The Phoenix Mercury needed a win on the road to keep their playoff lives alive. The Mercury not only got the victory, they completely dismantled the defending champion New York Liberty in the process. 

The No. 4 seed Mercury routed the No. 5 seed Liberty 86-60 in Game 2 on Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, marking the Mercury’s first playoff win since the 2021 WNBA Finals. The best-of-three first-round WNBA playoff series now shifts back to Phoenix for a decisive Game 3 on Friday (TBD, ESPN2).

‘It’s a series for the reason,’ Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said. ‘We were disappointed in the way that we shot in the first game. We knew today was going to be a different day. We were just going to come out there for 40 mintues and give them everything we had.’

Five Mercury players scored double-digits in the win, led by Phoenix’s Big 3 — Thomas (15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), Satou Sabally (15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals) and Kahleah Copper (14 points). DeWanna Bonner (14) and Kathryn Westbeld (10) combined for 24 of Phoenix’s 27 bench points.

The Mercury’s defense held the Liberty to 60 points, their second lowest total of the season, and made the defending champions look hapless on Wednesday. New York shot a season-low 30.2% from the field and 23.1 % from the 3-point line. None of New York’s starters scored double digit points.

There were questions surrounding Liberty forward Breanna Stewart entering Wednesday’s matchup after she suffered a MCL sprain in her left knee in Game 1. She was limited to six points in 20 minutes.

The Mercury outscored the Liberty in the paint (38-22) and in transition (20-2). The Liberty also gave up 15 turnovers for 30 Mercury points. Here’s a recap for Game 2 on Wednesday:

End of Q3: Mercury 69, Liberty 47

The Mercury’s lead swelled to as many as 24 in the third quarter and Phoenix is taking a 22-point advantage over the Liberty into the fourth quarter. New York shot 2-of-10 from the field in the third quarter, with the first field goal coming with 1:35 remaining in the quarter, in addition to 0-of-3 from 3.

Liberty forward Breanna Stewart is playing with a sprained MCL in her left knee. She’s been held to six points, two rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes of play. Emma Meesseman is the only Liberty player to reach double-digits with 11 points off the bench.

Alyssa Thomas (15 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists), Satou Sabally (12 points, 4 assists, 4 steals) and Kahleah Copper (14 points, 2 rebounds) lead the Phoenix Mercury in scoring.

Halftime: Mercury 51, Liberty 37

The Phoenix Mercury dominated the second quarter, outscoring the defending champion Liberty 26-12 in the frame to take a 14-point lead into halftime. 

Phoenix’s big three — Alyssa Thomas (13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists), Satou Sabally (12 points, 3 assists, 3 steals) and Kahleah Copper (12 points) — all have double-digit points in the first half. Phoenix’s bench added 12.

The Mercury’s defense has been smothering, holding the Liberty to 37.1% shooting from the field and 5-of-15 from the 3-point line. Phoenix is outscoring New York in the paint (24-12) and in transition (14-2). 

No Liberty player has reached double-digits yet. Sabrina Ionescu has a team-high nine points, four rebounds and two assists. 

What time is Phoenix Mercury at New York Liberty?

The New York Liberty host the Phoenix Mercury for Game 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

How to watch Phoenix Mercury at New York Liberty: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
Location: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY)
TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)

Mercury forward Satou Sabally called for technical

Emotions are running high in Barclays Center as the Mercury fight for their season on Wednesday and tempers appeared to boil over, resulting in a technical foul for Mercury forward Satou Sabally. The technical foul was called with 1:53 remaining in the second quarter after Sabally and Liberty guard Natasha Cloud fought for possession of a loose ball. Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts called a timeout, but Sabally didn’t appear to be happy with Cloud’s level off physicality.

Phoenix Mercury goes on 15-0 run to take largest lead

The Phoenix Mercury went on a 15-0 run in the second quarter to take a 19-point lead over the New York Liberty, marking the largest of the game by either team. Phoenix is outscoring New York 24-5 in the second quarter with 2:48 remaining. Mercury forward Satou Sabally and guard Kahleah Copper are each up to 12 points.

End of Q1: Liberty 25, Mercury 25

We are all tied up after one quarter. The Liberty led by as many as six points, but the Mercury surged back to take the lead before the quarter ended with both teams at 25. 

“We came out like we don’t want our season to end,” said Kahleah Copper, who had a team-high six points in the first quarter. 

Seven different players scored for the Mercury, highlighting Phoenix’s league-leading depth. Alyssa Thomas added five points, three rebounds and two assists, while Kathryn Westbeld had five points off the bench. However, the Mercury’s struggles from beyond the arc continued. After going 6-of-26 from the 3-point line in Game 1, the Mercury have started 2-of-6 from 3. 

