Sports
Duke's Cooper Flagg signs shoe deal with New Balance
Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has signed a deal with New Balance, the apparel company announced Monday.
The deal — which was first reported by ESPN — will make Flagg one of New Balance’s signature athletes, likely including a signature shoe. Flagg joins Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray and WNBA rookie Cameron Brink as one of New Balance’s basketball headliners.
“I grew up wearing New Balance, and I appreciate their authentic connection to my community. The focus and growth of the brand in basketball and our shared values and history drew me in,” Flagg said in a statement. “From day one, it was clear that this would be a family-like partnership. I’m so excited to join this family and help them grow the category with young athletes.”
Cooper Flagg, The Intelligent Choice. pic.twitter.com/JvvvMM9lfm
— New Balance (@newbalance) August 26, 2024
Choosing New Balance wasn’t just a professional decision for Flagg, but a personal one, too: the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year and five-star recruit grew up just 25 miles from New Balance’s manufacturing plant in Skowhegan, Maine.
Before every new school year, Flagg’s mother Kelly took him and his twin brother Ace to the factory’s annual tent sale, where they’d buy a new pair of sneakers and backpack. To promote Monday’s announcement, the company even shot promotional content with Flagg in his hometown of Newport, Maine.
“Cooper adds so much to our basketball roster, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the New Balance family,” Naveen Lokesh, New Balance’s head of basketball sports marketing, said in a statement. “He is a force to be reckoned with on the court, and we look forward to building our relationship as he grows the game and supporting him in all endeavors.”
Before last season, Connecticut women’s star Paige Bueckers became the first college athlete with their own signature shoe deal, after she signed an NIL contract with Nike. Now Flagg is the second, despite not having played a single minute for the Blue Devils.
While some college athletes have partnered with apparel companies in the NIL era — Adidas signed 15 female collegians in the summer of 2022, for example, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Title IX — it is still a relative rarity earmarked for sports’ top rising stars.
Flagg fits that mold, even if he’s yet to appear in college. Despite reclassifying up to 2024, the 6-foot-9 forward maintained the No. 1 recruiting ranking in the class, and is expected to lead Duke in Jon Scheyer’s third season as head coach. Duke is No. 6 in The Athletic’s preseason top-25 rankings.
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(Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
Sports
Golf star impressed with Kai Trump’s LPGA debut despite poor results: ‘Great opportunity’
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Kai Trump’s LPGA debut did not go exactly as she planned.
The 18-year-old high school senior shot a first-round 83 at The ANNIKA at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, putting her in last place out of 108 players through one round. The next day, she bounced back with a five-over 75, but it wasn’t enough to make the cut.
It was invaluable experience for Trump, who will play college golf at the University of Miami next year.
Kai Trump hits a shot on the 18th hole during the second round of The ANNIKA golf tournament at Pelican Golf Club. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
Bryson DeChambeau , who shared a hug with the president’s granddaughter at the Ryder Cup, was impressed with Trump’s showing.
“She shot five-over the second round, which is really, it’s actually really impressive. We didn’t know how she was going to do, she handled herself very well, and what a great opportunity,” DeChambeau told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
“I was talking to [tournament host] Annika [Sorenstam]. She’s a part of the council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, and we were just talking about how, you know, ‘What do you think about it?’ We were both talking, and this is a great opportunity. She’s like, ‘There’s plenty of others that have gotten invites that didn’t do well, but it was a great experience for them. And I think it’s going to be a great experience for her.’
Amateur Kai Trump of the United States plays her shot from the 16th tee during the first round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican 2025 at Pelican Golf Club on November 13, 2025 in Belleair, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
MIAMI GOLF COACH PRAISES KAI TRUMP’S POISE, POTENTIAL AS SHE MAKES LPGA DEBUT
“It was awesome to see her go out there and compete doing what she loves doing, and she’s getting better,” DeChambeau added. “We’ll see what the story has for her, but she’s a grinder and a competitor, and it’s fun to see her out there competing with some of the best in the world, even though there’s a long way to go, but she is a grinder. You never know.”
After finishing her second round, Trump said she felt more “peaceful” compared to the first, which led to the improvement.
Kai Trump tees off during the final round of the Medalist Tour tournament at Lost City Golf Club on July 17, 2025 in Atlantis, Florida. (Greg Lovett/Palm Beach Post / USA Today Network via IMAGN Images)
“For the first day I was definitely really nervous. I think the nerves just got to me,” she said. “When I went out there today, I felt very calm and peaceful, to be honest with you. That’s why I played better. I did everything I could possibly have done for this tournament. So, I think if you prepare right, the nerves can … they’re always going to be there, right? They can be a little softened. So, I would just say that.”
Trump officially committed to the Hurricanes earlier this month.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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Sports
Ontario Christian opens season No. 1 in SoCal girls’ basketball rankings
The preseason high school girls’ basketball top 20 rankings produced by CalHiSports.com and Harold Abend.
1. Ontario Christian
2. Sierra Canyon
3. Etiwanda
4. Mater Dei
5. Corona Centennial
6. Sage Hill
7. Fairmont Prep
8. Moreno Valley
9. Windward
10. Bishop Montgomery
11. Oak Park
12. Brentwood
13. Villa Park
14. Lakewood St Joseph
15. La Salle
16. JSerra
17. Harvard-Westlake
18. Rancho Christian
19. Esperanza
20. Troy
Sports
Georgia lineman kicked off team after arrest following high-speed police chase
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Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Nyier Daniels was kicked off the team on Monday following his arrest on multiple charges resulting from a high-speed police chase, coach Kirby Smart said.
Daniels was arrested Sunday and booked into the Jackson County Jail in Georgia. He was charged with three felonies, including fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and 10 misdemeanor charges.
Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Nyier Daniels (79) blocks against Georgia outside linebacker Quintavius Johnson (33) during the Georgia Spring game at Sanford Stadium on April 12, 2025. (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)
The other felonies against Daniels were two counts of cruelty to children because his two younger siblings were in his vehicle at the time, officials said. The misdemeanor charges included reckless driving and speeding.
He reportedly reached speeds of 100 mph in a 25-mph zone in Commerce and 150 mph when the chase continued on Interstate 85.
“I have not had a chance to talk to him or his family, but obviously he’ll no longer be with us,” Smart said.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart reacts during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Charlotte, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Athens, Georgia. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
UAB FOOTBALL COACH EXPLAINS WHY TEAM PLAYED GAME AFTER PLAYER ALLEGEDLY STABBED TEAMMATES
Brandi Canada Green, Daniels’ mother, was also arrested after she allegedly drove another vehicle that became involved in the chase. She faces a felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, as well as a misdemeanor charge of willful obstruction of law enforcement.
Capt. Cole Edwards said in the police report that he asked Daniels why he fled and Daniels responded “he did not want his mother to get a ticket.”
Daniels was able to get away from the police, but was arrested after officers learned he was a Georgia player and contacted team coaches, who provided assistance, according to an incident report.
Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Nyier Daniels (79) in the fourth quarter of the NCAA football game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Georgia Bulldogs on Aug. 30, 2025, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Daniels was listed as a redshirt freshman and appeared in three games this season. He played in the Bulldogs’ 35-3 win over Charlotte on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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