While McDaniel and his system have been a hot topic throughout training camp, he isn’t the only new coordinator in town.
Thursday’s game will offer a similar peek at what Chris O’Leary’s starting defense has in store.
“Overall, we played together; we played fast; we played violent,” O’Leary said of the group’s performance in Houston. “The result was a good result for us. We see a lot of stuff we can clean up along the way.”
O’Leary’s defense followed up a strong opening game by playing well against the 49ers’ offense in Tuesday’s practice.
“Honestly, don’t think it was our best day,” San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy said.
The Chargers would like to hear Purdy — who might play Thursday, according to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan — say that again.
Jerry Buss put together what was then thought to be a wild business deal to purchase the Lakers and related assets for $67.5 million in 1979.
Buss had a degree in chemistry, but his money came from real estate holdings and loans that moved between third parties to help him obtain the Lakers, Kings and the Forum from Jack Kent Cooke, who was going through a costly divorce.
Buss’ vision was to infuse Hollywood glamour into an NBA team few in Los Angeles seemed to care about, win championships and share that glory with his family.
Buss realized his Hollywood dream in more ways than he ever could have imagined, with his death in 2013 from complications from cancer touching off battles among his six children over control of the Lakers.
Lakers owner Jerry Buss, center, with children Janie, from left, Jeanie, Johnny and Jim in 1979.
(Gunther/mptvimages.com)
At least two siblings have tried to oust another from a leadership role. One sibling reportedly said two others never should have been born. And one sibling managed to fire the five others from jobs with the team.
The rifts mirror the HBO hit show “Succession.” Buss’ tenure and the family drama has been direct inspiration for two television shows and was chronicled in a docuseries the Lakers produced.
The latest daggers were delivered this week, with attorneys representing Buss’ daughter, Jeanie, admonishing her five siblings — Janie, Johnny, Jim, Joey and Jesse — for announcing the Buss Family Trust was selling its 17.8% ownership of the Lakers to new buyers Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner.
The sale would yield billions for the trust, with Iger and Kushner set to purchase the franchise at a $12.5-billion evaluation for the majority ownership stake of the team and a tagalong provision extending that price to the minority shareholders.
The Buss children are already billionaires following the sale of their majority stake to previous owner Mark Walter in 2025, but in addition to a big jump in share value, the minority stake sale would remove Jeanie from her coveted role as governor.
Neither side is giving up ground, suggesting lawsuits will soon be filed to resolve the family ownership dispute.
How did we get here?
The roots of the infighting date to the early days of Jerry Buss’ team ownership.
Buss focuses on building a family business
For the first 12 seasons Buss owned the team, the Lakers won NBA championships in 1980 and 1982 against the Philadelphia 76ers, 1985 and 1987 against the hated Boston Celtics, and 1988 against the Detroit Pistons.
Former player and shrewd executive Jerry West helped build the Lakers’ rosters, Pat Riley blossomed into an elite coach, and stars Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led a collection of elite playmakers during the Showtime era.
Jerry Buss, right, talks with his children Johnny, Jim, Jeanie and Janie in 1979.
(Gunther / mptvimages.com)
The Buss family came along for the ride, with each child working on some aspect of the family business. Jeanie notably helped organize events at the Forum and was eager to take on more challenges while honoring her father’s ambition. Her father put her in charge of the team’s indoor tennis franchise when she was only 19.
As Jerry aged and new stars emerged, including Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and coach Phil Jackson, it was clear the next ownership chapter for the Lakers would be messy.
For one thing, Jerry had trouble letting go of what he built.
“I just can’t visualize myself walking away, relinquishing control,” Jerry told The Times in 2002. “My relationship with this team is a lifelong marriage.”
A clear successor emerges
By the time they reached their 40s, Jeanie took on a greater role on the business side, while Jim became a basketball executive.
Joey and Jesse, the youngest Buss children, learned about scouting and business operations.
Lakers owner Jerry Buss poses with the NBA championship trophy in 1980.
(NBAE / Getty Images)
Jerry’s health challenges could not be denied and at age 69, he scaled back his involvement.
In 2002, Jeanie emerged as Jerry’s clear successor. At the time, her siblings did not seem interested in the role.
Her biggest challenges seemed to be getting the rest of the NBA to take her seriously after previously partying with her father’s girlfriends and posing nude for Playboy magazine. She told The Times she wished the media hadn’t focused as much on her past and stood by her work moving forward.
Soon after the Lakers hired Jackson in 1999, he asked Jeanie on a date. Their ensuing relationship added challenges to business operations, but The Times reported Jerry didn’t oppose it.
Lakers owner Jerry Buss and his daughter, Jeanie, pose for a photo at the Staples Center.
(Michael Kelley / For the Times)
Jeanie joined her father at NBA board of governors meetings for three years before being the Lakers’ sole representative at the gatherings that featured no other women. She handled an array of business challenges, big and small, and helped supervise the team’s move from the Forum to the Staples Center.
