THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” WEDNESDAY JULY 16, 2025

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Twitter: twitter.com/@IndianaSRN

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“THE SCOREBOARD”

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WNBA SCORES

INDIANA 85 CONNECTICUT 77

LOS ANGELES 99 WASHINGTON 80

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NBA SUMMER LEAGUE

MINNESOTA 89 DETROIT 73

NEW YORK 97 BROOKLYN 93

OKLAHOMA CITY 92 ORLANDO 75

TORONTO 101 DENVER 97

PHILADELPHIA 74 WASHINGTON 58

NEW ORLEANS PORTLAND

GOLDEN STATE MEMPHIS

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MLB SCORES

NATIONAL LEAGUE 6 AMERICAN LEAGUE 6 (NL WINS IN 4-3 SWING OFF)

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MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

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COLTS TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE

WED., JULY 23: PRACTICE (10-11 A.M.)

THUR., JULY 24: PRACTICE (10-11 A.M.)

FRI., JULY 25: PRACTICE (10-11:15 A.M.)

SAT., JULY 26: PRACTICE (4-5:30 P.M.)

MON., JULY 28: PRACTICE (10-11:15 A.M.)

TUE., JULY 29: PRACTICE (10-11:30 A.M.)

THUR., JULY 31: PRACTICE (8-10 P.M.)

SAT., AUG. 2: PRACTICE (10-11:35 A.M.)

SUN., AUG. 3: PRACTICE (10-11:30 A.M.)

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 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

ACC FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

BIG TEN FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

BIG 12 FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

CONFERENCE USA FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

INDEPENDENTS FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

NOTRE DAMEUCONN

MAC FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

PAC-12 FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

OREGON STATEWASHINGTON STATE

SEC FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

SUN BELT FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

EAST APP STATE | COASTAL CAROLINAGEORGIA SOUTHERN | GEORGIA STATEJAMES MADISON | MARSHALL | ODU

WEST

ARKANSAS STATE | LOUISIANASOUTH ALABAMA | SOUTHERN MISSTEXAS STATE | TROY | ULM

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NFL TRAINING CAMP DATES

TEAM	SITE	LOCATION	ROOKIES	VETERANS
ARIZONA CARDINALS	STATE FARM STADIUM	GLENDALE, ARIZ.	7/22	7/22
ATLANTA FALCONS	IBM PERFORMANCE FIELD	FLOWERY BRANCH, GA.	7/23	7/23
BALTIMORE RAVENS	UNDER ARMOUR PERFORMANCE CENTER	OWINGS MILLS, MD.	7/15	7/22
BUFFALO BILLS	ST. JOHN FISHER UNIVERSITY	ROCHESTER, N.Y.	7/15	7/22
CAROLINA PANTHERS	BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM	CHARLOTTE, N.C.	7/21	7/22
CHICAGO BEARS	HALAS HALL	LAKE FOREST, ILL.	7/19	7/22
CINCINNATI BENGALS	KETTERING HEALTH PRACTICE FIELDS	CINCINNATI	7/19	7/22
CLEVELAND BROWNS	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE CAMPUS	BEREA, OHIO	7/18	7/22
DALLAS COWBOYS	STAYBRIDGE SUITES	OXNARD, CALIF.	7/21	7/21
DENVER BRONCOS	BRONCOS PARK POWERED BY COMMONSPIRIT	ENGLEWOOD, COLO.	7/16	7/22
DETROIT LIONS	DETROIT LIONS TRAINING FACILITY	ALLEN PARK, MICH.	7/16	7/19
GREEN BAY PACKERS	LAMBEAU FIELD	GREEN BAY, WIS.	7/18	7/22
HOUSTON TEXANS	HOUSTON METHODIST TRAINING CENTER	HOUSTON	7/22	7/22
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS	GRAND PARK	WESTFIELD, IND.	7/21	7/22
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS	MILLER ELECTRIC CENTER	JACKSONVILLE, FLA.	7/19	7/22
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	MISSOURI WESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY	ST. JOSEPH, MO.	7/21	7/21
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS	INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTH PERFORMANCE CENTER	HENDERSON, NEV.	7/17	7/22
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS	THE BOLT	EL SEGUNDO, CALIF.	7/12	7/16
LOS ANGELES RAMS	LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY	LOS ANGELES	7/22	7/22
MIAMI DOLPHINS	BAPTIST HEALTH TRAINING COMPLEX	MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.	7/15	7/22
MINNESOTA VIKINGS	TCO PERFORMANCE CENTER	EAGAN, MINN.	7/20	7/22
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS	GILLETTE STADIUM	FOXBOROUGH, MASS.	7/19	7/22
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS	OCHSNER SPORTS PERFORMANCE CENTER	METAIRIE, LA.	7/22	7/22
NEW YORK GIANTS	QUEST DIAGNOSTICS TRAINING FACILITY	EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.	7/15	7/22
NEW YORK JETS	ATLANTIC HEALTH JETS TRAINING CENTER	FLORHAM PARK, N.J.	7/19	7/22
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES	NOVACARE COMPLEX	PHILADELPHIA	7/22	7/22
PITTSBURGH STEELERS	SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE	LATROBE, PA.	7/23	7/23
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS	SAP PERFORMANCE FACILITY	SANTA CLARA, CALIF.	7/15	7/22
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS	VIRGINIA MASON ATHLETIC CENTER	RENTON, WASH.	7/15	7/22
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS	ADVENTHEALTH TRAINING CENTER	TAMPA, FLA.	7/21	7/22
TENNESSEE TITANS	ASCENSION SAINT THOMAS SPORTS PARK	NASHVILLE, TENN.	7/22	7/22
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS	ORTHOVIRGINIA TRAINING CENTER AT COMMANDERS PARK	ASHBURN, VA.	7/18	7/22

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2025 NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE

NFL/HALL OF FAME GAME – JULY 31

L.A. CHARGERS VS. DETROIT (NBC), 8:00

*****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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2025 NFL WEEK ONE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, SEPT. 4, 2025
DALLAS COWBOYS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES	8:20P (ET)	8:20P	NBC
FRIDAY, SEPT. 5, 2025
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS VS LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (SAO PAULO)	9:00P (BRT)	8:00P	YOUTUBE
SUNDAY, SEPT. 07, 2025
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS	1:00P (ET)	1:00P	FOX
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS	1:00P (ET)	1:00P	FOX
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS	1:00P (ET)	1:00P	CBS
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS	1:00P (ET)	1:00P	FOX
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS	1:00P (ET)	1:00P	CBS
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS	12:00P (CT)	1:00P	CBS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT NEW YORK JETS	1:00P (ET)	1:00P	CBS
NEW YORK GIANTS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS	1:00P (ET)	1:00P	FOX
TENNESSEE TITANS AT DENVER BRONCOS	2:05P (MT)	4:05P	FOX
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS	1:05P (PT)	4:05P	FOX
DETROIT LIONS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS	3:25P (CT)	4:25P	CBS
HOUSTON TEXANS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS	1:25P (PT)	4:25P	CBS
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT BUFFALO BILLS	8:20P (ET)	8:20P	NBC
MONDAY, SEPT. 8, 2025
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT CHICAGO BEARS	7:15P (CT)	8:15P	ABC/ESPN

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TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

KYLE SCHWARBER’S 3 HOMERS IN ALL-STAR GAME’S FIRST TIEBREAKING SWING-OFF LIFT NL OVER AL

ATLANTA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber went 3 for 3 in the first All-Star Game home run swing-off to put the National League ahead 4-3 following a 6-6 tie in which the American League rallied from a six-run deficit on Tuesday night.

In baseball’s equivalent of soccer’s penalty-kicks shootout, the game was decided by having three batters from each league take three swings each off coaches. The change was agreed to in 2022 to alleviate the concern of teams running out of pitchers.

Schwarber was named All-Star MVP after going 0 for 2 with a walk in the game.

Brent Rooker put the AL ahead by homering on his last two swings, and Kyle Stowers — subbing for Eugenio Suárez — hit one.

Randy Arozarena boosted the AL lead to 3-1, and Schwarber was successful on all three tries, going down to a knee as he sent the one into the Chop House seats in right.

Jonathan Aranda failed on all three tries, hitting the right-field wall with his second, and the NL didn’t have to use its last batter, two-time Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso, as it won for just the second time in the last 12 All-Star Games. The AL leads 48-45 with two ties.

Ketel Marte’s two-run double in the first had put the NL ahead, and Alonso’s three-run homer off Kris Bubic and Corbin Carroll’s solo shot against Casey Mize opened a 6-0 lead in the sixth.

The AL comeback began when Rooker hit a three-run pinch homer against Randy Rodríguez in a four-run seventh that included Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI groundout.

Robert Suarez allowed consecutive doubles to Byron Buxton and Witt with one out in ninth, and Steven Kwan’s infield hit on a three-hopper to third off Edwin Díaz drove in the tying run.

Joe Torre, the 84-year-old former Yankees manager, went to the mound for a pitching change in the eighth to take the ball from Shane Smith and hand it to Andrés Muñoz. The Hall of Famer was picked as a coach by current New York skipper Aaron Boone, who managed the AL.

Heat on the mound

Paul Skenes, the first pitcher to start the All-Star Game each of his first two seasons, struck out Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene in a perfect first that included Aaron Judge’s inning-ending groundout. The 23-year-old right-hander reached 100 mph on four of 14 pitches.

Jacob Misiorowski, a controversial inclusion after pitching in just five major league games in his rookie season, fired nine pitches of 100 mph or more in a one-hit eighth 34 days after his major league debut. The 23-year-old righty, added to the NL roster by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, reached 102.3 mph.

There were 21 pitches of 100 mph or more, down from a record 23 last year but up from 13 in 2023, 10 in 2022 and one in 2021.

Robot umpire debuts

Four of five challenges were successful in the first use of the robot umpire in the All-Star Game

Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh signaled for an appeal to the Automated Ball-Strike System in the first inning, getting a strikeout for Detroit’s Tarik Subal on San Diego’s Manny Machado.

Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson also was successful as the first batter to call for a challenge, reversing a 1-0 fastball from Washington’s MacKenzie Gore in the fifth inning that had been called a strike. Mets closer Edwin Díaz and Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk also won challenges, and Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers lost one.

