It sounds like the Houston Rockets can expect to see a lot more of Kevin Durant.

The 37-year-old 15-time All-Star and prized trade acquisition of the offseason is entering the final season of his contract. Durant told reporters at Houston’s media day session Monday, Sept. 29 that he thinks his stay will be longer.

“I do see myself signing a contract extension,” Durant said. “I can’t tell you exactly when that will happen, but I do see it happening. Just seeing the quick progression of this franchise, from where it was right after that James Harden-Chris Paul era, seeing when Ime (Udoka) got here and how he turned it around so fast.

“And I have some connections here within the organization, people I work with around the league already, so it felt organic and natural coming into the gym and being a Houston Rocket for the first time.”

The Rockets shipped Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and an array of draft capital to the Phoenix Suns in June to acquire Durant, instantly making the Rockets a potential title contender in a crowded Western Conference.

Durant’s contract is set to count $54.7 million against the salary cap, according to Spotrac.com. Any extension Durant would sign — unless he opted to leave money on the table — would presumably be around that range.

Durant, one of the premier players of his generation, is coming off a season in which he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He joins an already talented Rockets team that boasts length and athleticism and can defend extremely well, all of which should help Houston match up against the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I never talked about championships on any team I’ve been on,” Durant said of expectations. “You just put your head down and work every single day. But the formula, I’ve felt the last few years in the league, is to have size, to have guys that can penetrate, guys that can create extra possessions for you, guys that can switch and guard multiple positions, length and athleticism, discipline, effort every single night, from a scheme perspective and camaraderie, continuity — all of that stuff matters.

“I feel like we’ve got bits and pieces of all of those attributes on our team now. It’s just all about how we cook it up together and form who we want to be and our identity.”

PHOENIX — The Minnesota Lynx’s season has ended in devastating fashion, again. 

The Lynx entered the postseason with the No. 1 overall ranking one year removed from losing the 2024 WNBA Finals to the New York Liberty in a decisive Game 5 that went to overtime. Head coach Cheryl Reeve blasted “disappointing officiating” following the championship series and said the title was “stolen.”

That loss fueled Minnesota, who returned six players from last year’s Finals roster, which had all the makings to write a storybook ending. A franchise-high 33 wins. The top ranked offense and the league’s best defense. The MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier, Co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith and Sixth Player of the Year finalist Natisha Hiedeman. The No. 1 overall seed and home-court advantage.

Minnesota only needed a WNBA title to complete this chapter. But yet again, the Lynx fell just short in midst of more controversy. 

“It’s never about anything else but each other,” Kayla McBride said through tears on Sunday after the Lynx were eliminated by the Phoenix Mercury in the best-of-five semifinal series. “To be close two years in a row and hit adverse situations each and every time for the people that you love, your sisters, your family, s— f—ing hurts.”

The Lynx went to war against the Mercury in Game 4 on Sunday without their general, head coach Cheryl Reeve, or captain Napheesa Collier, who were both caught in the aftermath of the Lynx’s chaotic Game 3 loss. Collier was ruled out with a left ankle injury suffered in the final minute of Game 3, while Reeve was serving a one-game suspension for her conduct and comments after the injury blasting ‘awful’ officiating following her ejection.

It was win or go home for the short-handed Lynx. Despite letting a 13-point fourth-quarter lead slip from their grasp, acting head coach Eric Thibault said the Lynx showed resilience and perseverance in midst of adversity.

‘That’s who these guys have been now for a long time,’ he said.

McBride and her teammates will spend another offseason thinking about what could have been.

‘It’s hard, especially when you lay everything out there,’ said McBride, who finished with a game-high 31 points, shooting 10-of-23 including 6-of-11 from the 3-point line. ‘You want it for the people that grind with you every single day; the good days, bad days, bus rides, locker room.

‘That’s why it’s painful because you just want it to keep going and it’s done.’

