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Caitlin Clark paints masterpiece in Fever's win over Mercury

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Caitlin Clark paints masterpiece in Fever's win over Mercury

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton couldn’t contain himself. The Indiana Pacers star, who was sitting courtside Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, wasn’t just watching basketball. He was watching art.

And Caitlin Clark was painting a masterpiece.

With each pinpoint pass from the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 pick, Haliburton moved closer to the edge of his seat until he finally jumped out of it. Haliburton knows what a great pass looks like. He led the NBA in assists last year. But this full-court dart from Clark to Kelsey Mitchell for a fast-break layup made him react like he’d just seen a magic trick.

First, his hands went up in the air. Then, they went on his head in disbelief.

“Hope y’all seeing what 22 doin at Gainbridge,” Haliburton shared via X.

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Clark’s dime to Mitchell in the second quarter was one of many highlights in the Fever’s 98-89 victory over the Phoenix Mercury. The resounding win, against a team with a trio of newly crowned Olympic gold medalists, secured Indiana’s first season sweep against any opponent since 2020 and the franchise’s first season sweep against the Mercury since 2015.

Back then, Clark was 13 and the Fever was in the WNBA Finals. The team has had only one playoff appearance since, and after a month-long break for the Olympics, it’s fighting for another. Friday was simply the first of 14 remaining regular-season bouts, and Clark came out swinging.

The 22-year-old scored or assisted on 17 points in the first quarter, one more point than the Mercury scored as a team. Clark was doing whatever she wanted: nailing deep 3s, converting and-1 layups and dishing out passes as if she has a sixth sense.

“I think just getting to know my teammates and playing with them, it’s just a comfortability,” Clark said. “It was gonna take me a little bit of time to get used to. It was hard to adjust, and once I kind of found my groove so far, I think we’ve just been getting better and better.”

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Clark finished with 29 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. She’s reached the 25-point, 10-assist threshold twice in her last five games. All other rookies in WNBA history combined have done it only once, per Stat Mamba.

Mitchell has been one of the main beneficiaries of Clark’s growing command of Indiana’s offense. The fellow All-Star guard scored a season-high 28 points against the Mercury, including 10 points off passes from Clark. Eight of those points were in the fourth quarter and helped stave off a furious Phoenix comeback.

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“Basketball is a language,” Mitchell said. “You gotta get on the same page with your counterparts. I think me and C-Squared like to play a certain way and that’s fast and up-tempo, so I’m gonna always align (with her) based on how she’s playing and how the game is going.”

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Fever coach Christie Sides said she challenged Clark over the break to “empower her teammates” even more when the season resumed. That message resonated with Clark, evidenced by how she trusted her counterparts when Phoenix stormed back from a 28-point second-quarter deficit and briefly took a 62-61 lead late in the third quarter.

Instead of getting frustrated, which Clark visibly displayed earlier in the season, she remained poised and kept the ball moving. Lexie Hull nailed a 3-pointer to put the Fever back in front, and at the end of the period, when Clark could’ve taken a 3-pointer that everyone in the crowd was hoping she’d shoot, she passed it to Katie Lou Samuelson.

The veteran forward had yet to attempt a shot, but she nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Those were her only points of the night.

“She was wide open,” Clark said through a smile. “She was almost like too open.”

There were moments Friday, particularly in the third quarter, when it looked like the Fever were going to fold. It had been a theme at the beginning of the season: building a big lead only to get bullied into a brutal loss. The Mercury tried that approach and became the aggressor behind All-Star Kahleah Copper, who finished with a game-high 32 points, and clawed its way back into the game.

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But Clark didn’t panic and neither did her teammates. After Mitchell took exception to how Phoenix’s Natasha Cloud was defending her in the third quarter, Mitchell shoved Cloud in the chest and was whistled for an offensive foul. The two came face-to-face and were given technical fouls.

“Sometimes having passion for the game, some moments can spike your team up to go and play well,” Mitchell said. “I had a moment myself. … But I think it kind of helped us. The grit and the game in those third quarters and when teams make runs is how you win a game in the WNBA. You just gotta be gritty. You gotta be able to get trenchy a little bit.”

However, there’s a big difference between being “trenchy” and being in the trenches. The latter is mainly where the Fever have resided ever since Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings retired after the 2016 season. This year, with Clark holding the paintbrush, could be a different picture.

“I always say that C-Squared is one of those players where her IQ is gonna take us a lot of places,” Mitchell said. “So, you really gotta fill in where you fit in as far as knowing how to read and adjust off her. And once you make that adjustment, I think obviously it’s really good basketball.”

 (Photo: Darron Cummings / Associated Press)

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Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

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Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever. 

The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.

Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season. 

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.

Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries. 

A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024. 

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

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Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career. 

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.

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When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”

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Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

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Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.

“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.

Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.

Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.

“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.

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He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.

“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”

It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.

Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

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Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

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Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.

McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.

A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.

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WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)

“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.

“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.

No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.

In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)

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Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.

McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.

He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”

“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”

Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

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State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.

“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video. 

“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.

An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.

The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.

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After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.

McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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