Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from Sunday night’s WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky after a confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud late in the third quarter.
Freedom was seated along the baseline wearing a black shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
With 1:22 remaining in the third period, the Fever called a timeout after Cloud scored inside. Cloud shared a chest bump with teammate Aicha Coulibaly before turning around and walking toward Freedom.
Freedom was sitting along the baseline. He had on a black shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female” (Getty)
Cloud, 34, began yelling and pointing at Freedom, 34, as she approached him. Freedom stood up, extended his arms, and took a step onto the court before security personnel and several Sky players stepped between them.
“There was just a fan incident and the security handled it, and we’re just going to focus on the game,” Chicago forward Azura Stevens said after the Sky’s 113-90 loss.
Chicago coach Tyler Marsh said Cloud was concerned about being a distraction for the team.
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The Fever called for a timeout after Cloud scored inside with 1:22 left in the third. Cloud then did a chest bump with teammate Aicha Coulibaly before turning around and walking in Kanter’s direction (Getty)
“I told her she wasn’t,” Marsh said. “I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected and so Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”
Freedom stopped near the basket to argue his case to security as he was escorted from the court area. He spun around while holding his shirt out to encourage a response from the crowd as he walked toward the front lobby.
He spoke with a group of police officers before departing Wintrust Arena.
Cloud, 34, started yelling and pointing at Kanter, 34, as she approached him. A standing Kanter held his arms out and took one step on the court as security and a handful of Sky players moved in between the two (Getty)
“I didn’t see it, we were talking about the next play in our huddle,” Indiana star Caitlin Clark said, “so I think that’s probably a question for Chicago.”
Cloud met with team and league security after the game but did not speak with the media.
The WNBA has recently been the focus of debate over whether transgender women — individuals assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to compete in the league. No transgender athlete has ever played in the WNBA.
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Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever celebrates a three pointer against the Chicago Sky (Getty)
Although the league’s collective bargaining agreement states it is restricted to women, it contains no specific language regarding gender identity or sex assigned at birth.
Fever guard Sophie Cunningham stated in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Freedom and another former NBA player, Royce White, have declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.
Freedom joined a small rally supporting Cunningham outside Wintrust Arena before the game.
Cunningham said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports (AP)
Asked if he had a message for Freedom, Marsh praised the league and its players.
“If you come to a game you should probably come to enjoy the basketball,” he said, “and that seems pretty simple to me. I think these players deserve that and have earned that. Being a former basketball player, you should probably understand and feel that too.”
There were no major issues between Sophie Cunningham and DiJonai Carrington in Indiana’s 113-90 victory over Chicago on Sunday night. Cunningham scored three points for the Fever in 11 minutes, while Carrington recorded seven points for the Sky in 18 minutes.
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“There was just a fan incident and the security handled it, and we’re just going to focus on the game,” Chicago forward Azura Stevens said after the Sky’s 113-90 loss. (AP)
It was the first matchup between the teams since Cunningham was brought down by Carrington on a fast break earlier this month. Carrington was listed as questionable with a left foot injury, but was cleared after warmups.
Cunningham downplayed any lingering animosity between the teams going into the game. Indiana had dropped two straight games.
“My mindset has never changed. I think it is what it is,” Cunningham said. “I’m locked in on tonight. … I think we’re just out here trying to get the win.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks after the 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at the United Center on July 25 (Getty)
Cunningham and Carrington both checked in for the first time with 3::green-background[04] remaining in the first quarter, with no notable disputes between the players all night long.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he had no conversations with his players before the game about the tense atmosphere from their previous matchup.
“That kind of was what it was last game and anything that came out of it kind of lasted for that time,” Marsh said. “But for us, again, it was on to the next one in front of us.”
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Freedom stopped near the basket to plead his case to security as he was escorted from the court area (Getty)
Cunningham was going up for a layup in the first quarter of Indiana’s 90-86 win on Aug. 8 when Carrington came from behind and struck her in the head and neck, knocking her to the court as the shot went in. Cunningham got up, charged Carrington and pushed her as she was held back by a teammate.