Earning a hand

Freddie Freeman was removed for Alonso with two outs in the third inning, giving the crowd of 41,702 a chance to cheer a player who spent 12 seasons with the Braves and helped win the 2021 World Series title.

Styling

Teams were back in their regular-season club jerseys — whites for the NL, mostly grays for the AL — after four years of special All-Star uniforms that were much criticized.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. arrived in a Valentino smoking jacket and Christian Louboutin shoes. Instead of having players line up on the foul lines as they were introduced, they walked to a four-level red podium stretching across the infield dirt with flashing lights, smoke a DJ and dancers.

A LOCKOUT IS LOOMING OVER MLB IN DECEMBER 2026, WITH A SALARY CAP FIGHT POSSIBLY AT THE CENTER

ATLANTA (AP) — Looming over baseball is a likely lockout in December 2026, a possible management push for a salary cap and perhaps lost regular-season games for the first time since 1995.

“No one’s talking about it, but we all know that they’re going to lock us out for it, and then we’re going to miss time,” New York Mets All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso said Monday at the All-Star Game. “We’re definitely going to fight to not have a salary cap and the league’s obviously not going to like that.”

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and some owners have cited payroll disparity as a problem, while at the same time MLB is working to address a revenue decline from regional sports networks. Unlike the NFL, NBA and NHL, baseball has never had a salary cap because its players staunchly oppose one.

Despite higher levels of luxury tax that started in 2022, the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets have pushed payrolls to record levels. The last small-market MLB club to win a World Series was the Kansas City Royals in 2015.

After signing outfielder Juan Soto to a record $765 million contract, New York opened this season with an industry-high $326 million payroll, nearly five times Miami’s $69 million, according to Major League Baseball’s figures. Using luxury tax payrolls, based on average annual values that account for future commitments and include benefits, the Dodgers were first at $400 million and on track to owe a record luxury tax of about $151 million — shattering the previous tax record of $103 million set by Los Angeles last year.

“When I talk to the players, I don’t try to convince them that a salary cap system would be a good thing,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “I identify a problem in the media business and explain to them that owners need to change to address that problem. I then identify a second problem that we need to work together and that is that there are fans in a lot of our markets who feel like we have a competitive balance problem.”

Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, 2026, and management lockouts have become the norm, which shifts the start of a stoppage to the offseason. During the last negotiations, the sides reached a five-year deal on March 10 after a 99-day lockout, salvaging a 162-game 2022 season.

“A cap is not about a partnership. A cap isn’t about growing the game,” union head Tony Clark said Tuesday. “A cap is about franchise values and profits. … A salary cap historically has limited contract guarantees associated with it, literally pits one player against another and is often what we share with players as the definitive non-competitive system. It doesn’t reward excellence. It undermines it from an organizational standpoint. That’s why this is not about competitive balance. It’s not about a fair versus not. This is institutionalized collusion.”

The union’s opposition to a cap has paved the way for record-breaking salaries for star players. Soto’s deal is believed to be the richest in pro sports history, eclipsing Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal with the Dodgers signed a year earlier. By comparison, the biggest guaranteed contract in the NFL is $250 million for Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Manfred cites that 10% of players earn 72% of salaries.

“I never use the word `salary’ within one of `cap,’” he said. “What I do say to them is in addressing this competitive issue that’s real we should think about whether this system is the perfect system from a players’ perspective.”

A management salary cap proposal could contain a salary floor and a guaranteed percentage of revenue to players. Baseball players have endured nine work stoppages, including a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that fought off a cap proposal.

Agent Scott Boras likens a cap plan to attracting kids to a “gingerbread house.”

“We’ve heard it for 20 years. It’s almost like the childhood fable,” he said. “This very traditional, same approach is not something that would lead the younger players to the gingerbread house.”

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, UNION COULD LET BIG LEAGUERS IN 2028 OLYMPICS DURING EXTENDED ALL-STAR BREAK

ATLANTA (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and players’ union head Tony Clark say plans are moving ahead exploring the possibility of using major leaguers in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a tournament that could be played on an extended All-Star break.

“I think it is a opportunity to market the game on a really global stage,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “Obviously the clubs are going to have to endorse this. I mean, this it’s a big deal.”

MLB met with Los Angeles organizers Monday in Atlanta ahead of the All-Star Game and Manfred said the Olympic officials were meeting with the Major League Baseball Players Association.

“There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done,” Clark told the BBWAA in a separate session. “We do know players are interested in playing, whether it’s for the Team USA or any number of other teams around the world. … There’s just a lot of conversation that needs to be had sooner rather than later to see how viable this is, but we’re hopeful that we can figure our way through it for the benefit of the game.”

The World Baseball Softball Confederation said Monday the baseball tournament will be played from July 15-20 at Dodger Stadium. MLB is considering whether it can interrupt its 2028 season to allow major leaguers to participate, which could necessitate changes to the sport’s national television contracts.

“They put out a schedule. They tell you it’s not going to move. We’ll see whether there’s any movement on that,” Manfred said. “It is possible to take it, to play the All-Star Game in its normal spot, have a single break that would be longer, obviously, but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November. That is possible, OK? It would require significant accommodations, but it’s possible.”

World Baseball Softball Confederation spokesman Richard Baker declined comment.

MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters to participate in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the U.S. 2-0 in the gold medal game.

“In the event that major league players are going to play, what does that mean and what does that look like?” Clark said. “And perhaps just as importantly, what does it mean for those players who aren’t participating? What type of scheduling adjustments need to be made? What type travel considerations and support need to considered? What does that means in regards to insurance?”

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WNBA NEWS

WNBA READY FOR THE SPOTLIGHT WITH ALL-STAR GAME IN INDIANA THIS WEEKEND

NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA finishes off the first half of its season this week before heading into the All-Star break in Indiana, which will be a showcase for young star Caitlin Clark.

The Fever have three all-stars with Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell all playing in the game Saturday. Clark, who is one of the captains, took both her Indiana teammates for her team in the game.

Before Saturday’s contest, the Fever have a busy week with back-to-back games, first in Boston against Connecticut and then in New York on Wednesday.

Indiana is trying to get some momentum heading into the break as they are just over .500 heading into Tuesday night’s game.

Minnesota, led by the other All-Star captain, Napheesa Collier, has the best record in the league at 19-4. The Lynx played four games in six days over a stretch they went 2-2. They have one more game against second-place Phoenix on Wednesday before heading into the break.

Sidelined

Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard will be sidelined for the rest of the month with a left knee injury she picked up against Indiana. Howard earned her third All-Star nod earlier this month and was drafted by Team Collier. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert named Minnesota’s Kayla McBride as Howard’s replacement on Tuesday afternoon. It’s McBride’s fifth All-Star appearance.

Howard is expected to make a full recovery and a timeline for her return will be provided at a later date, the Dream said.

Strong ratings

ABC had its most watched WNBA game ever on Saturday when Paige Bueckers and Dallas faced Clark and Indiana. The Fever won in a blowout in the first pro matchup between the two star guards. The game averaged 2.1 million viewers.

Record breaker

Naz Hillmon played in her 128th straight game, setting an Atlanta franchise record by passing Iziane Castro Marques’ mark of 127. Natisha Heidman of Minnesota has the longest active streak with 199 consecutive games played. Dawn Staley holds the league record with 263.

Power poll rankings

Phoenix moved up to the No. 1 spot, passing Minnesota after beating the Lynx last week. The Mercury haven’t been in the top spot since 2018. The Lynx were second and New York was third. Atlanta, Indiana and Seattle followed the Liberty. Washington moved up two spots to seventh with Golden State and Las Vegas next. Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and Connecticut rounded out the poll.

Player of the week

Alyssa Thomas of Phoenix averaged 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to help the Mercury win both their games last week. Other players receiving votes were Shakira Austin of Washington and Angel Reese of Chicago.

Game of the week

Team Clark vs. Team Collier, Saturday. The league’s All-Star Game will take place Saturday in Indianapolis and Clark will surely want to put on a show for her hometown fans.

CAITLIN CLARK LEAVES WITH INJURY LATE IN THE FEVER’S 85-77 VICTORY OVER THE SUN

BOSTON (AP) — Caitlin Clark went to the bench with an apparent leg injury in the final minute of the Indiana Fever’s 85-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night.

Natasha Howard scored 18 points with 13 rebounds in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,156 at the home of the Boston Celtics and Bruins.

Clark struggled during the game, scoring 14 points on 4 for 14 shooting, and walked off the court at the end crying and clutching her right leg. Clark missed five games recently and five others earlier in the season with left leg injuries.

Tina Charles scored 21 points with 11 rebounds for the Sun, who fell to 3-19 for the season — the worst record in the WNBA.

EXPANSION WNBA TEAM BRINGS BACK THE ORIGINAL PORTLAND FIRE NAME

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s WNBA team stepped back in time for its new name, reintroducing the Portland Fire.

The expansion franchise, which begins play next next season along with the Toronto Tempo, announced its name and branding on Tuesday — reviving the moniker of the city’s previous WNBA team that played from 2000 to 2002.

“Our feeling is that the fire never died,” interim Fire president Clare Hamill said. “Fans have been waiting for us to come back, and we’re back with the Portland Fire.”

In addition to the name, the team has a new “Rose on Fire” logo and a color palette of red, brown, blue and pink.

Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft who died in 2018, was chairman of the original Fire and the two teams played at the Rose Garden, now the Moda Center.

The NBA owned the WNBA teams until 2002, then sold them to affiliated NBA teams or independent owners. Allen declined to buy the Fire and the team folded.

Portland was awarded a new WNBA team last September. The team is run by Raj Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who also own the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League. They paid $125 million for the WNBA franchise.

The Fire and the Thorns will share a new joint-training facility in the first such partnership between the two women’s leagues.

The Fire already have sold more than 11,000 season tickets, surpassing the WNBA’s previous best. The team will play at the Moda Center, where the original Fire averaged some 8,000 fans a game.

But the launch of the team hasn’t been smooth.

Indications that the team planned to return to the Fire name were previously revealed when a local publication, the Rose Garden Report, published the team’s trademark application.

The team’s president, Inky Son, parted ways with the team late last month after less than three months on the job. Son was announced as the first employee of the team in early April, tasked with leading all aspects of the business, including marketing, ticket and sponsorship sales, and community relations.

