There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:

If the Chicago White Sox miss the playoffs by a game or two, their Friday night loss to the Houston Astros is a game that will stand out.

Chicago entered the top of the sixth inning with a 5-0 lead. Then, the Houston bats exploded for an eight-run inning.

In said inning, left fielder LaMonte Wade Jr. both singled and walked in a run; first baseman Christian Walker hit a three-run double; right fielder Cam Smith blasted a go-ahead, three-run home run, his 13th long ball of the year; second baseman Jose Altuve had an RBI single; catcher Christian Vázquez later had an RBI double for good measure in the ninth, giving the Astros a sizzling, 9-5 win.

Houston, which used seven pitchers to get through the game, got three-hit performances from Altuve and shortstop Jeremy Peña.

While 51-54, the Astros have won four consecutive games and are just two games behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the American League West and three games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the third AL wild-card seed.

The Atlanta Braves hit four home runs on Thursday, and the long ball propelled them to another victory on Friday.

Trailing the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 in the top of the eighth, catcher Drake Baldwin got the Braves even with a solo homer, which ultimately sent the game to extra innings. In the 10th, Atlanta got the lead on a fielder’s choice and then first baseman Matt Olson gave it a four-run cushion with a three-run home run to right field.

Now, Baltimore did make it close in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs, highlighted by a two-run homer from third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand — who also laced a two-run double in the first — but Atlanta held on to win, 7-6. 

Seven of nine Braves starting position players recorded a hit, with right-hander Grant Holmes going five innings and Elieser Hernández being the unsung hero of the night, tossing three scoreless innings of relief. Meanwhile, Olson’s homer was his 27th of the year, which is seventh in MLB, and Baldwin’s homer was his 20th, which is fourth among catchers.

This one was back and forth all night.

After first baseman Nolan Schanuel gave the Los Angeles Angels a 1-0 lead on an RBI single in the top of the first, San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers hit an opposite field, two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning. Then, in the bottom of the third, third baseman Casey Schmitt launched a three-run home run, giving the Giants a 5-1 lead.

All that said, the Angels narrowed the gap to one run in the fifth with a two-run triple from catcher Tyler Heineman and a sacrifice fly from center fielder Mike Trout. San Francisco later got a sacrifice fly from catcher Daniel Susac in the bottom of the fifth, but infielder Vaughn Grissom evened the score for Los Angeles at 6-all with a two-run homer in the eighth, and the game would go to extra innings.

Unfortunately for the Halos, though, they failed to plate a run in the top half of the 10th, and Devers sent the San Francisco faithful home happy in the bottom half of the inning with a walk-off, RBI single to deep left field.

Devers and Schmitt have each hit 21 home runs this season, combining for 110 RBIs and a .483 slugging percentage, with the Friday night victory snapping a five-game losing streak for the Giants.

“Kramer, what are you doing?”

“Well, I’m dominating!“

Back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal was in top form against the Kansas City Royals. Over 7 ⅓ innings, the southpaw surrendered just one run and six baserunners (four hits and two walks), while recording 12 strikeouts in a 2-1 win for the Detroit Tigers. It marked Skubal’s longest outing of the season — which was sidetracked for two months by an elbow injury — and the fourth time he has pitched through the seventh inning. Skubal has given up just one run over his last two starts, with him pitching through seven innings in both outings. 

Through 15 starts, Skubal boasts a 2.70 ERA, an 0.92 WHIP, 110 strikeouts, a 159 ERA+ and 2.9 wins above replacement across 90.0 innings pitched. As for the offense, Detroit’s two runs came in the first inning on a Riley Greene sacrifice fly and an RBI single from second baseman Hao-Yu Lee.

Sure, the Tigers are 50-54, but they’ve won 15 of their last 20 games and, at this rate, they have the justification to keep Skubal past the trade deadline and push for a playoff spot, as they’re just three-and-a-half games out of the third AL wild-card seed.

And because this is baseball, that means bizarre things will happen. What was that bizarre thing on Friday night? The team with the second-worst record in MLB beating the team with the second-best record in MLB on their home field.

