O’Neill has always spoken of wanting his players to play at the highest level, but as mentioned, a significant number of players will be going up against his Rovers to avoid the drop and it’s tight at the bottom.
They include Price at West Brom, who are also four points above the relegation zone, Ciaron Brown, Jamie McDonnell, Jamie Donley and Brodie Spencer at Oxford United, who are one point from safety and Terry Devlin at Portsmouth, who are one point above the drop, while he manages Tom Atcheson at Rovers.
Is it a cause for concern for Northern Ireland that the international boss could potentially relegate some of his regulars in the international squad?
O’Neill certainly didn’t think so.
When asked in February he said he isn’t “having that blood on my hands” and the fate of those clubs lay with their respective managers.
“At the end of the day, my job is to do the best I can for Blackburn Rovers,” he said.
“The lads who manage those respective clubs, their job is to do the best for their clubs as well. I don’t think that’s an issue at all.”
Cynics may question whether O’Neill, who will have reduced preparation time with Rovers for two big games by virtue of preparing NI to face Wales, will deliberately disadvantage Championship rivals while in charge of NI in terms of how he manages the aforementioned players’ loads against Wales with a busy spell of domestic action to follow.
Coincidentally, three of the four players released from the NI squad in Norwich’s Ruairi McConville (knee), Preston’s Ali McCann (knock) and Hull City’s Paddy McNair (thigh) will face three of O’Neill relegation rivals in Portsmouth, Leicester and Oxford on Friday.
O’Neill would refute any suggestion of meddling no doubt and when asked about the cramped schedule said he was “aware of the situation” but stressed he would still focus on helping Northern Ireland win the game in Cardiff.
“We’re not in charge of the schedule of the games for either the international window or the EFL. I think 80% of my squad play in the EFL. We’re mindful of the situation for the clubs, of course, but when the clubs signed these players, they knew they were international players and, we’re not going to be reckless with the players or anything like that there, but, we have to obviously look after ourselves as a group of players,” he explained.
“The most important thing is that the players just go out and play the game. They’ll be fine. The lads who play in the EFL, they play a lot of football and they’re used to playing regular football. So they’ve got resilience and I’m sure they’ll get through the game fine.”
Joey Browner, a star defensive back at USC and a six-time NFL Pro Bowl selection, has died. He was 65.
“The Vikings are mourning the loss of Ring of Honor member Joey Browner,” the team said Sunday in a statement. “Browner will be deeply missed by former coaches and teammates, as well as many others he impacted throughout his life.”
The Vikings added in a separate post: “He helped define what it is to be an NFL safety.”
No cause of death was given. In August, former Minnesota quarterback Tommy Kramer organized a fundraiser for Browner, who Kramer said was “battling through some serious health issues.”
On Sunday, Kramer wrote about Browning on Facebook: “Not only a great player, a great person. Rest in peace my friend.”
Browner was one of six brothers, all of whom played college football and four of whom went on to play in the NFL. Younger brother Keith Browner, who also played at USC and spent five seasons in the NFL, died in November at age 63 after a sudden illness.
Oldest brother Ross Browner, who played 10 NFL seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers, died in 2022. Another older brother, Jim Browner, who played two seasons for the Bengals, died in 2024.
A high school standout in football, basketball and track and field, Browner played at USC from 1979-1982. He was named team MVP his senior year and finished his college career with nine interceptions and 40 pass deflections, as well as one punt return for a touchdown.
In the 1983 draft, Browner became the first defensive back to be selected by the Vikings in the first round (19th overall). He went on to play nine seasons in Minnesota, making the Pro Bowl six times (1985-1990), and spent his final NFL season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Browner finished his career with 37 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and 17 fumble recoveries. He was named to the NFL 1980s all-decade team, as selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and inducted into the Vikings’ Ring of Honor in 2013.
Sean Salisbury, a former quarterback whose career intersected with Browner’s in college and the NFL, was one of many in the football community paying their respects to the four-time All-Pro player.
“This is a major gut punch,” Salisbury wrote on X. “I was blessed to be his teammate at USC and with the Vikings! Phenomenal player and loved by so many. One of the best players I’ve ever played with in both college and the NFL. Very grateful to have called him a good friend. God Bless him and his family.”
Former tight end Steve Jordan, who played nine seasons with Browner in Minnesota, recently visited his former teammate in the Twin Cities, according to a Vikings news release.
“We’ve lost a great friend and one of the best Vikings teammates,” Jordan said in a statement released by the team. “God blessed Joey with phenomenal talent and a big heart to love people and be a beacon of positivity. Truly, he will be missed.”
Former quarterback Rich Gannon, who played five seasons with Browner in Minnesota, wrote on X: “Sad to hear about the passing of my former teammate Joey Browner. On the football field he was one bad dude, off he was a kind soul!”
Retired punter Greg Coleman wrote on X that “one of the happiest moments of my time with the Vikings” was learning that Browner was going to be added to the punt team.
“One of the best teammates you could have and a man I called Friend!” Coleman wrote. “Prayers up for his family. RIP JB!”
Current Vikings cornerback Dwight McGlothern wrote on X: “Dang, I had a chance to meet him my rookie year & I was wearing #47 at the time during camp & hearing about his accomplishments, I’m grateful to [have] had the chance to meet him & [represent] the # he wore with the Vikings !! Everytime I walk in the DB room I always see greatness on the wall !!”
