The Atlanta Dream said their concerns about a scheduling conflict for the WNBA Finals were not addressed, as they prepare to host the Golden State Valkyries in Game 6 at 12:30 p.m. EDT Thursday. Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, and the game will start at 9:30 a.m. in California because the Atlanta Hawks play at State Farm Arena Thursday night.
Key Facts
The Dream usually play at Gateway Center Arena, which holds about 3,500 people.
The Dream moved their two home Finals games so far to State Farm Arena, which seats more than 17,000.
The Dream said they raised concerns about the potential conflict with NBA games months ago and repeated them during the playoffs.
The team did not specify who received its concerns or what exact solutions it proposed.
The WNBA, NBA, Dream, Valkyries, and broadcast partners discussed the venue problem over the weekend.
The Dream said an afternoon start was the best option available.
Golden State players Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton encouraged fans to take time off work to watch the game.
Atlanta's Allisha Gray said the team was focused on winning regardless of the start time.
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Sports analyst Igor Mladenovic says backlash in China over Kylian Mbappé’s playful reference to a meme portraying him as Mao Zedong reflects a cultural misunderstanding, not deliberate political provocation. He discusses how remarks by famous athletes can carry wider consequences for their clubs, leagues and countries.
Key Facts
France 24 host François Picard interviewed sports writer and analyst Igor Mladenovic.
The controversy followed Mbappé’s reference to a meme depicting him in the likeness of Mao Zedong.
Mladenovic said he did not believe Mbappé intended to mock Mao.
Mladenovic distinguished Mbappé’s remark from former NBA executive Daryl Morey’s explicit political statement about Hong Kong.
The article says Real Madrid apologized to China over Mbappé’s comments.
The article reports that Mbappé apologized and that Chinese brands dropped sponsorship deals.
Mladenovic said athletes have a right to express personal views but their remarks can affect clubs, leagues and countries.
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Thierry Henry defended his hosting of Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony after criticism of jokes and remarks he made to Lamine Yamal and co-host Kate Scott. He said he admires Yamal, called Harry Kane a worthy winner, and explained that he supported Kylian Mbappé because they are both French.
Key Facts
Henry hosted the ceremony with CBS Sports colleague Kate Scott.
Henry joked with Lamine Yamal about winning the young player award for a third time.
Henry said he understood that some people disliked the joke but denied trying to challenge Yamal’s ego.
Henry said Scott took part in the joke about her pronunciation of the name Socrates.
Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award for humanitarian and charity work.
Henry called Kane a worthy Ballon d’Or winner and praised his work ethic.
Henry said he backed Mbappé because he wanted to support his fellow Frenchman.
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The Tampa Bay Rays won Game 4 of the World Series in an extra-inning game, avoiding a sweep. The result kept their hopes of winning the championship alive.
Key Facts
The game was Game 4 of the World Series.
The game went into extra innings.
The Rays avoided being swept in the series.
The Tampa Bay Rays won the game.
The game took place on October 28, 2026.
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Arsenal will appeal Max Dowman’s straight red card in their Carabao Cup tie against Fleetwood. The 16-year-old was dismissed after his foot made contact with Fleetwood’s Harrison Neal following a heavy challenge; Fleetwood later won the 1-1 match on penalties.
Key Facts
Dowman received a straight red card in the 85th minute.
The incident followed a heavy challenge by Fleetwood player Harrison Neal.
Dowman’s foot made contact with Neal, although he did not fully kick out.
The match ended 1-1 before Fleetwood won the penalty shootout 5-3.
Fleetwood play in League Two, while Arsenal are Premier League champions.
It was Dowman’s second red card this month; he was also sent off for England Under-19s.
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The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings in World Series Game 4, avoiding elimination and forcing Game 5. Tampa Bay scored twice in the bottom of the 12th after Milwaukee took a 3-2 lead on Cooper Pratt’s home run.
Key Facts
The Rays were down to their final three outs before their 12th-inning comeback began with a fielding error.
Jonny DeLuca singled home the tying run.
Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson hit the walk-off single that brought home Nick Fortes with the winning run.
Cooper Pratt hit a home run in the top of the 12th to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead.
The Rays’ win prevented the Brewers from completing a World Series sweep.
