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Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, a lovable, quick-witted nun who became a national phenomenon for her relentless support of the Loyola Chicago University basketball team during its magical Final Four run in 2018, died Thursday, the school said. She was 106.

Sister Jean, as she was known, was 98 during Loyola’s March Madness splash. Her ever-present smile and the sparkle in her eyes were trademarks as she cheered on an unheralded underdog team that notched upset after upset before falling in the semifinals.

After each victory, she was pushed onto the court in her wheelchair and Loyola players and coaches swarmed to her, believing Sister Jean had somehow authored divine intervention.

“Just to have her around and her presence and her aura, when you see her, it’s just like the world is just great because of her spirit and her faith in us and Loyola basketball,” Loyola guard Marques Townes said at the time.

For her part, the lifelong nun downplayed any celestial impact even when leading the Ramblers in pregame prayers in her role as team chaplain.

“At the end of the prayer I always ask God to be sure that the scoreboard indicates that the Ramblers have the big W,” she told the Chicago Tribune. “God always hears but maybe he thinks it’s better for us to do the ‘L’ instead of the ‘W,’ and we have to accept that.”

Sister Jean lived on the top floor of Regis Hall, a campus dormitory that housed mostly freshmen. She’d broken her left hip during a fall a few months before the March Madness run, necessitating the wheelchair. But once she recovered, the barely 5-foot-tall firebrand was plenty mobile in her Loyola maroon Nikes.

She compiled scouting reports on opponents and hand-delivered them to the coaching staff. She sent encouraging emails to players and coaches after games, celebrating or consoling them depending on the outcome.

“If I had a down game or didn’t help the team like I thought I could,” Loyola star forward Donte Ingram said at the time, “she’d be like, ‘Keep your head up. They were out to get you tonight, but you still found ways to pull through.’ Just stuff like that.”

Sister Jean could also be quick with a joke. And she was hardly self-effacing. Told that the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum sold a record number of Sister Jean statuettes, she cracked during a special media breakout session at the Final Four, “I’m not saying this in a proud fashion, but I think the company could retire when they’re finished making my bobbleheads.”

Even the Covid shutdown couldn’t dampen her spirit. In 2021 at age 102, Sister Jean traveled to Indianapolis and watched Loyola upset top-seeded Illinois 71-58 to earn a berth in that year’s Sweet 16. The Ramblers players waved to her in the stands after the game.

“It was a great moment,” Sister Jean told reporters. “We just held our own the whole time. At the end, to see the scoreboard said the W belonged to Loyola, that whole game was just so thrilling.”

Dolores Bertha Schmidt was born in San Francisco on Aug. 21, 1919, the oldest of three children. She felt a calling to become a nun in the third grade, and after high school joined a convent in Dubuque, Iowa.

After taking her vows, she returned to California and became an elementary school teacher, first at St. Bernard School in Glassell Park before moving in 1946 to St. Charles Borromeo School in North Hollywood, where she also coached several sports including basketball. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Mount St. Mary’s College in L.A. in 1949.

“At noon, during lunch on the playground, I would have the boys play the girls,” she told the Athletic. “I told them, ‘I know you have to hold back because you play full court, but we need to make our girls strong.’ And they did make them strong.”

Among her students were Cardinal Roger Mahony, who served as archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011, Father Thomas Rausch, chairman of the theology department at Loyola Marymount, and Sister Mary Milligan, who became the first U.S.-born general superior of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary.

Sister Jean earned a master’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in L.A. in 1961 and took a teaching position in Chicago at Mundelein College, a school near Loyola that was all women at the time. She later served as dean.

Mundelein merged with Loyola in 1991 and within a few years Sister Jean became a team chaplain, a position she held until earlier this year.

“In many roles at Loyola over the course of more than 60 years, Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students, faculty, and staff,” Loyola President Mark C. Reed said in a statement. “While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy. Her presence was a profound blessing for our entire community and her spirit abides in thousands of lives. In her honor, we can aspire to share with others the love and compassion Sister Jean shared with us.”

Asked about her legacy, Sister Jean told the Chicago Tribune she hoped to be remembered as someone who served others.

“The legacy I want is that I helped people and I was not afraid to give my time to people and teach them to be positive about what happens and that they can do good for other people,” she said. “And being willing to take a risk. People might say, ‘Why didn’t I do that?’ Well, just go ahead and try it — as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody.”

