Category: Basketball

Rick Barnes continues to weave his Tennessee basketball team together through summer practices, trying to build some chemistry as each new face learns the system. Two of those key guards have yet to take part in those practices, however, both battling through injuries.

Tyler Lundblade, Tennessee’s first pull out of the transfer portal, has been sidelined with a back injury. Barnes has said the Volunteers are being cautious with him, but he’s nearing being back to full strength.

“As with Tyler, he’s just putting one foot in front of the other, step by step, just trying to continue to improve, and just work towards getting healthy,” Tennessee assistant coach Amarrow Morgan said today. “He’s very close to being there, for sure.”

Lundblade shot 43 percent from three-point range last season at Belmont, scoring over 15 points per game. The 6-5 shooting guard was named the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year.

Another guy nearing full strength is Troy Henderson, who returns to Tennessee for his sophomore season. Henderson has been dealing with a shoulder issue that dates back to last season.

“I think he’s very close, just the same,” Morrow said. “Like, if you watch him work out, he’s out there full throttle, full head of steam, hadn’t really done anything direct contact yet, but he’ll be out there very, very soon.”

Henderson didn’t do much statistically last year, but the flashes were certainly there. He’ll be battling for minutes behind Lundblade, Dai Dai Ames, Juke Harris and Terrance Hill in the Tennessee backcourt. Henderson appeared in 28 games last season.

Tennessee will continue to practice ahead of a couple of preseason scrimmages in October, coming against Xavier and Duke.

Who makes the rules in college athletics in 2026? Is it the NCAA, the longtime governing body of intercollegiate sports, or is it the judicial branch of the U.S. government?

Coaches are asking the same question. For Louisville women’s basketball coach Jeff Walz, who has led the Cardinals to four Final Fours, the answer is clear.

“If a court says they can play, how can a league say they can’t?” Walz asked rhetorically. “When all of a sudden did a league get more power than a court?”

Back in June, the NCAA changed its longstanding eligibility structures to an age-based model, commonly referred to as the “five-in-five” rule. Beginning with the day a student-athlete enrolls or their 19th birthday, whichever comes first, current and future college athletes will have five years to play five seasons of their sport. It was designed to simplify the eligibility process - no more redshirts, no more waivers and no more debates about seasons played at non-NCAA institutions like junior colleges. The hope was that this would quell the countless eligibility lawsuits the NCAA faced, like the one brought by Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in February.

What happened instead was a new wave of lawsuits, this time brought forth mostly by players who were freshmen in 2022 and believe they were excluded from this new eligibility structure.

Courts across the country - federal, state, district and circuit - have weighed in on these lawsuits. They have largely ruled against the NCAA, granting the plaintiffs - the players - more eligibility. Through these rulings, several former college football players have returned to campuses from NFL training camps.

The various lawsuits have also paved the way for a handful of women’s basketball players to return to college. Two of them this week signed with programs expected to make deep runs in the NCAA tournament this upcoming season.

Louisville added forward Amiya Joyner and Oklahoma State brought on guard Callin Hake. The head coaches of both programs - Walz of the Cardinals and Jacie Hoyt of the Cowgirls - spoke with USA TODAY Sports recently about the process in signing both of those players, the uncertainty surrounding the lawsuits and the risks ahead.

“The best way I can compare it to anything I've ever experienced is coaching through COVID,” Hoyt said. “When everything was just changing every day, and you thought you knew an answer and then you had to pivot because something changed. That's what it feels like right now. It’s wild times, for sure.”

Added Walz: “We’re playing with today’s rules. Tomorrow, it could all change. I’m just playing by the rules that are out there today.”

Who is Amiya Joyner?

A 6-foot-2 forward from Farmville, North Carolina, Joyner began her collegiate career at East Carolina in 2022. As a freshman, she was named American Conference Rookie of the Year and was a two-time all-conference selection. Last season, her senior year, she transferred to LSU and had a key role for Kim Mulkey’s Tigers, averaging 9.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting a stellar 59.7% from the floor.