Liberty center Jonquel Jones has seven points, while Emma Meesseman added seven points and two rebounds in five minutes off the bench. However, New York has left some points on the board at the free throw line (2-of-7).

New York Liberty off to a fast start

Game 2 is underway and New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones can’t miss, scoring eight of the Liberty’s 14 first-quarter points, shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 1-of-1 from the 3-point line. She’s also getting it done on the defensive end with two blocks. 

WNBA starting lineups today

Here are the starting lineups for Wednesday’s Game 2:

Phoenix Mercury starting lineup

Head coach: Nate Tibbetts

0 Satou Sabally | F 6′ 4′ – Oregon
2 Kahleah Copper | G 6′ 1′ – Rutgers
4 Natasha Mack | C 6′ 4′ – Oklahoma State
8 Monique Akoa Makani | G 5′ 11′ – Cameroon
25 Alyssa Thomas | F 6′ 2′ – Maryland

New York Liberty starting lineup

Head coach: Sandy Brondello

9 Natasha Cloud | G 5′ 10′ – St. Joseph’s
13 Leonie Fiebich | F 6′ 4′ – Germany
20 Sabrina Ionescu | G 5′ 11′ – Oregon
30 Breanna Stewart | F 6′ 4′ – UConn
35 Jonquel Jones | C 6′ 6′ – George Washington

Is Breanna Stewart playing? New York Liberty forward injury update

New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart told reporters during Wednesday’s shootaround that she was diagnosed with a sprained MCL in her left knee. She said she plans to play in Game 2, even though she is listed as questionable. — Elizabeth Flores

Phoenix Mercury injury report

The Phoenix Mercury have all players available for Game 2 on Wednesday.

Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty predictions

Who will win Game 2 in Brooklyn, New York? We asked the USA TODAY staff:

Heather Burns: Liberty 83, Mercury 80
Cydney Henderson: Mercury 89, Liberty 82

X factor: New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud 

Natasha Cloud called Phoenix home last year, and now she’s facing against her former team as a member of the New York Liberty. Cloud turned in a game-high 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in the Liberty’s 76-69 overtime win over the Mercury on Sunday. Cloud shot 9-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from the 3-point line and her nine field goals were the most she’s recorded for the Liberty this season.

New York Liberty arrive to Game 2 in style

The Liberty made a fashion statement heading into Game 2. Liberty forward Breanna Stewart rocked a briefcase because she means business, while Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison let every one know that the ‘WNBA been popping.’ Check out all the Liberty arrivals:

Spike Lee is in the house to cheer on Liberty

Game 2 between the Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty is sure to draw a star-studded crowd. New York superfan Spike Lee, who turned out to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center 90 minutes before tipoff. The Academy Award-winning director is a mainstay at New York sporting events and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s SuperFan Gallery in October 2024.

Emma Meesseman: New York Liberty forward stats

The addition of Emma Meesseman has yielded instant dividends for the New York Liberty, as she averaged 13.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17 games (12 starts) in New York. Meesseman has championship experience — she won an WNBA title with the Washington Mystics in 2019 and was named WNBA Finals MVP.

Phoenix Mercury guard Satou Sabally stats

Sabally is looking to bounce back from a particularly rough shooting night in Game 1. She recorded nine points in the Mercury’s loss to the Liberty on Sunday, shooting 2-of-17 from the field and 1-of-10 from the 3-point line. Sabally averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 39 games (all starts), shooting 40.5% from the field and 32.1%.

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas stats

Thomas averaged 15.4 points, a league-leading 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in 39 games (all starts) this season. The 33-year-old recorded eight triple-doubles this season, a WNBA single-season record. Thomas, who was traded to the Mercury in February following 11 seasons in Connecticut, nearly reached a triple-double in Phoenix’s Game 1 loss, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Phoenix Mercury guard Sabrina Ionescu stats

Ionescu averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 38 games (all starts) this season, shooting 40.1% from the field and a career-low 29.9% from the 3-point line. Ionescu had 16 points, seven assists and two blocks in Game 1, shooting 6-of-18 from the field and 3-of-12 from beyond the arc.

Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty schedule

Game 1: Liberty 76, Mercury 69 OT
Game 2: Mercury at Liberty, 8 p.m. ET Wednesday (ESPN)
Game 3: Liberty at Mercury, TBD Friday (ESPN2)

2025 WNBA Finals schedule

*if necessary

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After four seasons ending in either abject failure or mediocrity, the Chicago Cubs are back in the playoffs.

The Cubs recorded their 88th win Sept. 17, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-4, at PNC Park to become the second club from the National League Central to qualify for the playoffs.