A view of the shoes worn by Enes Kanter #13 of the Boston Celtics against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena on November 17, 2021 (Getty)
The referees reviewed the play and upgraded it to a Flagrant 2 after citing windup, impact, and follow-through, resulting in Carrington’s ejection.
Shortly after being thrown out, Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and tagged the Fever. Carrington is Black and Cunningham is white.
Days later, Carrington said she never claimed the Flagrant 2 assessment resulted from white privilege, though she did not elaborate further.
“I (couldn’t) care less about what she does, what she tweets, any of that,” Cunningham said before Sunday’s game. “I’m here to play basketball.
“There’s going to be people who are going to talk about it … but to me, it’s just another basketball game.”
Aug 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives towards the basket against Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark combined forces to shoot 7-for-9 from 3-point range in a third-quarter run that opened up a decisive lead in the Indiana Fever’s 113-90 win over the host Chicago Sky on Sunday night.
The Fever set a franchise mark for the game with 18 3-pointers made, shooting 54.5% (18-for-33) from long distance.
Indiana (25-14) topped 100 points for the 18th time this season, extending a league record, while Clark set a career best with eight 3-pointers, which she made in just a dozen attempts.
Clark finished with 37 points (on 13-for-24 overall shooting) and 10 assists. Those totals mark Clark’s fifth career WNBA game with 30-plus points and 10-plus assists, which extends her own league record as no other players have had multiple 30/10 games.
Mitchell added 30 points, 23 of which came in the second half, as she shot 6-for-9 from 3-point range. Lexie Hull added 14 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Makayla Timpson notched 12 points and nine rebounds.
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Indiana forward Aliyah Boston was ruled out of Sunday’s game due to a right lower leg injury.
Chicago (15-23) saw its three-game winning streak ended despite Natasha Cloud’s 16 points (on 7-for-9 shooting) and seven assists. Azura Stevens added 14 points and eight boards for the Sky. Kamilla Cardoso battled foul trouble and finished with 11 points on 2-for-9 shooting with six rebounds.
Chicago shot just 4-for-21 (19.0%) from 3-point range. The defeat eliminated the Sky from the WNBA playoff race.
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The teams were competitive in the first half, with Chicago leading by a point at halftime before Mitchell and Clark combined for 25 third-quarter points, mostly from long-range, to pull Indiana away. The Fever outscored the Sky 33-26 in the quarter.
The Sky had pulled even at 58-all on a Sydney Taylor lay-in with 7:15 left in the quarter, but Clark drained a 3-pointer and Mitchell connected on a pair of long-range bombs in the game’s pivotal run. Chicago never pulled closer than six points over the remainder of the game. Indiana’s lead grew as large as 25 points as it outscored Chicago 30-13.
Harmanpreet Singh-led India’s men’s hockey team will take on Argentina in a crucial Phase 2 encounter at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Monday, with their hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the 2026 Hockey World Cup hanging by a thread. India’s 1-3 defeat to the Netherlands in their opening Pool E match left them with no room for another slip-up.
Argentina’s 3-1 win over England on Saturday, however, has kept India’s qualification hopes alive. The result ensured that the second semi-final spot remains up for grabs, giving India an outside chance of progressing to the last four if they can produce a convincing performance against Argentina.
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But what does India’s qualification scenario ahead of the Argentina game look like? Take a look.
Pool E situation at the moment
India qualified for Pool E for the second phase alongside England, Netherlands and Argentina, with England and Netherlands carrying over their three points from Phase 1 wins over fellow qualifiers from their respective pools, i.e., India and Argentina.
On the first match day of Pool E on Saturday, Netherlands beat India 3-1 and almost put an end to their hopes of finishing in the top four before Argentina’s 3-1 win over England put them back in the race with a tough but possible chance.
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At the moment, Netherlands, with six points, are leading the Pool E standings, while England and Argentina are second and third with three points each. India currently sit at the bottom of the table with zero points and a -4 goal difference, thanks to their two-goal losses against both England and Netherlands in Phases 1 and 2.
Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026: Pool E points table
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Team
MP
Pts
W
L
D
GF
GA
GD
Netherlands
2
6
2
0
0
6
2
4
England
2
3
1
1
0
5
5
0
Argentina
2
3
1
1
0
4
4
0
India
2
0
0
2
0
3
7
-4
India’s qualification scenarios
Win vs Argentina
If India want to book their place in the semi-finals, they will have to win their final game against Argentina at any cost. And not just a win — they will have to win their game by at least a three-goal margin.
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At the moment, India have 0 points with a -4 goal difference, while Argentina, with three points, have a goal difference of 0. For India to level Argentina on points and edge past them on goal difference, they will have to win the game by at least a three-goal margin. That will take India’s goal difference to -1 and Argentina’s to -3, which will keep them in semi-final contention.
A win vs Argentina with a goal difference of less than three will eliminate India on the spot.
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Moreover, India will need to better their winning margin to four goals if they wish to ease some pressure from Netherlands, as England also have a goal difference of 0. For India to edge past them, they will need to beat Argentina by four goals to keep themselves a little ahead in the race.
Loss or draw vs Argentina
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If India fail to beat Argentina in their final Pool E game on Monday, they will be eliminated even before Netherlands and England take the field for their match later on the day.
A loss will leave India with 0 points, while a draw will take them to one point, with all the other teams already having more points than that to their account.
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India will need favour from Netherlands
If India manage to win their game against Argentina by a goal margin of three or more, that will still not put them into the semi-finals directly, as they will need help from Netherlands to qualify.
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A win vs Argentina with a three-goal margin will put India at three points with a goal difference of -1. India will then hope that Netherlands beat England by at least two goals so that England will finish their second phase with three points and a -2 goal difference.
If India beat Argentina by four goals, they will stand at three points and a 0 goal difference, in which case Harmanpreet and Co. will be through to the next round with just a Netherlands win, irrespective of goal difference.
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A draw or win for England over Netherlands will also knock India out of the race.
India women’s hockey team coach Sjoerd Marijne admitted nerves got the better of his side in its goalless draw against Australia, adding that reaching the fifth-sixth place playoff at the World Cup is still a significant achievement. India succumbed to the pressure of a must-win match and were knocked out of semifinal contention after being held to a goalless draw by Australia on Sunday.
“It looked like there were nerves. We didn’t play the game we wanted to play. It was not fluent, there was no rhythm in the passing and receiving and there were a lot of unforced errors,” Marijne told PTI after the draw.
“It’s not that we can’t do it, but I don’t know why we couldn’t do it. We know we can do much better than this. Everyone is very disappointed.” India will now play the fifth-sixth place classification match, a position Marijne believes the team can take pride in reaching after making significant progress in recent months.
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“But if you had said five or six months ago that we were going to play the fifth-sixth position match, nobody would believe us. I also told the girls that we really need to learn from this,” he said.
The Dutchman said India’s inability to convert their opportunities proved costly in a game where only a win would have kept their semifinal hopes alive.
“This was our first setback. We didn’t lose and holding Australia to a draw is also a positive, although we needed to win this. In these kinds of matches you have to be there and avail the chances you get.
“You need to score goals to win matches, which didn’t happen against Australia,” he said.
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Marijne identified penalty-corner conversion and composure in front of goal as the key areas India need to improve.
“Defensively, we were very well structured and organised. The team was very disciplined and stayed on task. The major takeaway from the tournament is converting PCs and the opportunities we get. We need to be a little more calm in scoring positions around the goalkeeper,” he said.
India’s best performance at the Women’s World Cup remains their fourth-place finish in 1974, when the Ajinder Kaur-led side narrowly missed out on a medal in France.
Marijne said the team’s latest achievement should be viewed in that context.
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“I told the girls that we are all disappointed, but we are going to play the fifth-sixth position match, which is also historical. We have reached this position after many decades. We also need to find out why we couldn’t do it today.” The coach also drew parallels with India’s experience after their quarterfinal defeat to Ireland at the 2018 World Cup, saying lessons from difficult matches can prove valuable at major tournaments.
