Earlier this season, former world number one Williams was officially considered an inactive player, having gone a whole year without competing.
Then, out of nowhere as the eyes of the tennis world were trained on Wimbledon, she announced she was ready to play again at the Washington Open.
Williams beat 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns on her comeback in Washington, whetting her appetite for more competitive action.
Despite an opening defeat in Cincinnati, Williams received a wildcard for the US Open singles, in which she is also a two-time champion.
After her 6-3 2-6 6-1 defeat by Muchova, she cast an emotional figure as she reflected on how she has battled back from serious health issues to push the world’s best players to their limit – against the odds.
In 2011, Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disease with symptoms including pain, numbness and fatigue.
Last month, she revealed how she had also been affected by the severity of painful fibroids – abnormal growths that develop in the uterus.
Fernandez, 22, is seeded 31st in the women’s singles in New York and beat compatriot Rebecca Marino 6-2 6-1 in the first round.
She reached the singles final in 2021, where she finished runner-up to Britain’s Emma Raducanu.
NEW YORK — Even at age 45, even after two years away from Grand Slam tennis, Venus Williams displayed some big serves and powerful groundstrokes at the U.S. Open on Monday night in front of a supportive crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, before losing 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to Karolina Muchova.
Williams was the oldest singles player at the hard-court tournament since Renee Richards was 47 in 1981.
“She’s such a legend of our sport,” 2023 French Open runner-up Muchova said about seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams, adding that it was an honor “to share a court with her.”
In just the fourth match of a comeback that began last month after more than a year off the tour, Williams didn’t exactly get to ease into things Monday: Muchova, a 29-year-old from the Czech Republic, was seeded 11th in New York and made it to the semifinals there in both 2023 — when she lost to eventual champion Coco Gauff in a match interrupted by a climate protest — and 2024.
Karolina Muchova, left, shakes hands with Venus Williams after their first-round match at the U.S. Open on Monday.
(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)
So perhaps it wasn’t surprising that Williams started slowly, ceding 11 of the initial 13 points and falling behind 2-0. With members of the crowd shouting, “Let’s go, Venus!” and roaring after her winners — and her fiance, Andrea Preti, leaping out of his seat — Williams took three games in a row to go ahead 3-2
Muchova grabbed the next four games to claim that set, which ended with Williams hitting four of her evening’s 10 double-faults to get broken.
But Williams, who smacked serves at up to 114 mph and finished with just one fewer winner than Muchova, broke to begin the second set on her way to tying the match.
In the third set, though, as the contest reached two hours, Muchova was simply too good.
When the match ended, Williams left the court with a wave as fans rose to salute someone whose first U.S. Open title arrived a full quarter of a century ago.
More recently, Williams was off the tennis tour for 16 months until entering a tournament in Washington last month, where she won one match each in singles and doubles. She hadn’t competed anywhere since the Miami Open in March 2024, and had surgery for uterine fibroids later last year.
The U.S. Tennis Association awarded wild cards to Williams for both the mixed doubles event last week and singles.
She hasn’t won a match at the U.S. Open in singles since 2019, when she got to the second round. Since then, Williams exited in the first round in 2020, 2022 and 2023, and missed the tournament in 2021 and 2024.
Venus Williams returns a shot to Karolina Muchova during the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday.
(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)
She won singles championships at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001, and another five at Wimbledon.
Since making her professional debut in 1994, Williams also collected 14 Grand Slam trophies in women’s doubles alongside her younger sister, Serena, plus two in mixed doubles, earned a record five Olympic tennis medals and reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings.
Through the years, both siblings transcended their sport and became much more than successful athletes. Serena, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, played her last match at the 2022 U.S. Open.
“She’s Venus Williams. She’s so iconic in so many different ways,” said Frances Tiafoe, an American player who won his first-round match in Ashe earlier Monday. “She’s won so much. And to see how much she loves game still at her age is amazing. It’s amazing to still see her out here.”
It was at the U.S. Open more than a decade ago that Williams revealed she had been diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, an energy-sapping auto-immune disease that can cause joint pain.
Some thought she might leave her sport because of that, but she remained a leading figure — on and off the court. To her fans — for years, and certainly on Monday night — it never mattered that she now has exited in the first or second round in each of her past 13 appearances at major tournaments.
When she was asked at the Washington tournament in July why she was still competing, she offered a simple reply: “Why not?”
“I want to be my best, and that’s the expectation I have for myself: to get the best out of me. And that’s all any player can ask for,” Williams said Saturday, the day before the start of singles play at the U.S. Open. “I haven’t played as much as the other players, so it’s a different challenge when you’re dealing with that. So I’m just trying to have fun, stay relaxed and be my personal best.”
MIAMI — A federal judge has put a stop to further expansion of the immigration detention center built in the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz, ordering that its operations wind down within two months.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami wrote in her 82-page order late Thursday that Florida officials never sufficiently explained why an immigration detention center needed to be located in the middle of sensitive wetlands cherished by environmentalists and outdoors people.
She also said that state and federal authorities never undertook an environmental review as required by federal law before Florida officials hastily built the detention camp that they championed as a model for President Trump’s immigration policies. That failure adversely affected the “recreational, conservational, and aesthetic interests” of the environmental groups and Miccosukee Tribe, which brought the lawsuit, she said.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday reacted to the ruling, saying he would not be deterred by “an activist judge.”
“We knew this would be something that would likely happen,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Panama City. “We will respond accordingly. You either have a country or you don’t.”
Here’s what to know about the situation and what might come next:
What did the judge say?
Williams said she expected the population at the facility to drop within 60 days by transferring detainees to other facilities. Once that happens, fencing, lighting, gas, waste, generators and other equipment should be removed from the site. No additional detainees can be sent to the facility, and noadditional lighting, fencing, paving, buildings or tents can be added to the camp. The only repairs that can be made to the existing facility are for safety purposes. However, the judge allowed for the existing dormitories and housing to stay in place as long as they are maintained to prevent deterioration or damage.
Here’s where detainees might end up
During court hearings, lawyers said at one point there were fewer than 1,000 detainees at the facility, which state officials had planned to hold up to 3,000 people. Although the detainees could be sent to other facilities out of state, Florida has other immigration detention centers including the Krome North Processing Center in Miami, the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach and the Baker County Detention Center managed by the local sheriff’s office. Earlier this month, DeSantis announced plans for a second state-initiated immigration detention facility dubbed “Deportation Depot” at a state prison about 43 miles (69 kilometers) west of downtown Jacksonville. State officials say it is expected to hold 1,300 immigration detention beds, though that capacity could be expanded to 2,000 beds.
How does this decision impact the other “Alligator Alcatraz” lawsuit?