In 2002, all her siblings seemed content with Jeanie emerging as the face of the Lakers’ front office. They either were driven to make a name for themselves in other lines of business or had clearly carved out roles within the Lakers organization.
“My dad likes a system of checks and balances,” Jim told The Times. “Jeanie has more of the administrative part. We all have a good relationship. There’s no jealousy or envy. It’s very smooth.”
Buss family hits troubled waters
The smooth sailing didn’t last forever.
Jeanie helped her father navigate a series of difficult decisions. The Lakers agreed with Jackson to mutually part in 2004 amid a feud between Bryant and O’Neal, the first sign Jeanie was willing to part with someone she loved for the sake of the business. Jackson returned to coach the team in 2005 and held the role until his retirement in 2011, guiding the team to five titles.
In 2013, Jerry died and Bryant ruptured his left Achilles tendon. The Buss children reportedly decided against selling the team immediately after their father’s death, with Jeanie a clear vote against the move.
In 2014, coach Mike D’Antoni’s Lakers won 27 games. In 2015, the team won 21. In 2016, the team hit rock bottom with just 17 wins. Jeanie and Jackson broke up in 2016, ending their four-year engagement. She has since married comedian Jay Mohr.
Lakers star Kobe Bryant and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss stand beside each other on the basketball court.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
In 2017, the Lakers were headed to another losing season when Jeanie fired Jim, the president of basketball operations, and Mitch Kupchak, the team’s general manager. They were replaced by Rob Pelinka, Bryant’s former agent, and Johnson, the former Showtime star turned businessman.
Shortly after the firing, Jim and his brother, Johnny, tried to remove Jeanie from the team’s board of directors, sparking a legal feud that included Jeanie filing a restraining order while she wrestled control of the team.
“It wasn’t like we were trying to get rid of Jeanie as president of the Lakers,” Johnny said during a docuseries the team produced. “We wanted Jeanie to understand that Dad would not have wanted you to just take total control, hire and fire whoever you wanted, without the rest of us being involved.”
Jeanie countered her father created a trust that put her in control.
“They tried to disregard what their father wanted,” Jeanie said in the docuseries. “That’s a betrayal of all the hard work and what he did on our behalf to make this possible. I felt that there was this desire to remove me or stab me in the heart.”
A court ultimately delivered a ruling that Jeanie is still clinging to today as she hopes to retain the family’s minority ownership of the Lakers and her role as governor.
“The co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain controlling owner,” a letter written this week by Jeanie’s attorney reads, citing a 2017 court ruling outlining her role. “Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court.”
The ruling stipulated that co-trustees “would take all actions reasonably available to them, including voting the trust’s shares to ensure that [Jeanie] is elected as the controlling owner of the Lakers on an annual basis during [her] lifetime.”
A title masks more drama
Soon after the ruling, Jeanie included younger brothers Joey and Jesse in the search for a coach to replace Luke Walton. Her siblings continued to hold roles within the team.
With Jeanie’s power firmly defined by the court, the Lakers signed LeBron James in 2018, traded for Anthony Davis in 2019 and won a title during a season shortened by COVID in 2020. It is the sole championship the team has won since Jerry’s death.
LeBron James hugs Lakers governor Jeanie Buss after winning the 2020 NBA championship.
(Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty Images)
The run to the latest title was far from smooth.
ESPN reported that when Jesse called Jeanie to ask a question about a remark Pelinka made during Davis’ introductory news conference in 2019, she told a story of a promise made between her father and mother that Jerry would never have any other children. Jeanie’s mother reportedly was heartbroken when Jerry and his then girlfriend had Joey and Jesse.
The siblings still somehow continued to work in various aspects of the Lakers’ operation.
Jeanie reportedly took intense criticism of the team during the last five years personally and Joey and Jesse wondered whether she might be open to selling the franchise. At the same time, value of NBA teams soared as more billionaires moved into the space. A sale would shift the siblings from millionaires who struggled to invest in growing the Lakers’ operations into billionaires.
A climate opposed to a sale
Jerry created a trust he hoped would prevent his children from feeling pressure to sell the team.
ESPN reported he prepaid inheritance taxes to prevent his children from having to do so upon his death and added provisions to the trust allowing siblings to buy each other out and forcing shares to be redistributed among the siblings when one died rather than passing them on to the next generation of their respective families.
Joey and Jesse began exploring small shares of the team and tried to get other family members on board, ESPN reported. They had not completed their work before Jeanie announced Walter’s offer. Four of the six siblings approved selling 50% of their shares to Walter for a figure that reportedly stunned all of them. Joey and Jesse learned the sale had been approved via a post on X by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Janie told ESPN the Buss siblings were assured their roles with the team would not change for five years.
Walter’s purchase of the majority stake of the Lakers was approved by four of the six siblings in June 2025, with Jeanie endorsing the deal. She was assured she’d represent the Lakers on the NBA board of governors for at least the next five years.
