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Joining in the congratulations was Barack Obama who extended his congratulations to the New York Liberty after they secured their first WNBA championship in franchise history. The former U.S. President took to X to congratulate them for their first title.
The curtain to the WNBA season was finally drawn as the Liberty secured their first championship in a dramatic 67-62 overtime win over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. Breanna Stewart played a crucial role as she sank two free throws in the final seconds of regulation to tie the game.
Barack Obama’s love for the beautiful game has been well-documented. He is known for sharing basketball related content to his over 131 million followers on the X platform.
Congratulations to our newest WNBA champs – @NYLiberty – for winning their first title!
Barack Obama wrote on X
Congratulations to our newest WNBA champs – @NYLiberty – for winning their first title! https://t.co/nvBozPhsrL
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 21, 2024
Despite the Liberty’s success, the win was not without controversy, as Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve criticized the officiating. The game also saw a surprise MVP Finals winner in Jonquel Jones as she led the team with 17 points in Game 5.
Sabrina Ionescu’s struggles in Game 5 fade as Liberty clinch first WNBA title
While the Liberty finally clinched the coveted title, Sabrina Ionescu’s 2024 WNBA Finals was supposed to be remembered for her iconic three-point shot in Game 3. Instead, she was remembered for an unwanted struggle with her shooting.
She shockingly finished with just 5 points on 1/19 shooting, which included 1/10 from the three-point range, although she recorded 8 assists and 7 rebounds in Game 5.
Sabrina Ionescu’s final statline tonight pic.twitter.com/YSvDCOFKEK
— Real Sports (@realapp_) October 21, 2024
Ultimately, it didn’t matter as the Liberty’s championship victory overshadowed her shooting woes in the pivotal Game 5. And in spite of the controversy that surrounded the win and her off-night, the Liberty’s historic achievement marked the end of an incredible season.
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Colts' QB decision makes no sense, sets stage for wasted season
The Indianapolis Colts must have zero belief that Anthony Richardson is capable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL. That is the only logical conclusion one can draw from their decision to go with Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback for the 2025 season, while also giving him a lengthy leash to play through. It's not only nonsensical, but it sets the stage for what could be a completely wasted season of football where they do not get anything from it. Whether the Colts decided to go with Jones or Richardson, their ceiling was unlikely to change. They're not a Super Bowl-contending team, and they may not even be a playoff team. The Colts have a very flawed roster that is probably more than just one quarterback away. But that's part of the reason why it would have at least made sense to give Richardson one more run at it. While the early part of his career has been filled with injuries and inconsistency, he is still a player they used a No. 4 overall pick on. He is also a player who is still full of talent, a big arm and — in theory — a lot of potential. He is in a lot of ways still a mystery and something of an unknown as an NFL player. He's played only 15 games, thrown just 348 passes and is still 23 years old. There is still something there that a team can dream on. It would make sense to try to see if he can figure it out given that unknown potential and upside. Jones, on the other hand, is the complete opposite in every way. He is a mostly known commodity in the NFL. He has appeared in 70 regular-season games and thrown 2,241 passes, and he is going to be 28 years old when the season begins. There are no secrets here. Everybody knows what he is: veteran mediocrity. Sure, there is a chance he could follow the path of Geno Smith and finally put things together and become an above-average starter after washing out with the New York Giants. But those types of success stories are the exception and not the rule. After six years and nearly 2,500 passes in the NFL you start to get a sense for what a quarterback is and what they can do. Jones has shown everybody who and what he is as an NFL starting quarterback: not good enough. What are the Colts hoping to accomplish here? Maybe Jones is a marginal upgrade over Richardson right now. But is he enough of an upgrade to take them from a mid-level, average team to a playoff team or a contender? Not likely. Not in a stacked AFC. Due to Richardson's upside, if he can reach it, he might actually have the ability to do that. That alone should have been the incentive to give him one more run at it. If he washes out, then you might know for sure that he is not your answer and that you need to seriously look at the position again in 2026. The season might not go well, but it at least wouldn't be a waste. Right now, the Colts just seem to be hoping that Jones can get them to another eight- or nine-win season that keeps them squarely in the middle of the NFL standings. Nobody wants to see that. Nobody wants to watch that. They should have at least given Richardson one more swing at it. Now they have pretty much already written him off as a potential option without ever really knowing for sure if he could do the job or reach his potential.
