Birmingham Panthers earned a convincing 67-43 win at Leeds Rhinos to avoid finishing bottom of the Netball Super League.
In their final fixture of the season, whoever lost knew they would end the campaign bottom of the eight-team table.
The Panthers moved into a 17-11 lead by the end of the first quarter and stretched their advantage further to go in at half-time 31-18 in front.
At 37-19 ahead, the Panthers looked to be cruising, although the hosts reduced the deficit to only 12.
But the visitors quickly ended any home hopes of a fightback by pulling clear once more, with Betsy Creak ending with 49 goals.
This was only the Panthers’ third league win of the season, but they did end with back-to-back victories having defeated London Mavericks 52-51 on Sunday.
The Rhinos began their campaign with a 54-39 away success over the Panthers in February, but that was their only league win of the year.
It was the perfect season for Manchester City as they claimed their first league title in a decade – and in manager Andree Jeglertz’s debut campaign.
With no Champions League football to distract them, City were able to throw everything at the WSL title and they swept up the opposition.
They went on a 13-game winning streak between September and February and, at one point, had a 12-point lead over Chelsea.
They also kept key players Khadija Shaw and Vivianne Miedema fit, with the two scoring a combined 31 goals – half of the club’s overall tally.
With a squad packed with talent and depth, City will hope to compete on several fronts in Europe next year, but must replace Shaw, who looks set to leave.
UCLA claimed the first of a best-of-three super regional over Central Florida with a 9-1 run-rule win Friday at Easton Stadium, putting the Bruins one win away from reaching the Women’s College World Series.
Freshman infielder Bri Alejandre squared up and smashed a home run over the center-field wall to give UCLA the lead in the second inning. She tied the Big Ten freshman home-run record with her 23rd of the season.
“You don’t want this heat,” one fan yelled from behind home plate. The Bruins, though, were just getting started.
UCF struggled to find answers to match UCLA’s offensive firepower. Three Knights pitchers tried in vain as the Bruins diced up the diamond even though UCF walked UCLA and NCAA home-run leader Megan Grant three times.
Ava Stuewe ended her night in the fourth inning after she walked one Bruin and hit another. But her replacement, sophomore Isabella Vega, couldn’t find her footing, either.
UCLA strung together a sacrifice bunt and an RBI-ground out to score one run. Ramsey Suarez sliced a double down the left-field line as the ball landed less than a foot into fair territory.
Second baseman Kaniya Bragg’s three-run home run put UCLA up by five in the fifth inning. And Rylee Slimp ended the game with a three-run homer.
Yet, UCLA wasn’t perfect. The Bruins left the bases loaded when UCF’s Sierra Humphreys made a diving catch to end the fourth.
The Knights clawed back a run when Humphrey, the first batter of the fifth inning, homered to left. The hit was a small smudge on Bruins ace Taylor Tinsley’s line, finishing with two strikeouts and three hits across the five innings.
She looked shaky earlier in the game when she worked herself into a 3-2 count during the Knights’ first at-bat of the super regionals. As she took a moment to breathe, staring out at the blue wall, center fielder Jolyna Lamar nodded her head three times.
Tinsley then pitched three hitless innings before UCF’s Aubrey Evans doubled off to right in the fourth. Evans ran to third on a wild pitch, but Tinsley worked out of the jam with a groundout that she fielded herself and a lineout to Garcia at shortstop.
UCLA and UCF will play Game 2 Saturday at 7 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN. If the Bruins win, they advance to the WCWS. If they lose, the teams play again Sunday for the WCWS bid.
Last year, Arsenal won the Champions League but will be mere spectators when Barcelona and Lyon face off next Saturday (17:00 BST).
The Gunners reaching the semi-finals but were dispatched by the French giants in a one-sided second leg.
Chelsea went out a round before, to Arsenal, while Manchester United were seen off by Bayern Munich.
The Ballon d’Or will likely reflect this European balance.
