Sports
Quincy Wilson is no superhero, but at 16, he's making magic at Olympic trials
EUGENE, Ore. — Just in case you were wondering, Quincy Wilson isn’t working with the benefit of vibranium. His purple kit inspired by the movie “Black Panther,” though, suggests some Wakanda abilities, especially after another jaw-dropping performance.
“No, it’s just me inside of it,” Wilson said, flashing a most-Cheshire grin.
His extraordinary capabilities may not be attributable to a potent fictional metal from the Africa of the Marvel Universe. But something is clearly special about this 16-year-old from Maryland.
Such was so blatantly true in Sunday’s semifinal of the men’s 400 meters. Wilson, the phenom from Bullis High, stole the show with a stunning time relative to his age. He ran the 400 in 44.59 seconds, the fastest time ever by an American 18 or younger.
It was his own record because on Saturday his 400-meter time of 44.66 broke the 18-and-under mark set by Darrell Robinson of Tacoma, Wash., in 1982.
He finished third in his heat, so he didn’t get one of the automatic qualifying spots to Monday night’s final. But with the fourth-best time of the semifinals, he easily earned one of the nine spots. A top-three finish Monday would mean Wilson has to delay driver’s training, and thus his license, because he’d be going to Paris.
“I’ve never been this happy a day in my life when it came to track,” Wilson said. “I’ve been working for this moment. That record that I broke two days ago … that’s 42 years of nobody being able to break that record. And I broke it twice in two days.”
16-year-old Quincy Wilson with a tremendous effort in the 400m semi! He has officially QUALIFIED for the final. 👏#TrackFieldTrials24 pic.twitter.com/nL4Nj8m5BT
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 24, 2024
The special sauce of Wilson, beyond just his obvious talent, is the kid’s heart.
At 5-foot-9 with adolescent muscles, he’s small compared to the fully grown men surrounding him. His form can be wonky, as you’d expect from a rising junior. His inexperience at this level gives his opponents a notable advantage.
But Wilson runs fearlessly. He empties his tank, embraces the pain. He believes enough to keep battling. Every meter. Every step. Every moment. He has a natural audaciousness. He’s aware enough to understand this, the history he’s making, but manages the steel to take it on.
His heart filled Hayward Field on Sunday.
Bryce Deadmon is 6-foot-3 and 27 years old. He’s an Olympic champ, a world champ, a two-time national champ. And he had inside position on the teenager as they rounded the second curve. On the other side of Wilson was Vernon Norwood, a 6-foot-2 seasoned professional who was winning NCAA titles when Wilson was knee-high to a grasshopper.
“Someone at 16 years old,” Wilson said, supposing the mindset of mere mortal teens, “they’re most likely to get scared when they go (against) big competitors. Vernon (Norwood) is 32 years old. I’m 16. I’m half his age. So I’m just running for my life.”
Imagine the juxtaposition of worlds he’s inhabited in the month of June. In high school, he’s untouchable. He breaks records just by lacing up his spikes. He’s signed an NIL deal with New Balance. He can run with the confidence of knowing he’s the man in his age group.
Then came the final turn of Sunday’s 400 meters. He was in fifth place heading into the final 100. He looked to be spent. His storybook was about to end valiantly. Because where would he get the conviction to push against so many accomplished vets?
His first-round blast was impressive enough. The semifinals were the reality check that was always coming.
But Wilson pushed back against such a notion. The youngster didn’t concede. He dug deeper. He stayed attached. Whatever his race plan was, it was gone by that moment. The new plan was his heart.
Quincy Wilson, left, races in Sunday’s 400-meter semifinals. He broke his own record for his age group, set one day earlier, to qualify for Monday’s final. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
He found more in his reserves, passing both Judson Lincoln of Virginia Tech and Jenoah McKiver from Florida.
“Stay calm,” Wilson said he told himself. “I didn’t get out the way I wanted to. But like my coach said, ‘The race starts at 300.’ You look at Vernon’s interviews. He said, ‘I’ma see you at 300.’ Coming from fifth to third, it means a lot. Because if you look at me, I’m not as strong. But that’s 100 percent heart.”
Monday is the biggest final of his life. The stakes keep escalating. His life could change even more dramatically than it has already should he finish in the top 3.
It sounds like a tall order. It feels too much to ask. But watching him means knowing it’s on the table. Wilson has a force of will about him, reservoirs to tap into, a comfort in the moments.
Afterward, he may speak about what he’s doing with the giddiness of a teenager hopped up on Junior Mints after seeing a good action movie. His grin beams brighter when he talks about the love he’s gotten from Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson, reminding you he’s still an impressionable young man.
