The Indiana Fever defeated the Seattle Storm 78-74 on Sunday, Aug. 3, receiving multiple strong performances despite being without All-Star guard Caitlin Clark for the seventh consecutive game because of a right groin injury.

Natasha Howard led the way for the Fever with a game-high 21 points, also adding five rebounds and five assists. Sophie Cunningham scored a season-high 17 points with four 3-pointers, and Aliyah Boston secured a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with 16 points, Skylar Diggins tallied 13 points with four assists, and Gabby Williams had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Despite the continued absence of Clark, the Fever have put together a five-game winning streak, moving to 17-12 on the season and passing the Storm (16-13) in the standings.

Here’s a recap of the game, with quarter-by-quarter updates.

Fever hang on for 78-74 win over Storm

Despite a late push from the Storm, the Fever holds on for a 77-74 win behind Natasha Howard’s 21 points, five rebounds and five assists performance. Aliyah Boston added 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Sophie Cunningham scored a season-high 17 points.

Indiana moves to 17-12 on the season after its road win.

Seattle Storm pull within four points after third quarter

Seattle outscores Indiana 20-16 in the third quarter, to make its deficit 58-54 heading into the final period.

Sophie Cunningham had a big quarter for the Fever, cashing in three 3-pointers to raise her points total to a season-high 17 on the afternoon. Natasha Howard also has 17 points.

Gabby Williams and Nneka Ogwumike lead the Storm with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Fever lead Storm 42-34 at halftime

Indiana outscores Seattle 25-18 in the second quarter, as Natasha Howard leads all scorers with 12 points. Guard Sophie Cunningham has 10 points, including two 3-pointers in the second period.

Fever are getting contributions from their entire roster early.

Fever lead Storm 17-16 after first quarter

The Fever lead the Storm 17-16 after the first quarter, despite Caitlin Clark being out of the lineup as she still recovers from a groin injury. Natasha Howard leads all scorers with six points on 3-of-3 shooting, picking up the slack from Kelsey Mitchell, one of Indiana’s top scorers who shot 0 for 6 from the field in the first period.

What time is Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm?

The Seattle Storm will host the Indiana Fever at 3 p.m. ET (Noon PT) on Sunday, Aug. 3 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm: TV, stream

Time: 3 p.m. ET (Noon PT)
Location: Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle)
TV channel: ABC
Streaming: ESPN+

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The Indiana Fever defeated the Seattle Storm 78-74 on Sunday, Aug. 3, receiving multiple strong performances despite being without All-Star guard Caitlin Clark for the seventh consecutive game because of a right groin injury.

Natasha Howard led the way for the Fever with a game-high 21 points, also adding five rebounds and five assists. Sophie Cunningham scored a season-high 17 points with four 3-pointers, and Aliyah Boston secured a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with 16 points, Skylar Diggins tallied 13 points with four assists, and Gabby Williams had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Despite the continued absence of Clark, the Fever have put together a five-game winning streak, moving to 17-12 on the season and passing the Storm (16-13) in the standings.

Here’s a recap of the game, with quarter-by-quarter updates.

Fever hang on for 78-74 win over Storm

Despite a late push from the Storm, the Fever holds on for a 77-74 win behind Natasha Howard’s 21 points, five rebounds and five assists performance. Aliyah Boston added 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Sophie Cunningham scored a season-high 17 points.

Indiana moves to 17-12 on the season after its road win.

Seattle Storm pull within four points after third quarter

Seattle outscores Indiana 20-16 in the third quarter, to make its deficit 58-54 heading into the final period.

Sophie Cunningham had a big quarter for the Fever, cashing in three 3-pointers to raise her points total to a season-high 17 on the afternoon. Natasha Howard also has 17 points.

Gabby Williams and Nneka Ogwumike lead the Storm with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Fever lead Storm 42-34 at halftime

Indiana outscores Seattle 25-18 in the second quarter, as Natasha Howard leads all scorers with 12 points. Guard Sophie Cunningham has 10 points, including two 3-pointers in the second period.

Fever are getting contributions from their entire roster early.

