CHICAGO What a difference a year makes.Last year, there was a bit of understandable tension hanging over All-Star festivities as negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) were underway though progress wasnt being made at a speed anyone was comfortable with.Fast forward to this year, and everything felt lighter. Celebratory. Fun.The actual All-Star game was a free-flowing one, filled with highlights, bouts of gamesmanship, and a ton of buckets. It was also historic: 19,783 fans were in attendance, setting an All-Star game record.Team Spoon came away with the victory, defeating Team Coop 129-122 in a wire-to-wire effort. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from Saturday nights game.Jonquel Jones is a winnerRegular season MVP in 2021. Commissioners Cup MVP in 2023. Finals MVP in 2024. And after racking up 22-13-8 off the bench in tonights win, you can add a 2026 All-Star game MVP to the resume. Shes now the only player in WNBA history to go 4-for-4 like this.You got the usual blend from Jones: pick-and-pop 3s, paint baskets after rolls, closeout attacks, initiating the occasional ball screen, and dirty work on the offensive glass. A lot of her assists came within the flow of what constitutes as All-Star offense, but it was still a bit startling that she came so close to a triple double in this one.Team Spoon center Jonquel Jones (35) hugs guard Caitlin Clark (22) with the WNBA All Star MVP trophy during the 2026 WNBA All Star Game at United Center. (Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images)IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERSJones shined on the floor, then moved me off the floor with the vulnerability she displayed during the postgame press conference. She dedicated her MVP award to her aunt, who recently passed away. Before sharing that, she was moved to tears while clarifying comments she made about the 2024 WNBA Finals on a live stream over the weekend.It served as a reminder that, as incredible as she is as a basketball player, shes still a human being first. We ultimately dont know what (or how much) players are carrying at any given time; theres always room for a little grace.The 3-pointer reigns supremeWell start here: of the 225 shot attempts taken, 127 of them (56.4%) came from beyond the arc.Team Spoons Caitlin Clark, back in the All-Star fold after missing last years game due to injury, got the party started with a trio of long-range bombs en route to an 11-point first quarter. Team Coops Marina Mabrey came off the bench and drilled five 3s over her own, dropping 17 points in the opening frame.Allisha Gray (5-of-9) bombed away from deep, particularly in transition. Jones made four (out of 11) in the midst of an MVP performance. Kelsey Mitchell drained five of her own, including some high-difficulty looks in the fourth quarter as Team Coop attempted to make a late comeback.The 3-point revolution hasnt quite hit the same heights in the W as it has in the NBA, but its certainly trending that way. A point my Dunker Spot co-host Steve Jones always hits during All-Star time is that the prevalence (and proficiency) of 3-point shooting is why All-Star games can get a bit wonky in terms of competitiveness. A hot streak from one team paired with a cold streak from the other can put a game juuust out of reach, making it less likely that we get the competitive run were used to in fourth quarters.We love gamesmanshipAmong the coolest moments in the game for me, in no particular order:Gabby Williams taking and making a one-legged 3 early in the first quarter, a likely nod to the All-Star in her lifeRhyne Howard committing a foul in the backcourt to stop a transition opportunity (and thank goodness the refs didnt call a transition take foul)To open the second quarter, a back-screen play drawn up to get Dominique Malonga a lob (she failed to convert)An actual coaches challenge early in the third quarter from Team Spoon; it was unsuccessful, with that announcement being met with a hearty thumbs down from Aja WilsonAja hitting her near-patented forearm tap after a multiple-offensive rebound sequence that eventually ended in a putback layup (with no free throws)Breanna Stewart not-so-sarcastically signaling for a double-dribble call during an Olivia Miles drive (and eventual bucket)Nobody will ever confuse an All-Star game with a playoff contest, so its always a bit cool when you either get flashes of real hoops, ref-gotta-call-that competitiveness, or some subtle nods like the Williams 3.The league is in great handsMiles nearly dropped a triple-double (11 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals) in her All-Star game debut, and did so without missing a shot. Malonga (12 points, 13 rebounds) not only dunked, but became the youngest player in All-Star history to log a double-double.We do have to give it up for the dunk, though:DOMINIQUE MALONGA THROWS IT DOWN pic.twitter.com/4CURnlcanb ESPN (@espn) July 26, 2026We got flashbulb moments from Paige Bueckers, Clark, Howard, and Kiki Iriafen. Sonia Citron didnt miss a shot in her 11 reserve minutes. It was a quieter night for Angel Reese, though:She mightve given us the funniest moment of the night with her interaction with Aja Wilson.She still grabbed five boards and racked up four assists, with Team Coop outscoring Team Spoon by 11 points in Reeses nine minutes of action.There is so much young talent in the league to be excited about. Aside from treating the fans, showcasing the next wave of superstar talent is kiiinda what this format is for.Other takeawaysI hope Aliyah Boston is okay! After playing the opening 4:57 of the game, we didnt see her on the court again. Nneka Ogwumike opened the second half with the other Team Spoon starters (Miles, Clark, Wilson, Jessica Shepard) with the MVP Jones soaking up a bunch of the second half big minutes.I kinda felt bad for Tyla, this years halftime performance. Ill just kindly say the crowd reaction didnt match how well the actual performance went. Im curious to see who gets the nod next year.The actual funniest moment of the night came during a timeout. If youve been to a sporting event, specifically a basketball game, there always comes a moment where the arena MC tries to hype the crowd up. It may be a video on screen, a noise meter of some sort, a call-and-response bit, you get it. For this particular break, we got If youre single, make some noise and If youre in a situationship, make some noise. An A+ for creativity, but I dont know if we should run that one back.I feel like Aja is obligated yes, obligated! to warn us ahead of time if shes going to participate in a basketball game without the leg sleeve. You cant just surprise us like this!

