WNBA All-Star 3-point competitors unveiled: Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu headline fieldNew Foto - WNBA All-Star 3-point competitors unveiled: Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu headline field

WNBA All-Star weekendis officially here. Team Caitlin Clark will go head-to-head against Team Naphessa Collier on Saturday during the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. But before Clark teams up with Sabrina Ionescu in the All-Star Game, she will compete in Friday's WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest. The 3-point contest field includes two former champions, including Ionescu, who currently holds the 3-point competition record in the WNBA or NBA after theNew York Liberty star knocked down 37 of 40 3sen route to a victory in 2023. Atlanta Dream All-Star Allisha Gray made history of her own last year when she became thefirst player in WNBA history to sweep the skills challenge and 3-point contestin the same season. She will defend both on Friday. Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 WNBA All-Star's festivities on Friday. Rhyne Howard currently leads the league in made 3s this season (56), but withHoward sidelined from All-Star activities due to a left knee injury, the door is wide open. Gray is shooting 38.9% from beyond the arc in Atlanta, which marks the highest among the five participants. Clark is shooting 28.9% from 3 this season, down from her average of 34.4% last year, and is looking to snap out of a shooting slump. She has shot 23-of-74 from the field and 6-of-35 from beyond the arc in the past five games as she's dealt with left leg injuries. The 3-point competition will feature two timed rounds with money balls (two points) and Starry balls (three points) in play. This year, players will also get to place a special "all money ball" rack, where every ball is worth two points, anywhere among the five shooting locations. The top two from the first round will go head-to-head in a final round. Here's the full list of competitors: Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum Buckets incoming 🏀Here are the participants of the 2025 WNBA@starrylemonlime3-Point Contest:⭐ Sonia Citron,@washmystics⭐ Caitlin Clark,@indianafever⭐ Allisha Gray,@atlantadream⭐ Sabrina Ionescu,@nyliberty⭐ Kelsey Plum,@lasparkspic.twitter.com/BqY25i1IxI — WNBA (@WNBA)July 15, 2025 The WNBA Skills Challenge features a timed obstacle course consisting of bounce passes, a chest pass, a 3-point shot from the top of the arc, an elbow jumper, a corner three, an outlet pass, speed dribbles and a final shot from anywhere on the court. To make it even more challenging, the WNBA is throwing a wrench into things by placing a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid onto the court. The top two from the first round will advance to the final round. This year's participants are: New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins Atlanta Dream Guard Allisha Gray Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams Announcing the participants for the 2025@KiaWNBA Skills Challenge 🤩⭐ Natasha Cloud,@nyliberty⭐ Skylar Diggins,@seattlestorm⭐ Allisha Gray,@atlantadream⭐ Erica Wheeler,@seattlestorm⭐ Courtney Williams,@minnesotalynxpic.twitter.com/HgRB7q9EWk — WNBA (@WNBA)July 15, 2025 The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:WNBA All-Star: Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu meet in 3-point contest

byMario Satorik
in
July 15, 2025

WNBA All-Star 3-point competitors unveiled: Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu headline field

WNBA All-Star 3-point competitors unveiled: Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu headline field WNBA All-Star weekendis officially here. Team Cait...
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The wait is over for Texas and Arch Manning, though quarterback admits it wasn't easy being backupNew Foto - The wait is over for Texas and Arch Manning, though quarterback admits it wasn't easy being backup