Although fixtures against Sri Lanka and Pakistan should be straightforward for England as they look to continue their winning streak, they could prove decisive with back-to-back matches against India and Australia to come.

England thrashed South Africa in what could have been a tricky opener, avoided a scare against Bangladesh and now have a golden opportunity to make sure they go into those games against the pre-tournament favourites unbeaten.

But they will have to contend with more spin-friendly conditions in Colombo on Saturday, with opener Tammy Beaumont saying the nature of the pitches is reducing the gulf between teams.

“Every game in this World Cup is big. Bangladesh played so well against us and Sri Lanka will be a challenge in home conditions,” she told BBC Sport.

“The conditions are bringing all the teams into it, so it’s important we have to keep playing well.

“It certainly feels like the fixtures have worked quite well for us, so hopefully we can keep building that momentum and it will be all guns blazing by the time we get to Indore.”

The surface in Indore is likely to be the most batter-friendly that England will experience, with Australia’s 326 there against New Zealand the highest total of this World Cup.

While England’s batters struggled against spin against Bangladesh in Guwahati, they are not alone.

Australia’s extraordinary batting depth saved them from what would have been a mind-blowing defeat by Pakistan, recovering from 76-7 to post 221-9 in Colombo, but England have also proved they have a well-rounded attack for the surfaces.

Wearing size 17 shoes and standing 7-foot-3, Cherif Millogo is under the basket holding up his arms and touching the rim without leaving the ground. The rest of the “tiny” people in the St. Francis High gym are gawking in awe at his 7-9 wingspan.

That includes 6-8 head coach Todd Wolfson, who has twice won the basketball coaching lottery by having his second 7-footer show up out of nowhere. The first was 7-0 Belgium exchange student Gilles Dierickx when he was coaching at Chaminade in 2017.

This time, Wolfson received a phone call from an administrator at St. Francis in August.

“There’s a 7-3 kid wanting to come to St. Francis,” the administrator said.

“I thought he was lying,” Wolfson said.

Millogo didn’t play last season while attending the Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science Academy in Boston after tearing a knee ligament. He’s from the tiny West Africa country Burkina Faso. He was a soccer player until he had a growth spurt, participated in a basketball camp and was spotted playing in Togo, a country bordering Ghana. He ended up moving to Florida two years ago. He said he learned how to shoot a basketball watching YouTube videos of Kevin Durant.

St. Francis coach Todd Wolfson, who’s 6-foot-8, is no longer the tallest person in the gym. Cherif Millogo is 7-3 and a native of Burkina Faso.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

He speaks French, English and two tribal languages. He has a 7-foot older brother and his father is 6-8. He turned 18 on Sept. 27, which means he has two years of high school eligibility left. His guardian is former UCLA and NBA player Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who came here from Cameroon.

Millogo was instantly embraced around St. Francis because of his engaging, friendly personality. During a practice, while listening in a circle around Wolfson, he had his arms around a teammate as if they were lifelong friends.

“He’s made me a better person,” Wolfson said. “His values are amazing.”

Millogo said his parents taught him to be respectful and friendly.

“For me, it’s natural,” he said.

Sophomore guard Luke Paulus said players were as surprised as Wolfson to learn about Millogo’s arrival.

“No way,” he said when he heard about the rumors. “First day of school, I saw him. ‘Wow, that’s a big human being.’ He’s a fun guy.”

Millogo, who’s Muslim, said attending a Catholic school is good. “I’m learning about new religions,” he said.

He also can show off his soccer skills if asked by juggling a ball with his feet.

Millogo joins an already talent-filled Mission League with the No. 1 class of 2026 prospect, Tyran Stokes of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, and top five 2026 prospect, Brandon McCoy of Sierra Canyon.

Cherif Millogo towers over his new St. Francis High teammates.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Millogo was asked if he was aware of Stokes and McCoy.

“From social media,” he said.

See what having an Instagram account can do to promote a high school basketball program? He said he saw a social media post of St. Francis’ students cheering at a game.

To say there could be lots of alley-oop passes this season for St. Francis might be an understatement. Wolfson, who has used a matchup zone defense at times during his coaching days, is teasing how it might make a return with Millogo in the middle. And he’s already planning for some new out-of-bounds plays trying to take advantage of Millogo’s height.