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 25: Errol Spence Jr (L) and Tim Tszyu (R) face off ahead of the bout between Errol Spence Jr and Tim Tszyu at ICC Sydney on July 25, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesTim Tszyu revitalized the commercial side of his career with a win tonight in Sydney, Australia, against the returning Errol Spence Jr.Spence, a former welterweight titleholder and regular in various pound-for-pound top 10s for several years, just didnt have it anymore, following a three-year layoff and a two-division jump in weight. The 36-year-old Spence (28-2, 22 KO) was brave and tough but just slower than he used to be, couldnt generate the same power he used to, and wasnt able to find consistent results.As the bout wore on, he obviously had issues with his stamina, which just made it all worse. Tszyu (28-3, 18 KO) really didnt bring a ton of pressure or anything, and was able to simply out-point Spence over 12 rounds.Spence vs Tszyu official score cardsJudges scored the bout 117-111, 117-111, and 118-110 for Tszyu. There was no home cooking here; these were fair scores. Myself and Wil Esco unofficially scored the bout 117-111 and 117-111 for Tszyu, as well.While it wasnt immediately scary or a sustained, bad beating or anything at least not by pro boxing standards it was also not the sort of fight where you could imagine suggesting that Spence continue boxing.160 is my new division and I feel strong, Tszyu said after the fight. There were times I had sleepless nights thinking, Man, am I (out of) my depth? What am I going to feel like facing a legend like that? But it was one hell of a show and I understand why hes one of the greats.Tszyu said hes hoping to fight for another world title, now as a middleweight, and said that beating a great one like Errol Spence tops any world title for me.Errol Spence Jr announces retirement after lossIt was a great fight. Congratulations to Tim and (trainer) Jeff Fenech, Spence said. It was a good showing by Tim. I answered a lot of questions about myself, and now its time to go home with my family and start a new life.Asked to clarify if that meant he was retiring, Spence replied, Yeah, for sure. Ive got my faculties intact. My money is good and working for itself, so everythings good, man. Ive got a beautiful family and I thank God that Im able to leave this sport with my faculties intact and my family by my side. Everythings going to go well.

The Florida State Seminoles rushed forover 2,600 yards and scored 31 touchdowns last year, but will have to make up for that production going into this season.TheSeminoles lost half of their rushing yards, as quarterback Tommy Castellanosand running back Gavin Sawchuk have moved on. They return two of their top fourrushers from last years squad and added two talented transfers, one from theSEC. OusmaneKromah Now standing 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Ousmane Kromah haslost some weight after rushing for 408 yards, but no touchdowns in 2025. Kromahalso caught nine passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. In a loss to No.16Virginia, Kromah rushed for a season-high 63 yards. QuintrevionWisnerIn 2025, as a member of the Texas Longhorns,Quintrevion Wisner led the Longhorns with 597 yards and scored three touchdowns.That was a significant step back from his 2024 season in which he rushed forover 1,000 yards. In the win over Texas A&M, Wisner rushed for aseason-high 155 yards on 19 carries, averaging eight yards per carry. Wisnerbrings speed and shiftiness to the Seminoles backfield that could presentproblems for opposing defenses. SamuelSingletonSingleton averaged seven yards per carry last season,on his way to 360 yards and four scores. Against East Texas A&M, Singletongained 82 yards on four carries for a whopping 20-yard average. GermariSandsAfter playing two seasons at Florida Atlantic, GermariSands arrives in Tallahassee to provide depth. Last season at FAU, he accountedfor 682 total yards but no touchdowns. To avoid being one dimensional on offense, theSeminoles must have a productive ground game. Last season, Castellanos scoredten touchdowns running the football. 2026 starter Ashton Daniels has scored 11rushing touchdowns total across four seasons, so it is a good bet that Danielswill not be asked to tote the rock that much. Also, these running backs will have to set theirsights on the end zone and get there early and often. Zero rushing touchdowns forany of these players over a 12-game schedule will not get the job done. No doubt, Florida States offense will be talented. Runningbehind an experienced, but rebuilt offensive line (107 combined starts) willhelp the cause. These running backs have an opportunity to be a partof something special this season, to help right the wrongs and correct themistakes that have caused the Seminoles to lose 17 games over the last twoseasons. Any one of these running backs needs to step up their game in fallcamp and strive to be the first Seminole rusher to gain 1,000 yards since 2019.Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!