Game 5 will follow the Rays’ 4-3 victory.
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Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes held private talks at Manchester United’s training ground on Tuesday, before the team’s Premier League match at Chelsea. Carrick will remain in charge despite United’s recent defeat and 16th-place position, while Kobbie Mainoo has returned to training after an injury.
Key Facts
Fernandes was an unused substitute in United’s 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth on Sunday.
Carrick dropped Fernandes after the captain criticised his tactics following United’s 4-1 loss to Como in the Champions League.
The pair spoke privately at the club’s training ground on Tuesday; it is not known who initiated the talks.
United are scheduled to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday at 12:30 GMT.
Fernandes could return to the starting line-up against Chelsea.
United’s board decided Carrick would remain in charge and have the chance to improve the team’s results.
Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo returned to training on Wednesday after two weeks out injured.
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Amanda Serrano will fight Skye Falzon in San Juan on 9 January, defending her WBA and WBO featherweight titles in what she says will be the final bout of her professional career. Serrano will also have a chance to break the women’s knockout record before retiring.
Key Facts
The fight will take place at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
Serrano is 38 and has a professional record of 50 wins, four losses and one draw.
Serrano has won world titles in seven weight divisions and is the only Puerto Rican boxer to become an undisputed world champion.
The bout, called The Last Walk, is scheduled for 12 three-minute rounds.
Falzon, 37, has won 12 of her 14 professional fights, including seven by knockout.
Serrano needs a knockout to pass Christy Martin’s record of 32, after failing to do so in her latest fight.
Serrano’s latest bout was a majority-decision win over Lucrecia Manzur, giving her her 50th professional victory.
Serrano lost all three fights in her rivalry with Ireland’s Katie Taylor.
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Takeshi Okada resigned as a vice president of the Japan Football Association, saying its responses to recent World Cup controversies conflicted with his values. His resignation came after the Asian Football Confederation backed Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president, despite earlier criticism of his plan to bring private investors into FIFA competitions.
Key Facts
Okada coached Japan at the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.
He said he resigned of his own volition after careful consideration.
Okada said he values the social role of sport and believes it must be conducted with integrity.
A week before the resignation, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa voiced support for Infantino’s re-election bid at a meeting in Tokyo.
The AFC had earlier joined UEFA and CONCACAF in criticizing Infantino’s plan to open FIFA competitions to private investment.
Infantino apologized after the private investment project failed and has led FIFA since 2016.
Infantino is seeking re-election in March for a fourth and final term.
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England half-back Mikey Lewis says he earned his place in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup squad despite an inconsistent Super League season and disciplinary problems. After scoring twice in England’s 82-0 win over France, he could help the team pursue a place in the semi-finals when it faces Papua New Guinea.
Key Facts
Coach Brian McDermott selected Lewis alongside Harry Smith and captain George Williams as one of England’s half-back options.
Lewis was selected ahead of 2025 Man of Steel Jake Connor.
England lost its opening match 30-12 to Tonga and then beat France 82-0.
Lewis came off the bench against France and scored two tries in the final 20 minutes.
England must beat Papua New Guinea, hope Tonga defeat Samoa, and make up a 68-point points-difference deficit to Samoa to qualify for the semi-finals.
Lewis scored 17 tries and made 14 assists in 20 Super League matches in 2026.
He received four yellow cards, the most of any player in the Super League, and served a four-game ban after a late tackle and a headbutt in July.
Lewis said he is seeking outside help with his on-field temperament.
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The NFL named Jay-Z the headliner for this season’s Super Bowl halftime show. His company, Roc Nation, has produced the show since a 2019 partnership with the league, which also included work on the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative. The article contrasts Jay-Z’s partnership with the NFL with his earlier support for Colin Kaepernick’s protests and presents criticism of the partnership as part of a broader debate about his public role.
Key Facts
The NFL announced Jay-Z as the headliner for this season’s Super Bowl halftime show.
Roc Nation produces the halftime show under a deal that the article says was reportedly worth $5 million a year when signed in 2019.
The NFL and Roc Nation extended their partnership for another five years in 2024.
The partnership included Roc Nation’s work on Inspire Change, the NFL’s social justice initiative.
At the 2019 announcement of the partnership, Jay-Z said, “We’ve moved past kneeling.”