Fever lead Storm 17-16 after first quarter

The Fever lead the Storm 17-16 after the first quarter, despite Caitlin Clark being out of the lineup as she still recovers from a groin injury. Natasha Howard leads all scorers with six points on 3-of-3 shooting, picking up the slack from Kelsey Mitchell, one of Indiana’s top scorers who shot 0 for 6 from the field in the first period.

What time is Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm?

The Seattle Storm will host the Indiana Fever at 3 p.m. ET (Noon PT) on Sunday, Aug. 3 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm: TV, stream

Time: 3 p.m. ET (Noon PT)
Location: Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle)
TV channel: ABC
Streaming: ESPN+

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

On Sunday, whether it was designed or not, the young Ladies European Tour golfer masterfully played the par-3, 214-yard Hole 3 during the 2025 AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Porthcawl in Porthcawl, Wales, for a hole-in-one.

Rhodes’ ace, however, didn’t come without some help, as it ricocheted off Stephanie Kyriacou’s ball that was placed inches away from the hole to bounce in.

Noted by Golfweek, part of the USA TODAY Network, it is the second ace this week at the AIG Women’s British Open, as Kyriacou made the first ace during Friday’s second round competition on the par-3 eighth hole.

Despite her ace and several birdies, Rhodes, who has won three events on the LET this season, finished two over par in the final round of competition on Sunday. On the back nine alone, Rhodes recorded two bogies and a double bogey on the par-four sixth hole. At the time of this writing, Rhodes was tied for 19th on the leaderboard at one under par 288.

The AIG Women’s British Open concludes on Sunday in Wales for the final major of the season.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

James Cook was not on the field at Buffalo Bills practice Sunday. He made it abundantly clear that had nothing to do with injury.

Cook was asked by reporters why he wasn’t on the field for Sunday’s session. His answer?

‘Business,’ the 25-year-old running back said, per the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Cook repeated that phrase for each ensuing question about his status, including one about whether he would be back on the field Monday. The Bills gave no comment when asked about their starting running back’s absence.

Cook’s refusal to participate in practice comes as he seeks a lucrative contract extension with the Bills. The fourth-year veteran is entering the final year of his rookie contract with the team and – after a season during which he racked up 1,267 scrimmage yards and led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns – is hoping to ink a long-term deal paying him $15 million in average annual value (AAV).

Bills general manager Brandon Beane has indicated the team wants Cook to be a long-term part of its plans as well. However, the two parties have not yet been able to agree to terms on a possible extension.

Cook skipped all of Buffalo’s voluntary spring programs before reporting to the team for mandatory minicamp in mid-June. He explained he attended the latter to avoid being fined for his absence.

That said, Cook reported to Bills training camp on time and was on the field for the first week of Buffalo’s practices. As such, many presumed he wasn’t going to hold out and may instead simply play out the final year of his rookie contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

But now, there are questions about whether Cook is ‘holding in,’ though it isn’t clear whether his decision to skip Sunday’s practice will carry over to another day. Either way, second-year pro Ray Davis and veteran receiving back Ty Johnson will see increased action as long as Cook, who led Bills running backs with 485 snaps played last season (44.6% of the offense’s total), remains out of action.

After the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves were unable to make it through the first inning the night before, the two teams returned to Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, Aug. 3, to complete MLB’s inaugural Speedway Classic.

Under cloudy but clear skies, Braves outfielder Eli White hit a pair of home runs and minor-league call-up Hurston Waldrep pitched 5⅔ innings of one-run ball to lead the Braves to a 4-2 victory.

The history-making clash marked the first-ever major league game in the state of Tennessee and the first to be held at a NASCAR race track.

USA TODAY Sports provided running updates on how the game unfolded. Scroll below the gallery for a full recap.

MLB Speedway Classic linescore

Raisel Iglesias shaky but nails down save

Braves closer Raisel Iglesias hasn’t had his best season, but he was called on to protect a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth.

He got into immediate trouble by allowing a sharp single to center field, which brought the tying run to the plate in Reds second baseman Matt McLain. With the count 1-0, McLain made a bid to do just that when he lifted a fly ball down the right field line.

Braves outfielder Eli White appeared to have a play, but he bumped into the wall just as the ball hit his glove.

The ball somehow remained in play, while the runner on first base, TJ Friedl, had to stay close to the bag in case White caught it. He was only able to advance to second.