ATLANTA (AP) — Arch Manning amassed the largest crowd at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, and it wasn't particularly close. Neither was the competition for most devoted fan, that title belonged to 13-year-old Connor Petroziello. The Manning superfan arrived at the College Football Hall of Fame at 6:45 a.m., sporting a white Longhorns hat, a No. 16 jersey and burnt orange Crocs. He didn't know Manning's brief walk-by wouldn't happen until 4:15 p.m., but when he found out, he didn't halt the mission. Ten hours later, his idol signed his jersey. "I got an ESPN notification last week and asked my parents if we could come," Petroziello said. "He's my favorite player. Everything about him." The Manning fandom spans beyond age 13. The son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning is the most-talked about quarterback — if not player — in college football. And yet, he's only played in a handful of games. Manning passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for four touchdownslast season, seeing limited playing time after Septemberbehind Quinn Ewers. He admits now that going from highly sought-after high school recruit to the Texas backup quarterback wasn't an easy transition. "This is not really a big deal, but I played every year in high school," Manning said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. "It was a 2-A high school. That doesn't mean anything, but from sitting out and not playing, that was pretty tough." Manning could have seen the field earlier had he gone elsewhere. But in an era where college athletes have newfound maneuverability thanks to the transfer portal — and the ability strike lucrative deals at interested schools — the quarterbackchose to ride it out. "(Transferring) never really crossed my mind," Manning said. "I knew Texas was the place I wanted to be. It was the city I wanted to be in, a great education. I had friends there. I was still developing and growing as a football player and a person. So I never really wanted to leave. If there was somewhere else I wanted to be, I would have gone." Two years since first arriving in Austin, his days of watching offensive possessions from the sideline is likely behind him. Ewers moved on and up,drafted by the Miami Dolphinsin the seventh round in April, passing the torch to the newest playmaker in one of football's most famous families. Manning's confidence masks the simple fact that he's appeared in just 12 college games going into the Aug. 30 season opener at Ohio State, the defending national champion and the team that beat the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl last January. Now that the wait is over, coach Steve Sarkisian thinks he is ready. "He's got an unbelievable work ethic. And I think, if he stays true to himself, that's going to help him navigate these waters as they present themselves," Sarkisian said. "I think he's prepared for the moment, but now it's just time for him to go do it and enjoy doing it quite frankly." Anthony Hill Jr. would know Manning's skill level best. The 2024 second-team AP All-American is tasked with facing the quarterback every day in practice. "The way he reads the defense, he reads it really well. He also has the ability to take off and run and change the play calls. He's done that a lot of times against us. I feel he's going to have a really good season ... the season that he rightfully deserves," Hill said. Despite the praise and chatter, Manning rejects the idea that he's anything other than a normal guy. "I feel like I'm a pretty normal guy," he said. "I like to hang out with my buddies, play golf. I take football pretty seriously. Other than that, just a regular guy." But don't get it twisted. Normal guy or not, there's only one thing on the quarterback's mind. "I'm here to play ball." ___ AP college football:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-football

byMario Satorik
in
July 15, 2025

The wait is over for Texas and Arch Manning, though quarterback admits it wasn't easy being backup

The wait is over for Texas and Arch Manning, though quarterback admits it wasn't easy being backup ATLANTA (AP) — Arch Manning amassed t...
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Pam Bondi dodges questions on Epstein and Bongino amid Justice Department turmoilNew Foto - Pam Bondi dodges questions on Epstein and Bongino amid Justice Department turmoil

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested Tuesday that she has no plans to step down as she dodged questions about Jeffrey Epstein and her clash with a top FBI official, seeking to press ahead with a business-as-usual approach in the face ofright-wing turmoil. Pressed by reporters during an announcement touting drug seizures, Bondi sidestepped questions about the fallout of the Trump administration's decision not to release more records related to the wealthy financier's sex trafficking investigation. With some high profile-members ofPresident Donald Trump's base calling for her resignation, Bondi made clear she intends to remain attorney general. "I'm going to be here for as long as the president wants me here," Bondi said. "And I believe he's made that crystal clear." The announcement at the Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters represents an effort by Bondi to turn the page on theEpstein controversyand show that the Justice Department is forging ahead after days of mounting conservative criticism over the administration's failure to deliver long-sought government secrets about Epstein. Bondi highlighted recent operations that led to the seizure of methamphetamine and fentanyl, including drugs that were hidden in a shipment of cucumbers across the Mexican border. But her refusal to address the turmoil may only further frustrate conservative influencers who have been calling for transparency and accountability over the wealthy financier's case. "This today is about fentanyl overdoses throughout our country and people who have lost loved ones to fentanyl," Bondi said in response to a question from a reporter about the Epstein files. "That's the message that we're here to send today. I'm not going to talk about Epstein." Trump has been seeking to tamp down criticism of his attorney general and defended her again earlier Tuesday, saying she handled the matter "very well." Trump said it's up to her whether to release any more records, adding that "whatever she thinks is credible, she should release." Asked about Trump's comment, Bondi said the Justice Department memo released last week announcing that no additional evidence would become public "speaks for itself and we'll get back to you on anything else." The turmoil over the department's handling of the Epstein matter spilled into public view last week with reports of a internal clash between Bondi and FBI Deputy DirectorDan Bongino. Part of the dispute centered on a story from the news organization NewsNation that cited a "source close to the White House" as saying the FBI would have released the Epstein files months ago if it could have done so on its own. The story included statements from Bondi, Deputy Attorney GeneralTodd Blancheand FBI DirectorKash Patelrefuting the premise, but not Bongino. Asked Tuesday whether she believes Bongino should remain in his role, Bondi said only that she would not discuss personnel matters. Bondi stressed that she had spent the morning with Patel, adding that: "I think we all are committed to working together now to make America safe again and that's what we're doing." Bondi had already been under scrutiny after an earlier document release in February that she hyped and handed out in binders to conservative influencers at the White House lacked any new revelations. When that first release flopped, Bondi accused officials of withholding files from her and claimed that the FBI later turned over a "truckload" of evidence with thousands of pages of additional documents. Despite promises that more files were on their way to the public, however, the Justice Department determined after a months long review that no "further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted," according to the memo released last week.

