During practice Friday, UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close made it clear she wanted to see more from forward Angela Dugalic.
“You’re not using what you’ve earned,” Close recalled telling her while speaking with reporters Friday.
Dugalic is going to face some of the best players in the country this week. Close thinks she can match up with them, but she needs Dugalic to play like it. With all the work Dugalic has done on her low-post game over the offseason, she can’t settle for floating around the perimeter.
Close won’t let her.
“I just want her to be all she can be,” Close said. “She’s been an animal down there in the low post, and I want her to hunt for that. I don’t want her to settle for playing on the perimeter when she’s got a whole lot more tools in her toolbox that she’s not accessing.”
Close got that version of Dugalic in Sunday’s 88-37 rout of Southern at Pauley Pavilion. The third-ranked Bruins were in full control from whistle to whistle, even pitching a second-quarter shutout, and Dugalic led the way with 20 points, five rebounds and an assist. She shot eight for 15 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers.
It was pure dominance by UCLA. The Bruins shot 51% from the field while holding the Jaguars to 29%. They outrebounded Southern by 30. They forced 13 turnovers, nine in the first half, and scored 28 points off them. And on the offensive end, UCLA was flowing with 24 assists to Southern’s nine.
Gabriela Jaquez added eight rebounds and five assists to go with six points. Her first basket, a layup after cutting through the paint in the second quarter, gave the senior guard her 1,000th career point. Kiki Rice had 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Lauren Betts finished with 15 points and six rebounds.
Dugalic opened the scoring for UCLA with a midrange jumper followed by a fast-break layup. She finished the first half with nine points, tied for the team lead with freshman forward Lena Bilic, who finished the game with 14 points.
Despite Dugalic’s strong start, Close issued her another challenge at halftime.
“I just want you to focus on making the right basketball play,” Close said. “What’s the defense doing? I didn’t think she was reading the defense. I thought she shot it well, and I thought she got some great rebounds, but I didn’t think she was in the flow that we’ve been seeing from her the last few days and our last few games.”
Close added that she thinks Dugalić is playing some of the best basketball of her career, and she’s continuously fighting to raise her standard. It’s not about how many points she scores, it’s about her decision making her defense, her consistency.
The Bruins entered that second quarter with a 22-9 lead thanks to a 14-2 run over the final six minutes of the first quarter after holding Southern (1-4) scoreless during the final three minutes. UCLA then exploded for a 27-0 run in the second quarter while holding the Jaguars scoreless for the entire period. It was the first time the Bruins had held an opponent scoreless for an entire quarter since they achieved the same feat on Dec. 5, 2021 against San José State.
Still, Close wasn’t satisfied.
During halftime, Close said she reminded the Bruins of what they want to accomplish. Close wrote down a list of “passion plays,” or goals for every single player to get in the second half.
UCLA guard Kiki Rice controls the ball in front of Southern forward DeMya Porter during the first half of the Bruins’ win Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
It’s part of a mentality Close is trying to instill in her players. They know a 51-point win against an unranked Southern team isn’t going to give them the feedback they need.
“Outcomes are actually a distraction,” Close said, referencing legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban. “What are the processes that we’re going to be committed to that are going to actually lead us to where we want to go?”
UCLA (6-0) will face No. 4 Texas on Wednesday in the Players Era Women’s Championship in Las Vegas, followed by either No. 2 South Carolina or Duke on Thanksgiving. The Bruins then will host No. 15 Tennessee on Nov. 30.
Sherrie Hewson has revealed which of her Loose Women co-stars jokingly kicked her under the table when she recently went back to the ITV chat show panel after almost a decade away
Loose Women’s Sherrie Hewson reveals which of her co-stars ‘kicked’ her under the table(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Sherrie Hewson has claimed that a Loose Women star kicked her under the table. The actress spent more than a decade on the panel of ITV’s lunchtime panel show, putting the world to rights alongside other long-serving stars such as Jane McDonald, Carol McGiffin, and Denise Welch, amongst a whole host of other familiar television faces. The actress, 75, was probably best known for starring as Maureen Holdsworth on Coronation Street in the late 1990s when she landed the job, and was yet to experience further success as hotelier Joyce Temple-Savage on the sunny sitcom Benidorm.
The former Emmerdale star announced in 2016 that she would be stepping down from the panel after a total of 13 years on air, having worked alongside anchors such as Andrea McLean, Carol Vorderman and Kate Thornton, and had appeared in more than 800 episodes by the time she left.
She has now claimed that while she did have intense debates with co-stars like Janet Street-Porter, everything was normally okay once the cameras stopped rolling, but she returned a few months ago for a guest appearance and was ‘kicked’ under the table by one long-serving star in particular.
She said: “I don’t recall anyone back then being offended by what we said or did. Nobody was rude. Yes, we had rows. I had awful ding-dongs with Janet Street Porter – I’d tell her to shut up because I thought she was talking rubbish. But we’d both end up laughing and thinking it was very funny. She was talking rubbish – and maybe I was, too!
“But you have rows and you make up – that’s life! It was never about deliberately creating an argument for the sake of it, like you get on some shows. I don’t mean about it being horrible and nasty, but like: ‘Do you know what? I don’t agree with you. Let’s agree to disagree’. We all have different opinions. And we should be allowed to say them!
