Jen Pawol continues to make history as a female baseball umpire.

Announced on Wednesday by Major League Baseball, Pawol is getting called up to be part of the five-team umpire crew for this weekend’s Atlanta Braves-Miami Marlins series, which features a doubleheader on Saturday, making her the first female umpire to work a regular-season MLB game.

Pawol is scheduled to be behind the plate for the Braves and Marlins series finale on Sunday, Aug. 10 at Truist Park in Atlanta. She will be working each of the final three games of the series with the crew, which needed a fifth member for the weekend due to the doubleheader.

The call-up by Major League Baseball comes well after other professional sports leagues broke down the gender barrier with female officials and referees of their own. The first full-time female official to work a professional sports game was Violet Palmer in 1997, who worked the Dallas Mavericks vs. then-Vancouver Grizzlies game to become the NBA’s first woman referee.

Here’s what to know about Pawol:

Who is Jen Pawol?

Pawol, who is 47 years old, comes from a softball background as she played softball at Hofstra University and was a three-time Colonial Athletic Association All-Conference team selection as the Pride’s catcher. She was a member of the U.S. Women’s softball team’s world championship team in 2001.

The New Jersey native first became an umpire in 2010 when she worked college softball games, and then shifted to baseball in 2016 when she was hired for a job in the Gulf Coast League following the completion of the Umpire Training Academy.

She does have some MLB experience on her resume, as she worked a Houston Astros vs. Washington Nationals spring training game in 2024. Starting at third base for that game, Pawol became the first female umpire to work a spring training game since Ria Cortesio did so back in 2007.

‘I greatly appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm, everyone’s welcoming attitude on the field tonight was very, very special,’ Pawol said in 2024 after umpiring her first MLB spring training game. ‘Both managers shared congratulations and were welcoming, along with my (umpiring) partners, the players. I knew a lot of the players on the field already and so many said ‘Congrats, great to see you up here.”

When is Jen Pawol making her MLB umpire debut?

Pawol is set to make her MLB umpiring debut on Saturday in Game 1 of the Braves-Marlins doubleheader. She is set to then work the plate for the first time in the majors on Sunday for the series finale.

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The Little League Softball World Series inches closer to the final as four teams were eliminated from contention on Tuesday, Aug. 5 and four more kept their championship hopes alive.

Day 4 featured two more win-or-go-home games.

The action started with an Orange bracket match between Cantareira of São Paulo, Brazil vs. Floyds Knobs Community Club of Indiana. Indiana would go on to win that matchup in a 2-0 pitcher’s duel. That game was followed up with an extra innings thriller that saw Florida defeat Washington for the second time this tournament. Florida scored four runs in the top of the seventh, and Washington could not match. Florida advanced with a 5-3 win.

Each of the winners play again Friday, while the losers have been eliminated.

Little League Softball World Series scores today

Orange Bracket: Indiana 2, Brazil 0

Purple Bracket: Florida 5, Washington 3

FINAL: Florida 5, Washington 3

It took a while for both teams’ offenses to get going in this one, but once the floodgates opened, it was mayhem, with all eight runs in this game coming in the final three innings. Starters Penelope Gahan (Washington) and Cayden Hugh (Florida) were outstanding all game long. Gahan tossed over 100 pitches on the day, and although she ultimately took the loss, it wasn’t until the seventh inning when Florida started to figure her out.

The bottom of the seventh inning saw Washington score two runs, but after both runs scored, the bases were empty and there were two outs. Hugh would walk Daphnee Calsyn, bringing the tying run to the plate. Liliana Delgado would fly out to end the game though.

Washington was eliminated from the tournament with the loss, with both of their losses coming against Florida. Florida advances to the purple bracket semifinals on Friday, August 8. They’ll face the losers of the matchup between Oklahoma and Virginia, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 7.

Florida score four in rollercoaster inning

The seventh inning started off with a ghost runner on second. Florida would sac bunt to move the runner to third. After a ground ball to third base caught the runner in between third and home, it looked like Florida’s hopes were doomed. Two outs, runner on first. How were they going to score?