Correct, the Colorado Rockies (42-63) got a road victory over the Milwaukee Brewers (64-39). Behind 5 ⅔ innings from right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who surrendered just two runs, and 3 ⅔ scoreless innings of relief from Victor Vodnik, Antonio Senzatela and Jordan Romano, the Rockies got a 5-2 win.

Colorado put two runs on the board in the top of the first on an RBI double from center fielder Cole Carrigg and an RBI single from catcher Hunter Goodman. The Rockies then got a run in the third on an RBI single from third baseman Kyle Karros and a fourth run on a sacrifice fly from designated hitter Mickey Moniak in the fourth. Their fifth and final run came on a pinch-hit RBI double from TJ Rumfield in the seventh.

As for the offensive standouts, Goodman is third in MLB with 31 home runs and first among catchers with a .563 slugging percentage; Rumfield sports a .301/.384/.482 slash line in what’s his rookie season; Moniak boasts a .558 slugging percentage, while Carrigg has an .866 OPS and Karros has a .794 OPS.

New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit an opposite field, solo home run in the top of the fourth, and that was the offense. Like, literally, the Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0.

New York leaned on burgeoning superstar right-hander Cam Schlittler, who posted 12 strikeouts and gave up only three baserunners (three hits) over 7 ⅓ innings; Brent Headrick and David Bednar shut the door for the Yankees with 1 ⅔ combined scoreless innings of relief.

Meanwhile, Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo was also sensational, surrendering just one run and four baserunners (three hits and one walk) over seven innings, while recording nine strikeouts; it just came in a one-run loss. In fact, Goldschmidt’s homer was one of only three hits for the Yankees.

Schlittler continues to solidify his case to be the 2026 AL Cy Young, owning an AL-best 2.07 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 157 strikeouts, a 203 ERA+ and 4.6 wins above replacement over an AL-high 130 ⅓ innings pitched (22 starts).

The Minnesota Twins drew seven walks, but they only tallied two hits and couldn’t get a run to cross home plate against the Athletics in a 2-0 loss.

Jacob Lopez tossed five scoreless innings for the A’s, who then got four scoreless innings of relief from Geoff Hartlieb, José Suarez, Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris. It was the longest shutout that Lopez has put together this season.

As for the run production, the Athletics’ two runs came on a fifth-inning sacrifice fly from right fielder Lawrence Butler and an RBI single from left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, who sports a .472 slugging percentage, in the sixth.

This was the Athletics’ first shutout victory since beating the Angels on June 18 (5-0) and their first road shutout since defeating the Astros on June 7 (5-0).

Only one team scored double-digit runs on Friday night, and that club was the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa Bay struck early and often in an 11-3 smacking of the Guardians. Second baseman Ryan Vilade sparked the party with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second, with the Rays later having a three-run fourth inning: RBI singles from right fielder Jonny DeLuca and catcher Nick Fortes and an RBI force-out from shortstop Ben Williamson.

Junior Caminero put a sixth run on the board for the Rays with an RBI single in the sixth, with Fortes driving in a run on a double in the seventh. The Rays put a bow on the offensive outburst with a four-run eighth inning, as left fielder Chandler Simpson brought home a run on a sacrifice fly and Richie Palacios launched a three-run home run.

Tampa Bay pulled left-hander Shane McClanahan after five scoreless innings. Through 19 starts, McClanahan, who’s back in the big leagues after missing the second half of 2023 and the entire 2024 and 2025 seasons due to elbow and triceps injuries, boasts a 3.09 ERA and a 139 ERA+.

The Rays, who are an AL-best 60-43, have won four of their last five games, while the Guardians have lost three in a row.

Once the surprise team of the season, the Miami Marlins are reeling — bad.

After losing at home to the San Diego Padres, the Marlins have now lost 10 consecutive games and are 52-52. Over that span, they’re averaging just 2.5 runs per game, with them losing 4-2 on Friday night.

Concerning said loss, Miami struck first in the bottom of the second on a solo home run from catcher Joe Mack, with a Heriberto Hernández solo homer later tying the game at 2-all in the bottom of the fifth, which was the score entering the eighth. With that said, Luis Rengifo put the Padres up for good with a pinch-hit, two-run homer to right field in the top of the eighth. San Diego got its first run on an RBI line-out from center fielder Jackson Merrill in the fourth and an RBI single from designated hitter Manny Machado in the fifth.

