Sports
No. 2 Duke ready to shuffle roster vs. Florida State
Feb 25, 2025; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Mason Gillis (18) grabs a rebound as guard Cooper Flagg (2) follows on the play during the second half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images No. 2 Duke has been excelling in most areas, and yet it’s not all good news going into the weekend.
The Blue Devils could be down a couple of players, as injuries have struck at an inopportune time.
So how Duke reacts to the latest roster fluctuations will be worth charting when Florida State arrives in Durham, N.C., for Saturday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference game.
Duke (25-3, 16-1) has a five-game winning streak, with an average margin of 31 points. With eight conference victories by more than 25 points, it’s the most at that level in one season in ACC history.
“We know what’s ahead,” coach Jon Scheyer said. “We know the battles we’re going to be in. We know it can happen any night.”
Junior guard Tyrese Proctor left with a knee injury during Duke’s 97-60 romp Tuesday night at Miami. He’s out indefinitely, though it’s not believed to be a season-ending ailment.
Florida State (16-12, 7-10) has lost back-to-back games and will aim for only its third road victory this season.
Duke, already without injured reserve post player Maliq Brown, apparently will be minus Proctor for the Florida State game. Proctor, who led the Blue Devils in scoring in three games in February, reached 1,000 career points before exiting in the first half Tuesday.
So there could be a heightened role for freshman Isaiah Evans, who has had a recent uptick in production and started the second half of the Miami game.
“Isaiah has established himself with what he has done,” Scheyer said. “It’s easy to talk about the shooting. His defense has been off the charts. He’s guarding the ball as well as anybody.”
Evans made five 3-pointers in the first half Tuesday. In the last three games, he’s averaging 16.7 points and has shot 13-for-19 on 3-pointers.
“You’ve just got to trust yourself at the end of the day,” Evans said.
Florida State has allowed 89 and 96 points, respectively, in its last two games, so defense will be important for the Seminoles.
Guard Jamir Watkins has been Florida State’s top scorer in six of the last seven games. The redshirt senior is averaging 18.4 points per game, including a career-high 26 on Monday night in a 96-85 loss to visiting North Carolina.
The Seminoles also received a season-best 16 points from Jerry Deng, who contributed four of the team’s 10 baskets from 3-point range.
“Every time he plays, he gets better,” coach Leonard Hamilton said. “When you think about it, he should still be in high school for his senior year. But he came out a year early. He has made tremendous progress.”
Duke’s result against Miami marked the largest final margin in a game between two ACC teams this season. Despite the string of lopsided victories, there’s no reason for letting up.
“I just think our mission is bigger,” Scheyer said. “You have to have great humility in this. It’s delicate. It can change very quickly. I love the killer instinct that our team has had. I love the approach to each game. They haven’t big-timed anything.”
Scheyer, in his third season, is 79-21 across his first 100 games as Duke’s coach after replacing Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Wings' Paige Bueckers out vs. Liberty
Jul 19, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) and Los Angeles Sparks guard Erica Wheeler (17) react after a play during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images Dallas Wings star guard Paige Bueckers has been ruled out for Monday’s game against the New York Liberty in Arlington, Texas.
The Wings (17-8) announced the decision was based on “rest” for Bueckers, who was involved in a scary fall during the fourth quarter of her team’s 90-82 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.
Bueckers was cleared from having a concussion following post-game evaluation and is not in concussion protocol, but is dealing with soreness, per the team.
As Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike was dribbling down the court, she was fouled and lost her balance. Ogwumike tumbled into the legs of Bueckers, who fell and appeared to hit the back of her head on the floor.
Bueckers, 24, finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting — including 2-of-4 from 3-point range — as well as five assists and four rebounds in 32 minutes.
She boasts team-best averages in points (20.9) and assists (6.2) to go along with 4.2 rebounds in 24 games (all starts) this season.
Bueckers was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2025, the same year she was selected by Dallas with the top overall pick of the draft out of UConn.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Injury-riddled Wings, Liberty tip off in rescheduled game
Jul 7, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard (32) and New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones (35) at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The Dallas Wings will be chasing their seventh straight win when they host the slumping New York Liberty on Monday in Arlington, Texas, but they will be without the services of star guard Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers spent the final minutes of Sunday’s 90-82 home win over the Los Angeles Spark in the locker room after suffering an apparent head injury late in the fourth quarter.
On Monday, the Wings announced Bueckers was ruled out due to “rest” purposes. She was cleared from having a concussion following post-game evaluation and is not in concussion protocol.
As Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike was dribbling down the court, she was fouled and lost her balance after being tripped by Azzi Fudd. Ogwumike tumbled into the legs of Bueckers, who fell and appeared to hit the back of her head on the floor.
Bueckers, 24, finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting — including 2-of-4 from 3-point range — as well as five assists and four rebounds in 32 minutes.
She boasts team-best averages in points (20.9) and assists (6.2) to go along with 4.2 rebounds in 24 games (all starts) this season.
“We worked hard for this win, and when Paige went down, it was all about the rest of us stepping up,” Ogunbowale said after the victory over Los Angeles.
Wings coach Jose Fernandez said Bueckers was in good spirits.
“She’s upset at Azzi because she said Azzi tripped her (Ogwumike) and took away P’s charge,” Fernandez said lightheartedly.
