sport

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahce), Weverton (Gremio).

Defenders: Alex Sandro, Danilo, Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Ibanez (Al-Ahli), Wesley (Roma), Marquinhos (Paris St-Germain), Gabriel (Arsenal), Douglas Santos (Zenit St. Petersburg).

Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo).

Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Luiz Henrique (Zenit St. Petersburg), Neymar (Santos), Rayan (Bournemouth).

It seemed fitting that Arsenal have one hand on the Premier League trophy thanks to a 1-0 win – of their past four league matches, all victories, three have ended with that score – with the Gunners conceding just once in their past six.

They have conceded the fewest goals in the league (26), while the last time they conceded in open play came in their defeat by Manchester City on 19 April, which was seven games ago.

The clean sheet against Burnley was Arsenal‘s 32nd in all competitions this season.

“I thought that the amount of hair that I have is never going to go away but in this job it is going to test it to the limit,” said Arteta.

“The desire that every single player shows in their defensive duties, their behaviours and the way that they work for each other is phenomenal.

“It’s a lot of work put in by all the coaches as well. And we all know the importance of that and how many results and wins we have because of that.”

It was their 13th 1-0 win of the season. Their playing style, their threat from and reliance on set-pieces, and the relative lack of bigger wins has brought criticism and anxious finishes in equal measure.

Manchester City will have a better goal difference if they win their final two matches, which does mean Arsenal will have to beat Crystal Palace. A draw, in that scenario, would not be enough.

“In a funny way, Man City might actually have taken that,” ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports. “Seeing how they played that second half, I think the nerves will really kick in if Man City beat Bournemouth. Crystal Palace are a better team than Burnley even with a few players out.

“Arsenal are going to do it in the fashion of George Graham rather than Arsene Wenger – ‘1-0 to the Arsenal‘ probably sums them up.”

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville added: “Arsenal are right on the brink but by goodness they don’t half make it difficult for themselves.

“You have to admire their ability to concentrate and focus and keep to the defensive shape and principles. They keep clean sheets and that’s a rare commodity in the modern game, for a team to see out 1-0 victories like this team can.

“I think it’s going to be enough to see them home.”

SAN DIEGO — Sitting in the Petco Park visiting dugout Monday afternoon, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes would have preferred to be answering a different set of questions about the team’s rotation depth.

In spring training, it was all about how many difficult decisions the Dodgers had in front of them because of the quality depth they’d built. In the first couple months of the season, a spike of injuries had completely flipped the conversation.

“It’s the reason why you try to go in with as much depth as you can knowing that things can happen,” Gomes said. “You hope that they don’t pile up all at the same time, which has happened as of late. But we’ll keep navigating it. We’ll work through it like we have in the past.

“The biggest thing is we’ve got a big series these three games. Go out and play good baseball here and then keep balancing the short-term, long-term.”

Gomes provided updates on the Dodgers’ mounting pitching injuries, and how the team is combating the absences:

—The Dodgers expect left-hander Blake Snell will undergo the less invasive NanoNeedle scope procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow Tuesday. The procedure could shorten Snell’s recovery time by a month, compared to a more traditional arthroscopic procedure.

—Right-hander Tyler Glasnow had another back flare-up. He’ll be shut down from throwing for a few days. “No concern long-term,” Gomes said. “But a little slower on the front end than we expected.”

—The Dodgers are leaning toward using Eric Lauer as a starter. They have not yet decided where to slot him in, but it probably won’t be this weekend in Milwaukee.

—Right-handed reliever Brusdar Graterol (right shoulder surgery recovery) sustained a back injury while on rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City. The team is still working to determine next steps and has not ruled out surgery.

Taylor Tinsley has pitched 203 innings and accounted for 30 of UCLA’s 50 wins this season.

As one of three star veterans on a team featuring younger and less experienced talent, Tinsley has embraced a heavy workload and the inevitable miscues that can go along with it.

She opened NCAA tournament play surrendering 10 runs and relied on her teammates to rally for a walk-off win, but Tinsley rebounded with grace while earning back-to-back victories that propelled UCLA to a regional win.

Tinsley is quick to deflect praise to her teammates, especially record-setting hitters Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery.

UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez struggled to contain her emotions when asked about the influence Tinsley had on the program after Sunday’s win, so Grant filled in.

“Everything Taylor said about us as a team, we try to reciprocate it back to her,” Grant said. “We know what she is doing for us. She is sacrificing everything for this team, and especially on offense, we try to give back as much as possible.”

Tinsley, who has led the Bruins in ERA for three consecutive seasons, earned back-to-back All-Big Ten honors and helped lead UCLA to the Women’s College World Series last season.

She has spent four years at UCLA competing alongside hyper-competitive, intense athletes such as Maya Brady, niece of NFL legend Tom Brady, and more light-hearted players, including Woolery and Grant, who bring joy and laughter to their work. All her teammates, of course, expect to win.

“This year, our team is fun and relaxed; we like to be goofy, ” Tinsley said.

Tinsley credits the team for her success on the mound. She said one of her proudest moments was watching Grant and Woolery break UCLA and NCAA hitting records. Taylor, Grant and Woolery were selected in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft.

Before they turn pro, the seniors are trying to win a national championship.

“I definitely think we’ve left our mark on this program in general,” Tinsley said. “We entered as freshmen with a legendary senior class. We had Megan Framo, Aaliyah Jordan, and I even got to play with Maya Brady for two years, so I learned a lot from them.”

The alumni, some of whom attended the Bruins’ NCAA regional-clinching win over South Carolina on Sunday, still have an influence on her today.

Inouye-Perez said Tinsley has put the program on her back since her sophomore year. She inspires her teammates, including freshman pitcher Natalie Cable.

The pitchers are still learning, but their coach is pleased with their commitment to improving and learning from Tinsley.

“I am very fortunate that they have a positive attitude and work hard every day and are ready to do whatever they can to help the team,” Inouye-Perez said of the pitching rotation.

After Friday’s walk-off win over California Baptist, Inouye-Perez trusted Tinsley to shake off one very bad inning to pitch on Saturday and Sunday against South Carolina and she delivered.

Now the Bruins will host Central Florida, which upset regional host Florida State, for a super regional series starting Friday with a ticket to the Women’s College World Series on the line.

Tinsley said her training prepared her to let go of Friday’s game and play her best the rest of the weekend.

“It comes with pitching. Just taking one pitch at a time,” Tinsley said. “We are focused on where our feet are and not worried about the past or future.”

Baseball wraps up record-setting regular season

The No. 1 UCLA baseball team earned a 6-1 win over Washington on Saturday during the Bruins’ regular-season finale at Husky Ballpark, sealing a 2-1 series victory.

UCLA (48-6, 28-2 Big Ten) set a school record for regular-season wins, surpassing the 2019 team’s 47 victories.

The Bruins won every regular-season series and were the only team in the country to win at least two of three games every weekend. UCLA also set a school record for most conference wins.

Top MLB draft prospect Roch Cholowsky led UCLA with 21 home runs, while Will Gasparino smashed 19 and Mulivai Levu added 16. Roman Martin, meanwhile, led the Bruins with a .340 batting average.

Logan Reddemann (8-0), Michael Barnett (6-0) and Wylan Moss (5-1) pitched the most innings and contributed heavily to UCLA’s success.

The Bruins clinched the Big Ten tournament No. 1 seed and will open play Friday in Omaha, Neb.

Rice and Jaquez are thriving in WNBA

The Tempo’s Kiki Rice drives past the Sparks’ Kelsey Plum at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.

(Harry How / Getty Images)

All six of UCLA’s WNBA draft picks made opening day rosters and they’ve all earned game minutes.

Chicago Sky’s Gabriela Jaquez and Toronto Tempo’s Kiki Rice are off to the hottest starts.

After Marisa Ingemi wrote about Rice’s strong start with Toronto (2-2), Rice started her first game and helped the Tempo defeat the Sparks. Rice scored a season-high 19 points with five rebounds, two assists and no turnovers.

Jaquez, however, had the bigger game Sunday. She is the only former Bruin to start every contest for her WNBA team so far this season. She had 20 points, eight rebounds, one assist and one steal in 32 minutes during the Sky’s (3-1) 86-71 road win over the potent Minnesota Lynx (2-2).

She earned player of the game honors and was recognized by coach Tyler Marsh in the postgame locker room.

“Her teammates love her, the coaching staff loves her,” Marsh said of Jaquez. “It’s very hard for me to take her off the court, even when she’s gasping for air. She just finds ways to be effective on both ends of the floor.”

