Slow-Mo Video of Rickea Jackson's Game-Winner in Sparks-Liberty Is a Must-See
Rickea Jackson stepped up big time on Friday to help the Los Angeles Sparks prevent a monumental collapse and complete the upset against the reigning WNBA champions, New York Liberty.
The Sparks led by as many as 15 points after ending the first quarter up 35-20. However, with 23 seconds left on the clock, the Liberty tied things up at 99-all after Sabrina Ionescu hit a tough mid-range jumper.
Jackson, who scored 17 points in the first quarter to get the Sparks rolling, wouldn't let her efforts go in vain. As time was running out, she asked for the ball from near the basket and powered her way to the rim.
Liberty forward Stephanie Talbot tried her best to make the shot hard for Jackson without fouling her. However, the Sparks rising star made the difficult layup to give the Sparks the 101-99 victory at the buzzer.
The WNBA, for its part, shared a slow-motion video of the play, further hyping up L.A. fans and several viewers.
"That was a great game! I see you Sparks," a commenter wrote. Another one said, "She has best player in the league potential."
"Tough finish," a fan added.
"Helluva finish to a crazy game," an X user remarked.
A hyped supporter stated, "Been BALLIN!!"
"She ready!!!" a sixth follower exclaimed.
Rickea Jackson finished with 24 points in the contest, with her game-winner being her only basket in the fourth quarter. Obviously, though, it's the most important one.
The Sparks improved to 11-14 on the season with the win against the Liberty, putting them at No. 10 in the standings. They remain in contention for the playoffs, as they are just one game behind the Las Vegas Aces for the No. 8 seed.This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 18-team guillotine-style league — here are the results
We're thrilled to announce the launch of Yahoo Fantasy guillotine-style leagues presented by Liquid Death for this season. In this killer fantasy football game, fans compete for survival every week. Yahoo Fantasy staff members took part in an 18-team, 14-round guillotine mock draft to help give an idea of how to approach building a roster in this format. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy guillotine-style football league] The scoring for this mock is half PPR (point per reception) with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, IR. A big thank you goes out to everyone who participated: Ben Zweiman (Editorial team) Jonathan Bassey (Podcast team) Aaron Tan (Social team) Matt Harmon (Fantasy analyst) Trevor Brigham (Customer care team) Mo Castillo (Editorial team) Jason Klabacha (Editorial team) Brett Rader (Podcast team) Scott Pianowski (Fantasy analyst) Justin Boone (Fantasy analyst) Collin Brennan (Podcast team) Dan Harris (Podcast team) Dan Titus (Fantasy analyst) Jason Jung (Podcast team) John Adams (Customer care team) Mike Graben (Product team) Adam Hellwig (Customer care team) Brett Kundtz (Business intelligence team) Get ready for Yahoo Fantasy guillotine-style leagues 101 Draft strategy In-season strategy Players who are move valuable Players who less valuable Mock draft takeaways Round 1 Pick Player Team 1 Ja'Marr Chase Ben Zweiman 2 Bijan Robinson Jonathan Bassey 3 Saquon Barkley Aaron Tan 4 Jahmyr Gibbs Matt Harmon 5 CeeDee Lamb Trevor Brigham 6 Justin Jefferson Mo Castillo 7 Puka Nacua Jason Klabacha 8 Christian McCaffrey Brett Rader 9 Derrick Henry Scott Pianowski 10 Nico Collins Justin Boone 11 Amon-Ra St. Brown Collin Brennan 12 Ashton Jeanty Dan Harris 13 Brian Thomas Jr. Dan Titus 14 Malik Nabers Jason Jung 15 Jonathan Taylor John Adams 16 Drake London Mike Graben 17 Josh Jacobs Adam Hellwig 18 De'Von Achane Brett Kundtz In an 18-team league, the first round might be the only round that feels fairly normal, since you haven't strayed that far from traditional league drafts. However, the deeper you get into the opening frame, you start to realize how quickly the talent level is falling off and how long you'll be waiting in between picks. Keep that in mind for later, so you don't end up on the wrong side of a position run. My Pick: Collins was the WR8 in fantasy points per game (17.6) last year, despite missing five weeks with a hamstring injury. Prior to getting hurt, he was the fourth-highest-scoring wideout, averaging 21.3 fppg. While having a bye in Week 6 does feel a little early in the season to be