Former Green Bay Packers RB to miss entire 2025 NFL season due to injury
The Green Bay Packers are dealing with some concerning injuries to significant members of their roster. As their fans are well aware, the Packers have seen multiple wide receivers projected to be at the top of the depth cart go down during training camp with various injuries. Christian Watson, of course, has not been practicing all offseason as he is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears. In addition to him, the Packers also played their previous preseason game without Romeo Doubs (back), Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf). And while Doubs returned to practice this week, Reed and Wicks remain out. Elsewhere around the NFL, other teams are dealing with injuries of their own, and some involve players that are former Packers. Former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor is out for the 2025-26 NFL season One of these players is former Packers running back Patrick Taylor, who played in Green Bay from 2021-2023. An undrafted free agent who often filled in as Green Bay’s third running back, he accumulated 261 rushing yards and a touchdown in his three seasons with the Packers. He found himself out of a job when the Packers revamped their running back room before the 2024 NFL season. Taylor ended up with the San Francisco 49ers last season and had the best year of his career with 183 rushing yards and a touchdown while appearing in 13 games. He will not be playing any games this season as San Francisco just put him on season-ending injured reserve: NFL teams can only have so many players on an injured reserve list. Interestingly, Taylor’s injury led to the 49ers to release another former Packer, wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who was placed on injured reserve last week. In order to release an injured player, teams and that player must come to an injury settlement, which St. Brown received. He is now free to sign with any team in the NFL should he be able to pass a physical.
The Josh Giddey Problem Could Be Ending Soon for Chicago Bulls
The Josh Giddey restricted free agency saga has stretched on for nearly two months now. Giddey has been firm on his asking price of $30 million annually, a price that the Chicago Bulls haven't been willing to reach yet. Giddey believes he's worth the same as Immanuel Quickley and Jalen Suggs, and while he's absolutely a better player than Quickley, that doesn't mean the Bulls should give him a large contract because the Toronto Raptors massively overpaid for someone. Chicago has realized that they don't have to bid against themselves after overpaying Patrick Williams last offseason on a five-year, $90 million deal, and he's not even projected to start next year. Giddey at least played phenomenal basketball post-All-Star Break. KC Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network provided an update on the situation. Could there be a resolution soon? "The Bulls do have a long-term offer on the table, believed to be in the neighborhood of $20 million a year. It's pretty well-documented that Josh Giddey and his representatives are seeking in that $30 million range, so there's still a pretty significant gulf financially," Johnson said. "The difference in this restricted free agency situation from a prior one, that's unlike the Lauri Markkanen situation, the Bulls have given no indications league-wide of being amenable to a sign-and-trade." In regards to Markkanen, he was eventually included in a three-team sign-and-trade that sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where the Bulls received Derrick Jones Jr., a conditional first-round pick that never conveyed, and a second-round pick. A year later, the Cavaliers traded him to the Utah Jazz for Donovan Mitchell. Johnson is confident that this will reach a "positive" resolution, but it's a matter of time. Could Josh Giddey Accept the Qualifying Offer? There are four restricted free agents still awaiting long-term deals: Giddey, Cam Thomas, Quentin Grimes, and Jonathan Kuminga. Of the group, Giddey seems the likeliest to come to terms on a long-term deal. Giddey seems like he'd love to be back in Chicago, which can't be said for Kuminga. Thomas seems the likeliest to accept the qualifying offer. A report surfaced recently that he sees himself as a $40 million per year player, which just isn't going to happen. No one, either this year or next, will want to hand Thomas that kind of contract. Kuminga has talked up like he would be okay with taking the qualifying offer, but they don't seem too far off on negotiations. Grimes is a complete unknown, but the 76ers seem confident in getting a deal done there.
Texas' Arch Manning reacts to grandfather Archie's 2026 NFL Draft prediction
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning should keep his family group chat updated about his decision for the 2026 NFL Draft. He doesn't want it tipping his plans, especially when they're not confirmed. Manning's grandfather, former New Orleans Saints QB Archie, told Texas Monthly his grandson isn't going to declare for the 2026 draft in a story published at the beginning of August. The 21-year-old passer, however, clarified he's keeping his options open. "I don't know where he got that from," Manning said Tuesday, via CJ Vogel of OnTexasFootball. "He texted me and apologized about that, but I'm really just taking it day-by-day right now." Manning attempted just 95 passes in his first two seasons at Texas but is already viewed as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft. In a story published Tuesday, The Athletic's Dane Brugler tabbed him as his top QB entering the season. Still, it would reportedly take a special circumstance for Manning to declare for the draft in 2026. He would want to play for a team that has a stable head-coaching situation and front office. Most franchises that are picking near the top of the draft don't have that. More importantly, Manning must prove he's worthy of the No. 1 pick. Despite his family name, he doesn't have a large enough sample size to show he's pro-ready. "If his last name were 'Smith' and he were a three-star recruit instead of a five-star blue-chipper, would he still appear this high early in draft rankings? Who knows," wrote Brugler. "However, what he has put on film so far has been very impressive. Now, scouts need to see it consistently each week, especially against the top opponents on Texas' schedule." Manning faces an elite opponent in Week 1. The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes host the No. 1 Longhorns on Aug. 30 at noon ET (Fox). The QB should probably tell his family to deflect questions about the draft until he's ready to make a decision. Speculation about his future could create even more pressure, which he doesn't need.
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