On Nov. 20, three weeks after the NBA approved the sale to Walter, Jeanie fired Joey, Jesse, Jim, Johnny and Janie, who all worked for the team in various roles.
“I don’t think my dad would be happy with the way things just went down,” Janie told ESPN. “Not at all.”
While she disagreed with the way Jeanie handled the firings, her sister said in an interview with ESPN she didn’t think she meant to hurt her family.
“Jeanie doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, and so she just has to make these tough decisions,” Janie told the network. “And she’s been having to make them … I just wish she would’ve done it differently.”
Firing the last Buss family member
Last week, the family drama flared up again.
When Walter, who is facing multiple investigations into his business practices, reached a deal to sell his majority stake to Iger and Kushner, the family resumed conversations about completely cashing out of the Lakers.
Iger pledged to honor Walter’s agreement with Jeanie to remain as governor for at least five years and spoke highly of the Buss family in multiple interviews and statements released after the deal was announced.
Six days later, five of the siblings voted to approve the sale of their minority stake to Iger and Kushner, effectively firing Jeanie as governor.
Rob Pelinka, from left, Luka Doncic and Jeanie Buss pose for a photo in Katowice, Poland, on Aug. 27.
(Marcin Golba / Associated Press)
“We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction,” the family’s statement to ESPN read. “We love the Lakers, Laker fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can.”
Jeanie’s attorney has contested the sale, citing the 2017 court ruling. The attorney’s letter calls out two of Jeanie’s siblings for sending false information to ESPN: “This is just the latest instance of a years-long pattern whereby Joey and Jesse Buss leak false, defamatory and pernicious ‘information’ to Mr. Charania for the malicious purpose of doing harm to the Los Angeles Lakers so long as Dr. Buss’s chosen successor, Jeanie Buss, carries out her father’s wishes.”
Charania said he stands by his reporting.
The Buss Family Trust issued the following statement to The Times defending the five siblings’ right to sell the team:
“The Los Angeles Lakers have never been just a basketball team. They have been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. Our focus has always been on what we believe is best for the Lakers, the fans who have supported this franchise for generations and the greater Los Angeles community.
“Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey and Jesse have made the decision to sell the family’s remaining stake, and we remain united in that decision. We intend to move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through the appropriate process.
“We have tremendous respect for Bob Iger and Josh Kushner and believe they understand what the Lakers represent to Los Angeles and our incredibly loyal fan base. We are confident they will honor everything this franchise stands for while building upon the foundation our father created.”
It appears the Buss family will soon be headed back to court to decide their future as Lakers owners.
Four-time F1 World Drivers’ Champion’s new deal puts to rest rumours that he would exit the team at the end of 2028 season.
Published On 20 Aug 202620 Aug 2026
Multiple Formula One world champion Max Verstappen has signed a new contract with Red Bull Racing until the end of 2030, the team announced, ending speculation over his future in the sport.
“Four more years of full send. We are delighted to announce that Max has signed a contract extension with the team until the end of 2030,” Red Bull said on X on Thursday.
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The news came with preparations in full swing for Verstappen’s home race this Sunday, the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, and will delight his thousands of orange-clad fans.
Verstappen is one of the most successful Formula One drivers of all time, dominating the sport with four consecutive world championships from 2021.
But results have been harder to come by this season, with the 28-year-old failing to see a chequered flag in the first half of the year and sitting sixth in the drivers’ championship.
“This commitment is about more than continuing an already extraordinary alliance,” the team said in its statement.
“It is a powerful statement of mutual trust and ambition – and a shared decision to shape the future together.”
The uncompetitive nature of the Red Bull car this year has led many to speculate that the mercurial Dutchman could switch to another team or even leave Formula One entirely.
But Verstappen said he was keen to get the team back to winning ways.
“We have the best people and I’m excited to keep working together with everyone to get back to the top again,” he was quoted as saying.
Verstappen is yet to win a Grand Prix in the 2026 season, and he sits in sixth place in the 2026 Formula One Drivers’ Championship after 11 rounds [Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images]
Dutch courage needed this weekend
The news adds even more spice to the last-ever edition of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Verstappen was unbeatable on his home track, winning the first three editions since it was reintroduced to the circuit in 2021.
But he has since been chasing McLaren in his own back yard, with Papaya drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri claiming the last two races.
Verstappen is expected to don a special helmet for the occasion, inspired by the famous blue Delft pottery.
The promoters decided not to continue racing at Zandvoort, partly due to uncertainty over Verstappen’s future given his importance for the popularity of the event.
“I have always said it: The team is like a second family for me and I feel very at home,” said Verstappen.
“I came to the team hoping to be able to win races. What we went on to achieve together has been simply lovely,” added Verstappen, using his trademark phrase.
HOUSTON — Ethan Pecko struck out four in his major-league debut, five Houston relievers pitched shutout ball for five-plus innings and Christian Vázquez homered as the Astros beat the Angels 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Pecko, a 2023 sixth-round selection by Houston, was ranked ninth in the Astros’ system by MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up three hits, two runs and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. He was the 17th starter used by the Astros this season, tying a franchise record set in 1965.