without my first-round pick, Collins' talent (and potential path to a top-five finish) was too tough to pass up. Round 2 Pick Player Team 19 Bucky Irving Brett Kundtz 20 Josh Allen Adam Hellwig 21 Ladd McConkey Mike Graben 22 A.J. Brown John Adams 23 Lamar Jackson Jason Jung 24 Chase Brown Dan Titus 25 Jayden Daniels Dan Harris 26 Brock Bowers Collin Brennan 27 Omarion Hampton Justin Boone 28 Kyren Williams Scott Pianowski 29 Trey McBride Brett Rader 30 Mike Evans Jason Klabacha 31 James Cook Mo Castillo 32 Breece Hall Trevor Brigham 33 Tee Higgins Matt Harmon 34 Jaxon Smith-Njigba Aaron Tan 35 Garrett Wilson Jonathan Bassey 36 Chuba Hubbard Ben Zweiman Three elite quarterbacks and two elite tight ends go off the board already, as managers try to find players who will give them an immediate edge. They'll have to hope it's enough of an advantage to overcome the potential holes it could cause in their lineups at other important positions like running back and receiver. My Pick: Some guillotine players shy away from rookies, since they could take longer to get comfortable in the pros, and if they start slow it could result in an early exit for that manager. Any concerns about Omarion Hampton's early-season role are quickly disappearing with each day that Najee Harris sits out due to his eye injury. The first-round rookie is impressing coaches and distancing himself on the depth chart from his veteran teammate Harris. Get ready for Hampton to make noise early and often this season as a borderline fantasy RB1. Round 3 Pick Player Team 37 George Kittle Ben Zweiman 38 Jalen Hurts Jonathan Bassey 39 Tyreek Hill Aaron Tan 40 Kenneth Walker III Matt Harmon 41 Marvin Harrison Jr. Trevor Brigham 42 Joe Burrow Mo Castillo 43 James Conner Jason Klabacha 44 DJ Moore Brett Rader 45 Terry McLaurin Scott Pianowski 46 Alvin Kamara Justin Boone 47 David Montgomery Collin Brennan 48 DK Metcalf Dan Harris 49 Courtland Sutton Dan Titus 50 RJ Harvey Jason Jung 51 Davante Adams John Adams 52 Xavier Worthy Mike Graben 53 Sam LaPorta Adam Hellwig 54 Rashee Rice Brett Kundtz While I'm a big fan of Rashee Rice in redraft leagues, taking him this early in a guillotine format is very dangerous due to a potential suspension that might be handed out before the season. In redraft, you could find replacements and risk losing a game or two while you wait for his return, but in guillotine you might not be around by the time he gets back. Team Kundtz will have to hope Rice avoids a suspension or gets a very short ban. My Pick: Taking Kamara in the third round feels odd, but drafting him as the 19th running back selected feels like a gift. Though he turned 30 years old this summer, the veteran is coming off back-to-back top-five fantasy RB seasons and has finished top-eight in seven of his eight NFL campaigns. Round 4 Pick Player Team 55 Patrick Mahomes Brett Kundtz 56 Jameson Williams Adam Hellwig 57 Baker Mayfield Mike Graben 58 Zay Flowers John Adams 59 George Pickens Jason Jung 60 D'Andre Swift Dan Titus 61 Tony Pollard Dan Harris 62 Khalil Shakir Collin Brennan 63 Tetairoa McMillan Justin Boone 64 DeVonta Smith Scott Pianowski 65 TreVeyon Henderson Brett Rader 66 Kaleb Johnson Jason Klabacha 67 Isiah Pacheco Mo Castillo 68 Calvin Ridley Trevor Brigham 69 Aaron Jones Sr. Matt Harmon 70 Brian Robinson Jr. Aaron Tan 71 Chris Olave Jonathan Bassey 72 Rome Odunze Ben Zweiman Odunze stands out as a very intriguing value at the end of this round. His situation in Chicago has improved greatly since an up-and-down rookie season. New head coach Ben Johnson has continuously praised his sophomore wideout and some people covering the team believe Odunze might emerge as the Bears' No. 1 receiver this year. He also faces the Vikings, Lions and Cowboys in the opening three weeks — all of which finished among the top six in fantasy points allowed to WRs in 2024. That's a great addition in this range by Team Zweiman. My Pick: I'm living on the edge, selecting a second rookie within the first four rounds. But McMillan got early first-round capital in April's draft and landed with a team in desperate need of a true top option in the passing game. He's also on the verge of getting as many targets as he can handle in Carolina. Bryce Young settled in during the second half of the season under Dave Canales' tutelage and now appears poised to break out with McMillan as his premier weapon. He even