It’s highly likely the Cubs will enter the playoffs as a wild card; they trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 4 ½ games with 10 to play. Yet it’s equally probable Chicago will host the best-of-three wild card series at Wrigley Field, likely against the San Diego Padres.

Their return to October baseball is the culmination of investing in both brain power and one big bat: A five-year, $40 million contract to lure manager Craig Counsell down from Milwaukee turned the page on desultory years spent under David Ross’s leadership. And a major trade to land All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker from Houston galvanized the lineup.

Tucker remains both a near- and long-term question mark: He’s been out with a calf injury and his status for the postseason is unknown. In the bigger picture, he is a free agent after this season and will truly test the Cubs’ commitment to winning should the club pursue him for the long haul.

In the clincher, the Cubs got home runs from Ian Happ and rookie Moises Ballesteros to make up for another lackluster start from lefty Matthew Boyd, who has struggled since the All-Star break as his innings count coming off injury-plagued seasons has risen.

Still, the Cubs will have time to line up their pitching for the postseason, with lefty Shota Imanaga and top rookie Cade Horton likely to come out of the gate 1-2 in the early round.

The Cubs last advanced in the playoffs in 2020, when they qualified for the expanded field in the COVID-19 season but were swept by the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. Their last full-season berth came in 2018, when they lost the NL wild-card game to the Colorado Rockies – after losing a one-game tiebreaker to Milwaukee for the Central title a day earlier.

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Plenty of changes are happening at UCLA − but its quarterback remains the same.

Nico Iamlaeava was practicing with the team on Wednesday, Sept. 17, three days after the Bruins fired second-year coach Deshaun Foster.

While it shouldn’t be a total surprise for a team’s starting quarterback to be practicing, it’s a noteworthy because Foster’s departure opened a 30-day transfer portal window for Bruins players. And since the firing happened before the team played four games, players that have not redshirted can retain a year of eligibility if they leave the team.

While Iamaleava has already used his redshirt and wouldn’t be able to join another team until the spring semester, his participation in practice signals he plans to continue play with the Bruins, for now.

Hours after Foster was fired, atheltic director Martin Jarmond told reporters he spoke with the team and no players indiciated they were thinking about transferring. Interim coach Tim Skipper shared a similar sentiment ahead of practice.

‘Had very positive conversations with our guys. There’s nothing to announce or report that way,’ Skipper said. ‘This university, this campus, this coaching staff, has a lot to offer to these guys. You remind them of that, and they see it. They see how our energy is every day, and we’re just going to take it one day at a time and keep on working.’

UCLA plays next at Northwestern on Sept. 27. Iamaleava has until Oct. 14 to enter the portal, allowing him to play in the next three games against Northwestern, Penn State and Michigan State. The Bruins host Maryland on Oct. 18, three days after the window closes.

UCLA part ways with defensive coordinator

While UCLA’s starting quarterback is still with the team, its defensive coordinator is not.

Skipper announced the Bruins parted ways with defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe. He did not disclose why the two sides separated.

Malloe joined the staff in December 2022 as a defensive position coach and took was interim defensive coordinator for UCLA’s bowl game in 2023. Afterward, he was officially given the position.

Defense was UCLA’s strongsuit in Malloe’s first full season, ranking sixth in the country in rushing defense (96.2). However, the unit has struggled out of the gate in 2025, ranking near the bottom of several categories including:

Scoring defense: 36 points per game (121st out of 134 teams)
Total defense: 431 yards per game (117th)
Rushing defense: 244 yards per game (132nd)
Defensive passing efficency: 184.7 (132nd)
Defensive third down percentage: 62.2% (133rd)

How damaging is an 0-2 start? Nearly 88% of teams that have started that way since 1990 have missed postseason.
But what happened last season that might offer added hope to 2025’s winless clubs?
And what did Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes say following his first 0-2 start?

Panic mode. Desperation time. A proverbial cold sweat. Tightened … well, ya know. All euphemisms synonymous with the dreaded 0-2 start in the NFL – recently anyway.

Turns out, maybe what coaches, players and fans should be doing is taking a beat and resetting − all isn’t necessarily lost.

How Zen is Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who just lost his opening two games for the first time since 2014 – his second year in K.C. and the only instance since he’s been with the franchise that it didn’t make the playoffs?

“I trust this group. I mean, this group’s a good group – got good leadership and they’ll stay together,” Reid said Monday, a day after the Chiefs lost their Super Bowl 59 rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sure, it’s easier to remain on an even keel when you’ve reached five of the past six Super Bowls and won three of them.

Added Reid: “(T)hey’ll work hard on cleaning things up, there’s nobody more aware of it than the guys, and we’ll make sure we get back to the drawing board.”