LSU made the Sweet 16, where it was upset by Duke on a buzzer-beater, and Joyner thought her college career was over. She declared for the WNBA Draft but wasn’t selected, never signed with a team and didn’t appear in training camp. She instead joined the Upshot League, a new professional women’s basketball organization spearheaded by former WNBA president Donna Orender aiming to develop players for the WNBA. Joyner played in 22 games for the Greensboro Groove this summer, most recently appearing in a game on July 19.

Days later, Joyner was made eligible for college basketball again when Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado granted a class-wide preliminary injunction that required the NCAA to declare all players from the high school class of 2022 eligible. Last week, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the NCAA a stay which reversed that decision.

While seen as a victory for the NCAA, that ruling did not impact state-level cases, perhaps most notably the decision by a Louisiana court to grant fifth-year eligibility to more than a dozen plaintiffs - including Joyner.

“Do I think it's wild and crazy? Yeah, I sure do. Did we have any intentions of looking at a fifth-year player like this? No, not really,” Walz said. “But then we had a situation where a scholarship came open, I said, ‘Alright, let's see what happens.’ If the courts have said you can do it, well, I'm not going to say no.”

Joyner entered the transfer portal and signed with Louisville. Walz said she started classes this week and is already practicing with the team.

“We had a need at that spot,” Walz said. “We needed some more back-to-the-basket strength, rebounding, interior post play. So, she definitely is going to help us. We’re filling a need - that’s what we use the portal for.”

Who is Callin Hake?

Hake, a 5-foot-8 guard from Victoria, Minnesota, spent all previous four years of her college basketball career at Nebraska, where she helped the Cornhuskers make three consecutive NCAA Tournaments and was a full-time starter in each of the last two seasons. As a senior last year, Hake averaged 7.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 35% from 3-point land. She led the Huskers in assists and steals while setting a program record for offensive fouls drawn in a single season with 33.

On Aug. 18, a Superior Court in Santa Clara County, California granted a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to make 73 athletes - including Hake - eligible again. That lawsuit also included Gonzaga’s Ines Bettencourt, Michigan’s Brooke Quarles Daniels, Texas Tech’s Adlee Blacklock and Arizona State’s Marley Washenitz among the women’s basketball players who were plaintiffs. Washenitz has since signed with UNLV.

Hake entered the transfer portal and arrived at Oklahoma State this week. One of the factors that went into Hoyt’s decision to bring in Hake was some of the Cowgirls’ international recruits dealing with visa issues, sprouting a bit of uncertainty across the roster.

“That has affected our decision to take Callin because we have several international players that have been some question marks where I would like there to be periods, but I just haven't had that luxury,” Hoyt said. “So we felt, just from an insurance standpoint in terms of just roster spots and having bodies here, that was something that we needed to look a little deeper into.

“The biggest thing for me is, how does this affect our culture? How does this affect the chemistry that we spent all summer building? It's better to pass on that extra spot if it's going to be disruptive to your culture. But Callin really just fit like a glove for us. She's an amazing human, first and foremost.”

SEC, Big 12 make new conference eligibility rules

This week, three of the Power 4 conferences have issued new rules related to eligibility. The SEC led the way by saying on Tuesday, Aug. 25 that players who had declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA drafts and did appropriately withdraw are not permitted to play in the conference. Players are also not allowed if they signed a contract with one of those leagues or were listed on a roster. The Big Ten issued a similar statement, but its rules apply only to football for now.

Meanwhile, the Big 12 has also adopted conference rules that forbid member schools from adding a player who has declared for a pro draft, been listed on the roster of a professional team or has signed a contract with a professional team in any sport.

In the case of Hake and Oklahoma State, those rules seemingly wouldn’t apply to her since she never declared for the WNBA Draft or played professionally in any capacity since leaving Nebraska.