In case you missed it

UCLA softball pummels South Carolina to advance to NCAA super regional

‘We got really lucky:’ Toronto Tempo say UCLA star Kiki Rice has not disappointed

UCLA softball rolls past South Carolina, Megan Grant extends NCAA home-run record lead

UCLA surrenders 10 runs in an inning, rallies to win NCAA regional opener on walk-off

UCLA rewards national title-winning coach Cori Close with contract extension

Inside the Rose Bowl’s $30 million makeover: Will it help the stadium stay relevant?

UCLA senior Megan Grant breaks NCAA home-run record but Bruins fall in Big Ten title game

UCLA senior Megan Grant ties NCAA softball home run record; Bruins reach title game

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

A lot has changed since Jacori Perry attended Morningside High School.

Perry is now a renowned artist who goes by the names Mr. Ace and AiseBorn.

The school is now known as Inglewood High School United.

And the lecture hall on that campus now features a large, ornate mural of a soccer ball being grasped by the hands of two people — freshly painted by the 2004 Morningside graduate as the city of Inglewood prepares to host eight World Cup games at SoFi Stadium starting next month.

Local artist Mr. Ace works on his mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11. The artist, whose real name is Jacori Perry, attended the school when it was known as Morningside High more than two decades ago.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

“If you told me that I would be back here painting one of the walls on this campus when I was in high school, I don’t think that I necessarily would have foreseen it,” Mr. Ace said as he put the finishing touches on his mural last week. “So I’m a little in amazement about just the way life works in that sense.”

He was one of several Los Angeles-based artists to participate in a Road to World Cup Community Day last month at Inglewood High United. Many of the artists — including Juan Pablo Reyes (“JP murals”), Michelle Ruby Guerrero (“Mr. B Baby”) and Angel Acordagoitia — sketched designs on portable panels (12-feet by 8-feet) and picnic tables for community members to paint.

The picnic tables will remain at the high school in front of Mr. Ace’s mural. The mobile murals will be placed throughout LAX to welcome visitors arriving for the World Cup.

Kathryn Schloessman, chief executive of the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee, said in a news release that the event was “just one example of how the energy of the World Cup can be felt in neighborhoods across our region.”

“Students, artists, and volunteers came together to create a work of art that will live on well beyond the end of the tournament,” Schloessman said. “It’s a reflection of the creativity, diversity, and community pride that makes our region so special as we prepare to host the world for FIFA World Cup 2026.”

Community members were encouraged to take part in the painting process, no matter their skill level.

“We made it easy enough for people that have zero experience to a proficient level of experience, for them to all be involved,” said Reyes, who designed and helped paint two mural panels and three tables. “We did the sketch, and then I tried to dab a little bit of color — whatever color is supposed to be there, I dabbed a little bit of color right there, so they would have a guide. …

Students and community members help paint a mural panel during a Road to World Cup Community Day event May 2 at Inglewood High School.

(Dawn M. Burkes / Los Angeles Times)

“I was right there, kind of supervising, making sure that everything went as planned. And if anybody has questions, they’re more than welcome to let me know about them. But, yeah, it’s pretty easy for them to kind of be involved and feel that sense of ownership and have a sense of pride that, ‘Yeah, I was part of that mural-creation process.’ It’s a rich experience for them.”

Acordagoitia sketched several tabletop designs for the public to paint at the event.

“They did great,” he said of the community members. “They helped a lot. They were asking questions. They got all the other colors correct. So, yeah, they were excited. A lot of kids were excited to see the live painting, because now kids are used to being on their phones. So that was a great experience for them.”

Acordagoitia also opted to paint a mural panel on his own because “it was a little more technical,” involving portraits of his 8-year-old son, a nephew and a friend.

“I wanted to focus more on the youth because that’s really our future,” he said. “So that’s, that’s the main thing about the mural, just about the kids, soccer, culture, community. It’s exciting for me, because I grew up playing soccer and to include soccer with art, it’s just a dream come true.”

Guerrero said “the community was a big help in filling in all the background colors that I need in order to build the detail and layers” on the two mural panels she designed.

“My whole style is based on culture. And I think that there’s a connection there with the World Cup and how I feel like it brings together all the culture and just, like, celebration,” Guerrero said. “It kind of goes hand in hand with the type of work I do, because my stuff is really festive, celebrating culture. And just as an L.A.-based artist, I think the collaboration made sense.”

The four artists also took part in another Road to World Cup Community Day in downtown L.A. at Gloria Molina Grand Park on March 14. At that event, the artists sketched designs on large sculptures shaped like soccer balls and on an oversized picnic table, also for community members to paint.

While Mr. Ace opted to paint his permanent mural at Inglewood High School United on his own, he was sure to include the community theme into his work.

“The idea was really centered around just creating something that was community-based — something that represented the World Cup but also represented some sense of community,” he said. “And so what I did was try to create something that was symbolic, very direct in terms of its relationship to soccer and figuring out through that how to create something simple that [brings] into that a sense of community. And that’s how I landed on the two hands holding the soccer ball.”

Local artist Mr. Ace works on his World Cup-themed mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Back when he was a student on that campus, Mr. Ace said he was always involved in art and knew he wanted a career as an artist. He struggled to come up with the right words to describe how it felt being back there creating a work of art to be shared with the students, all of the community and everyone who happens to see it on the way to a World Cup match.

“I guess there’s no words to really describe it,” he said. “I think if any artist gets the opportunity to paint at their own high school — especially if they’ve been doing large-scale works around the city, the country or the world — I think that is a little touching. When it’s attached to something like the World Cup … you know, a large part of my childhood was spent in Inglewood, so coming from my circumstances and life, I think it’s even more intriguing.”

“Serious mismanagement” at a charity set up to help former and current professional footballers put funds at risk, a Charity Commission inquiry has found.

The inquiry was launched in 2019 because the Commission had “serious concerns” about how the Professional Footballers’ Association Charity – now called the Players Foundation – was being run.

It has now published a highly critical report which details a series of failings.

They include £1.9m of funds from the Football Association being transferred from the charity’s bank account to the Professional Footballers’ Association, the players’ union, “without a clear explanation”.

The charity also paid about 80% of the union’s operating costs – around £6m annually, including £5m on salaries. “Multiple trustees” – including former chief executive Gordon Taylor – held salaried senior PFA roles, creating a conflict of interest.

Funding a trade union is not considered a charitable purpose in law, the regulator said.

The charity also owned properties in Manchester in London which the union occupied rent-free. That cost the charity more than £627,000 when interest was added, the Commission said.

The £1.9m and unpaid rent were returned following the Commission’s intervention.

The charity received an official warning from the regulator in September 2022 “for mismanagement that had taken place from its incorporation in 2013 to the beginning of 2019”.

A trustee, Darren Wilson – who was the PFA’s director of finance – was disqualified from being a trustee or holding a senior management position in a charity for four years.

“Remedial actions have now been implemented at the charity, including proper separation from the union, appointment of new trustees, and establishment of a distinct identity for the charity,” the Charity Commission said.

“It has also adopted a new funding model, after the Football Association and Premier League stopped funding of the charity upon its separation from the union.”

Burnley interim manager Mike Jackson is pleased with the way his side kept themselves in the game in their 1-0 defeat at Arsenal and is unhappy Kai Havertz was not sent off in the second half.

MATCH REPORT: Arsenal 1-0 Burnley

Available to UK users only.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is understood to be stepping down at end of season after 17 years at EPL club.

Pep Guardiola will leave ⁠Manchester City ⁠after a decade in charge, according to widespread reports, bringing to ⁠a close one of the most successful spells in Premier League history.

Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who lead the Blues to the FIFA Club World Cup last summer, is expected to replace him.

The 55-year-old Guardiola will reportedly announce his departure shortly after City’s final ‌game of the season against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium, capping a campaign that included winning both the League Cup and the FA Cup trophies.

Saturday’s FA Cup victory over ⁠Chelsea secured Guardiola his ⁠20th trophy with the club.

Maresca, who left Chelsea four months ago, has been rumoured for months to ⁠be the top contender for the Spaniard’s job. ⁠Guardiola’s contract at City ⁠is set to expire in June 2027.

Guardiola shrugged off questions about his future after the FA Cup ‌final. When asked about the rumours by TNT Sports, Guardiola replied “What rumours?” ‌and ‌then ended the interview, saying “Have a lovely evening.”

City have made no comment on the speculation.

