Rhian Wilkinson intends to continue rotating her goalkeepers during Wales’ Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
Wales kick off their bid to reach the 2027 World Cup in Brazil when they face the Czech Republic at the City Stadium in Uherske Hradiste on Tuesday.
Wilkinson has regularly switched between her two frontline keepers, Olivia Clark and Safia Middleton-Patel, during her time as Wales head coach and says that approach will continue.
“Both of them have performed for Wales but I don’t feel either of them really grabbed the jersey yet and so I try not to make it [so] that it’s a combative environment,” Wilkinson said.
“They know before they come in which games they’re going to be playing, so I try to tell them that you have just got to perform in your game.
“If they can do that consistently, they’ll grab the number one, but I do not feel one of them has taken that number one role yet.”
Match of the Day pundit Joe Hart analyses how Bruno Fernandes was a “coach on the pitch” to “get the best” out of his Manchester United team-mates in their 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace.
Sunday marked Senior Night for the USC women’s basketball team at Galen Center, but it was the other team’s seniors who stole the show.
Gabriela Jaquez scored 14 points, Kiki Rice had 11 points and four assists and Lauren Betts had 15 rebounds as UCLA wrapped up the regular season with a 73-50 victory over its rival and finished undefeated in conference play for the first time since going 18-0 in the Pac-10 in 1998-99 under Kathy Olivier.
Having already clinched the regular-season title, UCLA became the first team to navigate the Big Ten schedule without a loss since Maryland in 2014-15.
It was the Bruins’ 22nd consecutive win, one shy of the record they set last season. Since their lone loss to then-No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas, they have won by 20 or more points 16 times.
Ranked second in the nation in both the Associated Press and coaches’ polls behind defending national champion Connecticut (30-0), the Bruins earned the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament in Indianapolis and got a bye into Friday’s quarterfinals.
Charlisse Leger-Walker finished with a game-high 20 points for the Bruins while Gianna Kneepkens added 14 points and five assists.
UCLA center Lauren Betts, left, controls the ball in front of USC forward Vivian Iwuchukwu during the first half Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
UCLA (28-1, 18-0) held USC to 27% shooting in the teams’ first meeting — a 34-point Bruins victory at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 3 behind Betts’ 18 points. It was USC’s most lopsided loss under coach Lindsay Gottlieb. On Sunday, USC (17-12, 9-9) shot 39% and was only three for 19 from three-point range.
UCLA jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the first five minutes and carried a 19-11 advantage into the second quarter. The Bruins widened the gap to 18 points by halftime, holding the Trojans scoreless for the last 3:08.
Whatever shortstop Roch Cholowsky does these days for UCLA’s No. 1-ranked baseball team never surprises those around him, so when he hit a two-out, two-run home run in the ninth inning Sunday to tie the game against Mississippi State, it was just another example of his power in clutch moments.
UCLA (9-2) went on to break the tie with three runs in the top of the 10th inning and held on for an 8-7 victory at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It was the third consecutive ranked team beaten by the Bruins during a memorable weekend of collegiate baseball. Mississippi State was ranked No. 4 and the Bruins’ other wins came against previously unbeaten teams from No. 23 Texas A&M and No. 20 Tennessee.
UCLA took the lead in the 10th on a wild pitch and drove in two more runs on a triple from former Huntington Beach standout Aidan Espinoza.
The Bruins held an 8-5 lead, but Mississippi State closed to 8-7 on a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th by Reed Stallman, his second of the game. UCLA used six pitchers. Will Gasparino hit his 10th home run of the season.
The Bruins return to Jackie Robinson Stadium for a midweek home game against Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday before traveling to open Big Ten Conference play against Ohio State in a three-game series starting Friday.
Sixth-year senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara, who spent most of this season as the Trojans top scorer, is no longer with USC’s men’s basketball program, the school announced Sunday.
A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly said that it wasn’t any one incident, but an accumulation of issues that led to Baker-Mazara’s departure.