As fall camp approaches for the Florida StateSeminoles, beginning on July 29, the Seminoles linebacking corps will belooking for improvement over last season. Coach Mike Norvell raided thetransfer portal for some help in that regard, and landed a tackling machinethat was one of the best at his position last season. This will be one of thestrongest units on the team.ChrisJonesA transfer from Southern Miss, Chris Jones averaged 10tackles per game on his way to 135 total stops last season. That was goodenough for No. 7 in the FBS. Now he comes to Tallahassee to prove he canreplicate that production at a Power 4 program. Jones posted eight games with double-digit tackles forthe Golden Eagles, including a season-high 15 tackles against Louisiana Techand Texas State. For his efforts, Jones earned first-team All-Sunbelt honors.Jones has the potential to be one of the best linebackers ever to play at FloridaState.BlakeNichelsonPlaying in 12 games last season, Blake Nichelsonstarted the final six games of the season. Nichelson posted 43 tackles, 6.5tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery, and recorded a season-highseven tackles against Clemson.OmarGraham Jr.Last season, Omar Graham played in 12 games andstarted five for the Seminoles. He recorded 38 tackles, including a season-higheight tackles against Stanford. CalebLaValleeA transfer from North Carolina, Caleb LaVallee missedall of the 2025 season due to injury. Once he arrived at Florida State,LaVallee performed well in spring practice and Norvell raved about LaValleesathleticism.AshlynBarkerAshlynd Barker is listed as a defensive back, but willplay rover this season, which is a hybrid safety/linebacker role. Barker was secondon the team with 48 tackles in 2025. KaronMaycockPlaying as a true freshman this season, Karon Maycockhad a great spring practice where he showed off his playmaking skills for thecoaching staff. He chose the Seminoles over offers from Florida, Syracuse,Alabama and Texas. Maycock totaled 149 tackles, 36 tackles for loss and ninesacks during his prep career at Miami Central High School. During his recruitment, he was sought after as asafety, but Norvell signed him as a linebacker. Maycock could see the fieldmuch sooner than expected if he continues to quickly learn the college game.This is one of the deeper position groups on the teamand Norvell is excited about what the linebacking corps can accomplish on thefield in 2026. When fall camps begins at the end of this month, Norvell willfind out just how far this group has come since spring practice and summerworkouts.Florida State kicks off the 2026 season when they hostNew Mexico State on August 29. Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!

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The festivities in Chicago showcased the league's growth, but not everyone came out on top

COBHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 9: Emanuel Emegha of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on July 9, 2026 in Cobham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) | Chelsea FC via Getty ImagesA series of injuries, mostly of the hamstring variety, limited Emmanuel Emegha to just 18 appearances for RC Strasbourg last season, and unfortunately the young strikers rotten luck appears to be continuing. He picked up another hamstring strain in Chelseas behind-closed-doors friendly win against Bromley the other day, and thats now ruled him out of our entire preseason tour (not just the start of it).The good news is that the striker is not expected to be out for too long, though obviously its not great that hes missing out on the tour and the training time with Xabi Alonso. The 18-year-old has scored in both of our behind-closed-doors friendlies that had been held since the start of preseason training at Cobham 3-1 against Crawley Town and 3-0 against Bromley but now hes had to stay behind and is not expected to rejoin before the squad return to England in three weeks.Emegha is battling with Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson for the backup striker role behind Joo Pedro, and right now, that seems to be anyones opportunity to convince Alonso and win the job.(The other surprising name to stay behind for fitness reasons at Cobham, Geovany Quenda, is expected to join up with the squad shortly, thankfully.)Emegha is expected to be back in time for the start of the Premier League season but will likely miss the overseas pre-season tour while recovering. https://t.co/eMmM0tJ36p Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) July 25, 2026

