THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” WEDNESDAY AUGUST 6, 2025

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“THE SCOREBOARD”

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WNBA SCORES

NEW YORK 85 DALLAS 76

CHICAGO 78 WASHINGTON 64

MINNESOTA 91 SEATTLE 87

LOS ANGELES 100 INDIANA 91

PHOENIX 82 CONNECTICUT 66

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MLB SCORES

SAN FRANCISCO 8 PITTSBURGH 1

HOUSTON 7 MIAMI 3

MINNESOTA 6 DETROIT 3

LAS VEGAS 16 WASHINGTON 7

PHILADELPHIA 5 BALTIMORE 0

CLEVELAND 3 NY METS 2

BOSTON 6 KANSAS CITY 2

MILWAUKEE 7 ATLANTA 2

CINCINNATI 5 CHICAGO CUBS 1

TEXAS 2 NY YANKEES 0

TORONTO 10 COLORADO 4

TAMPA BAY 7 LA ANGELS 3

SAN DIEGO 10 ARIZONA 5 (11)

SEATTLE 8 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3

LA DODGERS 12 ST. LOUIS 6

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MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

OMAHA 7 INDIANAPOLIS 6

SOUTH BEND 6 FT. WAYNE 5

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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

WEEK 0

SATURDAY, AUG. 23

WEEK 1

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

FRIDAY, AUG. 29

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

SUNDAY, AUG. 31

3 P.M. | VIRGINIA TECH AT SOUTH CAROLINA | ESPN (IN ATLANTA, GA)
7:30 P.M. | NOTRE DAME AT MIAMI (FL)| ABC

MONDAY, SEPT. 1

8 P.M. | TCU AT NORTH CAROLINA | ESPN

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COLTS TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE

SAT., AUG. 9: PRACTICE (4-5:10 P.M.)

SUN., AUG. 10: PRACTICE (4-5:30 P.M.)

MON., AUG. 11: PRACTICE (4-5:40 P.M.)

THUR., AUG. 14: PRACTICE (3-5 P.M.)

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2025 NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE

*****WEEK 1*****

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7

INDIANAPOLIS AT BALTIMORE, 7:00
CINCINNATI AT PHILADELPHIA, 7:30
LAS VEGAS AT SEATTLE, 10:00

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8

DETROIT AT ATLANTA, 7:00
CLEVELAND AT CAROLINA, 7:00
WASHINGTON AT NEW ENGLAND, 7:30

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9

N.Y. GIANTS AT BUFFALO, 1:00
HOUSTON AT MINNESOTA, 4:00
PITTSBURGH AT JACKSONVILLE, 7:00
DALLAS AT L.A. RAMS, 7:00
TENNESSEE AT TAMPA BAY, 7:30
KANSAS CITY AT ARIZONA, 8:00
N.Y. JETS AT GREEN BAY, 8:00
DENVER AT SAN FRANCISCO, 8:30

SUNDAY, AUGUST 10

MIAMI AT CHICAGO, 1:00
NEW ORLEANS AT L.A. CHARGERS, 4:05

*****WEEK 2*****

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15

TENNESSEE AT ATLANTA, 7:00
KANSAS CITY AT SEATTLE, 10:00

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

MIAMI AT DETROIT, 1:00
CAROLINA AT HOUSTON, 1:00
GREEN BAY AT INDIANAPOLIS, 1:00
NEW ENGLAND AT MINNESOTA, 1:00
CLEVELAND AT PHILADELPHIA, 1:00
SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS, 4:00
BALTIMORE AT DALLAS, 7:00
L.A. CHARGERS AT L.A. RAMS, 7:00
N.Y. JETS AT N.Y. GIANTS, 7:00
TAMPA BAY AT PITTSBURGH, 7:00
ARIZONA AT DENVER, 9:30

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17

JACKSONVILLE AT NEW ORLEANS, 1:00
BUFFALO AT CHICAGO (FOX), 8:00

MONDAY, AUGUST 18

CINCINNATI AT WASHINGTON (ESPN), 8:00

*****WEEK 3*****

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21

PITTSBURGH AT CAROLINA, 7:00
NEW ENGLAND AT N.Y. GIANTS (PRIME VIDEO), 8:00

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22

PHILADELPHIA AT N.Y. JETS, 7:30
ATLANTA AT DALLAS, 8:00
MINNESOTA AT TENNESSEE (CBS), 8:00
CHICAGO AT KANSAS CITY, 8:20

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23

BALTIMORE AT WASHINGTON, NOON
INDIANAPOLIS AT CINCINNATI, 1:00
L.A. RAMS AT CLEVELAND, 1:00
HOUSTON AT DETROIT, 1:00
DENVER AT NEW ORLEANS, 1:00
SEATTLE AT GREEN BAY, 4:00
JACKSONVILLE AT MIAMI, 7:00
BUFFALO AT TAMPA BAY, 7:30
L.A. CHARGERS AT SAN FRANCISCO, 8:30
LAS VEGAS AT ARIZONA, 10:00

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TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

NFL NEWS

NFL SUSPENDS VIKINGS’ JORDAN ADDISON FOR 3 GAMES OVER DUI CASE

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was suspended for three games by the NFL on Tuesday for violating the league’s personal conduct policy for a drunken driving case last year.

Addison avoided a trial by pleading no contest to a lesser charge last month, after facing two misdemeanor DUIs for his arrest on July 12, 2024, when a California Highway Patrol officer found him asleep in his vehicle that was blocking a lane on an interstate exit near Los Angeles International Airport.

Addison will be permitted to practice and play in exhibition games before the suspension kicks in for games against Chicago, Atlanta and Cincinnati.

Addison, the 23rd pick of the 2023 draft, has 19 touchdowns and 1,786 receiving yards in his first two seasons to form a dominant duo with two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson. But he was arrested for excessive speeding the week before training camp of his rookie year, and the drunken driving arrest last offseason came after another dangerous off-the-field decision. Addison was contrite and remorseful upon reporting to training camp last year, praising the Vikings for their support after he said he was in a “dark place” after the arrest.

Without Addison for the first three games, new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy will need to lean on depth wide receivers such as Jalen Nailor, rookie Tai Felton and newcomer Rondale Moore if he’s ready to play following his ACL rehabilitation. Tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver and running back Aaron Jones also figure to be vital options during Addison’s absence to help keep defenses from keying more heavily on Jefferson than they already do.

KEENAN ALLEN REUNITES WITH CHARGERS ON ONE-YEAR DEAL

Veteran receiver Keenan Allen has rejoined the Los Angeles Chargers after spending the 2024 season with the Chicago Bears.

The Chargers announced his return Tuesday evening. NFL Network reported Allen has agreed to a one-year, $8.52 million deal.

Allen was a six-time Pro Bowl selection during 11 seasons with the Chargers from 2013-23 — the first four when the franchise was located in San Diego before the move to Los Angeles.

Allen ranks second in Chargers history with 904 receptions and 10,530 receiving yards, trailing Antonio Gates (955 and 11,841, respectively), in both categories. Allen (59) is third on the franchise’s career receiving touchdowns list behind Gates (116) and fellow Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (81).

Allen, 33, ranks third among active NFL players with 974 receptions and has collected 100 or more catches on five occasions, including a team-record 108 in 2023. He is sixth among active players with 11,274 career receiving yards and eighth with 66 touchdown catches. He has played in 154 career NFL games.

Last season, Allen had 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdowns for the Bears.

STEELERS ROOKIE QB WILL HOWARD HURTS THROWING HAND AT PRACTICE

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard left practice on Tuesday with a finger injury on his right (throwing) hand.

Steelers beat reporter Mark Kaboly said Howard gave a thumbs up as he left the practice field and the injury isn’t expected to be serious.

Pittsburgh drafted Howard in the sixth round of April’s NFL draft out of Ohio State, where he led the Buckeyes to a national championship in his lone season at the school.

In four seasons at Kansas State and one at Ohio State, Howard threw for 9,796 yards, 83 touchdowns and 35 interceptions, including 4,010 yards, 35 TDs and 10 picks in 16 games last year.

Howard is competing with Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson for a backup QB spot behind Aaron Rodgers.

CARDINALS STARTERS, INCLUDING QB KYLER MURRAY, SET TO PLAY IN PRESEASON AGAINST CHIEFS

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said on Tuesday that many of his team’s starters — including quarterback Kyler Murray — will play Saturday in the team’s preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Murray hasn’t played in a preseason game since 2021.

“I told them last night — they’re going to play,” Gannon said. “I think it’s the best thing for our team this year, honestly. I think we’re at a good point with our health. We’re at a good point with our development.”

The third-year coach said he’s not sure how long the starters will be on the field against the Chiefs, but it will provide an opportunity to see players in a different environment than camp practice.

Arizona has several intriguing position competitions this preseason, particularly along the defensive front. The Cardinals added several veterans during the offseason, including Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell.

“It’s live, so I do think that’s the best form of evaluation, best form of learning, where growth can take place,” Gannon said. “I want to see us operate, make sure that we’re doing the right things.”

The 27-year-old Murray is entering his seventh full season. He started all 17 games last season, throwing for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season and is more than 2 1/2 years removed from an ACL injury that caused him to miss parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Arizona finished with an 8-9 record last season, which was a four-win improvement over the previous season. The Cardinals haven’t made the playoffs since 2021.

Also on Tuesday, second-year receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. returned to the field after missing three practices with knee soreness. Receiver Michael Wilson is still in concussion protocol after a collision with Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker last week.

TITANS GIVE VETERAN SAFETY QUANDRE DIGGS CHANCE TO PLAY WITH HIS COUSIN CAM WARD

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have swapped out a couple of players for a pair of safeties, giving three-time Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs a chance to play with his cousin, rookie quarterback Cam Ward.

The Titans announced the moves Tuesday, waiving outside linebacker Titus Leo and safety Mark Perry. They also signed Joshuah Bledsoe.

Diggs signed with Tennessee last season and started eight games before finishing on injured reserve with an injured left foot. The veteran also was teammates in Seattle with new Tennessee receiver Tyler Lockett.

The veteran safety has started 120 of 145 games in his career with Detroit, Seattle and Tennessee.

NFL LONGEVITY DEMANDS WISDOM AS MUCH AS DETERMINATION AND TALENT. THESE SEASONED GUYS CAN EXPLAIN

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Harrison Smith, just like anyone approaching middle age, has learned to accept the realities of getting older. The joints, for one, don’t quite move as effortlessly as they once did.

So that’s where the 14th-year free safety for the Minnesota Vikings has aimed his recent training regimens, customizing resistance exercises to simulate the stress that NFL games can place on critical areas of the body.

Reaching at full extension to make a tackle at full speed puts the arm muscles and tendons in a vulnerable position. The more fluidly the elbow can bend, the better.

“All the strength work in the world isn’t really going to translate to real strength on the field if your joints don’t have the range they once did, especially range under load,” Smith said. “I’ve come up with different ways to work out that aren’t necessarily just the traditional banging weights around. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but if you don’t have your range ready, it’s kind of almost counterproductive.”

In a sport where less than half the players in the league last season had at least five years of experience, as salary cap constraints perpetually conspire with constant injury risk and overall physical decline, the fountain of youth can seem like a unicorn. Smith’s approach provides some valuable clues for finding the most vital source: wisdom.

