Sports
Six teams, one draft and a lot of Ikea furniture: How the PWHL was made in six months
TORONTO — The line began at the gates of Mattamy Athletic Centre and stretched a full city block. Women’s hockey fans, after decades of waiting for a best-on-best league, were happy to wait a little longer for the doors to open for the first-ever Professional Women’s Hockey League game.
The line was dotted with reminders of the past. There was a Natalie Spooner Toronto Furies jersey from her time in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Several Toronto Six jerseys representing the Premier Hockey Federation and some from the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association exhibition stops. The people wearing those jerseys from previous eras of women’s professional hockey were on their way into the old Maple Leaf Gardens to celebrate something new: the inaugural game of the PWHL between Toronto and New York.
Later, inside the arena, two young girls were locked in. Ella Shelton was on the ice, and the girls — who wore matching Shelton jerseys and waved homemade signs — wanted her attention. Not long before New York left the ice, Shelton finally locked in on them and flipped them a puck.
She made their day. Less than an hour later, she made history.
The Team Canada defender from Ingersoll, Ont., scored the first-ever PWHL goal less than 11 minutes into the game. The puck and her stick are headed for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Ella Shelton with the first goal in PWHL history gives New York a 1-0 lead pic.twitter.com/nzJNz48ygd
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) January 1, 2024
“We’ve come a long way as women’s players and we’re very excited to be a part of that historical moment,” Shelton said after the game.
“I hope that young girls look up and go, ‘I want to do that one day and be just like her and play in this league.’”
New York ultimately won the game 4-0 — starting goalie Corinne Schroeder’s stick is Hall of Fame-bound, too. The game, between two teams featuring the best players in the world, was a long time coming. The league itself came together in a six-month sprint — a whirlwind of logistics, decision-making and, occasionally, compromises.
How do you build a pro sports league in just half a year? The Athletic talked to the people behind the scenes — from the league-builders to the players and staff — to find out.
Kendall Coyne Schofield gave birth to her son on July 1. If he’d been born any sooner, the landscape of women’s professional hockey might look much different than it does today.
“If Drew came earlier I don’t know if we’d be here,” Brianne Jenner said with a laugh. “She was that integral.”
Instead, Coyne Schofield had her son the day before the PWHL and the players’ union ratified a landmark collective bargaining agreement on July 2 — a document that Coyne Schofield “was an engine” behind, according to Jenner, and spent her second and third trimesters negotiating.
“There were definitely late nights, early mornings, constant emails, constant phone calls,” Coyne Schofield said. “Every sentence, every word, every letter was so important to all of us.”
The players’ union was officially formed in February 2023, months before Mark and Kimbra Walter purchased the PHF, the league ceased operations, and a new women’s pro hockey league was announced in its place. CBA negotiations began shortly after between future league leadership — including Stan Kasten, Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss — and a player-led bargaining committee that included Coyne Schofield, Jenner, Hilary Knight, Sarah Nurse and Liz Knox.
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According to Kasten, it was Mark Walter, billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and PWHL owner, who really wanted the players to organize and have a collective bargaining agreement “so that the problems we’re trying to fix are memorialized.” Starting with a CBA — which had never been done in a major women’s professional sports league — was part of the players’ long-term vision for the league, too.
“So often what we’ve seen in other professional women’s sports leagues is they start off with a league and they’re told, ‘These are the conditions in which you’re going to participate and you don’t have another option, and be grateful for what you have and go play,’” Coyne Schofield said. “We didn’t want to be like that. We wanted to start with our voices at the table and work to build this together.”
Monday afternoon’s game at Mattamy Athletic Centre was a sellout. (Mark Blinch / Getty Images)
And while the process was highly collaborative, it still took around six months to finalize, given they were drafting a document from scratch. Some weeks, the two sides breezed through multiple items. Other times, the process would stall. There were some contentious moments, of course, but also funny ones. Coyne Schofield recalled that when players asked for meals to be provided after games and training, they were met with surprise.
“They were like, yeah, obviously, you have to eat,” she said, laughing. “But that hadn’t been obvious to date.”
The eight-year CBA is over 40 pages, with 30 articles covering everything from player salaries and player-related expenses; benefits; player movement; travel; and safety and working conditions. Specific items covered in the document range from league-minimum salaries to meals, hotel accommodations, per diem, housing, relocation expenses, health insurance, pregnancy benefits, parental leave, a 401(k) program, nursing accommodations and more.