“You don't want to do something that's not going to hold up. That's the last thing I want to do, is put my team in a situation where we thought that we had a player, and then we don't,” Hoyt said. “In Callin's case specifically, we feel like we hit all of the checkpoints. Our compliance team feels like Callin's situation is one that has the best chance of holding up if something were to come back.”

One of the NHL’s top goaltenders is back in the headlines.

On Thursday, Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck publicly announced that he had requested a trade.

Hellebuyck, 33, made the proclamation in a statement that was posted on social media by his agent, Ray Petkau.

“Several months ago, I privately requested a trade,” Hellebuyck said in the statement. “I have tried to handle this situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options. With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.”

We’ll see if this public declaration moves the needle at all in terms of Winnipeg finding a deal that its comfortable with making for its elite netminder.

A couple hours after Hellebuyck’s statement went viral, the Jets responded with one of their own in which Winnipeg General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said, in part, “While we continue to work through the situation in a thoughtful manner, there is no update at this time.”

Contractually, Hellebuyck has five years remaining on his current deal, which runs through the 2030-31 season and comes with an average annual value (AAV) of $8.5 million.

It also carries a full no-movement clause, giving Hellebuyck total control over where he may ultimately end up, as no trade can be completed without him signing off on it.

Fresh off a gold medal-winning performance for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics and universally considered one of the best goaltenders in the world, the interest in Hellebuyck has been unsurprisingly high.

There were rumors swirling around Hellebuyck back around the NHL Draft in late June and into the new league year, which began on July 1, but things have been on the quiet side since.

The Florida Panthers were among teams often mentioned in the same breath as Hellebuyck, as Florida’s goaltending situation was in flux leading up to the start of July.

Longtime Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky left Florida in free agency, signing a three-year, $21 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Florida pivoted for a short-term fix, trading for veteran Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils and restricted free agent Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights.

Markstrom has two years remaining on a deal paying an AAV of $6 million while Florida signed Schmid to a new two-year, $4 million contract, giving the Cats a pair of tendies locked up for next two seasons.

Does that mean the Panthers would be out on any potential deal for Hellebuyck? Not necessarily.

The easiest path would be a deal that included a goalie swap, which would make sense for the Jets as they would likely want as solid of a tandem post-Hellebuyck as possible.

Considering Florida does not own another first round pick until the 2030 NHL Draft, the Panthers would almost certainly have to part ways with one or more of their elite pieces, as well as one of their few high-end prospects, in order to entice a deal with the Jets.

Another way to potentially peak Winnipeg’s interest would be to include young center Anton Lundell in any trade offer, though Lundell has been a player that Florida GM Bill Zito has been extremely hesitant to dangle in any possible deals.

If Zito and Co. feel comfortable with Markstrom and Schmid as their tandem, it doesn’t make much sense to rip up part of the roster, as the question will come down to whether a possible upgrade at goaltender would outweigh a potential downgrade up front.

Ultimately, there will have to be a combination of an offer that Winnipeg would accept coming from a team that Hellebuyck will approve a deal to.

Whether the Panthers have the wherewithal to check both of those boxes, or the desire to try, remains to be seen.

Is there a deal that you think would work for both sides? Let us know in the comments below.

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Photo caption: Nov 19, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; FloridaPanthersleft wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) tries for a tip in on Winnipeg Jets goaltenderConnorHellebuyck(37) in the third period at Canada Life Centre. (James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)

Did you know that on July 23, 2020, the Seattle Kraken were officially named the Kraken? ​

The team that was once NHL Seattle was finally named the Seattle Kraken on July 23, 2020.

​According to NHL.com, former team president and general manager Ron Francis said the Seattle Kraken wasn't among the final name groups for NHL Seattle, and that the owners and executives were considering other names.

​However, on July 23, the league announced that the Seattle team would be called the Kraken, giving the club a clearer identity as those trade discussions continued. ​

The meaning of the name comes from the mythical, mysterious, and mighty sea beast. The deep-sea blue logo has ice blue, shadow blue, boundless blue, and red alert shades.