The Boston Red Sox acquired infielder Curtis Mead from the Washington Nationals for left-hander Connelly Early on Saturday night.Both teams are in the mix for a wild card in their respective leagues, and with the trade deadline a little over a week away, the Red Sox and Nationals made a deal involving two significant major league contributors. Mead has hit .254 with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs this season, and Early is 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 17 starts.The Nationals acquired Mead in March after he was designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox. Now the 25-year-old from Australia heads to the Red Sox after blossoming in Washington for what has surprisingly been the highest-scoring team in baseball. He has largely played at the corner infield spots this year, with a little time at second.Boston surged into contention with a 15-game winning streak that ended earlier this week. After Saturday's loss to Toronto, the Red Sox occupy the second wild-card spot in the American League with a 53-50 record. Mead gives Boston a right-handed bat at Fenway Park at a time when the offense is trying to overcome injuries to Trevor Story and Roman Anthony.Washington, meanwhile, is two games out of a postseason spot, its powerful offense negated by poor pitching in a season when the Nationals weren't expected to do much.The 24-year-old Early is currently on the injured list with elbow problems. Ironically, his last appearance on the mound was June 30 against Washington, when he threw four scoreless innings before leaving. That was the same night the teams had a scuffle involving Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli and Boston hitter Willson Contreras.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

WIESBADEN, GERMANY - JULY 25: Head coach Vincent Kompany of Bayern Mnchen reacts during the pre-season friendly match between SV Wehen Wiesbaden and FC Bayern Mnchen at BRITA-Arena on July 25, 2026 in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Photo by EyesWideOpen/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesVincent Kompany was not about to read too much into Bayern Munichs 2-1 friendly defeat to SV Wehen Wiesbaden.Honestly, that is probably the right approach.Im happy were back again. Obviously we still dont have any players here who were at the World Cup, but its an opportunity for the other players, Kompany told FCBayern.com.That was the key message from Kompany after Bayern Munichs first preseason match. With the majority of the first-team squad still enjoying time off following the World Cup, this was never going to be a normal Bayern Munich lineup or a true preview of what the team will look like once the season begins.Instead, the match was an opportunity.For Bayern Munichs young players, fringe players and returning loanees, these early friendlies offer a chance to make an impression on the new coaching staff. A strong preseason can potentially change a players place in the pecking order, while a young player can use these matches to show that he deserves more opportunities with the first team.The result against Wehen Wiesbaden will quickly be forgotten. The more important question is whether any of these players can take advantage of the opportunity Kompany mentioned.By the time Bayern Munichs World Cup stars return, the competition for places will be much tougher. For now, however, the door is open.Who impressed you the most in Bayern Munichs first preseason match?Join the conversation!Sign up for a user accountand get:New, improved notifications system!Fewer adsCreatecommunity postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community posts

Kevin Durant is a Houston Rocket GettyMiami Heat boss Pat Riley teased another potential blockbuster move by stating, We landed the plane. Theres another one we have to land, following the acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo. With LeBron James off the board, the Heat can now focus their energies on superstar players who may be available via trades to pair with the Greek Freak in his first season.One Heat trade suggestion doing the rounds would see the franchise part with the expiring $30M salary of Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic, while taking back Durant and veteran big man Clint Capela from the Houston Rockets. The trade would be approved under the CBA despite both teams being in the first apron next year.Miami Heat Trade Idea for Kevin DurantHeat would receive: Kevin Durant, Clint CapelaRockets would receive: Andrew Wiggins, Nikola JovicIt became obvious during their playoff series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that Durant and the Rockets are out of sync. Durant was allegedly caught badmouthing the Rockets young players using a burner account, and as the season progressed, reports suggested a disconnect between KD and the rest of his teammates. Perhaps Durant would be better suited on a veteran team like the Heat, where he will be able to play his role rather than being obligated to be a leader a role he has never felt comfortable in.Furthermore, Durant is the exact type of co-star that Antetokounmpo, a non-shooter, could use. It also helps that KD had the Heat among his preferred trade destinations when the Phoenix Suns shipped him to the Houston Rockets last offseason.As for the Rockets, Wiggins, one of the best 3-and-D wings in the league, should fit in nicely next to Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet, bringing championship experience and the proven ability to excel in his role.LeBron James Spurns the Miami HeatAccording to ESPNs Brian Windhorst, LeBron James feared that the Heat, who gutted their roster while acquiring Antetokounmpo, didnt have the pieces to compete for a championship. In comparison, he reportedly felt the Philadelphia 76ers offered a more balanced roster with shooting and playmaking to complement his skill set.The number one thing was winning a championship immediately which is not unheard of or shocking, but it wasnt 100% clear that winning a championship this upcoming season was number 1 or it was chasing happiness, Windhorst said after James agreed to a two-year, $8M contract with the 76ers.Now that we know what he was thinking and hes said that winning a championship immediately this year was a priority, I think that put Golden State and Miami off the list.The Heat reportedly remain determined to add more shooting and offensive firepower around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.This article was originally published on HEAVYThe post Miami Heat Proposed to Trade for Kevin Durant After LeBron James Miss appeared first on HEAVY.