“I trust this kid’s heart,” McVay said three times Monday at the NFL owners meetings.
But do the Rams trust Nacua, who has been at the center of several off-the-field situations, enough to break the bank with a massive extension?
Last week, a woman filed a civil lawsuit against Nacua, alleging that on New Year’s Eve he made an antisemitic statement during a group dinner and later bit her shoulder. Nacua’s attorney told The Times before the lawsuit was filed that Nacua “denies these allegations in the strongest possible terms,” and that Nacua would “pursue all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”
Last season during a livestream, Nacua criticized NFL officials and made a gesture regarded as antisemitic. Nacua apologized, and the Rams and the NFL issued statements condemning antisemitism and discrimination. But after the Rams’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Nacua criticized officials in a social media post from the locker room. The NFL fined him $25,000.
Last week the Seahawks signed receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a record-breaking extension that includes $120 million in guarantees, putting Nacua in line to possibly match or exceed that deal.
If Nacua’s off-the-field actions become a pattern that does not reflect well on the organization, are the Rams hesitant to invest in the 24-year-old star who led the NFL with 129 catches?
“The play on the field is amazing, and then with what the play has dictated and determined there is a responsibility in terms of representing all things not exclusive to just that,” McVay said. “He knows that, those are expectations and we are hopeful that … this will be an opportunity for him to learn and grow, and we are hopeful that he’s a Ram for a really long time.
“But he understands what the responsibility is, not exclusive to just the production on the field.”
Nacua was one of several topics McVay addressed during a 30-minute session with reporters.
The Rams traded for McDuffie, an All-Pro who won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, to a four-year extension that includes $100 million in guarantees, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
McVay said McDuffie “can do a lot of things” that made Jalen Ramsey such a force when he helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI.
“He’s rare,” McVay said of McDuffie. “And then he’s a rare human. … You can’t find anybody that doesn’t love this guy and what he represents.”
Like McDuffie, his former Chiefs teammate, Watson has played in three Super Bowls, winning two titles.
“He’s been in a lot of big-time atmospheres and environments,” McVay said of the 6-foot, 2-inch Watson, “and he’s got some of the length.”
McDuffie and Watson join a secondary that includes safety Quentin Lake, who signed an extension in January, and safety Kam Curl, who re-signed with the Rams this month.
The secondary was not the only position group the Rams considered remodeling.
McVay confirmed a report that the Rams explored trading receiver Davante Adams, who led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.
“If we felt like it was best for our team, we would have done that,” McVay said, “but we didn’t think it was best for our team, so excited about being able to move forward with him.”
McVay said he spoke directly with Adams about the situation.
“I addressed what those conversations were even though they never really got too far but I did want to acknowledge it,” McVay said. “He’s a grown man, and I think he understood that this is a part of this business.”
McVay said he would “love” for Jimmy Garoppolo to return as Stafford’s backup. But Garoppolo remains a free agent.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins prepares to take a snap against the Rams in December.
(Danny Karnik / Associated Press)
“At this point, when there hasn’t been a decision, it feels less likely than likely, but I don’t want to rule that out,” McVay said of Garoppolo’s possible return for a third season with the Rams.
McVay said that he has communicated with Kirk Cousins and his agent about possibly signing with the Rams. McVay coached Cousins in the NFL with Washington.
“He’s a guy that I have familiarity with, history and a lot of reverence for because of the gratitude from our experiences together.”
Staff writer Steve Henson contributed to this report.
There’s a 12-ticket maximum for each fan across all sports and sessions, plus 12 tickets for soccer sessions that don’t count toward the general maximum. A four-ticket maximum per ceremony for the opening and closing ceremonies is included in the general limit. Each attendee, including children of any age, will need a ticket to attend.
Tickets included in hospitality packages sold by On Location, the official hospitality provider of the LA28 Games, will not count toward the general limit.
Kenyan distance runner Albert Korir has admitted to doping, prompting officials on Monday to ban him for five years.
Long a fixture at the New York Marathon, Korir tested positive for a blood-boosting substance in three separate samples taken in October while he was training to run in the New York Marathon on Nov. 2. He finished third in the race.
A verdict issued by the Athletics Integrity Unit said that Korir’s results since October will be disqualified, including that third-place finish in New York.
The three positive results provide “clear evidence of the athlete’s use of a prohibited substance on multiple occasions which is expressly identified in the definition of aggravating circumstances,” the verdict stated.
The punishment was reduced by one year because Korir, 32, admitted to taking a banned substance without requesting a hearing. He is banned until January 2031.
Korir will keep his 2021 New York Marathon title. He also was runner-up in 2019 and 2023, and finished third in 2024 in addition to 2025. His other first-place finishes came in the 2019 Houston Marathon, the 2017 Vienna Street Race and the 2019 and 2025 Ottawa Race Weekend.
Korir tested positive for Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator (CERA), a long-acting agent that stimulates red blood cell production much like the banned substance EPO. It is used legally to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease and typically is administered once every two to three weeks.
The World Anti-Doping Agency said in October that Kenya had made “significant” progress in tackling doping but the country remains on probation while it seeks to improve its monitoring.
