Wigan Warriors prop Mary Coleman has earned her first England call-up for the mid-season Test in France later this month.
The 28-year-old switched to rugby league four years ago, having previously played union for Preston Grasshoppers.
In the 15-a-side code, Coleman also played three times at Twickenham for Cambridge University in the Varsity match – in 2016, 2017 and 2018 – and has represented Kent, her home county, at both union and athletics.
She helped Wigan beat St Helens 54-6 at Wembley on 30 May to win the Women’s Challenge Cup.
England face France in a one-off Test at Stade Ernest Wallon in Toulouse on Saturday, 25 July (18:00 BST). The match will be staged as part of a double-header with Toulouse’s men’s Super League match against Catalan Dragons (21:00 BST).
Head coach Stuart Barrow has not selected any Australia-based players, as the NRLW is in the middle of its season.
The match will provide Barrow’s side with a warm-up before the Women’s World Cup in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea this October and November.
England – who will play all of their World Cup matches in Australia – begin their campaign against Wales in Perth on Saturday, 17 October.
Barrow said: “While our immediate focus is on delivering a strong performance in France, every training session and camp over the coming months will help shape where we need to be when the World Cup begins.”
England squad: Mia-Jayne Atherton (Wigan Warriors), Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos), Ruby Bruce (Leeds Rhinos), Mary Coleman (Wigan Warriors), Evie Cousins (Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies (Wigan Warriors), Ellise Derbyshire (Wigan Warriors), Ella Donnelly (Leeds Rhinos), Jenna Foubister (Wigan Warriors), Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth (St Helens), Eva Hunter (Wigan Warriors), Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Lucy Murray (Leeds Rhinos), Tamzin Renouf (York Valkyrie), Isabel Rowe (Wigan Warriors), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens), Megan Williams (Wigan Warriors), Georgia Wilson (Wigan Warriors).
Alexander, who signed a two-way deal with the Jazz last week. was injured in game against Chicago Bulls.
Published On 14 Jul 202614 Jul 2026
Utah Jazz guard Trey Alexander was taken from the court on a stretcher after appearing to injure his side on a drive to the basket in an NBA Summer League game against the Chicago Bulls.
Alexander, who signed a two-way deal with Utah last week, made contact with the Bulls’ Caleb Wilson during Monday night’s match while driving towards the basket. After tossing the ball towards the hoop, he went behind the basket, clutching his side or abdomen. He then dropped to the ground, appearing to be in great pain.
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The 23-year-old was taken from the Thomas & Mack Center court on a stretcher. The incident occurred with just more than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
There was no immediate word from the Jazz on Alexander’s injury.
Alexander played three seasons at Creighton University and skipped his final year of eligibility to turn pro. The rookie of the year in the G League, the NBA’s minor league, for the 2024-2025 season played 24 games for the Denver Nuggets that same season and nine games for the New Orleans Pelicans last season.
Under his current contract, Alexander is to play for the Jazz and its G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
It was never actually in doubt. Dearica Hamby was going to stay a member of the Sparks. That was just how she worked.
Even when Nneka Ogwumike came into the fold and the frontcourt became crowded, Hamby didn’t doubt her decision to return to the organization that traded for her four years ago.
Loyalty mattered more than anything else.
“That’s who I am,” she said. “I don’t run away from things. I wanted to stay here and help L.A. get back to where it was and is capable of being.”
In a loaded frontcourt, the 32-year-old Hamby has still found ways to shine. Hamby has led the Sparks in scoring four times and led or tied for rebounding 16 times this season after signing a three-year, $3.5-million contract.
She ranks in the top 20 in the league in rebounds and field-goal percentage (plus 25th in scoring) and is eighth in offensive rebounds in establishing herself as an essential piece to the Sparks’ “win now” attempt.
“I think it’s the challenge, because we are so good and we have so much talent,” said Hamby, who is averaging 14.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 52.8% from the field. “You’re forced to produce, but it’s also a blessing. I know it’s probably hard for coach to manage the three’s playing time and stuff like that, but it’s a beautiful problem.”
Hamby was in the headlines when the Aces traded her after she was pregnant. In September of that year, she filed a federal discrimination complaint against the team and league, claiming she was traded because she was pregnant. The two sides resolved matters before trial.
The new CBA this year created a new rule that requires a pregnant player’s consent to be traded.
“I feel like she’s such an anomaly,” said forward Rae Burrell. “I remember when she had her son, and it was crazy because everybody was saying she was coming back so early, I thought that was insane, but now being her teammate, I see it, she’s just kind of a freak of nature, like she’s so athletic, she can do all types of things on the court that you think looks unorthodox, but she makes it happen, but also just love being her teammate. She’s just good people.”
Since that trade, she has been a regular in the Sparks’ starting lineup while averaging double-digit scoring and around eight rebounds per game. She’s one of the most efficient scorers in the league, too.
But Hamby’s games have been all over the board. Against the Aces, she missed all seven of her shots. Against Dallas and Indiana, she made six of eight shots. She’s had eight games with a shooting percentage above 60% and four games under 40%.
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, left, tries to steal the ball from Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner during a game in Phoenix.
(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
Having the three frontcourt players has been an adjustment for coach Lynne Roberts to find how to implement them all in the offense.
“I’m trying to implement the new offense, we’re plugging pieces into play, and things that I may have been able to do last year as freely I’m not as able to do this year,” Hamby said. “So just adjusting for sure, but I think that’s across the board for everybody.”
Before the season, Roberts said that Cameron Brink would come off the bench and Hamby would start. Brink, the only natural center on the team, averages just 17.5 minutes per game primarily because of her 3.7 fouls.
“She’s my vet,” Brink said of Hamby. “I think she’s just such a grounding force for us, and she’s someone that does everything, so I just really feel like I learn from her every day, and I’m just very thankful to be in her presence.”
Hamby averages 3.2 fouls per game and has expressed frustration about the new officiating norms this season, but has avoided true foul trouble. She and Ogwumike work as two fours instead of a team with a traditional five.
