Xander Bogaerts' grand slam (6)
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12 minutes ago
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Karoline Leavitt Is Asked If Trump Is Serious About Blocking Commanders Stadium Deal
WASHINGTON — A day after Donald Trump threatened to hold up a deal for a new football stadium in the nation's capital if the Washington Commanders did not go back to the name Redskins, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president's comments were not a joke. 'The president was serious,' Leavitt told reporters Monday while answering questions on the White House driveway. 'And it's part of the art of the deal, part of his negotiating skills as you know. Sports is one of the many passions of this president and he wants to see the name of that team changed.' Asked why he's getting involved, Leavitt called Trump a 'nontraditional president' and said sports fans are behind him on this. 'I think you've seen the president gets involved in a lot of things that most presidents have not,' Leavitt said. 'He's a nontraditional president. He likes to see results on behalf of the American people and, if you actually poll this issue with sports fans across the country, and even in this city, people actually do support the president's position on this and the name change.' After former President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress late last year to transfer land from the federal government to the District of Columbia, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team reached an agreement in April to build on the site of the old RFK Stadium. That is still pending approval by the Council of the District of Columbia. 'I think the thing that we should focus on in D.C. is doing our part,' Bowser said. 'I have worked for the better part of 10 years to get our part completed, including getting control of the land, coming to an agreement with the team and advancing a fantastic agreement to the council, so we need to do our part.' Dan Snyder, who had said multiple times as owner since 1999 that he would never change the name, did so in July 2020 after facing mounting pressure from sponsors and critics. Washington Football Team was used for two seasons before Commanders was unveiled as the permanent name in early 2022. Josh Harris, whose group bought the team from Snyder in 2023, said earlier this year the Commanders name was here to stay. Savannah Romero, co-founder and deputy director of the Black Liberation-Indigenous Sovereignty Collective, said in a statement Monday responding to Trump that 'Native Americans are not mascots.' 'To equate Native people with cartoonish mascots alongside animals is a gross and ongoing tactic of dehumanization,' said Romero, who is an enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone Nation. The National Congress of American Indians has since 1950 considered eradicating Native-themed mascots one of its priorities. President Mark Macarro called any attempt to purport to speak for Native communities 'an affront to tribal sovereignty.' 'Imagery and fan behaviors that mock, demean, and dehumanize Native people have no place in modern society,' Macarro said in a statement. 'NCAI will continue to stand in support of the dignity and humanity of Native peoples.' At least one organization, the Native American Guardians Association, has filed petitions to bring back the Redskins and Cleveland Indians names. A handful of fans who were asked by The Associated Press for their opinion generally dismissed Trump's comments. Ender Tuncay, who grew up in the Washington area and returns to visit family, called it 'typical Trump stupidity.' 'It's just him focusing on things that aren't consequential and trying to distract from the actual issues that are going on,' Tuncay said, adding he does not care what the name is. 'But I'd like them to get the new stadium, for sure. I like this site where it is. My parents used to tell me stories of how great RFK was back when we were really, really good.' Ford Flemmings, who worked as a vendor at the old RFK Stadium, said everyone is on the bandwagon with the name Commanders now that the team is winning. 'I liked Washington when it was just plain Washington,' Flemmings said. 'If they change their name, so be it. I'll still be a Washington (fan), whatever the Washington team is.' Related... Trump Makes Ominous Threat To Washington Commanders Social Media Wonders Why Trump Suddenly Cares About Washington Commanders Team Name NFL Rookie Sensation Stuns Top Seed Lions In Playoffs
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Indiana Fever vs. New York Liberty: Will Caitlin Clark play tonight?