Vázquez’s solo homer, his seventh of the year, put the Astros ahead in the third inning.
Nick Allen pinch-hit for Jeremy Peña after Peña was hit by a 100-mph sinker on his hand in the first. The Astros said he had a bruised right hand.
In the same inning, manager Joe Espada was ejected after arguing a hit-by-pitch call.
Denzer Guzman put the Angels ahead in the fourth with what initially appeared to be a three-run homer. But, the call was changed to a two-run double due to fan interference.
Houston’s Jose Altuve tied the score with an RBI double in the bottom half of the inning, and Cam Smith put the Astros ahead with a sacrifice fly that scored Isaac Paredes.
Bennett Sousa (1-1) earned the win in relief and Josh Hader earned his 18th save.
Walbert Ureña (8-9) worked five innings for the Angels, giving up three runs and three hits with seven strikeouts.
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Nico Hansen finished with one save and had his third consecutive shutout to help the Colorado Rapids beat LAFC 1-0 Wednesday night.
The Rapids (9-10-1) have won three consecutive games, all by shutout, and four of five since the World Cup break.
LAFC (10-7-4) is winless in three straight for the first time this season.
The Rapids took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute on an own goal by Jeremy Ebobisse. Youssef Maziz played a free kick from the right side into the area that was redirected by Ebobisse off the back post and into the net.
Cabral Carter made his first start in MLS and finished with three saves.
LAFC and the Rapids played to a 0-0 tie in Los Angeles on April 22.
Joseph Paintsil scored a short-handed goal in the 79th minute to lead the Galaxy to a 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night.
Paintsil used assists from rookie defender Harbor Miller and Marco Reus to find the net for the fifth time this season. Miller’s helper was his second, while Reus collected his seventh.
The Galaxy (6-8-7) were forced to play a man down from the 45th minute on after midfielder Lucas Sanabria was tagged with a pair of yellow cards in the final nine minutes of the first half.
JT Marcinkowski saved five shots for the Galaxy for his third clean sheet in 16 starts this season.
Hirving “Chucky” Lozano started in his first home match for the Galaxy after coming off the bench last time out in his debut.
Angus Gunn totaled six saves for San Jose (10-7-3) in his fifth MLS start. The 30-year-old surrendered 12 goals in his first four outings.
The Galaxy ended an 0-3-3 winless skid and won for the first time since beating the Sounders 2-0 in Seattle on May 16.
San Jose has dropped three in a row and is 0-4-1 since July 1.
The two clubs played to a 1-1 draw in San Jose earlier this season.
Celtic take a huge step towards the Champions League as two stunning Camilo Duran strikes help carve out a commanding first-leg play-off lead against LASK.
Last season’s Champions League fairytale side Bodo/Glimt look set to qualify for this year’s edition of the competition after winning 3-1 away at NEC Nijmegen of the Netherlands.
Hope Not Hate said current attempts to tackle online abuse often focused too heavily on what happens after a racist post had already been seen.
Players can block users, report messages and platforms can suspend accounts, but Hermansson says those measures do not address the way abusive content is amplified.
“X doesn’t take racism seriously enough,” he added. “We’ve seen it for a number of years now. There is no change or improvement.”
He said social media companies already had the tools to alter how their algorithms recommended content, particularly during periods when abuse is surging.
“It’s actually a relatively small number of accounts and originating tweets that then get tons of replies,” he said.
“I think it’s entirely feasible to stop this, or a vast amount of it.”
Hope Not Hate said one option would be to downrank posts attracting large volumes of abuse, meaning they were recommended to fewer people.
Before the new Premier League season the group called on UK’s media regulator Ofcom to use its existing powers under the Online Safety Act more effectively and address predictable spikes in hate.
They want Ofcom to outlaw the algorithms fulling abuse and also to designate major sporting events as “high risk”.
This would require platforms to deploy strict safety-by-design rules, remove abuse proactively and downrank rapidly escalating viral hate through algorithmic adjustments.
In a statement to BBC Sport, Ofcom said: “We’re pushing tech firms hard to make their services safer, and we’ll be holding them to account if they don’t.”
Ofcom also cited a new partnership with police and footballing bodies before the World Cup to tackle online abuse.
DENVER — The imaging Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz underwent in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning revealed a “best-case scenario,” manager Dave Roberts said before the series finale against the Rockies.
“There were no findings, so that was good,” Roberts said. “MRI was clean. It doesn’t change the fact that he had this sensation in his neck. But I think to keep working on it, give it some rest as far as throwing the baseball.”
Díaz officially went on the IL for “neck inflammation,” but early theories on the injury, before he went to a specialist on Wednesday, suggested the issue could be related to the area around the trapezius, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Roberts said Wednesday that the results suggested the injury was more muscular, rather than nerve related.
“I think he’d been feeling the tightness in his neck,” Roberts said. “But I think where it went to the other night, he hadn’t felt that sensation. So that’s what really checked him up.”