“She has a lot of energy,” Ogwumike said. “I think she does a really good job of just having a high motor and going out there and kind of like doing the dirty work. I feel like it’s beneficial to have a loaded frontcourt, to be able to have so many different types of players and a depth where anytime one of us is in, there’s no letdown.”
The Sparks have been the worst defensive team in the league this season and struggled to score when point guard Kelsey Plum was out of the lineup with an ankle injury. Ogwumike might be the other veteran leader, but Hamby has stayed with this Sparks team the past two seasons while Ogwumike was in Seattle.
Now her role has changed, even with that loyalty. She’s playing just over a minute less and they’re asking for better defense and efficiency.
Hamby chose to come back. Now she’s choosing to help build the Sparks up.
“I know my usage is a lot lower,” Hamby said. “A goal of mine the last two seasons was to have those numbers, so to have the same numbers just at a more efficient rate, and so I mean offensively, but with like two fewer shots a game, that’s pretty impressive.”
Catalans Dragons head coach John Cartwright told Sky Sports:
“Intent-wise and physicality, it was a massive improvement on last week. To compete with them, we had to do that.
“Up until 16-0 down we were still in the game. We were unlucky because we should have scored a try and had to take our chances against a side like that, and we didn’t.
“There were a lot of things we had to get right to be in the game against them, and we didn’t quite do it. But physically, I just loved the way they had each other’s back in that second half.”
Leeds coach Brad Arthur told Sky Sports:
“We were pretty professional and thought we were quite tough as well. We wanted to dominate possession, and I thought we did that really well.
“Obviously there were some tactics after they came out after half-time, trying to rattle us, and we go back to round five and it worked for them. It was good that we learned our lesson.
“There are a couple of things we got wrong, but we were able to compose ourselves and just get back to our job.”
LAS VEGAS — The highlight dunk was proof that Adou Thiero is just fine. Thiero delivered a breakaway windmill dunk in the second quarter Friday that brought cheers from the fans, a moment in which the second-year Lakers forward displayed his athleticism.
Thiero’s confidence seemed to grow from that point on, his play for the Lakers during their Las Vegas Summer League opener at the Thomas & Mack Center a sign of his development.
He ran the floor and caught a lob for a dunk. He sprinted back on defense and blocked a shot. He finished the third quarter with a last-second shot off the backboard, a basket that gave the Lakers an 86-66 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Thiero came back in the game in the fourth quarter and threw down another lob dunk.
Thiero completed his night with 20 points during the Lakers’ 96-84 win.
He played an all-around game, collecting four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks with zero turnovers in 30 minutes. He was eight for 14 from the field. He missed all five of his three-pointers, but Thiero finished the game plus-13.
“I feel like I was capable of doing this,” Thiero said. “It’s not different from things I was doing in the G League last year. I feel like I got real comfortable in the G League, how to play and everything and just took that break and still trying to get back to healthy and everything and finally getting to go out and play. I feel like I sped myself up a little bit and now I’m slowing down and letting the game come to me.”
Thiero played after missing the Lakers’ final game at the California Classic in San Francisco because of a right wrist injury.
He looked far more in control and at ease than he did in San Francisco.
“He just wasn’t rushed tonight,” Lakers summer league coach Ty Abbott said. “He took what was in front of him. He attacked matchups. He understood that there was going to be some paint swarming. Those guys are going to try to flood and meet him at the rim and he made the right pass. And then when he started doing that, it started to open up for him and he was able to finish at the rim.”
Thiero was asked to critique his windmill dunk, which was his first highlight of the game and one that had fans cheering.
But Thiero was not impressed.
“The windmill was nice, but it wasn’t my best windmill,” Thiero said. “I’d probably say that was one of my worst windmills. I didn’t have my footing. I went back and watched it on video and I didn’t really like it.”
Thiero believed his chemistry with rookie Cameron Carr and his defense stood out. He also said Lakers coach JJ Redick had conversations with him about being a better defender.
“Just trying to go out there and cause havoc,” Thiero said. “JJ, he says that the things he wants, you know, we need a point-of-attack, on-ball defender and everything. So, just trying to go out there and be that, try and get reps in defending and then, offensively, just trying to play basketball, just trying to make the game more simple for myself.”
Carr also played against the Thunder after being limited by a bothersome toenail in his last game. He had another solid game with 18 points on seven-for-13 shooting.
Tries: Cartwright, Kerr, Eckersley, McDermott, Daniel Goals: Keighran 5
Warrington (12) 18
Tries: Hopoate, Irwin, Ashton Goals: Irwin 3
Wigan Warriors’ young stand-ins held off the challenge of Warrington Wolves to move to within two points of Super League leaders Leeds Rhinos.
Josh Cartwright, Taylor Kerr, Kian McDermott and Austin Daniel all repaid the faith of head coach Matt Peet by scoring their first senior tries after filling gaps left by the Warriors’ injury troubles.
Wigan lost star full-back Jai Field on the morning of the match with a back injury and they were soon 12-0 down as Warrington’s Albert Hopoate and their own 18-year-old prodigy Ewan Irwin both scored tries.
The game see-sawed and was still level with half an hour to go until McDermott and Daniel showed the quality of the young players coming through the Wigan academy with vital finishes.
The longtime Minnesota Lynx coach tied WNBA legend Mike Thibault for most career wins on June 28. The two remained deadlocked, with the league-leading Lynx losing two straight games for the first time all season.
But the losing streak is over — and the WNBA has a new all-time winningest coach. Minnesota defeated the Connecticut Sun 86-80 on Wednesday night for Reeve’s historic 380th career victory.
“I am so glad this is over,” Reeve, 59, said during a postgame interview on USA Network.
Reeve was a four-year starter at La Salle from 1984-1988 and ranks fifth in career assists (420) for the Explorers. After serving as an assistant coach at her alma mater and George Washington, Reeve became head coach at Indiana State, going 63-72 over five seasons with winning records in each of the last two.
Jumping to the WNBA in 2001, Reeve was an assistant coach for the Charlotte Sting (two stints), Cleveland Rockers and Detroit Shock before becoming head coach of the Lynx in 2010. Since then, she has compiled a record of 380-196, won four WNBA titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and been named the league’s coach of the year four times (2011, 2015, 2020, 2024).