However, the club have arranged a parade through Manchester on Monday to celebrate their League Cup and FA Cup triumphs this season, which could act as a farewell to Guardiola.

City must win their final two games of the season, starting at Bournemouth on Tuesday, and hope Arsenal drop points at Crystal Palace on Sunday if they are to win the Premier League this season.

Manchester City are preparing for Pep Guardiola’s exit after Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.

Sources have told BBC Sport that the managerial great is expected to leave Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.

City maintain Guardiola has a contract for next season and are hopeful he will remain as manager.

However, work towards his anticipated exit is under way at the club, with members of staff of the understanding he will leave.

It is understood members of the squad are also anticipating his departure after the final game of the season againt Villa, while the club have turned their attentions towards how best to mark the tenure of their iconic boss.

Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who worked under Guardiola at City, is the front-runner to replace the 55-year-old.

Guardiola has led City to 17 major trophies – and 20 in all – including six Premier League titles, the Champions League, three FA Cups and five EFL Cups during his 10 years at City.

The club’s greatest boss is widely regarded as one of the best managers of all time, and could yet still cap his stellar spell at Etihad Stadium with a seventh Premier League title, having already won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup this season.

Speculation about the manager’s future has been rife for months, with the question about his tenure at Manchester City often coming up in news conferences.

He was asked on Friday whether the following day’s trip to Wembley for the FA Cup final would be his last visit there. “No way,” he said, reminding reporters he had “one more year” on his contract.

And in a interview with BBC Sport before Saturday’s FA Cup final, when asked if he will still be at the club next season, he replied: “Yeah.”

The ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss added: “I am here, I have a contract.”

Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw has been named WSL Football’s Player of the Season after an impressive campaign in the Women’s Super League.

The 29-year-old also won the Golden Boot for a third successive season after scoring 21 goals in 22 appearances as City claimed a first WSL title in a decade.

She won the Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year award earlier in May and was named City’s Player of the Season on Sunday.

Known affectionately as ‘Bunny’, she has dominated headlines after contract renewal discussions broke down with her current deal set to run out in June.

WSL rivals Chelsea are favourites to sign Shaw on a free deal in the summer amid heavy interest from clubs around the world.

During City’s homecoming celebrations at Manchester’s Albert Hall on Sunday, fans chanted “we want Bunny to stay”.

Shaw, who arrived at City in 2021, has finished as the club’s top scorer in four of her five seasons there and holds the record for the most hat-tricks in the WSL (six).

Some of Shaw’s best performances this season included a hat-trick against Tottenham and a four-goal haul at home to Aston Villa, as well as scoring an important opener in the 3-2 win over Arsenal in October.

The Jamaica international could help City snatch a domestic double if they beat Brighton in the Women’s FA Cup final on Sunday, 31 May (15:00 BST).

Shaw beat team-mate Kerstin Casparij, Arsenal forward Alessia Russo and Aston Villa winger Kirsty Hanson to the award.

England international Russo netted 13 goals in 22 matches, playing as both a striker and a midfielder, while Hanson finished third in the goalscoring charts behind Shaw and Russo with 12 goals.

Also shortlisted for the main award were Manchester United’s Jess Park, Chelsea’s Alyssa Thompson, Tottenham’s Olivia Holdt and Everton’s Ruby Mace.

On the walls of one of the hospitality lounges at the Affidea Stadium there are pictures of Ulster’s storied history.

The two that stand out contain teams celebrating silverware.

The European Cup win in 1999 remains the most famous day for the Irish province.

The other was the Celtic League triumph in 2006, but there has not been an addition to the honours board at Ravenhill for 20 years now.

Ulster have an opportunity to change that as they face Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final in Bilbao on Friday.

Richie Murphy’s side head into the game off the back of a disappointing end to their United Rugby Championship campaign, as they finished just outside the play-off places in ninth.

But the slate was wiped clean after a review on Monday and, for head coach Richie Murphy, the chance to win a trophy and join the heroes of years gone by on the walls of the Nine Counties lounge is something “we want to embrace”.

“We want to try and achieve what they’ve achieved,” he told BBC Sport NI.

“You know, the guys don’t shy away from the task that’s in hand, but also the dream of coming back here with a trophy in the early hours of Saturday morning. You know, that’s, you know, You can’t just dream. You’ve got to have a plan.

“You’ve got to make sure you work really hard in order to prepare to be at your best. And that’s what we’re going at.

“The guys are looking around and seeing the history on the walls, and they’d love to be a part of that history.”

World Gymnastics has lifted all restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes with immediate effect.

Athletes from both countries were banned from international competition in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

They were subsequently permitted to compete as neutrals towards the end of 2024 but will now be allowed to return to international competitions under their national flags.

World Gymnastics confirmed the decision in a statement, external following a meeting of its executive committee in Egypt last weekend.

The reversal applies across all five disciplines governed by World Gymnastics, including artistic, rhythmic, acrobatic and aerobic gymnastics as well as trampolining.

Russia has historically been one of the strongest countries in gymnastics.

They won two golds and 10 medals overall at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, competing under the Russian Olympic Committee banner, before being banned from Paris 2024.

The move to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part under their flags follows a similar decision by World Aquatics in April while the International Judo Federation lifted its ban last November.

The International Paralympic Committee removed its suspension on athletes from the two countries competing last year and they took part in the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where USC and Notre Dame are back at the bargaining table — as you first read in this space last Monday — and also back to bickering about who’s to blame for blowing up their century-old rivalry in the first place. One step closer to order being restored!

I have less faith in the rest of college football and its leadership, which now appears to be mobilizing around a playoff format that’s almost universally disliked by actual consumers of college football. The 24-team playoff is a great deal for coaches, who want to be able to point to as many playoff berths as possible for job security. It’s probably a good deal for athletic directors, digging through couch cushions for extra NIL dollars. And for the TV networks, it’s especially juicy. Twenty four teams means more than double the number of games, and each of those games is pulling in an average of between 10 million and 20 million viewers. That’s a lot of eyeballs and a lot of advertising dollars. (For everyone but ESPN, which currently has exclusive rights up to 14 teams.)

It’s also a good deal for Notre Dame, whose athletic director Pete Bevacqua came out this week in support of the 24-team playoff in an interview with the Athletic. The Irish would essentially assure themselves of a bid in most years, which, per Bevacqua, would make it easier to clear the way for USC and Notre Dame to play again.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti has been leading the charge on the 24-team playoff. So while USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen hasn’t said anything about her preference, it would be a surprise to hear her publicly oppose what the rest of the conference has been pushing.

But why do we have to push anywhere? Why do we have to keep fixing the playoff? And if you must keep tinkering with college football, well, there are plenty of ways to fix it that won’t water down the product and devalue the regular season the way playoff expansion does. Plus, who’s to say that after two seasons at 24 teams, the conference commissioners don’t decide they want to expand again? To 28 teams? To 36 teams?

The 12-team playoff already makes a lot of money. But like everything now, it has to make the most possible money or be as big as possible. I actually long for the days when college football’s leaders did whatever they could to keep the game from changing.

Now it’s the only thing that feels inevitable these days around college football.

Back to school

Marqise Lee at his graduation ceremony.

(USC)

Marqise Lee stepped to the lectern Friday, in full cap and gown, looked out over a full crowd at Galen Center, and cleared his throat. For so many reasons, the former USC wideout still couldn’t quite believe he was standing there.

Growing up, no part of Lee thought that college would even be available to him. He was brought up in the most difficult of circumstances in Inglewood. Separated at a young age from his sister and his mother, who was deaf. Thrust alone into the foster care system. He ended up living in a motel for three years.

When he did make it to USC, class hadn’t been a priority. Football was his focus from the start, and it would ultimately lead him to the NFL, where he’d never really taken the idea of returning to school that seriously. A counselor would try to convince him on a few occasions and even got him onto campus to set up a schedule.

“But it just never happened,” Lee told me.

Then, his football career ended, and his daughters started getting older. They never got to see him play football. He started thinking about what it would mean to show them what he could accomplish. So Lee decided to go back.

It wasn’t easy at first. He was taking five classes, a full course load. He felt uncomfortable being the oldest student in the class.

“When I first sat in there,” he said, ”I was like, I really don’t need to come back.”

His statistics class, especially, was daunting. He looked for any reason to leave. Then, he thought of his daughters.

“To go back to school and tell my daughters, yeah, I went back, but I wasn’t successful — and expect them to succeed?” Lee said. “Yeah, I can’t.”