Baker-Mazara left Saturday’s loss to Nebraska a few minutes into the second half after he chased down a lay-in and fell hard on the court. USC coach Eric Musselman said after the game that Baker-Mazara told coaches he was unable to return to the game.
After lead guard Rodney Rice was lost for the season in November, Baker-Mazara stepped into the void as the Trojans’ top scorer, averaging 26 points per game over the remaining seven games of USC’s non-conference slate.
Baker-Mazara became less reliable through Big Ten play. Five times during USC’s conference schedule, he has played fewer than 20 minutes in a game, for one reason or another. At times, his health was what held Baker-Mazara back. Other times, it was less clear.
His exit on the doorstep of March is just another ominous sign for the Trojans, who have lost five in a row. USC has two games still remaining in its regular season slate, with a trip to Washington on tap Wednesday and a home tilt with UCLA next weekend.
MEDLEY, Fla. — Rhyne Howard scored 30 points to lead Vinyl past Laces and into the Unrivaled semifinals on Saturday, while Paige Bueckers’ 29 points led Breeze past Rose to secure its semifinal berth.
The Sparks’ Dearica Hamby hit the game-winning shot against No. 3 Laces in Game 1 of the first round of Unrivaled’s playoffs. Once they secured the 82-69 win, players from the sixth-ranked Vinyl club — the last Unrivaled team to clinch a spot in the playoffs — jumped into Hamby’s arms in celebration.
Dominique Malonga had 17 rebounds and the game-winning free throw to help Breeze rout Rose, last year’s Unrivaled champion, 69-50 and advance to the next round, which will be played at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Monday night.
Top-seeded Phantom and No. 2 seed Mist earned automatic berths to Monday’s semifinals.
The title game will be March 4 at Unrivaled’s home arena in Miami, with a prize pool of $600,000 to be split among players from the championship-winning club.
Unrivaled announces end-of-season award winners
Phantom forward Aliyah Boston, who is entering her fourth season with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, was named Unrivaled’s defensive player of the year on Saturday after emerging as one of the league’s biggest defensive standouts.
Boston, who was also named to the league’s second-team All-Unrivaled list, led the league with 29 blocks in 14 regular season games and finished second in total defensive rebounds (111). She also led Phantom in rebounds (136) and points off turnovers (39). She averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game — a significant leap from her first Unrivaled season, when she averaged 5.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.4 blocks.
Boston’s Phantom teammate Kelsey Plum, of the Sparks, was named first-team All-Unrivaled along with Bueckers and Rose guard Chelsea Gray.
Bueckers led her Breeze club in points (22.1) and assists (5.5) per game and shot 38% from three-point range this season. Gray, who won Unrivaled’s one-on-one tournament earlier this month, had four game-winning baskets and became the first Unrivaled player to surpass 600 points, 200 field goals, and 100 assists.
Phantom’s Roneeka Hodges was named coach of the year after leading her team to a league-best 11-3 record in her first season at Unrivaled.
Up next
Phantom will face Vinyl Monday in the first of two semifinal games in Brooklyn. Mist will go against Breeze in the second matchup.
Chelsea have received nine dismissals across all competitions, although former manager Maresca, who was sent off for over‑celebrating a last‑minute winner against Liverpool, does not count in that total.
They are one short of equalling the joint record of eight different players sent off in a single season, held by Sunderland. They are two away from matching the Premier League record for the most red cards in a campaign.
This is far from a new issue.
Chelsea, bottom of the Premier League fair‑play table, finished second‑bottom last season under Maresca and bottom the year before under Mauricio Pochettino.
Maresca initially played down concerns before later launching his own review of the team’s indiscipline prior to his departure. Rosenior, meanwhile, believed he had tightened up Chelsea‘s disciplinary problems – only to see red cards return in consecutive matches.
“I have respect for the previous manager Enzo [Maresca]. I don’t speak about what happened before but it is starting to happen with me,” Rosenior said.