“I went on Loose Women a few months ago and I said something slightly outrageous – can’t remember what it was now – and Coleen [Nolan] kicked me under the table!”
During a chat with The Sun, Sherrie went on to say that she told I’m In The Mood For Dancing songstress to not do that to her, and recalled that Coleen simply replied: “But I like kicking you.” But she insisted that was the “kind of banter” that was needed and insisted that there was “no hard feelings” between herself and the former Dancing On Ice star.
The actress recently spoke out about the much-discussed revival of Benidorm, which initially ran from 2007 until 2018 and also featured the likes of Steve Pemberton, Siobhan Finneran, and Tony Maudsley amongst its stellar cast. Several big-name guest stars also made an appearance over the years, including Dame Joan Collins, Hi-de-Hi legend Su Pollard and the late Cilla Black.
On the subject of a comeback, Sherrie told the Mirror: “We’re always the last to know when it comes to Benidorm! But wouldn’t it be brilliant? It would be fabulous, wouldn’t it? It still gets great ratings you know, I sit and watch it all the time! I don’t know the answer to if it’s coming back but of course I’m up for it.
“I was lucky because Joyce was a brilliantly written part. Derren Litten could really write for women and you can’t say that about a lot of people.
“He wrote that part and it was such an amazing gift. I had so many incredible years on that show – five months in Benidorm every year, you can’t get better than that, can you? I’d jump on the plane now if they were bringing it back.
“We had the likes of Martin Kemp, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Bananarama, and Tony Hadley come out. None of them wanted to go home. Of course I want to do it again, and it’s the same with Corrie. I’d love to link up with Tony Maudsley [George Shuttleworth] who played Kenneth in Benidorm, could you imagine?”
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Hannah Hidalgo scored 22 points and hit the go-ahead jumper with 1.9 seconds left, KK Bransford scored nine of her 11 points in the fourth quarter and No. 24 Notre Dame beat 11th-ranked USC 61-59 on Friday.
Hildalgo finished with seven rebounds and five steals and Bransford had eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Vanessa de Jesus added 13 points, five assists and three steals for Notre Dame (4-1). The Fighting Irish, who went into the game averaging 18.0 steals per game (No. 5 nationally), had 16 steals.
Hidalgo, facing defensive pressure near midcourt, darted toward the basket and pulled up for a contested mid-range jumper that capped the scoring. Cassandre Prosper stole Kennedy Smith‘s inbounds pass to seal the game.
Kara Dunn hit four three-pointers and led USC (3-2) with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Jazzy Davidson added 14 points but committed eight turnovers. Londynn Jones, who went into the game second on the team in scoring (12.8 per game), was scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting.
Notre Dame scored the final six third-quarter points and opened the fourth with a 6-1 spurt that culminated when Cassandre Prosper made a layup with 4:25 to play, making it 52-all. Davidson hit a three, and Dunn followed with a jumper that put the Trojans up by two with 1:38 remaining before Bransford answered with a jumper that tied it at 59-59 a minute later.
Hidalgo scored eight points in a 13-2 first-quarter run that gave Notre Dame its biggest lead of the game at 15-10.
Smith made a layup that gave the Trojans a two-point lead with 2:27 remaining in the second quarter, and the lead was 33-31 at halftime. Hidalgo opened the third quarter with a layup, but USC scored 18 of the next 25 to gather an 11-point lead when Dunn — who scored nine points in the spurt — made a layup with 2:12 left until the fourth.
Up next for USC: The Trojans host Tennessee Tech on Tuesday.
No. 1 Nebraska displayed every skill that’s made it a powerhouse program — the offense attacked every part of the court, defense never gave up on the ball and the fans showed up at the Galen Center.
In front of a sellout crowd of 9,072, USC’s nine-match win streak came to an end with a straight-set loss to Nebraska (26-0, 16-0 Big Ten).
“I just felt like the game was a little too fast for us today,” USC coach Brad Keller said. “I thought it was slow for them and fast for us.”
The No. 17 Trojans never led and were limited to a 20% point scoring percentage throughout the match. USC (20-6, 11-5) led in attacks, but its 16 errors were costly during the 25-13, 25-16, 25-20 loss to the Cornhuskers.
USC’s Adonia Faumuina taps the ball over the net against Nebraska at the Galen Center on Sunday.
(Kim Ly / USC Athletics)
“Nebraska is the real deal,” Keller said. “They are really, really good and they showed that today from point one to the very end. They’re hitting .400 and they held us down to .156, that kind of shows you a lot of where they were.
“Go Big Red Nation deserves credit and they deserve the fact that they travel and they support their team.”
USC outside hitters London Wijay, with 10 kills, and Adonia Faumuina, with nine kills, kept the Trojans in as much as possible throughout the three sets. After a break, the Trojans came out with some extra gusto to make things a little interesting for the Cornhuskers.
“We literally had nothing to lose,” Faumuina said.
During the match, Nebraska made 10 errors, with five spread across the first two sets. The Huskers moved the ball quickly around the court and if they made a mistake, the team quickly adjusted. In the third set, a ball bounced in the air close to the floor seats. Nebraska saved the ball and it later led to a kill by Virginia Adrian that put the Huskers three points from closing out the game.