Injuries, adversity piles up for Minnesota Lynx

The Lynx opened the postseason by sweeping the No. 8 seed Golden State Valkyries in two games, although Minnesota had to claw its way back from a 17-point deficit in Game 2. The Lynx were the only team to advance to the semifinals in a sweep as the other three series went to Game 3. Reeve said the comeback win showed her a lot about her team’s resilience and character.

‘We have the experience of hard games. We’ve been tried and tested. Especially last year we went through (the Finals) and have our core team back,’ Collier said. ‘We’re trying to reach a collective goal.’

However, some things are beyond anyone’s control.

Minnesota didn’t escape the first-round series against the Valkyries unscathed. Lynx guard Dijonai Carrington (left foot) was ruled out for the postseason with a significant mid-foot sprain suffered in the Lynx’s Game 2 win against the Golden State Valkyries on Sept. 17, dealing a blow to the Lynx’s depth.

The injury issues didn’t stop there.

An irate Reeve charged the officials for arguing for a foul call on Thomas and was ejected. In her postgame remarks, Reeves doubled down and called Game 3’s officiating ‘awful’ in an expletive-laden rant. The WNBA promptly handed Reeve a suspension for Game 4, crippling an already short-handed Lynx squad at a critical moment.

Both Collier and Carrington arrived to Game 4 on scooters wearing street clothes. A walking boot was surely not the fashion accessory either had in mind for their semifinal tunnel walks, but Collier kept her spirits high and led her team in a chant as they took the court at PHX Arena for the do-or-die Game 4.

‘Los Lynx! Los Lynx! Let it ride,’ the team chanted as Collier glided to the beat on her scooter as her teammates danced behind her, highlighting their chemistry and team-first mentality that led them to the No. 1 overall seed.

“We all operate off the power of friendship,’ said Smith, who finished with eight points, eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal on Sunday. ‘I truly believe a group of people that just like each other, enjoys being around each other translates to on court and we’re able to hold each other accountable.”

Kayla McBride: ‘I wouldn’t trade that locker room for anything’

The Lynx were their own biggest critics after relinquishing a 20-point lead to the Mercury in Game 2 in Minneapolis. ‘We beat ourselves,’ Collier said. But, Minnesota was never able to rebound and lost the next two games to the Mercury to lose the semifinal series, including another blown double-digit lead Sunday.

‘We got a target on our back. That’s what we wanted,’ said Williams, who finished with 20 points, six assists and two steals in the Lynx’s 86-81 Game 4 loss. ‘We got in the gym and we stacked our days and got hit with that injury bug. And this is hard, but what’s for us, ain’t never going to miss us. So shout out to them girls coming out here playing hard … shout out to us for not giving up.’

This year’s postseason exit is eerily similar to last year, where the Lynx felt as if circumstances outside of their control interfered with their end goal. Although the Lynx finished short of the title again, they still enjoyed the journey.

‘I’ve been here five years and to be so close and you just want it for the people around you,’ McBride said. ‘It’s tough, but I wouldn’t trade that locker room for anything. I would feel like this a hundred times over to be with the people that I’ve been with.’

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There’s a new No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-136.

Oregon ascends to the top spot after a double-overtime win at Penn State, taking advantage of a stunning weekend of results that included losses by Georgia, LSU and Florida State.

That’s just one of several major moves near the top of the re-rank. Ohio State rises to No. 2 after a solid road win against Washington. Mississippi soars to No. 4 after beating LSU and Texas A&M goes up to No. 5 after beating Auburn.

Georgia drops six spots to No. 7 after losing 24-21 to Alabama, which is up 13 spots to No. 13. The Nittany Lions are also down six to No. 9 after another loss against top-five competition. LSU suffers the biggest drop, going down eight spots to No. 16 thanks to the loss to the Rebels and the diminishing respect for the Tigers’ season-opening win against Clemson.