“That’s something I felt we had addressed. We went 10 games without a red card, now [we have had] two in two games and that’s a problem we need to solve.”
One possible factor, which is played down internally in west London, is that they have the youngest squad in the Premier League and lack natural leaders.
Former England defender Matthew Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It is costing them. I don’t think it is something you can address at this point – you’re in March.
“It is something that is said in pre‑season. It is cultural and you build it into the club. The players buy into it and they police it. It is about being measured and controlled at the right moment.
“Again, they are young as well. The younger you are, the more susceptible you are to those situations.”
One of the leaders tasked with helping halt Chelsea‘s disciplinary slide, Reece James, told Sky Sports: “Every time it’s someone different, not the same player. Internally we need to review and keep improving. It’s a problem.
“We are playing in the toughest league in the world — 11 v 11 is tough; 11 v 10 is even harder, no matter who you are playing.”
The president of Iran’s soccer federation says he does not know if the national team can play World Cup matches in the United States following the surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment of his country.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Mehdi Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 as Iran traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by the bombardment.
The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran continued for a second day on Sunday after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threw the future of the Islamic Republic into uncertainty and raised the risk of regional instability.
Iran has been drawn in Group G at the World Cup and is scheduled to play in Los Angeles — where it faces New Zealand and Belgium on June 15 and 21, respectively at SoFi Stadium — before it plays Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The United States is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11-July 19.
Fans from Iran were already banned from entering the U.S. in the first iteration of the travel ban announced by the Trump administration.
FIFA did not immediately reply to an email from The Associated Press over the current situation regarding Iran’s participation in the World Cup.
Samson hits 97 not out, West Indian bowling flounders in Kolkata as India set up World Cup semifinal against England.
Published On 1 Mar 20261 Mar 2026
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Sanju Samson produced one of the calmest innings under the pressure of a run chase to send India into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a five-wicket win over the West Indies in Kolkata.
Samson, who returned to the Indian playing XI in the previous match after being overlooked for the three games prior to it, remained not out on 97 as India pulled off an impressive win in front of a packed Eden Gardens crowd on Sunday.
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The wicketkeeper-batter was the only Indian player to score more than 30 runs as the defending champions faced the Maroons in a winner-takes-all Super Eight game.
In the process, Samson recorded the highest score by an Indian in a T20 World Cup run chase, going past Virat Kohli’s 82 against Australia in 2016 and Pakistan in 2022.
The cohosts will now face England in the second semifinal in Mumbai on Thursday, while New Zealand and South Africa will meet in the first last-four match on Wednesday in Kolkata.
Samson’s cool demeanour in the face of a high target and an expectant home crowd laid the foundation of India’s chase after they lost star batter Abhishek Sharma in the third over.
The 31-year-old from southern India then took control of the innings, hitting regular boundaries in his 50-ball knock. Samson’s 97 not out came off 12 fours and four sixes.
While he enjoyed brief support from India’s top and middle order batters, none crossed the 20-run mark until Tilak Varma scored 27 off 15 balls in a 42-run partnership with Samson.
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav (18) and Hardik Pandya (17) were the other contributors to the total, which was sealed with two boundaries off Samson’s bat in the last over.
West Indian pacers Shamar Joseph and Jason Holder picked up two wickets apiece as their teammates struggled to control the flow of runs off Samson’s bat.
Samson remained unbeaten in India’s run chase [Bikas Das/AP]
Earlier, a 68-run opening partnership between captain Shai Hope and Roston Chase gave the West Indies a swift start to their innings.
Chase, who scored 40 off 25 balls, was the more aggressive of the two openers as he made the most of his dropped catch by Abhishek Sharma to take on Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah in the first six overs.
Hope was dismissed for 32 after a sluggish innings and replaced by in-form batter Shimron Hetmyer.
The cricket tournament’s fifth-ranked leading run-scorer sped his way to 27 off 12 balls before falling caught behind to Bumrah.