Roberts said he didn’t know exactly how long Díaz would be shut down from throwing, but he estimated that it probably would be only a couple of days.
The bullpen shuffle continued Wednesday, when the Dodgers activated right-hander Brock Stewart (right shoulder discomfort) from the 15-day IL. In a corresponding move, they designated right-hander Jonathan Hernández for assignment.
The Swede set Celtic on their way and Duran’s double did the rest, a gorgeous volley – on the back of hustling and harassing of the LASK defence – and then that sumptuous team goal that rounded it off.
O’Neill said the club has a bargain in Duran and the early signs are that he was an absolute steal at somewhere between £4.5m and £6m, depending on who’s talking.
The Colombian has intelligence and guile but he’s also got the work-ethic that means every bit as much as his other qualities.
In the 72nd minute, Celtic were 3-0 ahead, and yet there the 24-year-old was darting back into defence to help out, tracking LASK men until they were hounded out of possession.
As much as his goals, his lung-busting effort to put in a shift made him a hero of the night for Celtic people. Honesty counts for a lot.
It’s easy to say that Celtic learned their lesson from a year ago and splashed the cash. They spent close to £30m and now they’re getting their reward. It’s never that simple.
Spending is something that Celtic have done a lot of over the years. Spending wisely has been their problem. Splurging money on last-minute loans who, surprisingly, turn out to be duds.
Forking out multiple millions on recent and not so recent failures – from Balikwisha to Barkas – has been the problem. The decision-making has been awful too often.
Duran represents a return to form, a reminder of the days when they found value, mostly under Ange Postecoglou.
We’re too quick to write off players and we can also be too quick to brand them as stars in waiting. You should tread carefully at all times. With Duran we’ll take the plunge – this guy looks special.
Beyond offering a physical distraction, Kasper Hogh was quiet against LASK, but he will score plenty in the weeks and months ahead. At £11m, he, too, looks like money very well spent.
Much like it is a tradition for a footballer to take away the match ball after scoring a hat-trick, a bowler will pocket the cricket ball after claiming a five-wicket haul.
But what happens if two bowlers take five-wicket hauls in the same innings?
England seamers Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue came up with a solution after they snared five apiece on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan.
“Robbo said we can split the ball in half,” Tongue told Test Match Special. “The groundstaff have kindly done that.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen that happen. I’m sure I’ll be putting that up somewhere.”
Robinson showed off his half in a media conference and explained: “We were walking off the field.
“Josh said it and I said: ‘We actually should do that, it would be quite cool.’
“You don’t really have too many halves of a cricket ball, so it would be something that we never forget.”
The efforts of the pace-bowling duo helped Joe Root get off to an ideal start on the first day of his second stint as England Test captain.
Tongue claimed 5-46 and Robinson 5-51 to skittle Pakistan for 171 after England won the toss. The home side moved to 112-2 by the close in Leeds.
Tongue and Robinson are the first pair of England bowlers to register five-wicket hauls in the same Test innings since Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar against Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2006.
They led England off the field at Headingley hand in hand, hatching their plan to make one ball into two halves.
“Wayne Bentley, the team manager, took it down to the groundstaff,” said Robinson.
“I said: ‘Do you reckon they will be able to do it?’ Within five minutes he brought it back up and it was done. It’s really nice.”
Aston Villa are interested in signing Chelsea‘s English defender Tosin Adarabioyo, 28, as a potential replacement for Ezri Konsa following Arsenal‘s deal for the 28-year-old England international. (Sky Sports), external
Benfica have also made contact with Chelsea over a potential deal for Adarabioyo. (Sun), external
Barcelona are monitoring Harry Kane’s contract talks with Bayern Munich, with the England striker, 33, having entered the final year of his current deal. (Mail), external
Sunderland could shatter their transfer record by triggering the 60m euros (£51m) release clause for Sporting’s Mozambique winger Geny Catamo, 25. (Teamtalk), external
Evertonare interested in Como’s Senegal winger Assane Diao, 20, who could cost between £50m and £60m. (Teamtalk), external
Arsenal‘s Gabriel Jesus is not looking to move to Napoli despite their interest in the Brazil forward, 29. (Mirror), external
Barcelona have put attempts to sign Argentina forward Julian Alvarez, 26, from Atletico Madrid on hold and are exploring other options. (ESPN), external
Atletico Madrid are looking to beat Manchester United to the signing of Spanish defender Jorge Salinas, 19, from Racing Santander. (Teamtalk), external
Nneka Ogwumike’s return to the Sparks this season, it turned out, was a goodbye tour.
The 15-year WNBA veteran announced on Wednesday morning that this would be her last WNBA season.
She made the announcement in an interview with Taylor Rooks at Boardroom Talks.
“I feel very fulfilled with the 15 years that I’ve been able to play and compete at such a high level and I am proud to say that I’m retiring from the WNBA,” Ogwumike said.