Monday’s game was rescheduled from July 16 because of travel difficulties for the Liberty, creating a home back-to-back for Dallas.
The Wings (17-8) enter Monday’s game carrying their longest winning streak in 11 years. Dallas has captured six straight games for the first time since the 2015 campaign when the franchise was in Tulsa, Okla.
In that season, the Wings (then known as the Shock) won eight straight outings early in the year and then six in a row before bowing out against the Phoenix Mercury in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Liberty (13-12) limp into Arlington on the heels of a 108-88 loss in Indianapolis to the Fever on Saturday. Breanna Stewart led the way with 26 points and eight boards for New York, while Jonquel Jones netted 13 points and Marine Johannes and Sabrina Ionescu each added 12.
Johannes sustained a left ankle injury in the game and has been ruled out for Monday’s game.
The Liberty jumped out to an 11-point, first-quarter lead and were up by four at halftime before succumbing in the second half. New York’s 17 turnovers which led to 30 Fever points had plenty to do with the loss.
“We don’t like where we’re at right now, but (here) we are,” Stewart said after the loss. “(We’re) playing with that, realizing that we’re in it. We’re in the trenches, and we can either keep sinking or we can dig ourselves out.”
New York has dropped six of its past seven games and eight of its last 10. The Liberty have trailed by at least 13 points at some juncture in six of their past eight games and has lost all six of those contests.
“We’re really mature about it,” Ionescu said. “It really hasn’t been too frustrating. Every team goes through it. During the process, kind of when you’re in it, it sucks, but I think everyone has a really good mindset of knowing it’ll pay off for us in the long run.”
Key New York players Satou Sabally (concussion protocol) and Leonie Fiebich (foot) have been ruled out for the game.
It is the teams’ third and final meeting of the season. Dallas took the first two matchups, both in Brooklyn, including an 88-77 decision on July 7 that started the Liberty’s current four-game losing streak.
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLB Best Bets: Jacob Misiorowski, Dylan Cease Lead Monday's Top Picks
May 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Fatigue time is over for Jacob Misiorowski as the All-Star right-hander steps on the mound for the first time since July 7 when the Milwaukee Brewers face the visiting New York Mets on Monday night. Misiorowski missed his final start before the All-Star break due to a tired pitching arm and he also sat out the All-Star Game.
Misiorowski is one of the top pitchers in the National League and the Brewers will be a trendy postseason pick if the 24-year-old fireballer is healthy. It will be interesting to see if he is on a pitch count against the Mets.
Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in his last start and he will look to silence the Tampa Bay Rays. We’ll also look at the Cincinnati Reds visiting the Seattle Mariners.
NEW YORK METS AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Misiorowski is 10-4 over 18 starts and leads the majors with 167 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA while throwing 111 innings, close to last year’s combined 129 1/3 innings between the minor leagues and the Brewers. Those pitches that reach 105 mph put a lot of stress on the arm and his long-term chances of avoiding a serious arm injury are a constant fear to the Brewers.
Misiorowski has fanned 10 or more batters eight times this season as he tries to silence the New York bats that sit 25th in the majors with just 409 runs scored. Juan Soto is batting .290 with 21 homers and 52 RBIs but Francisco Lindor has played in just 43 games due to injuries and has just six blasts and 15 RBIs.
Free-agent signee Bo Bichette has been a bust for the Mets with a .253/.300/.370 slash line and trade acquisition Marcus Semien is hitting just .207. It is hard seeing New York doing much against The Miz as its miserable season continues.
Jacob Misiorowski to strike out 10 or more batters, +134 (DraftKings)
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TAMPA BAY RAYS AT TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Cease ranks second in the majors with 148 strikeouts and also fanned three in his one inning as American League starter and winning pitcher in the All-Star Game. He finished play before the break with 15 shutout innings in which he allowed four hits and struck out 20.
He put up a great performance while chasing his second career no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants on July 8 before Heliot Ramos led off the ninth with a solid single to center. Toronto has been a disappointment after losing in the World Series last year and sits in last place in the AL East heading into its 100th game of the season.
The Rays own the best record in the AL but have lost a season-worst five straight games so another Cease gem is possible. Tampa Bay will look for All-Star Nick Martinez to continue a strong season in which he has issued just 19 walks in 18 starts.
Teams to combine for under 7.5 runs, -115(DraftKings)
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CINCINNATI REDS AT SEATTLE MARINERS
The Mariners have won consecutive games to get back to .500 but have been season-long underachievers after losing to Toronto in seven games in the American League Championship Series last season. Seattle has guys named Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena on the roster but you will find surprise team leaders like Luke Raley (15 homers) and Cole Young (48 RBIs).
Raleigh has collapsed this season with a .163 average, nine homers and 29 RBIs after his monster 2025 season that included 60 homers and a second-place finish in the AL MVP race. Cincinnati is eight games under .500 and close to falling out of the National League wild-card chase in what would be a disappointing development after landing a wild-card spot last season.
Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott (5-5, 4.11) is having the worst of his four big league seasons but he’s capable of going on a strong finishing kick. He should find pitching in Seattle much to his liking despite losing in his lone appearance in the ballpark in 2024 when he gave up two runs on four hits over six innings, including homers to Raleigh and Mitch Garver.
Reds to win via Moneyline, +129 (DraftKings)
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Wings' Paige Bueckers out vs. Liberty
Raunchy 1970s Cult Classic Changed Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Forever