But before long, Lee found that he actually liked his classes now. He enjoyed the group projects where he used to only do the bare minimum.

After sloughing off his final semester the first time around at USC, Lee needed at least three B’s and two A’s. No easy feat at USC.

Lee ended up getting A’s across the board. At the end of the semester, the school asked him to be the speaker at its student athlete commencement. Which is what led Lee to that stage, where he delivered a hell of a speech Friday.

“It was just like, this is something that you never ever dreamed about,” Lee said. “You never dreamed about graduating from college. So like to get that done was amazing. And then, I have an opportunity to sit up here and say to these kids and get them prepared for their future, by at least letting them understand where I come from and how hard it is. So they know that we actually can fight through anything that comes our way.”

Next up for Lee?

“I’m about to try and go get my master’s degree after this,” he said.

Cofie’s plans changing?

Jacob Cofie reacts after a layup and a foul during a win over Washington State last season.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

A month ago, USC basketball announced that Jacob Cofie, one of its starters from last season, planned to return next season. It was a huge coup for Eric Musselman, who had a grand total of two returning players in two seasons as USC’s coach.

Cofie decided to still take part in the G League scouting combine. But in the process, he became one of five players who earned invites to the NBA scouting combine last weekend.

While in Chicago, Cofie was asked if he’d considered keeping his name in the draft. And he didn’t say no. “I’m leaving that up to my agent right now,” he said.

But even with the combine invite, I don’t expect that Cofie could climb any higher than the second round of this NBA draft. And depending on where he would be drafted, if he’s drafted at all, he might actually stand to make more at USC in revenue sharing dollars and NIL.

Cofie has nine days, technically, to make a decision. But I expect we’ll hear sooner than that on his future, and I’d be shocked to hear he’ll be spending next season anywhere but USC.

—USC baseball locked up the fourth seed in the Big Ten tournament. But what about hosting a regional? The Trojans managed to take one of three against Oregon to at least lock up a bye until Friday in the Big Ten tournament. But right now, USC is likely on the outside looking in at hosting its first NCAA regional since 2002. All that could change with a run in the Big Ten tournament. Doing so, though, probably means pulling off an upset of No. 1 UCLA. If USC wins its first tournament matchup against whomever emerges out of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State and Purdue, then the Bruins will almost certainly be on tap. Win that game, and their hosting fate could change fast.

—Pete Carroll is coming back to teach “The Game of Life” at USC. The former USC coach delivered the commencement address for the Marshall School of Business last Friday, and in the process, announced that he’ll be making his triumphant return as Professor Pete next school year. A spot in Carroll’s class was one of the most coveted on campus in his first go-round — good luck getting off that waitlist the second time!

—Honor Fa’alave Johnson, USC’s top commit in 2027, reaffirmed his plans to sign with USC. That was after a group of USC coaches flew down to the safety’s hometown of San Diego via helicopter. Not a bad way to show you mean business — especially as Texas was doing its best to flip Fa’alave Johnson.

—Some Big Ten championship results from the weekend: The USC men finished fourth in the Big Ten track and field championships, while the USC women finished third. Meanwhile, women’s rowing placed sixth at their Big Ten championships.

What I’m Reading This Week

Patrick Radden Keefe writes for the New Yorker.

(Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)

It’s a quiet time for new TV, so I took the radical step of picking up a new book this week. (Crazy, I know.) That said, I’m always game for reading something new from New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe, who, for my money, is one of our greatest living nonfiction writers. His latest book, “London Falling” follows an American family investigating the death of their 19-year-old son, who they find was living a secret life within London’s criminal underworld mysteriously before he jumped mysteriously from a building into the Thames River in 2019.

Keefe is a tremendous reporter and writer, capable of turning a nonfiction narrative into a roller coaster, page-turning story that reads like a crime novel. This book, like “Say Nothing” and “Empire of Pain” before it, is one I won’t forget any time soon.

Scheduling note

I said I’d be off this week, however the Lee graduation was so nice that waiting to report on it seemed wrong. But the newsletter will be on hiatus the next two weeks.

In case you missed it

NCAA to expand March Madness fields to 76 teams

A star pitcher at USC, he was cut after six years in the minors. Then Banana Ball came calling

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and I’m wondering whatever happened to good old rotator cuff injuries?

So, you might want to sit down for this shocking news, but Blake Snell is on the injured list. He has what must be the trending injury this season: “loose bodies” in his pitching elbow. Loose bodies are cartilage or bone fragments that float around in the fluid of the elbow joint. Reliever Edwin Díaz is also on the IL because of “loose bodies.”

Some pitchers have loose bodies and it’s not a problem. Díaz said he has had loose bodies since 2014. It’s when they move into a position that cause the elbow to lock up that causes a problem.

Snell will have surgery Tuesday, and his return depends on what type of surgery he needs. There is a version of the surgery that is less invasive, and basically entails a small incision in the elbow, and there’s a version that is more invasive. Doctors won’t know until they get a look inside his elbow.

“He said he was just excited to have a date on the calendar to get it taken care of, get back to playing catch and getting back to joining us,” Dave Roberts said.

The question has been asked frequently since he went on the IL: Why do the Dodgers sign or trade for so many injured pitchers?

Well, for one, almost every pitcher in the majors now has some sort of injury history. In the olden days, pitchers didn’t throw as hard as they could on every pitch. Now they do. That puts tremendous strain on the elbow and shoulder. Also, spin rate (how fast the ball spins after being released) is king, and that also puts tremendous strain on the elbow and shoulder.

Finding a pitcher without an injury history of some sort is difficult.

And the Dodgers would much rather this happen now than in September. The Dodgers built this team (and teams in years past) to withstand this sort of injury. So, if Snell and Tyler Glasnow have to spend some time on the IL now, it’s OK as long as they come back by September and are ready for the postseason.

Last season, Glasnow made only 18 starts, pitching 90 1/3 innings. Snell made only 11 starts, pitching 61 1/3 innings. They pitched well when they were healthy, and they were in the postseason, where Glasnow pitched 21 1/3 innings with a 1.69 ERA and Snell pitched 34 innings with a 3.18 ERA. If they can do that again this season, the Dodgers will be pleased.

The Dodgers have won two straight World Series. so we should probably give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they are doing.

Starting pitchers for the Dodgers last season:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 30 starts
Clayton Kershaw, 22
Dustin May, 18
Glasnow, 18
Shohei Ohtani, 14
Emmet Sheehan, 12
Snell, 11
Roki Sasaki, 8
Landon Knack, 7
Tony Gonsolin, 7
Jack Dreyer, 5
Ben Casparius, 3
Lou Trivino, 2
Justin Wrobleski, 2
Anthony Banda, 1
Matt Sauer, 1
Bobby Miller, 1

And in 2024:

Gavin Stone, 25
Tyler Glasnow, 22
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 18
James Paxton, 18
Walker Buehler, 16
Bobby Miller, 13
Landon Knack, 12
Jack Flaherty, 10
Clayton Kershaw, 7
Justin Wrobleski, 6
Ryan Brasier, 4
River Ryan, 4
Anthony Banda, 2
Michael Grove, 2
Brent Honeywell Jr., 1
Elieser Hernandez, 1
Kyle Hurt, 1

That’s 17 starting pitchers each season. So this is nothing new. This season is looking amazingly like last season. And that one turned out pretty well.

Here come the Padres

Nothing cures a team’s woes this season better than playing three games against the Angels.

But starting tonight, the Dodgers begin a three-game series with the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers and Padres have been battling for the NL West lead almost the entire season. This will be a good test for both teams to see exactly how they stack up. It’s in San Diego, and Padres fans always gear up for games against the Dodgers. The Dodgers view the season as just getting ready for the postseason, but the Padres treat these games as if they were the World Series. How will the teams respond? It will be interesting to see.

Roster moves

The Dodgers used a bullpen game on Friday after Snell went on the IL. So, they reshuffled the bullpen on Sunday to get some fresh arms in preparation for the Padres series.

They acquired left-hander Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. Lauer pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Dodgers in the World Series last season, but has not been good this season, giving up a league-leading 11 home runs in 36 1/3 innings.

To make room on the 40-man roster, they put Brusdar Graterol on the 60-day IL. Also, they put Jack Dreyer on the 15-day IL with a sore shoulder and recalled Paul Gervase and Chayce McDermott from the minors while sending Charlie Barnes back to the minors.