“I remember that we lost the quarterfinal in 2018 against Ireland in London, but we learnt a lot from that match. In Tokyo 2021, we played against them and won. So the learnings will be useful for the future.
“We can’t change the result, but I am still very proud of the girls. We win together, we lose together and we draw together. Everyone gave their best. I am always proud of them,” said Marijne.
India now have three days to regroup before their classification match, with Marijne planning to use the break to analyse their performance against Australia.
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“We played a lot of matches this week. We will see the match and analyse where we can do better. That’s the way we will go into the next match,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Yamal Laughs At Paredes vs Gavi ‘Fight Of The Year’ Poster During Parade
The draws ceremony for the Troost-Ekong Foundation Secondary Schools Football Tournament will take place today, Monday, August 24, 2026, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am, with all participating teams expected to be unveiled during the event.
Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong is hosting the tournament as part of his efforts to support youth development and create opportunities for young football talents in Akwa Ibom State.
Eight teams will take part in the tournament across the male and female categories, with two trophies to be won. The competition will feature six matches and provide an opportunity for more than 70 young footballers to showcase their talents.
The matches will be played at the Uyo Township Stadium, with the competition beginning on August 27. Further matches are scheduled for August 28, while the grand finale will take place on September 1, 2026.
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William Troost-Ekong
The tournament is aimed at identifying and developing talented young footballers while giving secondary school students the chance to compete, gain experience and build their confidence through sport.
Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, is expected to attend the grand finale.
An invitation to the Commissioner was presented at his office on August 17 by Mr Bernard Ekong, a member of the tournament’s Board of Trustees.
The Troost-Ekong Foundation Secondary Schools Football Tournament is expected to bring together some of the state’s most promising young football talents and give them a platform to dream bigger through football.
Wyndham Clark has entered the conversation for the PGA Tour Player of the Year race with his third victory of the season at the BMW Championship
Like all of his other wins, Clark was dialed in with his Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset CB putter. He ranked 6th in the field in SG: Putting and averaged nearly 100 feet of putts made per round.
The week leading up to Clark’s U.S. Open victory in June, Clark signed a unique putter-endorsement contract with Ping to continue using the putter he first switched to in the spring. It was the first putter-only deal for Ping in more than 50 years of sponsoring Tour players.
Clark started the year as a gear free agent after his previous contract with Titleist expired at the end of 2025. He cycled through putters for the first two months of the season, then switched to the Scottsdale TEC in March at the Texas Children’s Houston Open before moving to a heavier counterbalanced version at the RBC Heritage in April.
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While the putter, with its layers of lead tape on the sole, remained unchanged, Clark did make tweaks to his TaylorMade Qi4D driver setup, dropping to an 8.0˚ head.
That means Clark has won with three different lofted heads of the Qi4D. The Qi4D has also won two majors this season, four of the five women’s majors and the first two legs of the FedEx Cup Playoffs after Scottie Scheffler won in his first event with the new driver last week.
For more on Clark’s detailed setup, keep reading below.
Wyndham Clark’s winning clubs at the 2026 BMW Championship
*Clark dropped to a 10.0˚ head last week in Memphis.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
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Manchester City are looking to secure a deal for Brazilian winger Allan Elias but Palmeiras are holding out for the fee they want
Palmeiras have warned Manchester City that they will not be able to buy winger Allan on the cheap as they look to replace Savinho. The Blues are making progress to seal a deal for the 22-year-old in the final days of the transfer window but there remains work to do.
Allan has a €100m release clause but City are hoping to complete a deal for less than half of that fee, having been encouraged that Palmeiras will be receptive to a deal. The winger played for the Brazilian club on Sunday evening against Vasco da Gama though and coach Abel Ferreira spoke afterwards about the value in the player the Blues are trying to sign.
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“These teams want a player like Allan because 90 per cent of wingers don’t do what he does, which is attack and defend. They’re going to have to pay. I know how Manchester City plays,” he said. “At Chelsea, there’s a player named Pedro Neto: if they want to go after him, they’re going to have to pay 100 million euros.
