Utah
The Jazz fall to the Miami Heat in another narrow loss
The Utah Jazz have played in a ton of close games lately, something that has made head coach Will Hardy really happy, despite the fact that they’ve lost most of them.
That the team is fighting, proving to themselves they are able to meet the level of their competition and stick to a game plan, and that every player whose number is called is giving it their all is making Hardy optimistic about the trajectory of the team and how the players are developing. But more than anything, even when the team falls short, Hardy is glad they’re learning what it takes to grind out NBA wins.
“It’s the value of each possession and the value of every minute you’re on the court,” Hardy said. “But that you always look back at a game that’s close, and these are the ones where it’s easy for your brain to go crazy, because it’s, ‘what if this, what if that. if I’d made that shot, or if I’d made that free throw, or we’d have been in a different situation.’ I think the guys being in these situations, it continues to hammer home the sentiment that we try to have every day, which is to give value to every minute you’re on the floor and you can’t take it for granted.”
In six of the last 10 Jazz games, they’ve played clutch minutes — where the score is within five points in the final five minutes — including on Thursday night when they narrowly lost to the Miami Heat, 97-92.
“We’re fighting the very end,” center Walker Kessler said. “Obviously, got some things we’ve got to straighten out, but we’re competing, and it’s fun. It’s fun to be in these kind of games. Obviously not fun to lose. But we’re in those games. So it’s a lot of fun.”
That’s exactly the chord that Hardy is hoping strikes for each of his players. He wants for the losses to sting, especially the close ones. He wants the players thinking about what more they could have done, what small and subtle action they could have given more effort to in order to impact the game.
It’s not that he wants them to feel bad. He’s really happy with how they’ve been playing and wants them to see that they are making strides. But he does want them to be hungry and to search for ways to be even better.
“I don’t want them to wallow for long periods of time,” Hardy said. “But if you lose a game and you’re not driving home a little bit pissed off, then this probably isn’t for you. It can’t be just, ‘okay, well, we lost.’ It should bother you. We’re competitive, but there’s a line … I would expect that everybody on our team, staff, players, we all drive home a little frustrated with things we wish we’d done differently or better. And then tomorrow we come in, we regroup, and get back to work.”
For Collin Sexton, who had a game-high tying 23 points and five assists, he said he’ll be thinking about boxing out, failing to get a hand up on a late shot clock attempt, allowing second-chance points.
For Isaiah Collier, he’ll be thinking about things on the defensive end that he let slip, like not going over on screens and failing to recognize personnel in clutch minutes.
Every Jazz player is thinking about small things. Every one of them is upset about missing an opportunity to win. But they can also be proud of how far they’ve come as a group since the start of the season.
Beth Launiere, the longest-tenured volleyball coach in Utah history, has retired, the school announced Monday.
Over 36 years as Utah’s coach, Launiere amassed 689 wins and took Utah to the NCAA tournament 20 times.
With Launiere in charge, the Utes won six Mountain West titles and advanced to the Sweet 16 four times, most recently in 2019.
“After 36 years as the head volleyball coach at the University of Utah, I have made the difficult decision to announce my retirement,” Launiere said in a school press release.
“While it is not easy to walk away from a lifetime’s work, I am ready and excited to begin the next chapter of my life. Thank you to the hundreds of players whom I have had the privilege to coach, and the many assistant coaches, support staff and administrators who were my daily collaborators to build this program into what it is today.
“I will miss the daily interactions, but I know our relationships will last a lifetime. It has been an honor to represent one of the greatest universities in the country. I will forever love Utah and will always be a Ute!”
Utah was ranked in the AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll for 183 weeks under Launiere’s leadership, and the program produced 16 All-Americans.
During her 36-year career at Utah, Launiere was rewarded with three Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year awards and one Pac-12 Coach of the Year award in 2019.
In her final season, Launiere and the Utes made the NCAA Tournament, finishing the season with a 15-15 record with wins over No. 23 BYU and No. 13 Kansas before losing to the University of Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAAs.
Launiere will leave a lasting legacy as the volleyball program’s greatest coach.
Utah athletic director Mark Harlan wasted no time naming her successor, appointing Alyssa D’Errico as the sixth head coach in program history.
“Alyssa D’Errico is a tremendous identifier of talent and is elite in developing student-athletes and building genuine relationships,” Harlan said. “With her championship pedigree, All-America playing experience, and the three years she has spent at the University of Utah as associate head coach, she is uniquely equipped to take over leadership of our volleyball program.