The Toronto Tempo, meanwhile, announced a team name back in December and already have hired a general manager.

Hamill, a former Nike executive, took over for Son until a permanent president can be found. She said the launch of the team name and logo is just a slice of what the team is activating on Tuesday.

“We’re pointing everybody to the launch and the pace at which we’re moving, and just giving everyone confidence that we have our arms around it,” Hamill said. “We’re moving fast, and you’re going to hear from us a lot.”

The team planned to celebrate the name and logo launch with a community party on Tuesday afternoon at the Moda Center.

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NBA NEWS

NBA WILL TAKE A HARDER LOOK AT EXPANSION, COMMISSIONER ADAM SILVER SAYS

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NBA may finally be one step closer on the long road to expansion.

Saying owners have a “curiosity” about the notion, Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that the league will now study the issue more formally as part of an in-depth analysis, which would be the first official move in a long process toward adding franchises.

There’s no timetable for how long the process will take, nor have any decisions been made on what the expansion fee will be, when the new teams will start play — or even if expansion is going to actually happen.

“A lot of analysis still needs to be done and nothing has been predetermined,” Silver said after the end of the league’s board of governors meeting in Las Vegas.

The league isn’t creating a new committee to study expansion; the duties, for now, will fall primarily to a pair of existing groups, with the advisory finance committee leading and the audit and strategy committee also involved.

The decision to take a harder look at expansion wasn’t totally unexpected, since the notion of adding clubs has been a talking point for several years. Cities like Las Vegas and Seattle — long perceived to be the front-runners should the NBA decide to expand past its current 30-team footprint — will surely continue to push to be the eventual picks. And Silver himself has said previously that he expects expansion will happen at some point.

“I think there is a significant step now in that we are now engaging in this in-depth analysis, something we weren’t prepared to do before,” Silver said. “But beyond that, it’s really Day 1 of that in-depth analysis. And so, in terms of price, potential timing, it’s too early to say. … It is truly a complicated issue.”

The next board of governors meeting will likely take place in September.

Expansion has long been a difficult issue, since it’ll mean, among other things, that the current owners will have decided to sell equity in a league that is on a financial roll right now.

“For every team you add, you’re diluting the economics of the current league,” Silver said.

A new series of media rights deals worth $76 billion kicks in for this coming season and franchise values across the league have soared. The two most title-laden franchises in the NBA, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, clubs that have combined for about half of the titles handed out in league history, are in the process of being sold with a combined valuation of at least $16.1 billion.

The Celtics are being sold to private equity mogul Bill Chisholm with a valuation of at least $6.1 billion, which was a record until the Buss family agreed to sell the Lakers to businessman Mark Walter — also the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers — with a valuation of $10 billion.

“There’s no question that those purchase prices have an impact on any economic analysis of teams, so it doesn’t necessarily complicate it more, but it certainly is an indication of value,” Silver said. “And one other factor we have to look at: we’re trying to think what is the value of expansion, what does it mean to dilute the existing equity, and how additive is this potentially to the league by adding an additional team.”

Another team that could be sold before long: The Portland Trail Blazers.

Paul Allen’s estate announced in May that it has begun the process of selling the Portland Trail Blazers.

“It’s the league’s preference that that team remain in Portland,” Silver said. “We’ve had great success in Portland over the years. … I know there are groups that are actively engaged with the estate and have demonstrated interest in that team.”

Silver said a factor in the sale is that the “city of Portland likely needs a new arena,” which he said would be part of the challenge for any new ownership group.

Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, died in 2018 at age 65 from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Since then, his sister, Jody Allen, has served as chair of the Trail Blazers and the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust.

The league has added seven franchises since 1988, but none since 2004. There have been several instances of rebranding and relocating since — most notably, the Seattle SuperSonics moving to Oklahoma City in 2008 and becoming the Thunder — but the league has been at 30 teams for the past two decades.

Las Vegas has a long relationship with the NBA, as a Summer League host and now the host of the title round of the NBA Cup. And Seattle is among the cities that has clamored for a team since the Sonics left.

“It’s an incredible market,” Silver said of Seattle. “I wish, standing here as the commissioner, I had lots of teams to dispense to many different markets who are interested in NBA basketball. I just think that we also have this greater obligation to expand, if we do so, in a very deliberate fashion and in a way that makes sense holistically for the league. So, that’s really the best I can do.”

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NFL NEWS

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR PATRICK SURTAIN II VOTED NFL’S TOP CORNERBACK BY AP

Patrick Surtain II became only the seventh cornerback to win the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, doing so last season.

His shutdown season also helped him earn the top cornerback spot in voting by a panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers who ranked the top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2025 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

Surtain received five first-place votes and three seconds. Sauce Gardner got two first-place votes, finishing second. Cooper DeJean got the other first-place vote, appearing on only one of eight ballots.

Derek Stingley Jr. finished third, Trent McDuffie was fourth and DeJean placed fifth.

Jaylon Johnson, Marlon Humphrey, Charvarius Ward and DJ Reed also received votes.

1. PATRICK SURTAIN II, Denver Broncos

Surtain had an outstanding season, allowing just 37 receptions and recording four interceptions to earn All-Pro honors.

Opposing quarterbacks had a 61.1 passer rating when targeting Surtain, who became just the second Broncos player to win the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.

He received three second-place votes along with the five firsts.

2. SAUCE GARDNER, New York Jets

After earning All-Pro honors his first two seasons in the NFL, Gardner had a down year by his standards. Still, he appeared on seven ballots to finish behind Surtain.

Gardner has forced a league-high 46 incompletions and allowed a league-low 0.60 yards per cover snap since his rookie season.

3. DEREK STINGLEY JR., Houston Texans

Stingley was a first-time All-Pro last season, emerging as one of the NFL’s best cover cornerbacks.

Selected one spot ahead of Gardner at No. 3 overall in the 2022 draft, Stingley had a breakout season last year. He had five interceptions and gave up 40 catches for 382 yards and four TDs.

Stingley got three second-place votes and five fourths.

4. TRENT MCDUFFIE, Kansas City Chiefs

McDuffie earned All-Pro honors as a slot cornerback in 2023 and was second-team All-Pro after moving back outside last season.

While the Chiefs don’t use McDuffie to shadow opposing receivers, he is an elite cover guy.

McDuffie allowed 54 catches for 545 yards and four TDs in 2024.

He received one second-place vote, two thirds, one fourth and four fifth.

5. COOPER DEJEAN, Philadelphia Eagles

DeJean’s first career interception was a pick-6 against Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, helping the Eagles dominate the Chiefs in a 40-22 victory.

A second-round pick in 2024, DeJean was a super slot cornerback for Philadelphia. He didn’t allow a TD on 97 targets.

MCLAURIN CASTS DOUBT ON ATTENDING COMMANDERS TRAINING CAMP GIVEN LACK OF PROGRESS ON A NEW CONTRACT

LAUREL, Md. (AP) — A week before veterans arrive for Washington Commanders training camp, top wide receiver Terry McLaurin did not commit to practicing with the rest of the team, expressing frustration over a lack of progress toward a new contract.

McLaurin said Tuesday after taping a local television commercial he wants “things to work out … but at the end of the day, it takes two to tango.”

“I don’t know what happens next,” McLaurin said. “But without any progressive discussions, it’s kind of hard to see how I step on the field.”

What happens next, starting with his attendance at training camp or seeking a trade, is unclear. Instead of building on a dynamic passing connection with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, McLaurin skipped mandatory minicamp and some voluntary workouts this spring.

“I’ve been pretty frustrated — I’m not gonna lie,” McLaurin said in his first expansive comments on the contract talks, which became a 30-minute discussion with reporters. “Everything that has transpired to this point has been disappointing and frustrating. I’ve wanted to continue my career here. I’ve created my life here.”

McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, signed a three-year, $68.2 million extension in 2022 under the Commanders’ previous regime. His $23.2 million average annual salary ranks 17th among active wide receivers after the New York Jets agreed with Garrett Wilson on a four-year, $130 million extension Monday. McLaurin’s 2025 base salary is $15.5 million.

JETS SIGNING SAUCE GARDNER TO REPORTED 4-YEAR, $120.4M EXTENSION

The New York Jets and two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner agreed to a four-year, $120.4-million extension Tuesday, sources told NFL Network’s “The Insiders.”

Gardner will earn $30.1 million per season, eclipsing Derek Stingley Jr. to become the highest-paid cornerback in the league. The deal also includes $85.6 million guaranteed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Gardner has emerged as a staple of the Jets’ defense since being selected fourth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording a league-high 20 passes defended to go along with two interceptions. The Cincinnati product earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods in his 2022 and 2023 campaigns.

The Jets have secured the core of their roster in the span of two days with training camp set to start July 22. New York just inked star receiver Garrett Wilson to a four-year, $130-million deal that keeps him under contract through 2030.

General manager Darren Mougey said after the 2025 draft that new agreements with Gardner and Wilson were a priority.

REPORT: CHIEFS MAKE SMITH TOP-PAID GUARD WITH 4-YEAR, $94M EXTENSION

The Kansas City Chiefs are signing franchise-tagged lineman Trey Smith to a four-year extension that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid guard, sources told NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

The deal is worth $94 million and includes $70 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Nate Taylor.

One of K.C.’s most reliable blockers, Smith started two of the team’s Super Bowl wins in the Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid era. The superstar quarterback reacted to Smith’s extension on social media.

Smith, 26, has made 67 starts since the Chiefs drafted him in the sixth round in 2021. The Tennessee product allowed just one sack last year and has given up five in the past three seasons, according to PFF.

Kansas City also rosters the league’s top-paid center in Creed Humphrey, who signed a four-year, $72-million extension in 2024.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

KIRBY SMART PRAISES GUNNER STOCKTON’S LEADERSHIP BUT HE’S NOT CROWNED GEORGIA’S QB1 YET

ATLANTA (AP) — Kirby Smart hasn’t officially named Gunner Stockton starting quarterback for the upcoming season at Georgia, but it doesn’t matter. Since stepping foot on campus, Stockton has prepared like the job is going to be his.

Smart said Stockton’s commitment to preparation is one of the things he admires most.

“He prepared every game as if he was the starter,” Smart said Tuesday at SEC media days. “People can say that and say that’s coach-speak, but he actually did it. He went in, watched extra tape, and he knew that in any point in time, he could be called up to go into the game and play.”