“I’m on the world’s biggest final coming up tomorrow,” he said, his eyes his exclamation points. “At 16 years old! I’m like ecstatic right now.”
But on the track, he’s far less innocent. He’s a concoction of toughness and appreciation, work ethic and humility, awe and audacity. He’s a high school superstar with the world at his fingertips. He’s also the son of a military family who’s lived in six states, a family of athletes that knows all about grind, sacrifice and focus.
“The first thing when I got off the track,” Wilson said after Sunday’s race, “my coach told me he’s extremely proud of me. He was telling me the things we’ve got to do to break down the race. He’s not caught up in the moment, and with that on my side, I think I have great things for (Monday). I can’t wait for (the final).”
Wilson said he’s got a new kit for Monday, too. It doesn’t have to be Wakanda-inspired. He doesn’t need vibranium. He’s already made of the right stuff.
GO DEEPER
Noah Lyles wins men’s 100m at U.S. Olympic track trials
(Top photo of Quincy Wilson during Sunday’s 400-meter semifinals: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
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The highly anticipated 30th WNBA season tipped off Friday with three games, including the expansion Toronto Tempo’s first-ever contest.
The action continued Saturday with a full slate, including Caitlin Clark’s return after an injury-riddled sophomore season.
Clark and the Indiana Fever hosted the Dallas Wings on Saturday afternoon in a matchup featuring the four most recent No. 1 overall picks. The Wings outlasted the Fever 107-104, but the game was defined by Azzi Fudd’s — the most recent top pick — underwhelming debut.
Dallas Wings guards Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers react during the first half of the Fever’s season opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on May 9, 2026. (Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Fudd played 18 minutes off the bench, scoring three points — the lowest ever by a No. 1 overall pick in a WNBA debut.
Wings coach Jose Fernandez addressed Fudd’s performance after the game, encouraging the rookie to, “Keep doing what she’s doing, it’s her first year in the league. We got five really talented backcourt players.”
EX-WNBA STAR CRITICAL OF SKY ROOKIE HAILEY VAN LITH, BELIEVES POPULARITY PLAYED ROLE IN DRAFT SELECTION
In addition to Fudd, Dallas’ backcourt features last year’s top draft pick Paige Bueckers, last season’s No. 12 overall pick Aziaha James, four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale and starting guard Odyssey Sims.
Until Saturday, Kelsey Plum held the record for the lowest-scoring debut by a No. 1 pick. Selected first overall by the then-San Antonio Stars in 2017, she scored just four points in her debut. The Stars relocated to Las Vegas in 2018 and was subsequently rebranded as the Aces.
Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd warms up before the game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 9, 2026. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Despite the slow start to her first season in the league, Plum ended the year with All-Rookie team honors. In the years since, she’s been named to four All-Star teams and won two championships with the Aces.
The Wings’ decision to take Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick drew controversy, raising questions about whether Bueckers’ personal relationship with her influenced the selection. Late last month, Bueckers said last month it did not.
Azzi Fudd poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed in New York City on April 13, 2026. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)
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“Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 draft pick because she earned it, and it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with who she is as a human being, who she is as a basketball player,” Bueckers said, according to ESPN.
Neither Bueckers nor Fudd has publicly updated their relationship status since the April draft.
“Quite frankly, I believe me and Azzi’s personal relationship is nobody’s business but our own,” Bueckers also said in April. “And what we choose to share is completely up to us.”
Next up, the Wings play their home opener on Tuesday when they host the Atlanta Dream.
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The Lakers are one playoff defeat from their season being over and from the conversation turning to LeBron James’ future.
They are in a hole no team has climbed out of in the history of the NBA, the Lakers’ 131-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 putting L.A. down 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series.
James and his teammates gave a gallant effort Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, but the defending champion proved to be more than the Lakers could handle.
James finished his night with 19 points on seven-for-19 shooting, eight assists and six rebounds. Rui Hachimura had 21 points and Austin Reaves finished with 17 points and nine assists.
Even so, the Lakers have now lost all three games by double digits.
And the Lakers are fully aware that no NBA team has successfully come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs, with those teams holding a 161-0 record. Only four teams have forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0, all of which ultimately lost the series, including the Boston Celtics in 2023.
Lakers forward LeBron James shows frustration as Thunder center Chet Holmgren slam dunks during Game 3 on Saturday night.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Game 4 is Monday night, when the Lakers will try to stave off elimination and a night that will determine how the conversations go with James if they lose.