Drafted first overall in 2012, Ogwumike was the WNBA rookie of the year and went on to have one of the best careers in. league history. She was the league’s MVP in 2016, when she led the Sparks to their most recent WNBA title. She is also a four-time first-team All-Defensive player.
In her return to the Sparks this season, Ogwumike set the Sparks’ all-time scoring record and was selected to her 11th WNBA All-Star Game, where she also became that event’s leading scorer.
She is the active WNBA leader in career field goals (3,098), rebounds (3,565) and steals (707).
“There is no telling the story of the WNBA’s recent growth and evolution without Nneka Ogwumike,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “Her extraordinary career has been defined not only by excellence, but by the way she has led and lifted those around her.”
Ogwumike, a future Hall of Famer, was the Sparks’ free-agent splash this offseason after she spent her last two seasons in Seattle. She returned to the organization that drafted her intending to help them get back to the postseason.
Ogwumike has played 31.3 minutes per game for the Sparks this season while averaging 16.9 points and 8.7 rebounds, her most since 2023.
“I’ve learned there’s power in knowing when to walk away,” Ogwumike told Boardroom Talks. “For so long, that strength meant finding a way to keep pushing; now, it means recognizing when you feel complete. I find myself grateful, fulfilled and at peace with everything this game has given me and everything that I’ve poured into it.”
Ogwumike also serves as the president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Assn., where she helped spearhead a transformative collective bargaining agreement this offseason that brought some player salaries over $1 million for the first time.
She signed a one-year, $950,000 deal to return to the Sparks in the offseason.
Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue both took five-wicket hauls to put England in early control of the opening Test against Pakistan at Headingley, as the home side closed on 112-2 at stumps on day one, just 59 runs behind the tourists’ first-innings total of 171.
McKINNEY, Texas — The judge in the case of a Texas teenager convicted of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old athlete at a high school track meet was ordered removed Wednesday, as the defendant seeks a new trial in a case that drew national attention.
Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a suburban Dallas jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year.
The case attracted national attention in part because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race.
Dozens of Anthony supporters gathered inside and outside the Collin County courtroom for Wednesday’s hearing, and some chanted “Free Karmelo!” in the parking lot after visiting Judge Sid Harle’s order to remove state District Judge John Roach as Anthony seeks a retrial.
A new judge will be assigned for Thursday’s hearing on Anthony’s request for a retrial.
Anthony’s legal team argued Wednesday that a retrial is needed in part because Roach enforced overly strict courtroom rules and gave an interview after the trial was over.
In the interview that was played as Wednesday’s hearing began, Roach was asked if the jury got “it right.”
“Yeah, they did,” Roach said, adding: “Whatever they say, they got it right.”
Harle said he did not know Roach and he believed Roach would be fair in a hearing for a retrial. But Harle agreed to Anthony’s request to remove him because of the way it might look to a third party.
Anthony attended the hearing wearing a green jumpsuit. His parents and Metcalf’s parents also were in the courtroom. Attorneys for Anthony’s and Metcalf’s families did not immediately comment on the ruling.
Anthony did not testify during the trial where students described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal on a rainy spring day to leave a tent that belonged to Metcalf’s team. The teens went to different high schools.
Several schools were competing when Anthony sat under the Memorial High School tent that was perched in the bleachers. Austin Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation.
Prosecutors said Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses testified that Anthony was the aggressor.
Anthony at one point reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.
Metcalf pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.
TIG’s takeover has been a far from a smooth journey and has taken over two years with their first attempt halted when club members stopped talks before the group took their offer off the table in January.
However, in June, the members authorised for the club’s management committee to enter formal negotiations with TIG and Monday’s eventual vote passed with 81% in favour.
“If you stand back and look at this, Cliftonville is a club that is held dearly by so many people,” he added.
“It was owned and controlled by the membership, so obviously, members are going to be reluctant to let it go effectively, especially to a private company. I understand all of the complexities around that.
“If you want to be open and honest about it, it just goes to show how much this club means to people. I just hope when it is complete, we can move together stronger as a team.”
Devine added that the Canadian consortium will be investing long-term and that it is a “passion project” for the group.
“This is a long-term play, this is not a five, six or a seven-year thing,” said Devine.
“One of the first things the guys said to me when we looked at this was that they are 25-year people, they are long-term. That is very unusual.
“These guys have spoken about ROIs [return on investment] or return in money; this is a passion project and an impact investment into the local area.”
Josh Tongue removes Salman Ali Agha and Ali Usman in back-to-back balls but falls just short of the hat-trick as Khurram Shahzad hits the third delivery emphatically for four on day one of the opening Test between England and Pakistan at Headingley.
Lawrence Shankland is “too good not to score regularly” and is sure to have a “big influence” at Rangers whether or not he starts games, insists manager Derek McInnes.
Shankland has scored once in five outings since his move to Ibrox and the captain was used as a substitute on Sunday as Rangers beat St Mirren 5-1 for their first win of the season.
The 31-year-old Scotland striker hit 22 goals for Hearts last term working under McInnes.