Reeve has missed the postseason only twice during her time with the Lynx, and her 49 playoff wins are the most in league history. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame last month.
“A milestone fit for the Hall of Famer,” the WNBA wrote in an X post congratulating Reeve.
While Reeve has compiled her total over 16-plus seasons, Thibault reached 379 victories over the course of 20 WNBA seasons, 10 with the Connecticut Sun (2003-2012) and 10 with the Washington Mystics (2013-2022). Currently the head coach of Belgium’s national women’s basketball team, Thibault was a three-time WNBA coach of the year and led Washington to the league title in 2019.
Reeve was head coach of the U.S. national team, with Thibault as her assistant coach, when it won gold at the 2022 World Cup in Australia and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Thibault’s son, former Mystics coach Eric Thibault, has been on Reeve’s staff in Minnesota as associatehead coach the past two seasons.
“Learned a lot from Mike through the years,” Reeve said after Wednesday’s game. “Tremendous coach and just so much respect that we’ve had for each other through the years. I know he’s happy for me. And somebody’s going to pass me and I’ll be happy for them too.”
Reeve was correct about Thibault’s feelings.
“Congrats, Cheryl, so much from all the Thibault family,” Thibault said in a video posted on X by the Lynx. “If anyone was going to break my record, I most wanted it to be you. Our friendship means a lot, but the job you’ve done as a coach and mentor in this league is appreciated by so many people. And I couldn’t be more proud to have you as a friend.”
Toronto’s Sandy Brondello is the closest active coach to Reeve’s mark. She ranks sixth all-time with 280 wins.
The Toronto Raptors have put the brakes on acquiring Kawhi Leonard from the Clippers, announcing Thursday that the trade is on hold until the NBA investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules is complete.
“The NBA league office informed us that as a result of the ongoing investigation involving the Clippers, we would assume the risk of any potential outcome of the investigation impacting Kawhi,” the Raptors said. “In light of this, we will wait until the league’s investigation is complete.”
The trade sent Leonard to Toronto for forward Brandon Ingram, shooting guard Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, a pick swap and two second-round picks. Leonard has spent the last seven seasons with the Clippers after leading the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship.
The probe was triggered in September when the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast aired an episode detailing a contract Leonard received from Aspiration, a self-described “socially-conscious and sustainable banking services and investment products” firm. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested $60 million in the now-defunct company that in turn agreed to pay Leonard $28 million for endorsements he never fulfilled.
The investigation is being conducted by Wachtell Lipton, a high-powered New York law firm the NBA has frequently used when attempting to determine off-the-court wrongdoing by team owners, players or referees. There is no timetable for its conclusion, and the league had no comment Thursday.
Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration in September 2021. A month later, the Clippers announced a $300-million sponsorship deal with the company. Ballmer nearly granted Aspiration naming rights to the team’s new $2-billion venue as well, but instead chose financial services firm Intuit.
Two years later when Aspiration was experiencing severe financial difficulties, Ballmer made an additional $10 million investment and Clippers co-owner Dennis Wong — Ballmer’s former college roommate — invested $1.99 million in Aspiration nine days before Leonard received a $1.75 million payment from the company. Leonard ultimately was paid $21 million of the $28 million agreed upon in his contract with Aspiration.
Leonard averaged 25.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals over six seasons with the Clippers and was selected to four All-Star teams, four All-NBA teams and two All-Defensive teams while in L.A. Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points while playing 65 games last season.
“The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization, and our fans,” the Raptors said.
Rams offensive lineman Alaric Jackson is not facing charges related to his arrest last month on suspicion of domestic violence, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office confirmed.
“Charges are not filed against the respondent at this time, however, the case stays open throughout the length of the statute of limitations. It can be re-evaluated if there are further developments,” said Ivor Pine, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.
Pine said the matter has been assigned for a City Attorney hearing, a pre-filing diversion that is an alternative to misdemeanor prosecution.
Jackson was arrested on June 9 after police responded to a call at a West Hills home involving Jackson and a pregnant woman.
Jackson, 27, could still face discipline from the NFL if the league determines that he violated its personal conduct policy for the second time.
In 2024, Jackson served a two-game suspension. If the league finds he committed another violation, Jackson could face a six-game suspension or possible banishment for at least one year.
The Rams are scheduled to report to training camp on July 25 in preparation for their Sept. 10 season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
Staff writer Gary Klein contributed to this report.
Caitlin Clark will be in the lineup when the Indiana Fever face the Sparks at Crypto.com Arena after a week-plus of discourse around the star player.
Clark, who has had season-long back problems, did not play on Sunday in Las Vegas. Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark would play on Wednesday against the Sparks.
Earlier in the day, a dozen Republican lawmakers announced they sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert arguing the league has failed to adequately protect Clark from physical play.
“Unfortunately, what they too often witness is not simply aggressive competition, but repeated acts of unnecessary physical hostility and violence,” the lawmakers wrote. “Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games. These incidents go far beyond routine physical play, yet the WNBA and its officiating have too often failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable.”
When asked about the letter after their shootaround in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning, White stepped aside for team spokesperson Jackie Maynard to read a statement:
“Our organization, nor Caitlin, have had any interaction with anyone in the congressional group and were unaware of their letter. We have been clear in our public comments and in our ongoing dialogue with the league about the priority of player safety. Our players and our fans know where we stand on these issues and continue to stick up for our team and a standard of excellence across the league.”
Alyssa Thomas was given a flagrant foul 2 penalty, fined $1,000 and suspended one game at the start of July for pushing her right fist into Clark’s throat when they both fell on the court during the Mercury’s 111-109 win on June 24 in Indianapolis.
It was originally not called a foul, and a still image of Thomas’ hand in Clark’s throat went viral on social media and stirred up discourse among those in and out of the basketball world.
In the aftermath, Thomas said she got several online attacks, some of which are “threatening our lives.”
White denounced “unacceptable” online behavior from fans last week, and Clark followed up by saying, “I don’t want anyone to ever experience that.”