Nebraska kept USC guessing, while exploiting the weaker USC back court and capitalizing on attacking errors. Throughout the match, they kept hitting the ball to the back, usually resulting in a point for them.
“There were some plays they made that I haven’t seen in a while and that was normal for them,” Keller said.
As the Trojans look ahead to their next match against Oregon on Wednesday, Keller doesn’t have a silver lining take-away from the loss.
“I love my team, I don’t care what their age is,” Keller said. “There needs to be a standard and we need to execute and if we don’t execute, we go back to the drawing board, we work on those things, we get better and we execute.”
Wijay said the loss exposed how much harder the Trojans must work to achieve their goals.
“I don’t want to brush off this loss,” Wijay said. “I think it’s good to use as fuel for the next game. It was a good test to see how far we are to get to that level. And I feel like the silver lining is to make sure that we’re all gonna be in the gym working even harder to make sure that we pursue the balls.”
“I think it made me more hungry to want to win,” Wijay added.
She doesn’t have a driver’s license. Often doesn’t get movie references. Reminds many of their little sisters.
There’s always some story or tidbit involving Meila Brewer that will make her teammates laugh or gush about playing alongside the freshman center back who’s believed to be the youngest athlete in UCLA history.
Why, it wasn’t so long ago that Brewer floored everybody else on the women’s soccer team when each player shared how old they were when the pandemic hit. As almost everybody ticked off one year or another in high school, all eyes turned to Brewer.
“Oh,” she announced, “I was in fifth grade.”
Meila Brewer extends her arms, smiles and runs to embrace her UCLA teammates during a match against Stanford.
(UCLA Athletics)
That doesn’t mean that she’s easily identifiable. Coach Margueritte Aozasa has made an informal game of asking anyone who inquires about having a 16-year-old on her roster to pick her out when scanning the players on the field.
No one has gotten it right on the first handful of attempts.
“They’ll point out three or four players,” Aozasa said, “and I’ll be like, ‘No, it’s probably the one you would least expect.’ ”
Being one of the tallest players on the team at 5-foot-8 provides some cover, but it’s also her precocious nature and the skills she developed while training with a professional team and playing for the U.S. youth national team that give her a veteran presence.
There’s been no underage shrinking, Brewer living up to every moment as fourth-seeded UCLA (11-5-3) prepares to open the NCAA tournament at 6 p.m. Saturday at home against Pepperdine (11-6-2).
Meila Brewer dribbles the ball while playing for UCLA during the 2025 season. Brewer, 16, is the youngest athlete to ever compete in a sport at UCLA.
(UCLA Athletics)
OK, maybe a hint of her youth emerged when she was asked how she felt about playing on college soccer’s biggest stage.
“Freaking out,” Brewer said. “Like, when you think about it, I’m soooo excited, that’s like the only way you can put it.”
This will be just her eighth game with the Bruins as a result of her recent participation in the FIFA under-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, where the Americans won their group before losing to the Netherlands on penalty kicks in the Round of 16.
Her UCLA teammates followed the action from afar, one posting a picture of herself shedding celebratory tears in a group chat after Brewer scored in the opening game. After the competition ended, Brewer boarded one flight for Atlanta before getting on another one bound for Los Angeles, only to hop back on a third plane a little more than 12 hours later to accompany her Bruins teammates to West Lafayette, Ind., for the Big Ten tournament.
“Coming back from Morocco, I had missed a decent amount of games,” Brewer said, “but I feel like the girls have been so supportive of helping me get reintegrated and getting right back into the flow just because we’re in tournament time and we want to succeed.”
Aozasa said she’s reminded her players that there’s a 16-year-old on the team and to behave appropriately. Brewer’s roommate, Payten Cooper, is two years older than her even though she’s also a freshman. Lexi Wright, a redshirt senior forward, is seven years older.
But those age gaps aren’t a big deal to Brewer considering she’s already spent a year and a half training with players in their 30s on the Kansas City Current, a team in the National Women’s Soccer League.
“It’s no surprise that she’s gonna be able to fit in right away and be successful at that level at UCLA,” said Vasil Ristov, the coach of the Current’s second team who was also Brewer’s youth club coach, “because she’s seen some of the top talent in the world and she’s participated in training sessions with them.”
Just reaching UCLA at such a young age was a major triumph.
Having taken a heavy class load in middle school and her first two years of high school to lessen the academic burden on her later, Brewer had reclassified once by the time she visited UCLA last spring. That’s when her love for a place she had long considered her dream school truly took hold, Brewer feeling the pull to play immediately even though she had more than a year of high school remaining.
“She was like, ‘What if I just come in this fall?’ ” said her father, Austin Brewer, who was also on the trip. “And I’m like, ‘Well, I don’t think it works that way.’ ”
After checking it out, the family realized it was a possibility. Meila (pronounced MEE-luh) worked nonstop from April through the end of July. She didn’t get to participate in high school graduation ceremonies but was rewarded with something greater — a chance to play for the Bruins.
UCLA freshman Meila Brewer controls the ball while playing Tennessee during the 2025 season.
(UCLA Athletics)
Her schedule includes nearly as many parent check-ins as classes. Austin and Shelly Brewer routinely call in the morning, midday and evening, sometimes adding oldest daughter Sasha, a freshman defender for the University of Miami women’s soccer team, to FaceTime chats.