Well, a walk and single would do just that, bringing home the go-ahead run. However, Florida wasn’t done. An overthrow on the throw home would push the leftover runners to second and third. A walk to Faith Miller would load the bases for Alana Luu who drove in Florida’s first run of the game.

Washington would make a pitching change after the walk, moving Penelope Gahan to the outfield and moving Anya Miller to the circle to record one more out.

Miller’s first pitch was a high fastball that got past the catcher. Luckily, no runners advanced. However, just three pitches later, Luu would offer a bases-clearing triple, extending Florida’s lead to four runs, going 3-for-4 on the day with arguably the two most important hits.

The inning would end without Luu coming home after a terrific play at shortstop, but the damage had been done. Washington needs four runs to stay alive. It’s 5-1 Florida.

Extra innings up next

For the bottom of the sixth, Florida’s ace Cayden Hugh returned to the circle and she was just as dominant, tossing a three-up, three-down inning, pushing this game to extra innings. We’re tied at 1 apiece as we head into free softball at Stallings Stadium.

Washington answers quickly

Washington had been held without a hit through four innings, but there was a different aura in the air heading into the fifth. Washington led the inning off with their first hit from Daphnee Calsyn, who would come around to score on a double from Liliana Delgado.

Although Delgado would get tagged out trying to stretch the double into a triple, those two hits were more than enough to shift the momentum back to an even playing field. It’s now knotted again at 1-1 with one out in the bottom of the fifth.

Florida finally breaks through

Florida had recorded a few hits and walks throughout this game, but had failed to put any runs on the board, constantly threatening, never coming through. However, that changed in the fifth inning. After getting Rachel Lester to third base with two outs, a walk would put runners on the corners. Florida had struggled in this situation all game, but a base knock from Alana Luu, the same player who prevented Washington’s first hit with a great play from right field, would drive in the runner, giving Florida a crucial 1-0 lead.

Florida would continue threatening, putting runners on second and third but the inning would end before any more runs scored. Still, in what has been a defensive masterclass from both teams, one run may be more than enough to secure the victory.

Florida 9-3 play prevents Washington’s first hit

Through 2.2 innings, the Washington offense had yet to record a hit. However, that streak appeared to be broken when Kaitlyn Stetich smacked the ball to right field. However, right fielder Faith Miller was having none of that launching the ball to first base as soon as she could and nailing the runner at first.

Miller’s heads up play keeps the no-hitter intact. Florida clearly has the defense to win this one. Now they just need their bats to come alive as we head into the fourth inning still scoreless

Rain expected to cease soon

It’s been a lengthy delay at Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park, but the game between Florida and Washington should resume soon. According to the National Weather Service, there is a 100% chance of rain through 3 p.m. local time, but that percentage drops to a measly 10% soon after 3 p.m. There is still a chance for rain and thunderstorms, and so long as thunder and lightning are in the area, the game will not resume, but it should mostly dissipate within the next half hour.

When the tilt picks back up, Florida will look to put the first run of the game on the board. They currently have a runner in scoring position with two outs in the top of the third.

Tarp comes out as rain falls

Heavy rainfall is putting a damper on these outstanding pitching performances thus far. The top of the third inning will have to wait as Florida, with three hits to their name and a runner in scoring position, looks to finally put a run on the board.

Washington evades a jam of their own

After a leadoff walk, Washington was in danger of surrendering the first run of the game after a comebacker went off the glove of Washington pitcher Penelope Gahan, enabling two runners to reach base. However, a good play at short soon after prevented the runners from advancing. From there, Gahan got the final Florida hitter to pop out, ending the inning and the Florida threat. It’s still 0-0.

Washington-Florida remains scoreless through one

Washington had a good chance to score in the bottom of the first, drawing two walks in the inning, but Florida held tough, forcing the final out of the inning after a rousing pep talk from assistant coach John Miller. This elimination game remains scoreless.

FINAL: Indiana 2, Brazil 0

Indiana’s Briley Mercer was a force in the circle for her team. She tossed a six-inning complete game on 85 pitches with 54 of them strikes. Overall, she had eight strikeouts and retired 17 of the 21 batters she faced on Wednesday. Indiana, playing for a third straight day, wins its second straight elimination game and now gets a day off. Indiana returns to action at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 on Friday, August 8 against the loser of North Carolina vs Japan, which play Thursday, August 7.