“When you meet Harrison Smith, right away you understand why he might be the type of person to defy odds, and he’s done nothing short of convincing us that over these few years,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said.

The sturdy 30

From a famous quarterback like Aaron Rodgers dropping back in the pocket to a steady six-time Pro Bowl pick like Smith patrolling the secondary, the young man’s league still has some space for gray hair. But sticking around takes more than just determination and talent.

“I feel great, actually. I don’t feel like a 37-year-old. Not sure what they’re supposed to feel like, but I feel a little younger,” San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams said at the beginning of training camp. “As we get older, things start to change. I think you’ve got to pay a little bit more attention to what you put in your body, how you treat your body. Moreso than just being a football player, it’s just a natural maturation of a human being. When you get older you can’t do the same things you did when you were 22.”

According to an Associated Press review of the 90-man rosters across the league last week, there are 30 players currently with an NFL club who were born in the 1980s. That’s barely 1%. Not only has Generation X been long gone from the game, once Tom Brady retired in 2023, but Millennials are already in the minority.

Rodgers, of course, is the oldest active player at 41, followed by New York Jets kicker Nick Folk (40) and Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (40). The sturdy 30 includes six long snappers, two punters and two kickers, plus nine quarterbacks — the positions that usually produce the longest-lasting players.

“You have to evolve every single year,” Kansas City Chiefs tight Travis Kelce said.

The 36-year-old Smith is the lone defensive back. Kelce is the only offensive skill-position player who’s not a quarterback. Williams and Arizona Cardinals left tackle Kelvin Beachum, now a backup, are the offensive linemen. Demario Davis of the New Orleans Saints and Nick Bellore of the Washington Commanders, who plays almost exclusively on special teams, are the linebackers. Then there’s a well-decorated group of five defensive linemen: Calais Campbell (Arizona Cardinals), Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers), John Jenkins (Baltimore Ravens), Cameron Jordan (New Orleans Saints) and Von Miller (Washington Commanders).

“I still feel great. I feel like I can go out there and dominate,” said Campbell, who returned this year to his original team, the Cardinals. “I wish I had a magic formula. I think I’ve just been blessed. God’s given me a lot of blessings to play this game I love.”

Grinding it out

The list has been trimmed, naturally, from last season. Nine players — tight end Marcedes Lewis, kickers Matt Prater, Justin Tucker and Greg Zuerlein, long snappers Jake McQuaide and Matt Overton, safety Kareem Jackson, defensive end Jerry Hughes and defensive tackle Linval Joseph — who logged time on the field in 2024 have not signed with a team this year.

Their peers still grinding through summer practices fully realize they’ll be permanently on the sideline sooner than later.

“I start a lot earlier doing my training. Just listen to my body when I need to take a rest,” Heyward said. “But it’s more just trying to get stronger as soon as possible after the season. Less time to recover, but recovering through the process.”

Mastering the art of recovery, forever a moving target, is a primary focus. Moving around on Mondays after games can be a chore, but figuring out how to maximize those summer strength and conditioning sessions for a mid-30s player is also a challenge.

Smith, a soft-spoken leader who’d much rather have a deep locker-room conversation about life in professional football than give the defense a rah-rah pregame speech, fields more questions from young players about recovery than any other topic.

“Sometimes you just grind it out and you don’t feel good, and that’s how it is,” said Smith, who also mixes in pickup basketball with his offseason work in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Pride and perspective are part of the NFL roadmap for longevity, too. Heyward’s oldest son, 9-year-old Callen, has spent a few nights with him in his dorm room.

“There’s a hunger there that I know I’m in a rare group that gets to see year 15, but it’s something I constantly think about,” Heyward said. “There’s things I want to check off before I hang them up, and I haven’t reached those goals yet.“

RAMS, WILLIAMS AGREE TO 3-YEAR, $33M EXTENSION

The Los Angeles Rams and running back Kyren Williams have agreed to a three-year extension worth $33 million, his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Williams’ new contract includes $23 million in guaranteed money.

The two sides have been working on an extension for much of the offseason. Williams has been participating in training camp in Los Angeles despite not finalizing the deal until Monday.

The 24-year-old earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2023 after putting up 1,144 rushing yards in 12 games. His 5.0 yards per carry that season represented a career high, and his 95.3 yards per game led all qualified running backs.

Williams, whom the Rams selected in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, finished last season with a career-high 1,299 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.

REPORT: RAIDERS DEAL BENNETT TO EAGLES FOR BOOKER

The Philadelphia Eagles added to their secondary depth, acquiring Jakorian Bennett from the Las Vegas Raiders for defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Bennett, a former fourth-round pick, performed well in spurts last year for the Raiders, ranking 22nd in the NFL with seven pass breakups. However, at 5-foot-10, he doesn’t exactly fit new coach Pete Carroll’s penchant for long, lengthy cornerbacks.

He was the odd man out of the first-team defense at Raiders practices, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reported earlier in the week, with the trio of Eric Stokes, Decamerion Richardson, and Darien Porter getting the majority of the snaps.

Bennett joins an Eagles secondary that parted with Darius Slay in the offseason, leaving an opening at outside corner on the other side of Quinyon Mitchell. Adoree’ Jackson and Kelee Ringo have battled in camp for that spot.

Booker arrives in Las Vegas after the Raiders released defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in July.

The former Stanford defender started just one game last year for the Super Bowl champions, but he saw action in 17 contests.

JETS’ MASON TAYLOR OUT AT LEAST A WEEK WITH HIGH ANKLE SPRAIN; TYROD TAYLOR DEALING WITH KNEE INJURY

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor has a high ankle sprain that will keep him sidelined for at least a week.

Taylor, a second-round pick out of LSU, had been one of the bright spots on offense for the Jets during the first few weeks of training camp. The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor didn’t practice Monday or Tuesday after a day off Sunday.

High ankle sprains often take several weeks to heal. But Coach Aaron Glenn, who announced the nature of the injury after practice Tuesday, doesn’t believe Taylor’s progress will be hampered by missing some practice time this summer.

“He’s a damn good player,” Glenn said. “He has the pedigree of being an NFL player because of his dad. I think he’s going to be just fine. I’m not worried about that player at all.”

Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor has a knee injury that is being evaluated. The 36-year-old Taylor is expected to back up starter Justin Fields this season.

“Listen, we all know he’s an older player and obviously when you get to that point, there’s some wear and tear,” Glenn said. “So we wanted to make sure we get it taken care of so he can be ready for us when the season starts.”

Glenn added that the knee issue isn’t expected to keep Taylor sidelined for long.

“I don’t see it as a long-term (thing),” the coach said. “But I don’t want to just stamp that right now, but I am sure it is not.”

It was a busy day for the trainers, who had to handle a few other injuries at practice as the Jets prepare for their preseason opener at Green Bay on Saturday.

Defensive tackle Byron Cowart injured an ankle during individual drills and rode the cart in the passenger seat from the field into the facility.

Rookie cornerback Azareye’h Thomas injured his right shoulder when he fell on it while trying to break up a pass. Thomas was a third-round pick out of Florida State and is expected to have a role this season.

Edge rusher Will McDonald had back spasms during individual drills and sat out the rest of practice.

The Jets are already without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (calf), left guard John Simpson (back) and special teams ace Kris Boyd (shoulder).

Rookie safety Malachi Moore is being worked slowly back into practice as he recovers from an oblique injury. He was a fourth-rounder out of Alabama.

PACKERS CORNERBACK NATE HOBBS REMAINS OUT OF PRACTICE AFTER UNDERGOING KNEE PROCEDURE

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs has undergone a surgical procedure on his knee that will keep him out of training camp for now.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday he didn’t want to speculate on when Hobbs might return. Green Bay Packers on SI first reported Hobbs’ injury and said he could return in about three weeks.

“I’m not going to put a timetable on it, but unfortunately he had to have something cleaned up,” LaFleur said. “We’re hoping to get him back here sooner than later.”

Hobbs didn’t practice on Friday or Saturday. LaFleur said he believed the injury occurred during a collision in training camp.

The Packers signed Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract in March after he spent his first four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 26-year-old Hobbs started 38 games, forced three fumbles and intercepted three passes during his time in Las Vegas.

Hobbs is expected to help the Packers absorb the loss of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, who got released in June and has since signed with the Baltimore Ravens. The Packers entered training camp with Keisean Nixon, Hobbs and Carrington Valentine as their top three cornerbacks.

The Packers have attempted to boost their cornerback depth by having wide receiver Bo Melton work primarily on defense in training camp. They also added a familiar face Monday by signing Corey Ballentine, three days after the Indianapolis Colts released him.

Ballentine, 29, made seven starts and appeared in 37 regular-season games and three playoff contests with the Packers from 2022-24. He contributed primarily on special teams last season.

“(He’s) a guy that’s got experience and knows our system not only on defense but on ‘we-fense,’” LaFleur said, referring to the nickname the Packers have for special teams. “Really excited to see him.”

49ERS SIGN WR EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN, RELEASE WR ANDY ISABELLA

The San Francisco 49ers signed Equanimeous St. Brown and released fellow wide receiver Andy Isabella on Tuesday.

St. Brown, 28, landed a one-year deal after stints with the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints.

A sixth-round draft pick by the Packers in 2018, he has 63 catches for 928 yards and two TDs in 62 games (28 starts).

Isabella, 28, was a second-round pick by Arizona in 2019. He has 33 catches for 447 yards and three TDs in 43 career games (three starts) with the Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills.

BILLS BOLSTER DEFENSIVE LINE, SIGN VETERAN JUSTIN HOLLINS

The Buffalo Bills bolstered their defensive line Tuesday by signing veteran edge rusher Justin Hollins.

Hollins, 29, has recorded 10.5 sacks with five teams over five seasons.

Hollins has 123 tackles and three forced fumbles in 67 games (five starts) for the Denver Broncos (2019), Los Angeles Rams (2020-22), Green Bay Packers (2022-23), New York Giants (2023) and Los Angeles Chargers (2023).

A fifth-round pick by the Broncos in 2019, he won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021 and spent last season with the Washington Commanders’ practice squad.

VIKINGS’ 4-TIME PRO BOWL LB ANTHONY BARR TO RETIRE

Four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Anthony Barr, who spent nine of his 10 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, is hanging up his helmet.

His foundation, Raise The Barr, announced in a Facebook post Monday that the 33-year-old veteran “will officially retire from the NFL in just a few weeks.”

The former first-round draft pick did not play last season and finishes his career with 554 tackles, 18.5 sacks, 10 fumble recoveries and five interceptions in 116 games (108 starts) with the Vikings (2014-21, 2023) and the Dallas Cowboys (2022).

Minnesota selected him ninth overall in the 2014 NFL Draft out of UCLA and he made the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons from 2015-18.

REPORT: BUCCANEERS SIGNING QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to sign veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater after a visit and a physical, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.

Bridgewater, 32, recently vacated his position as head football coach at Miami’s Northwestern High School after being suspended for allegedly providing impermissible benefits to his players.

Bridgewater was on the Detroit Lions’ roster last December as a backup to Jared Goff but has not thrown a pass in the regular season since the 2022 season with the Miami Dolphins.