The two teams combined to use 13 pitchers (the Marlins used seven pitchers, while the Padres used six). Miami is three games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third National League wild-card seed, while San Diego (51-53) stands four games back of the playoff spot.

The 2026 MLB season has been a struggle for second-year Los Angeles Dodgers starter Rōki Sasaki, but Friday night was a breeze.

In a road outing against the New York Mets, Sasaki had one of the best starts of his MLB career, surrendering just one run and five baserunners (three hits and two walks) over seven innings, while totaling seven strikeouts in a 4-2 Dodgers win; he threw 94 pitches, 63 of them for strikes. Sasaki has given up just one earned run over his last two starts.

On the season, Sasaki has a 4.71 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, 94 strikeouts, an 89 ERA+ and 0.1 wins above replacement across 93 ⅔ innings (18 starts). As for Sasaki’s run support, the Dodgers got a sacrifice fly from second baseman Miguel Rojas in the top of the fourth and a sacrifice fly from Shohei Ohtani in the seventh, with right fielder Kyle Tucker — who owns a career-low .705 OPS in what’s the first season of a four-year, $240 million deal — creating separation with a two-run home run to right field in the eighth; Tucker finished with two hits.

New York’s two runs came on a solo home run from Luis Robert Jr. in the bottom of the second and a solo homer from catcher Francisco Alvarez (he has hit 12 home runs in 69 games) in the eighth. Meanwhile, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman had a three-hit night.

The Dodgers have the best record in the sport at 66-38.

Kristian Prenga almost pulled off a major heavyweight upset against Anthony Joshua on Saturday.

The two fighters collided in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in a match-up that many expected to be a straightforward runout for Joshua in order to lead to the long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury later this year.

Prenga clearly had other ideas, as he started the fight extremely well, displaying the big power that has seen him win 20 of his 21 fights by knockout when he dropped Joshua in the opening seconds of the contest with an uppercut.

Another knockdown in round one followed soon afterwards, though ‘AJ’ was then able to recover as Prenga allowed his rival back into the fight in the second round.

He paid the price for that, as Joshua landed a huge shot that sent the Albanian crashing to the canvas, earning ‘AJ’ the second round knockout win and denying Prenga the shock victory.

In a video captured by Boxing King Media, Prenga was praised for his power, but he insisted that it doesn’t matter as he was unable to come out on top.

“I showed him [my power] but I needed to win.”

The nature of the fight against Joshua means there could be big opportunities ahead for Prenga, with other fighters in the heavyweight division perhaps seeing the commercial value in now taking a fight against the Albanian.

As for Joshua, he is set to turn his attention to the long-awaited clash against Fury, after ‘The Gypsy King’ was also victorious this weekend, earning a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach in Thailand.

The sudden pursuit of Yan Diomande by Real Madrid virtually eliminates Michael Olise as an option for the club, and rather anticlimactically so.

After all, the Bayern Munich star was long linked as the club’s marquee signing this summer, especially after his strong performances and synergy with Kylian Mbappe at the FIFA World Cup.

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The player reportedly even told his teammates of his desire to join Real Madrid – something that made it finally believable that a transfer was possible.

Just when matters were beginning to heat up, however, Real Madrid entered the race for Diomande, killing the Olise rumours in one shot.

Precious relations to preserve

As reported by Fabrizio Romano earlier today, Real Madrid informed Bayern Munich a few days ago of their stance on the Olise situation and how they did not wish to break bridges with the German giants over one transfer.

Perez does not wish to break relations with Bayern Munich. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

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Florentino Perez has enjoyed a strong relationship with Bayern Munich over the years and does not wish to break it for Olise. They will thus return to the race only when the Bavarians are open to selling the player.

As matters stand, Olise to Real Madrid is not happening this summer, and it will require a massive turn of events for even talks to begin once more.

Ready for a future operation

The Italian journalist also adds that Real Madrid will be awaiting a call from Bayern Munich at any time in the future, when the Germans confirm that the player can leave.

