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Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How to watch Aces at Fever: Caitlin Clark shelved, A'ja Wilson surging for ‘Stranger Things' game
Caitlin Clark's injury-spoiled season has her Indiana Fever in a narrowing, pressurized spot for the rest of 2025. A'ja Wilson's MVP reign has been uncharacteristically rocky, as her Las Vegas Aces are scrapping to stay above .500. Thursday's game is a big one for both teams, with Indiana taking its floor as slight home underdogs. How to watch Las Vegas Aces at Indiana Fever Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis Time: 7 p.m. ET, Thursday TV: Prime Video (national); WTHR Channel 13 and Vegas 34 (regional) Streaming: Fubo (in-market, try for free) Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub. National audiences will see this game on Prime Video, but the Fever will rock threads inspired by Netflix's tentpole sci-fi show. Indiana's 'Stranger Things' alternate uniforms are officially debuted Thursday. It's a fitting collaboration — that series is set around rural Hoosier State woods, and the Fever themselves have been playing 'upside down' without their superstar initiator. Stranger, indeed. What a confusing year for these Fever, from Clark's three different soft tissue injuries to DeWanna Bonner's troubled stint to … dominating the Commissioner's Cup final, against the Minnesota Lynx no less? For a bonus hit, Sophie Cunningham just got fined for a TikTok video cracking jokes about league officiating. Indiana harbored deep playoff hopes at the start of the season; by the midway mark, it's pushing for whatever postseason action it can get. Indy enters Thursday's matchup at 12-12 after enduring consecutive double-digit losses to the New York Liberty. The team is still third in points per game and offensive rating, but the system is obviously compromised without Clark pushing pace and spreading the floor. There's still a lot of skill on this roster, though. All-Star paint presence Aliyah Boston posted a 15-12-6 line against the Liberty's talented bigs Tuesday. Fellow All-Star Kelsey Mitchell has the highest scoring average of her eight-year pro tenure, on solid 46.8/36.4/75.8 percent shooting splits. The defense has been inconsistent, if not outright flat on some nights, but the Fever are still winning turnover and rebounding margins at large. Las Vegas (12-11) has underwhelmed in its own right. The Aces are No. 9 of the 13 teams in offensive rating and defensive rating. Wilson is still balling out, but she's giving away possessions at a career-worst mark. Six-time All-Star and two-time WNBA champ Jewell Loyd comes in at an unsightly 37.7 percent from the floor, and she's struggled to acclimate to her new digs after a decorated decade up in Seattle. At least the Aces are on the upswing, having won three straight games (Golden State, then Dallas, then Atlanta on Tuesday). Wilson dropped 24 points on the Dream's Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones in that last outing. Her former all-league teammates Loyd, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young combined to go just 9-for-28, though. Aces at Fever odds Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Caitlin Clark and A'ja Wilson: Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn Images) This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces, WNBA, Sports Betting, Fubo Partnership, WNBA Highlights 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LAFC pushing to sign Tottenham star Heung-min Son
Los Angeles FC want to sign Tottenham Hotspur forward Heung-min Son (h/t The Athletic). The Major League Soccer franchise are making a serious effort to bring Son to the United States before their current season ends. Although no breakthrough has been achieved yet, discussions are ongoing among all parties. There is strong hope within the LAFC camp that Son will be persuaded to make the switch to MLS in the coming weeks. The 2025 MLS secondary transfer window officially opens on July 24 and will remain active until August 21. If an agreement is reached within that period, Son could join the squad in time to play a key role in their season run-in. Son could reunite with former Spurs teammate The South Korean has already carved his name into Tottenham's history as one of the club's most celebrated players over the past decade. The winger finally lifted silverware with Spurs last season, helping them win the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League. He previously established a remarkable personal record in England, scoring at least 10 goals in eight straight Premier League campaigns. That run ended last season, as he registered seven goals and nine assists in 30 top-flight matches. If the move goes through, Son would link up again with Hugo Lloris, his long-time teammate at Spurs. Lloris joined LAFC in early 2024 and has since made 52 appearances in MLS competitions. His presence in Los Angeles is one of the factors encouraging the club to pursue Son. LAFC are currently fifth in the Western Conference table but have played fewer matches than several of their rivals. Their fixture schedule was affected by their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. The addition of a player of Son's quality and profile could be a significant boost for the club's title push this season. With time still left in the window and talks ongoing, LAFC are hopeful of getting a deal done to bring Son to California.