Colin Kaepernick settled his collusion grievance against the NFL in 2019 after alleging the league had kept him from playing because of his protests.
Forbes estimates Jay-Z’s fortune at about $2.8 billion.
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China said it takes Kylian Mbappe’s apology seriously after the French footballer joked about an online meme that appeared to depict Mao Zedong. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV suspended La Liga broadcasts, and several Chinese companies ended partnerships with Mbappe amid backlash.
Key Facts
Mbappe apologized in French, Chinese and English, saying his comment was ill-judged and had hurt people in China and Chinese communities.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing took the apology seriously.
CCTV, which is overseen by China Media Group, suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches in China.
Beverage company Dongpeng and dairy firms Mengniu and Milkground ended partnerships with Mbappe.
The Xiaohongshu and Weibo apps froze or restricted Mbappe’s accounts.
La Liga said it regretted the offence caused to Chinese fans by Mbappe’s comments.
The article says China previously suspended NBA sponsorship deals and broadcasts after Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey posted in support of Hong Kong in 2019.
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Liverpool signed 21-year-old centre-back Jeremy Jacquet in a deal worth £60 million over the summer. He has started every Premier League and Champions League match so far, and his performances have helped Liverpool record four league clean sheets.
Key Facts
Jacquet has played 956 minutes this season, second-most among Liverpool players behind goalkeeper Alisson.
He joined Liverpool after playing for Rennes and missing time with a broken shoulder and a knee problem.
Liverpool gave Jacquet his first Premier League start at Newcastle after Ibrahima Konaté left for Real Madrid and other defenders faced injury problems.
He has made 19 tackles, 15 interceptions and 10 blocks in the Premier League, according to the article.
Jacquet made his France debut earlier this month, and coach Zinedine Zidane praised his performance against Italy.
Chelsea were also interested in Jacquet before Liverpool stepped up their pursuit.
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Stan Wawrinka’s 24-year professional tennis career ended with a first-round loss to Jiri Lehecka at the Basel Open. The three-time Grand Slam champion plans to take part in a farewell event in Geneva on December 19.
Key Facts
Lehecka defeated Wawrinka 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) in Basel.
The 41-year-old Swiss had announced earlier in the season that the Basel Open would be his final professional tournament.
Wawrinka won three Grand Slam singles titles: the 2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open.
He and Roger Federer helped Switzerland win the Davis Cup, and they won Olympic doubles gold in 2008.
Wawrinka reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3.
His December 19 farewell event in Geneva is called “One last backhand” and is set to include Federer and Andy Murray.
At the Basel Open, Arthur Fils, Rafael Jodar and Ben Shelton also won their matches to advance.
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Switzerland will again consider Granit Xhaka and Breel Embolo for selection for its November Nations League matches after both were sanctioned over forged COVID-19 certificates. They missed the team’s first four Nations League games, and the Swiss Football Association says they have completed the legal process and served the sporting consequences.
Key Facts
Xhaka admitted using a forged vaccine certificate to avoid mandatory vaccinations during the pandemic.
Embolo acknowledged that a penal order against him concerned fake COVID-19 certificates.
Both players missed Switzerland’s first four Nations League matches.
The Swiss Football Association said the players will be eligible for selection starting with the November matches.
Switzerland’s coach, staff and players’ council agreed that Xhaka will remain captain.
Both players received suspended fines of 150,000 Swiss francs, with a two-year probation period.
Switzerland will play Slovenia away on November 13 and host Scotland in St Gallen three days later.
Coach Murat Yakin is scheduled to announce the squad on November 5.
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The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 on Tuesday to extend their season-opening winning streak to three games. Deni Avdija and Ja Morant scored 23 points each, while Luka Doncic led all scorers with 41 for Los Angeles.
Key Facts
Portland made 18 of 36 three-point attempts and shot 59 percent from the field.
Avdija added nine assists, and Jrue Holiday scored 22 points off the bench for Portland.
Damian Lillard scored 21 points, including a late three-pointer that put Portland ahead 135-129.
Doncic recorded 41 points and nine assists; Austin Reaves added 26 points and seven assists for the Lakers.
Los Angeles led by 11 points in the third quarter before Portland rallied to trail 103-102 entering the fourth.