“Top teams don’t buy half a player, they buy players who attack and defend. When one comes along who can track back the entire time, play as a right-back – as was the case against Miami – slot into a back three out wide and drift inside for rotations, as happened today with [Agustin] Giay, everyone wants that kind of player. But you have to educate them, develop them and, if necessary, lose a few games along the way.”
Meanwhile, City have agreed a fee for Ayyoub Bouaddi with Lille to bolster their midfield. The total package is worth £85m (€100m) as City have ultimately paid what the French club wanted from the start in order to bring in another key signing.
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Elliot Anderson is already through the door for a club record £116m and started the 2-1 win over Bournemouth, but his partner in midfield for the game was centre-back Marc Guehi as coach Enzo Maresca searches for the right combination with Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders gone and Nico Gonzalez and Mateo Kovacic unfancied.
Twitch star Kai Cenat has spoken up about the viral GTA 6 leaks and has vowed to become the first-ever person to fully finish the game once it releases in November 2026. During a livestream on August 22, 2026, the content creator’s attention was drawn to his Twitch chat, where viewers claimed that the viral GTA 6 leaker, CyberLeek, had allegedly mentioned him.
For context, on August 21, 2026, alleged Telegram messages went viral on X, suggesting that CyberLeek claimed that popular streamers such as Kai Cenat, Darren “IShowSpeed,” and Adin Ross “already played GTA 6,” and that they “already got contracts” with Rockstar Games to “perma promote GTA 6.”
However, these Telegram messages were later debunked, as an X Community Note stated the following:
“This Telegram is not the real one from Cyberleek. The only correct TG is this one… and no other. The others are impostors.”
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At the 12-minute-27-second mark of the livestream, the two-time Streamer of the Year award winner stated that he had not seen any GTA 6 leaks because he was “committed to the actual game”:
“‘GTA 6 leaker mentioned you.’ What are you even talking about, bro? I don’t even, bro, what?! What do you mean, he mentioned me? I haven’t even seen one GTA 6 leak because I am so… what’s that word? Committed to the actual game. You know?”
Kai Cenat then expressed his intention to become the “first person ever in the world” to do a 100% playthrough of GTA 6:
“Y’all do know, in GTA 6, I will be the first person ever in the world to 100% the game. Okay, chat? Facts or nah? Facts or nah? But we’re going to do it at a pace that is natural and pure. Okay?”
Timestamp – 00:12:27
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Kai Cenat previously claimed he would have “unlimited time” to play GTA 6
On August 6, 2026, a 54-second video from Kai Cenat’s Just Chatting livestream went viral on X, in which he discussed his plans to play GTA 6 24/7, claiming that he would have “unlimited time” to enjoy the open-world game.
He elaborated:
“I promise, y’all, the day GTA 6 drops, I don’t know when I am getting off-stream. Yo, genuinely, when I say this – I don’t know when I am getting off. Hey, I get unlimited time, bro! Like, it’s going to be unlimited! And, honestly, when GTA drops, bro, y’all should be playing it, bro. Go and enjoy GTA 6.”
CHICAGO — Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from Sunday night’s Indiana-Chicago WNBA game after he was confronted by Sky guard Natasha Cloud late in the third quarter.
Kanter Freedom was sitting along the baseline. He had on a black shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
The Fever called for a timeout after Cloud scored inside with 1:22 left in the third. Cloud then did a chest bump with teammate Aicha Coulibaly before turning around and walking in Kanter Freedom’s direction.
Cloud, 34, started yelling and pointing at Kanter Freedom, 34, as she approached him. A standing Kanter Freedom held his arms out and took one step on the court as security and a handful of Sky players moved in between the two.
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“There was just a fan incident and the security handled it, and we’re just going to focus on the game,” Chicago forward Azura Stevens said after the Sky’s 113-90 loss.
Chicago coach Tyler Marsh said Cloud was concerned about being a distraction for the team.
“I told her she wasn’t,” Marsh said. “I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected and so Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”
Kanter Freedom stopped near the basket to plead his case to security as he was escorted from the court area. He spun around while holding his shirt out and encouraged the crowd to respond as he walked toward the front lobby.
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He had a conversation with a group of police officers before departing Wintrust Arena.