Stockton finished the 2024 season with 45 completions for 440 yards, a touchdown and an interception in five games: He stepped in for an injured Carson Beck and led the Bulldogs to a 22-19 overtime victory over Texas in the SEC Championship and started in the Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame. He was was 20 of 32 for 234 yards and a TD in the playoff semifinal.

It was enough to give Smart confidence that Beck’s successor was already in the quarterback room.

“He didn’t play in a normal environment where you’ve got a big lead, maybe you’re beating an opponent,” Smart said. “He went in against a top defense in the country in one of the biggest games of the season and performed well for a guy that had not gotten a lot of reps with the (starters). So I thought he handled that moment well and he taught a lot of our young players that you’ve got to be prepared and ready.”

Stockton earned the short trip to Atlanta for this week’s event and was peppered with more questions than teammates CJ Allen and Daylen Everette.

“(Bringing Stockton) was a message about leadership,” said Smart. “He’s separated himself as a great leader of the team and you try to bring people here that can affect others. He’s done that in spring practice.”

The starting job isn’t necessarily a layup for Stockton. Ryan Puglisi is eyeing the role too.

“Ryan is doing awesome too. Ryan and (Stockton) are going to be competing for everything they do. Gunner knows he’s got to go out and play well,” Smart said.

If Stockton stays the course, the offense will be his to lead on Aug. 30, when Georgia hosts Marshall in the season opener. Either way, he’s already picked up on the differences that come with starting.

“It’s just a different role,” Stockton said. “I get more attention in Athens, getting pictures and stuff like that. But that comes with the role, and just being more vocal with the team and just enjoying it. I’ve enjoyed the process so far, and I can’t wait for the season. I’m really excited.”

Georgia football enters a new era in more ways than one. The influx of fifth- and sixth-year players is over as the extra eligibility granted because of the pandemic fades away. Smart said first- and second-year players make up 54% of the team, a big change from the 2024 roster he referred to as one of the most veteran teams he’d coached.

“What do you get with that? You get youthful exuberance,” Smart said. “We’ve had practices that have been spirited.”

In the spring, Smart spoke with the team about passion and energy, traits he seeks in prospective and current players as the money starts flowing to college athletes under the terms of the House settlement.

“No coach is going to stand up here and say they don’t want players to get paid. We want them to get paid,” he said. “I’m completely comfortable with that. What I want is them to get paid and that not change how they go about their business, that not change if they’re sensitive to being demanded excellence of.”

After nine seasons and two national championships, one thing Smart said he won’t do is change his coaching style and philosophy.

“People don’t want to confront and demand anymore for fear of losing a player,” he said. “I would rather go get the right player that buys into that and then I’ve got something special when they do develop.”

HUGH FREEZE, QB JACKSON ARNOLD ARE CONFIDENT AUBURN CAN BE A WINNER IN 2025

ATLANTA (AP) — Hugh Freeze is in unfamiliar territory as he heads into year three as Auburn’s coach.

The former Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty coach only had one losing season in his decade as a Division I head coach, but his first two seasons at Auburn have yielded meager results at 6-7 and 5-7.

Last fall marked the first football season without a head coaching change in the SEC since 2018, but Freeze certainly enters 2025 on the hot seat.

“I’m glad I’m at a place that has those expectations,” Freeze said Tuesday at SEC media days. “I think when you’ve done this awhile, you really don’t give into a lot of the pressure stuff.”

Everything starts at quarterback with the highest profile of Auburn’s 19 incoming transfers. Freeze signed former Oklahoma starter Jackson Arnold, hoping he can finally provide stability. Starting quarterback Payton Thorne and his backup Hank Brown both struggled last season particularly with ball security, as the Tigers threw 13 interceptions as a team and finished 119th nationally in turnover margin.

Arnold himself struggled through a difficult season with the Sooners, losing his starting job for two games and playing the final five games of the regular season with an interim offensive coordinator. But between Freeze’s quarterback-friendly system and a year of SEC experience now under his belt, there is optimism about the fresh start being mutually beneficial.

“Coach Freeze isn’t scared to push the ball down the field, which I absolutely love,” Arnold said. “I thought with my experience running the RPO game, I think it meshed well with what Coach Freeze wants to do with his offense.”

He will have two of Auburn’s top three receivers from last year in terms of both yards and touchdowns back with Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons, along with incoming transfer Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech. That combined with a returning nucleus on the offensive line led by center Connor Lew has Freeze expecting a sizable jump offensively.

“This is my favorite offensive line when I look at it on paper,” Freeze said. “We’d better be able to run the football and protect the quarterback, because I think we’re pretty talented up there.”

Heading into 2025 Freeze is not only 11-14 overall, but 5-11 in SEC play, 2-6 in one-possession games and perhaps most damaging in the eyes of fans and administrators, 0-4 against rivals Alabama and Georgia.

“Our roster is one that can compete with those teams,” Freeze said, directly addressing the rivalry shortcomings. “We’ve been in the games the first two years, but we haven’t found a way to win.”

Auburn will get both games at home, with Georgia playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Oct. 11 and Alabama coming in for the regular-season finale Nov. 29.

TYLER ATKINSON, NO. 1 LB IN 2026 CLASS, COMMITS TO TEXAS

Tyler Atkinson, the No. 1 linebacker in the 2026 recruiting class, committed to Texas on Tuesday.

Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the five-star prospect chose the Longhorns over finalists Clemson, Oregon and presumptive favorite Georgia.

Atkinson, who plays at Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga., is ranked No. 9 overall, No. 1 at his position and No. 1 in the Peach State by the 247 Sports composite.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Atkinson, who visited Georgia more than a dozen times during the recruiting process, made an official visit to Austin from June 20-22.

“I feel like I just encompass everything I want at Texas … the way they have me playing is the best fit, and that’s why I chose Texas,” he said.

Atkinson recorded 174 tackles and 13 sacks while guiding Grayson to a 14-1 record and a Class 6A state title in 2024, per ESPN.

He is the third five-star pledge for Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian, joining Florida quarterback Dia Bell and Texas athlete Jermaine Bishop. The class ranks No. 8 in the nation, per 247 Sports.

PAC-12, MOUNTAIN WEST HEADED BACK TO COURT AFTER MEDIATION FAILS OVER MILLIONS IN ‘POACHING’ FEES

The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences are headed back to court after failing to reach a settlement agreement in mediation over $55 million in “poaching” fees.

The conferences failed to reach an agreement by Tuesday’s deadline in mediation that began in May. The Pac-12 has requested a hearing on the pending motion to dismiss on Sept. 9.

“The Pac-12 remains committed to moving forward with legal action in response to the Mountain West’s attempt to impose so-called ‘poaching penalties,’ provisions we believe are unlawful and intended to obstruct our ability to act in the best interests of our student-athletes and member institutions,” the Pac-12 said in a statement.

The Pac-12 and some of the schools it is adding filed lawsuits last year, claiming the poaching clause it agreed to when it signed a scheduling agreement for its football teams for last season was invalid.

The clause called for payments to the Mountain West of $10 million for the first team that left, with the amount growing by $500,000 for every additional team. That was on top of the $17 million-plus exit fees schools were responsible for as part of a different agreement.

“The Mountain West provided the Pac-12 institutions with a lifeline, offering a full football schedule for the 2024 season,” the Mountain West said in a statement. “The Pac-12 willingly signed the scheduling agreement with full knowledge of the contractual provisions and is attempting to avoid its legal obligations. The Mountain West will aggressively protect the interests of our member institutions and is fully prepared to hold the Pac-12 accountable.”

Colorado State, Utah State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Boise State are all set to join the Pac-12 starting in 2026. The conference added Texas State last month to reach the eight-team minimum to be eligible for an automatic bid for its conference champion in the College Football Playoff.

Oregon State and Washington State are the only remaining members following an exodus last year that threatened the conference’s future. The two schools reached a scheduling agreement with the two schools so they could piece together a football schedule last season.

The Mountain West has added UTEP, Hawaii and Northern Illinois for football starting in 2026.

THE WAIT IS OVER FOR TEXAS AND ARCH MANNING, THOUGH QUARTERBACK ADMITS IT WASN’T EASY BEING BACKUP

ATLANTA (AP) — Arch Manning amassed the largest crowd at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, and it wasn’t particularly close. Neither was the competition for most devoted fan, that title belonged to 13-year-old Connor Petroziello.

The Manning superfan arrived at the College Football Hall of Fame at 6:45 a.m., sporting a white Longhorns hat, a No. 16 jersey and burnt orange Crocs. He didn’t know Manning’s brief walk-by wouldn’t happen until 4:15 p.m., but when he found out, he didn’t halt the mission. Ten hours later, his idol signed his jersey.

“I got an ESPN notification last week and asked my parents if we could come,” Petroziello said. “He’s my favorite player. Everything about him.”

The Manning fandom spans beyond age 13. The son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning is the most-talked about quarterback — if not player — in college football. And yet, he’s only played in a handful of games.

Manning passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns last season, seeing limited playing time after September behind Quinn Ewers.

He admits now that going from highly sought-after high school recruit to the Texas backup quarterback wasn’t an easy transition.

“This is not really a big deal, but I played every year in high school,” Manning said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “It was a 2-A high school. That doesn’t mean anything, but from sitting out and not playing, that was pretty tough.”

Manning could have seen the field earlier had he gone elsewhere. But in an era where college athletes have newfound maneuverability thanks to the transfer portal — and the ability strike lucrative deals at interested schools — the quarterback chose to ride it out.

“(Transferring) never really crossed my mind,” Manning said. “I knew Texas was the place I wanted to be. It was the city I wanted to be in, a great education. I had friends there. I was still developing and growing as a football player and a person. So I never really wanted to leave. If there was somewhere else I wanted to be, I would have gone.”

Two years since first arriving in Austin, his days of watching offensive possessions from the sideline is likely behind him. Ewers moved on and up, drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round in April, passing the torch to the newest playmaker in one of football’s most famous families.

Manning’s confidence masks the simple fact that he’s appeared in just 12 college games going into the Aug. 30 season opener at Ohio State, the defending national champion and the team that beat the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl last January. Now that the wait is over, coach Steve Sarkisian thinks he is ready.

