Sports
LSU star Flau’jae Johnson carries bearded dragon into final NCAA Tournament run of college career
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Flau’jae Johnson’s career stands out not only for her on-court accomplishments but for defying the transfer-heavy landscape of the modern NIL era in college sports.
More than four years ago, Johnson committed to LSU. Fast-forward to 2026, and she’s never left the school where she first enrolled. Her ties to the Southeastern Conference powerhouse run so deep she buried her beloved pet, a bearded dragon named Four in a nod to her jersey number, on the Baton Rouge campus.
On Friday, Johnson will take the court for the final time in a Tigers’ jersey as she concludes her prolific college basketball career.
But when LSU tips off against 15th-seeded Jacksonville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Johnson’s other bearded dragon, Champ, will be with her — in spirit at the very least.
Flau’jae Johnson and the LSU Tigers take on the Tennessee Lady Vols Feb. 26, 2026, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La. (Scott Clause/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Most of Johnson’s teammates would likely prefer to avoid the reptile. But LSU guard Izzy Besselman, a close friend of Johnson, has been tricked into opening a basket she thought was empty but actually contained the bearded dragon.
Johnson is contemplating bringing Champ to the gym for practice sessions, noting some of her teammates bring along their dogs.
LSU STAR FLAU’JAE JOHNSON SAYS UNRIVALED LEAGUE ‘CHANGING THE GAME’ AS SHE JOINS IN NIL PARTNERSHIP
Nevertheless, with her final run on the horizon, Johnson said she’s embracing the challenge ahead, no matter how far LSU advances.
“March is always a good month,” she told reporters during the SEC Tournament. “I love March. The thing is, this is when everyone’s the most focused, and you just got to rely on your work.”
Johnson, who is also a recording artist and is signed to Roc Nation, has a morning routine that includes watching game film with her coach and fitting in workouts outside team practices. Several brands have also partnered with Johnson, and she makes time to fulfill commitments associated with those deals.
Besselman noted Johnson’s ability to bring out the best in her teammates.
“Seeing how hard she works motivates me and everybody else in this locker room,” Besselman told Yahoo Sports. “It’s a good person to look up to.”
Flau’jae Johnson of the LSU Tigers in action against the Tulane Green Wave at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La., Nov. 20, 2024. (Reagan Cotten/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
Johnson’s coach, Kim Mulkey, is known for her “tough love” approach, a style that has produced results with three national titles at Baylor and another at LSU. Johnson said Mulkey helped shape her into a more efficient and ultimately better player.
“It could be easier to go into the transfer portal, go to a team with a terrible record and average 30,” Johnson said. “I could do that. I did that in high school. You know what I’m saying? College is not much different.
“But I want to play with All-Americans. I want to play with a tough coach who won championships. I want to play with people so I can learn how to be efficient. I want to play in positions where it’s not favorable for me and still come out on top. For me, it’s more so, I like to do the hard stuff.”
LSU Tigers women’s basketball player Flau’jae Johnson speaks during “The Money Game” world premiere at Pete Maravich Assembly Center Sept. 4, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. (LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
Johnson is on track to compete in Unrivaled as soon as next year after already signing an NIL deal with the women’s 3-on-3 league.
Mulkey said she believes Johnson is one of the best athletes to have played at LSU in part because of her philanthropy, but also for what she did for the program’s trajectory.
“She took a chance on LSU when what did we have to sell?” Mulkey said on senior night. “We just got here, and she was the first McDonald’s All-American that I signed at LSU. The story on Flau’jae will be all those things I just mentioned, but the greatest story of all to me is she stayed four years at LSU and will graduate.
“When you think of college athletics now, people don’t do it anymore. And she loves LSU, and, in return, LSU embraced her and loved her back.”
LSU earned a No. 2 seed in this year’s women’s basketball Division I tournament. The Tigers will play in the Sacramento regional.