The Indiana Fever will return to Brooklyn to face the New York Liberty for the second time in a week –the two teams last met at the Barclays Center on Wednesday when the Liberty won at home 98-77. This week, the Fever will likely be without guard Caitlin Clark whose latest injury prevented her from playing in last week's game against the Liberty as well as any of the WNBA All-Star Weekend festivities. The Liberty will host the Fever at Brooklyn's Barclays Center Tuesday night; the game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN. Here's what you need to know about how to watch Tuesday's Liberty vs. Fever game, and find out how to watch every other WNBA game this season, too. How to watch the Indiana Fever vs. New York Liberty: Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY TV channel: ESPN Streaming: Fubo, DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, WNBA League Pass and more What channel will the Liberty vs. Fever game be on? The Liberty vs. Fever game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Where to watch the Liberty vs. Fever game without cable: You can stream the Liberty vs. Fever game on ESPN, which is available on Fubo, DirecTV, Sling, Hulu with Live TV and more. Fans can also stream it on-demand on WNBA League Pass after it concludes. 2025 WNBA season schedule: You can check out the full WNBA season schedule here, complete with which channel every game is airing on. More ways to watch the Liberty vs. Fever game:
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who are the Stud Budz? Understanding the sensation of WNBA All-Star Weekend
The tunnel beneath Gainbridge Fieldhouse was eerily quiet as the WNBA's biggest stars lined up to strut their pre-All-Star-Game looks Saturday night. Red carpets and tunnel walks are usually cacophonous, but at this game, the media were oddly hushed. Then Courtney Williams walked in. The WNBA's unofficial and unparalleled hype train had arrived. 'We need some music back here, some energy!' Williams exclaimed to the small crowd. Then, turning to the line of All-Stars as the night's soon-to-be MVP Napheesa Collier started her tunnel walk, 'Yes, Phee! Period! You look good!' The crowd laughed. The stars laughed. Everyone loosened up. Williams, a guard on the Minnesota Lynx, is one half of the now-viral streaming duo known as the 'Stud Budz.' The other half is Williams' teammate Natisha Hiedeman. Their Twitch stream was the thing everyone at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis was talking about. 'I was streaming (Stud Budz) all last night,' Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark told Williams on Saturday. 'I had it on my TV downstairs. I was commenting.' All across the events in Indianapolis, the gregarious duo with matching pink close-cropped hair transformed every space they entered. Their recipe of behind-the-scenes access, buddy-comedy vibes and true-to-themselves authenticity became an instant viral hit. Here's what to know about the WNBA's newest media sensation. What is 'Stud Budz?' The 'Stud Budz' are two people: Williams (or 'Court') and Hiedeman (or 'T'). The basketball stars have a combined 17 years in the WNBA, with Williams drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in 2016 and Hiedeman by the Lynx in 2019. But they recently added another accolade to their resumes as viral streamers. In June 2025, just a few weeks before the All-Star break, Williams and Hiedeman launched a Twitch channel that they dubbed 'StudBudz,' and it amassed more than 10,000 followers in their first two weeks. It's now up to 70.8K and climbing. Here's the proposition: Ever want to just hang out with your favorite professional ball players? Now you can. Williams and Hiedeman film their everyday lives — travel, practice, hotel stays or hair-dyeing escapades. They react to WNBA games. They interview competitors and teammates. And they just hang out. What did the Stud Budz do at All-Star Weekend? With their livestream cameras in hand, Williams and Hiedeman provided fans with a unique behind-the-scenes look at All-Star festivities, broadcasting everything over the three-day event, from locker room moments to early-morning hotel room wake-ups to the 'orange carpet' runway. 'I was glued to my phone watching the stream all weekend, and I was in Indy,' WNBA fan and Cleveland native Sam Kavander told The Athletic. 'We got to see the players as people, not just athletes. I really do believe Stud Budz brought a majority of the hype to All-Star weekend, especially from a fan perspective. It just really brought the players and the fans together.' The Athletic's Ben Pickman broke down some of their most viral moments in his list of 'winners' from the weekend: 'Stud Budz' capturing WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert dancing to Crime Mob's 'Knuck If You Buck' at a party on Friday night. Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike walking into Williams' hotel room Saturday morning to alert her to an upcoming WNBPA meeting. Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston taking a drink away from Clark at a party while Clark was on screen, and Williams providing an almost-instant reaction to Thursday's CBA meeting. 'Stud Budz has been the highlight of everybody's weekend,' Collier said. Why do fans love it? Connection and authenticity For many, the Stud Budz create a vibrant-pink visual representation of the WNBA's distinctive connection between fans and stars, and the league's earned role in championing every type of female athlete, no matter their identity, expression, orientation or body type. For a few years now, WNBA stars have been setting the standard across sports in terms of access and authenticity around their interaction with fans. Both Williams and Hiedeman are out, LGBTQ+ players who embrace their identities, something that was more difficult for LGBTQ+ players to do even a few years ago. 'I think my favorite thing about Stud Budz is just their authenticity,' Kavander said. 'They're so unapologetically them. Not only are they entertaining, they do it all with kindness. Getting to see different players on different teams hang out, who you normally wouldn't expect (to see together), was awesome.' As The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant wrote: 'Whatever format the duo pursues, they have already proven that every type of player in the WNBA is marketable, no matter their sexuality or if they present more feminine or masculine.' What's next for the Stud Budz? Fans are speculating already, hoping the Stud Budz get involved in other major events like the ESPYs or the Met Gala. 'I want Stud Budz to stream from everywhere. The Grammys. The ESPYs. Essence Fest. A Cowboy Carter concert. The Senate Floor. An Ecumenical service. The Gracie's Corner Tour. My kid's storytime. EVERYWHERE,' writer and activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham posted to Threads. Because of their rising profile since this weekend, branding opportunities and broadcast offers are likely next for the duo. For now, Williams said at the Lynx's first practice after the weekend, she and Hiedeman 'drank some electrolytes, some water, got a little rest, (and) we're back.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. WNBA, Sports Business, Culture 2025 The Athletic Media Company
