Lauren

Manchester City players including Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, Lauren Hemp, Khiara Keating and Kerstin Casparij share their confessions, including things they got away with growing up, their mid-game thoughts and what football rule they would like to change.

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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.

Bell’s main strength when she first emerged in international cricket was her ability to swing the ball extravagantly into the right-handed batter, but she spent most of 2024 remodelling her action to add more strings to her bow.

Now swinging the ball both ways and with canny variations in pace, Bell is England’s strike powerplay bowler and her confidence when bowling in that phase – often seen as one of the most difficult – shows the belief and strength in her mental approach to the game.

“You’re obviously bowling at the best batters, but I look at it the other way in that I’m the new-ball bowler, I get to swing the ball, so you know it’s a huge chance for wickets,” said Bell.

“In my head, it’s the best time to bowl. My mindset is that this is an opportunity for me to set up a game.

“I love opening the bowling, I love that it presents me with an opportunity for wickets rather than fearing that they might see it as an easy time to score boundaries.”

Head coach Charlotte Edwards left experienced seamer Kate Cross out of England’s squad, meaning extra responsibility has shifted to Bell’s shoulders in the pace attack with Em Arlott and Lauren Filer as the other frontline seamers, and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt playing as an all-rounder.

The conditions in Guwahati, where England will play their opener against South Africa, have been extremely humid and will be challenging, as all teams experienced during last year’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

For Bell, who could be opening the bowling with spinners and therefore having little time for rest, this has been a consideration.

“We’ve done so much work on that behind the scenes that nobody would’ve seen,” she said.

“During The Hundred we did all these running sessions, top-up sessions after games and that’s the bit nobody will see.

“Especially for me as a seamer, I want to make sure that I’m bowling as fast as I can in the last over of the tournament as I am in the first.”

It may be Bell’s first World Cup, but she could be one of England’s most important players in it.

From the boredom in quarantine to the first ball in Guwahati, it has been a remarkable rise.

Lauren Henry said she was “sad” to miss out on a first ever women’s single sculls gold for Great Britain after being edged out by Ireland’s Fiona Murtagh in a photo finish on the final day of the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai.

Henry’s silver medal was Britain’s eighth of the championships, the most of any competing nation, with a total of three golds, four silver and one bronze.

Only the Netherlands finished with more gold medals – with four.

Henry, 23, had won a medal in every international race she competed in this year, while 30-year-old Murtagh had never before won a major regatta.

But after opening a big lead with a blistering start, Murtagh hung on as Henry reeled her in in the final 500m, with the Briton eventually losing by just 0.03 seconds.

“Obviously, I’m really pleased to come away with a medal, but it is disappointing,” said Henry.

“I said I was coming here for the gold and it’s sad to miss out by less than a centimetre.

“I’m going to use this during the winter and come back better and stronger next season. Hopefully I can win that elusive women’s single sculling gold for Great Britain at a World Championships.”

Speaking about the impact the abuse had on her, Carter said: “It makes you feel really small. It makes you feel like you’re not important, that you’re not valuable.

“It makes you second guess everything that you do – it’s not a nice place to be. It doesn’t make me feel confident going back on to the pitch. My family was so devastated by it as well and so sad.”

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said during the tournament that the governing body had referred the “abhorrent” abuse to UK police.

Carter stepped back from social media following the abuse, though she said the support received from the England fans “meant everything”.

The England team decided to stop taking the knee before matches, with manager Sarina Wiegman saying the impact of the anti-racism gesture was “not good enough”.

Carter said the psychological impact of the abuse she suffered made her feel “scared” when Wiegman told her she had been selected to play in the final.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever been scared – too scared to play,” she added.

“I think it was a mixture of such a big game, but then on top of that [I was] scared of whatever abuse might come with it, whether it’s football based or whether it was going to be the racial abuse that was going to come with it because I did something wrong.”

Lauren and Harrison came back together for an emotional reunion on After Sun where Harrison revealed revealed they ‘aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend’ but ‘will get there very soon’

After one of the most dramatic weeks in the Love Island villa, Harrison and Lauren reunited in an emotional episode of After Sun following their shock departures. Footballer Harrison Solomon, 22, shocked viewers by dramatically quitting the show, just one day after Lauren Wood, 26, was brutally dumped following a bombshell recoupling twist.

The couple looked smitten to be back together as Harrison revealed “We aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend but we will get there very soon”. Reflecting on his time in the villa, Harrison said he was ‘upset’ that Lauren was so down after Toni chose him to recouple with, despite asking Toni to choose him.

