Injuries to key players dampen excitement for WNBA's inaugural Rivals Week
The week was set to tip-off with a primetime matchup between Clark's Fever and Reese's Sky on Saturday night. Clark is definitely out while still recovering from a groin strain that's sidelined her already for a few weeks. Reese has missed four of the past five games with a back injury.
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Which college football teams have the toughest schedules in 2025? LSU, Oklahoma and Wisconsin lead the way
There are more than a few fan bases sweating their team's schedule ahead of the 2025 college football season. With imbalanced scheduling thanks to power conference expansion, some teams are facing an extremely bad draw this season. Schedules like what Purdue, Syracuse and UCLA have in the coming months are why you can't judge a college football team solely on its win-loss record. Here are eight teams with the toughest schedules this season. A playoff berth for a team like LSU or Oklahoma would be well-earned in 2025. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Arkansas Razorbacks Sam Pittman may need a winning season to keep his job in Fayetteville. And a winning season looks really difficult for the Razorbacks. Arkansas' over/under is 5.5 wins thanks to another tough draw and a non-conference schedule that's one of the toughest in the SEC. The Razorbacks travel to Memphis on Sept. 27 and then host Notre Dame a week later. The Tigers are a potential playoff team if they win the AAC. In the SEC, Arkansas travels to Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU and Texas while getting Texas A&M and Missouri at home. That's six teams with at least 10 wins in 2024 on the schedule this year along with two potential SEC title game contenders in the Aggies and the Tigers from Baton Rouge. LSU Tigers No offense to Arkansas, but the Razorbacks currently don't stand out on LSU's 2025 schedule. The Tigers open the season on the road at Clemson, a team that should be one of the top favorites to win the national title. It's imperative LSU gets off to a good start. The Tigers have lost their first game of the season in each of the past five seasons since going undefeated in 2019. That stretch includes two straight losses to Florida State in 2022 and 2023 and a loss to USC to start the 2024 season. Florida visits Tiger Stadium in Week 3 and the schedule also includes trips to Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma along with home games against South Carolina and Texas A&M. Mississippi State Bulldogs When you're at the bottom of the SEC, you're automatically facing one of the toughest schedules in the country. And it's hard to see how Jeff Lebby is going to get the first conference win of his MSU coaching career in 2025 without a massive upset. The Bulldogs' home schedule features games against Tennessee, Texas, Georgia and the season-ending rivalry game with Ole Miss while the road slate has trips to Texas A&M, Florida and Missouri. Oh, defending Big 12 champion Arizona State also comes to Starkville as part of a home-and-home series between the two schools. Good luck, Bulldogs fans. Oklahoma Sooners We're high on Oklahoma ahead of the 2025 season. The Sooners offense should be much, much better with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer arriving from Washington State. The defense was really good in 2024 and should be again in 2025. It just couldn't make up for the deficiencies at quarterback and injuries elsewhere on the offense a year ago. If Oklahoma is a playoff contender this season, it will be on the right side of any and all strength of schedule arguments barring a lot of surprises. The Sooners host Michigan in Week 2 and their final seven games of the season are a gauntlet. After the annual rivalry game vs. Texas in Dallas, Oklahoma plays at South Carolina, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri and LSU to end the season. Purdue Boilermakers Barry Odom's rebuilding job at Purdue is going to take a little bit. The Boilermakers were perhaps the worst power conference team in the country in 2024. Their only win came in Week 1 against FCS Indiana State. With games against Ball State and Southern Illinois to open the season, Purdue should start 2-0. From there, it gets rough. Purdue hosts USC and then visits Notre Dame before September is even over. October includes a home game vs. playoff sleeper Illinois and November looks rough. The Boilermakers open the month with back-to-back games against Michigan and Ohio State before ending the season against Washington and Indiana. Syracuse Orange The Orange had an incredibly strong 10-3 record in Fran Brown's first season at the helm. Getting to double-digit wins in 2025 will be an even bigger achievement with an offense that's almost entirely brand new. Syracuse opens the season in Atlanta against Tennessee and visits Clemson in Week 4 before finishing September against a Duke team that won nine games in 2024. In addition to that trip to Death Valley, Syracuse also goes to SMU, Georgia Tech, Miami and Notre Dame. That's an incredibly daunting road schedule and the home schedule isn't a cakewalk either. The Orange also get Pitt, North Carolina and Boston College at the dome in ACC play. UCLA Bruins The Bruins' first season in the Big Ten ended at 5-7. It was also DeShaun Foster's first year as head coach after Chip Kelly's departure to Ohio State. If UCLA gets back to a bowl game in 2025, the Bruins will have probably pulled an upset or two over the course of the season. UCLA hosts Utah — a favorite in the Big 12 after a down year in 2024 — to open the season and has a sneakily tough game at UNLV in Week 2. The Rebels made the Mountain West title game in 2024. From there, the schedule includes Penn State, Ohio State, Indiana, Nebraska, Washington and USC. That's three teams from last year's College Football Playoff and three others who have hopes of being in the mix in the Big Ten title race. Wisconsin Badgers The Luke Fickell era at Wisconsin has resulted in 12 wins in two seasons. Six wins in 2025 could be a massive accomplishment. Wisconsin may have the toughest schedule in college football in 2025. The Badgers visit Alabama in Week 3 after getting obliterated at home by the Crimson Tide in 2024. And Wisky's Big Ten schedule is flat-out rough. Wisconsin visits Michigan, Oregon and Indiana, and hosts Ohio State and Illinois. If that's not bad enough, the Badgers end the season with a game at Minnesota. The Gophers have won three of the last four rivalry contests. It could be a really rough season in Madison.