It’s almost as if he doesn’t know (or care) that, since the playoff field expanded to 12 teams in 1990, only three teams – the 1993 Cowboys, 2001 Patriots and 2007 Giants, all legendary in their own right – of the 288, or 1.04%, that have begun 0-2 over that period have won the Super Bowl.

“It’s just the little things,” Ryans said Tuesday, following his team’s last-second loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

“We talk about technique, we talk about decision-making, we’re talking about tackling. We talk about all the little things that we control, that we can fix. I’m excited to see what it looks like moving forward.”

The deck is most definitely stacked against Houston, Kansas City and the eight other currently winless clubs. Since 1990, just 12.2% of 0-2 teams have rebounded to qualify for postseason. Just 6.6% have come back to secure a division.

Yet the 17-game regular-season schedule, which took effect in 2021, and 14-team playoff field first introduced in 2020 both provide an increased margin for error. That was certainly the case last season, when three of the nine teams that started 0-2 wound up in the Super Bowl tournament. Two (Rams, Ravens) won their divisions and got as far as the divisional round of the postseason.

The weight of the historical data is daunting, suggesting just one of this year’s 0-2 squads will overcome its circumstances to endure into in Week 19. But last year’s snapshot is proof that more teams surely can.

Let’s rank all 10 by their postseason viability from least likely to most:

10. Cleveland Browns

They looked competitive in a Week 1 loss to the Bengals but decidedly weren’t in Sunday’s 24-point defeat at Baltimore. In addition to being mired in a highly competitive division, it stands to reason that the Browns will eventually turn to rookie QBs Dillon Gabriel and/or Shedeur Sanders in order to assess where they are organizationally at the position ahead of the 2026 draft, when Cleveland is scheduled to have two first-round picks. Lastly, history is an even bigger barrier to this franchise. Of the 16 previous times the Browns started 0-2 since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, only the 1980 “Kardiac Kids” led by MVP Brian Sipe persevered to make the postseason.

9. New York Giants

Despite finishing 3-14 last year, the G-Men, who have several young and talented players on their roster, nevertheless wound up with the league’s hardest schedule (based on opponents’ collective 2024 winning percentage, .574). Unlike the Browns, New York appears to have its quarterback of the future, 2025 first-rounder Jaxson Dart, and might be obliged to look for a spark and start him at some point given how well he played in the preseason. But Russell Wilson, who had a vintage performance in Sunday’s loss to Dallas, just bought himself more playing time, for whatever it’s worth amid this murders’ row of a lineup he and his team must face, including the equally desperate Chiefs in Week 3. And a note for the historians: Since those magical 2007 Giants started 0-2 before ruining the Patriots’ perfect season in Super Bowl 42, Big Blue has lost its first two games in 10 subsequent seasons, including 2025 … and failed to reach postseason in all of them to date.

8. New Orleans Saints

They seem a little high? Fair. But let’s acknowledge that they have established, proud players on the roster, and both of their losses have been by one score. The Saints also – seemingly – play in a more forgiving division than the Giants or Browns. But, yeah, New Orleans also doesn’t have a quarterback in the building who’s ever won an NFL game. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is the 24th time the Saints have started 0-2 in their 59-season history. Perhaps surprisingly, this is the first time it’s happened in the post-Drew Brees era.

7. Tennessee Titans

Cam Ward is a wild card, figuratively and literally given his heretofore daredevil playing style. But is he really going to join the likes of John Elway and Andrew Luck as the only quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall to lead their teams to the playoffs as rookies since the merger? Is a team that’s gone 3-16 under coach Brian Callahan suddenly going to catch fire? Since relocating to Tennessee in 1997, the Titans haven’t successfully rallied from their six previous 0-2 starts. Still, if Ward and Co. can survive the season’s first half, the schedule does look manageable, with a heavy serving of games in Nashville, following a Week 10 bye.

6. New York Jets

They haven’t made the playoffs since 2010 regardless of circumstances − and this is the NYJ’s fifth 0-2 start over the past nine seasons. After an encouraging Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh, the Jets were blown out by Buffalo and lost QB Justin Fields to the concussion protocol. Perhaps veteran QB2 Tyrod Taylor can stabilize the situation. Perhaps rookie coach Aaron Glenn, a Bill Parcells protégé, can spark an unexpected heater … which would be appropriate given Parcells was the last coach to dig this team out of an 0-2 hole, the 1998 squad advancing all the way to the AFC title game. But come on, it’s the Jets.