Greatest moment in Dodgers history

Coming soon, we will count down the greatest moments in Dodgers history. But first, let’s make sure every great moment is considered. So email me your more obscure pick for a greatest moment candidate. You don’t have to send in World Series victories, or Kirk Gibson‘s homer, or obvious ones like that. But if there is a moment you think might be overlooked, email it to me. I’ll compile a list and we will vote on it.

These names seem familiar

How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams. Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:

Anthony Banda, Twins: 1-0, 6.98 ERA, 19.1 IP, 19 hits, 8 walks, 18 K’s, 63 ERA+

Austin Barnes: out of baseball (released by Mets in spring training)

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .267/.375/.458, 200 PA’s, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 30 RBIs, 133 OPS+

Walker Buehler, Padres: 3-2, 5.01 ERA, 41.1 IP, 42 hits, 14 walks, 37 K’s, 82 ERA+

Mike Busch, Cubs: .232/.355/.369, 203 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 26 RBIs, 112 OPS+

Michael Conforto, Cubs: .345/.456/.655, 68 PA’s, 8 doubles, 3 homers, 11 RBIs, 220 OPS+

Caleb Ferguson, Reds: on the IL

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 0-5, 5.77 ERA, 43.2 IP, 41 hits, 29 walks, 48 K’s, 73 ERA+

Justin Dean, Cubs: in the minors

Tony Gonsolin: out of baseball

Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-2, 3.65 ERA, 7 saves, 12.1 IP, eight hits, five walks, 18 K’s, 118 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Mets: 0-2, 6.35 ERA, 11 1/3 IP, 12 hits, six walks, 13 K’s, 64 ERA+

Michael Kopech: out of baseball

Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL

Dustin May, Cardinals: 3-4, 4.81 ERA, 48 2/3 IP, 54 hits, 15 walks, 35 K’s, 81 ERA+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .182/.250/.260, 84 PA’s, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBIs, 44 OPS+

James Outman, Twins: .190/.244/.310, 45 PA’s, three doubles, one triple, 3 RBIs, 54 OPS+

Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors

Corey Seager, Rangers: .179/.286/.353, 182 PA’s, 6 doubles, 7 homers, 20 RBIs, 91 OPS+

Chris Taylor, Angels: in the minors

Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .318/.432/.561, 81 PA’s, seven doubles, three homers, 12 RBIs

Trea Turner, Phillies: .236/.286/.340, 206 PA’s, 8 doubles, 4 homers, 15 RBIs, 73 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .247/.374/.506, 198 PA’s, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 11 homers, 29 RBIs, 146 OPS+

Alex Verdugo: Out of baseball, had season-ending shoulder surgery

Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 3.2 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 6 K’s, 94 ERA+

Up next

Monday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 3-3, 3.60 ERA) at San Diego (Michael King, 3-2, 2.63 ERA), 6:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Tuesday: Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 3-2, 0.82 ERA) at San Diego (Griffin Canning, 0-2, 10.64 ERA), 6:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 3-1, 4.54 ERA) at San Diego (Randy Vásquez, 5-1, 2.68 ERA), 5:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers acquire left-hander Eric Lauer from Blue Jays, adjust roster after injuries

Shaikin: Hey, young athletes: Would you trust this former Dodgers pitcher to manage your money?

How Shohei Ohtani scored a Little League home run during Dodgers’ rout of Angels

Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell scheduled for arm surgery, timeline for return is unclear

Dodgers’ Blake Snell returns to injured list with loose bodies in his left elbow

And finally

Eric Karros hits a walk-off homer. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. Jason Collins, who combined with his brother, Jarron, to bring San Fernando Valley high school basketball to an unprecedented level during their days at Harvard-Westlake in the 1990s, died at the age of 47 because of brain cancer. Here are some recollections.

Legacy of Collins twins

In 1997, Jarron (left) and Jason Colllins.

(Los Angeles Times)

I’ve written so many stories on the Collins twins, Jason and Jarron, that I seriously considered writing a book about the family after their days at Harvard-Westlake in the 1990s. Their mother always told me the secret to their success was “greens and genes.”

With great sadness, when word was released last week that Jason had passed from his brief fight with brain cancer at the age of 47, I needed time to accept the news. I knew it was coming but the outcome remains unacceptable. He and his family sought every possible consultation and treatment. Unfortunately, a cure for glioblastoma remains undiscovered.

Rather than dwell on the tragedy of an illness taking away someone so young, I intend to celebrate his courage and the family’s courage. When Sports Illustrated put him on its cover in 2013 and quoted him, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” the world of sports changed.

Except he and his brother had already changed high school basketball in Southern California forever. Their arrival at Harvard-Westlake as freshmen in 1994 put the Wolverines on the basketball map and eventually led to what the Wolverines are today — one of the best programs in California.

They were the twin towers who grew to 7-feet and 6-11. They won two state titles and had a combined record of 123-10. One of their teammates was backup center Jason Segel, who’d become one of the best comedy actors in the world and received attention for his dunks.

Here’s a story from their freshman season in 1994, turning around a team that had gone 5-20 before their arrival. In 1995, Jason was named to the All-Southern Section super team that included Schea Cotton and Paul Pierce, two legendary high school players. On that same team was Doug Gottlieb, who’d go on to a media and coaching career.

They played at Stanford and in the NBA. They were good people guided by parents who taught them to be respectful and help others. Because of their size, they could never hide from the spotlight or walk around a campus without being noticed. It was tremendous pressure on two teenagers, but they had each other to lean on.

The years went by, and incredibly, Jarron now has two high school age daughters and a seventh-grade son playing basketball at Harvard-Westlake. Jarron has been an NBA assistant but insisted on his family staying in Southern California.

It was a privilege to see them develop before anyone knew their name and watch them mature and make a difference in little ways and big ways. Jason is gone, but Jarron and his children will keep Jason’s memory alive with their own contributions.

Baseball

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, St. John Bosco, Harvard-Westlake and Orange Lutheran all earned spots in Friday’s Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinals by going 2-0 in the new pool play tournament. The four other spots will be decided Tuesday in elimination games: Sierra Canyon at Cypress, Norco at Ayala, Corona at Corona Santiago and Huntington Beach at La Mirada.

Notre Dame plays winner of Corona-Corona Santiago. St. John Bosco plays winner of Huntington Beach-La Mirada. Harvard-Westlake faces winner of Sierra Canyon-Cypress. Orange Lutheran plays winner of Norco-Ayala.

Among the best individual performances in Division 1, James Tronstein went three for three with his 10th home run, drove in two runs and scored three runs in Harvard-Westlake’s win over Huntington Beach. Brady Murrietta of Orange Lutheran hit three home runs in a win over Corona. Jacob Madrid of Notre Dame hit his 12th home run in a win over top-seeded Norco. Here’s a report.

The City Section will hold an Open Division semifinal doubleheader Wednesday at Cal State Northridge, with El Camino Real playing Granada Hills at 2 p.m., followed by Birmingham taking on Carson at 5:30 p.m. The winners advance to play at Dodger Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. Here’s a report.

Two schools in the City Section, Jefferson and King/Drew, were forced to forfeit playoff victories when it was discovered pitchers exceeded the maximum allowed pitches in a game.

Softball

Kelsey Luderer is all smiles after a fourth-inning home run helped propel Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to a 6-3 win over Anaheim Canyon in a Division 1 playoff opener.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame entered the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs as a 91-1 longshot. At least coach Justin Siegel was having fun about a 91-1 longshot winning the 1913 Kentucky Derby, The Knights won twice last week over Anaheim Canyon and Oaks Christian to advance to a tough Wednesday quarterfinal matchup against defending champion and No. 2-seeded Norco.

The big surprise was La Habra beating top-seeded Murrieta Mesa 6-4. And how about Orange Lutheran defeating Chino Hills 17-14.

Here are Saturday’s scores.

Here are the City Section playoff pairings.

Track

Corona Santiago senior Braelyn Combe won her third straight 1600 meter title at the Southern Section finals on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

From Braelyn Combe of Corona Santiago breaking records in the girls’ 1,600 to Servite’s outstanding 4×100 relay team, there were lots of top performances at the Southern Section track and field championship.

JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame set a school and Division 3 record by clearing 7-1 in the high jump. There were top performances in the boys 100, 400 and girls distance races.

Here’s a report on the finals.

The Masters Meet, which involves qualifying for next week’s state championships, will be held Saturday at Moorpark High.

The City Section championships will be held Thursday at Birmingham. There’s been a considerable drop in top talent this season, but hurdler Jayden Rendon of Carson is one to watch in the 110 and 300 hurdles.