James has been frequently asked this season about retirement, but he has not given any indication of what the future holds for him.
He’s 41 years old and playing in an NBA-record 23rd season.
James is in the final year of his contract that pays him $52 million, making him a free agent this offseason. He can retire, join another team or perhaps return to the Lakers next season.
That will be the conversation if the Lakers can’t win Game 4.
They will see the same Thunder team that had seven players score in double figures, led by Ajay Mitchell’s 24 points and 10 assists and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 23 points and nine assists.
The Lakers went down 13 in the third quarter and had to play catchup the rest of the way. They never did, going down by 112-94 with 6 minutes and 12 seconds left, forcing Lakers coach JJ Redick to call a timeout.
The deficit just kept growing, topping out at 27 points in the fourth.
They were outscored 33-20 in the third quarter. The Lakers didn’t take care of the basketball in the third, turning it over six times, and they didn’t play good defense, allowing the Thunder to shoot 59.1% from the field and 55.6 percent from three-point range,
The Lakers did not give an inch to the Thunder in the first half, even when they fell behind by 10 points.
They just kept grinding until they led 59-57 at halftime.
Hachimura had 16 points in the first half, continuing his hot three-point shooting by making all four of his threes. Luke Kennard came off the bench to give the Lakers 13 points, shooting five for six from the field and three for four from three-point range.
The Lakers kept the pressure defense on Gilgeous-Alexander. Though he had 14 points in the first half, he shot only four for 14 from the field and one for five from three-point range.
The Lakers shot 55% from three-point range in the first half, which went a long way in helping them.
The Lakers lost the first two games by identical margins of 18 points and each loss was magnified because Gilgeous-Alexander was kept under wraps for the most part by L.A.’s defense.
When Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul with 10:34 left in the third quarter of Game 2 and went to the bench, the Thunder turned a five-point lead into a 13-point advantage at the end of the quarter.
So, when he wasn’t on the court, the Lakers failed to take advantage.
“Well, you know, again, I’ll repeat what I said after the game: we’ve got to be better in the non-Shai minutes,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
Role players like Mitchell and Jared McCain hurt the Lakers in the second game. Chet Holmgren also was hard to deal with.
“Mitchell and McCain have hurt us in those non-Shai minutes, and then Chet [Holmgren] has hurt us the whole game,” Redick said. “I think you’ve got to be willing to live with something. Shai playing one-on-one, thus far in the series, we haven’t been willing to live with, so you’re going to be in rotation. That can lead to smalls on bigs at the hole, and the offensive rebounding from Chet has really hurt us.”
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In 2025, Alex Palou kicked off the Month of May with a Sonsio Grand Prix win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Based on the odds, it’s likely that Palou will find himself in Winner’s Circle again this Saturday when INDYCAR goes back to IMS on May 9 (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
Considering Palou has already captured the checkered flag three times this season, are there any other drivers whose odds are worth a wager?
Here are the latest lines at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 9.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
Sonsio Grand Prix 2026
Àlex Palou: 5/18 (bet $10 to win $12.78 total)
Kyle Kirkwood: 5/1 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Pato O’Ward: 12/1 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
David Malukas: 14/1 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Josef Newgarden: 16/1 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Scott McLaughlin: 20/1 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Christian Lundgaard: 30/1 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Scott Dixon: 40/1 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Will Power: 60/1 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Felix Rosenqvist: 80/1 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Alexander Rossi: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Marcus Ericsson: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Marcus Armstrong: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Christian Rasmussen: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)
Graham Rahal: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)
Louis Foster: 300/1 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)
Dennis Hauger: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Romain Grosjean: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Santino Ferrucci: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Rinus Veekay: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Kyffin Simpson: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Caio Collet: 1000/1 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Sting Ray Robb: 1000/1 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Nolan Siegel: 1000/1 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Mick Schumacher: 1000/1 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Here’s what to know about the oddsboard:
Heavy Favorite: It doesn’t look like Alex Palou’s dominance will be slowing down anytime soon. As noted above, he’s already won three of the five races since the INDYCAR season started in March. With 186 laps led, Palou sits first in the standings and has the shortest odds to win the title again. Last season, he started from the pole and led 29 laps before winning the race.
Long Shot to Watch: While his odds of 150/1 to win at IMS are much longer than Palou’s, Graham Rahal is one to watch. At this race in 2025, he started second and led 49 laps before finishing sixth. He finished second at this course in 2015, 2020 and 2023. He’s currently 10th in the INDYCAR standings, with one top five and three top 10s.
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