5. Miami Dolphins

Yes, this spot feels grossly optimistic for these seemingly drowning fish, er, mammals. They sound bad. They look bad. No AFC team has allowed more points (66) or has a worse point differential (-31). No coach in the league appears to be on a hotter seat than Mike McDaniel. But let’s also grant him deserved credit given Miami reached the playoffs in two of his first three seasons and had a top-six offense league-wide in both of those years. And while durability is always a concern with QB Tua Tagovailoa, he’s also an established and efficient Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback operating in a division that only seems to have one imposing team … albeit a Buffalo squad set to host the Fins on Thursday night and threatening to push them into an 0-3 grave.

4. Chicago Bears

This also feels like a glass that’s close to 75% full for a team that clearly seems to remain in hibernation. Second-year QB Caleb Williams continues to struggle to live up to his astronomical pre-draft hype from a year ago. In fairness to him, this is two offensive systems in two years, and rookie coach Ben Johnson’s playbook is far more demanding. Also, with so much scrutiny on Williams, it’s easy to gloss over the fact that the Bears are the only team that’s allowed more points (79) or been outscored by a wider margin (34 points) than Miami. And a 2025 postseason trip was always going to be a high bar given Chicago was the only team in its division that didn’t go to the playoffs last season. Yet hope for positive and sudden growth remains – if Williams starts grasping Johnson’s system, which produced spectacular results in Detroit during the previous three seasons, and if the defense starts clicking under new coordinator Dennis Allen. There’s certainly no shortage of talent on this roster.

3. Carolina Panthers

They showed the same fight in the second half of Sunday’s near-miss loss at Arizona that they displayed during the second half of last season. Both of their defeats have come on the road, and Carolina plays in a division that hasn’t set a high bar for success in recent years. Still, the Panthers must survive a battered offensive line and still suspect defense. Also, history. They’ve now started 0-2 14 times in their 31-season history – nearly half of them – but have surmounted that obstacle into a playoff berth just once.

2. Houston Texans

After Ryans’ charges started 0-2 two years ago, the Texans won 11 of their next 16 games, including a victory in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Many key players from that group remain, notably QB C.J. Stroud, WR Nico Collins, DE Will Anderson Jr. and CB Derek Stingley Jr. This year’s edition is winless – but the losses came by a combined six points to teams (Rams, Bucs) that were division winners in 2024. Yes, there might be a level of discomfort given how the AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts have broken from the starting gate … and maybe more so given this retooled offense has scored a league-low 28 points. But let’s give a squad that’s reached the divisional round of the past two postseasons, features a potentially dominant defense and has a dynamic young HC-QB combo the grace period it’s earned.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Duh. Yep, it’s uncharted territory as it pertains to the past decade, K.C. trying to win its 10th consecutive AFC West crown. Yes, this marks the first time QB Patrick Mahomes has started 0-2 or lost three consecutive NFL games when you factor in the blowout loss to Philly in Super Bowl 59. Yes, TE Travis Kelce continues to look like a declining player, whose admittedly poor route discipline during the Week 1 loss in Brazil is responsible for the shoulder injury that’s limited dynamic WR Xavier Worthy to three snaps this season.

But … these are the dynastic Chiefs. They’ve lost close contests to the Chargers and Eagles, who are shaping up as two of the league’s top teams. Week 3 brings a date with the Giants, the Chiefs favored to win by nearly a touchdown on the road and likely to have Worthy back. Suspended WR Rashee Rice will return next month. Still, the Chiefs aren’t awash in wiggle room, the schedule set to serve up the Ravens, Lions, Commanders and Bills … before the Week 10 bye.

“We played two good football teams and made mistakes in big moments – stuff that we’re not used to doing,” Mahomes said after Sunday’s loss. “But I think we’re coming together as a team, man. I mean, when you deal with adversity it’s about how you deal with it and obviously, this isn’t how we wanted to start. But how are we going to respond? So, I’m excited for the next few weeks to see who wants to be challenged and how we can get back and really get after it.

“Obviously, we’ve never been 0-2, but we’ve had times where we’ve dealt with challenges before and lost games. I think the guys that we have in this locker room will go back to work with that mindset of, ‘We’re going to continue to work even harder,’ so that when we step on that field this next time, we can find a way to win in those big moments, like we haven’t in these first two weeks.”

Plenty of changes are happening at UCLA − but its quarterback remains the same.

Nico Iamlaeava was practicing with the team on Wednesday, Sept. 17, three days after the Bruins fired second-year coach Deshaun Foster.

While it shouldn’t be a total surprise for a team’s starting quarterback to be practicing, it’s a noteworthy because Foster’s departure opened a 30-day transfer portal window for Bruins players. And since the firing happened before the team played four games, players that have not redshirted can retain a year of eligibility if they leave the team.