has the benefit of friendly matchups with the Jaguars and Falcons in two of the first three weeks. Round 5 Pick Player Team 73 Jordan Mason Ben Zweiman 74 T.J. Hockenson Jonathan Bassey 75 Travis Kelce Aaron Tan 76 Jaylen Waddle Matt Harmon 77 Jaylen Warren Trevor Brigham 78 Josh Downs Mo Castillo 79 Justin Fields Jason Klabacha 80 Kyler Murray Brett Rader 81 Mark Andrews Scott Pianowski 82 Travis Hunter Justin Boone 83 Tyrone Tracy Jr. Collin Brennan 84 David Njoku Dan Harris 85 Bo Nix Dan Titus 86 Jauan Jennings Jason Jung 87 Evan Engram John Adams 88 Quinshon Judkins Mike Graben 89 Jordan Addison Adam Hellwig 90 Jerry Jeudy Brett Kundtz Addison is in a similar situation as Rice, with a possible suspension looming before the season. There are still a lot of comparable receivers available in this range, so it seems like an unnecessary risk for a fantasy starter at Addison's level. My Pick: Hunter is one of the most exciting rookies to enter the league, maybe ever. Unfortunately, we won't score points for his defensive snaps in this format. The good news is that he's apparently excelling on both sides of the ball at Jaguars' practices. He's even shone as the hardest Jags' receiver to cover in one-on-one drills, according to beat writer John Shipley. Make no mistake, Hunter is not a safe pick due to the uncertainty around how he'll be used on offense and defense, but I'm confident in him as a flex option. Round 6 Pick Player Team 91 Tucker Kraft Brett Kundtz 92 Travis Etienne Jr. Adam Hellwig 93 Jayden Reed Mike Graben 94 Joe Mixon John Adams 95 Dallas Goedert Jason Jung 96 Najee Harris Dan Titus 97 Ricky Pearsall Dan Harris 98 Emeka Egbuka Collin Brennan 99 Brock Purdy Justin Boone 100 Stefon Diggs Scott Pianowski 101 Jakobi Meyers Brett Rader 102 Javonte Williams Jason Klabacha 103 Jake Ferguson Mo Castillo 104 Dak Prescott Trevor Brigham 105 Deebo Samuel Matt Harmon 106 Cooper Kupp Aaron Tan 107 Zach Charbonnet Jonathan Bassey 108 Caleb Williams Ben Zweiman Team Brennan took one of my favorite values in this year's drafts in Egbuka. With Chris Godwin's recovery timeline unknown and his status for Week 1 unclear, the first-round rookie could play a very big part in the Buccaneers offense right out of the gate. It helps that everyone around the Bucs, including Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, have been highlighting Egbuka as a player who will make his mark this season. My Pick: When drafting in a typical redraft league, I'm more than willing to wait on the one-off positions like quarterback, but the goal of a guillotine-style league is to survive — so filling out your starting lineup is a priority. Purdy is a steady performer who finished as the QB8 in fppg in 2023 and the QB12 last season. He also has the fourth-easiest fantasy strength of schedule in my matrix. Round 7 Pick Player Team 109 Matthew Golden Ben Zweiman 110 Michael Pittman Jr. Jonathan Bassey 111 Geno Smith Aaron Tan 112 Drake Maye Matt Harmon 113 Tyler Warren Trevor Brigham 114 Rhamondre Stevenson Mo Castillo 115 Dalton Kincaid Jason Klabacha 116 J.K. Dobbins Brett Rader 117 Jared Goff Scott Pianowski 118 Colston Loveland Justin Boone 119 Trevor Lawrence Collin Brennan 120 Cam Skattebo Dan Harris 121 Kyle Pitts Dan Titus 122 Bhayshul Tuten Jason Jung 123 Justin Herbert John Adams 124 Rashid Shaheed Mike Graben 125 Rachaad White Adam Hellwig 126 Tank Bigsby Brett Kundtz By the end of the seventh round, all 18 teams had found a quarterback. That's important to note, since all of the passers chosen so far have low-end QB1 fantasy finishes within their range of outcomes. While some teams are selecting RBs in split backfields at this point, you could be the manager locking down your starting QB or TE. It's something to consider when deciding on your build and where you want to invest draft capital. My Pick: I went with a tight end here in an effort to complete my starting lineup as soon as possible and maximize its Week 1 potential. When I miss out on the elite TEs, I tend to target the tier of Kraft, Kincaid, Warren and Loveland. When three of those guys went off the board in the last round and a half, I knew it was time to scoop up the final player in that tier. The Bears clearly envisioned a big role for Loveland when they chose him 10th overall and he's already starting to flash in camp. After the immediate success we've seen from rookie tight ends in