Sports
Unrivaled up to 36 players after beating financial expectations
Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston (7) rushes up the court Friday, July 12, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 95-86. Unrivaled, the upcoming three-on-three women’s basketball league, added its 30th player for its inaugural season Thursday, but she won’t be the last.
The league will have not 30 but 36 players — six teams of six — for its first campaign, co-founder Napheesa Collier announced, with Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston later revealed as the league’s 30th signing.
“We’re able to do this because we outperformed our financial projections, and so now we get to do something that we wanted to do in the future, which is give more people spots in Unrivaled,” Collier, of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, said in a social media video.
“This is such an amazing time in women’s sports and we’re so thankful to all the positive people who have come out and supported us.”
Collier and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart founded the league to provide players an alternative to earning money overseas during the WNBA’s offseason. The season will be eight weeks long during the WNBA’s offseason, and players who join Unrivaled will receive equity in the league.
Boston, 22, was the first overall pick of the 2023 WNBA Draft and the 2023 Rookie of the Year. In two seasons in the league, she has started all 80 possible games for Indiana and averaged 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
Other stars who have joined Unrivaled include Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale.
Unrivaled plans to make an aggressive bid to add Fever star Caitlin Clark, with an offer of more than $1 million per season expected, Front Office Sports reported this week.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why Mike Tomlin Will Be Perfect Television Fit for NBC
Mike and mic loomed as a natural fit after the talkative Mike Tomlin resigned as Pittsburgh Steelers coach in January.
As with his Steelers teams of 19 seasons, Tomlin doesn’t figure to have a losing record as a TV studio analyst, either.
A report Tuesday from The Athletic cemented Tomlin’s long-anticipated transition. He’ll join the NBC “Sunday Night Football” pregame show “Football Night in America” beginning this season.
Surely, video editors and social media managers already have their popcorn ready.
That’s “popcorn” as in the salty snack, not the alternative definition Tomlin once served up during a press conference.
“You know, there’s been popcorn,” Tomlin said. “It hasn’t been any one man specifically; it’s been popcorn. But you can’t have popcorn.”
Asked to expound, Tomlin explained “popcorn” as: “A splattering of incidences. One here. One there. One there.”
That’s some tasty imagery, indeed.
Sustained coaching success boosted Tomlin’s profile as a would-be analyst. He guided Pittsburgh to a 193-114-2 regular-season record, while his 8-12 postseason mark included a 1-1 record in the Super Bowl.
His unique turns of phrase, however, set him apart. In a broadcast climate rife with programs and platforms for former players and coaches to fill, Tomlin, 54, should climb seamlessly into the mix at “FNIA,” a leading national brand.
“I think Mike is great at painting pictures, and those sayings, those Tomlinisms, they can immediately have a context,” Tony Dungy, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and Tomlin’s mentor, told NFL Films in 2021.
Per The Athletic, Fox also coveted Tomlin as a replacement for Jimmy Johnson, who’s retiring from its “Fox NFL Sunday” show.
At NBC, Tomlin will fill a void left by Dungy, who NBC did not retain for an 18th season. While various reports have stated that the “FNIA” lineup could undergo further shuffling, host Maria Taylor and analysts Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty are expected back.
In late 2015, “FNIA” explored Tomlin’s well-documented physical resemblance to actor Omar Epps, showing photos of either man and asking Steelers fans and Tomlin’s wife, Kiya, whether it was Tomlin.
Tomlin never should be confused with Epps’ Darnell Jefferson, the cocky freshman running back from 1993’s “The Program.” That character aimed to impress college coed Halle Berry with a forced, hyperintelligent vocabulary that indubitably would make Tomlin roll his eyes.
“I don’t think a lot about the things that I say, to be honest with you,” Tomlin once said when asked about the origins of his oft-celebrated, “The standard is the standard.”
He continued: “I’m just trying to use words to vividly capture the imagination of our guys so that they can remember the messages so they can somehow be ingrained in their mind so they can somehow make it come alive inside stadiums on the grass. By whatever means we get that done, I’m for it.”
Substitute “inside stadiums on the grass” with “on sofas across the nation,” and there’s Tomlin’s value to any network suitor.
NBC doesn’t want viewers to leave their couches, of course. But with Tomlin aboard, they may well leap from them – or at least sit up – while hanging on every word.
Sports
Nolan Schanuel, Jose Soriano help Angels defeat Blue Jays
Apr 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Mike Trout (27) runs after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images Nolan Schanuel homered and also had a three-run, go-ahead double and Jose Soriano continued his historic start to the season with five more shutout innings as the Los Angeles Angels snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif.