Lacrosse

Loyola won its second consecutive Division 1 boys lacrosse championship with a 14-6 win over Santa Margarita.

Here’s the report. Mira Costa upset top-seeded Santa Margarita to win the girls title.

Going on without Dad

Sophomore outfielder JJ Rodriguez of Birmingham is back playing after the death of his father, Anthony, last month.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Sophomore JJ Rodriguez of Birmingham lost his father last month and turned to his baseball family for assistance after the death. Here’s a look at how coaches and teammates came to his support.

Volleyball

Mira Costa’s Mateo Fuerbringer spikes the ball over Loyola’s JP Wardy and Xander Tangri in the first set of the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs on May 15, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

From start to finish, Mira Costa showed it was the best boys volleyball team in the Southern Section, winning the Division 1 championship over rival Loyola on Friday. Here’s the report.

Chatsworth defeated West Valley League rival Granada Hills to win the City Section Open Division title. Here’s the report.

Tennis

Harvard-Westlake won the Southern Section Division 1 tennis title on Friday.

(Harvard-Westlake)

Harvard-Westlake ended the four-year reign of Irvine University as Division 1 tennis champions with a 10-8 victory in the final. Here’s the report.

The state playoffs begin this week. Here’s the schedule.

Pride in her son

Kaden Tennyson (right), a Riverside Notre Dame shotputter, with his mother, Janet, who has been battling cancer.

(Tennyson family)

The mother of shotputter Kaden Tennyson from Riverside Notre Dame is so proud of her son that she wrote a letter detailing her pride while she dealt with cancer.

Here’s the family story.

Notes…

Santa Margarita’s boys’ swimming team has won the state championship….

Defensive back Gavin Williams of Damien has committed to USC…

Junior Kylee Yeh of Mira Costa has committed to Hawaii for women’s basketball. Senior teammate Jada Martin has committed to UC Merced….

Standout center Braiden McKenna from Los Alamitos has committed to UC Davis for football….

Former Norwalk, San Diego State and NFL running back Rashaad Penny is the new football coach at Long Beach Jordan….

Vince Peralta has resigned as softball coach at La Habra….

Junior water polo standout Liv Taub of Laguna Beach has committed to UC Santa Barbara….

St. John Bosco won its own passing tournament championship over Edison and Bishop Amat won the Charter Oak tournament over Tustin. San Juan Hills won at Dana Hills.

From the archives: Easton Hawk

Easton Hawk during his sophomore season pitching for Granada Hills

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Easton Hawk, a former Granada Hills pitcher, has become one of the key pieces to the rise of UCLA’s top-ranked baseball team this season.

Hawk has 14 saves and a 1.62 ERA in his second season serving as a closer. He did some relief pitching at Granada Hills but was primarily a starter. His ability to throw strikes with good velocity has made him an effective pitcher when a save opportunity is at hand. He hasn’t given up any earned run in his last 22 innings.

Here’s a story from 2023 of Hawk getting into shape for Granada Hills.

Recommendations

From SI.com, a story on a high school football coach in Texas is under investigation for alleged misconduct.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on how the mother of AB Hernandez is ready for any protests this spring.

From the Boston Globe, a story remembering the life of former Harvard-Westlake star Jason Collins.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

Born in Leicestershire and educated at Stamford School, Smith represented his home county and Oxford University before joining Warwickshire.

He captained the Bears from 1957 to 1967 and scored 39,832 first-class runs in 637 matches during his county career, the 18th-highest total of all time.

Smith still holds the Warwickshire record for most runs in a single season after scoring 2,417 runs in 1959 and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1960.

He remained involved with cricket after his retirement as a player, as chairman of Warwickshire and also as an ICC match referee, officiating in four Tests and 17 ODIs.

A dual international, Smith played rugby union for Oxford University and Leicester and won a cap for England against Wales in January 1956.

An all-star cast of pundits will join BBC Sport’s television coverage of the tournament from Salford, while reporters on the ground in the United States, Canada and Mexico will bring the latest stories.

Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott will lead BBC Sport’s TV coverage, joined by pundits including Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Micah Richards, Ellen White, Steph Houghton, Rachel Corsie, Giroud, Joe Hart, Azpilicueta, McCarthy, Lucas Leiva and Thomas Frank.

“The BBC is turning the biggest World Cup in history into the most iconic one yet. We’re bringing fans closer to every match, every moment and every story than ever before,” said Alex Kay-Jelski, BBC Director of Sport.

“Sport truly unites people like nothing else so we can’t wait for fans to enjoy not just the live matches with us but an abundance of football content, all day, every day across our platforms.

“Whether it’s our new series on YouTube and iPlayer, the biggest news stories on our website and app, our daily podcasts on Sounds or the viral moments on social media – we’re here for audiences 24/7 this summer, taking them straight to the heart of the World Cup.”

BBC Scotland will provide in-depth coverage of Scotland’s first men’s World Cup since 1998.

“It’s going to be thrilling to see the national team back on football’s biggest stage after 28 years – a moment that’s sure to bring huge pride and excitement right across the country,” said Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning for BBC Scotland.

The 2026 World Cup begins on Thursday, 11 June, with the final taking place on Sunday, 19 July.

Over the last five years, there has been a significant shift in how fashion and sports intersect, both on and off the court, with athletes’ influence extending beyond the court and into culture at large. Why now? And how has athlete style evolved?

These were some of the questions that three prominent athlete stylists — Brittany Hampton, Courtney Mays and Dex Robinson — unpacked last week at the panel “Game Changers: Where Sport Meets Style.” Moderated by Image contributor Darian Symoné Harvin and co-organized with the Only Agency, the event took place at the private members club Gravitas, a hub for folks at the intersection of sports, business and luxury in Beverly Hills. Gathered in the swanky yet intimate upstairs bar and events room, guests sat in plush chairs and sipped pink vodka cocktails and flipped through Image’s May sports and arts issue ahead of it hitting the newsstands. An also-plush takeaway? Stress balls in the shape of footballs, courtesy of the Only Agency.

The evening could’ve kept going — Hampton, Mays and Robinson had so much to say about an industry that is still widely misunderstood and filled with gatekeeping. The below edited version of the conversation gives you a glimpse into the demanding yet deeply fulfilling world of styling athletes.

Darian Symoné Harvin: Athletes often are not sample size. How do you source clothes and work with brands? Are they supportive? Anything you would tell brands if you could?

Courtney Mays: Size inclusivity is a huge thing. Because, especially when you’re talking about the W[NBA], you’re talking about women who are sometimes a men’s size 13 shoe, who are sometimes a 36-inch inseam. And although we’re using this platform to talk about larger issues, sometimes the larger issue is: I’m here and I’m a plus-size woman. Sometimes you have to use your presence to talk about those things, if you’re not verbally saying that, [and] you have to get the brands to stand behind you.

“We’re making sure that that Old Navy looks like Bottega,” said Courtney Mays, “so that at the end of the day you feel like the superstar that you are. We’re really curating the moment.”

Brittany Hampton: It’s also important for everyone that’s in the room to know that stylists can’t always get the ask that you guys may be asking for. If I have a seven-foot athlete, which I do have on my roster, and he’s, you know, he’s massive — he wears a 16-and-a-half shoe. There may only be a few brands [with his size]. There are going to be certain things that I may even have to pull out of his own closet. And then it still means, “Well, why do we have to give you that budget for that?” And it’s like, well, because I had to have an assistant go get that piece from his closet, have it dry-cleaned, have it picked up, then have it delivered to set. It’s still a process, there’s value in the work that we put in. We’re trying our hardest.

DSH: From a tunnel walk to a press run to a campaign, how do you break down your budget and your fee?

Dex Robinson: Each stylist approaches fees and pricing a different way, right? Also depends on how you were groomed or how you came into the situation. I was an assistant for years before I ever said I was a stylist, and even then I kind of treaded lightly before I was like, “I am a lead stylist.” I was someone’s assistant, and that’s when I asked all the questions that I needed to ask about what my fees would be. I knew the structures, I knew the things, so I wasn’t asking my peers, “Oh, how do I charge for this?”

BH: I do want to jump in and state for the people in the room that may or may not know we’re speaking in terms of expenses. The current budgets that they are talking about are particular to clothing expenses. That does not allot to our fees. We have labor that is very imperative, labor that goes into us doing market research, that goes into us having assistance across cities most of the time. I live in Los Angeles. None of my clients live in Los Angeles. So let’s say my client is currently in the playoffs and lives in Cleveland, but I’m pulling from both New York and Los Angeles, then we’re meeting in Cleveland to have a fitting with him, and that all takes a tailor of this, of that, etc. Now, having tunnel looks is one thing, but then also having a campaign is something completely different. We also then have to be very strategic about brands that we’re pulling from. And we are using our own cards!