While Iamaleava has already used his redshirt and wouldn’t be able to join another team until the spring semester, his participation in practice signals he plans to continue play with the Bruins, for now.

Hours after Foster was fired, atheltic director Martin Jarmond told reporters he spoke with the team and no players indiciated they were thinking about transferring. Interim coach Tim Skipper shared a similar sentiment ahead of practice.

‘Had very positive conversations with our guys. There’s nothing to announce or report that way,’ Skipper said. ‘This university, this campus, this coaching staff, has a lot to offer to these guys. You remind them of that, and they see it. They see how our energy is every day, and we’re just going to take it one day at a time and keep on working.’

UCLA plays next at Northwestern on Sept. 27. Iamaleava has until Oct. 14 to enter the portal, allowing him to play in the next three games against Northwestern, Penn State and Michigan State. The Bruins host Maryland on Oct. 18, three days after the window closes.

UCLA part ways with defensive coordinator

While UCLA’s starting quarterback is still with the team, its defensive coordinator is not.

Skipper announced the Bruins parted ways with defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe. He did not disclose why the two sides separated.

Malloe joined the staff in December 2022 as a defensive position coach and took was interim defensive coordinator for UCLA’s bowl game in 2023. Afterward, he was officially given the position.

Defense was UCLA’s strongsuit in Malloe’s first full season, ranking sixth in the country in rushing defense (96.2). However, the unit has struggled out of the gate in 2025, ranking near the bottom of several categories including:

Scoring defense: 36 points per game (121st out of 134 teams)
Total defense: 431 yards per game (117th)
Rushing defense: 244 yards per game (132nd)
Defensive passing efficency: 184.7 (132nd)
Defensive third down percentage: 62.2% (133rd)

The Los Angeles Chargers will be without their top edge rusher for at least four weeks.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh announced Wednesday the team will place Khalil Mack on injured reserve due to an elbow injury.

Mack dislocated his elbow during the first quarter of the Chargers’ 20-9 Week 2 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Mack’s arm bent awkwardly when he attempted to tackle Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker.

The edge rusher clutched his elbow immediately after the play and went into the team’s blue medical tent. He was eventually escorted to the team’s locker room.

Mack was seen on the sideline during the second half with his arm in a sling and had the same arm protected with a sling in the postgame locker room.

Mack’s injury is a big loss for the Chargers, but the silver lining is he won’t miss the remainder of the regular season.

Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree are expected to be Los Angeles’ top two outside linebackers while Mack recovers from his elbow injury. Caleb Murphy and rookie Kyle Kennard, who’s been inactive through two games, could also see more playing time.

The 2-0 Chargers host the 1-1 Denver Broncos in Week 3.

Mack’s compiled 108.5 career sacks, including 32 sacks in 52 career games with the Chargers. He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year as a member of the Raiders in 2016. He’s been elected to the Pro Bowl nine times.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

Steve Sarkisian says it ‘could be worse.’ Yikes. What an endorsement.
Texas backup quarterback Matthew Caldwell is a transfer who fared well at Troy.
If Arch Manning can’t handle UTEP, how’s he going to fare against Oklahoma?

I can scarcely believe my fingers are about to type these next words, but Texas has a quarterback problem. That’s not exaggeration.

Texas ranks 15th out of 16 SEC teams in completion rate. That’s despite playing two games against cupcake opponents.

That’s a quarterback problem.

Its preseason No. 1 ranking is long gone. All those betting slips with Arch Manning as the Heisman Trophy winner will become firepit kindling once the weather turns.

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Who’s the backup quarterback at Texas? Yes, that’s a serious question.

If it was wrong to think Manning would become the next Tim Tebow just because he owns a famous surname and a lofty recruiting ranking, then it’s also wrong to think Manning cannot be benched, just because of those seven letters stitched across the back of his jersey or the five stars he attracted from recruiting evaluators.

“Could be worse,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said afterward. “We could lose.”

I can’t believe it’s come to this, but we’ve officially reached the “could be worse” stage for Texas and Manning.

If Texas had been playing an opponent other than an alphabet soup acronym school, it would have been worse.

Sarkisian compared Manning’s out-of-whack throwing mechanics to a bad golfer who’s just trying to square one up.

“Some of us here that are bad golfers, think about your golf swing,” Sarkisian said. “You try to swing hard and then you try to slow it down at the very end to make good contact. That’s never a recipe for success, and that’s not a good recipe for throwing a football, either. And I felt like that happened, at times,” against UTEP.

Just like that, I’m envisioning Manning as a double-bogey hacker at my local muni, sprinkling in a few good drives between a lot of slices, worm-burners, and shanks that whistle into the trees.

