Sports
The Minnesota Lynx return to the WNBA Finals. Can they play up to their legacy?
MINNEAPOLIS — As Lindsay Whalen’s face appeared on the JumboTron in Target Center on Tuesday night to a raucous reception, the Minnesota Lynx PA announcer took some liberties with her introduction. “She’s an avid golfer,” he quipped about arguably the most famous homegrown basketball player in Minnesota … before stating the obvious. “And her No. 13 jersey is retired in the rafters.”
From a courtside seat, Whalen watched as the Lynx punched their ticket to the WNBA Finals with an 88-77 semifinals win over the Connecticut Sun, marking the franchise’s first trip to the finals since 2017, when Whalen helped lead Minnesota to its fourth championship in seven seasons.
After that 2017 run, the band remained together for another season, but by 2019, Whalen, Maya Moore and Rebekkah Brunson had retired. That same year, Cheryl Reeve used her No. 6 WNBA Draft pick to take Napheesa Collier out of UConn. Collier’s numbers, at the time, reminded Reeve of Moore and fellow UConn alum Breanna Stewart, who had just won her first WNBA MVP title in 2018.
Six years later, it’s Collier who is the face of Minnesota basketball. So it came as no surprise that at the final buzzer, Collier nearly sprinted directly across the court to hug Whalen, who is enshrined in Lynx lore for what she did for this franchise in the 2010s.
Lindsay Whalen is in the house for Game 5 tonight!! @Lindsay_13 #lynxrecognize #wnba pic.twitter.com/GiTJUTtJvk
— Wendell Epps (@epps_wendell) October 9, 2024
Collier said it’s meaningful to have “someone who is such a Hall of Famer and has gone through this and done what I want to achieve. … I wanted to give her a hug just to say thank you for showing up for us, for showing up for me and the team. Thank you for passing this legacy on to us because it means a lot, and (I) definitely want to do her proud and continue. The job is not done.”
The next part of the job? A monumental task. In New York, the Lynx face a team that was assembled to win titles. The Liberty brought in multiple former MVPs (Stewart and Jonquel Jones) and they added Courtney Vandersloot, who could play well with Sabrina Ionescu, their own drafted guard. New York got German star Leonie Fiebich (drafted in 2020 but acquired by New York in 2023) to come over to the States to play in the WNBA.
New York is a team dripping in All-Stars, accolades and expectations.
Frankly, it doesn’t look all that different from Reeve’s last team that made it to the finals. She had five starters on her 2017 squad who are now in various (and multiple) Halls of Fame. She had four players who won gold medals with the U.S. Olympic team. She had a starting core whose jerseys all hang in the rafters alongside Whalen’s No. 13.
This year’s Minnesota team? In the preseason, it was picked to finish ninth. There’s Collier, a bona fide star and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Her jersey isn’t in the rafters yet, but with her current trajectory, it seems like only a matter of time. But she might be the only one whose jersey hangs alongside the other greats’ at the end of the day.
“Becky Hammon in Vegas described us as good players (who make) a great team,” Reeve said. “That’s what’s so special about this team — we didn’t scare anybody. I’m not sure anybody at any point in the season was like, ‘Yeah, they have a real shot at winning a championship,’ other than the people that are in our corner.”
No coach has won more postseason games than Reeve (47 — the same number the Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks have as entire franchises). She knows that to win in the postseason, you have to have talent and a lead guard you trust and who elevates every player around her. You need to have a player like Collier, whose steadiness permeates the entire team. (It helps when that leader plays at an MVP level, too.)
Reeve knows, especially, that teams that make it to the finals need to be selfless.
After the Lynx win, Courtney Williams recalled a moment following a regular-season game against the Dallas Wings. Reeve had pulled Williams aside in the locker room to tell her that under the challenging elements of the game, she thought Williams bent.
“From that moment, I invited hard,” Williams said. “Obviously, those conversations don’t have to happen with Phee — not that I know of — or any of the other players. I just didn’t want to be that person to let the coaching staff down or my teammates down, just giving in to hard. We embody that. None of us give in to hard.”
With a WNBA Finals matchup against the Liberty and coming off five relentless games against Connecticut, it doesn’t get much harder. Minnesota might have gone 3-1 against New York during the regular season, but like the Lynx, the Liberty have elevated their game in the postseason.
“The fact that we have worked so hard and we genuinely like each other so much makes it sweeter. It makes you want to win for them, too. It’s not just you want to get the accolade of winning a championship; you want to do it for your teammates as well,” Collier said. “We want to keep playing because we want to stay together. We know every year looks different. This team will never be the exact same again. Not only do we want to win a championship, but we don’t want to leave each other yet. And that’s a great feeling.”
Said Reeve: “We’re happy that we’re going to the finals. But we’re not going to be just happy to be there.”
(Photo of Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier: David Sherman / NBAE via Getty Images)
Sports
Recent UFC champion Carlos Ulberg says he lost title belt while celebrating the win
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UFC champion Carlos Ulberg says he lost his championship belt that he just won after capturing the light heavyweight title at UCF 327.
He told Fox Sports Australia Monday he misplaced his golden title belt while celebrating his victory.
“I’ve lost the belt, bro,” Ulberg told FOX Sports. “Initially after winning, the plan was to not have a drink. But you know how these things go, right?” he said.
“First, someone gives you a champagne to celebrate. Then one thing leads to another, and you’re doing shots.”
Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand celebrates his knockout victory over Jiri Prochazka in a light heavyweight title bout at UFC 327 in Miami, Fla., April 11, 2026. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The 35-year-old from New Zealand fought through a knee injury to defeat Jiri Prochazka in the main event at UFC 327 by knockout this weekend in Miami to become the new champion of the light heavyweight division.