Boston beat Brooklyn 125-124 in overtime on Jayson Tatum’s buzzer-beating jumper; Tatum scored 40 points.
New York earned its first win of the season by beating Detroit after outscoring the Pistons 37-13 in the third quarter.
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Arsenal, described in the article as Premier League champions, lost to fourth-tier Fleetwood Town in the League Cup fourth round, drawing 1-1 before losing 5-3 on penalties. The article compares the result with five other English cup upsets involving Wrexham, Bradford City, Hereford, Wimbledon and Grimsby.
Key Facts
Fleetwood Town beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the League Cup fourth round.
Wrexham beat Arsenal 2-1 in the 1992 FA Cup, with Steve Watkin scoring the late winner.
Bradford City came back from 2-0 down to beat Chelsea 4-2 in the 2015 FA Cup.
Hereford beat Newcastle 2-1 in the 1972 FA Cup after Ronnie Radford equalised and Ricky George scored in extra time.
Wimbledon beat Liverpool 1-0 in the 1988 FA Cup final; goalkeeper Dave Beasant saved John Aldridge’s penalty.
In the 2025 League Cup, Grimsby beat Manchester United 12-11 on penalties after the tie ended level following extra time.
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Stan Wawrinka lost to Jiri Lehecka in what the article describes as his final tour-level match, ending a 23-year professional career. The Swiss player won three Grand Slam singles titles, defeating members of the sport’s “Big Three” on the way to major victories.
Key Facts
Wawrinka lost to world number 21 Jiri Lehecka in Basel, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2).
The match was the 41-year-old’s final tour-level appearance, according to the article.
His professional career spanned 23 years and 985 matches.
Wawrinka won three Grand Slam singles titles: the 2014 Australian Open, the 2015 French Open and the 2016 US Open.
At the 2014 Australian Open, he beat Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals and Rafael Nadal in the final.
At the 2015 French Open, he beat Roger Federer in the quarter-finals and Djokovic in the final.
Wawrinka was ranked as high as world number three and was ranked 151 at the time described in the article.
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The Spanish football federation fined Barcelona 602 euros ($670) after Atletico Madrid complained that Barcelona contacted striker Julian Alvarez without notifying the club in writing. FIFA said it had no jurisdiction over Atletico’s separate complaint. Alvarez later apologized for saying he wanted to play for Barcelona and scored Atletico’s winner against Deportivo La Coruna.
Key Facts
The Spanish federation imposed the fine under Article 133 of its regulations.
Atletico said Barcelona approached Alvarez without first notifying the club in writing.
FIFA said it had no jurisdiction over Atletico’s complaint.
Alvarez’s Atletico contract runs until June 2030.
Alvarez apologized for saying in a 2026 World Cup interview that he wanted to fulfill his dream of playing for Barcelona.
Alvarez scored the winning goal against Deportivo La Coruna, his second consecutive match with a goal.
Alvarez joined Atletico from Manchester City in 2024 in a deal worth up to 95 million euros.
Alvarez has scored 51 goals in 115 appearances for Atletico, after scoring 36 goals in 103 appearances for Manchester City.
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was diagnosed with a calf blood clot in London before playing the full game against Jacksonville on 11 October. Follow-up tests later found deep vein thrombosis and multiple clots in both lungs; he is receiving blood-thinning treatment and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The NFL and NFL Players Association say they are reviewing his care after the league said it has no protocol for this type of case.
Key Facts
Hurts reported a leg issue to the Eagles on 8 October after another player stepped on his left calf during a game on 4 October.
An ultrasound at the Cleveland Clinic in London on 10 October found a superficial blood clot in Hurts’ calf, and he was cleared to play the next day.
Hurts played the full game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 11 October and was cleared to fly back with the team.
A follow-up ultrasound on 14 October showed the clot had moved, and Hurts was ruled out of the Eagles’ next game.
Further tests found deep vein thrombosis and multiple pulmonary emboli, meaning blood clots in both lungs.
Hurts is being treated with blood-thinning medicine and is expected to make a full recovery, but likely will miss the rest of the season.
The NFL said it has no protocol for this type of situation; its chief medical officer said he had confidence in how the Eagles handled the case.
The NFL and NFL Players Association said they are working together to review the matter after the union called for an investigation.
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