Iglesias was able to bear down, striking out Elly De La Cruz, and then getting Austin Hays and pinch-hitter Jake Fraley on popups to finish off the 4-2 win. It was Iglesias’ 14th save in 19 opportunities.

Call-up Hurston Waldrep comes up big

A mere 24 hours earlier, Braves pitching prospect Hurston Waldrep was preparing to make his scheduled start for the Class AAA Gwinett (Ga.) Stripers. But that was before rain forced the suspension of the Speedway Classic and his team needed some emergency pitching help.

Waldrep had to leave his teammates at 5 a.m. and head to Bristol, Tennessee, for his first MLB apprearance of the season. And not only that, he was told he’d be taking the mound when the game resumed.

Despite all that, Waldrep surpassed even the highest expectations by tossing 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball before exiting at the end of the sixth. If the Braves can hang on, Waldrep is in line for his first major league win.

Top 7th: Eli White goes deep again for Atlanta

Outfielder Eli White has provided the Braves with all the offense they’ve needed so far. Entering the game with only four home runs the entire season, White hit his second of the day in the top of the seventh, sending a Scott Barlow sinker 413 feet over the wall in left center for a 4-2 Atlanta advantage.

White was hitting .249 in 197 at-bats coming into the game.

Braves 3B Austin Riley exits early

The Braves made an unexpected substitution in the top of the third inning when Luke Williams pinch-hit for third baseman Austin Riley.

There’s been no official word on an injury to Riley, but he did seem a bit shaken up after diving to tag out Reds speedster Elly De La Cruz right before he touched home plate in the bottom of the first inning.

Riley had recently come off a stint on the injured list with an injury to his side. Braves manager Brian Snitker told the Fox Sports broadcast Riley ‘was feeling it a little bit’ and he didn’t want to risk making anything worse, so he removed his third baseman as a precaution.

Bottom 2nd: Braves 3, Reds 2

Cincinnati scored a single run for the second consecutive inning with Matt McLain — who scored the game’s first run on Saturday night — driving in the Reds’ second one on a sacrifice fly.

Catcher Tyler Stephenson drew a one-out walk, went to second on a single by Ke’Bryan Hayes and moved to third on a walk to TJ Friedl. McLain’s fly ball to center field was deep enough for Stephenson to come home and cut the deficit to one run.

Top 2nd: Braves 3, Reds 1

Braves right fielder Eli White flipped the script in the top of the second inning as Atlanta mounted a two-out rally.

Following singles by Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies, White — playing in place of injured All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. — deposited Brent Suter’s changeup into the left field stands for a three-run homer.

How to watch the MLB Speedway Classic

The MLB Speedway Classic between the Reds and Braves will continue on Fox. Fans can stream it on Fubo.

Watch the MLB Speedway Classic with Fubo

What time does the MLB Speedway Classic restart?

The Reds and Braves will resume play at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.

Date: Sunday, Aug. 3
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Stream: Fubo
Location: Bristol Motor Speedway (Bristol, Tennessee)

Sunday weather update for Bristol Motor Speedway

Much better conditions are on tap for the resumption of MLB’s Speedway Classic. Sunday afternoon’s forecast from The Weather Channel calls for mostly cloudy skies and the possibility of occasional light showers. Temperatures will hover in the low 70s.

Reds’ Tyler Stephenson pays tribute to ‘Talladega Nights’

Even though the two teams didn’t even finish the first inning, there was one winner last night: Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson.

The inevitable comparisons between baseball and NASCAR throughout the broadcast couldn’t compare to Stephenson’s catching gear he had specifically created for this game.

Stephenson paid tribute to Will Farrell’s firesuit from the movie ‘Talladega Nights’ with his Wonder Bread-inspired chest protector. And he continued the theme with some colorful cleats.

“I was just thinking of stuff to do and reached out to the EvoShield people,’ Stephenson told MLB.com. ‘I was thinking of a NASCAR theme – and ‘Talladega Nights.’ It’s a classic movie. They did a great job and decided to wear it.”