His injury could keep him sidelined for a year, meaning he will have to give up his champion status anyway, with UCF holding an interim title fight to take his place.
Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand celebrates his knockout victory over Jiri Prochazka in a light heavyweight title bout during UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., April 11, 2026. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
But Ulberg said he’s fairly confident his belt will be found before he heads to Las Vegas to get further evaluation from doctors on his knee. He then plans to spend time at the UFC Performance Institute before returning to New Zealand to be with family.
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“I didn’t want to be carrying the belt around, so I think it’s still there at the apartment somewhere. One of the boys probably has it in bed with him,” Ulberg said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Lakers ‘elevate’ work for playoffs with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves injured
The elephant in the room for the Lakers as they enter the playoffs has been, and will continue to be, the status of their starting backcourt, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Both are out because of injuries — Doncic with a grade 2 left hamstring strain and Reaves with a grade 2 left oblique strain — and neither is expected to play in the best-of-seven, first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets that begins Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena.
After practice Friday, coach JJ Redick was quick to say “there’s not” when asked about an update on Doncic and Reaves.
After Doncic and Reaves were injured on April 2 at Oklahoma City, the Lakers said both would be out until the end of the regular season. According to people not authorized to speak on the matter, both are expected to be out four to six weeks.
Doncic went to Spain to get treatment, and Reaves has been working diligently in L.A., with the hope that they can return sooner.
The Lakers miss their combined output of 56.8 points, 13.8 assists and 12.4 rebounds per game. Doncic led the NBA in scoring (33.5) and was third in assists (8.3); he was second on the Lakers in rebounding (7.7).
During the week of practice, Reaves was around his teammates and seen shooting after a few practices. He appeared to be in good spirits. Doncic was supposed to be back by Friday.
“We love having Austin here and we’re glad he is in a position to do his return-to-play [work], however long it takes with us,” Redick said. “Excited to get Luka back and be around the group. Austin and I talk just about every day about different things. So he’s … just being a part of this. …
“The mindset for our team and for those two guys, like we’re gonna try to make this season as long as possible so that we can get those guys back at some point. We don’t know what that is, and that’s just our job. And their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The theme of the Lakers’ week at practice was to “elevate” their work.
Yes, they won’t have Doncic and Reaves, but that didn’t mean the Lakers couldn’t work harder.
When they worked on box-out drills in preparation for the way the Rockets attack the offensive boards, the Lakers went hard. When they watched film and had practice sessions, the Lakers worked with a purpose.
“The word we’ve used all week is ‘elevate.’ I think that’s what it is,” Redick said. “We all know the playoffs are different. They’re harder. There’s no easy matchups, and you have to be able to elevate your play. But beyond that, it’s elevating your recovery, your attention to detail, your preparation.
“I talked about that with my coaches as we started this week on Monday morning. It was an off day for the guys, but we were in there for six hours and we’ve all collectively gotta elevate. And particularly when you’re missing two of your top guys, part of elevating is elevating each other and the belief that the group as a whole can be great.”
The Rockets are a tough and rugged team that is good on defense and at rebounding.
They ranked fourth in the NBA in points given up (110.0) and sixth in opponents’ field-goal percentage (46.0). They were tops in rebounding (48.1) and offensive rebounds (15.0).
That has the Lakers’ attention and is why they worked so hard during practice.
“It’s been great. The level of focus and attention to detail, the communication, everything has been elevated,” forward Jarred Vanderbilt said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that’s been to the playoffs and know what it takes.
“Like you said, everything elevates around this time and having a veteran group that’s kind of been there and had a taste of the playoffs, we all know what it takes to win games in the playoffs. It’s everybody going out and doing their job and paying attention to the game plan.”
Sports
WWE star Chelsea Green should be WrestleMania ‘headliner,’ Alba Fyre says
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LAS VEGAS – Chelsea Green has been one of the hardest working pro wrestlers in WWE since she returned to the company in 2023 and has put together history-making moments.
Green was the first women’s United States champion in the belt’s history and the first to have multiple reigns. She’s been knocked off ladders and thrown in dumpsters, and yet, strings of bad luck have kept her off the WrestleMania card for the last three years.
Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre enter the ring during SmackDown at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE)
WWE star Alba Fyre, who is a part of Green’s Secret Hervice, told Fox News Digital she would have liked to have seen the Canadian star on the card.
“You know, we’re always rooting for Chelsea,” Fyre said. “Obviously, I’m a big fan of Chelsea, but I think it’s a shame that she’s not on the card this year. She should be the headliner.”
This year, it was a bit out of her hands.
Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre enter the ring during SmackDown at KFC YUM! Center in Louisville, Ky., on Feb. 27, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
WWE CHAMP JADE CARGILL VERY HOPEFUL TO MEET ‘STONE COLD’ STEVE AUSTIN AT HALL OF FAME CEREMONY
Green suffered an ankle injury in the months leading up to WrestleMania 42. She hasn’t been in the ring in a few weeks, but still remained on screen. She was seen on “Friday Night SmackDown” as of late trying to be in the corner of Tiffany Stratton, who is eyeing the United States Championship herself in a battle with Giulia.
Green was off the card for WrestleMania 40 and 41. She last appeared at the event in a fatal four-way tag team match with Sonya Deville at WrestleMania 39.
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 will be interested to see how the next 12 months go for Green. She may work herself back up the ladder and get into contention for the women’s title once again. If so, she’ll either have to contend with Jade Cargill or Rhea Ripley.
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