“I didn’t see it, we were talking about the next play in our huddle,” Indiana star Caitlin Clark said, “so I think that’s probably a question for Chicago.”
Cloud met with team and league security after the game. She did not speak with the media.
The WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women — people assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to participate in the league. There has never been such a player in the WNBA.
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Although the league’s collective bargaining agreement says the WNBA is restricted to women, it contains no more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth.
Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Kanter Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player, have declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.
Kanter Freedom joined a small rally in support of Cunningham outside the arena before the game.
Asked if he had a message for Kanter Freedom, Marsh praised the league and its players.
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“If you come to a game you should probably come to enjoy the basketball,” he said, “and that seems pretty simple to me. I think these players deserve that and have earned that. Being a former basketball player, you should probably understand and feel that too.”
Big Ten > SEC > ACC > Big 12 > Pac-12 > Mountain West
Study that closely. It’s the formula for this year’s Power Rankings. The Big Ten dominates college football. Not the SEC. Not the ACC. And certainly not the Big 12.
The last few years have changed the power dynamic. The Big Ten is the top power conference, and the Big 12 is the worst.
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So, how does that narrative affect teams in the West? For starters, preseason expectations.
Here’s my Preseason Power Ranking at the onset of the year.
1. Oregon
Oregon is gaining steam within the national media. Many view the Ducks as a favorite to win the National Championship.
The Big Ten has dominated college football over the last few years, and UO has capitalized.
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The program’s growth has been significant.
Is this the year they finally break through? Or is it another season destined for a disappointing finish?
2. USC
This season is critical for Lincoln Riley. The program has not performed up to expectations since he took over in 2022.
But all it takes is one year to flip the narrative.
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Realistically, anything less than a run to the Playoff would be considered a failure.
Riley should have the resources at USC to get the job done. If he can’t, perhaps his time in L.A. will be over.
3. BYU
The Cougars enter the 2026 season as a Playoff contender.
Bear Bachmeier is back after leading BYU to 12 wins as a true freshman.
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The program’s foundation is strong, its leadership is in good hands, and outside perceptions are trending upward.
This may be the year that the Cougars win the Big 12 and secure the auto-bid to the Playoff.
4. Washington
The Huskies are a dark horse entering the new year.
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. nearly left the program over the offseason but is back in Seattle. The team will probably go as far as Williams takes them.
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The Big Ten is the toughest conference in America. Still, another year of mediocre results won’t be taken well by the UW fanbase.
The clock may be ticking on Jedd Fisch.
5. Utah
It’s a new era in Salt Lake City. Morgan Scalley takes over the program after Kyle Whittingham led the way for 21 seasons.
Quarterback Devon Dampier returns after throwing 24 touchdowns and rushing for 835 yards last year.
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The dual-threat quarterback scored 10 times on the ground and averaged 5.7 yards per rush.
Utah enters the year as a fringe Playoff contender.
6. Boise State
Boise State is the flagship football program of the new Pac-12.
The Broncos enter the season outside of the Top 25, though, showing the lack of respect the league has on a national level.
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As the Conference’s most-respected program, it comes with a target on their back.
All the other schools in the new Pac-12 will be looking to knock BSU off its top spot.
7. Arizona
Preseason expectations and Arizona generally do not mix well.
The Wildcats typically don’t have hype surrounding them before a year begins. But when they do, the results are usually poor. Yet, there are reasons why the optimism is high.
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Fifita enters his second year under offensive coordinator Seth Doege. And defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales is back after a strong year.
Don’t sleep on Arizona.
8. California
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
Finding a way to keep him on the roster was a major win for new head coach Tosh Lupoi.
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The Bears have been knocking on the door the last few seasons, and the ACC is respected nationally.
Win a few early games, and the buzz around the team could grow.
9. Arizona State
Arizona State enters the season with a question at quarterback. But with a Top 25 transfer class, Kenny Dillingham has a solid roster.
If the quarterback situation is resolved early, the Sun Devils could have a better-than-expected year.
The Big 12 is always competitively balanced and any team can make a run to the championship game.