“When you have a player like Lawrence, who knows his way around the penalty box and how to score goals, I do not worry too much about it,” said McInnes.
“He is too good not to score regularly. He has consistently shown that over a period of time in the Premiership.
“Sometimes people can over emphasise these things. For me, it is a case of letting him play his natural game.
“The best strikers have that instinctive side to their game, where everything looks natural and seamless. I have no doubt he will do well here.”
McInnes chose to start with Ryan Naderi in the Premier Sports Cup victory over St Mirren and the German opened the scoring, while Nico Raskin was skipper.
“I said that when I spoke to Lawrence,” added McInnes. “Being captain does not guarantee anything, and he accepted that. He is not going to stamp his feet about it. Having worked with Lawrence before, he is a brilliant captain and a brilliant boy.
“You want your captain to have a big influence on and off the pitch, and I believe Lawrence will have that.”
“The priority is at the top end of the pitch,” said McInnes. “Number nines are normally more difficult ones to do, and it wasn’t an area we were looking at before Youseff’s injury.
“We’re hoping we can land on the one that we want and hopefully we can bring them here quickly.”
The Baleba situation also highlights a strategic change.
In the past, United have almost trailed the players they want to sign, then spent ages trying to complete a deal – or not.
Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong was a case in point in 2022. Erik ten Hag felt certain he could do the deal even though United’s recruitment staff were being told it was impossible.
It was well into August before the club admitted defeat; with defeats by Brighton and Brentford triggering the £70m deal for Casemiro.
This summer, there has been stealth behind their work. It suited them for talk around England’s Elliot Anderson to obscure what they were thinking around initial midfield targets as they knew the Nottingham Forest man would be financially beyond their reach.
The Santos deal was wrapped up within a week. The Tielemans one was less than that.
There has been consideration given to Mount being the ‘third midfielder’ because of his exceptional form in the early part of pre-season.
However, although his early exit in the encounter with Paris St-Germain in Gothenburg on 8 August was described as ‘precautionary’, Mount has still to return from the foot injury, which would only have heightened concerns around his injury record.
Baleba was supposedly off the radar as a third midfielder. Tchouameni, Scott, Kone, Berge and Adams were the ones being monitored. Now United have made their move, it would be a surprise if the transfer was not concluded swiftly.
Evidently, Old Trafford’s recruitment plans are now being controlled to a far tighter degree than was previously the case.
The high school football season begins this weekend with Week 0 games. Let’s examine storylines and questions to be answered:
Will a lineman be the player of the year?
The last time a lineman was The Times’ player of the year was St. John Bosco offensive tackle Wyatt Davis in 2016. The Braves now have Elisha Mueller, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound junior transfer from Servite, as one of their blockers, so don’t be surprised if he emerges as an MVP candidate on a team that can go unbeaten. Sierra Canyon defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou is also an MVP-like lineman.
Can any City Section team beat defending champion Carson?
Call it unlikely. The Colts return versatile quarterback Chris Fields III, who does magical things when you least expect it. There’s linemen to protect him and a nonleague schedule that should have the Colts prepared to run over Marine League teams.
Can Santa Margarita show its 2025 championship in the first year of Carson Palmer as coach was no fluke?
The Eagles don’t have the defensive front from last season that was so dominating and gone to USC is Mr. Big Play, Trent Mosley. Expect the Eagles to put up a good challenge to St. John Bosco in the Trinity League. There’s speed and talent and Steven Fifita is about as good a defensive coordinator as there is. Wait for the young players, led by freshman linebacker Aydan Steen, to come on strong late in season.
Former Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer raises the 2025 Southern Section Division 1 championship plaque in his first year as head coach at Santa Margarita.
(Craig Weston)
Is Long Beach Poly ready for a resurgence?
First-year coach Travon Patterson made one of the best hires for his offensive coordinator, former Cathedral and Warren coach Kevin Pearson. He has two cornerbacks second to none in JuJu Johnson and Donte Wright. The key to the Jackrabbits returning to the top in the Moore League will be whether they can develop their offensive line to be effective.
Who will be the most successful first-year coach?
This is going to be debated all season because so many well-known football programs changed coaches. Servite’s Rick Garretson, Orange Lutheran’s Ray Fenton and JSerra’s Hardy Nickerson have high expectations from their rabid fan base. St. Bernard’s Dean Herrington takes on a rebuilding job. Bishop Alemany’s Dennis Keyes takes over a program that hit rock bottom. Jeff Bailey left Yorba Linda for Beverly Hills, which can go nowhere but up. You’ve heard of Storm Watch. This season will be called Rookie Coach Watch.
How many teams will make the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs?
Don’t look for more than eight. The Southern Section wants competitive equity, and the leading candidates at the end of the season can already be predicted: St. John Bosco, Santa Margarita, Orange Lutheran, Mater Dei, Servite, Corona Centennial, Sierra Canyon and Mission Viejo. Remember last season, with the help of rain, the No. 8 seed, Orange Lutheran, stunned the No. 1 seed, St. John Bosco.