The letter was led by Texas congressman August Pfluger, chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
“As Commissioner, you have an obligation to ensure that every player competes in a safe and professional environment, both on and off the court, free from violence, discrimination, or retaliation,” the lawmakers wrote. “If discrimination or retaliation is occurring and creating a hostile work environment, we support any appropriate investigation by the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If true, such conduct could constitute violations of federal civil rights laws.”
The letter finished with three questions for Engelbert, which it demanded the commissioner respond to by July 24. What is your review mechanism for physical hostility and violence on the court? How will you hold players accountable for overly aggressive actions on the court, including towards Caitlin Clark? What steps are you taking to protect WNBA players from online harassment and off-the-court threats?
Conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted the letter and her support of it on social media, which showed signatures from Iowa lawmaker Zach Nunn and Indiana representatives Marlin Stutzman and Victoria Spartz.
White said that Clark would not play on Thursday night in Phoenix, rotating her with star center Aliyah Boston to manage both of their workloads on the team’s first set of back-to-back games.
After winning their third league title in four years, Larne kick-start their European campaign with a trip to San Marino to face Tre Fiori in the first round of the Champions League qualifying matches on 7 July, before the home game the following week.
The San Marino Champions, who won the Campionato Sammarinese by one point last campaign, have had a busy off season with 11 players leaving the club and eight new signings.
Larne will take confidence that, in 2020, Linfield faced Tre Fiori with the Blues progressing to the next round of Champions League qualifiers with a 2-0 win in Nyon.
The Inver Reds have now competed in Europe for the last six years and, two seasons ago, made history by beating Lincoln Red Imps to qualify into the Conference League.
“The players want to get back there and experience it again, as the six individual games are a fantastic experience,” Gary Haveron said.
“When you are in the knockout stages, the next game could be your last one and there is a lot at stake but, once you make group stages, you could plan your schedule around the individual games. Every single one of the games was a huge event and a big moment in the club’s history.
“Every time you step foot on the pitch in Europe, you are trying to create history for the club and the country and I think Larne have done that really well.”
If they lose this tie, Larne’s European adventure will not be over as they will drop into the third round of the Uefa Conference League.
Wakefield Trinity ran in nine tries as they thrashed Castleford Tigers to boost their Super League top-four hopes at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Daryl Powell’s side climbed to third on 24 points after recording six wins in their past seven games.
Castleford were a mess and Wakefield took full advantage as Cameron Scott, Tom Johnstone and Caleb Hamlin-Uele each scored twice.
Lachlan Walmsley, Tyson Smoothy and Josh Rourke also went over, before Jason Qareqare replied a minute before time to avoid total humiliation for Castleford.
Scotland international Walmsley marked his spectacular one-handed finish in the corner by pulling out an Uno +4 card from his sock, with £180 being donated to the Motor Neurone Disease Association by sponsors for every try celebration during Magic Weekend.
As majestic as Wakefield were, Castleford gave them a massive helping hand and Walmsley caught Jake Trueman’s kick and laid the ball off for Scott to go over in the right corner for their first score in the third minute.
It was one-way traffic and Trinity had two tries ruled out before winger Johnstone crossed in the left corner in the 16th minute.
Hamlin-Uele came off the bench to score their third try when he powered through two tackles to go over near the posts.
They were almost scoring at will as Castleford made mistake after mistake while missing 44 tackles.
Wakefield extended their lead to 20-0 when Scott collected Jack Sinfield’s pass and broke inside to go over for his second score.
They were enjoying themselves as Walmsley showed following his acrobatic try in the right corner after 47 minutes to make it 24-0.
Not to be left out, Trinity’s forwards got in on the act and Smoothy smashed through the Castleford defence to score by the posts on 51 minutes.
Hamlin-Uele scored his second try – and he will hardly record an easier one all season – as he walked through two Castleford tackles to go over.
Johnstone bagged his second try on 65 minutes when Wakefield passed the ball along their backline from a scrum, before Rourke caught Sinfield’s kick to crash over for their ninth try.
Qareqare, though, continued his hot streak with a 10th try in seven games, but it provided little consolation for ninth-placed Castleford.
Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages had been hearing from teammates for weeks that he would be selected as an All-Star. But he wasn’t as bullish.
“I wanted to participate, but that wasn’t in my control. I didn’t want to put it out there until I knew it was for sure,” Pages said in Spanish.
On Saturday it became official. Pages was selected as an All-Star for the first time. After coming so close in 2025, he’s set to start for the National League.
“It’s exciting to be able to participate in my first one,” Pages said before the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. “I’m really proud of the work that I’ve been doing and to have the opportunity.”
Pages is one of five Dodgers on the National League squad. Third baseman Max Muncy (third All-Star selection), first baseman Freddie Freeman (10th) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (second) were named to the NL roster Saturday. Shohei Ohtani (sixth) was named an All-Star on June 25 after leading the majors in Phase 1 voting.
“It should be [Pages’] second,” Freeman said. “I think he should have had it last year. Andy has been great for a couple years now. So I’m glad he’s getting the recognition. I’m glad the fans are gonna get to see him in Philadelphia.”
It marks the first time since 1980 that the Dodgers have had four All-Star starters. Their five All-Star selections ties the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies for the most in the majors.
Muncy is set to be the first Dodger to start the All-Star Game at third base since Ron Cey in 1977.
Though Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski (10-2, 2.80 ERA) was not named an All-Star, he could play as a possible injury replacement.
The All-Star Game will be played July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Fittingly, on Saturday, Yamamoto took the mound against the Padres and threw seven shutout innings.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto raises his arms while walking back to the dugout in the seventh inning after striking out 10 in a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“He looked like an All-Star,” Roberts said. “He came out with a purpose. You could see the intent tonight, execution, really good from pitch one. And gave his chance to really reset the bullpen and gave us length.”
Once he settled in, he got even better. After giving up three singles in the first two innings, Yamamoto (2.49 ERA) didn’t surrender another hit. He tied a bow on the performance, ending it with his 10th strikeout.