Light rain has started, but play continues for now

With Indiana batting, light rain started in Greenville, North Carolina. Indiana got a runner on via a hit and a hit by pitch and a wild pitch put runners in scoring position. However, Brazil’s Dani Fugisaki defused the one-out threat with a strikeout and a line out to close out the fifth inning.

Brazil poises a scoring threat

Brazil’s starting pitcher, Dani Fugisaki, launched a towering shot to left field that bounce on the warning track and hit the fence. She was able to get to second base with one out. But Indiana’s Briley Merce got out of the inning with a pop up from the next batter. After the top of the fifth inning, 2-0, Indiana still.

Indiana (almost) gets another run

With two outs and a runner on third in the bottom of the fourth inning, Indiana’s Kennedy Nickels blasts a fly ball to center field. The runner on third, Scarlett Runn, left third base a little early. Brazil seized the opportunity to appeal and won.

Brazil goes down 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth inning

Indiana’s Briley Mercer got the first batter out with a strikeout and then a batter was out after a bunt attempt hit her outside the batter’s box. The final out was a ground out. 2-0 Indiana still. Mercer has amassed five strikeouts.

Indiana adds another run

A fielding error with two out allow a runner to score pushing the Indiana lead to 2-0 after bottom of the 3rd inning.

Indiana’s Mercer racking up the strikeouts

Mercer has struck out at least one batter in every inning so far and now has four strikeouts for the game as her team still leads 1-0 after the top of the third inning.

Indiana strikes first

After Brazil stranded a runner on second base in the top of the second inning, Indiana’s Reese Carroll gets an RBI-single to left field giving Indiana a 1-0 lead after two innings. It was Carroll’s first hit of the LLSWS, according to ESPN.

Indiana strands a runner at second base

Indiana gets a one-out double but can’t move the runner beyond that. After first inning, 0-0.

Indiana’s Briley Mercer cruises in the first inning

Mercer struck out two of the three batters she faced to keep Brazil off the scoreboard.

4 teams have their season on the line, first up Indiana vs Brazil

The first elimination game on Wednesday features Latin America Region champion Cantareira Little League from São Paulo, Brazil and Central Region champion Floyds Knobs Community Club Little League from Floyds Knobs, Indiana

How to watch 2025 Little League Softball World Series

The 2025 Little League Softball World Series will be broadcast on ESPN platforms, with the championship game airing on ABC. Games will also be available to stream on ESPN+.

Dates: Aug. 3-10
TV: ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC
Stream: ESPN+
Location: Greenville, North Carolina

Watch the 2025 LLSWS on ESPN+

2025 Little League Softball World Series Day 4 schedule

Wednesday, Aug. 6

All times Eastern

Game 13 (Orange bracket): Latin America region: Cantareira (São Paulo, Brazil) vs. Central region: Floyds Knobs Community Club (Indiana), 10 a.m. | ESPN2
Game 14 (Purple bracket): Northwest region: Mill Creek (Washington) vs. Southeast region: Lake Mary (Florida) 1 p.m. | ESPN2

2025 Little League Softball World Series Day 3 results

Tuesday, Aug. 5

Game 9: Mill Creek, Washington (Northwest) 10, Westchester-Del Rey Los Angeles (West) 0
Game 10: São Paulo, Brazil (Latin America) 10, vs. Repentigny, Quebec (Canada)1
Game 11: Floyds Knobs, Indiana (Central) 4, Prague, Czechia (Europe-Africa) 1
Game 12: Lake Mary, Florida (Southeast) 9, Guilford, Connecticut (New England) 0

2025 Little League Softball World Series Day 2 results

Monday, Aug. 4

Game 5: Pitt County (North Carolina) 5, Floyds Knobs, Indiana (Central) 3
Game 6: Tulsa, Oklahoma (Southwest) 2, Lake Mary, Florida (Southeast) 1
Game 7: Johnstown, Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic) 9, Westchester-Del Rey Los Angeles (West) 0
Game 8: Iwate, Japan (Asia-Pacific) 6, Repentigny, Quebec (Canada)1

2025 Little League Softball World Series Day 1 results

Sunday, Aug. 3

Game 1: Lake Mary, Florida (Southeast) 9, Mill Creek, Washington (Northwest) 2
Game 2: Pitt County (North Carolina) 4, São Paulo, Brazil (Latin America) 3
Game 3: Repentigny, Quebec 5 (Canada), Prague, Czechia (Europe-Africa) 4
Game 4: Johnstown, Pennsylvania ( Mid-Atlantic) 2, Guilford, Connecticut (New England) 1

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up for their preseason opener this week against the Tennessee Titans.