India looked to be in control soon after as the West Indies were reduced to 119-4 in the 15th over. But a strong finish from Rovman Powell and Jason Holder took the 2012 and 2016 champions to 195.
Powell was unbeaten on 34 and Holder on 37 off 22 balls as they looked to put the pre-tournament favourites under pressure in front of a packed Eden Gardens.
Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers with two crucial wickets off his four overs.
Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy picked up the other two West Indian wickets.
West Indies’ players chat with Sanju Samson after the match [Bikas Das/AP]
Arsenal won their set-piece battle with 10-man Chelsea as Jurrien Timber sealed the Premier League leaders’ crucial 2-1 victory over their London rivals.
Mikel Arteta’s side struck twice from corners and also conceded from the same route in a match on Sunday that underlined the increasing importance of set-pieces in the Premier League.
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William Saliba’s first goal since December 2024 put Arsenal ahead in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.
Piero Hincapie’s own goal drew Chelsea level from one of Reece James’ deadly corners just before the break.
But Timber won a priceless three points for Arsenal with his second-half header before Chelsea winger Pedro Neto was sent off for a second booking.
The Gunners’ second successive league win reestablished their five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand and had closed the gap with a 1-0 victory at Leeds on Saturday.
After enduring scathing criticism of their mentality during a recent wobble that breathed new life into the title race, Arsenal have got back on track just in time as they followed last weekend’s 4-1 rout of Tottenham with a far more tense triumph.
Arsenal travel to Brighton on Wednesday with nine games left in their bid to win a first English title since 2004.
The Gunners, through to the League Cup final, the Champions League last 16 and the FA Cup fifth round, have just one top-flight match left against sides currently in the top six – a potentially decisive trip to Manchester City on April 18.
Chelsea’s third consecutive game without a win was a blow to their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
They dropped to sixth place after losing to Arsenal for the third time in Liam Rosenior’s brief reign.
Robert Sanchez nearly gifted Arsenal an early goal when the Chelsea goalkeeper stumbled under pressure from Viktor Gyokeres, but he managed a last-ditch clearance to avert the danger.
When Sanchez gave the ball away with another nervous clearance, Rosenior held his head in frustration.
Arteta preyed on Chelsea’s weakness at the back to take the lead with one of set-piece coach Nicolas Jover’s trademark routines in the 21st minute.
Gabriel Magalhaes towered above Reece James and Joao Pedro to nod Bukayo Saka’s corner into the six-yard box, where Saliba’s goal-bound header deflected in off Chelsea’s Mamadou Sarr.
Chelsea have conceded eight goals from set-pieces in Rosenior’s first 13 matches and four of those have been against Arsenal.
But the Blues got their revenge on the stroke of half-time.
Arsenal were given a warning when James’ corner hit Declan Rice’s shoulder, forcing David Raya to make a superb save.
But they did not learn the lesson and from the resulting corner, James’ in-swinger was headed into his own net by Hincapie.
Arsenal remained vulnerable from James’ corners and Joao Pedro should have done better than head straight at Raya before nodding wide from another of the Chelsea captain’s teasing set-pieces.
Those misses proved costly for Chelsea as Arsenal once again showed their own set-piece prowess in the 66th minute.
Timber made a perfectly timed run to head home from Rice’s corner, with Chelsea’s furious appeals for a foul on Sanchez failing to get the goal overturned.
It was the 16th league goal scored from a corner by the Gunners this season and their jubilant fans celebrated by chanting “set-piece again, ole, ole”.
Neto, booked for protesting in the aftermath of Timber’s goal, rashly took out his frustration on Gabriel Martinelli, chopping down the Arsenal winger to earn his marching orders in the 70th minute.
Arsenal still needed a brilliant stoppage-time save from Raya to deny Alejandro Garnacho before they could celebrate.
Timber said it Arsenal should “enjoy” the thrilling title race.
