PARIS — Lee Kiefer smiled at the thought of what people had just witnessed. At what she’d just helped deliver Sunday night to Olympics viewers around the world.

It’d been an All-American fencing final, Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs battling in the gold medal match of the women’s individual foil competition.

“It was so cool being in a final with Lauren, because we’re both about 5-3, 5-4,’’ Kiefer said, referring to their relatively small stature in the world of fencing.  “We’re both very athletic and we’re very creative. And I think that’s really cool for the sport, and I think it’s going to inspire a lot of little girls.’’

Kiefer won the match, 15-6, and the gold. Scruggs won the silver. But perhaps there was another victory to evaluate in the years to come.

The little girls.

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If they’re inspired the way Kiefer hopes they are — to try fencing, if not truly pursue it — the impact will cut across a wide spectrum.

New Yorker finds path

Scruggs became the first Black American woman to win an Olympic medal in individual competition, according to USA Fencing. (Three Black American women won fencing medals in team competition, according to USA Fencing.)

“Fencing has largely, certainly been a non-Black sport,’’ Scruggs said. “So I hope to inspire young Black girls to get into fencing, so that they can have a place in the sport.

“I just hope that more people who look like me, girls that look like me, feel they have a place in the sport.’’

It was her brother’s fascination with ‘Star Wars’ and light sabers that led Scruggs to fencing, after her mother apparently found an ad for lessons near their home in Queens, N.Y.

‘He actually wanted to quit fencing after a few months,’ Scruggs recalled of her brother, ‘but my mom had already bought all the equipment and it was pretty expensive so she was like, ‘You’re doing it.”

Turned out he was was pretty good. Turned out Lauren Scruggs was even better.

Training at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, she developed into one of the top junior fencers in the world. It led her to Harvard, where last year she won an NCAA championship in foil.

Now, she’s 21 and owns an Olympic silver medal.

Kentucky offers path

Like Scruggs, Kiefer also has a unique background. Her mother was born in the Philippines and geography created challenges toward attaining fencing greatness.

But fencing runs deep in the family, too. Kiefer’s father, Steve, was a captain of the Duke fencing team. But geography tested the durability of the sport.

Kiefer was born in Kentucky, a hotbed of basketball, not children wielding fencing blades and yelling, ‘En Garde!’

But Lee Kiefer wasn’t alone. She has an older sister, a younger brother, and the fencing family expanded.

The Kiefers found a fencing school, and Lee Kiefer’s skill and passion grew.

It was out there on the strip Sunday night inside the Grand Palais, as the 30-year-old Kiefer dipped and darted against the 21-year-old Scruggs.

Two little girls all grown up, as they competed at the Olympics in a moment of inspiration.

“It’s just sick to see the American flag up there,’’ Scruggs said. “We love to see that.’’

MARSEILLE, France – The future of the United States women’s national team, at least when it comes to scoring goals, rests with forwards Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman.  

The Front Three. The Big Three. Whatever they’re called, if the trio plays like they did Sunday in the Americans’ 4-1 victory over Germany, the signs are positive for the USWNT moving forward. 

Through two games and six points at the Paris Olympics, Rodman (one), Smith (two) and Swanson (three) have accounted for six of the Americans’ seven goals. 

“You can see, I’m not making many changes to the lineup, because they have to build connections,” said head coach Emma Hayes, who was much cheerier than after the Zambia match. 

Hayes added: “I think the front three in general were dynamic as hell, really fun to watch. Most importantly they enjoyed themselves.” 

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Swanson scored twice in the opener against Zambia, a 3-0 victory. Then it was Smith’s turn to double up against Germany. Rodman has been the tone-setter. She scored the first goal against Zambia and she set up the opening tally against Germany when she drove with the ball to the right side of the box and her perfect cross found Smith’s boot. 

The best part about that goal, Swanson said, was it proved they can take the work they put in on the training ground directly into their play – not necessarily an easy task as the players adjust to Hayes’ preferences. 

Hayes said she’s still trying to figure out the tendencies of her front line and that the players are still learning about one another too. Smith, 23, and Swanson, 26, played for the same club while growing up and have chemistry on and off the field. 

“Honestly, it’s kinda like sisters, but everyone, too,” Swanson said. “This group we have right now is special and we’re having a lot of fun.” 

Smith left the loss against Zambia early after being banged up and felt fresh Sunday because of that decision. 