Harrison said he and Lauren still ‘gravitated’ towards one another, stating: “Spending the last two days with Toni made me realise Lauren was the one for me”. Harrison said his feelings for Tony haven’t ‘disappeared’ but he knew the relationship ‘wasn’t right’ for him.

Sitting next to Lauren on the After Sun sofa, he said: “I am so happy with my decision”, while Lauren said: “I feel like him leaving the villa showed me everything I needed to know. It was a big decision to make”.

Reflecting on her relationship with Toni, Lauren said: “I had no issue with her from the beginning. I feel like Harrison was the problem in this situation, I have nothing against her”. When host Maya Jama asked what is next for the sweet couple, Harrison said: “We just wanna spend some time together, go on a few dates, get to know each other away from the cameras and microphones.”

Lauren’s exit came after her partner, Ty, was coupled with new arrival Angel, leaving her single and dumped from the island. The dumping came as a shock to all islanders, especially Harrison, who was in a couple with American bombshell Toni at the time.

After reading out the text, Lauren broke down to tears and pleaded with Harrison to leave the villa with her. During a private chat, Harrison asked Lauren if she was willing to give it another go, to which Lauren said she would if he left with her.

The boys told him to sleep on it and not make any rash decisions, so Harrison decided to stay for the night. The next day, Harrison confided in Harry and Dejon, saying he’d made his mind up and wanted to make Lauren his girlfriend on the outside.

He then gathered the rest of the Islanders around the firepit, as he said an emotional goodbye.

In an emotional speech, Harrison said: “Prior to the Villa I wanted to find a girlfriend, someone I want to introduce to my family, and I think I’ve found that…. Mine and Lauren’s connection was something special. I wanted to stay true to myself and follow my heart.”

He added: “I just wanted to see thank you all for making this crazy experience the best one of my life.”

The drama over the previous days had been intense as Harrison navigated a divisive love triangle with Lauren and fellow islander Toni Laites, juggling both women romantically but ultimately deciding that Lauren was the girl for him.

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Scottish detective Karen Pirie is back on our screens for a second season of the ITV drama – here’s everything you need to know about the cast

Karen Pirie is making a comeback to our screens for a second series of the ITV detective drama, welcoming several fresh faces to the cast.

The show initially premiered in 2022, featuring Outlander star Lauren Lyle as the intrepid Scottish detective Karen Pirie.

Drawing inspiration from Val McDermid’s second Inspector Karen Pirie novel, A Darker Domain, the upcoming series will unfold across three episodes.

The official synopsis reveals: “After her bittersweet success in series one, Karen has been promoted to Detective Inspector and seemingly given the authority she has long been fighting for.

“Just as she’s getting into the swing of her powerful new role, she is assigned an infamous unsolved case that will put her under intense scrutiny; from her boss, from the media, and ultimately, from sinister forces that would rather the past stayed in the past,” reports the Express.

Karen Pirie series two cast:

• Lauren Lyle (Outlander) as Karen Pirie
• Chris Jenks (Sex Education) as DC Jason ‘Mint’ Murray
• Zach Wyatt (Timestalker) as DS Phil Parhatka
• Steve John Shepherd (EastEnders) as DCS LEes
• Emer Kenny (EastEnders) as River Wilde
• Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education) as Bel Richmond
• Saskia Ashdown (Six Four) joins as newcomer DC Isla Stark
• James Cosmo (Braveheart) as Sir Broderick Grant, the father of victim Catriona
• Frances Tomelty (Inspector Morse) as Broderick’s ex-wife Mary
• John Michie (Holby City) as Fergus Sinclair, the father of Catriona’s son Adam
• Julia Brown (World on Fire) as Catriona Grant
• Mark Rowley (One Day) as Mick
• Kat Ronney (Dinosaur) as Bonnie
• Conor Berry (Schemers) as Andy
• Stuart Campbell (The Winter King) as Kevin

The cast also includes Jamie Michie, Madeleine Worrall, Jack Stewart, Thoren Ferguson, and Helen Katamba.

The historical case at the heart of series two centres on the 1984 abduction of wealthy oil heiress Catriona Grant and her two-year-old son Adam.

The pair were snatched at gunpoint outside a chip shop in Fife and vanished without trace, despite widespread media coverage.

When human remains surface with connections to the original abduction – the first breakthrough in decades – Karen and her colleagues face one of their most daunting investigations yet.