Batting orders for Braves, Reds at Speedway Classic

Here are the lineups both teams will have when the game resumes:

Atlanta Braves

LF Jurickson Profar
1B Matt Olson
3B Austin Riley
*DH Drake Baldwin
C Sean Murphy
CF Michael Harris II
2B Ozzie Albies
RF Eli White
SS Nick Allen

RHP Hurston Waldrep

Cincinnati Reds

CF T.J. Friedl
2B Matt McLain
SS Elly De La Cruz
DH Austin Hays
*LF Miguel Andujar
RF Noelvi Marte
1B Spencer Steer
C Tyler Stephenson
3B Ke’Bryan Hayes

LHP Brent Suter

*-due up next when game resumes

Braves, Reds make lineup, roster changes

The suspension of the Speedway Classic on Saturday night has forced both teams to make some pitching changes before they return to the field.

The Braves have promoted right-hander Hurston Waldrep from the minors and will have him take over on the mound with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Waldrep had been scheduled to start on Sunday for Class AAA Gwinnett.

The Reds have promoted pitcher Lyon Richardson from Class AAA Louisville and optioned outfielder Will Benson to give them an additional arm for the game. Manager Terry Francona said veteran reliever Brent Suter will take over when the Reds take the field in the top of the second.

Speedway Classic weather issues

The Speedway Classic was set to start at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, but rain began falling during pregame activities and the tarp was unrolled at 7:19 p.m. It remained there until skies cleared around 8:50 p.m.

The game eventually started at 9:40 p.m. ET, but since Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider had already gone through his pregame warmup routine, the team decided to scratch him in favor of reliever Austin Cox.

The Reds stuck with their original starter, Tennessee native Chase Burns, who retired the Braves in order in the top of the first.

But the skies began to open up once again – quickly turning the playing field into a quagmire as the Reds scored on Austin Hays’ one-out RBI single. Play was halted immediately after that and ultimately suspended for the night.

The 2025 Little League Softball World Series has begun, featuring four games on the first day on Sunday at Stallings Stadium in Elm Street Park, Greenville, North Carolina.

First game of the tournament is already through with Florida taking down Washington by a final of 9-2. They’ll face Oklahoma in the following round. The second game of the day was much tighter as the defending champions, Pitt County, North Carolina needed a three-run fifth inning to defeat Brazil. They scored four runs on just two hits to win 4-3, but that is what champions do. They’ll face the Central Region representatives in the next round.

Stay a part of the action by following live updates for all the LLSWS action on Sunday, Aug. 3.

Canada strikes back

After an unassuming first inning, Canada struck hard in the second, tallying a run and putting runners on second and third before recording a single out.

Canada earned their first run thanks to a bit of a mishap from Czechia. Instead of taking a sure out at first, the shortstop decided to attempt to get the runner heading for third, but could not apply the tag in time. Czechia would get the next out but after a pair of singles would put Canada out in front with three runs.

Canada leads 3-2.

Czechia gets on the board

Canada’s pitcher, Arielle Prescott, has been great, striking out five hitters through two innings. However, her control has cost Canada dearly as both runs in the second inning have come on wild pitches.

Canada escapes early jam

Early on in the Czech Republic vs. Canada affair, the Czech were cooking with two runners reaching base before any outs were recorded.

Fortunately for Canada, even after the runners advanced to second and third, they were able to work their way out of the jam, keeping the game scoreless as they take the bats for the first time of the game.

North Carolina shows how to tag a runner out

After miscues on throws to third base in the previous half inning, Brazil attempted their own steal of third during the top of the sixth inning. However, it was clear that it was a miscommunication between the runner and coach.

Brazil needed one run to tie the game and potentially push the game to extra innings. It was likely that the runner thought the ball had gotten past the catcher. Instead of a runner in scoring position and one out, Brazil was down to their last out, which was secured just one pitch later on a grounder to second.

North Carolina wins the game thanks to a three-run fifth inning, scoring four runs with only two hits. It’s Pitt County’s sixth straight win at the Little League Softball World Series dating back to winning the championship in last year’s tournament.

They’ll face the Central region representative in the next round.

North Carolina breaks through

Perhaps getting Fugisaki out was all North Carolina needed, after getting Brazil’s ace out of the game, North Carolina put together a tremendous rally, aided by a few errors on Brazil’s end.

The team’s first run of the inning came after North Carolina attempted a double steal. Brazil’s third baseman was playing up to prevent a sacrifice bunt, so the catcher’s throw to third sailed into left field allowing a run to score. That was followed up with a single from Isabella Ford, which drove in the next run.