Civil rights lawyers had filed a second lawsuit over practices at “Alligator Alcatraz,” claiming that detainees weren’t able to meet with their attorneys privately and were denied access to immigration courts. Another federal judge in Miami dismissed part of the lawsuit earlier this week after the Trump administration designated the Krome North Processing Center as the court for their cases to be heard. The judge moved the remaining counts of the case from Florida’s southern district to the middle district. Eunice Cho, the lead attorney for the detainees, said Friday that the decision in the environmental lawsuit won’t have an impact on the civil rights case since there could be detainees at the facility for the next two months.
“Our case addresses the lack of access to counsel for people detained at Alligator Alcatraz, and there are still people detained there,” Cho said.
Status of the hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts
No one has said publicly what will happen to the hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts involved in the facility. DeSantis’ administration in July signed contracts with private vendors to pay at least $245 million to set up and run the center, according to a public database. That amount — to be fronted by Florida taxpayers — was in line with the $450 million a year officials have estimated the facility was going to cost. The governor’s office and the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Friday didn’t respond to questions about whether Florida taxpayers would still be on the hook for the contracts if the facility is shuttered.
Is this a final decision?
No. This case will continue to be litigated. The state of Florida filed a notice of appeal Thursday night, shortly after the ruling was issued. As its name suggests, a preliminary injunction is only an initial action taken by a judge to prevent harm while a lawsuit makes its way through the court process and when it appears that one side has a good chance of succeeding based on the merits of the case.
Schneider and Anderson write for the Associated Press.
Third in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Madden Williams, St. John Bosco receiver.
If blockers are a quarterback’s best friends, what are receivers?
“It’s our job to make the quarterback look good,” St. John Bosco’s Madden Williams said.
Few teams in Southern California start the 2025 season with a better collection of receivers than the Braves.
It begins with the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williams, a Texas A&M commit who caught 13 touchdown passes as a junior. Then there’s Oklahoma commit Daniel Odom, San Jose State commit Carson Clark, super sophomores Darren Tubbs and Landon Perkins and two highly regarded freshmen.
“Not only is it our best group but deepest,” coach Jason Negro said.
In 2019, St. John Bosco had Logan Loya, Kris Hutson and Beaux Collins at the receiver positions. They ended up at UCLA, Washington State and Clemson, respectively.
Now sophomore quarterback Koa Malau’ulu will be the beneficiary of an electric receiver group that will force defenses to pick their poison. Double team one and you’ll get burned by another.
“Whomever they try to double, the others will go off,” Williams said.
As a freshman last season, Malau’ulu looked for Williams to deliver big plays. And that’s what he did, reinforcing the quarterback’s confidence in him.
“I would say what makes him great is that he has no weakness,” Malau’ulu said. “He’s a go-getter. Whenever we can go get extra work, he’s there. He’ll get any ball in his vicinity. He’s fast, strong and physical — everything you want in a receiver.”
Williams trusts his hands and uses fundamental techniques to make plays. His length gives him an advantage over smaller defenders. And once the ball is near him, his hands find a way to catch it like a magnet attracted to metal.
“Hands are the strongest pieces of my game,” he said. “You make sure you look the ball in. A lot of people are too worried what they’re going to do after a catch. One-hand catches are cool, but only do it when you have to do it.”
As for dealing with defensive backs who are aggressive and strong, Williams said, “The strategy is making sure you don’t let them touch you. That’s what we work, on releases and not let the defensive backs redirect. We know the route we’re running. We have to make sure they do not take us off the route we have. Sometimes they guess right, but most of the time I don’t think they can — at least against me.”
The individual duel between receiver and defensive back is like a football version of cat-and-mouse.
“It’s always you and the defensive back,” Williams said. “You’re on an island and it’s who’s better at the end of the day.”
Defensive coordinator Chris King has called Williams “unguardable.” Williams responded with seven catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns against Sierra Canyon last season.
“He’s got such great route running ability, knows leverage and understands coverages,” Negro said. “He’s super savvy and his football IQ is off the charts.”
Williams also played on the basketball team even though he was a reserve. He said the practices were helpful developing the skills needed for football.
In the end, Williams follows a motto that he hopes will carry him forward in sports and in life.
“What happens in the dark will always be brought to light,” he said. “I’m going to be grinding in the dark and when it’s time to shine in the light, I will play the best.”
Friday: Servite tight end Luke Sorensen.
Receivers to watch
Demare Dezeurn, Palisades, 5-11, 175, Jr. One of the fastest in California should dominate in City Section
Troy Foster, Huntington Beach, 6-2, 205, Sr.: Colorado State commit caught 15 touchdowns
Quentin Hale, L.A. Cathedral, 6-3, 175, Jr.: Caught 14 TDs as a sophomore
Chris Henry Jr., Mater Dei, 6-6, 200, Sr.: Ohio State commit is finally healthy and ready to put on show
Trent Mosley, Santa Margarita, 5-11, 170, Sr.: USC commit is big-play weapon and tough to stop
Daniel Odom, St. John Bosco, 6-3, 190, Sr.: Oklahoma commit has size to be a top player
Vance Spafford, Mission Viejo, 5-11, 175, Sr.: Miami commit has tremendous speed and great hands
Madden Williams, St. John Bosco, 6-2, 190, Sr.: Physicality, strength, instincts make him big-time target
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Mater Dei, 6-3, 180, Sr.: Ohio State commit delivers one big catch after another
Luc Weaver, Sherman Oaks Dame, 6-3, 195, Sr.: USC commit has improved speed, work ethic, aggressiveness
At the start of this year, many wondered when Venus Williams would announce her retirement.
Now she is set to grace her home Grand Slam tournament for a record-extending 25th time.
Earlier this season, Williams became considered an inactive player, having gone a whole year without competing.
Then, out of nowhere as the eyes of the tennis world were trained on Wimbledon, she announced she was ready to play in Washington.
It begged two obvious questions. Why? And why now?
Williams put the timing of her return down to her love for the game and her love of the hard courts.
That shone through when she arrived in the US capital.
Williams had often been curt and closed when speaking to the media, but spoke warmly and openly in her first pre-tournament news conference.
Hitting “big” – the brand of tennis with which she emerged as a superstar in the late 1990s and early 2000s – was still her plan.
Williams proved she still had that ability as she swept aside Stearns.
While she lost in the next round to fifth seed Magdalena Frech, and was also beaten by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the Cincinnati first round, they were competitive enough to earn her a US Open wildcard.
Some will argue giving a spot in the 128-player draw to a veteran with one victory in more than two years blocks the development of a younger player.
Others will say an all-time great should always be offered the chance to play.
Could it be the perfect place to retire and have a glitzy farewell like her younger sister Serena did in 2022?
On Tuesday, the Rams and the fourth-year pro agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, a person with knowledge of the situation said. The person requested anonymity because the deal has not been signed.