Tampa Bay’s 2025 outlook hinges largely on the offense, with a new coordinator for the third consecutive season. Josh Grizzard takes over for Liam Coen, who orchestrated one of the top offenses in the league last season despite multiple key injuries.

The Buccaneers hope to keep that success going and signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater this week to add experience to the quarterback room behind incumbent starter Baker Mayfield.

Bridgewater was suspended from his alma mater, Miami Northwestern High School, for providing impermissible benefits to his players following the 2024 season. Bridgewater answered questions today about what he wants people to know regarding the reasons behind providing those benefits.

‘When I decided to coach, those players became my sons and I wanted to make sure that I just protect them in the best way that I can,’ he said. ‘Miami Northwestern is in a tough neighborhood and sometimes things can happen when kids are walking home and different things like that. So I just tried to protect them, give them a ride home instead of them having to take those dangerous walks.’

Bridgewater detailed in a post to Facebook that he spent the following amounts on the team:

$2,200 per week to feed his players pregame meals;
$14,000 for a training camp;
$9,500 for uniforms;
$1,300 per week for recovery services;
$300 per week to keep the team’s field painted;
$700 for Uber rides

‘It’s a great group of kids, man,’ Bridgewater said. ‘They see so much hope when they look at me… it’s the way that I feed my soul and it allows me to stay young, being around those kids. I think that now that I’m back in the league it’s actually going to be extra motivation for them as well.’

Bridgewater led Miami Northwestern to a Class 3A Florida State High School Athletic Association championship last year.

‘They’ll get to play a game Friday night and probably get to drive across the state and come watch the Bucs play and see coach on the sidelines,’ he said. ‘So it’s like, coach is just continuing to serve as motivation and influence [them] in every way possible… showing that you can make it to the NFL.’

The 32-year-old signed with the Detroit Lions briefly after the high school season finished. He took snaps in the Lions’ divisional-round loss to the Washington Commanders, including a handoff that led to a rushing touchdown by Jameson Williams.

Buccaneers QB depth chart

Bridgewater’s currently third on the Buccaneers’ depth chart behind Mayfield and backup Kyle Trask. Here’s how it looks ahead of Saturday’s game against Tennessee:

Baker Mayfield
Kyle Trask
Michael Pratt (back injury)
Teddy Bridgewater
Connor Bazelak

Since its inception in 2007, the FedEx Cup has been the pinnacle of the golf season. It’s no surprise that several of the game’s top athletes have wound up hoisting the Cup throughout their careers.

Rory McIlroy has earned the honor three times. Tiger Woods did it twice. Scottie Sheffler did it in 2024. In fact, Scheffler has a chance to make history this year, as no golfer has ever won the FedEx Cup in back-to-back seasons.

Scheffler ended the regular season at the top of the FedEx Cup standings and his biggest competition, McIlroy, will not compete at the St. Jude Championship this weekend, enhancing Scheffler’s Cup odds.

That said, there are still dozens of elite golfers ready to snatch history away from Scheffler’s clutches. Here are the 2025 FedEx Cup standings as TPC Southwind awaits.

FedEx Cup standings

Listed below are the top-70 finishers in the FedEx Cup standings. These are the golfers that have qualified for the St. Jude Championship this weekend:

How do the FedEx Cup Playoffs work?

The top-70 golfers at the end of the regular season advance to the FedEx Cup Playoffs. After the St. Jude Championship, only the top-50 golfers in the standings advance to the second round of the playoffs, played the following weekend. And only the top-30 in the standings will emerge from the second tournament with a chance to win it all at the Tour Championship the weekend after that.

