Connect with us

Sports

Deandre Ayton knows the Lakers need him to be his best in the playoffs

Published

on

Deandre Ayton knows the Lakers need him to be his best in the playoffs

The last time Deandre Ayton appeared in the playoffs was in 2023, when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns and viewed in NBA circles as having the potential to be a force as a center in the league.

A lot has changed since then.

He’s on his second team since those days in Phoenix, playing two years for the Portland Trail Blazers and now the Lakers. He has been viewed by many as an inconsistent player who hasn’t reached his full potential.

Ayton has a chance to prove his worth, to show his critics he has the ability to be elite in the postseason when the Lakers open the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs Saturday against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena.

“I love playing this game and I take great passion of playing on both ends of the floor,,” Ayton said after practice Wednesday. “I still believe just being a two-way player in this league, that’s truly my second nature, and that’s how I want to be noted as in this league. It’s just being an all-around, two-way superstar. Just taking passion on both ends of the floor.

Advertisement

“I can play hard on offense. I can play hard on defense. So, that’s just really my goal — running the floor always and closing out possessions with rebounds and protecting the rim. So, just trying to enhance everything I can coming into the playoffs.”

Ayton averaged career lows in points (12.5), rebounds (8.0) and minutes (27.2) this season. But he did play a career-high 72 games and shot a career-best 67.1% from the field.

In the three seasons Ayton reached the playoffs with the Suns, he was a double-double machine, averaging 15.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in 45 postseason games.

The Lakers will need that version of Ayton, especially with star guards Luka Doncic (hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (oblique strain) out indefinitely.

“I’ve shown it,” Ayton said. “So, it’s just me accepting the role I’m in and playing hard as hell in that role. That’s about it. Every night.”

Advertisement

In seven seasons before he arrived in Los Angeles, Ayton averaged a double-double. When the Lakers signed him to a two-year, $16-million deal with a player option, they hoped to get that Ayton.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton deflects a shot by Nets guard Nolan Traore last month at Crypto.com Arena.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“The whole season for him has been about finding consistency,” coach JJ Redick said. “When he’s at his best, we’re an elite basketball team. That’s just the reality. He raises our ceiling so much — and it’s on both sides of the ball. It’s not him being able to score 24 points, although when he scores and shoots, we typically win. … He’s just a really good basketball player and we’re very happy with where he’s at.”

Advertisement

Ayton was asked to evaluate his season.

“I was challenged a lot this season and I feel like I embraced everything that was thrown at me,” he said. “It took some time, but I eventually got control of everything. And I think I got a hang of it and I like it. I got the guys on the team that helped me embrace everything that’s going on.

“And just things we have going, with the dilemmas and the injuries, I feel like we’ve been through this the whole year. Just guys going out and guys having big games. And we’re the team where you don’t know who’s gonna have the 30 points, or this or that. We’re just going to play hard and just play together.”

Ayton will have his hands full with Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds.

“It’s the postseason, you know?” Ayton said. “It’s called mano y mano and it’s not always Xs, and O’s. You got to stop the man and guard your yard.”

Advertisement

When the Suns reached the 2021 Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, there were times when Ayton was considered the second-best player on his team. Over six games he averaged 14.7 points and 12 rebounds and shot 53.1% from the field.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series for the Lakers is on the horizon, and Ayton is excited to show what he has to offer now that he’s back in the playoffs.

“Almost speechless, especially being on this side of town now, you know, playing in L.A. when I was on the other side,” he said. “This place can get pretty loud. And I’m still trying to just go home and embrace everything. I know we haven’t ramped up yet, but coming out of these practices, JJ gives you so much. And you have to dissect it sometimes, and you’re thinking about the environment, you think about the fans, thinking about the first game as a Laker in the playoffs.

“So, I just try to find some time to catch myself and gather and just just relax. I’ve been here before, but I am truly excited. I want to do backflips. I’m in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins.”

Advertisement

Sports

Sherrone Moore’s alleged mistress rips sentence that kept former Michigan coach out of jail

Published

on

Sherrone Moore’s alleged mistress rips sentence that kept former Michigan coach out of jail

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The former Michigan staffer with whom Sherrone Moore allegedly had an inappropriate relationship that led to his firing and subsequent arrest is not thrilled that Moore seemingly got off easy.

Moore was fired for his relationship with Paige Shiver on Dec. 10. Soon after the firing, he was jailed after allegedly breaking into her house and threatening to kill himself.

Moore was sentenced to 18 months probation and ordered to pay just over $1,000 in fines, which was not enough for Shiver.