recent years, it won't be surprising if Loveland is a top-12 fantasy TE this season. Round 8 Pick Player Team 127 Keon Coleman Brett Kundtz 128 Luther Burden III Adam Hellwig 129 Hunter Henry Mike Graben 130 Tyjae Spears John Adams 131 Chris Godwin Jason Jung 132 Darnell Mooney Dan Titus 133 Rashod Bateman Dan Harris 134 Dylan Sampson Collin Brennan 135 Ray Davis Justin Boone 136 Jordan Love Scott Pianowski 137 Marvin Mims Jr. Brett Rader 138 Trey Benson Jason Klabacha 139 Isaac Guerendo Mo Castillo 140 Nick Chubb Trevor Brigham 141 Braelon Allen Matt Harmon 142 Roschon Johnson Aaron Tan 143 Jayden Higgins Jonathan Bassey 144 Tyler Allgeier Ben Zweiman Keeping injury and off-field situations in mind is always smart in guillotine drafts. Godwin and Mooney have injuries that could impact their Week 1 availability, which might turn them into stashes more than potential starting options early in the season. Meanwhile, Sampson and Chubb could get increased volume in the opening weeks if their projected starters (Quinshon Judkins, Joe Mixon) are still not suiting up. My Pick: With my starting lineup filled out, I decided to take a luxury pick in this spot. Davis is the backup to James Cook, who's in the final year of his deal with the Bills and doesn't appear to be close to a contract extension. You always wonder how that will impact a player's desire to play through injuries that may occur during the season. That gives added value to Davis, who proved he can step up when called upon. As a rookie, Davis finished as the RB13 and RB14 in the only two contests where he played over 50% of the snaps last year. Round 9 Pick Player Team 145 Hollywood Brown Ben Zweiman 146 Kareem Hunt Jonathan Bassey 147 Jaydon Blue Aaron Tan 148 Cedric Tillman Matt Harmon 149 C.J. Stroud Trevor Brigham 150 Tre' Harris Mo Castillo 151 Rico Dowdle Jason Klabacha 152 Christian Kirk Brett Rader 153 Adam Thielen Scott Pianowski 154 DeMario Douglas Justin Boone 155 Kyle Williams Collin Brennan 156 Jaylen Wright Dan Harris 157 Jerome Ford Dan Titus 158 Austin Ekeler Jason Jung 159 Jonnu Smith John Adams 160 MarShawn Lloyd Mike Graben 161 Jalen McMillan Adam Hellwig 162 Quentin Johnston Brett Kundtz Ford is another example of a player who has added value in the guillotine format. With so much uncertainty around the team's second-round pick, Judkins, it seems like the Browns' backfield will feature Ford and Sampson at the beginning of the season. That makes them flex-worthy options. My Pick: This was a very guillotine-specific selection for me. Douglas has been generating a lot of buzz as the busiest pass-catcher in Josh McDaniels' offense during camp and we know the history of featuring slot receivers in this system. Though the ceiling for Douglas isn't that enticing, he can be a reliable fill-in if any of my starters get hurt early in the season. It also helps that the Patriots have a Week 14 bye, which means Douglas will be on-call for the first 13 weeks. Round 10 Pick Player Team 163 Joshua Palmer Brett Kundtz 164 Blake Corum Adam Hellwig 165 Brandon Aiyuk Mike Graben 166 Michael Penix Jr. John Adams 167 Jack Bech Jason Jung 168 Wan'Dale Robinson Dan Titus 169 Dyami Brown Dan Harris 170 Miles Sanders Collin Brennan 171 Pat Bryant Justin Boone 172 Isaiah Likely Scott Pianowski 173 Zach Ertz Brett Rader 174 Jalen Coker Jason Klabacha 175 DeAndre Hopkins Mo Castillo 176 Xavier Legette Trevor Brigham 177 Brenton Strange Matt Harmon 178 Jordan James Aaron Tan 179 Kendre Miller Jonathan Bassey 180 Bryce Young Ben Zweiman Aiyuk is an interesting guillotine pick at this stage, mostly because of the injured reserve spot that's available. As he works his way back from an ACL tear, the 27-year-old might end up sitting out early in the season. We know Aiyuk can be a fantasy difference-maker when healthy — the only question is, how soon will he get back to form? Stashing him on IR and hoping he can contribute later is a worthwhile play at this point in the draft. My Pick: Bryant is yet another rookie added to my roster, but based on the comments coming out of Broncos' practices, the third-round pick should carve out a role in Sean Payton's ascending offense. While Denver's No. 1 target, Courtland Sutton, just signed a new deal, the pecking order behind him in the receiver room is up in the air. Beating out part-time players like Marvin Mims Jr. and Devaughn Vele doesn't seem like an