CM: A lot of times, we are giving our own money down to say, “I’m taking this half a million dollars’ worth of wardrobe out of your store, and I’m promising you that I’m going to bring it back in a certain amount of time.”

DR: It’s a more lengthy exercise to get people to let you borrow clothes versus [when] the [clients] just pay for this stuff and I don’t have to worry about it after. I would much rather let them have it in their wardrobe and I figure out what to do with it after. And I’m not like, “Oh, you wore this one time,” and just throw this out. No, we gonna cut the arms off of this. We gonna turn this into some shorts.

When asked for one piece of advice for aspiring stylists, Dax Robinson encouraged people to first do their research. “Being fashionable does not make you a stylist … it takes years of perfecting a craft to become a stylist.”

But then to pull from a [showroom], that’s a whole ‘nother situation. That’s not really a money exchange, that’s more of a publicity exchange. And again, it’s still based off your name or your client.

CM: That’s when it’s important to get the shot. We live in a social media world. When we work with brands and we work with designers, we work with PR firms — what they’re looking for is that image. Not only the tunnel walk, but maybe it’s the walk out of the hotel or that paparazzi shot.

So we’re also partnering with photographers, saying, “Hey, our clients are going to the opening of LACMA. We need to capture the moments before.” Just like all the celebrities, they go to the SAG Awards, whatever, and they have these beautiful editorial shots before they even hit the red carpet. Why? Because they invested in a photographer to come to their home, to their hotel room, and say, “Let’s use 15 minutes before you walk out the door, get this BTS, get this shot, and we’re going to make it look beautiful.” Because we want to build the relationships with the brands of the clothing that we’re wearing.

DSH: What I love about what you’re saying is that it’s not only the tunnel, it’s not only the press run, it’s not only the campaign. It’s like, how are you creating this world around who the athlete is? To me, that’s exciting. It’s when you get into the creativity.

Let’s say that you receive a cold email from someone who wants to work with you. What kinds of questions do they ask that lets you know that they’re informed or they mean business? What lets you know, “Oh, they’ve done their homework a little bit, and they’re not just going to toss me around as a possibility”?

BH: We are brand architects, and because you guys are reaching out to us about a particular client, our job is not to just create a character, right? We don’t just create characters. We work with athletes. We understand that we have to know that athlete before they even walk in the room, and we have to understand their identity, understand their brand, and then build that with you [the brands] before we can even do the job right. There’s nothing more that I love than being on a call with a full production team for a full hour for a commercial. Because we actually want to know: One, what’s going into that player. Two, what they look like. Three, what they’re going to be doing, if there’s a double or if they’re going to be active — our talent is very performative, they’re performance-based first, and so we have to remember that when we’re dressing them.

Brittany Hampton on the role stylists play beyond the tunnel walk: “We’re not just bringing them a rack of clothes. We’re truly there to help build their identity and then who they’re about to become.”

CM: I feel like those conversations need to happen at the onset of working with a new client, with the agent, with the manager, with the assistant so that you can understand what the broader goal is for that client. A lot of times when people hire stylists, whether it’s per project or for a longer stint, a season, I think it’s like, “Oh, they just need clothes.” Like, I just had a job. [Her team] was like, “It’s the opening of the WNBA season. She needs clothes tomorrow.” Like an idiot, I took it: I really want to work with this girl. I’m gonna just send her a box. And I knew that was the dumbest thing I could have ever done, because I’ve never met her in person. I didn’t have the right sizes, and I think it ruined the relationship, because I didn’t have any context. So the fact that I couldn’t execute in 24 hours is sticking with me. I should have said no, because that is not my job — to go shop for you at the mall. My job is to really have a conversation about what your goals are, what your fit is, what brands do you love, what do you want to do when this basketball thing is over? I think that part and those conversations are important.

BH: It’s also important to have emotional intelligence. As we are the people that work with athletes on a consistent basis, we have to understand their bodies, but we also have to understand that they win games, they lose games. And half the time we are picking up their energy. We’re not just bringing them a rack of clothes. We’re truly there to help build their identity and then who they’re about to become. Sometimes you don’t get that lucky and get to have someone for that long, but the relationship building and creating that trust is something that’s so important, which is why those factors matter, like hiring someone maybe a month in advance and setting up those calls between the client and the stylist. Even if we just get on the call and we just want to shoot the shit and we’re like, “What colors do you like? What size do you like? What are brands that you love? Who do you look up to in terms of fashion?” Because some of these kids like it, and some of them absolutely don’t know.

DR: Well, that [direct relationship] might not be the reality depending on how big your client is sometimes, too. I’ve worked with people where they had to have that middleman for a little bit until they felt comfortable. So it wasn’t a situation where you could do that direct situation until they were ready. It’s also a different situation for me as a male, because guys don’t like being around other guys, so that’s why [women] dominated [the styling landscape] for years. Think about it. Like, as a guy, your mom is your first stylist. And then when you get a shorty you may say, “Yo, babe, I look nice. I’m good.” Guys really feel confident with a woman saying, “You look nice.” Not, “Yo, bro.” And then, even for me, a lot of the bigger guys I worked with, it was really their wives that was like, “You know what? My man can’t dress. I need you to come in.”

CM: That’s still the case. It’s somebody’s girlfriend or wife or agent. Like, “Please help.”

DSH: I want to talk about the people who you all work with when you are on set. I’m thinking particularly about glam. I’m curious about the makeup, hairstyle and grooming conversation that you are having, and why it matters.

“What you’re saying is that there’s a level of love that you have to put into it, and it’s not just about the clothes, but about the person,” reflected moderator Darian Symoné Harvin. “What do you like off the court? Where do you want to be? Where do you want to show up, right?”

CM: I feel like the stylist always becomes the creative director. We’re the hype man. We’re the one that’s talking to the hairstylist to say, “OK, she’s wearing this dress, we got to do XYZ, LMNOP.” We’re talking to the hairstylist. We’re talking to the photographer. We’re saying, “OK, we need a green backdrop instead of a yellow.” And I feel like that’s why we’re asking for certain rates; it’s not just me going to Old Navy to get y’all some jeans. And even if I am, because sometimes [Old Navy is] cute, we’re tailoring it. We’re making sure that that Old Navy looks like Bottega, so that at the end of the day you feel like the superstar that you are. We’re really curating the moment.

DSH: What advice would you give if you were sitting across a coffee table with a stylist who says, “I want to get into styling athletes”? What’s the one honest piece of advice you would give them?

BH: We can’t do everything. There are hundreds and hundreds of athletes across the board, and although we all came from a world of gatekeeping, it’s just not that anymore. Like we all have to share relationships. We have to continue to boost one another up. There’s been jobs where I’m like, “I can’t take that. Can you take that? Would you want that? This could be a good girl for you.”

DR: I think that a lot of people think because they’re fashionable, that means they should be a stylist. And I think being fashionable is just that. Being fashionable does not make you a stylist. I think it takes a sharpened eye. I think it takes understanding skill and proportion. I think it takes years of perfecting a craft to become a stylist. I think that people should just do research. I think that people should assist people. I think that when you come into a space and you don’t assist people, [maybe] you can easily attain a client, but retaining them is going to be hard, and I think that’s a difference, right? I wish a lot of the younger people that came into the space were more open to being a student first and not trying to become a professor.

CM: I also think that what we do is such an intimate thing. We’re getting people dressed. We’re in their homes, we’re in their hotel rooms. We’re with their families. Come as your authentic self and know that you have to do your best professionally — but also there’s a level of love that you have to put into it, and it’s not just about the clothes, but about the person, and about their goals and their aspirations. Make sure that you become a part of those conversations in a real, authentic way.

BH: It’s not just transactional. This is truly our passion. And we want to continue to work and just push for every person that comes after us.

Wales’ skillset and depth of the player pool remain up for debate.

Interim attack coach Ashley Beck said: “If the skill level isn’t as good as it should be, it doesn’t matter what shapes you play.

“If we want to play an exciting brand of rugby and compete against the best, the skill development needs to be better.”

Beck’s view was echoed by former Wales fly-half James Hook who was among the Scrum V pundits on Sunday. He also questioned whether Wales’ players are putting in the extras to improve as individuals.