The extension includes about $23 million in guarantees, the person said.
Williams’ extension is the first by the Rams for a running back since they gave Todd Gurley a then-record deal in 2018.
The Rams and Williams’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had been negotiating since the end of the 2024 season. General manager Les Snead had said the Rams would “definitely like to engineer a long-term partnership,” with Williams, but progress was slow.
Williams, a 2022 fifth-round draft pick from Notre Dame, is scheduled to earn $5.4 million in the final season of his rookie contract, according to Overthecap.com.
Williams rushed for more than 1,100 yards in each of the last two seasons, and is regarded as an integral part of an offense that features quarterback Matthew Stafford and receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
Williams said at the start of training camp that he gave no thought to not reporting or not participating in drills. Rosenhaus met with Rams executives at Loyola Marymount on July 23 but no agreement was reached then.
Williams said throughout the offseason and at the start of camp that he was confident a deal with the Rams would get done.
“I love the natural, just zest and the joy that this group has,” McVay said this week as players reported for training camp at Loyola Marymount.
After Stafford and the Rams agreed to terms on a contract adjustment last spring, general manager Les Snead provided McVay and Stafford with a bonus of sorts by signing receiver Davante Adams. The three-time All-Pro joins Nacua, receiver Tutu Atwell, running back Kyren Williams and tight ends Tyler Higbee and Terrance Ferguson to give the offense multiple weapons.
Snead also signed center Coleman Shelton — a member of the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI championship team — and defensive lineman Poona Ford. Ford will bolster a front that includes Verse, edge rusher Byron Young and tackles Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske, among others.
“We are stacked,” Williams said.
Which is not to say that McVay, Snead and the Rams do not have concerns.
Here are five issues to watch as the Rams prepare for their Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans:
But it turns out that the older sister was being held back by her younger sibling — at least that’s what Venus Williams joked on Monday after winning her first match with new doubles partner Hailey Baptiste during the first round of the D.C. Open.
“I think, from the first point, I could see that we were going to be a good team,” Williams said during her on-court interview following the American duo’s 6-3, 6-1 victory against Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue. “We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way.”
After the capacity crowd of around 3,000 roared with laughter at the quip, Williams smiled and waved to the camera: “Sorry, Serena.”
Williams, 45, had every right to be giddy after a successful return to the court following a 16-month hiatus, during which she underwent a medical procedure to remove fibroids from her uterus last July.
“It’s just nice to be able to play,” Williams said during her postmatch news conference with Baptiste. “Where I am at this year is so much different than where I was at last year. It’s night and day, being able to be here and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago.”
She added: “Tennis is a game. It’s our life. It’s literally our obsession. … But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if your health is not there. So it definitely put it in perspective for me and maybe made it easier to make the decision to maybe come back out here and maybe play even freer.”
Williams’ comeback is just getting started. The seven-time major winner and one-time Olympic gold medalist is scheduled to face Peyton Stearns of the United States in the first round of the women’s singles tournament at 4:30 p.m. PDT Tuesday.
Later this week, Williams and Baptiste will face the winner of Tuesday’s match between Cristina Bucsa/Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Taylor Townsend/Shuai Zhang in the women’s doubles quarterfinals.
As for Serena Williams, the 23-time major singles champion hasn’t played since “evolving away from tennis” following the 2022 U.S. Open, where she and Venus lost in the first round in doubles and she advanced to the third round in singles before losing to Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in her final match.
“I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here,” Venus Williams said of her sister while speaking to reporters Sunday. “Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her.”
Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams celebrates victory in the last 16 of the women’s doubles at the Washington Open after 16 months away from tennis.
Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams has celebrated victory in the last 16 of the women’s doubles at the Washington Open after 16 months away from tennis.
The 45-year-old former world number one, who accepted a wildcard for the tournament, had not competed since the Miami Open in March 2024 – and last won at the Cincinnati Open in August 2023.
Williams and fellow American Hailey Baptiste beat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3 6-1.
“It was inspiring to be out here,” Williams told Sky Sports. “I love this game and still hitting it big.”
She will face another American, Peyton Stearns, in the first round of the singles competition on Tuesday.
Williams, who was playing doubles for the first time in three years, joked she wished she could have partnered with 23-year-old Baptiste, the world number 50, instead of her sister Serena – the 23-time major champion.
She said: “I think from the first point I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way.”
Venus, who does not have a ranking, won 14 major titles alongside Serena in the women’s doubles, as the Williams sisters dominated the sport for many years.
The Chargers were the first team in the NFL to open training camp, but the focus Thursday quickly shifted to who didn’t join them.
Wide receiver Mike Williams is retiring, the Chargers confirmed Thursday as the team began camp. Just as a hole opened in the receivers room, the Chargers also signed rookie receiver Tre’ Harris, the team announced, ending the second-round pick’s contract holdout.
The news of Williams’ sudden retirement broke on social media as Chargers players went through some of the first team drills of training camp. Williams, 30, was just months removed from his feel-good homecoming to the franchise that drafted him seventh overall in 2017. The free agent was optimistic about revitalizing his career in familiar territory. A wide smile split his face when he was asked in March about reuniting with quarterback Justin Herbert.
On Thursday, Herbert still smiled at the jaw-dropping plays they made together.
“I want what’s best for Mike,” said Herbert, who propelled Williams to a career season in 2021 with 86 catches and 1,146 yards receiving. “He’s always been there for us and we’re going to be there for him. It’s obviously a tough situation and I got so much respect for him as a teammate, as a friend, as a receiver, as a player and the man that he is. … Football at the end of the day is a game. There’s more to life than just football and I’m just hoping for the best for him.”
Williams, who was two years removed from his torn anterior cruciate ligament with the Chargers, was set to begin camp on the physically unable to perform list after suffering an undisclosed injury during the offseason training program. Speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon, general manager Joe Hortiz expected Williams could return to practice soon.
Later that day, Williams’ agent, Tory Dandy, dropped the news, a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly confirmed.
Williams caught 309 passes for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns for the Chargers. Coming off the season-ending knee injury, the 30-year-old was released in a salary-saving move in 2024. It was the beginning of what Williams called a “terrible” season. He caught only 21 passes for 298 yards for the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He returned to the Chargers as a free agent hoping to recapture the magic he had with Herbert.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert passes during the first day of training camp practice Thursday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Since being drafted by the Chargers in 2020, Herbert found comfort with the 6-foot-4 Williams, who always seemed to tilt the odds in his favor on 50-50 balls. Williams’ presence, especially in the red zone, demanded the defense’s attention. Herbert fondly recalled the receiver’s twisting, one-handed catch against the Rams as one of his favorite plays, but noted there are too many to recite the whole list.
“You can’t really replace a guy like that,” Herbert said. “But thankfully we’ve got a receiver room that’s continuing to push each other. They compete and they want to be the best.”
