In only their second season, the Golden State Valkyries are playing in their first WNBA Finals. They open a best-of-seven series Saturday against the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center in San Francisco. The No. 2 seed Valkyries swept the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, while No. 4 seed Dream swept the New York Liberty to reach the Finals for the first time since 2013.

Game 1 tips off at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and can be watched on NBC and Peacock and heard on 95.7 FM. If you don’t have a ticket but want to watch the game with other fans, check out this list of Valkyries-friendly establishments.

Advertisement

Share your thoughts on the series, the key matchups and what’s happening in the game once action begins.

Check the Valkyries Bar Network for places to watch across the Bay Area, some of which advertise discounts during games or to fans in Valkyries attire.

Subscribe

There’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.

This article originally published at How and when to watch WNBA Finals. Share your thoughts on Game 1 of Valkyries-Dream.

South African rugby player Hyron Andrews of Johannesburg-based side the Lions was found dead at a hotel in France on Friday, on the eve of his team’s Champions Cup match against La Rochelle, local authorities told AFP.

A source close to the investigation said the 31-year-old lock was found in cardiac arrest in a shower cubicle that was locked from the inside.

The public prosecutor in La Rochelle, western France, confirmed that an investigation had been opened to determine the cause of death, which occurred on the island of Ile de Ré, and said that an accidental death was currently the leading line of inquiry.

An autopsy is due to be carried out, the source close to the investigation said.

“This devastating news has sent shockwaves through the international rugby community,” the Lions said in a statement.

“The former Sharks and Sale Sharks lock forward was a valued member of the Lions family, and his loss will be felt profoundly by his teammates, coaches, supporters and all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

Andrews had only returned to his native South Africa earlier this year after a two-year spell with English Prem side Sale Sharks. He began his career with the Sharks franchise in Durban and represented his country at Under-20 level.

“We are heartbroken by the passing of Hyron. He was not only a gifted rugby player, but also a cherished member of our Lions family having recently joined us this season,” added Lions chief executive Rudolf Straeuli.

“On behalf of … everyone at the Lions, I extend our deepest sympathies to (his wife) Maighlin, their young sons Hendrix and Emerson and the entire Andrews family. We stand with them in their sorrow and will remember Hyron with great affection and respect.”

Playing in ‘honour of Hyron’

The Lions said Saturday’s match against La Rochelle would go ahead as planned “in honour of Hyron”. 

It is the first time the Lions have played in the Champions Cup, which brings together the best European and South African clubs. A moment’s silence will be held ahead of all Champions Cup and second-tier Challenge Cup matches this weekend in memory of Andrews.

Read moreParis court convicts two for 2022 murder of Argentine rugby star Aramburu

“Hyron was a respected member of the rugby community whose contribution to the game and impact on those around him will be remembered with great fondness,” said Mark Alexander, president of the South African Rugby Union.

“His untimely passing is a devastating loss, and we share in the grief of all who knew and loved him.

“The thoughts and prayers of the entire South African rugby family are with Maighlin and all those mourning his loss.”

The tragedy comes exactly 10 years to the day since the sudden death of former Munster coach Anthony Foley, who died in his sleep aged 42 due to a heart rhythm disorder just hours before his team were due to play against Racing 92 in Paris in the same competition.

La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara was a member of the Racing staff when Foley, a former Ireland international team-mate, passed away in October 2016.

Bordeaux-Begles are set to begin their bid for a record-equalling third straight Champions Cup crown later on Friday when they visit Gloucester in the tournament opener.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.

Join today

Already a member?
Log in

Advertisement

Moses Itauma needed time to come to terms with the first defeat of his career against Filip Hrgovic but is now ready to reap the benefits of that gripping night in August.

Itauma looked destined to become the second youngest heavyweight champion of all time behind Mike Tyson when he unloaded on Hrgovic at will in the first half of their IBF title showdown at The O2 Arena.

The 21-year-old had emptied the tank too early, however, and slowly exhaustion took over to enable his durable Croatian foe to force a ninth-round stoppage.

Now lined up for a January comeback against an established name, Itauma stands by his decision to aim for “greatness” by attempting to knock Hrgovic out.

“For a long time I couldn’t accept the fact that it happened because I was winning the fight so comfortably,” said Itauma, speaking publicly about the fight for the first time at the launch of Club Eight 3 gym in Chatham.

“I was so far ahead on the scorecards and then all of a sudden your body just starts shutting itself down.

“I’ve always been able to do things that other people couldn’t do. When you talk about knocking out Dillian Whyte in the first round, people couldn’t do that but I did it. Jermaine Franklin’s never looked like he’s ever been in any trouble and I knocked him out.