Classes haven’t been as hard as Brewer imagined, though she’s still trying to pick a major.
“Coming into college,” she said, “I was prepping myself for the worst, so I feel like I was ready for it.”
On the field, Brewer is known for a physical style that allows her to impede opposing forwards in her role as a defender and smart playmaking while on the attack. They’re all traits that could help her fulfill her goal of playing for the U.S. national team.
Having always played up one or more levels on club teams, sometimes alongside boys, Brewer developed a strong sense of self.
“I asked her once who her favorite player was, who did she want to be like,” Shelly Brewer said, “and I’ll never forget this — we laugh about it all the time — she said, ‘I don’t want to be like anyone; I want to be like me.’ ”
In a nod to her age and the fact that she’s still growing, Brewer sometimes gets tendinitis in her knees. She wants to be just one of the girls, her youth a novelty but not a defining characteristic.
“I want to be seen as an equal on the field or a leader on the field in what I can do besides my age,” she said. “I just want to be able to stand out for how I play and not on the age side of it.”
That’s not to say that someone who won’t turn 17 until March isn’t having as much fun as everybody else whenever the subject comes up.
“It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re a baby,’ ” Brewer said, “and I’m like, ‘Yep, I am.’ ”
LAS VEGAS — All-American Lauren Betts had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 3 UCLA to a 78-60 victory over No. 11 North Carolina on Thursday night in the WBCA Challenge, the Bruins’ second win over a ranked team this week.
UCLA (4-0) also topped No. 6 Oklahoma 73-59 on Monday in Sacramento. Coming off the program’s first trip to the NCAA Final Four, the Bruins are making an early case as one of the favorites to get back there.
Betts also had seven assists. Teammate Kiki Rice overcame an 0-for-3 first half to finish with 15 points on six-for-12 shooting as well as 10 rebounds. Angela Dugalic added 14 points and Gabriela Jaquez had 12.
Elina Aarnisalo led North Carolina (2-1) with 13 points, and Indya Nivar and Ciera Toomey each scored 11. Nyla Harris, a transfer from Louisville, was held to six points on three-for-10 shooting. She scored a combined 25 points in the Tar Heels’ two victories.
The teams swapped scoring runs before UCLA took charge with a 10-point surge to end the third quarter for a 58-46 lead.
The Bruins dominated inside, winning the rebound battle 46-30 and outscoring the Tar Heels in the lane by a 46-22 margin. Four UCLA players had at least eight rebounds.
At least five WNBA teams were represented: the Sparks, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Toronto. Jackie Young, Dana Evans and Kiah Stokes, who helped the Aces win their third championship in four years, watched courtside.
Up next for UCLA: vs. South Florida in the WBCA Challenge on Saturday.
Watch the best goals from the latest round of fixtures from the Women’s Champions League, including Olga Carmona’s screamer for Paris St-Germain against Manchester United and Bayern Munich’s Pernille Harder’s equaliser against Arsenal.
USC and Baylor jumped into the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll after big opening week victories.
The Bears began the season with a victory in Paris over then-No. 7 Duke to replace the Blue Devils in that spot Monday, climbing nine places. The Trojans edged then-No. 9 North Carolina State by a point Sunday to move up 10 spots to eighth overall.
While USC will be missing star JuJu Watkins all season as she recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament tear suffered last March, coach Lindsay Gottlieb’s team has a new young star in Jazzy Davidson, who hit the go-ahead shot with 8.2 seconds left.
Connecticut, South, Carolina, UCLA and Texas remained the top four teams in the poll after relatively easy opening week wins. The defending champion Huskies received 30 first-place votes from a national media panel while the Gamecocks got the other two.
Louisiana State and Oklahoma stayed at fifth and six, respectively. The Sooners faced UCLA on Monday night in Sacramento, a site of one of the NCAA regionals next spring.
Maryland moved up one place to ninth. N.C. State, which besides falling to USC beat Tennessee by three points in the opener, dropped to 10th. The Lady Vols fell to 12th and the Blue Devils 15th.
In and out
No. 25 Washington entered the top 25 for the first time in two years. The Huskies were hosting Montana on Monday night before heading to Utah on Saturday. Richmond dropped out of the poll after losing at Texas.
Banner raising
UConn unveiled its 12th championship banner on Sunday when the Huskies beat Florida State. The team took to the court before the game wearing custom white-and-gold tracksuits that read “National Champions XII” on the back.
Happy anniversary
The women’s basketball poll celebrates its 50th anniversary this month with the first rankings coming out in late November 1976. Founded by Mel Greenberg, the poll was a coaches’ poll until 1994-95 when it became one voted on by national media.
Games of the week
No. 2 South Carolina at No. 9 USC, Saturday. The Gamecocks will head west to face the Trojans in a home-and-home series dubbed “The Real SC”. Saturday’s game will be played at Crypto.com Arena and next year’s game will be played in Greenville, S.C.
No. 17 Texas Christian at No. 10 N.C. State, Sunday. The Wolfpack continue their difficult non-conference schedule facing the Horned Frogs, who added transfer Olivia Miles from Notre Dame this offseason.
Arriving at Sale Sharks as part of a high-profile revamp, Holly Aitchison has made one big move this summer.
She is adamant she won’t be making a second.