With Williams, the Chargers hoped to add another outside receiving threat to complement budding star Ladd McConkey and bring veteran leadership to a position in flux.
Harris can now rejoin the competition as he agreed to terms with the team. The 55th pick in the draft was stuck in an unprecedented 30-player standstill this week as second-round picks and teams negotiated for guaranteed money. The logjam began to loosen Thursday as several teams wrapped up deals, including the Chicago Bears, who signed the 56th pick Ozzy Trapilo early Thursday.
Harris still participated in rookie minicamp, voluntary workouts and the team’s mandatory minicamp before his holdout officially began Saturday. Herbert believed the previous reps would help Harris jump back in seamlessly.
Chargers fans take photos with owner Dean Spanos during the first day of training camp at the team’s headquarters in El Segundo on Thursday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
“No one’s going to fault him for doing what he’s doing,” Herbert said. “He’s a teammate. We respect him and we’ve got his back no matter what. … Whenever that deal gets done and he comes back, I know he’s not going to miss a beat.”
During the spring, Harris started moving up the depth chart, taking some team reps with Herbert in place of Jalen Reagor. Reagor, a 2021 first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, had the standout play of Thursday’s practice, diving for a fingertip catch on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Herbert.
Fans cheered when Reagor tucked the ball away and rolled into the pylon. The temporary stands at the Chargers’ training facility were packed as fans were eager for their first look at the team since January. Days after launching new gold-and-navy alternate jerseys, the team set up a shop to sell merchandise.
As Chargers players broke the final huddle, a group of fans started chanting “Bring back Keenan!”
Keenan Allen, another long-term Herbert target, remains unsigned after 70 catches for 744 yards receiving and seven touchdowns for the Bears last year.
Etc.
The Chargers placed running back Najee Harris on the active/non-football injury list Thursday. The recent free agent signing suffered a minor eye injury in a Fourth of July fireworks accident. … Quarterback Taylor Heinicke was the only player on the active roster who did not appear on the field during Thursday’s roughly 75-minute practice.
They lost a cherished teammate hours before they started training camp. But the Chargers receivers knew just what to do when they heard of Mike Williams’ sudden retirement.
“At this point [we’re] just treating it like the next man up,” receiver Quentin Johnston said. “Him leaving was unexpected, but at the same time, we just gotta fill in the blank and keep moving.”
Williams’ sudden departure has left an already questionable receiver group with even more to prove. The 6-foot-4 receiver was coming off one of the worst seasons of his career but was still expected to add a familiar, trustworthy face for quarterback Justin Herbert. When it came to winning 50-50 balls, Williams was one of the best ever, offensive coordinator Greg Roman said.
And in a group that was led by a standout rookie last year, the 30-year-old Williams was a much-needed veteran presence.
“It’s not easily replaceable,” Roman said. “But we like where everybody’s going. We like the guys we have, we just gotta work, keep getting better.”
Star receiver Ladd McConkey is already leading the way. Despite a record-setting rookie season, McConkey has already tweaked small details that could result in big improvements in his second season, Roman said. The former Georgia star’s work ethic already sets the tone: Roman walked by the receivers room at the Chargers’ practice facility Saturday morning and saw McConkey sitting alone studying Friday’s practice film.
But who will step up after McConkey? After his drop-plagued 2023 rookie season, Johnston improved drastically last year when he caught 55 passes for 711 yards receiving and a team-high eight touchdowns. But even the jump in production hasn’t quieted some critics who remain disappointed in the former first-round pick.
With Williams’ departure, Johnston could take an even bigger leap. Encouraged by the support of his teammates and coaches, he said his confidence is at an all-time high.
“I got what it takes to still be here,” Johnston said. “I just gotta go out there and prove that every day.”
Rookie Tre’ Harris can push Johnston on the outside. The 6-foot-3 Mississippi alumnus delivers some of the same traits as Williams, but Roman has started Harris in a role that more mirrors how former Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer played. Palmer, who signed with the Buffalo Bills in free agency, had 584 yards receiving and one touchdown on 39 catches last season.
Harris, who caught 114 passes for 2,015 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns in two seasons at Mississippi after beginning his career at Louisiana Tech, insists to coaches he can play any position. But Roman is mindful to not overload the second-round pick, especially after he missed several days of training camp because of a contract dispute.
Harris reported to training camp Friday, one day after the whole team, but nearly a week behind quarterbacks and other rookies who reported July 12.
“It was music to my ears when I heard that he signed and he was getting in,” Roman said. “It’s so important for young receivers to be in camp. There’s been so many different adjustments, it’s just a different game. So far he’s been outstanding. A really smart guy. On top of everything. … Attention to detail, technique, really excited for him. So far, so good.”
Harris was a focal point of his first practice Friday, becoming a frequent target in team and seven-on-seven periods. Receiver Jalen Reagor kept a close eye on the rookie as the sixth-year, former first-round pick shouted instructions on which routes to run. They often huddled on the sideline after plays.
Reagor is on his third team after the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in 2020. Not only is he the Chargers’ most experienced receiver, he remains a reliable option outside with his versatility and speed.
Chargers wide receiver Jalen Reagor celebrates after making a catch against the New Orleans Saints in October.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“He does everything really well,” Herbert said. “I think he’s one of those guys, whether it’s the quick game, whether it’s the intermediate stuff or the deep balls like that, he’s definitely fast enough to be able to take the top off and he’s such a great route runner. He’s able to beat man coverage and another guy that you feel comfortable going to whether it’s zone or man, just finds a way to get open.”
Rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith sustained an undisclosed injury during the spring, but is back to full speed for training camp, Roman said.
The Chargers loaded up on offensive firepower during the draft, adding two rookie receivers and tight end Oronde Gadsden, a converted wide receiver who could add more lift to the passing offense. The additions appeared to be a signal from the front office that Johnston had to take another step forward in his career to maintain his place on the team.
But like the leaping touchdown pass he caught over his shoulder during Friday’s practice, Johnston took it all in stride.
“Water off a duck’s back,” wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal said during the spring. “I haven’t seen anything. I told him he’s a starter because he is and he’s operating that way.”
Etc.
Left tackle Rashawn Slater took a rest day during Saturday’s practice, Roman said. With right guard Mekhi Becton still celebrating his Super Bowl ring, right tackle Joe Alt shifted to the left in place of Slater, Trey Pipkins III subbed in at right tackle and Jamaree Salyer stepped in at right guard. Despite starting at right guard last year, Pipkins isn’t a top contender for a starting spot at left guard, where Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson have rotated during the offseason. Pipkins instead will be a swing tackle option off the bench, coach Jim Harbaugh said. … Running back Raheim Sanders missed a second consecutive day of practice Saturday.
