Sports
Aces, dreaming of three-peat, fight to stay in semis vs. Liberty
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images A season-saving win can flip the momentum of a playoff series, but the Las Vegas Aces know they still don’t have a winning hand.
The two-time defending champions staved off elimination Friday but remain grounded entering Sunday’s game against the visiting New York Liberty in their best-of-five WNBA semifinal.
“The minute you get comfortable, that’s when you’re exposed. I think you just go one game at a time,” Aces guard Chelsea Gray said. “We’re still down 2-1. We haven’t done anything.”
Las Vegas lost the series’ first two games in New York before returning home to defeat the Liberty 95-81 in Game 3 on Friday. It marked the Aces’ first win over New York in six tries this season and extended Las Vegas’ playoff home win streak to 12, setting a WNBA record.
Gray had 10 points and seven assists Friday but is still shooting just 11-of-29 (37.9 percent) from the floor over the series’ first three games. Unanimous league MVP A’ja Wilson has paced the fourth-seeded Aces with an average of 21.3 points and 9.0 rebounds against the top-seeded Liberty.
New York returns to the court after suffering its first loss during these playoffs. Liberty forward Breanna Stewart suggested her team needs to be more prepared for the urgency that a desperate Las Vegas squad will display Sunday.
“They’re gonna throw everything at you. They’re gonna be aggressive, they’re gonna use their fans, they’re gonna use the momentum behind it,” Stewart said. “I think that we didn’t come ready for all that (on Friday). We didn’t come and embrace the hard things.”
Stewart is averaging 22.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in the series, while guard Sabrina Ionescu has tallied 16.3 points, 6.0 boards and 5.0 assists. Ionescu was limited to four points Friday after posting 45 across the first two games.
No WNBA team has ever erased a 2-0 deficit to win a playoff series, but Stewart knows how difficult it is to finish off a team fighting for its season. New York trailed the Aces 2-0 in last year’s best-of-five finals before rallying to win Game 3 at home but lost in four games.
“This is when teams are most dangerous, when their backs are against the wall,” Stewart said. … It’s not gonna get any easier from here.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Down 2-0, LAFC score twice late in draw vs. San Diego
May 2, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC midfielder Onni Valakari (8) passes the ball during the first half against the Los Angeles Football Club at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images Ryan Hollingshead scored in the 14th minute of second-half stoppage time and Los Angeles FC rallied from a late two-goal deficit to notch a 2-2 tie with host San Diego FC on Saturday night.
Denis Bouanga scored for Los Angeles FC (6-2-3, 21 points) in the 82nd minute on his team’s first shot on goal of the match.
Marcus Ingvartsen recorded the brace for San Diego FC (3-5-3, 12 points), who halted a five-match losing streak but saw their MLS winless streak reach eight (0-5-3).
San Diego’s CJ dos Santos made three saves in his first outing since sustaining a serious facial injury in a postseason match against the Portland Timbers on Nov. 1.
However, dos Santos was shaken up with a head injury and bloody nose in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time when he made a close-range diving save of Bouanga’s left-footed shot. After being treated on the field for several minutes, he exited in favor of Duran Ferree.
With stoppage time near an end, LAFC knotted the score on a corner kick. Mathieu Choiniere got his head on the ball and it went right to Hollingshead, who sent a left-footed shot past Ferree.
Hugo Lloris didn’t make any saves for LAFC, who are 1-2-2 in its last five MLS matches.
The late flourish allowed LAFC to outshoot San Diego 10-7 and hold a 5-2 edge in shots on targets.
The tie gave LAFC their first point in three matchups in the series. San Diego won both meetings last season during its expansion campaign.
San Diego took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute on a corner kick.
Dreyer kicked the ball into the box and a leaping Ingvartsen put his head on the ball and it glanced off LAFC defender Eddie Segura on its way into the net.
San Diego added on in the 71st minute when Dreyer fed the ball to Ingvartsen, who sent a right-footed shot into the lower left corner.
Things were looking bleak for LAFC until Bouanga received a pass from Son Heung-Min. Despite a tough angle near the goal line, Bouanga drilled a left-footed shot past dos Santos to make it a one-goal game.
Tyler Boyd had a chance to tie in the 87th minute but his left-footed blast was stopped by dos Santos.
In the 90th minute, dos Santos made a save on Bouanga’s right-footed shot.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Canes keep rolling, blank Flyers to open East semifinal series
May 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) is congratulated by left wing Taylor Hall (71) and right wing Jackson Blake (53) after his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images Logan Stankoven scored twice and goaltender Frederik Andersen collected his second shutout of this year’s playoffs as the host Carolina Hurricanes opened their playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers with a 3-0 victory on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.
Jackson Blake scored once and added an assist for the Hurricanes, who followed a first-round sweep of the Ottawa Senators with a decisive victory to kick off the Eastern Conference best-of-seven semifinal series.