“He’s got an unbelievable work ethic. And I think, if he stays true to himself, that’s going to help him navigate these waters as they present themselves,” Sarkisian said. “I think he’s prepared for the moment, but now it’s just time for him to go do it and enjoy doing it quite frankly.”

Anthony Hill Jr. would know Manning’s skill level best. The 2024 second-team AP All-American is tasked with facing the quarterback every day in practice.

“The way he reads the defense, he reads it really well. He also has the ability to take off and run and change the play calls. He’s done that a lot of times against us. I feel he’s going to have a really good season … the season that he rightfully deserves,” Hill said.

Despite the praise and chatter, Manning rejects the idea that he’s anything other than a normal guy.

“I feel like I’m a pretty normal guy,” he said. “I like to hang out with my buddies, play golf. I take football pretty seriously. Other than that, just a regular guy.”

But don’t get it twisted. Normal guy or not, there’s only one thing on the quarterback’s mind.

“I’m here to play ball.”

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GOLF NEWS

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER IS CHASING THE CLARET JUG AT THE BRITISH OPEN AND SEARCHING FOR WHAT IT ALL MEANS

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Scottie Scheffler has won more tournaments and majors than anyone over the last three years. He is No. 1 in the world and no one is close to him. Nothing would mean more to him than leaving Royal Portrush with the silver claret jug.

And then?

That’s where golf gets a little complicated for Scheffler, who loves his job and all the work it entails, but who found himself searching Tuesday for what it all means.

He delivered an amazing soliloquy ahead of the British Open about fulfillment. The short answer: It’s not the two Masters green jackets, the Wanamaker Trophy he won at the PGA Championship, the three Jack Nicklaus Awards as PGA Tour player of the year or the FedEx Cup.

“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said.

“But at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers,” he said. “I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what’s the point? This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.”

His comments came in a year when Rory McIlroy fulfilled his life dream of winning the Masters, which gave him the career Grand Slam. McIlroy spoke last month about growing weary of being asked about his next set of goals, the next mountain he wants to climb.

“I probably just didn’t give myself enough time to let it all sink in. But that’s the nature of professional golf,” McIlroy said. “They do a very good job of keeping you on the hamster wheel, and you feel like it’s hard to get off at times.”

This is where Scheffler might be different. He seems to enjoy the hamster wheel. There is no next mountain to find because he’s busy scaling the one he is on.

He loves the chase. He wants the prize. He finds satisfaction in putting in the work. The thrill comes from competition. Scheffler also hates losing, no matter what’s at stake.

“Scottie don’t play games when he’s playing games,” said his caddie, Ted Scott.

They played a match at Cypress Point this year. It was Scheffler’s fourth day swinging a club since puncturing his right hand with a wine glass in a freak accident while making ravioli.

Scheffler gave him 10 shots, and the countdown began.

Scott his his approach into 5 feet and was feeling good about his chances, right up until Scheffler’s shot spun back and hit his caddie’s golf ball. They both made birdie. Scheffler won the next hole and said loud enough for Scott to hear, “Nine.”

He won the next hole with a par and said even louder, “EIGHT.”

“He was 6 under through six,” Scott said. “I gave him the $100 and said: ‘Don’t say anything else. I want to enjoy my day.’”

This is what drives Scheffler — winning the Masters, winning a bet with his caddie, winning anything. He has won 19 times since his first title at the 2022 Phoenix Open. Strictly by his math, that would be 38 minutes worth of celebrating.

“Sometimes the feeling only lasts about two minutes,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting and fun, but it just doesn’t last that long.”

So where does fulfillment come from if it’s not winning?

Scheffler is grounded in his faith, in a simple family life with a wife he has been with since high school, a 15-month-old son, three sisters and friends that are not part of the tour community.

“I love the challenge. I love being able to play this game for a living. It’s one of the greatest joys of my life,” he said. “But does it fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart? Absolutely not.”

He often says golf doesn’t define him as a person, and he said if it reached a point where the sport ever affected life at home, “that’s going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.”

He’s had moments of appreciation, for sure.

There was one moment last summer when his wife, Meredith, was in the living room and he was in his office. He walked out with the Masters green jacket and the plaid jacket from winning Hilton Head. He had The Players Championship trophy in one hand and another trophy in his other hand.

“Wassup, Mere,” he said to his wife.

Scheffler laughed telling the story. He’s not sure why he did it, except it was fun. And then it was back to work. There’s always the next tournament.

“There’s a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there — you get to No. 1 in the world — and they’re like, ‘What’s the point?’ I really do believe that because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis.

“It’s like showing up at the Masters every year. Why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win The Open Championship so badly? I don’t know,” he said. “Because, if I win, it’s going to be awesome for two minutes.

“Then we’re going to get to the next week.”

Xander Schauffele spent time with him at the Olympics last summer. Schauffele won two majors last year, including the claret jug. What they have in common is not lingering on laurels.

“That’s why he’s been No. 1 and hasn’t even sniffed looking backwards,” Schauffele said. “If he was sitting there looking at all his trophies every day, I’m sure he’d still be playing great golf, but I don’t think he’s that guy.”

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU CHASING OPEN BREAKTHROUGH IN ‘THICK WIND’

Bryson DeChambeau chuckled when he said it last year but there’s no denying the difference between plan and execution when playing in challenging conditions that are typically par for the course in The Open Championship.

DeChambeau missed the cut with 10 bogeys in 36 holes at the Open in 2024 at Royal Troon, where he made the comment he can do it when conditions are “warm and not windy.” In 2023, he got in all four rounds but tied for 60th at 7-over.

Of course, perfect isn’t in the forecast for the first round of the 153rd Open Championship with temperatures at Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush expected to reach 70 degrees with rain and 18 mph wind gusts.

DeChambeau, 31, has come to appreciate the Open challenges — part mental, part physical and a double dose of balancing flammable emotions. He said Tuesday it’s “pretty simple to talk about but sometimes difficult to execute” the perfect approach in this tournament.

For starters this week, DeChambeau wants to keep it simple: avoid bunkers and putt better than ever.

“Just try to be as strategic as possible and put the ball in a place where I can give myself good chances for birdie but also not give myself too many difficult places to play from is the goal,” DeChambeau said.

With a top-10 in the Open at St. Andrews in 2022 on his record, DeChambeau knows he can contend if he executes that plan. Recent performances on the LIV Golf circuit in windy conditions at Miami and at Real Club Valderrama in Andalucia last week add more confidence, but DeChambeau was quick to point out this week’s conditions will be different.

“Heavy wind is a great way to describe it. It’s thick,” DeChambeau said of the Northern Ireland gusts. “It just — OK, I’m not going to say that. You know, it’s one of those situations where you’re in the environment and you go, ‘All right, this feels like a 15-mile-an-hour wind.’ And all of a sudden it plays like a 30-mile-an-hour wind, and you’re like, what the heck? So I think that’s the trick of it. If you grew up here, you play a lot of golf over here, you get quite comfortable and knowledgeable about that. I just need more reps in a sense.

“Hopefully I’ve had enough reps to be able to do that. I played well in some windy conditions. Andalucia was a good test last week in the first few days. Played well. But again, the wind is different from there to here. We’ll see how it goes this week. Hopefully it stays warm and my body stays warm.”

A big finish in Ireland, coupled with top fives at The Masters and PGA Championship, would likely solidify DeChambeau’s spot on Keegan Bradley’s roster for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

DeChambeau said he’s highly aware of the Ryder Cup decision — he is currently ranked 15th in the Official World Golf Ranking — but he is counting on the self-applied pressure to bring out his best this week.

“I feel pressure every week to play good for not only Keegan but myself, and the people that I love online and everybody that’s watching me. I absolutely feel pressure,” he said.

“I put enough pressure on myself already. For my country, for the game of golf, I do … but I’m excited for the challenge. It makes me more excited. When I feel those nerves, I’m like, OK, let’s go. It’s like I’ll walk through the fire rather than run away from it for me.”

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TEE TIMES: DEFENDING CHAMP SCHAUFFELE, SCHEFFLER GROUPS OUT EARLY

The 153rd Open Championship begins at 1:35 a.m. ET Thursday morning at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

Below are the scheduled pairings for the opening round and viewing options.

Thursday’s featured groups
(All times ET)
4:58 a.m. — Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Jon Rahm
5:09 a.m. — Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler
9:48 a.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose
9:59 a.m. — Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland
10:10 a.m. — Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood

First round tee times
(All times ET; (a) amateur)
1:35 a.m. — Padraig Harrington, Nicolai Hojgaard, Tom McKibbin
1:46 a.m. — Louis Oosthuizen, Guido Migliozzi, K.J. Choi
1:57 a.m. — Cameron Smith, Marco Penge, Justin Hastings (a)

2:08 a.m. — Jason Day, Taylor Pendrith, Jacob Skov Olesen
2:19 a.m. — Phil Mickelson, Daniel van Tonder, Ryan Peake
2:30 a.m. — Max Greyserman, Byeong Hun An, Niklas Norgaard
2:41 a.m. — Jordan Smith, Haotong Li, Dustin Johnson
2:52 a.m. — Darren Clarke, Davis Riley, Lucas Herbert

3:03 a.m. — Kevin Yu, Julien Guerrier, Mikiya Akutsu
3:14 a.m. — Thomas Detry, Chris Gotterup, Lee Westwood
3:25 a.m. — Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Young, Mackenzie Hughes
3:36 a.m. — Thorbjorn Olesen, Matthew Jordan, Filip Jakubcik (a)
3:47 a.m. — Henrik Stenson, Stephan Jaeger, Sebastian Soderberg

4:03 a.m. — Kristoffer Reitan, Martin Couvra, Adrien Saddier
4:14 a.m. — Takumi Kanaya, Justin Walters, Bryan Newman (a)
4:25 a.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Matt Fitzpatrick
4:36 a.m. — Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Akshay Bhatia
4:47 a.m. — Sam Burns, Aldrich Potgieter, Brooks Koepka
4:58 a.m. — Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Jon Rahm

5:09 a.m. — Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler
5:20 a.m. — Corey Conners, Wyndham Clark, Tom Hoge
5:31 a.m. — Denny McCarthy, Nico Echavarria, Patrick Reed
5:42 a.m. — Matt Schmid, Ryggs Johnston, Richard Teder (a)
5:53 a.m. — Dylan Naidoo, Darren Fichardt, John Axelsen