The outlier inside the top nine is No. 2 Miami, the only team at the top of the 1-136 to come from outside the Big Ten or SEC. There are four ACC teams in the top 25 in the Hurricanes, No. 12 FSU, No. 21 Georgia Tech and No. 23 Louisville.

One team making a big climb in the rankings is No. 47 Mississippi State, which is up 15 after pushing No. 14 Tennessee in an overtime loss. That performance joins an earlier win against Arizona State to make the Bulldogs one of the surprise teams in the Power Four.

And teams dropping down the 1-136 include No. 52 Syracuse, No. 57 North Carolina State, No. 69 Colorado and No. 79 Arkansas.

Spots on the U.S. team for the world gymnastics championships are up for grabs this week.

Eight gymnasts will compete at the world team selection camp Tuesday and Wednesday in Crossville, Tennessee. The top gymnast in Tuesday’s all-around meet automatically makes the four-woman team for next month’s world championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, with the other three gymnasts named after event competition Wednesday.

Hezly Rivera, the only member of the 2024 Paris Olympic team competing at the elite level this year, would have been a heavy favorite, both to make the U.S. squad and contend for an all-around medal. But the reigning U.S. champion announced Friday that an ankle injury will keep her out of both camp and worlds.

Here’s everything you need to know about the world team selection camp:

Who is competing to represent the US at the gymnastics worlds?

Paris alternates Leanne Wong and Josc Roberson lead the field. They finished second and third, behind Rivera, at the U.S. championships last month, with Wong also winning the vault title and finishing third on uneven bars. Roberson claimed a silver medal on floor exercise.

Skye Blakely, a favorite to make the Paris team before she tore her Achilles during training at the Olympic trials, is also competing, though she’s expected to only do uneven bars and balance beam.

Dulcy Caylor, Jayla Hang, Gabrielle Hardie, Simone Rose and Ashlee Sullivan are the other gymnasts competing.

Is Simone Biles competing at the world gymnastics championships?

No.

The G.O.A.T. has not ruled out competing at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, but she is currently taking a break from gymnastics. She also took time off after the Rio and Tokyo Games.

Suni Lee, who won three medals in both Tokyo and Paris, has said she thinks Paris was her last competition. Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey are taking a break after competing in NCAA gymnastics this past season.

Shilese Jones and Kayla DiCello, both of whom were injured at the Olympic trials last year, have not said what their future competitive plans are.

What’s at stake at these world championships?

Individual medals.

There is a quirk in the gymnastics calendar that the world championships the year after an Olympics does not include a team competition, only individual events. For the women, that means the all-around, vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.

For the men, it’s the all-around, floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar.

While this meet has no bearing on the Los Angeles Games or selection for that team, it is always a good indicator of the gymnasts to watch in the new Olympic cycle.

What international gymnasts are competing?

The big news is that Russian athletes — sorry, independent neutral athletes — will be competing at a major gymnastics competition for the first time since 2021.

Russia is persona non grata in the Olympic community thanks to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the International Gymnastics Federation banned its athletes from 2022 until 2024. Though the FIG allowed independent neutral athletes in Paris, Russia opted not to send them. That policy has since changed.

Russia sent Angelina Melnikova, who won the world title in 2021 after leading Russia to gold in Tokyo, to the World Challenge Cup earlier this month. Melnikova claimed two medals, a gold on balance beam and a silver on uneven bars.

Melnikova is expected to be joined at worlds by ereigning Russian champion Anna Kalmykova, Leila Vasilieva and Lyudmila Roshchina.

Also keep an eye on Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour, who was fifth in the all-around in Paris. She’ll be looking to win her first all-around medal at worlds or the Olympics.

How to watch US gymnastics’ world team selection camp

The all-around competition begins at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Sept. 30. The event competition starts at 11 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Both competitions will be streamed on FlipNow.tv.

The New York Giants got their first win of the season in Week 4, but they paid a hefty price for it.