Millogo looks like a sold free-throw shooter and shot-blocker. Then there’s dunking with ease. He had nine dunks last weekend in a fall league game in which he scored 32 points. The previous game, he had 24 points, including five dunks. He should be eligible immediately next month when the season officially begins based on the fact he didn’t play last season, but St. Francis has yet to submit his transfer paperwork.

One thing is certain: The St. Francis student section and many other fans are going to be entertained watching Millogo deliver dunk after dunk.

FIA statutes state that the body will “respect the highest standards of governance, transparency and democracy, including anti-corruption functions and procedures”.

FIA rules require it to be neutral in the election process and that it has an obligation to provide “equal treatment between candidates for the FIA’s presidency”.

Mayer declined to comment, while the FIA has not responded to a series of questions from BBC Sport on the matter.

Robert Reid – who resigned as Ben Sulayem’s vice-president of sport in April, citing “a fundamental breakdown in governance standards within motorsport’s global governing body” – wrote earlier this week in a post on LinkedIn, external: “Each presidential candidate must present a full slate, including seven vice-presidents drawn from list of World Council nominees.

“If the incumbent already controls those names in any region through persuasion, pressure or promise, then no challenger can form.

“The process looks democratic, but in practice it locks the door from the inside. It isn’t democracy. It isn’t even unusual. But that doesn’t make it right.”

There is also doubt surrounding the eligibility of Daniel Coen from Costa Rica for the list of world motorsport council nominees, given that members must come from countries that host international motorsport events, which Costa Rica does not.

Coen is Ben Sulayem’s nominee for vice-president for sport representing North America.

All Odafe Oweh had known was Baltimore. The 2021 first-round selection had made a home there as part of the perennial AFC title contender’s edge rush.

A year ago, Oweh posted career highs for sacks (10), tackles for loss (nine) and quarterback hits (23). But a contract extension didn’t come his way, raising uncertainties about his future with the Ravens.

“I was really trying to get an opportunity to be in a new system and prove what I can to people that are really trying to see that,” Oweh said Wednesday, “so I have a little animosity on my back.”

The 6-foot-5, 265-pound outside linebacker got his wish Tuesday when the Chargers acquired him and a 2027 draft pick in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman and 2026 draft selection.

Entering the season in prove-yourself territory after the Ravens picked up his fifth-year option, Oweh has 12 games to show the Chargers he deserves to stay. His season has been mixed so far — he has yet to record a sack despite ranking 42nd in the NFL with 12 pressures.

With Khalil Mack on injured reserve, the Chargers were boasting a one-man show on the edge — Tuli Tuipulotu leading the team in pressures with 27. Odeh likely will slot into the rotation against Miami on Sunday, coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters earlier this week.

“I expect him to be a really good player who gets the run and a really good player who gets the pass, and super excited about, you know, his pass rush ability,” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said. “The ability to run people down, run quarterbacks down. It’s something that, you know, we’ve struggled with at times.”

Minter pointed to Oweh’s higher pressure rate — which ranks second on the Chargers behind Tuipulotu — as a reason to be excited, even comparing him to Tuipulout as a player who could “all of a sudden” strike for multiple sacks.

Oweh said he believes that the results will come, especially with increased playing opportunities in Los Angeles.

“I don’t attribute it to me not having the moves — [or] me not winning. I was winning,” Oweh said. “I know that the fact that I have a lot of pressures, that’s going to translate at some point. … Production is going to come.”

Oweh said the Chargers have a reputation for being the “L.A. Ravens,” and he’s not far off.

Harbaugh’s brother, John Harbaugh, leads the operation in Baltimore. Greg Roman, the Chargers’ offensive coordinator, held the same position with the Ravens from 2019 to 2022. Minter spent time in Charm City, holding numerous coaching roles from 2017 to 2020.

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz was involved in the Ravens’ decision to draft Oweh during his time as Baltimore’s director of player personnel. Hortiz even attended Oweh’s pro day at Penn State.

Safety Derwin James Jr., who had the same agent as Oweh, got the chance to train with him during the offseason.

“A lot of speed,” James said when asked about what Oweh adds to the defense. “I know what he can bring to the table.”