The Bucs are looking for depth behind starter Baker Mayfield, who missed multiple days last week with a bruised right hand. Backup Michael Pratt has been out with a back injury. Kyle Trask and undrafted rookie Connor Bazelak also are on the training camp roster.

Last season with Detroit, Bridgewater completed his only pass for 3 yards in the Lions’ divisional round loss to the Washington Commanders.

In 10 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2014-15, 2017), New Orleans Saints (2018-19), Carolina Panthers (2020), Denver Broncos (2021), Miami Dolphins (2022) and Detroit (2023-24), Bridgewater completed 1,372 of 2,067 passes (66.4 percent) for 15,120 yards with 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He added 844 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground.

Bridgewater was named to the Pro Bowl in his second season after starting all 16 games for the Vikings and leading them to an 11-5 record.

In Tampa, he will be reunited with his former Louisville head coach Charlie Strong, now the defensive line coach for the Bucs. Bridgewater was also a high school teammate of linebacker Lavonte David at Miami Northwestern.

Bridgewater retired after a decade in the NFL and took over as the head coach at his alma mater in 2024, leading the program to a state championship in his first season. After his suspension last month, he posted on social media that he had self-reported paying for players’ Uber rides, meals and recovery services.

REPORT: PACKERS CB NATE HOBBS (KNEE) OUT FOR PRESEASON

Green Bay Packers starting cornerback Nate Hobbs will miss the rest of training camp after weekend knee surgery, ESPN reported Tuesday.

Hobbs, who signed a four-year, $48 million contract as a free agent in March, could be back for the Sept. 7 season opener against the visiting Detroit Lions.

Hobbs, 26, underwent a procedure Saturday to repair a partial meniscus tear, per the report. He has not practiced since Thursday.

He had been having a strong training camp, adding such a physical presence that coach Matt LaFleur had to ask him to save something for the regular season.

“The thing you admire most about him is he’s passionate about the game and he loves to compete,” LaFleur said last month. “That’s one of the reasons we went out and got him is he shows it. He’s that consistently on a daily basis.”

He played his first four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2021. He posted 281 tackles, 3.0 sacks, three interceptions and 19 passes defensed in 51 games (38 starts).

With Hobbs sidelined, cornerbacks Carrington Valentine and recently signed Corey Ballentine could see more time on the outside opposite Keisean Nixon.

PANTHERS RB RICO DOWDLE LOOKS TO PROVE HE’S WORTHY OF BEING NFL STARTER AFTER LEAVING COWBOYS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers weren’t necessary looking to add a starting-caliber running back in free agency after giving Chuba Hubbard a four-year, $33 million contract extension last November.

They found one anyway.

Coach Dave Canales said he’s been “ecstatic” since the Panthers signed Rico Dowdle in March, giving the team added depth in the backfield with a second 1,000-yard rusher. In so doing, they’ve added a highly motivated player who’s eager to prove that he’s still worthy of being a No. 1 back — and being paid like one — after the Dallas Cowboys opted not to re-sign him.

“I definitely thought I would have had the opportunity to get a shot with the ones this year, but it didn’t come down to that,” Dowdle said of his time on the free-agent market.

Some running back-needy teams opted for the draft to fill their needs rather than sign the 27-year-old Dowdle.

So he chose to bet on himself, agreeing to a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Panthers that could pay him up to $6 million with performance incentives. Dowdle hopes that if all goes well he can parlay his success into a big contract next spring.

FORMER NFL PLAYER CONVICTED IN LARGE-SCALE DOGFIGHTING OPERATION IN OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A former NFL player from Oklahoma has been convicted for his role in a large-scale dogfighting operation, federal prosecutors announced.

Leshon Eugene Johnson, 54, of Broken Arrow was convicted of six felony counts of possessing dogs for use in an animal-fighting venture. He was acquitted of 17 other similar counts. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count when he’s formally sentenced at a later date.

“The FBI will not stand for those who perpetuate the despicable crime of dogfighting,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, those who continue to engage in organized animal fighting and cruelty will face justice.”

Prosecutors alleged that Johnson operated Mal Kant Kennels in Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma, and selectively bred pit bull-type dogs known as champions or grand champions because of winning dog fights. Earlier this year, the government seized 190 dogs from Johnson that have been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Johnson allegedly bred dogs that had won as many as five fights and then sold “stud rights” and their offspring to other dogfighters, according to the Justice Department. The trafficking took place across the U.S. and helped to grow the dogfighting industry, while resulting in Johnson profiting financially, prosecutors alleged.

Johnson’s attorney, Billy Coyle, said his client was a dog breeder who was never accused of fighting dogs and noted that the jury acquitted Johnson on most of the counts against him.

“He was simply a breeder of the American pit bull terrier,” Coyle said. “Obviously the jury found that some of his dogs bred were probably or were used in dog fighting, and those were difficult charges to fight.”

Coyle said federal agents also used heavy-handed tactics, with more than 40 officers raiding his home late at night, pointing guns at Johnson and his wife and seizing his dogs and property.

Johnson previously pleaded guilty to state animal fighting charges in 2004 in Oklahoma. He was given a five-year deferred sentence, according to court documents.

Johnson was a running back who played for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants from 1994-1999.

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

MLB CONTENDERS WATCH FOR FATIGUE AS SOME STARTERS EXPERIENCE AN INCREASED WORKLOAD

CHICAGO (AP) — At age 34, Matthew Boyd is going back to what was once familiar territory for the left-hander. He has logged 130 2/3 innings so far in his first season with the Chicago Cubs, more than he totaled in the previous two years combined.

It’s a workload jump that goes against what had become conventional wisdom in the majors, where teams have frequently capped pitchers’ innings in hopes of keeping them healthy.

“Things have been going great,” Boyd said. “And I think it’s like none of us know what’s ahead. And that goes for everybody.”

Boyd’s workload is worth watching as the Cubs try to rally in the NL Central race and go on a deep October run. He is among a group of pitchers going through a spike in innings in the heart of the playoff picture.

After spending most of his career as a reliever, Clay Holmes has 117 1/3 innings going into his 23rd start for the Mets on Tuesday night. Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo is up to 127 innings after he finished with 66 2/3 last year. All-Stars Garrett Crochet of the Red Sox and Bryan Woo of the Mariners also are progressing toward major increases.

“That’s something we always monitor and watch,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “I know we’re in constant communication in-between starts.”

The days of predetermined innings limits, especially when it comes to young prospects and pitchers on losing teams, aren’t going away anytime soon. But more organizations appear to be going with a case-by-case approach.

“I think the reason why it’s changed a little bit and we don’t look at that either percentage increase or fixed innings increase is because it wasn’t working,” said David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the Mets.

“I think more and more we’re trying to treat each pitcher as an individual. And if a pitcher feels good both subjectively and objectively, we try not to artificially shut them down.”

Crochet, 26, helped show what might be possible last year. The 6-foot-6 left-hander, who had Tommy John surgery in April 2022, began last season with 73 innings in 72 appearances spanning four seasons with the White Sox.

He made his first big league start on opening day. With the White Sox closely monitoring his workload in the last part of the season, he finished with 32 starts and 146 innings. He is tied for the major league lead with 141 1/3 innings going into Tuesday night’s start against Kansas City.

“I think that I really set myself up for this season to go out there and for there really to be no leash necessary,” said Crochet, who was traded to the Red Sox in December and then agreed to a $170 million, six-year contract. “I’ve been feeling really good throughout the season and the five days in between my starts I really feel like I’m prepared and doing a lot to get my body in the right position to have success and to continue to give length throughout the year.”

Boyd was recovering from Tommy John surgery when he signed with Cleveland last year. He returned to the majors last August and went 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts and 39 2/3 innings for the Guardians. He also pitched 11 2/3 innings for the AL Central champions in the playoffs.

That was enough for Chicago to give Boyd a $29 million, two-year contract in free agency. And he has delivered so far, making the NL All-Star team while going 11-4 with a 2.34 ERA in 22 starts.

Boyd pitched a career-high 185 1/3 innings for Detroit in 2019, but he hasn’t approached that territory since. The Cubs gave him nine days off between starts over the All-Star break, and Boyd has frequent conversations with manager Craig Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy about his workload and how he is feeling.

The Cubs also have rookie right-hander Cade Horton, who is up to 102 2/3 innings this season — including his time with Triple-A Iowa — after he totaled 34 1/3 innings in the minors last year.

“This is an area where the industry has not maybe figured out the answer, so you’re just trying to keep getting better answers,” Counsell said. “I think in the past, we were just relying on history. I think now we’re relying on the data we collect from the actual player.”

Communication is one thing, but an array of metrics and biomechanical analysis is at the center of the decision-making process when it comes to pitchers and rest.

“There’s tangible things that you just keep an eye on,” Boyd said. “You have your spin data, you have your velocity. We have biomechanics tracking. It’s like, ‘Hey, the mechanics are getting out of whack. … Is there something we need to address? How do you address that?’

“There’s so many different avenues you can go down and levers you can pull if you will. And it’s not as cut and dry as like 20% increase, 50% increase (in innings).”

PHILLIES’ JOSE ALVARADO SORRY AS HE NEARS RETURN FROM 80-GAME BAN

Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado apologized to his team and its fans Tuesday as he nears his return from an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Alvarado wrote on Instagram that he did not intend to take a banned substance and is “fully aware that using prohibited substances is wrong.”

“I made a mistake and therefore, I have faced the consequences set forth by MLB,” he wrote. “Going forward, my focus is on working hard to help the team win.”

Alvarado was suspended on May 18 after he tested positive for exogenous testosterone. The left-hander is eligible to return to the Phillies on Aug. 19, however he is not eligible to pitch in the playoffs.

“Once again, I offer my deepest apologies to the Phillies organization, my teammates, my family, my country Venezuela, the City of Philadelphia and the fans who have always supported me, especially the children and young people,” Alvarado said.

“There is always a lesson to be learned in every mistake.”

Alvarado, 30, is 4-1 with seven saves and a 2.70 ERA in 20 relief appearances this season. He has 25 strikeouts versus four walks over 20 innings.

Alvarado is 19-26 with 52 saves and a 3.40 ERA in 400 career games (one start) with the Tampa Bay Rays (2017-20) and Phillies.

The Phillies (64-48) entered play on Tuesday holding a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place New York Mets (63-50) in the National League East.

Philadelphia acquired closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins prior to the trade deadline last week. The right-hander recorded saves in each of his first two appearances with his new team.

YANKEES DEMOTE STRUGGLING RHP JAKE BIRD TO MINORS

The New York Yankees demoted right-handed reliever Jake Bird to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after another rough outing Monday night.

No corresponding move was announced Tuesday morning, although captain Aaron Judge is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list.

Manager Aaron Boone said after New York’s fourth consecutive loss — 8-5 to the Texas Rangers in 10 innings — that Judge would be rejoining the team “tomorrow (Tuesday).”

Bird took the loss Monday in Arlington, giving up a three-run homer to Josh Jung. Bird, 29, is 0-1 with a 27.00 ERA in three appearances since arriving in a trade deadline deal with Colorado on July 31.

He went 4-1 with a 4.73 ERA in 45 relief appearances for the Rockies this year before the trade that sent prospects Roc Riggio and Ben Shields to Colorado.