The action by WADA occurred after Kenyan runner Ruth Chepngetich, the world marathon record holder, was banned for three years after admitting the use of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a banned diuretic used as a masking agent.
Liverpool could not play on the Monday because of the Champions League, so Sky Sports could swap the games.
Everton‘s game is on a Monday, but it was not picked for a Monday. So it may not count as part of the Monday allocation.
Sky Sports says the process involves so many bodies, including clubs and the police, that much of the decision-making is taken out of their hands.
The order of first, second and third-choice picks between Sky and TNT Sports can also have an influence.
It is clear that the five-appearance maximum is a just loose limit.
Supporters will simply see their club has been picked six, seven or eight times.
Manchester United will almost certainly be in Europe next season, so will join the band of clubs largely shielded from the Friday-Monday package.
But with at least eight Premier League clubs set to be in Europe, the issue is not going to go away.
If Tottenham stay in the Premier League they will go to the top of the list for Friday and Monday selection, given they have a large fan base and are viewed as a glamourous club.
Everton fans say the scenario is “damaging supporter accessibility, matchday experience, and long-term engagement”.
Korir tested positive for a drug that stimulates red blood cell production during out-of-competition tests.
Published On 30 Mar 202630 Mar 2026
Kenya’s 2021 New York marathon champion Albert Korir has been banned for five years after he admitted using a banned performance-enhancing drug, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said.
The AIU said on Monday that Korir had received a one-year reduction from the original six-year suspension “based on an early admission and acceptance of the sanction”.
Korir, 32, tested positive for the synthetic form of erythropoietin (EPO) that stimulates red blood cell production during out-of-competition tests in Kenya in October 2025.
His five-year ban will run from January 8, 2026, the date he was provisionally suspended, until January 7, 2031.
Korir won the 2021 New York marathon in a time of 2hr 08min 22sec and came third in 2023 with a personal best time of 2:06:57.
He won the Ottawa marathon in 2019 and 2025.
Korir’s sanction comes nearly six months after compatriot Ruth Chepngetich, the current world marathon record holder was banned for three years after admitting the use of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a banned diuretic used as a masking agent.
Kenya worked to clean up its image after a string of doping scandals around the 2016 Rio Olympics led to it being declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
More than 140 Kenyan runners, mainly long-distance athletes, have been sanctioned for drugs offences since then.
In June 2024, Kenya handed out its first lifetime ban to marathon runner Beatrice Toroitich and a six-year ban to 10km record-holder Rhonex Kipruto.
The Final Four in men’s and women’s basketball is scheduled for this weekend, and Southern California has two players to root for who were high school graduates from the area.
McDonald’s All-American Brayden Burries, a freshman at Arizona from Eastvale Roosevelt, has been a key player in the Wildcats’ season, averaging 16.1 points.
Gabriela Jaquez has helped the UCLA’s women’s team reach the Final Four, averaging 13 points a game for the 35-1 Bruins.
The men’s semifinals and final are Saturday and Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The women’s semifinals and final are Friday and Sunday at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Lazraq-Khlass, 26, competed at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and finished 16th in the heptathlon.
The AIU website states that a provisional suspension means that an athlete cannot take part “in any competition or activity in athletics prior to a final decision at a hearing conducted under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct”.
In a recent case, former world 100m champion Fred Kerley, of America, was banned for two years for anti-doping whereabouts failures.
TV coverage is on the BBC Scotland channel from 19:15 BST, with the match also available on iPlayer.
Jonathan Sutherland is your host, with Rachel Corsie and Charlie Adam providing analysis, while commentary comes from Liam McLeod and a third former Scotland international, James McFadden.
Sportsound will also be on BBC Radio Scotland from 18:00 BST. Andy Burke is presenting, with former Scotland players Willie Miller and Leanne Crichton, plus BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer Tom English, in the studio.
Alasdair Lamont and former Scotland midfielder Stuart McCall are on radio commentary duty.
As ever, you can follow everything on the BBC Sport website and app, including text updates on the action, in-play clips, and have your say as it happens.
Tiger Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and causing property damage following a rollover car crash Friday afternoon in Florida, authorities said.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said that Woods, 50, had tried to overtake another vehicle when his Land Rover clipped it. Woods climbed out of the passenger side of the car. He showed signs of impairment at the scene and was arrested, authorities said. Woods was driving alone, and neither he nor the driver of the other car were injured in the crash.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office released Tiger Woods’ booking photo on Friday night following the golfer’s arrest.
(Martin County Sheriff’s Office via Associated Press)
Woods’ talent agency, Excel Sports Management, did not respond to a request for comment.
A breathalyzer test showed he had no alcohol in his system, but he refused to do a urine test, Martin County Sheriff John M. Budensiek said at a news conference around 5 p.m. local time.
The crash occurred around 1 p.m. local time, the department said in a Facebook post. The Jupiter Island Police Dept. was first to respond to the scene and found a pickup truck that had been pulling a pressure cleaner trailer and Woods’ Land Rover rolled over on the driver’s side door, Budensiek said. Officers talked to Woods and then asked the sheriff’s office for help.
The sheriff’s office determined that the pickup truck was slowing down to make a turn into a driveway off of a two-lane road with no shoulder when the driver looked in his mirror and saw the Land Rover approaching quickly from behind. The pickup driver tried to get out of the way of the approaching car. The Land Rover swerved at the last moment to avoid a crash, clipped the back end of the trailer, listed to the side and rolled onto the driver’s side door.