“It’s such an honor to be selected for the All-Star team,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “I was there last year and this year I feel it is even more meaningful.”
He got run support and defensive backing from his fellow All-Stars.
Andy Pages hits a run-scoring single in the third inning of a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Pages drove in the first run in the third inning. With runners on second and third, in a 1-2 count, Pages extended to the outside edge of the plate to get around a slider and send it through the left side of the infield. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead.
Muncy flashed the leather with a backhanded pick up the third-base line in the fifth inning.
Freeman hit a solo homer in the sixth — a moon shot that sailed higher than the fireworks going off in the neighborhoods around Dodger Stadium. Two innings later, he roped an RBI single up the middle.
The Dodgers claimed a series win in the four-game home set against their division rival, with the chance to sweep Sunday. They’ve won seven of nine games against the Padres this season.
Ohtani feeling better
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani pumps his fist after getting San Diego’s Manny Machado to ground out in the fifth inning Friday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Ohtani was feeling “considerably better” Saturday, after leaving Friday’s game in the seventh inning with tight right biceps.
“If things trend the way we would expect, then he’ll be in there [Sunday],” Roberts said.
Ohtani didn’t play Saturday. But Roberts confirmed after the game that he expects Ohtani to be back Sunday. Roberts didn’t expect the biceps problem to affect Ohtani’s throwing schedule between pitching starts, especially because he aggravated it on a swing.
The Dodgers, however, could still decide to have Ohtani skip his last pitching start before the All-Star break.
“The first step is how he feels tomorrow, and then the days forthcoming,” Roberts said. “So we don’t need to make that decision today, tomorrow, the next day. So we have time. And I think for us it’s just more of reading and reacting on how he feels.”
SAN FRANCISCO — He needed one shot to warm up. Then almost nothing could stop Cameron Carr.
In his unofficial NBA debut, the first-round draft pick flashed the type of three-point shooting that could turn him into a valuable player for the Lakers, scoring 19 points on seven-of-15 shooting in the Lakers’ 104-72 summer league loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Carr missed his first shot, a nearly straight-away three-pointer. But he bounced back quickly by hitting a catch-and-shoot three from the wing on an offensive rebound. He knocked down the next one. He held his thumb and forefinger in a circle over his eye in celebration.
The Lakers spent the first days of free agency addressing their shooting deficiencies. While Luke Kennard signed a two-year contract with Phoenix, the Lakers reloaded with guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton and versatile power forward Sandro Mamukelashvili. The three free-agent additions came in a flurry Wednesday after the Lakers pulled off an aggressive sign-and-trade for center Walker Kessler.
The moves were meant to reshape the roster to maximize superstar Luka Doncic, who will take the reins with the departure of LeBron James.
After leading the offense at Baylor, Carr knows his assignment supporting Doncic with the Lakers will be simpler: cut, run and dunk, he said at his introductory news conference.
And, for the guard who shot 37.4% from three at Baylor last year, his job is to knock down shots.
“If you can shoot the ball,” Carr said with a slight smile in New York the day before the draft, “you’re wanted by a lot of people.”
The Lakers wanted the 6-foot-5 guard so badly that they executed a draft-day trade with the New York Knicks to grab the 24th overall pick. Carr was projected to be a mid first-round pick, but slipped down the board in what many projected to be the deepest draft in a generation.
Lakers rookie Cameron Carr shoots a three-pointer over Golden State’s Lachlan Olbrich during the first half of the California Classic on Friday.
(Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
Any of the top three picks of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Carlos Boozer could have been No. 1 picks in other seasons, analysts predicted. Eleven guards were taken before Carr, who was named third-team All-Big-12 last year after averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists with 45 total blocks at Baylor last year.
But ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla estimated that Carr could be the best athlete out of the entire draft.
His 7-foot wingspan was the best among guards at the NBA combine and his 38-inch standing vertical and 10.46-second lane agility test ranked first for his position.
Carr said his top objective is to put on weight. Weighing 184 pounds at the NBA combine, Carr would have been the third-lightest, 6-5 player in the league last year, ahead of only Sacramento’s Nique Clifford (6-5, 175 pounds) and Dallas’ AJ Johnson (6-5, 160 pounds). He may be joining the Lakers at the exact right moment as the team — with the investment and guidance from big brother organization the Dodgers — will expand weight room, treatment and sports science resources in its facility. The 21-year-old guard said he plans to make the weight room his new home.
Building up his strength to handle the NBA will be critical for Carr as he hopes to show “that I’m the best defender here,” he told reporters. Adding another defender became even more important after guard Marcus Smart signed a contract with Western Conference rival Houston.
The Lakers, after trading Deandre Ayton on Friday for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks, could still look for a wing defender and back up center to round out their roster that currently stands at 13.
Lakers re-sign Chris Mañon
The Lakers re-signed guard Chris Mañon to a two-way contract, the Lakers announced. The second-year guard appeared in nine games for the Lakers last year and also played in 33 G League games for the South Bay Lakers, averaging 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. With a team-high 1.9 steals per game, Mañon was named to the G League all-defensive team and finished second in defensive player of the year voting.
While veterans jockey for new contracts during free agency, young players are getting their tryout opportunities with NBA summer league games beginning this week.
First-round draft pick Cameron Carr and second-year forward Adou Thiero highlight the Lakers summer league roster that was announced Wednesday. The 16-man team will be coached by Lakers assistant coach Ty Abbott and begin summer league play Friday against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
The Lakers also face the Miami Heat (July 5, 1:30 p.m.) and San Antonio Spurs (July 6, 4:30 p.m.) in the California Classic before playing in the Las Vegas summer league from July 9-19. The Lakers play Oklahoma City (July 10), Dallas (July 11), the Clippers (July 14) and Chicago (July 16) in Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center.
The Lakers traded up in the draft to get Carr, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Baylor, with the 24th overall pick. He will make his unofficial NBA debut, along with former Indiana State and Saint Louis star Robbie Avila. The 6-10 center became a bespectacled college basketball cult hero known affectionately as “Cream Abdul Jabbar” while leading Indiana State to the NIT championship game in 2024. He transferred to Saint Louis, where he was named Atlantic-10 player of the year as a senior when the Billikens won a school-record 29 wins.