According to NHL.com, “The logo honors the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, who became the first team from the United States to win the Stanley Cup when they defeated the Montreal Canadiens in 1917, months before the NHL was born. It is an "S," like the Metropolitans logo, but with a tentacle and red eye.”

Ron Francis shared the meaning behind the name after the announcement.

"Seattle's a city with a deep maritime history," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said. "I think this name embodies a connection with the sea and a curiosity of what lies beneath it. It's a natural tie to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. In theory, it reflects the power and aggression of hockey. We're hoping that's the kind of tenacity our players show every time they take the ice. So I'm excited by it."

In the first five seasons in the NHL, the Seattle Kraken have made the postseason once.

The team saw the most success in the second season, posting a 46-28-8 record with 100 points. ​They were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs that year. ​

The Kraken enter the sixth season in the NHL hoping to make a stronger push than in prior years, with trade moves part of that effort. ​

Starting forward NaLyssa Smith is out for the season with a left leg injury, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces announced on Thursday.

The team did not disclose specifics regarding her diagnosis or treatment plan. She was not seen at Thursday's practice and Aces coach Becky Hammon did not answer questions about her status.

Smith sustained the non-contact injury during a 88-78 win over the the Toronto Tempo on Sunday, Aug. 23. When she exited the game with 3:15 mark of the third quarter, she was shooting 4-of-4 from the field.

Smith was in the midst of one of the best seasons of her career, averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds over 37 games this season. She was leading the league in field goal percentage at 63.8%.

Lineup shuffles are all the rage:

Honestly, this is just a strange-looking lineup. Mauricio Dubon is still hitting cleanup, but Ozzie Albies slides up to second in Ronald Acuña Jr.’s absence. Lane Thomas DHes against a righty, even though Dominic Smith and Sean Murphy are still on the roster.

But hey, yesterday’s hero gets a start for the first time in 12 days, so we’ll see what happens.

The Dodgers have also shuffled their lineup a bit:

Tommy Edman slides into the two-hole and center field, while Miguel Rojas and Enrique Hernandez will make starts in the finale. Max Muncy gets a day off against southpaw Chris Sale, while Teoscar Hernandez moves up to fifth.

History against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, you ask? Everyone but Drake Baldwin and Mauricio Dubon have faced him at least once, but no one has double-digit PAs against him. Everyone save Thomas and Albies has also hit him pretty well, so the collective line is a .326 wOBA and .346 xwOBA in 30 PAs.

For the Dodgers versus Sale, there’s a fair bit of experience for a handful of guys, and everyone but catcher Ben Rortvedt has faced Sale at least once. Teoscar Hernandez, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman have all pretty much crushed Sale. The combined line is just a .326 wOBA and .317 xwOBA, though, because the other players in their lineup have generally struggled against the Braves’ ace.

The Dodgers made the biggest move at the trade deadline in acquiring ace Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers on August 2. Now just less than four weeks later, the two-time Cy Young Award winner will face his former team for the first time, in front of fans at Comerica Park.

Skubal has a 2.67 ERA in 77 career games at Comerica Park, including 75 starts. The Tigers were 47-28 (.627) in those home starts.

Fellow Friday starter Drew Anderson was in the bullpen for nearly all of his first four months with the Tigers, but he moved into the rotation after Skubal and Casey Mize were traded and has a 3.57 ERA in four starts. Anderson stretched out to five innings in his last two starts, allowing three runs in both outings.

Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Tigers
• Ballpark: Comerica Park, Detroit
• Start time: 3:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Last year, in addition to becoming the first four-time MVP in WNBA history, A’ja Wilson became just the second back-to-back MVP. Cynthia Cooper accomplished the feat 27 years earlier in the league’s first two seasons.

Now, Wilson is the frontrunner to win an unprecedented third MVP in a row. It would be her fifth total, which is mind-boggling, especially considering she just turned 30 years old and likely has quite some time left in her career.