Quarterback Chris Fields III of Carson is a dual threat quarterback who led the Colts to the City Section Open Division title last season.
(Craig Weston)
Does the City Section still have talent?
Absolutely. The recruiters have already discovered defensive end Elyjah Staples from Marquez, linebacker De’Andre Kirkpatrick from Crenshaw, Fieldsand his heavily recruited Carson teammate and defensive back Bennie Saulter. There are others waiting for their chance. Beware of receiver Paul Turner of Birmingham.
Will there be another eligibility scandal?
Count on it if athletic directors and principals don’t take their jobs seriously to give scrutiny to transfer paperwork and make home visits. There were rumors throughout the summer of 2025 about Bishop Montgomery turning the other cheek, and sure enough, they were correct. The school ended up canceling its season after too many players were declared ineligible.
What are the great games to mark on your calendar?
On Thursday, it’s Corona Centennial vs. Servite at Orange Coast College. On Friday, it’s St. John Bosco at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman.
Aug. 28: Inglewood at Westlake, Santa Margarita at Corona Centennial. Sept. 4: Murrieta Valley at Cajon, San Clemente at Chaparral. Sept. 10: Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor. Sept. 11: Corona Centennial vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium, Cathedral at King/Drew. Sept. 18: Orange Lutheran at Sierra Canyon. Sept. 25: Oxnard Pacifica at Sierra Canyon, Servite at Damien.
Coach Jason Negro and St. John Bosco open the season as the No. 1 team in California.
(Craig Weston)
Oct. 1: Murrieta Valley at Chaparral. Oct. 2: San Pedro at Banning, Crean Lutheran at Tustin, Bishop Amat at Gardena Serra. Oct. 9: Sierra Canyon at Gardena Serra, Orange Lutheran at St. John Bosco. Oct. 15: Norco at Corona Centennial. Oct. 16: King/Drew at Crenshaw, Mission Viejo at San Clemente, Santa Margarita at St. John Bosco.
Oct. 23: San Pedro at Carson, Corona Centennial at Chaparral, St. Bonaventure at Oxnard Pacifica, Long Beach Poly at Long Beach Millikan. Oct. 29: Garfield vs. Roosevelt at East L.A. College, Edison at San Clemente, Valencia vs. Hart at College of the Canyons, St. John Bosco vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium.
Which coaches might be under the microscope?
First-year coaches at private schools will start feeling pressure if their players don’t deliver results. There’s little patience these days from boosters, parents and fans. Watch the Corona Centennial staff, because someone there is going to one day succeed future Hall of Famer Matt Logan.
What will be the new trend in 2026?
Watching to see how well PlayOn Sports handles its control of high school sports in California. It owns MaxPreps, the NFHS Network, GoFan.co and just won state playoff TV rights from the CIF, replacing Spectrum, who’s 15-year contract ended in June. People are waiting to see if prices increase or quality decreases. And who will hold them accountable? They are the definition of monopoly for high school sports. Competition always brings out the best in businesses, so the lack of that has to be something to monitor.
What are five predictions that will come true?
St. John Bosco will win the Division 1 title (barring rain). Carson will win the City Section Open Division title (barring injury to Fields). Jack Hurst of Laguna Beach will lead Southern California with the most touchdown passes (barring his receivers doing too much surfing). Corona Centennial will exceed 70 points in a single game (barring a running clock in the first half). Lots of teams will forfeit games because of an ineligible player (barring athletic directors being skeptical of every transfer).
Everyone in the Premier League wants clarity and a speedy resolution in the case against Manchester City which features more than 100 alleged breaches of its financial rules, says Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick.
An independent commission is yet to publish a ruling, more than a year and a half after a disciplinary hearing concluded, and three and a half years since City were first charged.
City have always denied wrongdoing.
When asked if the length of time the process was taking was frustrating Arsenal, Garlick told BBC Sport: “It has gone on for a while.
“Everybody – the league and the teams – would want the clarity around what’s going to happen next.
“But it’s not something that I can control. It’s not something that I can speculate on.
“And I just hope that there is a solution very quickly.”
Garlick’s comments come on the eve of the new season and after Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “I do accept it’s taking longer than expected, and I understand that people want to find out as soon as possible what’s going on, but I simply can’t provide that.”
Describing the case as “hugely complex”, Masters added: “Our rules are very clear – we have to follow the process, and there’s only one real clear route through, which is to allow that process to reach its natural conclusion.”
Privately, officials at a host of other Premier League clubs BBC Sport has spoken to in the past 24 hours have also expressed their frustrations, while acknowledging that this is an independent process which is running on its own timetable.
One said the Premier League should be “actively seeking to put in place a better system” to ensure speedier resolutions.
Another made the point that given that the league spent £45m on legal bills during the 2023–24 season on disputes over its financial regulations, there are mounting concerns at the spiralling costs of such a long legal fight.