“We have to enjoy it. It is a privilege to be standing here with my teammates fighting for this title. It is a beautiful place,” he said.
“There are nine games to go, but we have to go game by game. Hopefully, there will be something beautiful at the end of it.”
James, meanwhile, admitted that Chelsea are receiving too many red cards due to ill discipline.
“We have spoken. It has come up a number of times. Every time, it is someone different. We need to review it internally,” the Chelsea captain said.
“Of course, it is a problem. We are playing in the toughest league in the world. 11 vs 11 [players] is tough. 10 vs 11 is even harder, no matter who you’re playing.”
Earlier on Sunday, Manchester United climbed up to third place in the Premier League with a 2-1 win against Crystal Palace.
Benjamin Sesko’s seventh goal in eight games sealed the win at Old Trafford that moved United above Aston Villa on goal difference.
“It feels like a big result,” said United captain Bruno Fernandes, who scored from the penalty spot.
At the other end of the table, Tottenham’s winless run extended to 10 games after a 2-1 loss at Fulham – leaving them mired in a fight to avoid relegation.
Nottingham Forest also failed to pull further away from the drop zone after a 2-1 loss at Brighton.
Players who cover their mouths when speaking to opponents during confrontations should be sent off, says Gianni Infantino, the president of football’s world governing body.
Infantino told Sky News, external he thought referees should work from a presumption that players have said “something they shouldn’t have”.
He was speaking less than two weeks after Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni raised his shirt over his mouth while speaking to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr during a Champions League game.
The ban was imposed pending the result of a full investigation by an ethics and disciplinary inspector, and Prestianni could be punished further once the investigation is complete.
Infantino said individual cases should be dealt with by the relevant bodies, but football more broadly must “act and be decisive” to bring in something which has “a deterrent effect”.
The issue was discussed at the International Football Association Board (Ifab) annual general meeting in Wales this weekend.
It was agreed there would be consultation to develop measures to stop players hiding what they might be saying to an opponent.
Infantino said: “If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously.
“There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn’t have said, otherwise he wouldn’t have had to cover his mouth.
“If you do not have something to hide, you don’t hide your mouth when you say something. That’s it, as simple as that.”
India beat West Indies by five wickets to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where the hosts will meet England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Sam Kerr scored her first international goal in 28 months as Australia opened their Asian Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over the Philippines in Perth.
The Chelsea striker, who returned to action in September after nearly two years on the sidelines following an anterior cruciate ligament injury, scored the winner in the 14th minute as she nodded in from close range.
Kerr’s goal – her 70th for her country – proved to be the sole highlight of the match at the Perth Stadium, with Australia wasting a number of chances.
“I think I’m just finding my confidence again,” said 32-year-old Kerr.
“I feel like I’m still my normal self, I’ve just got to get more touches in and around the box.
“Today was a good start and there’s a lot of belief in the team but as you see today, there’s a lot of quality teams in the Asian Cup so you have to take it one day at a time.”
Australia’s next game is against Iran at the Gold Coast Stadium on Thursday, with Iran opening their campaign against South Korea on Monday.
The games are set to go ahead, although the Asian Football Confederation has postponed a number of domestic matches on the continent following the conflict in the Middle East.
On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, which has responded with retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.
“In light of the developing situation in the Middle East, matches in the West Region, originally scheduled for 2-3 March 2026, will now be rescheduled,” the AFC said in a statement.
“The AFC will continue to closely monitor this rapidly evolving situation and remains resolute in ensuring the safety and security of all players, teams, officials, and fans.
“In this regard, we are in close and regular contact with the IR Iran women’s national team and officials in Gold Coast, and are offering our full support and assistance.”
Anton Forsberg made 29 saves, Alex Laferriere scored in the second period and the Kings beat the Calgary Flames 2-0 on Saturday night to end a five-game losing streak.
Forsberg had his second shutout of the season and 10th of his NHL career, two nights after coming on in relief of Darcy Kuemper in the second period of an 8-1 home loss to Edmonton.