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Sports
WWE star Chelsea Green reveals she underwent ‘heart procedure’ to address SVT
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WWE star Chelsea Green revealed Monday she underwent a “heart procedure” as she shared photos of herself and husband Matt Cardona from her hospital bed.
Green said doctors caught her SVT. The Mayo Clinic says that SVT, or supraventricular tachycardia, is a “type of irregular heartbeat, also called an arrhythmia. It’s a very fast or erratic heartbeat that affects the heart’s upper chambers.”
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Chelsea Green enters the ring during Monday Night RAW at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich., on July 28, 2025. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
The two-time WWE women’s United States champion said she had been dealing with the issue for 10 years.
“After 10 years, doctors finally caught my SVT and I was able to get a heart procedure done! 3 hours later and I’m on the mend,” she wrote on Instagram.
On Tuesday, she added on X: “My latest episode during WrestleMania pushed my resting heart rate to 228 for almost 15 minutes. Yesterday, Dr. Girgis spent 3 hours working on me… and I had to be awake for the last hour of the procedure!! “
Chelsea Green waves during SmackDown at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Nov. 28, 2025. (Michael Owens/WWE)
She said the procedure was minimally invasive and expected to be back to work soon.
Green has had her share of bad luck over the last few months. She suffered an ankle injury that has kept her sidelined for several months, keeping her off the WrestleMania 42 card.
In February, Green and Ethan Page dropped the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship to Mr. Iguana and Lola Vice.
Chelsea Green looks on during SmackDown at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla., on Feb. 20, 2026. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE)
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Pro wrestling fans are eagerly awaiting her return to the ring.
Sports
Prep sports roundup: Jacob Madrid launches three home runs in Sherman Oaks Notre Dame win
On the final day of the regular season for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, catcher Jacob Madrid put together a game to remember. The senior hit three home runs in a 7-1 road victory over Loyola. The Knights claimed third place in the Mission League.
Madrid raised his season total to 11. He had a solo home run in the second inning to right field, a three-run home run in the third to right field and a solo home run in the sixth to left field.
Not even major leaguer Giancarlo Stanton was able to hit three home runs in a game during his two years playing for the Knights.
“It was surprising because I was honestly trying for line drives the opposite way,” Madrid said.
Madrid, an Oregon commit, said the Knights are ready for the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Pairings will be announced Saturday at 1 p.m.
Orange Lutheran 6, Mater Dei 5: The Lancers won it on a walk-off RBI double by Eric Zdunek in the bottom of the ninth. Mater Dei had a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth with two out when Ricardo Hurtado hit a fly ball that couldn’t be caught, resulting in a tying run. CJ Weinstein homered for Orange Lutheran. Hamilton Friedberg and Jordan Kurz each had three hits. The loss leaves Servite in third place in the Trinity League.
Harvard-Westlake 10, Crespi 0: Ethan Price and Louis Lappe each had three hits for Harvard-Westlake, which clinched at least a share of the Mission League title with one game to play.
Sierra Canyon 6, Bishop Alemany 5: Home runs by Cody Gallegos and Mikhal Johnson rallied the Trailblazers, who clinched second place in the Mission League. Brody Thompson hit a home run for Alemany, which finished in fourth place.
Chaminade 1, St. Francis 0: The Eagles got their second 1-0 victory of the week. Jackson Schroeder and Bronson Jackson combined for the shutout. Jackson also drove in the only run.
El Camino Real 1, Granada Hills 0: Jackson Sellz threw a three-hit shutout and Ryan Glassman drove in the game’s only run with an RBI single in the sixth. The Royals, after being swept by Birmingham last week, needed a win to stay in the running for a No. 2 playoff seed.
Etiwanda 3, Upland 1: The Baseline League champions continue to move up the Division 1 rankings. Michael Aleman went the distance, striking out nine. Luke Severns hit a two-run home run.
Servite 1, Cypress 0: The Friars had three pitchers combine for the shutout. Mikey Cabral drove in the game’s only run and finished with two hits.