Although he is entering his second season with the Lakers, Thiero will be playing his first summer league games. Persistent knee injuries hampered his rookie season. The athletic 6-7 forward averaged 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 25 appearances last season. He said after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs that he wanted to improve on his three-point shooting during his second year. He attempted only five three-pointers during his rookie season, regular season and playoffs, making one.
Lakers summer league roster
Robbie Avila, C, 6-10, 240 Cameron Carr, G, 6-5, 190 Jon Elmore, G, 6-3, 190 Luke Goode, F, 6-7, 210 William Hickey, G, 6-4, 203 Arthur Kaluma, F, 6-7, 225 William Kyle III, C, 6-9, 230 Chris Mañon, G, 6-4, 212 Robert McCray V, G, 6-4, 188 AK Okereke, F, 6-7, 245 Chase Ross, G, 6-5, 210 Zhaire Smith, G, 6-4, 205 Peter Suder, G, 6-5, 215 Adou Thiero, F, 6-7, 234 Anton Watson, F, 6-8, 225 Jacari White, G, 6-3, 180
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has denounced the racist hate and abuse directed at Alyssa Thomas since the Phoenix Mercury forward committed a flagrant foul against star guard Caitlin Clark.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable,” White told the media before the team’s practice on Wednesday. “I think as a league as a whole, there’s been so much more toxicity, racism, homophobia — straight-out hate nonsense. And it is absolutely unacceptable.”
White attributed most of the hateful comments to online agitators rather than true WNBA or Indiana Fever fans.
“I believe this is people who are using our league, using our players, to further divisive agendas,” White said, while acknowledging that certain criticisms and fan dynamics are part of the game. “But it’s not hard to not be a jerk. If you are one of these people that are online doing this, do not call yourself a WNBA fan.”
A former Indiana Miss Basketball honoree, White played in the WNBA from 1999 to 2003, including with the Fever, before transitioning to coaching. She was previously the head coach of the Connecticut Sun — where she coached Thomas — before being hired by the Fever.
“Our league is about inclusiveness,” she continued. “Our league is about competition. Our league is about elevating — elevating women, elevating marginalized communities, and being inclusive of all different walks of life. That is what our league has always been about from day one. That is what our league will continue to be about.”
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has denounced the racist abuse directed to Alyssa Thomas.
(Erik Rank / Associated Press)
Thomas was suspended for a game after the WNBA reviewed a viral moment that occurred during the Mercury’s 111-109 win over the Fever last Wednesday. Thomas and Clark were scrambling for a loose ball at around the 6:52 mark during the second quarter and Thomas’ fist pressed into Clark’s throat after she landed on her. No fouls were called at that time, and screenshots and video from the incident quickly made their rounds on social media. Upon review after the game, the WNBA assessed Thomas a Flagrant 2 foul.
The 13-year veteran and six-time All Star told reporters Tuesday that she has received death threats and racist abuse in the aftermath.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this over basketball,” Thomas, who had served her suspension Saturday, said. “A lot of us, myself included, didn’t even know the play took place until after the game. Now we’re being painted as thugs. There’s death threats out on us. It’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league and I’m just really sick and tired of it.”
She called out the WNBA and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing more to protect players off the court.
“We’re so concerned about the safety on the court, but time and time again, we’re having people threaten our lives,” Thomas said, explaining that her main concern was not the suspension itself. “Leaking addresses out there. Putting crazy pictures that have nothing to do with basketball. At some point, the league needs to [take] a stand … Time and time again, players are going through this and the league remains silent. I’m sick and tired of it. It’s time for them to step up and have our backs.”
Engelbert released a statement Tuesday night following Thomas’ comments.
“The WNBA vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate,” the widely reported statement read. “The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league’s top priority. We are aware of Alyssa Thomas’ comments, and what she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community. The league and our security team have been in contact with the Phoenix Mercury organization and remain committed to protecting all players.”
This is not the first time Thomas has spoken out about racist abuse she and her teammates have received following a match-up against the Fever. During the 2024 playoffs, while a member of the Sun, Thomas said that she had never experienced the sort of “racial comments” or “been called the things that [she’s] been called on social media” by so-called Fever fans. The Sun eliminated the Fever that year.
Clark’s fame and popularity have often led to various talking heads, commentators and even politicians who may not regularly follow the WNBA to share their hot takes whenever a situation involves the former college phenom. The ensuing discourse and social media chatter are often divisive.
Thomas’ flagrant foul occurred two days after the teams’ chippy June 22 matchup, which saw Thomas and Clark receive technical fouls along with three other players for their involvement in a scuffle during the final frame of the Fever’s 86-77 win.
“There’s a difference between trolling, and there’s a difference between hatred,” Thomas said Tuesday of the racist slurs she and other players have received. “The hatred that we’re experiencing over a play that, honestly, was a complete accident, no one even knew it happened. It’s just unfortunate. The league has to do better in this instance.”
Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where we’re buckling up for what will surely be a bumpy free agency period.
Free agency negotiations can officially begin today at 3 p.m. PDT, but there have already been several eyebrow-raising moves. Blockbuster trades between Milwaukee and Miami, Charlotte and Minnesota, and Memphis and Portland are three massive shots during the offseason transaction salvo.
And those weren’t even technically free agency transactions.
Now the real fun begins.
All things Lakers, all the time.
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Golden (State) reunion?
They already won an Olympic gold medal together. The mere concept of LeBron James and Stephen Curry playing together for an NBA championship is the stuff of ticket-selling, TV-viewership legend.
With James being what many consider the best free agent in this class, the superstar will be at the center of nearly every phone call through the Lakers’ El Segundo facility this summer. Between retirement, returning and relocating, James has plenty of choices for his future. Teams are starting to line up with their offers.
Signaling what will be a frenetic week, Draymond Green opted out of his contract, ESPN reported Monday morning, sending alarm bells across the league that the Warriors could be cooking up cap magic to potentially lure James to the Bay Area.