“So when certain opportunities arose in that Hrgovic fight, I thought this is the moment for me to do something that other people couldn’t do.

“I was at an arm’s length away from so much greatness and that was the experience that I needed to have.”

Promoter Frank Warren wants Itauma fully involved in a busy 2027 for the heavyweight division that will see the likes of Daniel Dubois, the winner of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua and Hrgovic vie for supremacy.

Itauma will makes some adjustments as a result of his first loss in 15 fights but having dominated on the judges’ scorecards, the core of who he is in the ring will remain the same.

“The identity of being a boxer is still deeply rooted in me,” Itauma said. “Just because I lost doesn’t mean that’s going to change. I’ll be back.

“I’m always very honest about what’s happened. There’s not much that’s going to change. It’s the third round I’ve ever lost in my boxing career, it just happened to be for the heavyweight championship of the world at 21 years of age.

“All the way until a minute before the fight stopped I didn’t have a worry. It was only maybe the last couple of minutes of round nine that things just started go.

“I started moving in slow motion and he was in fast motion. And then it was like I just couldn’t do anything.

“The exhaustion had obviously kicked in. But at no point in that fight was I like, ‘oh, I’m messing up’. I still tried.

“Nine times out of 10, when people come up to me on the streets, they’re like, ‘it was a good fight’. And although I didn’t get the decision, boxing’s entertainment and I entertained. Congratulations to Filip Hrgovic.”

We should have never doubted the Chiefs. But some of us did, including myself, who predicted they would miss the playoffs again in my season preview bold predictions column.

One month into the season, it’s already abundantly clear the Chiefs are once again a Super Bowl contender as they’ve raced off to a 4-0 start. 

Their defense has been better than expected even after losing their top two corners, and the addition of Kenneth Walker III has completely transformed their offense, which may still have a hole to fill. There are rumors that Kansas City is interested in bringing back its former WR Tyreek Hill to fill that void, but do the Chiefs need him, or even have room for him? Let’s take a look.  

Mahomes and Walker forming a record-breaking duo

The Chiefs were an offensive juggernaut in the first five seasons of the Mahomes era, featuring home runs to Tyreek Hill and YAC for days from Travis Kelce. They evolved into a death by a thousand cuts, ranking 19th in scoring over the past three years. Now, they look like the perfect offense in 2026. Downhill running and play action to combat defenses sitting back to limit big plays.

The Chiefs’ new identity is a masterpiece, leading to an offensive renaissance. It’s the mesh point when Patrick Mahomes is about to hand off to Walker that is painting defenses into a corner. Pick your poison. Lay back in coverage, and Super Bowl MVP Walker will bludgeon you. Cheat vs. the run and three-time Super Bowl MVP Mahomes will carve you up with play action. 

This was the vision when you pair up a Super Bowl MVP combo at QB and RB for the first time since Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. You get a lethal play-action combination, the foundation for perhaps a reimagined Super Bowl run. 

Over half of the Chiefs total yards are coming from Mahomes play-action passes and Walker runs this season — 57% to be exact. Only one duo has accounted for more in a season in the past 15 seasons: Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry in 2020.

Mahomes and Walker have combined for the most play-action passing and rush yards by a duo through four games (944) since Jared Goff/Todd Gurley in 2018 (1,032). 

Most play-action pass + rush yards by duo through 4 games (past 15 years)

The Chiefs average 7.1 yards per play when Mahomes attempts a play-action pass or when Walker runs the ball. The NFL record for yards per play in a season, regardless of play type, is 7.0 by the 2000 Rams. 

It’s all a byproduct of a historic start by Walker and his violent running style. He has forced the most missed tackles (42) by any player through four games in the past 10 seasons. He’s the third RB in NFL history with 130+ rush yards per game and 6.0+ yards/rush during a 4-0 start. The others? They are on most people’s RB Mount Rushmore: Jim Brown (1958 & 1963) and Emmitt Smith (1995).

At this rate, he could be one of the most important offseason moves ever. Remember, the Chiefs went completely against their identity with this move. They made Walker the highest-paid free agent RB ever ($14.4M per year) after ranking 15th or worse in cap spending on running backs every season from 2018-25. Now, Walker is on pace to be the Chiefs’ first 1,000-yard rusher with Mahomes … by Week 9!

Kansas City has leaned into its newfound success by going under center on 42% of its plays, by far the highest in the Mahomes era (25% is next highest). It’s been the perfect counterpunch for how defenses have evolved to slow down Mahomes. Now, he’s seeing more base defense and more loaded boxes this year, a sight for sore eyes.