His familiarity with multiple people in the Chargers’ organization, Oweh said, makes the “fresh start” easier to handle despite the “shocking” end to his tenure with the Ravens.

“This is a perfect place for me to have a different experience but at the same time have some similarities,” Oweh said.

Australia remain hopeful that captain Pat Cummins will be fit for the first Ashes Test against England in November but coach Andrew McDonald says it is getting “tight”.

The 32-year-old pace bowler has not played since suffering a back injury against the West Indies in July. Australian media reported on Wednesday that he will miss the first Test in Perth on 21 November and is doubtful for the whole series.

On Friday McDonald said there was “a lot more positivity” surrounding the skipper’s chances of playing in the opening Test but he would need at least “four, four-and-a-half weeks” of bowling practice to condition his body for the rigours of Ashes cricket. The first Test is six weeks away.

“The reality is, we’re starting to get tight in terms of the times,” McDonald said.

“We’re still optimistic, hopeful, but this time next week, I think we’ll be in a position to get a better gauge on where he’s at.”

McDonald said he would weigh up whether Cummins could be included in the side even if he was a “little bit underdone”.

Cummins has taken 309 Test wickets at an average of 22.10 runs per dismissal.

He is even more formidable in Australia, taking 177 wickets at 19.92, while he has also taken 91 wickets against England in 19 matches.

England vice-captain Harry Brook said it would be a “bonus” if Cummins was to miss out but warned that they could not take any replacement lightly.

“Pat Cummins is a phenomenal bowler and has been for so many years now,” said Brook on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He’s got incredible skill at high pace and if he’s not there it’s a bonus for us.

“But they have got lots of amazing bowlers so I’m sure they’ll draft someone in who is very skillful. We can’t take anyone lightly.”

With back-to-back wins over Palos Verdes and Inglewood, Leuzinger High’s football team has vaulted to the top of the Bay League hierarchy.

On Thursday night, despite losing quarterback Russell Sekona to a fractured hand in the second quarter, Leuzinger (5-0, 2-0) relied on its defense and the play of running back-turned-quarterback Journee Tonga to come away with a 40-14 victory over Palos Verdes at SoFi Stadium.

Tonga contributed touchdown runs of 14 and 21 yards on option plays. Then Leuzinger’s speed back, Kelton Strickland, ran 84 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter. And Tonga added a 61-yard touchdown pass. All this came with Palos Verdes (4-3, 1-1) thinking the 5-foot-8 Tonga wasn’t going to be much of passing threat. Aided by his offensive line, Tonga found holes in the Sea Kings’ defense.

The Olympians’ defense frustrated Palos Verdes quarterback Ryan Rakowski, who was ejected with 11:41 left after getting into a squabble with Leuzinger linebacker Samu Moala. The game was delayed as the officials talked to both coaches trying to determine ejections. Moala was ejected along with two teammates.

“High emotion,” Moala said. “Lesson learned.”

Those ejected can be sidelined for one to three games depending on the officials’ report.

Rakowski had 12 yards passing at halftime and finished with 87 yards.

Palos Verdes made a brief rally in the fourth quarter, recovering an onside kick, recovering another fumble and closing to 27-14 on two touchdown passes by senior quarterback Giorgio Di Mascio. But Pakipole Moala clinched Leuzinger’s victory with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. Then Tonga added his third rushing touchdown of the night.

When the qualifying draw was made in December, there was an understandable assumption that Germany would top the group and seal automatic qualification with Northern Ireland, Slovakia and Luxembourg fighting among themselves for the play-off spot afforded to the runner-up.

Slovakia’s victory over the four-time World Cup winners to kick things off last month has instead opened up myriad possibilities.

Friday night’s visitors to Windsor Park, who followed up their shock result against the Germans with late victory in Luxembourg, know that another three points in Belfast would be a huge step towards booking their place at next summer’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

While the side ranked 42nd in the world did not make the tournament in 2022, they reached the European Championships either side and were beaten by England at the last-16 stage in 2024 only after Jude Bellingham’s spectacular 96th-minute overhead kick.

Manager Francesco Calzona is the first foreign boss in the country’s history and came recommended by Slovakian legend Marek Hamsik from their time together at Napoli, where the Italian was an assistant coach.