Andersen made 19 saves for his seventh career playoff shutout.
Mike Reilly collected a pair of assists.
Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots for the Flyers, who will attempt to regroup when the series resumes Monday in Raleigh.
The Hurricanes, who finished atop the Eastern Conference standings in the regular season, are yet to trail in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs and continued that trend thanks to their hottest player.
Stankoven tallied for the fifth consecutive game to open the scoring only 91 seconds into the clash. Reilly fired a point shot that Stankoven deflected into the net. Stankoven, 23, is the youngest player in history to score goals in five consecutive games to open the playoffs.
Stankoven has scored first in four of Carolina’s five playoff outings.
“I felt since the Olympic break, things were starting to turn and pucks started going in the net,” Stankoven said postgame.
Blake doubled the lead six minutes later with a highlight-reel worthy tally. He zipped around the defenders before tucking home the puck for his second tally of the playoffs.
“We had a good start. That’s what won the game,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “There wasn’t much happening (after) but the first period was good.”
The Flyers had managed only one shot on goal at that point.
“I don’t know if we were mentally prepared to play tonight. Winning our playoff series, (almost) not making the playoffs,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. ” … There was a lot of excitement. I don’t think we got down to earth quick enough for this game.”
Stankoven gave the Hurricanes a three-goal edge late in the second period. After a turnover, Seth Jarvis fed a pass to Stankoven in the slot and he immediately buried the chance with 3:44 remaining in the middle frame.
From there, the Hurricanes cruised to victory, amidst a string of message-sending infractions by the Flyers and retaliatory actions from Carolina’s skaters.
After a handful of players were sent to the dressing room with misconducts just past the midway point of the final frame, things quieted.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Padres announce agreement to transfer ownership to Jones-Feliciano group
Jun 13, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a San Diego Padres batting helmet and baseball bat on the field at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The San Diego Padres announced on Saturday an agreement to transfer control of the franchise to a new ownership group led by investors Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano, who reportedly had bid a record $3.9 billion.
The framework for the deal had been agreed to in April, according to multiple reports, and still needs the approval of 75% of the MLB owners to finalize the sale. A vote could occur at the next quarterly owners meeting in June.
If approved, the sale price would shatter the previous record for an MLB franchise established when Steve Cohen purchased the New York Mets for $2.42 billion in 2020.
“The Padres are more than a baseball team; they are a unifying force in San Diego, rooted in community, connection, and belonging,” Jones and Feliciano, who are married, said in joint statement released through the team. “As life and business partners, and as a family, we are honored to lead this next chapter together.
“We have worked hard for everything we have achieved, and we have built it together. We see that same spirit in this team and its fans, and we know what it takes to win.”
Private equity billionaire Feliciano, founder of Clearlake Capital and part owner of the English Premier League’s Chelsea FC, and Jones were in the pool of bidders engaged by the Seidler Family to buy the team.
Longtime owner Peter Seidler died in 2023 and family was split on control of the team. John Seidler, currently chairman of the Padres, said in November the franchise would be sold. Forbes’ valuation of the Padres entering the 2026 season was $3.1 billion.
Feliciano and Clearlake Capital own more than 60% of Chelsea.
“We are committed to showing up, listening, and earning the trust of this community, while building on the strong foundation established by the Seidler family,” Jones and Feliciano said in their statement.
“This is about more than baseball — it’s about boosting the pride, energy, and connection that define the Padres, investing in community, deepening belonging, and ensuring this team remains accessible and endures for generations. We are all in — with the goal of bringing a World Series championship to San Diego.”
The Padres have not announced terms on the purchase nor specifics on the investor group. ESPN and The Athletic reported that Feliciano and Jones will have up to a 40% equity in the team, while some members and associates of the Seidler family will keep some equity.
The Athletic reported that the new ownership will buy about 60% of the franchise, with other investors expected to include the Jacobs family of San Diego, whose patriarch Irwin Jacobs co-founded Qualcomm, and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. Other potential investors would include a group led by Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees and Vuori investor Michael Persall, per The Athletic.
Feliciano is expected to become control person, succeeding John Seidler, who is Peter Seidler’s eldest brother.
“I’m thrilled that after a highly competitive process, Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano will become the next majority owners of the Padres,” John Seidler said in a statement. “When I became control person, my goal was to continue building on our recent success in pursuit of a World Series championship for the city of San Diego and our faithful fans. Now, as I pass the baton to Kwanza and Jose, I do so with full confidence that they share that vision, as well as the Padres deep commitment to San Diego. It’s what the team, our fans, and the community deserve.
“Our family loves this team,” he continued. “This is a bittersweet moment for us as we reflect on what the Padres have accomplished since my brother Peter became the steward of the franchise. I congratulate Kwanza, Jose, and the Padres, and wish them nothing but success. We look forward to a smooth transition.”
–Field Level Media