At the scene, Woods appeared lethargic, the sheriff’s office said, and was arrested following “in depth” roadside tests. The sheriff said he does not know exactly what Woods was intoxicated with, but concluded it was likely due to “some type of medication or drug.”
Because Woods refused to submit to a urinalysis, “we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash,” the sheriff said. No drugs or medications were found in Woods’ car.
In addition to DUI and property damage, Woods also was charged with refusal to submit to a lawful test, Budensiek said. All three charges are misdemeanors.
Under Florida law, Woods had to remain in Martin County jail for at least eight hours following the arrest.
Asked if Woods would get preferential treatment, Budensiek said the celebrity would not be with other inmates who could take advantage of his position. Otherwise, it would be just another case.
“We know we arrested a high-profile figure,” Budensiek said. “I’m not trying to dramatize, but it doesn’t matter who you are. If you break the law, we’re going to follow the law. That’s a really easy path to take.”
Around Thanksgiving 2009, a report that Woods had been in a car accident near his home erupted into a major scandal involving allegations of affairs with multiple women. It resulted in Woods’ divorce from Elin Nordegren, the mother of his children.
Assistant Editor Christie D’Zurilla contributed to this story.
Clayton Kershaw’s 2025 teammates had already received their World Series rings in a pregame ceremony Friday at Dodger Stadium when the future Hall of Famer jogged out of the dugout wearing his No. 22 Dodgers jersey.
He took the ball from manager Dave Roberts on the mound and delivered the ceremonial first pitch. Then the team re-emerged to present Kershaw with his ring.
“For me it’s just a great ending to my career,” Kershaw said when asked what the new ring meant to him. “I couldn’t have scripted it any better.”
A detailed look at the inside of the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series championship ring.
(The Champions Collective)
Though his playing days are over, Kershaw’s time with the Dodgers will continue. He’s joining the front office as a special assistant, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.
The Dodgers’ ring ceremony was the second part of a two-day celebration of the team’s 2025 World Series title. On opening day, the Dodgers brought out their trophies from back-to-back World Series titles and raised their new championship banner.
“I’m excited,” Kershaw said a couple hours earlier, after watching the Dodgers take batting practice before facing the Arizona Diamondbacks. “It’s why we play, is to win some of these rings. I heard the ring is pretty over the top; I haven’t seen it yet.”
Over the top, indeed.
A detailed look at the inside of the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series championship ring.
(The Champions Collective)
The diamond- and sapphire-encrusted rings highlight the back-to-back nature of last year’s World Series victory. They include engravings of the 2024 and 2025 trophies on both the outside and inside of the ring.
The L.A. logo is made up of 17 custom-cut blue sapphires, one for every postseason game the Dodgers played last year.
On the underside side of the ring, the four playoff series are listed, along with “11.01.25,” the date of Game 7 of the World Series.
The ring top holds dirt collected from home plate during Game 7, visible through a glass window when the ring is opened. Inside the ring sits a bespoke band that’s also set with sapphires and a diamond.
Dodgers players (from left) Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Max Muncy show off their World Series rings before beating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
In a nod to the fan base, the total attendance figure for the 2025 season (4,012,470) gleams in blue on the bottom of the ring. Each players’ ring is also personalized with his signature, last name and number.
“Anytime you get to celebrate one more time with your teammates, it’s pretty special,” Kershaw said. “I know they’ve got to move on to this season, but I don’t have to. So I’m just going to keep relishing it. It’ll be great.”
Kershaw was already in town for work. He appeared on NBC’s broadcast of the Dodgers’ 8-2 win Thursday against the Diamondbacks.
A detailed look at the side of the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series championship ring.
(The Champions Collective)
“It’s just talking baseball,” Kershaw said. “So if people want to hear me talk about baseball, I can do that all day. I love baseball.”
His new role with the Dodgers, first reported by the Athletic, is another form of talking baseball.
“Probably not physically here in L.A.,” Kershaw said. “But definitely, I’m sure I’ll watch games. I still want to be a part of the Dodgers, so if I can help in some small piece, I will.”
A detailed look at the side of the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series championship ring.
(The Champions Collective)
Because Kershaw joined Team USA for the World Baseball Classic and then jumped into part-time broadcasting, he hasn’t fully experienced retirement yet. He said he doesn’t miss playing, but he misses the people.
“There’s a freedom with retirement,” Kershaw said. “If you don’t want to work out, you don’t have to. If your back hurts, it doesn’t matter. If your arm hurts, it doesn’t matter. You get to see a lot more stuff, be around for everything. So there’s a lot of great parts. It doesn’t take away from how special playing this game is, but there’s a lot of really awesome parts about being home.”
SACRAMENTO — While the UCLA women’s basketball team has a veteran roster that was in this exact position a season ago, the Bruins have an entirely different vibe during their current postseason run.
This year, they expect something different, in large part because of an upgraded starting lineup.
A tangible difference is the addition of Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gianna Kneepkens. Each was the top scorer on their former squads — Washington State and Utah, respectively — and have taken on drastically different roles as arguably the fourth and fifth pieces of this Bruins team.