“If we weren’t working with people on the other side that had the best intentions for this league and for these players, the CBA wouldn’t look how it looks,” said Coyne Schofield.
League leaders gave themselves roughly six months.
The announcement of the PHF acquisition and the Walters’ plans for a new women’s league came on June 30. While they had considered a potential league start in 2024-25, PWHL leaders ultimately decided on a January 2024 puck drop — even though launching a single expansion franchise in professional sports usually takes two to three years from conception to play.
“We owed it to the athletes to get on the ice and to have a league,” said Royce Cohen, who leads business strategy for the Dodgers and was tapped to help with the PWHL. “And we felt confident that we were going to be able to deliver an improved product.”
The work truly began on July 1, 2023, though Cohen says they did some league-building during the CBA and acquisition talks — examining markets and venues and discussing a marketing strategy.
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The first item on the to-do list was to finalize the original six markets. Discussions had begun in May, and the league spent time looking at everything from population figures to youth hockey participation, women’s hockey history and existing infrastructure across 20 potential markets. Facilities were a major part of the process, as the league had certain standards of professionalism — and availability — it needed to meet.
A women’s pro hockey arena shouldn’t be too big to fill, but it also shouldn’t be so small as to put a ceiling on ticket revenue. You need adequate locker rooms for players. Training facilities. Prime ice-time windows — gone are the days of 10 p.m. practices. Venues, whether training or game facilities, need to be “appropriate for professional/international hockey,” according to the CBA.
Eventually, the league landed on Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Minnesota, Boston and New York. That wasn’t the original “original six,” either. According to multiple PWHL sources, the league looked at Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and London, Ont., among others.
The original six markets were announced in August. Venues weren’t announced until three months later. The delay, Cohen said, was due to signing agreements with the venues — not choosing them. Once the markets were finalized, the league hired six general managers, who then hired their own coaches and team staff. The league also built out its business staff. Some were hired from the PHF or PWHPA. Others came from places like the WNBA, MLB and other professional sports leagues.
The league put together the plan for the Sept. 18 draft in just three weeks, starting at the end of August. The inaugural schedule was released on Nov. 30, barely one month before the start of the season.
There have been some hiccups, of course. The league’s merchandise was criticized for its high price point and lack of inclusive sizing. All six teams are starting the season without team nicknames or logos. Instead, teams will play with their market names printed diagonally across their jerseys. According to Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s senior vice president of business operations, team branding was too important to fit into the league’s tight schedule.
“There are decisions you can make that are fast and if you make an error in your judgment on that decision, it’s easy to walk back, or you can learn from it and move on,” said Scheer, who assumed her role on Oct. 31. “From the team name perspective, it was just better off slowing the process down.”
“(When) you challenge yourself to do something in six months, you really find out what is necessary versus ‘nice to have,’” added Cohen. “We anticipate that people expect a more traditional sort of nickname and mascot and all that fun stuff, which we have been and we will continue to work on prioritizing where it goes in the list of things to do.”
PWHL general managers had just over three months to build their teams — through free agency, the draft and two waiver periods. For Danielle Marmer, the first order of business was convincing Hilary Knight to sign with Boston.
The GM and future Hockey Hall of Fame forward had conversations when PWHL free agency officially opened on Sept. 1. Marmer, she said, could tell Knight wanted to be in Boston, but Marmer needed to sell her on the environment that she, as the first general manager of the Boston franchise, was going to create.
So, Marmer painted a picture of the sports town Knight spent five years in at the start of her professional career — and of why it would be the perfect place in which to, eventually, finish it off.
“If you want to be an elite athlete, you want to do it in Boston,” she told Knight. “The superstars in Boston are the athletes and this is a market that is exciting to be in.
“Think about your legacy and where you are in your career right now,” she added. “Where do you want to finish it out?”
Billie Jean King and Jayna Hefford took part in the ceremonial puck drop at the first-ever PWHL game on Monday in Toronto. (Mark Blinch / Getty Images)
Knight signed a three-year deal with Boston, along with defender Megan Keller and goalie Aerin Frankel. Initially, Marmer didn’t think she would sign a goalie as one of her first three free-agent contracts. And in the days leading up to free agency, the scuttlebutt was that if any goalies were signed it would likely be Ann-Renée Desbiens — and only Desbiens. With so much talent at the position, the thought was that teams would simply wait for the draft.