“[England head coach] John Mitchell has made it pretty clear to me that I can cover different positions, but I am a 10,” she told BBC Sport.
“And I won’t be seen as anything else.”
A year ago, the question wouldn’t have been asked.
At WXV in Canada, Aitchison was the Red Roses’ starting fly-half, steering them to title-clinching victories over New Zealand and Canada.
Her playmaking and running abilities were a key part of diversifying England’s threat, ensuring that, come the Rugby World Cup in England, they would have more cutting edges than a bandsaw.
It didn’t turn out like that.
Zoe Harrison edged in front as first-choice 10, with Aitchison shifted into the centres or on to the bench.
An ankle injury in the run-up to the Rugby World Cup meant Aitchison struggled to challenge for her spot, only appearing in the knock-out stages and then being deployed as a midfield replacement in the semi-final and final victories over France and Canada respectively.
But the 28-year-old is resolute in sticking to her position and her philosophy.
“I want to dictate,” she said.
“Obviously I got that ankle injury before the World Cup, but we were definitely moving in the more expansive direction.
“That’s something that I champion, that’s what I bring as a 10.
“I want to inspire the backline, I want to play this brand of rugby that attracts viewers.
“In the men’s game, I think of players like Finn Russell – you buy a ticket to watch him.
“I want that kind of hype around players in the women’s game where we’re creating that style of brand that people want to watch.”
At Sale, she hopes she has found the stage to do that.
The team finished last in PWR last season, but they have invested and improved.
Aitchison’s England team-mate Amy Cokayne and Scotland wing Rhona Lloyd were also signed over the summer while England’s Morweena Talling and the United States’ all-action lock Erica Jarrell-Searcy are part of an exciting back five in the pack.
Sale co-owner Michelle Orange had earmarked this season, after the Rugby World Cup, as a chance to lure some of England’s players back to the north and strengthen a struggling team.
Aitchison, born and raised on Merseyside, was a top target.
“Holly was on my hit-list, not just as a poster girl for the Red Roses, but for the North West and women’s rugby in general,” Orange tells BBC Sport.
“She is a perfect fit coming in. We are so lucky to have Katy Daley-Mclean – one of England’s best ever fly-halves – heading up our women’s programme and Holly follows in her mould.
“I love Holly’s style, her sass, the way she puts herself out on social media and identifies with her fanbase, this is exactly who we want in our team to bring some extra X-factor and complement the girls we have already got.”
Imagine walking for days and nights to escape gunfire. You carry your child in your arms, guiding them through the darkness to avoid drone attacks. You have no food, no water, and nowhere safe to go.
This is the reality for families in Darfur and across Sudan, where civilians are being trapped, targeted, and terrorised as the country’s brutal war enters its third year. In el-Fasher and other parts of Darfur, entire communities have been besieged. Those who try to flee are attacked; those who remain face starvation, violence, and disease.
Behind these headlines are women and children who are suffering the most. Sexual violence is being used systematically to punish, to terrorise, and to destroy. Women and girls are abducted, forced to work for armed groups during the day, and then assaulted at night, often in front of others. Many survivors are children themselves. Some of the girls who have become pregnant through rape are so young and malnourished that they are unable to feed their babies.
Perpetrators no longer attempt to hide their crimes. Violence has become so widespread that recording or documenting cases can cost you your life. In Tawila, North Darfur, only one clinic run by Doctors Without Borders can provide care for rape survivors.
Boys are also being drawn into the conflict. Over the past 10 days, three trucks filled with children were reported heading towards Nyala, while in South Darfur, children are being armed and sent to fight. Families are disappearing without a trace.
Aid workers are also targeted. They are being kidnapped for ransom, assaulted, sometimes killed, and targeted because armed groups believe humanitarian organisations can pay. Many of those delivering aid are Sudanese women who risk their lives every day to bring food, water, and protection services to others.
Violence has also taken on an ethnic dimension. One displaced person told us, “I cannot go back, they will know by my skin colour which tribe I am from, and they will kill me.”
Sudan is now the world’s largest displacement crisis and one of its most severe humanitarian emergencies. More than 30 million people need urgent assistance. Fifteen million have been forced from their homes. Hunger and cholera are spreading fast. Clinics have been destroyed, schools are closed, and 13 million children are out of school, their education and futures slipping away.
Yet even amid this devastation, Sudanese women’s organisations are leading the response. They are running safe spaces, supporting survivors of violence, and keeping children learning where they can. They know their communities and continue their work despite constant danger. Their courage deserves not only recognition but also support.
The humanitarian response, however, remains catastrophically underfunded. Only about a quarter of what is needed has been received. Without immediate resources, millions will be left without food, medical care, or shelter as famine looms. Funding protection and psychosocial support for women and children is not optional. It is life-saving.
And this is not only a crisis of violence but also a crisis of indifference. Each day the world looks away, more lives are lost and more futures erased. The international community must support investigations into war crimes, including sexual violence, ethnic killings, and attacks on aid workers. Silence is not neutrality. Silence gives a blank cheque for horror to continue.
We must act now, urgently. Governments and donors must fully fund the humanitarian response and ensure access for those delivering aid. They must press all parties to immediately stop attacks on civilians, guarantee safe passage for those fleeing, and allow relief operations to reach those cut off by the fighting.