Judge has not played since July 25 due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. Boone said Judge will be the designated hitter when he returns, giving the team time to evaluate his arm before the two-time MVP returns to right field.

Judge, 33, leads the majors in batting (.342), on-base percentage (.449) and slugging (.711) and has 37 homers and 85 RBIs in 103 games this season.

REHAB ASSIGNMENT GETS RHP SHELBY MILLER CLOSER TO BREWERS DEBUT

Right-hander Shelby Miller moved closer to his Milwaukee Brewers debut after he departed on a minor league rehab assignment to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.

Miller was moved from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Brewers at last week’s trade deadline in a deal that also brought left-hander Jordan Montgomery to Milwaukee. Miller is recovering from a forearm strain and has not pitched since July 5.

In 37 relief appearances this season, Miller is 3-3 with a 1.98 ERA. Over 13 seasons with nine different clubs, the 34-year-old is 50-69 with a 4.03 ERA in 291 appearances (133 starts). Miller was an All-Star in 2015 as a member of the Atlanta Braves.

REDS PLACE LHP NICK LODOLO (FINGER) ON 15-DAY IL

The Cincinnati Reds placed left-hander Nick Lodolo on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a blister on his left index finger.

Lodolo left the series opener against the Chicago Cubs on Monday after just 1 2/3 innings. Five relievers went the rest of the way for the Reds, who won 3-2 and sit three games out of the National League’s third and final wild-card berth entering Tuesday.

Lodolo, 27, is 8-6 with a 3.05 ERA in 23 appearances (all starts) this season.

A first-round draft pick (seventh overall) by Cincinnati in 2019, Lodolo is 23-20 with a 4.02 ERA in 70 career appearances (all starts) with the team.

Also on Tuesday, the Reds recalled right-hander Yosver Zulueta from Triple-A Louisville.

Zulueta, 27, has a 3.86 ERA without a decision in two relief appearances this season with Cincinnati. He allowed one run on no hits over 2 1/3 innings. He made 12 appearances in 2024, his first major league season, pitching 16 1/3 innings and giving up nine earned runs with 20 strikeouts and seven walks. He has yet to register a decision in the majors.

MLB ROUNDUP: SHEA LANGELIERS (3 HRS) LEADS A’S TO BLOWOUT WIN

Shea Langeliers had five hits, including three solo home runs, and the visiting Athletics dismantled the Washington Nationals 16-7 on Tuesday night.

JJ Bleday had four hits, including a home run, and drove in six runs as the A’s pounded out 24 hits. It was the second career three-homer game for Langeliers, who added a double and a single. Luis Severino (6-11) earned the win, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings.

Luis Garcia Jr. had three hits and Nathaniel Lowe walked four times for Washington, which has lost six straight and given up 54 runs in its past four games. MacKenzie Gore (4-12) gave up eight runs on 12 hits in three-plus innings.

The A’s jumped on Gore in the first with five runs, with Langeliers leading the game off with a homer. Langeliers then led off the fifth with his second home run and homered to center in the sixth to increase the lead to 11-3. He has 22 homers on the season.

Rangers 2, Yankees 0

Rowdy Tellez’s two-run single in the eighth provided the winning runs and backed Nathan Eovaldi’s superb eight innings of one-hit pitching as Texas beat slumping New York in Arlington, Texas.

Tellez’s bases-loaded, game-winning hit off Yankees closer Devin Williams (3-4) drove in Adolis Garcia, who had doubled, and Joc Pederson, who had walked. Eovaldi (10-3) retired the first eight batters he faced until a two-out double in the third by Anthony Volpe. That was the only baserunner he would allow.

Yankees starter Will Warren was nearly as good over his five-inning stint Tuesday, allowing no runs on three hits. The Yankees, who managed just two hits despite the return of slugger Aaron Judge from the injured list, have lost five straight games.
Brewers 7, Braves 2

Freddy Peralta became the first National League player to reach 13 wins, leading visiting Milwaukee to its fifth straight win with a victory in Atlanta.

The veteran right-hander battled through five innings and threw 108 pitches, matching his season high. Peralta (13-5) allowed one run on four hits to improve his career record to 5-2 against the Braves.

Nick Mears followed with a scoreless inning, Aaron Ashby allowed one run in two innings, and Grant Anderson closed the game with a scoreless ninth. Atlanta starter Joey Wentz (2-3) worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed five runs, seven hits, one walk and three strikeouts.

Twins 6, Tigers 3

Luke Keaschall blasted his first career homer off former Minnesota teammate Chris Paddack as the Twins downed host Detroit.

Keaschall, who was activated from the injured list on Tuesday after recovering from a forearm fracture, added a run-scoring single. Ryan Jeffers had two doubles, scored two runs and drove in another. Winning pitcher Zebby Matthews (3-3) gave up one run on five hits while striking out six and walking one in five innings.

Paddack (4-10) was making his second start for Detroit after being acquired from the Twins early last week. He gave up four runs and six hits in four innings. Jahmai Jones had a two-run triple and Kerry Carpenter added two hits and an RBI for the Tigers.

Astros 7, Marlins 3

Yainer Diaz slugged a three-run homer, Jose Altuve added a two-run shot and Houston defeated host Miami. The Astros, who will look for a three-game sweep on Wednesday afternoon, also got a two-run triple from Jeremy Pena.

Houston went with a pre-planned bullpen game, with opener Steven Okert tossing 1 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Rookie reliever AJ Blubaugh (1-1) pitched five innings and was credited with his first major league win. He allowed two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out five.

Marlins’ starter Cal Quantrill (4-9) gave up nine hits, three walks and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. He fanned two. In his three previous starts, he had allowed just one run in 16 innings. Jakob Marsee, Miami’s rookie center fielder, went 2-for-2 with his first major league homer and a walk.

Giants 8, Pirates 1

Logan Webb struck out 10 and allowed one run over six innings to lead San Francisco to an 8-1 victory over host Pittsburgh.

Jerar Encarnacion, who was called up from the minors on Monday, and Willy Adames, who was 2-for-3, each homered for the Giants. Every starter in San Francisco’s lineup recorded at least one hit.

Bryan Reynolds had two hits to lead the Pirates, who had a brief two-game winning streak snapped and lost for only the fourth time in their past 14 games.

Phillies 5, Orioles 0

Taijuan Walker pitched six solid innings and Max Kepler hit a two-run homer as host Philadelphia topped Baltimore.

Brandon Marsh also homered for the Phillies, who have won three games in a row. Kepler and Marsh finished with two hits apiece for the hosts, as did Bryson Stott. Walker (4-5) allowed four hits without a walk and struck out four batters in lowering his ERA to 3.53.

Baltimore managed only five singles — two by Jordan Westburg — in losing for the fifth time in six games. Dean Kremer (8-8) allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings with six strikeouts and one walk.

Guardians 3, Mets 2

Steven Kwan delivered a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning for visiting Cleveland, which remained red hot with a come-from-behind victory in New York.

The Guardians have won the first two games of the three-game interleague series to improve to 18-7 since July 7 — the third-best record in baseball in that span behind only the Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox. Cleveland has won six of its past seven games.

The Mets, who led 2-0 after two innings thanks to Pete Alonso’s sacrifice fly and Tyrone Taylor’s RBI single, have lost seven of eight, including four of the first five games on a six-game homestand.

Red Sox 6, Royals 2

Behind 2-for-4 efforts and a combined five RBIs from Wilyer Abreu and Trevor Story, Boston scored five runs across the sixth and seventh innings to beat visiting Kansas City.

The middle-of-the-order duo supported starter Garrett Crochet (13-4), who earned his sixth consecutive win after dealing seven innings of four-hit, two-run ball. Story drove in three with RBI hits in each of those multi-run innings, including a go-ahead, two-run single into center field in the sixth.

Maikel Garcia went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a run for Kansas City. Ryan Bergert (1-1) lost his Royals debut despite allowing just two runs on two hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Reds 5, Cubs 1

Spencer Steer belted a three-run homer and Zack Littell tossed seven strong innings in his debut, fueling Cincinnati past host Chicago. Steer had an RBI single in the fifth inning and launched his 13th homer of the season to snap a 1-1 tie in the seventh.

The offense was more than enough for Littell (9-8), who allowed one run on three hits and struck out eight batters. He was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays prior to the trade deadline last week.Littell’s lone blemish was Matt Shaw’s solo homer with one out in the fifth inning.

Andrew Kittredge (2-3) relieved starter Shota Imanaga in the seventh inning and yielded four runs on four hits in one-third of an inning.

Blue Jays 10, Rockies 4

Daulton Varsho homered twice, doubled and drove in a career-best six runs as Toronto beat Colorado in Denver.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered among his three hits, Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger also went deep for Toronto while Lukes, Bo Bichette and Alejandro Kirk had two hits each.

Hunter Goodman homered and singled for the Rockies, who have lost three in a row.

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WNBA NEWS

SEATTLE STORM ACQUIRE ALL-STAR GUARD BRITTNEY SYKES IN TRADE WITH WASHINGTON MYSTICS

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Storm acquired All-Star guard Brittney Sykes from the Washington Mystics on Tuesday for Alysha Clark, Zia Cooke and a first-round pick in the 2026 draft.

Sykes averaged 15.4 points, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals for the Mystics this season to earn her first All-Star selection. She’ll join a strong lineup that features Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike, Gabby Williams and Ezi Magbegor. Seattle (16-13) is currently in sixth place in the standings.

Clark has played more than 300 games for the Storm in two stints with the team and helped the franchise win two WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020.

This season she’s averaging just 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds. Clark has been impactful off the court over the years in the city starting the organization’s annual toy drive benefiting Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Cooke averaged just over 10 minutes a game this season and has shot a career-best 38.2% from behind the 3-point arc. She was the No. 10 pick in the 2023 draft by Los Angeles. She spent two seasons there before coming to Seattle.

Washington (13-15) is a game out of the playoffs at the moment.

SATOU SABALLY GETS SURPRISE START, LEADS MERCURY PAST SUN

Phoenix Mercury All-Star forward Satou Sabally, reportedly out indefinitely because of personal reasons after missing Sunday’s game at the Chicago Sky, played Tuesday night against the visiting Connecticut Sun and finished with 23 points to spark an 82-66 victory.

Alyssa Thomas, in her first year with the Mercury after playing the first 11 years of her career with the Sun, recorded a triple-double for the second consecutive game. She has a WNBA-record 18 in her career (regular season and playoffs).

She had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists after tallying 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the 83-67 win against the Sky.

DeWanna Bonner had 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench and Kahleah Copper finished with 15 points.

Connecticut (5-23) is now 1-12 on the road this season.

The Sun were led by Marina Mabrey (18 points) and Tina Charles (16 points).

Phoenix (18-11) never trailed.

The Mercury went on a 16-2 run to close the first quarter to take a 26-6 lead.

Phoenix made 10 of 20 shots from the field, 5 of 9 from 3-point range, in the first quarter, while Connecticut was 2 of 16 from the field and failed to make a 3-pointer in six attempts.

The Sun also had six turnovers in the quarter.

Bonner, who played the previous five seasons with the Sun, outscored Connecticut in the first quarter with nine points after making all three of her 3-point attempts.