insurmountable obstacle. It also doesn't hurt that Payton has compared Bryant to former Saints' star, Michael Thomas. Round 11 Pick Player Team 181 Will Shipley Ben Zweiman 182 Cameron Ward Jonathan Bassey 183 Jarquez Hunter Aaron Tan 184 Jacory Croskey-Merritt Matt Harmon 185 Michael Wilson Trevor Brigham 186 Chig Okonkwo Mo Castillo 187 J.J. McCarthy Jason Klabacha 188 Justice Hill Brett Rader 189 Cade Otton Scott Pianowski 190 Woody Marks Justin Boone 191 Brashard Smith Collin Brennan 192 Alec Pierce Dan Harris 193 Romeo Doubs Dan Titus 194 Mike Gesicki Jason Jung 195 Xavier Restrepo John Adams 196 Matthew Stafford Mike Graben 197 Jaleel McLaughlin Adam Hellwig 198 Tua Tagovailoa Brett Kundtz The fact that McCarthy fell all the way to the 11th round as the QB24 makes me worried people at Yahoo aren't reading my articles. After all, I wrote about McCarthy as one of the biggest breakout candidates at the quarterback position this year. The former first-round pick is healthy after a lost rookie season due to injury, he has an incredible supporting cast around him and Kevin O'Connell is a QB whisperer. Since taking over as the Vikings' head coach, O'Connell has helped Kirk Cousins, Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Sam Darnold all average QB14 fantasy stats or better when starting in this offense. Do we really think McCarthy is worse than all those passers? If he had lasted three more picks, he would have been my selection here. My Pick: With McCarthy gone, I took Marks, whose projection could rise dramatically if we find out Mixon is going to miss significant time. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters he doesn't even want them talking about Mixon's injury, which seems like a strange approach if it wasn't a concerning ailment. Ryans also threw some cold water on Chubb's outlook by admitting he's not the same player he once was in the NFL. If Mixon's not available and Chubb is a declining veteran, Marks might have a chance to have a serious role in this backfield. Round 12 Pick Player Team 199 Juwan Johnson Brett Kundtz 200 Elijah Moore Adam Hellwig 201 Mason Taylor Mike Graben 202 Kyle Monangai John Adams 203 Darius Slayton Jason Jung 204 Sam Darnold Dan Titus 205 Pat Freiermuth Dan Harris 206 DJ Giddens Collin Brennan 207 Elijah Arroyo Justin Boone 208 Tyler Lockett Scott Pianowski 209 Dontayvion Wicks Brett Rader 210 Keenan Allen Jason Klabacha 211 Anthony Richardson Sr. Mo Castillo 212 Darren Waller Trevor Brigham 213 Dont'e Thornton Jr. Matt Harmon 214 KeAndre Lambert-Smith Aaron Tan 215 Jaylin Noel Jonathan Bassey 216 Andrei Iosivas Ben Zweiman After pick 200, finding players who will have an impact on your guillotine season can be difficult. These tend to be the first names you drop when other rosters get eliminated and sent to the waiver wire. It's fine to plug any holes or secure some insurance with backups in this range, but we're getting into longshot territory — so don't be afraid to aim for upside. For example, Anthony Richardson Sr. is earning some positive reports in camp and might have the early edge over Daniel Jones. We've witnessed Richardson's fantasy prowess before and if he can have a better command of the Colts' offense, he offers week-winning upside as a potential QB1. My Pick: The release of veteran Noah Fant before training camp opened the door for Arroyo to possibly start as early as Week 1. The second-round rookie excels as a pass-catcher and has been a very active part of the Seahawks' passing attack in practices. Whether that translates into regular production remains to be seen, but I'll gladly take a chance on him as my backup TE. Round 13 Pick Player Team 217 Raheem Mostert Ben Zweiman 218 Diontae Johnson Jonathan Bassey 219 Terrance Ferguson Aaron Tan 220 Aaron Rodgers Matt Harmon 221 Tahj Brooks Trevor Brigham 222 Elijah Mitchell Mo Castillo 223 Jordan Whittington Jason Klabacha 224 Tyler Shough Brett Rader 225 Sean Tucker Scott Pianowski 226 Jalen Royals Justin Boone 227 Isaac TeSlaa Collin Brennan 228 Marquez Valdes-Scantling Dan Harris 229 Dalton Schultz Dan Titus 230 Devin Neal Jason Jung 231 Ty Johnson John Adams 232 Audric Estime Mike Graben 233 Ja'Tavion Sanders Adam Hellwig 234 Adonai Mitchell Brett Kundtz Running backs and receivers in the final rounds of an 18-team guillotine draft are pure Hail Mary selections and would likely require multiple things to happen in