“Whether it’s working on your kicking for an hour a day, your throwing, your passing, your tackling – are these players doing that? I don’t know,” said Hook.

“From my experience, once the team session is finished, your individual job still needs to continue.”

Wales’ strength in depth was also discussed on the panel, with Wales clearly in need of some reinforcement at fly-half.

Lillicrap said: “People have been calling out Lleucu George saying it needs to change there, but ultimately who comes in? If you take her off the field what other tens have you got?”

“As a fly-half on an international stage, you’ve got to run this team, you can’t throw a youngster into that lion’s den.”

Rory McIlroy shouted an expletive at a heckler who distracted him at a crucial moment in the final round of the US PGA Championship.

The world number two swore as he told the fan to “shut up” and seemingly urged security to remove the spectator from the grounds at the Aronimink venue.

Sunday’s incident was reminiscent of McIlroy’s heated Ryder Cup campaign last year, when he was the subject of frequent abuse by United States supporters during Europe’s victory at Bethpage Black.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, who won his second consecutive Masters and sixth major overall last month, closed with a one-under-par 69 at the US PGA to finish four under overall and tied for seventh in Pennsylvania.

He was five strokes adrift of victor Aaron Rai, who became the first Englishman to win the event’s Wanamaker Trophy in over a century.

The incident with the spectator occurred on the par-five 16th, with McIlroy chipping out of the rough into a greenside bunker after heckling during his backswing.

He moved within five feet of the pin with his next shot and sank his par putt, but would have seen the hole as an opportunity for a birdie.

McIlroy said after the round that he will not compete again until the PGA Tour’s Memorial tournament in three weeks, with June’s US Open at Shinnecock following a fortnight later.

The Sparks were determined to end a season-opening four-game homestand with their second straight win against Toronto. Instead, the expansion Tempo avenged a four-point defeat two days earlier with a 106-96 victory Sunday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena.

Guard Kelsey Plum, who started the day tied for the WNBA lead in scoring at 26.3 points per game, paced the Sparks with 28, Dearica Hamby scored 21 and Nneka Ogwumike added 17 points and seven rebounds.

Trailing by 13 at one point in the fourth quarter, the Sparks cut the deficit to six on Plum’s two free throws with 4:27 left, but they got no closer. The Sparks fell to 1-3 (tied with Seattle for last place in the Western Conference) while Toronto improved to 2-2.

“We’re four games in so it would be immature to panic,” coach Lynne Roberts said. “It’s a long season but we do need to have urgency out there.”

The Tempo outscored the Sparks 9-3 in the last three minutes of the first quarter to take a 27-21 lead and widened the gap to 14 points on Laura Juskaite’s jumper with 4:28 left in the second. A Hamby three-point shot at the halftime buzzer rimmed out and the Sparks headed to the locker room down 49-40.

Rae Burrell committed her fifth personal with 4:33 left in the third and Kia Nurse made both free throws to give the Tempo their largest lead, 65-49. The margin grew to 17 before the Sparks closed the quarter with a 13-8 run.

After a 27-point performance in the first game, Brittney Sykes had 14 points by halftime in the rematch and finished with a career-high 38. Guard Kiki Rice, who led UCLA to the national championship in early April, added 19.

Toronto won the game at the foul line, making 39 of 42 attempts (92.9%) compared to 23 of 30 for the Sparks, who held a 26-25 edge in rebounding, a 48-38 advantage in points in the paint and outscored the visitors 20-12 on second-chance points.

“That was ugly… hard to watch,” Roberts said of the free throw discrepancy. “Seventy-two [total] free throws? I get it, they’re trying to clean it up but it’s painful. I’m not saying we weren’t fouling just that it’s challenging.”

The Sparks are still missing offseason acquisition Ariel Atkins (concussion protocol) and forward Sania Feagin has been out with a left leg strain since Wednesday. Atkins, a two-time All-Star, was traded from Chicago for Rickea Jackson on April 12.

“We’re going to have to have resilience,” said Plum, who had 27 points, nine assists and three steals in Friday’s win. “This league is tough. You’re going to get punched but you have to take it and punch back.”

Guard Erica Wheeler made her second start, contributing four points and seven assists and Hamby grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

“It felt good… my teammates made it an easy transition,” said guard Kate Martin, who joined the Sparks one week prior after being cut by Golden State and got her first points with her new team, netting 11 in 18 minutes of action. “I don’t care how many points I score, I just want to win.”

Kelsey Plum drives to the basket during the game against Toronto on Sunday.

(Juan Ocampo / Getty Images)

In their first year under Roberts the Sparks finished 21-23 last season — a 13-game improvement from 2024 — but they missed the playoffs for a fifth straight time, marking the longest postseason drought in franchise history. Plum averaged 19.5 points and 5.7 assists per game.

“The beauty of this is that it’s a process,” Roberts added. “We opened up with four games at home and we didn’t take care of business. We can feel sorry for ourselves or we can fix it.”

The Sparks begin a four-game trip Thursday in Phoenix, then travel to Las Vegas on May 23, Washington on May 29 and Connecticut on May 30 before returning home to host Las Vegas on June 2.

Jannik Sinner has completed the coveted Golden Masters in tennis to become only the second man after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 events, the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.

Top-ranked Sinner’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final of the Italian Open also made him the first Italian man to win the tournament since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

“There’s no better place to complete this set,” Sinner said after winning the title and accomplishing the feat on the red clay of the Foro Italico in Rome in front of jubilant home fans who finally saw the half-century-long wait come to an end.

“For an Italian, it’s one of the most special places we play tennis in. To win at least once in my career means a lot to me.”

Djokovic completed the career set in 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States at the age of 31 and then went on to win each event at least twice. Sinner is 24, and with his only real rival, Carlos Alcaraz, currently sidelined due to a right wrist injury, he is proving hard to beat.

“Welcome to the exclusive club, Jannik,” Djokovic wrote on Instagram.

Sinner extended his winning streak to 29 matches. He hasn’t lost since being beaten by Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on February 19 . And he’s now 17-0 on clay this year as he is poised to enter the French Open, which starts on Sunday.

Sinner celebrated calmly as usual, revealing a wide smile when he landed an inside-out forehand on the line on his first championship point, then held his hands over his head in apparent relief. Then he waved to the crowd, which included former Italian professional tennis player Adriano Panatta sitting in the front row.

“Adriano, after 50 years, we’ve won back a very important trophy,” Sinner told the 75-year-old Panatta, who participated in the trophy ceremony.

Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam that Sinner hasn’t won. He has two Australian Open titles and has won Wimbledon and the US Open once each.

Sinner’s triumph came – also with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in attendance – after he lost last year’s final in Rome to Alcaraz in his first tournament back after a three-month doping ban. That defeat came a day after Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman to win the Rome singles title in 40 years. She also claimed the doubles trophy with Sara Errani.

With many of Sinner’s fans dressed in orange – his theme colour, which matches his curly hair – the capacity crowd of 10,500 on Campo Centrale created a football-style atmosphere with chanting and loud cheers for the player who has become far and away Italy’s most popular athlete.

After several key points, the crowd erupted into a cheer of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner.” Then there was more chanting during the trophy presentation.

Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian tennis federation, suggested that even if there was a 25,000-seat centre court in Rome – bigger than the US Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis arena – it would have been full.

No signs of fatigue

Sinner overcame exhaustion to beat Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals in a rain-delayed match that required two days to finish. But there were no signs of fatigue against the 25th-ranked Ruud, who has been one of the circuit’s top clay-court players for years.

Ruud reached two finals at Roland Garros, losing to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and Djokovic in 2023. But the Norwegian wasted an early break and a 2-0 advantage at the start of the first set against Sinner, who quickly broke back and then broke again towards the end of the set with the help of three key drop shots – two of which were so well-placed that Ruud didn’t even run for them.

A big backhand winner up the line gave Sinner another break in the opening game of the second set.

Sinner improved to 5-0 in his career against Ruud.

“What you’re doing this year, it’s hard to describe in words,” Ruud told Sinner during the trophy ceremony. “It’s really an honour to watch you play. … Congratulations for making history.”

Day to remember for Italy

It was an extra special day for the host nation after Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori became the first Italian duo to win the men’s doubles title in Rome since 1960.

Bolelli and Vavassori beat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (8), 6-7 (3), 10-3.

For both the singles and doubles finals, there was a packed crowd watching on a jumbo screen on the statue-lined court of the Nicola Pietrangeli Stadium next to Campo Centrale.

Elina Svitolina beat Coco Gauff in the women’s singles title match on Saturday.