A 12-2 run by Connecticut, fueled by seven points from Mabrey, cut the lead to 30-22 with 4:34 remaining in the second quarter.

Phoenix led 44-28 at halftime behind Bonner’s 13 points, Sabally’s nine points, and Thomas’ eight points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

The Mercury pulled away to a 60-32 lead with 5:40 left in the third quarter following a 14-2 run.

Connecticut rallied back, outscoring Phoenix 18-4 to cut the lead to 64-50 with 9:02 remaining.

The Sun would not get closer than 14 points the rest of the game.

Thomas surpassed 10 points, giving her the triple-double, on a layup that put Phoenix ahead 76-56 with 3:44 left.

COURTNEY WILLIAMS, LYNX HANG ON FOR WIN OVER STORM

Courtney Williams capped her 20-point effort by sinking an important 3-pointer in the final minute, and the Minnesota Lynx held on for a 91-87 win over the host Seattle Storm on Tuesday night.

Jessica Shepard tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota (25-5), which won its third game in a row. Kayla McBride finished with 14 points and made all nine of her free-throw attempts.

Nneka Ogwumike scored 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting to lead Seattle (16-14), which lost its third game in a row. Erica Wheeler finished with 19 points.

Minnesota prevailed in its first game without All-Star forward Napheesa Collier, who is sidelined because of a sprained right ankle. She is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks.

DiJonai Carrington made her Lynx debut and finished with 13 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Minnesota acquired Carrington from the Dallas Wings on Sunday.

Before the game, the Storm bolstered their roster by acquiring All-Star Brittney Sykes from the Washington Mystics for Alysha Clark and a 2026 first-round pick. Sykes, who is averaging 15.4 points, did not play. She could make her team debut Friday night at Las Vegas.

The Lynx outscored the Storm 56-44 in the second half.

Williams made a 3-pointer to increase Minnesota’s lead to 85-78 with 33.6 seconds to go.

Ogwumike answered with a 3-pointer to pull Seattle within four with 31.4 seconds left.

McBride made two free throws to put the Lynx on top 87-81 with 29.5 seconds remaining, but Seattle refused to concede. Skylar Diggins knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 87-84 with 22.2 seconds left.

Two more free throws by McBride made it 89-84 with 19.3 seconds remaining.

Wheeler hit a 3-pointer with 7.3 seconds to go. That cut the Storm’s deficit to two, but McBride added two free throws to finish the scoring.

The Storm relied on a strong finish to the second quarter to seize a 43-35 lead at the half.

The Lynx pulled within 34-33 when Williams drained a pull-up jump shot with 1:54 remaining in the second quarter.

The Storm closed the half on a 9-2 run to go on top by eight points.

Minnesota led 20-19 at the end of the first quarter.

RICKEA JACKSON, KELSEY PLUM STEER SPARKS PAST FEVER

Rickea Jackson poured in 25 points, Kelsey Plum added 25 points and 11 assists and the host Los Angeles Sparks snapped the Indiana Fever’s five-game winning streak with a 100-91 decision on Tuesday.

Azura Stevens scored 19 points and went 5-for-5 from 3-point range while Dearica Hamby scored 16 points for the Sparks (13-15), who have won seven of eight.

Los Angeles shot a torrid 56.1 percent from the field (37 of 66), just shy of its season high, and 50 percent from 3-point range (13 of 26). Cameron Brink didn’t score for the Sparks but contributed five blocked shots in just 16 minutes of action.

Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 of her 34 points in the second half to guide Indiana’s attempted comeback. Natasha Howard had 17 points and seven rebounds, Aliyah Boston posted 15 points and nine rebounds and Aari McDonald chipped in 15 points and six assists for the Fever (17-13).

Caitlin Clark (groin) remained out for Indiana.

The Fever trailed 76-64 entering the fourth quarter and quickly cut the margin to 10. The Sparks responded as Plum, Jackson, Julie Allemand and Rae Burrell contributed to a 9-0 run.

Boston put in a layup for the Fever, but Jackson went back to work for Los Angeles. She made a putback of her own miss, then Burrell stole an Indiana lob pass and set Jackson up for a 3-pointer that made it 90-68 at the 6:23 mark.

Indiana stormed back thanks to the hot hands of Mitchell, who knocked down two 3-pointers and another jumper, and McDonald, who sank back-to-back 3-pointers to cut it to 95-89 with 2:09 to play. however, Stevens answered with a triple with 1:17 left, and the Sparks held on.

The Sparks made their first three 3-point tries of the game. The Fever cobbled together a 10-point run to take a 21-15 lead, but they led only 27-26 after one quarter.

Hamby dominated in the paint during a second quarter that saw the Sparks make 11 of 17 shots from the field. Los Angeles went ahead 49-38 with 2:57 left in the half, the first double-digit margin of the game.

Play was briefly stopped late in the first half when a spectator threw a sex toy onto the court, the third such instance in the WNBA in recent weeks.

HOT-STARTING SKY SNAPS 8-GAME SLIDE, OUTLASTS MYSTICS

Elizabeth Williams had 18 points with 10 rebounds, while Kamilla Cardoso added 16 and 13 rebounds, as the Chicago Sky snapped an eight-game losing streak with Tuesday night’s 78-64 victory over the Washington Mystics.

Washingon had traded Brittney Sykes, their leading scorer at 15.4 points per game, to Seattle for Alysha Clark and a 2026 first-round draft pick earlier in the day.

While injured Chicago star Angel Reese (back) sat for the sixth time in eight games, teammate Ariel Atkins returned to action and scored 15 in 24 minutes, including a key 3-pointer with under two minutes remaining when the Mystics got within nine points. Atkins had missed the last seven games with a leg injury.

The Sky scored 52 points in the paint and distributed 22 assists.

Sonia Citron had 13 points and Kiki Iriafen scored 10 for Washington, which was held to 41.5-percent shooting and went 2-of-15 from 3-point range. The stellar rookie pair weren’t nearly as potent on Tuesday as when they combined for 50 points during Washington’s 103-86 rout of Chicago on July 29.

The Mystics (13-16) lost for the sixth time in eight games.

Williams and Michaela Onyenwere (12 points) helped the Sky build a 35-28 halftime lead. The pair combined for nine points during a third quarter where Chicago did not commit a turnover and outscored Washington 26-18.

Washington’s Shakira Austin scored the first field goal of the game, then Chicago reeled off the next 14. Williams and Onyenwere combined for 10 points during that run.

Cardoso had eight rebounds during a first quarter where Chicago shot 12-of-19 and scored 22 points in the paint to lead 25-10 entering the second period.

However, the Sky got sloppy by committing nine turnovers in the second quarter. Washington took advantage, outscoring Chicago 18-10 in the period, despite Cardoso recording 12 points and 10 rebounds.

BALANCED LIBERTY ATTACK SINKS WINGS AS JONQUEL JONES POSTS DOUBLE-DOUBLE

Jonquel Jones collected 15 points and 10 rebounds as the host New York Liberty withstood a quiet showing from Sabrina Ionescu and earned an 85-76 victory over the Dallas Wings on Tuesday night.

The Liberty won for the second time in five games since losing Breanna Stewart to a right leg injury on July 26 and used a balanced effort to avenge last week’s loss in Dallas.

Jones shot 6-of-12 from the floor and the Liberty (19-10) improved to 8-0 when the center posts a double-double this season.

Leonie Fiebich added 14, including a clutch 3 that gave New York a 15-point lead with about three minutes left. Emma Meesseman added 13 in her home debut for the Liberty, who shot 47.7 percent.

Reserve Stephanie Talbot contributed 13 and Natasha Cloud finished with 12 as the Liberty got 22 points from the bench and shot 50 percent (12-of-24) from 3-point range

New York’s balanced effort occurred on a night when Ionescu could never get into a rhythm and was held to nine points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Paige Bueckers scored 21 for her fourth straight 20-point showing but the Wings (8-22) lost for the ninth time in 11 games. Bueckers briefly headed to the locker room in the fourth to get her back checked out but finished 8-of-15 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds.

Arike Ogunbowale added 14 as Dallas shot 37.2 percent and took the loss despite a 45-35 rebounding edge. Maddy Siegrist added 13 off the bench for the Wings, who shot 6-of-27 (22.2 percent) from 3-point range.

The Liberty ended a strong opening quarter with a 24-15 lead after Rebekah Gardner capitalized on a Dallas turnover and sank a 3-pointer with 24.6 seconds left. New York took its first double-digit lead in the opening minute of the second quarter when Meesseman sank a floater for a 26-15 edge and held a 37-34 lead by halftime.

Bueckers sank a 3 in the opening minutes of the third for a 38-37 lead and Ogunbowale’s 3 put Dallas up 41-39 with 7:39 left. Bueckers hit a 19-footer to get Dallas within 49-46 with 4:50 left and New York ended the third with a 60-53 lead.

Talbot’s 3 opened a 70-57 lead with 7 1/2 minutes left and two free throws by Ionescu opened a 15-point lead about a minute later. Fiebich hit a triple for a 79-64 lead with 3:05 left to clinch it.

NBA NEWS

REPORT: CELTICS SWAP GEORGES NIANG TO JAZZ; SIGN CHRIS BOUCHER

The Boston Celtics traded forward Georges Niang and two second-round draft picks to the Utah Jazz to acquire rookie forward RJ Luis Jr., ESPN reported Tuesday.

In addition to helping Boston with luxury tax issues, the trade clears a roster spot for Boston because Luis is on a two-way contract. The Celtics are using that spot to sign forward Chris Boucher to a one-year, $3.3 million contract, Boucher’s agent told ESPN.

Niang, 32, was sent from the Atlanta Hawks to Boston in a three-team trade last month, but the Massachusetts native will not play a game for the Celtics.

Niang averaged a career-best 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last season across 79 games split between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Hawks. He has posted 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39.9 percent from 3-point range across 544 career games (32 starts) for five teams.

Niang spent four seasons for the Jazz (2017-21) as a reserve forward.

In Luis, the Celtics acquired a 22-year-old swingman who went undrafted in June and missed Summer League with a knee injury. Luis played one season at UMass and transferred to St. John’s, where he was voted the Big East Player of the Year and an Associated Press second-team All-American.

Boucher, 32, appeared in 50 games off the bench for the Toronto Raptors last season and put up 10 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 17.2 minutes per game. He has averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds across 407 career games, 406 with Toronto and one with Golden State.

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GOLF NEWS

RORY MCILROY ABSENCE HAS TOUR CONSIDERING FEDEX CUP RULE CHANGE

Rory McIlroy’s decision to skip the first round of the FedEx playoffs this week has the PGA Tour considering a rule change when it comes to the three-event season-ending dash to the Tour Championship.

With his spot near the top of the FedEx Cup points standings secure, McIlroy elected to skip this week’s St. Jude Championship at Memphis knowing that he has enough points to advance to the BMW Championship at Owings Mills, Md., next week.

The top 70 players in the points standings earn a spot in the playoffs with 20 eliminated before the BMW. The top 30 in the standings after the first two weeks of the playoffs advance to the Tour Championship at Atlanta from Aug. 21-24.

McIlroy is the only tour player in the top 70 of the points standings who is not at Memphis this week.