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The Chargers were the first team in the NFL to open training camp, but the focus Thursday quickly shifted to who didn’t join them.
Wide receiver Mike Williams is retiring, the Chargers confirmed Thursday as the team began camp. Just as a hole opened in the receivers room, the Chargers also signed rookie receiver Tre’ Harris, the team announced, ending the second-round pick’s contract holdout.
The news of Williams’ sudden retirement broke on social media as Chargers players went through some of the first team drills of training camp. Williams, 30, was just months removed from his feel-good homecoming to the franchise that drafted him seventh overall in 2017. The free agent was optimistic about revitalizing his career in familiar territory. A wide smile split his face when he was asked in March about reuniting with quarterback Justin Herbert.
On Thursday, Herbert still smiled at the jaw-dropping plays they made together.
“I want what’s best for Mike,” said Herbert, who propelled Williams to a career season in 2021 with 86 catches and 1,146 yards receiving. “He’s always been there for us and we’re going to be there for him. It’s obviously a tough situation and I got so much respect for him as a teammate, as a friend, as a receiver, as a player and the man that he is. … Football at the end of the day is a game. There’s more to life than just football and I’m just hoping for the best for him.”
Get the latest on L.A.’s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
CLIPPERS
From Broderick Turner: Yanic Konan Niederhauser received the pass near the half-court line from a Clippers teammate who had just stolen the basketball. The 6-foot-11 center maneuvered down the court, his long strides allowing him to use just two dribbles before he took flight outside the circle and threw down a thunderous dunk over helpless Lakers defender Cole Swider.
The crowd inside Thomas & Mack Center went into a frenzy, including Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who leaped out of his courtside seat, pumped his fists and yelled.
At that moment Monday night, Niederhauser displayed his agility, speed and ballhandling skills. It was another step taken in his progress while playing in the NBA Summer League on the campus of UNLV.
The Clippers had used the 30th and last pick in the first round of the NBA draft to select Niederhauser out of Penn State because they saw potential.
From Ben Bolch: Kaedin Robinson, a former record-setting wide receiver at Appalachian State whose bid to play for UCLA this fall was blocked by the NCAA, has sued the college governing body in an effort to receive one more season of eligibility.
In the lawsuit filed this week in the Central District of California, Robinson asserted the NCAA relied on an “unlawful” five-year eligibility rule that violated federal antitrust laws in declaring Robinson ineligible to play next season because it unjustly limited his opportunities.
UCLA had requested that the NCAA waive the five-year eligibility rule and grant Robinson permission to play next season after Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia made a successful bid to gain an additional season of college eligibility thanks to a court injunction after having spent one season at a junior college.
The British Open had a little bit of everything Thursday, from sunshine to rain, a breeze to strong gusts. And no surprise, it had Scottie Scheffler right in the mix.
Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick handled the notorious “Calamity Corner” par-three 16th by chipping in for birdie. Harris English, whose longtime caddie couldn’t get a travel visa for the U.K. because of prison time served 20 years ago, put his short-game coach on the bag and made seven birdies.
They were among five players tied for the lead at four-under 67, the largest logjam after 18 holes of the British Open since there was a six-way tie in 1938.
One shot behind was Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who has not finished out of the top 10 in the last four months, a stretch that includes another major among three wins.
1896 — James Foulis wins the U.S. Men’s Open golf championship at Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, N.Y.
1951 — Jersey Joe Walcott, at 37, becomes the oldest fighter to win the world heavyweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Ezzard Charles at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
1975 — The trial of Dave Forbes, the first pro athlete to be indicted for a crime committed during play, ends in a hung jury. Forbes, of the Boston Bruins, was indicted for excessive force used on an opponent. Forbes’ victim was Henry Boucha in a game on Jan. 4 against the North Stars at Minnesota. The prosecution decides not to seek a retrial.
1993 — Greg Norman shoots a 64 on the final day to set a record with a 13-under 267 and wins the British Open. Norman wins by two strokes over defending champion Nick Faldo.
1995 — Britain’s Jonathan Edwards breaks the 10-year-old world triple jump record, leaping 59 feet in the Salamanca Provincial meet. Edwards tops the previous mark of 58-11½ set in 1985 by Willie Banks of the United States.
1999 — Jean Van de Velde’s triple bogey on the 72nd hole sets the stage for Paul Lawrie to become the first Scotsman to win the British Open in his native land since Tommy Armour in 1931. Lawrie, 10 strokes behind when the final round began, wins the four-hole playoff over Van de Velde and Justin Leonard, making birdies on the last two holes to complete the biggest comeback in a major.
2005 — In Oklahoma City, the United States loses a tournament title game for the first time since 1997, falling 3-1 to Japan in the championship of the inaugural World Cup of Softball. The Americans, which lost to Canada earlier in this tournament, lost to Australia 1-0 in the championship game of the 1997 Superball, held in Ohio.
2010 — Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa shoots a 1-under 71 for a seven-stroke victory at 16-under 272 in the British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews. Lee Westwood of England finishes second.
2021 — Colin Morikawa wins the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s by two strokes over Jordan Speith. It was Morikawa’s second major championship win following his 2020 The Masters win.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1882 — Ambidextrous pitcher Tony Mullane of Louisville pitched with both hands in a major league game at Baltimore. Normally a right-hander, Mullane switched to the left hand in the fourth inning. He eventually lost 9-8.
1912 — The Chicago Cubs had 21 hits in 11 innings but still lost to the Philadelphia Phillies when Gavvy Cravath stole home.
1921 — Babe Ruth achieves 139 home runs and becomes the all-time home run leader in Major League Baseball, taking the title from Roger Connor.
1927 — Ty Cobb of the Philadelphia Athletics doubled off the glove of Harry Heilmann for his 4,000th hit.
1948 — Pat Seerey of the Chicago White Sox hit four home runs in a 12-11, 11-inning victory over the Philadelphia A’s in the opener of a doubleheader. Seerey hit two mammoth shots off Carl Scheib, one off Bob Savage and the game-winner off Lou Brissie in the top of the 11th.
1962 — Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins each hit grand slams in the first inning of a 14-3 rout of the Cleveland Indians.
1970 — Willie Mays bounced career hit number 3,000 through the left side of the infield off Mike Wegener in the second inning of the San Francisco Giants’ 10-1 romp over the Montreal Expos. Mays becomes the 10th player to get 3,000 hits.
1987 — New York’s Don Mattingly tied Dale Long’s 31-year-old major league record when he hit a home run for the eighth consecutive game in the Yankees’ 7-2 loss to the Texas Rangers.
1999 — With Don Larsen on hand to help celebrate Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium, David Cone pitched a perfect game. Cone dazzled the Montreal Expos, throwing the 14th perfect game in modern history to lead the New York Yankees to a 6-0 victory.
