Alison Lee is trying to balance a major championship and motherhood.

So far, so good.

The former UCLA standout shot a 68 at Riviera Country Club on Friday to inch to the top of the leaderboard in the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open, putting the devoted mom in prime position for a weekend run at her first major victory.

Lee grew up in Valencia, and that’s where she’s staying this week so her parents can watch their 13-month-old grandson, Levi Todd Kidd, who late Friday afternoon was perched on his mother’s lap in the scoring tent.

“I will say over the last few months it’s been tough,” Lee conceded earlier this week. “But we had a breakthrough last week and he’s sleeping a lot better. Therefore, my life has been a lot easier.”

Lee, who shot 70 on Thursday, likewise could be on the verge of a career breakthrough. She has yet to win on the LPGA Tour.

“To win in basically my backyard would be super cool,” she said.

She isn’t the only local player with momentum heading into the weekend. Fellow Bruin Patty Tavatanakit is three shots off the lead, as is Allisen Corpuz, who played at USC.

In Gee Chun reacts her par putt on the eighth hole during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open on Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

On an afternoon that was cooler and grayer than Thursday, the woman ranked No. 1 in the world got back on track. After shooting a 73 in the opening round, Nelly Korda relocated her rhythm with four birdies on her way to a 67, earning some cheers from a gallery that, though relatively modest, was the biggest of the day.

Lee was among a small group of players who shot a 68. That included “Dumbo” — South Korea’s In Gee Chun — who got that nickname years ago because of her exceptionally keen hearing. She has embraced the moniker. The Disney character adorns her golf bag and is her driver headcover, and her fans refer to themselves as the “Flying Dumbos.”

Chun is in the hunt for her fourth major championship, having won the Open in 2015, Evian in 2016, and Women’s PGA in 2022.

Were Chun to win this tournament, she would be in rarefied air with bookend victories separated by 11 years. According to Elias Sports Bureau, among women with multiple U.S. Open titles, Meg Mallon had the longest gap (13 years apart), followed by Annika Sorenstam (10 years).

Of course, there’s a big difference between being at a logjam atop the leaderboard on Friday and lifting the Harton S. Semple Trophy on Sunday.

“Just stick to the game plan, nothing changes,” Chun said of her mindset heading into the weekend. “I don’t want to think about the future to put extra pressure on me.”

Jennifer Kupcho, who led the field with a 66 on Thursday, has her own way of dealing with external pressure. She talks to her mom before and after a tournament — but not during it.

Ruoning Yin hits out of a green side bunker on No. 17 during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open on Friday. Yin is tied with Lee for the lead at four-under through 138 holes.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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“Me and my mom kind of have an understanding,” she said, “like, ‘Just don’t text me. I don’t want to hear from you if I play good. I don’t want to hear from you if I play bad. We’ll talk at the end of the tournament.’”

Kupcho, raised in Colorado, said she hasn’t banned her folks from attending, “But I don’t think they’re going to.”

Maybe she could have used a sympathetic ear Friday. After leading outright Thursday, she came back to earth Friday with a 73 but was still only a shot off the leader.

Jennifer Kupcho hits out of a fairway bunker on No. 9 during the second round of the 81st U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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The same could not be said for Michelle Wie West, who followed a 75 with a 74 — a deflating finish for the LPGA legend who came out of retirement to use her final year of exemption to play at Riviera.

“Obviously I would be lying to say I wasn’t disappointed. I would have loved to have made the cut today, granted all day,” Wie West said. “But I had a blast honestly, with playing here at Riv, such a special week to have played it, and to have family, friends, a lot of familiar faces coming out, it was a lot of fun.

“I hit some good shots, hit some good putts, and kind of felt that feeling again, which is awesome.”

Nelly Korda misses a birdie putt on No.3 during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open on Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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If you watched Caitlin Clark on Thursday night and thought she looked a little different in the second half of the Indiana Fever’s win, you’d be correct.

Clark told reporters after the Fever’s 83-71 victory over the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that she vomited during halftime and didn’t spare any of the nauseating details.

“I haven’t puked that much in a really long time,” Clark said, via ESPN. “But then I felt fine. I felt light. So, I was running around feeling good in the second half, but [I] feel OK. Obviously, I’m losing my voice a little bit. But I’ll be good.”

Clark powered through the illness, finishing with 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. She also tied her own WNBA record in the process.

During the win, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 150 points and 50 assists in a season. She first achieved the feat last season.

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The win was a needed one for the Fever. Head coach Stephanie White and Clark became the talk of the WNBA after a video of their heated sideline exchange went viral. The win snapped a two-game losing streak and brought them back to over .500, at 5-4.

Clark said everybody this week looked in the mirror and found ways to improve.

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“A lot of people have called and asked me how I am, and I said, ‘What do you mean? I’m great,’” Clark said. “I think a lot of self-reflection from everybody (this week), like look yourself in the mirror and find ways to get better. That’s certainly what I did.”

Clark will try to overcome her illness when the Fever look to build on their positive momentum against the New York Liberty on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was forced to leave Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday after taking a puck to his face on a slap shot midway through the first period.

The 14-year veteran, who played for the Kings from 2014-2017, did not return to the game. ESPN is reporting that McNabb was taken from Levno Center in Raleigh, N.C., to a hospital for evaluation.

Vegas coach John Tortorella did not have an update on McNabb’s status after his team’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Huricanes, and the Golden Knights had not provided one as of early Friday morning.

McNabb was defending in front of the net with 9:08 remaining in the first period when a blistering shot by Carolina winger Nikolaj Ehlers hit him in the facial area. Slow-motion replays show the puck may have struck the protective visor on McNabb’s helmet near his eyes.

After crumpling to the ice, McNabb immediately climbed to his feet, skated off the playing area and headed down the tunnel while holding a hand over his nose and mouth.

“It’s a scary play,” Vegas forward Brett Howden said after the game. ”You never want to see that. Just hope he’s doing all right. We haven’t seen him yet but hope he’s doing OK.”

Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin said: “Any time you see that happen to a teammate, especially to a guy like Nabber who is a huge part of this team, a leader, it’s tough. It’s hard to see that happen to any guy on the ice. We’re just hoping for the best for him.”

Born in Davidson, Canada, McNabb was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round of the 2009 entry draft. He played in 37 games for the Sabres and was acquired by the Kings on March 5, 2014. Los Angeles also received Jonathan Parker and a pair of draft picks in exchange for Hudson Fasching and Nic Deslauriers.

McNabb had six goals and 36 assists in three seasons with the Kings before being selected by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft. This is his third Stanley Cup Finals with the Golden Knights, who won the championship in 2023.

In Vegas’ 5-4 Game 1 victory against Carolina on Tuesday, McNabb had three assists for the first time in his career. Ben Hutton and Kaedan Korczak are possible options to take McNabb’s spot if he can’t play in Saturday’s Game 3 in Las Vegas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.