byMario Satorik
in
July 15, 2025

Pam Bondi dodges questions on Epstein and Bongino amid Justice Department turmoil

Pam Bondi dodges questions on Epstein and Bongino amid Justice Department turmoil ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested...
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Mike Johnson calls for 'transparency' in Epstein case, in a break with TrumpNew Foto - Mike Johnson calls for 'transparency' in Epstein case, in a break with Trump

WASHINGTON − As momentum builds among conservatives for openness, House SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Louisiana, called for the release offiles related to Jeffrey Epstein, in a break with PresidentDonald Trumpand the White House. "I'm for transparency," Johnson said in a July 15 interview with the Benny Johnson Show. "It's a very delicate subject," he added, "but we should put everything out there and let the people decide." Arecent review of Epstein's caseby the FBI and Department of Justice has driven a wedge between Trump and his MAGA base, who have long called for evidence to support theories, including that the disgraced financier did not die by suicide while awaiting trial in 2019. Republicans in the House, put in the awkward position of choosing sides, recently blocked an effort by Democrats to push for the files to be released. Johnson, in his interview, also called for an explanation from Attorney GeneralPam Bondi, who in February seemed to suggest the existence of a client list during an interview with Fox News. Bondi recently clarified that when she said, "It's sitting on my desk right now to review," she had meant the Epstein documents in totality and not a list of clients. "She needs to come forward and explain that to everybody," Johnson said of Bondi. "I like Pam," he continued. "I mean, I think she's done a good job. We need the DOJ focusing on the major priorities. Let's get this thing resolved so that they can deal with violent crime and public safety and election integrity and going after ActBlue and the things that the president is most concerned about." Trump has pushed for his supporters to move on from the issue of Epstein, writing in a July 12 social media post, "We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening." "We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein," he wrote. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Mike Johnson says he supports release of Jeffrey Epstein case files

byMario Satorik
in
July 15, 2025

Mike Johnson calls for 'transparency' in Epstein case, in a break with Trump

Mike Johnson calls for 'transparency' in Epstein case, in a break with Trump WASHINGTON − As momentum builds among conservatives for...
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Trey Smith agrees to 4-year, $92 million extension with Chiefs to become highest-paid guard in NFL: ReportsNew Foto - Trey Smith agrees to 4-year, $92 million extension with Chiefs to become highest-paid guard in NFL: Reports

Kansas City Chiefs right guard Trey Smith reportedly agreed to a four-year, $92 million extension with the team on Tuesday. After his first Pro Bowl nod in 2024, Smith has now become the highest-paid guard in NFL history, protecting MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. On Tuesday,Adam Schefterreported that the new deal includes $70 million in guaranteed money. Schefter also added that Smith is receiving the highest annual salary and guaranteed money for the position. The former Super Bowl Champions secured Smith's services hours ahead of the 4 p.m. ET franchise tag deadline. Smith would have been limited to a one-year deal in 2025 if the Chiefs had missed the deadline. Mahomes himself expressed his excitement with an emoji on X (formerly Twitter) after reposting the NFL'soriginal reportthat Smith and the Chiefs came to terms on an extension: 😁 — Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes)July 15, 2025 Kansas City placed thenon-exclusive franchise tagon Smith, worth $23.4 million, earlier this offseason. The non-exclusive franchise tag, unlike the exclusive franchise tag, permitted Smith to negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet. The Chiefs would then have an opportunity to match any offer sheet that Smith signed. If they failed to match a signed offer sheet, they would receive draft compensation in the form of two first-round picks from the signing team. No such deal came into play, however. Despite the delay in coming to a long-term deal, Smith did report for the team's mandatory minicamp in June —a move praisedby teammate and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones. Jones himself was at the center of a contract dispute with the organization back in 2023, which The Athleticestimatedcost him just under $4 million in fines. "It's good Trey didn't take my approach. Trey is doing the right thing ... Franchise tag is like $25 million, right? That's the big bucks," Jonesjokedwith reporters. Jones missed all of training camp, the NFL preseason andWeek 1 of the regular seasonbefore coming to terms on anew one-year dealreportedly worth up to $25 million. The Chiefs drafted Smith in the sixth round in 2021 and signed him to a four-year deal worth $3.61 million, including a $130,708 signing bonus. As a rookie, Smith played 100% of the Chiefs' offensive snaps. He's since started inall but oneregular-season game for Kansas City, with two Super Bowl rings and a 2024 Pro Bowl selection. Pro Football FocuscreditsSmith with just a single sack allowed during that Pro Bowl campaign. Before the NFL, Smith was a two-time first-team and one-time second-team All-SEC player at Tennessee.