Humanitarian workers and grassroots organisations are risking their lives so that others might live. The world must match their courage with urgent action.
Above all, Sudan’s women and girls must be part of shaping peace. They are already leading by organising, sheltering, and rebuilding amid the chaos. Their courage offers a glimpse of the country Sudan could still become.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.
Iceland and Ukraine have also been placed in Group A3 alongside Sarina Wiegman’s side.
Qualifying for the World Cup, which will be held in Brazil, follows the same format as the Nations League and is split into three tiers.
Only the four group winners in League A will automatically qualify for the finals, with the remaining teams having to go through the play-offs for the remaining eight places.
Scotland have been paired with Belgium, Israel and Luxembourg in Group B4, while Wales will face the Czech Republic, Albania and Montenegro in Group B1.
Northern Ireland have been placed in Group B2 with Switzerland, Turkey and Malta, and the Republic of Ireland are in Group A2 alongside the Netherlands, France and Poland.
The qualifiers will be played across six matchdays, on a home and away basis, during 2026, starting on 3 March and finishing on 9 June.
Uefa has been allocated 11 places for the 32-team 2027 World Cup.
An additional European team could also qualify through Fifa’s intercontinental play-offs.
The No. 3 UCLA women’s basketball team won its first game of the season, defeating feisty San Diego State 77–53 on Monday at the Honda Center.
The Bruins (1–0) built an eight-point lead in the first quarter, but the unranked Aztecs (0–1) managed to cut the deficit by three by the end of the period.
San Diego State struggled to score in the second quarter when UCLA went on a 12–2 run.
The scoring gap continued to increase as the Bruins extended their lead to 15 points, ending the first half with a 37–22 advantage.
UCLA center Lauren Betts scored 21 points and grabbed four rebounds, guard Gabriela Jaquez recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds and guard Charlisse Ledger-Walker, who returned to the court after redshirting last season, contributed 12 points and five assists.
The Bruins opened the third quarter with a 16–0 run. Although the Aztecs fought hard to close the gap, the Bruins maintained control, ending the quarter with a 58–38 lead.
San Diego State pushed UCLA again in the fourth quarter, but the Aztecs couldn’t make a meaningful dent in their deficit.
Aztecs sophomore guard Kaelyn Hamilton came off the bench to lead her team with 11 points, while guards Nat Martinez and Nala Williams scored 10 points apiece.
UCLA will play its home opener Thursday against UC Santa Barbara.
Pot Four: Slovenia, Serbia, Ukraine & Republic of Ireland.
The four groups in World Cup qualifying will contain a team from each of the seeded pots.
England and the Republic of Ireland will be in League A for World Cup qualifying, and will head into the campaign knowing that they are already guaranteed a play-off.
Despite winning the Euros, the Lionesses are in the second tier and that could mean the latest chapter in their rivalry with Spain.
Sarina Wiegman’s side also faced France and Sweden on their way to victory in July, and will back themselves to win automatic qualification no matter who they are drawn against from pot one.
England and the Republic of Ireland were in the same group for Euro 2025 qualifying and could face off again.
In a group that also contained heavyweights France and Sweden, the Irish were relegated, but a stunning promotion play-off win over Belgium saw them return to League A at the first time of asking.
Led by Katie McCabe, the Republic of Ireland qualified for the 2023 World Cup but missed out on the Euros after losing to Wales.
Being back in the top tier puts Carla Ward’s side in the best position to rectify that for the World Cup.
Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where we’re still struggling with how to view USC’s 21-17 win at Nebraska. On one hand, USC gutted out a hard-earned road victory, just its second true road win outside of L.A. since 2023, with a stingy defensive stand in the second half. On the other, USC’s offense was out of sorts, its quarterback had the worst start of his tenure and its defense was run over for the third time in four games.
No matter your perspective, this much is indisputable: USC is 6-2, bowl eligible and in prime position to be 8-2 heading to Eugene in late November. Remember, the Trojans were 4-5 at this time last year.
But after flying back west for the final time this regular season, we’re going to take a brief break from football to alert you that college basketball season, believe it or not, is about to begin. And both of USC’s teams enter the season on fascinating and uncertain terms.
Fight on! Are you a true Trojans fan?
Let’s start first with the men’s team and Eric Musselman, who thought he’d have a five-star freshman to help springboard his program to relevance in Year 2. But the injury to Alijah Arenas has undoubtedly altered that trajectory. What we don’t know now is how much and for how long.
That’s just the beginning of the questions facing USC. Here are three others …
1. Who’s going to play point guard?
You may remember this same query from this time last season, when USC entrusted the role to Desmond Claude, who was a good playmaker, but not a great floor general. He turned the ball over nearly four times per game.
Arenas was expected to be the primary ballhandler. But with him out, it’ll be some combination of Rodney Rice, Chad Baker-Mazara, Jordan Marsh and Jerry Easter sharing ballhandling duties. None have any extensive experience as a floor general. Marsh has been a pleasant surprise in practice, but was more of a pure scorer at North Carolina Asheville.
Rice will have a lot on his shoulders already. And that’s not considering his actual shoulder, which has held him out for much of the preseason. He’ll need someone else to step up to help.