Ties to the Serie A champions do not stop there with midfielder Stanislav Lobotka the side’s key player. The 30-year-old, however, has emerged as a major injury doubt for the game on Friday.

Another with recent Champions League experience, Atletico Madrid full back David Hancko, is another who could miss out.

While O’Neill said he would not believe their absences until the pair were missing when the anthems are played at Windsor Park, should Slovakia be without both then Middlesbrough striker David Strelec will be expected to carry a greater load.

The performances of 19-year-old Feyenoord winger Leo Sauer for the national side have sparked excitement too.

If Loyola football coach Drew Casani could give out game balls after his team’s 13-10 Mission League win over Gardena Serra at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night, he’d need to go to a sporting goods store to find enough to hand out. There were so many contributors.

There was kicker/punter Jacob Kreinbring making field goals from 44 and 35 yards despite narrower NFL goal posts. He also had a punt downed at the one-yard line.

There was linebacker Kane Casani, who blocked a field goal that led to a long touchdown return by sophomore Malique Pollard.

There was linebacker Holden Smyser and defensive linemen Max Meier and Will Mack, all of whom helped the defense stop Serra three out of four times on fourth downs in the fourth quarter.

Remember that Loyola (4-3, 1-1) lost a group of players who abandoned the program in the offseason, leaving behind players who drew skepticism whether they would be competitive against top teams.

It’s that Loyola tradition of playing as a group that allowed the Cubs to beat a Serra team that continues to struggle on offense. Serra (3-4, 0-2) fell behind 10-0, then tied the game on a DeVohn Moutra Jr. safety, followed by a touchdown run and two-point conversion from sophomore quarterback Malik Tunai.

“Man, this feels great,” said Kane Casani, who’s the son of the head coach. “A lot of people doubted us. We came together as a brotherhood.”

Loyola broke the tie with 4:14 left in the third quarter on Kreinbring’s 35-yard field goal.

Thomas Tuchel may have expressed public displeasure with England’s fans after the emphatic Wembley win against Wales, but the performance of his players will have left him feeling only the warm glow of vindication.

Tuchel delivered a highly-critical and unusually blunt verdict from any coach in the direction of his own “silent” supporters after a 3-0 stroll was effectively wrapped up inside the first 20 minutes.

It was, however, another message delivered by the German manager that will carry wider significance as England gather momentum towards next summer’s World Cup.

Tuchel’s words stretched way beyond the shockwaves that greeted Jude Bellingham’s exclusion when he named his latest England squad.

He made it crystal clear that England’s star system was over, that players in possession could cement their places by sheer weight of performances, the biggest names no longer guaranteed an automatic recall.

England victory in the Wembley friendly must be placed in the context of Welsh opponents with eyes seemingly fixed on their vital World Cup qualifier against Belgium on Monday, but this was still a night with a large measure of satisfaction for Tuchel’s strategy.

Tuchel made it clear he is picking an England team, not individuals. He even stated: “We are not collecting the most talented players. We are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no-one else.”

Bellingham’s superstar status meant Tuchel’s selection was laced with risk, even though it was shaped by common sense as he had only started one game for Real Madrid following shoulder surgery.

He may have wanted to be included, but on this occasion Tuchel was happy to do without Bellingham, keeping faith with the players who produced the best result and performance of his reign by winning 5-0 against Serbia in the World Cup qualifier in Belgrade.

And, to add further credibility to Tuchel’s decision-making process, England’s outstanding player against Wales was Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, excelling in Bellingham’s number 10 role, as he did in Belgrade.

Rogers, on the evidence of England’s past two games, is fast becoming the poster boy for the new identity Tuchel wants to create.

And if Tuchel’s measure is applied, the England shirt is now Rogers’ to lose, with a further opportunity to cement his place against Latvia in Riga on Tuesday.

No, he didn’t.

Yes, they did!

No, it’s inconceivable that Philadelphia Phillies’ reliever Orion Kerkering would botch a grounder and throw it away with the season on the line.

Yes, it happened with the bases loaded and the Dodgers scored to steal a National League Division Series clinching 2-1 victory in 11 taut innings Thursday at Dodger Stadium!

Clinched, just in time.

Clinched, when they could have clenched.

Clinched, like a champion.