Peter Malnati, player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board, was asked about McIlroy’s absence and expressed concern. “I think there is stuff in the works (about a rule change) and I’ll leave it at that,” Malnati said to GolfWeek.

It is unknown if a rule change would include a fine for non-participation or an elimination from the remainder of the playoffs all together.

McIlroy, a three-time Tour Championship winner in 2016, 2019 and 2022, said as far back as last year that he would likely skip the St. Jude Championship if his place in the points standings was secure. He referenced a poor finish in the event last year that did not come close to stopping him from moving on the next round.

Scottie Scheffler leads the FedEx Cup standings with 4,806 points, while McIlroy is second with 3,444. Spot No. 50 currently is held by Australian Min Woo Lee at 851 points. Spot No. 30 belongs to Daniel Berger at 1,167 points.

McIlroy has been mulling over a reduced PGA Tour schedule after also participating in events at Australia, Ireland, India and the United Aram Emirates this year. He also will represent Europe at the upcoming Ryder Cup at Farmingdale, N.Y., in September.

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TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

INDIANA SRN WEEK ONE PREVIEW WITH KEITH MEYERS AND TROY DERENGOWSKI:

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COLTS PREVIEW VS BALTIMORE

(COLTS RELEASE)

WESTFIELD, Ind. – Colts rookie running back D.J. Giddens spends about 20 to 30 minutes a day catching passes from a JUGS machine. An estimate, he said, is that means he catches somewhere from 50 to 100 balls a day, not counting what’s been thrown at him during practice.

That extra work is paying off for the Kansas State product, as Giddens has looked like a natural catching the ball out of the backfield during training camp so far.

It’s also notable because Giddens, in 2024, dropped five of his 32 targets at K-State. He was dealing with a wrist injury last year, which certainly is important context there. And while it’s still early, Giddens has looked like a guy with good hands during the first two weeks of training camp.

“It looks real natural,” head coach Shane Steichen said.

Catching the ball is one thing; what Giddens can do when the ball gets in his hands is another. It was less of a question for him leading up to the draft, though, as he had over 1,200 rushing yards in each of his last two collegiate seasons.

As part of a group of running backs vying to be Jonathan Taylor’s primary backup – along with Tyler Goodson and Khalil Herbert, among others – Giddens has consistently impressed Steichen with his vision and burst on running plays.

And it’s not just what Giddens has done as a pass-catcher and runner – he’s quickly and physically picked up protection schemes. Keeping opposing blitzers away from your quarterback in the pocket is an important thing to do for a rookie looking to get on the field.

“DJ has done a really nice job,” Cooter said. “He’s a young guy who’s been put in some different roles maybe than he was in college. Just in the NFL, you’re running the ball, but maybe you’re running it from different sides and behind the quarterback. You’re running these routes that maybe you never ran in college. You’re working different blitz pickup schemes.

“Oftentimes, a young running back has a lot on his plate – learning that it is a little bit different than college. DJ has done a really, really nice job of picking up the offense, picking up his role and then going out and executing it.”

It’s not always easy to tell if a running back can translate success in training camp practices, where he’s not getting fully tackled, into actual live game action. That’s why Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens will be an important marker for Giddens – we’ll see if his vision, burst, football IQ and hands all show up in a live-tackling situation.

But over the first two weeks of camp, Giddens has built a solid foundation for himself to now build upon in preseason games, and if all goes well, the regular season.

“He’s had a knack in this camp of sort of finding that crease, reading that defense the right way and sort of working with his offensive line to create yards,” Cooter said. “So, we’re real encouraged with DJ. I’m excited to sort of watch him continue trying different roles and different routes and different run schemes within this offense, seeing exactly what he’s comfortable with and where he goes from here.”

Preseason Week 1 preview

Thursday night will be Giddens and the Colts’ rookie class’ first taste of NFL action. A few quick things to watch for from each of the Colts’ draft picks outside of Giddens:

TE Tyler Warren: Warren has looked every part a first-round pick at Grand Park, with his hands, acceleration, physicality, route running ability and feel for space all showing up consistently. We’ll see how many targets he gets Thursday, but when he’s in the game, keep an eye on how he scraps as a run blocker.

DE J.T. Tuimoloau: We’ve seen flashes as a pass rusher from the second-round pick, but without the ability to actually bring the quarterback to the ground, seeing him in a live-action setting at M&T Bank Stadium will be notable.

CB Justin Walley: Walley has run with the Colts’ first-team defense since Day 1 of training camp, and that was before JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones sustained hamstring injuries. His athleticism, instincts and football IQ have allowed him to play both outside corner and in the slot. Depending on how much (if any) Kenny Moore II and Charvarius Ward play Thursday, Walley could get time at both corner positions.

T Jalen Travis: A sneaky battle on the Colts’ roster is at backup tackle, with Travis and 2023 fourth-round pick Blake Freeland competing there. While Freeland has nine career starts, this’ll be Travis’ first bit of NFL experience, so how he holds up will be important to watch.

QB Riley Leonard: Leonard will tag in at quarterback once Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr.’s work is done. The Notre Dame product is coming off an impressive practice on Sunday with the third-team offense; he’s competing to earn a spot on the Colts’ 53-man roster as the team’s third quarterback. That’s a role Sam Ehlinger, who signed with the Denver Broncos as a free agent this offseason, held the last few years.

DT Tim Smith: Smith is competing to be a part of the Colts’ defensive tackle rotation behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, and the Alabama product should get a good amount of snaps on the interior this preseason.

S Hunter Wohler: Wohler’s flown around Grand Park with physicality and toughness during training camp, and with the Colts needing safety depth behind Cam Bynum and Nick Cross, he’s working to carve out a role on the team’s defensive depth chart. Look for Wohler on special teams coverage units as well.

QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON TO START COLTS’ PRESEASON OPENER VS. RAVENS

Anthony Richardson will start at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts when they visit the Baltimore Ravens in Thursday night’s preseason opener.

Richardson and veteran Daniel Jones are battling for the job and listed as co-No. 1s on the depth chart. Colts coach Shane Steichen is trying to make it an even competition.

For example, Richardson is slated to play 1 1/2 quarters against the Ravens with Jones finishing out the first half. But in the second preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 16, Jones will start and play 1 1/2 quarters with Richardson finishing out the first half.

“In a perfect world, that’s how I want it to play out,” Steichen said Tuesday following a joint practice against the Ravens in Owing Mills, Md.

Steichen has said he has no problem waiting until the three-game preseason is over before making a decision.

Richardson, 23, is 8-7 as a starter for Indianapolis since being selected with the No. 4 overall pick in 2023 out of Florida. He has endured multiple injuries that limited him to four games in 2023 and 11 last season.

Richardson has completed just 50.6 percent of his passes for 2,391 yards and 11 TDs with 13 interceptions. He has rushed for 635 yards and 10 scores.

Jones spent five-plus seasons with the New York Giants before finishing last year with the Minnesota Vikings. He signed a one-year, $14 million deal as a free agent with the Colts in the offseason.

Drafted No. 6 overall by New York in 2019 out of Duke, Jones compiled a 24-44-1 record as a starter for the Giants while passing for 14,582 yards, 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions and rushing for 2,179 yards and 15 scores.

Indianapolis opens the regular season with a home game against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 7.

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INDIANA FEVER

ALIYAH BOSTON WINS EASTERN CONFERENCE WEEK 9 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 5, 2025) — Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 9 of the 2025 WNBA season, it was announced today. The selection marks Boston’s third Player of the Week award of her career and the first of this season.

This past week the Fever earned wins over the Phoenix Mercury, Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm, during which Boston posted three consecutive double-doubles, averaging 16.7 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game. Boston’s 35 total rebounds and 28 defensive rebounds were both tied for the most across the entire WNBA during the week. Additionally, Boston’s three double-doubles are tied for the most across the WNBA during week nine.

Against the Mercury, Boston scored 22 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter which is the second-most in a single quarter by a single player in Fever franchise history. Boston recorded 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in the win over Dallas, and 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Seattle.

Boston currently holds the fourth-highest field goal percentage in the league this season with 54.7 percent and her 242 rebounds are the second most. Additionally, Boston leads all centers in the WNBA with 109 assists.

With her selection, Boston joins Tamika Catchings, Caitlin Clark, Katie Douglas and Kelsey Mitchell as the only Fever players to win three or more Player of the Week Awards.

GAME RECAP: INDIANA FEVER FIVE-GAME WIN STREAK SNAPPED ON THE ROAD AT LA SPARKS

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 5, 2025) — The Indiana Fever (17-13) fell on the road to the LA Sparks, dropping a 100-91 result to end the team’s five-game win streak.

Indiana opened the game going five-for-five on offensive possessions, while the Sparks had a similar start, making four baskets on as many trips down the court. But it was the Fever who ended the first quarter with the lead, out in front 27-28 backed by 10 points from Kelsey Mitchell and six from both Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard. The Sparks took over in the second quarter with 28 points to take a 54-43 lead heading into the halftime break. An 18-2 run at the end of the fourth quarter cut a Sparks’ 22-point lead down to just six points, but the Fever were unable to finish off the comeback.

POST-GAME NOTES
BOX SCORE

Indiana Fever Notes:

Kelsey Mitchell finished the night with 34 points, surpassing 4,500 points scored across her WNBA career with a three pointer at 2:33 in the second quarter, just the second Indiana Fever player to do so.
Mitchell recorded her third 30+ scoring game this season and the 10th of her career, tying Tamika Catchings for the most in Fever franchise history. It also marks the first time in Mitchell’s career she has recorded three 30+ scoring games in a single season, having done so twice in 2023 and 2024, and once in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Aliyah Boston moved to seventh all-time in Fever franchise history for career made field goals, finishing the night with six for 654 total across her career.
Boston came one rebound shy of her seventh straight double-double, with the six-straight games the longest streak of her three-year career.
Natasha Howard made her 250th WNBA career start.

Up Next: The Indiana Fever finish their four-game road trip on Thursday, Aug. 7 against the Phoenix Mercury, broadcast on Amazon Prime Video (nationally) and WTHR (locally) at 10 p.m. ET.

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INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

INDIANS DROP BACK-AND-FORTH BATTLE TO OMAHA IN EXTRAS

INDIANAPOLIS– Harold Castro scored on a wild pitch by Eddy Yean to give the Omaha Storm Chasers a 7-6 win over the Indianapolis Indians in 10 innings on Tuesday night at Victory Field.

With Castro starting the 10th inning as the automatic runner at second base, Peyton Wilson grounded out to first base to move Castro over to third with one out. Yean (L, 6-4), threw a wild pitch in the following at-bat to plate the Storm Chasers (11-23, 42-66) their final run.

Omaha posted the first two runs of the game. Castro hit a solo homer in the second inning and Tyler Gentry doubled home a run for a 2-0 Omaha advantage.

The Indians (23-11, 65-43) got on the board via back-to-back bunt singles from Tsung-Che Cheng and Ronny Simon. Storm Chasers starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel fielded Simon’s bunt and threw it past first base as the ball rolled to the opposing dugout, allowing Cheng to score.

Indy grabbed the lead with a two-out rally in the fourth inning. After Cam Devanney and Nick Yorke grounded out to begin the frame, Rafael Flores got the offense started with a walk. Matt Fraizer then doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Alika Williams then blooped a two-run, go-ahead single into center field for a 3-2 lead.