6:04 a.m. — Justin Suh, Oliver Lindell, Jesper Sandborg
6:15 a.m. — Sadom Kaewkanjana, Riki Kawamoto, Sampson Zheng
6:26 a.m. — Stewart Cink, Matteo Manassero, Marc Leishman
6:47 a.m. — Francesco Molinari, Jesper Svensson, Connor Graham (a)
6:58 a.m. — Zach Johnson, Daniel Hillier, Daniel Brown

7:09 a.m. — Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Ethan Fang (a)
7:20 a.m. — Laurie Canter, Elvis Smylie, Sergio Garcia
7:31 a.m. — Andrew Novak, Matthieu Pavpn, Matt Wallace
7:42 a.m. — Davis Thompson, Dean Burmester, Rikuya Hoshino
7:53 a.m. — Si Woo Kim, Shugo Imahira, Sebastian Cave (a)

8:04 a.m. — Michael Kim, Bud Cauley, John Parry
8:15 a.m. — Matt McCarty, Shaun Norris, Angel Hidalgo
8:26 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, Sungjae Im, Daniel Berger
8:37 a.m. — Rasmus Hojgaard, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Romain Langasque
8:48 a.m. — Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala, Harry Hall

9:04 a.m. — Justin Leonard, Thriston Lawrence, Antoine Rozner
9:15 a.m. — J.T. Poston, Chris Kirk, Carlos Ortiz
9:26 a.m. — Brian Harman, Maverick McNealy, Joaquin Niemann
9:37 a.m. — Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee
9:48 a.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose
9:59 a.m. — Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland

10:10 a.m. — Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
10:21 a.m. — Harris English, Nick Taylor, Tony Finau
10:32 a.m. — Lucas Glover, Johnattan Vegas, Tom Kim
10:43 a.m. — Brian Campbell, John Catlin, Frazer Jones (a)
10:54 a.m. — Nathan Kimsey, Jason Kokrak, Cameron Adam (a)

11:04 a.m. — Daniel Young, Curtis Luck, Curtis Knipes
11:16 a.m. — Younghan Song, George Bloor, O.J. Farrell

How to watch The Open Championship
(All times ET)
1:30-4 a.m.: Stream on Peacock
4 a.m-3:30 p.m.: USA Network, NBC Sports app, Peacock, Fubo
3:30-6 p.m.: Golf Channel

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AUTO RACING NEWS

VAN GISBERGEN GOES BACK-TO-BACK IN NASCAR AND PALOU STAYS ON TOP IN INDYCAR

All Times Eastern

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Challenge Round 4 – AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400

Site: Dover, Delaware.

Track: Dover Motor Speedway.

Race distance: 400 laps, 400 miles.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 1:30 p.m., qualifying, 2:40 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (TNT and MAX).

Last year: While leading the final 72 laps, Denny Hamlin held off a late surge from Kyle Larson, earning him his 54th career win.

Last race: Shane van Gisbergen secured his third win of the season, leading 97 of 110 laps with a dominate performance in Sonoma.

Next race: July 27, Speedway, Indiana.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

BetRivers 200

Site: Dover, Delaware.

Track: Dover Motor Speedway.

Race distance: 200 laps, 200 miles.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 4 p.m., qualifying, 5:05 p.m.; Saturday, race, 4:30 p.m. (CW).

Last year: Ryan Truex took the lead and the white flag from Carson Kvapil in double overtime giving him his first series victory of the season.

Last race: Connor Zilisch blocked a surging teammate Shane Van Gisbergen late to maintain the lead and secure the win in Sonoma.

Next race: July 26, Speedway, Indiana.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

Last race: Pole sitter Corey Heim locked in his fifth win of the season while dominating 99 out of 100 laps at Lime Rock Park.

Next race: July 25, Indianapolis.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Lando Norris scored his first victory at his home race in Silverstone after capitalizing on teammate Piastri’s 10-second penalty amidst a safety-car restart.

Next race: July 26, Stavelot, Belgium.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto

Site: Toronto.

Track: Streets of Toronto.

Race distance: 275 laps, 245.85 miles.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 3 p.m.; Saturday, practice, 10:30, qualifying, 2:30 p.m.; Sunday, warmup, 8:30 a.m., race, noon (FOX).

Last year: Colton Herta firmly led all but four laps to secure the win in a chaotic race that saw numerous incidents and cautions flags.

Last race: Alex Palou further secured his place atop the standings, following a win in Iowa that saw Palou snatch the lead late with 11 to go.

Next race: July 27, Monterey, California.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals

Site: Kent, Washington.

Track: Pacific Raceways.

Race distance: 1/4 mile.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 9:15 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 12:30 p.m., qualifying, 2:45 p.m., qualifying, 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, race, 4:30 p.m. (FOX).

Next race: July 27, Sonoma, California.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Knight Before the Kings Royal

42nd Kings Royal

Next race: July 23 – 28.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com

KATHERINE LEGGE JOINS INDY FIELD FOR XFINITY, CUP RACES

Katherine Legge will return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time in more than a year, this time in a stock car.

Legge is set to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series races in Indianapolis later this month after last racing on the famed Indy track in the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

The Cup Series’ Brickyard 400 is set for July 27, while the Xfinity race takes place July 26.

Legge has competed In four Cup Series starts this season with her best finish — a 19th-place showing — coming at the Chicago Street Race on July 6. The native of England has also raced in the Xfinity Series this year and plans to race in two other Cup Series events later this season: Watkins Glen (Aug. 10) and Las Vegas (Oct. 12).

In March, Legge became the first woman to compete in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick in 2018 when she raced at Phoenix and finished 30th.

Legge won at Long Beach in 2005 in the Toyota Atlanta Championship and qualified for the Indy 500 for the first time in 2012, making her the ninth woman to make it into the field. Her qualifying lap speed of 231.627 mph for the 2023 Indy 500, as well as a 231.070 mph four-lap average, were the fastest ever for a woman.

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NHL NEWS

HOCKEY’S BELOVED EMERGENCY BACKUP GOALIES FACE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE WITH NEW NHL RULE

Former Zamboni driver-turned-arena manager David Ayres became an immediate sensation when he pulled on the goaltending gear and took the ice in an NHL game on a Saturday night in Toronto and beat his hometown Maple Leafs. Before that, accountant by day/beer league goalie by night Scott Foster won a game for Chicago.

It’s the stuff of legend, possible only in hockey thanks to the existence of emergency backup goaltenders, the beloved “EBUGs” who are ready to step in when the two goalies on a team’s roster are suddenly not available for a game. The new collective bargaining agreement that goes into effect for the 2026-27 season will change the EBUG program, with each team now required to employ a full-time, traveling replacement to play in the event of multiple injuries or illnesses.

There is already a sense of nostalgia across the tight little community of EBUGs, which date to the early days of the league a century ago.

“I like that the EBUG position got so much attention over the last five, six years,” Ayres said. “There’s no other position in sports like it. It kind of sucks that it’s going away in a sense. I know there are a lot of guys on the EBUG lists that were hoping to get their shot at playing in a game, but I think it’s smart.”

Foster expressed gratitude and pride for getting the chance and figures the next generation will be just as lucky.

“Like most things, change is inevitable,” Foster said. “The EBUG role maybe outgrew the current model, as it seems like you see more and more times popping up.”

Initial reactions

Part of the joy around actually seeing an EBUG in a game is because it is so incredibly rare: An EBUG has entered a game just six times in the 13,068 regular-season games over the past 10 seasons (none have been on the ice in the playoffs in the modern era).

As the first word spread that EBUG changes were coming, the group chat involving many of the goalies lit up with buzz and speculation.

“They weren’t very happy, I know that,” said Tyler Stewart, who dressed for St. Louis in pregame warmups in December 2017 as a then-25-year-old vending machine worker. “Some of the comments were like, ‘It was a good run, fellas.’”

Justin Goldman, who was a Colorado Avalanche EBUG for several years in addition to founding the Goalie Guild developmental program, said the sport has gotten faster and more taxing physically. That requires more rest.

“The demands on goalies that play full time and the demands for goalies in practice, it was becoming really apparent that teams needed support from a third goalie,” Goldman said.

Still, the idea that someone not in the league can get called down from the stands to play in a game on a moment’s notice is one of hockey’s most unique traditions.

“The EBUG position is the most universally loved and cool story in all of sports,” said Ben Hause, an EBUG in Colorado for eight seasons who was once on the verge of playing for New Jersey. “I don’t love the fact that what was kind of the last real wholesome story in the sports world is potentially going away.”

End of an era?

It might not go away completely, considering the details in the memorandum of understanding for the new labor deal. Any emergency goalie cannot have more than 80 games of professional experience, been in pro hockey over the previous three seasons or played an NHL game on a standard (non-tryout) contract.

Three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury joked after retiring that he would love to be Minnesota’s EBUG. That can’t happen even under the new rules but the guidelines do allow the potential for more fairytale moments, even if it’s less of a mystery who is coming in.

“It would be a blast,” said Minnesota EBUG Connor Beaupre, whose father, Don, tended goal for nearly 800 NHL games from 1980-96. “I know a handful of guys that have done warmups or something like that, which is a pretty cool experience and I’ve backed up a few games. It’s so few and far in between, so it’s hard to expect it.”

Word of the change brought some confusion and, to Stewart, a bit of delusion from some counterparts who thought they were now shoo-ins for the part. Equipment managers reached out to Tampa-based goalie Kyle Konin, who has dressed for the Lightning, Blues and Flyers, to say it could be awesome for him.

“I’m like, does this mean I’m out of a job, or does this mean I’m going to get paid a salary to do basically the same thing?” said Konin, who paints goalie masks for a living. “Every team’s completely different with the current system that we have, so even moving forward, no one even really knows.”

The future

Organizations have more than a year to figure out how to approach the new rule, which replaces the one that had been in place since 2017. Since then, only a handful of EBUGs — Ayres, Foster, Tom Hodges, Jett Alexander and Matt Berlin — actually got into a game.

Combined, their 65-plus minutes of action accounted for less than 0.0001% of time played by goaltenders over the past eight regular seasons.