Real Madrid will keep their eyes on Olise. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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If at any point such a call arrives and invites a discussion or negotiation, Real Madrid will be there immediately. Their interest in the player has not waned, and it is only the respect for Bayern Munich that is halting progress.

Perez, for his part, loves Olise and still wants to sign the player. He is not currently for sale, but the Real Madrid president will have a keen eye on how his situation evolves over the years in the hope of securing the deal.

In the meantime, Real Madrid are working hard to sign Diomande as a reinforcement for the right wing for next season, and the deal is said to be just a matter of time.

Lucas Herbert will take a four-shot advantage over Bryson DeChambeau entering this weekend at LIV Golf United Kingdom Presented by JCB. The next closest pursuer is Tyrrell Hatton, but he’s seven shots behind.

Herbert, who went wire-to-wire in Virginia two months ago to claim his first LIV Golf title, hopes he and DeChambeau can continue to separate from the field, leaving them to go toe-to-toe in Sunday’s final round. Only one other scenario would please the Ripper GC star more.

“Would love to make it a two-horse race with Bryson on Sunday,” Herbert said. “Or maybe a one-horse race if I can.”

The way Herbert is playing now, no one doubts he could run away from the pack. The 30-year-old Australian followed his course-record 11-under 61 in Thursday’s opening round with a 6-under 66, fueled by an impressive back-nine response after DeChambeau overtook him for the lead midway Friday at JCB Golf & Country Club.

At 17 under, Herbert has the tournament in his hands; as a proven front-runner, he’ll be difficult to reign in. Even so, he remains cautious about his chances with 36 holes to play.

“I’ve seen this happen before where it feels like there’s only two of us in the tournament and everyone kind of gets caught up in that story and other guys come back in,” said Herbert. “I can think of Anthony Kim winning in Adelaide earlier this year when everyone thought it was the Bryson and Jon [Rahm] show there on Sunday. We’re only halfway. We have a lot of golf to go.”

DeChambeau, at 13 under after his 5-under 67, knows the challenge will be difficult, especially given Herbert’s current form. Last week, Herbert was the 36-hole leader at The Open Championship after tying a men’s major record with his second-round 62. He eventually finished T6, the best finish of his major career.

Asked what it will take to catch Herbert, DeChambeau replied with a laugh: “Just shoot 10-under-par both days. That’s what it feels like I’ve got to do. Him being four ahead, it’s not going to be an easy task. … It’s going to be a great battle, no matter what. I hope I can give him a battle.”

DeChambeau can at least draw on the first half of Friday’s round when he made up a three-stroke deficit to take the lead. DeChambeau was a bogey-free 5 under through 10 holes, while Herbert’s putter went cold, as he missed three par putts, each within 3 feet or less.

When DeChambeau birdied the par-5 10th while Herbert scrambled for par, the Crushers captain led by one. But the 9-foot par-saving putt by Herbert on that hole was a positive sign. He then birdied the par-4 12th after driving the green, eagled the par-5 13th with a 33-foot putt, and made a 10-foot birdie putt at the party-hole 14th to re-establish his multi-shot lead. He added another late birdie at the par-3 17th.

“It was not my best stuff out there,” Herbert said, “but that back nine, kind of hung around long enough to see my chance to take the lead again come to fruition.”

DeChambeau, meanwhile, played the final eight holes in even par, negating two birdies with two bogeys. That’s left him with plenty of work as he seeks his third individual win of the season while also hoping to make up ground against points leader Rahm in the season-long Individual Championship race.

“I’ve got to focus on playing some really good golf, not making too many mistakes out there,” he said. “I made too many on the back nine today.”

He can’t afford too many more this weekend. Meanwhile, Herbert is glad to be in the final group with DeChambeau for the second consecutive round.

“I actually really enjoy it,” Herbert said. “I’m glad I’m playing with him again tomorrow. He’s had some great support out there. There’s a lot of fans out there watching our group, which was pretty awesome. It’s a privilege to have him out here because he’s bringing a lot of eyeballs and a lot of fans, which we love doing around the world.”