Who is Texas’ backup quarterback behind Arch Manning?

To answer the question I posed, Matthew Caldwell is Texas’ backup quarterback. A transfer, he’s played for three other schools, most recently for Troy. He played well for Troy, too.

Get a load of this, Caldwell earned “Manning Star of the Week” honors for his performance against Georgia Southern last season.

Seriously.

The Sugar Bowl, to honor the Mannings’ legacy, recognizes several quarterbacks each week for their performance. Caldwell nabbed the honors after dicing up a Sun Belt opponent for 288 passing yards and four total touchdowns.

Caldwell was a zero-star recruit coming out of Auburn High School in Alabama. He began his college career as a walk-on at Jacksonville State. In that way, he’s everything Manning isn’t.

I reviewed some film of Caldwell at Troy and saw a mobile quarterback with a quick release. You wouldn’t confuse his arm for John Elway’s, but he’s accurate.

Don’t just take it from me.

“He’s got athleticism, and he throws an accurate ball. … He’s really coachable,” Sarkisian told reporters before the season. “… He’s got really good rapport with his teammates.”

OK, so what’s the holdup? Look, I know it’s easy to build up the backup quarterback being the solution, without evidence to support it. Often, there’s a reason that guy was the backup and not the starter.

But, when Quinn Ewers struggled against Georgia last season, Sarkisian tried his backup. It just so happened the backup’s name was Manning. Now, the backup’s name is Caldwell, but the spelling of the surname shouldn’t matter.

Behind Caldwell are a pair of heralded but young and untested quarterbacks.

“The last thing I want to do is put a young player on the field if he’s not ready to play,” Sarkisian said before the season.

So, that’s that. It’s either a five-star from college football’s most famous family, or a former zero-star walk-on. Should be an easy choice, but Manning’s performance sparks the need for further evaluation.

Texas never conducted a preseason quarterback competition. Sarkisian named Manning the starter in February. With every Manning incompletion, it’s looking more and more like Sarkisian made up his mind too soon.

Maybe, Texas needs a belated quarterback competition

Manning, 21, is in his third season at Texas. He’s started five games. He’s a struggling quarterback, but not an especially young one.

Preaching patience seemed sensible after Manning struggled in the season opener against Ohio State. By Week 2, Manning was grimacing, and Sarkisian was cracking toilet jokes. Now, after this stinker against UTEP, it’s either time to see rapid improvement, or Sarkisian must evaluate his options.

I realize no coach loves an in-season quarterback controversy, and Caldwell playing well would increase scrutiny of Manning. But, what’s worse than a quarterback controversy? A roster as expensive as this one turtling up.

Texas has winless Sam Houston State up next. I can’t think of a better opponent against which to test a backup quarterback. Have Manning and Caldwell alternate quarters. Let’s see who best suits Texas’ needs, before the Longhorns resume games against big-league competition next month.

With Texas’ defense playing as well as it is, the Longhorns don’t necessarily need the next Tebow or Peyton 2.0 at quarterback. They do need a quarterback better than what Arch has been.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

(This story was updated to add a gallery.)

The fantasy football season is heading into Week 3, and having two weeks of data will help fantasy managers feel more confident in their projections moving forward.

Part of the reason for that confidence? Fantasy managers now know which defenses are shaping up to be strong units and which ones are poised to be the NFL’s weakest. The latter is particularly important knowledge for determining the best matchup-based streamers.

If you’re ever in doubt about who to start, never be afraid to consider players going up against the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins defenses. But if you’re worried about a potential flex play going against a team like the Green Bay Packers or Minnesota Vikings, those concerns are probably warranted.

What should fantasy footballers do at each lineup position heading into Week 3? USA TODAY Sports outlines 16 players to start or sit in your fantasy matchups this week.

Fantasy football players to start in Week 3

Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (at Chicago Bears)

The Bears have been humbled in consecutive weeks by J.J. McCarthy, who racked up three touchdowns against them in the fourth quarter of their Week 1 ‘Monday Night Football’ game, and Jared Goff, who threw for five touchdowns in a Week 2 rout.

As long as Jaylon Johnson remains out, Chicago’s secondary will remain leaky. That should give Prescott, who is averaging 43 passing attempts per game through two weeks, plenty of opportunities to make plays down the field.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (at Tennessee Titans)

Many feared Jones’ Week 1 performance was a fluke against a weak Miami Dolphins defense. But after Jones threw for 316 yards and a touchdown against a strong Denver Broncos defense, it’s time to start treating him like a high-end streamer.

The Titans rank just 21st in defensive EPA league-wide and just allowed Matthew Stafford to throw for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Jones could be in for similar production if he remains as efficient as he was against Denver.