Charlisse Leger-Walker hits a reverse layup in front of Minnesota’s Grace Grocholski during the tournament on Friday in Sacramento.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
“It’s huge we have them,” said senior Gabriela Jaquez, who has spent her entire NCAA career with the Bruins. “They’re perfect fits here. Charlisse as a point guard has been great, and then just being a guard out there, a ready shooter, doing whatever we need, and obviously them being able to defend is really great for our team.”
With the Cougars, Leger-Walker averaged double-digit scoring and more than 10 shots per game in every season. With the Bruins, her production has dropped to 8.7 points per game on 7.1 shots.
Where she has improved, though, is a career-high 5.7 assists per contest.
“I look at the talent we have, especially on the offensive end, there are a lot of times where I don’t have to shoot and force some of the shots that I would have to back at Washington State,” she said. “I’ve always been able to facilitate and be that connector, but this is the role I am needed in the most here.”
Kneepkens was the Utes’ top shooting option and Pac-12 freshman of the year. There, she was relied on as the team’s top three-point shooter, and after Alissa Pili left, their top scorer overall.
During her graduate season, she has taken a significant reduction in shots per game, going from 12.3 field goals per game to 9.4.
“I think it tells you what their ‘why’ is, what their purpose is, why they came here,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “It wasn’t to get their own stats. It was to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
On a night where neither of them did much shooting against Minnesota, though, it was their defensive length that made a significant difference against a physical Golden Gophers team. It was the kind of defense they could not have played a year ago with Londynn Jones, who transferred to USC, in the spot Leger-Walker now occupies and Angela Dugalic starting rather than providing invaluable depth coming off the bench.
UCLA guard Gianna Kneepkens dribbles under pressure from Oklahoma State forward Achol Akot during an NCAA tournament game at Pauley Pavilion on March 23.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Offensively, Leger-Walker’s presence has given the Bruins more options to score from throughout the floor. Known as a three-point threat at Washington State, she needs to be guarded on the perimeter but also not be left to connect to other open players.
“But I think Charlisse, specifically, is one of the best processing point guards I’ve ever been around,” Close said. “Her ability to understand how rotations are happening in the second line, what’s the next play and if she makes one mistake, boy, she’s not making it a second time. … Having Charlisse on our team has freed Kiki [Rice] up in some ways and vice versa. So that’s been really fun to see.”
Rice has played more of a shooting guard role this season with Leger-Walker taking over at point guard, which has opened her up to shoot more and drive to the hoop without facilitating as often.
That freedom has given Rice her best offense season yet.
“[Leger-Walker’s] basketball IQ is insane,” Rice said. “She gets buckets, she defends super well, she does it all for us. She’s selfless, and she kind of knows when to take over. I’m grateful we’ve had her this year.”
Close said that Kneepkens played one of her best defensive games in the win over Minnesota, but that her length playing as a wing has opened up the UCLA defense to guard the perimeter all season.
“It’s just learning to play with great players,” Kneepkens said. “If that’s finding them when they’re open, then I’ll do that. Or if I need to take my shot, I’ll do that too.”
UCLA’s biggest wins have featured dominant performances from Lauren Betts and generally, its other bigs — Sienna Betts and Dugalic — playing at their best.
But the true depth of the Bruins has come from having long guards who can defend and change up what they need to do in any given matchup. They might be the difference going into the toughest parts of the tournament.
“Coming to a program also where you are surrounded by elite players, and at the end of the day we want to win and be a part of a program that can do that,” Leger-Walker said. “Whatever that role is that we have to adjust to throughout the season, I think, we really bought into that.”
Egyptian official says Liverpool star will fade away if he opts for the MLS as San Diego FC owner welcomes compatriot.
Published On 30 Mar 202630 Mar 2026
Egypt’s national team director Ibrahim Hassan has cautioned Mohamed Salah against moving to Major League Soccer (MLS) after he leaves Liverpool at the end of the season, as it would see the forward fade into obscurity.
Salah, 33, has yet to decide his next move after he ends a hugely successful nine-year spell at Liverpool, where he won two Premier League titles and the Champions League.
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MLS Commissioner Don Garber has said he would love to see Salah in the league, though it is unclear whether any league teams will attempt to sign him.
“Personally, I would prefer him to stay in Europe,” Hassan told On Sports. “I have heard about offers from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Bayern Munich and clubs in the Italian league.
“A move to the Major League? He would be far too out of the spotlight. You won’t remember Salah any more than I remember [Lionel] Messi now, I don’t even try to watch him.”
After trophy-laden stints with Barcelona and PSG, Argentina captain Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, months after lifting the World Cup, and became the club’s all-time top scorer.
Hassan said the Saudi Pro League would be a suitable option if Salah chose not to stay in Europe.
“If he does not receive offers from Europe, then a move to the Saudi league would be a good option, especially with big names such as Cristiano [Ronaldo],” Hassan, twin brother of Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, added.
However, San Diego FC’s billionaire owner Mohamed Mansour believes his Egyptian compatriot would be an “asset” as speculation builds over the Liverpool forward’s next club.
If he does move to the United States, recent MLS expansion club San Diego FC, who reached the playoff semifinals in their debut season last year, have been heavily linked with Salah, not least due to their British-Egyptian owner, Mansour.