Omaha knotted the game in the fifth inning with an RBI groundout from Gentry. It subsequently took the lead, 4-3, in the sixth on another RBI grounder, this time from MJ Melendez.

Indianapolis mounted another comeback in the bottom of the sixth. Yorke reached on a fielding error by third baseman Diego Castillo, Flores singled and a wild pitch by Keuchel put two in scoring position with no outs. Fraizer then singled them both home for a 5-4 lead.

Melendez later hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth inning for a 6-5 Omaha lead. Indy tied things in the bottom of the 9th when Devanney was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force extra innings before the Storm Chasers pulled ahead in the 10th.

Indians starter Bubba Chandler tossed 4.2 innings of three-run ball, allowing a season-high tying eight hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. Keuchel allowed five runs (three earned) across 6.0 innings. Yean tossed Indy’s final 2.0 frames.

Jonathan Bowlan (W, 3-0) allowed the ninth inning run. Brandon Johnson (S, 1) blanked the Indians in the 10th.

Indy and Omaha continue their six-game series on Wednesday afternoon at 1:35 PM. RHP Drake Fellows (7-3, 4.19) takes the mound for the Indians and RHP John Gant (2-3, 6.59)

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INDIANA FOOTBALL

DOAK WALKER ADDS HEMBY TO PRESEASON WATCH LIST

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With four standout collegiate seasons already under his belt, Indiana football running back Roman Hemby was named to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, annually presented to the nation’s most outstanding college running back.

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors will name ten semifinalists in November, and three finalists will be announced in November. The recipient of the 2025 Doak Walker Award will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 12, 2024.

A two-time All-Big Ten pick over his four seasons at Maryland, Hemby appeared in 41 career games with 38 consecutive starts to cap his Terps career. The Edgewood, Maryland, native owns 3,352 career all-purpose yards (2,347 rushing, 921 receiving, 84 kickoff return) and has scored 27 career touchdowns (22 rushing, 5 receiving). He has seven career 100-yard rushing games and five career multi-touchdown games. On top of his prowess carrying the football, Hemby has a reception in 26-straight games entering 2025.

Honoring the legends of sports for 36 years, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum celebrates outstanding success in athletics. Based in Dallas, the series features major figures from a variety of sports. The PwC SMU Athletic Forum includes four events and the prestigious Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet.

The Doak Walker Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.

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PURDUE FOOTBALL

DEVIN MOCKOBEE NAMED TO DOAK WALKER AWARD WATCH LIST

DALLAS – For the third straight season, Purdue running back Devin Mockobee has been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List. In 2023, Mockobee became the first Boilermaker running back to land on the watch list since Markell Jones (2016). Now, he is a mainstay up for the award presented annually to the nation’s best college running back.

The watch list is Mockobee’s second of the season, having earned a spot on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch list for his community service, academic excellence and athletic achievement.

Purdue’s top rusher each of the past three years, Mockobee is ready to lead the ground attack once again while etching his name in the program record book. The Boonville, Indiana, native already ranks Top 10 in Purdue history in the following career categories: 100-yard rushing games (6th – 8), rushing yards (9th – 2,466) and rushing touchdowns (10th – 19). Mockobee needs 1,170 yards to break Mike Alstott’s career rushing record, a mark that has stood for 30 years.

After setting the Purdue freshman rushing record and helping the Boilermakers win the Big Ten West in 2022, Mockobee has played in all 24 games over the past two seasons. Sharing the backfield with current New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. in 2023, he rushed for a team-high 811 yards to help Purdue lead the Big Ten in rushing in league games (183.6 ypg). Piling a season-high 153 yards in the win over Minnesota, he became one of only 14 running backs in program history with at least six career 100-yard rushing games.

Mockobee added two more 100-yard games last season, including a 168-yard rushing performance at Oregon State, averaging more than 10 yards per carry on a season-high 16 attempts. He rushed for a team-high 687 yards and added four touchdowns throughout the year to move into Purdue’s Top 10 in both career categories. Mockobee was a leader on and off the field, earning the honor of team captain for six games.

Mockobee and the Boilermakers start the 2025 season at home, hosting Ball State at Ross-Ade Stadium (Aug. 30). Purdue’s first game under head coach Barry Odom kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on BTN.

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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

LOVE, PRICE AND WILLIAMS NAMED CANDIDATES FOR 2025 DOAK WALKER AWARD

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Three Irish running backs – junior Jeremiyah Love, junior Jadarian Price and sophomore Aneyas Williams – have been named preseason candidates for the 2025 Doak Walker Award, recognizing college football’s most outstanding running back.

No program has more 2025 Doak Walker Award nominees than Notre Dame’s three. Notre Dame has had one Doak Walker finalist: TB Reggie Brooks (1992).

Love, Price and Williams join the rest of the Irish backs to make up one of the nation’s top running backs rooms entering 2025. The three played key roles in Notre Dame’s 2024 season en route to a National Championship appearance. Notre Dame’s rushing offense ranked No. 4 among the Power 4 in yards per carry (5.66), ranking No. 7 among all FBS teams. The Irish ranked No. 6 among Power 4 teams in rushing offense (210.8). With 45 rushing touchdowns in 2024, the Irish led all Power 4 teams and ranked third among all FBS programs in rushing touchdowns.

Love, Jadarian Price and Riley Leonard each had at least 700 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 2024, the only FBS team to have a trio accomplish that feat that season. Notre Dame tied for second at the end of the regular season among all FBS teams in rushes of 50 or more yards with seven (by four players, with seven touchdowns).

Love, already named a Walter Camp Preseason All-American and to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year, comes off a statement 2024 campaign for Notre Dame. He rushed for a touchdown in each of the first 13 games of 2024 and totaled 17 rushing touchdowns, in addition to two receiving touchdowns. Love posted 1,125 rushing yards in 2024, the 21st time an Irish player has broken the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season.

He averaged 6.9 yards per carry, which ranked ninth nationally in 2024 among players with 100 or more carries, and he tied for second among all single-season 1,000-yard rushers in ND records (Reggie Brooks, 1992, 8.0 – 1,343; Josh Adams, 2017, 6.9 – 1,430).

Love was the only FBS player to score a rushing touchdown in every regular season game that season. He broke the record for the most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown in Notre Dame history with 13 (passing 11 – Wayne Bullock, 1973-74, 17 total rushing TDs during streak). The 13-consecutive games to start a season is also a program record, besting Autry Denson’s season-opening run of 10 in 1998

Price played in all 16 games for the Irish and recorded 746 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry during the season, which ranked 24th among all FBS players. Notre Dame was the only team with two running backs in the Top 25 of that category in 2024 (Love, ninth).

Price notched several standout performances in 2024. He posted his first multi-touchdown game in the 49-14 win over No. 18 Army, scoring two touchdowns on the ground with 10 carries for 53 yards. He also led the Irish in the 52-3 win over Florida State with seven carries for 95 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown rush to give the Irish a 14-3 lead. Price produced a big game at Purdue, rushing for 86 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown rush to close the first half, and he scored Notre Dame’s first touchdown of the 2024 season, a 47-yard rush at Texas A&M.

A true sophomore, Williams had a notable freshman season behind Love and Price. He tallied 219 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, and 172 receiving yards in his debut season. Williams had at least one rushing attempt in 13 games of the year, and added at least one reception on eight occasions. He played a key role in the Orange Bowl victory over Penn State, with a 15-yard rush and 36-yard reception to set up a touchdown to open the second half, tying the game.

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INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

SYCAMORE BASKETBALL RELEASES 2025-26 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State men’s basketball head coach announced the completed non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

The season is highlighted by five home games in noncon action and a trip to Cameron Indoor to battle the Blue Devils of Duke University. Five road games, including the Multiple-Team Event (MTE) games, are played more than four hours from Hulman Center.

The Sycamores kick off the season in exhibition play, heading to Hinkle Fieldhouse to battle Butler on October 29. The exhibition will be the first time Indiana State is back in Hinkle after the National Invitational Tournament run in 2023-24. This meeting also marks the first time head coach Matthew Graves will serve as head coach against his alma mater.

To open the regular season, Indiana State will be on the road in North Carolina to face the Charlotte 49ers on November 3. In the last 10 years, including the upcoming season, the Sycamores have started the season on the road seven times.

The 2025-26 home opener is set for November 6 against Division III’s Illinois Tech before hitting the road again on November 10, traveling to Edwardsville to play SIUE. A season ago, the Cougars came to Terre Haute and left with a 77-72 victory. SIUE went on to win the Ohio Valley Championship for the first time in program history.

The Sycamores head back to North Carolina, this time to Durham to play Duke for the first time in program history on November 14. The Blue Devils ended last season ranked No. 3 in the nation in the AP Top 25 (released April 8) after falling to Houston in the NCAA Final Four. Early last month, Duke was ranked inside the top 15 nationally in the “too early” preseason polls (USA Today), (Jeff Borzello via ESPN).

Indiana State returns to Hulman Center on November 19 to face Louisiana Tech, marking only the third meeting in history; the programs faced each other once in each of the 1974 and 1975 seasons. Indiana State won the debut matchup before LA Tech won the second meeting.

The Sycamores host in-state foe Ball State on November 22. Last year, Indiana State won the meeting in Muncie 94-84 hitting 44.4% from three.

This season’s MTE will be played in Ruston, Louisiana over Thanksgiving Break. Indiana State, for the second time this season, will play LA Tech on November 26 before playing Alcorn State on November 28.

The Sycamores open back up after the break against Division III’s Eureka on December 2. Indiana State handled the Quakers 93-48 last year in Hulman Center. The second part of the two-game homestand sees Southern Indiana coming to town on December 7. Indiana State fell in Evansville last year, 87-77.

To wrap up the noncon slate, Indiana State begins a home-and-home series with Milwaukee, starting in the UWM Panther Arena on December 14. The Panthers will visit Hulman Center in 2026-27.

Times for the non-conference schedule are TBA, and the Missouri Valley Conference schedule will be released at a later date.

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“SPORTS EXTRA”

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

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Aug. 6

1908 — John Lush threw a six-inning, rain-shortened no-hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 2-0. It was Lush’s second no-hitter against the Dodgers.

1933 — Pinky Higgins of the Philadelphia Athletics hit for the cycle and drove in five runs in a 12-8 win over the Washington Senators.

1952 — Satchel Paige, 46, became the oldest pitcher in major league history to pitch a complete game or a shutout when he beat Virgil Trucks and the Detroit Tigers 1-0 in 12 innings.

1972 — Hank Aaron hit his 660th and 661st career home runs to break Babe Ruth’s record for most home runs with one club. The 661st came in the 10th inning to give the Atlanta Braves a 4-3 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds.

1981 — As a result of a seven-week strike, major league baseball players approved a split-season format. The New York Yankees, Oakland A’s, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers were declared the first-half champions and automatically qualified for the divisional series.

1985 — The Major League Baseball Players’ Association went on strike.

1986 — The Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles 13-11 in a record-setting battle of grand slams. Texas’ Toby Harrah hit a grand slam in the second inning before Larry Sheets and Jim Dwyer connected for grand slams in Baltimore’s nine-run fourth.