“It’s such a microscopic amount of time that it happens,” Hause said. “I’m surprised that there was enough owner momentum to be able to add relatively a lot of costs to their annual budget for relatively no real gain as more of an insurance policy.”

It may be as much about practice time as anything else. Still, questions remain, including how much it will cost to pay someone to be on the roster and fly him — or her, as there is nothing preventing women from filling the role — to road games around North America.

The CBA does allow for the EBUG to work for a team in another capacity, so someone like Carolina equipment manager Jorge Alves could reprise his role after playing 8 seconds for the Hurricanes at the end of a game on Dec. 31, 2016. Same perhaps for Washington assistant and video coach Brett Leonhardt.

Maybe it will be a dual-use role on the coaching staff or in hockey operations.

“I look at this role as a potential for organizations to groom not just a practice goalie but you can groom a video coach, you can groom a future goalie coach,” Goldman said. “It’s an opportunity for someone to come in, learn the system, understand the strategies and the style of play of that organization and learn about what happens in the coaches’ room.”

Goldman said he thinks third goalies are just the beginning and envisions a future with practice squads closer to what the NFL employs as the NHL becomes faster and more science is put into rest and recovery. That might be part of the next round of labor talks a few years from now after this one included closing a chapter on EBUGs that has some bittersweetness to it.

“I was one of the few guys who got to kind of live out their dream for a little bit,” Konin said. “It’s sad, but it’s also kind of a cool way to just say that you were part of one of the rarest things in all of pro sports.”

SABRES AVOID ARBITRATION WITH BOWEN BYRAM BY SIGNING HIM TO A 2-YEAR, $12.5M CONTRACT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres avoided arbitration with Bowen Byram late Monday night by re-signing the restricted free agent defenseman to a two-year contract worth $12.5 million.

Byram will count $6.25 million against the salary cap through the 2026-27 NHL season. He was considered a candidate for a trade or an offer sheet from another team before the Sabres elected salary arbitration with him earlier this month.

The 24-year-old is coming off setting career highs with 31 assists, 38 points and 116 blocked shots while playing all 82 games in his first full season with Buffalo. The team acquired him from Colorado in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt at the 2024 trade deadline.

Byram had nine points on the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup run. He has 33 goals and 89 assists in 273 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in the league in 2021.

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TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

INDIANA FEVER

FEVER HANDLE SUN IN BOSTON; CAITLIN CLARK (GROIN) EXITS LATE

Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 points and Natasha Howard recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds to help the Indiana Fever post an 85-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night in Boston.

Caitlin Clark scored nine of her 14 points in the final four-plus minutes, but she aggravated her groin injury in the final minute. Tuesday was just her fourth game since missing four games with the injury. Fever coach Stephanie White said postgame that Clark “felt a little something in her groin” and will be evaluated further.

Clark also had eight rebounds and seven assists while making just 4 of 14 shots.

Aliyah Boston and reserve Sophie Cunningham added 11 points apiece for Indiana (12-10), which won for the fifth time in the past seven regular-season games.

Tina Charles had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Sun (3-19), who have dropped 13 of their past 14. Leila Lacan added 19 points off the bench and Bria Hartley had 11 points.

It marks the second straight season that Connecticut played a home game in Boston, located just more than 100 miles from its home floor in Uncasville.

Clark scored nine straight Indiana points in the fourth quarter to help the Fever take control.

Clark hit a short jumper with 4:14 left in the game for her first points of the second half. She went to the free-throw line 33 seconds later and made both to give the Fever a 77-70 advantage.

A short time later, Clark buried a 3-pointer — just her second on the road this season — to give the Fever an 80-71 advantage. She was 1 of 7 on 3-pointers Tuesday and stands 2 of 35 for the season away from Indiana’s home floor.

Connecticut moved within five before Clark made two free throws with 1:17 to play. Clark then fed Mitchell for a layup to make it 84-75 with 39.3 seconds left and immediately grabbed her groin area. She left the game during the ensuing timeout.

Indiana shot 49.2 percent from the field, including 5 of 19 from 3-point range.

The Sun hit just 36.1 percent of their shots and were 5 of 25 from behind the arc.

Indiana led 56-51 after Mitchell’s basket with 3:59 left in the third quarter. The Sun rallied to forge a 60-60 tie on Aneesah Morrow’s basket with 57.1 seconds left before Boston’s hoop with 41.6 seconds to go allowed the Fever to hold a 62-60 lead entering the final stanza.

Howard scored 12 points and Mitchell had 11 as the Fever built a 44-42 halftime lead. Charles had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Sun.

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INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL

CLARK NAMED STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICAN

STATS PERFORM – Indiana State defensive back Kimal Clark was named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-American Team as announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon as the rising senior defensive back picks up his first preseason nod of the year.

Clark, a transfer from Central Connecticut State, was named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-American Third Team, marking the lone Sycamore to be honored on the squad. He was one of 24 players from the Missouri Valley Football Conference to be named to the list this season.

The Lackawanna, N.Y. native is the reigning Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year after setting the Central Connecticut State record in tackles (117), while adding three pass breakups. He was also honored as a Stats Perform Third Team All-American postseason selection following the 2024 season.

Clark looks to lead an Indiana State defense that lost its top six tackling leaders, including the 17th member of the Sycamores’ 300-tackle club, Geoffrey Brown. He is set to join with MVFC All-Newcomer selection Jorge Valdes to provide a powerful 1-2 punch in the Sycamore secondary.

Clark recorded five double-digit tackling efforts in the 2024 season on his way to finishing 16th in FCS in solo tackles (5.1) and 26th overall in total tackles (9.0) per game. He recorded a career-high 18-tackle game against Massachusetts, while adding 13 stops in games against both Fordham and Robert Morris.

Clark is set to be one of the leaders in the new-look defense under first-year defensive coordinator David Elson and joins Dallas Westhoff, Lucas McAllister, Valdes, and Braxton Sampson among the top Sycamores returning on the defensive side of the ball.

2025 Indiana State Season Tickets On Sale Now

Season ticket membership renewals and new season ticket memberships remain on sale online for the upcoming 2025 season. Season tickets for the six ISU home football games will start at $60 for adults and $30 for youth. Faculty, staff, seniors, and members of the I-Club can purchase tickets for $55.

Additionally, anyone who renews or buys a reserved seat in Section F will have the option to rent a seat chairback for the season. Chairback rentals are available for $20. Access to Touchdown Corner is available with Varsity Club status starting at just $125. Contact the Sycamore Athletic Fund at 812-237-6134 for more information.

Indiana State will employ mobile ticketing as the default option for all home games during the 2024 football season, enabling contactless entry into athletics venues. Offering greater convenience and safety, fans can access their ticket online and transfer to family and friends. Fans will also have the option to get their tickets printed for an additional $5 charge.

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“SPORTS EXTRA”

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

July 16

1897 — Chicago’s Cap Anson became the first major leaguer to reach 3,000 hits when he singled off Baltimore’s George Blackburn.

1902 — John McGraw was named manager of the New York Giants, a post he would hold for 30 years.

1909 — Ed Summers of the Detroit Tigers allowed only seven hits and pitched all 18 innings of a 0-0 tie with the Washington Senators, the longest scoreless game in AL history.

1920 — Babe Ruth broke his own season record of 29 homers with his 30th as the New York Yankees beat the St. Louis Browns, 5-2. Ruth would finish the season with 54.

1933 — Red Lucas of the Cincinnati Reds pitched a 15-inning 1-0 win over Roy Parmelee and the New York Giants in the opener of a doubleheader.

1941 — Joe DiMaggio extended his hitting streak to 56 games with a 3-for-4 day as the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 10-3.

1948 — After 8 1/2 years as Brooklyn manager, Leo Durocher stunned baseball by taking the helm of the archrival Giants in midseason.

1958 – In the nitecap of a doubleheader, Baltimore pitcher Jack Harshman hit two homers in a 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox.

1970 — The Cincinnati Reds beat the Pirates 3-2 before 48,846 in the first game at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium.

1985 — Sparky Anderson became the first manager to lose an All-Star Game in both leagues. The National League won 6-1 for the 21st win in the last 23 games.

1996 — Colorado’s streak of scoring seven runs in a game ended at 11. The Rockies beat the Giants 5-3 and tied the 1911 Pittsburgh Pirates, 1938 New York Yankees and 1976 Cincinnati Reds with 11 7-run games.

1997 — Kevin Brown pitched his first career one-hitter to lead Florida to 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Brown, who no-hit San Francisco on June 10th, faced two batters over the minimum and allowed a lead-off single to left by Raul Mondesi in the fifth. He struck out eight and retired his final 15 batters.

1998 — Randy Johnson pitched a one-hitter to lead Seattle to a 3-0 win over Minnesota. Johnson struck out fans 11 and gave up a single to third baseman Brent Gates.

2006 — Chipper Jones hit a two-run homer in Atlanta’s 10-5 win at San Diego to give him an extra-base hit in 14 straight games, tying a 79-year-old major league record. Jones tied the record set in 1927 by Pittsburgh’s Paul Waner.

2006 — Mariano Rivera earned his 400th save, escaping two jams and getting six outs to preserve the New York Yankees’ 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Rivera joined Lee Smith, Trevor Hoffman and John Franco in the 400-save club.

2009 — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard became the fastest player in major league history to reach 200 career home runs, breaking the record previously held by Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner. Howard reached 200 homers in his 658th game, hitting his 23rd of the season in the sixth inning of a 4-0 win over Florida. Kiner hit No. 200 in his 706th game.

2013 — Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect eighth inning in his final All-Star appearance, Jose Bautista, J.J. Hardy and Jason Kipnis drove in runs to back a night of pulsating pitching, and the American League beat the National League 3-0.

2015 — Brock Holt became the first Boston player to hit for the cycle since 1996 and the Red Sox slugged their way out to a 9-4 victory over Atlanta.

2021 — Jake Cronenworth hit for his first career cycle, Wil Myers had a grand slam and a two-run shot and the San Diego Padres set a franchise record for runs in a 24-8 blowout of the Washington Nationals.

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July 17

1924 — Jesse Haines of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched a 5-0 no-hitter against the Boston Braves.

1925 — Tris Speaker is the 5th player to reach 3,000 hits.

1936 — Carl Hubbell’s 24-game winning streak over two years began as he beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 on five hits.