Chiefs tendencies

On a per-play basis, the Chiefs are actually better this year (0.15 EPA per play) than their first five seasons in the Mahomes era (0.14 EPA per play). 

Do Chiefs have room for Tyreek Hill?

This is the most complete offense they’ve ever had with Mahomes, but there is one missing piece: a deep threat. The Chiefs are reportedly very interested in a reunion with Tyreek Hill to help there.  

Most signs point toward this move. The Chiefs’ best home run threat, Tyquan Thornton, dislocated his ankle in Week 4, which puts the rest of his season in doubt. Plus, Mahomes’ connection with Xavier Worthy has never materialized. Mahomes is 8-for-37 targeting Worthy on deep balls, the worst completion rate (21.6%) among 38 duos with 25+ targets since 2024. An already thin WR room could take another hit at any moment, too, based on Rashee Rice’s track record.

Mahomes led the NFL with 41 touchdown passes on deep balls from 2018-21. He had just SEVEN in four-plus seasons since. Aidan O’Connell has more in that span (eight) for crying out loud! That’s the Tyreek Hill effect.

A reunion with Hill is a great fit on paper, but there are so many questions swirling around him:

• Will he be eligible to play? He is currently under NFL investigation related to domestic violence allegations made by his wife that could violate the league’s personal conduct policy. 
• Is he healthy? Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he doesn’t know if Hill is 100% healthy right now. 
• Is he still good? Even prior to the injury, he looked like a shell of his former self, recording one catch of more than 30 yards in his past 20 games played. He’s averaged 11.5 yards per catch in that span. That is probably the least concerning factor here for a few reasons, and you can potentially chalk that up to the fall of the Dolphins offense with Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa. 

If the Chiefs can somehow answer yes (or maybe) to all three questions, then what would prevent them from reuniting with Hill? Character concerns? That won’t stop them. They brought back Kareem Hunt.

If they did sign Hill, I wouldn’t doubt them. I’ve done that before, and I learned my lesson. 

Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez posted a statement on social media a day after his outbursts following the defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Manchester United’s players have returned to training this morning, meaning Lisandro Martinez will soon discover whether he will face any disciplinary action over his post-Atletico Madrid outburst.

Martinez has dominated headlines after an extraordinary interview following the loss to Atletico, where he ripped into Jason Wilcox and United for failing to invest more over the summer.

The defender said what every fan has been thinking, but there will likely be consequences, despite Martinez posting a statement on social media on Wednesday night to try to smooth over the situation.

“Following everything that has been said about my comments yesterday, I want to share some thoughts on what I said and how I feel,” Martinez wrote on Instagram.

“After the match, I spoke out of anger and frustration at not getting the result we all wanted. Those who know me know how I live football, with passion, commitment and a huge desire to win.

“And when things don’t go our way, it hurts, especially when representing a club with the history and stature of Manchester United. My words reflect how I feel and how much I want to see this club competing for the biggest honours. Those high standards are part of how I see football and the responsibility that comes with wearing this shirt.

Make sure you never miss the latest Manchester United news and opinion by making Manchester Evening News one of your Google preferred sources.

“When I talk about wanting more, I’m talking about the ambition we must all have as part of this club. To keep growing, to become stronger and to have everything we need to compete at the highest level. These are standards we must all hold ourselves to, starting with me.

“I know that, first and foremost, it’s us, the players, who have to deliver, and I put myself at the front of that responsibility. We need to demand even more of ourselves and also work together to take Manchester United back to the top.

“I believe in my teammates, our manager, everyone working to help this club move forward. I’m convinced that the way forward is to keep working together, with ambition and commitment. My goal has been the same since day one, to win, to compete at the highest level, to give everything I have for this badge”.

Advertisement

Martinez backed down to some extent, trying to provide context to his comments and saying the players must take responsibility first and foremost, but crucially, there was no apology in the statement. Many have suggested his spiky comments were fuelled by adrenaline so soon after the full-time whistle, but it’s clear he stands by what he said.

Whether the absence of an apology affects the potential punishment remains to be seen. United sources have remained tight-lipped about what disciplinary action Martinez could face until the outcome is confirmed, but a fine at the least seems inevitable in the circumstances.

Martinez’s rant has torched the notion that United have a happy dressing room. Some players agree with his comments, while others disagree with the manner in which they were made, but Martinez publicly confirmed there is frustration over the failure to address gaps in the squad.

Against last season’s Champions League semi-finalists, a team sitting second in La Liga that had just beaten Real Madrid, United played with a winger up front and a centre-back at left-back, all because two obvious positions were overlooked in the transfer window.