Running backs

Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

Mason has been the more effective of the two backs as a runner through two weeks anyway, totaling 98 yards with a 4.1 yards per carry average. That could position him to fare well against a Cincinnati defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to running backs through two weeks.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders (vs. Las Vegas Raiders)

Like Mason, ‘Bill’ figures to see an increase in opportunities with his main competition, Austin Ekeler, out for the season with a torn Achilles. Jeremy McNichols or Chris Rodriguez Jr. could end up stealing some goal-line carries from Croskey-Merritt, but consider him a volume-based flex play against the Raiders.

Wide receivers

Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

The Cowboys traded Micah Parsons on eve of the season and, through two weeks, have allowed an average of 30.5 points per game, tied for fifth-most in the NFL. Add in that Dallas just allowed Russell Wilson to throw for 450 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2 and Caleb Williams looks like an appetizing quarterback streamer.

So does Williams’ top receiver, Odunze, who currently leads the Bears in catches (13), receiving yards (165) and has all three of their touchdown receptions.

Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)

The Steelers defense has surprisingly struggled to start the season and has surrendered the fourth-most receiving yards to wide-outs through two games. Boutte has emerged as one of Drake Maye’s favorite weapons and is averaging 17 yards per reception.

Tight end

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (at Seattle Seahawks)

Johnson’s target volume appears to be legit, as he has averaged 10 per game to open the 2025 season. The veteran has also scored in each of his outings and may have a chance to find pay dirt again facing a Seahawks defense that is thus far the lone NFL team to allowed multiple scores to tight ends thus far.

Defense/special teams:

Atlanta Falcons (at Carolina Panthers)

The Falcons have long been searching for a consistent pass rush. It looks like they finally have found one after generating seven sacks across the first two weeks of the 2025 NFL season. Expect Atlanta to continue generate pressure and forcing mistakes against Bryce Young, who is tied for the second-most in the NFL with three interceptions and has been sacked four times.

Fantasy football players to sit in Week 3

Quarterbacks

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Houston Texans)

Many will be looking for streaming options to trust in wake of injuries to Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels. Lawrence can fill that role in good matchups, as evidenced by his three touchdowns last week against the Bengals, but trusting him against a stout Texans pass rush doesn’t seem like the best play.

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (at Baltimore Ravens)

Goff threw for a whopping five touchdowns against the Bears last week but gets a much harder matchup against the Ravens in Week 3. The Ravens just gave Joe Flacco, a less-mobile veteran, fits in Week 2 and could do the same to Goff.

Also interesting, Goff has never thrown a touchdown pass against the Ravens in three career starts (120 attempts). That includes his 53-attempt performance in a 38-6 shellacking in Baltimore during the 2023 NFL season.

Add in Goff’s checkered history with playing outside and this seems like a spot in which to fade him.

Running backs

TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)

Is Henderson talented? Without a doubt. Should you trust him to get enough work in the Patriots’ backfield rotation to justify playing him as a flex? Probably not.

Rhamondre Stevenson just performed well for the Patriots in their win over the Dolphins while Antonio Gibson out-touched Henderson 6-5. The talented rookie, who was selected early in a lot of fantasy drafts, should still be stashed for when he inevitably breaks out, but until he gets more volume, his upside is limited.

Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns (vs. Green Bay Packers)

That’s right. We’re recommending you sit both talented Ohio State rookies. In Judkins’ case, it’s less about opportunity and more about matchup. The Packers have allowed the second-fewest FPPG to running backs this season and have yet to allow a touchdown to one. Judkins may not break that trend against Jeff Hafley’s elite defense.

Wide receivers

Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints (at Seattle Seahawks)

Olave is clearly New Orleans’ top receiver, but this is a tough matchup for him against a Seahawks defense that has allowed the fewest FPPG to wide receivers this season. Add in that Spencer Rattler is set to start in a tough road environment against a strong pressure defense (the Seahawks generate pressure at a league-best 49.4% clip) and this seems like a tough matchup for the Saints receiver.

Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons (at Carolina Panthers)

Tight end

Evan Engram, Denver Broncos (at Los Angeles Chargers)

Engram has been a disappointment for fantasy managers who spent a mid-round selection on him, hoping his insertion into the ‘Joker’ role in Sean Payton’s offense would spark him. Adam Trautman has out-snapped Engram thus far and as long as that continues, it’s hard to trust the veteran to be a fantasy starter.

Defense/special teams:

Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

The Eagles looked much better defensively with Jalen Carter available, but they still have a hole in the secondary across from Quinyon Mitchell. The Rams have Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, so they could be uniquely positioned to expose that weakness, which could lead to a down week for the Eagles defense.

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