byMario Satorik
in
July 15, 2025

Trey Smith agrees to 4-year, $92 million extension with Chiefs to become highest-paid guard in NFL: Reports

Trey Smith agrees to 4-year, $92 million extension with Chiefs to become highest-paid guard in NFL: Reports Kansas City Chiefs right guard T...
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Jets make Sauce Gardner the NFL's highest-paid cornerback with a $120.4M extension, AP source saysNew Foto - Jets make Sauce Gardner the NFL's highest-paid cornerback with a $120.4M extension, AP source says

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Jets are making Sauce Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. The Jets and Gardner agreed on a four-year, $120.4 million extension through the 2030 season, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the agreement had not been announced. Gardner took to social media to report "THE DEAL IS DONE" and thank his agents for making that happen. "This only the beginning,"Gardner posted. "I appreciate the Jets organization for believing in me, my teammates for the blood, sweat (and) tears we put in." The contract paying the two-time All-Pro an average of $30.1 million a year comes a day after theJets agreed to a lucrative extension with top wide receiver Garrett Wilson. That deal with Wilson is worth $130 million, as the organization locked up two foundational players for the long-term future. Gardner, who turns 25 before Week 1, was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft out of Cincinnati. He established himself as one of the league's top cornerbacks during his first two professional seasons, including being selected theAP Defensive Rookie of the Year. After a down year by his standards,he is out to prove naysayers wrong, saying he has always felt like an underdog. Gardner opted to participate in mandatory minicamp rather than hold out to try to push for a new deal. After recently declining to say whether he wanted to be the richest player at the position, Gardner now has that distinction. "Man, I just wanted to show my teammates, show the coaches how much I'm bought into this," Gardner said. "I want to win. I want to change the organization. I want to be a part of changing the organization." The Jets have the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, dating to a trip to the AFC championship game in the 2010 season. The organization hopes the new regime ofgeneral manager Darren Mougeyandcoach Aaron Glenn— himself a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback in his playing days — can lead a successful turnaround. ___ AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. contributed to this report. ___ AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

byMario Satorik
in
July 15, 2025

Jets make Sauce Gardner the NFL's highest-paid cornerback with a $120.4M extension, AP source says

Jets make Sauce Gardner the NFL's highest-paid cornerback with a $120.4M extension, AP source says NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Jets are...
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Trump says Democratic rival Schiff should be 'brought to justice' for alleged fraudNew Foto - Trump says Democratic rival Schiff should be 'brought to justice' for alleged fraud

By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday a top antagonist, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, should be "brought to justice" for alleged mortgage fraud, in a move the California Democrat said amounted to political persecution. Schiff, a leading player in Trump's first impeachment in 2020, denied wrongdoing. "This is just Donald Trump's latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies," he wrote on social media. Trump said a U.S. housing finance agency, Fannie Mae, had concluded that the senator had engaged in a "sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud" for declaring a house he owned in Maryland as his primary residence to get a lower mortgage rate. "Mortgage Fraud is very serious, and CROOKED Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice," he said on his Truth Social platform. The New York Post reported the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae, had sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Officials at the DOJ, Fannie Mae, and FHFA declined to comment. Schiff, like some other members of Congress, owns a residence in the Washington area as well as in his home state, and a spokesperson said lenders who provided mortgages for both homes were aware that he used both of them year-round. Schiff has been a top Trump target since 2019, when he led the House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into whether Trump withheld aid to Ukraine to pressure that country to investigate Democrat Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Trump was impeached in the Democratic-led House, but the Republican-controlled Senate did not convict him. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone and Rod Nickel)

byMario Satorik
in
July 15, 2025

Trump says Democratic rival Schiff should be 'brought to justice' for alleged fraud

Trump says Democratic rival Schiff should be 'brought to justice' for alleged fraud By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Pres...
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