1988 — Rich Gossage registered his 300th career save, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4.

1999 — Tony Gwynn went 4-for-5, singling in his first at-bat to become the 22nd major leaguer to reach 3,000 hits, as the San Diego Padres beat the Montreal Expos 12-10.

2001 — Boston’s Scott Hatteberg performed the ultimate baseball opposite. Hatteberg hit a grand slam one at-bat after lining into a triple play as the Red Sox defeated the Texas Rangers 10-7. Hatteberg lined into a triple play in the fourth inning and in the sixth he hit his second career grand slam to move Boston ahead for good.

2002 — At 32, Robb Nen became the youngest player to record 300 saves, as San Francisco beat the Chicago Cubs 11-10. Nen became the 16th member of the 300-save club.

2007 — St. Louis tied a major league record with 10 straight hits in a 10-run fifth inning, with pitcher Braden Looper and Aaron Miles getting two apiece in a 10-5 victory over San Diego.

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Aug. 7

1907 — Walter Johnson won the first of his 417 victories, leading the Washington Senators past the Cleveland Indians 7-2.

1922 — Ken Williams of the St. Louis Browns hit two home runs in the sixth inning of rout over the Washington Senators.

1923 — Cleveland’s Frank Bower went 6-for-6 with a double and five singles as the Indians routed the Washington Senators 22-2.

1956 — The largest crowd in minor league history, 57,000, saw 50-year-old Satchel Paige of Miami beat Columbus in an International League game at the Orange Bowl.

1963 — Jim Hickman of the New York Mets hit for the cycle in a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at the Polo Grounds. Hickman’s cycle came in single-double-triple-homer order.

1985 — The strike by the Major League Baseball Players Association ended with the announcement of a tentative agreement. The season resumed Aug. 8.

1999 — Wade Boggs became the first player to homer for his 3,000th hit, with a two-run shot in Tampa Bay’s 15-10 loss to Cleveland. Boggs already had a pair of RBI singles when he homered off Chris Haney in the sixth inning.

2004 — Greg Maddux became the 22nd pitcher in major league history to reach 300 victories, leading the Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 victory over San Francisco.

2007 — San Francisco’s Barry Bonds hit home run No. 756 to break Hank Aaron’s storied record with one out in the fifth inning, hitting a full-count, 84 mph fastball from Washington’s Mike Bacsik. Noticeably absent were Commissioner Bud Selig and Aaron. The Nationals won 8-6.

2016 — Ichiro Suzuki tripled off the wall for his 3,000th hit in the major leagues, becoming the 30th player to reach the milestone as the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 10-7.

2016 — Manny Machado became the second player in major league history to homer in the first, second and third innings, driving in a career-high seven runs in a 10-2 victory over Chicago.

2018 — Bartolo Colon of Texas became the winningest pitcher from Latin America in the Rangers’ 11-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners. After six tries, the 45-year-old right-hander got his 246th career victory and finally broke the tie with Nicaragua’s Dennis Martinez. Colon gave up four runs and eight hits in seven innings and improved his record to 6-10.

2021 — Host nation Japan wins its first ever gold medal in Olympic baseball by defeating the United States 2-0.

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TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

Aug. 6

1958 — Glen Davis of Columbus, Ohio, sets a world record in the 400 hurdles with a time of 49.2 in Budapest, Hungary.

1966 — Muhammad Ali knocks out Brian London in the third round to retain his world heavyweight title.

1972 — South African Gary Player wins his second PGA golf championship with a two-stroke victory over Jim Jamieson and Tommy Aaron.

1978 — John Mahaffey beats Tom Watson and Jerry Pate on the second playoff hole to win the PGA Championship.

1984 — American athlete Carl Lewis wins long jump (8.54m), his second of 4 gold medals at Los Angeles Olympics.

1991 — Debbie Doom of the U.S. pitches her second consecutive perfect game in women’s softball at the Pan American Games. Doom threw a perfect game at the Netherlands Antilles in the opener and matches that performance against Nicaragua, winning 8-0.

1992 — Carl Lewis leads a U.S. sweep in the long jump in the Olympics with a mark of 28 feet, 5 1-2 inches on his first attempt. Mike Powell takes the silver and Joe Greene the bronze. Kevin Young demolishes one of track’s oldest records with a time of 46.78 seconds in the 400 hurdles. Bruce Baumgartner becomes the first American wrestler to win medals in three straight Olympics, taking the gold in the 286-pound freestyle division.

1994 — Jeff Gordon wins the Brickyard 400, the first stock car race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

1995 — Canada’s Donovan Bailey wins the 100 meters at World Track and Field Championships in Goteborg, Sweden, marking the first time since 1976 an American fails to win a medal in the event at a major meet.

1999 — Tony Gwynn goes 4-for-5, singling in his first at-bat to become the 22nd major leaguer to reach 3,000 hits, as the San Diego Padres beat the Montreal Expos 12-10.

2001 — Two-time champion Marion Jones is disqualified and has her string of 42 consecutive 100m final victories snapped by Zhanna Pintusevich-Block of Ukraine at the World Athletics Championships in Edmonton, Canada.

2006 — Tiger Woods (30) becomes the youngest player to compile 50 PGA Tour wins with a 3 stroke victory over Jim Furyk in the Buick Open.

2006 — Floyd Landis is fired by his team and the Tour de France no longer considers him its champion after his second doping sample tested positive for higher-than-allowable levels of testosterone.

2006 — Sherri Steinhauer wins the Women’s British Open for the third time, and the first since it became a major.

2008 — Sammy Villegas, a former University of Toledo basketball player, is charged with point shaving. Villegas is accused of shaving points during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.

2008 — Kim Terrell-Kearney wins the first professional championship match featuring two black bowlers, beating Trisha Reid 216-189 in the U.S. Bowling Congress’ U.S. Women’s Open. Terrell-Kearney collects her second U.S. Women’s Open title and third career major title.

2010 — Tyson Gay upsets the defending world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt in a race between the two fastest runners in history. Gay beats the Jamaican at the DN Galan meet in 9.84 seconds at the same stadium where Bolt last lost a race two years ago. Bolt finishes second in 9.97.

2015 — Ryan Lochte becomes the first man to win the 200-meter individual medley four consecutive times at the world swimming championships. Lochte comes home strong on the freestyle lap and touches first in 1:55.81 in Kazan, Russia.

2017 — I.K. Kim won the Women’s British Open, hanging on with a 1-under 71 for a two-shot victory over Jodi Ewart Shadoff and her first major championship.

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Aug. 7

1907 — Walter Johnson wins the first of his 417 victories, leading the Washington Senators past the Cleveland Indians 7-2.

1952 — Bion Shively, 74, drives Sharp Note to victory in the third heat of the Hambletonian Stakes.

1982 — Speed Bowl wins the Hambletonian Stakes in straight heats with 25-year-old Tom Haughton in the sulky, the youngest to win the Hambletonian.

1983 — Norway’s Grete Waitz takes the women’s marathon in the first world track and field championships at Helsinki, Finland.

1992 — Sergei Bubka, the world record-holder and defending Olympic champion, fails to clear a height in the pole vault.

1999 — Wade Boggs becomes the first player to homer for his 3,000th hit, connecting with a two-run shot in Tampa Bay’s 15-10 loss to Cleveland.

2004 — Greg Maddux becomes the 22nd pitcher in major league history to reach 300 victories, leading the Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 victory over San Francisco.

2005 — Justin Gatlin dominates the 100 meters at the track and field championships in Helsinki. The Olympic champion wins in 9.88 seconds, finishing 0.17 seconds ahead of Michael Frater of Jamaica. The margin of victory is the largest in the 10 world championships held since the meet’s inception in 1983.

2007 — San Francisco’s Barry Bonds hits home run No. 756 to break Hank Aaron’s storied record. Noticeably absent are Commissioner Bud Selig and Aaron.

2012 — Aly Raisman becomes the first U.S. woman to win Olympic gold on floor. She picks up a bronze on balance beam on the final day of gymnastics at the London Olympics and just misses a medal in the all-around.

2016 — Jim Furyk becomes the first golfer to shoot a 58 in PGA Tour history. Three years after Furyk became the sixth player on tour with a 59, he takes it even lower in the Travelers Championship with a 12-under 58 in the final round.

2016 — Ichiro Suzuki triples off the wall for his 3,000th hit in the major leagues, becoming the 30th player to reach the milestone as the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 10-7.

2016 — Manny Machado becomes the second player in major league history to homer in the first, second and third innings, driving in a career-high seven runs in a 10-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

2016 — American swimmer Katie Ledecky sets a new world record with a time of 3:56.46 to win the gold medal in the women’s 400m freestyle at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

2021 — Kevin Durant with 29 points leads USA to his third and the team’s 4th consecutive Olympic men’s basketball gold medal with an 87-82 win over France in Tokyo.

2021 — Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra wins his country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.

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TV SPORTS

(All times Eastern)

Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts

Wednesday, August 6

GOLF

6 p.m.

GOLF — USGA: The 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur, Round of 64, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore.

HORSE RACING

1 p.m.

FS2 — NYRA: Saratoga Live

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL

11 a.m.

ESPN — Little League World Series Regional: TBD, Midwest Region, Whitestown, Ind.

1 p.m.

ESPN — Little League World Series Regional: Essex, Vt. vs. Bedford, N.H., New England Region, Bristol, Conn.

3 p.m.

ESPN — Little League World Series Regional: TBD, Northwest Region, San Bernardino, Calif.

5 p.m.

ESPN — Little League World Series Regional: TBD, Metro Region, Bristol, Conn.

7 p.m.

ESPN — Little League World Series Regional: TBD, Great Lakes Region, Whitestown, Ind.

9 p.m.

ESPN — Little League World Series Regional: TBD, West Region, San Bernardino, Calif.

LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL

10 a.m.

ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Elimination Game, Greenville, N.C.

1 p.m.

ESPN2 — Little League Softball World Series: TBD, Elimination Game, Greenville, N.C.

MLB BASEBALL

1 p.m.

MLBN — Regional Coverage: Cleveland at N.Y. Mets (1:10 p.m.) OR Minnesota at Detroit (1:10 p.m.)

4 p.m.

MLBN — Regional Coverage: St. Louis at L.A. Dodgers (4:10 p.m.) OR Toronto at Colorado (3:10 p.m.)

7 p.m.

FS1 — Milwaukee at Atlanta

9:30 p.m.

MLBN — Regional Coverage: San Diego at Arizona (9:40 p.m.) OR Chicago White Sox at Seattle (9:40 p.m.)

RUGBY (MEN’S)

5:45 a.m. (Thursday)

FS2 — NRL: Brisbane at Melbourne

SOCCER (MEN’S)

8 p.m.

CBSSN — USL League One: South Georgia Tormenta FC at FC Naples

SOFTBALL

4 p.m.

ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited All-Star Cup: Team Corrick vs. Team Ocasio, Greenville, N.C.

7 p.m.

ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited All-Star Cup: Team Kilfoyl vs. Team Lorenz, Greenville, N.C.

TENNIS

6 p.m.

TENNIS — Canada-ATP/WTA Semifinals

WNBA BASKETBALL

10 p.m.NBATV — Las Vegas at Golden State

THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” WEDNESDAY AUGUST 6, 2025

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