Sports
Dolphins fight to keep faint playoff hopes alive vs. hapless Jets


Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
The Miami Dolphins are surely happy to be back home.
The Dolphins (5-7) play host to the New York Jets (3-9) on Sunday in a battle between AFC East franchises nowhere near the destination set when the season began in September.
Miami is coming off a 30-17 loss at the Green Bay Packers. After the game, Dolphins linebacker and leading tackler Jordyn Brooks said the cold weather was a factor in Miami’s defeat.
“I thought we were soft,” Brooks said after the Dolphins missed 20 tackles that gave Green Bay an extra 132 yards. “Simple as that.”
After several days to reflect, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said the team’s toughness is there.
“I expect any and all things to be on the table when we don’t first and foremost fulfill our own expectations,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “Holding people accountable is an example of how you can impact toughness.”
“All I know is dudes are aggressively tackling each other, taking on hits. And all I assess is the tape.”
Miami is two games behind idle Denver for the final AFC wild-card playoff berth. The Dolphins likely have to win out, going 5-0 down the stretch, including the Jets again in Week 18, to have a realistic shot at the postseason. The New York Times playoff simulator gives Miami a 13 percent chance of making the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Jets are out of contention — though not yet mathematically eliminated — in what has been a season of disasters. The Jets enter Sunday having lost eight of their past nine games, including three in a row.
Coach Robert Saleh was fired on Oct. 8 after a 2-3 start. Jets general manager Joe Douglas was fired on Nov. 19.
Nothing has been able to fix the Jets, who have not made the playoffs since 2010. Interim coach/defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who is 1-6 since Saleh was fired, said Aaron Rodgers will remain at quarterback despite a season that is way below the 10-time Pro Bowl player’s high standards.
Rodgers turned 41 this week. He knows his mobility is a shortcoming at this stage of his career, but he can still show flashes of his amazing arm talent.
“I want to finish off as well as we can,” Rodgers said. “It’s been a rough season. But we get paid for 17 weeks — not 10, not five. If you are a starter, you want to play all the games. I want to battle. I have a lot of pride.”
Rodgers has played every game while his much younger Dolphins counterpart, Tua Tagovailoa, 26, missed time with yet another concussion. Tagovailoa has been limited to eight games, and Miami is 4-4 in those contests. Since he returned from injury, the Dolphins have scored at least 23 points in five of six games.
As for offensive playmakers, the Jets have wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams; running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen; and tight end Tyler Conklin. Wilson ranks seventh in the NFL with 74 receptions and he’s on pace for 1,080 yards. If he gets there, he would become the first Jets receiver to record three straight 1,000-yard seasons since George Sauer Jr. was catching bullets from Joe Namath (1966-68).
Hall, a third-year pro, is averaging a career-low 4.2 yards per rush. And, after just three fumbles in his first two seasons combined, he has fumbled six times this year. He was one of several players who missed Wednesday’s practice. Hall is dealing with a knee injury and two offensive linemen — tackle Morgan Moses (knee, shoulder) and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) — also did not practice for New York.
Miami’s top playmakers are running back De’Von Achane (4.1-yard rushing average), and wide receivers Tyreek Hill (654 yards) and Jaylen Waddle (601 yards). Tight end Jonnu Smith (648 yards) has been a stellar addition. Hill didn’t practice Wednesday with a lingering wrist injury but plans to play this week.
Left tackle Terron Armstead (knee), defensive tackle Calais Campbell (rest) and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring) sat out Wednesday’s workout for Miami. All still have a chance to play in Sunday’s game.
The Jets could be taking on the Dolphins without CB Sauce Gardner. He was unavailable Wednesday because of a hamstring injury.
The Jets are 1-5 on the road this season. Miami is 3-3 at home.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24


LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series


The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement


Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media