Sports
Women golfers rejoice after LPGA bars post-puberty males from female competition: 'No more!'
Multiple women’s golfers came forward to praise and celebrate the LPGA’s rule change on Wednesday that bars post-pubescent males from competing against females in pro competition.
The organization said in a news release that male players who have gone through male puberty are barred from competing in the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions. The new rule will go into effect for the 2025 season.
“Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events,” the organization said. “The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community.”
The International Women’s Forum (IWF) released a press release in which several women golfers spoke in favor of the ruling later on Wednesday. These golfers include Lauren Miller, Hannah Arnold, Dana Fall, and Amy Olson.
Miller said that she and female colleagues in pro golf have said “no more” to the issues of competing against biological males with the statement.
“This announcement from the LPGA and USGA gives me hope for the future of women’s golf,” Miller said. “The movement of female professional golfers was essential and has been heard — we’ve stood up and said, ‘No more’. By acknowledging the distinctions between men and women, golf leadership is uniting with us in their desire to champion women and girls by restoring a space that prioritizes fair competition. Today, women have won.”
Olson, meanwhile, insisted that the biological differences between men and women should be acknowledged in sports.
“This is a positive step forward, recognizing that an individual’s chromosomes affect their physical development in ways that are irreversible,” Olson said.
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Fall said that Wednesday’s announcement indicates that “women do matter” in sports.
“Today’s policy announcement is a huge win for women and girls in sports. The LPGA and USGA, the premiere bodies which dictate the rules of women’s golf, are standing up for fairness and the integrity of our sport. Today, the message sent to women is that we do matter, and they are working to return equal opportunity and protect fair sport for female athletes,” Fall said.
Still, the announcement was not meant with unanimous praise. Liberals and trans rights activists have criticized the new rule.
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson spoke out against the new rule, as it will likely prevent Davidson from competing in the LPGA moving forward.
“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA,” Davidson wrote in an Instagram Stories post. “All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.
“And somehow people are surprised the suicide rate for transgender people is around 50%. Situations just like this are part of the reason.”
A female golfer who competed against Davidson, Olivia Schmidt, made a plea to the LPGA to ban trans athletes like Davidson during an appearance at the Independent Women’s Forum in November.
“The bottom line is we can fight this all we want, but the true change comes from the LPGA. They are the only ones with the power to stop it. It’s up to them to protect us,” she said.
“I want my kids one day to chase their dreams and not have these distractions in their way. I’m just praying that [the policy] gets changed, and I’m praying that we can find a way to kind of find some common ground in that and hopefully for the next generation of golfers.”
Now, the LPGA has fulfilled that wish for all of its female competitors and fans.
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Sports
What to expect next from the Golden State Valkyries after WNBA expansion draft
The Golden State Valkyries have taken their first steps toward building a roster for their inaugural season in 2025, and Friday’s expansion draft suggests there will be significantly more turnover for them in the near future.
General manager Ohemaa Nyanin and head coach Natalie Nakase emphasized the competitiveness of the group they drafted, and combined with owner Joe Lacob’s goal of winning a title within five years, there is a desire to be good now. The consequence of selecting a group ready to contend in 2025 means that it’s difficult to see the long-term vision of this particular set of 11 players.
For starters, Golden State drafted a veteran-heavy group, as seven of its 11 picks are at least 27 years old, which was the average age across the WNBA in 2024. Two are signed through 2025 while the remainder are up for new contracts. That leaves the Valkyries at a bit of a disadvantage in roster-building for the future because they don’t have extended team control of those players.
Introducing your first-ever Golden State Valkyries. This is just the beginning of our journey.
Expansion Draft presented by @CarMax. pic.twitter.com/8WU5mOYGRy
— Golden State Valkyries (@wnbagoldenstate) December 7, 2024
That situation is partly out of Golden State’s control; only two veterans (i.e., players not on rookie contracts) league-wide are signed past the 2025 season as players seek to maintain their freedom before the implementation of a new collective bargaining agreement. But the Valkyries not only selected players who have short contracts, but also internationals who have had sporadic relationships with the WNBA.