TOP OF THE LEADERBOARDS

Individual Top 10

1 (-17) – Lucas Herbert, Ripper (61-66)

2 (-13) – Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers (64-67)

3 (-10) – Tyrrell Hatton, Legion XIII (66-68)

T4 (-9) – Byeong Hun An, Korean (67-68); Harold Varner III, OKGC (66-69)

T6 (-8) – Cameron Smith, Ripper (69-67); Peter Uihlein, RangeGoats (69-67); Dean Burmester, Southern Guards (70-66)

T10 (-7) – Caleb Surratt, Legion XIII (68-69); Anirban Lahiri, Crushers (68-69)

Team Top 3

1 (-37) – Ripper GC (Herbert 61-66, Leishman 68-68; Smith 69-67; Smyth 71-69; Rd. 2 score: -18)

2 (-28) – Crushers GC (DeChambeau 64-67, Howell III 68-70, Lahiri 68-69, Casey 73-69; Rd. 2 score: -13)

3 (-19) – Legion XIII (Hatton 66-68, Surratt 68-69, McKibbin 73-70, Rahm 73-70; Rd. 2 score: -11)

ROUND 2 NOTES

RIPPERS’ CARROT-CUTTING CONTEST: Fueled by tournament leader Lucas Herbert, the all-Australian Ripper GC are a cumulative 37 under and have a nine-stroke lead over Crushers GC. Perhaps partial credit should go to the inventive way the team is relaxing after rounds.

All four players – Herbert, captain Cameron Smith and teammates Marc Leishman and Travis Smyth (who is filling in for injured Elvis Smylie) – are staying in the same house. So are the caddies and some team staff. Following Thursday’s opening round, the group played a game created by Smith in which each person chopped a carrot in two. The winner is the one who can cut two pieces that weigh the closest to each other.

“Very competitive,” Herbert said Friday. “… I don’t know what he’s got planned tonight, some sort of knockout round-robin extravaganza. I’m sure that will entertain us and get our mind off the golf.”

Herbert said those kinds of fun activities are beneficial, especially in his position with the lead. Without LIV Golf’s team concept, he’d have to deal with the pressure by himself.

“One of the funnest things about the team golf aspect,” he said. “I think our team is one of the best. We have some of the best camaraderie with those sorts of things. Yeah, I feel pretty fortunate to be included in that.”

DECHAMBEAU MAKING UP GROUND: Bryson DeChambeau still has plenty of points to make up in order to apply some heat on Jon Rahm, who currently leads the season-long points race as he chases a third consecutive Individual Championship.

But with DeChambeau in solo second at 13 under while Rahm is tied for 31st at 1 under, DeChambeau can at least prevent Rahm from clinching the title this week.

“I’m sure he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with the next couple of days and in New Jersey as well [in Bedminster at LIV Golf New York, the league’s next tournament],” said DeChambeau.

Rahm and DeChambeau each have two wins this season, but Rahm’s consistency has provided a healthy advantage. Even if DeChambeau fails to catch him, a second-place result in the final standings would be his best finish in the season-long race.

“Feel like I’ve had my best year out here this year,” DeChambeau said. “For whatever reason, I feel like I’ve left a lot out there, which is quite interesting to me but very grateful for having a great year out here. … I feel really comfortable with my game, as comfortable as I’ve felt in a long time.”

HATTON’S BIRDIE WALK: For the second consecutive round, Tyrrell Hatton birdied the par-3 ninth. On Thursday, it was with a 10-foot putt. On Friday, it was from 5 feet – and he walked it in. Accidentally, that is.

“I thought I’d missed it right,” he said. “I’ve been struggling with left-to-right putts this week. Feels like the ball’s just slipping off the face, so I’m not really hitting the line I want to. Bit surprised to see that one go in.”

Two years ago, Hatton tied for second at JCB behind his Legion XIII captain Rahm. He enters this weekend solo third at 10 under, seven shots behind Herbert. He’s looking for his second consecutive LIV Golf title (and third overall), having won last month in Andalucia.