“He’s probably one of the great players today. And any team that will get him, or any country that will get him, he will definitely be an asset,” Mansour told the AFP news agency at a summit in Atlanta on Thursday.
Mansour declined to answer whether he is actively trying to recruit Salah or has previously sounded out a move for the striker.
But he added: “Of course, Mo Salah is somebody that, as an Egyptian, my origin, I’m very proud of. He is somebody that reached the world stage as one of the great players.”
“And I think he will, if he does decide … wherever he will go, he will add a lot to that league and to that country and to that team for sure. So he’s somebody I’m very proud of.”
Mansour said the entire Egypt comes to a halt whenever Salah plays and named the forward as his favourite footballer of all time.
While effusive in his praise for Salah, Mansour insisted that footballing recruitment decisions are left to San Diego FC’s sports director and coach.
“I let the people in charge” decide, he said.
Salah is currently sidelined by injury and will miss Egypt’s ongoing training camp as they prepare for the World Cup in North America.
Egypt face Spain in a friendly in Barcelona on Tuesday after a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Friday.
The seven-time African champions are in Group G with Belgium, New Zealand and Iran at the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19.
Two days with no games allowed the Lakers to fully reset as they prepare for the final stretch of the regular season and a playoff run.
They have eight games left, starting with the NBA lottery-bound Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena on Monday. The Lakers will play without star guard Luka Doncic because he’s serving his one-game suspension for reaching the league limit of 16 technical fouls.
The Lakers had an early practice Sunday and that gave them a chance to make adjustments with fresh bodies and minds.
“Yeah, for me, I think, based on all of them wanting to come in at 10 a.m. on a Sunday, I think it is as much mental and spiritual and emotional,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after practice. “We didn’t want to have these guys in here long today. But we got a lot done, watched some film and cleaned some stuff up. But there is these two days for us. It’s a great reset for us.”
Doncic got his 16th technical foul of the season Friday night during a win over the Brooklyn Nets after an exchange with Ziaire Williams, when both were given double technical fouls in the third quarter of that game.
For Doncic, who earns $45.9 million per season, the suspension will cost him about $264,000.
If he gets two more technical fouls between now and the end of the regular season, he will be automatically suspended for an additional game.
Doncic is eligible to return for the Lakers on Tuesday night when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I mean, he’s disappointed,” Redick said of Doncic. “He wants to be there for his teammates, and again, I’ve talked about this all year, like he plays. He’s not a guy that takes games off. He can be banged up and he’s gonna play. He was like that when I was his teammate in Dallas. For tomorrow, we’ve gotten, I think, some great contributions from guys that haven’t necessarily been in the nine-man rotation when we’ve been fully healthy.”
Redick spoke about how Bronny James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Maxi Kleber have all had “good moments” when they were called on for duty.
And with Doncic out, Redick said it will take a group effort to beat the Wizards.
“But we’re gonna need everybody tomorrow,” Redick said.
The Wizards have the third-worst record in the NBA at 17-56. They are second to last in the league in points allowed, giving up 124 per game.
Still, this is all about the Lakers and how they get ready for the playoffs during the final few games of the season .
Half of the eight games are against teams with records below .500.
The Lakers will face a Cavaliers team that’s making a push for better positioning in the Eastern Conference. They will twice face an Oklahoma City team that has the best record in the league and a Suns team that has a 3-1 record against the Lakers.
“That’s the thing I’ve talked about all year is you need great effort and you need great execution,” Redick said. “I think the effort part has been there very consistently for weeks now. Sometimes when the games are stacked together and travel and all that, there can be some small details, execution-wise, that can have slippage, and I think for us, especially on the defensive end, we can do some things better. But I mean, look, the last 16 games we are where we are because we’ve been really good on both ends.”
Etc.
Redick said guard Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) and forward Adou Thiero (left knee soreness) are in “that day-to-day camp” with their injuries.
“So we’re just kind of waiting for them to feel like they’re good enough to go,” Redick said.
Yes, the Bruins (35-1), barely challenged all season and always dancing and smiling, could actually deal with adversity after all.
UCLA earned its second straight Final Four berth despite trailing at halftime for the second time all season and coming from behind to win while down in the second half for the first time.
They will face the winner of Monday’s game between No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Michigan.
“That was definitely adversity,” said Gianna Kneepkens, who scored seven points. “We regrouped, and the way we were talking to each other gives me so much confidence.”
UCLA trailed Duke 39-31 at the half after missing all four three-point attempts and committing 12 turnovers.
UCLA center Lauren Betts drives to the basket over Duke forward Toby Fournier in the first half of the Bruins’ win in the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA tournament Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
“We really didn’t execute our game plan very well,” UCLA coach Cori Close said of the first half. “We didn’t control rebounds. We weren’t the aggressors in creating catches. We didn’t go strong to the rim and execute our stuff.”
But they turned on the aggression early in the third quarter, taking deeper shots and forcing three jump-balls and four turnovers as the Bruins rallied from a deficit in the second half for the first time all season. UCLA outscored Duke 20-8 in the third quarter.
“We were really reactive in that first half and let the game come to us,” said Leger-Walker, who finished with five points and six assists. “We let them dictate what was going on out there. It’s not how we’ve played in the season, when we’ve been up and feeling good. So, you know, we could feel that coming into halftime, and we all kind of took a breath, reset, and a lot of that was on the defensive side.”