Julie Vanloo was a 31-year-old rookie in 2024. Temi Fagbenle had a four-year gap from the WNBA from 2020 to 2023. Cecilia Zandalasini was out of the league for five years before returning to Minnesota this season. Iliana Rupert has missed two of the last four WNBA seasons due to national team commitments. Maria Conde has never played for the WNBA despite being drafted in 2019, and she told The Athletic that playing for Spain would always be her priority during the summer. Golden State is taking a risk that these players will be available and willing to play despite a track record that suggests otherwise.
The first question Nyanin addressed in her news conference Friday was about Conde, and Nyanin admitted that she does not know if the Spanish national will come stateside in 2025. Conversations are necessary with her, Carla Leite and the aforementioned European players, especially since EuroBasket starts on June 18, 2025, and lasts for two weeks. The Valkyries are mostly starting from scratch, too. For instance, when Zandalasini came back to the Lynx, it helped that Cheryl Reeve was still the coach. Other than Rupert and Nakase, who were both in Las Vegas in 2022, there aren’t many established relationships with these players.
“This entire process is complex, there’s a lot of unknown, and I will say that ad nauseam, unfortunately,” Nyanin said. “I’m looking at it from the human perspective, like what can we continue to express to these athletes that make them want to come and play in this Valkyrie violet and black and white.”
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Golden State also seemingly prioritized win-now players over younger ones who might take time to develop. Only one of their selections is under a rookie contract, and though Kate Martin projects to be a fine player, she doesn’t necessarily have star upside. The Valkyries likely could have taken swings on players such as Alissa Pili (Lynx), Shaneice Swain (Sparks draftee) or Han Xu (Liberty) but chose to take known quantities in Zandalasini, Stephanie Talbot (Sparks) and Kayla Thornton (Liberty). Washington likely had an even longer list of young players unprotected, and Golden State went with the 31-year-old Vanloo despite also drafting Veronica Burton (Wings) and Leite at point guard.
“These are players that are hungry. … They’re players that could have started on other teams,” Nakase said about their veterans. “I’m just really excited to give them the opportunity.”
These decisions make sense for the 2025 iteration of the Valkyries. Establishing a culture of competitiveness right away might be the most prudent move for an expansion team. Win now, develop a reputation and become an attractive free-agent destination. Golden State’s expansion selections are also high-character veterans who could be valuable recruiting tools during the offseason.
The Valkyries also aren’t bound to keep any of these players. They can assemble an entirely new roster in free agency. Thornton and Talbot are also on easily tradable contracts if another team is interested.
Regardless of what path Golden State pursues from here, it’s also true that the Valkyries punted on an opportunity to build for the future with younger players. They don’t have a deep pool of young talent from this draft. That doesn’t preclude long-term success, but it does mean the front office will have to keep turning over this roster, as veterans tend to move more frequently than players on rookie deals.
As a result, for all the excitement surrounding this crop of Golden State Valkyries, it would be surprising if the majority of them suited up on May 16. Setting aside the uncertainty regarding player availability, Golden State still needs to figure out a direction for its roster, which will require more maneuvering. The Valkyries have only just begun.
(Photo of Chiney Ogwumike and Natalie Nakase: Mike Rasay / NBAE via Getty Images)
Sports
Clemson's Dabo Swinney says SMU 'better be' in College Football Playoff after beating them in ACC title game
SMU came back from down 17 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough.
Clemson knocked a 56-yard field goal as time expired to earn a 34-31 victory in the ACC title game, earning an automatic bid into the College Football Playoff.
The Tigers were ranked 17th in the nation, so at least one team inside the top-12 is going to get the boot from the playoff.
SMU, ranked 8th in the nation entering the title game, now may just be on the outside looking in.
The Ponies’ fate is in the hands of the CFP committee, but if Dabo Swinney were on it, his decision would be clear.