order to have fantasy relevance. Grabbing backup quarterbacks and tight ends might prove to be a better use of these draft slots, unless you can paint a picture where the RB or WR could have instant fantasy value for you. My Pick: Royals is a deep sleeper for the Chiefs. Worthy and Brown have both dealt with injuries at different points in training camp, while Rice could face a possible suspension to start the year. If any of those players miss time, the fourth-rounder Royals is the next man up. He probably won't ever crack my starting lineup, but there's at least a path to him returning value in the opening weeks. Round 14 Pick Player Team 235 Amari Cooper Brett Kundtz 236 Russell Wilson Adam Hellwig 237 Antonio Gibson Mike Graben 238 Roman Wilson John Adams 239 Tutu Atwell Jason Jung 240 Jalen Nailor Dan Titus 241 Calvin Austin III Dan Harris 242 Phil Mafah Collin Brennan 243 Daniel Jones Justin Boone 244 Keaton Mitchell Scott Pianowski 245 Tory Horton Brett Rader 246 Elic Ayomanor Jason Klabacha 247 Jermaine Burton Mo Castillo 248 Ollie Gordon II Trevor Brigham 249 Theo Johnson Matt Harmon 250 JuJu Smith-Schuster Aaron Tan 251 Tyler Higbee Jonathan Bassey 252 Cole Kmet Ben Zweiman Nailor is a very sneaky pick here and I was disappointed he didn't fall to me in the final round. Similar to the Chiefs scenario, Minnesota might be without Addison early in the season if the league issues a suspension before then. That would create an opportunity for Nailor to temporarily play the No. 2 receiver role in the Vikings offense. Nailor caught touchdowns in both games Addison missed last year. My Pick: With Richardson playing well so far in camp, Jones seems like the underdog to start for the Colts in Week 1. Even so, I didn't take a second quarterback and wasn't particularly thrilled by any of the names still available when I was on the clock at 243rd overall. So, taking a QB with a chance to win himself a starting job over the next month made sense.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Braintree one win away from clinching Little League World Series berth after blowing out Vermont
A group of young baseball players from Braintree is now just one win away from clinching a berth in the 2025 Little League World Series. The Braintree American 12U team crushed Vermont in the second round of the New England Regional Tournament in Bristol, Connecticut, on Monday, securing a spot in Thursday night's regional final. Caden McCarthy opened the scoring for the Wamps, and he and his teammates never looked back, picking up a 10-0 mercy rule victory. The impressive win comes just days after Braintree handed Maine a 15-0 blowout loss in the opening round of the New England Regional. Braintree will next face the winner of Wednesday's New Hampshire-Vermont game. Hot bats and dominant pitching have fueled Braintree's summer success, pushing them to a 16-0 record. Dozens of excited fans gathered last week for a special sendoff to wish the youngsters good luck as they embark on a mission to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on August 13. Many of those same fans gathered Monday to watch the game and enjoy a French toast breakfast at the South Side Tavern in Braintree. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
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College tennis facing threats of cuts at same time many of its alums are starring in pro ranks
This should be an exhilarating moment for college tennis. Wimbledon featured a record 26 current or former college players in men's singles and nine more in the women's draw. TCU's Jack Pinnington Jones and San Diego's Oliver Tarvet, who reached the second round, played for their college teams just this spring. Ben Shelton, a 2022 NCAA singles champion at Florida, reached the quarterfinals. All of this is occurring as the threat of elimination faces numerous tennis programs. According to the International Tennis Association, which governs college tennis, schools dropping tennis since 2024 includes Central Arkansas (women), Eastern Illinois (men and women), Lindenwood (men), Louisiana-Monroe (women), Radford (men and women), St. Francis College (men and women), San Francisco (men and women), Seattle (men) and UTEP (women). Former San Francisco men's player Asaf Friedler noted the Dons hadn't even finished the 2024 season when the athletic director emailed about a meeting the following day, where they learned the program would be dropped in a matter of weeks. Friedler remembers players crying at practice later that day. He said a recruit had committed to San Francisco just a couple of days before the announcement, a sign that even coaches were caught off guard. 