanderbilt starred in his bench role in his delayed season debut Wednesday in the Lakers’ 103-87 win over the Clippers at Intuit Dome. The offensive numbers are unremarkable: no points, one shot, one assist and a turnover. The impact was undeniable. The Lakers outscored the Clippers (1-3) by 22 points in his 21 minutes and two seconds on the court.

Vanderbilt, who had seven rebounds, was one of three Lakers bench players to have a plus-minus of plus-21 or better Wednesday, along with Sexton (plus-23) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (plus-21).

“The second unit, we have to come in and pick up where the starters left off,” said Sexton, who had 21 points, including 11 during the third quarter. “That’s the biggest thing. We got to come in and impact the game right away. We can’t come in and ease into it.”

Vanderbilt’s energy helped the Lakers (4-1) win the rebounding battle for the first time this season. He didn’t waste any time after he subbed in with 3:26 remaining in the first quarter. On his first possession in the game, Vanderbilt repeatedly tipped a loose ball up in the air to keep it alive long enough for Austin Reaves to grab an offensive rebound.

The 6-foot-8 forward did not appear in the Lakers’ first four games. He has been on the fringes of the Lakers rotation in part because his three-point shot is not reliable enough to offset his consistent defensive tenacity and energy. But with the Lakers struggling to find a backup center behind Walker Kessler, Lakers coach JJ Redick said Vanderbilt could get an opportunity to play out of position.

Redick said he had previously had conversations with Vanderbilt about ensuring he would be in a position to succeed. Redick views Vanderbilt more as a wing or a forward than a center, where he occasionally played during 2025 after the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic and were shorthanded in the frontcourt. But with Kevon Looney being the only other full-time center behind Kessler this season, there could be moments when Vanderbilt plays the five by necessity, Redick acknowledged Wednesday.

When Kessler wasn’t on the floor Wednesday, Redick said the duo of Vanderbilt and the 6-foot-9 Mamukelashvili was “the best pairing in terms of having another big out there that can space and shoot and play-make.” Mamukelashvili had 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in 30 minutes.

Looney, who was minus-eight in five minutes on the court against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, did not play Wednesday. The three-time NBA champion offers a completely different skill set than Kessler at the position, and only one week into the season, Redick said the staff is still figuring out how Looney best fits into the team’s scheme.

“You’re trying to figure out who you are as a group [at the beginning of the season],” Redick said. “You’re also, like, for a team with a lot of new guys, you’re trying to figure out what they are. You follow players for years. You can watch them play, and you got to figure out where they fit and how you can, again, put them in a position to succeed. So that’s still a work in progress with all regards.”

The Lakers looked to bolster their depth at center by signing 7-foot center Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract Wednesday and waiving forward AK Okereke. Lovering was with Memphis’ G League affiliate, where he averaged 7.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 30 games last season. He was undrafted out of Utah, where he finished his collegiate career that started at Colorado.

Rangers’ next challenge comes on Saturday as they head to Hampden where Aberdeen await in the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup and McInnes is hoping to get the better of his old club.

But he admits, despite Aberdeen’s recent poor form and the fact Rangers are firm favourites to win through, his side will have to “deliver it on the pitch”.

“People might view us as favourites for it and I understand that but we’ve’ still got a game to win and Aberdeen are capable of a big performance,” said McInnes.

“I’m just concentrating on us, if we get to our levels then hopefully it’s going to be enough to win the game but a strong 90-minute performance is going to be required, I feel.

“To get the first trophy would be so important, reinforcing confidence, reinforcing belief. Traditionally, semi-finals can be fraught with a lot of nerves and tension and sometimes they’re not the best games, because of what’s at stake.

“A semi-final is a stand alone game, sometimes form goes out the window. They’ve got a good, experienced manager in Robbo (Stephen Robinson) and they’ve got some good players, experienced players in Aberdeen and they’ll be relishing the opportunity as well.”

United have gone eight games without a win as they head to Chelsea – their worst run of results since 2015-16.

Not since the 1988-89 campaign have they had a sequence of nine matches without a win.

Nearly 40 hours passed between United losing against Bournemouth on Sunday and the club providing clarification on Carrick’s future, with the Englishman being given a chance to turn things around at Old Trafford.

Talks involving the Glazer family, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox took place before Carrick’s immediate future was confirmed.

It seems likely he will remain in post for next Tuesday’s Champions League match against Roma, and the Premier League encounter with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on 8 November, after which there is a two-week international break.

Carrick, though, says he does not need guarantees over his position.

“I don’t need any assurances from anyone,” he said.

“I totally get the position. I understand the job. I understand the responsibilities. I understand what comes with that. So, I really don’t need any assurances from anyone in that regard.”

Asked if he was surprised to still be in a job, Carrick said: “No. I’m here to do my job. I’m here to do the best for the team, and I’m desperate to make us better and improve things. So, I’m not surprised, no.”