“That’s a playoff team. SMU, they better be in that dang playoff,” he told ESPN on the field after the game.
“There’s no way they shouldn’t be in these playoffs.”
Swinney and Rhett Lashlee shared a long embrace at midfield upon the winning field goal going through the posts, and it’s hard to imagine Swinney did not share those sentiments with the SMU head coach.
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SMU tied the game with 16 seconds left after a 16-play drive, but Adam Randall returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to their own 45. Cade Klubnik then found Antonio Williams for 17 yards, and the Tigers called a timeout, bringing out Nolan Hauser, who drilled the 56-yarder with plenty to spare.
Clemson and Arizona State will be in contention for the final bye into the quarterfinals – the Sun Devils walloped Iowa State in the Big 12 championship on Saturday afternoon.
Of course, the committee decided to move to 12 teams in order for there to be more room for error; given the controversy of leaving out Florida State last year, who would have thought this would still be difficult?
The entire field will be announced on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
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Sports
Pick-six helps Palos Verdes beat Bakersfield Christian in Division 2-A bowl game
Jace DeMoss picked the perfect time for his first interception of the season, returning it 65 yards for a touchdown with 2:09 left to clinch Palos Verdes’ 28-10 triumph over Bakersfield Christian in Saturday night’s Southern California Regional Division 2-A bowl game at South Torrance High.
The Sea Kings (10-5) will play undefeated NorCal winner Twelve Bridges in the CIF 2-A state bowl championship at 11:30 a.m. next Saturday at Saddleback College. It is Palos Verdes’ first trip to a state bowl.
“I saw the quarterback drop back, I just faded back into coverage and the ball came to me,” said DeMoss, a junior who also plays H-back. “I saw a receiver in front of me and cut up the field behind him.”
Sophomore quarterback Ryan Rakowksi ran for 97 yards on 12 carries and completed six of 11 throws for 49 yards, making key plays to move the chains.
“He’s elusive, he makes really good decisions and he’s our leader,” DeMoss said of his signal-caller. “We knew with the team we had, it was possible to go far. I play more on offense, but I enjoy defense — it’s more challenging and more creative.”
Rakowski completed a 13-play, 67-yard drive with a one-yard run, and Dylan Freebury’s extra point gave the Sea Kings a 7-0 lead with 4:25 left in the first quarter.
Bakersfield Christian (11-3) answered with an eight-play, 80-yard march capped by Ethan Eckles’ 24-yard score on a fourth-down screen pass from Lincoln Adame with 1:10 left in the quarter.
The teams traded punts for the remainder of the first half until Adame connected with Andre Calderon on a 40-yard pass play to set up a season-high 47-yard field goal by Cohen Peters with 23 seconds left in the second quarter to put the visiting Eagles up 10-7 at halftime.
Rakowski bounced off several tacklers like a pinball and raced 31 yards down the sideline on Palos Verdes’ first drive of the second half, and the Sea Kings regained the lead, 14-10.
After stopping Bakersfield on fourth down, Palos Verdes drove 54 yards in seven plays, scoring on Andrew Habif’s nine-yard rush to widen the lead to 21-10 with 8:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. Habif finished with 102 yards on 20 carries.
Palos Verdes beat La Serna 23-7 last Saturday to win the Southern Section Division 5 title, with Rakowski rushing for two touchdowns and Camren Hughes intercepting two passes, one for an 80-yard touchdown. The Sea Kings have won six straight since their 37-3 loss to Inglewood.
Twenty-five players graduated from last year’s squad, which went 10-0 in the regular season, was the Bay League champion and lost 59-35 to Mission Viejo in the Southern Section Division 2 first round. Rakowski threw for 23 touchdowns last year and has passed for 18 more this fall.
Adame threw for 200 yards and Calderon had four catches for 75 yards for the Eagles, who were shut out in the second half.
“Our defense is built around physicality,” DeMoss said.
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