FedEx Cup points scored during the regular season come into play here with golfers near the top of the standings having much more leeway than golfers teetering on the top-50 mark. Earning top-50 recognition is of the utmost importance, too. It ensures golfers of their eligibility for each of their sport’s eight premier events the following season.

Once the top 30 for the Tour Championship is determined, though, regular season point totals are thrown out the window. The final tournament is a normal four-day event with the outright winner taking the Cup regardless of where they finished during the regular season.

The release of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll means the college football season is rapidly approaching, and while all teams are eagerly awaiting to kick off the new campaign, some are dreading the daunting slate awaiting them.

The inaugural edition of the 2025 season’s Top 25 gives everyone an early look at how difficult the path to success will be. But for a select group of squads, the preseason poll marks the realization of the gauntlet the year is going to be. There are marquee non-conference matchups, hostile road trips or brutal stretches.

Granted, the preseason rankings aren’t 100% accurate. But as it stands with less than a month to go before the season begins, there’s some difficult schedules several teams.

So who has the toughest? Here’s the top 10 based on the preseason coaches poll.

10. Purdue

Barry Odom gets a difficult welcome as he takes over a Purdue team that went 1-11 last season and hasn’t beaten an Bowl Subdivision team since November 2023. After starting Big Ten play against Southern California, the Boilermakers travel to No. 5 Notre Dame on Sept. 20, which is followed by a home game against No. 12 Illinois. There’s a brutal end to the season where Purdue plays three of its last four games against ranked opponents. It starts at No. 14 Michigan and then No. 2 Ohio State at home the following week, and the season ends with a visit from in-state rival No. 19 Indiana.

9. Rutgers

After getting Rutgers into a bowl game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2013-14, Greg Schiano has a tall task if he wants to do it in three consecutive campaigns. While the front half of the schedule is favorable, the second half that could have the Scarlet Knights getting bruised. They host No. 7 Oregon and two weeks later play at No. 12 Illinois. After hosting Maryland, the Scarlet Knights have a tough finish with a trip to Ohio State on Nov. 22 and Penn State coming to town in the season finale.

8. Vanderbilt

Diego Pavia brought life to the Commodores with their first bowl win since 2013. There’s momentum in Nashville, and it’ll be a challenge to deliver on it. Vanderbilt opens SEC play at No. 13 South Carolina, and Oct. 4 marks the beginning of a tough month-long stretch where it will play at No. 8 Alabama, home against No. 9 LSU and at No. 1 Texas. Then there’s the annual season finale against No. 18 Tennessee at rowdy Neyland Stadium.

7. Texas A&M

The No. 21 ranked team in the preseason poll will be fighting all season to make sure it stays in the Top 25. The Aggies have a highly anticipated non-conference matchup on Sept. 13 at No. 5 Notre Dame. From there, there’s four other ranked matchup sprinkled throughout the rest of the season, with No. 17 Florida visiting on Oct. 11 and a trip to face No. 9 LSU on Oct. 25. No. 13 South Carolina comes into town Nov. 15, and the season ends with the first trip to Austin since 2010 to play No. 1 Texas.

6. Arkansas

Arkansas was able to survive playing seven ranked opponents in 2024, and it will have to almost perform the same task with six games against teams in the preseason poll. The Razorbacks start conference play at Mississippi, and two weeks later, will play host to No. 5 Notre Dame. It starts a three-game stretch against ranked opponents with a trip to No. 18 Tennessee followed a home matchup with No. 21 Texas A&M. Then comes one of the hardest back-to-back road trips by visiting No. 9 LSU and No. 1 Texas in November.

5. Kentucky

Mark Stoops is coming off his worst season at Kentucky since his first in 2013. The Wildcats will play six ranked teams thanks to a rough conference slate. After facing No. 15 Mississippi in Week 2, Kentucky is at South Carolina and then travels to No. 4 Georgia the following week. The Wildcats return home to square off with No. 1 Texas and No. 18 Tennessee. A 0-5 SEC start very possible. If that stretch wasn’t enough, there’s a home game against No. 17 Florida in November.