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Heung-min Son set for LAFC transfer after leaving Spurs
An emotional Heung-min Son announced his plan to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer on Saturday, after 10 years with the north London club, and is set to join MLS side LAFC, according a report from The Athletic on Tuesday. MORE — Latest transfer news | Ins and outs confirmed In signing the Korean superstar, LAFC will break the MLS record for highest transfer fee paid ($26.5 million). Son is set to join a side that sits 6th in the Western Conference (top-9 make the MLS Cup Playoffs), but is just two points off 4th with two games in hand due to their participation in the Club World Cup last month. Los Angeles is home to the largest Korean population in the United States — 320,000 — and also the largest such population outside of Korea. To say the 33-year-old will be received as a hero form day 1 is an understatement. Son announces he is leaving Tottenham Hotspur "Before we start the press conference, I wanted to say I have decided to leave the Club this summer. Respectfully the club is helping me with this decision," Son revealed. "It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career. Such amazing memories. It was so hard to make the decision. I need a new environment to push myself. I need a little bit of change - 10 years is a long time. "I came to north London as a kid, 23 years old, such a young age. I leave this club as a grown man, a very proud man. I want to say thank you to all the Spurs fans for giving me so much love. I hope the goodbye is also good timing and this is the right time to make that decision. I hope everyone can accept that and respect that." According to numerous reports, including from Fabrizio Romano, Son, 33, is close to agreeing a move to Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer and talks are at an advanced stage. Son confirmed he will be able to say more about his next club after the friendly against Newcastle on Sunday. This is the right time for Spurs legend Son to move on As they say, all good things must come to an end and this decision from Son comes at the right time for him and Spurs. After scoring 173 goals and adding 101 assists in 452 appearances for Spurs, Son will go down as a true legend of the club and is one of the greatest and most-adored players in Premier League history. Son is a superstar in South Korea and has been a wonderful ambassador for Spurs, the Premier League and the game of football in general. He is truly one of the good guys. In his 10 years at Spurs he was a key part of some of the best teams in club history alongside Harry Kane and Co. and came close to winning the Premier League, Champions League and League Cup trophies. The fact he leaves Spurs after captaining them to a first European trophy in 41 years is a fitting farewell. Son struggled with injuries and form throughout last season but was still a big part of them winning the UEFA Europa League, their first trophy in 17 years, as he went on to explain in his press conference that his decision to leave had been made for quite some time. New Spurs manager Thomas Frank, who was sat next to Son during the press conference, added: "I would have loved to have worked with this fantastic person and player. He is a true Spurs legend in every aspect. One of the greatest players to play in the Premier League. It is never easy to find the perfect timing and me coming in from the side, it makes it a bit easier to end on a high." Son to LAFC is great news for everyone A move to LAFC for the next few years makes perfect sense for Son and he will always be a Spurs legend. LAFC are consistently among the top teams in MLS and Son's arrival will give them a massive edge both on the pitch and off it. Son will be rejuvenated, become a face of the league with his huge fanbase following his every move in LA, and ahead of South Korea competing in the World Cup next summer he will be fully settled in the USA. Son started his journey in Leverkusen, made himself a legend in London and is now set to finish his glittering career in Los Angeles.