Just moments later, North Carolina drank from the same well that got them a run earlier. With a runner on second after a sacrifice, North Carolina attempted a steal, and with the Brazil third baseman playing up to prevent the bunt, the catcher’s throw went into left, and the run scored, giving North Carolina a 4-3 with only the sixth inning to go.

Great rally, defensive miscues lead to run for Brazil

North Carolina looked ready to get on offense again and tie up the game, but after one quick out, a walk to Fugisaki, a bloop single, and a walk, the bases were loaded with two outs.

A grounder to short would normally be exactly what the doctor ordered but a lapse in judgment on defense led to hesitation, allowing the runner to reach first and a run to score. It’s 3-1 Brazil heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Brazil takes the lead right back

It looked like it was going to be a quick inning for North Carolina. After tying Brazil, they found a groove, earning quick outs and looking to enter the bottom half with a chance to lead. However, some strong two-out hitting drew in the Latin America runner, giving Brazil a 2-1 lead.

It will be tough for North Carolina to make a comeback if they cannot earn hits. Their only run of the game has come via a walk, stolen bases, and a sac fly. They’ve yet to record a hit.

North Carolina ties it up

Brazil’s pitcher was one of the toughest against hitters throughout the entire Latin America tournament, but this North Carolina team is proving themselves more than capable.

In just the second inning, a series of great baserunning decisions followed up with a sac fly from Avery Cash was able to plate a tying run. It’s 1-1.

Brazil with a hot first inning

The Latin America team wasted no time getting on the board, with two singles in the first inning. A leadoff hit-by-pitch, succeeded by a stolen base put the Brazilian runner in scoring position. Another hit drove her home.

Brazil continued to threaten but a great play in foul territory by the North Carolina first baseman ended the inning. Heading to the bottom of the first, it’s 1-0 Latin America.

Florida secures the win

There may have been a little rough water in the final inning, with Washington putting two runners on, but there was no damage to be done. Washington could not push any runners across, giving Florida their first win of the tournament, a 9-2 victory. They’ll face Oklahoma next.

Sam Bradley uses Ks to get through the 5th inning

Sam Bradley gets two strikeouts in the bottom of the fifth inning and now has three strikeouts for the game as Florida leads 8-2 after five innings.

Washington adds another run in the third inning

Daphnee Calsyn’s sacrifice fly pushes another run across the plate for Washington. But Florida still leads 8-2 after three innings.

Washington gets on the board in the second inning

Anna Yoo draws a bases-loaded walk to knock in the first round for Washington. It is 8-1 Florida after two innings.

Addison Bono delivers another extra base hit

Bono is an RBI machine as she clears the bases with a double in the top of the second inning. She now has six RBI in the game and has driven in six of her team’s seven runs so far today. Sam Bradley adds an RBI-single and it is an 8-0 lead for Florida after the top of the second inning.

A Bono bomb to start things off for Florida

Addison Bono hits a no-doubt three-run home run to left field to give Florida a 3-0 lead after the top of the first inning. According to ESPN, it was her fourth home run of the postseason as she blasted a long ball in the district tournament, the state tournament, the Southeast Region tourney and now the Little League World Series. Also, Acadia Graney adds a two-out, RBI-single to push the lead to 4-0. Florida gets Washington to go quietly with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first and Florida leads 4-0 after the first inning.

Florida vs Washington underway at the LLSWS

If the name Lake Mary Little League sounds familiar – it should − because the baseball 12U All-Stars from Florida won the 2024 Little League World Series with a 2-1 extra-innings victory over Chinese Taipei in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The 12U softball All-Stars from the same little league are the Southeast Region champions and are looking to make history themselves after qualifying for the LLSWS for the first time. The last team from Florida to win the LLSWS (Countryside Little League, Clearwater, Florida) did it in 1996. 

The 12U All-Stars from Mill Creek, Washington are making their first appearance in the LLSWS. They are the Northwest Region champions after an extra-innings win in the regional championship game this year. A team from Washington has never won the LLSWS.

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

Little League Softball World Series: Meet the 2025 teams

Greenville, North Carolina enters its fifth straight year of hosting the Little League Softball World Series when the event takes over Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park from August 3-10, 2025.