That was Marmer’s thought until she did more digging. Even though the top goalies in the sport are all excellent, there was, of course, still a ranking within them. Marmer, after spending last season working for the Boston Bruins who have two elite goalies in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, didn’t want to be outside the top tier at a critical position. Waiting until the draft was too much of a risk.
“I wanted to make sure I had a lock in each position,” she said. “I was very excited with what I got to start with.”
The question after free agency was how to build around those foundational pieces through the 15-round draft on Sept. 18.
The plan was to balance the best available players with positional need and to ensure the team wasn’t getting caught up in positional runs. For example, if there was a run on defenders, they would get in only if the right player was still on the board. If there was a drop-off to the next tier of players, the team would take advantage of the focus on defense and grab a top forward.
“If you’re just following each run, you’re never going to head,” she said. “So it was like, let’s take what they give us, let’s be totally prepared, and totally flexible.”
Boston’s draft began with the easy selection of Swiss star Alina Müller as the No. 3 pick. It was no secret that Minnesota was going to take Taylor Heise at No. 1 but Toronto taking Jocelyne Larocque at No. 2 was the best-case scenario for Marmer, she said.
Marmer got in on the run on defenders in the second round, selecting Sophie Jaques, the offensive right-shot defender from Ohio State University. One of the team’s biggest debates came in the third round. There, Marmer hoped to get one of Hannah Brandt or Loren Gabel. When Jamie Lee Rattray was still on the board — they believed she’d be taken by Ottawa by then — Marmer swerved to take the Canadian Swiss army knife forward, at the behest of coach Courtney Kessel.
“We thought when we picked Rattray that we were going to miss out on Gabel and Brandt,” Marmer said.
Boston ended up with all three, along with other stellar picks like Theresa Schafzahl (Round 7), Taylor Girard (Round 9), Emma Söderberg (Round 10), Sophie Shirley (Round 11) and Shiann Darkangelo (Round 12).
That draft class is a big reason why Boston has widely been viewed as the team to beat this season. They are deep, with a ton of top talent at every position and a GM with a vision for not just her team on the ice, but the environment she’s hoping to create off it. Marmer signed all of her draft picks heading into training camp and didn’t invite too many players to camp. She felt comfortable with the work they did in the draft and wanted players to feel confident and settled heading into the season. And she wanted the focus of training camp to be on preparing for the season — not as much about tryouts.
“The team that comes together the quickest is going to be the most successful this season,” she said. “The decision to sign them was to show them we believe in them. Have players figure out what kind of apartment they can go look for, how much they’re making, make sure they’re not in the middle of training camp and trying to build their Ikea bed.”
For many PWHL players, the start of the league required major changes.
Some, like Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull, moved across the country. Ottawa’s Akane Shiga made the move from Japan to play in Canada’s capital city.
For Kali Flanagan, joining the PWHL came with an unexpected departure.
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Flanagan, 28, had spent her entire hockey career in Boston, moving up the youth hockey ranks to a stellar career at Boston College and a defender of the year award while playing for the PHF’s Boston Pride in 2023. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Toronto stepped up in the sixth round of the PWHL Draft to select her.
“My initial reaction was, ‘Oh my God, a new adventure,’” Flanagan said. “I couldn’t have been more excited.”
In October, Flanagan signed a two-year contract with Toronto — which wasn’t announced until Nov. 10 by the league — moved out of her shared apartment with his sister, Kristine, and started apartment hunting in a new city — and country — for the first time.
Ella Shelton scored the first-ever PWHL goal — and the puck and her stick are now headed for the Hockey Hall of Fame. (John E. Sokolowski / USA Today)
Her new Toronto teammates were a big help, she said, pointing her in the direction of good neighborhoods and recommending spots to eat. Renata Fast, one of Toronto’s foundational free-agent signings, helped connect Flanagan — and other teammates — to a realtor who was a “huge” help.
Michael Ouzas, who played professional hockey with Fast’s husband, viewed apartments for Flanagan while she was still in Boston and FaceTimed her to show her the spaces. With his help, she found a spot quickly and moved in November, two weeks before the start of training camp, and “spent a lot of time building Ikea furniture.”
The timing allowed Flanagan to find a home and get settled, versus living in a hotel while trying to earn a spot on the roster. That was by design from Kingsbury, who wanted the athletes they knew would be on Toronto’s first roster to have peace of mind and a level of comfort in a new place before the start of training camp.