The idea was that with a restructured deal with Green, Golden State could offer the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to James. They could then try to pull off a trade to bring Anthony Davis for a “Big 4.” Eyeball emojis were wide open on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
One NBA executive told my colleague Broderick Turner that James could play for the Lakers on a one-year, $30-million deal if the team wants to offer that much. It would still be a significant pay cut from the $52.6 million James made last year.
The 41-year-old is already the first active NBA player to reach billionaire status, according to Forbes. How much will a few million dollars matter to him?
During his twilight NBA years, James, according to the now-infamous statement to ESPN from his agent Rich Paul last year, wants to prioritize winning. There’s no guarantee that staying with the Lakers would make them the top team to overtake the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder, but there is some proof of concept. Raise a mental banner for that 16-2, Luka-Austin-LeBron stretch.
In the West, at least, the top teams are trending young. The Thunder were the youngest team ever to win a title in 2025. The Spurs figure to be a championship contender for a long time behind Victor Wembanyama, 22, Stephon Castle, 21, and Dylan Harper, 20. The Timberwolves’ controversial trade for LaMelo Ball in exchange for fan favorite Naz Reid to Charlotte also netted Minnesota one of the league’s biggest young stars.
James, Davis, Curry and Green would be a star-studded zag toward experience when the rest of the league is zigging toward youth. The Warriors already flirted with “The Expendables” ensemble strategy with Curry, Green, Al Horford and Jimmy Butler last year.
Sequels are rarely better than the original, and in this case, the original wasn’t even that good.
By already agreeing to a four-year, $185-million deal with Austin Reaves, the Lakers are getting close to running back their own roster. As expected, Deandre Ayton opted into his $8.1 million player option.
After the 27-year-old’s up-and-down play last year, simply getting Ayton back will not stop questions regarding the Lakers’ center position.
While watching a thrilling NBA Finals and the highly anticipated Western Conference finals showdown between the Spurs and Thunder, the league saw the importance of shooting. Free-agent sharpshooters Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard are on the market, and defensive stopper Marcus Smart will leave a hole in the Lakers’ roster after opting out. The 32-year-old guard greatly outplayed his $5.9-million option and is deserving of a multi-year deal.
When it came to his own future, James was vague at the end of the season. James’ on-court influence could persist for years, whether in L.A. or somewhere else. But his decisions won’t necessarily be his own.
James mentioned conversations with his family as important steps in the offseason process. Maybe just as important as the opportunity to chase a fifth championship is the chance for the father of three to fulfill his family responsibilities.
This month, James was celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Cavaliers’ championship with teammates, a trip that overlapped with Father’s Day. When he returned, his daughter Zhuri handed him a handwritten golf-themed card: “You are the best by par” she wrote inside.
“When you retire,” the page-long note James posted on Instagram read, “I can’t wait for you to be at all of my games like I was at yours.”
James, he wrote on social media, instantly cried.
Rock the vote
Setting the LeBron James of it all aside, which unrestricted free agent would you most want to return to the Lakers next season? Slide into my inbox at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com with your answer!
Rui Hachimura
Marcus Smart
Luke Kennard
Jaxson Hayes
Favorite thing I ate this week
Khinkali (Georgian soup dumplings) from Cheeseboat in Manhattan.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
I’ve recently seen social media posts of people trying to eat food from as many countries as possible without leaving a single major city. I may adopt this as a new NBA road trip side quest, and we can now add Georgia to the travel menu.
While in New York City for the draft, I stopped at Cheeseboat, a family-run Georgian restaurant in the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan. It’s named after Georgia’s traditional khachapuri bread that is shaped like an open boat and filled with delicious melted cheese, but my favorite dish we had was the khinkali soup dumplings filled with ground beef, spices and herbs. I just love dumplings, and because you use your hands to eat them — picking them up by the little dough handle is advised — they’re a little less fussy than the Chinese xiao long bao.
Remember when we were sure the World Cup would suffer from all the issues that had everyone seeing red before the first ball was kicked?
And remember when we were certain soccer could never catch on in this country?
Despite controversies over visas and ticket prices and transportation, and in spite of consternation over expansion and new rules, the game has, as usual, proved too good to fail.
And we, the American people, have become unusually engrossed in it.
We’ve been tuning in on TV in record numbers and, even at exorbitant prices, helping to sell out our 70,000-some-capacity stadiums. Before group play was even finished, this tournament — staged also in Mexico and Canada — already outdrew the 1994 World Cup, which was hosted by the United States and set an attendance record of nearly 3.6 million.
We’ve been loving the healthy cultural exchange, and we’re being reminded that cultural barriers of traditional sports fandom can be breached.
So now, to keep our interest from drying out like a pitch on a hot summer day, the goal should be to keep the market saturated with soccer. That will take Major League Soccer tearing down all the walls.
It’s already turned the page on its calendar, adopting a summer-to-spring season format that will better blend with the global game.
Now MLS needs to make its games easier to watch, and to do its part to make the sport easier to play.
Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, left, celebrates with teammate Jonathan David after a 1-0 win over South Africa at the World Cup on Sunday.
(Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)
While the proverbial iron is hot, it needs a strike like Stephen Eustáquio’s winning rocket in the 92nd minute of Canada’s 1-0 victory against South Africa on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Eleven players on the two teams were MLS representatives — including Eustáquio, who spent the last six months in LAFC’s midfield.
Goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, who played two seasons with LAFC and now plays for Orlando City, stopped the only shot he saw for his second clean sheet this World Cup, which saw the Canadians succeed in their first knockout stage appearance.
There’s been no avoiding MLS players in this World Cup. The greatest of them is piling up goals for Argentina: Lionel Messi, the Inter Miami superstar, is now the all-time World Cup goal-scorer (with 19).
MLS has set an attendance record too, with 44 players participating. It ranks as the league with the second-most players apart from the top five European leagues. LAFC had three current players in the mix.
But wait. Record skip. Before you celebrate the MLS’s contributions to this soccer spectacle, check with the VAR. Yep, without the 13 MLS players representing nations that rank 40th or lower in FIFA’s world ranking, there actually would be fewer than the 37 MLS participants at the World Cup four years ago.