“You can see how good the scoring’s been the first two days,” said Hatton, who shot a 4-under 68 on Friday. “It’s meant to be a little bit windier tomorrow, but I still imagine the scoring is going to be pretty good. Hopefully, I can play well and give myself opportunities.”

CASEY RETURNS WITH BIG DRIVES: DeChambeau’s Crushers GC teammate Paul Casey returned to action this week after missing the previous two tournaments with an injury. On Friday, Casey led the field in driving distance average. “Really?” DeChambeau said with a laugh. “How many cart paths did he hit? I don’t know what he was doing in those nine weeks off.”

He then added with seriousness: “He’s always been sneaky long. It’s funny, he has this piercing low bullet. He’s such a great player. I’m so glad to have him back on the team. I need him. We need him for the last few weeks of this year.”

STATS LEADERS

ROUND 2

Driving Distance: Paul Casey, 312.1-yard avg.

Longest Drive: Dustin Johnson, 339.8 yards (8th hole). Official measured drives taken only on holes 8 and 10.

Driving Accuracy: Byeong Hun An, 85.71% (12 of 14)

Greens in Regulation: Byeong Hun An, Carlos Ortiz, Thomas Pieters, Scott Vincent, Paul Casey, Jon Rahm, Cameron Tringale, Sebastian Munoz, 77.78% (14 of 18)

Scrambling: Charl Schwartzel (8 of 8), Martin Kaymer (5 of 5), Sebastian Munoz (4 of 4), 100%

Fewest Putts: Peter Uihlein, 24

Bogey-free rounds: Charl Schwartzel (69), Sebastian Munoz (70), Martin Kaymer (70)

OVERALL

Driving Distance: Dustin Johnson, 305.3-yard avg.

Longest Drive: David Puig, 339.8 yards (10th hole, Rd. 1). Official measured drives taken only on holes 8 and 10.

Driving Accuracy: David Puig, 78.57% (22 of 28)

Greens in Regulation: Caleb Surratt, 83.33% (30 of 36)

Scrambling: Charles Howell III (9 of 10), 90%

Fewest Putts: Peter Uihlein, 48

This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.

CHICAGO — WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was evasive when asked directly during her pre-All-Star Game press conference if she expects to be commissioner in 2027. “I am so blessed to be at the helm of this league during this incredible hypergrowth period,” Engelbert said. “I will just continue to do my job, execute the strategy because it’s been working.” 

Here are Engelbert’s full comments:

“Obviously I am so blessed to be at the helm of this league during this incredible hypergrowth period, so blessed that these players are putting the product on the court they are every night, that they stand for the values that the W has long sought for. I will just continue to do my job, execute the strategy because it has been working. Make sure we listen to the players, communicate with the players. 

“Absolutely love this league. Blessed to have the career I had before, blessed to have the career I have now. Mostly the team we’ve built at the league. I came in here and there were 12 people working at the league, and there were probably 12 people for the 24 years before I got here and now we have almost 100 people working full time. We have a lot of others that help us. We leverage off the NBA model as well. And just the enormous capability we’ve built in digital and social. We have engineers, we have WordPress and we have marketers and brand and data, analytics, data scientists. 

“That’s what I’m most proud of. We have built a powerhouse team and that’s what I focus on is leading that team and leading that team to help this game continue to grow so that young girls who typically drop out of sports too quick can see see our players as their role models. That’s what keeps me going. Having the Nike National EYBL players here has been incredible because I’ve spent time with so many of them at WNBA Live and the hotel and just how they view this league and role models. I can’t tell you how many come up to me and say ‘Cathy, I want you to draft me in 2033 or 2034, and I’m like ‘Oh boy.’ They’re really excited about this league, and that’s what keeps me going.”

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Engelbert has been in charge since 2019, when she became the first commissioner in WNBA history (previously, the league’s top executive was a “president.”) While she has overseen significant growth during her tenure, she has come under significant fire in recent years amid a contentious labor battle and numerous off-court controversies. 

“We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world,” Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier said last September. 