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michael 'Venom' Page irritated with politics of UFC welterweight division, blasts rivals
For Michael "Venom" Page, the reason his Aug. 16 return at UFC 319 is at middleweight is simple — Jared Cannonier, Page said, was the only one who'd fight him. Even then, the Englishman had his doubts. 'I called out everybody but got no answers,' Page said on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show." While speaking this week to Uncrowned, Page appeared to be in a no-man's land. At age 38, and with wins over Paul Daley, Derek Anderson, Douglas Lima, Kevin Holland and most recently Shara "Bullet" Magomedov, Page feels like a veteran. But he doesn't feel he gets the same love or respect as most combat athletes with his level of experience. He's too much of a risk for other vets in the game, and refuses to fight below himself as a gatekeeper for up-and-coming guys. Later this month at the United Center in Chicago, on the UFC 319 pay-per-view, Page fights Cannonier. It's a 185-pound contest that has great implications for the winner. A win would crash Page, No. 15 at welterweight, into the UFC's middleweight rankings. For Cannonier, ranked No. 8, it's a chance to break free from a middling .500 run and revive his title campaign. If Page keeps winning, he's confident he'll become unavoidable. A potential Battle of Britain against Leon Edwards, which Page has long called for, could become even bigger for 2026. That Page is fighting a second time this year at middleweight raises questions about his status at 170 pounds, but, 'I wanted to go where the smoke is," he said. The smoke, Page said, right now is at 185. Page was hopeful that his victory over Magomedov, who is one of the UFC's most aggressively-marketed prospects, would have catapulted him into high-profile fights on marquee cards. He wanted to run amok at welterweight. 'But it doesn't look like welterweight [has many opportunities right now]. It seems to be political — who you can fight, who's ready,' said Page. 'After that last win [over Magomedov] I was expecting big names, and the name I got [offered], I was thinking, 'This doesn't make any sense,'" Page continued. "I beat one of your prospects. And the way it looked, if he had beaten me, he would have been in a title elimination and moving forward [up the division]. So what does that mean for me? He was a young, up-and-coming guy, talented. And I'd beaten him.' Page was expecting multiple fight offers from the UFC — from all directions. He didn't hear anything. He was expecting big names, but said it was 'irritating' as those big names were never presented. When those big names didn't come, Page wanted to bring himself to them instead. And so he issued public callouts. To Colby Covington. To Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson. To anybody in the top 10 at welterweight. 'I thought that was the best way to make something happen,' Page said. 'There were no responses, at all, from anybody.' Even the UFC told him: 'It's difficult to match you.' 'I don't like to play the avoiding game," Page said, "but people are being tactical about who they're fighting next.' The Brit didn't want to sit on the sidelines to see the last few years of his 30s drift away. And so he considered fighting once again at 185, 'where these guys are a bit more ready, and willing [to compete]." Cannonier, he said, "is an amazing fighter to share the ring with. So, why not?' But, though Cannonier agreed to the fight, it was not without criticism. A fight against Page didn't advance things for him. The opponent, Cannonier said, is not even established at the weight. 'The ranking system has made things a bit more political about where people want to go, instead of just fighting,' Page said, in response. 'I'm a veteran in the game … but I'm still new to the UFC. And other vets aren't willing to fight an awkward style, that can be a bit of a headache for some people.' Page said he finds himself 'in a weird situation.' Because, while other veterans may not want to fight him, he doesn't want to fight the new guys coming in. He's not a gatekeeper in the divisions in which he fights, he said. At the end of the day, 'Jared accepted and signed the contract.' Despite his frustrations, Page still likes the Cannonier bout. It's a sign of progression. It's also 'a bonus' that it's on the same card as a middleweight main event — UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis defends the belt against intimidating mauler Khamzat Chimaev in UFC 319's featured attraction. Both du Plessis and Chimaev could be future opponents for Page. But as for whether Page will stay at middleweight after Cannonier, or drop back down to welterweight, well, that depends on his opponents, he said. 'I'm in it for the big fights,' Page said. 'And I want to get to a title fight. I'm a person who can fight in both divisions. It's depending on the best path to the top.' One box-office bout that could shake up welterweight, as well as stir national interest in the U.K., is one involving Page and ex-champ Edwards. 'If that's offered to me, I'd 100% accept [it],' Page said. 'But, if I'm told, 'Take this fight [against Cannonier] and you're in line for a title eliminator,' then I'll stay' at middleweight instead, he said. One way Page can reinforce his credentials as a ranked UFC fighter is to replicate the violent nature of his Bellator knockouts. He famously put a dent in Evangelista Santos' skull. He hit Richard Kiely with a one-hitter-quitter. He slaughtered Anderson with a head kick. He is yet to repeat that in the UFC, as his wins in the big league have only been via decision. And that is not lost on Page. 'I've always wanted to get it,' he said, before analyzing his competition so far in the UFC. 'Kevin Holland is bloody tough. I had a very awkward fight with Ian Garry, and then came up in weight against Shara.' It is also tougher to finish opponents at middleweight, than at welterweight, he said. But Page is eager to take on the challenge, so he's optimized his training to score knockouts against 185-pound fighters. 'There are shots that you land where other people would have fallen or wobbled,' Page said. 'I realize in this division, that one shot I'd normally catch, I need to land that three [or] four times. And that's when the damage starts to kick in. 'I've been doing extra fitness work to just land more, land more combinations. And keep the work going.' 'The goal is to always go in there and win by knockout,' Page finished. 'And I'd love to deliver that for the fans.' Cannonier vs. Page is one of five main card fights at UFC 319.