“It definitely helped,” Flanagan said. “I just think this team and staff and the environment that they’ve created for us so far has been amazing. It feels like a really special atmosphere.”
On Monday afternoon, fans got their first glimpse of a league that was built quickly, but with the goal of longevity.
The puzzle pieces have been put together. Now it’s time to see what the PWHL can really be.
—With files from Sean Gentille
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(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic. Photos of Stan Kasten, Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Justin Berl, Chase Agnello-Dean / NHLI via Getty Images)
One week to go, still plenty to be decided.
Start here, with the first regular-season game in NFL history featuring two teams with at least 13 wins. The Lions and Vikings will not only decide the NFC North title next Sunday night at Ford Field but also the conference’s top seed and lone first-round bye.
Then there’s Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, now the ninth rusher to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season. In Philly’s finale, he has the chance to break one of the league’s most vaunted records — one that’s stood for 40 years.
There’s one playoff spot in each conference still up for grabs — an AFC wild-card berth and the NFC South champ.
And, following the Giants’ upset of the Colts, there’s a new front-runner for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.
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As for Sunday and Week 17, Sam Darnold and the Vikings continued to script the most improbable story of the 2024 season. Thanks to another career day from Darnold — 377 passing yards and three touchdowns — the Vikings staved off a Packers rally for a 27-25 win to keep Minnesota’s hope for the NFC’s No. 1 seed alive. Consider: The over/under for the Vikings’ win total at the start of the season was a mere 6.5. Kevin O’Connell’s team is now 14-2 and one win away from the conference’s No. 1 seed.
Darnold’s revival continues to defy the odds. He’s on his fourth team in five years. He was written off by the Jets, then the Panthers, then spent last season backing up Brock Purdy with the 49ers. Now he’s the first quarterback in NFL history to win 14 games in his first season with a team. He’s thrown 35 touchdowns. On Sunday alone he hit eight receivers, proving again that this is more than just having one of the game’s elite weapons in Justin Jefferson. Darnold’s been flat-out terrific, and one of the main reasons the Vikings have won nine straight.
“Another big-time performance when his team needed him,” O’Connell gushed of his quarterback. “There’s so many things that lead into moments like this for Sam since he became a Minnesota Viking. … Our football team loves him for it, and I’ve had an absolute blast coaching him.”
On the other end, of the Packers’ five losses this season, four have come within the NFC North.
Jayden Daniels’ touchdown throw to Zach Ertz in overtime Sunday night clinched not just the Commanders’ return to the playoffs but also a division title for the Rams. (L.A. edged Seattle via the strength of victory tiebreaker.) That means just one division has yet to be decided. The Bucs, 48-14 winners over the Panthers on Sunday, are now 9-7 and a game in front of the Falcons, who fell to the Commanders in overtime. Atlanta is 8-8 but would win the division if both teams finish with the same record by virtue of a season sweep over Tampa Bay.
The Dolphins won with Tyler Huntley at quarterback to stay alive in the AFC playoff race. The Colts clinched another January at home after an embarrassing loss to the Giants. And the Bills routed the Jets 40-14 to inch New York one game closer to a merciful end for a miserable season. And possibly nudged Aaron Rodgers toward retirement.
Here’s what we learned in Week 17:
Broncos win, they’re in
In the AFC, all but one spot has been decided. Three teams — Denver, Miami and Cincinnati — still have a chance. But it remains the Broncos’ to lose.
AFC Playoff Picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Week 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
15-1 |
at Broncos |
|
|
2 |
13-3 |
at Patriots |
|
|
3 |
11-5 |
vs. Browns |
|
|
4 |
9-7 |
at Titans |
|
|
5 |
10-6 |
vs. Bengals |
|
|
6 |
10-6 |
at Raiders |
|
|
7 |
9-7 |
vs. Chiefs |
|
|
8 |
8-8 |
at Jets |
|
|
9 |
8-8 |
at Steelers |
The playoffs will run through Kansas City after the Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed and first-round bye with their Christmas Day victory over the Steelers. Buffalo is locked into the No. 2 spot, and with a win next week over the lowly Browns the Ravens would claim a second straight AFC North title. The Steelers and Chargers have clinched playoff spots; the only way Pittsburgh wins the AFC North is if Baltimore loses and the Steelers beat the Bengals, who still have something to play for thanks to Saturday’s overtime win over the Broncos.