2001 — Roger Cedeno was 4-for-5 with a double, triple, two homers and six RBIs in Detroit’s 12-4 win over the New York Yankees in the second game of a day-night doubleheader.
2006 — Atlanta became the first team since the 1930 New York Yankees to score 10 or more runs in five straight games following a 14-5 victory over St. Louis. The Braves have scored 65 runs during their offensive explosion that included two 15-run games.
2016 — A federal judge sentenced the former scouting director of the St. Louis Cardinals to nearly four years in prison for hacking the Houston Astros’ player personnel database and email system in an unusual case of high-tech cheating involving two Major League Baseball clubs. Christopher Correa had pleaded guilty in January to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer from 2013 to at least 2014, the same year he was promoted to director of baseball development in St. Louis.
2018 — As has been rumored for some time, the Dodgers trade for All-Star SS Manny Machado, who will become a free agent at the end of the season. The price is steep for what amounts to a short-term rental: five prospects, including AA OF Yusniel Diaz, one of the stars of the most recent Futures Game. The Dodgers have a gaping hole to fill, however, having recently lost SS Corey Seager for the remainder of the season.
2022 — Youth is served in the annual Home Run Derby, held at Dodger Stadium on the eve of the All-Star Game as 23-year-old Juan Soto defeats 21-year-old rookie Julio Rodríguez in the final round, but not before 42-year-old Albert Pujols manages to upset NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber in the initial round. Two-time defending champion Pete Alonso goes down before Rodríguez in the semi-finals. Soto misses the title of youngest-ever winner ever by one day, behind 1993 winner Juan Gonzalez.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
In his BBC Sport column, England captain George Williams spreads the word about the autumn Ashes series and gives insight into the recent squad get-together.
Just 100 days are left until this England side gets the chance to taste an Ashes series again and we face Australia for the first time since 2017.
Me and Jack Welsby went down to London on Wednesday, driving round the city on a red bus and visiting some tourist sites for photos and filming.
We’re trying to grow the buzz, to get people talking about the series down there and get involved.
As players, you want to be involved in the biggest of games, and I don’t see many bigger – if any.
Even though there is still a lot of rugby to be played in Super League, to play against Australia at the end of the year is the pinnacle.
I actually don’t mind doing the press and promotion. I try to do it with a smile on my face and enjoy it, because it doesn’t last forever and I’ll soon be retired.
So I’ve got to enjoy being in the media, growing the game and being England captain, which is something I’m really proud of.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — In some ways, one of the longest-serving members of the International Olympic Committee, Anita DeFrantz, paved the way for the new president of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry, to get to where she is today.
That why Coventry, the first female leader of the IOC, pulled a big surprise Saturday. She traveled to Colorado Springs to watch DeFrantz, a trailblazing Olympic rower in 1976 and IOC member since 1986, get inducted into the Team USA Hall of Fame.
“She opened up so many doors, for me and for so many others,” said Coventry, who took over as president last month, in an interview with the Associated Press before the ceremony. “I’m extremely grateful for that. I know that I’ve got to make sure I do that for other women.”
The 72-year-old DeFrantz is part of a class that includes eight individual women — among them 11-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix, four-time Olympic champion Serena Williams, three-time Olympic champion Kerri Walsh Jennings and 2012 all-around gymnastics champion Gabby Douglas.
Also inducted Saturday were Bode Miller, Mike Krzyzewski, Phil Knight, Steve Cash, Susan Hagel, Flo Hyman and Marla Runyan, along with the 2010 four-man bobsled team and the 2004 women’s wheelchair basketball team.
Coventry showed up for DeFrantz, who played an important role in moving votes toward the five-time Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe in the seven-person race to succeed Thomas Bach earlier this year.
This was one of Coventry’s first big — albeit low-key — trips in the new role, and DeFrantz was shocked to see the new president standing there as she got out of her car to head into the ceremony at the Broadmoor.
DeFrantz described herself as a little lonely when she went to her first IOC meeting in 1986.
“I walked in and I thought, ‘This is odd,’” she said. “It was this cavernous room” and she was one of only five female committee members there.
One of her main goals in becoming a shaper of world sports policy: “We had to help people open their minds a little.”
While, in some ways, the Olympics has been ahead of its time in the effort to bring women into big-time sports — 22 women participated in the 1900 Olympics while, for instance, it took until 1981 for the NCAA to sanction women’s basketball — it has also shined a global spotlight on some inequities that have existed for decades.
Women’s rowing didn’t debut at the Games until the 1976 Olympics where DeFrantz and her teammates won bronze. Only last year did the Olympics achieve gender parity, with women making up half of the approximately 10,500 athletes, according to the IOC.
DeFrantz, a vice president of the 1984 LA organizing committee, helped spark that progress. She served as chair of the IOC’s women in sport commission for 20 years. She became a member of the IOC executive board in 1992 and was elected as the IOC’s first female vice president in 1997.
Allyson Felix smiles after taking the bronze in the final of women’s 400 meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
(Francisco Seco / Associated Press)
A generation later, Felix began her own fight to highlight the way women were treated when they became pregnant. She forced a seismic change in contract terms that, for decades, had given little leeway to female track stars who put careers on hold to have babies.
Felix is now a member of the IOC, as well — following in the footsteps of both DeFrantz and Coventry as Olympic athletes who now have seats at the decision-making table.
“I feel really blessed to come after Anita and I’ve told her this many times, she has paved the way,” Felix said. “She’s a game-changer. Just what she’s seen and contributed to is incredible. For someone like me, it’s just wanting to carry on her legacy.”
DeFrantz’s honor comes at yet another tenuous time for women in sports, punctuated by headline-grabbing debates about eligibility and gender testing in track, boxing, swimming and other sports that will likely bring leaders like Coventry and DeFrantz into the mix.
Coventry said it’s important to “protect the female category,” and has signaled that the IOC will take a more active role in setting guidelines for participation.
But for the 41-year-old president, this was a night for celebrating a mentor who made her role in today’s debates possible.
“It’s all about letting people have opportunities,” DeFrantz said. “You can’t make an Olympian. But you can open the door to possibilities.”
It was 7 a.m., and Fremont High’s Andrew Williams was sleeping at his grandmother’s house in South Los Angeles when she woke him up to tell him a USC football coach wanted to speak to him on her cellphone before he went to school.
Williams will never forget that moment on Feb. 12. Defensive line coach Eric Henderson was calling to officially offer him a scholarship to play for the Trojans.
“You don’t believe it until you see it,” he said. “When he told me in his tone and how serious he was, I knew it was real. It was destiny calling. It took me a couple hours to reflect what was going on. I was stunned.”
By lunch time in the school quad, while surrounded by friends and classmates, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Williams was calling Henderson to tell him, “I’m ready to become a Trojan.”