Santa Margarita 9, Capistrano Valley 0: Cooper Holland had a home run and Tyler George struck out eight while allowing no hits and no walks in 3 1/3 innings.
Covina 10, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0: Donovan Johnson threw a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts.
Troy 4, South Pasadena 3: Troy coach Scott Pearson earned his 600th coaching victory and his son, Jaden, led off the sixth inning with a double and scored the winning run.
Softball
Murrieta Mesa 13, Chaparral 0: Lilly Hauser threw a five-inning no-hitter with 10 strikeouts. She also hit a home run.
Orange Lutheran 3, Santa Margarita 0: Rylee Silva threw a complete game, and the Lancers won the Trinity League title.
Mater Dei 9, JSerra 5: The Monarchs handed a rare defeat to JSerra pitcher Liliana Escobar. Savanah Duncan hit a grand slam.
Sports
Why the Pistons at -3.5 is the play as the NBA Playoffs second round gets underway in Detroit
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The NBA Playoffs had their second round begin Monday. We were treated to two games, and one was significantly better than the other. That probably should be the expectation for Tuesday’s slate as well. Regardless of how the game goes, if we can cash some betting slips, that’s really the main goal here. I expect the Cavaliers vs. Pistons to be a more entertaining game tonight, and I have a bet for us on the game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers had a bit of a makeover this season, but the first round of the playoffs was essentially the same outcome they’ve always had. They exchanged Darius Garland for James Harden and Dennis Schroder. That didn’t happen in the same trade, but it did give the team a new look after starting the year with Garland, Lonzo Ball, and DeAndre Hunter. This team will only go as far as Harden and Donovan Mitchell will take it.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden talk during Game 2 in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs vs. the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Ohio. (David Dermer/Imagn Images)
In the first round, the Cavaliers looked like a really bad team. They won four games at home and lost all three road games. In fairness to them, they had at least two of those games in Toronto that were winnable. While they won games at home, they didn’t exactly dominate the Raptors. Game 7 was fairly sweat free, with a 12-point win, but they were fortunate not to have Brandon Ingram suit up for Toronto. I see both Evan Mobley and Harden as the keys to winning this series for the Cavaliers.
The Detroit Pistons were given a bit of a wake-up call. They came into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they looked anything but the part of a dominant team in the opening round. They hosted the Magic and lost the opener. Then they lost two of the next three games, going down 3-1 in the series. They won, as expected in Game 5 at home, but Game 6 was wild. They were down and looked out of it in the second half. The Magic scored just 19 points in the second half, and Detroit forced Game 7.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson defends during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 12, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
In Game 7, the Pistons locked in and were in control from the tip. It was an epic collapse from the Magic, and probably a disaster that cost their coach his job. The Pistons ended up winning by 22. They extended their coach as a result. Interestingly enough, JB Bickerstaff, the coach, was fired by Cleveland in part due to a lack of playoff success. He should be very familiar with the Cavs players and their strengths and weaknesses. I’d expect him to be an X-factor if he can exploit the weaknesses.
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In this series, you have to expect that Mitchell and Cade Cunningham will cancel each other out from a scoring perspective. Jarrett Allen and Mobley will provide a great variety of defense for Jalen Duren. The Pistons’ advantage will be Tobias Harris. For the Cavaliers, Mobley will be a tough matchup. Harden is also a guy who might be able to get some mismatches.
Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons smiles after the game against the Toronto Raptors at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 30, 2023. (Chris Schwegler/NBAE)
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This is the tightest series in terms of pricing, with the Pistons being slight favorites. Three of the four games were very tight in the regular season, with all three being decided by four or fewer points. They both won two games, one on the road and one at home. I don’t expect this to be a defensive series. It isn’t the game either of them really wants to play. I think the Pistons are locked in, though. I haven’t seen much that’s great from the Cavaliers on the road in the playoffs. Give me the Pistons -3.5 here.
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For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
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