4. Wisconsin

Luke Fickell’s seat is hot after Wisconsin wasn’t bowl eligible for the first 2001. The Badgers play at No. 8 Alabama on Sept. 13 before starting a rigorous Big Ten schedule that includes three teams from last year’s playoff. The first ranked opponent comes with a visit to No. 14 Michigan on Oct. 4. Two weeks later, the Badgers host No. 2 Ohio State and No. 7 Oregon in back-to-back games. Before playing Minnesota for Paul Bunyan’s Axe in the season finale, Wisconsin has to face No. 19 Indiana on the road and No. 12 Illinois in the final home game.

3. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs were picked to finish last in the SEC after failing to win a conference game in Jeff Lebby’s debut season. The schedule doesn’t do them any favors with seven games against teams in the preseason poll. Mississippi State hosts No. 11 Arizona State on Sept. 6 and three weeks later is the start of a four-game stretch against ranked foes. It hosts No. 18 Tennessee and then travels o No. 21 Texas A&M. After a bye week, the Bulldogs go into The Swamp to face No. 17 Florida before returning home to play No. 1 Texas. On Nov. 8, they welcome No. 4 Georgia and play the annual Egg Bowl against No. 15 Mississippi on Black Friday.

2. Oklahoma

The expectation is for Brent Venables to turn things around in Norman with a loaded roster, but he will face several tests that could derail those hopes. No. 14 Michigan comes to town Week 2 and the Red Rivalry matchup in Dallas against No. 1 Texas on Oct. 11 starts a monstrous second half with six of the final seven games against ranked opposition. After facing their biggest rival, the Sooners head to No. 13 South Carolina before returning home to play No. 15 Mississippi. They have consecutive road games at No. 18 Tennessee and No. 8 Alabama. The final two games at home aren’t much easier with a visit from Missouri and a matchup with. 9 LSU in the regular-season finale.

1. Florida

There’s palpable hype in Florida after the strong finish to last season, and the Gators get rewarded with the toughest schedule in the country. Week 3 starts a stretch of three consecutive games against top 10 opponents: at No. 9 LSU and at No. 10 Miami ahead of a home game with No. 1 Texas. The grind doesn’t stop afterward with a trip to No. 21 Texas A&M the following week. There’s the annual meeting with No. 4 Georgia to start a November schedule tht also includes heading to No. 15 Mississippi and playing host to No. 18 Tennessee.

The Indiana Fever guard revealed on the second episode of her new podcast, ‘Show Me Something,’ that she was recently fined again by the league office for comments she made about WNBA officiating during the podcast’s debut. It comes on the heels of a TikTok post Cunningham made last month regarding WNBA refs that prompted action from league executives.

Cunningham, 28, has emerged as a more visible and vocal figure in the WNBA after signing with the Fever this past offseason as one of several veteran reinforcements brought in to help Caitlin Clark. She has been vocal about the WNBA’s recent controversy involving sex toys being thrown onto the court during games.

Here’s a breakdown of what Cunningham has said about the WNBA refs and a timeline of her known fines with the WNBA:

Sophie Cunningham fine history, timeline

August 5, 2025: $1,500

Cunningham revealed on her podcast that the WNBA had fined her $1,500 for comments she made about the league’s refs during the premiere episode of the podcast. Cunningham emphasized on the show that ‘I am someone who says what everyone else is thinking or talking about … but if you ask our league, they feel the same exact way.’

“If I was a ref, I know I would mess up all the time,’ Cunningham said, according to the Indianapolis Star. ‘Like, I’m not saying that your job is easy, but when it is a simple call right in front of your face multiple times, what are you doing? What are you doing? … They’re just so inconsistent, like that’s one thing. If you’re on the other team, and you’re going to be fouling the **** out of me, cool. But let me do it to you… I think players across the league, and new fans across the country are like, what is going on with the refs? And I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ And you fining me $500 is not going to do ****.’

Cunningham predicted her remarks would earn her a fine from the WNBA. She was right. The league emailed Indiana Fever General Manager Amber Cox, according to Cunningham.

‘She pulls me aside and says, ‘Sophie, I’ve got to talk to you,’ and this is front of everybody,’ Cunningham said. ‘I’m like, ‘What did I do now?’ And just smiled and she goes, ‘Hey, they’re going to fine you again.’ I was like, I even told them I credited them that their job was hard. I did say that. I said that I would not be good at it. I did say that. Like, look at the whole picture. What are we doing? Ugh. But yeah, so I got fined for that.”