1941 — Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak of 56 games was stopped by Al Smith and Jim Bagby of the Indians before 67,000 at Cleveland. The Yankees still won, 4-3.

1956 — In the second game of a doubleheader against Kansas City, Ted Williams hit his 400th career home run. Williams connected in the sixth inning off Tom Gorman to give the Red Sox a 1-0 win over the A’s.

1966 — Chicago’s Billy Williams hit for the cycle to lead the Cubs to a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a Sunday doubleheader. Williams singled in the first inning, doubled in the third, had an RBI-triple in the fifth, homered to center in the seventh and popped out to third baseman in foul territory. The Cardinals took the opener 4-3 in 11 innings.

1969 — Jim Kaat, Gold Glove winner for seven straight years, was charged with three errors, leading to three unearned runs against the Chicago White Sox. Nevertheless, he won the game at Minnesota 8-5.

1974 — Bob Gibson struck out Cesar Geronimo of the Reds in the second inning to become the second pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 strikeouts. Cincinnati beat St. Louis, 6-4.

1978 — Doc Medich of the Texas Rangers saved the life of a 61-year-old fan who had a heart attack just before a scheduled game at Baltimore. Medich, a medical student, administered heart massage until help arrived.

1987 — Don Mattingly became the first AL player to hit at least one home run in each of seven consecutive games as the New York Yankees disposed of the Texas Rangers 8-4.

1990 — Minnesota became the first team in major league history to pull off two triple plays in one game, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Boston as the Red Sox beat the Twins 1-0.

2007 — Ryan Garko hit a game-tying pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning and singled home the winning run in the 11th to give Cleveland a 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox.

2011 — Dustin Pedroia singled with two outs in the top of the 16th inning, snapping a scoreless tie and giving the Red Sox a 1-0 victory over the Rays. It was the longest 1-0 game in the major leagues since the Brewers at Angels on June 8, 2004 went 17 innings.

2016 — Starling Marte hit a solo home run in the 18th inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 in a marathon game that lasted almost six hours. Pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy homered with two outs in the ninth inning for Washington.

2022 — Second-generation players take the first two spots in the 2022 amateur draft as SS Jackson Holliday, son of Matt Holliday, goes first overall to the Orioles, while OF Druw Jones, son of Andruw Jones, is selected second by the Diamondbacks. P Kumar Rocker, who had been the #10 pick in 2021 but had failed to come to an agreement with the Mets following a disagreement over the health of his pitching arm, goes #3 to the Rangers, who sign him mere hours after his selection. Rocker is coming off a brilliant stint of pitching in the independentFrontier League.

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TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

July 16

1920 — Babe Ruth breaks his season record of 29 homers with his 30th, leading the New York Yankees past the St. Louis Browns, 5-2. Ruth ends the season with 54.

1920 — The United States sweeps Australia in five matches to win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1913. The U.S. team is made up of Bill Tilden and Bill Johnston.

1938 — Paul Runyan wins the PGA Championship by routing Sam Snead 8 and 7 in the final round.

1947 — Rocky Graziano scores a technical knockout with a barrage of 30 punches against Tony Zale in the sixth round to win the world middleweight boxing title. Held in Chicago Stadium, it’s the largest grossing fight in history.

1950 — Uruguay beats Brazil 2-1 to win soccer’s World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.

1967 — Kathy Whitworth wins the LPGA championship by one stroke over Shirley Englehorn. Whitworth sinks a fifty-foot uphill putt for a birdie on the 18th green at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton Mass.

1989 — Betsy King birdies three of the first four holes of the final round to win her first U.S. Women’s Open championship by four strokes over Nancy Lopez.

1993 — Nick Faldo ties the best single round in 122 years of the British Open with a course-record 63 to give him a one-stroke lead after the second round.

1995 — Annika Sorenstam of Sweden wins the U.S. Women’s Open by one stroke over Meg Mallon, her first victory on the LPGA Tour.

2005 — In Las Vegas, Jermain Taylor beats Bernard Hopkins for the undisputed middleweight title. Hopkins, a winner of a record 20 consecutive defenses, starts slowly and the undefeated challenger builds up a big enough lead on two judges’ scorecards to take the crown.

2006 — J.R. Todd becomes the first black driver to win an NHRA Top Fuel event, beating Tony Schumacher in the Mopar Mile-High Nationals.

2011 — Kyle Busch wins the Nationwide race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to become the third driver to win 100 races in NASCAR’s three national series. Busch, with 22 Cup victories and 29 Trucks wins, also ties Mark Martin for first place in career Nationwide Series victories with 49. Richard Petty and David Pearson are the other drivers with at least 100 wins.

2012 — Roger Federer surpasses Pete Sampras to set the record for the most weeks at No. 1 in the ATP rankings. After winning Wimbledon a week ago — his 75th career ATP title — Federer returns to the top for the first time since June 2010. Today marks his 287th week at No. 1, one more than Sampras.

2017 — Roger Federer defeated Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4, to claim a record 8th Wimbledon men’s title.

2023 — Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: In a classic final, 20-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz ends Novak Đoković’s 34-match win streak at the All England Club with a 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory.

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July 17

1939 — Henry Picard beats Byron Nelson 1-up in 37 holes to win the PGA championship.

1941 — Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak of 56 games is stopped by Al Smith and Jim Bagby of the Indians before 67,000 at Cleveland.

1955 — Beverly Hanson beats Louise Suggs by three strokes in a playoff to capture the first LPGA championship.

1966 — Jim Ryun becomes the first American to hold the record in the mile since 1937. With a time of 3:51.3 at Berkeley, Calif., Ryun shatters Michel Jazy’s mark of 3:53.6 by 2.3 seconds.

1974 — Bob Gibson strikes out Cesar Geronimo of the Reds in the second inning to become the second pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 strikeouts.

1979 — Sebastian Coe breaks the world record in the mile with a time of 3:48.95 in Oslo, Norway. The time is rounded up to 3:49.

1983 — Bobby Hebert passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Michigan Panthers to a 24-22 win over the Philadelphia Stars in the first USFL championship game.

1983 — Tom Watson wins his second straight and fifth career British Open title. Watson shoots a 9-under 275 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England to finish one stroke ahead of Andy Bean and Hale Irwin.

1990 — Minnesota becomes the first team in major league history to pull off two triple plays in one game, but it isn’t enough to overcome Boston as the Red Sox beat the Twins 1-0.

1994 — Brazil wins a record fourth World Cup soccer title, taking the first shootout in championship game history over Italy.

2005 — Tiger Woods records another ruthless performance at St. Andrews, closing with a 2-under 70 to win the British Open for his 10th career major. He wins by five shots, the largest margin in any major since Woods won by eight at St. Andrews five years ago. He joins Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win the career Grand Slam twice.

2006 — Stacey Nuveman and Lovieanne Jung each homer to power the United States to the World Cup of Softball title with a 5-2 victory over Japan.

2011 — Japan stuns the United States in a riveting Women’s World Cup final, winning 3-1 on penalty kicks after coming from behind twice in a 2-2 tie. Goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori makes two brilliant saves in the shootout. Japan, making its first appearance in the final of a major tournament, hadn’t beaten the Americans in their first 25 meetings.

2011 — Darren Clarke gives Northern Ireland another major championship, winning the British Open by three strokes over Americans Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

2016 — Henrik Stenson shoots an 8-under 63 to beat Phil Mickelson by three strokes, becoming the first man from Sweden to win the British Open.

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TV SPORTS

(All times Eastern)

Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts

AWARD SHOW

8 p.m.

ABC — The 2025 ESPYS Presented by Capital One: From Los Angeles

CYCLING

6:30 a.m.

PEACOCK — UCI: The Tour de France, Stage 11, Toulouse, France

6:30 a.m. (Thursday)

PEACOCK — UCI: The Tour de France, Stage 12, Auch / Hautacam, France

GOLF

4 a.m. (Thursday)

USA — DP World/PGA Tour: The 2025 Open Championship, First Round, Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, Ireland

HORSE RACING

1 p.m.

FS2 — NYRA: Saratoga Live

NBA BASKETBALL

3:30 p.m.

ESPN2 — Summer League: Sacramento vs. Cleveland, Las Vegas

5 p.m.

NBATV — Summer League: Phoenix vs. Minnesota, Las Vegas

5:30 p.m.

ESPN2 — Summer League: Milwaukee vs. Chicago, Las Vegas

7:30 p.m.

NBATV — Summer League: Orlando vs. Brooklyn, Las Vegas

8 p.m.

ESPN — Summer League: Dallas vs. Philadelphia, Las Vegas

9:30 p.m.

NBATV — Summer League: New Orleans vs. Oklahoma City, Las Vegas

10 p.m.

ESPN — Summer League: Washington vs. Utah, Las Vegas

RUGBY (MEN’S)

4:45 a.m. (Thursday)

FS2 — NRL: North Queensland at Dolphins

SOCCER (MEN’S)

10 p.m.

FS1 — MLS: Colorado at Seattle

SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

3 p.m.

FOX — UEFA Euro 2025 Championship: Norway vs. Italy, Quarterfinal, Geneva

4:55 p.m.

FS1 — Conmebol Copa America Group Stage: Bolivia vs. Brazil, Group B, Quito, Ecuador

7:55 p.m.

FS1 — Conmebol Copa America Group Stage: Venezuela vs. Colombia, Group B, Quito, Ecuador

SOFTBALL

8 p.m.

ESPN2 — Athletes Unlimited: Blaze vs. Talons, Salt Lake City

TENNIS

3:30 a.m.

TENNIS — Hopman Cup: Italy v. Croatia; Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Hamburg-WTA, Iasi-WTA Early Rounds

6 a.m.

TENNIS — Hopman Cup: Italy v. Croatia; Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Hamburg-WTA, Iasi-WTA Early Rounds

8 p.m.

TENNIS — Los Cabos-ATP Early Rounds

3:30 a.m. (Thursday)

TENNIS — Hopman Cup: Greece v. Spain; Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Hamburg-WTA, Iasi-WTA Early Rounds

6 a.m. (Thursday)

TENNIS — Hopman Cup: Greece v. Spain; Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Hamburg-WTA, Iasi-WTA Early Rounds

WNBA BASKETBALL

7:30 p.m.CBSSN — Indiana at New York

THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” WEDNESDAY JULY 16, 2025

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