2. How much better is USC’s frontcourt?
When USC played its two exhibition games last month, opposing coaches couldn’t believe how much 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes affected the game defensively. Dynes was arguably USC’s best player in the preseason, and he wasn’t even expected to start in the Trojans’ frontcourt.
He had six blocks in his debut and should help give USC improved rim protection this season. Which is to say any rim protection at all.
The staff has been high on Jacob Cofie since he arrived on campus. Don’t be surprised if he ascends to a major role. Ezra Ausar, at 253 pounds, should be a beast on the boards, and Jaden Brownell should give USC’s frontcourt range out to the arc. This group has a lot of varied skillsets, and that should put the defense especially in a much better position.
3. Can USC score enough?
When asked what he learned most from his team during the preseason, Musselman didn’t mince words.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to score better,” he said.
Arenas, again, was supposed to lead the way in that regard. Rice was more of a secondary scorer at Maryland, as was Baker-Mazara at Auburn. USC looks, as of now, like a whole team of complementary offensive players, with no alpha yet. That can change. Maybe Cofie steps into the spot before season’s end. But it’s definitely something to monitor through the non-conference season.
What about the women’s team?
Kennedy Smith controls the ball while pressured by UConn guard Paige Bueckers during last season’s NCAA women’s tournament.
(Young Kwak / Associated Press)
USC enters this season with far lower expectations than this time last year, on account of JuJu Watkins’ knee injury, which will keep her out until next season. So what can we expect from Lindsay Gottlieb’s Trojans?
Here are the three big questions facing the USC women this season …
1. How can USC fill the void without Watkins?
This is the only question that really matters. Problem is there’s no clear answer. Gottlieb has been clear that no one player will replace Watkins, as tempting as it may be to slot top prospect Jazzy Davidson into that spot.
It’s more reasonable to recreate Watkins’ production in the aggregate. But that won’t be easy when you consider how much other production the Trojans lost from last season, in addition to Watkins. USC must replace 88% of its scoring and 80% of their rebounding output, and while that’s not that unique in the era of the transfer portal, it does mean the team is likely to have a very different identity.
Gottlieb has said that USC is going to play with more pace this season. But who will it turn to when it needs a bucket? Davidson is perhaps the likeliest candidate, but I’m particularly curious to see the development of sophomore Kennedy Smith. Smith was inconsistent offensively as a freshman. But Gottlieb plans to put the ball in her hands more, and how that works out will say a lot about the direction of the season.
2. What’s going on in the frontcourt?
Last season, there was no question who USC could count on down low. Rayah Marshall was a three-year starter, while Kiki Iriafen is now one of the best young bigs in the WNBA.
But with both gone, USC doesn’t have any proven options to step into their place. Gottlieb has said that USC will use a by-committee approach with transfer Yakiya Milton, Lithuanian import Gerda Raulusaityte and returners Vivian Iwuchukwu and Laura Williams. Of those four, only Milton was part of a college basketball rotation last season, and she only averaged two points per game in 11 minutes at Auburn.
Raulusaityte is the big unknown. One of the youngest members of the Lithuanian national team, USC kind of needs her to be an immediate contributor. Especially with her ability to stretch the floor as a shooter, something the other three don’t do. If she struggles, USC could be in trouble with its lack of talent down low.
3. How good will Davidson be right away?
Watkins is a tough act to follow as a top-rated freshman. But Davidson has the potential to be a stat-stuffing star right away.
I don’t know if she’ll score quite like Watkins, who shot 42% and scored 24 points per night as a freshman. What she will do, perhaps even more than Watkins, is elevate the games of teammates around her. You can read more about that in an upcoming story on Davidson.
But can she get a bucket when USC needs one? And can she force her way through traffic with her spindly frame? There are still questions to be answered. But while Gottlieb is doing her best to temper expectations, I think USC is going to need its star freshman to be a star right away, if it has any hope of competing in the Big Ten like it did last season.
—Jayden Maiava didn’t have it as a passer. So he used his legs. And that worked wonders. Maiava was a meager nine of 23 through the air for 135 yards, but he reminded the world that he’s a capable runner, too, as he rushed for 62 yards in 11 carries. The highlight of his day came in the third quarter, when Maiava took off on consecutive plays for a pair of 16-yard gains, the second of which saw him stiff-arm his way to a score. Maiava hasn’t looked to run much this season. But maybe he should consider doing it more.
—USC’s three most influential players Saturday were all walk-ons. Running back King Miller was USC’s only consistent source of offense. Kaylon Miller, his brother, stepped in for an injured Alani Noa and was arguably USC’s best lineman in the ground game. And USC kicker Ryon Sayeri continued to shine by knocking through two more field goals. I’m not sure what that says about USC’s team. But it’s not something you see every day.
—The offensive line just can’t stay healthy. Left tackle Elijah Paige returned after missing the previous three games, only for Noa to go down. Noa never returned, and we won’t know more about his status until at least Monday. USC is getting especially thin on the interior, with guard Micah Banuelos having also missed Saturday’s game. Center Kilian O’Connor should be back soon, but it’s a wonder that USC has held it together up front while being ravaged by injuries.
Olympic sports spotlight
After losing three of four to start their Big Ten slate, the women’s volleyball team’s tough start to the Big Ten slate is now firmly in the rearview. The Trojans have won six in a row. Among Big Ten teams, only Nebraska, which is 21-0 and No. 1 in the nation, has an active win streak that’s longer.