Nominations come later in the summer but with no international tournaments this year, it will be enlightening to see which WSL players make the shortlist.
Nine made the top 30 last August – and that did not include anyone from Manchester City, for whom Khadija Shaw, Vivianne Miedema and Yui Hasegawa among others have staked huge claims.
Others such as Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey, Chelsea’s Alyssa Thompson and Manchester United’s Jess Park have also all had exceptional seasons and may feature.
Yet when the biggest award is doled out, it is still likely to be dominated by players from elsewhere. After all, a Barcelona player has won each of the past five years
Perhaps until Champions League success becomes commonplace, the leading WSL clubs must accept second billing to Europe’s other heavyweights.
Having said that, with Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle and even Alexia Putellas linked with switches to England this summer, the balance could flip sooner than expected.
No. 8 UCLA stuck with right-hander Taylor Tinsley throughout the Los Angeles Regional and that faith in the senior paid off.
During the Bruins’ NCAA tournament opener at Easton Stadium, Tinsley gave up 10 runs before her teammates rallied for a walk-off win. She returned less than 24 hours to pitch against South Carolina, giving up two earned runs in a victory. Tinsley was back in the circle Sunday afternoon, yielding one run in UCLA’s 15-1 victory over the Gamecocks to advance to the super regionals.
“I am proud of Taylor’s resiliency, the ability to do whatever she can to help this team,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “She got stronger through the weekend. I am proud of that.”
Tinsley and her teammates will host Central Florida in a super regional that begins Friday.
“I feel good,” Tinsley said after pitching three key games in three days. “I could have gone more innings if needed.”
South Carolina right-hander Jori Heard gave up only one hit through two innings, keeping UCLA’s potent bats relatively quiet. The Gamecocks had runners on first and second with two outs in the second, but Tinsley escaped the inning with a pop-up to left field.
The Bruins got on the board first with a two-run home run from left fielder Rylee Slimp in the third inning. The Bruins followed it up by loading the bases with no outs in the fifth for right fielder Megan Grant.
Grant cooked up a grand slam to make it 6-0. She has 40 home runs, extending her hold on the NCAA single-season home run record. Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells trails Grant with 37 homers.
“Its just incredible because I am blessed to be able to say the number 40,” Grant said.
South Carolina broke through on an RBI single from left fielder Quincee Lilio to cut UCLA’s lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning after being held to just one hit since the first inning. The Gamecocks couldn’t cash in the rest of the way.
The Bruins resumed scoring in the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and Grant at bat again. Fans at Easton Stadium anticipated another grand slam, holding up their cellphones hoping to catch some magic. Grant served up a two-run RBI single to expand the lead 8-1.
Jordan Woolery added to the scoring with a two-run RBI double down the left-field line, and Kaniya Bragg hit a home run to left-center field. Soo-jin Berry put a bow on the win with one more home run.
They aim to end the season playing in Super Bowl LXI on their home turf at SoFi Stadium.
The Sept. 10 opener — a Thursday night in the United States and the morning of Sept. 11 in Melbourne — is the first of 17 games on a schedule announced Thursday by the NFL.
With reigning NFL most valuable player Matthew Stafford and a roster fortified by the addition of All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, the Rams are regarded as a Super Bowl favorite. And their marquee status is reflected in a schedule that includes the maximum seven prime-time appearances, an increase of two over last season when the Rams finished 12-5 and advanced to the NFC championship game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Fans will have to wait nearly the entire season to see the Rams play the Seahawks. The first game between the NFC West rivals is Week 16 on Christmas night in Seattle. Two games later, on a date to be determined, they will play in the regular-season finale at SoFi Stadium.
In addition to the Friday night game against the Seahawks on Christmas, they play on “Sunday Night Football” against the Denver Broncos and “Monday Night Football” against the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills. The Rams play the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving eve — Wednesday night — and on “Thursday Night Football” against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Rams play six division games in the NFC West, which is matched this season with the NFC East and the AFC West. The Rams also have games against teams in the NFC North, NFC South and AFC East.