July 23, 2025: $500

Cunningham was previously fined $500 this season due to a July 23 TikTok post lip-synching to Sabrina Carpenter’s song, ‘Manchild,’ that featured references to ‘some refs’ being ‘stupid,’ ‘slow’ or ‘useless.’

June 18, 2025: Undisclosed fine

Cunningham was fined for her involvement in a late-game altercation between the Fever and Connecticut Sun on June 17. Cunningham committed a Flagrant 2 foul on Connecticut’s Jacy Sheldon with less than a minute remaining to ignite the ensuing scuffle. Cunningham was ejected from the game and, fined $400 according to league rules.

The WNBA later confirmed in multiple reports that Cunningham was penalized further for the hard foul, but the exact figure was not disclosed.

The U.S. Open will once again offer the largest total prize pool in tennis history when it begins in New York later this month. 

The USTA announced Wednesday it will distribute $90 million to players, a 20 percent increase from the $75 million it offered last season. It also puts the U.S. Open far ahead of the other three Grand Slams, as Wimbledon distributed roughly $71 million, the French Open $65.5 million and the Australian Open approximately $63 million this year. 

This year’s men’s and women’s singles champions will each make $5 million, up from the $3.6 million that Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka took home last year. 

According to the USTA, the increase in prize money includes ‘double-digit percentage increases from 2024 in all rounds of all events for all players.’

Notably, that includes the new-look mixed doubles event that will take place at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center the week before the singles main draw. In an attempt to incentivize top singles players to play mixed doubles, the USTA is offering a $1 million prize to the winning team and $400,000 to the runners-up in a shortened 16-team format. 

The mixed doubles entry list includes eight of the top-10 men’s players and six of the top-10 women, with two more teams still to be awarded wildcard entry. 

The prize money increase comes at a time when some players have questioned whether they are getting a fair share of the revenues created by the pro tennis tours and the Grand Slams. 

‘I’m just going to state a fact,’ Novak Djokovic said at a news conference earlier this year in Australia. ‘The pie split between the governing bodies in major sports, all major American sports like NFL, NBA, baseball, NHL, is 50 percent. Maybe more, maybe less, but around 50 percent. Ours is way lower than that.’

While the Grand Slams offer by far the biggest purses – for many lower-ranked singles players, just getting in the main U.S. Open draw and losing in the first round is worth $110,000, often representing the bulk of their prize money for the year – reporting in the Athletic earlier this year showed that players earn somewhere in the teens as a percentage of total revenue generated by the four biggest tournaments. 

The Professional Tennis Players Association, an organization co-founded by Djokovic, filed an antitrust lawsuit earlier this year against the sports’ governing bodies, including the ATP and WTA. 

US Open prize money pool breakdown

Men’s and women’s singles champion $5 million

Runner up $2.5 million

Semifinals $1.26 million

Quarterfinals $660,000

Round of 16 $400,000

Round of 32 $237,000

Round of 64 $154,000

Round of 128 $110,000

Men’s and women’s doubles

Champion $1 million

Runners-up $500,000

Semifinals $250,000

Quarterfinals $125,000

Round of 16 $75,000

Round of 32 $45,000

Round of 64 $30,000

Mixed doubles

Champion $1 million

Runners-up $400,000

Semifinals $200,000

Quarterfinals $100,000

Round of 16 $20,000

The Boston Red Sox reached an agreement to keep one of the top young stars in baseball in town for the foreseeable future.

The Red Sox agreed to an eight-year contract extension with 21-year-old outfielder Roman Anthony on Aug. 6, according to USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale. The extension is worth $130 million and will keep Anthony under contract through his age-30 season.

The deal includes a club option for the 2034 season and with incentives can max out at $230 million. Anthony will have the opportunity to hit the open market at his age 31 season in 2035, giving him another chance to cash in on a major deal.

Anthony ― who was the No. 79 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida ― made his MLB debut against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 9 after opening the season as the top prospect in baseball. He has a .283/.400/.428 slash line with two home runs and 19 RBI in 46 MLB games.