USC should win its next two before welcoming the Huskers to Galen Center for an epic match on Nov. 16.
I’ve written in this space before about my love of all things Stephen King. I’m also well aware of the less-than-stellar track record of adapting his books into television and movies.
I’m not sure just yet where “IT: Welcome to Derry” falls on that spectrum. Only the first two episodes of the spinoff prequel to “It” are currently available on HBO Max, and while Derry remains as creepy and tense as ever, I worry a bit about where the story is headed. All that said, my favorite part of the original book was the character building with the town’s kids. So far, that part remains intact.
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], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
India is celebrating after winning a first women’s World Cup title, drawing comparisons to the men’s memorable 1983 triumph.
Published On 3 Nov 20253 Nov 2025
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes to India’s women cricketers following their “historic” triumph in the World Cup final on Sunday, while team captain Harmanpreet Kaur hoped it would be a watershed moment for the women’s game in the country.
After suffering heartbreak in the final of the 2005 and 2017 editions of the 50-overs showpiece, India beat South Africa by 52 runs to secure their first title in front of 40,000 delirious home fans at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.
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Three defeats in a row earlier in the tournament had nearly derailed India’s campaign before they bounced back to storm into the semifinals, where they pulled off a record chase to eliminate seven-time champions Australia.
India’s Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and teammates celebrate with the trophy after winning the ICC Women’s World Cup Cricket final against South Africa at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, India on November 2, 2025 [Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters]
‘Dream big and chase those dreams’
“The team showed exceptional teamwork and tenacity throughout the tournament. Congratulations to our players,” Prime Minister Modi said on social media. “This historic win will motivate future champions to take up sports.”
The Indian cricket board announced the team would receive a reward of 510 million Indian rupees ($5.8m) for their title triumph, a victory which the Indian Express newspaper termed “Herstoric” on its front page.
Harmanpreet said it could be a turning point for the women’s game in the cricket-mad country.
“We have been talking about this for many years – we’ve been playing good cricket, but we had to win one big tournament,” the batter said.
“Without that, we couldn’t talk about change. At the end of the day, fans and the audience want to see their favourite team win.
“It’s not that we weren’t playing good cricket, but we were waiting badly for this moment, and today we got a chance to live it.”
The fairytale triumph of the Indian men’s team at the 1983 World Cup is considered the catalyst for the country’s rise to becoming a powerhouse of the game, both on and off the pitch, and batting great Sachin Tendulkar said Sunday’s win was “a defining moment in the journey of Indian women’s cricket”.
“1983 inspired an entire generation to dream big and chase those dreams,” he wrote on social media.
“Today, our women’s cricket team has done something truly special. They have inspired countless young girls across the country to pick up a bat and ball, take the field and believe that they too can lift that trophy one day …”
Mithali Raj, who led India to the 2017 women’s final, said the victory for Harmanpreet’s side had made her dreams come true.
“I’ve seen this dream for over two decades, to watch the Indian women lift that World Cup trophy,” she wrote on X.
“Tonight, that dream finally came true. From the heartbreak of 2005 to the fight of 2017, every tear, every sacrifice, every young girl who picked up a bat believing we belong here, it all led to this moment.”
A spectacular win by the Indian team in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Finals. Their performance in the final was marked by great skill and confidence. The team showed exceptional teamwork and tenacity throughout the tournament. Congratulations to our players. This…
Cricket fans have been celebrating across India after the women’s team claimed their first ever World Cup, defeating South Africa in the final in Mumbai.
With both teams vying for their first World Cup title, the pre-match talk was all about who could handle the occasion – India with the enormous amount of expectation, contrasted with whether South Africa could use the underdog tag in their favour.
With rain washing out any hopes of starting on time, it was inevitable the captain who won the toss would bowl first but the Navi Mumbai surface remained batter-friendly as it had been in India’s high-scoring semi-final against Australia, exemplified by Smriti Mandhana and Verma calmly cruising to 64-0 in the powerplay.
It was actually South Africa’s bowlers who appeared consumed by the occasion as they bowled too wide to the openers, who reeled off the boundaries with ease, before Mandhana was caught behind off Chloe Tryon and Verma chipped Ayabonga Khaka to mid-off.
The Proteas’ ground fielding was brilliant, but they were guilty of dropping five catches including a crucial drop by Anneke Bosch with Verma on 56, while Deepti was also put down on 35 and 37.
Verma was visibly distraught to miss out on a World Cup century but it was a staggering knock considering the lateness of her inclusion in the side and the magnitude of the game, and its attacking nature was invaluable in taking the pressure off the tournament’s poster girl, Mandhana.
Jemimah Rodrigues, the semi-final hero, fell for 24 two overs after Verma which gave South Africa a chance to regain control, but India showed impressive composure in keeping partnerships ticking over, anchored by Deepti, before Richa Ghosh’s dynamic 34 from 24 balls ensured they finished with a late flourish.
Though it required a record chase, there was a sense that India did not have enough to feel completely comfortable – only adding 69 in the final 10 overs for the loss of three wickets – with the context of India’s semi-final chase of 339.
Though Deepti’s all-round performances have been sensational all tournament, few would have predicted that Verma would also be her accomplice with the ball.