Advertisement

Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium Nov. 22, 2025, in College Park, Md. (Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images)

“December 10th was the most terrifying day of my life,” Shiver said in a statement after Moore’s sentencing Tuesday, via the New York Post. 

“The criminal acts he committed were extremely frightening and violent. He broke into my apartment, crying, yelling, enraged and came at me with knives. I was threatened, and I feared for my life.

“Today’s sentence does not reflect the harm done to me or the objective evidence in this case.”

An Action Injury Law Group statement obtained by Fox News Channel last month claimed Shiver endured “years of manipulation, harassment and exploitation by a man who held enormous power over her professional life as the head football coach of one of the nation’s most prominent college football programs.”

Advertisement

Shiver’s attorneys questioned Michigan’s entire athletic program after the incident, adding their client believes “she may not be the only person who experienced inappropriate, coercive or predatory behavior from this individual.”

Former University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore is sworn in with his attorney, Ellen Michaels, before he takes a plea in front of Judge J. Cedric Simpson at the 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor March 6, 2026. (Mandi Wright/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

MICHIGAN PLAYERS FEEL ‘VERY BETRAYED’ BY SHERRONE MOORE SCANDAL, INTERIM COACH REVEALS

Moore and the alleged victim had an “intimate relationship for a number of years,” a prosecutor said during an initial hearing shortly after his arrest.

In an Ann Arbor courtroom, Moore thanked his wife, Kelli, for her support while saying he took the process “very seriously.” The judge in the case told Moore that he “take[s] her for granted.”

Advertisement

Prosecutors accused Moore of contacting the staffer via phone calls and texts after the breakup, prompting the woman to contact the University of Michigan and cooperate in its investigation. Moore was subsequently fired from his position as head football coach, which prosecutors said prompted him to show up at her home.

Moore then allegedly “barged” his way into the residence, grabbed a butter knife and a pair of kitchen scissors and began threatening his own life. According to prosecutors, Moore allegedly told the staffer, “My blood is on your hands” and “You ruined my life.”

Moore pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors to resolve the felony criminal case.

Moore went 16-8 as Michigan’s head coach — 8-5 in his first season and 7-3 last season. He missed a pair of games due to a suspension from a sign-stealing investigation.

Former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore listens to attorney Ellen K. Michaels during an appearance in front of Judge J. Cedric Simpson at a probable cause hearing at 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor Jan. 22, 2026 (Eric Seals/USA Today Network)

Advertisement

Moore replaced Jim Harbaugh after the team completed a 15-0 season en route to a national championship. Moore was the offensive coordinator of that squad.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson, Paulina Dedaj, and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

FIFA to implement tailgating ban at several major US World Cup venues: reports

Published

on

FIFA to implement tailgating ban at several major US World Cup venues: reports

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

In just over two months, soccer fans will descend on stadiums across North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But those thousands of fans won’t get to take part in a long-running pregame tradition — at least at the venues located in the U.S.

FIFA is set to ban pregame tailgating at U.S. stadiums during the tournament, according to multiple reports Tuesday. NFL venues such as Arrowhead Stadium, Gillette Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field, among others, were listed as host sites where fans will not be allowed to tailgate this summer.

It was not immediately clear what led to the decision or why it is being introduced.

Advertisement

A general view shows the empty parking lot at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sept. 14, 2020, as no fans were allowed at the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. (Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports)

The governing body and tournament organizer may be aiming to prevent crowd-control issues similar to those that surfaced when Copa América was held in Miami. Large gatherings outside stadium entry gates fueled logistical hurdles.

Tailgating has long been synonymous with American sports culture, giving fans a budget-friendly way to enjoy the game-day atmosphere.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PRICES HIT ABSURD LEVELS FOR WORLD CUP GAMES: REPORT

But with that option gone, fans may encounter a very different pregame scene this summer. While FIFA will oversee venues during the tournament, the atmosphere outside them could ultimately prove more challenging to manage.

Advertisement

Real Madrid fans tailgate outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, before the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final match against Paris Saint-Germain on July 9, 2025. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The move to outlaw tailgating comes as several host cities adjust transportation plans to ease traffic flow around World Cup venues. Fans attending matches at MetLife Stadium in the New York area will not be able to park in the stadium’s usual gameday lots.

Fans of Real Madrid tailgate in a parking lot outside Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match against FC Red Bull Salzburg on June 26, 2025. (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Public transportation is expected to be the primary alternative, though travelers may face higher fares to cross state lines. New Jersey Transit could charge more than $100 for round-trip service to MetLife Stadium during games, The Athletic reported.