“I love Soph. She’s my type of player,” Hayes said. “She gives to the team.” 

The intricacies of playing the “nine,” or center forward, are coming to Smith, Hayes said. The coach enjoys working with her in that respect. 

“Because she absorbs it,” Hayes said. 

The on-field bond between Smith and Swanson went on hold last April when the latter tore her left patella tendon. A year passed before her return. But over the past few months, a healthy Swanson and Smith have revitalized their pitch connection. The 21-year-old Rodman fits right in. 

“I feel like we’re clicking really well, really fast,” Smith said. “This is only like 70 percent of what we can do. The more games we get together, the more we’re going to be playing off each other and just learning each other’s tendencies. It’s so much fun playing with them.”

On Thursday, Rodman said they’ve been improving every match they play together. Doing it on the Olympic stage will only help, she said. 

“I think our connections have been so good,” Rodman said after the Zambia win.  

Rodman added that the nerves heading into her first Olympics, despite playing in last year’s World Cup, were real. 

“It felt so good, to get that goal was amazing, to get it on that big of a stage was great,” Rodman said.  

The respective skill sets of the three allow for all to play to their strengths. 

Smith can threaten from behind, hold up the ball or hop off the line, Swanson said. Rodman excels in the one-on-one game. Swanson can play in the “pocket” and still also be effective behind the play.

“When you have all of that in your back pocket,” Swanson said, “it’s super special.” 

Perhaps it was fitting then that Swanson’s goal came on a rebound of a shot from Smith.

“Because she’s Mal,” said Lynn Williams, who entered as a sub and scored the fourth goal with an assist from Swanson, in response to why the Chicago Red Stars forward has been off to a hot start in France. “I just think that there’s a belief within herself. There’s a belief within the team that we’re going to get the job done. But not just her. I think that collectively we are finding her in great spots and she is making amazing runs and touches and creating for herself but creating for others as well.

“She’s obviously an amazing player, and I think amazing players score amazing goals.”

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams will miss the 2024 season after tearing multiple ligaments in his left knee during Sunday’s practice, the team’s website reported.

Williams suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn medial collateral ligament while he was blocking during a special teams drill.

After recording 8.5 sacks over his first two NFL seasons, Williams was expected to play a greater role in Dallas’ pass rush alongside fellow defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons.

Williams, 25, has tallied 48 tackles, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 32 games (0 starts) for the Cowboys since being drafted in the second round out of Ole Miss in 2022.

Dallas’ veteran defensive depth dwindled this past offseason after Dante Fowler (45 career sacks) and Dorance Armstrong Jr. (23.5) left for the Washington Commanders in free agency.

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The Cowboys selected Western Michigan defensive end Marshawn Kneeland in the second round (No. 56 overall) in April’s draft.

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France – Kevin Durant off the bench isn’t fair.

Durant making shot after shot after shot – eight consecutive shots to be precise – isn’t fair either.

Poor Serbia, looking to upset the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics and here comes Durant, who hadn’t played in a game since the Phoenix Suns lost in the first round of the playoffs in April, picking apart Serbia.

Durant missed the five U.S. exhibition games with a sore calf and was just cleared to play after scrimmaging Thursday and practicing Saturday.

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Durant scored 21 of his 23 points in the first half and led the U.S. to a 110-84 victory over Serbia, sending a message that with Durant on the court, it’s not the same team that almost lost to South Sudan and squeezed by Germany in pre-Olympic tuneups.

“I was tired. I’m not going to lie to you,” Durant said. “My lungs were getting used to that heat, the intensity of the game, but it felt good to make some shots. Everybody played their role pretty well tonight. My role was to come in, provide space and shot-making for the team.”

It was an impressive U.S performance. “It’s the best game we played so far,” LeBron James said. And it was an amazing individual effort from Durant. “KD was phenomenal. It’s almost like he never missed a beat or a practice or anything or any game,” James said.

KD, the difference-maker. And it’s always been that way for the U.S when Durant plays in international competitions.

“Obviously I coached Kevin for three years and maybe more than any player I’ve ever been around, when he comes back from a long absence, you don’t notice it,’ Kerr said. ‘He’s so skilled, and he just looked like he’s in midseason form after not playing in a real game for a couple of months.’