Laferriere scored with 4:24 left in second, putting his own rebound past goalie Dustin Wolf for his 14th goal of the season. Adrian Kempe added his 22nd into an empty net in the final minute.
Wolf made 35 saves. He spent seven years in the Los Angeles Junior Kings youth program before playing major junior for Everett in the Western Hockey League.
The Kings have three games left on a six-game homestand.
Up next for the Kings: vs. Colorado at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night.
PHOENIX — The Dodgers have played mostly great baseball in Los Angeles for 68 years. How many position players wear the iconic L.A. cap on a Hall of Fame plaque?
“That is fascinating,” Freeman said. “That is amazing.”
That means the first position player to wear an L.A. cap in the Hall of Fame might well be the one that shed tears over leaving the Atlanta Braves. Freeman preferred to stay, but the Dodgers offered him a six-year contract and the Braves did not.
“Going into that offseason, it was hard to imagine him in a different uniform,” Friedman said. “And now it’s really hard to see him in a different uniform than ours.”
Yet the love affair between Freeman and Braves fans was so evident in his 2022 return to Atlanta that, in the moment, Clayton Kershaw said, “I hope we’re not second fiddle.”
Said Freeman: “I don’t shy away. I had 12 great years in Atlanta, but I’m having a blast here. It’s been four wonderful years, a couple of World Series titles. I’m here. I love every minute of this.”
We remember best what we remember last. Freeman is well aware of his legacy.
Freddie Freeman tosses his bat after hitting a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
No one else in major league history has hit one in the World Series. That was the “Gibby, meet Freddie!” moment.
What is Kirk Gibson remembered for? Do we have to ask?
Gibson played 12 years in Detroit and won a World Series. He played three years in Los Angeles, won a World Series, and one of the greatest moments in baseball history was immortalized by one of the greatest calls in baseball history: “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!”
Gibson is a Dodger.
Freeman played 12 years in Atlanta and won a World Series. He has played four years in Los Angeles and won two, with the walk-off grand slam to end one World Series game and a walk-off home run to end an 18-inning World Series game.
Freeman is a Dodger.
If you could follow him around town, you would see.
“I haven’t been able to leave my house once in the last few years without someone coming up to me,” he said. “Sometimes you just want to incognito and get to somewhere, but you can’t. It’s OK. That just means we’re doing something special here.
“Even in Orange County, it’s kind of taken over. There’s a lot more L.A. hats walking around than Angel hats in Orange County.
“It’s just fun to be a Dodger right now. It’s hard not to watch us wherever we go, and that’s special. It’s a great place to play. People want to come here and play. The fans obviously love us, and we appreciate all of it.”
Freddie Freeman waves to fans during Dodgerfest at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 31.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Even the traffic. Freeman grew up in Orange County, so he takes the L.A. traffic in stride.
“The 55 isn’t that good either,” he said with a grin. “Or the 91.”
It sounds crazy to say that Freeman could play two or three times as long with the Braves and enter the Hall of Fame as a Dodger.
The totals through 12 years in Atlanta: one championship, five All-Star appearances, one most valuable player award, three top-5 MVP finishes, .295 batting average, .893 OPS.
The totals through four years in Los Angeles: two championships, four All-Star appearances, two top-5 MVP finishes, two legendary moments, .310 batting average, .907 OPS.
Freeman is 36. His contract covers two more seasons, although he said he would like to play four more with the Dodgers and then call it a career. That would make 12 years with the Braves, eight with the Dodgers.
Then, assuming his career does not fall off a cliff: Cooperstown.
“I’ve only been here for four years, and you’re already talking about this?” Freeman said. “That makes me happy because that means I’ve done my job well.”
Reggie Jackson played 10 years with the Oakland Athletics, five with the New York Yankees. His Hall of Fame cap features the Yankees.