“As Karen delves deeper into what happened in the autumn of 1984, political grudges and painful secrets reveal themselves, and it soon becomes clear… the past is far from dead,” the synopsis hints.

Karen Pirie season 2 will air on Sunday, July 20, with the first episode premiering at 8pm on ITV1.

Love Island stars Lauren and Harrison have broken their silence following their emotional double exit during last night’s episode – as they open up on their future plans

It was an emotional night in Love Island last night as both Lauren and Harrison made their way out of the villa. The drama began when Lauren was booted out due to a new bombshell, Angel choosing her partner Ty, with an emotional Harrison deciding to leave with her the next night.

Despite recently rekindling things with Toni, the pair had gone their separate ways in prior episodes, as Harrison told the rest of the Islanders he had found a girlfriend in Lauren as he made an emotional exit.

Now, the pair have broken their silence ever since leaving, as they discuss their plans for the future. When asked what was next for himself and Lauren on the outside, Harrison said: “We’ll make the distance work! It will be no issue. We left on good terms, but the two days prior to leaving, we weren’t talking properly, so it would be good to have a conversation, get everything out in the open and hopefully move forward from there.”

“I feel very strongly about the girl, I wouldn’t have left if I didn’t. I have no doubt in my mind that she’ll be my girlfriend one day. I’m buzzing to see her and reunite! She’s such a great girl.”

During their time in the villa, Lauren and Harrison left viewers in shock after Harry and Helena were seen passing a condom over to Harrison in the middle of the night. Asked on how he feels about his parents having witnessed him “have sex” on TV, the footballer said: “I hope they didn’t see!

“But listen, it was a natural thing. I don’t think I intended to have sex in the Villa but in there all the Islanders could tell we were so attracted to each other, naturally it was going to happen. The spark between us was crazy! I probably wasn’t thinking about my parents and them watching it but it naturally happened and I don’t regret it.”

Elsewhere, Harrison said he hopes to be friends with Toni on the outside, but understands if she doesn’t feel the same way. “I’d like to think we could be friends. I did her wrong a few times in there so I understand if she doesn’t want to reciprocate that. The conversation prior to me leaving was a big moment for me and her,” he said.

“You could tell by me getting emotional, I was upset about how I’ve acted and upset about Toni being upset as well. Similarly, if someone treated my sister like I’d treated Toni in there obviously I’d be mortified. I wanted to apologise to her and I think she could see I was being genuine. I’m happy with how things were left.”

As for Lauren, she said she “100%” sees a future on the outside with Harrison. “I’d love to see where it could go,” she said before he left.

“I’m hoping that he comes out so that we can be together. I see myself being with him long term as I haven’t had a connection like that with someone in such a long time. I know what we had was real despite what everyone else thinks. He has done wrong and made stupid mistakes, but he knows that and believes it was the wrong thing to do.”

The pair seem loved up for now, but if there’s one thing Harrison would change – it’d be who he went to for advice. In the villa we saw him close to Harry and Dejon, but he now regrets going to Harry for advice.

“I went to Harry a few times asking for advice. On reflection, he was probably the worst person to go to for advice! He does have a serious side but if I was ever to get into the situation again, I probably wouldn’t go to him again, his advice was horrendous!” he exclaimed. “The trio was something special, the banter was flying, we were so close in there. I’m sad to leave them.”

Love Island continues tomorrow night at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX

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Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are officially husband and wife.

The Amazon founder, who’s been linked to Sánchez since 2019, hosted an extravagant, reportedly $50-million celebration in Venice, Italy, stretching three days. From the lavish location to the celebrity guest list, the event has attracted a media frenzy, but also experienced its fair share of hiccups — including a last-minute venue change to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Here’s what we know about the wedding so far.

The wedding dress

Sánchez opted for a custom Dolce & Gabbana wedding gown inspired by Sophia Loren’s gown in the 1958 film “Houseboat.” This marks the first time Sánchez has worn such a high-necked formal dress, she told Vogue.

“It is a departure from what people expect,” she said, “from what I expect — but it’s very much me.”

The bride shared two images of her dress Friday on Instagram, where she also updated her handle to @laurensanchezbezos.

Other ensembles planned for the big day were a corseted gown inspired by the Rita Hayworth film “Gilda” and an Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress with 175,000 crystals, according to Vogue.

Lauren Sánchez departs from her hotel in Venice for pre-wedding celebrations.