His .400 on base percentage leads all American League rookies.

Roman Anthony stats

Here’s a look at Anthony’s stats during his rookie season with the Red Sox. Anthony is currently seventh in the MLB and fourth in the American League with a 1.6 WAR, according to Fangraphs. He is the second-best rookie behind teammate Carlos Narváez (2.5 WAR).

2025: .283 batting average, .400 on base percentage, .428 slugging percentage, .828 OPS, two home runs, 19 RBI, 27 runs scored in 190 plate appearances in 46 games

Son Heung-min helped Tottenham win its first trophy in 17 years in the 2025 Europa League final.
Son Heung-min isn’t the only big name from a European league to join an MLS team this summer.

LOS ANGELES — One of the Premier League’s biggest stars is coming to Major League Soccer, as Los Angeles FC has acquired Tottenham icon Son Heung-min in a transfer deal that might set an MLS record.

On Tuesday, Aug. 5, Son, 33, attended LAFC’s Leagues Cup game against Tigres, where fans cheered as he was shown on the stadium video board.

He is considered to be arguably the greatest Asian soccer player ever, having appeared for South Korea 134 times (scoring 51 goals). In a decade with Tottenham, Son scored 173 goals and added 101 assists, captaining the London-based club to its first trophy in 17 years as Spurs won the 2024-25 Europa League final in May.

The fee LAFC shelled out to seal his move to MLS is believed to be the largest in league history. While MLS clubs have rarely been willing to share exact transfer fees, GiveMeSport reported Tuesday that the transfer will surpass Emmanuel Latte Lath’s move to Atlanta United this past winter for $22 million, according to ESPN and The Athletic, which would make the move a new MLS record for a player joining the league.

‘He’s a star in the Premier League and he will be a star in the MLS and that will be what will make things easy to play with him,’ LAFC forward Denis Bouanga said following the Black and Gold’s shootout win over Pachuca in Leagues Cup on Friday, Aug. 1.

Son is far from the only big name from a European league to join an MLS team this summer. Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul joined Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in a convoluted loan deal structured to keep the Herons salary cap-compliant, while U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Turner has made an important move for his career, signing with the New England Revolution on loan shortly after French side Olympique Lyon had signed him from Nottingham Forest in a $9.2 million transfer.

Son is not likely to end that trend, either. Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller, having confirmed his departure from Germany’s top side some time ago, is joining the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Here’s what to know about South Korea forward Son Heung-min’s move to LAFC:

Son Heung-min: Who is new LAFC signing?

Son Heung-min spent the last decade at the pinnacle of global soccer, starring as a high-scoring, versatile attacking player for Tottenham in the English Premier League. After joining the club in 2015 following a successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, he quickly emerged as one of the top players in the English top flight.

Son was prolific as a scorer and creator throughout his 10-year run at Spurs, pairing with striker Harry Kane to form one of European soccer’s best attacking duos over that time. With those two leading the way, Tottenham – long regarded as a club that tended to trip over themselves on the brink of success – enjoyed the best run in their modern history.

Tottenham clinched a spot in the top four in four consecutive seasons, gaining access to the UEFA Champions League (widely considered the toughest competition in the sport). Before Son’s arrival, Spurs had only qualified for that tournament once in their history, after a fourth-place finish in the 2009-10 season. Son’s final act in serious competition at the club was to captain Tottenham to victory in this past season’s Europa League final, its first trophy in 17 years.

Beyond his success on the field, Son is a behemoth in the advertising world, particularly in his native South Korea. Adidas, Burberry, Calvin Klein, and Tumi have all named Son a brand ambassador and launched major ad campaigns around him, while he is one of just five soccer players to have a custom character ‘skin’ in one of the most popular video games in the world, Fortnite.

How to watch Son Heung-min, LAFC in MLS

Son Heung-min and LAFC have 12 more MLS regular-season games to play, as well as the ongoing Leagues Cup and potentially MLS Cup playoff matches later this fall.

Whether it’s Leagues Cup, MLS regular season, or playoff action, the only place to catch Son and LAFC is Apple TV.

Watch Son Heung-min and LAFC on Apple TV