With their backs quickly approaching the wall, faced with a loss that would return the series to Philadelphia for a deciding Game 5, the Dodgers dug in and lashed out and, at the last possible minute, shoved the talented and favored Philadelphia Phillies out of their path to take a three-games-to-one series win and clear the way toward their second consecutive World Series title.

And they did it with a mad, mindless throw from a frozen, frightened reliever.

Has any postseason series ended with such an error?

It happened in the 11th, after Tommy Edman hit a one-out single to left, then moved to third one out later on a single by Max Muncy. Kiké Hernández walked to load the bases, bringing up the struggling Andy Pages, who entered the day with an .053 playoff average and had gone hitless in four previous at-bats.

He proceeded to hit into his fifth out… except Kerkering muffed the grounder. When the pitcher finally picked up the ball, he still had plenty of time to throw out Pages at first. Instead, he panicked and threw it home, launching it far over catcher JT Realmuto’s head.

Pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim scored the winning run as Kerkering stood stunned on the mound and the Dodgers danced wildly across the field.

How the Dodgers defeated the Phillies in the 11th inning in Game 4 of the NLDS.

They now advance to the National League Championship Series, where they will be heavy favorites against either the Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs.

A victory in that seven-game set will land them back in the World Series, where they will be even heavier favorites against whatever inferior team the American League can muster.

Yeah, the rest of their journey should be the easy part, the Dodgers already conquering their Goliath equal in a Phillies series that was essentially the World Series.

Remember last fall when they defeated the San Diego Padres in a tense five-game fight before cruising to the title? This was that. This was the two best teams in baseball. This was the Dodgers once again swallowing all the pressure and refusing to relent.

After a breathtaking six-inning scoreless pitching duel between the Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow and the Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez, the Phillies struck first in the seventh with a single, an error by reliever Emmet Sheehan, and a double by Nick Castellanos.

The Dodgers countered in the bottom of the seventh with two walks and a single followed by a bases-loaded walk drawn by Mookie Betts against closer Jhoan Duran.

This set the stage for the Error Heard ‘Round The World. This set the stage for what should absolutely be a second consecutive World Series championship.

Before these playoffs there was a lot of talk about the Dodgers’ late-season struggles that were symbolized by that blown no-hitter in Baltimore. They had no bullpen depth. They had no offensive patience. They were headed for another early October exit.

At least, that’s what outsiders thought. That’s not what the veteran, pressure-proof Dodgers thought.

“I think it boils down to the guys we have in the clubhouse,” said Max Muncy earlier this week. “We have a lot of experience, a lot of really good players. We’ve been there before. We accomplished it.”

Turns out, nobody knew the Dodgers like the players wearing the uniform.

“We knew who we are as a team all year long,” said Muncy. “Even though we weren’t playing up to it at certain points, we trusted who we were. Like I said, we knew who we were in the clubhouse, not one person faulted in there, even in the rough times.”

They were impressive in the four games against the Phillies. Here’s predicting they’re going to get even better before the month ends.

“I still think there’s another gear in there,” said Muncy. “I don’t think we fully reached where we can be at. And that’s not saying we are, and that’s not saying we aren’t. But I still think there’s a whole other level in there we haven’t reached yet.”

The Times’ Bill Shaikin quickly asked, “What would tell you you’ve reached it?”

“I think you would know,” said Muncy.

The media laughed. The rest of baseball shivered.

ROSEMONT, Ill. — At first, landing Lauren Betts was not a plus when it came to getting her little sister to follow her to UCLA.

When Bruins women’s basketball coach Cori Close called Sienna Betts about Lauren transferring from Stanford at her parents’ request, the younger sibling didn’t hide her displeasure.

“UCLA was my school,” Sienna told Close. “I don’t want to go where my sister’s going.”

It took some massaging of the situation to get Sienna back on board with becoming a Bruin. Big sister helped convince Sienna by delivering a PowerPoint presentation about why she should come to Westwood for Lauren’s final college season.

“By the end, there were tears everywhere,” Close said Wednesday at Big Ten media day inside the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. “It was very heartfelt, it was very genuine. It was just why she wanted to share this experience with her sister and why they needed to share it together.”

It could be a seasonlong joy ride for the sisters after Sienna agreed to join a team that’s been picked to win the Big Ten and contend for the national championship. Lauren and point guard Kiki Rice were selected to the preseason all-conference team and could be joined on the postseason version by teammates Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.