Adam Silver says NBA, WNBA are having ‘ongoing discussions’ about Cathy Engelbert’s future as commissioner

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Lindsay Gibbs

At a press conference at NBA Summer League earlier this month, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked about Engelbert’s future. While he said he was “pleased” with the WNBA’s growth, he added that there would be “ongoing discussions” on Engelbert. Here are Silver’s full comments:

So Cathy and I, you know, work together, and I don’t want to speak for Cathy. I would only say, I’m very pleased with where the WNBA is. We’ve made tremendous progress under her leadership over the last several years. Again, the season, we’re off again to a very strong start.

I think my sense was — I was behind the scenes in the collective bargaining process, but I was pleased both with how the league conducted itself and ultimately the Players Association. I think that we reset economically, which was long overdue. My sense is from talking directly with the players that they are pleased with the outcome.

As I said, I think Cathy continues to do a strong job building that league. We’ll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like.

An ESPN report just ahead of All-Star Weekend cited multiple “high-ranking team sources” who expect that this will be Engelbert’s last season in charge. 

“I don’t see any change [since Collier’s comments],” one anonymous owner told ESPN. “I don’t think she’s learned significantly based on her failures.”

On Friday, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike expressed empathy for Engelbert and said that it wasn’t her decision whether or not she remained as commissioner. However, she did not sound satisfied with the current state of affairs.

“I think growing pains are natural,” Ogwumike said. “But at what point do those become chronic? You know, after a while, if you’re still experiencing those symptoms, you have to do something to alleviate that type of pain, and that’s what the players are asking for.”

Despite possessing obvious talent, Prince Tycoon has proven to be a frustrating galloper for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.

For this reason, Prince Tycoon will race with blinkers for the first time when he contests the Quayclean Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Prince Tycoon began his career in fine style at Caulfield in May last year, a performance that earned the then two-year-old a trip to Queensland for the Magic Millions National 2YO Classic (1000m) at the Gold Coast 13 days later, where he finished second.

Those initial two efforts gave the stable considerable encouragement heading into the spring, but Prince Tycoon failed to deliver, finishing out of the top three in two of his three starts.

After being spelled again, Prince Tycoon resumed with a strong on-pace win at Bendigo. He then returned to metropolitan racing to run third at Caulfield Heath over 1200m before a narrow second in his last start, the Listed A R Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on July 4.

It was following that run the stable decided to apply blinkers.

“We’re going to add a little bit of headgear to him on Saturday,” Young commented.

“He was in front at Flemington last time and he just floated in and out when that horse (winner, Wise Inlaw) came up inside him.

“His last two gallops in the headgear have been good, so hopefully that will work on Saturday and as he’s got a bit of weight, we’ve gone with a claimer.”

Ryan Houston will claim 2kg off Prince Tycoon’s weight, bringing his impost to 57.5kg.

Young noted that Prince Tycoon had also been a frustration with his behaviour at the barriers, which led to the gelding spending time with Julien Welsh.

She stated that this ‘education’ had resulted in better performances this campaign.

“He’s shown plenty, but he’s just been a bit funny in the gates,” Young said.

“He’s taken a bit of work. We had to send him to Julien Welsh and then got him back.

“This preparation, he’s been excellent, he’s behaved himself, he’s filled out and he’s doing everything right.

Hopefully the blinkers do the trick.”

Prince Tycoon faces the Quayclean Handicap at Caulfield this weekend. Consider the online bookmakers for your wagers.

Dominik Szoboszlai sends clear Liverpool message with stunning Sunderland equaliser

Pre-season can be noisy. Fitness, experiments, half-ready line-ups, inflated takes. Strip all that away and one detail still matters, quality travels. Dominik Szoboszlai reminded everyone of that in Liverpool’s friendly against Sunderland in Nashville.

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Liverpool went 2-1 down and the game had turned messy. Then Szoboszlai stepped in. Lewis Koumas and Milos Kerkez did the hard work, Sunderland only half-cleared, and Liverpool’s number 8 did the rest. From 25 yards, on the volley, he lashed an equaliser past the goalkeeper. Clean contact, no fuss, no chance for anyone in the way. A serious goal.

He has made a habit of these. Last season there were long-range free kicks against Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. This one came from open play, and in some ways it said more. It was instinctive, technically sharp and struck with complete conviction.