Here are the scenarios for the final AFC playoff spot:
- If the Broncos beat the Chiefs, Denver is in.
- If the Dolphins beat the Jets and the Broncos lose to the Chiefs, Miami is in.
- If the Bengals beat the Steelers and both the Broncos and Dolphins lose, Cincinnati is in.
- If all three teams lose, the Broncos earn the final playoff spot.
In all likelihood, Denver will take care of business against Kansas City’s backups. But at least for one more week, Miami and Cincinnati have life.
Assuming the Ravens claim the AFC North, that would set up wild-card matchups between the Bills and Broncos, Ravens and Chargers and Texans and Steelers.
NFC South still to be won
The NFC is a bit messier.
For starters, the top seed remains up for grabs heading into Week 18. The Lions-Vikings winner will not only earn the NFC North title but also the No. 1 seed and the first-round bye. The loser at Ford Field? They’ll slide to the No. 5 spot and open the playoffs on the road. (That is regardless of what happens between the Lions and 49ers Monday night — even with a loss, Detroit will still face Minnesota next week with the division title and No. 1 seed on the line.)
The Eagles are locked into the No. 2 spot.
NFC Playoff Picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Week 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
14-2 |
at Lions |
|
|
2 |
13-3 |
vs. Giants |
|
|
3 |
10-6 |
vs. Seahawks |
|
|
4 |
9-7 |
vs. Saints |
|
|
5 |
13-2 |
vs. Vikings |
|
|
6 |
11-5 |
vs. Bears |
|
|
7 |
11-5 |
at Cowboys |
|
|
8 |
8-8 |
vs. Panthers |
Thanks to the Commanders’ overtime victory over the Falcons Sunday night, Washington is in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Dan Quinn’s team could also climb to the No. 6 seed with a win next week over the Cowboys. In that scenario, Green Bay would fall to No. 7.
Washington’s win also means the Rams have clinched the NFC West via the strength-of-victory tiebreaker. The Seahawks, holding out slim hopes of making the postseason in coach Mike Macdonald’s first year, were eliminated.
The NFC South, though, remains a question mark. If the Bucs beat the Saints next week, they clinch the division. If they lose and the Falcons beat the Panthers, Atlanta would win it based on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Giants’ win comes at a cost
“We know where we’re going,” Shedeur Sanders said in the days leading up to his final collegiate game.
When Colorado’s quarterback took the field for the Alamo Bowl in custom cleats with the New York Giants logo on them, the message was clear: Sanders fully expected to go No. 1 to the Giants in the draft.
Then a funny thing happened: The Giants won a game, for the first time at home all season and for the first time anywhere since early October. And with its 45-33 victory over the Colts, New York forfeited its pole position in the race for the No. 1 pick.
Might that change where Sanders ends up?
It very well could. Because after Sunday’s results, the Giants are slated to pick fourth, behind the Patriots, Titans and Browns.
If New England loses next week to Buffalo — the Bills have already locked up the AFC’s No. 2 seed and will likely rest some starters ahead of the playoffs — the Patriots would clinch the franchise’s first No. 1 selection since 1993.
Four teams are 3-13, but the Patriots own the top seed, so to speak, by virtue of strength of schedule. The Titans host the Texans in Week 18, the Giants are on the road against the Eagles and the Browns are on the road against the Ravens.
Current NFL Draft Order
| Pick | Team | Record | SOS |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
3-13 |
0.469 |
|
|
2 |
3-13 |
0.511 |
|
|
3 |
3-13 |
0.539 |
|
|
4 |
3-13 |
0.549 |
|
|
5 |
4-12 |
0.472 |
|
|
6 |
4-12 |
0.498 |
|
|
7 |
4-12 |
0.500 |
|
|
8 |
4-12 |
0.546 |
|
|
9 |
4-12 |
0.553 |
|
|
10 |
5-11 |
0.511 |
If the current order holds, it makes for an interesting dilemma: The Patriots, following Drake Maye’s promising rookie season, won’t be in the market for a quarterback. Would they trade out of the top spot, like the Bears did two years ago? The price would be steep for a team such as the Titans, Browns, Giants, Jets, Raiders or someone else looking to trade up for a chance at grabbing their quarterback of the future, depending on where they’re coming from in the draft order. Carolina, remember, had to send Chicago two first-round picks, a second-rounder and wideout D.J. Moore to jump from No. 9 to the top of the 2023 draft to land Bryce Young.