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ASU enters the year under the radar and staring down a tough schedule.
10. UNLV
The Rebels are the only team in the Mountain West that can legitimately be called a Playoff contender.
If UNLV runs the MWC, it could be in contention for the Group of Six’s guaranteed spot in the Playoff.
Without many respected conference games, the margins of victory could become important. The bigger the wins, the better.
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Perceptions always matter.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
After BCCI dissolves national selectors’ role in picking zonal teams, sanctity of the tournament comes under scanner
CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: A few days before the Duleep Trophy got underway at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on Sunday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced that the final will be shifted to MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The reason given was that there will be fans who will come to watch the match, which doesn’t happen in the CoE.
Chennai is a cricket-crazy centre. But when you ask those who ‘book’ their IPL tickets long before the event, whether they would be interested in attending the Duleep final, the standard query is: “Will Shubman Gill play?”
Gill, in this case, stands for all the stars of Indian cricket. The Duleep final is from Sept 6-10, and it will be interesting to see that those who are not part of the Afghanistan T20 series starting on Sept 12 turn out at MAC.
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That said, the primary purpose of the inter-zonal tournament is to check out the best performers in the Ranji Trophy go head-to-head against each other. The relevance of the tournament, especially after the inception of IPL, has diminished drastically. Yet, it remains a stepping stone for a lot of players.
The tournament’s sanctity has been up for debate with the selection process. The BCCI, in the last decade, has often tried playing the tournament with national selectors picking the India ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ teams.
This year, the board has reverted to the inter-zonal format and has kept the national selectors out of the equation. The result? Delhi opener Sanat Sangwan, who scored 828 runs in seven Ranji Trophy matches, was on Sunday, benched by the North Zone management and instead middle-order batter Yash Dhull was played as an opener. The Central Zone team has only one player from semifinalist Uttarakhand while Madhya Pradesh was the only team from the zone to have qualified for the quarterfinals. There have been a few debatable selections in the South Zone team as well.
Former national selector Devang Gandhi believes that a national selector has to be involved in the selection process if the sanctity of the tournament is to be saved. “When we were selectors from 2016-2021, BCCI had given us the responsibility of picking the Duleep Trophy to maintain continuity in a player’s development. If the opener with the highest runs in the country doesn’t get to play Duleep Trophy, it defeats the purpose of the tournament. The board must at least ensure one selector from each zone is present in planning their respective zonal teams. Otherwise, politics at the state association level can crop up. There’s no accountability if BCCI selectors are not used,” Gandhi told TOI.
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“Today we are seeing Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain as products of domestic cricket. If that structure is compromised, then it will be difficult to see such journeys,” Gandhi added.
TOI understands that the selection committee has been asking for a greater role in Duleep Trophy teams. The board had given the Ajit Agarkar-led committee the responsibility for the last two years before handing complete authority to state associations in the zone.
For selectors, Duleep is a tournament from where players for India ‘A’ are selected. In this case, Australia ‘A’ will come to India in October and those who are part of this Duleep, will look to stake a claim in the ‘A’ side. It is definitely a step lower for the established stars and there’s not much to prove for them, unless it’s just a test of fitness, as is the case for Washington Sundar or Sai Sudharsan, who are coming back from injuries.
In recent times, we have often seen T20 performances have often been the benchmark for red-ball selection. Ajinkya Rahane came back into India’s WTC Final squad in 2023 on the basis of a great IPL while Sai Sudharsan’s entry into the Test squad has largely been due to his consistency in IPL for Gujarat Titans.
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When we look at the East Zone squad that took on NorthEast from Sunday, we see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi being named as the vice-captain ahead of Abhimanyu Easwaran. The Bengal opener has an average of 47.85 over 112 games while Sooryavanshi averages 17.25 in the eight games that he has played.
While it can raise a few eyebrows, Gandhi says it’s “a question of backing talent”. “Nothing against Abhimanyu, but we all know what Vaibhav brings to the table. He is one for the future with incredible talent and what’s the harm if he is put in the leadership group at a young age. The selectors will know how he reacts to it,” Gandhi said.
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