“I’m thrilled to appoint Alyssa as our new head coach, and excited to see her establish herself as this program’s leader, building on the legacy that Beth Launiere has built.”
D’Errico is a three-year assistant of Launiere’s, joining the program ahead of the 2023 season.
“I want to sincerely thank Mark Harlan, Charmelle Green and Jason Greco for their trust and support in giving me this opportunity to lead Utah volleyball,” said D’Errico in a press release.
“Of course, I also must thank Beth Launiere. I am deeply grateful to Beth for bringing me out here to be a part of this incredible volleyball program and athletic department. Her countless contributions to our sport, her care for the athletes, and the legacy she leaves behind are inspiring — truly leaving the program better than she found it.
“As I step into this role, I am honored and energized to help guide our program into the next era, with new heights in sight and a strong vision for sustained excellence. I look forward to building on our foundation, elevating our competitive standard, and fostering a culture where our student-athletes thrive on and off the court.”
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A semi-truck tipped onto its side blocked several northbound lanes on Interstate 15 in Salt Lake City.
The crash was first reported by the Utah Department of Transportation around 6:20 a.m. and was located at the top of the on-ramp from 1300 South.
Traffic cameras in the area showed the truck rolled over, blocking multiple lanes to the right of the highway. First responders arrived on scene and blocked two more lanes, leaving only one lane open for through traffic.
It is currently unclear what caused the semi-truck to rollover or if there were any injuries as a result of the crash.
UDOT advised drivers to expect major delays on I-15 and to use an alternate route, such as I-215 or State Street.
As of 7 a.m., UDOT’s traffic monitor website showed traffic was at a near standstill as far back as 3300 South, nearly five miles south of the crash site.
No estimate for when I-15 would reopen was immediately available.
_____
Utah
Gov. Cox calls Utah Legislature into special session on redistricting, to repeal collective bargaining ban
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Gov. Spencer Cox has called the Utah Legislature into a special session to address redistricting and election-related issues, and repeal Utah’s collective bargaining ban after it qualified for a vote on the 2026 ballot.
The call was anticipated, but beyond election deadlines, the agenda items signal that lawmakers will address the appellate process when they gather on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m. The GOP-controlled legislature is currently anticipating embarking on an appeals process after a Third District judge struck down a redistricted map drawn by lawmakers and put in place one crafted by an expert for anti-gerrymandering groups.
Lawmakers will address “amendments to court rules related to appeals by government officers or governmental entities and appeals of election, voting, and redistricting cases; and clarify that the Utah Supreme Court has exclusive and original appellate jurisdiction over election, voting, and redistricting cases, to address the appeals process for a post-judgment motion on attorney fees in such cases, and address statutory inconsistencies,” according to the Governor’s call.
As reported exclusively by ABC4, lawmakers will push back filing deadlines and consider a joint resolution about the “constitutional authority” of the courts. Utah’s GOP leaders have been highly critical of Judge Dianna Gibson since the ruling in late August, some even suggesting impeachment.
Repeal of HB267 after successful signature gathering
The repeal of the anti-collective bargaining ban, known by its bill name H.B. 267, comes after months of speculation that a repeal was in the works after public labor unions gathered more than enough signatures at lightning speed for a referendum to put the question to voters in 2026.
The coalition labor groups, called Protect Utah Workers, supported the repeal in a statement after the call was made public.
“The expected repeal belongs to the Utahns who stood up and signed the referendum,” the coalition said. “More than 320,000 people who signed the petition sent a clear message that public workers deserve a voice on the job. The coalition thanks legislative leadership for respecting the will of the people. This anticipated repeal preserves the rights of firefighters, police, nurses, public educators, transportation workers, airport staff, and all other critical public workers who improve the lives of Utahns every day,” said a spokesperson for the group.
Here is the complete list of agenda items for Tuesday’s special session:
- to modify election provisions relating to qualifying for placement on a primary election ballot, including changing the declaration of candidacy filing period for congressional office;
- to consider a joint resolution of the House of Representatives and the Senate regarding constitutional authority, including in redistricting, and the redistricting process;
- to consider amendments to court rules related to appeals by government officers or governmental entities and appeals of election, voting, and redistricting cases;
- to clarify that the Utah Supreme Court has exclusive and original appellate jurisdiction over election, voting, and redistricting cases, to address the appeals process for a post- judgment motion on attorney fees in such cases, and to address statutory inconsistencies regarding the appellate jurisdiction of the Utah Supreme Court and Utah Court of Appeals; and
- to repeal H.B. 267, Public Sector Labor Union Amendments, enacted in the 2025
General Session.
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