The Rams play a preseason road game against the Chiefs and will play at SoFi Stadium against the New Orleans Saints and the Chargers.
Here is a game-by-game look at the regular-season schedule (all times Pacific):
Sept. 10, SAN FRANCISCO at Melbourne Cricket Ground, 5:35 p.m. (Netflix): Coach Sean McVay starts the season by matching up against mentor Kyle Shanahan and former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris in a huge NFC West game.
Sept. 21, NEW YORK GIANTS, 5:15 p.m. (ESPN): New coach John Harbaugh aims to build a winning culture in the tradition of the one he established in 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Sept. 27, at Denver, 5:20 p.m., (NBC): The Broncos aim to reach the Super Bowl that eluded them last season after Bo Nix’s injury. Bonus: There’s history between McVay and Sean Payton.
Oct. 4, at Philadelphia, 10 a.m. (Fox): The Rams opted to draft quarterback Ty Simpson — not former USC receiver Makai Lemon — with the 13th pick. Lemon was selected by the Eagles.
Oct. 12, BUFFALO, 5:15 p.m. (ESPN): The last time the Bills visited SoFi Stadium, the Rams won a 44-42 shootout. First-year coach Joe Brady will try to guide Josh Allen to his first Super Bowl appearance.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen signals against the Denver Broncos in an AFC divisional playoff game in January.
(Bart Young / Associated Press)
Oct. 18, ARIZONA, 1:05 p.m., (Fox): Former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur parlayed his time with McVay into a head coach opportunity with the Cardinals. Now he has to face Matthew Stafford & Co.
Oct. 25, at Las Vegas, 1:25 p.m. (Fox): The Raiders drafted quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in the draft. Will he play against the Rams or sit behind Kirk Cousins?
Nov. 1, CHARGERS, 1:05 p.m. (Fox): Quarterback Justin Herbert is expected to benefit from the arrival of new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Nov. 8, at Washington, 10 a.m. (Fox): The Rams travel to play the Commanders for the first time since 2020. Quarterback Jayden Daniels looks to remain healthy and recapture rookie form.
Nov. 15, at Arizona, 1:05 p.m. (CBS): The Cardinals selected running back Jeremiyah Love with the fourth pick in the draft. Will it be Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew or rookie Carson Beck at quarterback?
Nov. 22, off week
Nov. 25, GREEN BAY, 5 p.m. (Netflix): Jordan Love leads the Packers offense, Micah Parson the defense. Coach Matt LaFleur is 5-0 against McVay, who hired LaFleur as offensive coordinator in 2017.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes during a playoff win over the Carolina Panthers in January.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Dec. 3, KANSAS CITY, 5:15 p.m. (Amazon Prime): Chiefs have not played the Rams in L.A. since 2018, when the Rams won, 54-51, at the Coliseum. Will Taylor Swift return to SoFi for the end of the Travis Kelce era?
Dec. 13, at San Francisco, 1:25 p.m. (Fox): Quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey are mainstays for a team that always challenges McVay.
Dec. 20, DALLAS, 1:25 p.m. (CBS): Dak Prescott comes to town with receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens presumably as top targets. The Cowboys gave up a league-worst 30.1 points per game last season.
Dec. 25, at Seattle, 5:15 p.m. (Fox): Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold elevated his performance for the Super Bowl champions in regular-season and playoff victories over the Rams last season.
Week 17, at Tampa Bay, TBD: Baker Mayfield reignited his career after a crash course in the Rams offense in 2022 under Zac Robinson. Now Robinson is the Buccaneers offensive coordinator.
Week 18: SEATTLE, TBD: Last season, the Rams donned their Midnight Mode alternate uniforms against the Seahawks and escaped with a narrow victory. Will this game decide the NFC West?