Wilson leads the player many consider to be second in the running, Olivia Miles, by a whopping 8.3 statistical points when you add up their averages in points, rebounds, assists times 1.5, steals and blocks. Miles has a slightly higher effective field goal percentage and a slightly higher free throw percentage, but Wilson’s lead in stat score is overwhelming.

• A’ja Wilson: 43.7 stat score / 54.9 eFG% / 85.8 FT%
• Olivia Miles: 35.4 stat score / 55.4 eFG% / 86.9 FT%  

But should the MVP only be about statistics? 

Should voters think outside the box and give the MVP to Olivia Miles?

Miles has led a Minnesota Lynx team that nobody expected to have best record in the league. The Lynx are 3.5 games ahead of the next closest team in the current WNBA standings and five games ahead of Wilson’s Las Vegas Aces, who were considered to be one of the frontrunners at the beginning of the season.

Miles has done it all, all while facing the pressure of being a rookie. These circumstances will undoubtedly be factored in when the media votes; already, major media outlets have been portraying the race as closer than the numbers indicate it should be.

Then there’s the historic bias against guards that has to be taken into consideration. Miles, a 5-foot-10 point guard, shouldn’t be expected to rebound the ball at the same rate as Wilson, a 6-foot-4 forward/center. That’s not part of her job description.

As I wrote about in my 2025 MVP ladder 2.0, the WNBA MVP award has only been given to a true guard three times: Cooper twice and Diana Taurasi once.

Clearly, the stat score method I use when determining my MVP favors frontcourt players, even though I multiply assists by 1.5. Other analysts have their own formulas or considerations when trying to capture a player’s statiscal impact, but they keep coming up with the same answer: The most-deserving MVP candidates are almost always versatile 3s, 4s and 5s.

Shooting guard Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever is a great example of someone whose stat score is always low for a star because she doesn’t fill out the box score beyond scoring. But she is rightfully in the MVP conversation this season alongside Wilson and Miles because basketball experts who watch the games can see that she affects the game beyond the box score because of how much of a threat she is to score. Sometimes doing one job (in this case scoring) really well is all a player should need to gain consideration.

Miles is probably a more gifted passer than she is a scorer, and that may always be the case. But she has turned into someone who loves to score. As a result, her assist average (6.1 per game) isn’t a top-five mark in the league, but it’s still very good. Plus, she’s averaging nearly 20 points per game, which good enough to be in the conversation for the scoring title most years.

And the intangibles have been phenomenal. “The Spectacle” has electrified the league with thrilling performance after thrilling performance. Again, all this has come while dealing with the challenge of getting used to the professional level.

What if it’s not yet someone else’s turn? Isn’t A’ja Wilson still the best?

Let’s argue Wilson’s case though.

It seems Miles has a legitimate shot at getting some first place votes. But if Miles wins the award, that won’t properly reflect that Wilson is still in the midst of her reign as the best player in the world.

Are we subconsciously discriminating against Wilson because we think it’s someone else’s turn?

The MVP award can only go to one person, and years from now, when we see that one name listed, we will automatically think that player was the clear-cut best player in the league that year. The name on the list doesn’t tell the true story of all the arguments that were had for other players. When future generations look back on 2023, they will see Breanna Stewart’s name and not be aware of the intense debate that occurred between Stewie, A’ja and Alyssa Thomas. It’s unlikely many people will dig deeper, look at the voting and realize that AT actually got the most first-place votes.

So Miles’ name may go down in history as the MVP this year. She would be the second rookie to win the award, after Candace Parker in 2008. And she might be deserving.

But it would be a shame for people to not remember how close Wilson came to three MVPs in a row and five in seven years.

We should celebrate the accomplishment that has been A’ja showing up and being A’ja Wilson yet again.

We shouldn’t take it for granted.

Yet, it will likely be forgotten if she doesn’t win MVP. 

In my stat score, what Wilson gains in having 9.5 rebounds per game is pretty much canceled out by multiplying Miles’ assists per game by 1.5, which comes out to 9.2.