'We were all like in shock,' Friedler said. 'We didn't know what to say. We looked at each other and we were very confused.' On the line During the pandemic, nearly two dozen men's or women's tennis programs were eliminated. But the latest cuts come as colleges across the country deal with the hard choices and financial realities of the $2.8 billion House settlement. Revenue sharing tends to favor football and basketball, and there are roster caps. The calculations are different for each school. David Mullins, CEO of the ITA, says college tennis is a great pathway to the pros. 'Our position within the tennis industry has never been better,' Mullins said. 'But on the other side, we're dealing with all these things happening with the NCAA model. Probably the challenges that we're facing from the collegiate side domestically have never been greater.' Louisiana-Monroe athletic director John Hartwell noted schools opting into the settlement must sponsor at least 16 sports. Louisiana-Monroe had 17 sports before eliminating women's tennis. 'Probably a factor for some folks is the squad size, that probably has something to do with it,' Hartwell said. 'Facilities are a challenge, too. I think those are probably key components. But I also think a lot of these schools that have more than required 16 sports are analyzing everything cost-wise.' Cutting tennis saved Louisiana-Monroe about $250,000. Hartwell said the scholarship funds that went to tennis now will be directed toward the school's other women's teams. Roster size also leaves tennis vulnerable. Dropping a different sport with more team members leaves more athletes disappointed. 'When you're cutting a sport, it's not a fun position to be in,' Central Arkansas athletic director Matt Whiting said. 'You have to factor in numbers in those situations. (Tennis) certainly has a smaller roster.' Schools that eliminate tennis programs generally allow players to remain on scholarship throughout their time at the school. Many choose to transfer, searching for a new school while adjusting to a new country. Mullins estimates about 60% of the players on Division I teams generally come from outside the U.S. Alex Aldaz, who is from Spain and played for Eastern Illinois this year, said his team got the news after the season already had ended and many of them were already back in their home countries. 'Their faces were like they didn't know how to react,' Aldaz said. 'They were lost... sad and angry.' Aldaz is now at Mercer. Friedler, who is from Israel, played for Tulane this past season. Many of their former teammates at their original schools weren't as fortunate. Searching for solutions Many college tennis programs don't have facilities on campus, forcing them to rent local courts. Whiting said Central Arkansas had a facility on campus that required an estimated $1.5 million to $2 million in repairs. Hartwell said Louisiana-Monroe's tennis facility needed about $750,000 in improvements. Mullins said the U.S. Tennis Association has offered grants to colleges opening full-service tennis centers to foster the sport's growth in their communities. Those schools then can make money by renting out their courts when their teams aren't using them. South Carolina is the latest school to attempt this, hiring Dainyell Fox as the Carolina Tennis Center's operations manager within the past year. Fox has started organizing tennis lessons and classes while also exploring other potential revenue options. 'Our goal isn't going to necessarily put us completely in the black, but it reduces the financial footprint of men's and women's tennis,' South Carolina deputy athletic director Judy Van Horn said. The list of former Gamecocks includes Francisco Cerundolo, who is in the top 25 of the ATP rankings. Just as a growing number of former major-conference players succeed on the pro circuit, the struggle to survive is real for plenty of smaller programs. 'Our position is strengthened with each passing Grand Slam,' Mullins said. 'But on the other side, we have all these challenges here domestically that we're not able to control.' ___ AP tennis:
