INGLEWOOD, CA– A thrilling conclusion seen the Rams rally late at SoFi Stadium for a 23-22 victory over the Chargers in a battle for L.A. on Saturday, August 16th. Rams backup quarterback Stenson Bennett was superb, hitting Tru Edwards with an 8-yard touchdown pass with 5 seconds left,
Bennett passed for 324 yards and three scores in the last second win. His second excellent preseason performance in a row. The Rams have been extremely vague about Matthew Staffords health and availability for Week 1.
It seems a cloak and dagger scenario with the Rams not disclosing the extent of Staffords injury, nor offering a time table for his return.
Long story short: Bennett looks like he may be starting Week 1 against the Houston Texans.
As for the other SoFi tenant, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert played in his first preseason game ever as a pro. He was sharp in his sole drive, however Herbert’s only series was interrupted when receiver Quentin Johnston went down hard and left the field on a cart.
Herbert asked for some limited action in this outing to get some work with the Bolts’ revamped offense, which is now missing starting left tackle Rashawn Slater.
“I was happy with the action that both our first-team defense and first-team offense got in this game,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “We needed it. It helped us.”
Raheim Sanders rushed for a 1-yard TD in the third quarter set up by Trey Lance’s exceptional 34-yard completion to Harris.
Bennett hit Mario Williams for a 38-yard dart touchdown pass on the final play of the third, putting a beautiful downfield throw directly in the hands of the former USC receiver. Bennett also threw a 2-yard TD pass to rookie Konata Mumpfield in the first half.
Trailing 22-17, with under two minutes, Bennett reset himself after throwing a costly interception advised and drove his offense downfield in the waning seconds.
Brennan Presley made an acrobatic 40-yard catch between two defenders with 11 seconds left, setting up Edwards’ winning catch on the next play.
UCLA Bruins enjoying the preseason restful Gameday!
The Chargers finish the preseason in Santa Clara against the 49ers on Aug. 23.
The Rams travel nearly 2,400 miles to face the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 23rd. It’s going to be the Shedeur Sanders show. The rookie Quarterback is the biggest storyline thus far.
Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Sparks were outmatched in height and harmony as the New York Liberty heated up from deep hitting 14 triples, the most made all season by a Sparks’ opponent while Liberty’s dominance in the paint led by Emma Meesseman season-high 24 points and Jonquel Jones’ double-double, 21 points and 11 rebounds drowned whom some WNBA coaches referred as the hottest team amongst the league, scoring a season team high 105 over Sparks 97 for a rematch victory at Crypto arena on Tuesday night.
“I just felt like we were missing a little ‘umph’ today. Defensively, we were not great,” coach Lynne Roberts said. “I just heard Dearica [Hamby] is top 10 [on the Sparks’ all-time scoring list], which is awesome. We just were a little bit off, but we still scored almost 100 and did some good things. But you have to give credit to New York, I thought they did a good job. Their zone slowed us down a little bit.”
Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
Los Angeles’ team leaders, Kelsey Plum scored 26 points and Hamby added 21 points, eight rebounds and four steals but didn’t have enough still with the other two core scorers on the team, Azura Stevens and Rickea Jackson, scoring 17 and 16 respectively, to dispel the magic of defending league champions despite a relative quiet night from their leading scorer Sabrina Ionescu, whom scored 14 points and six assists.
“I think, offensively, we know who we are, we know what we’re good at, we know what gets us away from that,” coach Roberts said. “But New York shot 56% and had 14 threes.”
For Los Angeles (15-17), this is their fifth game in eight days as they fallen short for the third time in their last 10 games.
“One game shouldn’t break us,” Hamby said. “Like I said, we did a lot of things well, and we didn’t play our best basketball, but we have really important games coming up that we should win, and [we’ll] go from there.”
For New York (21-11), whom just loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, 83-71, bounced back with a historic win for their head coach Sandy Brondello, celebrating her 100th victory to tie as the All-time winningest coach with this franchise.
Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
Veteran and fan favorite, Natasha Cloud made back-to-back buckets to give her team their largest lead, 96-85. Ionescu followed with a layup while 1:22 remaining in the game. Los Angeles failed to convert on offense, turning into another Cloud uncontested drive in the lane for a 102-91 lead.
New York had a trio of twenty-point scorers including starter Leonie Fiebich 20 points while Cloud had 11 points with two assists, two steals and two rebounds. Besides “Stewie” (knee) absence from the game, Isabelle Harrison (concussion), Nyara Sabally (knee) and Kennedy Burke (calf) did not play though Burke was listed as for emergency due to the team being short-handed.
“In the past, the zone made us slow down a little bit, but tonight, we actually did a really good job for the most part,” Plum said.
Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
From Plum’s outlook, Sparks was able to draw a silver lining with their productive offense but might face going back to drawing board for their depth contribution after Cameron Brink did not play in the second half of the game. Live reports on Twitter were disseminated of her noticeably missing off the bench the beginning of the third quarter. Later during the game you could see her having her ankle wrapped up before it was confirmed post-game she tweaked her ankle without any further update.
Los Angeles, CA – Dearica Hamby drew an “And 1” driving by her defender to put Los Angeles Sparks up three with 5.6 seconds left, followed by a breakaway steal from Julie Allemand to run out the clock, and seal the win over the Seattle Storm on Sunday at Crypto Arena, 94-91.
“We’re happy, we’re playing for that kind of game, you know? It’s exciting to play that kind of game, and at the end when you make the shot that we need, it’s a great feeling as a team,” Allemand said. “It’s everybody. When we play like that, we have so much fun, and it was tough for us at the beginning of the game, but then we came back…it’s a team win, the feeling is so different, and it’s just amazing to win like that.”
Kelsey Plum led her team with 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Hamby added 19 points, which included scoring seven of the Sparks’ final nine points plus two crucial free throws to tie the game at 87 with 1:25 remaining.
“The worst thing you can do is fear losing. The worst thing that can happen is [taking a loss], but you don’t want to think about losing, you want to think about just winning the next play and staying in attack mode,” coach Lynne Roberts said. “Dearica [Hamby] just made a great [play] and then hit her free throws. She was huge. Huge plays. Julie [Allemand’s] steal at the end. I mean, everybody contributed. Just like she said, it was a total team win.”
This game had a total of 10 lead changes and nine ties, as the Los Angeles weathered the Storm for second time this far in a three-game series to take the lead matchup against Seattle.
Storm’s Brittney Sykes kept her team battling with a pair of crafty layups late in the game, including one with 12.7 seconds left to tie it at 91-all after a pair of Plum free throws with 56.5 seconds to go for a Sparks’ two-point lead.
Sykes scored 27 points, rookie reserve Dominique Malonga added 20, while veterans Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike, poured in 17 and 15, respectively.
“It’s so hard to guard [Dominique Malonga], she’s just so big and athletic. When they [went] really big, we went a little smaller with Rickea [Jackson] at the 4,” coach Roberts explained. “As I always say, the knife cuts both ways – they gotta defend us, so it was a battle of wills. It seems like every time we play them, it’s back and forth…Seattle’s a good team, and they got a lot of powerful vets on that roster, so [I] couldn’t be more proud of the team.”
The Sparks (15-16) trailed 26-14 in the first quarter before finding their legs under them after back-to-back games, and traveling from Northern California, within 24 hours. The second quarter, Sparks’ second wind kicked in to win the period 32-14, and take the lead 46-40 at halftime.
“We played at Golden State, and they put a ton of pressure on the ball, so I was trying to get off of it, and we didn’t make shots and stuff like that, but tonight, I was really proud, Plum said. “There were definitely times where we didn’t make shots, but people just stayed in it. In this league, a lot of times, you just have to stay in it, and then it’s like a one or two-possession game, and anything can happen. I was really proud of the plays people made down the stretch, and it’s a growth moment for me, too, because a lot of times I was like, ‘oh, I’m supposed to shoot it.”
Most of the second half went back-and-forth as neither team led over eight. Seattle (16-16) led 87-80 with 2:52 left off a jumper by Diggins.
Sparks reached balanced scoring among their starters and coach applauded bench production. Azura Stevens dropped in a smooth 15 points and Cameron Brink shined again off the bench with double digits, scoring 14 points.
“I think we’re learning [and] not flinching, I think it took us a quarter to get the legs out from the game last night and the travel,” coach Roberts said. “You climb in bed at midnight, then you get up, and you gotta re-attack. It’s emotionally hard and these guys chose to get up and re-attack. That’s learning how to win, but not getting phased.”
The Sparks wrapped up their first back-to-back of the season, and will continue with three upcoming games in six days as they host coast rival New York Liberty on Tuesday, August 12 (7 p.m. PT) before road matchups against the Dallas Wings Aug. 15 (4:30 p.m. PT) and Washington Mystics Aug. 17 (12 p.m. PT).
Los Angeles, CA – Dearica Hamby scored 21 points and unheralded floor general, Julie Allemand recorded her first career triple double setup by her teammates to seal Los Angeles Sparks’ victory and Allemand’s history Thursday night over the Connecticut Sun, 102-91 at Crypto Arena with a little syrup sprinkle on top by the Belgium baller to help extend her team’s win streak to four as the Sparks now have won eight of their last nine contests.
“Since the beginning of the season, I’ve been optimistic about what this team can look like, and why I want to be here, and why I’m going to continue to be here,” Hamby said. “And I know I’ve compared this team to the 2022 Aces team, just having so much firepower and being one of the fastest teams we’ve seen…So we’re not done yet, we got a lot more to accomplish, obviously, but I think Sparks basketball is back.”
Rickea Jackson was back to usual form outshining Sun defenders in the paint and around the perimeter with another 20 point effort for the game despite finding herself in foul trouble. Kelsey Plum added 18 for Los Angeles (14-15) to post another 100-plus points for the fifth time in the last six games.
Julie Allemand spoke after the game during a live TV broadcast about what Jackson was able to do to spark her team’s comeback.
“She’s done everything. She’s so amazing,” Allemand said. “I’m so glad to play with her. It’s been amazing to play with her and with everybody.”
Sparks high scoring showcased more depth with six players in double-digits. Cameron Brink had 11 points off he bench all in the second half, Azura Stevens and Allemand had 10 apiece. Allemand also had 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
“The first part of the season I had surgery, [and] it was tough to come back [from], then I went to Eurobasket and it helped me a lot,“ Allemand said. “so when I came back, I just wanted to play and be the same as I was over there. That’s what I’m doing right now and I’m feeling way more comfortable in this team. So yeah it’s been great, but the most important is the win and tonight was an important one.”
Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey each scored 19 points for Connecticut (5-24). Bria Hartley added 16 points and Leila Lacan had 10 points and seven assists.
Connecticut shot 50 percent from behind the arc in the first half to help build a 51-49 lead after going up as much as 13 in the second quarter.
“They were playing a little harder than we were down there, and they’ve got some really good rebounders,” coach Lynne Roberts said. “They had eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter and finished the first half with eight, so we did a better job, we cleaned it up. I heard that Azurá [Stevens is] top 10 in franchise history now with rebounds…The message is always, ‘if you want to score, you gotta get the ball.’ It’s hard to run and play with pace if you’re taken out of the net, right? So let’s be one and done, finish the play. If we want to win and continue to win, we’ve got to continue to rebound.”
Plum rebounded from a slow start, relegated much of the game by Saniya Rivers’ intense defense to facilitating offense for her teammates before she got it rolling in the 2nd half after making her first field goal of the game towards the end of the third quarter with a triple giving Los Angeles a 69-64 lead.
Later Plum again made Los Angeles’ 10th 3-pointer with 3:58 left in the fourth — on Julie Allemand’s 10th assist — for an 89-78 lead.
“We can see that on the court it’s getting better and better. But it’s not only about Kelsey Plum and I, I think it’s about the team and what we have to do for the team,” Allemand said. “We have to trust the process, it takes time. It’s a new group, it’s a new coach. It doesn’t come [quick], so that’s why I think now we’re healthy. So that’s why we can see the difference right now. It was the right momentum for us, and it’s been nice.”
LA hit 11 of 25 from 3-point range and made 21 of 26 at the charity stripe.
Next up, the Sparks visit the Golden State Valkyries Saturday, Aug. 9 (5:30 p.m. PT) before returning to Crypto.com Arena for a two-game homestand against the Seattle Storm Aug. 10 (5 p.m. PT)and the New York Liberty Aug. 12 (7 p.m. PT)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Las Vegas Aces edged the Golden State Valkyries 78–72 at the Chase Center. All-Star center A’ja Wilson led the way with 27 points, 7 rebounds. Golden State was paced by Tiffany Hayes (14 points, 9 rebounds) and Janelle Salaün (13 points).
After a back-and-forth opening half, Las Vegas surged with a 13-4 run to close the third quarter, pushing ahead 64–54. Golden State’s defense stiffened in the fourth, holding the Aces to just 16.7% shooting, but Vegas stayed afloat with timely free-throws.
Photo by Trisha Victorio / fi360 News
Rookie guard Carla Leite provided a notable spark off the bench, finishing with 11 points on 4-for-12 shooting, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 24 minutes. Her aggressive drives into the lane earned her extended minutes in the fourth quarter, with head coach Natalie Nakase opting to keep her in over veteran Veronica Burton. “Her composure, her ability to pick up the game plan quickly, her ability to pick up what we want from her quickly.” Leite was one of just two bench players to reach double figures, helping keep the Valkyries within striking distance.
The other, Kaila Charles, in just her third game with the Valkyries, she continued to make her presence known, delivering 11 points on an impressive 4-of-5 shooting — her second straight game in double figures.
Photo by Trisha Victorio / fi360 News
Despite these efforts, Golden State struggled from deep and tallied a season-low nine assists, limiting their offensive rhythm.
“At the end of the day, I’m fine with our girls playing their hearts out tonight. If they’re frustrated, great. Because I’m a little frustrated too. And I don’t mind a little pain.” Coach Nakase says. The loss drops the Valkyries to 14-15, trimming their playoff cushion to half a game over the Sparks with 15 games remaining. Nakase stressed the importance of sharper execution as the team navigates the final stretch, while Leite’s performance hinted at her growing role in the rotation.
Los Angeles, CA – Returning home to Crypto Arena on Tuesday night fresh off a riveting road win against Seattle Storm, Rickea Jackson set the tone with an opening statement three, 15 seconds into the game foreshadowing what to expect in their third game against the Indiana Fever, as she later finished how she started, hitting her third triple of the game in the final quarter to score a team-high tying 25 point and help snap Indiana Fever’s five game winning streak, 100-91.
LA snagged their seventh win of their last eight games where their starters again scored 85 percent or more of their team’s points. The Sparks became the first WNBA team in history to score 100 or more points in four games while averaging 96.8 during this five game stretch.
Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
“I just feel like as a group, we’re just playing together. I feel like we’re very dangerous, and our momentum and our energy is really good right now,” Rickea Jackson said during postgame press conference. “Like Coach [Lynne Roberts] said, we’re not flinching, so we just have that confidence in each other. If we get down, we’re not panicking anymore… we know what to do.”
Kelsey Plum scored 25 points and dished an impressive 11 assists for her second double-double of the season. Azurá Stevens whom battled throughout game Fever’s Aaliyah Boston alongside frontcourt teammate Dearica Hamby both were able to reach double figures, scoring 19 and 16 points, respectively.
Plum (10) Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
“I think the balance is what makes it tough. [Rickea Jackson is] such a tough guard, and you can put somebody smaller on her to match her athleticism or speed, or you can put somebody bigger on her to match her size, and either way, she’s going to make you wrong,” Coach Lynne Roberts said. “…I could go down the list. Dearica [Hamby] is who she is. She’s so efficient… [Azurá Stevens] was 5-for-5 from [the three-point line]…So, she might go 0-for-5, but she’s on the scouting report, ‘Do not let her shoot…’ That’s who she is. And then we’ve talked about [Kelsey Plum]… she gained so much attention from the other team’s scouting report—as she should—but she’s not trying to get hers, she’s trying to win.”
Jackson took over for the Sparks much of the second half scoring 17 points while it was Plum and Hamby sustaining the Sparks in the first half with 14 points apiece, to close the half on a 23-8 for a 11 point advantage, 54-43 Sparks. The Sparks connected 50% from behind the arc going into intermission, led by Stevens, Jackson and Plum combining to make six out of seven.
Prior to the game, Coach Roberts explained, how they know “they needed to defend the three-point line well as it seems the [Fever]really get going when they’re hitting from [the three-point line], and that could be from anybody, right?”
And that anybody happen to be Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell’s remarkable range shooting, as she nailed seven trifectas for a game high 34 points.
Coach Roberts said this prior to the game, “Everybody in this league is hard to beat. I think they’re playing really well right now, they’re a balanced team. I want to give a shout-out to Aari McDonald, I think she’s done a tremendous job there,” Coach Roberts added. “She’s really elevated their group. They’re physical, they play hard… [they’re] playing with a little more swagger and a little more confidence. They’re coming in here [as] one of the hottest teams right now, so we have our hands full.”
Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
Sparks indeed was unable to just cruise off in the sunset after a dominate second and third quarter as Mitchell and McDonald
together led the charge for their team to fight back on an attempted comeback despite missing their franchise favorite three point specialist, Caitlin Clark for her eighth straight game due to injury.
Still Fever found balance scoring with their front-court, Aaliyah Boston and Natasha Howard scoring 15 and 17 points, respectively. But it was not enough to crash Cameron Brink’s block party, tying her career high five blocks in her third game for the season, while helping to hinder Boston to continue her double-double streak.
“That was their run. We got to defend the three. That was a flurry by them, and that’s a sign of a great team,” Coach Roberts said. “They didn’t quit… [When] we were up 22 [points], they could have folded. They didn’t, and I respect that. The lead was a little too big for it, but they hit some big shots.”
After Indiana went on a 21-5 run in the final quarter that seem triggered from a Rickea Jackson’s triple, giving the Sparks their largest lead, 90-68, Fever could not overcome the cure of Sparks savage shooting, particularly deep range as Stevens made her fifth three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining in the game to seal a nine-point win just as the Fever had cut the lead to six.
Hamby (5) Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
“It was a great win, and that’s something that [the team] has talked a lot about being successful on the road and not as successful at home,” Plum said. “We want to be in the playoffs. We got to win our home games. So I think you just saw a level of intensity and competitiveness, and [Rickea Jackson] wasn’t doing anything other than what she normally does. I thought collectively as a team, we came in and it was our energy. And I think the difference between us winning and losing is really our energy and our intensity. Shots fall, shots don’t fall. But at the end of the day, we had an energy about us that won us this game.”
Los Angeles (13-15) bring their winning streak to three this season versus Indiana (17-13). They have their season finale matchup this month back in LA on August 29th. Until then, Sparks gear up for two more home games this week, Connecticut Sun on Thursday and Seattle Storm on Sunday, August 10th with Golden State Valkryies in between on Saturday, August 9th.
Jackson (2) Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
Los Angeles, CA –Ája Wilson wasted no time with her All Star afterglow attacking the Sparks frontcourt that included spoiling Sparks sophomore Cameron Brinks’s return and going off in the first quarter for 17 of her 34 points, while her teammate Jackie Young recorded her first career triple double to help avenge their team’s earlier season home loss to the Sparks in a dominant fashion, 89 – 74 win on Tuesday night at Crypto arena, snapping the league’s current hottest team five game winning streak.
Wilson (22) Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
“When you’re talking about just the way our schemes are just flowing and the way that we just can get this spark with also having Jewell [Lloyd] come in off our bench,” Ája Wilson said. “It just seems like it’s just a healthy balance for us.”
Sparks fell down early in the game after the starters struggled to score and defend, 18-5.
Brink entered the game a little under three minutes in the first quarter after missing most of last season and half of this season due to a torned ACL. Brink amassed five points in less than 15 minutes and a monstrous block from behind on Aces’ NaLyssa Smith.
Plum (10) Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
“I thought she did a good job to be honest, she was more comfortable out there than I anticipated her to be, just because [of] how long she’s been out, and coming in mid-season’s hard,” Coach Lynne Roberts said. “She loves basketball, so she’s finally getting a chance to be out there, and be with her teammates that she’s been watching for 13 months, and I think that’s her happy place.”
Going up on a Tuesday the Aces shot over 60 percent in the first quarter behind Wilson perfect shooting percentage, hitting her first ten shots which consisted of one triple, mid range fadeaway jumpers plus simple aggressive, drop step layups to put her team up, 48-34 at the half.
“[Ája Wilson] was phenomenal tonight. She was on one, and… she had an intensity to her, and [she was] determined to score,“ Coach Roberts said. “We’ve got to be better on her, and she had a heck of a game, so hats off to her. She’s a talent, and everybody in this room and elsewhere knows that. We did not do a great job on her tonight.”
Dearica Hamby, who was named Western Conference player of the week scored the first basket in the third though she had a somewhat tough night on both ends, scoring below her average for 15 points. Her former Aces teammate and current Sparks teammate, Kelsey Plum, scored 22 points, mostly in the second half despite being ice cold from the three, missing all six attempts.
Hamby (5) Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
Rae Burrell came off the bench, providing high energy with a triple almost midway through the third, making the score 55-40.
“I feel like the team did a good job in just preparing me for coming back,” Burrell said. “I just try to bring the same thing every night. I try to bring in some energy, whatever the team needs me to bring and whether that’s getting offensive rebounds, being aggressive on offense, defense, just whatever the team needs me to do…”
Burrell knocked down her second triple in the fourth en route to a season high of 17. Sparks cut the deficit down but not enough to get over the double digits hump with the score, 83-66, Aces advantage.
“You always need to work hard, no matter the score, and I’m always trying to bring that energy,” Rae Burrell said. “I think it’s—just playing through the clock, through the buzzer, just [playing] hard til the game’s over.”
Brink (22) Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News
Dana Evans came off the bench for the Aces and was the only other player in double figures for her team with 10 points besides Young and Wilson. For the second straight game, Lloyd came off the bench, dropping a deep dagger to clinch any hope of a Sparks comeback, 86-66.
“These last couple games, we’ve looked more like what I’ve expected us to look like,” coach Becky Hammon said. “It’s taken longer than what I thought it would. However, I’m happy that it’s arriving.”
The Sparks heads Northwest for a matchup against the Seattle Storm on August 1st at 7 p.m., PT. Then Los Angeles returns to Crypto.com Arena for back to back games to face the Indiana Fever August 5th at 7 p.m. and Connecticut Sun August 7 at 7p.m., respectively.
Los Angeles, CA – USC hosted a fulfilling Media Day on Monday for their team at Heritage Hall, as the Fighting Trojans and positional coaches with the exception of a few whom participated at last week’s Big Ten Media Day sat with fi360news plus other regional media outlets.
Lincoln Riley in his fourth year as USC’s Head Coach opened up the team’s media event with a prompt welcome before departing the room to allow his returning players and members of his coaching staff to answer a range of questions.
“Mentality I feel is something huge particularly for a kicker, not making anything bigger than the moment,” last year UNLV transfer Caden Chittenden said about key preparation for the season, “you practice so much of the same thing it makes no point of overthinking it…I love verse James 1:1-2 because I feel faith is so important in every aspect of your life that if you keep a strong, firm foundation in what you believe in you’ll be able to do much more than just by yourself.”
From transfers and redshirts describing how they’re grappling with Riley’s complex offense, others embracing team nutritionist “Ms. Rachel” alongside new coaches such as “Coach True” plus an unveiling of a shared faith amongst most of the team present on today demonstrated by their keen focus of “keeping the main thing, the main thing, ” Returning veteran player Anthony Beavers said.
Braylan Shelby DE
Beavers continued with his outlook of the program’s culture, “this is a hard-nosed program where it’s kind of easy to get blinded by the glitz and glamour in LA, but we honor those whom came before us by carrying on a hard-nose tradition.”
Coach Anthony Jones, USC’s running back coach for his second season, pressed upon a satisfying impression of how their running backs practicing hard thus far, but of note was the Fighting Trojans’ team in unison praising and uplifting one another culminated by the team’s last summer workout at the beach.
Jayden Maiava QB
“That was my first time actually having a beach workout,” Linebacker TáMere Robinson said, “I’m not from where a beach is at and it was a great team-bonding activity which afterwards we all jumped into the ocean.”
Beavers added, “I think we have unique characters and we did a great job this [off season] hanging out more as a team.”
Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and athletic trainer Lauren Askevold talks with media about his recent bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment at the Dal Ward Athletic Center in Boulder, CO on Monday July 28, 2025. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
On a beautiful Monday morning in Boulder, Colorado, a room filled with reporters and media outlets was noticeably quieter than usual. The atmosphere was tense, not with anticipation of a game or a recruit, but because of the two name tags placed on the conference table: Dr. Janet Kukreja, Director of Urologic Oncology at CU Cancer Center and UCHealth, and Lauren Askevold, Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Colorado Buffaloes. Askevold, a trusted figure who has been by Coach Prime’s side since his days at Jackson State, was present, signaling that this press conference was deeply personal.
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders talks about his recent bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment while flanked by athletic trainer Lauren Askevold (right) and Dr. Janet Kukreja (left) at the Dal Ward Athletic Center in Boulder, CO on Monday July 28, 2025. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
When Coach Prime—Deion Sanders—entered the room, the air shifted. Wearing his signature blue overalls, a tan cowboy hat, signature Blenders shades, and multiple gold chains, he lit up the room with his smile. His calm, confident swagger gleaming happy to be back in the fold.
Wasting no time, Coach Prime greeted everyone warmly and introduced Dr. Kukreja and Askevold, immediately dispelling any speculation that he might be stepping down from coaching. Instead, he handed the floor to them to explain what had been unfolding behind the scenes since spring.
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders talks with media about his recent bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment at the Dal Ward Athletic Center in Boulder, CO on Monday July 28, 2025. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
Askevold began by explaining that during a routine CT scan, something concerning appeared in Coach Prime’s chart. It led his medical team to recommend further consultation with Dr. Kukreja. She confirmed the presence of an aggressive form of cancer in one of Sanders’ kidneys. When asked how he responded to the news, Askevold said simply, “He said he knows he’s God’s favorite—and that he’s going to overcome this.”
True to form, Coach Prime chose surgery as his path forward, never wavering in his faith. He kept the diagnosis private, choosing not to share it with his younger sons, Shilo and Shedeur—both currently in NFL training camps with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead, he confided in his oldest son, Deion Sanders Jr., and his daughters.
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and Dr. Janet Kukreja talks with media about his recent bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment at the Dal Ward Athletic Center in Boulder, CO on Monday July 28, 2025. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
Support poured in behind the scenes. NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss called Coach Prime every day, offering prayers and sharing wisdom from his own battle with a similar condition. In a YouTube video posted to the Well Off Media page, Deion Jr. revealed how he wanted to be at his father’s side every moment. But his father, ever the visionary, encouraged him to document the journey—“to show what God can do.”
Coach Prime expressed deep gratitude for Deion Jr., saying he never left his side. He also shared that not even the coaching staff or players were aware of his diagnosis until just one day before the press conference.
Throughout the event, Sanders showed tremendous resilience. Drawing inspiration from the Book of Job, he shared how God allows trials to ultimately bring Him glory. Coach Prime made it clear: he had no plans of missing any games and was thrilled to be back with his team in Boulder.
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and athletic trainer Lauren Askevold talks with media about his recent bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment at the Dal Ward Athletic Center in Boulder, CO on Monday July 28, 2025. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)
“God answers prayers,” he said, with the same unwavering faith that has defined his life on and off the field.
Los Angeles, CA – Hope springs eternal as all 32 NFL teams kicked off training camp by holding practices this weekend with club-led fan events incluiding the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. On Saturday, July 26 NFL fans and families flocked to Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union Loyola Marymount University to watch the Rams. Many fans were eager to see new Wide Receiver Davante Adam’s.
Adams was signed this off season to replace former Rams legend, Cooper Kupp, who is now a division foe as the newest Seattle Seahawk.
Adams feels like he’s “living in luxury.” which is a testament to how comfortable he is compared to his previous stops with the Jets and Raiders.
Adams (17) Photo by Jevone Moore
“For Davante to say that, that means the world to me because of the respect and admiration I have for him as a person, as a player,” said Rams Head Coach Sean McVay.
As the Rams conduct their first training camp practice in pads on Monday, they will do so without quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Head coach Sean McVay on Saturday said Stafford, who is dealing with back soreness, will not practice next week. The veteran QB – he was scheduled to do so during the second five-day block of camp – and the team will take it “a week at a time” with him, but the goal remains to have him back for Week 1 against the Texans.
On defense, inside linebacker Nate Landman continues to shine while outside linebackers Jared Verse and Byron Young made some noise. Offensively, competitive situation drills and deep passing headlined the day.
The two minute drill was the most exciting moment on this gorgeous early morning practice. Backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo displayed veteran grit responded with an intermediate completion to Puka Nacua, then a deep completion to Davante Adams before spiking the ball to stop the clock for a series of field goal attempts by kicker Josh Karty.
Garoppolo (11) Photo by Jevone Moore
For an encore, One of Garoppolo’s best passes of the day came on a ball he launched down the left sideline to Adams, who made the catch look easy. Adams signed a two year deal this offseason,.
The signing of the three-time All-Pro receiver bolsters the Rams’ receiving corps as they move on from Cooper Kupp.
With the Rams being one of the league’s best teams, every week is an arduous battle as they are forced to play a first-place schedule this year, which is why their path to the playoffs is so difficult. Despite the tough 17-game slate, the Rams are viewed as Super Bowl contenders once again.
The Los Angeles Rams are projected to win 9.5 games in the 2025 NFL season. This is based on various betting odds.
Rams open the pre-season schedule at SoFi Stadium against “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, August 9. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 pm.