Betts was also activated late, with 15 of her 23 points and eight of her 10 rebounds coming in the second half while she matched a season high five blocks.
“I was pretty mad,” Betts said of her emotions at halftime. “I just didn’t like how that first half happened. I know that I could have been a lot more aggressive. I think going into a game like this, sometimes you just take yourself out of your head and you realize, oh, this is the Elite Eight and my season is on the line. So I’ve got to wake up a little bit. Going into the locker room, I was just pretty certain that I wanted to win this game.”
Angela Dugalic shot four of eight with four rebounds and two steals in the second half and was the catalyst for many big moments, including a buzzer-beating floater to end the third quarter and a lead-extending layup and free throw off an offensive rebound to create separation in the fourth. She finished with 15 points off the bench.
Dugalic and the other veterans led a halftime conversation before Close came into the locker room.
“When Cori came in, she was super steady, and I think that gave us a sense of calm,” Dugalic said. “We still were pretty neutral. We understood that the first half wasn’t a good representation of how we want to play basketball. But Cori came in and what she said right now is, like, ‘How do we stick back to our values and stay neutral, focus on next-play speed?’”
Duke forward Delaney Thomas, left, tries to draw a foul against UCLA forward Angela Dugalic during the first half Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Duke (27-9) scored 18 points off the Bruins’ 18 turnovers, tied for the most UCLA has committed all season. Twelve of them came in the first half. But UCLA turned it around in the second half with 18 points off 13 Duke turnovers.
The Blue Devils entered the game limiting opponents to 26.8% from three-point range, ranking 15th nationally, and aggressively challenged the Bruins’ offense. UCLA responded by becoming one dimensional, solely trying to get the ball to Betts in the post.
But Gabriela Jaquez, who finished with nine points and five rebounds, hit a three-pointer early in the third quarter to get UCLA back within five, and Duke missed six consecutive shots while the Bruins narrowed the gap. Toby Fournier (10 points) also committed her third foul early in the quarter, forcing the Blue Devils’ center off the floor.
Both offenses stalled for a period in the third quarter, but consecutive Duke turnovers led to a Leger-Walker fast-break layup and a Kneepkens three-pointer for UCLA’s first lead since the opening seconds of the game.
Duke didn’t score for 5:40 during the third quarter until Taina Mair (team-high 21 points) made a free throw with 32 seconds remaining. The eight Blue Devils’ points were tied for the fewest they’ve scored in a quarter this season.
“You can only learn from moments like this, which is a really positive thing,” said Leger-Walker, with one piece of the NCAA tournament net tied to her Final Four hat. “Definitely not something we want to have as a pattern, though.”
The Bruins held the ball with the clock running down, and Leger-Walker dribbled it to around the top of the three-point line and stopped. Her teammates surrounded her and the group huddled around each other as time expired.
“I just said, ‘I love you guys,’” Betts said of the moment. “That was it. I said, ‘I love you guys.’”
They’ll dance on down to Phoenix next, looking not to avenge the Final Four defeat to UConn a year ago, but ready to prove they have grown to be a championship team.
“Now we really know what it takes to build a rally too,” Rice said.
UCLA center Lauren Betts holds up a piece of the net after the Bruins’ win over Duke in the Elite Eight of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament Sunday.
Pakistan Super League has been jolted by the ball-tampering accusation against Zaman, which allegedly occurred on Sunday.
Published On 30 Mar 202630 Mar 2026
Lahore Qalandars batter Fakhar Zaman has been charged with ball-tampering in Sunday’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) match against Karachi Kings, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.
The incident occurred in the final over, with Karachi needing 14 runs to win. Fakhar, Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi, and fast bowler Haris Rauf were involved in a brief discussion, during which Fakhar and Rauf passed the ball between them.
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The umpire then approached Rauf and asked to see the ball. Following consultations with the square-leg umpire, the officials awarded five penalty runs to Karachi and ordered the ball to be changed.
The penalty proved costly, as Karachi went on to chase down a target of 129 with three balls to spare, and Abbas Afridi hitting a four and a six to seal a four-wicket victory.
“Fakhar denied the charge levelled against him during a disciplinary hearing led by the match referee Roshan Mahanama,” the PCB said.
“Another hearing is set to take place within the next 48 hours after which the match referee will share his verdict.”
Afridi said they would look at video footage of the incident.
“I don’t know about this, and we’ll see if it’s there in the camera and discuss it,” he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Fakhar, 35, could face a ban of one or two matches if found guilty of ball tampering for a first offence in the PSL.
Australian trio David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were handed lengthy bans by Cricket Australia following a 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
Zaman plays a shot for his Lahore Qalandars side during a Pakistan Super League T20 match against Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, on March 26, 2026 [Arif Ali/AFP]
HOUSTON — Isaac Paredes hit a tiebreaking two-RBI double with two outs in the eighth inning to help the Houston Astros to a 9-7 win over the Angels on Sunday despite a disappointing major league debut from starter Tatsuya Imai.
There were two outs in the eighth when the Angels intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez to give Houston runners at first and third. Alvarez stole second before Paredes hit a line drive off Drew Pomeranz (0-1) to put Houston on top 8-6.
Jose Altuve followed with a double to push the lead to 9-6.