For the 12 teams (eight from the United States) competing for the 2025 title, the dream of hoisting the Little League Softball World Series championship banner will come on Sunday, August 10.

Little League Softball World Series 2025 teams

LLSWS teams in the purple bracket

Mid-Atlantic − West Suburban Little League (Johnstown, Pennsylvania)

New England − Guilford Little League (Guilford, Connecticut)

Northwest − Mill Creek Little League (Mill Creek, Washington)

Southeast − Lake Mary Little League (Lake Mary, Florida)

Southwest − Tulsa National Little League (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

West − Westchester-Del Rey Little League (Los Angeles, California)

LLSWS teams in the orange bracket

Asia-Pacific − Tohoku Little League (Iwate, Japan)

Canada − On Field Little League Softball (Repentigny, Quebec)

Central − Floyds Knobs Community Club Little League (Floyds Knobs, Indiana)

Europe-Africa − Prague Little League (Prague, Czechia)

Latin America − Cantareira Little League (São Paulo, Brazil)

North Carolina − Pitt County Girls Softball Little League (Winterville, North Carolina)

Catch the Little League Softball World Series on ESPN+

2025 Little League Softball World Series schedule

Sunday, Aug. 3:

Game 1: (Purple Bracket) Northwest Region vs Southeast Region, 10 a.m. ESPN+
Game 2: (Orange Bracket) North Carolina Region vs Latin America Region, 1 p.m. ESPN+
Game 3: (Orange Bracket): Canada Region vs Europe-Africa Region, 4 p.m. ESPN+
Game 4: (Purple Bracket) New England Region vs Mid-Atlantic Region, 7 p.m. ESPN+

The Buffalo Bills are going to be without one of their top receivers in the early weeks of training camp and the preseason.

Coach Sean McDermott told reporters at Sunday’s practice Khalil Shakir would be ‘week-to-week’ after suffering a high-ankle sprain.

Shakir was Buffalo’s top receiver during the 2024 NFL season, leading the team in targets (100), catches (76) and receiving yards (821) while tying for second on the team with four touchdown receptions. The slot-man built a strong rapport with Josh Allen and is expected to once again be a key weapon for the reigning NFL MVP.

Here’s what to know about Shakir’s injury and how it could impact Buffalo’s wide receiver depth chart.

Khalil Shakir injury update

Shakir’s injury occurred at Buffalo’s Blue and Red practice Friday, per the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Shakir suffered an apparent injury and walked off the field with trainers. He had his right leg evaluated on the bench before trainers accompanied him up the tunnel. He did not return to practice.

The Bills were off on Saturday before returning to practice Sunday. At that point, McDermott announced Shakir would be ‘week-to-week’ because of a high-ankle sprain.

How long will Khalil Shakir be out?

McDermott didn’t provide a concrete timeline for Shakir’s return, but CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports the 25-year-old receiver is expected to miss 4-5 weeks because of the injury. That makes his status for Buffalo’s season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Sept. 7 worth monitoring.

Who is Khalil Shakir’s backup?

Shakir plays primarily in the slot – 498 of his 735 snaps (67.8%) last season came at the position – so either Curtis Samuel or free-agent signee Elijah Moore would figure to take over for Shakir in that role should he miss time. Samuel played in the slot on 43.1% of his snaps with the Bills last season while Moore did so on 54.6% of his snaps with the Cleveland Browns.

Bills WR depth chart

The Bills currently have 14 receivers on their depth chart. They carried just five on their 53-man roster to start last season.

Below is a look at the projected pecking order among the top five receivers on Buffalo’s roster:

Khalil Shakir
Keon Coleman
Joshua Palmer
Elijah Moore
Curtis Samuel

And here is a look at the other receivers battling for roster spots, listed alphabetically by last name:

Kelly Akharaiyi
Deon Cain
Stephen Gosnell
KJ Hamler
Kaden Prather
Tyrell Shavers
Laviska Shenault Jr.
Jalen Virgil
Kristian Wilkerson

Talk about making your parents proud.

The Las Vegas Aces halftime entertainment during Saturday’s game against Minnesota Lynx was a baby race. Ten babies lined up on one end of the court, parents coaxing them to crawl to the other end. While the Lynx crushed the Aces by 53 points, the real winner on Saturday was the baby who stood up and took her first steps at the break.

