Sports
No. 10 Texas Tech looks to right ship against Kansas
Feb 24, 2025; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders forward JT Toppin (15) stops to shoot against Houston Cougars guard LJ Cryer (4) in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images No. 10 Texas Tech will look to avoid a third Big 12 Conference loss in the past four games on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Lawrence, Kan., to face a Kansas team that is unranked for the first time since 2021.
Texas Tech (21-7, 12-5) is coming off a 69-61 loss to No. 4 Houston on Monday, in which the Red Raiders played without their second- and third-leading scorers in Chance McMillian and Darrion Williams, who average a combined 30 points per game.
Only six players registered minutes for the Red Raiders as they shot just 17 of 57 from the field and 6 of 30 from 3-point range.
While McMillian and Williams remain questionable with lower-body injuries leading into Saturday’s matchup, Texas Tech still has its leading scorer and rebounder in JT Toppin, who is averaging 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
Toppin has led the team in rebounding in the last six games and has been the top scorer in five of those games. One of those performances was a career-high 41 points in a 111-106 double-overtime victory over Arizona State on Feb. 12.
While being without McMillian and Williams has cost the Red Raiders, coach Grant McCasland insisted the return process wasn’t as simple as some make it out to be.
“I just don’t make any decisions as to who plays,” McCasland says. “Every situation is so unique, you know, it really is. Everybody has their own version of what they can go through in order to continue to play. I just don’t have any conversations with anybody about that.
“Sometimes you understand it and it’s clear in regards to what the best thing is for them, and sometimes it’s not clear. It’s a really hard decision to decide what to do in these scenarios.”
Kansas (19-9, 10-7) enters Saturday’s matchup following back-to-back wins over struggling teams Oklahoma State and Colorado. Despite this, the Jayhawks were still stripped of their Top 25 ranking this week, having lost four of their first six games in February.
Kansas hit rock-bottom during a two-game road trip last week that saw the Jayhawks lose to Utah and BYU, with the 34-point loss to BYU being the largest of the Bill Self coaching era.
Nonetheless, Kansas’ return to the win column was a much-needed boost for a team still hoping to make a deep run in March.
“(Our confidence) is actually much higher than the Utah road trip,” Self said. “I think these wins will do wonders for us. We’re 2-0; our season started against Oklahoma State. Because we did all we could do to screw up the conference season, all we can do is finish strong to prepare us for postseason. So we’re 2-0 right now; that’s how we’re looking at it.”
Hunter Dickinson has emerged as Kansas’ primary scoring option down the stretch, as the fifth-year center has led the team in scoring in six of its last eight outings.
Dickinson paces the team in both scoring and rebounding for the season with an average of 16.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Zeke Mayo is the only other Jayhawk who averages double figures in scoring, at 14.3 points per game.
–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
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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