Henderson replied, “Hold on. I have someone who wants to speak to you.”
Coach Lincoln Riley joined the called.
“He said, ‘We’re so excited to have you here.’ It was genuine,” he said.
Fremont High senior Andrew Williams has shown his versatility as a defensive end, tight end and fullback.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Williams was so unknown in the recruiting world before committing to USC last February that he said, “I wasn’t mentioned by any recruiting sites. I had no stars. Honestly it didn’t make me feel any different. I was the same player before the stars and without the stars. Most people still don’t know about me.”
He said a three-touchdown, 10-tackle performance as a junior against L.A. Jordan last fall while playing fullback, defensive end and receiver caught the attention of Colorado State assistant Chad Savage, who later joined USC as an assistant.
Recruiting players from inner city Los Angeles used to be a priority for USC and UCLA. Fremont grad Ricky Bell, a star running back for USC, has his name on the Pathfinders’ stadium. Fremont grad Mark Bradford was a star receiver at Stanford. Crenshaw has sent numerous players to USC and UCLA. Dorsey’s head coach, Stafon Johnson, was a standout running back for the Trojans.
But a drop in talent in the City Section has made identifying potential success stories more difficult. Williams, who has a 3.8 grade point average and plans to graduate in December, said he hopes to be part of the start of a rebirth in championing players from the inner city.
“I’m comfortable with people looking up to me,” he said. “Somebody in the city is actually doing it. Just as I can do it, so can you.”
He doesn’t doubt the road ahead remains difficult.
“I feel I was one of the least privileged kids,” he said. “To have the opportunity I’m doing now. … If I was another 6-5 kid that wasn’t from South Central, I would have been known. They would have shot me up the rankings. They don’t show that in the city I love. That’s cool. That’s for them to keep sleeping on us.”
Living 10 blocks from Fremont with his grandmother since he was 7, Williams said he didn’t discover football until his freshman year. He said he had too much free time until reaching high school and finding something to focus on.
“Have you heard the saying, ‘People get stuck and lost in the system?’ People become a product of their environment,” he said. “I needed time to figure my way out. I came to a realization when I came to high school that something was going to have to happen.”
With his height, athleticism — he can dunk — and agility — he also ran track — USC will watch him this fall to see whether his position will be tight end or defensive end. He’s a raw, intriguing prospect with lots of room to become stronger.
First-year Fremont coach Derek Benton was the coach at Jordan last season when Williams had his big game.
“He made his mark against me, then I knew and heard about him and it was one of the attractions coming here,” he said. “I’m very impressed with Andrew as a person.”
All Williams wanted was an opportunity to get a degree in college. He wants to study communications and learn about sports broadcasting. He said he didn’t need to visit multiple colleges or seek attention from social media. The USC offer was enough.
“Football teaches you can’t expect results without work,” he said. “People expect things in life, but they don’t put the work in. That’s a lesson football teaches you. It teaches unity, leadership, how to treat others.”
He has been rewarded for making good decisions and surrounding himself with people who want to see him succeed. All he’s ever wanted was a chance to prove himself.
Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams has been ruled out of the rest of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia with Scotland’s Ben White called up.
Williams was forced off the field with a hamstring injury after scoring a try in their 54-7 win over Western Force in Perth on Saturday.
”This is desperately sad news for Tomos,” said Lions tour manager Ieuan Evans. ”He is an exemplary Lion who had a brilliant season having joined the Tour as Premiership player-of-the-season. He lit up this Lions tour with both his personality and his talent.”
Williams’ departure means there is now only one Welshman remaining in the 38-strong squad in flanker Jac Morgan.
A flawed start and a worrying amount of possession and opportunity for the Force gave way to a strong win in the end for the Lions.
McCarthy was a compelling force up front as the Lions backline eventually ran amok.
They will sweat on what looked like a hamstring injury for Williams, who had been playing like a thoroughbred.
Jamison Gibson-Park has not yet played for these Lions, although he is expected to be available for midweek in Brisbane. It is a worry for coach Andy Farrell.
The Lions got off to a flyer on the night after a sustained bout of possession when Russell dipped into his box of tricks with a sumptuous cross-kick to Sheehan on the right wing.
Sheehan tapped to James Lowe, who gave it back to his captain for the score. The creator banged over the conversion.
A blistering beginning, but there was trouble ahead. Just as the Lions scored with their first attack, so too did the Force.
Again it was a slow turning of the screw before White sprung from the bottom of a ruck just short the line. Ben Donaldson was good with the conversion.
The Force were heavy underdogs but for 40 minutes they played with a confidence that belied their poor season in Super Rugby. They repeatedly got into the Lions 22 and time and again the tourists got pinged.
The Lions conceded five penalties in 80 minutes against the Pumas in Dublin. They conceded four in 10 minutes in Perth. Sheehan was warned about the ill discipline of his team as early as the 11th minute. This is not how it was supposed to be.
If the Force had been more accurate they would have capitalised on all those entries into the Lions 22.
They won a penalty and went for touch on the right, but nothing came of it. They won another penalty and went for touch on the left, but nothing came of that either.
Credit the tenacity of the Lions defence too, but they were doing much of it. When they got ball in hand, they were the polar opposite of the Force.
It must have been a sickener for the hosts when the visitors lifted the siege in their own territory only to score straight away.
A break from Ireland’s Josh van der Flier, a big burst from England’s Pollock and a support line from Wales’ Williams and over they went. Ruthless. More Force wastefulness followed and soon another Lions try arrived.
Like the first, it was Russell at the root of it, his tap penalty, break and offload putting Daly over. A minor scuffle broke out in the aftermath.
The Force’s angst carried on. Once more they had a close-range lineout – and a one-man advantage after Pollock saw yellow at breakdown – but they could not execute.
For Chinaka Hodge, it’s important that Riri Williams is unapologetic.
Comparing the young engineering prodigy to the billionaire tech CEO and Avengers founding member Tony Stark, the head writer and executive producer of Marvel’s “Ironheart” says she wanted her show’s lead character to share some of that brash confidence to speak her mind yet still feel grounded.
“I wanted her to be unapologetic about her intellect,” says Hodge during a recent Zoom call. “I wanted her to be unapologetic about the people she hung out with — that they would look and feel like the America we inhabit.
“It was really important to me to make a character that didn’t just feel like a superhero in a skirt [but someone with] real dimension, real depth and real challenges and concerns,” she added.
Out now on Disney+, “Ironheart” follows Riri (portrayed by Dominique Thorne), a 19-year old MIT student introduced in the 2022 film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” as she finds herself back in her hometown of Chicago.
After getting whisked away to Wakanda to help save the day, Riri is more driven than ever to complete her own version of a high-tech Iron Man-like suit to cement her legacy. But unlike Tony or the Wakandans, Riri doesn’t have unlimited resources to do so, which leads her to make some questionable decisions.
Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) in “Ironheart.”
(Jalen Marlowe / Marvel)
“She’s incredibly reverent of Tony Stark [being] ahead of her, but her path is not the same as his,” says Hodge, who can relate to Riri having “no blueprint” for her journey. “How to empower your idea without resource, without changing your morals, is a really difficult road, and that’s basically where we put Riri for the life of the series.”
Compared to most of her Marvel Cinematic Universe counterparts, Riri is a fairly new character. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato, the 15-year-old tech whiz made her comic book debut in a 2016 issue of “Invincible Iron Man.” Besides Tony Stark, Riri has crossed paths with characters such as Pepper Potts (Rescue), Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) and Miles Morales (Spider-Man).
A self-described “Marvel head,” Hodge explains that Riri initially hit her radar because of her friendship with fellow poet and scholar Eve Ewing, who was the writer on the first “Ironheart” comic book series.
“My first encounter with Riri was watching Eve literally leave a poetry [event] and say, ‘I have to go to my house … I’m working on some cool things,’” Hodge says. “In a true fan kind of way, I’m interested in characters that look like me, and low-key, Riri really looks like me, [so] I very much leaned in.”
“Ironheart” head writer Chinaka Hodge says Riri Williams is in for a difficult road.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
As she became more familiar with the character, what also struck Hodge, as someone on the autism spectrum, is how Riri can be read as neurodiverse. “One of the most important things about Riri [is] how she feels like me and my mom and other women who lean into their brains,” she says.
Fans of Ironheart from the comics will recognize that elements of Riri’s characterization and backstory draw upon what has been established in the books, but Hodge notes that they were not beholden to those storylines in terms of whom the teen could encounter on the show, regardless of the timeline or dimension. Hodge’s learning curve, however, did include discovering the different levels and types of magic that exist in the broader Marvel universe, as well as potential storylines getting derailed because it fell under another character’s purview.
Though she is still a teen genius, the Riri in the series is slightly older than in the comics. Hodge also describes this Riri as more of an antihero because she has the potential to land on either side of the hero/villain line based on the choices she makes.
Hodge, along with “Ironheart” directors Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes, sing Thorne’s praises, for her portrayal of Riri and as a collaborator. Hodge calls the Cornell-educated actor “a genius” and says she strove to pull Riri’s dialogue up to the level of Thorne’s intellect, rather than the other way around. Bailey, who directed the first three episodes of the series, says Thorne “brought such a soulfulness to the character.” And Barnes, who directed Episodes 4 through 6, commends her capacity to be present for her fellow actors.
“It was exciting to just create the environment to let her do her thing and feel safe within doing that,” Bailey says.
“Ironheart” marks the first time the MCU has spotlighted Chicago, and for the show’s creative team, it was important to get the city right. Hodge, who grew up in Oakland, admits that while she may not have direct knowledge as an outsider, she can relate to how Riri regards her home and wanted to treat the city with respect.
“Chicago’s my favorite cast member,” Hodge says. “I think Riri feels about Chicago how I feel about Oakland. It’s a hometown, but it’s [also] a legacy we’re carrying. Us being from there means something if we do something right with our lives.”
That type of hometown pride was shared by many in the “Ironheart” cast and crew. Hodge says the aim was to tap as many Chicago artists and musicians — from local bucket drummers to cast members like Shea Couleé — to capture the true texture of the city. Among those with strong personal ties to the city is Bailey, who is from Chicago, and Hodge credits the director with helping to bring their vision to life.
Zoe Terakes, left, Sonia Denis, Shakira Barrera, Dominique Thorne, Shea Couleé, Anthony Ramos and Manny Montana in “Ironheart.”
(Jalen Marlowe / Marvel)
“I feel like Chicago has this beautiful chip on its shoulder,” Bailey says. “We don’t trust a lot of people. We’re very protective of the city and its inhabitants. … There was a bit of rebelliousness I wanted to capture … and the different types of people that populate that city, which I don’t feel like we get to see a lot onscreen.”
As the director of the first half of the series, Bailey’s goal was to set up the backstory and establish the vibrancy of everyone introduced in the early episodes to prepare for the adventure to come.
“It was really important to really make these characters feel like people and feel like people you wanted to be around and feel like people you want to root for,” says Bailey.
Among these characters in Riri’s orbit are those she shares a history with, like her mother, Ronnie (Anji White), her close friend Xavier (Matthew Elam) and even the neighborhood’s youngest businessman, Landon (Harper Anthony). But Riri soon finds herself in the company of a new crew led by Parker Robbins (Anthony Ramos), who some might compare to Robin Hood or a freedom fighter, at least initially.
Mindful of spoilers, Barnes only teases that the second half of the series involves Riri having to face some of the consequences of choices she made in earlier episodes.
“[Riri] made this decision to maybe hang out with people that aren’t necessarily the most savory of people,” says Barnes. “They also have their own reasons for doing what they’re doing, but … she gets in a little deeper than she imagined.”
A self-proclaimed MCU fan, Barnes emphasizes how the show was intentional in everything from its set pieces to decoration, including how the design for the heads-up display of Riri’s suit was inspired by infographics from the works of W.E.B. Du Bois. But she also recalls the fun they had during production, like flipping a truck and building a White Castle in a parking lot.
Chinaka Hodge wanted to make sure people could see themselves reflected on the show.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
For Hodge, “Ironheart” marks one of her highest-profile projects to date. The poet and playwright turned to screenwriting after realizing she wanted to expand beyond working in first person and enrolled in USC’s graduate film school in 2010. There, she’d meet fellow student filmmakers like “Black Panther’s” Ryan Coogler, who is an executive producer on “Ironheart,” and “Creed II’s” Steven Caple Jr. (“I would just follow Ryan around campus [saying], ‘Hire me,’” she says. He eventually did.)
Among the things Hodge was excited about while working on the series was getting to explore larger themes around access, autonomy and safety through specific situations that consider how a young girl from Chicago’s South Side might be perceived differently than Tony Stark for owning a weapons-grade tech suit because of what they look like. She was also eager to populate the show with people who reflect the diversity of the real world.
Broadly speaking, “you’re gonna see yourself if you turn on the screen on this show,” says Hodge, who is glad the MCU has moved to “feel like a universe that’s inhabited by the people who read publishing and go to the movies.”
“I’m excited for the little, quirky Black girl watching the show who sees herself in it [and] for the queer kid who finds it for their Pride Month activities and wants to watch it,” she says. “I’m really excited for that Black boy who wants to play with a Riri Williams action figure and finds it in the store and gets to fly it around his own house. I’m excited and I’m nervous [and] thrilled, and I feel like that’s exactly how Riri feels when she’s flying over the Chicago skyline.”