Luke Shaw started every Premier League game last season, becoming just the fifth United player to do so, but a quick glance at his injury record shows that his body would not be able to handle two games per week.

It was also obvious that a striker needed to be signed. Benjamin Sesko is the only recognised striker in the squad and he missed all of pre-season through injury.

There were hints of frustration before Martinez spoke his mind. In August, Harry Maguire said he wanted “competition for places” and that he wanted United to add “the best players” in front of him.

Shaw said: “I’m sure there will be a couple of additions to the squad, which is needed to make it stronger.”

It must be mentioned that there could be other factors at play in Martinez’s outburst. It felt like a calculated first step to leave the club (he is out of contract in June), but he deserves praise for having the bottle to criticise a failing regime.

The ironic thing is that even if Wilcox wanted Martinez banished from the first team, which would be a drastic measure, the squad is not in a position to do so, even though he’s underperformed this season.

United have three senior injury-prone centre-backs (Martinez, Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt) and two younger defenders, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, who are not battle-hardened in the Premier League.

That should be considered when disciplinary action for Martinez is decided – and Michael Carrick will have his say. Martinez suggested Carrick should have been given more signings and backed him in his Instagram statement, but his comment on the team’s style of play won’t have gone unnoticed by the United head coach.

When Martinez was asked whether the problem was Carrick not being backed enough, he said: “I don’t think so. He does his best.

“But every season is different. You cannot say what you did last season. The teams know how you play, the teams know every detail, you know? And if you don’t change, next season is a big problem.”

Carrick has attempted to change the team’s style of play this season, so it seemed Martinez was having another dig at the board for not giving him the tools to so successfully, but others have interpreted it differently.

The situation is a mess, but the story is not yet wrapped up.

Paris Saint-Germain further soured the mood at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City‘s first home game since the guilty verdict on widespread flouting of Premier League financial rules ended in a 4-2 Champions League defeat on Wednesday.

The European champions turned on the style to strike three times inside the opening 35 minutes through Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha.

But City stormed back in the second half as Erling Haaland scored twice either side of Maghnes Akliouche’s strike that briefly restored PSG‘s three-goal cushion.

The 10-time English champions face swingeing sanctions unless they can successfully appeal the ruling of an independent commission last month, which found the club guilty on over 100 charges of financial impropriety.

City shrugged off the uncertainty over their future to win 3-0 at Liverpool on Sunday and remain top of the Premier League, but PSG showed why they are the favourites to win this competition for a third consecutive season.

Read moreChampions League: Arsenal leave no chance to Lille and Olivier Giroud

Former City manager Pep Guardiola returned to the Etihad for the first time since his departure in May, sat behind the club’s embattled chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and CEO Ferran Soriano in a show of solidarity.

City made passing reference to the guilty verdict with a lengthy pre-match video detailing the club’s historic moments of celebration both before and after an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008 that transformed their fortunes.

Behind one end supporters unravelled a giant banner reading: “I’m City till I die.”

Yet the fighting talk in the stands was not matched on the field as City were blown away by a scintillating first 45 minutes from the visitors.

Luis Enrique’s decision to leave Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the bench proved to be inspired as it meant Doue started wide on the left.

Gianluigi Donnarumma had a point to prove after the Italian goalkeeper was let go by the PSG coach just months after helping deliver the club’s first Champions League title in 2025.

However, it turned out to be a night to forget for the giant Italian.

Donnarumma was caught out at his near post by Doue’s effort from outside the box after a lightning counter-attack to open the scoring.

Read moreArsenal thrash Lille as Atletico Madrid beat Manchester United

The move for the second goal two minutes later was even more impressive as Doue and Dembele exchanged an elaborate one-two before the latter headed in at the far post.

Achraf Hakimi hit the post before Vitinha rattled in PSG’s third from the edge of the box.

Maresca responded with a triple substitution at half-time and managed to salvage some pride, even if the deficit proved too much to overturn.

Antoine Semenyo and Enzo Fernandez missed glaring chances to pull a goal back even before Haaland glanced home a header from Iliman Ndiaye’s cross.

Yet, City were hit by a sucker punch when Donnarumma got a hand to Akliouche’s effort but the ball looped high into the air and spun back into the net.

Nuno Mendes made a brilliant clearance off his own line and Haaland hit the bar before the Norwegian slotted home his second of the night.

Donnarumma saved a late Ferran Torres penalty to deny the French champions a fifth goal.

But in the battle between two state-backed projects that have reshaped European football, Qatar-owned PSG are the top dogs right now as City face up to a scandal that leaves their litany of trophies over the past 15 years open to question.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)