UCLA center Lauren Betts goes to the basket against Maryland forward Amari DeBerry, left, during the first half of a game last season.

(Nick Wass / Associated Press)

Sienna is an early candidate for Big Ten freshman of the year based on her dynamic skill set. The 6-foot-4 forward has been playing a lot alongside her 6-7 sister in practice, leading to some unusual exchanges.

“Every once in a while on the court, you’ll hear, like, the bickering from a sister standpoint, you know what I mean?” Rice said. “Like, it’s a special tone, you know, it only happens between siblings and they’ll be like, ‘Lauren, shut up’ or something like that and they get on each other and it happens quick and they move on pretty fast, but it’s always funny.”

Having her sister around could free Lauren to operate more on the perimeter, where she’s been working on her outside shot. Plus, it has the added benefit of reducing a little wear on the elder sibling.

“I told her, I was, like, ‘Listen, it’s exhausting running baseline to baseline all the time,’” Lauren cracked. “She can do it once.”

Lauren said she’s helped her sister with learning plays and persevering through tough practices while letting Sienna mostly hang out with fellow freshmen off the court. She’s always wanted what’s best for her sister, as demonstrated by that PowerPoint presentation.

“It was just to show her that, like, this recruiting process isn’t about me, and it’s not to get the Betts sisters to play with each other,” Lauren said. “It’s, I want her here because she’s Sienna Betts and she’s a really important part of our team and she would bring so much to us and she would help us win a national championship.”

Might Lauren put together another UCLA presentation for brother Dylan, a 7-2 center who is another top high school prospect?

“Yeah, his recruiting process is a little different,” Lauren said with a laugh, “so we’ll see.”

Fighting on

Don’t ever expect a concession speech from USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

After losing the reigning national player of the year to injury and a starting frontcourt who is now in the WNBA, Gottlieb said her team’s goals don’t change.

“That’s a lot of talent to replace,” Gottlieb said, referring to sidelined star JuJu Watkins and departed post players Kiki Iriafen and Rayah Marshall, “but we look at it in the collective and we say USC women’s basketball is not going anywhere. All the goals that we still have are in front of us. … I think we’ll have the ability to compete at a really high level.”

How do the Trojans replace Watkins, who is out for the season because of a torn knee ligament? It will be a collective effort led by returning guard Kennedy Smith, freshman phenom Jazzy Davidson and five transfers.

“No one’s gonna be JuJu, no one’s trying to be JuJu,” Gottlieb said, “but I think we can put a team on the floor that’s incredibly versatile, that plays an exciting brand of basketball and we’re going to take our shot at achieving our goals.”

Davidson, a 6-1 guard who was the nation’s top high school prospect, is already creating a buzz for a team that was picked by the media to finish third in the Big Ten.

“I don’t compare her to anybody else,” Gottlieb said, “but in terms of the way I felt when JuJu walked in the door as a freshman about her readiness for college basketball, I think Jazzy’s a pretty unique talent and will make an incredible affect not only on us but I think on the national scene.”

Finally united

Six years later, the voicemail that Gottlieb saved from a 14-year-old has additional meaning.

That teenager is now on her team.

Gottlieb was recruiting Londynn Jones when she coached at California and accepted a job with the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming the first head women’s college coach to be hired by an NBA team. Jones left a congratulatory message tinged with sorrow.

“ ‘Coach,’” Jones said, “‘I’m happy for you, but I’m sad for me, don’t forget about me.’ ”

Now they’re together after Jones transferred from UCLA after helping the Bruins reach the Final Four.

“Here we are,” Gottlieb said, “all these years later.”

After averaging 8.5 points and making 35.1% of her three-pointers last season, Jones could play a new role across town.

“She’s a ballhandler, a distributor, she shoots the three really well,” Gottlieb said, “so I think she was looking for that just sort of ability to be dynamic and show what she’s capable of, but we just need her to be a really kind of solid, all-around contributor.”

Twice as nice

Dreams really do come true. As a freshman, UCLA softball slugger Megan Grant told roommate Amanda Muse, a forward on the basketball team, that it was her dream to play college basketball. Now Grant is on the verge of her debut in a second sport. Close described Grant as a “bully ball kind of player” who would add screening, rebounding and hustle.