Imai gave up three hits and four runs with four walks and four strikeouts in 2⅔ innings.
The Astros (2-2) are banking on him to have a big year after signing the right-hander to a three-year, $54-million contract following a stellar career in Japan where he was a three-time All-Star in eight seasons with the Pacific League’s Seibu Lions.
The Angels (2-2) had two on with one out in the ninth when Bryan King took over for Bryan Abreu. Nolan Schanuel hit an RBI single to cut the lead to two, but King struck out the next two batters for his first save.
Jorge Soler drove in three runs and Zach Neto hit a two-run homer for the Angels as they split the season-opening series.
The score was tied with one on and one out in the fourth inning when Neto made it 6-4 with his shot to the seats in left field.
Christian Walker’s two-RBI double with two outs in the fifth inning tied it 6-6.
Christian Vázquez drove in two runs with a single in Houston’s four-run second inning to give the Astros an early lead.
There was one out in the third when Imai walked Neto before he moved to third on a single by Mike Trout. Schanuel walked to load the bases and Soler cleared them with his double to the corner in left field to get the Angels within one.
Jo Adell’s two-out RBI single tied it at 4-4 and chased Imai.
Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz yielded four hits and six runs with five walks in four innings.
Veron Mosengo-Omba’s resignation follows the fallout over the CAF board’s decision to strip Senegal of the AFCON title, Africa’s showpiece football tournament.
Published On 30 Mar 202630 Mar 2026
The Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s general secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba, resigned on Sunday after repeated calls for his removal and at a turbulent time for the game on the continent.
Mosengo-Omba said he was retiring, but his departure comes amid a crisis of confidence in the organisation’s leadership, with a growing fallout over the decision to strip Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and calls for an investigation into alleged corruption at African football’s governing body.
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There has been a swell of recent criticism of his staying on as general secretary well past the organisation’s mandatory retirement age of 63, largely on social media but also from members of CAF’s executive committee.
“After over 30 years of an international professional career dedicated to promoting an ideal form of football that brings people together, educates, and creates opportunities for hope, I have decided to step down from my position as Secretary General of CAF to devote myself to more personal projects,” Mosengo-Omba said in a statement.
“Now that I have been able to dispel the suspicions that some people have gone to great lengths to cast on me, I can retire with peace of mind and without constraint, leaving the CAF more prosperous than ever.
“I sincerely thank the CAF’s President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, my teams, and all those who, directly or indirectly, have enabled CAF and organised African football to make real and remarkable progress. Let us hope that the progress made will last and be sustained,” he concluded.
Senegal won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in January but were later stripped of the crown by the Confederation of African Football board [File: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters]
Accused of creating toxic atmosphere
Mosengo-Omba has been a divisive figure at CAF, accused by some employees of creating a toxic atmosphere at the workplace, although an investigation conducted after the staff complaints cleared him of any wrongdoing.
The 66-year-old is of Congolese origin, but he is a Swiss citizen and former FIFA employee who was a university friend of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Although he said he was retiring, Mosengo-Omba is expected to run for the post of president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s football federation in elections in the coming months, sources told the Reuters news agency.
If successful, that would thrust him into contention for CAF’s top job should Motsepe resign to enter politics in his native South Africa, where he is being touted as a possible successor to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Motsepe has, however, denied this.
Earlier this month, Motsepe admitted that CAF was struggling with questions over its integrity and, in the wake of the Cup of Nations final controversy, Senegal’s government has called for an international investigation into the running of the organisation.
Stripping Senegal of the Cup of Nations title was a decision made by CAF’s Appeals Board, but as a result, there has been a heavy toll on the image of the African game.
CAF said later on Sunday that its competitions director, Samson Adamu, would take over as acting general secretary.
The Italian wins his fifth straight Grand Prix to take control of the world championship standings after three rounds.
Published On 30 Mar 202630 Mar 2026
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi extended his perfect start to the year by winning the United States Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday for his third consecutive win of the year and fifth straight dating back to last season.
Bezzecchi led all 20 laps at the Circuit of the Americas, where he crossed the line 2.036 seconds ahead of teammate Jorge Martin. Pedro Acosta, who finished third in Saturday’s sprint before a penalty dropped him to eighth, rounded out the podium.
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Bezzecchi, racing a day after he failed to finish a sprint for the second time this season after a crash, also reclaimed the lead in the MotoGP standings with 81 points, four points clear of Martin, who won Saturday’s sprint race.
With the win, Bezzecchi became the third Italian rider to win five in a row after Hall of Famers Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini. He is also the first rider to win the first three grands prix of the season since Marc Marquez in 2014.
“This is amazing. I mean, I wasn’t expecting a day like this after yesterday, because it wasn’t easy, and I made a mistake, and it was important to bounce back,” said Bezzecchi.
“Luckily, my team, my squad, was very close to me, and they gave me the motivation to try to bounce back.
“But anyway, I wasn’t expecting a race like this, and I’m so happy – I really can’t describe my emotion right now. Very, very happy and proud.”
Polesitter Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing finished fourth, while defending Austin champion Francesco Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo Team was 10th.
Bezzecchi took the lead after an opening lap clash with Pedro Acosta, right, in Sunday’s USA MotoGP [Jerome Miron/Imagn Images via Reuters]