Boston Globe
3 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
How has the Red Sox' Ceddanne Rafaela become one of the best defensive outfielders in all of baseball?
Related : 'I was taught to do it that way coming up,' Rafaela said. 'So that's just how I've always done it.' The result is a pre-pitch approach that is highly unconventional for an outfielder, but is the foundation of Rafaela's elite defense. Per MLB's Statcast, Rafaela's 13 Outs Above Average leads all American League center fielders and is tied for sixth among all position players, making him a candidate to win a Gold Glove in his second full big league season. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'He's an infielder at heart,' said Kyle Hudson, the Red Sox' third base coach and outfield instructor. 'Guys that go from the infield to the outfield, they have the ability to react quicker. And he's taken those instincts and those reactions to the outfield, and you're seeing it translate to probably the best jumps in the game right now.' Advertisement Hudson attributes Rafaela's standout defense to a mix of elite physical traits, including agility, acceleration, and anticipation. Those attributes all factor into Rafaela's biggest differentiator, which is his reaction time the split-second after the batter makes contact. Advertisement Advanced metrics affirm the eye test: Rafaela's 'outfielder jump' is measured at 5.6 feet above average, according to Statcast. That would be the best mark by an outfielder since MLB began tracking jumps in 2016. 'It all starts with my preparation,' Rafaela said. 'I prepare each pitch, before the game, during [batting practice] for that … I always expect the ball to come to me.' Outfielders are commonly taught to keep their weight balanced on the balls of their feet as the pitch comes in, so they can break in any direction upon reading the ball off the bat. On the contrary, Rafaela's mechanics require him to commit to a direction sooner, but also enable him to reach full speed sooner. Then, he uses his agility and instincts to change angles while already in motion. Related : The result is evident in Rafaela's 'burst' ― defined as feet covered by an outfielder between the first 1.6-3 seconds after contact ― which is 3.2 feet above average, according to Statcast. The mark would be MLB's highest since 2021. 'I would never teach a guy to take a pre-pitch like he does,' said Hudson. 'But obviously I didn't want to change it because of his ability to react.' Because Rafaela starts moving so early, he takes a less direct path to the catch point ― Statcast grades his route efficiency as the league's seventh worst. But since he's moving at full speed by the time he adjusts, Rafaela easily makes up the ground. 'By the second step, I know where the ball is going to be,' Rafaela said. Advertisement Sacrificing route efficiency for first-step quickness is a tradeoff Hudson embraces, especially when paired with excellent ball-tracking skills. That paradox was similarly true of former Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who had the league's worst route efficiency in 2018, when he won the American League Gold Glove. 'What we found [with] outfielders are the elite ones have quick reactions, and then they're able to adjust on the fly and then adjust in the route. And [Rafaela] does that probably better than anybody,' Hudson said. 'The body awareness that he has, his ability to adjust, his ability to finish the play, is probably better than anybody I've seen.' In any pre-pitch setup, Hudson said it's critical to maintain consistency on each pitch, which requires discipline over the course of a game, let alone a season. When Rafaela was first called up in 2023, Hudson noticed that he would sometimes lose his pre-pitch form, which Rafaela has worked to correct. 'It would be just kind of like a 1-2 step, and he wouldn't have the little hop … he got a little bit more consistent last year, and then this year, he's been nothing short of perfect ― like he hasn't missed a pitch,' Hudson said. Related : The progression is a credit to Rafaela taking pride in the minute details of his game, and also the rapport between Rafaela and Hudson. 'He's always on me,' Rafaela said. 'And I tell him to be on me, so when I'm [lagging], he can tell me so I can get back on track.' The adjustments have stuck this year, as Rafaela has acclimated to the rigors of the big leagues and seen more consistent time in center field. Last season, he started 72 games in center, 71 at shortstop, and 4 at second base. This season he's started 95 games in center and just five at second base, all of which have come in the past two weeks. Advertisement Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela says that "by the second step, I know where the ball is going to be.' Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Rafaela also has had 'It was his first full season [in 2024]. He played a lot of games and lost weight and he grinded through it,' said manager Alex Cora. 'But this year, he was prepared for 162 and he's showing it.' And while Rafaela's recent offensive strides have raised his overall ceiling, defense will continue to be his calling card ― and provide the Sox with a dynamic presence in center. 'You're seeing what's happening from him just being out there and going to get those balls every single night,' Hudson said. 'It's pretty special what he's doing.' Matty Wasserman can be reached at