Star receiver Malik Nabers suffered a knee injury in the contest, which was confirmed to be a torn ACL on Monday, the team announced Monday. One of the lone bright spots for the Giants since he arrived, that light went out just before halftime in Week 4.

Nabers became the latest victim of the famed MetLife Stadium turf that has drawn plenty of criticism over the years.

Despite quarterback issues, Nabers was a consistent producer for the Giants after being selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. His rookie season earned him a Pro Bowl selection, totaling 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in just 15 games.

The encore performance was cut short for Nabers, who will now become familiar with the sideline. Here’s the latest on the star receiver and how long he’ll be out.

How long is Malik Nabers out?

Nabers is out for the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL, the team announced on Monday.

An MRI on Monday confirmed the team’s biggest fear following Sunday’s contest, meaning they will have to live life without their best skill position player for the foreseeable future. Now they’ll have to replace him.

Giants coach Brian Daboll told reporters after the game that it’s next man up.

‘Injuries happen,’ Daboll said. ‘Certainly not happy about, whether it was Malik [Nabers] or anybody else. Unfortunately this is a business of injury. I feel terrible for Malik’s injury. We’ll see where it’s at. He’s an important piece of our team, but the guys that played behind him, just like last year when Slayton went in … everybody gets paid to do a job and next man up.’

The Giants depth chart at receiver will be tested without Nabers requiring all the attention in the passing game. More importantly, it remains to be seen how this will impact Dart’s development – which is the Giants’ top priority for this season.

Since the injury was suffered early in the season, there appears to be no concern about Nabers’ ability to be back to full strength in time for Week 1 next year.

Malik Nabers injury update

The Giants star was carted off the field with 6:12 remaining in the second quarter. He went up for a pass from Jaxson Dart, but his knee buckled and Nabers fell to the turf. CBS camera showed Nabers looking visibly upset in the immediate aftermath.

He was promptly ruled out of the contest after halftime.

Giants WR depth chart

Nabers is irreplaceable for the Giants, especially with their depth chart. Here’s what they would have to work with without the star receiver:

Malik Nabers (injured)
Wan’Dale Robinson
Darius Slayton
Jalin Hyatt
Beaux Collins
Gunner Olszewski

Robinson has emerged as a reliable target in the Giants’ passing attack, while Slayton and Hyatt can stretch the field. However, no one is as dynamic a playmaker as Nabers is, meaning this would have to be a committee approach to replace him.

Week 4 of the NFL season is almost behind us with the Monday Night Football doubleheader remaining. Four previously undefeated teams were handed their first losses this week. The most surprising result was the winless New York Giants taking down the Los Angeles Chargers.

Bye weeks start next week, which will push more fantasy football managers to make trades. A common strategy is trading to fill bye week holes. This approach is flawed for many reasons, and it is one you can exploit if managers in your league fall for it.

With that in mind, here are eight players who are good buy and sell candidates in trades as Week 5 approaches.

Week 5 fantasy football players to buy

WR Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Godwin made his much-anticipated season debut. If you only look at the box score, it was underwhelming with three receptions for 26 yards.

The reason to buy is he was not eased in. He played on nearly every two- and three-receiver set and saw 10 targets, tied for the team lead.

It should not take a veteran like Godwin long to get going again.

WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

Still suspended for two more games (three weeks including a bye), now is the time to try to acquire Rice.

It only took one of Patrick Mahomes’ weapons returning, Xavier Worthy, for the Chiefs offense to look significantly better. It will improve even more when Rice returns. You can expect him to quickly regain high-upside WR2 value.

TE T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

It has been a rough start for Hockenson, but there are clear signs of a turnaround coming.

His snap share climbed to over 90% for the first time this season. More important, when Minnesota needed to move the ball, Hockenson was the one they leaned on. He consistently got open underneath and in the middle while defenses focused on Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. That role is where he can thrive the rest of the year.

RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Since his Week 1 explosion, Henry has totaled just 115 yards and a touchdown. Managers may already be frustrated with the lack of production from a second-round pick, but this is the perfect time to buy.

The Ravens’ last three games were outliers: a blowout win where Lamar Jackson threw for four touchdowns, a back-and-forth shootout with the Lions and a blowout loss to the Chiefs. None of those game scripts let them feature Henry.

The schedule eases up from here, and Baltimore should get back to leaning on the run … and on Henry.

Week 5 fantasy football players to sell

WR DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers

Metcalf makes this list for a second week in a row. If you did not sell him last week, definitely consider it now.

His stat line looks impressive, 126 yards and a touchdown on five targets, but the bigger concern is usage. He has only 22 targets on the season, averaging 5.5 per game.

Take advantage of the fact that one big play inflated his numbers and trade him for a more reliable option.

RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

You could wait for a big game from Kamara before trading him. The problem is that might not come for a while, if it ever does.

Kamara has thrived for years on heavy usage, especially in the passing game. He now has two games with five and six targets and two games with only two targets.

Even more concerning, Kendre Miller is getting more involved each week. In Week 4, he carried the ball a season-high 11 times.

Sell Kamara before the rest of your league realizes Miller is seeing more work.

WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals

If anyone watched Thursday Night Football and got excited thinking Harrison turned a corner, take advantage of that.

What might get forgotten in his fantastic second half was how bad he looked in the first half. Harrison caught one of five targets and bobbled one that led to an interception.

He and Kyler Murray looked out of sync, much like they have all season. Kyler constantly misses him or Harrison runs the wrong route, leading to only a 60% catchable ball rate for his targets.

One angle for your trade argument is that this was the first game without James Conner, so this kind of performance should be more typical going forward.

WR Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills

Shakir has a touchdown in two consecutive weeks. His score on Sunday was incredible, taking a short screen, breaking three tackles, spinning 360 degrees, and running 43 yards for the score. This gives you leverage for negotiating a trade involving him.

The reason to trade him is the volatility that comes with any of the Bills receivers. Despite Shakir being Josh Allen’s primary option, he has only 20 targets on the season.

Southern California basketball star Juju Watkins will miss the entire 2025-26 season because of the torn ACL in her right knee suffered in last spring’s NCAA tournament.

The news raises the question of when her next game will be — and in what league. Has Watkins played her final game in college?

The answer is a bit complicated.

The 6-foot-2 guard was instantly one of the best players in college basketball as a true freshman in 2023-24, averaging 27.1 points with 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. She followed that up by averaging 23.9 points with 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season while leading USC to a No. 1 seed in March Madness.

The Wooden Award and Naismith Player of the Year last season will be missed by the college basketball world this season.

Here’s a look at Watkins’ WNBA draft eligibility and when she could leave college basketball for the next level:

JuJu Watkins WNBA draft eligibility

Some fans might not realize Watkins is headed into her junior year in 2025-26, due to how impressive she has been so early in her career. She presumably has two seasons of college eligibility left, as she can apply for a medical redshirt following her injury.

Being eligible for the WNBA draft is different than most sports, as players must either graduate or turn 22 years old in the year of the draft — whichever comes first. For Watkins to be eligible for the 2026 WNBA draft, she would have to graduate college early.

That’s not out of the realm of possibility, as athletes graduating early isn’t rare — whether by enrolling early or taking summer classes. Watkins’ graduation progress is unknown.

JuJu Watkins age

Watkins, born on July 15, 2005, is 20 years old. She won’t turn 22 years old until July 2027, which means she would have to graduate early to be eligible to leave college for the WNBA after the 2025-26 season.

Juju Watkins stats

Here are Watkins’ year-by-year stats in college:

2023-24 (USC): 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game on 40.1% shooting with 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
2024-25 (USC): 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists per game on 42.6% shooting with 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.