Or New England could simply stay at No. 1 and take whichever player it prefers.
Sanders may very well end up with the Giants, but that became far less certain on Sunday.
Barkley joins 2K club
Saquon Barkley joined one of the most exclusive groups in NFL history Sunday, climbing past 2,000 rushing yards for the season in Philly’s 41-7 rout of the Cowboys. He’s just the ninth rusher in league history to do so, joining O.J. Simpson (1973), Eric Dickerson (1984), Barry Sanders (1997), Terrell Davis (1998), Jamal Lewis (2003), Chris Johnson (2009), Adrian Peterson (2012) and Derrick Henry (2020).
Barkley has 2,005 rushing yards, exactly 100 shy of Dickerson’s single-season record, set way back in 1984 (when Dickerson set the mark in 16 starts). But with the Eagles already locked into the NFC’s No. 2 seed, Barkley’s unlikely to see a lot of snaps in next week’s finale against the Giants.
Saquon Barkley could set an NFL single-season rushing record next week, but will he see enough action? (Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
“I’m not overtly trying to get (the record),” he said after Sunday’s game. “I’m not scared of it, but we’ve got bigger things we’re focused on. Whether we play next week or rest, I’m fine with that. I didn’t sign here just to break a record. I want to do something special with the team.”
Colts’ hopes end with thud
If you can’t beat the team with the worst record in football, you don’t deserve a spot in the dance.
Sunday’s loss to the Giants was an utter embarrassment for the Colts, one of the worst in recent memory for a franchise that has underachieved for the better part of five seasons. This was an especially dark day for Gus Bradley’s defense, which allowed Drew Lock and the Giants to pile up 389 all-purpose yards. The Giants entered Sunday having scored 32 points all of December — that’s three games — then lit the Colts up for 45 in one afternoon. It’s the most the franchise has scored in a game in nine years.
“It’s embarrassing. It’s disappointing. We got just flat-out beat,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “The performance that we put out defensively, beyond unacceptable. And you can’t play like that if you plan on being a playoff team.”
That makes four straight seasons the Colts have missed the postseason, six since their last playoff victory and 10 without a division title.
Coach Shane Steichen, who led the Colts to within one win of an AFC South crown with backup Gardner Minshew under center for most of last season, couldn’t back up his impressive debut. His offense looked stale, and only late in the year did he find something of a groove with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was benched midseason and struggled to find consistency even after he returned. Richardson has started just 15 of a possible 33 games in two seasons and has yet to prove he’s a long-term answer at the position.
The Colts have some decisions to make.
Does Steichen return?
“I control what I can control,” he said after the loss in New York.
Does Bradley?
“I love Gus,” Steichen said Sunday. “Obviously (today) we’d all love to be better.”
What about general manager Chris Ballard, who is eight seasons into his tenure and has yet to produce a division winner? Owner Jim Irsay, who’s been uncharacteristically quiet of late, will have to decide what he wants the future of his franchise to look like.
(Photo of Joe Flacco and Shane Steichen: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
Sports
Arkansas lineman accused of purposefully hurting Texas Tech player breaks silence after ridicule
Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Fernando Carmona was ridiculed after video caught him stepping on the ankle of a Texas Tech player during the Liberty Bowl over the weekend.
Carmona broke his silence on the matter, apologizing for what transpired.
“I’d like to apologize for my actions last Friday night in the Liberty Bowl,” Carmona posted on X. “I let me emotions get away from me. I have nothing but respect for Texas Tech and the game of football. I apologize to my team and coaches. I’m not that kind of player and will learn from this.”
Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Fernando Carmona (55) reacts after an Arkansas Razorbacks touchdown during the college football game between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Arkansas Razorbacks on November 23, 2024, at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Many took exception to Carmona stepping on C.J. Baskerville’s ankle, and the thought it was done intentionally was put out there. Some even said they wanted him “banned forever” from the game.
Carmona’s actions led to immediate pain for Baskerville. Meanwhile, Carmona tried to play it off like he was helping a teammate off the turf.
Baskerville accused Carmona of committing a “dirty” play.
“There’s no denying that Arkansas played a great game last night, I am not taking that away from them. But #55 Fernando Carmona blatantly stepping on my ankle and pressing down on it on purpose is straight up dirty,” Baskerville wrote on X on Saturday.
Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Fernando Carmona (55) celebrates with fans after the Razorbacks beat the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. (John Reed-Imagn Images)
“Proceeds to say “got your b**** a***.” Do better.”
This incident occurred during the fourth quarter of the Razorbacks’ 39-26 win over the Red Raiders to win the bowl game.
Baskerville was Texas Tech’s leading tackler in the game, too, with 10 total as well as one pass deflection. He had 52 total tackles with four interceptions in his senior season.
Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Fernando Carmona (55) during the college football game between the Mississippi Rebels and Arkansas Razorbacks on November 2, 2024, at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Carmona is a junior who spent the 2023-24 season with the San Jose State Spartans before transferring to Arkansas.
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The things that the Lakers and LeBron James are going to like best about Dorian Finney-Smith are the things that have kept Finney-Smith from appreciating his battles against the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
“This is probably the most I ever said something to him. I’ve been guarding him for nine years, but I’m just not too friendly on the court,” Finney-Smith said Monday in Los Angeles.
Just because Finney-Smith is known for his toughness, his willingness to take on brutal defensive assignments, that doesn’t mean his first chat with James would be about the battles the Lakers would fight now that they’re teammates.
Instead, Finney-Smith saw an opportunity.
“I just have to pull that shade down and ask him ‘give me some of those shoes.’ I can finally ask for some of that gear,” Finney-Smith said. “We never know when he’s going to hang it up. It was fun to be able to ask him for something, knowing I ain’t got to compete against him tomorrow.
“… He said he got me. The hard part out the way. I asked. I broke the glass.”
He’s got the gear, now he’s ready to play big-time games.
“I’m excited,” he said. “I’m back to playing some meaningful basketball. It’s been a while, but I’m excited.”
The Lakers broke the glass on their trade market Sunday, sending D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three future second-round picks to Brooklyn for Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton.
Finney-Smith, 31, has played in 20 games this season and is averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds while attempting 5.4 threes per game and making 43.5% of them. Milton, 28, is averaging 7.4 points in 27 games for the Nets this season while making 38.9% of his three-point shots.
The two players attended — but didn’t participate in — the team’s practice Monday with the hopes of playing Tuesday against Cleveland, provided that all physicals are completed. The Lakers are also expected to get center Jaxson Hayes back from an extended absence because of an ankle injury. Lakers guard Gabe Vincent didn’t practice Monday and is questionable to play against the Cavaliers.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said he plans on using Finney-Smith as a backup for the time being, electing to keep Rui Hachimura in the starting five.
“I already talked to him about it. You know, we’re in a good spot with our starting group right now. So [Finney-Smith will] play and he’ll come off the bench,” Redick said. “And like I’ve told you guys several times, I want consistency with that group. But I’m not gonna be stubborn and locked into something if it’s not working. But it’s working right now, and Doe is a guy that can fit in very easily with any lineup and any sort of roster. He’s easy.
“He has a desire to win and compete and it doesn’t matter to him if he’s starting or coming off the bench.”
Typically, in-season trades are a shock to any player’s system, but for Finney-Smith, he’s been in trade rumors for most of the last two years after Dallas included him in their deal to acquire Kyrie Irving from Brooklyn.
“You hear the noise. But I’m one of them guys, last year I got fed up. I was tired of hearing the noise. You start paying attention to it a little too much and you lose sight of where you’re at,” Finney-Smith said.
“And that’s what happened last year. I thought I was gonna get moved and I ended up staying in Brooklyn. So this year, I just wanted to be where my feet was at. And that was in Brooklyn. So I was just trying to — even though I’m human — you gonna think about it. But I just tried to stay where I was at and that’s in Brooklyn. So I knew the chance of me getting traded was high.
“So it didn’t matter where it was going to be at, I was gonna be ready to go because, again, I was already mentally prepared to get moved. But I’m happy I’m here. I’m not — I don’t wanna say that cause — but if you played for Brooklyn, you know what I mean. You don’t wanna be the little brother in the city. So I’m finally with the big bros.”
Finney-Smith and Milton, strangely enough, were both teammates of Redick’s during his time as a player.
“It gives you a lot of confidence because he knows what you can do so you ain’t got to go out there and try to do nothing you can’t,” Finney-Smith said. “So I just go out there and be me. Sometimes what I do, like you say, won’t show up in the stat sheet. But as long as we win, I’m happy. So that’s all I want to do here is win, bring good vibes, bring that winning mentality, and have fun doing it.”
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