Nolan Ryan played nine years with the Houston Astros and eight with the Angels. His Hall of Fame cap features the Texas Rangers, his team for five years.
If Freeman is elected, he and the Hall will confer about which team should be represented on his cap. That conversation might be a decade away, but I’ll say it now: In L.A. and in Cooperstown, Freeman is a Dodger.
Rams safety Kam Curl (3) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Chicago Bears in the divisional playoffs on Jan. 18.
(Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
The Rams have not invested heavily at cornerback since 2019, when they traded two first-round draft picks for Jalen Ramsey. They have not drafted a cornerback since 2023, when they picked Tre Tomlinson in the sixth round.
Last season, the Rams thought their young and talented pass rush could compensate for their decision not to stand pat with the cornerbacks and safeties from the 2024 season.
That did not work out well.
Cobie Durant, a 2022 fourth-round draft pick, and Roger McCreary, a 2022 second-round pick by the Tennessee Titans who was acquired in a 2025 midseason trade, are free agents. So are Ahkello Witherspoon and Derion Kendrick.
The Rams have until May 1 to decide whether to exercise a fifth-year option on Emmanuel Forbes Jr. The Rams in 2024 signed the 2023 first-round pick after he was waived by the Washington Commanders. If the Rams exercise the option, Forbes would be guaranteed $12.6 million in 2027.
Safety Kam Curl is a free agent. But the Rams in January gave safety Quentin Lake a three-year extension that includes $25.7 million in guarantees, so it would be a surprise if the Rams are willing to pay a premium for Curl.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jamal Dean (Tampa Bay), Jaylen Watson (Kansas City) and Tariq Woolen (Seattle) are top free-agent cornerbacks. Top college prospects include Jermod McCoy (Tennessee), Mansoor Delane (Louisiana State), Brandon Cisse (South Carolina), according to the website.
Local chapters of National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame have begun honoring the top senior football student-athletes, with the Coastal Canyon area banquet set for Sunday in Agoura.
Players are selected based on their grade-point averages and leadership skills, among other attributes, honoring the best of the best.
Such players as James Moffat from Crespi, Mateo Bilaver from Chaminade, Jacob Paisano of Hart, Diego and James Montes from Granada Hills Kennedy will represent their schools on Sunday.
The Los Angeles chapter will hold its gathering in Manhattan Beach on Friday.
Simi Valley coach Jim Benkert has taken over running the Coastal Canyon group with dozens of individual student-athletes set to be honored.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Italy’s Marco Bezzecchi won the opening race of the MotoGP season with a flawless performance in Thailand, as defending champion Marc Marquez retired late on.
Aprilia rider Bezzecchi started on pole and never looked back as he stormed into a massive lead before sealing victory by more than five seconds.
KTM’s Spanish rider Pedro Acosta followed up Saturday’s sprint race victory by coming second, while compatriot Raul Fernandez of Trackhouse finished third.
Bezzecchi’s victory came after he crashed out of the sprint race on the second lap.
“Yesterday was a small mistake with a big consequence, so it was important today to try to bounce back,” said Bezzecchi.
“My pace was good with the medium [rear tyre], we worked super well all weekend, so I knew that I could be fast if I was in front. So I tried my all to make a good start and the bike was perfect.”
Ducati’s Marquez exited the race with five laps to go after suffering a type puncture while in fourth position.
The Spaniard, who is chasing a record-equalling eighth title this season, was closing in on Acosta and Fernandez but damaged his tyre after running wide, ending hopes of a podium finish.
Earlier this week Marquez said he was still recovering from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the final four races of last season.
Bezzecchi was fastest in all three practice sessions and set a new track record in qualifying, while this was his third-straight grand prix victory – having won the final two races in 2025.
Bezzecchi’s Aprilia team-mate and 2024 champion Jorge Martin came fourth, while Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura finished fifth.
Last year’s runner-up Alex Marquez did not finish the race after a late crash, while 2022 and 2023 world champion Francesco Bagnaia finished ninth.