Durant is trying to become the first America men’s basketball player to win four gold medals, and he is already the U.S. men’s all-time leading Olympic scorer (458 points). He moved into 11th place on the all-time Olympic list, and he’ll moved into the top 10 in his next game.

After his performance Sunday – especially considering the circumstances – it’s time to ask: Is Kevin Durant the greatest Olympic basketball player ever?

He’s never going to catch Brazil legend Oscar Schmidt’s 1,093 Olympic points or Australian star Andrew Gaze’s 789 points and may not get to Manu Ginobili’s 523 points for fifth place on the all-time Olympic scoring list.

Carmelo Anthony relished the international game, and absent of NBA titles, he enjoyed winning three gold medals.

In 23 Olympic games in 2012, 2016, 2020 and Sunday, Durant, one of basketball best scorers, averages 19.9 points on 54% shooting from the field, including 51.6% on 3-pointers.

To solidify that unofficial title as Olympic men’s basketball GOAT, Durant needs another gold medal.

There is belief that the U.S. can lose in this event even with the number of All-Stars, MVPs and future Basketball Hall of Famers on the roster. But Durant brings a scoring dimension that no one – not James, Steph Curry – can match.

He entered the game with 2:23 remaining in the first quarter and U.S. trailing 20-14. Fourteen seconds later he made his first 3-pointer, and 95 seconds after that he made another 3. He started the second quarter a made 2 and his 3-pointer with 8:29 left in the game gave the U.S. a 30-23 lead.

Four shots, 11 points, four minutes.

“Just basketball at the end of the day. So I just try to follow the game plan, be there for my teammates on the defensive end and when the ball can touch my hand, be aggressive,” Durant said.

Yep, that simple.

The final play of the first half encapsulated more than a bucket. The U.S. called timeout with six seconds left, and Kerr designed a play involving Curry, James and Durant – three of the greatest players all-time, players who have NBA championships, MVPs and Finals MVPs.

“When you have cerebral guys, we could just execute that without never working on it,” James said.

Curry set a baseline screen for Durant, and James inbounded the ball into his shooting pocket. Durant made the fadeaway jumper for a 58-49 halftime lead. That wasn’t game over. But it was difficult to see Serbia winning.

Kerr said he isn’t sure what he will do with the starting lineup in Wednesday’s game against South Sudan. Durant doesn’t care.

“I told coach yesterday, whatever he needs from me, whatever he wants to do with my minutes or whatever,” Durant said, “I just try to do my best to adapt to that and play my game.”

PARIS − A pair of American women fencers on Sunday night won a pair of coveted Olympic medals – one gold and one silver.

Lee Kiefer beat teammate Lauren Scruggs at the Paris Games in the final bout of the women’s individual foil competition that showcased U.S. talent.

Arguably, some of the best fencing talent the United States has ever produced.

It was on display not only in the golden medal bout – which Kiefer won 15-6 – but during the daylong competition that ended with an All-American final.

Kiefer stands only 5-4 and 110 pounds. But she is a powerhouse.

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She won gold in the foil at the Tokyo Games in 2021, and here she defended that Olympic title while becoming only the second U.S. fencer to win two Olympic gold medals in individual competition. She is married to Gerek Meinhardt, a five-time U.S. Olympic fencer who is competing here and was on hand to celebrate. 

Inside the cavernous Grand Palais Sunday night, however, the moment went beyond the 30-year-old Kiefer.

It marked the first All-American final in the individual foil in Olympic history, and for that U.S. fencing also must thank Scruggs, the 21-year-old Harvard student from Queens, N.Y.

A first-time Olympian, Scruggs was not expected to contend for gold. But when the competition began Sunday, Scruggs dispatched one opponent after another − four in total.

Until she reached Kiefer.

No one could get past Kiefer.

Nonetheless, Scruggs won a silver medal in a bout that shined a light on two unique paths.

Kiefer grew up in Kentucky and developed world-class skills in a state a little better known for basketball than fencing. She is a four-time Olympian who has a decision to make: keep fencing, or return to medical school after an extended break to chase these Olympic dreams?

If Kiefer retires, Scruggs might be the star in waiting.

She trained at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, famous for introducing the sport to children of color in New York.

Scruggs, who is Black, distinguished herself internationally on the youth circuit. She was good enough to make the team at Harvard in 2021. Good enough to win an NCAA championship in foil last year. And ended in an All-American embrace, with Kiefer and Scruggs hugging after the historic bout.