A baby’s first steps are for celebrating, but three decades after the league’s formation, MLS is still searching for a giant leap. It’s still having a mean time of trying to make “fetch” happen for real.
It would help to make its games more readily available — not to the already converted, but to fans who didn’t even know what they didn’t know about soccer until the World Cup began in their backyards.
MLS has already brought MLS from behind Apple’s season pass paywall. And the league and streaming service also reportedly have agreed to a revised media rights deal that will end at the end of the 2028-29 season, three and a half years earlier than expected.
But the hat trick would be to remove the need to subscribe to streaming service to watch MLS games altogether, and then get those matches onto the networks people know to tune into for their sports.
Normalize watching American soccer.
And stop gatekeeping. MLS’s developmental programs are too restrictive and exclusive — they’re not developing more soccer players, they’re curtailing who can play.
It’s in the league’s interests, and the sport’s in this country, to encourage as many players to play as much as they can — including for their high school teams, which MLS Next bars.
They’ve got people in the tent; the goal should be to make them want to stay.
To make them want to join the world’s circus, not to let it pack up and move on, out of sight and out of mind, until it swings back through years from now.
On the back of eight straight losses things could hardly have got off to a worse start for the Giants when Johnstone got in at the corner and prop McMeeken then dotted down, after Rourke flicked Jake Trueman’s kick back.
However, they did not go under and two solo efforts in four minutes from Gagai and Geyer saw them turn the match on its head for the first time.
Sinfield’s first Super League try since joining from Leeds in the off-season gave Wakefield a 16-12 lead at the break, but Russell kicked a 40/20 in the first play of the second half and O’Donnell crashed over.
Huddersfield, who were looking for a first wince since 4 April, could not hold on to their narrow lead as Jowitt kicked a penalty after a high shot on McMeeken to level and Rourke held off the attentions of three players to get in at the corner.
The visitors fought back once more when Swift cut in off the left edge and grounded the ball to make it 22-22.
Sinfield’s drop-goal nudged Wakefield back into the lead before Russell’s long ranger levelled the scores yet again.
But the former Trinity man was left desolate when his pass was grabbed by Rourke who managed to get away from the chasers and win it.
Huddersfield will raise the curtain on Magic Weekend when they play York Knights at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium next Saturday, with Daryl Powell’s men playing his former side Castleford in Sunday’s first match.
St Helens strongly came through an attritional contest with Bradford Bulls to move back up to fourth in Super League.
They were quickly 10-2 behind after a Phoenix Steinwede try, but from there the visitors fought back to take control.
Jacob Douglas and Curtis Sironen tries had them in front by half-time, but they dominated after the restart with 28 unanswered points and further scores from Jack Welsby (2), Joe Shorrocks and Jackson Hastings, who had a 20-point haul with eight kicks too.
The victory took Saints up two places in the table, level again with Wigan Warriors but with an inferior points difference.
Having faded after a good start, this was a third straight defeat for Bradford, who stay 11th in their first year back at this level.
This was Saints’ first visit to Odsal since 2014 and the home side responded to the sight of one of the great names of rugby league being back at this famous old ground.
It made for a very physical start following a hard-fought game at the Brewdog Stadium in March.
Hastings kicked an early goal for Saints, before Shane Wright was yellow-carded for a late hit on Chris Atkin.
With the Australian forward off for 10 minutes, Bradford scored 10 unanswered points, highlighted by Steinwede’s hard run into the line and a smart sidestep taking him over the line.
But that was the high point for the Bulls as the visitors turned the scoreline around with two tries in the space of seven minutes.
Winger Douglas finished well in the left corner to mark his debut with a try, coming in with injuries leaving a big hole in the backline.
Then second-rower Sironen, on his 100th St Helens appearance, proved unstoppable from close range as Paul Rowley’s side went in ahead at the break.
That advantage was extended within a few minutes of the restart as Welsby got his hand down to Hastings’ grubber kick before the ball went dead.
Shorrocks took advantage when his own little kick bounced up kindly to dive over. Hastings then grabbed a try of his own after Harry Robertson had parried down the Australian’s chipped kick to move the lead out to 20 points and effectively seal the success.
Welsby got his second and St Helens’ sixth try, but the match ended on a worrying note after a very serious-looking injury for Bradford forward Will Gardiner, who needed treatment on the field from both sets of medical teams before he was carried off on a stretcher.
Only competitions involving professional athletes will be held, with all other activities cancelled.
Published On 26 Jun 202626 Jun 2026
This weekend’s Diamond League track and field meeting in Paris will go ahead as planned despite the historic heatwave gripping the country and stretching emergency services, organisers said.
Hours after Paris police authorities said they wanted the event cancelled, the French Athletics Federation (FFA) confirmed on Friday that it would take place on Sunday at Charlety Stadium, in agreement with the police prefecture.
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Citing the exceptional heat that has affected Paris since June 21, the police prefecture had asked organisers of the meet, and other events scheduled this weekend, including a music festival and a Pride march, to cancel.
The prefecture said it would be forced to comply with the order if they didn’t agree voluntarily, as emergency services needed to concentrate their efforts on protecting the most vulnerable people.
Noah Lyles, Femke Bol and Mondo Duplantis are among the athletes expected to compete in Paris.
The FFA, which organises the meet, said it would be staged in “an adapted format designed to ensure the safety of all participants”.
Only competitions involving professional athletes will be held, with all other activities cancelled.
“Since the beginning of this extreme weather event, the French Athletics Federation has been closely monitoring the situation in constant coordination with government authorities. The safety of athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials, spectators and all staff involved remains our highest priority,” the FFA said.
Among the measures put in place to mitigate the effects of the heat, the FFA cited delaying the opening of the stadium gates to the public, reinforcing medical and emergency services, and providing additional drinking water stations and shaded areas.
The average temperature recorded at 30 weather stations by the Meteo France weather agency on Thursday reached 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) again, matching the record for the hottest day nationwide set the previous day.
More than three-quarters of France has been placed under a red weather alert for the first time.