(Antonio Calanni / AP)

Something Blue Origin

Sánchez’s “something borrowed” was a pair of Dolce & Gabbana Alta Gioielleria Miracolo earrings, according to Vogue. And her “something blue,” she revealed, was a souvenir she brought on her controversial 11-minute Blue Origin spaceflight.

“It was literally one of the most profound experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” she told Vogue. “Jeff said, ‘It’s gonna change you more than you think,’ and it completely has, visually, spiritually.”

Kim and Khloé Kardashian were among the celebrities who attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding.

(Luigi Costantini / AP)

A star-studded guest list

As expected, several A-listers made the 200-person guest list.

Notably, Orlando Bloom arrived solo after reportedly ending his engagement with Katy Perry. Sánchez seemed to acknowledge Perry’s absence, commenting, “We miss you Katy,” Friday on the pop star’s Instagram. Perry famously joined Sánchez on the Blue Origin space flight and has received a disproportionate amount of the criticism.

Though President Trump was not present (despite reports that he received an invitation), his daughter Ivanka Trump and Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, were in attendance, along with in-laws Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner.

Other celebrities in attendance were Kim and Khloé Kardashian; Kris, Kylie and Kendall Jenner; Bill Gates and Paula Hurd; Sydney Sweeney; Tom Brady; Leonardo DiCaprio; Usher; Eva Longoria and José Bastón; Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller; Oprah Winfrey; and Gayle King, who was also aboard the Blue Origin spaceflight.

Though President Trump wasn’t present, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, attended the wedding.

(Luigi Costantini / AP)

Protests and criticism

The lavish celebration was not without its critics. The No Space for Bezos movement — a combination of anti-cruise ship campaigners, university groups and housing advocates — staged protests throughout Venice leading up to the event, even planning to obstruct canal access to prevent wedding guests from reaching the venue, according to the Associated Press. The newlyweds reportedly had to make an eleventh hour venue change, opting for the more secluded and secure Arsenale for the Saturday reception, according to local media.

Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride).

Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United.

Midfielders: Ella Toone (Manchester United), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Keira Walsh (Manchester City), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Jess Park (Manchester City).

Forwards: Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal on loan from Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Michelle Agyemang (Brighton on loan from Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea).

Los Angeles County prosecutors filed criminal charges Tuesday against Jillian Lauren Shriner, a bestselling author who is married to Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, following an incident last month where she was wounded by police after allegedly shooting at them from her backyard.

The author, who publishes under the last name Lauren, appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courthouse, pleading not guilty to felony charges for willful discharge of a firearm in a gross negligent manner and assault of a person with a semiautomatic firearm. Prosecutors are also seeking a firearms sentencing enhancement. She faces up to 19 years in state prison if convicted on counts.

Lauren, 51, sported an all-white suit as she stood before the judge to enter her plea. She and her lawyers, Hilary Potashner and Kim Wilkinson, declined to comment after the hearing.

Lauren was initially booked April 9 on suspicion of attempted murder after a bewildering encounter with the LAPD. That afternoon, officers were searching for three hit-and-run suspects following a crash on the 134 Freeway. According to 911 calls from the area, the suspects were attempting to hide in neighborhood backyards around Eagle Rock.

The pursuit led officers to Lauren’s property, where a confrontation ensued as she stood in her backyard armed with a handgun.

Police body cameras and home surveillance videos appeared to show Lauren raising her gun and pointing it at a fence where officers had taken cover. Police said she refused their commands to drop the weapon and fired at them. The police said they shot back, hitting Lauren in the arm.

She fled back into her home, where she remained for about an hour before she was hospitalized and later taken into custody by the Highway Patrol.

There are some indications Lauren may have been unable to hear the officers due to a police helicopter hovering above the scene, possibly mistaking them for the hit-and-run suspects. In a video released by the LAPD, a neighbor could be heard telling a 911 dispatcher Lauren was confused about what happened: “There were three men, and one of them shot her, and the cops are looking for him right now … They have their guns out.”

The New Jersey native has been named a New York Times Bestselling Author for her books, “Everything You Ever Wanted” and “Some Girls: My Life in a Harem” where she recounts her encounters with Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei. Most recently, she published “Behold the Monster: Facing America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer,” a look inside the mind of serial killer Samuel Little. She and Shriner have been married since 2005 and they have two sons together.

Lauren’s preliminary hearing to determine whether the cases against her will move forward is scheduled for June 18.