Halfway across the court, with a sizeable lead in tow, the baby girl got to her knees, then her feet and started cruising to her mom — waiting at the other end of the basketball court. The winner of the race, and the crowd’s hearts, the baby received a huge hug from mom as she reached the finish line victorious.

The baby’s dad also get in the act, toting to the trophy carrying winner.

‘She just started running’ he said, proudly. ‘I was not expecting that.’

There was already one night of wild action. Who’s ready for another one?

WWE SummerSlam 2025 will cap off its double-day event on Sunday, Aug. 3, and it’s shaping up to be a massive night with heavy consequences on the business. All six matches scheduled will be for championships. 

Not only is gold on the line the entire night, but plenty of chaos is on deck too. Tables, ladders and chairs will be involved in the highly anticipated six-team tag team match, and the Women’s Intercontinental Championship won’t have any disqualifications. To end the night, it will be a WrestleMania 41 rematch between John Cena and Cody Rhodes, and it’ll be a street fight where anything goes.

It’s shaping up to be one of the biggest slates of 2025. Follow USA TODAY Sports for all the action for SummerSlam 2025:

Watch: SummerSlam 2025 preshow

When is SummerSlam 2025?

SummerSlam 2025 night two is on Sunday, Aug. 3.

SummerSlam start time 2025

SummerSlam starts at 6 p.m. ET. The SummerSlam preshow begins at 3 p.m. ET.

Where is SummerSlam 2025?

The event takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home stadium of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets.

How to watch SummerSlam 2025

SummerSlam will stream on Peacock, but you must have their premium or premium-plus subscription to watch. Internationally, it will be available on Netflix in most markets.

SummerSlam 2025 will also be available to watch at select Regal Cinemas theaters around the country. Tickets to see WWE SummerSlam in theaters are available on Fandango’s website.

SummerSlam 2025 preshow: how to watch

The SummerSlam preshow will be available to watch on Peacock, and on WWE’s social channels, including YouTube.

Stream WWE SummerSlam on Peacock

SummerSlam 2025 match card night two

Matches not in order

Tables, ladders and chairs match for WWE Tag Team Championship: The Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy) (c) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Saban) vs. Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) vs. Andrade and Rey Fenix
Steel cage match for United States Championship: Solo Sikoa (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
No disqualification, no count out match for Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria
Intercontinental Championship match: Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. AJ Styles
Women’s World Championship match: Naomi (c) vs. Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley
Street fight for the Undisputed WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs. Cody Rhodes

SummerSlam 2025 night two match order

The matches that will start and end the night are confirmed.

WWE makes SummerSlam two nights

For the first time in its 38-year history, SummerSlam takes place on two nights.

WWE first announced the decision for the 2026 event in Minneapolis, with it joining WrestleMania as the company’s two-day extravaganzas. But in September 2024, WWE said the 2025 edition in New Jersey would be a double-night event, kickstarting the timeline early.

With SummerSlam taking over Saturday and Sunday, it allows WWE to have more matches spread across the event rather than only having less than 10. In 2024, SummerSlam had just seven matches, and in 2025, it will have 12.

SummerSlam returns to New York area

It’s another SummerSlam in the New York area as it will be the fourth time it takes place in East Rutherford. Counting New Jersey and New York, the area has hosted 10 SummerSlam’s already, the most of any city. 

The inaugural one took place in 1988, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was last in the area in 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The brother of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, Rahaman Ali, has died.

‘You can’t tell Muhammad’s story without mentioning Rahaman,’ President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center DeVone Holt said in a statement.  ‘He was one of the most constant sources of support for Muhammad during this career and their relationship was a true example of what it means to be ‘my brother’s keeper.”

The Louisville Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, mentioned that Rahaman Ali, whose birth name is Rudolph Arnett Clay, went into the hospital on July 19 and remained in hospice care at Norton Audubon in Louisville, Kentucky.

‘When you saw people walk through the door and they saw Rahaman you would see their eyes light up almost as if they had already seen Muhammad himself,’ Holt told WDRB, a local Fox affiliate in Louisville, about Rahaman Ali and his presence at the Muhammad Ali Center.

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