The real difference between the two is Wilson’s incredible scoring average of 26 points per game being 6.3 pointes higher than Miles’ scoring average. Wilson is on track for the second-highest points per game in the history of the W, trailing only her own mark of 26.9 in 2024. It’s hard to vote against that.

Personally, I’m a fan of both players.

I’m happy my prediction that Miles would be a great player in the W has come to fruition so quickly. I’m also enjoying watching Wilson ascend to GOAT status in real time. On the men’s side, most experts have, unfairly or not, refused to crown a new GOAT, instead insisting that Michael Jordan is still better than LeBron James. 

On the women’s side, A’ja has left no doubt in surpassing Taurasi, and we’re lucky to be witnessing it.

Diehard Jordan fans in the 90s didn’t get tired of him winning award after award. That’s what I’m experiencing with A’ja right now. It just doesn’t get old.

We’ll see if the voters feel the same way.

Gabriel Bannigan said he was "disappointed" to be stepping down from his role as Monaghan manager after two years at the helm but said the "goalposts have been moved" and he could not continue.

Bannigan initially joined Monaghan as part of Vinny Corey's management team in 2022 before succeeding Corey as boss in 2024.

Under Bannigan, Monaghan won the Division Two title in 2025 and reached successive All-Ireland quarter-finals where they were knocked out by Donegal and then Louth.

The Farney men were relegated from Division One this year after a tough league campaign in which they failed to pick up a point.

They bounced back well in the Ulster SFC with wins over Cavan and Derry but suffered an extra-time defeat against Armagh in the decider.

"I ma very disappointed to announce that I am stepping down as manager of the Monaghan senior football team," Bannigan said in a statement.

"When I was appointed two years ago, I accepted the challenge of leading the Monaghan team through an inevitable period of transition and it has been an absolute privilege to do so.

"I have always been 100% honest with the Monaghan people since I was given the honour of managing our senior footballers, I did not want to walk away from this project that I have put so much into.

"Over the last number of weeks, I worked hard on my plans for 2027 to build on the excellent foundations now in place. During this period, I have come to realise that the goalposts have moved, and the conditions are not right for me to continue and therefore I believe a new management team and fresh voices are now required to take Monaghan football forward."

Former NBA G League guard Bryson Warren has entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos. Warren had committed to Texas A&M earlier this year, before the SEC passed a rule preventing players from professional leagues from suiting up for member schools.

The SEC’s new professional sports rule carries heavy penalties for teams who roster former professional players, making it untenable for Texas A&M to have Warren on the team this fall. So what are the new rules, exactly?

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]

Violating the new SEC-pro sports rule will result in a coach suspension of 50% of contests and a hefty fine, On3’s Wilson Alexander confirmed and the league later announced. The fine will amount to 50% of that sport’s annual operating budget, and the head coach’s suspension will include all coaching, recruiting and administrative duties. The punishment is similar to the one the NCAA has in place for “ghost transfers,” or players who leave one school for another without entering the transfer portal.

As for Bryson Warren, he’s a 21-year-old prospect who averaged 19.9 points, 5.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in 21 games, including 17 starts, with the Westchester Knights this past season. From 2023-2025, Warren averaged 11.8 points across 51 combined games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Before joining the G League, Warren was a product of Overtime Elite where he played for both Team OTE and the YNG Dreamerz. He won the OTE title in 2022 and was named second-team All-OTE in 2023. The 6-foot-3, 191-pound Warren entered the 2024 NBA Draft but ultimately went undrafted.

Bryson Warren isn’t the only former professional player who has looked to enter the NCAA ranks this offseason. A handful of prominent court cases have granted eligibility to a certain subset of players, paving the way for a return.

Warren was one of several who sought to take advantage. He will still likely be able to, but he’ll have to find a welcoming home. Multiple leagues, including the Big 12, Big Ten and ACC have passed similar rules as the SEC in recent days preventing professional players from joining their leagues.

On3’s Alex Byington also contributed to this report.