Advertisement

On a typical day, the 18-mile commute commands a fare of less than $13.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Commentary: In wake of UCLA’s WNBA draft showing, shaky Sparks trying to rebuild future with the past

Published

on

Commentary: In wake of UCLA’s WNBA draft showing, shaky Sparks trying to rebuild future with the past

Amid a glittering sports celebration, a team from Los Angeles dominated the WNBA draft.

But it wasn’t Los Angeles’ WNBA team.

The Sparks couldn’t hold a candle to UCLA.

At a Monday event during which six Bruins were drafted among the first 18 picks — a WNBA record — the Sparks didn’t have their first pick until No. 20 in the second round.

Two years earlier, they had traded away their first-round pick for the rights to draft the exciting Rickea Jackson.

Advertisement

Whom they recently traded to Chicago for somebody named Ariel Atkins.

You can see where we’re going with this…

One of the WNBA’s founding franchises, the failure-ridden Sparks enter the league’s 30th season attempting to break a five-year playoff drought with an understandable yet unremarkable game plan.

They’re going old. They don’t have a choice. Five years of lottery missteps have produced exactly one current Sparks player, Cameron Brink, a social media star who’s been an injured basketball bust.

While the national champion Bruins spent Monday dancing across the league from Toronto to Chicago, the Sparks didn’t get a chance to acquire any of them, and wound up with three late picks who will raise no eyebrows and play few minutes.

Advertisement

So, yeah, old.

When the Sparks open the season by hosting defending champion Las Vegas May 10, their fans are going to say, “Oh yeah!” followed by a resounding chorus of, “Oh no!”

Oh yeah, they’re bringing back longtime Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike, a bruising inside force for 14 seasons. She played well for Seattle last year, but, oh no, she’ll be 36 during the season, and one wonders when the physicality will take its toll.

Oh yeah, they’re bringing back Erica Wheeler, who played strong minutes here several years ago. But, oh no, she played for three teams in the last four years and will be 35 during the season.

Oh yeah, they’re bringing in Atkins, who once won a WNBA championship with the Washington Mystics. But, oh no, that was seven years ago, and she’s bounced around with six international teams and two WNBA teams since.

Advertisement

Those three veterans will be joining a team with two returning starters — Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby — but little else.

The league’s celebrated new CBA made all these players rich, but did little for the Sparks, who were unable to make a dent in the league-wide free agent market and were out of decent draft picks and so must survive for one more season before getting a shot at JuJu Watkins.

So they should tank? No! Not yet! I’ve got season tickets! But you’ve got to wonder. And if this aging band gets off to a slow start, you’ve got to wonder if they’re wondering.

“I’m super excited about the roster we have,” said coach Lynne Roberts on a Zoom call Monday night. “We brought in some tremendous leadership.”

But they also lost some tremendous youth by giving up on Jackson, who averaged nearly 15 points last season and provided much-needed energy to another deadly dull squad. While the Sparks made nice with her publicly, one can read between the lines on the following Zoom quote from general manager Raegan Pebley.

Advertisement

”Loved having her here … she’ll be successful wherever she goes,” said Pebley of Jackson. “But we’re focused on winning a championship and finding that fit and balance and getting all those pieces locked in with each other.”

Here’s guessing Jackson, an independent spirit, was never quite locked in. And now she’s locked out of a new culture that will be solid and steady… but will they be any good?

“You have to have that balance of youth and experience and I think our roster has nailed that,” said Pebley.

Who knows? Will Brink stop trying to be an influencer long enough to be an inside presence? Will Rae Burrell take another step in her fifth season? Can the new veterans stay healthy enough to inspire the kids, who could include draft picks Ta’Niya Latson, Chance Gray and Amelia Hassett? Can Roberts, a relative WNBA newcomer who lost more than half of her games in her debut last season, actually coach?

They’ve already had one win with the ongoing construction of an $150-million El Segundo practice facility, which should open next year and serve to attract the type of stars that a Los Angeles team deserves.

Advertisement

They have another steady win with a Crypto.com Arena fan-friendly game experience that ranks among the best in this city’s sports landscape.

Now they just need wins on the scoreboard, lots of them, enough to restore faith in what was once one of this city’s shining basketball operations.

The odds aren’t good — going old usually means going home early — but what else can they do? No Bruins are walking through that door. For at least one more year, the Sparks have to marinate in their past mistakes and hope that their veterans can somehow lay a foundation for their future..

“This isn’t a slow roll,” said Roberts. “We want to do it.”

The rest of the league, which has greatly benefited from five years of Sparks’ bad basketball decisions, will be waiting.

Advertisement

Their passionate fans, who have loyally kept showing up for the last five years to watch the lousy basketball those decisions have wrought, will be wanting.

And JuJu will be watching.

Continue Reading

Trending