Soriano extended his scoreless inning streak to 24 2/3 innings while lowering his ERA to 0.24, the lowest ERA in a pitcher’s first six starts to a season since earned runs became official in both leagues (1913) with a minimum of 30 innings pitched. Soriano, who allowed seven hits and struck out four, has allowed just one run – a home run by Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin – in 37 2/3 innings. He also became the first pitcher since at least 1900 to allow one total run (or fewer) in his first six starts to a season.
Mike Trout homered, walked twice and scored twice and Logan O’Hoppe and Bryce Teodosio each had two hits for Los Angeles. Brent Suter (1-1) picked up the win, striking out two during one inning of hitless relief.
Ernie Clement went 3-for-5 with an RBI and Nathan Lukes and Andres Gimenez each had a double and two hits for Toronto, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Tommy Nance (0-2) suffered the loss allowing two runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on Jo Adell’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly, driving in O’Hoppe who had singled.
Schanuel made it 2-0 in the fourth when he led off the fourth with his third home run and first since March 28, a 371-foot line drive just over the fence in right-center.
Trout extended the lead to 3-0 in the fifth when he drilled a 428-foot homer to the back of the bullpen in left, his eighth of the season. It was the 796th extra-base hit of Trout’s career, tying the team record set by the late Garret Anderson.
Toronto parlayed a walk and three hits, including an RBI double by Lukes and an RBI single by Clement, into three runs in the seventh to tie it, 3-3.
The Angels answered with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to regain the lead, 7-3. Trout walked, stole second and went to third on a single by Adell. One out later, Yoan Moncada walked to load the bases. Schanuel then followed with an opposite-field double into the left field corner to clear the bases and give Los Angeles a 6-3 lead. Vaughn Grissom drove in Schanuel with a bloop single to right.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Raptors identify areas to improve while down 2-0 to Cavs in series
Apr 20, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) passes while being defended by Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) during the first half during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images The Toronto Raptors need to decrease turnovers and get more scoring from Brandon Ingram on Thursday night in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 after their wire-to-wire 115-105 home victory Monday.
The Cavaliers have defeated the Raptors in 12 consecutive playoff games to equal the NBA postseason record for a winning streak against one opponent.
The Raptors, who are home for Games 3 and 4, committed 22 turnovers Monday for a total of 40 leading to 44 points over the first two games.
“I think it really came down to turnovers,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said after Game 2. “They really cost us.”
Ingram, who often was Toronto’s top scorer in the regular season, had 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting in the first game, a 126-113 setback on Saturday, and seven points (3-for-15) on Monday.
“I’m confident I won’t miss all my shots and find a rhythm,” Ingram said at practice on Wednesday. “It’s tough when you feel like you’re not doing your job. But I like to sit in disappointment for a little bit, see where I went wrong, and then get back into the fight.”
“We need him to continue being aggressive in shooting,” Rajakovic said. “I’ve got absolute support for him. He’s going to make his shots.”
Cleveland forward Dean Wade scored eight total points over the two games, but he started both and is a key to the defense.
“We had it in the back of our minds to start Dean anyway because that five-man lineup has been so great for us all year,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson told cleveland.com after Game 2. “But the more we watched film as a staff, we just kept saying, (Ingram) is the head of the snake, so we need to put our best perimeter defender on him.’ That’s Dean.”
Wade, in his seventh season, all with the Cavaliers, said he enjoys the defensive role
“Sometimes, it’s a thankless job and I had to learn to love it,” he said. “But, man, I love it. I really do.”
Toronto center Jakob Poeltl also has struggled. He had two points and four rebounds in only 9:26 on Monday.
“He needs to be part of the solution for us,” Rajakovic said Wednesday. “He needs to be more aggressive. He needs to dominate the glass. … He’s going to be a big part of Game 3, and I believe he’s going to perform really well.”
The Raptors were without Immanuel Quickley (strained right hamstring) for the first two games, but the injury is improving.
“We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow,” Rajakovic said.
With Ingram struggling, Scottie Barnes led Toronto with 26 points on Monday and RJ Barrett added 22 points.
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points for Cleveland in Game 2, James Harden added 28 points and Evan Mobley scored 25 points.
The February trade for Harden, an 11-time All-Star guard and the league MVP in 2018, has helped Mitchell.
“I mean, I can go stand on the wing,” Mitchell said. “And like I always say, you have a guy that can create his own offense for himself and for others. … it just makes it tough (to defend).
“And there’s also possessions where you can just go stand in the corner and allow him to be him. It’s definitely better on the body, I’ll tell you that. That’s one thing.”
Atkinson agreed.
“That’s part of it, right?” the coach said. “Keeping (Mitchell’s) usage at a reasonable level. Donovan can get worn down. So again, these are reasons why you bring James Harden on board.”
–Field Level Media
Why Mike Tomlin Will Be Perfect Television Fit for NBC
Nolan Schanuel, Jose Soriano help Angels defeat Blue Jays
